Richard Ryland, London, to Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, [Wednesday], 24 May 1809.

London 24 May 1809

Madam

   I reced yrs on Saturday but have wanted time to enclose you < > the Bank Notes which I took out the same day – I certainly sho.d wish to have occasionally a much less laconic Acco.t of Harriet’s Health about which I am still very much at a loss to understand & it was very little elucidated by what I heard from Dr Fowler – it is a severe Visitation, in which I most sincerely sympathize with her & which I wish to have alleviated by every means within our Reach – the Oranges, & the Wine, & the Fire during the severe weather, & the other smaller necessaries, I am prepared to consider as such – and it is unhappy that they are so – but the Chaise hire for airings £11.15.9 in three months is more than is quite convenient in addition to such heavy Expences & such residing in a close place like London I hope will not be thought expedient, to that account, in future – nor do I see it altogether necessary that Lucy should drink Wine at an Expence of £10 pr Ann it was more than her mother did before she was a mother – if this was only for a part of the last quarter when her State of Health might particularly call for it & is not to be repeated, that removes this Obligation – otherwise I wo.d not wish it continued as a Habit.

   Richard left the Audacious at the same time that Cpn Gosselin did & most of her officers, on her going into Dock for Repair – he is now rated as Master’s Mate in the Bucephalus an extremely fine new Frigate fitting for foreign Service at Shearness with Cpn Talley, which is the highest promotion the Rules of the Service will allow him till the End of his 6 years from January 1807.

                     I am Madam

                                 Your < > Svt

                                             R Ryland

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 283-84 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, II.D.5.a.(26.), Angus Library. Address: Mrs M G Saffery | Salisbury |May 24 / 5. Reference above to the famous horse of Alexander the Great; it was also the name of the ship that young Ryland was serving on at that time.