An autograph letter signed by Queen Adelaide to Mrs Maria Francis Pallmer, requesting help for a subscription in support of flood victims in northern Germany
Octavo, 4 pages (a bifolium).
Creases where folded for posting; short splits to two folds; small hole to the second leaf (affecting one word); in very good condition with the original cover (a little torn and marked).
The cover is addressed to 'Mrs Pallmer, Norbiton', and is sealed with the Queen's wax seal (the Royal crown below a capital A). Mrs Pallmer, née Dennis, was wife of Charles Nicholas Pallmer, Member of Parliament and Jamaican slave owner, who owed his Surrey estate to his wife. Pallmer was declared bankrupt in 1831 and Norbiton Place was demolished soon after, so this letter appears to date from the early years of the reign of William IV. The letter reads in full: 'Bushy House, Sunday Evening. My dear Mrs Pallmer, Confidently trusting in your great goodness of heart & benevolence I take the liberty to ask your & Mr. Pallmer's assistance in a case of great distress. My object is to raise a subscription for the relief of the poor sufferers from the late Inundation in the North of Germany which have caused the greatest distress & misery & the wants are of a most urgent nature. I have received from Hannover [sic] a most melancholy account & have been requested to do what wd be in my humble power to get some assistance from this Country to contribute to the relief of 40,000 people in the Hanoverian Dominions who are without a roof, deprived of every thing they possessed. Indeed the Misery is beyond Description. To save so many thousands of lives - if possible - is now my object & I hope you & Mr Pallmer will kindly assist me in this undertaking. I have written the same request to all my friends to assist me in these endeavours to get subscriptions amongst their friends & neighbours, but I feel that it will be difficult after what has been done already in this Country for the Germans near the Rhine who have also suffered by the Inundations. However with the aid of Providence & the kind assistance of my friends I hope & trust to get something to send over to Hannover. The most triffling [sic] sum will be acceptable under such distressing circumstances & I shall feel most obliged if you, my dear Mrs. Pallmer will kindly assist me to undertake a subscription amongst your friends. I hope God will grant us success & that He may bless you & all those dear to you is my anxious wish & prayer. With my best Compliments to Mr Pallmer & love to Isabella. I remain, my dear Mrs Pallmer, your truly obliged, Adelaide'. Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, the consort of King William IV (1830-1837), is best remembered by her namesake, the capital of South Australia.
Item #131044
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