Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Bratton, Friday, [c. late November-early December 1807].

Friday Night half past eight

   As I fear my dear Anna’s anxiety may be somewhat extreme @ the little gentry I hasten to relieve it by assuring her that [we] are quite as well as she can possibly imagine much beyond my hopes – our little Maggy continues to cough & hoop but moderately  Papa indeed is willing to suppose in his usual way that it is all a mistake  to this idea you may be sure my feelings form no objection but my judgment firmly opposes it.  Our other Children have nothing as yet suspicious @ them tho dr Jane has her occasional cough  dr Joshua was well last night when his Uncle saw him except indeed a slight cold in his head –  they appear very well pleased with his company at Bodenham. At all events I think he had better remain there somewhat longer ’till we ascertain his freedom from the malady in question yr Cousin William says he does not fear anything on the accnt of his own Children from Joshua, they it appears also have had coughs of which some suspicions were entertained. I believe the Cough in question is very prevalent in Salisbury.  With you I should have been glad to have spared my dr Jenny the difficulties of such a complaint during her teething but where cd I possibly remove her were it to attack either of the Children with violence or obstinacy.

   I should be for trying the air of Berkshire yt is if the little Mathew’s were not at Shaw, but I hope in a gracious providence who has hitherto granted a large measure of health to my sweet babes – When I first discovered Mary’s Cough she was sleeping with Miss Wakeford who has not had it & whose Mother is particularly desirous of preventing her having it at all.  Little M. now sleeps with Sarah in Joshua’s bed –

   Tho’ sorry for the occasion I shd have been almost glad if you or our dr Bror had come hither this week as we are rather gloomy at our house & in want of cheerful counsel.  My dr S– has been taking stock & finds with some consternation & great grief  (you will suppose) that the past year with regard to his business has been worse than even his fears, & that the disadvantages of the last equals if not more, the advantages of the former leaving him without any remuneration to say the least, for all the labour mental & corporeal, of two anxious years – you who know him, will judge how large a claim he has on our pity at this discovery, & will readily conceive of my tribulations when I behold him agonize with apprehensions wh render him sleepless on his pillow, give a disrelish to his food & embitter all his social enjoyments –  he is however a degree or two better to day & will I trust be enabled to cast this burthen on the Lord who will I know sustain him.  And who has said call on me in the day [of] trouble &c – it is a great mercy the School is so well just now – nor indeed am I inclined to despond @ the business yet it certainly is a vicissitude that exercises or ought to exercise our faith & patience.

   Mine is a strange epistle written ill of course, and rather a worse than commonly put together but you will know how to pardon it   I hope you will like your things we think the Bonnet & Spencer very pretty.  Miss R– says she is sorry to have delayed your Shirts & Waistcoats so long – I think it is since you were here that we have set on foot a Child-bed Linen Society & we go on < > have @ 20 half guinea Subscribers besides < > donations –  2 sets of things are made  a third to be purchased on Monday  Mrs Long is treasurer  Miss B. Secretary & myself a kind of factotum. –

   I can say no more I think just now that will amuse you & as I expect my dr S every moment will close only assuring you that I am yours.  With inflexible faithfulness, and

                     Ardent affection,

                                 Maria Grace Saffery

Remember us to our dr Bror  my Father & yr dr Children   burn this when you have read it for various important reasons

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 252-53 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.4.c.(11.), Angus Library. Address: Mrs P. Whitaker | Bratton Farm |near Westbury | Wilts.  No postmark. The Salisbury Child-bed Linen Society was part of the rise of Benevolent Societies at this time. Eliza Gould Flower was instrumental in the founding of the Cambridge Benevolent Society, and Abraham Booth mentions a similar society in London among the Baptists. For more on Flower and Cambridge, click here; for the Booth letter, click here.