ENGLAND
[Sidenote: 1858. Jan. 1.]
After a few days between brother Edward and friend Eyre we arrived
in London. Brother Stephenson, as deputy-ranger, placed the lodge in
Hyde Park at my disposal, which exactly suited the poor invalid. The
approaching wedding of the Princess Royal with Prince Frederick William
of Prussia caused the early winter months to be unusually gay. I hardly
like to mention the names of those who were kind to me under the
delusion that I had taken care of their sons in China.
[Sidenote: Jan. 20.]
Was at the state ball, Buckingham Palace, previous to the royal
wedding, which took place on 25th.
[Sidenote: Feb. 11.]
Dined with Her Majesty, Buckingham Palace.
[Sidenote: Feb. 12.]
Dined with Rajah Brooke.
[Sidenote: Feb. 21.]
The hunting season was now in full force. Having invested with Tilbury
for the hire of a couple of horses, “Alice” and “General,” with groom,
at £30 a month, he to replace lame ones; off to my nephew Edward Coke,
owner of Longford in Derbyshire. Determined frost, giving me time to
examine horses; both appeared well up to my weight, and good jumpers.
[Sidenote: Feb. 26.]
Wenny Coke put in an appearance. Frost continued the next ten days,
making me wish Mr. Tilbury had the horses in his own keeping.
[Sidenote: Mar. 5.]
Change of wind, but none of weather.
[Sidenote: Mar. 8.]
Rode Alice to Ingestre. Kindly welcomed by my old friend Shrewsbury.
Took up my quarters. Walter Talbot staying here. Fine old place this
Ingestre--peacocks about.
[Sidenote: Mar. 10.]
Taken to dine with the High Sheriff, P. Williams, at Stafford.
[Sidenote: Mar. 11.]
Ditto weather. Rode General with Walter Talbot to Bifield, Lord
Bagot’s. Cokes there, and Grosvenors--Lady Constance, Di Coke, very
pretty.
[Sidenote: Mar. 15.]
Returned to London.
[Sidenote: Mar. 20.]
Dined with Admiral Rous, a pleasure often enjoyed. His parties were
always sporting, I never missed a race within reasonable distance. My
good elder brother could not understand why I was so fond of “seeing a
fool in red riding after a rogue in yellow.”
[Sidenote: Mar. 27.]
Was getting into the train at Portsmouth, when my faithful old
coxswain, Spurrier, stopped me with, “Think I have found Lord Gilford’s
watch.” During the two minutes of the train’s starting, he explained
that last evening his wife was in one of the numerous haberdasher shops
in Portsea; a well-dressed woman came in and wanted a smart yacht shirt
for her friend. On being shown the usual seaman’s shirt, she wanted
something much smarter; her man had a gold watch and chain that he was
proud of, and that Admiral Keppel had given him a cheque for £10 only a
few days before. Poor women! how fast their little tongues will run.
[Illustration: _Suspicious Junks._]
The giving the cheque I perfectly remember, as well as the man I
gave it to. To go back for a few months before the little affair of
the Fatshan Creek. The splendid crew of the _Raleigh_ were divided
into cruising boats and captured many suspicious Chinese junks, some
laden with cargo; but owing to the scarcity of interpreters they were
generally condemned and their property confiscated. In the end the
prizes amounted to a sum of money: not much, if divided among all the
ships, but a nice little bonus for the captors. On my being promoted
and ordered home, the captors of strings of pice agreed that I should
take charge of the money, converted from pice into sterling bills,
which I was to divide, as I thought proper, among the wounded or most
deserving characters invalided home. A man belonging to my wounded
boat’s crew was one of the recipients.
On arriving in London I went to Lord Clanwilliam’s house in Belgrave
Square and ascertained the number of the gold chronometer watch he
had given to his son on leaving England. The bill, receipted, was
soon found. I then had to find my friend Sir Richard Mayne, the Chief
of Police. He found an intelligent detective, to whom I gave my late
coxswain’s address at Portsea.
[Sidenote: April.]
Three days afterwards, leaning over the rails in Hyde Park, a
suspicious-looking character, whose appearance I did not quite approve,
rapped me on the shoulder and beckoned me to join him. Great was my
relief when he informed me he had Lord Gilford’s watch. Getting him
to accompany me to Belgrave Square, on the way he informed me that he
had gone to Spurrier’s house; they went together to the shop where the
girl had bought the shirt, but they had seen no more of her. Walking
back, although dusk, Mrs. Spurrier spotted the girl on the opposite
side of the street. The detective accidentally placed himself, in a way
they have, and seeing a respectable girl asked if she had relations
in the Navy--the Admiralty had sent him down to seek proper objects
for employment. I need not say that in a few minutes he had the state
and condition of the man with the yacht shirt. His respectable parents
lived on the Isle of Wight, etc. The next day detective found his way
to the parents’ house and had an interview. On his way back he met
Jack in the best of spirits rolling along; after a few minutes’ talk
the detective abstracted the watch saying, “No. 8471: the one I was
looking for.” Two assistants crossed over from the opposite side. By
this time we were at Belgrave Square. Lord Clanwilliam much pleased;
also poor Lady Clanwilliam, who was an invalid, but her pleasure was
followed by distress as to what would become of the poor wounded man.
