Anne Andrews, Salisbury, to Maria Grace Andrews, Portsmouth, Thursday, [c. June 1795].

Thursday Eveng –

   You have no doubt anticipated the surprise I experienced this Morng at sight of dr Mr Horsey who arrived here in apparently comfortable health & spirits  I say apparently because the agitation of my spirits & confusion of mind was such that I was incapable of making any rational enquiries I was even unable to express the fears whh immediately presented themselves to me but our kind friend read them in my countenance [and] dissipated them by repeated assurances of your welfare  I cannot say that the intelligence he brought with respect to your longer stay at Portsmouth elevated my spirits but after I had overcome the first emotions of disappointment & chagrin I felt willing as I hope I do in most instances to relinquish my own gratification rather than deprive you of any of those enjoyments whh it is my grief are so few & those too often embitter’d  I hope this will not be the case at present but that to every little pleasure or recreation you may meet with may be added that sweet serenity of mind whh you know now to prize & I need not instruct you where to seek  this is wholly independent of internals; earthly delights cannot procure oh neither can earthly cares destroy it

   You will perhaps be surprised to hear that I was call’d away to attend Sir Joseph & Lady Andrews whom I was every minute expecting they are going westward tomorrow morng – her Ladyship desires Love to you. 

   I must hasten as it is quite late – intend writing again very soon & executing your commission – my reason for writing this eveng was to inform you of Mr Horsey’s safe arrival –

   Mr Davis who by the way has ran away with all our hearts desires love to all friends at Portsmouth  do remember me most affectionately to dr Mrs S—y Mrs Horsey &c &c

   Good night my dr Love excuse this shabby scrawl

                                 from Yours

                                             Anne Andrews

Mr & Mrs H– desire suitable remembrances to yourself & friends – Our Hannah begs love

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 102 (annotated version); Reeves Collection, Box 14.2.(f.), Bodleian Library, Oxford.  Address: Miss Andrews | Rev.d Mr Horsey’s | Havant Street | Portsea. Postmark: Salisbury.

Reference above to Sir Joseph Andrews II (1727-1800) and his wife, the former Elizabeth Phillips, of Shaw, Newbury. On his death in December 1800, the Shaw estate and the title was inherited by his nephew Joseph, the son of his half brother, James Pettit Andrews and Ann Penrose, the daughter of the Rev. Thomas Penrose, rector of St Nicolas' Church, Newbury. Sir Joseph and his wife were interred at Hampstead. Most likely, however, this is not Joseph Andrews II but rather his heir, Sir Joseph Andrews III (1768-1822), and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Hunt (1771-1822), both of whom were closer in age to Anne and Maria Grace Andrews. The exact relationship of the family of Sir Joseph Andrews and that of James Andrews, their father, is not known.