11 May 1997 alan.hewat@gmail.com
George Edwards
Charleston
So. Carolina
Carolina Coffee House
Sept. 28th 1820
Dr Hewat presents his best respects to Mr & Mrs Edwards, and having an excellent opportunity sends them by the Bearer two miniature pictures which belong to the good family of Barksdale. From what he often heard during Mrs Hewat's lifetime he has reason to conclude they will be particularly acceptable to Mrs Edwards of whom Mrs Hewat often spoke with much affection. They will be handed to her by Mr Hall in the same condition & in the Same Box in which they were left by the Deceased; and She will be pleased to accept of them in memorial of two dear and beautiful relations. They both died in Flanders and were brought to England & buried, to which place their Mother at her request was also conveyed & buried betwixt them in the same Tomb at Dover. I never saw the children, having never met their Mother in England till both were above three years & dead & buried; tho' she belonged to my Parish before she was first married; and Mr Barksdale I remember well, and together with Mr & Mrs Gordon I approved of the Choice she made. Mr Thomas Braidwood our English Teacher of the Deaf & Dumb has oft expressed to me his surprise at the degree of perfection to which the child had attained in speaking; but her mother, anxious for still greater proficiency, was advised to carry her to another famous master in France, which advice was to her matter of great lamentation till Death. Farwell & God bless you & all friends in Carolina.