326 - Rebekah Bateman to Mary Jane Hodson, 29 April 1784

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My Dear Hodson
How long I am to style you so – I do not
fully know fame has wafted it to Manchester yt a very short
space intercepts between you & happiness ‘tis my sincere
wish it may be so – I hope I need not say much by way
of assuring you I am happy to anticipate the thought
of having you my Neighbour or at least an inhabitant
of the same Town – I know you was partial to the place
& give me leave to say I had the vanity to think yt a
small degree of it was to Shudehill – you begin now
to think the above is a serious affair I always thought so
but must give up my ideas which are but faint in compa=
=rison to yours who [deleted] is going to make the experiment
I hope therefore when I see you to gain some profit by your
happy experience happy do I say? Yes: I must still
hold it when [illeg] circumstances tend to make
it so – such as ye approbation of Friends the fidelity of
&c &c --- think my Dear H how pleasing a situation
this to that of those whose connections by mutual affection
[new page]
gives such dissatisfaction – Permit me to suggest to you that
you are sensible of it before that ye happiness of ye former
& unhappiness of ye latter are soon to be put a period to
shoud the happy situation in time have divested you of
thoughts of: & due preparation for eternity how painfull
the event – remember your dying friend Lucy she had I {?have}
not a doubt painted a gay scene & was flush’d with the
prospect of what she thought was in {?reversion} to be disclosed
in some future period – when in the midst of all she was
snatch’d away & summon’d to eternity Oh’ my Dr yt though
still pains me I have still her mournfull look before
my eyes & ye more mournfull {?accents} in my ears – but
whither am I got it has almost insensibly carried me to
a subject I am afraid at this time you will think
unseasonable –
Mrs Buckley was brought to bed last Saturday
I saw her yesterday, & little Girl they both seem very
well for the time. Be so obliging in [deleted] return [deleted]
to present my best compts to your Mamma Grandmamma
Aunt & Cousin Whitbys – Aunt & Cousin Brown Mr & Mrs
Armitage &c with all who enquire after
Your very
Affectionate Friend
R Clegg
Manchester
April 29 1784
[new page]
My sister Miss Clarkson Aunt Uncle & Cousin Robert
Spear Molly Livsey Uncle & Aunt Abram desire their respects
in which I sincerely join
Adieu write soon
[new page]
Miss Hodson
Cuppins Lane
Chester
Favor’d by Mr Hodson
My Dear Hodson
How long I am to style you so – I do not
fully know fame has wafted it to Manchester yt a very short
space intercepts between you & happiness ‘tis my sincere
wish it may be so – I hope I need not say much by way
of assuring you I am happy to anticipate the thought
of having you my Neighbour or at least an inhabitant
of the same Town – I know you was partial to the place
& give me leave to say I had the vanity to think yt a
small degree of it was to Shudehill – you begin now
to think the above is a serious affair I always thought so
but must give up my ideas which are but faint in compa=
=rison to yours who [deleted] is going to make the experiment
I hope therefore when I see you to gain some profit by your
happy experience happy do I say? Yes: I must still
hold it when [illeg] circumstances tend to make
it so – such as ye approbation of Friends the fidelity of
&c &c --- think my Dear H how pleasing a situation
this to that of those whose connections by mutual affection
[new page]
gives such dissatisfaction – Permit me to suggest to you that
you are sensible of it before that ye happiness of ye former
& unhappiness of ye latter are soon to be put a period to
shoud the happy situation in time have divested you of
thoughts of: & due preparation for eternity how painfull
the event – remember your dying friend Lucy she had I {?have}
not a doubt painted a gay scene & was flush’d with the
prospect of what she thought was in {?reversion} to be disclosed
in some future period – when in the midst of all she was
snatch’d away & summon’d to eternity Oh’ my Dr yt though
still pains me I have still her mournfull look before
my eyes & ye more mournfull {?accents} in my ears – but
whither am I got it has almost insensibly carried me to
a subject I am afraid at this time you will think
unseasonable –
Mrs Buckley was brought to bed last Saturday
I saw her yesterday, & little Girl they both seem very
well for the time. Be so obliging in [deleted] return [deleted]
to present my best compts to your Mamma Grandmamma
Aunt & Cousin Whitbys – Aunt & Cousin Brown Mr & Mrs
Armitage &c with all who enquire after
Your very
Affectionate Friend
R Clegg
Manchester
April 29 1784
[new page]
My sister Miss Clarkson Aunt Uncle & Cousin Robert
Spear Molly Livsey Uncle & Aunt Abram desire their respects
in which I sincerely join
Adieu write soon
[new page]
Miss Hodson
Cuppins Lane
Chester
Favor’d by Mr Hodson
Details

Rebekah Bateman to Mary Jane Hodson, 29 April 1784

She suspects that Mary is about to accept an offer of marriage and gets a little carried away imagining her moving to Manchester after so many happy times at Shudehill, she meditates at length about the providential nature of a good marriage, remembering the death of Lucy and her emotional response to it, and providing details of Mrs Buckley's delivery of a child.

Bateman Family Papers

OSB MSS 32 Box 1, Folder 10 [16]

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

1784

4

29

29 April 1784

Manchester

[Lancashire, England]

Miss Hodson, Cuppins Lane, Chester
Favor'd by Mr Hodson

[Cheshire, England]

  • advising
  • enquiry
  • reporting
  • response

  • concerned
  • happy
  • hopeful
  • metaphorical
  • moral
  • positive
  • religious

  • opening
  • throughout (inconsistent)

21-40%

People
Person: Rebekah Bateman
View full details of Person: Rebekah Bateman

primary author

  • ears
  • eyes

  • visiting
  • writing

  • insensible
  • melancholy

  • affection
  • grief
  • happy
  • hopeful
  • love
  • regret
  • sorrow

  • faith
  • memory
  • self
  • sinful

pain

friendship

Person: Mary Jane Hodson
View full details of Person: Mary Jane Hodson

My Dear Hodson

primary addressee

  • happy
  • hopeful

faith

  • courting
  • friendship
  • marriage