1843
On the 25th by her special desire I attended her funeral She was in her 84th year The other attendants were her two brothers And Mr Geo Wedd who married a favorite niece. The internment took place in the Abdy Cemetary [sic] – at Newington – from Clapton I remarked that the conversation scarcely alluded to her – John Hays spoke severely of Joe Wedd would who would not, he said, advance £5 to save a brother’s life from ruin – Geo Wedd, that brother, so did not contradict him, but said, his brother had lost by him some thing under £700 – Other facts of a like character were [re]lated both of Jos: Wedd & Wedd Nash – But I shod now add that John We Hayes who lived near me then, soon after left the neighbourhood And I lost sight of him – One of his daughters is now known as a translator of Geo: Sands works – Otherwise a respectable person – An ultra liberal And friend of Mrs Geo: Stansfeld Junr but I have not fallen in with her – nor with any of the party –
But I should add that not long since I met at Byle’s a son of Geo: Wedd, praised as a man of exemplary virtues – integrity industry & disinterested benevolence – So said the Byles’s –
But now to add a concludeding word of Mary Hays – She illustrated the Proverb Dans le royaume des Aveugles, les borgnes sont Rois– At the close of the 18th Cent: she was a woman of letters In this generation she would not have been listened to at least her books are not read She might have progressed with the Age She was early an admirer of Robert Robinson but of R: R: the all but Unitarian of his last years – The avowed friend of Mrs Wolstoncraft – She was the object of scorn to puritans – without meriting their reproach – She was employed by Phillips – Sir Richard afterws It was through her I became acquaintd with Dr Reid, Miss Tooke &c but all this I must have written before – She thought herself ill treated by Frend, And she was, if he were bound to remain a attached to her when he discovered her to be a bore – My latter acquaintance with her but as I was no lover, little was required of me And that little I could still retain the show of –
[10 September 1859]