Country code |
GB |
Repository code |
234 |
Organisation |
NAS |
Repository |
National Records of Scotland |
Reference |
GD1/1063 |
Title |
Letterbook, English and Russian, from an Unnamed Landowner, Probably to His Steward |
Dates |
1795-1802 |
Access status |
Open |
Description |
Some of the later letters are addressed to Alexander Melnitzky.
The estate is in the province of Vilna in Russia, and the owner writes from St Petersburg. The letters are summarised only, and do not give detailed information on any topic: those mentioned include getting recruits for the army, state of crops, sowing English oats, English horses, changing of currency, new plans of estate of Pershai, prices of grain, litigious habits of the Poles, and distilling.
From the other end, the volume contains 2 inventories of furniture, in German, in an unnamed house, 1779 and 1784, as well as a narrative in the same hand as most of the letterbook, giving an account of a visit to his estates of Pershai and others, headed 'Tour to Poland 1796'. In this he comments much more fully on the state of the countryside, crops, animals and industry. The estate of Pershai is said by an old Catholic clergyman there, to have originally belonged to the Chartorinskys and have been exchanged by them for lands belonging to the Bishop of Vilna. The writer describes a parish festival on 19 June, difficulties of travelling on bad roads in an English carriage, sale of timber and a thunderstorm at Minsk.
It seems likely that the writer must have visited Scotland as he refers to waulkmilns, ricks and his factor. |
Level |
Fonds |
Format |
Text |
Language |
English |
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