Caroline Whitaker, Bratton, to Jane Attwater, Nunton, [Friday], 28 December 1787.

   I rec’d your kind letter & before it reach’d me my dearest friend I thought as you did many suspicions arose in this heart of mine but the kind letter made me forget my former too unkind thoughts (but not many) the quite giving you up and banishing yourself fm Bratton has given me uneasiness this evening.  P. had a letter fm Brother wch brings us news that makes me feel for a tender Mother father & friends may we yet hope that the dear boy is yet alive if tis for usefulness and to honour and glorify his maker. May we be enabled to put up this petition & ardently beg it in the all prevailing name of that Saviour who can relieve the distress’s  Cousin Jane has been with us a fortnight is return’d & Thos with her  heard a Mr Mansel Xmas day in the morn I like him much in the afternoon went with Mr Boggs to Edington Church in the Chair a Mr Cook preached fm 1st John & 14.  a discourse wch is not frequently heard in those places  Mr Cooper in the Evening fm Isaiah 9th  6 – and a good sermon as either   If I could but be attentive but I fear I have no desire  May I & all labour more for such a spirit as Aaron who held his peace, what Christian fortitude what an example of patience and well worthy our imatation (a doer of the word) but I fail in thought word & deed have stept aside to write a line but have many here this Evening.

   I long to see you & be with you why cant you come  did you know how I wish for such an interview I think you would not deny me the much desir’d pleasure wish for a thankful heart to say we are all Blest with health but I’m all ingratitude and I fear almost constant rebelion.

   My affecte good wishes attend you my dear Jenny with many thanks for all past favours hope youl come soon and write as often as you can did not know of Charles’s going till he was gone not the particular day.  Beg Br & Sister to accept of love & best wishes & the young folks, may assistance be granted to Body & mind and may the great phisician be granting Cordials to support each trembling heart, tis a trying season – but those tryals to pass off unsanctified how dreadful, I fear this is my case.

   Mr Drewett is very well.

   If you can get me some pretty neat purple & white Cotton or calico would be glad for you to send me enough for a gown & petticoat  wishing you every & the best of blessings I remain your sincere but most unworthy

                     Sister   Caroline Whitaker

Bratton   Decr 28 1787

forgive haste drawing near Saturday morn  must forbear writing any more tho I earnestly wish to see you face to face  good night or morning

¼ past 12 oclock

Text: Reeves Collection, Box 24/1, Bodleian Library, Oxford.  For an annotated version of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 8, pp. 159-60. Reference above is to the recent birth of Philemon Attwater (1787-1832), the youngest child of Gay Thomas Attwater and Mary Drewett Attwater of Nunton, where Jane Attwater also lived. Anther reference is to John Cooper (d. 1797), minister of the Baptist congregation at Bratton, 1777-97. He was originally from Trowbridge, where he had been a clothier (although he received some ministerial training at Bristol Academy in the mid-1770s).  Between 1777 and 1789 he also served as headmaster of the school established in Bratton by Jeffrey Whitaker, a relation of Thomas Whitaker, Caroline's husband.