Transcript of letter dated 19th September 1821 from William Thompson Rawes of Bromley, Kent, to his cousin, the Reverend John Hodgson of Heworth. (The original was published in the Memoires of the Rev. John Hodgson by the Rev. James Raine). (Bromley Line to Hodgson Line)

Houghton le Spring                       19th Septr 1821 Dear Sir, Being so near your / Neighbourhood I propose to myself the / Pleasure of making any personal Acquaintance / with Mrs. Hodgson, and for that purpose will / visit Heworth on Friday morning next. I / should not take this formal method of / making my Intention known to you, but / fearing otherwise I might not have the Pleasure / of finding you at home. With best Regards to Mrs. Hodgson I am Dear Sir Yours very truly W.L. Rawes [Presumed to be William Thompson Rawes] Notes:- It is believed that 'W. L.' Rawes is a printing error in the original publication for 'W. T.' Rawes, the younger brother of Robert Booth Rawes and Captain Richard Rawes. William was very likely to be staying with his cousins at Houghton le Spring. Copied by Julian Rawes of Cheltenham.

Transcript of letter dated 28th October 1822 from William Thompson Rawes of Bromley, Kent, to his cousin, the Reverend John Hodgson. (The original was published in the Memoires of the Rev. John Hodgson by the Rev. James Raine). (Bromley Line to Hodgson Line)

Bromley 28th October 1822 My Dear Sir,         It is with feelings of the strongest / regret in which all our friends here participate, that / I have received the melancholy details of your poor / Brothers Death; for altho' from a letter I got from / himself a few Days it was very evident both his strength / & memory were fast failing him, yet we had not anticipated / so speedy a term being put to his Wife - We all firmly / hope and have every Reason to believe that his Life has been / changed for one in a far happier state than this for / certainly if willingness to oblige, thankfulness for any / little kindness shown him and a general and (sheet torn - one word missing) / Term of a Christian's life can entitle us to / look forward hereafter, the whole Tenor of his has been / such that we may firmly believe he is rewarded - never / could there have neen anyone whom his friends had more / pleasure in endeavouring to serve, he never forgot / his obligations and always did his very utmost to prove / himself worthy - in fact in him we have lost a friend / one whom every one in the family and out of it in our / Bromley Circle was always glad to see, and could friendship / have saved him we should not now be lamenting him.         To you my good Sir and Mrs. Hodgson the - of / his Death must have been truly distressing, with the dreadful / illness of your Daughter at the same time before you and / the dread of its Encrease amongst your other little ones; but / I sincerely hope that - this you are out of all Danger of / further Infection and that these present Sufferings may / he made up to you in an encreased satisfaction in / beholding the welfare and happiness of your family.         You are perhaps aware that when your Brother / left London it seemed so desirous that he / should do it immediately, as he anticipated great / Benefits to his health by the Changes that he did / not put all his Affairs here in regular order and / infact from his continual illness and being obliged / frequently to leave his Business for some days, and to / this Reason alone can it be attributed for he was frequently / more assiduous than his Health, would permit, he however / was not ennabled to get on so well as we all wished and / on looking over his books I find he had more Debts than / his Assets will cover, I propose, with your consent / to take upon myself the setting of all his concerns here and / hope to be enabled to do it so as to do justice to his creditors / and to his Memory: will you then my good Sir give me / your Authority for so acting as I conceive he has left no / Will and if he had it would only lead to expence to (sheet torn - word(s) missing)/ administer to it.         Pray excuse the very imperfect (sheet torn - word(s) missing) / which I have endeavoured to express my thoughts to you; / my mind is full and must be my excuse. To Mrs. Hodgson / pray make my kindest regards and with sincere Prayers / that your next may bring me better Accounts of your / family I remain very sincerely Yours W.L. Rawes My Mother Brothers & Sisters desire their kindest Compliments Notes:- This letter refers to the death of Robert Hodgson, the younger brother of the Rev. John Hodgson and the son of Isaac Hodgson and his wife Betty, the sister of Richard Rawes, William Thompson's father. Robert Hodgson was born circa 1797 and obviously died shortly before this letter was written, possibly of TB. Copied by Julian Rawes of Cheltenham.

Transcript of letter of unknown date, probably circe 1822, from William Thompson Rawes of Bromley, Kent, to his cousin, the Reverend John Hodgson. (The original was published in the Memoires of the Rev. John Hodgson by the Rev. James Raine). (Bromley Line to Hodgson Line)

My dear Sir,         I have only time for / the Post to say Miss Hodgson / is so far on her Journey to / B - quite well and much less / fatigued that could be expected / as Mrs. Hodgson will learn by my / writing earlier than if your / Daughter had written from / as I am sure you excuse this hasty Scrawl. Best Regards to mrs/Hodgson believe me Truly Yours Wm. Rawes [William Thompson Rawes] London Monday Evening Copied by Julian Rawes of Cheltenham.