eplied that
they could not consider any claims until Lieutenant Borrow of the West
Norfolk Militia should have arrived in England to attend the training of
his regiment. These five letters are, as we have said, in the Rolls
Office, although the indefatigable Professor Knapp seems to have dropped
across only two of them there. Their chief interest is in that they are
the earliest in order of date of the hitherto known letters of Borrow.
There is one further letter on the subject written somewhat later by old
Mrs. Borrow. She also appeals to the War Office for her son's
allowance.[22] It would seem clear that the arrears were never paid.

To the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Orford

WILLOW LANE, NORWICH, _26 May 1834._

MY LORD,--I a few days since received the distressing
intelligence of the death of my dear son John, a lieutenant in
your Lordship's West Norfolk Regiment of Militia, after the
sufferings of a protracted and painful illness; the melancholy
event took place on the 22nd November last at Guanajuato in
Mexico. Having on the former irreparable loss of my dear
husband experienced your Lordship's kindness, I am induced to
trespass on your goodness in a like case of heavy affliction,
by requesting that you will be pleased to make the necessary
application to the Secretary at War to authorise me to receive
the arrears of pay due to my late son, viz.: ten months to the
period of the training, and from that time to the day of his
decease, for which I am informed it is requisite to have your
Lordship's certificate of leave of absence from the said
training. The amount is a matter of great importance to me in
my very limited circumstances, having been at considerable
expense in fitting him out, which, though at the time it
occasioned me much pecuniary inconvenience, I thought it my
duty to exert all my means to accomplish, my present distress
of mind is the greater having to struggle with my feelings
without the consolation and advice of my son George, who is at
this time at St. Petersburg. Your Lordship will, I trust,
pardon the liberty I am taking, and the trouble I am giving,
and allow for the feelings of an afflicted mother. I have the
honor to be your Lordship's most obedient servant,

ANN BORROW.

I have said that there are letters of John Borrow's extant. Fra