The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
4 ROMANCE OF LONG AGO.
PEGGY Hutchinson's Admirer of Noble Birth
whom Her Father Turned Away.


Boston. Sept. 4.-Among the thousands OF
stored in the State House are three
letters and part OF a journal that outline a ro-
nance of tho days when Massachusetts was .
province governed by Thomas Hutchinson. ID
Is n story that has not been known to the world
and not even to the personal friends OF those i'm
tercsted. The characters in this romance are Q
titled lover. q father who refused his sanction to
a proposed marriage, and a New England maiden
who died in ignorance of both the love and the
lovers vain plea. Some letters are missing.
The first ocument in the story is a letter to
Gov. Hutchinson. dated April 8. l771. h
writer was William, son Of Lord Fitzwilliam,
and in this letter he recites his love for the Gov.
ernor's daughter, telling his story with old-time
courtesy. Ee says; "lhave had the honor OF
to her. ! need not tell you ! admire her when !
say that | wish TO. call her mine The lover
daughter. las the most honorable method Of
proceeding. TO getting acquainted, with her,
Gov. Hutchinson's methodical reply in duplt-
cate. in his own cramped handwriting, Is pre-
In my station | should. from respect to my
Lord FitZwillinm. think il my duty to do all in
my power 10 discourage his son from so UNEQUAL
a match with any person in the province, and
should most certainly be highly criminal II /
should countenance or encourage a match with
my own daughter. l trust you will think this
proposal, and ! sincerely wish you happy In q
person more suited 10 your birth and rank, and
VINO may W dpproNou u ny 3ouE nohoTaoi~
parent
AT his point there is a gap In the story. The
young man evidently wrote a second time, but
neither the second letter nor the Governors ro-
ply is in the archives. 1t Is certain, though, thai
the Governor did not relent, and In a third let
ter the young man craved u personal interview,
as the ship 10 which he WAS attached, the Bos-
ton, was 10 sail that day, not, rs he says, that
shall desire you to give mo the least encour.
agement with regard to my former letter, but
as | think II necessary 10 wait on YOU There
Is no record OF the interview, hut II must have
been n sad one il held, for the Governor was Q
kind hearted man and a devoted husband. who
never forgot 10 celebrate AS the happiest day Of
his life the anniversary of his wedding.
The beautiful Miss Hutchinson for whose
hand tho Young man was suing was the Gov.
+ journal as PIGGY Peggy was but ii
I years old when the letters We're written, and
she died Of consumption at Chelsea, England.
when she was %, The delicate beauty which
: young William admired 30 much arose partly
from her c~onsnmptiye tendencies. For sew
erAl years the family was in England. 40.
cording. to the fathers journal he called
upon tho Queen on Aug. %, .l777. The
Queen asked where / had been" he writes,
'and ! told her l had been six months In the
country with my sick daughter. The Queen ex.
pressed the hope that she would soon recover"
But Peggy died on the 2lst of the following
month, Almost on that same date her father
wro g in his diary that her Majesty's ship the
Boston was again on the Massachusetts coast.
There ID nothing in any OF the Governors Jour
nails TO show that Peggy Was ever told OF young
FitZwillian's love tor her, and nothing to show
that the young man ever saw the girl OF his early
love after the father had crushed hope out 81
! his heart