Three Letters

David Hartland has sent me copies of of three letters. The first was from James Warburton to his father expressing his hurt that his father had refused to loan him £5 for a few hours:

Betley
Oct 12th 1867

My Dear Father,

I have felt very much
hurt that you should have
refused to lend me five
pounds just for a few hours.
If it had not been for
Mr John Dean I must
have been exposed to a
bind. All the first
family think it very
hard and unjust that
you should make so
much more of the
second family

than of us who have
all tried to be obedient
and dutiful to you and we
love and value you quite
as much as they do.
We cannot help thinking
that someone
who tries to persuade
you from doing us
a kindness.
Hoping you will
not take this amiss
I remain

Yours affectionally
James Warburton

James is James Pennington Warburton (1833-1900) twelth child of John Warburton (1792-1878) and Sarah Pennington. John, his father Arnold, and his son Henry were discussed in my Post Social Mobility in the 19th Century – An Example dated June 2015. That Post included a photo of John, which is repeated below.

John was born in 1792 the eldest son of Arnold Warburton and Anne Hulme. The photograph was taken when he was about 70 years old. He died in his 86th year.

My previous Post describes how, in 1819, he was sued for practising as an Apothecary without a license, something he had learned whilst working with his similarly untrained father Arnold. However he worked to correct his mistake. He acquired a proper medical training. In censuses he is careful to identify himself as a Licentiate of the Apothecary Company, who studied at the London Hospital, in addition to his occupation of Surgeon, or General Practitioner.

The result was the establishment of a medical dynasty. In all John had two wives and 16 children, all but 3 reaching adulthood. His brother-in-law and two nephews, six of his own sons, and three grandsons all became doctors. His sons were also properly trained. In addition one daughter and two granddaughters married doctors. The only son who didn’t become a doctor became a lawyer.

John wrote two letters in answer to James’s complaint. They were detailed rebuttals of his claims of favouritism. The first letter is dated 12 October 1867. The second followed the following day. A the time John was 75 years old. Both letters give an insight into family relationships, the wealth of a prosperous middle-class family doctor, and John Warburton’s significant expenditure on his large family, whilst being very frugal himself. It also highlights their standard of living in comparison to the poor annual wages paid to the servants.

                                              Betley Oct 12th
                                                     1867

My Dear Son,

I am not surprised at you
being in difficulties. There are
two reasons why I did not lend
you the money you asked for
yesterday.

1st I had no money to spare
as the following statement should
convince you

On June 30th I paid Mrs Meuch          12. 10. 0
July 1st Mr Dean                                        25.  0. 0
Aug 2nd Druggist nearly                          6.  0. 0
Oct 4th Paid for lectures L’pool          29   8. 0
Library & subject                                             17. 6
For board & lodgings                                10. 0. 0
Oct 7th Paid Mr Rigby towards
paying off Dr Vernon £1050                 100. 0. 0​

                                                                        ————
                                                                        £183.15.6
                                                                         ————

2nd Reason – I do not think you would
need to borrow from anyone
if you would manage your
affairs with discretion and only
buy such things as are
absolutely necessary.

If I had done as you do when
I began the world, I could not
have done what I have done for my
first family altho’ you seem to
think so little of it.

When I walked or kept only one
horse you have had 4 or 5. At
your age I rode on horseback.
You keep two carriages. I never
had a close carriage till I was
upwards of 70 years of age.
You have one in your youth.

As regards the difference
made in the two families which
my first children are all so
uneasy about, see opposite page.

1st. J.P.Warburton
Paid at Macclesfield for you
to be a druggist                                             £66. 16. 6

Paid for your first winter
at King’s college                                            £61. 0. 0
Do first summer                                            £28. 10. 0

                                                                      —————-
One Year                                                           £89.10.0
                                                                        —————-

2nd. C W Warburton
First winter at Edinburgh                           £60.0.0
Summer                                                             £25.0.0

                                                                        ————–
One Year                                                          £85.0.0
                                                                         ————–

3rd. Edmund W.
First year including
board & lodgings                                         £78.0.0

See also the following:

1st J P Warburton 
Total cost of professional                      £421.6.8.½
education & at Macclesfield
besides many books
not charged

2nd. In Edinburgh & London              £342.3.3
including a note for
£20.0.0 due for Pickfords

3rd.Hannah has had                                £215.0.0
4th Ellen has had                                      £238.0.0
5th Mary do                                                 £220.0.0
6th Henry do                                               £100.0.0

                                                                  £1536.9.11.½

Since April 18th 1866 Caroline has had from me £39.0.0 and £20.0.0 I gave her for other purposes.

