Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Bratton, [Tuesday], 3 September 1811.

Salisbury Sepr 3d 1811

My very dear Anne

   You have too long and too often looked into my heart to be ignorant of what passes there on most occasions, ordinary or extraordinary.  I knew you would suspect me of chagrin from a recent circumstance, if I did not write; and detect it, if I did.  The extent of my vexation indeed, might have been concealed by silence and after I had posted Lucy’s letter I felt some regret that I had ventured a remark on the state of my spirits, which were just then so bad that I sheltered myself from the severity of my own reproof in the frailty of my nervous system. –

   Certainly I did not expect much, I might say, anything, from the friendship of Mr R. but I did expect more from even his principles, on the rectitude of which I have accustomed myself to defend.  I was therefore greatly shocked in reviewing the language of between twenty and thirty letters in which I found a strain of general sometimes particular acknowledgement towards myself, for kindness to his daughters, to one of whom without varying his style to me, he cd readily deliver a more convenient opinion. – My Mind however did not long stoop under the pressure of this disappointment and of my heart had no greater heaviness than such an one could occasion me  I should not want many “good words to make it glad” –  I was cheered by the zeal of your tenderness, exhibited in yr last my dear Anne, I find, not only feels for, but with me.  You may suppose I have said little to Salter on this subject, or indeed on any one distressing – my troubles cannot be her’s, in various senses, and dull & sad as she is, I should perhaps rejoice to have it so. I intrude myself upon her whenever it is decent & by this means get a little of her Society, she seems pleased with the idea of our journey to Bratton & says half sarcastically, that she hopes change of air will improve her health, indeed I think it wants mending very much.  She eats still less than usual; and I fear sleeps wretchedly. Her depression in the Morng is so evident that weak and weary as I generally feel of late on rising, I cannot observe her without a greater measure of solicitude than I am inclined to bestow on myself.  You know that I love her very much on wh account her follies plague and her sorrows greatly afflict me.  There has been no letter from Cheltenham since the one mentioned  I conjecture to Lucy and she has been all expectation for several days – we visited Mr Smith in consequence of yr commission this afternoon. The < > we could not obtain just yet the other articles we intend taking with us –

   My dear S– set out for about one oclock Monday Morng spending three hours in bed after the exercises of the Sabth I hope to hear of him to morrow –  In the mean time I am desired to say that he hopes to reach Bratton by twelve oclock on Saturday and that an early dinner will oblige him as he proceeds to Devizes in the afternoon you know the famous celebrity of this person or I should not have mentioned his arguments – by way of directing you  The children are well, so is Mason so are the pupils – for whose sake I may shortly be addressed as David was of old – “With whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness” –

   I fancy I have no news.  I would gladly mention my own improvement with a safe conscience but this denied me perhaps you will have the greater credit from yr visit to B– I regret the state of my mind far more than the languor of my body and am rather anxious to believe in this case that I am not in good health than to fear it.  Every thing beyond a trifle, seems to fatigue my thinking powers and I seem in danger of being overwhelmed with events that shd give but a moderate impulse to my feelings, a great deal of this is I trust unseen & I do not allow myself in this freedom of remark to to hers. To that omnipotent Saviour who was once compassed with infirmity who was tempted – like as we are – y[et] without sin!  I desire to look to Him I commend with sweet assurance of her interest my beloved Sister,

                     Yours ever tenderly

                                 M. G. Saffery

Mason & Salter unite in love.  Mine also to the dear ones round you

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 314-15 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.2.(11.), Angus Library. Address: Salisbury Septr 3d 1811 | Mrs Philip Whitaker | Bratton Farm | near Westbury | Wilts.   Postmark:  Salisbury, 3 September 1811. Saffery has inadvertently left out her husband’s destination; he was going on one of his frequent preaching visits to other Baptist congregations in the West Country and other counties. James Biggs (fl. 1770-1830) Baptist minister at Devizes, succeeded John Fenner, uncle of Henry Crabb Robinson, as minister of the Presbyterian congregation in 1796, remaining at Devizes until his death in 1830. During that time he served both congregations as minister in one place, a similar situation to the two congregations meeting in Broadmead, Bristol (Baptist and Independent).