Eliza Flower at Cambridge to Benjamin Flower at Mr. Creak’s, 69 Cornhill, London, Thursday, 22 March 1804.

My dear Benjamin

   I rather expected when I saw the advertisement of Mr Burtons that you would borrow another day for taking the advantage of the sale but I shall quite expect you on Saturday   we are all very well Eliza is now undressing & as tired as possible & no wonder for she is in perpetual motion from morning till night she has notwithstanding the very cold weather been generally out three times a day & when out she [is] much inclined to relieve Sally by getting on her feet & walking about the fields—she accosted a party in the walk to day with her usual salutation (Hah) & now & then she gets a piece of Bun by her assurance—she has not forgotten dear papa as he will find when he returns.

   Nothing new has transpired since I wrote last. The quadrates are not yet come down from Caslon. I had yesterday a letter of advice that the package was sent to the Catharine wheel Bishopsgate street to be forwarded by waggon.  I think you had better call them & get it sent to Marsh’s warehouse as a Cambridge waggon does not go from the Catharine wheel—the Boys & Affendell have now nothing to do.  Smith is finished   they have been clearing away to day & not knowing what else they could.  I have told Mr Affendell that they must to morrow employ themselves (& before you return) in sowing & folding pamplets.  Joseph has work at press  Epenetus Smith’s wife called to day to say you would give her husband work—he is in London now, I told her you were there & where he might find you to morrow—I gave her 69 Cornhill  It is likely you might meet with some bargains to morrow.  I am never afraid to trust you to buy paper.

   Perhaps you will return by the fly if there is a probability of your seeing the House at Harlow.  I do most truly hope that some House will offer to suit us ere the summer far advances for I dread another winter at Cambridge if you have time do peep into a well fitted up printing office & glean some information respecting their plan & how they manage about fire & candle.  Affendell complains much for want of room.  I have taken down the tent bed in the garret & you will find there a little space for paper &c I have had no letters & only received a one pound note from Hervey of Stirling on the newspaper account except what Mr Reynolds paid me & Kirkby does not Haynes & [paper torn] man of Orindle owe you something  he is a Bankrupt his name was gazetted yesterday.  Cole earned 11s/ last week & Golding earned 12s/—I shall hope to hear from you to morrow.  I shall be very happy to see Sophy & Miss Hensman at Cambridge they talked of coming down in the Summer do jog their memor­ies—I find Mrs Gurneys servant is a very bad one.  Mrs Bostock has told me a great deal about her.

   Adieu you will not expect to hear from me again—tho now I recollect you cannot.

                                             I am my dear Benjamins

                                                         most affectionate

                                                                     Eliza Flower

Cambridge

Thursday Mar 22 1804

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. 289-91 (a more annotated text than that which appears on this site). 

References above are to William Burton, a printer and stationer at 82 Fetter Lane, 1799 to 1808, who married Maria Ann Blow of Whittlesford in 1798; Catharine-wheel was one of the many inns in London from which mail coaches departed and arrived, was operated by a Mr. Sykes (UBD 1.ii.482); Marsh, Reeve, and Company operated a large warehouse at 8 Ironmonger Lane, London; the sons John Hemming were now staying with the Flowers; Ephenetus Smith was a hairdresser, along with a Samuel Smith (possibly a relation) (UBD 2.494); a “fly” was a stagecoach that, as its name suggests, moved at a greater speed than the average coach of its day; Mr. Kirkby was a part of Kirkby, Waterhouse, and Co., plated manufacturers in Sheffield (UBD 4.403); Haynes and Orindle was a printing firm in London.