I proposed to her Ladyship that I should return the watch to the poor
fellow and her regrets for the trouble she had given him! When I got
below, the detective told me that the man would be brought up before
the magistrates on the Wednesday following. If no witnesses appeared he
would be discharged. A tenner from Lord Clanwilliam to the detective
ended the business. Curious that a watch stolen in China, April 20,
1857, should have been recovered by a detective in Portsea in the same
month of this year.
[Sidenote: April 5.]
Visit to Lord George Lennox at his “Bleak House,” Southsea. While
there, was invited to the charming Goodwood for a few days.
[Sidenote: April 22.]
At United Service Club we entertained the Duke of Malakoff at dinner.
The _Raleigh’s_ crew had meanwhile arrived at Chatham. The dog, Mike,
in addition to his performance at Fatshan, was at the storming of
Canton, where he had a scaling-ladder to himself and wore two medals.
His appearance was enough to clear the battery; the Chinamen fled,
except those stopped by bullets. Lord Lansdowne was fond of dogs as
well as music. At his request had Mike brought up from Chatham, and
he was much admired. He had been given me by Captain Michael Quin,
hence his name, who was paying off while _Raleigh_ was fitting out
at Plymouth. Mike was unhappy away from a ship. He was returned to
Chatham, and attended working parties on shore: I had not the heart to
remove him. The months April, May, and June brought me into a society
to which I had been unaccustomed. Although I enjoyed it, it hardly
comes within a sailor’s life.
[Sidenote: May 10.]
Attended Her Majesty’s ball.
* * * * *
As the following is copied from an old engagement book and can interest
near relations only, I advise my readers to skip this and try next
chapter.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: June 1.]
My pretty niece Annie Garnier married Colonel Edward Newdigate.
[Sidenote: June 2.]
Cheery dinner at “The Ship,” Greenwich--Admiral Milne, James Blyth,
Charles Eden, and Colonel F. Campbell.
[Sidenote: June 3.]
Dined, Skinner’s Company.
[Sidenote: June 5.]
Lady Palmerston’s evening.
[Sidenote: June 6.]
Dined with Duchess of Richmond.
[Sidenote: June 7.]
Dined with Lady Downs.
[Sidenote: June 11.]
Dinner with Merchant Taylors.
[Sidenote: June 12.]
Dined with Sir John Thorolds. Evening, Duchess of Norfolk.
[Sidenote: June 15.]
70 Cranbury Park for Bibury Races, with Tom Chamberlain. Have not time
to describe the place here, but in it were four beautiful pictures
by Romney of Lady Hamilton. Chamberlain’s son was in the Balaklava
charge. On the retreat his horse was shot under him. He quietly took
the saddle off, put it on his head for a protection, and calmly walked
into camp. My sister Caroline, who was staying with her father-in-law
at Bishopstoke, wrote me about a pretty cottage for sale. On my
arrival there I found a small sylph swinging on the entrance gate, a
daughter of Mr. Peter Wells. I bought the place, with some good Italian
furniture, for £1500. There was a full-length picture by Swenton of
a beautiful lady, occupying one end of the dining-room: this was the
mother of my young friend Zöe on the gate (now Lady Brougham and Vaux).
The lady was one of a handsome family, such as artists delighted in;
the background of the picture was of trees, painted at Windsor Forest.
[Sidenote: May 16.]
Dined with H.R.H. Duke of Cambridge.
[Sidenote: May 20.]
Dined with Fred Gye, lessee of the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden.
At his charming house near the Thames one met a varied society--Prince
Leiningen, Prince and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe, the Countess
Gleichen, Meyerbeer, statesmen, authors, painters, singers, actors:
it was indeed a cheery centre. After dinner we always adjourned for
dessert to a glass room 120 feet long, delightfully cool in summer,
flowers and plants growing; the ladies left the table to sit further
away in this same room. Gye used to give me passes to the theatres.
I was one night arranging baskets of flowers between banks, where
fairies were supposed to be resting, when the curtain suddenly ran
up faster than I could get to the wings. But though he was a stern
disciplinarian “behind,” Gye forgave me.
Poor Gye’s terrible fate is fresh in my memory. He was shot
accidentally while on a visit to Lord Dillon, and died near the covert
side: sportsman that he was, he always wished to be buried in one. His
sons have all made their mark. The eldest, whom we used to call the
“Baron,” married Madame Albani and went on with operatic management.
