1

CXCVI

2

ELIZABETH OXINDEN TO KATHERINE OXINDEN

3
7    Yours I recived by Mr Jull; I give you many thankes
8for my haire; I hope to have a noble paire of locks made of
9it to were for your sake: as to the oysters I have used my
10utmost indeavour to get som in order to your command
11but cannot posible get any as yet, they being so very rare,
12by reason the seamen being all prest, that there is none left
13to get them. I have eate none but once since I were with
14you and those were sent a Friend of mine for a present;
15but you may be confident of me as soon as posible I can
16procure them. Dick, I thank God, continueth free from
17any infectious disease notwithstanding since Michalmas there
18hath dyed in the town seaven score and the greatest part of
19the small pox, more then hath been in London considering

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20the bignes of the citie. I must beg your pardon if you
21doe not heare of me soe often as you may expect and
22beseech you not to impute it to my sweet Deares hindering
23me, for they are all scrint, to the button for a cap and less;
24but I am about a peec of work that I am very earnest
25upon to have it done by Easter; I doe not know what to
26tearm it untill I have your aprobation of it, but it is a Jump
27for my nick. Pray doe me the favour to acquaint Mr
28Dickinson when you send to town that I have a gown to make
29that if he think it worth his time I would have him come over
30to me; I did thinke never to imploy him, but he being all
31your tailors I have altered my resolution; beleev I must not
32have a gown againe this seaven yeare this cost soe much;
33four pound four shillings the outside cost me ready mony,
34and fourteen shillings a sute of ribbon; this I have provided
35to wait one you toward Easter; but when my stays are to be
36tryed one I intend to come to Canterbury, where I should
37take it for a great favour if you would be pleased to give me
38a meeting and I shall acquaint you the time, for I earnestly
39long to kiss your hand. I am really sorry my sister W:
40servant came noe more of the family of the Johnsones; it
41coming to nothinge it is looked one as my one own invention
42to draw the other one; heare is mighty fleering and askeing
43whither she be married. Mis betty Southouse hath been at
44the pasonage ever since Christmast, to sutor Mr Durell as
45I thinke, for I never knew her there before. There is not
46any of the batcholers in this country are inclineing to marry
47this yeare that I heare of. Mr M. continueth keeping house
48with his maid and Mr. Reader doth the same. The Master
49and the maid and Dick and Marie Reader are all the family.
50We are all well heare, praised be God, and the respects of
51the family salute you all. There is one remarkable thinge
52that I had almost forgot; there is a Lady Sidny, a earl's
53daughter, that hath formerly lived about Canterbury, one of
54the great gallants of our time, she hath five thousand pound,
55she hath marryed her self to a minister that hath nothinge

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56but a bare liveing of forty pound a yeare. I have not more
57at present only my humble duty and endeared love where
58it is due
59
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CCIV

65

ELIZABETH OXINDEN TO KATHERINE OXINDEN

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69    Yours I received directed to goodwife Wilson: I
70have now sent for Dick, but had it not been to fullfill my
71promise that I would send for him this mounth, I had
72trespased one your patience a while longer, because his
73master is very ill and hath continued soe a week. He came
74down in a very bad tide from London and was seaven houres
75upon the water soe I beleev he hath got his bane. My
76cosin Upton and her Daughter and my self were yesterday to
77see him and for my one part were scared at his lookes. The
78monday night after that I came from Denton my three cosins,
79Mr Reader and my self suped together and I beleev it was
80very chargable. We had a dish of such fish as we eat at
81Canterbury when I had the honor to meet you there. Wee
82had a loine of veale, we had wild Duck, teele and whinde,
83two great dishes of pickeld Oyesters and two of anchovies and a
84very lovely tart. If my Father had soe great influence upon Sir
85Tho Tiddyman's son as to wish him to my Cosin Maragret
86I should take it as a perticuler obligatione doen to my self,
87and I really beleev more advantageous to me then anythinge
88that could be done for me; Betty love is sent for by Sir
89henry Ox to come and live there, and if she doe not like
90there they will gett her a place; this is the kindess of her

