Belfast
6^th December 1841

My dear James,

Copy of letter to James Magill Esq Lochachrey, Hillsborough

A communication has been made to us by Mary Bristow since we had the pleasure of seeing you in Lochachry. The subject was of a nature that I must confess rather surprised me, and the best mode of proving to you that I cannot at present comply with your wishes is by giving you a candid statement of how I am circumstanced with respect to other relations who I conceive have a prior claim to my assistance. In the first place the family of your dear sister Ellen, I have always considered my own and acted accordingly. During the last year, without any reference to former great and unavoidable expenses, I have given them upwards of £800 - between Ward, our lamented Francis and the four girls and it cost me £200 to pay rent, renewal fines, and law charges on account of taking new leases from Lord Bangor in place of old leases which had been neglected and suffered to run out. In addition to all this I have had the widow and three daughters of my unfortunate relation Rowley Lascelles to support in London. Being left entirely destitute at his death, and while I live I must continue to maintain them not knowing any other source from whence they can derive assistance. What has been particularly distressing to me is that under these circumstances I have not been able to do much for poor Lucy lately as I have been in the habit of doing in times past. You will now perceive the impossibility of any complying with the proposal you make me though Mary Bristow and I hope that your will excuse one for saying that had it been convenient for me to do so I should have been unwilling to leyd my aid to remove from your house and protection which is the only place that can be respectable for your only unmarried sister to have a permanent residence. The whole life of poor Mary Magill has been spent in tending, and taking care of the invalids of the family of whom, unhappily there has been at different times a great number. there is, however, one way in which we would most willingly contribute to relieve you from what I am sorry to say, appears to be a very heavy charge, namely, having a house of our own to invite her to come to occasionally. This we look to and hope for, as we merely wait for Hodder’s promotion and possible removal to this country to settle ourselves. I trust in the mean time that you will think better of it and agree with us that either your house or ours (when we get one) will be the most eligible situation for her residence. I think her principal fault is over anxiety for her friends and chiefly yourself, who has ever, and invariably been her first and primary object. We hope to hear favourable accounts of your health and beg to be remembered most kindly to Mrs Magill,

I am my dear James,

affectly yours

F.E. Lascelles