From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (March 28, 1833)

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

Addressed to Mrs Waters, 21 Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, Kent

16 H.M.S. Barham Napoli 28 March 1833

My Dearest Love

I have received your letter of the 4th February and I hope you have received mine of the 5th March containing a five pound Draft on my Agent, and a request that you would pay four pounds of the amount to Hindle’s wife, Hindle having delivered four pounds to me for that purpose- With respect to the children’s diet you will do well to give them that which in your opinion, and the opinion of those whom you are convinced are best able to judge, will be most beneficial to their health- I have mentioned in two or three of my letters that you had better not make any more shirts for me untill my return, as you have so many things of more immediate consequence to attend to, for I am now well supplied, whereas, it was different when I embarked for the coast of Africa; I mention this, as you say you are busily employed in making shirts for me. With respect to Benjamin’s being sent to school you will be the best judge when and where to send him; you no doubt will send him where you think he will, have most fresh air, be most kindly treated, and not confined too long to his seat; I think Mrs.Ball’s school, at the bottom of Rectory Place, used to be very highly spoken of, but for that, you will be better able to ascertain than I can the most proper place to send him–

Your letter of the 5th Instant I received yesterday, and I hope you have kept a copy for the satisfaction of your occasional perusal; it is to be hoped for the sake of the children as well as their Parents that reflection will make you sensible of the impropriety, to say the least, of your letter; I wish to avoid making any other remark on it than merely to say, that if you think it proper in your future letters to be silent with respect to the children’s ailments, or any thing else that particularly concerns them, our letters will cease to be interesting to each other; I endeavoured long ago to point out to you the danger of married women having any other confidant than their Husbands, the indiscreet, though well meant, advice of a friend often causes mischief between Husband and Wife- I remain My Dear Wife 

 Your Affectionate Husband
            Tho^s. Waters