Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Bratton, Saturday, 3 January 1818.

Saturday Jany 3d 1818

My dear Anne,

   We, that is to say, Mr S–, Carey, John, and myself reached home in safety this morng  I have a thousand things that would range under this article of intelligence to communicate but to night I can only say that the tall persons in Essex St & Holborn are doing well.  Next Wednesday your Bror will be at Devizes with Mr Long and then if you please Carey will pay his long promised visit to Bratton Philemon was here to day & says yt he thinks his Sister Maria would like to embrace this opportunity of proceeding to Bratton so that if you can send the car to meet the Child & yr Cousin it will serve the convenience of all parties  Adieu I am tired beyond terms of ordinary eloquence, but I would not fail in the tones of thanksgiving that should meet with strong and tender hosanna the mercies of another year  Adieu yrs

                                             M. G. Saffery

If any objection shd arise write on Monday as the Gentm go early on Wednesday morng

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 367 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.3.(10.), Angus Library.  Address: Mrs P. Whitaker | Bratton Farm | near Westbury | Wilts.  Postmark: Salisbury. Philemon Attwater of Bodenham was Philip Whitaker’s youngest cousin.