William Steele, Broughton, to Mary Steele, Yeovil, [Monday] 23 July 1770.

Broughton 23d July 1770

My Dear Polly

   I rec’d your Letter by Jos. Saturday Evening with much pleasure as it brought me the good News of your Health & safe return from Weymouth, which I was very solicitous about during the whole Week.

   I intend to send the Chaise to the Kings Arms at Shaftsbury next Thursday Sennight the 2 of August, Lucy & her Father in it, she to accompany you & he to ride your Horse & be your Convoy. You may come thither Friday morning from Milborn Port if you are there by Ten or Eleven o’Clock it will be soon enough, as we propose for you to go to Bodenham & bring Miss Waters home with you Saturday Morning who is so good as to offer your Mamma her Assistance in her time of need, when Miss Waters returns to Bodenham I hope Miss Jenny will come & spend a good deal of time with you as I suppose Mrs Waters won’t spare them both together.  It will be best for you to send to Henstridge Ask to bespeak the Chaise long enough before hand to be sure of it, but perhaps (if Miss Scot shou’d choose to accompany you to Shaston) it may be better to have a Chaise from Sherborn as this will suit best for her return.

   Your Mamma complains pretty much & we are apprehensive she will not hold out so long as we expected. Your Aunt is much better than usual & walked to Meeting & back again Yesterday, the little Charmer is full of Life & Spirits, & we all have abundant reason for Love & Gratitude to Our Heavenly Benefactor for all his Goodness, To his Care I commit my dear Girl, who I hope & trust will preserve her & restore her again to the Arms of her

                                 Affectionate Far 

                                                         W Steele

We all join in Love & Service as usual

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, p. 214 (annotated version); STE 4/5/xi, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Salisbury. Address: To / Miss Steele / at Mr Geo: Bullocks / Yeovil / Somerset. Mary Scott, Mary Steele, and Marianna Attwater were all visiting Broughton House, relishing in the poetic atmosphere surrounding their mentor, Anne Steele.  References above also to Lucy Kent and her father, John Kent.