Islington
Nov^r 20^th 1809
My dear brother
You will no doubt think me
long in answering your kind letter but I wanted
to answer it when I was at my aunts that
Miss Martins might not see it I think you
are very right in what you say of William
I have written to him and apologised for not
doing it before although I can not help saying
I think he is in the wrong I had a letter from
my papa on Wednesday I am surprised to
hear he has been to {?Brixton} I hope it will
set him up for the winter and take away his
rhumtaic pains he says he cannot come to
London this Christmas I hope he will come
in the spring and you with him or I shall
be very much disappointed My cousin Spear
is with me to day at my aunts she is to spend
her Christmas holidays at Bath with M^r &
Mrs Jay she likes the thoughts of it very
Much I am sorry to hear that my Grand=
Mama is so poorly I hope these [illeg] {^I hope} will
make you and I more thoughtful about death
and eternal things
[new page]
My cousin Wilson will I have no doubt
fill up the sheet and as I am in a hurry I
must conclude by begging you to excuse this
short letter from
your very affectionate sister
R Bateman
P.S. love to all friends and excuse very vile
Scrawl
[change hand]
My dear Thomas/
I have been engaged with
a lady & Rebekah is gone hastily away & it
seems by her letter she has no doubt but
that I will add {^a} few lines & {?lest} you
should imagine I am unwilling so to
do I immediately begin . We have lately
been to see Joshua at Cambridge &
I was quite delighted with it the Colleges
Are very pretty, particularly Trinity College
& the chapel belonging to King College it
Is I believe reckond one of the finest
Pieces of Gothic architecture in England
It is not very large but the Workman=
=ship is extremely beautiful I was highly
diverted by the attire of the gownsmen
they all wear gowns & such droll hats
with a flat crown & tassles hanging from
[new page]
the top the noblemen’s sons have gold on
their gowns & gold tassels . Joshua comes
home in about a fortnight with M^r
Harris who is to supply at the Chapel
during the vacation M^r {^John} Cockin is now
at {?Hopton} & I assure you I could not
have had an idea he was so deformed ,
in his exterior; that is truly piteable
but his interior is quite the contrary
he is thought in London to be a very
clever young man & certainly he has a very
well informed mind; by his conversation
we may easily perceive he is a young
man of extensive reading . How do you
[deleted] proceed in your drawing ? I suppose
You have come on nicely I have
finished painting my blind & I am
going to attempt painting on glass I
think of doing a lamp . I am sorry
to find my uncle is not coming till
Spring & as then Rebekah will not be
at home, but it will be a more
favorable time for you to visit our
fine city & I hope you will be
pleased with it . Papa is going to town
& is to take my letter which obliges
Me to leave off abruptly Give my
Love to uncle & {?Couz} & believe me
Your very affectionate Couz R Wilson
Excuse bad writing, favor me in your next
[new page]
Mr Thos Bateman Jun^r
Everton Hill
Liverpool

Islington
Nov^r 20^th 1809
My dear brother
You will no doubt think me
long in answering your kind letter but I wanted
to answer it when I was at my aunts that
Miss Martins might not see it I think you
are very right in what you say of William
I have written to him and apologised for not
doing it before although I can not help saying
I think he is in the wrong I had a letter from
my papa on Wednesday I am surprised to
hear he has been to {?Brixton} I hope it will
set him up for the winter and take away his
rhumtaic pains he says he cannot come to
London this Christmas I hope he will come
in the spring and you with him or I shall
be very much disappointed My cousin Spear
is with me to day at my aunts she is to spend
her Christmas holidays at Bath with M^r &
Mrs Jay she likes the thoughts of it very
Much I am sorry to hear that my Grand=
Mama is so poorly I hope these [illeg] {^I hope} will
make you and I more thoughtful about death
and eternal things
[new page]
My cousin Wilson will I have no doubt
fill up the sheet and as I am in a hurry I
must conclude by begging you to excuse this
short letter from
your very affectionate sister
R Bateman
P.S. love to all friends and excuse very vile
Scrawl
[change hand]
My dear Thomas/
I have been engaged with
a lady & Rebekah is gone hastily away & it
seems by her letter she has no doubt but
that I will add {^a} few lines & {?lest} you
should imagine I am unwilling so to
do I immediately begin . We have lately
been to see Joshua at Cambridge &
I was quite delighted with it the Colleges
Are very pretty, particularly Trinity College
& the chapel belonging to King College it
Is I believe reckond one of the finest
Pieces of Gothic architecture in England
It is not very large but the Workman=
=ship is extremely beautiful I was highly
diverted by the attire of the gownsmen
they all wear gowns & such droll hats
with a flat crown & tassles hanging from
[new page]
the top the noblemen’s sons have gold on
their gowns & gold tassels . Joshua comes
home in about a fortnight with M^r
Harris who is to supply at the Chapel
during the vacation M^r {^John} Cockin is now
at {?Hopton} & I assure you I could not
have had an idea he was so deformed ,
in his exterior; that is truly piteable
but his interior is quite the contrary
he is thought in London to be a very
clever young man & certainly he has a very
well informed mind; by his conversation
we may easily perceive he is a young
man of extensive reading . How do you
[deleted] proceed in your drawing ? I suppose
You have come on nicely I have
finished painting my blind & I am
going to attempt painting on glass I
think of doing a lamp . I am sorry
to find my uncle is not coming till
Spring & as then Rebekah will not be
at home, but it will be a more
favorable time for you to visit our
fine city & I hope you will be
pleased with it . Papa is going to town
& is to take my letter which obliges
Me to leave off abruptly Give my
Love to uncle & {?Couz} & believe me
Your very affectionate Couz R Wilson
Excuse bad writing, favor me in your next
[new page]
Mr Thos Bateman Jun^r
Everton Hill
Liverpool