Dear Brother
Had I received your first kind
letter, or had I known how closely your business has
confined you at Wytham I should not have pressed
you to have left it to come into Warwickshire, for
indeed my dear Brother though we should have been
vastly glad to have seen you here, it would have
given us pain to have had you put yourself to any
inconvenience on our account. Little William
Augustus was christened last Friday, and a very merry
day we had, you was represented by your old acquaintance
Mr Ingram who came over to stay a day or two with us,
M^r Grove stood for Lord Craven, and old M^rs Grove in
person. I distributed the money you desired me, to the
nurses, which is the only part of the ceremony I wish
abolish’d, it ought to have been, when other vails were
left off. We are much obliged to you for your
thinking of us on the Lakes, xxx M^rs
Craven and M^rs Johnson are both remarkably fond

[f.68v]

of potted Chare, and I hope we shall get to Bath
time enough to eat that you have been so good to
send us in great perfection. We leave Kenilworth
this day sennight, and shall get to Bath on Friday,
M^rs Johnson is so well recovered that I hope she
will be able to perform the journey without being
greatly fatigued, and little William is so well we
have no apprehensions on his account. You
have most delightful weather for all your out of doors
work, I think I never knew a finer season for planting
what part are you at work upon now? We are
all very well, M^rs Craven and M^rs Johnson desire their
best respects to you, pray give my love to Charles &
tell him I will write to him as soon as we get to
Bath, you see they have had the impudence to put
me on the list of persons to serve the Office of
Sheriff for this County, but I have wrote to Lord Hertford
to beg leave to decline that honor. Adieu my dear Bro^r
Believe me very sincerely
your affectionate
R. A. Johnson

Kenilworth
Thursday 20^th Nov^r
1777

[f.69]

G W Johnson Esq^r
Witham Hill
Stamford
Lincolnshire
Mall

Dear Brother
Had I received your first kind
letter, or had I known how closely your business has
confined you at Wytham I should not have pressed
you to have left it to come into Warwickshire, for
indeed my dear Brother though we should have been
vastly glad to have seen you here, it would have
given us pain to have had you put yourself to any
inconvenience on our account. Little William
Augustus was christened last Friday, and a very merry
day we had, you was represented by your old acquaintance
Mr Ingram who came over to stay a day or two with us,
M^r Grove stood for Lord Craven, and old M^rs Grove in
person. I distributed the money you desired me, to the
nurses, which is the only part of the ceremony I wish
abolished, it ought to have been, when other vails were
left off. We are much obliged to you for your
thinking of us on the Lakes, xxx M^rs
Craven and M^rs Johnson are both remarkably fond

[f.68v]

of potted Chare, and I hope we shall get to Bath
time enough to eat that you have been so good to
send us in great perfection. We leave Kenilworth
this day sennight, and shall get to Bath on Friday,
M^rs Johnson is so well recovered that I hope she
will be able to perform the journey without being
greatly fatigued, and little William is so well we
have no apprehensions on his account. You
have most delightful weather for all your out of doors
work, I think I never knew a finer season for planting
what part are you at work upon now? We are
all very well, M^rs Craven and M^rs Johnson desire their
best respects to you, pray give my love to Charles &
tell him I will write to him as soon as we get to
Bath, you see they have had the impudence to put
me on the list of persons to serve the Office of
Sheriff for this County, but I have wrote to Lord Hertford
to beg leave to decline that honour. Adieu my dear Bro^r
Believe me very sincerely
your affectionate
R. A. Johnson

Kenilworth
Thursday 20^th Nov^r
1777

[f.69]

G W Johnson Esq^r
Witham Hill
Stamford
Lincolnshire
Mall