The Letter

Cover/Outside

Lieu t Drewry
Royal Navy
Barbadoes
SD(?) 5 July 1815

First page

Welbeck St 5 July 15

My dear Saml,

Our last letter would inform you of the Receipt of the yours of April - your letter of 17 May reached us in the latter end of last month & you will in all probability receive the account of the late glorious Battle on the Frontiers of France, before this reaches you. We are in daily expectation of receiving intelligence of the surrender of Paris to the allied Armies and of Peace being again restored. We shall then look forward to put our original Plan of a Residence in France into practice, and I hope with a prospect of Security; - as matters now are much time cannot

Second page

elapse ere a permanent Government in that country be established; & the people return to Habits of Peace and Industry, the Military Power under their favourite Chief have tried their Strength & have completely failed; they must now submit to be governed by the Civil Law. Under all these circumstances it is very probable that the Navy will be again dismantled, & the greater part of the officers placed on Half Pay; - how far it may affect those employed in the West Indies, I cannot guess, but I imagine you will keep being employed on Full Pay as long as you can. Instead of fixing in England as I had intended, I shall now lay upon my Oars until matters become tolerably settled,- unless in the mean time I should meet with any very eligible Situation that might induce me to remain in England or Wales. I have been in daily Expectation for this fortnight or three weeks, of getting
rid

Third page

of my Encumbrance here, my landlord having promised as soon as he could obtain the renewal of the lease to take it off my hands - unluckily the premises, with some others in this Neighbourhood, belong to three different proprietors who reside in different Counties, the Lease in question has been signed by one of the parties and has been sent to the others for Signature but not yet returned, - which completely ties me to London, & which, at this Season of the Year, particularly, is extremely unpleasant to me, who have for so many years been accustomed to live in & enjoy the Country Airs. Maria has, I take it for granted, given you all the domestic news: you will I am sure, my dear Saml, regret very sincerely the loss our worthy Friend Robe has sustained by the death of his eldest Son, who fell gloriously in the late Action with the French, in which we had 27 Officers of Artillery killed & wounded.
Your Mother joins in the kindest love with your afft. Father
Saml Drewry.

Notes

From tripod.com

"Lieutenant William Livingstone ROBE - Killed
Son of Colonel Sir William Robe (R.A.). (Major Ramsay's Troop)
Memorial at Waterloo - 'Erected by his Brother Officers this stone is in memory of Lieut. William Livingstone Robe of the British Royal Horse Artillery, son of Col. Sir W, Robe, KCB, KTS. He fell nobly at Waterloo 18th June 1815 aged 24 years. ... He was known to and distinguished by Field Marshall The Duke of Wellington. ...."

Another son of Sir William, Frederick Holt Robe (1801-1871), was appointed Governor of South Australia in 1845.

A daughter of Sir William, Elizabeth E Robe (1798-1874), was a witness at the marriage of Samuel's daughter Maria Ann Drewry to Peter Painter in 1835.