Margaret Fell
This Document is on The Quaker Writings Home Page.
Note, from -pds: I have put on two versions of this letter. The first is as exact a replication of the original as I could produce, including archaic spelling and the use of superscripts. In the second version I have modernized spelling and spell out all of the words, hopefully without changing any content. I figure it is a good idea to see how drastically language has changed since then. -pds
Introduction, by Joseph J. Green:
The following letter is a transcript of the original which I discovered accidentally in a manuscript
book having no connection with it, and enclosed in a wrapper endorsed by my late uncle, Henry
Robson, who died at my father's house, Stansted, Essex, 1850, aet. fifty-one. It is probably that
it was given to my grandfather, Thomas Robson, of Liverpool, by his intimate friend, Thomas
Thompson, of the same, whose collection of Quaker MSS. is not at Devonshire House. The letter
is a folio one, on one side of the paper only; the right hand margin has portions missing, and has
been mended by the late H. Robson.
The letters is addressed at the back: -
To Rachell Abraham at Swarthmore near Lancaster These ddd in Lancashire.
It is dated, London ye 7th 12th mo., 1684-5.
Dear Son and Daughter (1) Abraham.
J received your letter & J praise ye Lord for your pres[er]vation in ye truth & in yr health as we
are here all a[t] this time glory to ye lord forever, our busyness at ye L[ords?] is not yet ended but
we hope in ye Lord to get it ende[d] this next week, here hath been a great and Suddain Change,
King Charles was taken Jll on 2d day morning and departed this life yesterday about mid day, &
in ye after noon Kings James ye 2d Late Duke of York was proclaimed, soe yt this day ye Judges
have received Commission to Sit agn (as we hear), We expecte your Sister Lower (2) to be here ye
next week for I writt to her to return as Shortly as She could because yee writt ye Small pox was
Soe near hand wch J confess J was affraid of, We doe not know how things will be as yet but we
will wait upon ye Lord to Manifest his will and pleas[ure] and for your Suffering you must be
Content & in y[e] Strength of ye Lord give up to doe his will & J hop[e in] ye Lord it will not be
very long till we shall ende[avour] to return to you, My dear love & constant pr[ayer] is to ye
Lord for you yt in his powerfull Ar[m and] Strength yee may be preserved, My dear Love is [to]
Leonard ffell & his wife and to all ye Servants [&] friends, We Can give noe account of what will
[become] of Mary Woodburns busyness till out Motion C[omes] on, Your Brother and (3) Sister
Mead & Sister Susanah (4) have [their?] dear Loves remembered unto you, which is all at
present,
From your dear Mother in ye Lord
M.F.
I received your letter and I praise the Lord for your preservation in the truth and in your health as
we are here all at this time glory to the lord forever, our business at the Lords is not yet ended
but we hope in the Lord to get it ended this next week, here has been a great and Sudden
Change, King Charles was taken ill on second day morning and departed this life yesterday about
midday, and in the after noon King James the second Late Duke of York was proclaimed, so yet
this day the Judges have received Commission to Sit again (as we hear), We expect your Sister
Lower (2) to be here the next week for I wrote to her to return as Shortly as She could because
you wrote the Small pox was so near hand which I confess I was afraid of, We do not know how
things will be as yet but we will wait upon the Lord to Manifest his will and pleasure and for your
Suffering you must be Content and in the Strength of the Lord give up to do his will and I hope
in the Lord it will not be very long till we shall endeavour to return to you, My dear love and
constant prayer is to the Lord for you yet in his powerful Arm and Strength you may be
preserved, My dear Love is to Leonard Fell and his wife and to all the Servants and friends, We
Can give no account of what will become of Mary Woodburns business till out Motion Comes
on, Your Brother and (3) Sister Mead and Sister Susanah (4) have their dear Loves remembered
unto you, which is all at present,
From your dear Mother in the Lord
M.F.
(1) Rachel Fell, wife of Daniel Abraham, of Swarthmore Hall, whonursed her mother in her last
illness.
(2) Mary Fell, wife of Thomas Lower.
(3) These last two words in Sarah Meade's hand, as an omission.
(4) Susannah Fell, wife of William Ingram.