Ashenhurst Wednesday June y^e 16^th. 1703.
Honoured Father
I hope this will find you in good health; I must now write you of
my S^tr Hampton, w^ch I have deferr’d some by reasontime because of y^e little real hopes
I had to give you Such an Acc^t. as I desired; Since you went She has been
as busy with Johnson as ever, & either She [del] has had so little Prudence
as to let it be so publickly taken notice of, yt she has exposed her
self extreamly, Johnson was on{^c}e at J^on. Rowley’s & I had notice yt
happening to be at home whilst they were together so I went into y^e
Fold, & sent to her, after Some Time she came to me, I said a great
deale to her about it, & told {^her} if I met with Johnson before he
went from about y^e House I should be very rough with him, & if I
had then Seen him I fear I could {^not} have been able to have parted
peaceably with him, but considering further I was afraid if I had
way laid him, it would have redounded more to her disadvantage,
So I went in againe, but that w^ch when my S^tr. came to me out of
Rowleys house, she told me she would sweare upon a Bible sh those were
her words yt she had not seen {^him}, & afterwards J^on. Rowly told me they
were in y^e Chamber together, I desire you would not interpret any
thing I write as out of any spleene to my S^tr. will lay downe y^e

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Truth as neare as I can without aggravating any Particular; I
was lately told yt Johnson had offered to shew her y^e Counterparts of
Some Deeds but what I know not, & if she were not satisfied with
that he would bring Two Men to be bound in a Bond of 1000^£. for
performance of what he promised {^but wt that was I do not understand} Such likea great deale oftalkat this to such like purpose runs up &
down y^e Country, not about a Weeke ago M^r Walthall told me yt
James Harrison & W^m Gravener were at his house {^some time before} & they talk’d
not only what a kindness Johnson had for my Sister but likewise
yt she had a good liking to him, Last Sunday I was coming fromabroad abt ye {?witnesses}
Lichfieldto Chowsy Deeds, & shemy Str went to Church in y^e Afternoon, & Johnson met
her by y^e Way, {^as she came home} but I am told She was not long with him, J^on. {?Rowly/Rowby}
told me not long ago yt he had heard my S^tr. {^say} She would do nothing
whereby she might forfeit a Part amongst y^e rest of yE Children,
& after all I can scarce think she will be so imprudent as to marry
himJohnson I have not yet told {^her} wt. you ordered me in yE last, but will not
Miss y^e first opportunity I can get, & will inforce it with all y^e
Argum^ts. I can, there is a great strangeness grown betwixt {^us} upon
this Account almost ever since you went, & I am have as it
appeare to me at present but too much reason to feare she will
not {^be wrought upon to} incline to B^d. but will leave nothing unattempted w^ch I can
hope may have any Effect upon her; I have been too long upon this
matter, {^tho’ I might write much more} _{I fear it} will be tedious to you, & ‘tis so much trouble to me {^to thing of ye talk she has given occson} yt there
is little could be more, I am afraid y^e Company she keeps makes her
perverse & headstrong, [square symbol ?insert from below] y^e Liberty she has is her great misfortune {^& I know not how it will be remedied}
I have been with y^e Widow at y^e Well-house, & hope we shall have
Possession there. [square symbol ?insert above] notwithstanding w^ch She is frequently telling me
how seldome she goes from home but [square symbol ?insert above]
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Ashenhurst Wednesday June y^e 16^th. 1703.
Honoured Father
I hope this will find you in good health; I must now write you of
my S^tr Hampton, w^ch I have deferr’d some by reasontime because of y^e little real hopes
I had to give you Such an Acc^t. as I desired; Since you went She has been
as busy with Johnson as ever, & either She [del] has had so little Prudence
as to let it be so publicly taken notice of, that she has exposed her
self extremely, Johnson was on{^c}e at J^on. Rowley’s & I had notice that
happening to be at home whilst they were together so I went into y^e
Fold, & sent to her, after Some Time she came to me, I said a great
deal to her about it, & told {^her} if I met with Johnson before he
went from about y^e House I should be very rough with him, & if I
had then Seen him I fear I could {^not} have been able to have parted
peaceably with him, but considering further I was afraid if I had
way laid him, it would have redounded more to her disadvantage,
So I went in again, but that w^ch when my S^tr. came to me out of
Rowleys house, she told me she would swear upon a Bible sh those were
her words that she had not seen {^him}, & afterwards J^on. Rowly told me they
were in y^e Chamber together, I desire you would not interpret any
thing I write as out of any spleen to my S^tr. will lay down y^e

[new page]
Truth as neare as I can without aggravating any Particular; I
was lately told that Johnson had offered to shew her y^e Counterparts of
Some Deeds but what I know not, & if she were not satisfied with
that he would bring Two Men to be bound in a Bond of 1000^£. for
performance of what he promised {^but what that was I do not understand} Such likea great deal oftalkat this to such like purpose runs up &
down y^e Country, not about a Week ago M^r Walthall told me that
James Harrison & W^m Gravener were at his house {^some time before} & they talked
not only what a kindness Johnson had for my Sister but likewise
that she had a good liking to him, Last Sunday I was coming fromabroad abt the {?witnesses}
Lichfieldto Chowsy Deeds, & shemy Sister went to Church in y^e Afternoon, & Johnson met
her by y^e Way, {^as she came home} but I am told She was not long with him, J^on. {?Rowly/Rowby}
told me not long ago that he had heard my S^ister. {^say} She would do nothing
whereby she might forfeit a Part amongst y^e rest of the Children,
& after all I can scarce think she will be so imprudent as to marry
himJohnson I have not yet told {^her} what. you ordered me in the last, but will not
Miss y^e first opportunity I can get, & will enforce it with all y^e
Argum^ts. I can, there is a great strangeness grown betwixt {^us} upon
this Account almost ever since you went, & I am have as it
appear to me at present but too much reason to fear she will
not {^be wrought upon to} incline to B^d. but will leave nothing unattempted w^ch I can
hope may have any Effect upon her; I have been too long upon this
matter, {^though I might write much more} _{I fear it} will be tedious to you, & it is so much trouble to me {^to thing of ye talk she has given occasion} that there
is little could be more, I am afraid y^e Company she keeps makes her
perverse & headstrong, [square symbol ?insert from below] y^e Liberty she has is her great misfortune {^& I know not how it will be remedied}
I have been with y^e Widow at y^e Well-house, & hope we shall have
Possession there. [square symbol ?insert above] notwithstanding w^ch She is frequently telling me
how seldome she goes from home but [square symbol ?insert above]