The Recipient :
This letter was received by a Mrs William Johnson, wife of Captain William
Johnson. They were retained in a scrapbook alongside letters to Mrs
Johnson from many important Victorians, amongst the George Augustus
Sala, the poet Samuel Lover, the Duchess and Princess Mary, Earl de
Grey, Lord Orkney, Lady Russell and Cosmo Russell, Lord Hamilton, Lady
Beauchamp, the Duke of Newcastle, Lady Downshire and Lady Beauchamp (all
to be listed at some point). She was connected to the poet and author
Julia Pardoe in some way, and may have lived at or just off Bryanston
Square London. It may be through Miss Pardoe that she was connected to
the Ottoman Embassy at Bryanston Square, as she had many calling cards
from representatives and was invited to a wedding breakfast there for
the Ambassadors daughter.
She was obviously of some standing
as she was invited to one of Mrs Lawrence's Ealing Park events to be
introduced to the Duchess and Princess Mary.
From
her letters I have established that her husband may have been a judge,
and that she herself wrote poems and songs, one possibly about the siege
of Lucknow with a line about Arthur Clinton, and at some point a
journal about her father, who was himself apparently well known - this the letter that refers to that, with a promise that their Royal Highnesses would be viewing it.
As to
identity, I think it possible that she was Frances Herbert Nisbet, wife
of Captain William Johnson (Johnston) Neale, who was also a novelist,
daughter of Captain Josiah Nisbet RN, and therefore grand-daughter of
Lord Nelson.
If anybody has any information to assist on
this, to confirm or otherwise, I would love to hear from them! It may be
when I wade through the letters that I get some greater detail.
I
have listed a large number of calling cards that she retained, which
cover a huge range of Victorian society, from Royalty, politicians,
poets, military, ambassadors and the like, and should give an idea of
the circles she moved in.