THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS:
THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS:
WHEELER FAMILY OF CRANFIELD, BEDFORDSHIRE & HITCHIN, HERTFORDSHIRE:
A manuscript volume with calligraphic title:
“Letters etc. of the
Wheeler Family, 1697 to 1803 – My boast is not that I deduce my
birth, From loins enthroned and Rulers of the earth, But higher far
for my proud pretensions rise – The child of parents passed into the
skies”. With facing pen & ink drawing of
“The Residence of Joshua Wheeler – Cranfield”.
The volume comprising the transcripts of numerous letters between members of the family and between friends. Neatly written on 248-pages, 4to and bound in half black roan, marbled boards. ca. 1840’s. With ten autograph letters signed, 1743-1802, tipped-in.
The transcribed letters include letters from Joshua Wheeler to Thomas Franks, to his wife Elizabeth Wheeler, together with series of letters to and from Ann Wheeler, John Hudson, Fidelity Pinnell, Rebecca Smith, Rudd Wheeler, Sarah Shackleton, Ann Dymond, Thomas Scattergood, and others. We have been unable to establish whether the original letters from which these transcripts were made are extant. The letters full of family news, the work and trials of Friends etc.
From the transcript of the letter from Sarah Shackleton dated Liverpool 11 mo 19, 1799: “… … I am desirous not longer to delay writing – ‘tis that our beloved friend S. Talbot has sailed in a Liverpool packet (Capt. Beeby) the 15th of this month, but previous thereto we had a plunge, the like of which I never experienced. On 3rd Day morning orders came to come away for the ship in on her way. Sarah was fluttered & wept much. It was not approved of that any females of us should go in the boat to the ship with her, so just Robert Benson accompanied her. Canst thou conceive my feelings? I cannot however describe them. Off she went bathed in tears, all the way to America, after her faithful labours of love amongst us, without a friend whom she knew… …”
Tipped-into the volume are 10 autograph letters signed and two leaves of manuscript verse, as under:
An affectionate autograph letter signed from Joshua Wheeler to his wife, dated Fakenham 29th 9th mo, 1743, 1-page folio. With note to side; “The annexed letter from JW was written on a journey in prosecution of a religious engagement in Norfolk & Suffolk”.
A contemporary 66-line verse headed; “John Hunt and Thom. Gilpin died Exiles in Virginia 1778”; the verse commencing; “The feeling Bosom Mourns the Widows woe/ And Shares your Anguish in the afflictive Blow”. This inscribed in pencil, “Elizabeth Brown’s writing” [Presumably Elizabeth Brown of Ampthill, Joshua Wheeler’s 1st wife]. Together with 3 other leaves of verse.
A 3-page autograph letter from Joshua Wheeler to John Cash in Coventry, dated Hitchin 8th mo 3rd, 1799.
Three autograph letters signed from Joshua Wheeler to Sarah Shackleton at Liverpool and Balitore, Ireland, dated Hitchin11 mo 3rd, 1799; 1st Mo. 1st, 1800; and 2nd mo 14th, 1802; each of 3-pages, 4to.
Three autograph letters signed from Joshua Wheeler to Ann Dymond Jnr. at Exeter and Halstead in Essex, dated Hitchin 3rd mo 19th, 1800; 5th mo 20th, 1800; and n.d. each of 3-pages, 4to.
Two autograph letters signed from Joshua Wheeler to his wife Elizabeth at Dover, dated Hitchin 1st day [10th mo], 1802 (1-page, 4to) amd 10 mo 8th, 1802 (3-pages, 4to).
Autograph letter signed from Martha Smith to Joshua Wheeler, dated Doncaster 29th 3 mo, 1800 (3-pages, 4to, giving family news, the meetings at Leeds and Nottingham, etc.).
From Joshua Wheeler’s letter to Sarah Shackleton dated 11 mo 3rd 1799: “I rece’d thine from Chorley in due course by which it was pleasant to find you have got so far on your way & tho’ you met not with the helpers I had hoped for you yet I trust you have been helped by the great Master to fulfil his requirings … … …… I do at this time feel a little of (what I hope is) true love towards thee & thy dear companion whom I can salute as dear sisters beloved & that for the cause sake whose preservation & prosperity I wish for & as your movements are still interesting to me & my dear E.W. I hope thou will gratify us with a further account thereof & let me know whether dear S.T. has a view of soon leaving this land & whether she is like to have a companion in her passage cross the great waters – I was yesterday at Hertford saw Marty Pryor who had got a letter from a friend near Philadelphia whose name I have forgotten dated 9 mo 2nd mentions the yell:Fever being in the City that it was tho’t to have been brought there by a prize vessel that the number of deaths were fewer than in former years & that the disorder had prevailed most in the parts of the City near the water side & those streets inhabited by the poor – several friends deceased who had remained in the City… … ”
From Joshua Wheeler’s letter to Sarah Shackleton 2nd mo 14th, 1802: “… … … Thy few lines to my dear E.W. were duly received & were pleasantly shared by us as a token of thy remembrance, they were handed to us whilst attending the Yearly meeting by or from Jno. Pim, we suppose they were brought over by thy Bro: whom my E.W. bids me say she was very sorry she had not an opportunity of speaking to – he came into the room in which we were at breakfast at an Inn & enquired for B: Rotch. I informed him ‘B.R. was below’ – he was so alter’d in dress etc. I had not any recollection of him ‘till afterwards told who he was, his visit was so unexpected & his stay so short that those who from a more perfect knowledge of his features discover’d who he was through his change of dress had not time to get over their surprise so as to make themselves known to him – Neither my dear wife nor myself were able to exert ourselves much yet by keeping mostly to our Inn in the interval between meetings. Were favour’d to get thro’ quite as well as we could reasonably expect since then she has brought me another daughter who was born in 9th month whom we call Mary – so thou may conclude my dear wife has now her hands full enough , four little children & a poor weakly husband to care for, yet … … …I have been favour’d to hobble thro’ this winter thus far better than a year ago … … I cannot report so well of my E.W. she has not regained her strength since her last confinement & tho’ she does not lay by is frequently poorly which often occasions her milk to disagree with the child & then often gets poor nights which are trying to her … … Our last accts from York say they are about as usual in health, Father and Mabel still keep on the school which is now large, I don’t find the latter much better reconciled to it tho’ I think we have not heard much of late on the complaining hand, perhaps she finds she gets little by it & so wisely keeps quiet. Perhaps thou has heard Wm. Crotch & wife are settled at Scarboro, he has taken the shop which was the late Hen. Priestman’s in partnership with a young man who has another shop in the same place. I wish it may prove a comfortable & profitable settlement for his poor tried mind which has I believe been much exercised & tossed about since his late American views have been laid aside. Our much valued Deb’h Darby [Deborah Darby, 1754-1820; Quaker minister and traveller] has been very seriously indisposed but is we hear so much recover’d as to be about turning out again in her great Master’s service. I believe westward – she is surely one of the few remaining valiants in our Israel… … …”
With: a manuscript volume comprising transcripts of Wheeler family letters and memoirs.
Neatly written on 200-pages, small 4to, contemporary half crimson roan. In an early plain paper wrapper inscribed; “Memoir of J.W. etc.” With Sarah Wheeler’s signature on front free endpaper and inscribed in pencil, “No part to be copied” ca. 1825. Also: a manuscript memorial “of the Lords tender dealings with Fidelity Wheeler, formerly F. Pinnell, committed to writing under her own hand a little before her last illness, which was found after her decease, as follows”.
30-pages, small 4to, contemporary marbled wrappers. Inscribed at front S. Wheeler, 1816.
Quote Item No.
6905
Price: £600.00