William Steele, Broughton, to Mary Steele, Bradford, [Wednesday] 25 September 1776.

Broughton Sep. 25th 1776

   My Dear Maria’s affectionate Letter of the 15th Currt came in due time to which I should have wrote in answer sooner but as Lucy wrote I thought I need not, yesterday she rec’d yours & we all rejoice to hear you & the Heads of all Magnitudes are well & that you are so agreeably entertain’d with your Visitings &c but I don’t find you have yet been at Bratton. I think you should go thither as it will not look friendly if you do not.

   I have not yet wrote to Mr W – s, he says “a Subject of the importance requires deliberation” so that if I do not write till your return when you have more deliberated on it, it may not be thought very long. I don’t know how deep his Con-enamourations were with Miss S – but I suppose (like most others) they are by this time wore away.

   Miss Jenny’s new humble Sert Mr B. A. spent the last Sunday at Broughton being on a Journey, we found him at Meeting in the Morn. & he dined & supped with us.  I think him a serious agreeable young man & I should suppose your Friend might have a much better prospect of happiness with him than with a certain Gentleman notwithstanding the disparity of fortune. Mr Kent popp’d out before him that he heard you was gone to Bradford to a Wedding between Mr B & Miss A. I thought he looked blank upon it, but I presently replying that it could not be so, because that affair was quite over some time since, he said he thought so too, and it ended with my saying only that he had been at Bodenham to which he answer’d Yes & no more was said about it. 

   I am oblig’d to Mr & Mrs Head for their pressing you to stay longer with them, but your Aunt & indeed all of us want you at home, let me have a Line by next post to inform me which will be most agreeable to you to come the latter end of the next week or the beginning of the following & I will send for you accordingly.  We all thro’ Divine Goodness enjoy our usual health except your Aunt who’ continues much the same.  We heard from Nancy yesterday when she was very well & wanted nothing as she said.

   My best Wishes all ways attend my Dear Maria & the warmest Love of every one here.  Our due Compts to Mr & Mrs H –   & am My Dear your affectionate Father

                                                                                 Wm Steele

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, pp. 274-75 (annotated version); STE 4/5/l, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No postmark. Address: Miss Steele / at Mr Geo: Head’s / Bradford / Wilts. 

References above include William Wilkins of Broughton and a previous woman he had pursued; also, an early suitor of Jane Attwater.