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Ann May to Priscilla May 10 Oct 1834 Frenchay 10th Mo My dear P. It was not until I had most anxiously watched for the post this morning that thy welcome letter was received, & then, if such treasure could arrive unseasonably, it did so just in time for me to read it going to meeting - altogether it was highly satisfactory.- I am quite encouraged to hear about dear Nancy's health, the account of Louisa was very gratifying both to her Mamma & me - I hope she is not tired of her visit - By thy not alluding to thy F.'s health I draw a favourable inference - especially as he seems occasionally the companion of thy walks & rides, of the young governor [E.H.S.] I should also have liked more to have been said, also of Charles' lavender harvest &c. yet as "no news" is proverbially good I avail myself of the satisfaction and now in return it seems due to tell thee how our time passes here which is apparently in doing just what we please having every want anticipated and faring sumptuously every day, a state of things not the most favourable to the growth of Christianity when long continued but a little taste of it has I hope done us good by expanding & cherishing the social affections - tomorrow morning our little knot begins to loosen - by my brother Arch taking his departure. I want him to remain here one more week then all join him but neither of my sisters seem in a hurry to depart - I do not like to seem restless or to abridge them of such a beneficial change of air but thou mayst be sure where my heart rests & to what point I feel the greatest attraction consequently shall watch the earliest intimation for moving toward - I am writing in the study & have just answered a message from thy aunt T. consenting to go to Bristol this morning to call upon Arney Frank &c. so as we have pretty constant interruptions to any thing like writing I must briefly give thee a confused narrative of where we have been & so forth. It is just a week today since I was prevailed on to join our whole party to Redland &c., a fly being engaged in addition to the carriage. First we called upon Hannah Tothill whose interesting conversation & politeness are as thou knowest beyond my feeble powers of description - her husband is most ardently engaged in the rail road concern expecting if successful to derive a handsome emolument from it. His father was to be there by this time & we are now going to invite them to join Samuel & Sarah Waring to dinner here on 7th day but I should say one of our calls was on the latter in their new house in which was very much to admire thy F. would have enjoyed it - Sarah in her most perfect ease & freedom showed us all over to the very kitchen & dairy, in which is a bath, a nice greenhouse is attached to the dining room in short nothing can well be more complete, but the situation from the beautiful surrounding scenery exceeds all. From thence we drove to Northcote, W.Ball's temporary residence - and another beautiful spot - Ann received us with great simplicity & kindness, W.B. was absent, two of the Fosters were on a visit & have since call'd here with A.B. there was other company not of us and in the midst of it in came M.A.Schimmelpennig & her companion Fanny Millard a zealous millenarian - we left them but just in time for dinner at J.S.Fry's he was but poorly they were all going to Weymouth for his health. Richard & his three sisters with their aunt Sarah Allen all contributed to making a few hours pass very agreeably & we had a pleasant ride home rather late Brother & I in the carriage to be sure. Since then we have made regular visits at Philips' & Francis's of the politeness & elegance manifest in & about my most amiable nieces thou wilt need no description but owing to the continuance of my cough & cold I have not cultivated my acquaintance with them as could have been wished by going in on the how d'ye do though they with their fine boys & husbands separately are often here in that free way we have yet made no formal visit at Alfred's but much enjoyed two calls I like their rural spot the house too with such inmates looks comfortable - they are intending a visit at Staines Town &c. but Helen's situation does not render it prudent to see Caroline which must deprive her of going to Glazen Wood. I believe they go by coach on 7th to Staines, Alfred to visit James Thomas & probably be at Hitchin market the 14th Inst. he then hopes to spend a few hours at Ampthill perhaps on 5th day night 6th day. My brother having concluded to remain until 2nd day I must consider whether this is worth postage - I went to Bristol yesterday & sister & I made a few calls one on Mary Millgrove at the Penitentiary, at the meeting house where Arney Frank is reduced to the necessity of residing but his wife had been dangerously ill & both were from home so we took one cup of tea at J.Prince's had a charming ride & finished tea with our company Philip & Francis were here we met Agatha Millhouse's carriage she was engaged to take a {?} with Mariana at three and has left a daughter of Jacob Reynolds' - I laid down my pen yesterday to walk with Henry in Francis's garden - Mariana with the utmost freedom & politeness shewed me her house & its rich & varied treasures her presents are indeed numerous too splendid to raise my envy but only such as she is familiar with so we will not aim at drawing a parallel as in our lot are included numberless unmerited blessings - After meeting on 4th sisters Arch & Hooper with Henry & Anna walked to Moorend some returned in the Coburg which was to take us to tea at Fish Ponds in the afternoon upon which occasion we had a merry ride my sister pretending to be afraid having a near-sighted driver (Henry) sister T. & Brother A. went in the carriage S.Lean & her agreeable daughter Anna enquired kindly after thee - Today all dine at Philip's which I think we shall much enjoy they are both so very kind & agreeable Anna has shown me all over their very nice & complete house with their sweet healthy lively boy nothing seems wanting to their earthly comfort being blessed with minds capable of appreciating all. I must now tell thee that in looking at Mariana's sofa bed Sister H. observed it was just the sort of thing she was in want of & I thought of thee to be brief we intended meeting the man they employ who works so cheap & well & bespeaking the frame work if not the cushions &c., as it could so easily be packed up & will pay well for carriage. Thy F. did request my attention to it. It seems Dr Tothill is laid up with the gout at home William too busy to join our dinner party tomorrow - I should have told thee that we went to M.Meeting last 2nd day dined at John Beard's & staid tea were most kindly entertained J.Wansborough & his daughter Moxham came there almost engaged me to ride over to Thornbury to see little Henry this brings me to the subject of my dear Lewis I may acknowledge that thy earnestness on his behalf is very endearing but I should not think it right to move in it without informing ourselves more fully both respecting our ground for complaint whether it is or can be removed Lewis thought his master prejudiced against if enquired into it will be placed to his own account we may be sure I do think without intimating a thought of the change to anyone thy F. should have some conversation coolly with J.B. if he still persists in confining L. to the injury of his health which I would again ascertain. I would also make enquiries of Geo. Newman's son but at any rate probably we should not give notice before the third mo. & not then without seeing fresh occasion which Sister Hooper is looking to respecting Charles only - - I hope soon to be favored with a letter from thy F. my sister T. queres [sic] of him what is the total amount of additions made to this time to the 3000 insured in the Provident on her life & also what is the rate of addition to be made annually or septennually in future as alluded to in the advertisement of the Society lately in the papers. Philip keeps up the payment to the widow [?Going] does he right, or not ? Helen is come to say farewell & leave Bessy for the day. She talks of spending next week with Maria at Staines - A good account was lately received from Frederick who was at Copenhagen we should not wonder much at his arrival here any day or hour from Town - My sister H. is reading a delightful looking letter from Emily - Sorry I am to say that almost ever since I have been here brother Arch has been suffering from an injury on the leg from a fall over a step it gets more inflamed & Peter Challar is to see it today as all our poulticing &c. fails of healing - The chief I have yet heard from Town is brother Hooper's account of poor Caroline Curtis's passing thro' town which is humiliating & vexatious in a high degree. My poor brother S [Samuel Curtis] joined them in time to help in getting her out of the glass coach into the stage the whole of which has engaged & had a most troublesome journey they are now in a more quiet state from Caroline having taken to the piano - I find that my sister T. exceedingly shrinks from the thought of Helen's going to hear the sad details of this heavy calamity. I must not stay to reply to thine altho' home & all associated therewith dwells uppermost in my thoughts I might go farther & add my prayers that all our movements & conduct may in degree be influenced by unerring Wisdom. Let us not fail my dear of that solemn & imperative duty of seeking that frame of mind wherein we can feelingly & in the hope of acceptance thro' faith in the promises ask a blessing on thy future path as now marked out my love to E.H.S., trusting & fully believing he is our companion herein - all relating to the house is secondary but I thought thou didst not describe the effect of the alterations whether striking or not - Give my dearest love to thy F. & aunt D. Charles & Nancy Louisa & the dear children - my brother & sisters all beg to join - mine to the young men & servants. I hope to see you all very soon altho' every thing here appears so very inviting - Pray let me hear soon not later than next 5th day. believe me ever Thy truly affectionate Mother My sister Hooper quite well Samuel May Postmarks : E No30 BRISTOL Ampthill 10 OC 10 OC101834 Priscilla Beds. 1834 POST

