man for them and had them and be holde the man never packd them up but left them on a shelf in his masters closet. so some days after I had them a gaine which I was verey sorey for. I now in tend makeing the second trial. the gentle man who brings this is one I have some little knowledge of. he lived with a lady and gentle[man] who my lady made a viset to in the countrey. wee was thare six weeks. I heard he was going to leave his place and go to new England, so I asked the favour of him to carrey a letter for me to you, and when he Calls for my letter I will aske him to take a little parcel for me, which is a drest cap I send your little girl, who you say is a charming girl and her name Penelope.1 poor thing, I shall never see her, nor my Dear old acquiantence Petter and Charls, who I hope is verey well. a lady hear told my father she knew Petter, for that he taught her sister on the harpsycord at South Carrolina, and that he was a verey agreable entertaining young man. you may be sure that account of him pleasd my father as well as me. I send my love and blessing to them all. I have sent your wife a preasent of a fann and a short apron, with my service and respects to her. I am glad since you marrid againe you have so prudend and good a wife as you say she is, and I have sent a pair of glove tops for penny as well as a cap. mr and mrs Simons was hear to see me the other day, when I was a wrighting to you in the beginning of this letter. thay desierd thare Service to you. I have been three or four times at this letter and hope now I shall finish. my father has wrote ofen to you, and you complain that you sildom hear from him. so he fanceys thay must miscarrey. my dear brother I hop you will write to me by the first opportunity, and let me know if you have re

1 Penelope (1735-1756). She is said to have died, unmarried, at Boothbay, Maine.

ceved my small poor present. I shall be rejoyced at a letter from you. I would have sent petter and charls each of them a little bit of gold but am a fraid to venture. if you git these safe and when ever you send me a letter by aney ship, if you know aney one in it that I may trust, I will not forgit my two dear boys. I now conclude with wishing my Dear Brother health and prosperity. my prayers and best wishes allways atend you and yours. so god bless you my Dear Brother and beleave me to be your ever loveing sister

H. PELHAM.

Diret for me at the Honble mrs Conways in Green Street by Grosvenor Square

Sept. the 1, 1741.

[Endorsed:] Boston Decr. the 9th: 1741. Rec:d this with the Banbox, with the Cap, fan, Apron, and knott, by the hands of Mr. Rello.

[Addressed:] To Mr. Petter Pelham at Boston in New Eng

land.

Peter Pelham, Sr. to William Pelham1

MY DEAR WILLIAM,

1

I Return you my hearty thankes for your kind and Prety Letter which gave me a great deale of Pleasure and satisfaction at your tender years to Perform so good and Dutifull a Letter to me, your Poor old Grandfather, which I hope you will Continue to do as offten as you have an opertunity. for their Can be nothing so Pleaseing to me as to hear of the wellfair of my Dear Children, which you all are, and shall all Pertake of my

1 Son of Peter Pelham, Jr., by his first wife, Martha. He was born in Boston, February 22, 1729, and buried January 28, 1761.

Blessing and hearty Prayers to god that you may live to be a Comfort to your Dear father and mother, which will indear me to value so obeideant a son, and I hope a good man as well as a good Christian, which will be the greatest happyness to your Parent yourself, but more Espsilarly to your Ever Tender and Affectionate Grandfather

P: PELHAM.

My kind Blessing to Thomas and thank him for his Rememberance of me in your Letter.

LONDON, February the 19th, 1741:2

Helena Pelham to Peter Pelham, Jr.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

LONDON, febury: the: 19:1741 [1742.]

you may be sure it gives us a greate pleasure to hear from you. I never was more pleasd with aney thing then with your little girls letter. I dare say she is a charming childe, and I was glad to hear from my own dear boy charls, who I hope is still handsome. he was the preteyest boy when he went over that ever was. my father heard that Petter was a sencable young man, and verey chomical and entertaining. Lady Delleraine knows him. he teaches her sister at South carrolina. She came from thence. my father intends wrighting to him when her Ladyship writs to her father, and she will send it. I am sorrey you never got those things I sent over to penny [Penelope]. it was a cap I drest her up and pink and silver ribbon in it and a pair of silver glove tops and a tippet I thinke. I sent the banbox by one mr Rello, a swiss. he sayde he went to boston to be gunner of a ship thare at boston, so pray in quire for him and aske him what he did with a little banbox which I

gave him

directed for you at Boston. I hope the poor childe will git her cap yet. it is a verey pretey one. I thinke it is runing a hased [hazard] to send things so far of. I knew this mr Rello. he lived with a familey ware my lady visets, and tolde me he was going a broad. I asked ware he sayde to boston, so I tolde him I had a brother thare, if he would be so good as to Carrey a letter and a little parcel for me. he sayde aney thing he would take care of it. so I got these things dun up for the childe, and gave the box into his own hand, and desierd him to deliver it to you. he promisde me he would I made no Doubt but thay would have [reached] you Safe. I hope these will git Safe to you how ever that the poor child ma not loos all her fine things. I sopose my father tolde you my sister was married a gaine.1 She was marrid last michelmus, and lives in the countrey by Barnet. She is verey ill. I question if she can live long, she is in so bad a way. my Dear Brother I am still with the same good Lady that I went over to Irland to. I have been three times since, so in all I have crost the Irish seas eight times, and allways the sickest sole at sea that ever was. I wonder if ever you will cross the sea to come to olde England a gaine. I fear not. I shall never be so happey as [to] see you mor or aney of yours. all the pleasure I can expect is to hear from you, which I hope you will never fail of doing as ofen as opportunity will sarve. I live Just by my father, which is to me a greate happeyness, for I have ofen the pleasure of seeing him. my Lady has taken a leas of her house for five year, so I thinke now I am settled. pray let me hear from you as soon as you can. Direct for mrs Pelham at the Honble Mrs Conways in Green Stre[et] by Grosvenor Square. poor mrs Guy is yet a live but verey poor. wee are all kind to her, or I dont know what she would do. I tolde you 1 The name of her husband, Baker, is given on p. 15, infra.

this in my letter you never got, and that she desierd her service to you and blessing to the children. I now must conclude my Dearest Brother your ever faithfull frind and Loveing Sister. H. PELHAM.

Pray make my compleyments to your Wife

Helena Pelham to Penelope Pelham

1

febury the 19: 1741 [1742.]

DEAR LITTLE UNKNOWN PEnelope,

I must love you childe for your name. you are the preteyest little wrighter I ever knew. I hope to convirce with you by letter as ofen as you have an opportunity, that I may see how finley you improve. you have all your requests granted. See what it is to be a pretey little begger. a baby a red trunke and a lock and key. and I my little childe have sent you a blue Ring and a necklace, and a Pelerin to wair a bought you neck, such a one as your baby has on. I should be mightley pleasd to see you at the opening of the trunke, for I am sure you will be in greate Joy. pray let me hear how you like all your things and give my service to your mama. so a Due my little unknown girl I shall be allways your loveing Aunt

H. PELHAM.

Peter Pelham, Sr. to Peter Pelham, Jr.

MY DEAR SON,

haveing no Answer of mine to you since I Writt, which was Dated February 19th 1741:2, which was an Answer to yours I Recd February 4th, Dated November 30th 1741, and haveing

1 Her niece.