10 December 1790

John Ryland, Jr., Northampton, to John Sutcliff, Olney, 10 December 1790.                                                                                                       

Dec. 10. 1790

Dear Bro Sutcliff

I’ve only time to say I am just return’d yesterday—Settled wth Lepard as follows—

Revd Jn Sutcliff with John Pelly Lepard

1789

Or Aug 1                         By 50  Edwards Attempt

D Duct Oct. 2               By 25    Sent Mr Ash

25     I did not see him since I called on Ash, perhaps this is a mistake for       Button[5] 

1790

Nov. 17 Returns            16

to pay for                       9    @ 7d. ————   5..3

Deduct Car.g’ Porterage

        due to Mr Sutcliff     ————   1..4

                   3..11           This he pd me 

XII Copies of Edw. out of the above 16 I left with Vernor  IX  I return—and send with them 2 Edw. on Ch. Fellowship    II at 3s .4d the two, & one Robinsons secd Vol at 3s

If you like to keep all, you will owe me 2..5

Thro’ Mercy we had a good Journey & met wth much friendship—Mr Newton sent Carey a Guinea—said it did not suit him before, but he cd afford it now for his Baptist Bro.r—Mrs  N. was living when I left Town —You must excuse haste—I’ll get Mr Rippon to enquire of Lepard about the above. He will settle yrs with Palmer of Bucklands other Execr when he settles for himself & for me—Our Respects to Mrs A.        

                                                      Yrs cordially

                                                                        J. R. j.

Send any or all back if you don’t want them

On the back cover is the following note to Sutcliff:

If Mr Palmer goes to Holland can you not engage him to make some Enquiries into the State of Relign

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 51-52 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 371, fol. 107c, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. John Pelly Lepard (d. 1796) worked with his father, William Lepard, and brother, also William Lepard, as London stationers, rag merchants and paper makers. Others mentioned above include William Button of Dean Street; Thomas Vernor, a bookseller and former Baptist turned Sandemanian; William Ash, bookseller in Tower Hill and most likely a Baptist, and James Buckland, Independent bookseller in Paternostor row. Another reference is possibly to John Palmer, minister at Shrewsbury. Jonathan Edwards’s Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth, Pursuant to Scripture-Promises and Prophecies Concerning the Last Time (Boston, 1747) was reprinted in Northampton by  T. Dicey in 1789, largely through the efforts of Sutcliff.