This is an interesting letter written by Charles Steele Bompas to his mother. He was home-schooled in a Baptist family and his letter describes how he and his sibling’s “Characters” were scored each day on three undefined dimensions. This may have been a method taken from a book but I cannot find a link. The letter is written in a very good, clear hand.
Charles’s
father died suddenly in 1844 and was a London lawyer with the title of Serjeant Bompas. He was
known to Charles Dickens on whom the character of Serjeant Buzfuz in The
Pickwick Papers is based. The extended family had several notable members.
Charles’s younger brother William, mentioned in the letter, became Anglican
Bishop of Selkirk in Canada’s Yukon; curiously the surname of the children’s
Nanny/ Governess Miss Kennion turns up as a first name in the Canadian branch
of the Bompas family. But the internet is unhelpful about the fate of the
author of this letter, Charles Steele Bompas. The Royal Academy lists him as an
“Artist” with no further detail; the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford lists him as
interested in “folklore”; an Australian surgeon in the 1870s has the same name
…. Charles’s letter is cross-written by his nanny/governess/tutor.
Transcription
11 Park Road
March 4th 1837
My dear
Mamma
We were very
glad to receive your letter which told us of your safe arrival but were sorry
to hear you had lost your voice but I hope it will soon be well enough for you
to go out. We are pretty well here my throat has been very uncomfortable these
1 or 2 last days so I do it with the stuff inside and out & it is rather
better today. George has a little cold, Mary Jane, Sophia, Wiliam & Baby
very well. Miss Kennion’s and Selina’s colds are better. Bendals face aches
very badly somtimes [sic] Cousin Jospeh has given a lot of such
beautiful minerals, you cant think what nice specimens they are. Cousins are
coming this afternoon.
Our
characters today are Mary Jane minus 2 she lost one point because she was not
in school yesterday afternoon at the proper time but she could not help it
because Cousin Emma Skey was giving her her Music Lesson so she had, “loss of 1
point excusable” written under minus 2, her other characters were 6 – 0. George
2-6-2 he lost one because he had not finished his letter to you. Mine 3-6-2 I
was ready but I had 1 taken away from me because I could not do my lessons because
the others were not ready as we do our lessons together. I broke open the seal
of the letter which I suppose you received the other day by mistake thinking it
was for me [ his father is also named Charles Bompas].
Please to
give my love to Papa & Joseph
I remain
Your affecte
son
Charles
Steele Bompas
PS Monday.
Just as I had finished writing on Saturday morning Cousins came. Joseph was not
very well. We all forgot to send this letter & the paper until it was too
late. Our characters this morning were Mary Jane 6 – 0 George 4 – 1 Myself 4 –
1. Yesterday Bendall cut her thumb just at the bottom very badly indeed it kept
bleeding all the morning when she moved it so after dinner she went to Uncle
Joe’s [ possibly Dr Joseph Bompas]to show it him and he said that it was
nothing except a bad cut & he told her how to bind it up. We are all pretty
well.
Cross
written by Miss Kennion who also writes the address “Mrs Bompas / Joseph
Tomkins Esq [her father], Broughton, Nr Stockbridge, Hants. Postmarked from
London 6 March 1837 [ the Monday]
My dear
Madam
As Master
Charles has not written a very long letter I shall add a few lines to say what
I am sure will give you pleasure that your dear children have all been very
good during your absence. The weather has been fine though cold so that they
have had a walk every day and I am very thankful this week has passed without
any increase of colds or any accidents. Dear little Selina and Sophia are gone
today as it was pretty fine and much warmer to spend two or three hours with
Mrs Hawkins – she called yesterday and said she was going to write to you
therefore you will probably hear of them from her. I hope your cold is quite
well and that you have been able to get out a little. Your sweet baby and
little William [ William Carpenter Bompas 1834 – 1906, Anglican Bishop of
Selkirk in Canada’s Yukon] will I am sure be very glad to see their dear
Mamma again and indeed all treasures being to talk of your return with great
pleasure and I sincerely hope you will find them as well as they are now. I
took three eldest to Chapel twice yesterday and we had a coach in the evening
as Master Charles [said] they had been accustomed to go with their Papa.
Ann says she misses Master Joseph very much. I hope he is very happy and with
respects to Mrs Tomkins and Miss Jane
I am my dear
Madam
Your very
obedient Servant
M Kennion
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