Travis Isle March 23 – 1799
Dear Cousin Mariann

I was sorry not to have a
letter from you by my Cousin Matt he told me
you were all well and that little James was a
very good boy give my love to him, - Mr Shepperd
dined here yesterday Jonathan said he wanted
to write to him, did you see Jonathans funny
letter to Tom – I hope you will come to Travis Isle
this summer I shall be very glad to see
you & Bessy, it is a very fine morning and we
are writing before breakfast there are five yellow
crocus’s come out on the grass plot and you can =
not think how pretty they look I wish you could
see them – how does your Mother & Father & Miss
Roberts give my love to them, - my Aunt & Mary &
Aunt Hannah are very well Grandpapa is got
quite well again, our garden looks very pretty
the buds are coming out upon the trees –
[new page]
Miss Roberts is well and sends her love
to you – we are trying to play at leap cord
can you play it because I saw your cord when
you lived in Deansgate I cannot do it well yet
but hope I shall before I am come home, -
Susanna Bateman came to play with us the other
day she went over the cord one hundred & thirty
four times without stopping once, -
I hope you will write me a letter soon –
I believe I shall not go with my papa to fetch Tom
home Papa says he will return with Master
Duckworth – Jonathan is going to write Cousin
Bessy on the other side of this paper, -
I suppose cousin Bessy Boardman will come
home soon – Papa did not get up till 8 O Clock
this morning after being call’d three times do not
you think he was lazy – Farewell
& believe me your Affect Cousin
Bessy Hatfield
[new page]
[change hand] Travis Isle March 13
1799
My dear Cousin Bessy
I hope you will write to me,
for I like to have letters from any body – we have
a very neat garden and my papa is walking in it,
Bessy & I have had a bad cold but we are better now
[damaged] had company on Wednesday and they {?gon} there
[damaged] very nicely at night, and I heard them – [damaged]
[damaged] Miss Roberts has got a nice myrthle and it [damaged]
very green, - Miss Canby is well, we are going
to Chapel this morning in a coach – my Aunt Hannah
gave Bessy & I a bird cage but we have not made use
of them; do you think it would be cruel to keep birds
in them, I am afraid it will for if we should forget
to feed them they will die – the Sun rose very early
this {^morning} and {^the} little birds sing here very sweetly – it rain’d
very fast yesterday afternoon – Mr Shepperd will
bring you this letter – Goodbye Cousin Bessy –
give my love to Tom from Yr Affecte Cousin J Hatfield
me I will wrote to him this week by Cousin John Hatfield
[new page]
Miss N A Nicholson
Gateacre

Travis Isle March 23 – 1799
Dear Cousin Mariann

I was sorry not to have a
letter from you by my Cousin Matt he told me
you were all well and that little James was a
very good boy give my love to him, - Mr Shepperd
dined here yesterday Jonathan said he wanted
to write to him, did you see Jonathans funny
letter to Tom – I hope you will come to Travis Isle
this summer I shall be very glad to see
you & Bessy, it is a very fine morning and we
are writing before breakfast there are five yellow
crocus’s come out on the grass plot and you can =
not think how pretty they look I wish you could
see them – how does your Mother & Father & Miss
Roberts give my love to them, - my Aunt & Mary &
Aunt Hannah are very well Grandpapa is got
quite well again, our garden looks very pretty
the buds are coming out upon the trees –
[new page]
Miss Roberts is well and sends her love
to you – we are trying to play at leap cord
can you play it because I saw your cord when
you lived in Deansgate I cannot do it well yet
but hope I shall before I am come home, -
Susanna Bateman came to play with us the other
day she went over the cord one hundred & thirty
four times without stopping once, -
I hope you will write me a letter soon –
I believe I shall not go with my papa to fetch Tom
home Papa says he will return with Master
Duckworth – Jonathan is going to write Cousin
Bessy on the other side of this paper, -
I suppose cousin Bessy Boardman will come
home soon – Papa did not get up till 8 O Clock
this morning after being call’d three times do not
you think he was lazy – Farewell
& believe me your Affect Cousin
Bessy Hatfield
[new page]
[change hand] Travis Isle March 13
1799
My dear Cousin Bessy
I hope you will write to me,
for I like to have letters from any body – we have
a very neat garden and my papa is walking in it,
Bessy & I have had a bad cold but we are better now
[damaged] had company on Wednesday and they {?gon} there
[damaged] very nicely at night, and I heard them – [damaged]
[damaged] Miss Roberts has got a nice myrthle and it [damaged]
very green, - Miss Canby is well, we are going
to Chapel this morning in a coach – my Aunt Hannah
gave Bessy & I a bird cage but we have not made use
of them; do you think it would be cruel to keep birds
in them, I am afraid it will for if we should forget
to feed them they will die – the Sun rose very early
this {^morning} and {^the} little birds sing here very sweetly – it rain’d
very fast yesterday afternoon – Mr Shepperd will
bring you this letter – Goodbye Cousin Bessy –
give my love to Tom from Yr Affecte Cousin J Hatfield
me I will wrote to him this week by Cousin John Hatfield
[new page]
Miss N A Nicholson
Gateacre