Richard Ryland, London, to Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, [Tuesday], 19 May 1812.

Sav. Gard. 19 May 1812

Madam

   I conclude from yrs by today’s post that my Dau.r wishes you sho.d take the trouble to overlook what is to be laid out for her in Clothes &c upon the present Occasion – she might perhaps as well have written herself, but that is of small importance – I think it highly proper it shod be so done & shall think myself obliged by yr attention & care that everything sh.d be got of the best quality & on the cheapest terms that ready money will bring – plain, good & Substantial, for her present Comfort & respectibility, avoiding whatever can tend to useless shew now or could excite it hereafter as I am very sure her Situation in life must require the strictest prudence & Economy, whereof female Dress in particular makes so material a part.

   I put £100 into Mrs R’s Charge for Harriet – they laid out together what was needful and both thought that in regard to present comfort and respectability there was abundance rather than otherwise, leaving at the foot of the Account a few guineas which went into her pocket – I now enclose you the like Sum & have to request you will forward me the Bills when the whole is done. – taking off some Discount for prompt payment & Harriet’s making a good many of the things herself I believe produced this overplus – As to the Circumstances of the Marriage my declared opinion throughout has been that it was not a very prudent Connection but that the parties were of age to decide for themselves & that the Law forbade me to interpose any objection to it if I was inclined so to do – which I was not – also that I thought it far better the Connection whenever it took place shod take place from your house where it had commenced – I am Madam

                                             Your mo. hum. Servt

                                                         R Ryland

PS  [added by Mrs Ryland]

Our Recollection that many things may be dearer in Salisbury than London I have added £10 to the enclosed, but particularly desire all may be divided to personal plain Comfort & Use & respectability – < > to eager show or that should lead to ill – now or here after

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 332-33 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, II.D.5.a.(33.), Angus Library.  Address: Mrs M G Saffery | Salisbury. Postmark illegible.  This letter is somewhat misleading, for though Richard Ryland has resigned himself to Harriet’s marriage to Mr Gibbs, the marriage would not take place until December 1812. Harriet Ryland had apparently taken a paid position with another family in an effort to procure some money for her upcoming marriage. She had been told before to expect little or nothing from her father, and her expectations were apparently not disappointed, though he did make good on his commitment to pay for her expenses incurred at Salisbury with Maria Grace Saffery.