From Elizabeth Mortimer at River Terrace [Islington, London] to [Mary] Fletcher in Madeley. Reference is made to Fletcher’s poor state of health that forced her to get [Mary] Tooth to finish writing her last letter. Mortimer would have written sooner but she heard from [Joseph] Benson that he had heard from Fletcher that her condition was much improved. She has since heard from other sources that ‘our gracious Lord has enabled you to go on with your usual labours. For you my beloved friend “to depart and be with Christ is far better;” [“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better…” Philippians 1:23] but for your friends, and that you may be capable of enjoying more of the divine fullness of eternity, our Lord protracts your stay.’
Many of their mutual friends have passed away recently – for example Lady [Darcy] Maxwell in July. Mortimer has learned from a letter written by a relative who lived with Maxwell that her health had progressively declined since last November. She had no hopes of recovery but her mind was perfectly at peace. Her cousin writes as follows: “God highly honoured me by appointing me [to] the melancholy duty of attending her – such a deathbed! It appeared like the verge of heaven, like waiting in the sanctuary by angels and archangels and above all, the place which the presence of God rendered sacred.”
Fletcher will no doubt have heard of the death of [Sir Josiah] Dornford. He finished well, crying “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.” His prayer was heard and Jesus took him home. Mortimer has heard that the children by his first marriage are very unhappy as they are of the opinion that their father has left too much of his estate to his second wife [Esther] and her two children. She has however been an excellent wife and nurse to him in his declining years, but Mortimer does not know the detail of his affairs.
They had a good Conference at which peace and love prevailed [convened in London on 30 July 1810]. Preachers have been stationed in London who will hopefully prove beneficial to the society. The congregations are very large and much good is being done, with many young people being ‘stirred up to meet the Lord.’ Both Mortimer’s step-daughters meet in class with her, together with sixty or seventy more, so Mortimer is fully employed. She finds that she is blessed with the strength that she needs in order to complete the work. In the spring she had a severe cold which caused an inflammation of the lungs and severely wasted her strength. Her health did however recover especially after she spent a little while in the country staying with a friend. Her summer has been better than usual.
Lady Mary [Fitzgerald] is living close to the Mortimer’s. Her health has been precarious but at the moment she is reasonably well. Lady Mary sends her love as does Mrs Smith – she intends to spend the winter in this part of the country, but is looking forward to taking up residence in Clifton with a family where she hopes to be comfortable. ‘Her dejection and changeableness, I believe, are constitutional, but more religion would help her.’
Mortimer supposes that Fletcher has heard that the second son of Edward Smyth of Manchester shot himself a few months ago. Mrs Henry Tighe died about eight weeks ago – she had been ill for three or four years and during the whole of that time remained ignorant of religion, but about thirty hours before her death, a great change took place and Mrs [Theodosia] Blachford etc were quite happy concerning her spiritual safety.
Mortimer was pleased to hear that [Ann] Tripp can see a little better, although couching has not had the positive effect that others have experienced.
Mr and Mrs [Thomas] Holy with two of their daughters are coming to stay with the Mortimers next week.
Note
- Lady Esther Dornford (b.1754) was the wife of Sir Josiah Dornford, a member of the court of common council of the city of London and the author of several pamphlets on civic affairs and the reform of debtors' prisons. By her first husband, Thomas Thomason, she was the mother of the famous missionary Thomas Truebody Thomason. She was married to Josiah Dornford in August 1791 at St Paul’s Church in Deptford. Dornford and her husband were close friends of the evangelical minister Charles Simeon and the female evangelist Mary Bosanquet-Fletcher. Source: International Geneological Index under Josiah Dornford, Dictionary of National Biography under Charles Simeon and Joseph Dornford, Dictionary of Evangelical Biography, edited by Donald Lewis (1995) under Thomas Truebody Thomason and Fletcher-Tooth collection (MARC)