'COPY OF LETTER OF SALLY PYKE' This ... was found in one of the Carslake family volumes of handwritten notes about their own and related families. (Devon Record Office, 3264M/F12. Undated Volume containing extracts from Marriage Settlements, and other deeds relating to the Carslake family; copies of wills; extracts from histories of Devon; copies of letters and tombstone inscriptions. No date. 20th Century. [possibly mid to late 1800s - early 1900s] ) The Sally Pike who wrote this letter was the daughter of Sarah (Sally) Leigh (b.1727) and John Pyke of Combe St Nicholas. Unfortunately, no dates or addresses are included. The full transcript of her letter is as follows.
“Letter for dear Cousins, where ever they might be, perhaps in ye field making Hay, milking Cows, Serving ye Stock, all busy and Leigh with his little rake etc etc - methinks I see you all. I am unable to go further back for the History of Uncle & Mothers family than that great Grandfather John Leigh he was a Magistrate & also had ships of his own and a share in ye Newfdland fisheries, he married Abigail Channing had one son only, named John Leigh they lived at Branscomb John Leigh married Miss Carslake Aunt to the Father of the Carslakes at Cotmaton the Mother of the late Mr John (sic) Carslake dying whilst he was an Infant great Grandmother who was Miss Carslake rode down to Sidmouth and took Babe home in her arms And the Boy grew up with her young family who knew not but that he was their Brother at the time they lived at Weston & John Leigh our grandfather died about 5 years after Mother was born she being the youngest of the family whom he her Father used to carry about in his arms & taught to sing when she was only 4 years old had a fine voice the Father, his son William, your Father and my Mother had fine Voices. their GrandFather and Grandmother lived with their daughter in law and her family after their son John Leigh's death who died in consumption, they were very pious couple, they told their daughter in law & her children as they sate round the table that they had lived together (I forget how many years) & never exchanged an angry word - they were constant in secret prayer they united to pray that God would take each of them suddenly when the time was come, which was granted great Grandfather [blank] ing down stairs that his wife was Suddenly dying - he died sometime after Suddenly also - Mother remembered them (paper torn here) [sic] who used to kneel down at their Chamber door & hear them pray Grandfathers or Grandmothers first sister first cousin married Esq Stucky, & 10,000£ to her fortune, they being both the only children of Brothers, or Sisters (I forget which) were trained up together & had she not married or died young Grandmother wd have had her fortune also, another first cousin only child of her parents married Lord Rolls, she had 100,000£ & had she died unmarried all this would have come to Grandmother All this family treauser, where is it? Why Stucky, who was only a ragged errand Boy at Bridgewater in Uncle Popes time got into a Lawyers Service & got to be a bailif at length & Old [blank] Churchil of Chard who was always our family Physician, foolishly got him to be Balif to Stucky of Weston, & he & the other bad [blank] got all that this Lady 1st cousin of Grandmother brought to him. Your Father was grandmothers Second son uncle John was the Eldest, Uncle Henry the Capt & Mother were the two youngest there were two other daughters besides Mother, Ann fell a victim to the falshood of a gay young fellow she was a beautiful woman he Engaged her affections & left her & she never recovered the shock. the other married one Godfrey, he had a son who was as deaf as (torn) [sic] they declined in the world, I do not know anything more about them the old Lady Rolls a purse proud, woman (I saw her once), she died & the Lord is married again you know. What visionary selves these are - all gone into a cloud & lost, & we are going, going, going!! - & may we meet in another pleasant Land to part no more & then remembering our early friendships & the blessing flowing therefrom to each other - may take the Comfort of it dwelling together Everlasting & having believed in the Great Shepherd who has said "none shall be able to pluck us out of his hand and he (the Lord Jesus Christ) added "& I will give them eternal life "he that believeth in me shall have everlasting life I fear you will scarce be able to read this scrawling Some ladies of the Village have been up after Pricilla. I am alone - I remain my dear Cousin truly affectionate Sally Please kiss dear Leigh for me, for me. Brother is lingering in the garden. the Gate being locked - I must go speak to dear fellow “10
1851 Census: Parish of St James, Taunton.
Address: White Hall
Sarah Leigh Pyke, Head, U, 88, Dependent on Friends , Combe S Nicolas, Deaf
Priscilla Pyke, Neice, U, 29, Do Do , Jersey St Helier450
Death certificate: Reg District Taunton, sub-district Taunton & St James, County of Somerset. No 419: 21 March 1853 Whitehall Terrace, Taunton, Sarah Leigh Pyke, Female, 90 years, Spinster Gentlewoman, Old Age & Debility 2 months certified, The Mark of Jane Pyke, Present at death, Papland St James, [Reg] 24 Mar 1853.450
Death reg Mar 1853: Pyke  Sarah Leigh  Taunton  5c 325 20,449 
D aged 90449
‘SARAH LEIGH PIKE. — Wanted, biographical particulars regarding Mrs. Sarah Leigh Pyke, author of The Triumphs of Messiah, a Poem, Exeter, 1812. Mrs. Pyke is also author of Israel, 2 vols. 1795, by Serena; and eighty Village Hymns, Taunton, 1832. R. INGLIS.’ 451The above poem, ‘Israel: A Juvenile Poem’, is a lengthy metrical version of the Biblical story from Abraham to the entry into the Promised Land. A list of those who subscribed to its publication, including the Dowager Countess of Somerset, is included. A photocopy can be obtained from the University of Washington Libraries: Microfilm Eighteenth century collection A7173 reel 3936.452