Celia Doddridge, at the Burkitts’ in London, to Mercy Doddridge, Sr., at the Revd Mr Thomas’s, Henley, in Arden, Warwickshire, 29 August 1767.

  I am exeedingly ^obliged^ to my Dear Mamma for her very kind affectnent letter I don’t wonder Madam that you was surprised at Mrs Cooper[’s] Letter indeed I arte haste to have mentiond to you ^when I^ wrote last but could not till now bring it out I am very sorry Madam if you think that I have given Mrs C more encouragment then I ou[gh]t to have done I am shuer Madam I should not do anny thing in the affare with out you[r] Consent & app[r]obation I must say Madam that I have a very great esteme & regard for him & if upon fouther knowlidg of him & his circumstance you should approve of it cannot see why we may not be very happy I hope Madam you will be so good as to wright to Mr Cooper as soon as you convienently can as I know he is very impatient to k[n]ow from you[r]  self weather you aprove of it or how I am very sincable ^Madam^ that my great ignerance of family affairs may justly make my sister laught [sic] at the mencion of anny such thing Indeed I am affread I should make a very poor figure for that reason I think I am much better as I am

  Mrs Twining will I sopose acquait you more of Mr C then I can as she so [is] kind as to enquire very much about him I am sorry I did not mencion it to her as she seems ^not^ to take so well of me as co[u]ld wish but the truth is I had not Corige to speke of it to anny body but Mrs Ellistons whare I have some times seen him Mrs Elliston [h]as ben aquated with him this many years & give[s] an extrem good Character of him I dont mencen this by way of recome[n]ding him to you Madam as I know it will not

  I had a letter from my sister Last Wednsday I have the pleasure to let you know Madam that she is very well I was surprised to see it dated from Ashburn & hope that Chang[e] of air & exersise will quit recrute her health Miss G & Mrs Brerisford are bouth pure well

  I am extremly glad to hear my Dear Mamma is so will [well] & think it a very kind providence that that you ^did not^ geate anny great hurt by your fall

  I beg my kind Love to my Dear Sister & am extremly sorry to find that she is no beatter then when my Dear Mamma wrote Last Mr & Mrs Burkitt with at whose hous[e] I know [sic] am beg there most respetfull complement to you Madam & my dear sister I beg my kind [respects] to the Dear Little fokes & am very glad thay are so will [well]

  I am Dear Madam with the sincerest wish is

for you[r] health & happiness you[r] Dutyfull

and affect [sic] Daughter

             Celia Doddridge

Tomorrow I am to go again to M­rs Jenning’s at Wathamstow

I hope to [have] the pleasure of hearing from you Dear Madam very soon

Augst the 29 67

Address: To | Mrs Doddridge | at the Revd Mr Thomas's Henly | in Arden | Norwich-Shire.

Postmark: 29 [Au?]

Note on address page: 29 Augt 1767

Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 38, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge. Attached to this letter is a letter from Mercy Doddridge, Sr., to the woman at whose house Celia is staying (click here for that letter). A Rev. Evan Thomas of Gloucestershire, an Independent minister, subscribed to Volume 1 of the Family Expositor in 1739, but he is not the same Rev. Thomas at whose home Mercy Doddridge stayed in 1767-68. At present, the Rev. Thomas of Henley has not been identified.