Philip Whitaker, Bratton, to John Saffery, Salisbury, Thursday, 1 February 1816.

Thursday Morng  Febry 1 16

Dear Bror,

   I just write a line by Edward as my Anne could not last evening as intended, we are middling as to health  my dear Wife has been poorly for the greatest part of the time I was from home but I hope she is considerably better – I am thro’ mercy as well as the anxieties of the present times will permit and ought to think my trouble light compar’d with others the children all well  Mr Andrews complaining a slight affection of the liver owing to cold – Stapleton is gone off this Morning for Manchester & Liverpool.  You will pray for him when thought of – Lucy and babes are well  It gave me and my wife pleasure to hear you had such an offer from Mason to take Phil. We hope nothing will prevent your embracing it, and I hope you and ours will be made plain for all our dear lads as they rise up, I am rejoiced that Miss Mason has consented to return for another half year – the Lord bless you in every sense and make your latter days bright and serence, our united love awaits you, let us hear from you how is Lucy  Mr Dyer when I called he told me he was too ill to return to School

                                 Yours affectionately

                                             Philip Whitaker

Text: Reeves Collection, Box 14.7.(h.), Bodleian Library, Oxford. Address: Revd J. Saffery | Salisbury. No postmark. For an annotated version of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 348. Others living at Bratton Farm at this time included James Andrews (father of Anne Whitaker and Maria Grace Saffery), as well as Joseph and Lucy Stapleton and their son, Joseph Whitaker Stapleton. A Miss Mason had been assisting in Maria Saffery’s school since 1806.