John Saffery, Salisbury, to Philip Whitaker, Bratton, [Friday], 12 June 1807.

Sarum June 12, 1807

Dear Bror,

   Respecting the Association it was a pretty comfortable one; at least more so than last year’s – We had some good Serms from Dr Ryland, Messrs Birt & Gray.  Probably you have heard @ the Letter of Bror Taylor’s – It was on a singular subject, Correspondence, i.e. the general corresponde of the whole denominn in Great Britain, & indeed throughout the world.  There are many good things in it, & some purile & eccentric – But we were unanimously of opinion that it would not do to print it as a Letter from the Associatn & I suppose it is the first Letter which has been rejected, tho’ by the by many have been printed not half so well written.  His former Letter written @ 20 years since having been much admired it was agreed to reprint that, & at the same time a general request was made to him, that he would print this, with some alternations addressed to the whole denomination advising with Dr Ryland respecting the revisal of it, to which he consented – whether any after difficulties might prevent its appearing I cannot say –

   There were much great difficulties respecting the Benevolent Society than I expected  We met at 11 oclock Wedy morning, your Hble Servt in the Chair because they foolishly tho’t they could not find one that would fill it better.  Birt having set his [heart] upon the establishment of a fund for superannunated Ministers & devoted £100 to it urged with his accustomed vehemence a separation of the objects or he would have nothing to do with it.  In this he was supported by Dunscombe, Dr Rippon & others the latter having intimated that the London Ministers have been conversing on the subject, & that he knew another 100£ or two ready to be subscribed.  After a good deal of debate it was agreed to separate them, & a committee was formed for corresponding with the whole denomination for the purpose of establishing the Society.  If I recollect right the committee are Dr Ryland, Messs Dunscombe Birt & Savery of Bovey Tracy.  It was then agreed to form a Society for the Widows & Orphans of Ministers the difficulty in this case principally arose in settling the claims of its objects.  Birt & almost all the Ministers & Messengers of Devon & the lower part of Somerset contended that none should be relieved but those who were very poor & that it sd be a purely benevolent Society, the rest of us insisted that the families of all Ministers who subscribed should have an equal claim, if they chose to make it, & that it sd be an equitable, as well as benevolent institution.  On Wedy Evening it was carried, that if a Widow had £60 pr ann she was to claim nothing, & if a Widow & family possessed a £100 pr ann, they were in like manner to be excluded from any benefit.  Brethn Ryland, Page Winterbottom, myself &c &c were so much dissatisfied with this that we were pretty generally agreed to have nothing to do with it. After debating it at every meeting it was finally agreed to admit an equal claim that a Widow when the Capital is obtained shall be entitled to £20 pr ann & each of the childn to such an age £5 so that no more than £40 pr ann be granted to one family.  For this year Mr Dyer of Plyth is Secretary & Mr Tucker (I believe) of Dock Treasurer. But you will see by the rules when printed – I am sorry to say that there was some very warm altercation between Page & Winterbottom on the one hand & Birt on the other & tho’ you will not think me famous for moderation, I believe if I had not perseveringly interposed that the matter would have intirely dropt or the Association would have divided on this business & two Societies have been formed – & I now fear it will not be taken up with spirit at least this year as no names were entered or subscripts paid. I have not time to notice the arguments on either side & must leave this ’till I see you.  As my dr Mary will write on the remainder of this sheet she will inform you of our domestic concerns – Next Associatn is at Sudbury wn yr Parson will have a chance for preaching.  Bror Grey writes the Letter. I intend if the Lord please to go to London Tuesday or Wedy week  Yours affectly  J  Saffery

Baptized 5 Sab.

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 234-36 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.A.16.(b.), Angus Library. Address: Mr P. Whitaker | Bratton Farm | nr Westbury.  No postmark. Since the last letter, MGS has given birth in February 1807 to another son, Samuel (d. 1858).  The previous meeting of the Western Particular Baptist Association had been at Beckington, Somersetshire; the 1807 meeting was held at Tiverton, 20-21 May. Other references above include William Gray, Baptist minister at Liberty Street, Plymouth Dock, the sister church to Isaiah Birt’s congregation in Morice Square;  Isaac Taylor (1755-1810), Baptist minister at Calne; Taylor published his address preached before the Association meeting at Horsley, which appeared as The Glory of Zion (Bristol: Harris and Bryon, 1807); Isaiah Birt (1758-1837), Baptist minister, Morice Square, Plymouth Dock; Thomas Dunscombe (1748-1811), ministered to the Baptist congregation at Cote [Coate], Oxfordshire, from 1773 to 1797, at which time he retired to marry the poet Mary Steele of Broughton, though he continued to preach in chapels at Buckland, Farringdon, and Bampton in Oxfordshire; John Rippon (1751-1836) aserved as the minister of the influential Baptist congregation in Carter Lane (later Park Street), Southwark, 1772-1836; John Ryland, Jr., was the Baptist minister at Broadmead, Bristol; Mr Savery was a prominent layman in the Baptist congregation of Bovey Tracey, Devonshire, under the ministry of Joseph Sprague.

The Benevolent Society for the Widows & Orphans of Ministers was formed at this meeting in 1807 and would continue thereafter, with annual reports (with names of donors) attached thereafter to the breviates of the Annual Meeting of the Western Association (see similar accounts of societies in Cambridge and London at this same time).

Henry Page (1781-1833) served as assistant pastor at Broadmead as well as secretary and tutor at Bristol Academy from 1802-1817; William Winterbotham (1763-1829) was formerly an assistant to Philip Gibbs at Plymouth, 1789-93, during which time he was tried and convicted of seditious libel as a result of two political sermons preached in 1792. He served a four-year sentence in Newgate Prison, after which he returned to Plymouth, working once again with Gibbs before removing to Shortwood, Gloucestershire, in 1804.

]Mr. Tucker was a deacon in the church in How Street, Plymouth, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Widows and Orphans Fund mentioned above; he was also a leader in the formation of a Sunday School in 1811, during the ministry of John Dyer. Tucker was assisted for a time by Thomas Trowt, later a friend of John and Maria Saffery and a BMS missionary. See Henry M. Nicholson, Authentic Records relating to the Christian Church now meeting in George Street and Mutley Chapels, Plymouth. 1640 to 1870 (London: Elliot Stock; Plymouth: Thomas Doidge, [1870]), pp.  97-99. John Dyer (1783-1841), was tye son of James Dyer, Baptist minister at Devizes, and was a deacon in the church in Pembroke Street, Plymouth Dock, where William Steadman had previously ministered, at the time of the above letter.  Also mentioned above is Thomas Claypole of Bratton.