Holland-Hayward Family

Maria Hayward's Letter

A few months after George and Gertrude married, Gertrude received some words of advice - written in phonetic English - from her seventy-nine-year-old grandmother, Maria Hayward of Peasenhall. This letter, which now belongs to Gertrude's grandson Warwick Allen, is copied below:

Peasenhall,

May 11 1885

My dear Grandaughter,

Just a line in answer to your kind letter wich I was very pleased with, to hear of your well-faer. I like to hear from you, thou I cannot see you. Many are the changes in this life and your's a very important one, it is for one of your lives, you are not onely to become a wife, but you are to become a mother, which is a very important charge. I hope you will be a good and kind (mother) to the dear berevd babes, then the Lord will bless you. I hope you will be a good and kind wife to your belovd husben, a kepen at home, minden your own buseness and have'n you home comfortable. When your belovd husben is in the way, that will be the way for him to like his home. I hope Dear, you will excuse the hints I have given you, but you know I have treaded the same steps before you. I wish you a long life and hapeness dear and after this changen seen be past, may heaven be our resten place for ever thear will be no more parten thean.

Well Dear, I have sent you the counterpin (counterpane), I hope you will like it. Please send me a line and tell me if you receive it safe. I should have liked it much better not to have gone out of Engelent (England), but perhaps it will be thought the more of. I am tryen to make another that will, if spared to finish it, that will be the seventh that I have made.

Now Dear I must tell you a little about the changes that have taken place since you left. Poor albet Thurren have departed this life and your poor Aunt Smith lay at point of deth. What a mercy that I am still spared.

Now Dear I must draw to a close, hope you will pass by all the mistakes for I do not know how to write.

I close with my best love to all, beleve me to remain your ever loven Granmother,

Maria Hayward.

May the choisest of Heaven's Blessens rest on you and your's.

Good Bye on my eaiteth (80th) year, good bye.

Note: Albet Thurren could perhaps have been Albert Hurren, as there was a shoemaker named John Hurren living in Peasenhall in the latter 1880s.