James Sykes, Arundel Street, London, to Maria Grace Saffery, Exeter Street, Salisbury, [Monday], 16 September 1799.

London, Arundel Street

16 Septem  99

Madam,

   I am favored with your Letter, and agreeable to your desire send on the < > a Copy of your Account Balance < > you Seven Shillings & Sixpence, which I hope will be found correct – The present authority will be sufficient for my receiving the Interest or Dividends on the £1000 – 3 pcents Consols standing in the name of Miss Maria G. Andrews, but by a line Mr Saffery writes on the back of your letter he wishes it may be transferred into his own Name, which I think may be proper to have done, and if you have no objection & I comprehend him right, will on hearing from you procure the necessary powers from the Bank,

   Wishing you Health & Happiness, I am

                           Madam

                                       Your most obedient Servt

                                                   James Sykes

When you see your Sister offer my good wishes to her

Mrs Saffery

On the back is this statement by Sykes:

The Estate of the late Mr Samuel Harding

                                                                                                 £ s d

1798    June 22.  To Miss Anne Andrews Bill to Edwd Steven   20..0.0.

         Octr 19 To Miss Maria G Andrews Bill to ditto              10..0.0

                                                                                                         30..0.0

1799 Sepr 9 To balance due to the Estate of the late

                        Mr Samuel Harding – Carried to the account

                        Credit of Mrs Saffery below

                                             late Andrews                                   0..15.0

                                                                                                 £30..15.0

Dr Miss Maria G Andrews

1798    Decr 14  To your Bill to M. Seeley                                    15..0.0

1799 Augt 9 To do  P. Whitaker                                               15..0.0

             28  To do ditto                                                        15..0.0

                        To Bank Power of Attorney for Dividends

                                                                                 3 pr Cents    0..11.6

                        To Postage of Letters                                           0.. 2. 0

                                                                                               £45..13..6

Account Current with James Sykes

                                                                                                 £    s  d

1798 May 25        By balance on Account of this date            30.15..0

Her Account Current with James Sykes

1799 January 15   By dividend on £1000 3 pr Cents Consd

                                                                                               £   £  s  d £  s  d

                                                     to Midsummr    1798  15

                                                         to Xmas         1798  15     30..0.0

         July 13        By ditto       to Midsummr   1799           15..0.0 

                                                                                                        45..0.0

                                          abate Commissn     1 P Cent   0..9.0       

                                                                                                 44.11.0

         Sepr 9          By Balance of the late

                                 Mr Saml Hardings Acct                                           15.0

                                                                                                                 45..6.0

                                 By Balance due from Miss Maria

                                 G. Andrews carried to new Acct                               0..7.6

                                                                                                                   £45.13.6

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 168-69 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.A.22.(a.), Angus Library.  Address: Revd Mr Saffery | Sarum | Wilts. Sykes was a friend of the Andrewses and appears in several letters that passed between the two sisters.