Revised Jun 6 2021

No. 22. Miss N. Heywood to Mr. P. Heywood

Isle of Man 29th. June - 1792

My dearest & most beloved Brother

Thanks to that Almighty Providence which has so miraculously preserved you, your fond, anxious, & till now miserable Nessy is at last permitted to address the Object of her tenderest Affection in England! — Oh! my admirable, my heroic Boy — what have we felt on your Account! Yet how small, how infinitely trifling was the Misery of our Situation when compared with the Horror of yours. — Let me now however with Confidence hope that the God of all Mercies has not so long protected you in Vain, but will at length crown your Fortitude & pious resignation to his Will with that Peace & Happiness you so richly merit. — how blest did your delightful (& yet I will add) dreadful Letter from Batavia make us all! yet believe me, it was in some Degree fortunate that it only arrived the Packet before last, for the Apprehensions we then felt for your Health & Safety were almost insupportable; Alas! I think I cou'd scarce have borne them another Week. — Providentially however your two other Letters (mentioning your Arrival in England) came by the Packet to relieve our Fears & render you, if that were possible, more dear to us than ever. — Surely my beloved Boy, you cou'd not for a Moment imagine we ever supposed you guilty of the Crime of Mutiny — No, No — believe me, no earthly Power cou'd have persuaded us that it was possible for you to do any thing inconsistent with strict Honor & Duty. — So well did we know your amiable steady Principles, that we were assured your reasons for staying behind wou'd be exactly what you represent them; & I firmly trust that Providence will at length restore you to those dear & affectionate Friends who can know no Happiness till they are blest with your lov'd Society.

Take Care of your precious Health my angelic Boy – Alas! you say you are weakly, & I fear it is but too true. – But I shall I hope soon be with you – I have written to Mr. Heywood (yours & our excellent Friend & Protector) for his Permission to go to you immediately which my Uncle Heywood without obtaining it wou'd not allow, fearing any precipitate step may injure you at present — & I only want the Arrival of his next Letter to fly into your Arms! Oh! my best beloved Peter how I anticipate the rapture of that Moment! for Alas! I have no Joy – no Happiness, but in your beloved Society; & no Hopes, no Fears, no Wishes but for you — – Doctor Betham sent me your Letter to his Father which I have enclosed to Mr. Heywood, to whom it will give great Pleasure as an Additional Proof of your Innocence. — Alas! your worthy old Friend did not live to hear the fatal Intelligence, but like our regretted Parent died blessing you. — My Uncle Pasley has kindly promised to assist & protect you, & I have no Doubt will do it; I sent him a Copy of your Letter from Batavia. — & Mr. Curwen of Workington too has assured me he will do every thing he can, & in short I need not tell you that our Anxiety prompts me to solicit every Interest possible. — Had we not apprehended Danger from any hasty Step, James wou'd certainly have been with you immediately my beloved Brother: as a Friend is indeed requisite to be on the Spot with you & if possible a Brother, for Men are more capable of being active in such a Situation as your present one — but you know his warmth of Temper, & the least Imprudence or want of Caution is to be dreaded, so much so that even the Appearance of it ought to be studiously avoided.

I hope you have e'er this time received a Letter from me which I wrote before we had your Letter from Batavia & sent it to the Care of Mr. Hayward of Hackney — but as he informed me he cou'd not get it transmitted to you from the Difficulty of Communication I took the Liberty of requesting Mr. Heywood wou'd send for it & after reading it (that he might be assured there was nothing improper in it, indeed I have nothing improper to say) that he wou'd send it to you. — I sent him also your two last Letters, scarcely allowing ourselves Time to read – much less (Oh! how great wou'd have been the Satisfaction! – ) to have kept them. — for there happened to be a Vessel ready to sail for Liverpool at that Moment & I wou'd not lose the Opportunity of serving my ever dearest Brother.

