Joshua Rowe, in the Bristol Channel on board a ship, to John Sutcliff, Olney, 3 January 1804.

Bristol Channel Jany 3. 1804

Very dear Sir

           Have but just time to write a few lines, to send on shore by the Pilot, who intends leaving the ship much sooner than we expected, on account of having such a fine breeze to take us down the channel. Suppose you were very anxious to know whether we were at Sea in the late storm. Thro: mercy we did not sail at the time appointed, a vessel that sailed at the time we intended was lost!  Our hearts are much revived at the pleasing intelligence rec.d from India: and we hope to meet with Dear Capt.n Weaks. We left Bristol this morning, after taking leave of D.rRyland, M.r Page, M.r Sharp, Students, and many other friends, of both sexes, who accompanied us down to Pill. We breakfasted, sang an hymn or two, and D.r R—prayed at an Inn near the river: after w.h we were accompanied by M.r Page and some other friends into the Ship, then stood on the Quarterdeck & sang M.r Saffery’s 2nd hymn. Have not time nor ability to enlarge—if I had I w.d give you an account of the scene w.h present[ed] themselves to my view. The Captain has been sick. Find it very difficult to please our sisters. On my left hand is M.rs Moore very sick, calling out lustily for a pot: bro: Moore holding her head and calling for a bucket. Complains of being sick himself. Mary Biss vomiting upon her Mother. Bro: Mardon ascending the ladder for fresh air, but obliged to discharge the contents of his stomach before he could get on the deck. M.rs Biss very sick: bro: Biss holding her head, and very quamish himself. M.rs Mardon sitting down on the floor of the state room casting up her accounts.—Betsy looking pale, and putting on a kind of sham cheerfulness, saying she is not sick—The vessel begins to heave much now, I do not know what kind of a night we shall have. All are now gone to bed, myself excepted. I find myself very quamish, and wish to lie down, therefore must draw to a close: it is with great difficulty that I have written this.—

          Have left some profiles for you, Miss J.— & M.rs Fuller, with D.r Ryland.—M.r Tho.s Ransford gave me the two first vols: of Scott on the Bible   w.d thank you to send me the third, when published.—Hope that “I am among you as one that serveth” will be engraven upon my heart. Have great reason to think that unanimity will subsist among us. If I could, I w.d write you a long letter. Could you realize what I now feel from sickness you w.d freely pardon me; tho’ I am obliged to write five letters.

          All of us write in love to you M.rs S. Miss J and all enquiring friends—

                                                               Your’s in our dear Lord

                                                                                 Joshua Rowe

N.B. The Knife w.h bro. Moore wrote to M.r [paper torn] about, proves to be bro: Mardon’s, w.h [paper torn] in mistake. It was paid for.—

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 116-18 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 387, fol. 108, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. On the back page John Ryland has written, “a scene of sea sickness”; also written in Sutcliff’s hand, “Rec. Jan. 17. 1804.” Joshua Rowe (1781-1822) was a BMS missionary to India, 1804-22. John Sharp (1741-1805) was the Baptist minister at Oakam (1770-85), Manchester (1785-97), and then at the Pithay, Bristol (1797-1805). According to an entry in the Broadmead Church Book, “On Decr 8.th  [1803] A solemn Meeting of Prayer was held at our place for the Designat.n of 4 Missionaries about to be sent by the Baptist Society, to New York in their way to Serampore in the East Indies.” These were Joshua Rowe, Richard Mardon, John Biss, and William Moore. Saffery and Sutcliff were both there leading the meeting. Sutcliff provided the laying on of hands, with the other ministers joining him. Andrew Fuller also spoke to the missionaries. Ryland concluded in prayer—“It was a day much to be remembered—The Meeting was well filled.” Sutcliff preached at Broadmead on 8 December and twelve new members were baptized that day and received on 11 December. See Broadmead Church Book, 1779-1817, ff. 259, 260, 261; “Calendar of Letters,” Baptist Quarterly 6 (1932-33): 283, 320-21, 376. Others mentioned above include John Saffery (1763-1825), Baptist minister at Brown Street, Salisbury, 1790-1825;  Rowe's fellow missionaries—William (1776-1844) and Eleanore Moore; John (d. 1807), Hannah, and Mary Biss; and Richard (1776-1812) and Rhoda Mardon; Sarah Johnston,  Sutcliff’s sister-in-law; Ann Coles, daughter of William Coles (1735-1809), Baptist minister at Maulden, who became Andrew Fuller’s second wife on 30 December 1794; Thomas Ransford, a prominent member of the Broadmead church in Bristol; and the popular commentary, Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments:  with Original Notes and Practical Observations, 3 vols. (1802–1804), by Thomas Scott (1747-1821), evangelical Anglican divine and friend and correspondent of John Ryland, Jr.