Series 01: Rowland Hassall, papers, 1797-1820, 1860: No. 020
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[ms 38]
You will wish to know how religious matters are among us.
I think I informed you in my last that old Mr Brown was dead
also his sister Mrs Hewit. Alderman Collet died quite suddenly
at a friends home in Gloucestershire. We have chosen three
new Deacons, Mr McCrae, Mr Whittem & Mr [indecipherable]. Our congregation keeps up very well, but we have had very few additions to the Church for a long time & I cannot but fear that the love of some waxeth cold. The times in England are more and more distressing. There was but a moderate harvest, it seems about 3/4 of an average crop; but the wickedness of man has raised wheat to the enormous price of a guinea a bushel, Barley and Oats tho' very fine and plentiful are also very dear. There never was in our days so much want & misery among the poor; while many, especially in the commercial world, are getting immensely rich. The trade in Coventry is worse than ever. Little work to do, & that chiefly [can't read]; and bread so dear that very many are half starved at least & I do fear more than a few have really died for want, & many have brought on mortal diseases by their poor living. There have been riots in many places; but the military are every where especially the armed associations, called by the poor, "the Famine guard", which keeps people quiet,or the farmers would soon be roughly handled. (Respects to Rev. Mr Marsden)
[MS 39]
I saw your Father lately; he is in Bablake. I wrote to you in March 1800 & sent a small parcel of books and tracts which I hoped might be useful. I hope you received them. By the same conveyance your Bro. Hancox wrote.
I was in London lately, but was so much engaged that I forgot to enquire after Mr Cover and we hope you have heard from him since his arrival in London.
Dr Vanderkemp who went to the Country above the Cape of Good Hope appears to be greatly owned & blessed of God. Mr & Mrs Evans are in general well in health. He has taken part of the late Alderman O'Neill's business. Miss Luckman is married and gone to Nottingham. Mrs Johnson and Mr Johnson (Grocer) removed to Macclesfield. Mr Samuel Burden is married & lives at St Albans. He is pretty successful in his ministry there.
I beg my sincere [?] respects to the Rev Mr Johnson, whose character I greatly revere. May the Lord greatly [?] his dis-interested labours in that remote part of the world, but, as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today & forever, so he is the very same in every place. You know he is with 2 or 3 appointed in his name as much in New Holland as in Old England. We have had several executions here & at Warwick for forgery, & had reason to hope that the Lord gave to some of the sufferers Repentance unto Life. Mrs Burden who is almost always ill, desires her [?] love to you & Mrs Hassal.
Remember us at [?] of grace as we do you. We have 6 children living, well & hopeful at present. Henry, the eldest, is in London and is likely to join a church there. Mr Evans is now at Bristol Tabernacle for 6 weeks. Mr Gore is there also & is become very acceptable I may say popular minister. Mr Saxon is settled at Newham Market in Suffolk and does well. Rev. Mr Salt of [ ? ] is dead. Mr Fleming is just removed from [ ] to Wigan in Lancashire. Farewell my dear friend. God be with you, your dear wife, children and friends. Write soon. Yrs most affect X Jesus Geo. Burder