Arthur Dixon letters
Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/3/1/1
Page: 32 recto
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Description
Letter of Arthur Dixon to John Joseph Cotman, 21 October 1834
Dixon has received a letter from JJC and took the news that JJC was well to the Cotmans at St Stephen's Terrace. He recounted how Jonathan Blake, who had been in love with Mrs Cotman, hanged his wife's dog and dismissed her long-serving maid. Thorndike is better. JJC's letter mentioned the fire in the Houses of Parliament on 16 October [see http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/architecture/palacestructure/great-fire/], but he did not have enough time to provide details. Dixon has received a letter from John [John Sell Cotman (cf. fol. 38r) rather than Dixon's brother John (mentioned on fol. 37r)?] in Boston and wrote to him in Hull. Although Dixon is miserable, he rejoices in his friendship with JJC. He is glad that JJC liked what he sent him and hopes JJC is being sincere in saying so.
Date: 1834
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Transcription
[Note added in pencil by Kitson:
14
Mention of "Fire" Houses of Parliament]Norwich 1834, Oct 21.
My dear John
I recieved [sic] yours this morn[in]g with much pleasure, & trotted up to the Terrace, happy in being the bearer of intelligence of your welfare & happiness. I found them all very snugly at work, & Mrs Cotman in better spirits and more saucy than I've seen her for a long while. – However I had a vile laughable story to tell them about Jonathan Blakes being married to a Miss Sanctuary, who for this fifty years has kept a dog and a maid, & thought "poor deluded woman!" to keep them yet, but the little Brute – Jonathan, not the dog, whose name was Pego I think – the Little Brute (Jonathan) as soon as he returned from Church, went and hanged the little Favorite
