Barton March ^th ₁₂ 1773

your Lancashire Friends unanimously rejoic’d to hear our
Dear M^rs Hare has so far distanc’d her indisposition as to visit
Assemblys & c may you never have any returns of the complaint is the
sincere wish of all your Friends_ we have been here a fortnight on ac-
-count of my Mother health which is but very indifferent at present she
having an intermitting Fever hanging upon {^her} but ’tis hoped the disorder will
soon go off, she has consulted D^r B and he seems to think air exercise
and Bark will effectually remove the complaint which I think has been
brought on by sitting so much with my Aunt Fazakerley who still continues
very indifferent, my Uncle Formby was so much recover’d as to be able to ride
out in the Chaise but last Saturday he had an attack in his bowells which
has shook him vastly, but M^r Pickering says warm weather and exercise
will restore him, my Aunt Nelly is there at present when she is to be married
I am ignorant and I rather think she unditermin’d but the Gent goes there
as before we visited Yorkshire, ‘tis strange to me that they or any other people
shou’d chuse long Courtships, for to me they appear shocking things, being seldom
productive of agreeable circumstances, but generally the source of disquietude, at
least all my acquaintances that have been engag’d in them have found ‘em so,
I am greatly oblig’d to you my Dear for the advice you gave me but the same
obstacle I mention’d to you at Sheffield will ever remain, and has I take every method
of convincing my Friends they are wrong, breaking of the intimacy excepted I
[new page]

[top of page but text upside down] dont mind Jenney the D^r & her are very kind & tender they can take a moonlight walk together from Barton to Ormskirk after tea

Shall think them rather ungenerous not to credit what I assert, as I never yet told
them a falsity therefore it would be wrong to suspect me, I am rather gayish some-
times when in the society of my Friends, but there are few individuals that has a
higher veneration for truth then myself, I think truth and good nature far more valuea,
-ble qualities then great sense and polite address. Madame Kate I hope continues well
her being a great pett with you all I have not the least doubt on, and by the time
her Papa arrives she will be able to run and meet him, and soon will she learn to
lisp out Papa_ the Gloves I flatter myself was right, and the Mint-cakes what you
wish’d for, the Snuffers was so long in arriving that I began to suppose they were lost, but
they were so cheap that I chose to keep ‘em for myself and Friends, if you wou’d pay
M^r Sam Elliott for ‘em and present my thanks to him for the trouble he had in bring-ing ‘em I shou’d be much oblig’d to you, M^r Richard Statham we hear has took a house, but when he pays his respects at the temple of Hymen is uncertain, but whenever that happens I shall pronounce him happy for he has made choice of one whose disposition is very near alike and one whose whole Family entertains the highest estimation of him_ _ the little
Captain is apparently contrary to every ones expectation in a fair way of conquering him
alarming complaints. Ned Smith is as usual whimsical to a degree, he has just purchas’d a
Magic Lantern which engages all his attention, my Aunt Mount and Molly are both well
the latter as pretty as ever and now in great spirits, we purpose going from here to stay a
little with them, and from thence we talk of going to Liverpool for a short visit_ to my Aunts
Molly Taylor has had a slow Fever which has hurry’d her vastly, Richard is very well
and this being the last year of his prenticeship he is quite manly and clever, and
[new page]
vastly busy learning to dance, we have upwards of 50 subscribers to our Assembly
the last was not a very good one only 13 Couple, but the next which is the 3d of May
is expected to be a very good one, M^rs Halsall has no prospect of an encrease to her Family which causes Tommy to be greatly indulg’d by his Grandmama and Aunts I may add
Mama to the number, she very frequently enquires for your Ladyship and M^rs El-liott_ _
Miss Yates the town says is this year to be married this year to M^r Mordaunt but whether
there be any truth in the report I cant pretend to say, he has left Ormskirk [damaged]
[damaged] of {?Halsall}, but he has not yet done duty there, as it never is [damaged]
to quit doing ill and embrace goodness we must hope he will reform _ _ my Mother
writes my Cousin Heskeths and myself in best respects to yourself M^r & M^rs Elliott & a kiss to kitty_ my Cousin Heskeths & mine wait on our Friends at Park Rotherham Wickersley and Doctor Wrights Family_
Am Dear M^rs Hare with the greatest sincerity
Your Friend
JBrownsword

[new page]
M^rs Hare at M^r Elliots
Norfolk Street
Sheffield
Yorkshire
[vertical left hand side] 73

