| Description | To Matthew Boulton Junr Esqr
Sir
The bearer Ann Woodward is a Young Woman of amiable manners and peculiar good conduct She was born in one of your Cottages and now keeps a School there by which she gains sufficient to support her with necessaries—Her Brother Joseph worked at Soho about five or Six Years and afterwards was apprenticed to me, he was a very promising Young Man but was caught in the Gearing in my Mill and Killed this was too much for his doating Mother and she never recovered the Shock but as a last rescourse She Married a Man of the name of Stokes, who has not behaved well to this Girl since the death of her Mother, and now wants to turn her out of your House, and break up her School and give her only two Guineas, tho the greater part of the furniture belongd to her Mother, this not being a proper compensation by any means I have taken the liberty of informing you, as I am well assured every good Man must feel pleasure in seeing justice done to such an Orphan, who in my opinion would not disgrace a much higher sphere of Life than that she has been accustomed to—She has been informed that when you take any of the Cottages into your own hands you give something handsome, and if you consider that she is entitled to this hope you’l have the goodness to do so to her or give her leave to make the best of it, I hope you’l excuse me for troubling you with this, and beg leave to subscribe myself, with great
respect your most obedient Servant
Jno Rose
Nechells Mill Aston
May 20th. 1806
[Address-label.] Matthew Boulton Junr Esqr / Soho |