John Tyler Ryland, Bristol, to John Rippon, Grange Road, Southwark, London (“by favor of Mr Douglass”), 18 April 1801.

Bristol. April 18. 1801. –

Dear Sir,

I received your kind letter and present for which I am much obliged to you.  I return you many thanks for the candour which you exercised towards me in my former letter; it is this which has emboldened me so soon to address myself to you again.  I was affraid [sic] after I had sent it off that it was not correct and I allmost [sic] wished I had not sent it.

There has been some rioting in the town however there has been little or no damage done.

Last week I went to the assizes and having never heard any trials before was much entertained.  I heard three trials.  [T]he first of Robert Mainerd a young man for robbing a Mr Burke a respectable Gentleman of this city of two silver teapots, two stands and a great variety of plate with several other articles; the only thing that was found on his hands was a pair of Gloves belonging to the footman.  He was very cunning for when the footman had given in his evidence the Judge told him that he might ask the footman any question that he pleased.   [H]e therefore asked him if he could swear w^h^ether his hand was not the size of his.  The footman answered that he had never measured.   He then asked if he could swear from any private mark he had on them that those gloves which had been found on him were the self-same gloves that he had left on his pantry dresser.  To which he answered that he could not swear to them by any private mark but he believed that they were the same. [T]hese things I thought seemed much in his favor but however he was found guilty.  [H]e seemed rather low during the whole trial and when the Jury bro’t in their verdict he allmost fainted away.  The next trial I heard was of one Captain Howie which lasted upwards of five hours.  He was indited [sic] with having intentionally sunk a Vessel the property of Mr Bedford a linen draper of this City and by his command, with an intent to defraud the insurance brokers[.] Bedford got off before they could take him up and Howie is condemned to die.  The last trial I heard was of an Irish man whose name I forget for forgery.  They are all condemned to be hung and also a Woman for stealing some Milinary [sic] goods the property of Miss Townsend one of the first Miliners [sic] in the City.  Only the Captain and the Irishman are expected to be hung the others it is thought will be transported for life.  The Woman has served her time in Newgate allready and they [sic] had not been out but a little more than two months when she committed this second crime. 

Mr Fuller was here last Week he went away on Wednesday  on Tuesday Morning he delivered a Sermon in the Library to the Students the text was 4th Chapter of Ephesians 20 & 21 verses.

The Revd Mr Rowe the Copastor of Lewins Mead has written a sixpenny Pamphlett [sic] which I suppose you have seen against my Father entitled A Letter to the Revd Dr Ryland in refutation of a Note contained in a Sermon enitled the first lie refuted.  My Fathers answer is gone to the press and I suppose will soon be out.

I hope that you will not make it so long before you come and see us again and when you do I hope you will make a longer stay do you talk of coming at the annual Meeting  we shall be very glad to see you at any time I hope you will not make it very long.

I was obliged to you for your letter short as it was I should be glad to hear from you again and I hope you will find time to write a little more.  I would have wrote the hebrew but I did not know of Mr Douglass’s going till last night so that I have not had time however I hope in the next letter to be able to send it.  I should be obliged to you not to show this to any one for I am sensible of its being very little worth sending to you however the candour which you exercised towards me in regard to the other has emboldened me to send it.

My Father Mother and Aunt join with me in respects to yourself and family and all friends.  The Students unite with me in respectful rememberance [sic] to Mess.rs Coxhead and Aikin.

I remain

Yours

with the sincerest esteem and respect

J. T. Ryland

P.S.  My father would like to have his hymn book done in purple

Text: MS. II.c.5.(31.), Congregational Library, London.  John Tyler Ryland was John Ryland, Jr.'s eldest son by his first wife. No record of a hymn book published by Rippon of Ryland’s hymns c. 1801. For the complete background and notes to this letter and the collection from which it was found, as well as the life of John Tyler Ryland, see Timothy Whelan and Roger Hayden,  “John Tyler Ryland, 1786-1841: A Postscript with Two Additional Manuscripts,” Baptist Quarterly 47.3 (2016), 120-28.