Benjamin Flower at Cambridge to Eliza Flower at Mr. Gurney’s, Keene’s Row, Walworth, Sunday, 19 December 1802.

                                                                     Cambridge Dec 19. 1802

   Your letter my Dear Eliza, received this morning, equally delighted and surprised me.  It was the more welcome, as you had not in that I received yesterday mentioned your having been out, and I was still longing for “to morrow,” when you were to take your first airing on the Turnpike.  I hope on Tuesday morning to receive an account of your improving health, and that no inconvenience has followed your daily exercise. 

   Mary went with me to day to Waterbeach. It has proved a rough rainy day, and we found the Winter great Coats, very comfortable.  We dined at Coe’s, were very well accommodated, particularly after dinner, and after the services of the day, with some excellent Elder wine, warm.  I am entirely free from cold; Mary is gone to Church, and I am now set down to converse a little with my own Eliza.  I was rather at a dead set to day for a sermon, so I gave that which I heard from Mr Hughes this day fortnight.  

   All your directions about Carpets, Bottles, &c, shall be carefully attended to—to morrow. I had taken such care to have a good stock of new laid Eggs, that I yesterday had an abundance.  Mr Dennys brought me 18 of which he desired your acceptance.  Mrs Saunders brought me 2s worth of her own, and 5/8d worth of some neighbours.  She said, I might depend on them all as new.  There are ten Bantam’s which I believe you are very fond of, for which she charged a shilling, the others 3 a groat, not dear I think for the season.  I assure you my love I eat my eggs for breakfast with a double relish, when I think my Eliza is about making a similar breakfast, and the nourishment she receives from them.  

   I have no empty baskets, yet returned; if they do not come to morrow, I will wait no longer as I am fearful your stock of eggs will be exhausted.  Be sure therefore to send to the 4 Swans on Tuesday, for I will most certainly send you a Basket by the Coach on that day.  Mary did not like your desiring Miss Jennings to market, as she says, the Poultry you first received was very poor, and the goose which she (Mary) bought was a fine one.  We looked over the market yesterday, all the Turkeys which were good for anything were bought up early at half a guinea a piece.  Mrs Saunders, and another person both told me they should have some very fine ones on Tuesday.  As your letter will reach me time enough say what price I may go to for one for H. Hawes—It will surely be best to direct the Basket to the 4 Swans, rather than to Walworth.  I bought one fine fowl yesterday for 2s—I hope to pick up another to morrow.  However you may depend on something for our Walworth friends on Christmas day. 

   And now my Dear Love, I begin to recollect, that if I do not take care, there will some others miss you as well as your Ben, about this season of the year.  Will you therefore just inform me how you used to manage about our poor friends.  Was it Christmas day, or our Wedding day, we used to fill our Kitchen; did the dinner extend to the men in the office?  Just say how your plan was, and I will endeavour to follow it.  It would indeed show somewhat of ingratitude, were I when professing to feel peculiarly grateful to providence for his mercy in restoring you, to emit shewing our usual display of gratitude, a trifling annual benevol­ence.  I think my love you had better comply with Mrs G-’s kind request not to leave Walworth till the day after ‘Xmas day, say to morrow sennight.  There is one part of a plan you mention for returning, which I think a little reflection will convince you of the impropriety of—namely any application to return with Mr Hall. I know you feel for my character equally with myself. He has never shown the least disposition to be reconciled to me.  He was as you recollect fearful lest even his services to the B. Society should be construed as making the least overture on the subject. Your waiting on him as you did, considering my official situation was strictly proper: but feeling as I think I ought to do the baseness of some of his conduct to me, I think anything that looks like courting him to a personal acquaintance would be improper: were you to return with him would not the world have some colour for saying that Mrs F- wished to cultivate Mr  H-’s acquaintance, but that my disposition was such, I would not suffer it.  I cannot I confess but have a very low idea of Hall’s piety, till I perceive some evidence of his unfeigned repentance for some parts of his conduct to me.  This sentiment I wish all my friends whenever the subject is mentioned, to be informed of as mine.

   I still think dividing your journey, and resting one day at Hertford would be the preferable mode.  If you prefer after all the Post Chaise plan, only recollect, you cannot ask any body without offering to pay 2/3d, and even then the expenses I rather think will be greater than either Mrs I- or Mr Hun-n will like, but the expence to me where yr comfort is concerned is the best part of the story.  You will tell me yr mind in a future Letter.  As you go into the City, do pray call on Miss Fullers.  If you do not mention yr B. Society to them, what think you of poor John Stittle, a worthy man, very ill and much reduced.  Fullers dine at 1/2 past two.

   Mary received a Letter Yesterday the united production of yr Brothers Tom & John (the latter at Ottery)—a very shabby Letter putting her to a double postage for a One Pound note.  Tom complains business has been very bad—that he has been obliged to lend John money—that he is indebted to the Partnership Cash Accot 12 or 11£—that he hopes John will send her a 2£ note but that if he does not soon, he (Tom) would.  Plenty of the Nonsense of his great affection, and expecting her to keep house for him in the Spring!  Mary was so provoked that she was going to write immediately that she would not have any more money, I advised her not.  Tom says he has formed a connection with Mr Kroger (I think the name is) his old Friend.

   Mr Lee’s friend has paid his account.  You will in time send me word what money you want, or if any sum is large enough to pay away in a Bill.  You have not said how Hemmings’s go on.  You was very good to reason about our late little Domestic. I do not charge you with weakness for giving vent to a little feeling.  I should have felt more myself had not my concern been so transferred to the living.  Farewell.

                                 Ever yours   B   Flower

Hardly left room for direction  Respects to [illegible] Friends

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Politics, Religion, and Romance: The Letters of Benjamin Flower and Eliza Gould, 1794-1808 (Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 2008),  pp. 266-68 (a more annotated text than that which appears on this site). 

Other references above include William Coe and his son, Thomas, who were ironmongers residing in Bridge Street, not far from Flower’s residence; possibly Joseph Hughes (1769-1833), Particular Baptist minister at Battersea (1797-1833) and founding secretary of the Religious Tract Society (1799) and the British and Foreign Bible Society (1804); possibly Elizabeth Saunders, ironmonger; Samuel Saunders, joiner; or a John Saunders, collar-maker (UBD 2.493); John Stettle pastored the Independent congregation at Green Street in Cambridge, 1781-1813; H. Kroger was a timber merchant in Plymouth (UBD 4.268); and another reference to Eliza’s pet bird, Dick.