Christopher Anderson, Edinburgh, to John Sutcliff, Olney, Wednesday  ? 1812.

Edin.r Wednesday

My Beloved Brother

         Our Saviour being in an Agony prayed the more earnestly oh that we may resemble him on this occasion!  Over all this desolation let us be assured my dear Brother we shall, er’e long, sing a Hymn of wonder, love, & Praise. It is our duty in the meanwhile to be busy, and need oh need I say can I help you in any way. No you need no assurance as to my [hearts] willingness. In a few days I hope to send 200 or 300£ and in the meanwhile I send information which is perhaps as material. I have heard from Bro: Ryland & send him the same letter for substance as this & the same book. The same of both to Bro: Burls.   If the order is not given for the types in London pause a moment—& consider. Observe the difference of prices at the end of the book—the peculiar beauty of the article—This Man sends types to London now & rivals the first Makers. He will send at these rates carriage free to any Port where the types are to [be] shipped. Perhaps you never saw a finer type, and as the Maker is an enterprizing Man—rivalling the first Maker & only begun a few years he is the more likely to be on honour. I requested a reply from D.r R. & M.r B. but uncertain where I should write, I knew that my dear Brother is engaged in this department of the Mission.—I only heard yesterday—You observe no time has been lost. All here feel the deepest simpathy [sic]—and if we have this called forth on our behalf the Money will be soon ready—Write if it be but two words to London to me that I may know how to proceed. Excuse haste but I lose the Posts   My kind love to Bro Wilson & all friends—with much Esteem

                                             Christ.r Anderson

Millar might have a part of the order if not the whole, though from the difference of price p.r the whole would be better.

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 152-53 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 387, fol. 123b, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. This letter is attached to the printed letter by Marshman to Ryland of 12 March 1812. "D.r R. & M.r B." are references to John Ryland, Jr., and William Burls. The individual Anderson is referring to throughout this letter is William Miller, typefounder. After working for Alexander Wilson in his type foundry at Glasgow (1800-1808), Miller established his own foundry in Edinburgh in 1809. Though he was in the early years of his career when Anderson sought his help in supplying new types for the printshop in Serampore, Miller would soon become one of Scotland’s most successful typefounders, serving in that capacity for Scotland to the King of England from 1825 to 1833. His company would eventually produce one o the most famous types of the nineteenth century, the Scotch Roman font.