William Steele, Pershore, to Mary Steele, Broughton, [Wednesday] 27 August 1777.

Pershore  Aug 27th 1777

   My Dear Maria’s hasty Scrawl of which she was so much ashamed is to me a very acceptable present & for the future whether the Lines be crooked or strait the paper blotted or the letters illshaped provided they bring me tidings of your Welfare, let me have no more Apologies, but take it for granted that your Letters are always a Balm to my Heart & afford the sweetest satisfaction I am capable of feeling in my absence.

   Our time passes on very agreeably here. Dr Ash’s Friends are as usual solicitous to oblige us, yesterday we made an excursion to Birlingham & dined with Mr B Bedford where we found the usual hospitality, his little Wife is alter’d much for the better as she now appears of a healthy Countenance.  We had all Mr Hurts Family & the Grandchildren & Eight from this house I think the whole at Table were Nineteen.  This day we are to dine at Mr Hudson’s & to morrow at Mr Hurts, when I hope our Feasting be ended.

   The plentiful Harvest & the fine Weather spread a face of Joy & alacrity among the rural Sons of Industry & ought to fill every heart with gratitude to the propitious Donor of such unmerited blessings, but we are too apt in the midst of our enjoyments to be forgetful of the fountain from whence they flow, such is the depravity of human Nature & such I fear it will remain.

   We have at last (with submission to the intervention of Providence) settled our Rout as follows – to go from hence to Bristol on Friday the 5th of September from thence to Bradford the 12th & then (stopping one Night at Bratton) hope to reach by the 15th to our dear Mansion & dearer Friends at Broughton.  May we then have a happy Meeting under the Auspices of our great Preserver & rejoice with hearts full of Gratitude in her unmerited Goodness!

   If we should make any alteration in our Scheme I will acquaint you with it. – We have heard nothing of Sam Goddard & his Sis Nancy, therefore conclude their Frds will not permit them to come.

   I hope for another Letter from you to morrow & another & another as the Posts arrive.  Our united best Wishes attend all & I am My Dear Maria’s ever affectionate Far

                                             Wm Steele

I hoped your Aunt would have continued some what better but her lucid intervals are very short, shall rejoice to hear in your next that her pains are relax’d. – Don’t you go to see the little Maidens?  Yesterday was Patt’s Birthday [26 August 1770] we talked of her at Birlingham.

Evening

We are just return’d from Mr Hudsons & find S Goddard & Nancy are arriv’d, they are well & left all well at home & desire me to send their Love to their Sister Clarissa

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, pp. 280-81 (annotated version); STE 4/5/lvi, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No postmark. Address: Miss Steele / Broughton. 

Samuel Goddard and Nancy Goddard, still living at home at Banbury, were siblings of Clarissa Goddard, who had been living for some time with the Steeles at Broughton.