Baptist W. Noel, Keswick, to William Wilberforce, Kensington Gore, Revd Mr Neales, Taplow, Maidenhead, 27 July 1820. 

Keswick  July 27th 1820.

Dear Mr Wilberforce

   I cannot doubt that you feel interested in the welfare of the Keswick, and I therefore venture to solicit the assistance of your name, & of any smallest contribution which you may feel it allowable to make towards the Establishment of a national school for girls in this place.  The morals & the manners of the children are sadly neglected, & we have therefore felt bound to do every thing in our power to rescue them from their moral wretchedness.  The Rennnaways have obtained the patronage & support of Mrs Calvert, whom you probably know, by name at least; and Miss [f.86v] Coleridge & Miss Southey, together with several other Ladies in Keswick have promised to be inspectors of the School.  We have been endeavouring to find a suitable room, the lease of which we might take, but hitherto have not met with success, as the only building which would do for our purpose, is far too expensive; but if Mr Pearson a rich Liverpool merchant, to whom the property about Mrs Sansons house belongs & to whom I have written on the [subject] will give us a piece of ground, I hope that we shall be able to raise money to build a school room.  We are the more anxious to do this, because if we can persuade the people of Keswick to maintain a school-mistress, that is the utmost which we can expect; and therefore it becomes important that neither they nor ourselves should be burdened with an annual rent¾We have met with [f.87r] a young woman who is willing to become school-mistress who is said to be both pious & clever. Her appearance & manners is certainly much in her favour, but we shall inquire further before we conclude any thing.  We have visited about twenty cottages in our immediate neighbourhood and can gather that the poor people themselves are anxious for the Establishment of such a School & would gladly send their children.  The probable benefits to be derived from it must not however be estimated by a reference to its effects on these children only.  It will I have no doubt ultimately effect the improvement of a large free-school for boys which already exists, and which is so managed, (if that can be called management which is only obstinate neglect) that at present we dare not attempt to do any thing for it, but besides [f.87v] this, our projected School would introduce [a] line of tracts & small reward books into places where no other religious instruction would ever come. However I need not enlarge upon its advantages.  If dear Sir you feel that Keswick would only be robbing others who have nearer claims upon your bounty, you will not hesitate to tell us so, but give us your well wishes & your prayers for the Success of an attempt which we can not but hope is for the glory of God & for the good of our fellow creatures.  Ever yours with affectionate respect

                     Baptist W Noel

Text: MSS. Wilberforce, d. 14, fol. 45, Bodleian Library, Oxford.