[Thomas Waters, R.M., to his wife, Elizabeth]
Addressed to Mrs Capt.Waters R.M., King Street, Woolwich
Bull Plain Hertford 25 Sept. 1842
My Dear Wife
Your Letter of 15th came to hand. I called on young Brutton the wednesday after you left me, he did not recollect me at first and ran from me into one of the wards, the nearest at hand, where after a short time a nice tempered looking jolly man and woman came to the door with him, laughing, said he came in crying and told them that some one wanted to take him away, but upon my reminding him of his visit to me with his father the week before, he said he did know me now. I wrote to his father the same day telling him that his son looked well and happy and acquainting him with my reception, I received an answer expressing his gratification and “their united best thanks for my friendly visit to the dear fellow.” but the Capt. could not help smiling, he said, at the dear little fellows idea of my coming to take him away, this no doubt arose, the father said, from his telling his son so frequently never to go anywhere with a stranger, without leave, however on the following wednesday when I called, the child knew me quite well and came to me as soon as he saw me and was anxious for me to take him out for a walk for he had not been out since his father left him, the child was in high spirits and looked very well, he showed me the play ground, a good sized field adjoining the school, he showed me the outside of their sick hospital which I used to take to be their chapel, a 3 or 4 story building, the child did not like to lose sight of me until I had taken him for a walk, he did not want his dinner, however I persuaded him to have his dinner and I went with him to the large room where all the boys dined. it seems the boys are divided into eight wards, each ward superintended by a very becoming looking woman, well dressed but not lady-like, perhaps about thirty or forty years of age, called a nurse, the name and number over the door of the respective wards which are to be seen from the square, as for instance, Nurse Meredith No.8, where young Brutton resides, but the boys all dine in one large room at eight tables where each Nurse carves at the table of her respective charge, the dinner bell rang at 1/2 past 12, a signal for the boys to wash their hands and then to proceed up stairs to the dining room at each end of which there is a stove,(not lit of course,) that has no top flue, the boys sat on forms at their respective tables while the older boys were bringing up the dinner two & two in tubs and bowls after which a boy got up into a pulpit on one side of the room, the boys stood up with their backs to the pulpit and at the opposite side of the room was a Superintendent with, I suppose, his wife, they simply looked on to keep order excepting that the superintendent, previous to the commencement of grace, gave three loud and very deliberate raps on the table or desk with a sort of auctioneer’s hammer, when the boy in the pulpit commenced reading a short Lecture with a peculiar voice, at the end the boys responded, then a prayer followed, the boys on their knees, and after that grace, the boys standing, and then the boy descended from the pulpit, and the carvers commenced operations upon the roast legs and shoulders of mutton in very quick time, some of the boys were helping bread, others potatoes and others meat, all on wood, dishes and tranchers the whole of the victuals that were brought in were served out, bones and all, without breaking, or separating the knuckle from the leg, at least. if any were left after the boys were served, the nurses took the remains on a trencher round their tables to any of the boys that would like more, and the bread that some of the boys did not eat was offered to those who chose to have it, by the nurses, there were beer and water to drink, the salt was in tubs holding about 1/2 a pound each. Robert Brutton would not wait until dinner was over, he got his ticket of leave before dinner, therefore, as soon as he had dined he went to the superintendent and got permission to retire, if you come here again it would be worth your while to see the whole process of dining, it is done with such admirable order, considering about three hundred boys, from 7 or 8 to 10 or 12 years of age, the Superintendent, and his wife, I suppose, people about 40 or 50 years of age, stood in one place the whole time, with their eyes fixed upon what was going on, not a servant entered the room, every thing was done by the boys excepting carving the joints. I took Brutton a two hours ramble, to me a rather tiresome one, chiefly about the town, he wanted a penny trumpet, but none could be got, except an indifferent one, for less than fourpence, there are only two shops in the town where they sell toys, at last the lad decided upon having a horse and cart, but when he offered his two brass halfpence they would not do, for they would only pass in the school, the child was ready to cry, for he had paid the coin, which he had been told, in the school, would not pass, and had left the shop with his toy exulting when he was called back to return it, but I prevented the little fellows disappointment by paying a penny myself. it seems the boys are allowed Wednesday and Saturday a penny each time but it would not pass current beyond the walls of the school, round bits of metal without beauty, bearing the hospital stamp which passed at the shop within the premises, I was told by the Superintendant that the boy must be in by 7 oC. but I saw him in by 1/2 past 3, I shall have no objection to take him out now and then, but not often, he wanted me to call for him next day, or saturday or Sunday, or come on sunday evening to hear a lecture from a clergyman in the dining room, the only time when the girls are in company with the boys, but I declined the invitation- I am not satisfied with Elms, if I were at Head Quarters it would not do, I should try for another, the afternoon of the 17th he was too drunk to come near me, and the morning of the 23rd past 8 oC. when I went to look for him he was coming out of his Quarters, Your Note of the 22nd came to hand this Morning, it gives me great pleasure that Benjamin is recovered and that Jane is much better, but much pain that Mary is so ill, it appears to me that her illness was brought on by a shock at seeing Dr.Parkin’s window-shutters closing in the day time, which has caused her bowels to be disordered, perhaps by knowing the cause, the cure may be easier found, but I am very sorry for the childs suffering, it seems to me that it is her mind that requires composing chiefly, perhaps if Miss Gibson were to call in it might tend to comfort her, or it may be that indisposition was coming on the child when you returned and that the shock of seeing the shutters closing brought it out and I hope for the best, with your care and the Almighty’s Blessing, and Ann’s illness I am sorry for, hers seems a serious case. I hope it will please the Almighty to bless you with health and comfort, I shall be glad if you can get a girl that will suit you, as you hire a washerwoman. the girl’s not being able to wash will not be of so much consequence to you now that you have not an infant to wash for, but I think the girl must have been badly brought up to require teaching in everything and is a great discredit to her mother, however I have no doubt you will soon find out what she is and whether she is worth teaching. Your nurses’s daughter or some such person would be valuable to you- By all means let Elizabeth learn to draw whenever you think proper. You have done right to write to your Brother for a piece of flannel for the winter, a great comfort that I should be sorry for you to be without and Mary is right to wish you to have the right Lancashire flannel from your Brother, and I am sure you do right to continue the use of the salve for your face as long as you think it serviceable, it was not from a want of washing your face, I am sure, that it became ill, nor need you to be told to keep it clean washed, however I hope the Almighty’s Blessing will yet be on you and continue you a comfort to your children and husband, I think you had better ask Mr.Baird for the Recipe for the salve, and where it is best to get it made up. Poor Elizabeth’s thumb I am sorry for, it will be painful I have no doubt, and very painful, a whitlow is what they call in the west country a nimpingang [both terms refer to a painful infection of the finger]. I think they used to apply a shoemaker’s plaster of wax to draw it to a head, and then let it with a pin or needle, it often causes the loss of the nail, which perhaps will be the case with Elizabeth, I lost one or two when I was a child, but they are not dangerous, on the contrary I think they do good, as painful as they are. With best wishes for the recovery of my Dear Child Mary and Love to the Whole of my Children I remain my Dear Wife
yours most Affectionately
Thos. Waters