Jane Attwater Blatch, Bratton, to a nephew and niece of Joseph Blatch, undated.

My much lovd & respected Friends

   Permitt me to embrace ye present opportunity to unite with my beloved partner, in a little paper conversation be assured we are truly grateful to Mr Blatch when he favors us with one of his Interesting enlivening Letters, & we could much wish him to grant ye favor more frequently – It affords us sincere pleasure to be informd of your wellfare & ye wellfare of each of our Relatives.—We have now no medium of communication from any but yourselves – except lately Mr B has recd a Letter from Mrs Joplin from Guernsey who with her daughter we have ye pleasure to hear are well – she informed us our dear sister Mrs Gilbert had had two paralytic seizures – wch much alarmed & surprized us as we had no intelligence of it before – We have not hd from Mrs Cox of Taunton[ii] near a twelvemonth tho’ we wrote to both last – this intire silence from such near relatives awakens painful anxiety lest Illness should be ye cause of their not writing.—

   Be assured my dear Mrs Blatch It is a peculiar gratification to hear fm you, but as the season for traveling is fast approaching  permit us to enjoy the still higher gratification of seeing you both at our cot of content.  If our lives are spared to May or June I hope we shall be favd with your society at Bratton.—I desire to be thankful Mr B has it in his power to say he is better, but he has been quite a prisoner ye past winter – Thro divine goodness this valued Life has been preserved – but I endeavor to Hope in divine mercy yt as ye spring dawns & dearest Friend gets out more in the air his Health will be improved, & may every blessing be enjoy’d by Him & each of our beloved relatives & Friends – above all may a sanctified use of all our mercies & all our trials be granted us as we prepare to unite with the Happy family above where perfect amity knowledge &c will  preclude all sorrow

On the back page is the following:

My dear Ann

   Will you forgive ye freedom I take in addressing you by yt long known appelation, & be assured though many circling years run their hasty round since I have had ye pleasure of seeing you, yet you still retain a place in my affectionate good wishes, & I feel still interested in your welfare & happiness here & hereafter – With such feeling I cannot [help] being anxious to know how you are, especially as I have been informed of ye Death of Mr Humphries.—wch I doubt not must be a peculiar trial to you –  “We know we are mortal” – born to die – yet wn a separation takes place between such near & dear connections the shock is felt by ye tender affectionate heart with inexpressible agony!  but while we mourn we must not murmur.—but with ye tenderest sensations be resigned to the sovereign will of God, who orders all things well – He chastises but for our profit – Like as a Father pities his children, so ye Lord pities them yt fear Him He knoweth our frame & remembers we are but Dust. Therefore the tender compassion is extended to those who fear & trust & humbly call on him in sincerity & truth.  I trust you will be enabled by the Influence of ye divine spirit to apply with earnest humility to the God of all grace to supply all your needs.

   With affecte wishes for your & Mr W. W. Bs continued Health &c Happiness believe me your sincere Friend & Affecte Aunt

                                             J  B

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed. Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 8, pp. 176-77 (fully annotated version); Reeves Collection, Box 19/2/d, Bodleian Library, Oxford.

Mrs. Cox of Taunton was Joseph Blatch’s sister. There were three Coxes in Taunton at this time: William Cox, ironmonger; Arthur Cox, currier; Charles Cox, serge-manufacter. See The Universal British Directory [hereafter UBD], 5 vols (London: Printed for the Patentees [Peter Barfoot and John Wilkes], and sold by Champanye and Whitrow, Jewry Street, Aldgate, 1791–1798), vol. 4, p. 587.