Philip and Anne Whitaker, Bratton, to John Saffery, Salisbury, [Wednesday], 28 November 1798.

Bratton  Novr 28. 1798

Dr Friend

   Your perplexity concerning the Nonarrival of yr Letter informing us of the Affliction of our Dr Frnd in Havant Strt I wish to relieve by relating the Fate of that wandering Epistle, it appears that it first took its Route to London, and from thence to Warmstr where it was safely lodged in Mr G’s possession till Saturday last.  Monday we had a Letter from Dr Maria containing the welcome and almost unexpected Intelligence of Mrs H being in a State of Convalescence, we feel gratified and I hope grateful on the Occasion and hope the valuable Lives of each of the late afflicted will be long spar’d. Miss A. also informed us of your Return, and gave us some Reason to hope her’s will not be far distant, we need not use many Words to convince you that we much wish for her Company, it wou’d be the Case at all Times, but more particularly now with future Probabilities in View.

   I hope I consider it a great Mercy that I can inform you that my Dr Wife has been lately as well as for Months past tho’ not without frequent transient Indispositions, it is now the most gloomy pt of ye year without Doors, but many social Pleasures within make us almost forget the winterly Scene, save when the blustering Winds roar in the great Elms; Come and see us as soon as you can, I wou’d just hint that our Ordinance Day will be the last Sabbath in Janry but hope to see you here before the year ends wishing you every Blessing & Success in yr private and public Concerns in which Dr Anne joins me

         I remain yr sincere Friend

                                 Phil Whitaker

If you see any of our Friends at B. please to say Maria is well and we expect her to stay the winter and wish to see some of them here

My dr Friend,

   I have taken the pen to say a few words to you tho’ I scarcely know what they are to be and I believe they will not be worth the trouble of reading when I have written them as I am very stupid this Morng – I need not tell you how much I was afflicted by the circumstances of the dr Family in Havant Street – nor how sincerely I rejoice in the prospect of a favorable issue – Your being at P– during so distressing a period was a very great satisfaction as I thought your influence might prevent some things whh I otherwise fear’d and yr Society help to cheer the gloom incident to such seasons – I hope you will soon let us [hear from] you and the sooner we see you the better we shall be pleased but suppose the attraction is not sufficiently strong at present – I mean this as no disparagement to yr friendship – I am glad to hear by Mr Blatch that our friend Penny is better shd be glad to hear of the welfare of others, particularly of poor Mary B– who was quite ill when you wrote last – If you can make it convenient to write us a letter & enclose it with a 1s. worth of Catechisms to send by ye Warminster Van on Saturday we shall be obliged – with the sincerest desires for your happiness & comfort in every possible way I hasten to subscribe myself

                                 Yr affecte Friend

                                             Anne Whitaker

Text: Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.A.9, Angus Library. Address: Revnd Jno Saffery | Exeter Strt | Sarum. Postmark: Westbury. For an annotated version of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 165-66. By this time of the above letter, Maria Grace Andrews and John Saffery had already decided to marry, an event which occurred on 20 August 1799.