Fifty-eight holograph letters addressed to the Reverend John Conway Potter at Hafodunos, at Em[m]anuel College, Cambridge, and at Soughton or Soughton Grove, Northop, by [the Reverend] R[obert] Potter [schoolmaster at Scarning, co. Norfolk, 1761-1789, canon of Norwich cathedral, 1788-1804, vicar of Lowestoft, 1789-1804] from Scarning, Norwich, and Lowestoft, 1778-1801 (progress made by the writer with his 'new Edition of Aeschylus' which was to be published the following February [The Tragedies of Aeschylus. Translated, Norwich, 4to edition, 1777. Another edition, London, 8vo, in 1779], the notes [on the tragedies of Aeschylus] which had been sent to Mr. Mountain and were being published by the [Cambridge] University Press, an eight day stay in London with visits to Vaux Hall, the Haymarket Theatre, and Kensington Gardens, and rambles from painter to painter, the painting of Jack's [? John Potter, the writer's son] picture by Mr. [William] Doughty described as 'a very pretty young man at Sir Joshua Reynolds', a head of the writer [painted] by [George] Romney, Romney's wish to exhibit this picture in his gallery, an intended 'attack on Euripides', the recipient's visit to Dublin, advice to recipient to pursue his studies (1778); a legal action in which the writer was involved ? relating to the rectory of Badgworth, trouble at Scarning [? school] 'from little and great Masters and their Papas and Mammas', the deaths of five of the seven trustees [? of Scarning school] and a request by 'Mr. Lombe, our new Lord' that the trust be renewed, news from Mr. Hopkins of Tenby concerning a legacy due to ? recipient and his sisters, expectations of being moved from Scarning, work on Euripides the first volume of which was advertised in December [The Tragedies of Euripides. Translated, 1781], an accident to the writer when his horses shied and his chaise overturned (1779); the death of 'a great man' from whom the writer had hopes of preferment, ? sarcastic comments on recipient's lack of opportunity to hunt and his presence at Chester races, legacies bequeathed by the writer's sister-in-law, the death of the writer's sister at Frome and his visit to Frome ? in connection with the estate, the Puddimore estates (1780); Dr. [ ] Parr's civility to recipient, affairs at Puddimore, the bishop's [? Philip Young, bishop of Norwich] recovery, the writer's hopes that he would be able to fix his son in curacies near himself, the young man's ordination at Norwich [probably the son] and his acceptance of a curacy at Southwold on the Suffolk coast, the death of Lady L'Estrange [? Lady Mary, widow of Sir Henry L'Estrange, 6th bart. of Hunstanton, co. Norfolk] (1781); the recipient's intention of taking orders, expenses in connection with ?the Puddimore estate, comments on the ancestors of the Lloyd family of Havodynos, the institution of [the Reverend] John Crofts to the vicarage of Bradenham [co. Norfolk], a law suit between Mr. Crofts and [Mr.] Betts at Thetford [co. Norfolk] assizes ( 1782); the marriage of the writer's cousin Eliza, reflections on the attitudes of bishops who had tender consciences when a young man omitted 'any trifling and insignificant circumstance', but who were themselves in the habit of being absent from their dioceses in town in the winter and at some watering place in summer, estates held by Mrs. Daltera 'of the rectory of Badgworth', a proposed valuation of estates held by the writer and recipient at Puddimore (1783); electioneering activity in co. Norfolk, involving Sir John Wodehouse [6th bart. of Kimberley, co. Norfolk, later 1st baron Wodehouse of Kimberley, co. Norfolk] and Sir Ed[ward] Astley [4th bart. of Melton Constable, co. Norfolk], who were elected as members for the county, and Mr. [? Thomas William] Coke [of Holkham, co. Norfolk, successful candidate in 1780], who withdrew from the contest, the death of the writer's daughter, benefices obtained by John Crofts and [ ] Paley, the marriage of the writer's son to 'his Mrs. Sheldrake' (1784); a visit by the writer to London to try to get some of the money due for Euripides on which occasion he had seen [Francois] Blanchard ascend in his balloon, Mrs. [Sarah] Siddons playing Rosalind [in 'As You Like It'], and Sir Joshua [Reynolds's] painting of Venus, a reference to the writer's work entitled An Inquiry into some passages in Dr. Johnson's Lives of the Poets . . . which he had published two years previously, comments on Dr. Johnson's character and his critical ability, the publishing of the writer's two odes The Oracle concerning Babylon [and the Song of Exultation, 1785 ], congratulations on the birth of recipient's child (1785) (continued)
