William Steadman, Broughton, to John Rippon, London, 4 February 1796.

My dear Brother

         If this should reach you before you have sent the Registers for Salisbury and Broughton be pleased to send me 3 Hymn Books with them at 3s price. Should the Registers be gone shod be glad if you could send them, directed for me at Mr George Bartons Broughton, to Bradley & Paley’s, No 73 near St. Margarett’s Hill in the Borough, who will send them with some Goods which Mr Barton has ordered. – When will the Acct of Broughton church &c appear? I recollect when I had the pleasure of calling upon you, you mentioned some Anecdotes of the Steele Family communicated to you from my venerable Pastor, Mr Joshua Thomas. I confess I shod be glad of a Sight of them before they appear in print, in order to lay them before the Remainder of the Family.1 Anecdotes collected by a Person at so great a Distance, and who never had any personal Acquaintance with the Family, tho collected with the greatest Care & Fidelity, may prove unauthentick; or if true may not be such as Relatives wd wish to appear in print – If you omit his Acct and confine yourself wholly to mine, you need give yourself no further Trouble; if you insert any or all of his I shod wish to see the manuscript first. You can inclose it in a Letter; and I’ll take care to return it. If Mr Thomas or Mr Button have Half a Dozen that they do not expect to sell, shod be glad if you wd accept of that number. – They may perhaps serve to pay Carriage for some Registers you may send where they are not known. – I’ve sold about enough to save myself; and do not trouble myself about selling more – wishing you every Blessing, I remain

                                 Dr Br

                                             Yours affectionately

                                                         W Steadman

Broughton

Feb 2nd 1796

Address: Revd Dr Rippon | Mr Thos Rippon’s | No 2 Drawing Office | Bank of England | London

Postmark: Stockbridge 4 Feb. 96

Note

1  During the early years of Steadman’s ministry at Broughton, he lived with Mary Steele and her friend, Lucy Kent, in Broughton House, thus becoming intimate with the remaining family members (Mary Steele’s two living half-sisters resided at that time in Abingdon). Thus, protecting the image and legacy of the Steele Family and its wide circle of friends and relations in the West Country would have been a natural response for Steadman, both from his friendship with them as well as his role as Mary Steele’s pastor.

Text: John Rippon Letters, British Library, Add. Ms. 25389, fol. 164.