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[Appendix] II. [Bridges family Clothing inventories, Account books, Engagement announcements.]COPIED FROM AN OLD ACCOUNT-BOOK IN THE HAND-WRITING OF LADY BRIDGES (FANNY FOWLER).The Account of the Expences for Cloaths, Linen, &c. for my 3 Daughters Weddings in Decr 1791, and subsequent Acct of Child Bed Linen given to Mrs. Cage and purchased for Mrs. Austen, 1792. RECD. 1791. £ s. d. July 27, Recd of Sir Brook for several Bills . . . 29 13 6 Dec. 25. Recd of the Extrs 1/4 interest on the Fortunes of Fanny, Sophia and Elizabeth C . . . . . 52 10 0 1792. June 2. Recd of the Extrs for wedding cloaths and other expences . . . . . . . . . 400 0 0 June 19. Advanced by me on the above account by desire of Lady Waltham . . . . . . . 300 0 0 Recd of Mrs. Fielding at different times . . . . 36 0 0 August 16. Advanced by me to make up deficiencies, and to clear the whole account . . . . . 49 12 6 PER CONTRA. 1791. £ s. d. July 16. Shaw, Linen Draper, Bath . . . . . 7 7 0 22. Pd. Faulding, do. Coventry St. . . . . 3 12 6 23. do. do. do. do. . . . . . 1 14 0 26. do. Comerford do. Bond St. . . . . . 12 0 0 27. do. Winter for black Taffeta . . . . 5 0 0 Sept. 19. Pd. Percival for a black chintz . . . . 1 11 6 24. " Faulding . . . . . . . . 7 10 0 Oct. 31. Mrs. Lilly for plain work . . . . . 2 12 6 Mrs. Mercer do. . . . . . . . 2 14 0 Smallwood for threads, &c. . . . . 0 8 6 Emery for Body Lining . . . . . 1 13 4 Dec. 14 and 27. Presents to Jeffrey and the servants . 19 19 0 Gave to each of the dear girls for Pocket money £21 . . . . . 63 0 0 1792. April 24. Pd. Ratcliffe for plain work . . . . 8 2 11 Briggs for Minionet . . . . . . 6 6 0 Calloway's bill for ribbons . . . . 1 18 2 April 30. Lilly for plain work. Hookham for Bills, &c. 7 13 6 June 19. Pd. Warriner as per bill. . . . . . 199 12 11 " Jacquin do. . . . . . . 13 1 0 " M. Lachrie do. . . . . . . 15 5 0 " Cooper do. . . . . . . 20 16 6 " Hatsell do. . . . . . . 14 8 0 " Fletcher do. . . . . . . 16 4 0 " Schneider do. . . . . . . 20 14 6 20. " Nours & Co. . . . . . . 65 17 0 ditto . . . . . . 83 2 0 " Falconer . . . . . . 14 2 0 " Webb . . . . . . 31 8 0 " Ludlam . . . . . . 13 11 0 " Cierlars & Co. . . . . . . 24 3 4 " Coup . . . . . . 5 9 0 " Toussaint . . . . . . 7 7 0 " Winter for edgings, &c. . . . . . 18 18 0 " Weindley for fans . . . . . . 2 7 6 " Seniors as per bill . . . . . . 1 18 0 " Jones do. . . . . . . 5 3 6 " Collins do. . . . . . . 6 4 0 Aug. 15. Pd. Percival & Condell . . . . . . 130 3 4 ------------- Total £867 16 0 Inventory of Linen and clothes made up for Fanny, when she married and went to Combe, Dec. 14th, 1791. N.B. Sophia and Elizabeth had the same Dec. 27. 24 Day shifts. Muslin, &c., &c. 4 chemise Handerchiefs. Immediately after the preceding inventory there appears in the same book three separate accounts, headed "Childbed Linen given to Mrs. Cage, May 23, 1792," "Child Bed Linen given by Mrs. Deedes to Sophia," with sundry articles "Bought in addition," and "Child-bed Linen Bought for Mrs. Austen, Sept. 14th, 1792," together with a separate list headed "Things for the Child." As these lists are pretty much the same, and would probably not be interesting to the general public, I should not have alluded to them but for the fact that a fourth list informs those who care to compare present with past prices, with the cost of many articles a hundred years ago, and this information may, perhaps, interest those upon whom a similar expense has already fallen, or may possibly fall in the future. This list is headed: -- The Quality and Price of each of the Articles preceding, bought for Mrs. Austen. £ s. d. 30 yrds of Diaper for 2 shirts at 22d . . . 