Title
Ann May at Ipswich to Priscilla Strange 20 Oct 1838
Ipswich 10th Mo 20th 38
My dearest Priscilla
My mind turns very often towards thee & thine with much affectionate solicitude, yet have I not after thy kind example employed my first leisure in telling how it has fared with us during our sojourn with endeared relatives & friends, amongst whom we stroll in quest of pleasure - Thy father having reported all that would interest you from Aldeborough, where my time was divided between knitting, reading, & walking upon the beach, my narrative commences on fourth day morning, when we all took our departure, thy F. Louisa & Phebe outside the coach, myself the only passenger within. Charles, Nancy & the girls followed with Pony Ben, the weather favouring our ride was pleasant, and arriving here early in the afternoon our meal was dinner & tea united, all the company looked very well satisfied with meeting in this very comfortable abode, the parlour & staircase appeared quite spacious by comparison with what we had left, yet the lodgings were agreeable in most respects, & we miss the fine commanding view of the sea, an object so magnificent, that one is never tired of contemplating its wonders, thy father had a full benefit from the sea air by almost living on the beach, except being overdone by one excursion on a windy day on the river to Orford, he has uniformly been remarkably well, & I believe, able to feel quite easy about home & its cumbers, which is no easy attainment -
But it is time to assure thee we were very glad of your joint communications, & thankful to hear our darling M.E. was getting on so finely with teething, as to her being a little fretful, nothing less could be expected, as the constitution is bound to sympathize with that painful process - thy arrangements as regards the little nurse are such as we quite approve; trust they may work for thy own relief - as to a servant for us I am satisfied with thy endeavour, knowing nothing more can be done, if H.Wheeler seems perfectly willing to try her modest degree of skill, I would not reject her, but do get Ann to explain the reason for her remark - thy idea about airing the beds is a good one, Mary might be engaged for a day to attend to it -
We had heard of S. & P.Allen's intended movement & that S. & P.Lucas were to be joint inhabitants of that agreeable house, the thought of it being so occupied pleases me much.
We have not yet seen our friends here generally, there has been a sad account of Henry Ransome by letter from him to George, having symptoms of rapid consumption, spitting blood &c. there can be small hopes of his recovery, strange to tell I have not seen James Ransome yet, but account for his not calling from the assurance that he cannot be in very good spirits, as in addition to the above, his matrimonial prospects are at an end, without blame to either party.
We all spent yesterday at Robert R's, were very handsomely entertained & enjoyed it much, the day being so bright, they had pressed our stay for a few days.
We called on E.Broadbank this morning, she is but poorly. Eliza bears her disappointedness well, Joshua Coleby & Sarah Holmes are probably come as they are expecting them. Since taking the pen, the American Packet has come to hand, poor Thomas's letter is painfully interesting, just as we had opened it at tea time & were wanting Charles to enter into the subject, in came George Alexander to consult him about steam navigation & bespeak his attendance at a meeting upon it this evening, but such interruptions are not near, we have not entered into T.Smart's views yet, but I feel much for him under his accumulated misfortunes. I do not know how we, or rather Charles, can judge of the clock without seeing it, wonder thou didst not enclose it with the papers. I approve what has been done with regards H.Wheeler the probability is we shall see home next 4th day week, I do not like unsettling thee for our convenience, but can think of no other way than thy substituting her services for little Mary's until our return, yet cannot urge it.
At present we talk of going by coach to town next 6th day (Louisa will probably accompany us) we shall want to call at Peckham & on thy Aunts, then go to Tottenham 2nd day evening & to Baldock M.M. on 4th having the chaise to meet us at {Hollford} but if Edward has many orders we can leave on 5th. On receiving his intimation relative to J.Y. I addressed a letter to his mother, stating the difficulty of screening him from injury in a busy shop also my belief that some of the faculty would send him to a milder climate without delay in answer to which a very kind & polite letter came full of encouragement on the score of his recovery & grateful acknowledgements for your kind attentions. A.Y. added, that her daughter was enjoying her visit at Hitchin & by thine just received it is pleasant to find the dear youth on the recovery.
1st day returned from meeting Hannah Ransome dining with us tomorrow - we are politely invited by J.Ransome to spend the day, invitations abound I intended to have crossed this scratching but we are to go this evening to Richard Dykes's - I have had a nice long interview with my Sister Holmes - am glad to find her pleased with the prospect of Jane parting with Mary. With respect to H.Wheeler thy F. thinks she can maintain herself till we get home.
Louisa has had a nice letter from Emily she & her mother talk of seeing home about the time we do. They enjoy a round of visitations, but at Alfred's they have had an unwelcome visit from William Curtis who is so far fix'd for his going abroad that by the aid of Frenchay relatives Maria was gone to town to procure his outfit -
I have no time to add but may just add I should have preferr'd going home by railway & to Baldock next day but must leave it -
Thy F. is returned from a walk but has a little palpitation today - in the middle of a general tete a tete accept love from thy F. Nancy & all to dear E. & thyself ever truly with our love to the young men
Thy affectionate Mother -
May & Strange Postmarks : B IPSWICH
Ampthill 22 OC 22 OC21
P.S. Beds 1838 1838