William Richards, Lynn, to John Sutcliff, Olney (“Favd by Mr Welsh”), 18 May 1813.

Lynn   18th May 1813.

Dear Sir,

            I avail myself of Mr Welsh’s regretted departure from Lynn to drop you a line, which I hope will not be unacceptable.

         Since I became pretty well acquainted with Mr Welsh I have much wished his settlement here had proved permanent, tho’ I all along feared it wd not turn out so. I knew the people too well to entertain very sanguine hopes that he would be long very comfortable here. I had been myself their minister above twenty years, which is twice as long as any other minister has staid with them, & ten times as long as most of them did stay. Durrant was their minister the longest next to me, but he living out of town, & not taking any thing for his services, & seldom seeing them except on the Lord’s Day, got on pretty quietly, but the society & congregation dwindled, till the numbers at last were reduced to little more than a dozen, whereas they were once in my time about fourscore.

         I much regret the departure of Mr Welsh. The more I knew him the better I liked him; & I promised myself much pleasure from his acquaintance had he continued here: & in all probability should have attended at no other place. But that is now all over, & it is not likely that the minister the managers here will choose will be much to my liking. A noisy, ranting preacher will suit some of them best, who will draw a crowded audience to fill the pews, that the rents of them may pay the minister’s Salary, & so save the pockets of the managers of the place. But we will drop this subject.

         I enclose some little papers published here—merely as a token of sincere & undiminished respect, of near 40 years standing. However you may occasionally disagree with certain passages in them, I trust you will meet with nothing that will seriously offend you.—I often wish I had been situated nigher to you, that I might have the pleasure of seeing you now & then—I had many warm friends in different parts of the kingdom; but death hath deprived me of most of them: I have now very few left; & have spent a very cheerless life ever since I buried my dear wife about nine years ago, who was a most affectionate & excellent wife. It would give me no small pleasure to hear from you now & then: but whether you will indulge me with that favour or not, I shall assuredly remain very sincerely & affectionately

                                                               your Friend & Servant

                                                                                 W Richards

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 160-61 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 383, fol. 1700, John Rylands University Library of Manchester.  On the back page Sutcliff has written: “Rec. May 20. 1813. Ans.d [May] 28. [1813].” William Richards (1749-1818) was Baptist minister at Lynn, 1776-98; he was followed by Timothy Durrant (1800-1808) and Thomas Welsh  [Welch] (1811-13). Richards authored a History of Lynn (Lynn, 1812).