2 15 0 " do for 4 single at do . . . . . . 2 15 0 4 yrds 8/8 Irish -- for 4 Dble Binders } } . . . 0 16 0 2 yrds do for 2 single at 2/8 } 18 yrds fine Irish 7/8 for 6 short shifts at 3/6 3 3 0 18 yrds India Dimity for 6 waistcoats 3/6 . . 5 5 0 13 yrds Callico for lining 2 shirts at 15d . . 16 3 8 yrds 3/4 Dimity for a wrapping-gown 3/3 . . 1 8 5 1/4 3 yrds fine checked muslin for Limming /5 . . 0 15 0 2 yrds 1/2 long cloth for a Mantle 5/6 . . . 0 13 9 3 yrds coarse flannel 16d/ . . . . . . 0 4 0 3 yrds fine do 2s/ . . . . . . . . 0 6 0 5 yrds Green Persian Cover for the Horse 22d/ . 0 9 2 7 3/4 yrds fine India Dimity for 2 cloaks . . 1 12 1 1/2 5 1/2 yrds Callico to line Ellwide do 2/2 . . 0 11 11 4 yrds corded Dimity for 2 linings for the Basket at 3s . . . . . . . . . . . 0 6 0 10 yrds 3/4 do for 6 child's Bed gowns 3/3 . . 0 15 0 12 yrds check'd muslin for 6 robes 3s/ . . . 1 16 0 2 Pr of clouting at 25s . . . . . . . 2 10 0 1 do 23 . . . . . . . 1 8 0 1 do 36 . . . . . . . 1 16 0 1 do 25 . . . . . . . 1 5 0 10 yrds fine Diaper 3/6 . . . . . . . 3 3 0 ----------------- Carried forward . . . 32 7 7 3/4 The Quality and Price of each of the Articles preceding, bought for Mrs. Austen -- cont. £ s. d. Brought forward . . . 32 7 7 3/4 10 yrds fine Diaper . . . . . . . . 1 11 6 1 pr Damask 35s . . . . . . . . . 1 15 0 3/4 of a yd wide Irish for under stays . . . 0 3 0 Buckles, Tape, Leather Bones for do . . . . 0 5 0 A Basket for the child's things . . . . . 0 3 6 1 doz Damask clouts 38/ . . . . . . . 1 18 0 1 do 34/ . . . . . . . 1 14 0 1 cotton swaith . . . . . . . . 1 0 4 Best Blankets 3/9. . . . . . . . 15 0 ----------------- Total . . . £40 13 7 3/4 I do not think it necessary to give in detail the "things for the child," especially as no prices are mentioned, but in order that my great-grandmother may not be suspected of having robbed an infant of its due, I would respectfully mention that six shirts, six robes, six bedgowns of "corded dimity," &c. &c., were supplemented by "3 cockades of Lace," "a suit of Xtning Linen consisting of a muslin Robe, fine cambrick cap and shirt," and sundry other articles of quality and quantity sufficient to make any nurse proud and to secure the comfort and happiness of any reasonable infant. Letters from Fanny Fowler, Lady Bridges, announcing the engagement of her three daughters, Elizabeth, Fanny, and Sophia.[i.]
[1] Sir Brook died before his daughters were married. "Fatty" was Isabella, sister of Mrs. C. Fielding's husband, and daughter of "Anne Palmer," by her second husband Col. Fielding. She seems to have been a popular person, known all her life as Fatty Fielding," and often at Goodnestone and Godmersham. She was godmother to one of Mr. E. Knight's children (Marianne), and died unmarried in 1812. [ii.]
[1] "Miss Finch" must mean one of Mrs. C. Fielding's three sisters, who all died unmarried. [2] "Augusta Sophia" was the youngest daughter of Mrs. C. Fielding; she married Mr. Geo. Hicks in 1813, and lived to a good old age. [iii.]
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