Two letters in the collection that I describe in The Revd William Atkinson of Kirkleatham & Cambridge (1755-1830) are filled with news from Gorleston in Suffolk.
They were written from Gorleston on 8 May 1835 and 22 July 1836 by Mrs Lucy Browne to Mrs Elizabeth Williamson – she features in the blogpost about her uncle the Revd William Atkinson.
Mrs Lucy Browne is almost certainly the widow of William Atkinson's friend the Revd Thomas Browne, late rector of Gorleston. Mrs Elizabeth Williamson is her friend and former neighbour, now living in Baxtergate in Whitby.
Mrs Browne's handwriting is not of the clearest, but I expect somebody who knows the area would recognise the names which my colleague has found illegible. There are many names – her friends the Miss Brownes, Mrs Oliver, Mrs Sewell, Mr Worshop, Mr Salmon, to name a few – as Mrs Browne is anxious to keep her friend up-to-date with all the goings-on in Gorleston. She includes such little snippets of news as:
My poor friend Mr Morrison's Death is much lamented, he was a kind friendly Man
Mrs Price is at present in the same Lodgings with Miss Tapp whose Mother is dead. I hear the Match is quite off between Mrs P and Mr Wake.
But I think the most tantalising bit of gossip must be about the Spalding-Astley marriage. Mrs Browne herself was an Astley by birth, so she must have a very good source here:
You could not be more surprised than I was in the Marriage [of] Miss Astley. Till after the sons Marriage then I thought it might take place, they have almost ever since been residing in a place that he purchased at Stockton about 17 miles from hence. Mr Spalding is in bad health confined to a weakness [?] in his heart, and is attended by Mr Smith who recommends abstinence.
She is never seen and I hear nothing more of her than if she was not residing in the Parish, she is certainly in a more respectable situation since her marriage, but I fear she will have reason to repent. There is not any communication between her and her Brother, this affair has given him very much concern.
Daniel Spalding and Mary Ann Elizabeth Astley had been married on 16 October 1834 at Gorleston. Perhaps Mr Spalding tried abstinence – perhaps he didn't – but at any rate his health worsened and he died in June the following year at the age of 60. In 1836, Lucy Browne wrote
the late Mr Spalding's House is still upon Sale – his Widow lives at present in part of a Farm House near [Haddiscoe?] but I hear she is going to leave shortly
Contact the North Yorkshire County Record Office at Northallerton, which holds the collection of letters, if you're interested!
