From Joseph Butterworth to his daughter Elizabeth Waters (June 17, 1816)

[Joseph Butterworth to his daughter. Elizabeth Waters]
Addressed to Mrs Waters, No 8 Cecil Place, Portsmouth

Rochdale June 17h. 1816

Dear Daughter,

I am very sorry to inform you of the Death of your Brother Edmund, he died this Morning about 5 0 Clock, after a most lingering Sickness, tho’ never attended with much pain. He was quite sessible & tranquil to the last moment & perfectly resigned to leave this World. He had received the Sacrament twice which seemed very much to console him, & to give him that Hope, which I trust we may all have at our Dissolution. I mean to bury him on Thursday Morning. The Distance precludes you & Mr Waters from attending his funeral. I mean to have it as private as possible, none but my own family & Dr.Dunlop & Mr Horton. It may possibly give Offence to our Relations in Rossendale, but this I cannot help.

Your letter to Alice gave us all much pleasure you write in high spirits, which I am very glad of – Your Daughter Jane is very well & is quite a Pet among all of us. She is so much improved that I am sure you would neither of you know her – you seem to think her a prodigy, by wanting to know if she can walk & talk, she can do neither yet, but there is no doubt she will ere long. My Aunt thanks you for your letter to her, she is not accustomed to write, & as such was obliged to get Alice, who I understand did not make an apology for her not writing herself. My Aunt is an excellent Nurse for Jane & very fond of her. She wishes me to say it must want for nothing that lays in her power to provide. There has been some unexpected Changes here besides. Mr Hott of Bridge End is dead & buried some four weeks ago — Messrs Gould Manufacturers have stopped which will be a bad thing for the Neighbourhood. They have brot in many to a large Amo.t. the Bank they say wants from 4 to 5 Thousand pounds, a great Number of hands are consequently out of Employ who cannot from the general bad trade get work elsewhere almost all the other merchants are reducing their Workpeople to one half work to what they have had, I never saw so bad a prospect as at present. My Aunt, Alice, Benj: & all my Family join me in respects to you & Mr Waters

and remain Dear Daughter

  your affect. Father

  Joseph Butterworth

(faintly in pencil) My Dear Father’s letter

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