Celia Doddridge, St. Albans, to Mercy Doddridge, Sr, at the Rev. Mr. Thomas’s, Henley, Arden Warwickshire, 15 October 1767.

Dear Madam

            I am extremly glad you aprove of my coming to St Albans for indeed I was a Little affread you wold not as I was obliged to have a new gown wich MrsJennings thought quit[e] nessiry & that I Cold not do without I sopose Mrs J hath tould you Madam what it Cost the Sillk was 4 shillings a yeard & Mrs J thinks it very chep I had 10 yeards of it so that it came to just 40 shillings Mrs Jen was so good as to make me a present of a pr of buckles & earings & neckliss so that I have only bought a little gaus and black riband

  I came hear Last Tuesday & had the pleasure of finding Mr & Mrs Hirons very well I need not say that I am verry ^happy^ hear nothink can be more kind & frendly then Mr & Mrs H are indeed I should have ben very sorry not to have made Mrs H a visit which I allwas promist my self a great deal of pleasure in dooing

  I sopose you Madam know that Miss Clarke is to be marrid next Tuesday1 & that she is to set out for Bath the same day so that my being hear will be no sort of Inconviens on that account I hope to have the pleasure of hearing from my Dear Mamma very soon and then I shold be Glad to know how Long you wold chuse I shold stay hear & weather I am to Go to Daventry becas if I am I should be very glad to Go with Mrs Hill who is at Mrs Abnies [Abney]

    She [h]as ben thear abot a week & Mrs J says she allway[s] stays about a moanth with Mrs Abneny

  Mrs Jennings was so kind as to say that she wold enquier what time Mrs Hill intended returning home & that she wold let me know

  I beg my kind Love to my Dear Sister & am extremly glad to hear that she is rather beatter I beg the favour of you Madam when you wright to my Sister to tell her that I think it very Long since I have had the pleasure of hearing from her & that I should be very [glad] to hear from her & beg she will let me know if the last glovs I sent came safe

    Mrs & Mr Hirons desire thear Compl to my Dear Mamma & Sister I beg my Compl to Mrs H

  kind Love to my brother

I am My Dear Mamma

Your Dutyfull & Affict Daughter

Celia Doddridge

I hope you Madam will be so good as to excus all falts for indeed my fingers are so cold I can akly I can [h]ardly feel my pen

St Albans October

the 15 67

Address: To | Mrs Doddridge | at the Revd Mr Thomas’s | at Henly in Arden | Warwickshire.  Celia October ye | 15 1767

Postmark: 16 October

Note on address page: Celia Oct ye 15 1767 [in Mercy Doddridge’s hand]

1 Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 2, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge. Elizabeth Clark of St. Albans, one of the daughters of Dr. Samuel Clark of St. Albans, married the bookseller/publisher and widower Ralph Griffiths (1720-1803), founder and editor of the Monthly Review from 1749-1803 on 20 October 1767. See Middesex Parish Records, with both parties listed as from the parish of Chiswick (West London); the marriage was witnessed by William Rose and Samuel Clark, Jr.