Edited by Tim McLoughlin

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Letter from PATRICK BARRY to JAMES BARRY, written 19 July 1789, at London

Source: MS James Barry Papers and Letters, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University. Cover: M.^r James Barry
at
N.^o 36 Castle Street
Oxford Market1

Patrick Barry, was a younger brother of James Barry who, in a note added to a letter from Patrick, wrote, 'Patrick enlisted at Bristol in Octob.^r October 1771, in the third division of Marines. He deserted from them at Sheerness about August or Septb^r September. 1772 & very shortly after enlisted in y^e the service of y^e India Company, but after remaining 14 years in y^e service in India got his discharge & came away' ( MS James Barry Papers and Letters,, f. 92).

It appears from this letter that he had rejoined the service, perhaps under a false name: a note on another of the Barry papers says that Patrick 'assumed the name of Patrick Reardon & afterwards entered into the E.I. Company's Service by the latter name' and 'died as it is believed many years ago in the E. Indies' (f. 20). Patrick appears to have been only semi-literate.

There is no evidence that Barry replied to any of the letters from his brothers or sister.

Sir

How dreadfull dreadful a matter of this kind must appear to a well-disposed person, at the death of my Mother2 the only one that should promote my wellfare welfare 3, being an only Sister was she who entirely deprived me of every means of life, it do not aver to relating, this whole matter, My uncle John4 desired me to inform you how he was situated respecting the trifle left him by my Mother, but as I am in no condition, nor on the other hand whatever the cause of it may be you do not wish to see me, whether it proceeds from my poverty, or that, that most unjust Woman & her husband,5 have not poison'd you against me, I can't immediately account for. I have tried every honest means for bread that a man in my Condition could aim at to no effect, my health being impared,6 without Board or lodging, and friendless with being a stranger, I enquired once for you, when a gentlewoman who lives opposite your house, informed […] [gap in transcription (illegible), words: 1] me you were not at home, & desired I may lave leave my name, on which I told her P. Riordon & went off, since which time the few articles articles which I was possessed of I was obliged to dispose of or famish, tho' though my health is much impared, had I a friend who would only speak a few words for me, to get me into any little settled way of bread, untill7 the ships of the Season were going to India which will not be before November next,8 I should never once more be a means of giving you the smallest uneasiness by my presence, at the same time should ever wish your wellfare – if you are not pleased to make some little provision for me untill that time my end must be most mellencholly melancholy miserable, being in an ill state of health, and no prospect of labor – had a penny been in my possession I would not call at your house – so for god sake do not fly into passion on receipt of it, only what you will please to allow me till some of the Company's houses are open leave it where you may think proper weekly as for the relief of a poor Countryman, for no man living is in more need at present

19^th July 1789

Yours

19.^th July 1789 -

I lodge in Crown Court S.^t Gileses9 at a M.^r DempciesDempcie's N.^o 12 -

Show/Hide other notes [why?]

1 ^
Oxford Market] Barry had moved to this address in 1788.

2 ^
my Mother] Juliana Reardon (the spelling of Reardon varied), wife of John Barry, who had died in the early 1770s (see William Burke to Barry, 7 December 1770). The family had lived in Cork, Ireland, where Barry grew up. She had four sons - James, Patrick, Redmond and John - and later a daughter, Mary Ann.

3 ^
wellfare] An accepted spelling of 'welfare' in the eighteenth century.

4 ^
My uncle John] Presumably John Reardon, brother of Barry's mother.

5 ^
her husband] An allusion probably to Barry's sister Mary Ann and her husband Jeremiah Bulkley; letters from her to Barry in 1805 indicate they lived in Ireland.

6 ^
impared] An earlier spelling of 'impaired'.

7 ^
untill] An accepted spelling of 'until' in the eighteenth century.

8 ^
November next] Ships sailed for the East Indies in the winter months to take advantage of the winds in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans (Anthony Farrington, Trading Places: The East India Company and Asia 1600-1834, (London, 2002), p. 30). I am grateful to Hedley Sutton of the British Library for help with this information.

9 ^
Crown Court St Gileses] A small courtyard off the main street, St. Giles, Cripplegate, London.