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Sarah Holmes (cousin) to Priscilla May 15 June 1826 London 15th of 6th Month 1826 My dear Priscilla I am quite afraid thou wilt think me a very negligent girl in not attending to thy commissions and writing to thee before this time but I know thou wilt make allowance for me when thou comes to consider that since I received thy letter we have passed through a bustling Yearly Meeting and a dismal time we had of it as thou hast no doubt heard from Uncle, wet I think I may say every day and many days a continued rain, I don't know that I can communicate anything particular relating to it which thou wilt not have heard before this time as I suppose thou hast met with thy young friends at Hitchin, many of whom I think were in Town. Altogether it was considered a large Y.M.; I think thou know Martha Smith what a very nice woman she is, she came to see us several times and it is needless to say we enjoyed her company exceedingly, for I think go where he will no one can do otherwise, her husband is a nice old man but there is something very amusing about him. I hear you have had George Wilkey down your way and that John Wise is gone part of his journey with him, John's intended Mother & sister Sarah left Tottenham last sixth day morning for Boston, the latter is looking much better than I expected from the accounts we had heard of her. Francis & William are gone to have a dip in Peerless Pool before breakfast which they seem quite to enjoy this warm weather they have been several times. I was at Gracechurch St Meeting yesterday morning we had a wedding there, and who dost thou think it was, no other than Sarah Ashby, who lived servant with Rachel Beck perhaps thou dost not know her. R.B. & her husband were in the company which was not very large, the young man is a gardener, his name is James Lashwood. How is thy Sister Nancy and her little girl I suppose it grows quite a great girl though now dear little creature how I should like to see it, I fear there is not much probability of that this summer though I shall very much regret giving it up my visit to Ampthill should it so happen, it seems to be pretty much fixed for me to go down into Norfolk in a week or two, my Brother William intends going with me, I had at one time nearly given up the thought of paying a visit there this summer, but it had been long talked of and my kind friends do not seem willing to have it again put off; and I should look forward with great pleasure to paying you a visit at Ampthill the latter end of the summer if I thought it at all practicable, but I must not think of that at present, however delightful the country must look now I quite long to get out of town these beautiful evenings when we are at a loss for a pleasant walk. I hear a deal about the Avenue at Ampthill, those having been witness of the beauty of it, wishing that {it} was within a walk, this increases my desire of seeing [it] John Coleby is to be married next fourth day, and Rachel in about a month the latter passed the meeting this day week which was a part she seemed to dread exceedingly, they got through very comfortably. We understand that Alexander & H.M.Middleton are likely to return soon, this I should have supposed must have been a mistake (had we not heard it from the Wheeler's who I should suppose would be likely to know) for I do not think they had any expectation of returning so soon at the time they left, I should think that Cornelias Hanbury must begin to feel anxious about returning as we hear he is likely to be married in the course of the summer to Elizabeth Sanderson I think this was settled before thou left. Mother is now at Alton where she has been more than a week, I hope she will be nicely recruited before she returns for she was almost overdone with the bustle and seemed quite to want a change, we expect her home on second day, and Rachel with her so I am as thou mayst suppose looking forward to that day with some pleasure. We are quite pleased to hear that Lewis had got through the measles so nicely, what a nice thing it is over dear little fellow you must have felt very anxious about him particularly as he had them so badly. The pasteboard I have procured which I hope will answer thy purpose I thought it rather dear, the coloured was 1/6 the white 1/- I hope it has not put thee to inconvenience my having been so long sending it, I am sure I ought to apologize. Little Mary Pace is come to spend the day here. I must therefore conclude and go and endeavour to amuse her she is an interesting little creature. Brother William desires his love to his Ampthill friends he often looks back with much pleasure to the time he spent there. With dear love to Uncle Aunt & thyself I remain thine affectionately Sarah Holmes P.S. Please not to follow bad example Priscilla May Ampthill.

15 June 1826

From: 1826 To: 1826

No. of pieces: 1

paper

item

Holmes, Sarah,
May, Priscilla,
Smith, Martha,
Wilkey, George,
Wise, John,
Ashby, Sarah,
Beck, Rachel,
Lashwood, James,
May, Nancy,
Holmes, William,
Coleby, John,
Middleton, Alexander,
Middleton, H M,
Wheeler,
Sanderson, Elizabeth,
May, Lewis,
Hanbury, Cornelius,
Pace, Mary

swimming, MARRIAGE, servant, gardener, London, Tottenham, Boston [Lincolnshire], City of London Gracechurch Street, Norfolk