1812

April 2:   Devoted this day (after reading early Reeve’s Hist. of English Law) to a visit to Miss Hayes.  A walk to Wandsworth in the wet; Read a little of a critical history of Sir Robt. Walpole’s Administration but it was too dull to read on a walk: Found Miss H. very well: Had a pleasant gossip chiefly about Miss Fenwick who has met with a flattering reception at Barbadoes & writes in high spirits. She is the favourite actress & the prima donna of the Company A circumstance which though it does not speak highly for the critical taste of the West Indies may lead to a permanent establishment. 

5 September:  The forenoon at Chambers & at Manning’s Chambers to whom I wrote a letter about [blank space].  At 4 Mord Andrews drove me in a gig to Geo. Wedd’s with whom I dined: his bride looked exceedingly well and Harriet Wedd her Sister very pretty. Miss Hill, the other bride maid a very agreeable girl. There were besides Mr Hill a nephew of Miss Hayes & Mr Lanfere the son in law of Miss H.  I was not much pleased with either; H. is a coarse man in language & manners but is good humoured, in person resembling both Sam: Kent & Kingsbury though fatter than either. L. has more stuff in him; he has travelled And Miss H. speaks of him very highly for his exemplary conduct to his Mother in law in very trying Situations; but he is forward & makes pretensions beyond what he is entitled to. It was a day of effort. I resolved to amuse myself & others And I believe I succeeded. Andrews drove me & his Sister home late.

7 September, Monday. Another day of recreation less lively & amusing, but interestingly spent.  I walked to Wandsworth before breakfast & spent the day with her (Miss Hays).  The children &c. made a large party to Lord Spencer’s park, through which we walked & went into the Church.  The Sexton gave me an account of Horne Tooke, whom he used to read to, the newspapers &c., and on the whole gave him a favorable character.  He says he was charitable And liked in the parish till just before his death when he set aside the Rate & threw the parish into litigation.  Miss H. lost her mother lately And this has affected her spirits a little;Still I found her better than I expected. <By her mother’s death she received about 800 pounds in addition to her property which, with 300 pounds more of the annuity of 40 pounds, constituted her whole fortune. She is by no means contented in her present state, H. being a frivolous woman, but if she were quite> independent <will I believe [illegible deletion] them. She seems to have greatly recovered the shock she received from F’s marriage.>