Here I present copies of correspondence between Patrick Matthew and George Kinnaird, the 9th Lord Kinnaird. Apart from an outlier in 1839, which is in fact addressed to the Perth Town Council, the letters are from 1860 to 1864. The letters are held at the Perth & Kinross Council Archive, and I am grateful for their assistance and to the Kinnaird estate for their permission to reproduce these letters here.
Matthew (1839-08-21): Matthew to Provost Grieg M.P. of Perth, 21 August 1839
Matthew requests that the Civic Authorities of Perth publicly endorse his Scots New Zealand Land Company.
Matthew (1860-06-15): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 15 June 1860
Matthew congratulates Kinnaird for his support of Italian Independence, and consoles and advises him regarding his recent bereavement of his son, Charles Fox Kinnaird.
Matthew (1860-08-30): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 30 August 1860
Matthew further consoles and advises Kinnaird regarding his recent bereavement, and reveals some fascinating insights into Matthew’s spiritual views.
Matthew (1860-11-06): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 6 November 1860
Matthew petitions Kinnaird to support the local Right-of-Way Association.
Kinnaird (1860-12-06): 9th Lord Kinnaird to Patrick Matthew, 6 December 1860
Kinnaird replies to Matthew’s previous letter (asking him to support the local Right-of-Way Association). Kinnaird declines, citing various reasons.
Matthew (1861-02-12): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 12 February 1861
Matthew argues for the better treatment of the working class (and against the Poor House system).
Matthew (1862-02-13): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 13 February 1862
After a brief update on an upcoming produce show, Matthew raises the issue of renovating and extending the local School House.
Matthew (mid-1862): Matthew, May-November 1862
This letter (written in the style of an article to be submitted to a newspaper) proposes that a day be set apart at the 1862 Great Exhibition to support Italian Independence and to thank the French Emperor Napoleon III and the French People for their positive role.
Matthew (1863-02-23): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 23 February 1863
Matthew reports on the plans for extending and refurnishing the local School House.
Matthew (1863-08?a): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, August(?) 1863
Matthew is concerned about the retention of a partition wall in the plans for the renovation of the local School House.
Matthew (1863-08?b): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, August(?) 1863
Matthew relays a proposal for the sale of land to the east of the School House, and discusses the negative impact this would have on the plans.
Matthew (1863-08-31): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 31 August 1863
Matthew explains once again why he wishes to alter the plans for the School House renovation and remove a partition wall. He threatens to resign from the Committee if the wall is not removed.
Kinnaird (1863-09-01): 9th Lord Kinnaird to Patrick Matthew, 1 September 1863
Kinnaird replies to Matthew’s last letter, to say that the partition wall in the School House will stay, and if Matthew feels he must resign over it then so be it.
Matthew (early-1864): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, early 1864
Matthew petitions Kinnaird regarding one of Kinnaird’s tenant farmers, Mr Gardiner, arguing that Kinnaird should provide him with a regular supply of manure.
Kinnaird (1864-02-06): 9th Lord Kinnaird to Patrick Matthew, 6 February 1864
Kinnaird responds kindly to Matthew’s previous letter regarding his tenant Mr Gardiner.
Matthew (1864-03-27): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 27 March 1864
Matthew writes once again to advise Kinnaird on how he should treat one of his tenants, Mr Gardiner. He digresses to discuss the economic laws of supply and demand and its effect on the price of grain.
Matthew (1864-12-01): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, late 1864
Matthew writes to Kinnaird about improving working conditions for miners.
Matthew (late-1864): Matthew to the 9th Lord Kinnaird, 1 December 1864
Matthew writes to Kinnaird once again about the affair at the local Megginch Club (referred to in his previous letter). Matthew believes Kinnaird to be in the wrong.
Page created: 28 January 2019
Last modified: 14 February 2019
PMP 