King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Letters of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan, 1804-1811.

Letter Number 38

Dated: 18th May 1810 from CB Ceuta
Addressed to Mrs C Bevan, Money Hill, Rickmansworth, Herts

At length, my dearest Mary, I have received your letters by the latest of which I find you and I alike ignorant of our having been sent from Gibraltar: I can not at all account for this delay in my letters reaching you, but if I am to judge by the timing, yours are on the way hither. I certainly have two reasons to be impressed. I am glad to find your Mother is so much better and that you will take great care of yourself until I can come home and take care of you – I had hoped with my letters to have told you I had sent some Money home but our Paymaster is not returned from Gibraltar where he was to make the arrangements for me and here there is no opportunity of doing anything of the kind;. But you know I should not forget to the utmost of my ability, now and ever more.

So everything is decided about your Brother’s marriage - God prosper it. I am very much obliged to you for your news about the Persian Ambassador. There is a Miss Julia at Gibraltar, daughter to the General of Artillery – I am told a most beautiful girl, I never had the honour to see her, her Brother, a Lt of Artillery is here. – We get on indifferently in Ceuta, I live in hopes that we shall be ordered to some other Quarter very soon, we shall be ready in a month’s time to go any where – The Spaniards hate the sight of us, and I do not greatly wonder thereat, for we are English. General Fraser is still without a house & still without his Family – All this is known to the Spaniards – you may judge therefore from this solitary instance how much they are inclined to accommodate – One poor man who has his wife & daughter here, an officer from Victory, is literally obliged to live in a soldier’s tent pitched among the green ------

I am most sincerely glad that Eleanor is not coming to Gibraltar. I am sure it would only have been productive of wretchedness -- ??? do ??? the extreme heat of this climate would ---- with her – The Commissioner’s family even, and he has by far the best house on the Rock of Gibraltar, are going home to avoid the summer.

I wish I was also, but there are a great many things ---- that are quite likely to come to pass – I had some letters from Caroline and from Julia – I shall write to them immediately, but this hot weather rely makes one unfit to do any thing – I begin to think that the Spaniards have a very natural life and I begin to long very much to go to England. – But what can I do? Your answer to this will I know be – do your duty – So I will, if possible in all situations of my life – Though I have a tolerable good task before me – but with good help and your good nature I shall do a great deal. I’ll --- & offer my words ???

I shall write again in a few days – Kiss our Boys for me and give my best love to your family, to Mrs Shaw, & to my Mama & sisters.




My regards attend Capt and Mrs Dacres. I suppose by this time there is such a lady.

I am always yours C.B.

Ceuta May 18th 1810


NOTES BY TRANSCRIBER

i) Brother’s marriage – James married a Miss Dalrymple – CB seems not to have approved. She may have been connected with the General Huw D. Responsible for the Cintra Convention Constitution; subsequently became Vice Admrl
ii) Gen Fraser – probably Alexander Frazer who commanded a Division at Fuentes D’Onoro at this time GOC Ceuta
iii) Eleanor – Mary’s sister recently married Capt Charles Paterson 38th Ft – CB’s close friend
iv) Caroline & Julia – CB’s sisters
Mrs Shaw – CB’s cousin from whom he hoped to inherit – and his children did have a substantia