William Steele, Broughton, to Mary Steele, Bradford, [Wednesday] 24 February 1773.

Broughton Feb: 24th 1773

   My Dear Polly’s long Absence causes many a Paternal Care and indeed every one of her beloved Friends at home are anxious for her return.  I propos’d to have sent our own Chaise, but one of the Horses has been lame and the Farrier says such a Journey would totally spoil him, and yesterday I sent to Mr Boyles to know if he would undertake to go to Bradford one day & back the next but he says ’tis not possible without four Horses, so that there is no other way but either to pay the Chaises forward & backwards for you to come by your Self, the last we do not approve of the other will be very expensive, so that I think you cannot come home this Week, the next I must attend the Assizes at Winchester on the Grand Jury from Tuesday to Friday, so that I fear it will be next Monday Sennight before I can send for you by which time I hope the Horse will be well enough and I or some of the Family will if Providence permit go in our Chaise to be with you Tuesday morning & return Wednesday.  I should not have been so uneasy at your staying so long had not Miss Scot been here, I think it is not using her genteelly but I find she has a permission from her Mother to say as long as she thinks proper, & I hope therefore will excuse it. 

   Your Aunt continues much in the same way as usual some days better & others worse. She has a new Maid, Tho. Shepherds Daughter. Clem: Parsons is not gone yet she has been ill with the Fever & sore throat which is almost gone but has an ague.  Your Mo is quite recover’d from hers I have had it for 3 or 4 days past but thro’ Mercy am almost well.  Your little Sisters are all alive & merry this is Nancy’s birth day 4 yrs old she has been to the measuring place and is above your 5 yrs mark.

   We have rec’d no Letter from you for some time but I hope there is one at Stockbridge.  I hope a gracious Providence preserves your health & that you are happy & easy in the Enjoyment of your Friends.

   I am My Dr your ever affect: Father

                                             Wm Steele

  Love & Service are due

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, p. 227 (annotated version); STE 4/5/xiv, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Salisbury. Address:  Miss Steele / at Mr Geo: Head’s / Bradford / Wilts. Miss Sheppard (Shepherd) was possibly the daughter of Ann Shepherd (d. 1790), who joined the Baptist church at Broughton on 9 December 1781. A Mary Parsons (d. 1794) joined in 1733, which would suggest that all the individuals named above were members of the congregation (see Broughton Baptist Church Book, Angus Library, Oxford).