Mary Doddridge, St. Albans, to Mercy Doddridge, Sr., Northampton, Friday night, [late February 1751]. [f. 11].

St Albarns Friday night

past 8 oClock

My Dear Mamma

        Permit your Polly in one hasty but scencer line to congreatalate your safe [arrival] at Northampton but had I ever so much time before me it would be impossible for me to discribe any part of that Joy Delight & Satisfaction which took posesion of me harte at the happy moment which brought me the long wish’d for Welcome new[s] of my Dear Mamma being very well but what an aditinal pleasure it was to me to be ashurd of this from my Dear Pappas lips was such as no words can express we had the unspeak[able] Satisfaction of seeing my Dear Pappa here about one oClock Pappa was very well & in charming spirits we had the pleasure of much more of his Company then we expected for Pappa dind with us at Mrs Pembrucks [Pembrokes] & set out for London at a little after three Pappa gave us some hopes that you Dear Madm would make your Friends here happy by meeting my Dear Pappa what a pleasure ^it woud be^ to me to see my Dear Mamma no words can express Mrs Clark desires her best services to you & bids me ask my Dear Mamma how very glad she would be to see her and the Ladyes joyn thir best regards now my Dear Mamma permit your Polly to express her best wishes for your Health & to subscribe her self

                         My Dear Mammas

                                     most oblig’d and

                                                 Dutifull Daughter

                                                            Polly Doddridge

Pappa desires two Letters in his Beaurow the one in French & the other in Latin may be sent on Monday Pappa entends writing to my Dear Mamma to morrow

Address: To Mrs Doddridge

Postmark: none

Note on address page:  Dr Polly 1751 [in Mercy Doddridge's hand]

Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 11, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge. Mary had recently spent time with the Neals at Million Bank and soon would remove to the Claytons at Enfield, where she would remain into mid-April (see her father's letter to her in Nuttall, Calendar, letter 1718), after which she spends time with the Clarks at St. Albans, her father writing to her at that location on May 4, 1751 (Nuttall, Calendar, letter 1725). She was still at St. Albans in early June  (see Nuttall, Calendar, letter 1740).