Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi begs Dr. Thackeray to come. Mr. Piozzi is vomiting and feverish. Mr. Moore continues the letter on the verso in [50b]. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi and Mr. Moore.

Scope and Contents:

On the verso of [50a], Mr. Moore writes that he left Mr. Piozzi "considerably better," but is still desirous of Dr. Thackeray's advice. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi.

Scope and Contents: Mr. Piozzi has improved after Dr. Thackeray's visit and has been taking opiates to combat symptoms. Mrs. Piozzi fears he "is now doomed & destined to take some Narcotic Medicine for the remainder of this Year 1809." However, the opiates allow Mr. Piozzi to consume less brandy. Surprisingly, even Mr. Piozzi agrees that he is feeling better. Life is dull, and Mrs. Piozzi wonders if it is safe for Mr. Piozzi to drink beer. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi, Mrs. Clarke, Mrs. Mostyn, Salusbury...

Scope and Contents: Mr. Piozzi is ill again and woke one night "in something like a delirious Fury." Mr. Piozzi raves, but Mrs. Piozzi hopes that rest will help him, and says that as long as she keeps her "own Wits," she would not change "with the King or Duke of York." She also comments on current affairs and writes that some of the tales of monsters are indeed true. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi, Mr. Moore, the King, the Duke of York, Mr. Robson of Chirk, Mrs. Yorke, the Emperor of China, "some Fasting Woman"...

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi writes that sleep cured her husband's deliriums, but his gout is still painful. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi writes, "my poor husband lives here in a World of his own creating," and begs Dr. Thackeray to come. She thinks wine and brandy are inflaming Mr. Piozzi's back. Mrs. Piozzi also asks Dr. Thackeray to bring some pens, saying, "I wrote this with some bad Imitation of a Skewer." People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi, Mr. Moore and Dunscombe (Mr. Piozzi's man).

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi discusses Mr. Piozzi's health, writing that, while his delirium is gone, his "ulcer exhibits a Hole in which you may bury a small Phial" and Mr. Moore refuses to consider the possibility of gangrene. Mr. Piozzi suffers from the cold and a variety of other painful symptoms, and Mrs. Piozzi herself is ill with nerves. She does not approve of Mr. Moore's diagnoses. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi, Mr. Moore, Dunscombe and Mr. Heaton.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi asks Dr. Thackeray if she should use "Bark" to stop the gangrene around Mr. Piozzi's coccyx. Mr. Piozzi has been covered with chalk to prevent putrefaction and his delirium has disappeared. Mr. Moore continues the letter on the verso: [56b]. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi and Mr. Moore.

Scope and Contents:

Mr. Moore continues the letter Mrs. Piozzi began in [56a]. Mr. Moore details Mr. Piozzi's symptoms, which include discharges, and also discusses the departure of Mr. Piozzi's delirium and the use of "Blisters." People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi and Mr. Dunscombe.

Scope and Contents:

Mrs. Piozzi and Mr. Moore both write notes on the same page asking Dr. Thackeray to come. "Mr. Piozzi is ulcerated from Head to Foot." People mentioned: Mr. Moore and Mr. Piozzi.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi writes that Mr. Piozzi feels much better, but does not seem "quite himself" and does not remember Dr. Thackeray's recent visit. With Mr. Piozzi's consent, Mrs. Piozzi has sent for Salusbury, though she thinks Mr. Piozzi "will live till the Summer Holdydays". Mr. Piozzi's wound is spreading and Mrs. Piozzi asks Dr. Thackeray if there is any hope. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi, Mr. Moore, Salusbury, Jones, Mr. Charles Shepherd and "the Child".

Scope and Contents:

Mrs. Piozzi complains that Mr. Moore insists on dressing Mr. Piozzi's wounds, a torturous process, even though Mr. Piozzi is unlikely to live three more days. People mentioned: Mr. Piozzi and Mr. Moore.

Scope and Contents:

It appears that the first two paragraphs of the letter may be written by Mrs. Piozzi, but the remainder and certainly the verso are written by Mr. Moore. Mr. Piozzi has passed away. People mentioned: "the Ladies," "the Boy," Mr. Piozzi, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Piozzi and Mrs. Mostyn.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi passes on regards from her nephew Salusbury, who will attend Christ Church, Oxford, and his friend Mr. Shephard, who attended Eton. Both young men have helped Mrs. Piozzi in her grief. People mentioned: Salusbury, Mr. Shephard, Mr. Shephard's father and Jackson's [?].

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi plans to travel to London to visit her daughters. Piozzi still grieves for her husband, but has received some comfort from Salusbury settling her "future concerns". She plans to stay at Jackson's Hotel in London because she "cannot bear either Society or Solitude" and she quotes a newspaper paragraph about her husband's burial. People mentioned: Piozzi's daughters, Salusbury, William Shephard, Mrs. Thackeray, Selina Thackeray and Gabriel Piozzi.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi requests Dr. Thackeray's help in transporting her late husband's piano to Lady Keith. She also details symptoms she is suffering, which she attributes to nerves. She looks forward to dining soon with Dr. Thackeray. People mentioned: Lady Keith, Mr. Piozzi, Lake, Mr. Moore, Selina Thackeray and Selina's mother (Mrs. Thackeray).

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi writes that she has arrived in London, but suffered from bad nerves along the road. She discusses political and social news concerning the nobility and complains that she left spring behind "in North Wales." People mentioned: Selina Thackeray, Lord Dundonald, Lord Cochrane, Mr. Wandle, Sir Lucas Pepys, Lady Caroline Paget, Lady William Russell and Lady Jersey.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi discusses mutual friends and quotes Dr. Johnson. People mentioned: Sir Lucas Pepys, Mrs. Mostyn, Mrs. Mostyn's three sons, Dr. Myddleton, the Dean of St. Asaph, Mr. Moore, Mrs. Clarke, Dr. Johnson, Salusbury, Mr. Thrale, "The Ladies" (Mr. Thrale's daughters), farmer Jones and farmer Jones's wife.

Scope and Contents:

Written from Bath. Piozzi discusses spelling, various gossip, Lord Byron's popular satires, and current affairs, "which scarcely can be mended by the wisest, though they may be made worse by unskillful Touches". People mentioned: Mrs. Thackeray, Salusbury, Dr. Hall (Dean of Christ Church), Lord Byron, Miss Holford, Wallace, and Selina Thackeray.

Scope and Contents:

Piozzi requests Dr. Thackeray's advice in choosing a horse for Salusbury--"something safe for my sake, and something showy for his." She discusses the dry weather and the political situation and laments Sir Lucas Pepys' loss of his Countess, "a companion of uncommon Power of Mind,--& 800 Pounds a Year." People mentioned: Piozzi's steward, Salusbury, Selina Thackeray, Dr. Thackeray's brother, Sir Francis Burdett, Sir Lucas Pepys and Countess (Pepys' former wife).