From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (June 19, 1831)

[Thomas Waters. R.M., to his wife. Elizabeth]
Addressed to Mrs Waters, 21 Mulgrave, Woolwich, Kent.

H.M.S.Barham Spithead 19 June 1831

My dearest love

I am sorry you are burdened with so many troubles but I hope you will persevere and get through them and show that you have a firmness of mind capable of overcoming difficulties and that you have a soul not inferior to the ancient Roman Matrons, ’tis after a storm that we enjoy the serenity of a calm, I assure you I do not feel unmoved with your distress, especially as I cannot assist you, but I rely on your fortitude and hope that all will end well, depend on it, although I am distant, my thoughts are always with you, my very existence, under Providence depends on your life, and I trust
you will believe me, as you never knew me to deceive you, even in the most trifling matter, and now we have been married almost seventeen years, may our most gracious Father bless you my love, and our dear little ones is the constant prayer of your faithful Husband! I could be for ever writing of my affection for you and never tired but that it would be a mere repetition, suffice it that my affection for you is unalterable- few are without their troubles, we must not suppose that we have more than our share, our children I hope will live to be in time a comfort to us- I should continue if I was you to buy my bread in preference to baking it, untill my mind is more composed- I think you are right in weaning Betsey, I hope you will be able to do it without much difficulty. Mrs.Wilson commenced weaning her child last sunday- Your brother’s letter is rather unintelligibly written, some part I can make out and some I must guess at, I am of opinion that we had better write to Mr. Chadwick requesting him to appoint some one to receive the rent and look after the property, as it is your brother’s wish, he says he is weary of it, suppose you write the following, or something like it, to Mr. Chadwick–

Dear Sir, I have received a letter from Benjamin, dated 10 June, enclosing a promissory note for £7″18s”5d being the balance of Accompts from 5th Nov. 1828, wishing me to appoint some one to receive the rent in as much as he is weary of it. I have written to Mr. Waters who is at Spithead embarked in H.M.S.Barham and he advises me to write to you to request that you would be so kind as to appoint some one to receive the rent for me and to look after the property, he thinks the brick work must want pointing and the outer work painting, he would like to have it done as soon as there is sufficient funds in hand. Now Sir, in addition to the many kindnesses you have done my family, may I beg that you will accede to my husband’s request? I must candidly acknowledge that I do not
know to whom else to apply.

Do not my Dearest love let our little property in Rochdale make you uneasy, if it brings us in nothing now, it will, I have no doubt, in the course of time. it is disincumbered which ought to be a great satisfaction to us, if the property were to be sold, we should still be burdened with the expense of the brick ground, and that ground I advised your brother to give to a friend of Joseph’s who offered to accept of it when we were in Rochdale- It would be folly to send me the promissory Note, I shall return you your brother’s letter when I can send it post free- I have received your letter of the 17^th–I Remain Dearest Wife

Yours Affectionately
        Tho? Waters