June 23, 1809 letter from William Griffin to Thomas Haweis
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Title |
June 23, 1809 letter from William Griffin to Thomas Haweis |
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Post Date |
June 23, 1809 |
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Author |
Griffin, William |
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Recipient |
Haweis, Thomas (1734-1820) |
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Date |
1809-06-23 |
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Physical Description |
4 pp. total; 3 pp. text; 1 p. address |
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Dimensions |
21.9 x 33.8 cm |
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Location (Box, Folder) |
Box 1, File 45 |
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Address To |
Vineyards, Bath |
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Country To |
England |
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Address From |
Thrapston |
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Country From |
England |
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Transcriber |
Gareth Lloyd |
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Plain Text Transcription |
From William Griffin at Thrapston in Northamptonshire, to T.H. at ‘Vineyards’ in Bath, Somerset. Spiritual matters are discussed in detail. The report in the Northampton Mercury occasioned much distress among ‘serious’ people in the area and many people blamed Mr Coales (The Coales family were parishioners at Aldwincle and were among T.H.’s earliest converts in the parish) for his former conduct. ‘The opinion as prevailed was that you was going to resign and to give the poor sheep into the hands of devouring wolves. (Reference to T.H giving consideration at this time to resigning the Aldwincle living. He decided against this in the end, although he did retire to Bath leaving the parish in the charge of a succession of curates.) As I received your’s on Sunday morning, I sent a copy of part of your letter to Mr H. Thomson (In 1814 Henry and Thomas Thomson were churchwardens of the parish of Aldwincle), which he communicated to the relief of the distressed and joy of many. And on Monday I followed it and was received into the houses of several with great joy and thanksgiving…a good old disciple of your’s Joseph Bennett of Keystone sent over Mr Frances(?) to know the truth of the report and Mr Frances with tears observed how many good and profitable sermons had he formerly heard in that church. Miss Fancourt of Bledsoe was at my house the same day and who was much delighted and rejoiced and as she was going to H. Coales she borrowed the letter with the promise of a speedy return.’ T.H. will no doubt be delighted to hear that Reverend Grimshaw next Sunday takes possession of the living of Burton – Miss Fancourt has said that he is a good gospel minister and Griffin is inclined to believe that this is the case for Grimshaw has prayed extempore with some sick people and has asked for the name of a Methodist preacher who has visited T.H. in the past. Mr Hodson, a curate at Isham, who Griffin hears is a good preacher, has a family of seven children. He was a close acquaintance of the late ‘charitable’ Mr Barrick and had hoped to be remembered in his will, but all that he has been left is a few old candlesticks. Hodson is not aware of any cause for offence that he might have given him, although Barrick did return to Hodson with some expression of contempt, books that Barrick described as Methodist. Mr Selby came to Griffin after the first advertisement for the house appeared and asked after the rent and said that he could give the gentleman a letter for the price. ‘There is 2 others have a price for £4000. Mr [Frederick] Powys (the son of a former Rector of St. Peter, Aldwincle, and Curate of the parish of Titchmarsh) and a gentleman from London sent for me to the White Hart to enquire after the same…’ Business matters are further discussed in detail. (the exact meaning of this passage is difficult to work out, but it may relate to Haweis's disposal of his property in the parish of Aldwincle prior to his move to Bath). ‘Respecting Mr [John] Sell’s (Sell was Haweis's curate at Aldwincle) gifts as a minister and his usefulness, I leave for his hearers to decide upon, who have faithfully promised me to give you very shortly a letter of thanks for not deserting them…as Mr and Mrs Sell are young people, they stand in great need of their friends’ kind advice and divine assistance which at present I believe they have kindly received – how long that may continue is not for me to decide upon…’ Reference is made in detail to a transaction between Mr Coales and Griffin concerning a horse. Reference is made to the financial value of two parishes and the property contained therein. Griffin encloses an itemized income and payment account for the parish. (1 sheet, 3p.) 23 June 1809 |
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Notes |
William Griffin may have been a parish official at Aldwincle. |
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Digital Resources Type |
Image |
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Digitization Date |
Digitized: 2012 |
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Digitization Process |
Digitization process: Derivatives resized at 4030 pixels in height or width |
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Digital Publisher |
Bridwell Library, Special Collections; Perkins School of Theology; Southern Methodist University |
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Rights |
Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Head of Special Collections of the Bridwell Library |
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Decade |
1800-1809 |
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