Kidderminster
Gateacre 13^th Dec^r 1803
My dear Mary Ann
It is with pleasure I inform {^you} that my
companions & self arrived here safe & in good health abou{^t}
12 o’clock this day without much fatigue from our long
journey which was rendered very pleasant by the agree=
=able company we met in the several coaches in
which we travelled, - you will I doubt not be in=
=trusted by a recital of our adventures – I found
the chaise your father was so good to procure for me
very comfortable, the road being exceedingly slippery, so
much so, that one of the horses fell, but rose again
without receiving any injury, the accident delayed us a
short time, fortunately I was in time for the first
coach, in which I was accompanied by M^r Peter Holland,
& two ladies one of which much resembled your Aunt
Boardman in her manners & the other bore an equal
Resemblance to Nurse Browment, therefore you will
Suppose conversation was not flat, I arrived at Man=
=chester about 12 o’clock & found all my friends well
[new page]
there were a great many enquiries made respecting you
& your brothers & sisters, I saw your Uncle Jonathan & Cou=
=sin Tom Hatfield, the latter looks delicate, but says he
is well, your friends at Travis Isle & Mill are well &
desire to be remembered to all of you – My sister, brot=
=her Rich^d & self, left Manchester between 6 & 7 o’clock in
a long coach, in which were 10 passengers two of whom
were very {?facetious} gentlemen, & afforded us much diver=
=sion, we proceeded from thence through Cheadle, Wimslow,
Newcastle, Stone, Stafford, Pankridge, Wolverhampton,
Stowebridge & then to Kidderminster, you will find the
above places in your maps if you will look for them.
My brother Josiah’s family have been delayed at Bris=
=tol by the indisposition of their childs maid, which pre=
=vents them reaching Kidd^r ‘till tomorrow or Thursday
therefore I cannot give you a description of them at pre=
=sent. I hope my dear Mary Ann, that I shall hear
A favorable account of your & your brothers and sisters
health, be assured I often think of you all, & nothing
will give me greater pleasure on my return than
to find you in good health & to hear {^you} have been good
children, & that you particularly, & Betsey, have been good
& affectionate nurses to your little brothers, poor Hatfield
[new page]
& Dorothy, I shall {^be glad} to hear {^are} much recovered – I think Hat=
=field used to like cocoa, if your {^Father} thinks proper to give
him some, you will find some {?patent} cocoa in the closet,
Margaret will boil a little of Sinsome water about half
an hour, then let it stand to settle before you use it.
Will you give my kind love to your brothers & sister
With best respects to your father, hoping to hear a good
Account, I remain my dear May Ann your very affect^te
Friend Han^h Roberts
Remember me to the servants,
Excuse haste
[new page]
Miss Mary Ann Nicholson
M^r T Nicholson’s
Gateacre,
Near Liverpool

Kidderminster
Gateacre 13^th Dec^r 1803
My dear Mary Ann
It is with pleasure I inform {^you} that my
companions & self arrived here safe & in good health abou{^t}
12 o’clock this day without much fatigue from our long
journey which was rendered very pleasant by the agree=
=able company we met in the several coaches in
which we travelled, - you will I doubt not be in=
=trusted by a recital of our adventures – I found
the chaise your father was so good to procure for me
very comfortable, the road being exceedingly slippery, so
much so, that one of the horses fell, but rose again
without receiving any injury, the accident delayed us a
short time, fortunately I was in time for the first
coach, in which I was accompanied by M^r Peter Holland,
& two ladies one of which much resembled your Aunt
Boardman in her manners & the other bore an equal
Resemblance to Nurse Browment, therefore you will
Suppose conversation was not flat, I arrived at Man=
=chester about 12 o’clock & found all my friends well
[new page]
there were a great many enquiries made respecting you
& your brothers & sisters, I saw your Uncle Jonathan & Cou=
=sin Tom Hatfield, the latter looks delicate, but says he
is well, your friends at Travis Isle & Mill are well &
desire to be remembered to all of you – My sister, brot=
=her Rich^d & self, left Manchester between 6 & 7 o’clock in
a long coach, in which were 10 passengers two of whom
were very {?facetious} gentlemen, & afforded us much diver=
=sion, we proceeded from thence through Cheadle, Wimslow,
Newcastle, Stone, Stafford, Pankridge, Wolverhampton,
Stowebridge & then to Kidderminster, you will find the
above places in your maps if you will look for them.
My brother Josiah’s family have been delayed at Bris=
=tol by the indisposition of their childs maid, which pre=
=vents them reaching Kidd^r ‘till tomorrow or Thursday
therefore I cannot give you a description of them at pre=
=sent. I hope my dear Mary Ann, that I shall hear
A favorable account of your & your brothers and sisters
health, be assured I often think of you all, & nothing
will give me greater pleasure on my return than
to find you in good health & to hear {^you} have been good
children, & that you particularly, & Betsey, have been good
& affectionate nurses to your little brothers, poor Hatfield
[new page]
& Dorothy, I shall {^be glad} to hear {^are} much recovered – I think Hat=
=field used to like cocoa, if your {^Father} thinks proper to give
him some, you will find some {?patent} cocoa in the closet,
Margaret will boil a little of Sinsome water about half
an hour, then let it stand to settle before you use it.
Will you give my kind love to your brothers & sister
With best respects to your father, hoping to hear a good
Account, I remain my dear May Ann your very affect^te
Friend Han^h Roberts
Remember me to the servants,
Excuse haste
[new page]
Miss Mary Ann Nicholson
M^r T Nicholson’s
Gateacre,
Near Liverpool