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Description
Timothy Wiggin expresses his support for Philander Chase and offers him advice on how to garner support in the English country and which people are most influential.
Date
12-18-1823
City
Manchester, England
Keywords
England voyage, Lord Gambier, Josiah Pratt, Bp. Hobart, Mr. Worsley, Mr. Evans, Sir Thomas Baring
Recommended Citation
Wiggin, Timothy, "Letter to Philander Chase" (1823). Philander Chase Letters. 177.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/177
Rights Statement
Transcript
Manchester Dec 18 1823
My Dear friend,
When I wrote you on the 11th I was in considerable pain, and felt conscious lest my letter would be very defective but I write to you with as much freedom as I should to my Brother, and shall be most happy if I can aid you in the smallest degree. I wish well to your cause and have pleasure in saying that your favour of the 15th rec’d this morning has given me more pleasure than any one I have rec’d from you since you arrived in town, and it did so because Lord Gambier’s kindness to you and your cause appeared to me like the dawn of brighter prospects. He is known here and throughout the Kingdom to be a most excellent man and be has many admirers for his great exertions in promoting the two valuable religious societies of which is he president, and his name and influence will give great weight to your cause. I also feel most happy to find you have at last fallen into such good hands as Mr. Pratt; and think his plan of a publication, as far as you have sketched it, such [a] one as I should wish to see. It was my intention to have suggested to you in preparing for the pross. It is my wish however that you should [furnish] not only the materials, but to impart to the composition as much of your own feeling and character as may be consistent with the feelings and taste of the best Christians in this country. You being almost a stranger in this Country cannot be supposed to be so well acquainted with that feeling state as a writer who has been accustomed to [prepare] for the press hive, and in this department an assistant would be likely to render the cause an essential service. I think it much better to take no notice of Bishop Hobart than to undertake a paper war, however just it might be, for the reasons stated in your last letter. He has done all the injury he can do, if left unnoticed, and it is possible contribution might very much increase the evil, both now and hereafter Mr. Worsley has been with me lately and he has manifested a greater degree of interest for you and your cause than I could have expected. He desired me to send him a few copies of your publication and he said he would put them into the hand of a few persons that he was acquainted with, who were men of influence and great wealth, in Derbyshire. He told me there was a Mr. Evans near [by] his residence in that Country, whose income exceeded £20,000 a year, who was very much engaged in spreading the Christian religion and would be very likely to take an interest in your [cause}. This Gentleman married a Miss Gisborne of a very religious family, and I think both these names are known to Mr. Pratt. Mr. Worsley proposed that you should pay him a visit when you come again into this neighborhood and he said he would invite some of these Gentlemen to meet you. If this should be found practicable I think it would have a favorable tendency. If you should become acquainted with these gentlemen, I doubt not you would find them much like Lord Gambier as to purity of character and such men have great influence in the Country where they reside. I have been hoping Mr. Baring would introduce you [to his] Brother Sir Thomas Baring who is also a [?] in promoting Christian knowledge and w[?] President of a Society or that purpose. We have a Branch of it in this town. I think his acquaintance would be useful, but Mr pratt can give you better information upon these matters than I can. We are all well at layy Hall, as is your Nephew in Manchester. Mrs W was much disappointed that you had not met with more encouragement but will be much gratified by your etter which sh has not yet seen. She is most anxious for your Success. When I desired you to find my name on your Subscription list for £50, it was my wish to give you that sum in such a manner as would be most likely to aid you in your collections, and it is my intention to give you that sun, whether you put the whole or only a part of it on the list. I do not think it would be proper that I should appear to conspicuous, only appear as an American, and unless it should be thought that American approbations, and Sanction would have a favourable influence I am willin [sic]. Mr. Pratt should determine what it will be best to do in this respect, and will conclude with my best wishes for your health happiness and success, and remain my Dear Sincerely yours.
T. Wiggin.