Showing 8773 results

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Brennen (Brunnen), Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. He writes to his father of his trip through Switzerland, including Basle, the Rhine falls, Lucerne, Berne travelling by foot, horse and diligence. Handwritten, 3 sides. Dated Brennen Sunday 25 July [1802], Berne Friday morning 30 July [1802]

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Brunnen, Switzerland. He writes about his tour round Switzerland - what pleased and disappointed him. The letter resumes in Milan - he has taken a detour to visit this city. And then Geneva, which he says is full of English. He continues to recount his travels and plans to go on to Marseilles and Toulouse. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated Brunnen, Friday 6 August [1802], Milan 12 August [1802], Geneva, 15 August [1802]

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Calcutta. He writes of his frustrated attempt to get to Pekin whilst in Canton giving some of the reasons why it could not be accomplished. The suggestion has been made that it tries to go via Tibet and letters have been sent for him and he has other private letters with him. He had a good passage though was without convoy and therefore fearful of being taken in the Bay of Bengal. He has numerous dinner invitations including to Sir William Burroughs. He dined the previous evening with Mr Palmar, the Banker. "Turban on his head, beard over a foot long. all eyes staring at me". He has rented a spacious house on the circular road and justifies it by claiming it is necessary so he stays healthy and can study. There are some missionaries in Calcutta who claim to know something of the Chinese language but they have it wrong which he has tried to explain so that their translations of Confucius are map of mistakes. He is waiting to sail for Madras. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated 28th April, 1810

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Cambridge in which he writes about his ill health which has prevented him from writing sooner and affects his appetite and spirits. It is a disorder of the heart and arteries but not too serious. His doctor, Dr Davy, advises sea-bathing. He also has a nervous fidgety feeling that makes it difficult to write. However his illness does not prevent him from going to Balls though he moderates his dancing. He received his father's letter by Boston and is obliged to Mr Woodward. Handwritten, 3 sides, dated "Sunday morning"

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Cambridge. He writes about his tour after leaving the Isle of Wight, travelling through Hampshire, Dorsetshire and Devonshire, South Wales. He would not wish to live in Devonshire, "from the peculiar appearance of the trees there I guess that the air is more injurious to vegetation". He also writes about the hard work of the Welsh. Handwritten, 4 sides. Postmarked May 25, 1801

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Cambridge. He thanks his father for the offer of sending a turkey (along with cartoon picture of it); he is going to dinner at Dr Davy; he is sorting his skates and asks about whether they are making mince pies. Handwritten, 2 sides. Dated "Cambridge Wednesday" and by another hand as December 1799 or December 1800

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Canton. He writes about the letters that he received. He has earned some money translating Company edicts but is glad not to be employed by them but is willing to let them aid his pursuits. He then writes his opinions of the war between France and Spain, and England's involvement, and about the capturing of the Danish fleet. The English fleet has been expelled from Macao, it was a tense time with firing on both sides. He gives a listed assessment of the situation. His beard is now a foot long. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated 1 March 1809

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Canton. Manning writes about the disappointment in not receiving letters but that he had one from his father and one from his brother, Edward, with a copying machine. He has sent Mr Woodward and Mr Wilkins some onion seeds in the care of George Staunton. He has written several times and hopes they are not lost. He has an upset stomach and has ordered congee - a rice gruel. He is generally in good health. He resumes the letter the next day after the Alfred had docked and was pleased to have received post including from his father dated November 1806. He had a letter from Robert Thomson, a Scot settled in France and translator of La Fontaine's stories. He recounts an episode when in France of acting on Thomson's behalf to become an English teacher at a premier French college. He then writes that he is about to embark on a trip to Cochinchina (south Vietnam). He is going with the Company boats who will put him down at Turon (Da Nang) and if he is received favourably will stay there for a month. But if the Mandarins or the Frenchmen at the Cochinchina court would "rather have my room than my company" he will stay aboard the Company boat or return to Macao with the Portuguese expedition. He considers those of Cochinchina as half civilised vagabonds but wants to compare the language with Chinese and also to see whether he could be employed by the court as Physician in a Cochinchina Embassy to Pekin. he has other plans but will not commit them to paper. He admits he is not good at belonging to institutions otherwise he might have been employed by the Honorable Company. He has petitioned to the Mandarins that he may go to Pekin to feel the Emperor's pulse and teach him to calculate eclipses. He thinks this will not happen because the English in India's fame spreads too fast for Asiatic potentates. He then writes of his opinion of the French and English at war. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated 12 February 1808

Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Canton - "in my own rooms at the English factory given me this morning". He arrived in Canton the previous day and George Staunton had said that an American ship was to leave Canton the next day; hence the letter. He had been called upon to give medical help to a Chinese servant with a cut elbow, followed by dinner at the Company table - roast beef, potatoes and vegetables recalling ideas of old England. He is tired and the next day will breakfast with Mr Barry, a merchant, for whom Mr Crabtree had given Manning a letter of introduction. They arrived by open boat - with some worries about pirates but had arrived in Canton safely. He writes about the weather and concludes with a note to say the servant is much improved so Manning has proved he is of some use already. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated 14 January 1807

Letter from Thomas Manning to his brother, William Manning. He writes to introduce Mr Berry who will bring the letter and with whom Thomas enjoyed hospitality in Canton. Mr Berry will be able to tell William whether Thomas is off to Cochinchina. Handwritten, 1 side. Dated 23 February 1808