William B. Gurney, Essex Street, London, to a Mr. Paxon, No 9 Terrace, Grays Inn Lane, London, 3 March 1822.

Essex Street

3d March 1822

Dear Sir

         I have spoken to Mr Hoby who says that he shall have pleasure in taking the part you propose in the settlement of Mr Hargreaves – that the time is of little consequence to him as that he can go from the one service to the other but that he fears to others who have not the same command of their time it will be a serious objection and he fears as the evening will be found a more convenient time than the afternoon the majority will stay away from your service to attend that at Mr Ivimeys especially as Mr Winterbotham and one or two other Country Ministers are to take a part and we have had no designation of a Missionary for a good while past in London – Under these circumstances he strongly recommends that you shod if possible fix upon another day in which case you would fix the service somewhat later say three or four (so as to enable the people to get some dinner before they came) which you cannot do if it remains fixed for Wednesday the 13th on acct of the Designation – The time for that cannot be changed as Mr Winterbotham I understand cannot come earlier and Mr Tinson must be prepared to start for Deal the next day – If you shod determine to change the day I would suggest that if you shod select Thursday ^the 14th^, and shod expect any of the Ministers who are on the Come of the Baptist Mission you must not be too early as it is this day for the Quarterly Come Meeting and there will be therefore important business claiming the attendance of every one

                     I am

                                 Dear Sir

                                             Yours respy

                                                         W B Gurney

Address: Mr Paxon | No 9 Terrace | Grays Inn Lane

Postmark: March 1822

Text: William B. Gurney Letters, RG no. 1115, American Baptist Historical Society Archives, Atlanta.