INTRODUCTION
In 1949 Mrs Christabel Maxwell published a book entitled 'Mrs Gatty & Mrs Ewing'
British Library(British Museum) reference Shelf No.10861 g.19
The first chapter of this book commences with;
In 1945 the death occurred of Mrs Eden two months before her 100th birthday. She was the sole remaining member of a family of ten children born to Dr and Mrs Gatty(the daughter of Alexander John Scott). Her death released documents and papers which had been seen by no one of a whole generation.
Shortly after Mrs Maxwell wrote 'Dr Scott, the friend of Nelson'
This was not published although a typescript exists in the Library of St John's College, Cambridge, and there is another copy(of the first part only) in the Royal Navy Museum, Portsmouth
The first chapter of this book describes the author's source of information;
By means of letters, bills, statements of accounts, and Admiralty Orders, which start in the middle of the 18th Century. They have been preserved and carefully repaired and bound up into seven large tomes by Sir Alred Scott-Gatty, the second son of Mrs Gatty, later to become Garter King of Arms, who prefaced them thus - the following letters I found at home tossing about in various boxes and have collected the same and had them bound. In this way the papers have been beautifully preserved but they follow no chronological or personal, and are very indifferently indexed and, in one or two cases, two sheets of the same letter have been seperated and fastened into different volumes..
I think it reasonable to presume that Mrs Maxwell(who is a member of the 'Scott' family) had access to these records by virtue of the death of Mrs Eden and, as far as I am aware, these 'seven tomes' are still in private ownership. They would undoubtedly be of major interest to naval historians.
Mrs Maxwell would have probably also consulted the publication 'Recollections of the Life of the Rev. A.J. Scott., D.D., Lord Nelson's Chaplain' written by his daughter, Mrs Gatty, in 1842. British Library(British Museum) Reference. Shelf No. 1372 c 18.
This book contains the following; 'It may be mentioned here also, that his acquirements as one of the brotherhood of Freemasons had been acknowledged by the lodge held at Burnham by the present of a silver star with all the appropriate mystical insignia upon it. He had been a Mason from an early period in his sea life, and held the highest opinions of the usefulness of the Order, especially to all travelllers in foreign countries.'