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[Page 4]
[Reply from Joseph Banks]
Soho Square
April 12
Dear Madam
On receipt of yours, I lost no time in making enquiry, but found as indeed I concluded to be the case, the mistake in your late husbands Rank made in the letter you received, was merely a clerical error in the writer of it, your late Husbands proper Rank being inserted in all the proceedings respecting the business that remain in the office.
The amount of the Provision allotted to you is not so large as I hopd it would have been, we must remember however that the Widows of persons who hold the situation of your late Husband, have no claim upon the Justice of the Public, all they can do is to apply to the generosity of H.M. Ministers.
I cannot however help entertaining some hope tho I dare not be sanguine in relying upon it, that some addition may upon reconsideration be made, the circumstances of the £80 a Year which you have a claim upon from the Naval Fund, may not have been taken into consideration, at present however the whole of your case is before Lord Castlereagh & I can assure you that his Lordship has every kind feeling towards your present situation, & every just recollection of your late Husbands services, he will not therefore omit to do something more for you if he can find any Precedent or devise any means by which he can with propriety extend his bounty further than the limits he thought himself bound to assign to it.
I am Madam
Your most obedient
& very Hble Servt
Jos: Banks