Transcript of two letters dated --? March & 6th March 1840 respectively, from Mary Rawes of Bromley, the sister of Robert Booth Rawes of Bromley, Kent, to Jane the wife of the Reverend John Hodgson of Northumberland. (The originals were published in the Memoires of the Rev. John Hodgson by the Rev. James Raine). (Bromley Line to Hodgson Line)

My dear Mrs Hodgson May I request you / or Daughters will give / me a few lines in the / course of a week or two / to say how our Cousin / is going on, we feel very / anxious about him and / had we known where to / have found you when / you were in London / we should not have allowed you to be so near / without making enquiries / about you. I was glad / to hear of Mrs. T. Pearson's / safety I hope you continue / to have good accounts / of her and her babe as / well as the rest of your / friends in the north. My sister's new residence / is Clay Stile, Beckenham / Kent where a note directed to me will find me. I hope when / you return to town / we shall have the / pleasure of showing you / some of the beauties of / our country if the weather / will allow I fear you / find it rather unpleasant / in the Island though a / beautiful spot in Summer / With every kind wish / for the restoration of Mr. Hodgson's health. Believe me My dear Mrs. Hodgson Sincerely Yours Mary Rawes. (Marked in pencil ? March 1840') My dear Mrs. Hodgson,           Many thanks for / your kind note it gave / us most sincere pleasure / to hear Mr. Hodgson had / received so much benefit / by his residences in the / Isle of Wight and trust he / has been able to enjoy / the blessed change of / weather we have lately / had here it has indeed / been a great blessing as / dry weather was much / wanted by the farmers / My Sister returned home / a few days ago from / Cambridgeshire and we think / her benefitted by her change / of scene she requests me to / say wish her kind) Remembrance it will / afford her much pleasure / to see your party here and / hopes Mr. Hodgson would / find the change of / service to him the house / is large and the place very / quiet that he would be as / much retired as he would / wish I was happy to / hear Mrs Pearson was doing / so well as also her children / I trust you continue to have / good accounts from all / your friends in the north / I should have written / sooner but I was from home / when your note arrived / and on my return I thought / I had better wait to see / my sister as you might / like to hear how she / was when she came home / Marianne Rawes I understand / has written to your daughter / therefore I need say nothing about her My Brother / requests to write with me / in kind Remembrance to / our Cousins your Daughter / and yourself and Believe me My dear Mrs. Hodgson, Yours very sincerely, Mary Rawes Will you give us a line / when you reach Town to / say where my Sister may reach you. Shortlands March 6th (marked in pencil 6 March 1840) Notes:- Mary's sister was Elizabeth Rawes née Palmer. Marianne Rawes, born in 1812, was the daughter of the Reverend John Rawes of Stanfordham, Durham (Swindale Line). Copied by Julian Rawes of Cheltenham.