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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Batman_2000, post: 328795, member: 481&quot;]Took a while to find, but it seems that Rev William Otter (1768 - 1840) was the Rector of Chetwynd when the letter was written, Chetwynd being a village in Shropshire.</p><p><br /></p><p>According to <a href="http://www.colmworthhistory.org.uk/#/rt-rev-william-otter/4533166056" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.colmworthhistory.org.uk/#/rt-rev-william-otter/4533166056" rel="nofollow">this link</a> Rev Otter moved there in 1811 but became a private tutor in Oxford in 1822, so he must have been away a good deal of the time. I&#039;ve looked briefly at his family tree and can&#039;t see anyone called James, so maybe the author of the letter was a friend of the Reverend&#039;s children (the eldest being born 1805)? If the poem is describing the Rectory then it certainly sounds lively...!</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Now pray be my friend, I&#039;ll impart to you all</i></p><p><i>The news of the dance, and the supper, and Ball</i></p><p><i>You shall hear all the nonsense and lively chit chat</i></p><p><i>Of who danced with this lady, and who danced with that</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk" rel="nofollow">Shropshire Archives</a> might be interested in helping. It&#039;s a great piece of social history <img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=":)" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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