William Steele, London, to Mary Steele, Broughton, [Tuesday] 19 August 1777.

London 19 Aug 1777

   I hop’d to have rec’d one Letter more from my Dear Maria before we left London, but as I did not by last Post it now cannot be as we have at last finish’d our important Affairs & intend to set off to morrow Morning & hope thro’ the Care of a kind Providence to reach Pershore Thursday, we think to take Post Chaise all the Way as it will be most commodious tho’ more expensive. – We saw your Uncle Wakeford this morning who told us he had a Letter from Coz Wm who had been at Broton & said your Aunt was much better than usual which was very agreeable news to us.  I hope to receive a Letter from you on our Arrival at Pershore when I will write to you again.

   Thro’ Divine Mercy we enjoy a good State of health & as the Weather is much cooler than it was we expect a pleasant Journey, tho’ it wou’d be much pleasanter were it homeward.  May the best blessings of indulgent Providence attend every one dear to us.  Mrs Townsend joins with us in every good wish & I am My Dr Daurs

                                             ever affect: Fr W Steele

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, p. 278 (annotated version); STE 4/5/liv, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No postmark.  Address: Miss Steele / Broughton near / Stockbridge / Hants.