From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (December 18, 1825)

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

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

No 10 H.M.S. Maidstone Sierra Leone 18th Dec. 1825

My Dearest Love

I received five letters from yon [you] the 11th of this month, the first of them dated the 8th of Dec. last year. I am delighted to find you have such good friends in Mrs.Nicholls and her excellent Mother. Do not think of sending me shirts or anything else excepting a letter now and then when you can make it convenient, as for collars I never wear them, they do not suit this climate, so excessively hot. I dare say it was best for Miss Silly to return to her friends. Ailey our steward tells me he is very much obliged to you for your goodness in forwarding a letter to him, he seems very grateful for the kindness. You did right to take a steady Marine and his wife untill you could suit yourself better. I am glad the sweet children are recovering from the hooping-cough and that you are getting on so well with house-keeping. I am anxious to complete my three tours, and to be again in England with you, at the same time it would show a great want of firmness in me to think of returning before the ship has completed her time, particularly as I am, I thank the Almighty, in such good health, and so happy with the Commodore who, I believe, would be glad to serve me had he an opportunity, and so comfortable with my messmates, and besides our friends would be much displeased with me, as this is the only station for making prize-money. the three tours will give me a long spell ashore, probably untill I attain my Company. Poor Miss Man! she deserved better fortune, she was capable of making a man happy who knew her value, she was warm hearted, and he was cold to her merits, they were ill-suited, where that is the case, what can be expected but disappointment but I pity her fate, there are some base ones in this world but God will reward the righteous and will not suffer the wicked to go unpunished, give my love to your Sister, Aunt and brothers, I thank God I did not serve you so, God forbid that I should. I have your letter of the 2nd of July now before me, my letters No 6 and 7 I sent by the Surgeon of the Bann. I suppose he must have mislaid one of them and some prying person got hold of it who had more curiosity than honesty, however it was extremely polite of the gentleman who enclosed it to you, and your answer of thanks to him was very proper. I am glad Col. and Mrs. Barry are so kind to you. Remember me to Mr. and Mrs. Stockwell. I am glad my sweet little ones are getting on so well with their learning, Mary I have no doubt will take better to her needle as she gets older. Mrs. Pilcher’s absence from Woolwich must be a loss to you. It was a shameful thing of our late Portsmouth landlady in demanding 5£ rent of you, she well knowing that I had paid all that was due, and she saw me the day we quitted her premises therefore had there been any back rent, or indeed, had she thought there had been any due to her, she would then have said so, however it will improve you in a lesson I have taught you, that is, get receipts when you pay money and take care of them – You do right in keeping Hindle’s wife with you if she gives you satisfaction – I am sorry your poor Aunt is so ill and your sister, under such trying stances [circumstances] I do not blame you in going so far from home, visit them, make my kind regards to them and to your brothers, when you write, and my best respects to Mr.Chadwick, his offer was very kind and you acted very proper in travelling at your own expence – I hope you have received 20£ this year from Mr. Sillifant, if you have not do write for it, and I intreat you to request him to send you the ten pounds over and above the 20£ per year, do not deny yourself reasonable comforts – I believe I have five or six and twenty Pounds, due to me about this time, prize money for a slaver taken a year and a half ago, and we have taken, and had condemned, two prizes since I last wrote to you but we shall not get anything for them this some time to come, as we have to wait their final condemnation in England – We have been cruizing in the Bight of Benin these six months past, and we arrived here the 10th Inst [current month, i.e. December], to refit – How very kind it was in your good friends to call so often, during your absence, to see that every thing went on well, you must feel very grateful to the Almighty for his goodness to you – I am glad you find Ann so trusty and useful to you, and so good to our children – I cannot conceive how you contrived to travel so cheap, you must have had great firmness of mind to have ventured so far on the outside of a coach, I am not at all displeased at your going to Rochdale as I am convinced you did it from a very proper feeling of humanity, and affection towards your Aunt, to whom I think you and your brothers owe a great deal. I wish your finances would have enabled you to have traveled with more comfort to yourself, as it is I thank the Almighty that you returned safe. I think Capt. Taylor has done a foolish thing in marrying again so soon after his Wife’s decease and I think he is increasing his folly by applying to go on half pay though I have no doubt if he succeeds he will have a plenty of time to repent. Hindle will write to his wife agreeable to her desire I believe he is well satisfied that she is with you. Remember me
to my sweet little ones, poor Johny I am sorry he does not look very well probably he is troubled with worms do not clog his stomach with any thing unwholesome, let him have a plenty of play he will learn fast enough when he gets older if it pleases the Almighty to spare his life to us, he is of an active nature. I think your sister might be benefited by a summer visit to you, the winter would be to severe and I trust she will find her time pass comfortable with you and the Dear Children give my kind love to all your Friends 

When we came from England the Commodore sent to Col. Mc.Cleverty and to Capt. Varlo a quarter of a cask of Madeira Wine each the Commodore has several times mentioned it to me and has said he cannot conceive the reason why neither of them has acknowledged the receipt of it.

I hope please Providence to answer your other Letters in my next, in the mean time consider my Dearest Love
 

Your Most Affectionate Husband

  Tho^s. Waters

[on the cover: Dear Husbands letter I wish you was with me once again.]