Bowden head
Chapel en le Frith
March 26th 1855

Dear Son,

Your letter dated February 4th 1855 arrived here on March 1st 1855 and
was glad to here that you were well, although not one word is said
about your Family in any way whatever.  The bearer Joseph Gyte came
here on Saturday the 24th instant and stated to me his intention of
coming to America and I at once resolved to write and send the letter
by him.  Judging from the tone of your letter Providence seems to
smile upon you in a remarkable way, for which I am sure you have great
reason to be thankful.  You will have heard before this that your
Cousin George has declined coming notwithstanding the very kind offer
which Joseph Gyte made him, for my own part, I think he will hardly
ever have do good a chance again, but still you must bear in mind that
he is yet yound and of course under the controul of his Parents, I
went over to Chelmorton and heard what they had to say about it, and 
I would advise you never to send for him again, and then both you and
I shall be free from blame.  I have been to Mr. John Mortin at Great
Rocks, and he told me he would rather settle the money affair himself,
while he had money in hand, and I think it would be by far the better
plan, as you are now so, that you can do very well.  I have enclosed
you an account which on examination

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you will find correct.  You allude to some questions which I had asked
you, one of which was, whether you had the teaspoons which I find
[???] you have, and the other question was, what-sort-of Bread you
live on, which you have not yet answered. Your letter was read over in
the hearing of your Grandfather and we wre much surprised at there not
being one single word for him, he is extremely obliged to you for the
present you gave him on another occasion, and he seemed much pleased
at your prosperity in the world.

Provisions here are very high, owing partly to the failure of the crop
in America, and partly to the War.  Since I last wrote to you, your
Cousin Lydia came to Bowdenhead to see if the air would be of any
service to her, as you are aware she had been ill a long time, but
after stopping with us for 2 weeks, she died on the 8th of November
and was taken from here to Chelmorton to be interred on the following
Sunday.  Your Grandfather and your Uncle and Aunts are all in pretty
good health, with the exception of your Uncle Joseph who is very
poorly, and has been for some weeks past, indeed I am rather afraid it
will be difficult for him to recover, he has not yet had medical
advice but I am sure he ought to have.

We have put Harriett out apprentice to the Dressmaking business, with
Richard Bacon's daughter, and John commenced going to school to
Mr. Marshall a week ago.  I feel somewhat pleased that Joseph Gyte is
coming to America as he seems a very steady nice young man, and I
doubt not he will be very likely to succeed, at any

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rate I sincerely hope he may.

Michael Smith shoemaker of Chelmorton died this winter since your
cousin Lydia, and his mother had buried a younger brother about three
weeks before.  Mrs. Lingard's son Joshua died in September last very
suddenly.

I have now to complain that you should be so very long before
answering my letters as you are sure I am always anxious to know how
you are getting on.  I beg however you will not be so long this time,
and when you write again be good enough to say more about your Family
I have never yet heard how your wife likes Jonathan's land.

Mrs. Lingard, Miss Lingard, William + Charles Lingard desire to be
kindly remembered to you, and your Grandfather together with all your
Uncles and Aunts join Richard and myself in love and best respects to
yourself Wife and Family, and
Believe me
your affectionate mother
Ann Nall.

N.B. Your uncle Matthew continues to carry on in the same old way,
namely spending all he can possibly get in drink.

You will perceive by the enclosed account that the balance is
L12..s16..a2 [letters above the numbers, L=pound sign, a???] on the
4th of this month, you will also perceive that we have not started at
the time, and also that we have given you some days in order that the
interest might happen on the 4th of each month.

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I had forgot to tell you both in this and the last letter, that Mary
Hibbert servant at Doctor Slacks, left this country for America about
2 years since, and was married on the day that she landed, to one
Elias Dickens, by whom you are perhaps aware that she had a son,
living at Cameron's Taylor in Chapel-le-Frith, and, this son of hers
is coming to America early in May or June, to join his mother +
Father, who are reported to be very rich in Philadelphia.  His Father
is now paying for his education at a very good school, and he intends
paying his passage out to New York by a Mail Steamer, or first Cabin
passenger thirty guineas, the young man is now about twenty one years
of age and remarkably steady.

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This letter was opened by me about a week after it was written to ask
you the following questions, namely, how many rooms have you in your
House? and what sort of dwelling do you have? do you garden much? and
do you gather any butter and how much? also what kind of Furniture you
have, and whether you have any Churches, Chapels, and Schools, near to
you?

The reason this letter was written so long before leaving here was,
because Joseph Gyte had to go to Liverpool and to see his Friends in
different parts of the country, and I did not know how soon he might
call for it, so I thought I had better have it ready for him.  Yours
affectionately
Ann Nall
april 3rd 1855