Description:Many of the letters written by Sir Richard to his cousin Sir John Leveson of Halling (1555-1615) refer to members of the Leveson family and tell us about relationships within this family in the early seventeenth century.
A letter dated 18th January 1600 informs Sir John about a dispute between Sir Richard and his first wife Margaret Howard who suffered from mental illness. The letter indicates that there were problems with Margaret’s state of mind from 1600 onwards. Sir Richard had attempted to 'perswade' Margaret to 'go down in to the contrey’. Sir Richard describes Margaret's reaction to his suggestion, writing ‘she was content to harken to my persuasions and to allowe of my reason'. Following this, Sir Richard describeds how he had 'provided my howse in the Contrey and appoynted my people to come up to wayte uppon her.' However, he tells Sir John that now preparations had been made, Margaret 'answereth (as I am tould) that she will not go: An Answere which I was not Accustomed to receave from her’.
Sir Richard requests that his cousin Sir John might have Margaret to stay with him and his family at Halling. Subsequent letters from Sir Richard to Sir John indicate that Sir John did take Margaret in and cared for her at Halling. Indeed, in almost every letter Sir Richard concludes asking Sir John ‘to be good unto yo[u]r guest at Hallinge’, and in each letter he asks Sir John to ‘commend me to my lady’.
Despite this upset at home, many of Sir Richard’s letters include examples of his good humoured manner. In one letter he notes:
‘S[i]r that which care can not prevent, sorrow will not helpe, wherfor excuse my humor: Ou[r] hope is yet that we shalbe all infenitly rych…yf not this is my comfort that he which was a beggar befor, can not be made poore by any Accident’.
Sir Richard often writes humorously about his professional experiences, concluding in a letter from April 1605 'ou[r] enterteynent at Court is prepared as I leave with much state and ceremonye which maketh me to suspecte that ou[r] jorney wilbe longe and tedious and therfor in my Staffordshire Language I have no more to say but God send us merry meetinge’.
Click on the images on the left to see the letters sent by Vice Admiral Sir Richard Leveson to his cousin Sir John.