Letter

Scope and Content

From Bristol to Mary Fletcher. March is writing at her sister’s [Mrs Berkin] desire to inform Fletcher of her indisposition and to ask that Fletcher write one of her consolatory letters, which she always finds soothing and cheering. ‘I am persuaded she fears where no fear is - & stumbles at the apprehensions. She is not so renewed in the spirit of her mind, as to make meetness for glory – not sufficiently adverting by Grace we are saved.’ She has been very ill, sick almost to the point of death and is currently very weak although not hopefully to the point of death. [Berkin] is now almost 76 years old and every slight affliction has its own danger. In the summer she had severe spasms in her bowels caused by an obstruction of bile – once that she was removed she recovered. This latest attack has been of the same kind, ‘tho more external in her hip, back, side etc her pain & weakness great and the necessary medicine of her evacuation more than her strength can well support. For Julia Grovenor’s sake, March would hope for the lengthening out of her days, but for her sister, she does not know, for the rest of her life will be ‘labour and sorrow, tho I shall have a loss of comfort, of amusement & instruction in her letters & notes, & many little instances of sisterly kindness, tho we are not congenial in our religious sentiments etc but we keep peace…’

March’s address is York Street, Bristol. Her long silence has not been intentional as she has often thought about writing but something has always intervened and there are times when she cannot write of spiritual or personal matters at all, just facts, and she feels as ‘dull as a beatle, and as stupid as an owl.’

She has to inform Fletcher that March’s old friend [Mrs] Collinson has died, Mrs Mortimer saw her the day before she died and while she felt no ‘triumph’ neither was there any doubt or fear – ‘she knew she was going home’ and hoped to see her children in heaven, ‘tho she saw no fruit of her prayers here’ as they chose the way of the world and felt hostility towards the Gospel.

11 November 1812

March saw her sister today – she is very weak and unwell and says that she has no hope of recovery, nor has her apothecary but thinks that she may linger for a good while. She sends her love to Fletcher and asks that she pray for her in church and in private and to write very soon as she is fonder of Fletcher’s letters than anyone else’s.

By the good providence of God, March has been enabled to send a sum of money for the interest on the £10 lent by Fletcher to her some years ago. God has been generous.

‘You was pleased with my last dream. It was in 65 previous in 64 on my mother’s death. In my rheumatic fever, I dreamed one night I had general wrestlings with Satan in the figure of a little Black boy, the size of a child of two years old, I got my right hand in his mouth, & after some contest got my foot on his head, awoke with those words, “Salvation, glory, honour, thanks and praise, be unto God, and the lamb forever. And it immediately occurred, they overcame by the blood of the lamb, and the word of their testimony, and the accuser of the brethren was cast down. In 65 or six, I dreamed I was in pursuit of the Tree of Life, & entered into the meeting of Pinner’s Hall (next door to our own house) in Winchester Street & went a long travel all up & round the gallery from the right side to the left & down again to the door I entered in. I then turned into an alley which went in to Austin Friars, and came into a gravelled garden where the Tree of Life was raild in. The path to it was a direct short cross path – the sun shone with transplendant brightness, and on coming up to it, I found Mrs Folgham standing by it – from which she inferd she should die first. She is a widow, after having had 17 children, and lost 15 as they were growing up, her husband died suddenly at West Street Chapel, [One of the premier Methodist chapels in London, acquired for Methodist use in 1743. The chapel was replaced by one in Great Queen Street in 1798.] after dining with her a few miles out of London, where she had a lodging, behaved remarkably affectionate. [He] talked to her about Saints and Angels, came back after leaving her a short time to give a second salute, walked to town, went to chaple and died in the congregation, to the alarm of all present. [There was a John Folgham who was a prominent London lay-Methodist and one of the first trustees of City Road Chapel. It is unlikely however that this is the same man as he died in 1802, four years after West Street Chapel was replaced by Queen Street.] The cross, broad gravel walk to the Tree of Life, & the bright sun has been a blessing ever since…these I call favors, divine dreams. In 75 I had a putrid fever, & in that I dreamed (as the window in my bed chamber was opposite my bed) as I was looking towards the sky, I saw in the heavens a cross, and while I was gazing at it, it turned into a little child…I saw my own face, beautified. It was a refreshment to my spirit but I have never clearly understood its meaning. My present comment on it is, the Christian cross, the converted little child, and myself received to glory. Can you give me a better explanation – in my most favored seasons they are generally in the stillness & darkness of the night…my body at rest…and my soul awake…’

March was at Clifton yesterday. Her sister [Mrs Berkin] is very ill and weak, but not, according to the apothecary, in immediate danger. She says herself that she has no hope of recover but may hang on for a little while. Her age is against her and her hands are ‘as cold as death.’ She asks for Fletcher’s prayers both in church and in private. March thinks that her sister has provided comfortably for her grand-daughter.

Has Fletcher got any of [Sarah] Ryan’s letters or sayings? She was the most spiritual woman that March ever met. If March has any difficulty with the ‘note’ [promising to pay the interest mentioned above], it will be honoured by Mr Reynolds’ ironworks at Coalbrookdale. ‘I think you might succeed at Shrewsbury or Sheffield. In spectacles, I find so much advantage, should be blind without them, cannot see a letter in a book without, but can read hours with them and writing better than print, but cannot read with a glass at all.’ Spiritual matters are discussed, with regard to March’s spiritual state and her temptations.

[Thomas Tregenna] Biddulph preached on Sunday from Proverbs 12:12 in which sermon he wonderfully showed the value of hope. In the evening, he preached from “the wicked ones are driven away in their own wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in the end.” ‘It was meat and drink, quite a feast.’

Poor Mrs Ewer is very ill with rheumatic fever. If March’s sister does die, she will sing for her the hymn that they sung at their mother’s passing – the funeral hymn for Mary Taylor:

Ye heirs of sure Salvation/ Love’s accomplished sacrifice!/ See our partner in temptation…

If March’s sister dies, she will write again to inform Fletcher.

It is reported that Mrs Schimmel is attending the ‘Popish chapel & conversing with the Popish priest, has him to her house, but she still remains joined to the Methodists, & meets class sometimes with Mrs Ewer.’

March notes that this letter is being sent on Friday the 13th [November], Mr Coulson’s birthday.