Catherine Jane Rendel to brother Edwin Harris. London, 10 July [1847]

London, July 10th.

My dear Edwin,

If you get all my notes you will not complain of the infrequency of my writing. I send you a third note lest my two others should have miscarried and have to repeat that if you do not get into active employment Mr Rendel will answer your draft for £50 more. He has so much confidence in you that he believes you will not take advantage of this without you need it. I am in just hopes that you will be much more prosperous as I hear of a loan to the Company from the Government and I trust that a letter of recommendation which our friend Mr Gould has written to Mr Eyre the deputy Governor may be of service to you. Of course you will write us how you get the money.

We are all pretty well Mr Rendel has been much harassed by business this session and if it were not soon to close I should be seriously alarmed. We are not even now sure that the Harbour at Holyhead will be made though the file for it has passed the Commons triumphantly but the Opposition has great hopes in the Lords.

I hope however that Mr Rendel may be able to provide for Mr Dobson in some other way should that not go on. There is still a great deal of anxiety here about the harvest, we have had some fine weather intensely hot and then come thunder storms and uncertain weather. The potatoes have certainly the same disease as they had last season. The whole continent of Europe seems to have unusual weather; is that the case with you? I have heard lately of Augusta, mother, etc all are tolerable. Emma I told you is settled at Hull which I am rejoiced at, for work for surveyors etc is getting less and less. Give my love to Sarah and remember me to all your bairns.

Ever your affectionate sister C.J. Rendel.

Lewis is improving, Meadows is making a little tour in Scotland.

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MS letter to brother Edwin Harris, New Plymouth, NZ. Written in London, England, 10 July [1847]. Cranstone Papers. Copy at Turnbull. MS-Papers-0489. Item 2.
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NOTES

Mr Rendel will answer your draft for £50 more
The Rendels were financing Edwin’s purchase of a section in the Grey Block. See #24.

our friend Mr Gould has written to Mr Eyre the deputy Governor
Edward John Eyre (1815-1901) served as Lieutenant-Governor of New Munster Province in New Zealand under Governor George Grey from 1848 to 1853 (Te Ara).

We are not even now sure that the Harbour at Holyhead will be made
JM Rendel designed and constructed the new outer harbour works at Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. The new harbour was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1847 and work began in January 1848. George Dobson took a central role in the project: ‘[U]pon the recommendation of Mr. Rendel [in 1846], he received from the Admiralty the appointment of Resident Engineer for the purpose of superintending the works to be carried out for the improvement of Holyhead Harbour, Mr. Rendel being the Engineer-in-Chief. At Holyhead, Mr. Dobson continued to perform his duties until the completion, in 1873, of that stupendous work’ (Grace’s Guide).

The potatoes have certainly the same disease as they had last season
Kate Rendel is commenting on the proximate cause of the Great Famine in Ireland 1845-49, when potato crops failed all over Europe and precipitated political and demographic disaster in Ireland. 1847 (‘Black 47’) was the worst year of the famine.

Lewis is improving, Meadows is making a little tour in Scotland
In 1847, Alexander Meadows Rendel was 18 and his brother Lewis 17.