I'll still post on the second letter, so as not to waste my work on it.
Stephen Coulson, author of the letter doesn't use a lot of punctuation, and tends to add a silent h to as, and is, (ie. he puts has/his, for as/is) , so the following is not a transcription; more of an edited version of his letter as I have added in brackets an occasional word, and added a bit of punctuation. Postscripts are in a following post, as I hit the character limit to make it all one post.
Bridlington, June 21st, 1854
Dear Mary Ann.
We recieved a letter from you dated March 8th which gave us great pleasure to hear from you and we was very glad to here that you and Stephen was both well as also the Children and we was also glad to here that you have got a more profitable situation. You wrote you should like to have a farm of (your) own but if you can keep the situation you now hold we think it will be better then you renting one, as you now know what you are doing and (it) has no risk to ruin of any thing, but however that we will leave to yourselves to be best judges as regard (to) that. Before you recieved this I hope you will have recieved a newspaper we sent a few days since to inform you of the death of Mr Burdass1 of Thwing and in this you will find a card inclosed in remembrance of him who died on June 6th it was a very large funeral he has been gradually failing a years or more. He only took to his bed about a fortnight at the last and he was very heavily afflicted his complaint was the gravel2. He was so heavily afflicted that you might here him moan all the house over he will be a very missed man in the family. And the servants all say they have lost one of the best masters.
verso
Mrs Barugh3 was here today buying mourning.4 She has got another daughter; she was confined in March and she has been a great deal at Thwing during her farther5. Johness6 and Eliza Dixon7 has been at Charleston 8 really eight months. They are all very well at Foston and him and Eliz has both joined the Methodist Society they all send there best respect to all the Family. Mother and I am going to spend a few days with them next weekend and we was at Flambo a few days last week and Aunt Hutchinson9 keeps middling in the health10 for her years and Coulson and Robt. are both very very well and Mr and Mrs Simpson11 are both very well. Old Mrs Hutchison is very ill and Harriet is very much this time as she will not have any one to wait her but her sends her best respect to you all and hopes you are doing well. George Nicholson & Selina12 are both very well and send their best respect. Agnes keeps very well . Hannah has grown a nice girl and sends her best respects to you all and she will send you a letter in a little time. She has left off School for holiday and George Robert is a fine boy and is very fond of horses and cows indeed he takes great delight in all sort of stock and says he will a farmer. Mrs Rawson13 has had a letter from her
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son and he named you in it and said he has seen you and that you was all well. She called in to inform Agnes of it. I have had a very sickly winter myself. I am very much troubled with an ulcer in my throat I have had it cut three times this winter and it made my
throat very painful so that I cannot eat anything that is hard but think I have got a great deal better since it was cut. Mother has also been poorly a great part of the winter but has got much better and joins me in best respects to Stephen yourself and all rest of the family. I hope you will excuse (ink)blots and mistakes.
I remain yours sincerely,
Stephen Coulson
