My dear sister, for the first time I now have the pleasure of writing a few lines to you, and was very glad to hear from you again. I hope this will meet you all well as, thank God, it leaves us all at present. Dear sister, I have had a wish to write to you a great many times, but could not get your address, but I have at last now. Dear sister, you wish to know about our dear Mother. She has been dead 13 years last March. What a long time, and no one has written to you. I must say I am ashamed of it, but I hope you will forgive me. Our dear sister Christain is dead. She died about 2 years before mother, and dear sister Susan has been dead five years. I hope they are all met in heaven. Christain left eight children. The baby lived 3 years then it pleased God to take it. Susan's son is living at Lynn. He is married and is doing well. Now I must tell you a little about myself. Dear sister I have eight children, four girls and four boys. Betsy, the oldest, lives at Cranmer Hall[1] [and is] single, Hannah, the next, is married and lives at Reepham. Her husband is a corn merchant, they are doing well. She has 2 children. Mary Ann, the next, is married and lives at Yarmouth in a public house. She has been married about 2 months. I hope they get on. John, the next, is married and has just commenced business as a carpenter and wheelwright in the same village that we live in. Charles, the next, is a miller. He is married and lives at a windmill about 9 miles from us. He has one little boy. Joseph is the next [and] is apprentice to a blacksmith. William, the next, is now with his brother John, learning to be a carpenter and wheelwright. Charlotte, the youngest, is at home with us. She has just turned fifteen. Thank God we have given all the boys a trade. I hope they will make good use of it. Brother Charles lives in the old house at Frettenham. William lives at Hainford in a public house and goes on with his business. Hannah lives at a little farm at Great Dunham. They went there last Michaelmas. I hope they will get on, they have no family. Charlotte has only two, a boy and girl. They all send their kind love to you all. I am hoping you will answer this letter as soon as you can. I cannot tell you anything about Frettenham for we seldom go, for there are such alterations since the death of our dear father and mother that I have no pleasure of going now. Dear sister I hope you will answer this letter and tell me all the news. You can send me word all about your family and how you are getting on in a foreign country. I should like to see you all but if I never see you on earth, I hope we shall all meet in heaven where parting will be no more. Now I must conclude with my kind love to you and husband and family. Burton joins in love to you all. I remain your loving sister and brother Mary and Joseph Burton.

Direct to me
Mrs. Joseph Burton
Carrier Lyng near Attelbridge
County of Norfolk
Dear sister I should very much like to have your likeness when you write.

Footnotes

1: Cranmer Hall is a large house, now a stately holiday home, 3 miles from Fakenham