James Hamilton 
Hamilton Manuscripts 
Containing Some Account of the Settlement of the Territories of the Upper Clandeboye, Great Ardes, and Dufferin, in the County of Down

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. MY dear Lo wry – The enclosed Manuscripts contain several historical anecdotes respecting my family from the period of their settling in this country 5 together with some memorials Of my own life, down to my return from America, when I retired from public life, which were drawn up by me during my leisure moments for the entertainment of my family and friends, with no intention of publication at the time, as you are already aware but as I find that several writers have, per haps unintentionally, mistaken some facts which are fully explained in them, and drawn therefrom unfavourable conclusions, I think it would not be doing myself justice to withhold them altogether from the public. I have, therefore, been induced to request you to accept them, and undertake the publication of them at some future time, which I leave entirely to yourself, illustrating them with any observations you may think are necessary, which, I have no doubt, from my knowledge of your character, will be done impartially and fairly as I could wish, and I know you would not.