The Parcel of Cloaths now sent you are just for present Use & Mr. Heywood will kindly take Care that every thing is done for your Comfort & Convenience till I have the Joy, the inconceivable Happiness of clasping you to my Bosom! – I will then bring you the Seal you desire & twenty other Things that will give you Pleasure, among which let me my Love hope your own Nessy will not be the least acceptable. — Poor Birket, the most faithful & worthiest of servants desires me to tell you that she almost dies with Joy at the Thoughts of your safe Arrival [in] England — what Agony my dear Boy has she felt on your Account — her Affection for you knows no Bounds and her Misery has indeed been extreme, yet she still lives to bless your Virtues. — My Uncle Heywood's two poor Boys are indeed gone for ever, & in Addition to that Affliction, Tom died a few Months ago at Elsinore.

I have ten thousand things to tell you my Peter that have happened since our mournful separation, but my Mind is at Present occupied solely by your Idea & my Brothers & Sisters (except James who is not in House at present & poor little Henry who is at Jamaica) desire to add a few Words to their beloved Brother. — Mr. Heywood's benevolent Goodness will not think this Indulgence of a fond Affection rediculous on such an Occasion (for I send the Letter to his Care) but will kindly reflect that a single Word in the Handwriting of those we love is a precious Comfort to every one in Distress. — Farewell for a little while my all that is truly dear on Earth — take Care of your beloved Self, & recommending you to that kind Providence who has hitherto by his merciful Goodness protected your Innocence I remain with the fondest Love

your most affectionate

  & admiring Sister

    Nessy Heywood

P:S

Mr. Bligh is gone to the South Sea — but we must hope the best! — Doctor Scott my dearest Peter is on this & every other Occasion respecting you a second Father; his Attention is beyond any thing & his Anxiety greater than I can express. – but Mary is impatient to scribble a little. —

Mary Heywood to Peter Heywood

My dearest & most beloved Brother.

Nessy has left a small Portion of her Letter for us to fill up, & has wrote you so many long Letters that she leaves Nothing for us to say; — For Heaven's Sake take Care of yourself now you are so near us, & I trust in God we shall soon embrace you in the Isle of Man, – the Thought of which is almost too much to support. – Adieu my ever dearest Boy, may that Providence who has protected you so far restore you to your anxious Family is the constant Prayer of your most affectionate Sister

M: Heywood

Elizabeth Heywood to Peter Heywood

My dearly beloved Peter.

Never did I sit down with such Heartfelt Satisfaction as to write these few Lines, how long & anxiously have we waited for this Period! but thank God it is at length arrived & you will be restored to us Innocent — indeed we never had a Thought of your being guilty – No, my dear Brother, we all knew you too well; – We envy Nessy the Pleasure she will have in being with you, but I hope things will turn out to our Wishes & we shall once more enjoy your Society at Home: what an Addition will you be to our domestic Fire-side. Adieu my dear Boy take Care of yourself. — Yours while she exists

E: Heywood

(Eliza)

Isabella Heywood to Peter Heywood

My dearest Brother.

In what Terms can I express myself in writing to you! – Oh! may you my beloved Peter meet the reward you deserve. – my only Wish is, that I may be worthy of such a Brother – for God Almighty's Sake take Care of your Health, for you dont know how dear you are to us – Adieu my dearest Brother, Heaven preserve you! –

B: Heywood

(Isabella)

Jane Heywood to Peter Heywood

My dearest Brother.

How can I speak the Pleasure I have in writing to you! – my Sister Nessy has permitted me to express my Joy on your Arrival. – take Care of yourself & love me as you will ever be loved by your most aff't. Sister

J: Heywood

(Jane)

Robert John & Edwin Heywood to Peter Heywood

John & Edwin desire Nessy will take up the pen for them & tell their dearest Brother Peter that they are overjoyed at his Escape from that terrible & far-distant 'Taheite & hope they may yet be able to assure him how much they have wished for his return – & they add, that if he will only take Care of himself for their sakes that he may teach them by his Example to be dutiful & good they will behave well, & be the best Children in the World till he comes Home to his two loving

& Affectionate little Boys

  R: J: Heywood

  E: H: Heywood