Letter from Edward Pease, Warborough, Oxfordshire, to Henry Pease, Darlington, apologising for not answering Henry’s letter for 10 days, because ‘our traveling has been close, and succession of meetings so quick, with attentions like this, needful to be rendered to thy dear Sister and Bro Jos (who has been most neglected, being two weeks without any tidings from us)’; expressing his concerns about Henry’s health: ‘I was quite concerned in perusing the account thou gave of the depression of thy mind at times, and its reaction I believe on thy health, inducing that liability to be soon fatigued, – let me press upon thee as much as in thy power to guard against giving way to thoughts that tend to drink up thy spirits’; urging on him the consolations of their Christian faith; describing his tour with John: ‘2 meetings and 2 stages every day last week except 7. our horse has done well, tho’ I tho’ last night after 27 miles afternoons work yesterday, & 42 miles the preceding day from Chorlbury thro’ Oxford to Newburry he was less fresh than sometimes, but he rests today having a morning meeting with friends in the evening with the inhabitants of this populous & wealthy village’; describing the efficacy of John’s preaching and the fact that they need new supplies of tracts; commenting on the weather and the harvest: ‘we seldom have 24 hours without some little rain, yet the Sun in the intervals has been so hot & powerful it has but little retarded the operations of the harvest man, the want of hands or unwillingness to hire labourers to cut the barley & Oats is to us most remarkable, they appear in 1000s of acres dead ripe – the wheat is all in, in our ride of 27 miles yesterday I think 3 or 4 fields out was all we saw it is generally stated to be average crop, not more, – the advanced state of the Autumn strikes us, the mellowed tint of the foliage, – ploughing again where the wheat has been carried, stacking the beans & many such occupations, indicative of harvest being ended, awakens a wish that it may be in fine progress with you’; describing meetings in Henley Oxfordshire, Wallingford Oxfordshire, Warborough Oxfordshire and proposals to proceed to Maidenhead Berkshire and Reading Berkshire; discussing railway and property matters in the north: ‘Thy remarks respecting the RW coming thro High Ellens field did not escape my notice, I had rather not have had it as it destroys what in its whole might have been an eligible building plot, however not wishing to withstand improvements, if I am really compensated for Land & injury, there will be no objection to to it but I may observe that giving J. Allan access to his land across mine, is worth £500 & were I in his position I would give it, so he should pay me that also – could R. Otley ask what he would take for the whole on the south side of the Stockton RWay’; describing an accident in Blenheim Park Oxfordshire: ‘Our horse keeps up his condition beyond my expectation considering how closely he is worked, & has been perfectly gentle, except a little prank he played us in coming over the lawn in Blenheim park taking on coming up to a large herd of deer, very near to the celebrated column, he reared 2 or 3 times, most probably from dear Jno turning him round from facing them, I was on the step, getting out to hold him when the quickness of his turn threw me of it, and gave a famous roll on a turf that felt as soft as a bed, of course the bustle I was put in least he should rear on to me was all I felt about it personally but thankfull I trust that nothing but excited apprehension arose out of the circumstances’; referring to S. Beezley and Jno Aldbright as ‘most agreeable guides’; sending love to Henry, Sophia John’s wife, and A Thorp ‘very many are the enquirers after her’; referring to the prospect of seeing Henry’s ‘sweet babe 4 or 5 hours hence’, 12 September 1839 Postscript: ‘I do not think if asked take up my abode or anything with Cos Jno Wilkinson, I cannot well endure to receive anything at the hands of such a reviler, nor do I see how he in honest sincerity can offer anything to those whose object it is to propagate a faith which is as the effluvia of the bottomless pit to spend a first day at Wycombe Buckinghamshire will be a trial’ – From: Quaker families of Darlington,Pease family, Henry Pease (1807 – 1881), Correspondence