Percy is a judge. Herbert went into the Navy and served on the China
station under me in 1869. Another son was in the Artillery. His
daughter, Clara, I often see.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: June 23.]
Dined with Lord Alfred Churchill.
[Sidenote: June 26.]
Evening, Lady Palmerston. Dinner, Sir Anthony Rothschild.
[Sidenote: June 28.]
Balls at Duchess of Hamilton’s and Lady Caroline Maxe’s.
[Sidenote: June 29.]
Dined with Sir William Middleton. Evening, Lady Pigot’s. During summer
had been improving my pretty, but small place at Bishopstoke, on the
bank of the river Itchen. The place suited me down to the ground. The
stabling, which I rebuilt, was perfection.
[Sidenote: June 30.]
Dinner with Mr. Newdigate at Blackheath.
[Sidenote: July 1.]
Dinner at Navy Club, entertaining First Lord.
[Sidenote: July 4.]
Luncheon, Duchess of Somerset. Dined with Lord Methven.
[Sidenote: July 5.]
Dinner with Duke of Newcastle. Evening party, Duchess of Manchester.
[Sidenote: July 6.]
Review at Aldershot.
[Sidenote: July 7.]
Lady Mayoress’s reception.
[Sidenote: July 8.]
Luncheon with Ranelagh. Dinner, Lord Sandwich. Evening, Lady Jersey.
[Sidenote: July 9.]
Early dinner, Lady de Clifford. Later to Cremorne Gardens.
[Sidenote: July 10.]
Lunch, Lady Shelley.
[Sidenote: July 11.]
Dinner Admiral Walcott. Party Lady Rokeby, and ball at Duchess of
Wellington’s.
[Sidenote: July 30.]
[Sidenote: Cherbourg, Aug. 5.]
Among friends I always received kind welcome on board Sir Thomas
Whichcote’s schooner yacht _Enchantress_. Towards the end of the season
I was with him at Cherbourg, where we had gone to witness the Naval
Fêtes, and the inauguration of the new railway. Her Majesty and the
Prince Consort arrived on the 4th August, accompanied by Lords of the
Admiralty and a brilliant staff. Received by the Emperor Napoleon III.
and Empress Eugenie. The next morning, at breakfast time, I took up the
newspaper and read the sudden death on 30th July, at the Earl of Fife’s
Seat, of my beloved brother-in-law, Stephenson.
To be alone in my grief, I landed and strolled by the side of the road
up the hill to the high ground. As if to distract my thoughts, I met
a French cavalry regiment marching up, their brass band playing “Rule
Britannia.” Was off by the 4 P.M. steamer to join my poor sister Mary,
who with her children was staying at Folkestone. The death had indeed
been sudden, heart complaint, while sitting up in bed.
[Sidenote: Sept.]
September found me shooting with Sir Thomas Whichcote at Ashwarby in
Lincolnshire.
[Sidenote: Ashwarby Park, Sept. 28.]
Beautiful day and lots of birds--wild, of course, they always are. With
our four guns bagged 180 partridges, 18 hares, 1 rabbit--making 199
head. Whichcote did things well; as kind a host as man could have. A
good hot luncheon. Ditto dinner. Very jolly.
[Sidenote: Sept. 29.]
Another fine day. Same party; bagged 204 partridges, 18 hares, 1
rabbit. Haunch of venison for lunch and other good things.
[Sidenote: Ashwarby, Sept. 30.]
Dirty weather with rain. Held up late, but high wind. Same party; 131
head of game. Much pleased at receiving a letter from Lord Palmerston
stating he had recommended me to Her Majesty for the appointment of
Groom-in-Waiting.
[Sidenote: Oct. 1.]
Better weather, but high wind. Still lots of birds. Same four guns; 200
partridges, 17 hares, 1 rabbit--218 head! Finish to four good days’
sport, to say nothing of the evening meal.
[Sidenote: Oct. 2.]
Party breaking up. Freke and I in dogcart to Lincoln. I to London.
[Sidenote: Oct. 16.]
Up from Portsmouth. Put up at Westbourne Terrace. There had been some
cases of smallpox near my chambers. Wandered about. Tabooed for fear of
infection.
[Sidenote: Oct. 18.]
By 11 A.M. train to Bishopstoke. Found sister Caroline and family at
the Dean’s. Forgot all about the smallpox and embraced the children!
[Sidenote: Oct. 19.]
Busy rearranging Bishopstoke.
[Sidenote: Oct. 23.]
By afternoon train to Southsea. Received by George Lennox at Bleak
House. Party to dinner. The good George Greys, etc.
[Sidenote: Oct. 24.]
