William Steele, London, to Mary Steele, Broughton, [Tuesday] 5 August 1777.

London Aug 5th 1777

   I take this first Opportunity to inform My Dear Maria that the kind Hand of Providence has been extended over us during our Journey, the Weather has been remarkably fine and no accident befallen us. We arriv’d at Newgate Street before one o’ Clock this day in good health, & the little Infant full of Spirits & I hope we are not ungrateful to our Preserver.  How we shall dispose of our Selves during our residence here is yet unsettled tho’ I fear I shall be weary of the Town before we leave it, and my Mind will be strongly inclin’d homeward before we can make a Step that Way.

   Mama brot away the Key of the New Room Closet & desires me to tell you that the Key of the Parlor Closet will open that door. – Tell W Morrant that I think it will be best (now the Chaise is repairing) to have the Pole made a little less as it is now too heavy. – We call’d at Mr Thorowgoods at Basingstoke & drank Tea, they seem’d much pleas’d with our Company.

   We shall rejoice to hear of the Welfare of all at home & hope you will write often & if you hear from Andover let us know how the dear Girls are & if your Aunt is a little easier at our Absence it would give us pleasure.

   May every blessing that our beneficent Father shall see best attend all our dear Family is our constant united Wish.  And we join with Mr Townsend in our warmest Salutations.

                     I am my Dear Marias

                                 ever affectionate Far

                                             Wm Steele

A wretched Scrawl

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, pp. 275-76 (annotated version); STE 4/5/li, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No postmark. Address: Miss Steele / Broughton near / Stockbridge / Hants.  Mr. Steele and his wife were beginning a lengthy journey that would take them first to London and eventually to Pershore and Bristol. Mary remained at Broughton, attending to her aunt; her younger sisters were sent to Joseph Wakeford’s at Andover.

The Thorowgoods mentioned above appear to be linen drapers (see The Universal British Directory, 5 vols (London: Printed for the Patentees [Peter Barfoot and John Wilkes], and sold by Champanye and Whitrow, Jewry Street, Aldgate, 1791–1798), vol. 2, p. 318; John Townsend was a worstedman at 99 Newgate Street and possibly a member of the Baptist congregation at Little Wild Street, led by Samuel Stennett (see London Directory for the Year 1773 (London: T. Lowndes, 1773).