Mary Steele, [Broughton,] to Dr. [Samuel] Stennett, London, [Wednesday] 11 October 1786.

   Accept Dear & Hon’d Sir My Mothers & my most grateful acknowledgements for both your very valuable Presents.   I fear I must have appear’d ungrateful in not returning our thanks before – as the Books arriv’d while Mr Lewis was in London – on his return he gave me hope of receiving a further favor, a letter, so I delay’d writing on that Account – Our Thanks however are not the less ardent or sincere for their delay – A more valuable Present the Hand of Friendship could never bestow. – A Portrait at once of that Mind & Form!  may I desire as much improvement from the perusal of the one (& it will be my own fault if I do not) as I shall feel Veneration & Delight whilst contemplating the other!

   It gave us all pleasure to hear that our Friends at Muswell Hill were so well & particularly that your own Health Sir was so well establish’d – Oh may it long remain uninterrupted – To implore the continuance of Dr Stennett’s Life & Health is to invocate a Blessing on thousands!

   Mr & Mrs Lewis desir’d me to present their best respects, Mr L had a safe Journey but contracted a cold which he has since increas’d – The fear of his leaving the Congregation here is extremely painful to us – Alas [illegible words] seem even more desolate than at present.  He has been a kind Friend to us under our Affliction & is certainly an excellent Preacher – But Few know how properly to value the Blessings they possess – A kind Providence indulges us with tolerable Health – But how hard is the Lesson to learn to live without our Dear Accustom’d Support when every Day shews us more & more our need of it – My Mother’s Spirits are habitually very low & I often find it very difficult to forbear adding to her Distress. – But shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Excuse this Scribble My Kind Friend & remember us at the Throne of Mercy – We all unite in best Regards to Yrself Mrs Miss Stennett &c – I ever am with similar veneration & Gratitude Sir

                                             yr much obliged St                                       

                                                                     M Steele

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, vol. 3, p. 327 (annotated version); Angus Collection, Box 2, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Stockbridge. Address: Dr. Stennett / c/o Mr. William Strapham’s / 62 Upper Thames Street / London; also Joseph Angus glued onto the letter a small piece of paper identifying the letter as ‘Miss M. Steele Hymn Writer’, obviously confusing Mary with Anne Steele. Josiah Lewis was Mary Steele’s minister at Broughton.  Lewis had studied for the ministry in London under Samuel Stennett. He would leave Broughton in 1788 and would be replaced by William Steadman.