Showing 5 results

Typewritten copies of sixteen letters from [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Charles from Bala, Machynlleth, Milbourne Port, Oxford, Spa Fields Chapel [London], and Turk dean, near Northleach, including (a) nine letters to the Reverend Edward Griffin at Little Horwood, near Winslow, and Worcester, 1776-1788 and undated, and (b) seven letters, 1804-1812 and undated, one of which is addressed to S. Ralph, and all of which, according to D. E. Jenkins: The Life of the Rev. Thomas Charles . . ., in which they have been published (see index, s.n. Ralph, Simon), were written to Simon Ralph of Seaton (Saighton, Seighton), near Chester. The seven letters of this second section deal mainly with matters relating to the church [established by the Reverend Phillip Oliver] at Boughton.

Two note-books containing transcripts from printed sources of letters from the Reverend Thomas Charles, Bala, to Mr. and Mrs. Davies, Carnachenwen [parish of Mathry, co. Pembroke], 1809 (Y Drysorfa, 1857, t. 43), [? the Reverend Edward Griffin], London, 1791 (The Christian's Magazine, January 1792), M[ary] H[ughes], L[iverpool], 1812 (Goleuad Cymru, [Mawrth] 1823, t. 57), D[ ]Jones, Liverpool, undated (Y Drysorfa, 1838, tt. 244-5), Robert Jones, Ty Bwlcyn [parish of Llaniestyn, co. Caernarvon], 1800 (ibid ., 1846, t. 241), the Reverend [Simon] Lloyd, Bristol, undated (Y Geiniogwerth, 1848, tt. 227-8), and [the Reverend S. R. Pittard, Westbury], Wiltshire, 1792 (The Christian's Magazine, March 1792); and extracts from Hugh Anderson: The Life and Letters of Christopher Anderson (Edinburgh, 1854), and Robert Philip: The Life . . . of the Rev. John Campbell (London, 1841). In two instances the published versions of the Thomas Charles letters consist of Welsh translations of English originals.

Twelve note-books containing transcripts of, or extracts from, seventy- eight letters including seventy-one addressed to the Reverend Thomas Charles at Bala, London, Milborne Port, Oxford, Queen Camel, and Shepton Beauchamp, by M[ary] Ashwell, Milborne Port, 1784-1788 (4), M. A. Astle [London], undated, W[illia]m Astle, London, 1799, James Bowen, Castle Gorfod, 1793-1795 (3), John Campbell, Edinburgh, 1792, [the Reverend] I[saac] Crouch, Billericay, 1781, Ellis Edward, Penrhos, 1799, [Lady] A[nn] A[gnes] Erskine, Spa Fields, 1794, Cha[rles] Grant, Clapham, 1792, [the Reverend] Edward Griffin, Ipswich, Leicester, Little Harwood, Swansea, and Worcester, 1778-1800 (16), Joseph Hardcastle, London, 1799 (2, with postscripts by G[eorge] Hodson), [the Reverend] T[homas] Haweis [London], 1799-1800 (2), [Selina, countess of Huntingdon], Bath, 1781, Edward Jones, Llynden, 1799 (with a note from the writer's grandson Tho[ma]s Jones added), [the Reverend] W[illia]m Jones, Broxbourn, Enfield, and Jamaica, [17]78-1782 (5), [the Reverend] J[ohn] Lucas, Milborne Port, 1784 (2), A[mbrose] Martin, London, 1799 (2), [the Reverend] J[ohn] Mayor, Salop, 1781, [the Reverend] S. R. Pittard, Westbury, 1792, [the Reverend] R[obert] Pugh, Weston, 1790, [the Reverend] Lewis Richards, Baltimore [America], 1787-1793 (2), John Roberts, Erddreiniog [parish of Tregaean, co. Anglesey], 1799, Rob[er]t Roberts, New York, 1794, [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Scott, London, 1787-1792 (4), Tho[mas] Smith, London, 1799 (2), R[ebecca] Tomkins, London, 1798 (2), [the Reverend] Watts Wilkinson, Hoxton, London, and Winslow, 1778-1784 (6), Sion William, Plasybrain [parish of Llanbedr-goch, co. Anglesey], 1799, W[illia]m Williams, Llandigige [parish of St. David's, co. Pembroke], 1799, and [the Reverend] W[illiam] Williams, St. Ginys, 1787-1792 (2). The other seven include letters to [Sarah] Charles [wife of the Reverend Thomas Charles], Bala, from [Lady] A[nn] A[gnes] Erskine, Spa Fields, 1795, and S[elina, countess of] Huntingdon, Spa Fields, 1789 (2); to Daniel Jones, Liverpool, from his father Rob[er]t Jones, Ty Bwlcyn [parish of Llaniestyn, co. Caernarvon], 1790-1798 (3); and to the Reverend [Philip] Oliver, Chester, from Ch[arle]s Glover, Birmingham, 1799.

