William Steele, Pershore, to Mary Steele, Yeovil, [Saturday] 10 September 1774.

Pershore Sep: 10th 1774

My Dear

   I rec’d your affectionate Letter Monday morning last just before we came from home and take this first opportunity to inform you of our safe arrival at this place last evening, the indulgent hand of Providence presided over us during our journey & preserv’d us from every danger for which I desire to be thankful, we left the Family at home all in good health except your Aunt who I believe was much the worse for our departure, but Mr & Mrs Rawlings are with the family. I make no doubt but the same prudent care will be taken of her as tho’ we were at home & I hope we shall hear by Mondays post that she is better & tho’ at our coming away she said she should see us no more, I see no reason to think there is any more danger than usual and I trust the Goodness of God will preserve her.

   We came to Abingdon the first day & slept at Mr Turners as Mr & Mrs Tomkins were at Bristol, the next day we came to Banbury where we stay’d till yesterday & then came hither, the Weather was very favorable to us & tho’ we met with some bad roads, we had on the whole a very pleasant Journey.  We had the pleasure to find all the family here in good health, our stay here will be about 10 or 12 days & then we propose to go to Bristol whither I think you had best direct your next to me lest it shou’d come hither too late but I hope shall receive a Letter from you here before you receive this.  Your Aunts illness will take off much of the pleasure of our Journey as I doubt not it will much of yours at Yeovil, but as all the Occurrences of Life are under the direction of the best & wisest of Beings I would in all things be submissive to his will & be guided by his Council & make the path of Life as smooth as is consistent with its cares & difficulties.

   Miss Ash desires her Love to you & desires me to tell you she will if possible find time to write to you whilst you are at Yeovil. – Your Mamma joins me in the tenderest Love to my Dr Girl & best Commendations to your Uncle Miss Scott &c and am My Dr Polly’s

                                 ever affectionate Father

                                             Wm Steele

Text: Steele Collection, STE 4/5/xxxix, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Evesham, 12 September. Address: Miss Steele / at Mr Geo: Bullock’s / Yeovil / Somerset. For an annotated text of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, vol. 3, p. 253. 

Daniel Turner (1710-98) was the Baptist minister at Abingdon, 1748-98. He was a friend and correspondent of Anne Steele and also wrote hymns. The Tomkinses were wealthy members of Turner’s congregation and one of Abingdon’s leading families. By this time they were mostly involved in the banking business. Joseph Tomkins, Jr. (1763-1847), would marry Mary Steele’s half-sister, Anne, in December 1791. The Tomkinses also had relations in Bristol and London. Others mentioned above include Nathaniel Rawlings, minister at Broughton; Anne Steele; Elizabeth Ash of Pershore; and Mary Scott of Milborne Port.