Notes
- Samuel Romilly Hall (1812-76) was born in Bristol and was converted after the death of his brother. He trained for the Wesleyan ministry at Hoxton Theological Institute and commenced Circuit work in 1837. Hall was elected President of Conference in 1868 and retired from the active ministry in 1872. He was particularly keen in his support of the temperance movement. Source: Minutes of Conference 1876.
- Henry D. Lowe entered the Wesleyan ministry in 1828. He exercised an active Circuit ministry for thirty-four years, two of which [1830-32] were spent on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. His last Circuit was Dursley in the Bristol district. In 1862 he was made the subject of an unspecified disciplinary investigation, which may have been the result of mental instability. He disappeared from the record shortly after. Source: Hall's Arrangement 1862 and 1866 and PLP 86.28.39.
From Hayle in Cornwall, to Samuel Romilly Hall [stationed at Bristol King Street]. He would have written earlier but has been in Cornwall for some days. The case of [Henry D.] Lowe [stationed in the Dursley Circuit of the Bristol District] is a difficult one and he does not see how Lowe can be saved from expulsion 'excepting on the stand of insenility/monomania or lunacy. My notion is that both husband and wife are insane [and] on that ground he may have his allowance continued. I would rather not call upon him - any recommendation on the subject of allowances, should have my best attention if made by yourself or the minor district meeting. The [unreadable placename - possibly Dursley] preachers seem to have acted rather hastily'. J R sympathises with Hall in the troubles in his Circuit [Bristol King Street] '& the care[?] of the superintendent'. It seems to J R that one of the weaknesses of the itinerancy is the tendency of some ministers not to provide support to their 'labour's' [ministerial colleagues]. With just a few noble exceptions, J R has had to fight his own battles. He was however pleased to hear about 'your Portland School business & that [unreadable personal name] has left. I never approved of his being there & you have done well...in separating him & also in Sister Holland's [unreadable phrase] religion is in this soft unscriptural amalgamation of all sorts of all notions & persons is nauseating. You have nerve enough & grace enough not to be troubled by such...' J R himself is not without Circuit cares [in London Bayswater] and wishes that 'friend Arthur could feel that a kindly part of ministerial duty was heartily to support Methodist order & his Circuit [unreadable word]...I fancy that Dr [George] Osborn gains[?] a little for the [Presidential] Chair. At least I hear more of him than any one else' [George Osborn was elected President of Conference in 1863 for the first of his two terms of office].