Harriet Frances Ryland, London, to MGS, Salisbury, [Thursday], 7 May 1807.

Savage Gardens

May 7th 1807

My dear Madam

   I have been much astonished at your continued silence; & was more so this morning when I received my things, & found not a single line from you. The latter is in some measure explained to me, as I conceive it possible that my letter to you (written very shortly after my arrival hither) may not have reached you – if it has – I am wholly at loss to conjecture the reason of your silence being persuaded that you cannot doubt of my regard & esteem for you & yours – I need not inform you of my journey as you have long since heard the particulars from Mrs Devenish.

   You will be glad to hear that I found my family in good Health – my Mother excepted; who is so much altered in person that I should scarcely have known her: She has suffered much from repeated miscarriages, than which, not any thing, I conceive to be more weakening in their consequences.

   With regard to yourself and your little ones – I hope you are in as much Health & Comfort as when I left you – & very glad shall I be, to hear from you that this is the Case. Jane I suppose begins now to speak intellibly she cannot I think talk with < > rapidity than formerly. I take it for granted that Mr S has not yet made a journey to London as I have not had the pleasure of seeing him – if he is come & gone you may tell him that I take it very unkind of him not calling here – Your Sister has doubtless made you a visit – I hope her health is better than it was through the winter; & that her Children are recovered from that troublesome Disorder which had just assaulted them when I left you. Give my love to her when you write – also to Alfred – I hope he will realize all her hopes concerning him -- & that he will use the larger share of understanding with which he is favoured for the best of purposes.  I shall be very glad to hear how all my friends are; & I trust that you will not delay writing to me – remember me kindly to Mrs Long. The warm weather which we have had in no very moderate degree has I hope been of service to her general Health.

   I suppose Mr Shigh still continues at Salisbury. I find that he was very intimate with my Mother when at Worthing – she very much liked his Preaching, & his deportment towards herself & family: though she clearly perceived that his general Character was reserved to the greatest degree. We have heard Mr Stephens several times, & like him very much – my Father has been endeavouring to procure seats at his Meeting – in order that we may attend them in an afternoon as it is not practicable (now we reside wholly in Town) [travelling] twice to Peckham.   

   You perceive that I have been sufficiently awkward to begin on the wrong side of my Paper excuse this inattention – remember me kindly & affectionately to your whole Circle & believe me with every Sentiment of Esteem

                     My dear Madam,

                                 Your sincere & obliged friend’

                                             Harriet Frances Ryland

Give my love to Miss Mason who I hope continues with you in health & Comfort

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 227-28 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, II.D.5.b.(2.), Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Address: Mrs Saffery | Salisbury | Wilts. Harriet Frances Ryland was the daughter of Richard and Harriet Ryland of London. She lived with the Safferys in Salisbury for a number of years. Her sister, Lucy (1787-c. 1833) joined her sister at the Safferys' home and school in Salisbury for a part of that time and remained in the area and connected with the Safferys into the 1820s. 

William Stephens (1756-1839) was originally an Independent minister, working for a time with James Haldane in Edinburgh, before converting to the Baptist faith. In 1807, not long before the above letter, he became the minister at one of London’s oldest Baptist churches, the church in Little Prescot Street, Goodman’s Fields. His theology was suspect to many of the members (having spent years under the ministry of Abraham Booth), some believing him to be a Sandemanian. As a result, thirty-one members seceded to the Baptist meeting in Artillery Street. Stephens left London for Manchester in 1810, and later ministered at Rochdale, continuing to be challenged by the more orthodox Calvinists in the denomination, especially the emerging Strict Baptists led by William Gadsby of Manchester.