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91unkle coronel to her without speaking to. Deare mother
92I give you humble thankes for all your favours to me and
93Dicke and beg your pardon for all amisses that I have committed
94either in neglegence or any other way. For upon
95serious thoughts I have ever honour'd you and have had a
96perticuler respect for you beyound any of my one relations,
97and really I should loath my self should I harbour the least
98thought of dishonor or unkinds toward you. All that I
99desire is that I might be capable of serveing you in action in
100a greater measure then I am able to exspres in words. All
101the disasters that is posible to fall one any doth come one
102me. All that I bought at the faire I lost, which was an elle
103of hollond cost four shillinges and much mischife is done
104to my house by the high wind one St Paule. The Docter
105sent over his man with a letter to me to acquaint me of it
106as soone as I came from Denton. I have sent you a cake
107which I desire you would be pleased to accept. I wish my
108mony would have extended itself into a larger maner, for if
109it may be beleft I have but three shillinges to keep me untill
110our Lady day. I have now great reason to blame M^is
111Smithitt for I sent her a letter three weekes since but have
112not heard one word from her. Pray doe me the favour to
113present my humble duty to my father and thankes for all
114his favours and recive the same yourselfe from her that is
115
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CCIX

122

ELIZABETH OXINDEN TO KATHERINE OXINDEN

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126    This is the second sent since I recived any, this
127come to bring you an account of the wedding which was
128one thursiday last. The bride had three very good great
129cakes, one from M^is Master another from M^is Knowler
130of this parish whos Daughter was heare, another from M^is
131Culling whos Daughter was heare. One Dosin of glovs
132was disposed of to the relations, as the two fathers and her
133Mother, Mr. Lees and his wife, Mr. Gilbert and his wife
134which were related to him and he brought them with him:
135Mr. Ridley and myself and Mr. butler he brought with him,
136a minister he brought with him, his father, and these are
137those which had gloves. Mr. Cullinge wold not be perswaded
138to touch a glove nor favour; he rids at the strangest rate
139that ever man did; he hath no so much as Joyed her; if
140she come in the room where he is he runs as if he were
141scared. Her two bride men that led her to church have
142white garters a quarter of a yard deep with siller lace at
143ends. The favours were topeny broad pinke couler satten
144ribbon eyed with narrow blake. There were five maiden
145ladys and four young gentlemen, and the rest of the company
146were married people, all relations and friends of his and hers.
147They were very sivilly merry: it was as hansome a wedding
148they all say as ever they were at: and his father soe highly
149pleased as is posible with his Daughter and her company,
150to see what great esteem she is in and how she is beloved,
151that you cannot imagin of the fondnes of the old man to her
152and her mother. He said his son might have had wives
153with five hundred pound but indeed, he said, he had hindred
154them; but he had heard a generall commendation of my cosin
155and he percived she should not fall short of what he heard

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156of her. The old man dotes one her: she must not set neare
157a doore when she was hot with dancinge and tell her he shall
158give her somethinge; it is not his way to brag but he will not
159take five hundred pound for what he is worth; and many
160expretions of kindness to her and her mother. The old man
161is a presbiterian but he was highly pleased; such mirth and
162sivill gentlemen he liked he said. The M^is Master made the
163rarest bride veil that ever was seen, she is much behoulding
164to them Ladys. Mr. Master was one of her brid men and
165his trigrimate the other, who hath stayed in the country
166one purpose to be at her wedding. He not knowen where
167to have a cake to send, sent twenty shilling worth a wine,
168six bottles of sack which is seaven groats a quart and six
169of french wine, which was much excepted of. It cost Mr
170Cater I beleeve above three pound.
171    One Monday they goe home and his day one of her brid
172men is gon to meet a fellow of their colledg and soe one their
173Journey for Cam:
174    I have given you in folio concerning the wedding and now I
175must bewail my one own misfortune in parting with one that
176I soe dearly love as I doe her but I doe much hope she will
177be very happy in a good husband. Could I imagine other
178wise it would ade much to my trouble and that which is my
179comfort she goeth not far, for it is not posible for me to live
180without seeing her. For ought I know I will continue with
181her in the winter and in the meantime I can see her often.
182Goodwife power is dead and Sir William Delane is dead, he
183being sick but a few daies.
184    This is all the news that I heare our parts afford, but it
185is possible I may send you word of another wedding when
186I write next. Our family saluts you all with their humble
187service and I desire to have my humble Duty and service
188given where it is due
189