Letter from Penelope 10-09-95
" I do not know the ins and outs of George and his brother Charles ceasing to be partners in Palmer Bros. on the Tyne. It may have been incompatibility of temperament. CMP was ambitious and a shrewd business man- but his elder brother George was not ambitious-he was however practical and inventive- very musical and an expert linguist ( we have several "passports" - he could I believe speak Spanish, Italian, German, and French, and he did travel getting orders for ships. He was very gentle, scholarly- and there was the legend of how he sat on the stairs at Greenwood (Dudly, not far from Winchester, where he was buried- Lucy has seen his grave -with an Anchor, but I never have) inventing and eating ginger biscuits!"

On March 24th 1838 George was Master of The Cove sailing ship, which left Newcastle with a crew of 14 men. b. Sunderland
William Henry Palmer, (his brother) aged 18 served as first mate; b. Shields
George Cunningham, 23 Carpenter b. Newcastle
Thomas Tompson 30 2nd mateb. Newcastle
James Walker 45 Cook b. Kirkaldy

Allan F Dick 32 Steward b. Stamford
Nicholas Smith 37Steward b. Winchester
James Gilchnot22Steward b. Glasgow
John Mowat27 b. Aberdeen
James Bray 28 b. Bristol
Edward Stackey21 O. Seamanb. Bristol
Francesco Colombina19 O. Seaman b. Petro
Antonio Fronual32 Seaman b. Legul
Thomas Milim16 Apprentice b. Newcastle
Skiffins Clark17Apprentice b. Yarmouth

Letter from Penelope 10-09-95
Annie Nesham was very well connected but was illegitimate. It was said that one of her parents was Italian- and that Mr Nesham whose ward she was Might have been her father. Also that her father - but again whose side- was Sir William Lorraine of Kirkharle ( an earlier Sir William commissioned Capability Brown who was born on the estate-and we saw the park in May, all woebegone... unkempt but lots of fat sheep straying. I took Photographs) Now my Gt. Grandmother was adored in Jarrow (was there something of the Italian warmth about her?) - and did a lot of work in the hospital founded by C.M.P. she was very friendly with CMP's first wife....... and then George and Annie Palmer left and went to live at Durley nr. Winchester. I don't know when, but I think my Grandfather was born in the North for once I tried to get a copy of his birth certificate from Winchester record office -and couldn't.