| Description | Captain Alexander Ewing (also known as Rex) to Alfred [Scott] Gatty, 1867 HAS/60/28
To Horatia Scott Elder (JHE's aunt), 1867 - 1868 HAS/60/30, 161
To Mrs Ewing, 1867 HAS/60/38-41
To Alfred Scott Gatty, 1867 - 1869 HAS/60/45-46, 119, 128, 174, 185, 222-223, 238-240
To Alfred [Scott] Gatty from Rex Ewing, 1867 HAS/60/28
To Horatia (Dot) Gatty, 1867 - 1869 HAS/60/50-51, 56-59, 62-63, 68, 70-71, 80-82, 91-92, 96-97, 103-104, 111-113, 124, 135-136, 142-145, 154-157, 162-164, 166-167, 175, 177-181, 186-188, 192, 200, 218-221, 228, 241-242, 245-247, 251-254
To Mother [Mrs Margaret Gatty], 1867 - c. 1878 HAS/60/1-15, 18-27, 29, 31-37, 42-44, 47-49, 52-55, 64-65, 69, 60-61, 72-75, 77
To Margaret Scott (Maggie) Gatty, 1868 - 1869 HAS/60/83-90, 94-95, 98-102, 105-110, 114-118, 120-123, 126-134, 137-141, 146-153, 158-160, 165, 168-169, 171-173, 176, 182-184, 189-191, 193-195, 198-199, 201-217, 224-227, 230-237, 243-244, 248-250, 255-265
To Aunt Mary [Gatty], 1868 HAS/60/93, 170
To Undine (Dina) Gatty, 1867 and 1869 HAS/60/66-67, 229
To W. Harvey, 1867, HAS/60/6
To Miss Skelton, 1867 HAS/60/16-17
To Miss Thompson, 1869 HAS/60/196-197
Extracts:
HAS 60/4 To mother, 30 April 1867
"...As to Canada - of course it is unsuitable, and even if he could get off now - somewhere we must be sent sometime, and it would probably be to a much worse place and much farther away. I am truly thankful the French and Prussian affair seems likly to end peaceably since a European War - would have formed a nice crisis for America to attack Canada. Of Canada everybody seems to say the same - Delightful climate - cold quite bearable - the best of military stations!!"
HAS 60/6 To Mr Harvey, 5 Sunday Epiphany 1867
"...Once more many thanks for your kind wishes. While we both live, I have little doubt of very great and undes?? happiness with a man with whom I sympathise so thoroughly, as I do with Alexander (That is his name. For short, I call him Rex). He is so good, and clever, and kind; and we do ?tail so thoroughly in all things great and small. But my praises of him are partial! so I will say no more..."
HAS 60/13-14 To mother, 6 May 1867
"...I really get more and more reconciled to the idea of becoming utterly cosmopolitan as regards one's abode, though England must always be No 1 as Home. It is not merely that Rex gets more affectionate and I tender of him; but that the more I know of him, and the further I get beyond the external reserve, the more utterly I trust and respect him and feel at home with him...When we were in Dublin too, when we first came, we had a fond talk then once - about Canada etc etc...I said what I disliked most in leaving England was leaving you ; I had got rather "????" and was rather tired, and I couldn't help crying - I turned away from him, and the poor old Boy ???? in such a state. He said "Never move away from me when you are in trouble" and he was so kind and jolly and comforting and talked so affectionately of you - and kept saying "I will be everything to you my poor child" And he talks so practically too, and I find has thought over everything so carefully, and is so bent on making me happy and comfortable and so almost comically oldfashioned in his ideas of taking care of me - that it really takes away all sense of fear and loneliness in the prospect of going to him..."
HAS 60/38 To Mrs Ewing, July 1867 (p 15 bk)
"...Since we must be "abroad" somewhere, I don't think we could well have been more fortunate in a station than we are in being sent here. There is the most disagreeable Atlantic between us and Great Britain - but otherwise it is in many respects very like home. We hear rather appalling accounts of the winter, but we were told awful things of the summer heats; and yet (except for occasionally oppressive days) we have found it delightful. It is rather blazing in the morning often, and makes one rather giddy if one attempts to walk much - but the evenings and nights are delicious, and quite cool. Fredericton is on the river, and we have not yet been able to decide by what lights and at which time of day it looks most beautiful. Very fine willows grow on the banks and the fire flies float about under them like falling stars..."
"...another attraction which this place possesses, is the beauty of the women, both of the upper and lower classes...almost every girl you meet is very pretty and very gentle and sweet looking. The young ladies have very pleasant unaffected manners too...We were not surprised to hear that when the 15th were stationed in these parts-17 of them married ladies of the province!! |