Lyng, February 9, 1885

My dear sister and all

I was very glad to hear from you again and to hear you are alive, for I began to think you were dead, for it is a long time since I heard from you. Glad you are well as, thank God, it leaves us all now. I had a very bad illness last year, about this time. I thank God he has raised me again. Now dear sister, I am thankful to almighty God that my family are all alive and well. My oldest son has 9 children and the youngest daughter has five. My second daughter is still a widow. Her oldest is married though only 18 years of age. My oldest daughter is single yet, she lives at Finborough Hall, Stowmarket, Suffolk[1]. How is trade in America? It is very dull everywhere in England. There are hundreds and thousands, I may say, in large places they are out of employ. There are lots of people talk of going to Ameraca and Australia. They are starving about here. I must not complain for, thank God, we just get a living. We have had bad luck with our horses - we lost three good horses in two years and a half. It has put us in a sad muddle. Dear sister, you wish to know where sister Hannah is living, but I can't tell you for she never writes. There was a little unpleasantness about Betsy's money so she never writes, nor yet to Charlotte. I would write to her but I don’t know her address. They have had several places since they failed, so I have heard, but I can't hear of them now. Charlotte lives at Hockering yet. Her son and daughter are both single, living at home. Laura is a dressmaker, she gets plenty of work. Charlotte is better in health then she used to be. Now I must conclude with our kind love to you all, from your loving sister and brother, Mary and Joseph Burton. May we all meet in heaven for Jesus Christ's sake who died for us.

Footnotes

1: Now an independent school called Finborough School - located at Great Finborough, 2 miles from Stowmarket