William Steadman, Horton, Yorkshire, to James Dinwiddie, Pool, West Yorkshire, 27 February 1835.

My dear Sir

         I have a favour to ask of you for a relative of mine, which I will just explain   Letitia Webb, sister to my former wife, married a M.rIsaacs an Independent Minister, settled for some years at Godalmine in Surrey; but for upwards of 7 years has been laid aside through a complaint in his throat. That has reduced the family, consisting of 6 children, to great distress, and which is increased by the failure of her brother, which has deprived her of the proceeds of a legacy left by her father of 30 or 40£ anny—She wishes to get her second son, John Isaacs, about 9 years old into the Congregational School at Lewisham, near London    To this school I am informed you are a subscriber, and my request is that you would be as kind as to give your vote for his admission. You doubtless know the whole routine of the admission of children. It is I apprehend by a majority of the votes of subscribers, sent up to J. Pitman’s Esq. 35 Cumming Street, Pentonville, or 7 Castle Alley, Royal Exchange and to be decided at a half yearly meeting, I think about the middle of April. I am sorry to put you to this trouble, but the concern I feel for my relatives must plead my excuse—wishing you every blessing, I am, My Dear Sir

                                                      yrs very sincerely

                                                                        W Steadman

Horton, Feb: 27. 1835

I have scarce any personal knowledge of M.r Isaacs, having never lived near him; but from all I can learn I have every reason to believe him to be a pious, upright man, & a useful minister, as long as his capacity for labour lasted.

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 215-16 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 384, fol. 1909c, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. Steadman married the sister of Joseph Webb during the Steadman's tenure at Broughton in 1793. John Isaacs (1780-1840) pastored the Independent meeting at Harts-lane, Godalming, Surrey, 1819-1825. See Congregational Calendar (1842), 115.