| Description | J J is a budding lawyer. The letters are very affectionate, and typical of those of a devout and affectionate father of his class. Much about chapel and Tract meetings; J J's health; the need for an edifying element in every letter; chides J J for poor writing and absence of punctuation; homilies and good advice galore; T J was unimpressed by a sermon at Weston by Dr Heber, Bishop of Calcutta; has had a sint of clothes made while he waited; advice to J J to familiarize himself with deeds of Lease and Release and all their clauses; the advantages of early rising; Sir Richard Pulseton's mother has left £40,000 to him "or his son"; the debilitating effects of "Wrexham strong ale"; troubles with tenants; estate problems; is in favour of conveyancing as a speciality - it is "of a more private nature, but very advantageous concern for the increase of wealth"; burglaries at Wem; a thwarted steamer-trip from Woodside to Bangor "to see the [Menai Suspension] Bridge"; first mention of Mary Anne [J J's wife or wife-to-be] 21 August 1829; a typhus epidemic in Wem (March 1832); T J has consequently "reminded the people at the Workhouse last Lordsday Evening of the privileges they were still permitted to enjoy"; local gossip; births, marriages and deaths; the appointment of School Visitors for the Wem area; rejoicing at Wem at the marriage of Sir Rowland Hill (August 1832); T J's uncertain health; election fever in 1833, and again in October 1834 this time accompanied by the rioting; the battle between Tories and Whigs at Shrewsbury - "The return of a Coroner is become a mere party question in which all the energies of both parties are exerting"; Mary Anne's poor health (January 1835); in the same month, deplores election results - "I believe we have not returned a single liberal candidate in the whole county", and regrets Slaney was unable to hold the Shrewsbury seat; a new mail-coach service for Wem; "Gass" may be introduced into the town; Wem and Wrexham Tories are in disarray at "their defeat about the Speakership" (February 1835); he is alarmed at the Patriot's [publication London., 1832-1866] hint of a property tax, which must be resisted; Mary Anne's continuing health problem - this time a pain in the face ... Mrs T J recommends mustard plasters, and laudanum; handsome collections at the Missionary Society meetings, including £12 "for the negro Schools", and hopes of sending a total annual sum of £65 to London; Mary Anne begins to improve by October 1836 (from post-confinement weakness, probably. An undated letter refers to the death of J J's grandfather; T J expects J J and Mary Anne to attend |