Barton March ^th ₁₂ 1773

your Lancashire Friends unanimously rejoiced to hear our
Dear M^rs Hare has so far distanc’d her indisposition as to visit
Assemblys & c may you never have any returns of the complaint is the
sincere wish of all your Friends_ we have been here a fortnight on ac-
-count of my Mother health which is but very indifferent at present she
having an intermitting Fever hanging upon {^her} but it is hoped the disorder will
soon go off, she has consulted D^r B and he seems to think air exercise
and Bark will effectually remove the complaint which I think has been
brought on by sitting so much with my Aunt Fazakerley who still continues
very indifferent, my Uncle Formby was so much recovered as to be able to ride
out in the Chaise but last Saturday he had an attack in his bowels which
has shook him vastly, but M^r Pickering says warm weather and exercise
will restore him, my Aunt Nelly is there at present when she is to be married
I am ignorant and I rather think she undetermined but the Gent goes there
as before we visited Yorkshire, it is strange to me that they or any other people
should choose long Courtships, for to me they appear shocking things, being seldom
productive of agreeable circumstances, but generally the source of disquietude, at
least all my acquaintances that have been engag’d in them have found ‘em so,
I am greatly obliged to you my Dear for the advice you gave me but the same
obstacle I mentioned to you at Sheffield will ever remain, and has I take every method
of convincing my Friends they are wrong, breaking of the intimacy excepted I
[new page]

[top of page but text upside down] dont mind Jenney the D^r & her are very kind & tender they can take a moonlight walk together from Barton to Ormskirk after tea

Shall think them rather ungenerous not to credit what I assert, as I never yet told
them a falsity therefore it would be wrong to suspect me, I am rather gayish some-
times when in the society of my Friends, but there are few individuals that has a
higher veneration for truth then myself, I think truth and good nature far more valuable qualities then great sense and polite address. Madame Kate I hope continues well
her being a great pet with you all I have not the least doubt on, and by the time
her Papa arrives she will be able to run and meet him, and soon will she learn to
lisp out Papa_ the Gloves I flatter myself was right, and the Mint-cakes what you
wished for, the Snuffers was so long in arriving that I began to suppose they were lost, but
they were so cheap that I chose to keep ‘em for myself and Friends, if you would pay
M^r Sam Elliott for ‘em and present my thanks to him for the trouble he had in bring-ing them I should be much obliged to you, M^r Richard Statham we hear has took a house, but when he pays his respects at the temple of Hymen is uncertain, but whenever that happens I shall pronounce him happy for he has made choice of one whose disposition is very near alike and one whose whole Family entertains the highest estimation of him_ _ the little
Captain is apparently contrary to every ones expectation in a fair way of conquering him
alarming complaints. Ned Smith is as usual whimsical to a degree, he has just purchased a
Magic Lantern which engages all his attention, my Aunt Mount and Molly are both well
the latter as pretty as ever and now in great spirits, we purpose going from here to stay a
little with them, and from thence we talk of going to Liverpool for a short visit_ to my Aunts
Molly Taylor has had a slow Fever which has hurried her vastly, Richard is very well
and this being the last year of his apprenticeship he is quite manly and clever, and
[new page]
vastly busy learning to dance, we have upwards of 50 subscribers to our Assembly
the last was not a very good one only 13 Couple, but the next which is the 3d of May
is expected to be a very good one, M^rs Halsall has no prospect of an increase to her Family which causes Tommy to be greatly indulged by his Grandmama and Aunts I may add
Mama to the number, she very frequently enquires for your Ladyship and M^rs El-liott_ _
Miss Yates the town says is this year to be married this year to M^r Mordaunt but whether
there be any truth in the report I cant pretend to say, he has left Ormskirk [damaged]
[damaged] of {?Halsall}, but he has not yet done duty there, as it never is [damaged]
to quit doing ill and embrace goodness we must hope he will reform _ _ my Mother
writes my Cousin Heskeths and myself in best respects to yourself M^r & M^rs Elliott & a kiss to kitty_ my Cousin Heskeths & mine wait on our Friends at Park Rotherham Wickersley and Doctor Wrights Family_
Am Dear M^rs Hare with the greatest sincerity
Your Friend
JBrownsword

[new page]
M^rs Hare at M^r Elliots
Norfolk Street
Sheffield
Yorkshire
[vertical left hand side] 73