Went over to Ryde by 12 o’clock boat. Back with George Lennox to see
the Michael-Seymours before dinner.
[Sidenote: Oct. 25.]
By 11 A.M. train to Bishopstoke. Dean off again to Rooksbury. Sleep
to-night in our own cottage.
[Sidenote: Oct. 27.]
By train to Southampton. Met George Lennox. Went on board _Pasha_, a
Sultan’s yacht, very gaudy. On board _Ripon_, starting for Alexandria
with Indian passengers. George Lennox back with me to Bishopstoke.
[Sidenote: Oct. 28.]
George Lennox off to Portsmouth, and I to Sir Francis Barings at
Stratton. Found Pelhams and Nevilles. Tom Baring and wife.
[Sidenote: Oct. 29.]
Should have had some good shooting had the leaves been off the trees.
Six guns; 110 head.
[Sidenote: Nov. 19.]
George Lennox and I in Gilman’s carriage to Winchester; great luncheon
at the Dean’s. Party there. Lord Palmerston from Broadlands. Garniers
from Rooksbury. Gilman taking us back to Bishopstoke. By train to
Portsmouth. Put up at George Lennox’s.
[Sidenote: Nov. 23.]
Business at Admiralty. Dined with Rodney Mundy’s mother; nice cheery
old lady.
[Sidenote: Nov. 24.]
By 4.30 train to Godstone. Found Rajah recovering from his sad
paralytic stroke.
[Sidenote: Nov. 25.]
Took early leave of Brooke. Returned to Bishopstoke.
[Sidenote: Nov. 26.]
Found invitation to dine at Broadlands; unluckily for yesterday.
[Sidenote: Nov. 29.]
Colliers to dine.
[Sidenote: Nov. 30.]
By 3 P.M. train to London.
[Sidenote: Dec. 1.]
To Westbourne Terrace. Seconded resolution made by Bishop of Oxford
on Gospel in China. Meeting at Willis’s Rooms. Much amused at Strand
Theatre. Our Marie Wilton a little darling.
[Sidenote: Dec. 2.]
By Great Western to Berkeley Castle, to Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley.
Extraordinary old place. Not all the conveniences of modern houses,
but made up for in association. Castle wall left as knocked down by
Cromwell.
[Sidenote: Dec. 4.]
Mounted by Sir Maurice. Well appointed pack. Huntsmen and whips, etc.,
dressed in yellow velveteen. Best run of the season; I mounted on “Lord
William.” Mrs. Berkeley and Mrs. A’Court to dinner.
[Sidenote: Sunday, Dec. 5.]
Afternoon, inspected twenty-seven good hunters. Hounds out for a walk.
Handsome pack.
[Sidenote: Dec. 7.]
By special train. Hounds and all, horses, servants, etc., to
Gloucester. Meet about five miles beyond. Mounted on Pearce’s small
black horse. Good hunter.
[Sidenote: Dec. 8.]
Capital mount by Armytage on one of his “jobs” from Carey. First-rate
run and I in good position throughout. Baring of Cheltenham arrived.
[Sidenote: Dec. 9.]
Baring, Armytage, and I hedgerow shooting. Sport not much. Mrs. and
Miss Canning arrived; very tall. Mrs. Berkeley charming.
[Sidenote: Dec. 10.]
Shooting to-day something more like; plenty of foxes too.
[Sidenote: Dec. 11.]
Mount again on Pearce’s little black horse. Carried me right well
throughout a longish day, one fall into a lane. Have greatly enjoyed my
visit to Berkeley Castle.
[Sidenote: Dec. 13.]
By early train to get across to Peterboro’ and Huntingdon. On a visit
to Hinchingbrook. Colonels Knox and Vyse and wife, Annie Lady Montagu,
and niece Emily Leeds, etc.
[Sidenote: Dec. 14.]
Shooting order of the day. Six guns; 189 head. Duke of Manchester good
shot. The charming Duchess came to dine.
[Sidenote: Dec. 15.]
Mounted by Lord Sandwich to meet Lord Fitz-William’s hounds. Fog too
thick to draw a fox. Provoking--uncommon well mounted. The Manchesters
left.
[Sidenote: Dec. 18.]
Up early, mounted by Lord Sandwich, to breakfast at Kimbolton. Lord
Cowper there. To meet the Oakley. Did not find till late. Left to ride
22 miles home.
[Sidenote: Dec. 20.]
Mounted by Sandwich to meet the Cambridgeshire. Nasty wooded country.
Foxes, but no getting away. Rode to station and returned to London by
1.30. Dined with Rokeby. Met the Manchesters.
[Sidenote: Dec. 23.]
By 3 P.M. train to Bishopstoke; lost my purse between station and home,
containing £9: 10s. Horrid bore!
[Sidenote: Dec. 25.]
Spent Christmas at Bishopstoke.