Eliza Gregory, Woolwich, to Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, [Thursday], 5 February 1829.

Woolwich Common

Feb. 5th 1829

My dear Mrs Saffery,

   How thankful I ought to be, that I am thus safely arrived at my own dear home at last, and much more to find my dear Papa, looking exceedingly well for him.  You will probably have no objection to read, on this paper, a rather minute account of my journey and proceedings since.  As soon as I could no longer see your kind face and those of your children, I turned my eyes with a feeling of affection of Salisbury itself, and bade it a silent adieu, and the last spot I saw in the neighbourhood that interested me, was Mount Gresaftall beautifully illuminated by the sun, rising in all its splendour. My travelling companions were not very agreeable to my taste, but they made themselves civil, talked to each other and left me alone, except now and then to ask me questions of politeness, such as Will you have the window up or down? &c &c.

   The country through which we passed was here and there very pretty, but the farther we receded from Salisbury and advanced towards London, the less beautiful it became. About an hour and ½ journey from London we had a sad accident, the spring of the coach broke, and ever after that were in constant danger of an overthrow! We however arrived at the Angel Inn in safety at nearly 7 o’clock, and when my luggage was being taken down, I found that the card had come off of the band box that was done up in such a hurry in the morning and all my things tumbled out; it was well there [was] but few things in it. I happily recover’d them all except my brown frock that I used to wear every day, that is gone I know not whither! 

   Mamma suggests the idea that I may have carelessly left it behind me at Salisbury, but I think not, I have a strong impression on my mind that I put it into the box.  I think it must have been stolen, as the box was in the boot and every thing else was recover’d.  Perhaps you will be so kind as to let me know and send it if it is at Salisbury.

   William David, son of the late Mr D– came for me to the coach, and as my Uncle and Aunt were going out to tea, he and little Johnny were my only companions for the evening and made themselves very agreeable.  The next morning after breakfast I had a comfortable chat with my Uncle and Aunt I amused myself with my sweet little cousins, wrote to my brothers then went out on business with my uncle and finally at 3 o’clock to my great joy I got into a Woolwich coach and went home. My old friend our servant Sarah came to meet me at “longs,” and I was very glad to see her. Then, O what a joyful meeting there was when I got home! Papa and Mamma looking so well, but Anne very poorly. She was obliged to have more leeches on on Sunday, and I fear she will be obliged to have the remedy repeated.  She is happily to be my companion during Pap’s and Mamma’s absence, and while I write this she is reclining on Papa’s easy chair, reading very interesting work of Bishop Heber’s.  Last night I entertain’d them with repeating some of our Bouts rimes that I remember’d. They were very much pleased with, “A donkey much famed &c” and Mamma said that the one beginning “o’er the nations like a comet,” was quite poetic.  I think that was Mr Samuel’s – I very much regretted that you would not permit me to copy all the Bouts rimes. They all say they feared or began to fear that I should not come back again! But this of course was mere joking.

   My sister, I am happy to say is very much grown and is almost as tall as I am, and will probably be taller.  Papa says Turner’s History is an excellent valuable book but too expensive for the library I do hope the librarian’s will afford to buy it some day, or I shall be sadly disappointed. Mamma was much pleased with the Roman Jag, but thinks it will be improved by a wreath of white ria paper flowers round it through the handle. I hope my dear Madam it will not be long e’er I hear from you.  With kind remembrances to your dear children, I remain your grateful and affectionate

                                 young friend,

                                             Eliza Gregory.

Blots, blemishes and blunders will, I trust, be forgiven.

Text: Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, II.A.4.(b.), Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Address: Mrs Saffery | Castle Street | Salisbury. Postmark: Woolwich, noon, 6 February 1829. For an annotated version of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 406-08. The above letter provides a fascinating glimpse into the Saffery household, now run by Maria Grace and her daughter, Jane, and the presence of extemporaneous poetry competitions (“bouts” is the word Gregory uses), much like what went on around the Steele family hearth at Broughton, from the 1740s through the 1770s. Maria Saffery’s poems, “To a Friend with a Roasting Pig,” and “To the Same Friend with a Turkey during the War with Turkey,” may be examples of this kind of creative activity (see Whelan, Nonconformist Women Writers, vol. 5, pp. 93-94.).

The “Mr D–” mentioned above forms another interesting connection with an earlier figure from the West Country and the Steeles. This is the son of Job David (1746-1812), a Welshman, who attended Bristol Baptist Academy from 1766 to 1771. During his last year at Bristol, and on several occasions after that, David preached to the Baptist congregation at Broughton. There was even a possibility at one time that he would become the minister there, but in 1773 he assumed the pulpit of the Baptist meeting at Sheppards Barton, Frome, remaining there until 1803, when he succeeded Joshua Toulmin as minister of the General Baptist (Unitarian) congregation at Mary Street, Taunton, Somerset.  David became a controversial figure among the West Country Baptists for his adoption of Arian and Arminian positions; nevertheless, his ministry and preaching was always held in high regard among nonconformists in the West Country, at times even begrudingly by the Particular Baptists.  For Job David and the Steeles of Broughton, see Whelan, Nonconformist Women Writers, vol. 3, pp. 212, 223; for the texts of the letters are this site, click here and here. 

Other references above are to Reginald Heber (1783-1826), best known today for his hymn, “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains,” served as Bishop of Calcutta, 1823-6; and to the multi-volume History of England (London: Longman [and others], 1823-30) by Sharon Turner (1768-1847); he was one of the most influential historians of the Romantic and early Victorian period in England.