Elizabeth Rigby, Lady Eastlake

Exerpt from

The Letters of Elizabeth Rigby,
            Lady Eastlake
      Edited by Julie Sheldon

  References  to

Sir William Drysdale  ,sons

George  Drysdale and

Charles Drysdale 

Lady Elizabeth [nee Pew] Drysdale       

Letter to John Murray NLS Ms.42174
9 St Bernard’s Crescent
Novr 16. 1842.
My dear Mr. Murray
I am indebted for kind letters to yourself & both your daughters, &
I am glad to address you again in Albemarle Street where I can think
of you all with more distinctness. At the same time I trust that your
absence from home has been the source of pleasure & health to all your
party & that to Mrs Murray Brighton has retrieved what Tunbridge
Wells failed in. We are meanwhile beginning to take root here, & are
helping ourselves, instead of being always chargeable upon those friends
which you & your family have procured us. We venture on voyages
of discovery & actually discovered the most charming basket-maker
& promising milliner both on the same day! Within doors we feel
domesticated, & it is only on returning from a walk that we wonder
how that strange looking Crescent can ever be our home. I am glad
to say that Mamma is in good health & spirits to which I think the
attentions of our kind new friends have not a little contributed. Of the Drysdale’s we see much, as their frequent pleasant evening parties are
at present our chief sources of relaxation. They gather people together
& entertain them in so agreeable a manner as to impress us with a most
favourable idea of Edinburgh society. We met the other night George
Combe the phrenologist, but I liked the man as little as I liked the
writer. He is returned from Germany with the conviction that man
& wife ought to separate as soon as they disagree! It may be supposed
therefore that he has another Mrs. Combe in his eye. The present one
has a fine Kemble countenance. She has done us the favour to call &
knows some of our Norfolk acquaintances. Mr Laing the Norway
traveller was the requisition of another evening, & we compare notes
about Northern natives with, I think, mutual interest. I am happy to say
that Mrs Smith is somewhat better, & kindly insisted on our all joining
her tea circle last Saturday, it being the first meeting between herself &
my family. The two elder Miss Smiths are looking very sweetly. I am
truly grieved that the eldest should have so severe a trial, & also not
a little that all outward sympathy in the subject should be interdicted.
As for Mr. David Smith, I must roun to Christina for a key to his
character.
Edinburgh is now filling, & Princes’ Street looks less like Picadilly
deserted. Nonetheless George St, Gt King St. & others are still almost
entirely abandoned to hands of school boys who play lengthways
& crossways without the slightest fear of interruption. Altogether
Edinburgh is a wonderful mart for children if you know of anybody
wanting a few. Mr. Reeve is now in London, & his wife with her little
Scotch lassie follow as soon as able. We have been much concerned at
the death of Mr. Daniel in Lycia. He was first playfellow & then friend
of us all. I think your son knew him. Pray tell your daughter Hester
that as soon as I can report any progress in the portraits I will write.
Meanwhile she has given me an occupation which I shall much enjoy.
I shall be glad to know that her cold is better & that both she & dear
Mrs. Murray are home to you safe & sound. We are endeavouring to
understand & make ourselves understood in return, but Mamma & her
butcher can’t come to right terms at all; our ladservant also who by no
means does discredit to the Norfolk accent is very indignant because the
Scotch housemaid says he can’t speak English. That, dear Mr. Murray,
excuse this selfish letter, & believe me with love, if I may, to your &
your’s, your’s most truly
Eliz: Rigby

note: 

It is of the authors  opinion ‘Drysdales’ were ''evidently'' 

Sir   William    Drysdale (1781–1843), treasurer of Edinburgh and advocate of sanitary reform,

his wife

Lady Elizabeth [nee Pew] Drysdale (1781–1882), noted for her interest in literary and scientific thought,

and his sons George and Charles, birth control activists. 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images - Getty's Open Content  Program , 

 Title: [  George and Charles Drysdale ]