M.r
Dawson Confectioner
Market Place
Feversham
My dear
Child / I fear my long silence
has in some measure caus’d you some
uneasinefs -
yet I trust you have through one channell or other often heard of us.
My delay has not been owing to my tender affection towards you but owing
to our Indisposition of Body - the day you left us I was
obliged to come home after tea & go to bed was very ill for a mont
so that I could not attend ye
Chapell your poor Mother has been so bad with ye
Rheumatism that she has not been out but
once to Chapell since Xmafs & still continues very bad for some time she could
scarcely move hand or foot so that she could not drefs or undrefs Herself so
that I have been oblig’d to do for her as a child her trouble has kept moveing
her from ye sole of her foot to ye Crown of her Head there
it seems now to fix itself we have try’d & used various means but to little
purpose her head now is so bad as wery much affects her sight makes her very
deaf besides such swiming in ye head that a few morning back she fell
2 or 3 stairs down & had the stairs foot door being open would have come head
foremast into ye pafsage so that if she does not get better in a day
or two we must apply to ye Faculty.
Robert told us he had wrote but he never knew ye one half of
your Mother’s Illnefs. Now under all
these tryals I delay’d writing as I could not bear to give you ye
least uneasinefs which I must have done If I’d told you ye truth & no
use to tell you untruth or to deceive you - We have experienced a very severe &
long winter many Familys at Margate haveing suffer’d much through ye
Inclemency of ye Weather & scarcely of Work - our Businefs also is
very Bad so that I’d scarcely done any thing all ye Winter. in fact
had there been much to do I have been very unable to do it but I must Rest
Satisfy’d with ye Dispensations of providence for we must not presume
to Dictate or say unto God why doest thou deal with us thus - but I fully
conceive & find that this is not Resting place but its an Howling Wildernefs a
way that strewed with Briers & thorns but a little more toil & labour we shall
soon get to our Journeys End - I pray god to Enable us by faith & prayer to be
prefsing forward till we lay hold of Eternal life ever looking unto Jesus as our
King & Conquerer our Lord & Saviour - you Hinted George would tell us some droll
stories I think he has he tells us one of a fine pincushion thick Courious by w.h
pins of makeing pillowcases & such like but says he I told them they were
Napkins & that I was Up to their goshops - I suppose you have heard that Geo
Watson was forced to give up Businefs that he is now in a Manner starving only
as his Brothers supply him with a few necefsarys of Life - Hen.y
Adams has taken ye shop & Married Mifs Freebody & turn’d Baker - your
Moth.r has wish’d much to come up but I fear now that we shall not be
able to come this Spring without a
great Alteration - and Abatement in
your moth.rs trouble. but I blefs god that under all our tryals - we
still one consolation of being Blefs’d with ye best of
Child.n it gives me great comfort to hear from Rob.t
you are doing well. that you can
spare money to redeem ye Morgage - which I shall leave to your option
I have hinted it to Boncey & M.r Cobb but you Mention’d 120 but it is
125 which sum I pay ye Int.st for so that with ye
half years Int.st due this Lady will be 128-2-6 - altogether,
now use your pleasure but let me know in a day or two as the money lying dead
will be of no use to any body. If
you think to redeem it better do it this quart.r think of ye
best plan to remit ye money let me know - & if done I shall
give you security with Int.st For ye sum - I hope Moth.r
will be better in a few days she seems better while writing this letter.
Rob.t Family & Dixon are all well Rob.t was here
yest.y all join with us in love to you all hopeing you are all well
Yours
Affectionately - W.m Dawson
Busy at Work
for ye present