Gateacre 27^th May 1804
James Nicholson
Rec^d 31 May to return EN
Dear Mary Ann & Eliz^h
I was very glad to hear you found
all well at Manchester & Great Houghton, except my
Uncle Hatfield. I suppose my Grandmother was very
glad to see you. Hatfield, Thomas, Dorothy, & myself
are all very well. The peas are come into blossom
& the Laburnums look very pretty. Bell Fletcher
left here last Saturday but one, she went to D^r
Cromptons last Tuesday. The grass is very thinkc in the
Orchard almost fit to cut. Tom Hatfield is very well
Cousin Dolly came to Gateacre last Tuesday.
Hatfield Thomas & myself send our love to all of
you. Will you be so good as to tell my father that
the cow has not calved at half past 9 o’clock, but
is excepted in a short time, & also tell him I woud have
wrote to him but Miss Roberts intends writing {^to} him.
M^r Wainwright of Halewood sent us six crows last
Wednesday which made us two excellent pies & I shoud
Have no objection if he woud send us six more, they
were shot with bows and arrows. I sowed some mustard
& cress in my garden last Tuesday, it was not visible on
[new page]
Saturday night but made its appearance on Sunday
morning. Your gardens come on very nicely your sun=
=flowers are about so ---------------------- high & Mary Anns
Strawberries look very well, your gooseberry tree woud
have been almost eaten away {^by caterpillars} had I not plucked
them off & crucified them. Adieu from yr affect^te brother
James Nicholson
My dear Elizabeth
James has told you so many things that he
has scarcely left me subject for a letter, yet as I know you will
be interested in all that relates to home will endeavour to fill
this blank which was left for a postscript to add. Susan
Travis came to see us the day you left us, she was so smart
I did not know [deleted] her at first sight, she stopped all night
& if I had pressed her think she woud have made a long visit.
Betsy Cross came on Whitsunday, she looks very thin & much
worse than when she left here, she was much surprized to see
your sister Dorothy grow so much, she thought we shoud {?starve}
her when she was gone she said. I was much surprized last
Wednesday morning {^at 7 o’Clock} by the unexpected arrival of three gentlemen
To breakfast with me, M^r Griffiths & two M^r Nicholsons one of Manchr
the gentleman to whom my cousins go to school & his brother from
Ludlow, we spent an hour very pleasantly & then the walked
to the Blue Bell & purposed taking the coach to Manchr
I have been very busy since you left us, & don’t expect to have
any time to spend idly before you return, you know you were afraid I shoud
not be able to employ myself, but where there is an inclination people may always
find [deleted] something to do. Pray give my love to M A & respects to yr fr and mother
Adieu &c K Roberts

Gateacre 27^th May 1804
James Nicholson
Rec^d 31 May to return EN
Dear Mary Ann & Eliz^h
I was very glad to hear you found
all well at Manchester & Great Houghton, except my
Uncle Hatfield. I suppose my Grandmother was very
glad to see you. Hatfield, Thomas, Dorothy, & myself
are all very well. The peas are come into blossom
& the Laburnums look very pretty. Bell Fletcher
left here last Saturday but one, she went to D^r
Cromptons last Tuesday. The grass is very thinkc in the
Orchard almost fit to cut. Tom Hatfield is very well
Cousin Dolly came to Gateacre last Tuesday.
Hatfield Thomas & myself send our love to all of
you. Will you be so good as to tell my father that
the cow has not calved at half past 9 o’clock, but
is excepted in a short time, & also tell him I woud have
wrote to him but Miss Roberts intends writing {^to} him.
M^r Wainwright of Halewood sent us six crows last
Wednesday which made us two excellent pies & I shoud
Have no objection if he woud send us six more, they
were shot with bows and arrows. I sowed some mustard
& cress in my garden last Tuesday, it was not visible on
[new page]
Saturday night but made its appearance on Sunday
morning. Your gardens come on very nicely your sun=
=flowers are about so ---------------------- high & Mary Anns
Strawberries look very well, your gooseberry tree woud
have been almost eaten away {^by caterpillars} had I not plucked
them off & crucified them. Adieu from yr affect^te brother
James Nicholson
My dear Elizabeth
James has told you so many things that he
has scarcely left me subject for a letter, yet as I know you will
be interested in all that relates to home will endeavour to fill
this blank which was left for a postscript to add. Susan
Travis came to see us the day you left us, she was so smart
I did not know [deleted] her at first sight, she stopped all night
& if I had pressed her think she woud have made a long visit.
Betsy Cross came on Whitsunday, she looks very thin & much
worse than when she left here, she was much surprized to see
your sister Dorothy grow so much, she thought we shoud {?starve}
her when she was gone she said. I was much surprized last
Wednesday morning {^at 7 o’Clock} by the unexpected arrival of three gentlemen
To breakfast with me, M^r Griffiths & two M^r Nicholsons one of Manchr
the gentleman to whom my cousins go to school & his brother from
Ludlow, we spent an hour very pleasantly & then the walked
to the Blue Bell & purposed taking the coach to Manchr
I have been very busy since you left us, & don’t expect to have
any time to spend idly before you return, you know you were afraid I shoud
not be able to employ myself, but where there is an inclination people may always
find [deleted] something to do. Pray give my love to M A & respects to yr fr and mother
Adieu &c K Roberts