Two note-books containing transcripts of, or extracts from, thirty-two miscellaneous letters, 1798-1814 and undated, including letters from R. Banister, Liverpool, to [John] Walker, Chester, 1798, and [ ], 1798- 1800 (2); [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Charles from Bala, Denbigh, and [Spa Fields, London], to Mary Stringer, Abbey Green, Chester, 1802-[1805] (3), [? the Stringer family, Chester, 1803], and John Walker, Chester, 1803-[1810] ( 4); Sarah Charles [wife of the Reverend Thomas Charles], Bala, to [Mary Stringer, Chester], 1803, and [? the Stringer family], 1805; Tho[ma]s Edwards, Liverpool, to James Prescot, Delamere, undated; [the Reverend] Ed[ war]d Griffin, Ipswich, to the Reverend Tho[ma]s Charles, Bala, 1809; [the Reverend] P[hilip] O[liver, Chester], to [John] Walker [? 1800] (3); [the Reverend] Robert Pugh, Weston, Hawkstone, to [Mrs. Richards, Chester], 1814, and [John Walker, Chester], 1814; Robert Saunderson, Bala, to [John] Walker, Bersham, near Wrexham, 1803; [the Reverend] W[alter] Shirley, [curate of] Orlingbury, to John Walker, Chester, 1800, and [ ], 1800; [Mary Stringer, Chester] to [the Reverend Thomas Charles, 1805]; and Jonathan Wilcoxon, Chester, to John Walker, Bersham, near Wrexham, ?1802- 1805 (8). The letters are largely personal in nature (news of the writer, his family, and acquaintances, religious reflections), but several refer to the churches [of the Philip Oliver connexion] in Chester and the vicinity. Other matters referred to include sermons preached by [the Reverend Thomas] Kelly at Bala, Corwen, and Llangollen [1810], and Mr. Kelly's religious views (No. 4), Robert Saunderson's move to Bala to set up [Thomas Charles's] printing press there in 1803 (No. 13), the death of the Reverend Thomas Charles and his wife in 1814 (No. 23), etc.

Two note-books inscribed on the outside, upper covers 'C[hurch] M[ issionary] S[ociety]', and containing transcripts of, or extracts from, forty-two letters, 1799-1816, and other miscellaneous items. The writers of the letters include E[dward] Bickersteth, Norwich, John Davies of Vronhaulog, near Corwen, from Dolgelley, [the Reverend] Josh[ua] Davies [vicar of Dingestow and Tregare] from Goytre Lodge, near Abergavenny, Tho[mas] Evans, [?curate of] Llanddowror, Tim[oth]y Evans, [? vicar of] Llanbadarn Trefeglwys, Nath[aniel] Gilbert, [? rector of] Bledlow, W[illia]m Grey, York, [the Reverend] Edw[ar]d Griffin, [the Reverend] D[avid] Griffith, vicar of Nevern, ?John Hughes, Talsarn, near Lampeter, [the Reverend] John Jenkin, minister of Newchurch, from Mydrim, Benj[ami]n Jones, Haverfordwest, Hezekiah Jones [? curate of St. Bride's Wentlloog] from Cadaxton [sic], [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Jones, [curate of] Creaton, John Mayor [? vicar of Shawbury] from Shrewsbury, [the Reverend] W[illia]m Owen, curate of Milborne Port, [the Reverend] D[avi]d Prothero, curate of Llanstephan, near Carmarthen, [the Reverend] John Roberts, [vicar of] Tremeirchion, [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Scott, [rector of] Aston Sandford, Tho[ma]s Smith, Little Moorfields [London], [the Reverend] Ja[me]s Thomas, vicar of St. Mary's, Haverfordwest, John Venn, [? rector of] Clapham, J[ohn] Walker, Chester, and Rowland Williams, Bangor. Only in a few instances are the names of the addressees given, and on every such occasion the recipient is either the Reverend Tho[ma]s Scott or the Reverend Josiah Pratt. Both these clergymen served as secretaries of the missionary society founded in 1799 and called firstly 'The Society for Missions to Africa and the East', and subsequently 'The Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East', and the correspondence and other items transcribed in these two note-books relate largely to matters (financial contributions, recruiting, etc.) ? appertaining to this society. Other matters referred to include the edition of the Welsh Bible [published in 1799 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge] and [the Reverend Thomas] Charles's interest in obtaining supplies thereof (No. 2), a clerical meeting held at Creaton, August 1800 (No. 4), the persecution of [the Reverend Edward] Griffin (No. 4), a proposed new edition of the Bible [with commentaries] published by Thomas Scott (Nos. 4-5), the possibility of forming a society for publishing ? abridged editions of 'the best of our divinity books' (No. 5), a Welsh treatise on infant baptism being written by Thomas Jones, Creaton (No. 5), the founding of the Bible Society in 1804 (No. 7), clergymen who had allegedly 'espoused [Joanna] Southcott's imposture' (Nos. 8 + 10), Welsh orthography (No. 29), a letter from [the Reverend Thomas] Charles, ?in the Evangelical Magazine, on the subject of teaching Welsh children to read the scriptures in their own language rather than through the medium of English, and the applicability of this principle to work in the foreign mission field (No. 42), etc.