Sarahanne has had from me during the same period only £7.3.0 beside what she has had from hermother’s allowance and she has not much than half the interest of her own property.

Yours truly,

J Warburton. 

Dear James,

The statement I sent you on Saturday did not contain all I have done for my first family since they finished their education – see the following –

1 Henry had upwards of £100.0.0
besides what I gave him to go to America.

2 Thomas cost in paying the College 
of Surgeon & Hall                              £304.10.0
Gave him for furniture                         £50.00
Lent & not returned                               £50.00
Total to Thomas                                  £404.10.0

Advanced £100 to Caroline and Ellen which he had and which was returned
to me.

3 You have had                            £421.6.8.½
4 Charles do                                 £342.3.3
5 Hannah do                                £215.0.0
6 Ellen do                                     £238.0.0
7 Mary do                                     £220.0.0
8 Caroline for savings bank    £20.0.0

                                                        ——————–
                                                      £1960.19.11 1/2
                                                       ———————

The following statement will show what my second family have had 

1st Edmund had for last year                £134.9.3
            & towards 2nd year

2nd Frank has had up to this time       £250.0.0
3 Emily has in savings bank                   £10.0.0
4 Arthur do   do                                            £10.0.0

                                                                       ————
                                                                       £404.9.3
                                                                       ————

Sarahanne has had nothing but what her grandmother left her

This statement shows the untruth of your assertions that I do more for my second family than for my first.

The following will show how
unreasonable it is in you with
no family, and having the best part
of my practice / which I could have sold for a considerable sum
before you commenced / and having
had so much of your wife’s money
should expect me to support your
expensesin servants, horses,
& carriages. Besides the payments
mentioned in my last [letter] during
the last quarter viz                                     £183.15.6
I paid for Frank to W M Heaton              £50.0.0
Gave Caroline for bank                                £20.0.0
Emily do                                                            £8.10.0
Arthur do                                                           £8.10.0

                                                                           ————–
                                                                           £270.15.6
                                                                           ————–

I have paid the above in the last quarter besides current expenses
    J W.

N.B. I have reckoned how much your
establishment must cost you annually

Two servants (female wages)       £20.0.0
Man & boy wages                               £40.0.0
Keep in board and for three
@ £15 each                                           £45.0.0

                                                                ————
                                                                £105.0.0
                                                                 ————

Keep of 4 horses which
you have had on an average
at 10/s per week winter ??            £104.0.0
Taxes on these horses,
shoeing & loss in horse
flesh in wear & tolls                        £16.0.0
expense of carriages &
harness, saddles & bridles
 & stable cloths & gear
with taxes – repairs                         £15.0.0

                                                                 ————
                                                                 £240.0.0
                                                                  ————

The interest of this money is lost also.

When I commenced my business, I
first went all over this country on
foot, then I had one horse & partly
rode & partly walked. I had a maid
servant and a boy at £14.0.0 a year for
both.

JW

Following receipt of these letters James replied to his father but that letter is not currently available. 

James had married Mary Goff in 1861. In March 1878, six months before his father died, he entered into a bigamous marriage with Beatrice Mary Jones at St Matthew’s church in Liverpool. He and Beatrice followed his elder Henry to America sailing on the Wisconsin from Liverpool arriving in New York on 25th June 1879. from there they went to California where Henry had a medical practice. They had a son Herbert born in Alameda, California.

No doubt this trip over the pond, some 15 months after the marriage, was because of the risk of prosecution for bigamy and a custodial term, notwithstanding the potential loss of his livelihood, due to being struck off as a physician and surgeon.

In 1890 James’s first wife Mary died. Two months later James legally married Beatrice in Sacramento, and true to form took the next boat back to England to claim his late wife’s remaining possessions.

David Hartland comments that fortunately his son Herbert (David’s grandfather) did not follow the example of his father James.