M^rs Shepherd is better
M^rs Jo^h also
Have added the things sent to [illeg]
the {?Inventory} {^taken} at your departure
Gateacre 25 Feb^y 1807
Wednesday Even^g
T Nicholson
Rec^d 1 March
Ans:^d 14^th March 1807
My dear Mary Ann
I had great pleasure in receiving your letter
(dated the 16^th put into Post Office the 17^th & delivered to
me the 21^st Instant only) for it confirmed to
me what I did believe & expect, that you woud
find yourself very comfortable, I had long thought
about where I should place you at School, should
I resort to that method of obtaining instruction
For you, & from being attentive & inquisitive on the
subject,I was led to look to Miss Mangnall &
I trust you will second her endeavour with all
your assiduity, to obtain every improvement her
school can afford I hope & doubt not you will
receive much benefit & receive & give satisfaction
I woud impress on your mind the necessity of the
constant use of time through life, & particularly
at School (where you will be more circumscribed
than many other persons) that you may form a
habit, from which all improvement must arise
[crosshatched]
I congratulate you on the success of the Bill for the
Abolition of the Slave {^Trade} which has passed in
the House of Commons by a majority of
267 out of 299 members.
I think you judge right to write to
Miss Mangnall & hope you will find
no difficulty in it, that you will keep
a copy of it & of all the {?Theses} you write
[new page]
The desire of improvement I know you possess the
first requisite for attaining it, the directing that
desire to proper objects, and making true estimate
of the value of each object of human attainment,
& selecting & pursuing the most excellent should be
our study, of the application of them to useful bene=
=volent purposes our practice. Your pursuits at
school are already pointed out; proficiency in the
arts of writing, music, Dancing, Drawing, Needlework
and comprehension in the science of music, Language
& Mathematics can only be attained by a long continu=
=ed attention & practice, which you will proceed in
at school with pleasure, & find easy to advance in
I hope through life afterwards, whenever higher duties
permits; but every other attainment is far below the
regulation of the temper and dispositions of the mind,
to rectitude, to kindness and to gratitude to the giver
of the source of all good, I wish you happiness such
as woud result from possessing a scale of excellence
like the following vis the N^o so denoting perfection
1 Good Sense – 10
2 Good temper – 10
3 Judgment – 10
4 Fortitude – 10
5 Industry – 10
6 Temperence 10
7 Justice – 10
8 Generosity – 10
9 Gratitude – 10
10 Piety – 10
[new page]
Such an assemblage of virtues in perfection we shoud
highly esteem in others, & how deserving of esteem if
we possessed them; we shoud allow no reduction from
the standard of perfection in the five last & get as
high a number as in our power in the first five,
what number would you dispense with in a friend.
M^r Tho^s Turner of Rotherham was so good to take
charge of the articles you wrote for; who no doubt
you woud see when he delivered them, he & M^r Griffith
surprized us on Thursday evening last, M^r G left us
for Ireland on Monday, was very well; desired his
respects to you, & was sorry he was deprived of an
opportunity of calling on you at Warrington –
as you had many letters sent my Tho^s Turner, they
woud relate all occurrences until then, Miss Bagnall intends
leaving us on Friday morning, to stay ten days at Green=
=bank, not to return hither, we are all well, regret your
absence, until we think ‘tis for your benefit, & our
greater future pleasures I beg my respects to Miss Mangnall
& shall be glad to hear your routine of employment for
a week, when you have time to write, & when you want work
give early notice, & say what kind woud best suit you. I am
my dear Daughter your Affectionate Father & Friend T Nicholson
aged 54 this day
[new page]
On the 13 of Feb^y 1807 was felled a beautiful ash tree
No more shall green thy branches bear,
Nor leaves nor blossoms flourish there;
The hand of Man (‘ere that of Time)
Will crush thee in thy early prime;
Soon on the Earth thy head shall lie,
Which once aspiring hailed the sky.
How longa time those took to grow!
Alas! How soon art thou laid low.
