Letter

From M[ary] T[ooth] to [Katherine Whitmore]. She has delayed writing to Whitmore concerning the licensing [as a dissenting meeting house] of the cottage at Beckbury until she had a detailed account to give of the steps taken. Their neighbour Mr Hayes has drawn up the form and gave it to them to get it signed by 8 or 9 other people. They were able to get the names together pretty quickly and without the necessity of carrying it themselves to Beckbury, which would have been very inconvenient as Tooth is very busy. They have now got the document ready for Mr Harper to take to the Bishop's court. She is sure that it will have been approved by the time of the prayer meeting. 'The plan was quit[e] approved by my dear Mrs F[letcher], who has for some time seen the propriety of taking such providential measures [ie legal registration] and therefore last year got [a] license for her own house, yard, room etc and also 5 other neighbouring houses where occasional meetings are held at. We had a hint dropped to us to be as silent about it as we could for fear we should do Friend Ward an injury with their landlord who is thought no friend to the cause of religion, but this we must leave in the hands of the Lord, as were were constrained to mention it to many persons, though we haven't to any unnecessarily.' Spiritual matters are discussed.