John Ryland, Jr., Northampton, to Thomas Rippon, Drawing Office, Bank of England, London, 23 April 1793 [postmarked 25 April 1793].

Dear Bro.r

Your Letter dated Ap. 17. I rec.d this morning, Ap. 23. – How do you not know by my Letters to Pearce & Booth and Thomas that I am at North.n and dare not leave it at any rate, while totally unprovided for? tho greatly sorry for what you say about B[roadmead]! – I wrote to them 14 days ago, & have had no ans.r – S:— told me last night he had seen [Paice?] a stud.t who s.d my letter had been read to them, & the story of Mrs H [anson]. told them.

I’l manage the fund money as soon as I can – but the failure of the Bankers will make people afraid of Drafts.

Pray have you had my 2.d Sheet of our Ch. history, inclosed to Tim. Tho.s   I desired him to charge you the Postage, but put it into his Letter because there was not room to direct it, it was so full. – You go so seldom to Coffee house perhaps you have miss’d it – I hope it is not lost.

I did not know nor think about what Rosendale was.  Our Record merely mentions “the Ch. in Rosendale” & so I thought I wrote it. I suppose it is as you say a District.

My Palmer is packed up, as part of my Books were done, to go.  I expect every day to unpack them – but cannot awhile to day.  Who w.d look for Davis, but under Northamptonshire?  at Rothwell, or Desborough. See Calamy IV. 638. whose misrepresentation is corrected by a large Note in Palmer. See also Cal. Ist Vol. 512. – You need only refer to Palmer, and will find it easily if you look for Mr Browning.

I believe Mr Terry’s was the Paedob. Ch – no doubt Mr Negus was a B[aptist]. but will ask Mr Sutcliff – Old Clayton you know died there lately.

I know nothing about laying on of hands at Ordin.s There is no Record, nor can I get any Information.

I suppose Mr Moore was buried at C. Lane – no Record.

It is tho’t Mr Boumer or Barmer, I know not which is right, removed to Newport an old woman says so.

NB.  When Miriam Barrett, who died in Communion wiyh our Ch. (in my time) joined Dr Doddridges, where she was first a Member, Mr Barmer was invited to baptize her, and with ye Dr’s knowl. & consent, they met at the Vestry at Castle hill in the Evening previous to going down to the Water.  This her sister now living, and another person, present at the B.s told me this Morning.   This you can word better.

The other Story is incorrect, alter it thus

D.r Doddridge being present at a baptizing, pulled off his own Cloak when Mr Rodgers came out of the Water, & wou’d fain have had him put it on:  remarking at the same time “This is a very solemn Ordinance.”  

I have not heard from Dr Ersk[ine]. lately –

I very well kn[ow] Kirkland is maintained by the Scotch Society that maintained D. Brainerd  See a large Qto Pamphlet An Acc.t of the Society in Scotland for propagating Xn Knowledge from its commencem.t 1709 Edin.  printed for Murray & Cochrane 1774   Did not Martin some years ago publish a Serm. preach’d before the London Correspond.s of this Society[?]

If ever I go to B.r I shd not think it expedt to attempt anything hastily respecting the Hymn Book tho I sh.d much prefer Watts and the Appendix as their Collection, unless they made a second Vol. of their Collection. 

  We unite in sincere Respects to yourself and Mrs Rippon, with all your familys

I am

Yours affectly

John Ryland

Do pay Mr Booth for 7 Abbadies the first opportunity –

[Written at a later date by Ryland] 

“Return’d by Mrs Dent   25 No 5 5 No 2”

 Text: MS. II.c.5.(12.), Congregational Library, London.