Description:Letters exchanged between Sir Richard Leveson and his family reflect the dynamics of family relationships during the middle of the seventeenth century. The letters also tell us about the practicalities of family life in during this period, reflecting concerns about everything from health to financial provision.
Many letters in Sir Richard Leveson’s private correspondence are letters written to and received from his sister Rachel’s family. Rachel had married Richard Newport, 1st Baron Newport of High Ercall by 1615, and a number of letters reflect the close relationships between Richard Leveson and his sister’s family.
Not having any children of his own, Sir Richard Leveson’s letters suggest that he took an interest in the welfare of his nieces and nephews. Indeed, Sir Richard intended that his fortune should pass to his nephews in the Newport family. The letters indicate that Sir Richard cultivated good relations with his family, including Sir Thomas Gower (1605-1672) who married Richard's niece Frances Leveson in 1631.
The letter above was written by Richard to Sir Thomas Gower and begins by commenting on health. Richard writes ‘the indisposition of your health touches mee sensibly to the quicks’ he adds ‘I hope with your owne administrations will soone become well recovered that my nephew at his returne may finde you in some good degrees of convalesience’.
Much of the letter concerns Sir Richard’s nephew, which the context indicates was one of Sir Thomas’s own sons, William, Edward or Thomas. The letter again reflects Sir Richard’s influential role in the lives of his extended family. He writes to Sir Thomas ‘I would commende to your consideration the setlement of convenient maintenance yeerely for him that he may live in a cheerefull way’, adding that his nephew ‘is growne a man past pedantry, & very observant of your orders in all expressions’.
Sir Richard’s interest in the affairs of his family are evident again where he writes ‘excuse mee for this interferinge’, noting that his ‘intentions’ were ‘moving only to the honor of both’.
The letter reflects that Sir Richard played an active role in the financial and practical management of Leveson family affairs. The wealth of letters amongst his private papers from his nephews and nieces suggest that in the absence of children of his own, Sir Richard was preoccupied with the welfare of his extended family.