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Description
Maria E.P. Ricketts wrote from Otto House, London, England to Susan Niemcewicz in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. Maria’s father, James, inquired about a vessel going to New York. He found out one sailed the following day, and Maria hoped her letter would arrive on time. She and her family were all perfectly well and she was anxious to hear good accounts of Susan and all their friends in America, including Ms. Pierpont and Polly Dayton. They wrote to Susan at every opportunity from London and twice by way of Liverpool. They spent the last week at Binfield House in Berkshire, the seat of Mr. Elliot. It was the largest private house Maria had ever been in. Mrs. Elliott was a Miss Cortland, a cousin of James Ricketts. She was a very charming and beautiful woman. She held a ball for them where over a hundred people were in attendance including many of the nobility, people of fashion, and plenty of beaus, most of them officers of the Army and Navy. Maria was enchanted with England, especially since part of their ride was through the Forest of Windsor. Mrs. Elliott was only nine miles from the Castle. Upon their arrival they found the town very gay, the King and Royal Family had arrived that morning to stay and that it was Fair Day. Maria had never seen a fair before and was very amused. The day prior, they left Binfield and went to see the King hunt and were so fortunate as to have the stag pass very near them, not a hundred yards from their carriage. The entire party soon followed, Mrs. Elliot and James Ricketts were on horseback along with other gentlemen. Afterwards, they hurried home to see George Brown. There was to be a consultation with the Physicians of Bath respecting Mrs. Brown’s health, which by George Brown’s account, was very precarious. Before going to Binfield, they had spent a few days with the Penns at Richmond. Planned to have a late dinner in London, but did not know what that would look like as the fashionables dined at eight o’clock. Sally grew more entertaining every day. Maria’s mother, Sarah Ricketts, asked Susan if she would tell Mrs. Williamson that she had been looking for mourning rings and that she could not find anything new or pretty. J. Jackson added a few lines where she thanked Susan for her very obliging letter and for the pleasing account of her dear boy (Peter Kean). Julian should have convinced Susan to accompany the family to England as it would have been a convenient resting place on her way to Poland.
People mentioned: James Ricketts (1754–1824), Sarah Ricketts (1755-1825) , Sarah Julia Ricketts (1801-1886), Onesiphorus Elliott Elliott Esq (?-1811), Mrs. Elliott, the Penn Family, George Brown, and Julian Ursin Niemcewicz (1758-1841).
Places mentioned: Windsor Forest and Great Park
Events mentioned: Trafalgar Day
Author/Creator
Maria Eliza Penn Ricketts (1783 - 1865)
Recipient
Susan Ursin Niemcewicz, formerly Susan Livingston and Susan Kean (1759-1833)
Creation Date
1805-10-29
Creation Date
10-29-1805
Document Type
Manuscript
Location
Otto House, London, England
Inventory Location
Series 2; 103 C
Recommended Citation
Ricketts, Maria E.. Maria E.P. Ricketts to Susan Niemcewicz, October 29, 1805. Manuscript. From Special Collections Research Library and Archive, Kean University, Liberty Hall Collection 1800s. https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/lhc_1800s/543
Rights
This collection is open to the public for research use. Copyright remains with Kean University. Credit this material. Personal photographs may be made for research purposes. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to the Special Collections Research Library and Archive at keanscrla@kean.edu.
Publishing Repository
Special Collections Research Library and Archive, Kean University
Collection
Liberty Hall Collection, 1711-1847 (bulk 1790-1830)