a car, but I cannot give you the dates, as I have not the papers with me, they are in London. My second ascent with the Albion was from Gravesend a week after my first ascent in 1838, with my arm in a sling, it having been broke at my first ascent at the Eyre Arms Tavern, St John’s Wood. This ascent was made in my parachute car, the balloon not being able to take up the car of ←45 | 46→the balloon. My third ascent took place a few days after, about a week, and this was as fine an ascent as could be made. I was up about an hour and three quarters over the town and descended quite safe at Hoe, close to the Church. I was offered £20 at this ascent to take up a lady, but I refused, thinking I was not experienced enough. About a fortnight after I made my fourth ascent from the same place and this nearly was my last. I fell in the sea, about 15 miles below Sheerness in the North Sea, and had the top of one of my fingers pulled off, my balloon lashed to pieces by striking a brig that was beating up the Channel in the storm. This was on a Tuesday and on the following Saturday I made an ascent at Cremorne Gardens for Mr Glenny who had a grand Flower Show. It was ten shillings each to the gardens. I was paid £37.10.0 for this ascent. It was thought a matter of impossibility that I could have made this ascent, my arm being so recently broken and my finger off and the balloon so much destroyed, but myself and Mrs. Hampton with others, worked night and day and got into London on Saturday morning, and at four o’clock in the evening I made my ascent. I was so much exhausted that when I got the balloon fairly afloat I sat down in my car, and nature was so overcome that I fell off to sleep. After the balloon going about 15 miles it began to descend, owing to condensation, and I was awoke by the shouts of some farming men. I awoke, jumped up, threw out three bags of ballast, and went on five miles further and descended on the estate of Mr Walpole Esq, and after dining with that gentleman and some of his friends, I returned home about three the next morning. The dates of those ascents must be got from the papers in London. Any other information you want I will be most happy to give you. Let me hear from you soon, stating if I shall call on you, as I have stated. Keep your plans to yourself. Are you in communication with other aeronauts or not? Do not deceive me if so, as I would not wish to interfere.
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street, Dublin, October 29, 1849.
I see by your letter that you are still determined to become an aeronaut and as you have got the consent of your good lady, and I have the same from her own lips, though mind I do not doubt what you state. When we meet we then will have some conversation on the subject. I must tell you I have been badly treated and much deceived, and shamefully so, by that ←46 | 47→fellow Coxwell that it makes me almost doubt all men. This will account to you why I put such questions to you as I have, and may still do so. One thing I will promise you that, please God, next summer you shall ascend with me and this is not all if things go well. As for any kindness, you have nothing to thank me for as yet. I wish men would be more just to each other and not think they are doing a kindness or a favour when they are only doing a duty. One thing I must tell you and Mrs. Brown, that myself and Mrs. Hampton will only come in on condition and that is that your house is to be to use the same as it would be to yourselves – no extras, mind this, if there are my stay with you will be a very short one. So you will take from this that I am a homely and plain man. As for Aerostation, plans, etc, must be left till I see you as I cannot handle my pen so freely as you, not but I shall be most happy to hear from you. I will drop you a line stating when I shall leave.
From Mr Hampton, [Not dated.] October, 1849.
In 1845 Sir John Franklin led an Artic expedition to explore the Northwest Passage. The expedition, consisting of two naval vessels and 129 crewmen, vanished. By 1848 the Admiralty, pressured by Lady Franklin and her influential supporters, undertook to mount a rescue mission.
I this morning received a newspaper from you which I thank you for. You will see by the enclosed that I wish to lay a plan to discover Sir John Franklin. Gale has been before me – but I wish still to lay my plan before the public and as I am somewhat deficient in my pen I would feel much obliged if you would put the enclosed in form by writing it plain, and where you can add do so, both in words and suggestions or improvements, and let me have it as soon as you can.12 Make it as plain as you can so that all may understand it. I fear you will have some trouble in making out my writing. Do you think you could get it in the Leeds paper or any ←47 | 48→others if I send you a copy of the Freeman, if it is put in? Let me know in your next. I have not spoken of a Montgolfier balloon as I wish to keep this to ourselves for the present. You may borrow some words from those papers that have been drawn out for me, of which I do not like the style, but you can make use of them in taking some parts of them.
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street. Dublin, November 17, 1849.
The French aeronaut, Francois Arban, famous as the first balloonist to fly across the Alps, was presumed lost over the Mediterranean Sea on October 7th while on a flight out of Barcelona, but Brown in a footnote gives a colourful account of Arban’s subsequent adventure.
I much fear you will think me very ungrateful after the kindness you have shown in copying my long and unintelligible letter and sending it to me. I was disappointed in getting into the Freeman and the day it was to appear the letter of Lady Franklin to Gale was put in the Freeman. I then withdrew my letter to make some slight alterations, as you will see. Do not think I was not pleased with what you wrote I was much so, and feel much obliged for the pains you took with it. Do what you can in getting it in all the papers you can and if you could send the account to any of the London monthly publications, you could date it from the Rotunda Dublin in my name, saying I should feel obliged if they would give it a place in their columns etc etc. Sign it John Hampton, Aeronaut. As for the account you sent about Gypson’s lecture, it is like the man, it cannot be understood, there is no meaning in it. When I see you we will have some talk about this and things of the same kind.
I am very sorry that poor Mons. Arban, the French aeronaut has lost his life. He was, without doubt a brave man.13
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Pray do not let your papers appear till after you have seen me as I think it will be to your advantage, or I hope so. If it please God I will see you on Christmas but if you are engaged let me know and I will make it your time. Mind, you must not put yourself out of the way for us. I have written to Lady Franklin and enclosed the letter from the Freeman offering my services, should more than one be wanted to go out.
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street, Dublin, December 3, 1849.
I received your letter and the Sun newspaper. I fear you must have had much labour in copying so many letters. I was in hopes the Leeds newspaper would have inserted the letter from the Freeman and that you could have cut out from the papers as many as you wanted to send to other journals, not for you to write so many as you have. I thank you for taking so much pain. I should like to know if it is in the Mechanic’s Magazine and the other papers you have sent to. You seem to have access to some Reading Rooms and can see those papers, if so you will see if they have inserted the letters you sent or not. It cannot be expected that all will do so. I have had a letter from Lady Franklin and she seems much pleased at my letter, you shall see it when I see you. My letter has appeared in the Cheltenham papers, also in Wolverhampton, and in the Limerick Chronicle, but this was only an abridged account not worth notice. I do not know if the Cork papers have noticed it or not yet. It has also gone to America and will be inserted there. I will bring with me some of my plans to show you.
From J. MacSweeny Esq., M.D, Cork, December 18, 1849.
In looking over my papers I find that I did not answer your last letter, I hope that you will excuse me. Matters relating to an unfortunate joint stock company diverted much of my attention from Aerostation. Since you wrote to me I have got the pamphlet giving an account of the voyage of Mr Windham Sadler across the Irish channel in 1817. I will be happy to send you an abstract if you have not yet read a copy of the pamphlet. You have probably
