Letter from Sister Mary Joseph to Mrs Rackett May 1814
My very Dear Friend
The friendship that has ever Subsisted between You and Our Venerable Mother Mary Benedict Stonor Obliges me to perform the painful task of saying She Died Yesterday Morning soon after ten. She has gradually Sunk, a Bowell Complaint finished her long well spent Life!
We Most Sincerely regrett her & her memory will ever be Dear to this Community. She has Scarse known any one Within these last Months, we feel all the affection and Gratitude to her, her Tenderness & Care of Us for a ……of Years, Claimes. She realy Loved You, always pleased with your Constant Attentions to her – if We your remaining Friends can say the same. I do not delay My Dear Mrs Rackett the Post. Dear Rd Mother, Sr M Placida, youlf would grieve you heard of this Event from anyone but our selves. Mension us with Sincere regards to Our Respected friends Mr & Miss Rackett. My Sister also desires to Write with Sr M Austin & ….. we have, (I have thought of You & spoke of You) Love & …. You must have Congratulated Dorothea for being in Town these Days of Joy – we all are sensible of happy & Unlooked for Blessings but the painfull Subject of this Letter prevents my Chating on the pleasing events. Hope my dear Mrs Rackett you are tolerably well. We have very Cold Weather – Yet every thing looks Summer like. Hope soon we shall have you with us, always a Pleasing Event for your Spetisbury House friends
Adieu My dear Madam. Time much taken up at present but unwilling to delay,
remain My dear friend Your Obedient humble Servant at Command
Sister Mary Joseph Tunstall
Spetisbury House May 14th 1814
The Rd Mr Lee sent to me (Supposing I should Write) to make his Compl he would be ….ed, with his Confrere in Village did he know of this Letter. Mension Us, with Constant regards to Yr Amiable Sr Mrs Baker, we are all better? Sister Alipia Not Worse, Season of Year much against her Yr friend? .. … … her sweet Sister … Years Old. Caught Cadiz fever & Died in 9 days!! What a Triall on their arrival home!
Sister Mary Joseph Spetisbury 1814
For Mrs Rackett Kings Street Covent Garden
Speech of the Emperor of Russia to Mrs G Tattersall & Miss Baker in apparent distress upon Portsdown Heath “Don’t be frightened ladies there is no cause for alarm”