Samuel Pearce, Northampton, to William Summers, 98 New Bond Street, London, 12 July 1798.

 Northampton   July 12.th 98

  Blessed be God that he hath again wrought deliverance for the partner of my very dear Friend & put a new song into All our mouths—Happy sh.d I be to witness the grateful devotion of your amiable Family but many things forbid our going by way of the Metropolis to Plym.h—I now hope to see you soon & therefore have the less concern to tell you all the Whys & Wherefores of my plan in this letter—You shall know all when w meet

         The Plan Itself is this

Next Lords day—July               15—I preach here

                                                      16—Return to Birm.         

                                                      18—Go to Bristol

                                                      19—to Exeter

                                                      20—to Plymouth

Lords Day                                   22

do                                                  27   Spend at Plymouth or its neighborhood

do                                Augst—  3

                                                      5—Return to Exeter

                                                      6—to Bristol

Lords day                                 10—Preach at Bristol or its neighborhood—perhaps at Uley if you c.d meet me there but I cannot promise till I have seen Dr Ryland

                                                      12—Go to Oxford

                                                      14—Preach at the opening of a meet.g there

15—Return again to “that dear hut our  home.”

  Meet me as soon as you can—if possible at Plymouth for my Father is really anxious to entertain you & enjoy your company—But write me as soon as you have fixed your plan—Perhaps you c.d send by Saturday’s post so as to meet me at Birm.  Our love to yours & you.—                                                                     

                                                                             S. Pearce

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 88-89 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 371, fol. 97, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. William Summers was a close friend and correspondent of Samuel Pearce. Samuel's father, William Pearce, was a watchmaker in Plymouth. See Universal British Directory, 4: 269.