Z699/88

Rachel May to Priscilla May 21 May 1832 Painswick. 5th mo 21st 1832 I will not my dear cousin occupy much of this paper with a repetition of apologies for my procrastination though I could with great sincerity enlarge in strong terms on the regret I feel for having so long delayed writing to thee. The visiters [sic] we were expecting when I wrote to dear Aunt came at the time proposed Cousin Edward Atkins & Sarah Paul staid till the following fourth day and my Cousin Secretans remained two weeks longer with us we had several very pleasant excursions one was to the village of Randwick where a benevolent Lady & Gentleman have been doing great good the villagers were perhaps the most neglected and unprivileged race that could be met with in this land before the Brother & Sister from a sense of duty went to reside amongst them this was only in the twelfth month last at which time the men were almost wholly unemployed J.P.Greaves immediately invited them to repair under his direction their almost impassable roads and in exchange for time they were to be supplied with food and clothing each seeing previously to commencing work the article he was to receive for his labour the time occupied in earning it varying of course according to its value only a few at first were disposed to work on these conditions but many more soon joined them and before the close of the winter J.P.G. had a hundred and seventy men busily employed in transforming miserable roads into such as would not disgrace a nobleman's park when we were at Painswick they had nearly all found employment elsewhere tho' their benefactor is anxious they should do now but when the return of winter again causes scarcity & want he intends recommencing his exertions for the good of these poor people to whom his plans had already been of almost incalculable benefit the village is delightfully situated on the acclivity of a hill the summit of which commands an extensive and beautiful prospect which my Cousins considered very like a Swiss view as they did also several others in this neighbourhood for though the weather was frequently unfavourable we did not allow a fine day to pass without visiting one or other of the attractive spots with which we are surrounded - We spent one day at Gloucester and nearly three hours in viewing the interior of the Cathedral it was the first time I had been into a building of the kind and I was exceedingly gratified the architecture is of different periods and the style of each considered good specimens of the prevailing style, that in the Choir and Chapel of Our Lady is the {highest} perfection of the Gothic and extremely beautiful The Monuments are several of them very interesting one of poor Edward the Second is thought to be for its date the finest piece of sculpture in England. I regretted my Cousin did not make a longer stay the days they spent with us were some of the pleasantest I have passed in Painswick. Cousin A.Merrell is now from home gone she went to attend the funeral of a relation of her Husband who resided in Wiltshire I believe Aunt D. was well acquainted with him and will feel concerned to hear of his death his illness was a very short one being seized with paralysis on fourth day and only survived till the first day following his remains were interred at Colne last sixth day I must not omit to add his name was Bullock I was pleased to find by Aunt's letter that you were all well I suppose your little visitor occupies much of thy time I hope her Mamma will be favoured with a safe confinement and be speedily restored to health - - - I hear the little [bundling] at Hertford is very cross as they all have been when so young it must be a sad thing for Sister to be so disturbed and retard her recovery. it is kind of Uncle to liberate Frederick to attend the Yearly Meeting I hope he will reap profit as well as pleasure from it I am pleased to find you think he improves as he is so kind as to tell him of his deficiencies which you know he can remedy I should be sorry he should be remarkably awkward - I suppose many friends are making their way to London I think it would be a pity for any to feel discouraged on account of the unsettled nature of the times or the Cholera though I suppose the latter has so far subsided as scarcely to cause alarm even to the most timid thy dear Parents will I trust no cause to regret being there at a time when it seems particularly needful there should not be a falling off. We had a very satisfactory visit from John Wilbur and Daniel Hack. Uncle having travelled with the former was an agreeable introduction for me and we met as old friends. So Jane Morris is at last married the affair appears to have been very long in hand poor Mary Ann & her friend are to be pitied disappointment seems likely to await them Edward Bowley was married last fifth day to Susan Wilkin a very good wedding neither of them making the best appearance of friends nor her relations with the exception of her mother they were settled in Cirencester. David's wife is in delicate health she has lately taken the measles her Brother Henry Saunders who was on a visit at C. was taken ill last second day and is now confined to their house with the small pox Caroline and William Powly who live next door are anxious on their child's account H.S. having undergone vaccination, and other instances having occurred of it not proving a safeguard they fear their darling is not safe in danger it is not at all surprising they should fear for this their only and very engaging child A letter I yesterday received from Mary Ann Fry gave a good account of herself and family. she had a fourth son about six weeks ago they have named him Lewis her little daughter is not at all satisfied that she has not a sister I am about to commence taking in the {P...?} I am told it had three great recommendations that it is very instructive very amusing and very cheap we have been very well supplied with books almost ever since my return from Bristol some of them came from thence we have now a lack of new publications but I hope we may obtain some soon.- I did not intend after so long a silence to have sent thee a letter requiring an apology quite as much as this does but feeling it needful to return the deeds to Ursula to day I wished to enclose this in it the parcel and have in consequence gone blundering on without taking sufficient time to write carefully I am glad to hear Uncle Morris and Cousin Maria are well my love to them, Aunt D. and Cousins. Believe me my dear Priscilla Thy affectionate cousin Rachel May. I hope I may have a proof that thou excused my negligence by thy writing me soon a long letter I am obliged to Aunt D. for hers She must excuse my replying to it now - Priscilla May [Seal : DINNA FORGET with a thistle.] Ampthill

21 May 1832

From: 1832 To: 1832

No. of pieces: 1

paper

item

May, Rachel,
May, Priscilla,
Atkins, Edward,
Paul, Sarah,
Greaves, J.P.,
Merrell, A.,
Wilbur, John,
Hack, Daniel,
Morris, Jane,
Bowley, Edward,
Morris, Mary Ann,
Wilkin, Susan,
Saunders, Henry,
Bowley, Susan,
Powly, William,
Powly, Caroline,
Fry, Joshua,
Fry, Joshua

unemployment, LABOUR, town & local roads, smallpox, vaccination, church architecture, monuments, cholera, Painswick, Randwick, Gloucester, Wiltshire, Hertford, Colne [Huntingdonshire], London, Cirencester, Bristol