13 Feb^y 1807 EN
Miss Nicholson
Miss Mangnalls
Bussey Street
Warrington

M^rs Shepherd is better
M^rs Jo^h also
Have added the things sent to [illeg]
the {?Inventory} {^taken} at your departure
Gateacre 25 Feb^y 1807
Wednesday Even^g
T Nicholson
Rec^d 1 March
Ans:^d 14^th March 1807
My dear Mary Ann
I had great pleasure in receiving your letter
(dated the 16^th put into Post Office the 17^th & delivered to
me the 21^st Instant only) for it confirmed to
me what I did believe & expect, that you woud
find yourself very comfortable, I had long thought
about where I should place you at School, should
I resort to that method of obtaining instruction
For you, & from being attentive & inquisitive on the
subject,I was led to look to Miss Mangnall &
I trust you will second her endeavour with all
your assiduity, to obtain every improvement her
school can afford I hope & doubt not you will
receive much benefit & receive & give satisfaction
I woud impress on your mind the necessity of the
constant use of time through life, & particularly
at School (where you will be more circumscribed
than many other persons) that you may form a
habit, from which all improvement must arise
[crosshatched]
I congratulate you on the success of the Bill for the
Abolition of the Slave {^Trade} which has passed in
the House of Commons by a majority of
267 out of 299 members.
I think you judge right to write to
Miss Mangnall & hope you will find
no difficulty in it, that you will keep
a copy of it & of all the {?Theses} you write
[new page]
The desire of improvement I know you possess the
first requisite for attaining it, the directing that
desire to proper objects, and making true estimate
of the value of each object of human attainment,
& selecting & pursuing the most excellent should be
our study, of the application of them to useful bene=
=volent purposes our practice. Your pursuits at
school are already pointed out; proficiency in the
arts of writing, music, Dancing, Drawing, Needlework
and comprehension in the science of music, Language
& Mathematics can only be attained by a long continu=
=ed attention & practice, which you will proceed in
at school with pleasure, & find easy to advance in
I hope through life afterwards, whenever higher duties
permits; but every other attainment is far below the
regulation of the temper and dispositions of the mind,
to rectitude, to kindness and to gratitude to the giver
of the source of all good, I wish you happiness such
as woud result from possessing a scale of excellence
like the following vis the N^o so denoting perfection
1 Good Sense – 10
2 Good temper – 10
3 Judgment – 10
4 Fortitude – 10
5 Industry – 10
6 Temperence 10
7 Justice – 10
8 Generosity – 10
9 Gratitude – 10
10 Piety – 10
[new page]
Such an assemblage of virtues in perfection we shoud
highly esteem in others, & how deserving of esteem if
we possessed them; we shoud allow no reduction from
the standard of perfection in the five last & get as
high a number as in our power in the first five,
what number would you dispense with in a friend.
M^r Tho^s Turner of Rotherham was so good to take
charge of the articles you wrote for; who no doubt
you woud see when he delivered them, he & M^r Griffith
surprized us on Thursday evening last, M^r G left us
for Ireland on Monday, was very well; desired his
respects to you, & was sorry he was deprived of an
opportunity of calling on you at Warrington –
as you had many letters sent my Tho^s Turner, they
woud relate all occurrences until then, Miss Bagnall intends
leaving us on Friday morning, to stay ten days at Green=
=bank, not to return hither, we are all well, regret your
absence, until we think ‘tis for your benefit, & our
greater future pleasures I beg my respects to Miss Mangnall
& shall be glad to hear your routine of employment for
a week, when you have time to write, & when you want work
give early notice, & say what kind woud best suit you. I am
my dear Daughter your Affectionate Father & Friend T Nicholson
aged 54 this day
[new page]
On the 13 of Feb^y 1807 was felled a beautiful ash tree
No more shall green thy branches bear,
Nor leaves nor blossoms flourish there;
The hand of Man (‘ere that of Time)
Will crush thee in thy early prime;
Soon on the Earth thy head shall lie,
Which once aspiring hailed the sky.
How longa time those took to grow!
Alas! How soon art thou laid low.
13 Feb^y 1807 EN
Miss Nicholson
Miss Mangnalls
Bussey Street
Warrington