From Richard Taprell in Beauminster, Dorset, to Mary Fletcher in Madeley. He is intending to publish soon a small piece entitled England's Friend, which will be a powerful injunction to his fellow citizens to be serious in their religion. Hannah More has seen the manuscript and has kindly permitted Taprell to dedicate it to her.
The piece is short and written in a plain scriptural style and will sell at about a shilling a copy. Any assistance that Fletcher can provide by circulating news of the publication would be gratefully received. It wouold be a great help if Fletcher could let him know how many copies she might want to order.
Taprell has already published the following titles:
Serious Advice to Young People (with prayers) - 1 shilling
Lectures, or discourses on the Lord's Prayer, with an introductory discourse on family religion, and a short appendix against all kinds of cruelty - 5 shillings
A seasonable publication dedicated to the right honourable William Pitt - 2 shillings
Hints and Helps to the clergy of every denomination, designed to promote the credit, the comfort and usefulness of their lives - 1 shilling
A plain discourse for Sunday School children - 4 pennies or 30 shillings for a hundred
Glory to God and peace to men, the blessed effects of redemption - 1 shilling
Meditations for pregnant women - 1 shilling
Taprell is particularly keen that the last title should be more widely known, as he has had several pregnant women assure him of its value. He would be particularly grateful therefore if Fletcher could mention it to her female acquaintances.
Taprell's publications are sold by Mr Dilly in the Paulbry[?] and by Mr Matthews in the Strand, London.
Notes
- Hannah More (1745-1833) was an English religious writer and philanthropist. Born in 1745 at Fishponds near Bristol, she was the fourth of five daughters of the schoolmaster Jacob More, who, though from a Presbyterian family, had become an Anglican and a strong Tory. At the age of 12 Hannah became a pupil at a school founded by her sister Mary and taught there in her early adulthood. Her first literary efforts were pastoral plays, the first being written in 1762; by the mid-1780s over 10,000 copies had been sold. She moved to London in 1773 and formed an acquaintance with leading literary figures including David Garrick and Samuel Johnson. Hannah published Sacred Dramas in 1782 and this quickly ran through nineteen editions. This publication signified a gradual transition to more serious and religiously-inclined works. In 1785 she moved to Somerset and wrote many ethical books and tracts, which enjoyed huge sales and had a significant influence on the evangelical movement. She spent the last five years of her life in Clifton near Bristol.