10 Oct 1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

No. of pieces: 1

paper

item

Strange, Edward Harris,
May, Priscilla,
May, Ann,
May, Nancy,
May, Louisa,
May, Charles,
Arch,
Tuckett, Elizabeth,
May, Samuel,
Frank, Arney,
Tothill, Hannah,
Waring, Samuel,
Waring, Sarah,
Ball, W,
Ball, Ann,
Foster,
Schimmelpennink, A.,
Millard, Fanny,
Fry, J.S.,
Allen, Sarah,
Tuckett, Francis,
Tuckett, Philip Debell,
Tuckett, Helen,
Tuckett, Alfred,
Thomas, James,
Millgrove, Mary,
Prince, J.,
Millhouse, Agatha,
Reynolds, Jacob,
Tuckett, Mariana,
Arch, Sarah,
Hooper,
Lean, S.,
Lean, Anna,
Tuckett, Philip,
Tuckett, Anna,
Tothill, Dr.,
Tothill, William,
Beard, John,
Wansborough, John,
Newman, George,
Tuckett, Bessey,
Tuckett, Helen,
Challar, Peter,
Hooper, Emily,
Curtis, Caroline,
Curtis, Samuel

crops, druggist, harvesting, health, railways, greenhouses, gardening, dairy, clothing, travel, social activities, horse drawn coaches, gout, insurance, injury, piano, post, Bristol, Frenchay, Staines, Hitchin, Copenhagen