MS West Sussex County Record Office/ Add. 16,944/4
Dear Miss Walker
I was much interested in your letter, though I am afraid I had not heard Miss Lawrence’s name. I believe my mother left school at 14 in consequence of her father’s very sudden death, so her career there must have been a short one. I have always thought it must have been a very good school, her knowledge was so thorough, and she taught me almost entirely except a French master and arithmetic, mathematics and Latin from my father. What you tell me of my dear early friend Mary Davys is most interesting, and just like her. She had not rank enough to be a Maid of honour, though she lived with them and her right designation was Resident Bedchamber Woman. Her chief work was to receive the Ministers while they were waiting for the Queen. She made us one long visit in her holidays, and once we went to see her in Buckingham palace. She married Mr Pratt, but I only saw her once afterwards, I always heard of him as very excellent but also that the old clergyman in ‘Miss Toosey was a likeness. They had four daughters, two of whom poor things were burnt to death from muslin dresses taking fire from bedcandles.1 I saw much more latterly of Julia, whose husband became Dean of Peterborough. She only died last year. Her daughter’s husband Mr Rawnsley had the Duke of Albany and the Battenburg boys at his school in the New Forest.2 I do wonder that I should not have heard of Miss Lawrence, but I think the languor always consequent of being in London must have hung upon the recollection of schoolfellows
Petty scandal and ‘Airs and Graces’ always seem to me wondrously clever I wonder if the Black Lane still exists3
yours sincerely
C M Yonge