the death of the writer's wife, a visit to Southwold, changes in the writer's household ( 1786); the writer's 'labours in the Athenian Theatre', Mrs. Punchard's transfer of the school to Sarah [ ], the completion of the writer's [ translation of] Sophocles [The Tragedies of Sophocles. Translated, 1788] which he had undertaken at the request of a countess who had advanced the money for publication [? Georgiana, Countess Dowager Spencer, to whom the work is dedicated], thoughts of a visit to the recipient at Soughton Grove with the proposed route, the knighting of Mr. Fenn for publishing two 'Vols. of old Letters' [Sir John Fenn, the first two volumes of whose work Original Letters written during the reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III . . ., which included letters of the Paston family, were published in 1787] (1787); the loss of recipient's son, relations with parishioners at Badgworth and occasional thoughts of going to reside there, a visit by Mr. [ ] Rash and his daughter to Ireland and an inclination on their part to visit Wales, the progress through the press of the writer's [translation of] Sophocles, an offer to the writer by the Lord Chancellor [Edward Thurlow, 1st baron Thurlow of Ashfield, co. Suffolk, later 1st baron Thurlow of Thurlow, co. Suffolk] of a vacant prebend in Norwich [cathedral] and his installation into that dignity 'worth more than 300 £ a year', the writer's taking of his M.A., degree at Cambridge 'necessary on this occasion' [i.e., his installation as canon], and the offer of a doctorate which he had declined, the two months residence at Norwich [cathedral] in June and July, the appearance of Mrs. [Sarah] Siddons on the stage at Norwich for ten nights in September, a visit to the same city in the same month by the singer Madam [Gertrud Elisabeth] Mara [née Schmeling], oratorios and concerts at St. Peter's church and St. Andrew's hall, Norwich, on this occasion (1788); the death of Mrs. Daltera which gave Mrs. Griffith possession of the two estates at Badgworth, the conditions of the lease of the said estates showing the interest the writer's son had therein, the possibility that the late bishop [Jonathan Shipley of St. Asaph] would be succeeded by Dr. Watson known as 'B[isho]p Bluster' [? Dr. Richard Watson, bishop of Llandaff], Mr. Griffith's attitude towards the lease of the Badgworth estate, the loss of recipient's son, the writer's collation [by Lewis Bagot, bishop of Norwich] to the livings of Lowestoft and Kessingland 'the united Vicarages are at present worth 470 £ a year and increasing under an Act of Inclosure', comments on the town of Lowestoft and plans for buying a house and settling there in the following spring, the writer's joy in being rid of Badgworth which had been bestowed upon [the Reverend William] Wainhouse, a claim by [John Warren] bishop of Bangor that he had helped in obtaining the prebend [at Norwich] for the writer (1789); the move from Scarning and the furnishing of houses at Norwich and Lowestoft, the situation of the house at Lowestoft, letters from Mr. Wainhouse, the writer's successor at Badgworth [ see above], about dilapidations, the election of a successor to the writer at Scarning [? as schoolmaster], the new bishop [of St. Asaph, Lewis Bagot translated from Norwich in 1790] (1790); the death of the writer's son, a draft for twenty five guineas sent by Mr. Griffith to the writer's deceased son for his interest in the rectorial estates at Badgworth, a visit from [Charles Manners Sutton, bishop of Norwich], comments on improvements and bathing activity at Lowestoft, the appointment of a neighbour [the Reverend] Hugh Hill as rector of Southampton (1792); [George] Romney's portrait of the writer's son, rumours of the writer's marriage spread by, inter alios, Harry Hobart 'Member [of Parliament] for the City' [of Norwich], an invitation from the mayor [of Norwich] to the writer to preach the Fast Sermon and a request by the court of mayoralty that the sermon be published [A Sermon preached before the . . . Mayor of Norwich and the Corporation . . . the day appointed . . . as a General Fast, Norwich, 1793], ships and visitors at Lowestoft, the visitors including earls, barons, and [Charles Manners Sutton], bishop of Norwich, and Mrs. Sutton, a sermon preached at Lowestoft by the bishop, the enlargement of the churchyard at Lowestoft and the consecration of the additional area (1793); a visit to Norwich by [Lewis Bagot], bishop of St. Asaph, and Mrs. Bagot, a meeting of the county called at Norwich by [George Townshend, 1st] marquess Townshend [of Raynham, co. Norfolk], the gathering by the democrats of 'a numerous Mob together of the lowest of the people', the deaths of Samuel Rash and Sir John Fenn, changes in the appearance of Lowestoft, structural alterations adjacent to and affecting the writer's house (1794); the election of members of parliament for the city [of Norwich], the violent contest against Mr. [William] Wyndham [one of the two members returned] and the defeat of the 'Democratic Quakers', the election of members [of parliament] for the county [of Norfolk] and the return of the former members Sir John Wodehouse [see above] and [Thomas William] Coke 'without opposition for want of time only', flooding in the Norfolk area, Miss Kitty Potter's marriage [? the writer's daughter], Mr. [John] Lloyd's candidature for the parliamentary representation of recipient's county [of Flint], the death of the two members of parliament for Yarmouth since the general election [of May 1796] and the election of two new members on 26 October, the efforts of the Presbyterian Democrats to secure one of the seats (1796); the writer's belief that there would be no invasion at Lowestoft, the protecting of the coast by Admiral [Adam] Duncan [later 1st baron Duncan of Lundie, co. Perth, and viscount Duncan of Camperdown], with fourteen ships of the line and six frigates (April 1797); chapter meetings at [Norwich] (1800); throughout the letters there is copious news of the state of the writer's health, news of the health and activities of various members of the writer's family, news of mutual friends and acquaintances, and enquiries after and comments on news concerning recipient's family).
Reverend Robert Potter.
