Henry Hoghton, Walton Hall, to William Wood, [Leeds], undated (c. autumn 1789).

Sir

         I was very happy to be informed by you that my conduct in the late application for the repeal of the Corporation & Test Acts met with the approbation of the dissenting protestant ministers of the West Riding of the County of York.   Tho’ I am personally acquainted with few of them, I am not a stranger to their character, which make their applause very gratyfying [sic] to me – and I received your assurances of your personal respect & esteem, for the same reason, with thankfullness & satisfaction.   No thanks were due to me for the part I took, as I am a confessed protestant Dissenter, & therefore it was my indispensible duty to support, to the utmost of my ability, the claims of the Protestt Dissenters to an eligibility to civil offices, from which they are injuriously & ungenerously excluded.

        I congratulate you & your worthy Brethren that our just Cause had such enlighted’d advocates in the House of Coms; at the same time I am mortified to recollect, how very feeble a support I gave it in the late debates, but tho’ I have notability to be an advocate, I trust, there is no interest too dear to me that I wd not chearfully offer up at the altar of civil & religious liberty.  I consider the stigma upon you as a national disgrace which I hope will sometime or other be removed.

        I beg you will present my thanks & respectfull compliments to the Ministers who composed the Meeting which you are the Chairman.

                I am, Sir, with sincere Esteem,

                            Your obedt Servant

                                        H Hoghton

Text: Test Acts Papers, no. 28, Unitarian Collection, UCC 3/6/6, John Rylands University Library of Manchester.