Fortune her Gifts may variously dispose

And these be happy calld - Unhappy those

On our return to Carrick I stood Bridesmaid to my old Friend Salisbury Jephson who was happily disposed of to Mr. Rothe a very fine dashing young Man of good property in the Co Kilkenny - The Wedding was quite a private one - but we had a flaming Assembly in Carrick some days after - We had the South Cork Band and the Presence of Lord Barrymore their Colonel - We were to have had the young and beautiful Lady Barrymore but her Lord had given her a good beating which confined her at home - Mr James Butlar Lord Ormonds brother and many other fine Beaux graced the Assemblage which was very splendid and numerous - But the most beautiful object in the Room was Mrs Lee - Never did she appear so lovely - so animated as when dancing at the Nuptials of her Elder Sister - Every one remarked the same - but it was follow'd by the most fatal Consequences - She was just out of her Lying in, and threw off her flannel for that Night - She got a Cough, fell into a Consumption and died three Years after at Bath in the Arms of her Mother and Husband who attended her in every Stage of her lingering Illness - Her Remains were brought over to Ireland, and she was buried in Kilvernon the Burial Place of her Husbands family in the Co Waterford - Thus ended the lovely Fanny Jephson, a Martyr to that gay Unthinkingness that always characterized her Youth - Though it added to her Charms, it proved a fatal Trait in her Character - Poor Otway returnd from the Funeral quite knock'd up by witnessing the last Melancholy Scene of his old Playmate and Companion - Indeed the Wit and Good humour of those two , kept up entirely the Spirits of both families - Mrs Lee left three Daughters all of whom died Young and at her Dying Request Mr Lee married a Second Wife, Miss Gardiner Daughter to Lord Mountjoy - To express the Grief of her family would be a vain attempt - I draw a Veil over their Sufferings and return to the Year 1794.

The County Kilkenny Militia had been station'd in Carrick for some time - Their Officers were mostly all related to us - By their coming Mrs Rothe got her husband, and Otway a good Living - Lord Ormond was my Fathers Patron - Otway gave him and his Regiment a grand Dinner here from which the Ladies were excluded - His Lordship took such a liking to my Brother that he could do Nothing without him and to testify his Regard he transferr'd the Living of Knockgrafton from my Father to Otway which as my Brother was very Young

appeard a most Advantageous Renewal - Mr Rothe who was

Lord Ormonds Bosom friend whisperd good things of Otway who in Gratitude helpd forward his Courtship with Salisbury Jephson - The Revulsions of my Thoughts on this Occasion were many - I felt a melancholy Conviction that I should never again renew the blissful Hours that passd in that most interesting Spot, but as the Living did not go out of the family I still remain'd in a quiet Security and rejoiced at Otways Success.

When the Kilkenny Regiment went the South Cork came in its Place and with them Lord and Lady Barrymore - She was a beautiful little Woman whom he had married for Love in Youghal - Her Maiden Name was Coughlan and she was distantly related to the Roes - The Noble Pair spent most of their time at our House - we often spent the Evening with them at their Lodgings and they had always the Band for us - It was reckond the finest in the Kingdom - There were besides great Amateurs, and we had most capital singing by Lord Barrymore Colonel Barry, and Mr Webb a Chorister - Besides this set we had Mr Hutchinson a recruiting Officer who was a universal Genius a little Hairbraind indeed but the pleasantest Creature possible - His chief forte was spouting Plays with which he amused his Acquaintance - We had also a Captain Forbes quarterd on us a long time whilst the troops were learning the New Hessian Exercise - He was no great Lady's Man but we contrived to pick amusement out of him.

Altogether it was a very gay Jumble of Regimental Scraps - We had nothing but Band playing Singing, leaping, and cutting Apples with the sword's point on the Warriours Heads - In this Manner we spent the End of the Year 1794

"To please and be pleased" was our motto.

Dorothea Herbert

From "Retrospections of Dorothea Herbert -1770-1806"

Published 1988 by Town House Press Dublin to whom we acknowledge permission to use the above extract. Dorothea lived at New Inn and regularly visited Knockgrafton where her father was Rector. In her literary diaries she offers the reader a unique insight into society at an important historical period