Mary Steele, Broughton, to her half-sister, Martha Steele, Abingdon, [Wednesday] 6 January 1796.

Monday Eve ye 6th 1796

   I am much obliged to My Dear Sister for both her Letters, the last came yesterday. That the poor little Innocent is releas’d from his Sufferings cannot on his own account be regretted.  His present Mode of Existence tho wholly unknown to us is probably infinitely happier than the most prosperous State on Earth could have been “For of such are the Kingdom of Heaven but I feel for the disappointment of his Friends – & for what My Sister must have suffer’d Reason may submit but wounded tenderness will bleed – I am anxious lest it should have injur’d her health – my little namesake will I hope help to enliven her Spirits & Miss Nesbit visit you at a fortunate moment.

   I am glad My Dear Martha that yr headaches are gone & hope yr health will become more & more firm. I have very little intelligence to send you from this Region of Silence. What I have is of a serious kind – 2 very young People are about to be join’d to the Meeting a Brother of Mrs Steadmans not 17 & Mary Dyer whom you know & who is but about 15. Ah my Dear Sister should not Examples such as these be imitated & admir’d – Dr Watts has said with a beautiful Simplicity

Twill save us from a thousand snares

To mind Religion young

I have often envied if I may use the word such as have been enabled to act thus – What can confer so much real dignity of Character what inspire such noble Independance of mind as the acknowledging God in all our ways & the humble Hope that He the Great Sovereign of the Universe condescends to regard us with favor & to direct our paths – nor is there one rational pleasure which Religion requires its votaries to relinquish – & while it elevates above those which are base & merely trifling it sweetens & refines every other, adds a brighter bloom to the beauties of nature & renders the kindest Affections still kinder – but pardon me my Dr Sister – I am telling you what you know as well as myself & I believe have often felt – but alas we none of us do it so habitually as we ought.

   Mr Kent had yesterday a fainting fit but is recover’d as usual. Mr & Mrs Steadman have din’d with me today – I forgot to mention that Mrs Jeboult told me she did not know yr Tewel but she was welcome at anytime & ask’d if it was mark’d [paper torn] I could not tell her. The Bills too I forgot to send with the Parcel – I intended asking Mr T too if I should send his Quit Rent which Warner left with me – I paid 3 yrs Quit Rent due to Mr Rolle & this yrs to Sr Charles Mill & there is a balance of about £4 due to Mr T. Pardon my troubling you with this you will be so kind as to mention it to him – I am not yet certain when I leave home but mean if nothing prevent doing it next week or the beginning of the week after – My Love & sympathizing regards to my Dear Sister – I have scribbled very badly & very crookedly but it is Candlelight & I was loth to defer it as I intend going to Andover tomorrow if the morning is fair pardon it therefore – Lucy has had a very bad Cold but I hope it is getting better  She joins with me in  every kind remembrance – May this new year bring new happiness to my Dr Sister wishes her affect  

                                                         M S

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, pp. 341-42 (annotated version); STE 5/12/v, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford (photocopy). Postmark: Stockbridge, 8 January 1796. Address: Miss Martha Steele / J. Tomkins, Esqr Caldecot House / Abingdon / Berks.

References above include Mary Dyer and Joseph Webb, who joined the Broughton church on 13 March 1796. Webb (1779-1814), originally from Andover, lived for a time with the Steadmans before entering Bristol Baptist Academy in 1797. He later served as a Baptist minister at Tiverton; Sir Charles Mills, Bart., of Mottisfont Abbey near Romsey; and ‘The Advantages of Early Religion’, Song 12 from Isaac Watts's Divine Songs Attempted in Easy Language for the Use of Children (London, 1769).