To: Jemima C Lloyd (18 August 1862)

To: Jemima C Lloyd (18 August 1862)

Correspondence

A letter from Wilhelm Bleek to Jemima Lloyd, sent from Cape Town and dated 18 August 1862. Wilhelm has written "Come! I am ready" on the first page of this letter. He responds to Jemima's account of her visit to his family in Bonn, including a misunderstanding between Jemima and his mother. Wilhelm also discusses Rev. Lloyd's regrettable reply to his letter, sent through Lucy Lloyd, informing him of the engagement and asking for his consent. Wilhelm also updates Jermima on the progress of his Grey Library appointment (assured). The letter contains much practical discussion and advice, like booking the right steamer and hiring a maid for Jemima's return voyage to the Cape as "assisted passage". He also discusses Lucy's trip to the Cape to assist with preparation for Jemima's return and matters of a financial nature, including the appointment of Trustees for managing Jemima's fortune. Wilhelm also admits his doubts about doing the right thing with regard to their marriage, but he is sure they will fade when Jemima is there with him.

18 August 1862

advice, Anna Bleek, anxiety, appointment at Library settled, appointment of trustees, assisted passage, August 1862, Auguste Sethe, belief, Bishop of Natal, Bonn, Bleek family, Bonn visit, Cape, Come! I am ready, comfortable ship, communication difficulties, confirmation of appointment, dear little brain, determination to marry, difficulties, Disbeliever in God's Holy word, doctor's orders, doubts, Dr R. Russell, easy chair, early return, effects of Mail's arrival, engagement, England, family, Fanny/Frances Lloyd, father, father at fault, father's response to engagement news, father not conciliated to marriage, father's wife and family, financial arrangements, fortune, friend, friendship, German family, German study forbidden, Grey Library position settled, harmony of beliefs, health concerns, Hedwig Bleek, hiring maid, ill health, inheritance, Jemima Lloyd, Jemima Lloyd in Bonn, Jemima Lloyd's voyage and health, leaving England, letter, letter from father, Library position settled, London, love, love of Bleek family, Lucy Lloyd, Lucy Lloyd's advice, Lucy Lloyd's travel to Cape, maid, mail, marriage, marriage doubts, marriage fund, marriage spending, mental health, misunderstanding with mother, money, mood, mother, mother's doubts and fears, mother-in-law Mrs Lloyd, Mr Justice Watermeyer's assurances, Mrs Lloyd's confinement, Mrs Townsend, Natal, Natal family, naughtiness, Parliament, passage, pities Rev. Lloyd, plans, planning return voyage, position, preparations, property, questions, religion, religious views, return, Rev. Lloyd's letter, Rev. Lloyd's questions, Rev. Lloyd's response to consent letter, Rev. William Lloyd, salary as Librarian, sensitive nature, servant on voyage, settled position, shared religious views, sister/s, sofa, thoughtless communication, timing and dates, travel plans, travel to Cape, trustees, visiting Bonn, voyage, wedding, wedding cards, wife, wife not property, Wilhelm Bleek, William Lloyd, written assurances of Library position, young Dr Wolff

1. Jemima's sailing date was 5 October 1862. 2. It isn't clear what Wilhelm's mother's fears were or what Wilhelm didn't inform her about - it could be something about his position at the Grey Library and her fear for their material welfare. 3. Jemima arrived around 10-14 November, judging by her first note to Wilhelm written shortly after landing in the Cape as well as by Wilhelm's final letter to her in transit [see C8.23 on 15 Nov. 1862 and C4.24 9 Nov. 1862]. 4. See note 6. 5. The subject of assisted travel is continued in Wilhelm's next short letter to Jemima [see C4.21]. 6. These parts of the letter describe the process whereby Wilhelm was appointed as the Grey Librarian; they appear in a short series of extracts transcribed in pencil by Jemima Lloyd from letters written to her by Wilhelm between 19 January and 22 August 1862. [See JL's pencil transcriptions in C8.9.]