Correspondence of Thomas Best Esq. from 1777 to 1802, 1855 Jan.

1 v. (263 p.) ; 34 x 22 cm.

English

Purchased from Ken Spelman Rare Books on the James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Fund, 2006.

Letterbook containing copies of 52 letters from the solicitor Thomas Best to George Horsley Robinson, a young man attempting to make his fortune in Bengal, originally written between 1777 and 1800. The letters contain news of relatives and friends over the years, both in England and the colonies; business and financial matters; and personal and career advice. The volume documents Horsley Robinson's disappointment in his father and Best's unsuccessful efforts to secure him a position as writer with the East India Company; and "the cruel necessity of going into the Army" as a result. Best frequently comments on Horsley Robinson's extravagance and his relative lack of success on the staff of Lord Cornwallis, urging him to "aim for mediocrity." He also sends news of current events in England, including the trial and execution of Dr. William Dodd; the course of the American Revolution; the Gordon Riots; and fears of French invasion in the late 1790s. The final letters send news of Horsley Robinson's son and wife, apparently living in England.

April 26, 2007

Thomas Best, Correspondence of Thomas Best. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Thomas Best, Correspondence of Thomas Best. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Letter books.