From Jane Hogan   10th Oct. 64¹

37 Stanley Street | Macclesfield | Cheshire | 10th Oct. 64

Sir,

I have no doubt but you will wonder at receiving a letter from one who must appear a stranger to you, but if you will just look at the enclosed,² it will perhaps remind you of me—we have met before, but it is 18 years ago. I must first tell you that I am a sister of Mrs. Ginty’s of Rio de Janeiro³. If you look back to the time when she was first married and living in Wakefield,⁴ it was while I was on a visit with her there that I had the pleasure of seeing you. You will think it strange that I write to you now, when so many years have passed away, but when you know my reason for doing so, you will I hope kindly excuse me. You have been a friend of Mr. Ginty’s and my sister I hope you are still. I now write to ask you to be my friend—you will not I hope think I take too great a liberty in asking you, on account of the exalted position you are in, for the sake of the friendship that exists between Mrs. Ginty and you, you will I hope pardon me. I will now tell you how I thought of writing to you and my object in doing so.

A few weeks ago I was looking over some books and one was an album Mr. Ginty⁵ had bought me and which I had in Wakefield, when you knew me as sister of John Roberts⁶ and Mrs. Ginty. I was happy then and wanted for nothing—but years have brought sad changes to me. Shortly after I left my sister I got married. My husband⁷ died four years ago leaving me with six children, quite unprovided for, were it not for Mrs. and Mr. Ginty helping me, I am sure I do not know what I would have done. I have not had any assistance now since last winter and consequently I have had a great deal of struggling, ever since my husband died I have had much to contend with—but more this year. I wrote to tell Mrs. Ginty of my trouble but I do not expect to have any help from her until Xmas. I owed my landlord £3.7.6 for rent and could not pay him consequently I was obliged to leave the house, all my things were taken, I am now in lodgings with nothing to live on but what I get for a little plain sewing and I am not able to do much for I have been an invalid for a long while and obliged to remain in bed almost constantly. I sit up now writing this with difficulty on reading the enclosed lines which you kindly wrote for me a thought suggested itself to me that if I wrote to you, you might perhaps, for the sake of the friendship that once existed between you and some of my family, that perhaps you would kindly be a friend to me—now in my great need. May I ask you will you give me a little help, I will indeed be most grateful to you if you would kindly lend me two pounds until I hear from Mrs. Ginty, I shall then repay you with many thanks. I am now in much distress and trouble, it will be a very great act of kindness indeed if you will, I shall ever feel grateful to you. I enclose the verses merely to remind you of that time and also to convince what I say is truth. I hope you will kindly pardon me for the liberty and that you will do what you can for me.

I am Sir | Yours most humbly | Jane Hogan

When I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was Jane Roberts—my address now is

Mrs. Hogan | 37 Stanley Street | Macclesfield | Cheshire

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