Steele Papers 08 Letters [104-123]

104. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, undated: describes dream of a beautiful temple, idyllic love, and a gorgon-like creature: “don't let anybody see it except your Portius” [Joseph Wakeford].

105. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, undated: simile of a parent being like a gardener

106. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, undated: concerning everlasting life. 

107. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira (draft letter), undated: includes poem (“May you be happy”), refers to death of Mrs Taunton.

108. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, 31 October 1752: reflects past conversation on the improvement of the human mind.

109. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, undated: concerning Silviana's preference for quiet contemplation rather than the social life of the “gay flutterers” of ballroom beaux and belles, notes that her mother is in better health, and her own health “a little mended”, refers to Philander [William Steele junior]'s garden as an allegory to spiritual life.

110. Letter from Mary Wakeford Steele to Anne Steele

Amira to Silviana 4 July 1757 (with postscript 13 July) probably replying to D/STE 3/10/1/9: concerning perceptions (for example her young son Samuel imagines that God lives at the Earl of Portsmouth [John Wallop]'s house because that was the finest building he knew), matches Silviana's garden allegories with those of house–cleaning. Postscript refers to the problems of coping with the current heatwave. 

111. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, undated but probably in reply to D/STE 3/10/1/10: concerning Amira's writings, develops further the allegory of a garden indicating divine influence.

112. Letter from Mary Wakeford Steele to Anne Steele

Amira to Silviana, 23 July 1757: has been to see the [military] camp pitching just outside town, depressed about own writings, Mr Furneau comes to visit next Thursday week “and talks of going to see Urania, as he calls you, Friday but that is meeting day here”, invites Silviana to stay while Mr Wakeford is away.

113. Letter from Mary Wakeford Steele to Anne Steele

Mary Wakeford to her half-sister Anne Steele, 10 November 1757: concerning Anne Steele's reluctance to accept help with her work from “a gentle swain”; gratitude for a recent visit from her father not expressed adequately due to “the children's perverseness and one thing and t'other”; misses conversation with adults while Mr Wakeford is away; urges the value of Anne Steele publishing her work.

114. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele

Silviana to Amira, undated but possibly in reply to D/STE 3/10/1/13: advises Amira to ponder thoughts of importance and avoid complaining, and that both she and Amira are prone to diffidence concerning their own worth.

115. Letter from Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford Steele Silviana to Amira, undated: discussion on redemption.

116. Letters from Anne Steele to Billy and Sammy Wakeford

117. Letter from Anne Steele to William Wakeford and Samuel Wakeford

Draft letter from Anne Steele to her nephews Billy and Sammy Wakeford (sons of Mary and Joseph Wakeford), undated but c.1760: concerning the love of God and brotherly love.

118. Letters from Anne Steele to Anna Attwater and Marianna Attwater

Draft letters from Anne Steele to her cousins Anna Attwater and Marianna Attwater (later Head).

119. Letters from Anne Steele to Anna and Marianna Attwater

Draft letters from Anne Steele to her cousins Anna Attwater and Marianna Attwater (later Head).

120. Letter from Anne Steele to Anna Attwater Draft letter from Anne Steele to her (step-) first cousin Anna Attwater, 24 November 1741 [suggestion that written on the occasion of the death of Elizabeth Gay (Anna’s sister), but didn't she live after this and marry Thomas Phipps?].

121. Letter from Anne Steele to Marianna Attwater (later Head) Draft letter from Anne Steele to her (step-) first cousin once removed Marianna Attwater (later Head), urging her to write freely, and inviting “Miss Jenny's company” [i.e. Jane Attwater’s?]. Written on the back of “Some expressions of Dr Dod[d]ridge to a Friend a few days before he embarked for Lisbon” with the comment “ignore the scribble on the other side".

122. Letter from Anne Steele to Marianna Attwater (later Head)

Draft letter from Anne Steele to her (step-) first cousin once removed Marianna Attwater (later Head), inviting her to Broughton; Polly [Mary Steele, later Dunscombe] asks when Miss Jenny [Jane Attwater] can come to Broughton also.

123. Correspondence between Anne Steele and Various Nonconformist Friends

Correspondence between Anne Steele and the Baptist (and Congregationalist) literary circle beyond her immediate family (including correspondence with the Revd Benjamin Beddome, the Revd Caleb Ashworth, Philip Furneaux (“Lucius”)), 1742–1765.