Anne Steele, Bath, to Anne Cator Steele, Broughton, 11 May 1751.

Hon.d Mother,

         Your Letter which I reciev’d Thursday gave me pleasure as it is a new instance of your kind regard but answers not my wishes in the account of your health nor has it lessen’d my concern for I fear you make the best of it you can, and from your saying my Father is much the same as we left him  I conclude he is not well – I know from past experience of Divine Goodness I have the greatest reason to cast all my care on a Gracious God, I wish I cou’d suppress my fears and trust in him with a stronger affiance and commit my Friends myself and my all to him – but my thoughts are very gloomy and I often wish my self at home – My Sister drinks the waters and thinks they agree with her & intends to begin Bathing next week she has been out of order but is now pretty well.  I have left off drinking the water for I have a cold and hoarseness attended with a little cough and am told that if I use it while my cold continues it will bring a fevour [sic] but when this disorder is remov’d as I hope it will in a little time, I design to drink again and Bathe –

         My Aunt came to see us Wednesday and prest me to go to Haycomb but we declin’d it at present and said we intended to visit her before our return, hoped to see my Bro.r here and go thither with him, she told us that Mrs. Gibbs as soon as she was able wou’d come & stay with us if we wou’d go to Haycomb first, I don’t know what we must do about it, Sister seems most inclin’d to stay till Bro.r comes, by the Letter rec.d from him to day I find we have no room to hope for seeing him here yet, I wish he had told us you were all well but as he says nothing to the contrary I wou’d fain hope the best, Sister bid me say she desires you will have some advice about your Leg if it [paper torn] better & in this request I can’t but join with her as I do also in [Duty to] my Father and your self * love to Brother and affectionate commendations to Bro.r & Sis.r Wakeford of whose health shall be glad to hear when you write which I hope will be soon & as often as you can for hearing of the welfare of my dear Parents & friends is the greatest pleasure expected here by

                                             Your dutiful & obedient Daughter

                                                                     A. Steele

Bath  May 11th 1751.

PS   Sisters love & mine to Cousin Mary

Mrs Steele has met with some Exeter acquaintance who lodge near us and we are very neighbourly but they talk of going out of Town next week, we have been with them this afternoon to the Spaw a long Mile and I am tir’d

Sunday Night.—I have been very uneasy about sisters Toe which has been bad ever since she has been here she forbid my mentioning it yesterday but ’tis now worse and I am so distress’d that I must tell you of it her foot is very much swell’d and very painful I doubt the walk yesterday hurt it  I don’t know what to do  I want her to have advice and yet when I remember Sister Molly’s foot am afraid of the Bath Surgeons  This with my own indisposition & my fears for you altogether is such an oppressive weight on my Spirits as I can hardly bear yet am grieved to think that while to relieve myself I complain to you, it may be I shall make you uneasy – but ’tis the only relief I can have next to complaining to the Father of Mercies, O that I cou’d do it with a more entire confidence in his Goodness – I wish my Father or Brother cou’d come & see us but can’t expect it – I desire [  ] will please to write to me, and if my Father comes to Devizes a  Letter [  ] perhaps reach me sooner sent from thence then by Sarum, unless he cou’d come hither which I doubt I must not wish for – when you write Sister desires to know when Brother is expected home

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 2 (ed. Julia B. Griffin), pp. 275-76 (edited version); STE 3/7/x, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Address: To | M.rs Steele | at Broughton | To be left at the three Lyons in | Sarum | Wilts | By the Cross Post.  

Anne Steele and her sister-in-law, Mary Bullock Steele, travelled to Bath on 30 April and remained there till 26 June (see Broome, A Bruised Reed, pp. 123-24).  Anne Steele wrote a poem about Bath during this visit: see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, vol. 2 (ed. Julia B. Griffin), pp. 137-38. Jenny Gay Gibbs, Anne’s cousin, was living at Trowbridge; her mother, Jane Gay, was still living at Haycombe.