William Bull, Newport Pagnell, to John Sutcliff, Olney, 13 March 1795.

Newp.t 13—Mar. 95

Dear Sir

I truely feel for you on the present painful occasion, & thank you for your two notes, & for many others. I pray the Lord to be your support & strength so also that of our two cousins, who I doubt not, feel much on this occasion—I was from home on Monday & Tuesday & was waiting to hear again from you.

I am much surpriz’d at the Burial being at midnight, & suspect you must have made some mistake—indeed I much fear that it will be extremely dangerous to us both to be out at that late hour—I wish you had pointed out a mode for us to come, we must have a post chaise, but whether we should speak for it to stay all night, to wait for us, or send it home, & order another to come for us on Monday morn’g I am doubtful.

We have both of us colds & coughs, poor Thomas also has a cold & a hoarseness & a good deal of the fever with it—I wish we could have come & returned in a day, but if it was our late dear friends dying request that we should be sent for, I will try all that is possible to attend, & will speak for the chaise to leave home at half past four,

I think we must set off at four, & get there about half past five, if any thing wants explaining give me a line by the postman

I am with love to cousins

                                    Dear Sir

                                                      your affectionate Bror & servt

                                                                         W. Bull

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 75-76 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 369, fol. 19a, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. The occasion of this letter is the funeral service for Mrs. Mary Andrews, in whose home Sutcliff had lived since his arrival in Olney in 1774. She died on 9 March 1795. Her sister, Hannah (d. 1814), was married to William Bull (1738-1814), Independent minister and teacher ayt Newport Pagnell.