Philip Whitaker, Bratton, to Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, Friday, 11 October 1811.

Friday Morng  Oct 11th   – 11

My dear Sister

   We received yesterday the parcel containing the Pump and also your letter I had not any Idea that you would suspect the safety of former parcels by my letter indeed as far as I am judge of compositions I think their arrival was at least implied but I am willing to submit to your better judgment in these things and to beg pardon for my deficiencies. I thank you for your very long letter which in sentiment and style was tolerably intelligible, as the poor woman said by reading I could pick out the main o’nt – 

   The reason of my writing this morning is on Acct of something forgotten by our people in the hurry of yesterday, we can get no Biscuits in this neighbourhood that will suit either dear Anne or the Boy will you forward by your good husband a few of several sorts that you imagine may suit the taste of Mother & Son who thro the tender mercy of God are this Morning both in a very fair way my dear Anne is so weak I think as ever she was in a confinement but so free from nervous irritation and every appearance of fever enjoys a calm and steady chearfulness &c.  I have kept from her the melancholy part of your intelligence which I felt affect[ed] my own mind painfully, I imparted it to Mrs Blatch who bore it better than I expected she also received a letter from Miss Read I think a person who is with Mrs D [Mary Steele Dunscombe]  May the Lord help us to live more with the important change in prospect, to live above the world while we live in it and are obliged to have much to do with it.

   Joseph arrived yesterday safe and sound in good health and spirits  I suppose he came back with very different sensations from Thos – he felt in going the centre of attraction lying on this side the Channel he tells me his Uncle did frequently accuse him of being weary of their Society and I suppose he was pretty much driven to his Shifts for an answer  he heard of that famous Newsmonger Henry P. of Bristol all about you guess what* he expressed himself rather astonished –

   I have been thinking I shall deserve some charges from you similar in a measure to those I have laid at your door, as to intelligibility  I dont mean for soaring above your reach, but we are prone to fall into the manners of those we associate with I have lately had Mr Anstie Senr staying a night with us  But I hope after all that the contents of my Epistle will on the whole not have a depressing Effect on any that you think proper to read it to, tell brother we will find a Bed if he will do something more than make a call at Bratton.  Eliza is well, accept the united Love of me & mine to your and yours & present our kind Regards of all your circle

                     Yours affectionately

                                 P Whitaker

We shall be glad to see Mr W Penney as proposed.  Eliza sends love &c  Joseph begs his kind love to you & Mr Saffery

*Cheltenham 

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 318-19 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.A.19.(a.), Angus Library. Address: Mrs Saffery | Castle Street | Salisbury. Postmark: Warminster.  Mary Reid (1769-1839) of Leicester was a childhood friend of Elizabeth Coltman and later became a friend of Mary Steele Dunscombe, who commemorated their friendship with the poem, ‘To Miss Reid with Theodosia’s Poems, 1807, after her presenting me with Marmion &c’ (see Whelan, Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, vol. 3, p. 162). Apparently, Reid, who mainly lived in London at this time, came to Broughton during her friend’s bereavement.  Henry Penny was most likely the son of William Penny of Salisbury and the Brown Street Baptist Church in Salisbury.