Sarah Whitaker, letter, to Nathaniel Whitaker, 1767 April 21

Author Whitaker, Sarah

Date21 April, 1767

ms number767271.2

abstractSarah writes her husband Nathaniel in reference to his previous letters to her, and about matters at home.

handwritingHandwriting is informal, yet clear and legible.

paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages has been heavily reinforced, which makes it difficult to gauge the condition of the paper. It appears to be in fair condition, with moderate staining, creasing and wear.

inkDark-brown.

layoutOn two recto, the last paragraph continues along the left margin of the page.

noteworthyOn one recto, a symbol that appears to be a 9 over an X, is added over the date in what looks like ballpoint pen.

Persistent Identifier
My dear Husband
I received your Letter dated Feby 23d & 28, last Thurſday & rejoice to hear of your Welfare & in Gods kindeſs to you in taking Care of you in the continual Change of Scenes thro' which you have been & are yet daily paſsing — may God continue to preſerve you in all your ways —
Thro' the manifold Goodneſs of God we are all well & have been so since I wrote you laſt —
you want ^in this Letter^ to know what I think of a Letter which you wrote in Nov.r laſt — I have received no such Letter nor have I received any from you ('till that laſt Week) since one dated Oct.r 11.th ^from Exeter^ in which one you gave an account of some Briſtol-Beer &C which you had ship'd from Briſtol for me & which I received laſt fall — You alſo in the Same Letter tell me that you was about to ship a [illegible][guess: p.s] of superfine Broadcloth &C for me ^in another Ship^ — which I never have heard of Since & if you did ship them as you propoſed, I conclude they were loſt in Some Ships which were caſt away laſt Winter in their Way from Briſtol to Boſton. (verte)
You deſire M.r Lothrop's Acco.t for what I have had of him which is £90..s5 Lawfull beſides which, I ^have^ received £30 Sterling of M.r Smith of Boſton laſt spring, & £35 Sterling this Spring; of the £30 Sterling laſt Spring, I improved £20 lawfull to pay Houſe Rent; & what I have now by me will the £35 this Spring (I expect) will laſt me 'till Fall — I don't know but you will think me extravagant; but I think I uſe the beſt Aconomy I am capable of; & if you do, I would have ^you^ return as soon as poſsable & instruct me how to be more frugal. I have got no Cloaths for myself or Family better than what you have sent; nor indeed any that I could do without — I have neither ^got^ my Chairs for which you sent Bottoms. nor the Pictures which you sent me; put into Frames — ^nor do I chuſe to have them done before you come home^ becauſe of the talk it would make among People
You write to me (you say in earneſt) that you would be glad to see me at Briſtol; but I can take it not other way than in Jest, you mention that you Wrote to me in a former Letter about it & now deſire my thoughts upon it which Letter I never received & so am uncapable of giving an Anſwer only this much I can say I can't con­­ceive how you think it poſsable for me to leave my Family (one of which is a Child of but a year old) to go to Briſtol — I think if I should do it, all the world would say I had not any Senſes — but
but had it been no more difficult for me to go Briſtol than it is for you to come Home I should have embraced your Invitation at firſt Sight & with all my Heart; and why then will you not accept of my frequent; my con­­tinual Invitations to come home; which I have often made to you — I want to see you very much & have a great deal more to say than I can say by way of Letters or than it would anſwer to say in them for I understand they are all open'd before they come to your hand — but this I deſire of you that you would in your next Letters tell me when you deſign to come home, & I ^alſo^ requ[gap: stain][guess: eſt] that it may be no longer than the Fall [gap: stain] before I ^may^ see you here — Children send much[gap: stain] tho' they have almoſt forgot that they ever had a Father — you dieſire ^me^ to inform you what Things I want in Family — they are as follows (viz) some dark colour'd thing for your two Daugh­ters & little Son's every [illegible]Day, common, Gowns [illegible] Winter — 5 Yards of red Baize — a Winter Gown for myself to wear to Meeting — a silk Handkerch­­ief for myself & 9 Small Do for the Children ^& a Sack of Pins^ — and Hannah will want some courſething for a Winter Gown to wear to meeting next Winter —
M.r Woodward has been gone from Norwich five Months (& is now keeping M.r Wheelocks School) & as we had no school here for a long time § § I sent Jamey to that School where he continues yet — M.r Woodward send his Regards & Reſpects to you & ^also^ to M.r Occom & wiſhes you much more Succeſs — M.r Occom's Family are all well — pray for Me & our Family — & accept of moſt sincere Love & Reſpects from
Yours loving Wife ('till Death Sarah Whitaker
To the Rev.d Nathl Whitaker
To The Revd Nathaniel Whitaker In London To the Care of M.r Rob.t Keen} Woollen-draper in the [illegible][guess: Minories]} London; of whom Miſs Whitaker} deſires that this Letter be not open'd 'till it comes} to M.r Whitakers Hands}
[bottom]Miſs Whitaker deſires that this Letter be not open'd 'till it come to M:r Whitakers Hands
From mrs Whitaker of April 21. 1767 recd July 7. 1767
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