APPENDIX H.

CHARLES PRATT, 1ST EARL CAMDEN (son of Sir John Pratt, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench) was called to the Bar in 1738. An amusing story is told of him, as a young barrister. To gratify an idle whim, he had induced a friend to fasten him up in the stocks on the top of a hill, and was left there, forgotten, for the greater part of a day. On his entreating a chance traveller to release him, the man shook his head and passed on, remarking that of course he was not put there for nothing !

Pratt became in due course Attorney-General and, a few years later, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. In that capacity, his conduct in the Wilkes case brought him great popularity in the country. He was created Baron Camden in 1765, and was Lord Chancellor from 1766 to 1770. He was a friend of Garrick, being one of the latter’s executors, and acted as a pall-bearer at his funeral in 1779. During his latter years, Lord Camden was President of the Council, and received an Earldom in 1786. His principal residence was Camden Place, in Kent, but he died at his town house in Hill Street, Berkeley Square, on April 18th 1794, and was buried at Seal, Kent. By his wife Elizabeth Jeffreys. he had five children :— John, Ist Marguis Camden, some- time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; Frances, married the 1st Marquis of Londonderry ; Elizabeth ; Sarah, married Nicholas Price of Saintfield, and was ancestress of the Price and Archdale families (see Pedigree 13) ; and Jane.

The following is one of his letters to his daughter, Lady Sarah Price. The original is in the author’s possession :

The R^t. Hon^ble. Lady Sarah Price.

Saintfield
Ballynahynch
by Dublin. Ireland

I don’t know how it is, My Dearest Sally, but not writing myself on the one hand, nor re- ceiving a Letter directed to myself on the other, we seem to have forgotten each other. The address of the letter makes the difference, & yet in reality there is none, for what does it signify whether the letter begins with “ my dear Father ” or “ my dear Betty, ” when the contents are common to both? And yet possibly you might both say & omit many things when you write to her, w^ch you w^d not do if the Letter was addressed to me. This consideration prompts me to write myself, tho’ perhaps I sh^d do better if I wrote to Nic ; w^ch I w^d do, if I did not think it w^d compell an answer. w^ch he hates as much as I do, so I will spare him, hoping he will set down this indulgence to my Love & not my neglect. I write this at Camden place, where I am for a day upon an Excursion frow Tunbridge Wells, & whither I shall return toworrow. The Waters have done wonders for Betty in the Recovering her strength, for she is now almost quite well. Mrs. Bates is with her, & it is great pity that Betty c^d not be there to take some lessons from the best singer in Europe. Now I mention this little G.daughter of mine, I can’t help expressing how much I wish to see her, as well as you & Nic ; but she holds all your family so close together, that the separation of her from any of you is like tearing away one of your own limbs, so that I am almost afraid to give you an Invitation, because some of you must be left behind ; for Mrs. Price will never be persuaded to take the Journey, & yet I sh^d think now she has ano^r G.child, she might endure to part with Betty. Ano^r Impediment to y^e Journey is Nic’s incurable passion for Hunting, tho I sh^d think after y^e Oct^r meeting he might venture to take a Trip & return in the Spring. This is my proposal, who sh^d be happy to see you either in y^e Autumn, the Winter or the Spring ; for as to y^e Expence. I will never suffer that Objection to exist.

So at last Sangwine is devoted, I am glad of it, for I never liked her, and as to her merit in instruction, tbat is so greatly overweighted by her pride & other bad qualitys, that her Society is more pernicious than her teaching is profitable. Now if you come to England, you will have the opportunity of getting rid of her with more ease, & be upon the spot to provide a successor. And this is the more necessary, because there is too much delicacy in the Choice of a Governess to be treated like a common commission to another, nor w^d Betty after such ill success willingly undertake it. This may operate as another motive for your visit. You’ll consult with Nic upon this subject & let me know your opinion. You’d like to know the state of my health ; it is tolerable, sometimes well, sometimes ill, a constant invalid,—in short an old man, & old age itself sh^d be reckon’d among diseases ; yet I have been stout enough by nursing the course of nature to be a nurse to my own daughter, & have sustained that Character for 6 months together. Charles is at home at present & spends his Holidays with us at Tunbridge, where he has learn’d to Turn, and thinks he shall be able to Challenge Nic in that art the next time he comes to Ireland. The weather has been remarkably fine this last fortnight & promises a good harvest. The Wheat looks well, but how it will yield when it gets into the Barn, cannot be known as yet ; some people apprehend the Rains at the time it was in flower may have hurt the grain. Every other Crop promises as fair as we could wish, only the Hops are in a bad Condition. Mine are foul, but if they grow out to be large, w^ch I much doubt, I shall have a good Crop as the year goes. Straw- berries are gone, Beans & Peas are old, gooseberrys dead ripe, Cherrys over, Apricots in perfection. I give you this Account, that you may compare the Seasons. . . . . . . .

The Parl^t being at last prorogued, my Holidays are begun, & I intend they shall last till after Christmas. As to News, there is none. The French troubles are the only topicks of Political con- versation. You have the whole in the Newspapers, w^ch are much fuller tban our dispatches, so I can add nothing upon that Subject, either for Frank or Nic. You are, I suppose, Chiefly at Green Park, but where is my dear Mrs. Hoy? I was ashamed never to have wrote to her, but I love her as well, perhaps better than many of her regular Correspondents. Pray tell her so, & desire her to believe me, & convey some of my Kisses thro’ her Lips, since I can’t have that honour myself, to my Godson, & assure her I will return this debt with interest to herself, next time we meet. I desire Mrs. Hoy will keep the Account. I am, my dearest Sally, with my best wishes to every one of the Saintf^d Family,

Yrs. Most Affectionately

Aug^t 19. 1789. C. place. Camden.
Our Harvest is begun.