From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (September 14, 1836)

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

Mrs Waters, King Street, Woolwich, Kent

Newark 14 Sept. 1836

My Dearest love

I like your pen with the stem in it very much, the others I have not tryed, but I have no doubt they are good also, from your sending them, but I learnt from one of my Sergeants that metal pens will sometimes recover themselves, when they will not write, after laying by for some time, and I have since found it so, therefore I suppose it is better to have two or three in use at once –
I was very much affected with our Son’s letter, on his leaving sight of old England, even to tears; May the Almighty bless him and make him true and just in all his dealings; it was very considerate of him to write to his Mother, at such a time and in his distressed state of seasickness, I begin to hope that his heart will be where it ought to be, in its right place, he seems to show a good and
affectionate feeling, may it be real and lasting – I am going to take to cotton inner waistcoats, I have bought two elastic ones which I mean to try this winter, although I do not know that they will be any cheaper wear, as they are four shillings each and some dearer, cotton are now very dear, indeed all description of goods are on the rise for what reason I do not know unless it is that trade is very brisk, which is good for your Brother you know, the flannel you saved for me you had better convert to family purposes- Towards the Spring I hope to be able to send you home a Ten pound
draft, but I am afraid I shall not be able to much sooner, unless you should feel greatly inconvenienced, in that case I must try what my Agent would do – I am sorry Joseph’s chest is a bad one as he is in great danger of losing the most useful of his things in consequence, the price he gave for it ought to have obtained for him a much better at second hand, the lock and hinges are of very great consequence as they are not so easily replaced abroad, but a hole in the chest may be mended, a bit of wood and a nail or two are not so scarce to be had; his bad writing is quite excusable circumstanced as he was, and it is much to his credit he did write, as it showed proper thought, without neglecting his various employments, considering his seasickness to [too], his letter gives me great satisfaction, I shall take care of it, I am glad you sent him the Instruments, they may be very useful to him, if he does not lose them, and John was a very good boy to carry them over, that time of the night, and deliver them so well, I wonder Thomas did not accompany him; you did right in writing a note to Mr.Christie, thanking him for the kindness he had shown Joseph- You did right to act in that way you think best, with respect to a servant, in or out of the house – Sarah’s restless nights are caused, I imagine, by the gripings of the sour grapes- shocking mouldy ink I bought last – you say right that we think alike in some things and I hope in all things in the main, since Heaven made us one. I suppose the garden is not quite as productive in vegetables as when I am at home, but you know we must follow our livelihood, wherever honestly, we can get it best- Hindle is very attentive, he markets for me to my entire satisfaction, and I have no reason in any way to find fault; he has not been ill that I know of, I asked him, and he said no- If the Exeter Bank sends an order to draw on them, request them to pay the Twelve month’s Interest to Mr. Sillifant – I have bought some tapers and a stand, therefore, I can now return you the proper compliment of sealing, instead of wafering my letters, and by means of the lucifer matches too, for you may suppose I am not fond of ringing for a light, neither do I like very well to go among strangers to fetch one- I received your Bristol papers the last of Aug^t. quite free of expence, I feel obliged to you for them, but I have an excellent public news room to go to, free of expence to military men, also a library as, far as to Officers reading in the room, any books it contains, it has a great variety of periodicals; but I am still a stranger in the town, known to no one, excepting as to how do you do, to the Chief Magistrate, for the time being, who is Mayor and a miller, and the Surgeon who passes my Recruits; I have the benefit of a sitting in the corporation Pew in the church a splendid building, at which I attend, Sundays, twice a day, so large that it would hold twice the congregation, so numerous as it is, notwithstanding which, a new church is building by voluntary subscription in consequence of a division of sentiment between the Vicar and some of the principal of his Parishioners; a superb Roman Catholic church is also building, but among the various places of worship I find none for the Quakers. 

Mary may knit me a pair of garters if she likes when she has time and inclination, for I have taken to wearing stockings, my legs were so cold, although I have bought some socks to avoid the expence of a penny a pair for mending the old ones, with respect to wheat, if you wish to get some, you had better ask John the Gardener to enquire of a Farmer of respectable character the price per quarter, and if you approve of it get a quarter from him, or if you like, a sack only, which is half the quantity. in ending your letter, turn it as I do, the writing inwards; good corn seems rather rising than falling, if you wish to have flour, you have only to leave a note at the Martar public house for the miller whose address you will find among the bills, but if you wished some brown flour also, you had better have a sack of corn for that purpose. John sets a noble example to his brothers- You should always cut of [off] the pods from the Laburnam [laburnum] as I used to, in front of the house, also any branches that are likely to hang over the paling. You do right to keep the boys under Mr Lafargue’s instruction, and let them learn all that he is willing to teach them; I hate change without a benefit. I have sent no Recruits to Head Q^rs. since those I told you of and then I sent three, as I attested one the same day they went off. The children deserve their Parents’ praise for getting up so early without being called. I give sixpence a peck for Potatoes. I have written a letter for Mary thanking her for the cake, but I had better wait until I can send it free
Yours affectionately

         Tho^s. Waters