Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Bratton, [Friday], 2 May 1806.

Sarum  May 2nd 1806 –

   Mr Wilton’s Man call’d just now & says he will convey my letter to you @ four oclock to morrow aftn so that I suppose you will suffer no anxiety from the circumstance of his taking it.  Thro’ divine goodness I am enabled to give you a very good accnt of folk here indeed we are all pretty well.  I have been out of doors these two days I mention this because I suppose Fanny has told you of my recent confinement – Your letter yesterday morng was a very salutary cordial to my drooping Spirit which disappointment & solicitude had depress’d relative both to the delay of your visit & its cause  I understand from Mr W’s Man that things are still getting better & better with you & I trust my heart confesses its obligation to the God of Providence with all the revising sensibilities of wh it is capable on yr accnt my dr S. begs most cordial remembrances of love & rejoices with me he is as well as incessant labors (I had almost said) will suffer him – the little tribe too are charmingly well.  Yesterday was a kind of Gala for little Jane who then completed the first year of her, would it be right to say pilgrimage? considering she cannot walk? –  I hope Fanny reach’d you in a good condition I assure you she did not get the bread of Idleness with us.  I was sometimes afraid we shd fag her –

   I ask’d Alfred just now in Bed what I shd say – O my love Aunt! & he smiled as he does when he has a good deal to communicate, poor little fellow he could hardly forgive his brothers & little Emma for being ill & tho’t I believe a journey to S– the best possible expedient for their colds –  May we meet soon under all those propitious circumstances wh we can look for only from the unmerited goodness of our heavenly father!  I am glad of ye better health of yr Sister Jane my love to her Maria & all ye good circle @ you more especial regards to our Bror & yr dr little ones and for yourself – the strong, the tender, the undeviating friendships of yours,

                                 Maria Grace Saffery

The verses are for Ned he likes rhyming sometimes I think he may be disciple of the Muses – I have no objection to his attractions to them in due order

After closing my letter I find the Man suspects he shall not be able to morrow & lest this shd be ye case I shall post it with ye explanation I will send verses by him unless you come first

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 216-17 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.1.(22.), Angus Library. Address: Mrs Philip Whitaker | Bratton Farm | to be left at the Red Lion |Warminster | Wilts. Postmark: Salisbury. Maria Saffery composed a poem celebrating Jane’s first birthday. See Timothy Whelan, Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 5, pp. 92-93.