My Friends and Acquaintance
R. Plumer Ward XX
Robert Plumer Ward to Peter George Patmore, 12 April 1841
“Okeover, April 12, 1841.
“My dear Patmore,—Very many
thanks for your kind communication. In my total dearth of intelligence
respecting my bantling,
it was worth a good deal; and the —— is really very
flattering. I am quite surprised at the non-appearance of the work till last
Wednesday. My copies certainly came before. I suppose
there will be a notice in the next ——, and I hope it
will be by a certain friend of mine. I will spare you the trouble as to the
next week, by ordering it of my newsman.
“Pray can you tell me the writer of the little scrap in
the —— ——, whose play upon ‘Time’ you
made me notice.
“You did not tell me the name I could not make out as
the author of ‘Cecil.’ Sir Greorge Anson
says it is reported to be a Mr. Fairchild; probably
thicker skinned than he of ‘De Clifford.’ I saw the notice of
the ‘Engagement’ in
the ——, but, except the extract from your own ample
review of it, it was I thought, rather meagre.
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You said you had two reviews of De C. to accomplish. Is the other for
the next ‘New Monthly?’
“I shall look out for your promised letter in answer to
mine on your own subject, and only repeating, that there is no man’s
well-doing in which I take a greater interest,
“I remain, dear
Patmore,
“Much and truly yours,
”R. P. Ward.
“Since writing the above, I am much amused with a
paragraph in the ‘Globe,’ Sir George
Anson’s paper, which he has just brought me, fixing
many of the characters in ‘De Clifford’ as portraits of
originals, particularly Lord Rochfort,
whom, it says, everybody will recognise. It is, at least, more than I can
do myself, any more than Albany, and
others mentioned. If this goes on, I shall have a fine kettle of fish, as
Western says.
“Would you have me disclaim all this? or do you
think it a refined puff oblique of the shop? The paragraph desires a key
from the publisher; you know there is no such key. The only real bonâ fide
sketch I know ![]()
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of is my dearest and earliest friend,
whose picture Manners descants upon at
the Grange, under the initials of Sir M. S.
S. This was certainly Sir
Michael Shaw Stewart, father of the late baronet, and this I
should not be sorry for the world to know, if they thought it worth while.
There are also resemblances here and there to Lord
Mulgrave, my most revered connexion and friend, in
Lord Castleton; but these are confined to his high
sense of honour, disinterested plainness, and love of letters. All the
other portraits are, as you know, of a class, not individuals.”
Sir George Anson (1769-1849)
After leading a cavalry brigade under the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War he
held court offices and was MP for Lichfield (1806-1841).
George Edward Anson (1812-1849)
Son of Frederick Anson, dean of Chester; educated at Rugby, he was private secretary to
Lord Melbourne and Prince Albert.
Peter George Patmore [Tims] (1786-1855)
English writer and friend of Charles Lamb and Leigh Hunt; an early contributor to
Blackwood's, he was John Scott's second in the fatal duel, editor of
the
Court Journal, and father of the poet Coventry Patmore.
Henry Phipps, first earl of Mulgrave (1755-1831)
Educated at Eton, he pursued a military career and was a Pittite MP for Totnes (1784-90)
and Scarborough (1790-94) and was a cabinet member in Tory administrations.
Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, fifth baronet (1766-1825)
Originally Stewart-Nicolson, he changed his name to Shaw-Stewart on inheriting the
Greenock estate in 1812. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire (1822-1825).
The Globe. (1803-1922). London evening newspaper; the original proprietor was Sir Richard Phillips; George Lane
was among its later editors.
New Monthly Magazine. (1814-1884). Founded in reaction to the radically-inclined
Monthly Magazine,
the
New Monthly was managed under the proprietorship of Henry
Colburn from 1814 to 1845. It was edited by Thomas Campbell and Cyrus Redding from
1821-1830.
