Mercy “Cleora” Doddridge, Northampton, to Mary “Roselinda” Doddridge, [at the Tozers, Billiter Square, London], 4 November 1752.  

North Nov ye 4. 1752

             Enexpressably have you my Dearest Roselinda oblig’d me by your last Favour which I receivd by Mr Cuttler last night. indeed you are very endulgant to me, I hope I shall not be ungreatful for tho I can’t Merit to much goodness,

             I can’t tell you my Dear how much we are all concernd to hear that your Old Companion the Stomach Ake is so Troublesome to you, I wish I knew of any thing that might have its chance for releiving you. What think you of Elixapropretatus, I think its genarly esteem’d an excelent resepee for your Complaint, I found great benefit from it at Worcester. I am afraid you’ll think me a little impirtinant but if you do I know your goodness will excuse the impertinence of Friendship as I think I may call it. Doctor S. [Stonhouse] will be here presently. Ill ask his advice. The Dr has been here I have spoke to him so has my Mama but the only answer we can obtain of his High Mightyness is that your Sister is in London & that is 66 Miles from Northampton. I am not half pleas’d with him but do my Dearest be your own Doctress & take a great deal of care of your self, if you don’t get better very soon do come home to us & the utmost that good Nursing advice & can do you may depend on in the mean time my best wishes & Prayers are yours,

             knowing your natural Clemancy I hope forgiveness for my long distance, I am indeed I am quite assham’d of it but could not avoyd it. I intended to have wrote last week by to [sic] Mr Remington but was taken ill with a fit of the Collick which oblig’d to defer giving myself that pleasure.

             We have been extreamly busy this 3 weeks, Mr & Mrs Ashworth have been here sevral times, almost all our Furnature is remov’d to Daventry. nothing can make a more dull apearance than our House but if it be now so dull what will it be when only 5 women are left in it the Gentlemen goe all to D--y on Wednsday or Thursday.1

             Mrs Scholfield left us on thursday Morning, you may be sure I was very sorry to part with her. My Brother return’d from Sallop that night to our great Joy he is well & sends Love & thanks to you for your kind Letter as does Cealia the latter intended to have given her self the pleasure of writing to you to day but being oblig’d to write to her Friend Miss Schofield you will excuse her not presanting you with the first products of her Pen as I think I may call them she has learnt to write for 3 weeks of one Hoggs a famous writing Master & is I think considering the time greatly improv’d,

             I waited on Miss [Heslerig] last week they inquir’d very obligingly after you and Desir’d their Compliments when I wrote my Lady & Family are well the 9 younger Children are come to Town to be Enoculated but are at present only in Preperation I can fear much for them all but particularly for Master Charles you know he has been greatly endulged, my Lady & Miss H. stay here while Miss Dolly goes to keep Sr Arthour Company at Mosly. I write in hast so you must take things as thay present them selvs. I know you can excuse.

             Little Philly [Isted] is gon to Bath she set out for that place last week she is not Ill but does this by way of prevention, the old Lady is got much better. Miss Molly [Isted] is pure well.

            Lady Ann & Mr Jeykll have been both extreamly ill but are something better but far from well next week I believe tho the Time is not determind they set out for Lisbon or Naples this [Tower?] is chiefly on MrJeyklls [?] I hartily wish he may find the benefit he is encouraged to expect from it, how little to be depended upon & yet how eagerly persud is Earthly Felicity. Pity indeed that standers by will not fear Wisdom from the Sad Experance of others but little does the Missfortains of others benefit the Hearts of the genrality of people easy to be bourn on the afflictions of others how ever insuportable when they come to our own turn I need not my Dear apologuise to you ^for you must beleive we both agree in this that Freedom is [the] Life of Friendship

             to evince my implicit obediance to your Commands I now inform you that my Mamma had a Frank from Glasgow by Post I need not say from whom, it containd a Letter to  myself another for Mr Clark & a short one for your Humbl Servt the writer has been ill, but is better, seems to think that his abrupt departure from England must to us ware so strong an apearance that it is past apoligising for, I have some Curiosity to what your Friend Mrs L says of that [sermon?]

             Sally has been married a fortnight last Thursday those at the Wedding, will send you a farther particulars about that & a visit we made to Kingsthorp if you desire it

             Miss ^Mrs^ Rappitt has been much indispos’d with her Complaint in her stomack. Miss E. [Ekins] has had or at least thought she has a cold, Mrs Churchhill has been ill some time, [which] can scarce be imaging more indefatigable or obsequious[?]  Miss Es attendance on her, little as I belive she desires

             When ever you write to Mrs Reynolds, I will take care of it my best compts to Mr Mrs & Miss Tozer. Adieu my Dearest Belinda, that all Felicity may attend is the Constant wish & Prayer of her who is with Equal Sincerity & Affection 

                         Your 

Cleora

Address: none

Postmark: none

Note on page 4: “Nov. 4 1752” in unfamiliar hand

Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 49, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge. At this time Dr.  Caleb Ashworth moved the remnant of the students who had come to Northampton to study under Doddridge and after his death, with Samuel Clark, Jr., to Daventry, where Ashworth's ministry was housed.