John Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Shaw, near Newbury, Saturday, 10 September 1803.

Sarum Saturday Sepr  10. 1803

My very dr Sister,

   This is the Messenger of the long wished for intelligence of the Lords kindness to my dr Mary, who was delivered of another son at nine oclock this morning – She had a very lingering time of it, & my fears have been variously, & at times considerably raised @ her the last Fortnight whh I believe she informed you that in consequence of apprehenss of her labour coming on yesterday fortnight a person was up with her all night.  She has every day since felt considerably pains, & so much so that Tuesday, & Wednesday night, nurse & two women were up with her, & the Dr called, but to no purpose I was fearful we would have had a dead child, or two or 3 living ones; but it is all better than our fears  She has been down stairs a little the last two or 3 days.  The labour pains came on gradually thro the past night, nurse rose at ½ past 4 – hearing her @ I got up at ½ past 5 – at 6 called the women, a little before 8 the Mr French came & little master at 9 – He is a fine child, much larger than either P– or M A  were at their birth; & considering his inches, & his weight, it is a mercy for his dear mother that he was in no greater haste to make his debut – Dear M– is very weak, but every thing is safe, & she is as well as I could wish her to be O that our God may make us properly thankful for this fresh instance of his kindness – I have been very particular, but it is your bror & you know the man & his communications – I have not written to B– as I know not where bror is, & should he not be with you it will not be long before he hears from you after the reception of this.

   We are not a little anxious concerning you & hope you will not delay a post in giving us every useful information respecting your health  May yr Letter be as grateful to us as this will be to you & ye Ld our God make us all to rejoice together – we shall hope too to see you soon.

   You will not fail to mention us suitably at Shaw –  I am sorry there is no post goes out tonight but it will afford an opportunity of adding a line tomorrow which I hope to be able to do with as great satisfaction as I have written this – I can only now add that I am your very affectionate Bror

                                 J Saffery

Sab Afternoon ½ past 4 oclock  It is with increasing satisfaction that I inform my dr Sister of the continued kindness of God on our dear Maria – She slept a good deal in the night eat a small bit of roast < > for dinner – has slept a little since & is evidently mending – The Lord be praised – Farewell yours &c

   As I shall not know where or when to find you by Letter you are not to expect another from me ’till I hear from you.

Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.A.(29.), Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Address: Mrs Whitaker | Mr Andrews’s | Shaw near | Newbury | Berks.  Postmark: Salisbury, 12 September 1803. For a complete annotated version of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 191. 

William Carey Saffery (1803-46) was named after the famous Baptist missionary; also mentioned is his sister, Mary Anne Saffery (1802-76). Shaw, a small village near Newbury, was the original home of the Andrews family.