From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (May 7, 1825)

[Thomas Waters, R.M.. to his wife, Elizabeth]

Addressed to Mrs.Lt.Waters, R.Marines, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich

No 8 H.M.S.Maidstone Sierra Leone 7th May 1825

My Dearest Love

I am particularly anxious for a Letter from you, not having received one since the beginning of November, dated in the middle of August. Mrs Nicholls I have no doubt will have the goodness to forward any letters to me, would you but send them to her with your request. How are you and my sweet little children? are the little dears recovered from the hooping-cough? how do the charmers get on in their Learning? I hope they are not naughty, I suppose Thomas is able to call Mamma by this time. I should imagine my garden is not in a very thriving state although Thomas, I suppose, often digs and weeds it. I hope my dearest Love you feel more contented and happy than you was when you wrote the last letter which I received. I cannot flatter myself with the hope of seeing you this year, but you know one third of my time afloat is gone and the other two thirds will soon slide away, when, I trust in Providence we shall have many happy years in each others society. I think my three tours will keep me on shore untill I attain my Company. How does House-keeping go on? I hope you are enabled to make the two ends meet, if you cannot, write to Mr. Sillifant and I have no doubt he will send you ten Pounds extra and I hope by next year to be able myself to send you as much more, my mess is not very expensive, probably, you may remember before I left England, it was the plan of the mess, for each individual to drink wine only when he pleased, excepting particular days, and of course to contribute towards the expense of it only at those times but this plan being found inconvenient it was given up and every one pays an equal share of the wine accompt [account] whether he drinks much or little but notwithstanding this, I do not think our mess expenses will exceed forty pounds per Annum each, we have an excellent Caterer, the Doctor was not a very good one, he gave up the Catership about six weeks ago and he is going home his health not being very good- I have drawn forty pounds from my Agent since I left England and I shall soon have to draw twenty pounds more but nevertheless I think you and I are not increasing the debt but in some measure diminishing it and when the ship is paid of and myself again with you and my PRETTY little ones, I have no doubt I shall soon be able to square accompts with my Agent. I need not tell you how happy I shall be to find that you are happy. I imploy myself in looking after my Marines, I have more than sixty under my Command, and attending to my books – Adieu My Dearest Love and believe me ever Your Most Affectionate Husband

        Tho^s. Waters