Anne Whitaker, Bratton, to Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, Saturday, [c. July 1830].

My dear Maria

   Mason says you will be expecting to hear from me – I therefore snatch the pen to scribble a few lines to you.  I should indeed have written almost immediately to give an answer to your enquiries about the mourning but I thought the parcel forwarded on Tuesday would contain a sufficient reply – we do not mean to wear such mourning as in some circumstances would be deemed appropriate but I have done the same as nearly at least as I could judge as I should do if my Uncle William were removed.

   I am sorry to reply to you respecting Mary Ann Ford in a manner unfavorable to your wishes and perhaps contrary to your expectations – but indeed I cannot see any way in which she could possibly be made useful to me – & with regard to Mrs Seagram she will want a complete nursemaid or should the girl she has at present make that place which I do not expect she will want a housemaid – she will not want any subordinate person in the house.

   The particular qualifications for procuring an eligible situation in the nursery seems to be wanting – from the present description she is only fit to take the meanest place in the nursery of a genteel family or a very fatiguing one in an inferior situation – poor thing I feel for her & am not without hope of < > of a place that may suit her.  I have thought she might do as an apprentice to a Mantua Maker – she is not too old I should suppose to acquire a facility in that stile of needle work – & perhaps a moderate premium might be raised by the assistance of friends  it must be a place where she could be taken in to board – I will do all I can in the way of inquiry –

   You are doubtless saying all this time but how is Mason? – I am pleased to say that she is considerably better.  I found her much weaker than I had expected  she was besides greatly fatigued with her journey & so poorly the day after it that I began to fear a relapse – She was able last evening to walk to the Church & bore it tolerably well.

   We are all here much as when I wrote last except that Joshua is better  Philip is at home for a few days to see Mason < >

   Among all my provisions in the way of mourning nothing has puzzled me so much as a Bonnet & at last I am going to tie down my Shawl with a black handkerchief.

   Mr W– & Mason unite in love with my dr Maria’s

                                 Affectionate Sister

                                             Anne Whitaker

dear Anna continues much the same

Saty Morning

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 417 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 180, A.2.(i.), Angus Library. Address: Mrs Saffery | Castle Street | Salisbury.  Postmark: Warminster, no date.  The reference to ‘Anna’ is to Anne Whitaker’s daughter, Anne, who was in the last stage of her first pregnancy at Holcombe.