Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    R6/63/33/5
  • Title
    From: Daniel Newcome at Whimple [Devon] To: Duchess of Bedford
  • Date free text
    11 Apr 1720
  • Production date
    From: 1720 To: 1720
  • Scope and Content
    From: Daniel Newcome at Whimple [Devon] To: Duchess of Bedford "Soon after I had the Honour of Your Grace's last Letter I wrote to Cambridge about a Curate for Woburn as Your Grace with great Goodness gave me Leave to take the best Method I could think of to get a proper man. But before I had time to write again to Your Grace, I fell under great Perplexities for my poor Wife, who was for a long time so near Death, that none of us had Hopes of her Life for an Hour together. She was extremely ill for several weeks before her time, and then as soon as she was deliver'd of a fine Boy, she fell into fainting fits, so that she seem'd to be dying all that night, afterwards she was seiz'd with an Ague and Fever, which so much affected me, that she was hardly in the way of recovery before it was my Lot to be much indispos'd. Agues are the general Distemper of this Country at this time, I can not hear that they were ever so rife before, My wife has been abroad about a week and I hope in God the Danger is now pretty well over with us. I give Your Grace this particular Account, how it has been with us, to intreat your Grace's Pardon for my long Delay of answering Your Grace's Letter, which expresses the greatest Goodness to us. It has been no small concern to me, among my other troubles, to think sometimes this long Delay might look as if I had the Ingratitude to neglect any part of the Duty and infinite obligations I owe to Your Grace may it please Your Grace. I heartily congratulate with Your Grace my Lord John's Recovery of the smallpox; I heard nothing of it before I had it from Your Grace's hand. It is very happy His Lordship is got past that Danger and as he had them favourably, I hope they have not hurt his Lordship's eyes. I shall be exceedingly glad to hear of the good continuance of Your Grace's and all the noble Family's Health. My Friend in Cambridge writes me in Answer that he was not in College when mine should have come to his Hand, and that he is sorry they in Cambridge have not such a choice of proper men, as will inable them to recommend without much time spent in search of one qualified as I desire. But that he will take care to do the Business effectually; if it be possible. I have wrote to him again by this post that my Brother is actually remov'd that the Parish of Woburn will be destitute and have desir'd him to send some Friend to Woburn for two or three months, whom I will gratify for serving the place, until I can fix upon an honest and good man, who will be proper to continue there. My wife by advice kept her milk and is a nurse to her little Boy. I hope we shall never forget how merciful God has been to us. My wife begs Leave with me to offer most humble Duty to Your Grace, my Lord Duke, Lord John, Lady Rachel & Lady Betty".
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