A printed letter from William Wood to William Wilberforce (one was also sent to Henry Duncombe), dated 27 April 1789, about the meeting of the Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations in the West Riding of the County of York, accompanied by a printed copy of the resolutions passed at that meeting, chaired by William Wood, on 24 April 1789, at Leeds.

Attached to his letter is a printed copy of the resolutions of the meeting of Dissenting ministers for West-Riding, Yorkshire, on 24 April 1789, called by Rev. Moorhouse, in which it was resolved, among other things, “That the Chairman transmit [the address to the King above] to Henry Duncombe and William Wilberforce, Esqrs. Members for this County and request them to take the necessary Measures for its being presented to the King.” The following resolution then asks that the Chairman “also apply in the Name of this Meeting to Henry Duncombe and William Wilberforce, Esqrs. Members for this County, and request them to give their Support to the intended Application to Parliament, for the Repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts.”

Committeemen helping Woods were the Rev. Mr. Parsons, and Rev. Mr. Thomas Langdon.  Also, a Rev. Mr. Moorhouse (see fol. 126), who called the meeting.  They resolved to send an address to the King concerning his health and recovery, and the resolutions passed by the West Riding committee on 24 April to Wilberforce and Duncombe, MP’s for the County of York, concerning the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts.  They also sent a report of the meeting to Edward Jeffries in London, and the proceedings were to be reported to several provincial newspapers and other Dissenting ministers who could not attend.  

Rev. Sir,

     I take the Liberty of transmitting to you, the Resolutions of a numerous Meeting of the Protestant Dissenting Ministers in the West Riding of the County of York.  It appeared to us that we should not do justice to ourselves were we not to come forward in our own Persons, and in our distinguishing Character of Protestant Dissenting Ministers, to express our Share in the general Joy, on account of the happy Recovery of the King from his severe and melancholy Indisposition.  We apprehend that the Address from the Dissenting Ministers in London is, by no Means, sufficient on this, or on any other important Occasion, to declare the Sentiments of the general Body.  However respectable in themselves, they are but a small Part of the Whole, and can give our sovereign no Idea of the Number of his faithful and affectionate Subjects, who, on Principles of Conscience, dissent from the established Church.  Besides, they speak only in their own Names, and do not appear as the Representatives of their Country Brethren.

    Our past Neglect may be partly attributed to our dispersed Situations, and partly to the Influence of Religious Distinctions: but we flatter ourselves, that we shall not be thought too presuming, if we express a Hope that the Example of the West Riding of the County of York, in which the Ministers of the Three Denominations, overlooking every Difference that subsists amongst them, concerning Articles of Faith, Rules of Church Government, or Modes of observing ritual Institutions, have met together with Unanimity and Friendship, as Loyal Subjects, and peaceable, but firm Advocates for all the Rights of civil and religious Liberty, will excite, in different Parts of the Kingdom, a similar Spirit of public Activity and Christian Charity. 

                I remain,

                        Reverend Sir,

                                Your affectionate Brother and Servant,

                                                    William Wood.  

Text: Text Acts Papers, no. 6, Unitarian Collection, UCC 3/6/6, John Rylands University Library of Manchester.