
          Grasby Nov. 3, 1853

My dear Neice [Niece]

Altho' [Although] I do not hesitate to comply
with your request that I will state what [took?]
place at the opening of the Will of your uncle
Sir John Franklin, yet I do hope that nothing
will occur which will render the [production?]
of my explanation of the matter necessary.

In November 1851 Lady Franklin asked me
if I knew who were Sir Johns Executors as she had
been recommendd to obtain their sanction to [?]
request she was about to write to the Admiralty
to be granted a small portion of Sir. J. Franklins
pay & pension, annuity to [?] 500. to enable her
to discharge what she considered a debt of honor
to Sir John Richardson, who had forfeited an insurance
on his life to that amount when he
went on the Expedition of [?] for her husband,
a fact which had only recently come to her
knowledge. Lady F. told me she felt no scruples
whatever to ask for this money, without the 
sanctionof the Executor, since she was sure
she could do nothing which would be more agreeable
to her Husband than to repaying this debt of
friendship & honor, but as Sir Johns navy Agent
has suggested this formality a sanction, she
thought it right to apply to me thinking I was
probably one of the Executors, & knowing that I
was Eleanor [Gens?] Trustee for her she thus proports
which she would resolve on her at her Fathers [receive?].

I did not know that I was an

        