WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF MY LORD DUke, Conduit Street, April 1, 1758. I beg leave to acquaint your Grace in this way, as I conceive it will least trespass upon your time, that having, with your Grace's leave, deliver'd my petition to the King (the prayer of which was for the Command of a Regiment, and some other mark of his Royal favour) his Majesty was pleas'd to direct Lord Ligonier to acquaint me, "that he did not design to employ me in a Military way." The reason my Lord, as far as I can learn, of his Majesty's not being dispos'd to give me a Regiment is, that I was not bred a Soldier: But I don't apprehend, his Majesty is indispos'd to imploy me in some other way, especially as it was his Intention, when I was recall'd from the Command of his forces in North America, to give me a distinguishing mark of his Royal favour in consideration of my Services; and I can't but hope from his Majesty's wonted Goodness to his Old Servants, that upon your Grace's recommendation of me to his Royal favour, he will continue it to me; and not discard me after having spent so many Years in faithfull Services to the Crown, both in the last, and present Warr, without some provision for my comfortable Support, suitable to the Rank, and Character, in which I have had the honour to serve his Majesty. The favour therefore, I would humbly beg of your Grace, is that your Grace will be pleas'd to recommend me to his Majesty for some such Mark of his Royal favour; and untill provision can be made for me in his Service, that he will be graciously pleas'd to allow me a Pension for my immediate Support. My experience of your Grace's past Goodness, and the Assurances of it upon future Occasions, with which your 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32879, 15. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. Grace hath been pleas'd to favour me, encourage me to make this Application, and the need, I stand in, of Support, will I hope, plead my Excuse with your Grace. I beg leave further to mention to your Grace, that both General Braddock, my predecessor, and the Earl of Loudoun my successor had, each of them, £1000 advanc'd to them by the Crown for the Expences of their Outset and £2000 for Contingent Occasions; but that being in America, when I was appointed I had no benefit of this kind, tho' my Extraordinary Expences requir'd the like Allowance, as much as either of theirs, and my Circumstances more, which Considerations, I hope, will have some weight. I have the honour to be with the most Dutifull Respect, My Lord, Your Grace's most oblig'd, The Deep sense, I have of the late Assurances, which your Grace has been pleas'd to give me of your favour, and the perfect reliance, I have upon your Grace's Intention to conferr soon upon me the Mark of it, which your Grace designs me, would make me wait with pleasure your Grace's own time, without troubling your Grace with one word tending 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32880, 48. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. to hasten it: But as I have not been able to save any thing out of my late Employments to support me out of his Majesty's Service, and am now divested of them, I hope, my Lord, the necessity of my Circumstances, and my faithful Services will plead my Excuse with your Grace for begging of you to take the first favourable Opportunity to bestow on me whatever mark of your favour, your Grace is pleas'd to intend for me. I have the honour to be with the most Gratefull sense of your Grace's favours, and the most Dutifull Respect My Lord, MY LORD DUuke, NEWCASTLE 1 Conduit Street, Jany. 13th, 1759. I beg your Grace's favourable Consideration of the inclos'd Memorial, and that your Grace will be pleas'd to order it to be read at the Board the next Treasury Day. What incourages me to take the liberty of troubling your Grace with this request, is that I hope the Allowances pray'd for in the Memorial will, for the reasons therein set forth, most clearly appear to your Grace to be just, and due 1 2 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32887, 145. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. 2 The memorial presented was for allowances for services in America and expenses attendant upon the same, but the editor has been unable to obtain a copy of the text of the application. to me; and until they are granted, I shall be so greatly distress'd in my Circumstances as to be unable to proceed to the Government, his Majesty has been graciously pleas'd to give me as a mark of his Royal favour for my past services.1 This my Lord, will, I hope; plead my Excuse to your Grace for the Trouble, I give you; and induce your Grace to add this Instance to the former ones of your Goodness to me. I am with the most Grateful sense of the protection, with which your Grace has ever honour'd me, and the most Dutiful Respect, My Lord, Your Grace's most Having this Afternoon been informed, that your Grace is perswaded, I had no Commission for the Chief Command of His Majesty's Forces in North America, as I represented in my late Memorial to the Lords of Treasury, I had; the extreme Concern I am under that your Grace should continue in that mistake a minute longer than it is in my power 1 The government granted Shirley was that of the Bahamas, a poor reward for this "strenuous champion of British interests" in America. 2 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32890, 120. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. 3 Probably the memorial mentioned in letter of Jan. 13, ante, 601, and again referred to in Shirley to Newcastle of June 6, 1759, post, p. 603. to prevent it, makes me take the liberty to acquaint your Grace that I have produc'd my Commission for that Command in the Treasury Office to Mr. Martin, who, I doubt not, will make a satisfactory Report to your Grace upon that Point. That I have likewise produc'd it in the Secretary at War's Office, where the Deputy Secretary compar'd it with the Register of the Earl of Loudoun's Commission there, who was my immediate Successor in the Command, and found it of as large an Extent, as His Lordship's. That he has acquainted me since [that] Lord Barrington is fully satisfy'd of the same, And that the occasion of his representing to your Grace, that I had really no Commission for that Command from home, was owing to his not being Appriz'd that my Commission was register'd in his Office, as in fact it is. I intreat your Grace to be perswaded, that I am incapable of abusing your Grace's Goodness to me by deceiving your Grace in any one point of his Majesty's Service, which I have had the Honour to be employ'd in; And that I shall ever be with the most gratefull Sense of all your favours to me, and the highest Respect, My Lord Duke I beg leave to return your Grace thanks for obtaining his Majesty's Warrant for my Equipage money. 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32891, 455. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. |