To: Wilhelm HI Bleek (29 December 1861)

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Correspondence

Summary

A letter from Jemima Lloyd to Wilhelm Bleek, sent from Croydon on 29 December 1861, concluded on 14 January. She writes despite illness, reflecting on higher love, morality and her fear that her friends will see her unworthiness. In addition to a detailed discussion of religion, a prominent theme of this letter is Jemima's account of her personal history in Natal, including Lucy's sufferings and the four sisters' trials due to the actions of their father (and "poor mad stepmother"). She explains how she and her sisters took on a "man's part" in caring for their younger stepsiblings and each other after their expulsion from their father's home. She roots Lucy's deep doubts and self-reproach in her unhappy childhood and what became her broken engagement, but also describes her and Lucy's close bond. Jemima reports Dr Russell's renewed concerns about her health and her need to move to London for observation. She confides a history of insanity in her father's family, believing it explains his unnatural conduct: she feels Wilhelm should know in case "it should make you think differently about the future".

Date

29 December 1861

Keyword

auntBiblebroken engagementbrotherschatschildhoodCroydoncourtship correspondencedeathDecember 1861doctorDr Russelldoubt and perplexitycare forchildhoodcursedengagementEnglandEnglish familyexercisesexplanationexpulsionfamilyfamily insanityfatherfather's childrenfather's conductfather's familyfather's homefeared Wilhelm Bleekfearsfinancial disagreementfirst impressionsfriendsFriedrich BleekfutureGeorge WoolleyGodgratitudehead painhistoryill healthinsanityirreverenceitineraryJemima Lloydjourneyknow alllanguageleaving EnglandletterLondonlonelinesslong engagementLouiloveLucy Lloydmadnessmad stepmothermade oneman's partmedicineMiddletonsmoneymothermother's familyMr and Mrs Sandersonname for GodNatalNatal familyNatal friendsNatal historyNatal neighboursneuralgiaNew Testamentodd lifeopinionspainpainful historypersonal historyplanspoor Georgepoor mad stepmotherpoor self-opinionprotect and providepublicationsquestionsreadingreligionreligious doubtreligious readingrelationsrespectreturn plansreturn voyageReverend LloydridiculeSandersonsself-opinionshockshocking bookssistersstepmotherstepsiblingsstrange unnatural conductSunday letter-writingtake a man's parttheologytravel planstravelsunhappy childhoodunnatural conductunworthinessvisitsweaknessWelsh relationsWilhelm BleekWoolleywretched Middletonswriting letters

To: Wilhelm HI Bleek (29 December 1861)

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