John Ryland, Jr., Bristol, to Thomas Raffles, Liverpool, 22 February 1821.

Dear Sir

         A few days ago Mr Prust applied to me saying you wish’d to collect some specimens of the hand writing of different Minrs and wd be glad if I could furnish you with Some. I certainly then felt fully disposed to do whatever was in my power to gratify you; and I have since been laid under an additional obligation, by your kind communication from Sumatra recd on Saturday. But the difficulty lies in finding anything worth your acceptance, and yet what I could part with, which shall also not contain any confidential information relative to private concerns.

         I also do not know whose hand writing which I have wou’d be most acceptable, I have found specimens of Mr Newton, Fuller, R. Hall, S. Pearce, Foster, Dr Carey, Mr Scott. If you will name any one else whose writing I am likely to have, I will search my papers to try if I can serve you further. 

         Since I began this letter I have seen a very kind letter sent from Sir T. S. R. to Mr Dyer.  I shall be glad, if when you write to him, you will assure him that we feel our selves greatly indebted to him for his kindness. Being exceedingly hurried at this time, especially on acct of the approaching death of my dear Colleagues wife, you will excuse my hastily subscribing myself, 

         Your corl & much obliged Bror

                                                                                 John Ryland

Feb. 22d 1821.

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 199-200 (annotated version); also  Eng. MS. 383, fol. 1773e, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. Mr. Prust is probably the father of Edmund Thornton Prust (1808-86), who was born in Bristol and educated at Mill Hill School and at Highbury, 1826-1829. He pastored the Independent congregation at Commercial Street in Northampton, 1829-30. Other individuals mentioned above include John Newton, Andrew Fuller, Robert Hall, Samuel Pearce, John Foster, William Carey, Thomas Scott (the Evangelical vicar of Olney), Sir Thomas Raffles (Rev. Raffles’s cousin), John Dyer, BMS secretary, and Mrs. Crisp, wife of Thomas Steffe Crisp (1788?-1868), assistant pastor at Broadmead and tutor at Bristol Baptist College (he later served as Principal, 1826-68); she died on 26 February 1821. Her maiden name was Vipan, and she had been a member for several years of the Independent congregation at Broadmead. See Broadmead Independent Church, 1817-34 (MS., Bristol Record Office, Bd/M1/4) f. 38-39.