24th February 1813: General Acland informs General Maitland of Francis Raynes' desire for a job with Government & an assault on an employee of William Cartwright

Wakefield 24th Febry 1813.

My dear Sir.

Raynes says he is so little perfectly acquainted with the places Government have in their disposal, that he has difficulty in pointing out any situation in particular, he speaks generally of the Excise & Customs, as he is not unacquainted with business having been employ’d under his father, while he carried on a Banking concern, & but if Government will appoint him to any place of Three or Four Hundred a year either in England or Scotland he shall be greatly oblig’d & gratified—

Raynes reports that a Servant of Mr. Cartwrights returning  home on Saturday night last, was met by three men who ask’d him if he still worked for Mr. Cartwright, was replying he did was knocked down & beaten, one of the men endeavour’d to prevent it, & entreated others to desist without affect. However no suspicion attaches of any one in particular having committed this assault—In every other respect the neighbourhood remains perfectly quiet, Mr. Robinson & one or two others tell Raynes they think it may have a very good effect greatly to diminish the number of Troops & at least that the experiment is worth trying, but you are the best judge here for this can be prudently done, as well as whether the attack on Cartwright’s servant may be consider’d a renewal of the late Spirits—we must Expect be prepar’d for some partial instances of irritation & animosity occasionally shewing themselves, but I have no idea they will be carried to any extent.

M General Dirom has written for leave of absence till the 10th of March for Colonel Clay, who has gone away on account of the illness of his Mother.

I forward under cover to [illegible] a letter with enclosures from Lt Colonel Trafford relative to Capt Mitchell in answer to your last.

Wroth P Acland

Young is a Lieutenant & not an Ensign in the West Suffolk as I mention’d.

[To] Lt General
The Rt Honorable
T. Maitland
London

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This letter can be found at HO 40/2/9. This letter seems to contradict what Francis Raynes later wrote in his memoirs about this time: Raynes wrote (1817, pp.138-140) that he had met Maitland on the 20th February, and mentioned to him what he desired in terms of employment. This letter from Acland to Maitland suggests that Raynes never met Maitland at all, or Acland would not have needed to related to his superior Raynes' request.