William Brock, [Norwich], to unnamed correspondent, undated, but late 1843.  

My dear friend,

   My engagements for 1843 are already made, so made that I am not able to comply with your request for Burton.

   Albeit I am your debtor for some week evening service or services which I will undertake as early as my circumstances in 1844 will allow.

   We are very anxious about our new committee men for the “Literary” Institution. Mr Alexander and myself think of Messr.s Reed, Brooke, Bidwell, J. Geldart Junr, G. Groat, E. Blakely J. B. Taylor or exactly such men.  Will you think often of them also?

   Yours in kind regards to Mrs H

                           In much mercies

                                       William Brock

Text: Eng. MS. 861, fol. 6, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. William Brock (1807-1875) was at that time Baptist minister at St. Mary’s, Norwich (1833-1848); he would later serve at Bloomsbury Chapel (1848-1872). Some of the individuals mentioned above include John Alexander (1792-1868), pastor of Princes Street Independent Chapel, Norwich, 1819-1866; Andrew Reed (1817-1899), minister at the Old Meeting (Independent), Norwich, 1840-1855; William Brooke, master of Priory School, King Street, Norwich; and Edward Blakely, furrier, in London Street, Norwich. He was most likely a relation of John Rix Blakeley, a former midshipman who was converted though the ministry of James Browne, pastor of the Congregational church at North Walsham, near Worstead. Many of these individuals met regularly at the Old Meeting Book Club, a gathering of ministers, lawyers, doctors, merchants and manufacturers for the purpose of discussing and circulating printed materials. See Charles M. Birrell, The Life of William Brock, D.D. (London: James Nisbet and Co., 1878), 128-129.