Benjamin Flower at Cambridge to Eliza Flower at Mr. Coplands, Saxthorpe Hall, near Aylsham, Norfolk, Monday, 20 September 1802.

Cambridge Sep 20. 1802

My Dear Eliza

   On Friday Evening I wrote to you, and directed 2 papers (The Intellr & the Bath Paper) which I hope you have received.  When I wrote my last I found I had not room for the particulars respecting our search for stolen goods at Mrs Broom’s.  After urging Mary several times to call, she went to have a shoe mended; she soon returned, and in a fright told me she could swear to a cap and an apron which she saw in the room, she was however unwilling to go again, but I insisting on it, she Miss C[1] & myself went immediately.  After claiming the 2 articles as her own, she told Mrs B- we had lost several other things & that we suspected her; after various denials on her part I thus addressed her.  “Mrs B- We have already found you out to be a thief.  If you do not produce all the other articles you have stolen I will prosecute you; I insist on your immediately emptying your boxes & drawers.” I was obliged to go home, having my remarks to look over, and left Mary & Miss C- charging the former to make a thorough search.  When I came home, I sent for Freeman[2] desiring him (as Constable) to go to Mrs B- and take charge of all the things that might be found.  Mr Webb,[3] coming in, after telling him the particulars, he agreed to go, in order that he might thoroughly alarm the woman.  All the parties returned in less than an hour, and Freeman brought home a Bundle containing (Mary believes) all the lost things, such as Stockings, Twills &c, and likewise some lace of yarn which she had not missed.  Mr Webb dined with us, and after consultation, we sent word for Mrs B- & her husband to come to us at half past four.  Mr B- & his mother appeared much and sincerely disturbed on the occasion: both solemnly declared that they had not the least suspicion of her dishonesty.  When the woman with her husband came, I gave the first lecture, which I concluded by saying, That it depended on her future conduct whether I should prosecute her or not; if she reformed herself I would overlook the offence; but if I heard of one more theft, I then would appear against her, when she might depend upon it that nothing could possibly hinder her transportation to Botany Bay.  After I had finished Mr Webb gave her another Lecture and likewise her husband admonishing him to watch over her Conduct and frequently remind her of what had passed.  This we thought the best way of closing the business.  I could not bear the thought of prosecuting, and Mary in the beginning of the business was frightened almost out of her wits at the idea.  I gravely told Miss Copland, when we were looking over the things at Mrs Broom’s to be careful that she knew them again, as I should have to subpoena her as witness.

   Ann is quite recovered, she came down stairs on Saturday, and does her work so well that Mary wishes it could be contrived to keep her Humpty Dumpty Owlly Stupidity, the sooner she is off, the sooner we shall all be glad.   Mr Webb declares he enjoys our house more than any in these parts; at Comberton he is surrounded by Simeonites:[4]  he wished much to hear me on Sabbath day; and on a farther conference, he accepted our invitation of speaking at our house on Saty Eveng: he took a whiskey,[5] and Yesterday morning we all set off, Mr Webb and Mary in one, and Miss Copland & my self in another.  I should have told you that on Saty afternoon, Mr & Miss Dennis, and Mr R. Blow drank Tea with us.  We agreed to breakfast with the latter the next morning, as it is only 1/2 a mile round.  Miss Copland was chariotteer the whole way.  I preached to crowded Congregations.   In the afternoon there were nearly 1000 people.  I dined at Mr Walkers, but Mr Webb had previously ordered Dinner for himself & the Girls at our Inn.  Mr Philpot[6] the general Baptist minister, sent me a message by Mr Dennys, requesting me to preach in the evening.  He called at Mr Walkers urging me: as I objected on account of the lateness (Walden is 15 miles) he said he would give notice of beginning at 5 oclock.  I thus begged Mr Webb to excuse me, that Mary would go home with him early, and that Miss Copland & myself would be home to supper.  In the evening I had another crowded Congregation: many stood on the outside and by the windows.  All the audiences were very attentive.  By what Mary has since told me Webb was well pleased with his day’s Journey.  I need not inform my Eliza I remembered her affectionately in prayer in each of the Services.  Altho’ it was just dark when we set off, Miss Copland wished to try her skill again, and drove from the meeting door, where I had ordered the Whiskey, thro’ the streets of Walden, up and down 2 or 3 steep hills, and to her door at Cambridge.  I am not quite so fearful as some folks are, as, being much tired, I went to sleep part of the way, and when I awoke, neither she nor myself knew where we were.  However we got safe home in about two hours.

   Perhaps you may have heard that there is not only one but two Fakenham Coaches—One goes daily about noon—the other Tuesdays Thursdays & Saturdays.[7] The opposition has occasioned a reduction of Taxes.  So I shall take it for granted, unless I hear to the contrary, that I shall see you by one of these Coaches by Friday next.  I am fearful by your last my Dear Love, you are not improving in your health so fast as I could wish; if therefore you are only slowly recovering, and you think you shall not be able to sustain the fatigue of Stirbitch fair, much as I long to see you, I had rather you would stay a few days longer, in which case you will write to me as soon as possible; I hope however your health will be re-established so that you may return at the expected time.  I do not care so much about the fair people as for myself.  The China woman has brought a lot of China for [my] sister at Hertford.  I have deferred paying her, as probably you will see her at the fair.

   Mr Gunning[8] called last Saty: he wished much to have seen me before I went to Norwich, as he was persuaded for various reasons that place would not do for me.  I have had several other people all talking in the same strain: there seems indeed a very general opinion, that Nottingham would be far preferable to Norwich.[9] You see my love, that upon the whole, you had little reason to be concerned at what has happened.  I wrote as I told you I should on Saturday.  Again my Dearest Love let me press upon your mind as well as my own—the Duty & the Privilege of Implicit Confidence in our heavenly father, let us never forget that our best Interests are in his hands, and that all the events of our lives form a part of that plan which he from Eternity devised for our happiness.  What can we wish for more?  Farewell—Ever Yours

                                             B Flower

Miss Copland is in perfect health & spirits, and desires her Love.  Mary desires to be remembered.

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. 253-56 (a more annotated text than that which appears on this site). 

References above include Ann Copland, sister to John Copland, Flower’s former apprentice, who was now living with the Flowers in Cambridge, helping Eliza and her sister, Mary Gould, with house duties.  Copland would remain with the Flowers through the fall of 1803; William Freeman, coachmaker (CI 15 April 1797); Thomas Webb, who attended St. Andrew’s Street during the 1790s and certified for worship in 1798; later his widow’s land was used as the place for the Baptist chapel in Landbeach in 1814 (Church Book: St. Andrew’s Street xxx); the parishioners of Charles Simeon (1759-1836), minister at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, 1783-1836; a “whisky” (also spelled “whiskey”) was a light, two-wheeled one-horse carriage, used widely in England and America in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; Stephen Philpot (1750-1821), General Baptist minister at Saffron Walden, 1791-1821; Henry Gunning (1768-1854), who served more than fifty years as esquire bedell at Emmanuel College.