TOM HYNES. 



m 



[copy.] 



"To the Right Honorable Robert Peel, Secretary of State for the Home 



V.epartment." 



" SIR. — Every body speaks well of you, and what every body says must 



be true ; therefore, I make no doubt but you will be so good as to forward 



my letter to the King, and assist me all you can — so 1 beg you will lose no 



time in doing it, and let me know as soon as his Majesty has considered of it. 



Direct for me at No. 5, Middle Lane, Plymouth, inclosing my discharge. 



I am respectfully, your humble Servant, 



T. IIYNES," 



" To King George the Fourth, my beloved Sovereign.'* 



" SIRE. — I hope your Majesty will allow me to petition your humanity, 

 as I observe you have graciously been pleased to help the Spitalfields' Weavers 

 in their distresses, and why not help an old and faithful subject; one who has 

 served your late Father both with his person and his purse — about 30 years 

 ago, when I was serving as a Marine on board the Saturn, 74, Captain Tim- 

 mings (I believe he is a Colonel now, at Portsmouth) who was Captain of the 

 Marines, came and told us that George the Third, your Father was in great 

 distress for money to carry on the war, and asked what we would give to 

 help him— I lemember I gave 7s. to help him, when he wanted it, and I 

 hope you will think of me, now 1 am past labour, and in the greatest of dis- 

 tress. Captain Timmings said then, ' Hynes, you sha' n't lose any thing for 

 your loyalty ; ' but after that I was shipwrecked, and then I got a cracked 

 sktdl, was thrown into French prison, and, when I came home, I was sent to 

 Hoxton Mad-house, in London ; and after that I was discharged from your 

 father's service for a mad-man, and the children to this day call me Mad Tom : 

 now I never got any thing for my good will — I have sent the certificate of my 

 discharge, and^you '11 see that what I say is true, and Captain Timmings can 

 testify about the 7s., if you ask him. Now I ought to let your Majesty know 

 that the Magistrates here at Plymouth have sent me 20 times to jail, some- 

 times for a month, sometimes for three months, because I sell blacking without 

 a licence, not for being a thief, thank God. I have paid your Majesty, first 

 and last, £32. for licences. Now this is the way poor old Tom rubs along, 

 and, as I have been a good friend to your father and you, and helped all I 

 could, and would again, so I hope you will try, and I dare say if you was 

 only to ask the Gentlemen who give the Marines their pension, they would do 

 it for you, and order me something to live upon, for I am getting old, and I 

 dare say sha' n't live long to be a burden to you. 



Hoping your Majesty will be kind enough to excuse the liberty I have 

 taken, because I thought to go to the head of the well at once — 



I remain your Majesty's . 



most loyal and faithful subject, 



THOMAS HYNES. 

 No. 5, Middle Lane, Plymouth." 



" LONG LIVE THE KING." 



Mr. Peel's answer. 



" Whitehall, 12th. March, 1827. 



" SIR. — I am directed by Mr. Secretary Peel, to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your Letter, with its enclosure (herewith returned), and to acquaint you that 

 he cannot lay before the King a Letter in the form which you have adopted. 

 1 am Sir, your most obedient humble Servant, 



H. HOBHOUSE. 

 Mr. Thomas Hynes, Middle Lane, Plymouth." 



Copy of the Discharge. 



"These are to certify (as it appears by the Divisional Books) that Thomas 

 Hynes, served in the Plymouth Division of Marines, honest and faithful, from 

 the 5th. February, 1793, to the 21st. February, 1800, when he was discharged, 

 being deranged in mind. 



