Letter

Scope and Content

[Brislington - Bristol postmark]. ‘I weep, I weep, I lament that some papers (calculated to point out a mode to employ all the vagrant poor in England) deprived me of making an early visit to Madeley - various occurrences[?] prevented my completing this manuscript till about the time of his illness . [Reference to the illness of John Fletcher that culminated in his death on August 14 1785.] Then I was nearly ready to go to Madeley, well it was not to be - he is in heaven & I on this earth. I dare not wish him amongst sinners again; yet I can not avoid weeping, lamenting he is gone…’

[John Fletcher] was Ireland’s ‘sweet bosom friend…such a one where will you find? In my opinion (I will say it to you) there is not such another within my knowledge in this world. The very thing I wd have asked of you, you are so kind as to offer, a little of my dear friend’s hair. I will thank you for it if you would please to send it with his will wch Mr Fletcher mentions in his letter. He also desires that you wd put into my hands the [unreadable word - possibly ‘French’] manuscripts wch you may be assured shall not be published without your consent but this I need not mention as Mr [Henry?] de la Flechere seems averse to it. You make me happy in saying you’ll not part with his English manuscripts, I hope no person will prevail on you to reverse this idea. [A possible reference to John Wesley who had a habit of quickly going into print after the death of a fellow evangelical and who was to soon embark on writing a biography of Fletcher. It is significant that Ireland refused to allow Wesley access to Fletcher manuscript material and expressed private doubt that Wesley was the right person for the task. Source: Wesley’s Designated Successor by Luke Tyerman, London 1882,vi, and MAM/FL/4/1/2]. Pardon me, I am jealous of my sweet friend’s reputation as an author & I shd suffer exquisitely if his posthumous works shd be mangled by some person unequal to the task. I hope I did not grieve you in refusing Mr [Joshua] Gilpin a sketch of the picture. I wd not refuse you anything but I must see you before I can suffer a print to be taken from it. I leave it when I go out in the care of Mr Tandey[?] with a charge that no person is suffered to coppy it.’

Ireland is sorry that she should think that he would leave England before seeing her. He intends to travel as far as Shifnal as soon as he returns from the sea, where he has been advised by his physician to visit, and they can meet there. Ireland will also translate her letter [into French] and send it to [Henry] de la Flechere.

Mrs [Elizabeth?] Johnson talked of going to visit Fletcher soon, although Ireland has not seen her for some weeks as she has been away.

Ireland is leaving tomorrow for Southampton and Fletcher should direct the will to him there at Mr William Servard’s (or Seward’s) house. She should allow him to take all her burdens. All his family are at her service.

Ireland would like to say to her what he advised her husband, namely to take a little wine for the sake of her stomach and preserve her from the dropsy.

Note

  • Elizabeth Johnson (1720-98) was the daughter of a West India Merchant resident in Bristol. Disinherited by her father when she joined the Methodists, she lived on an annuity bequeathed to her by her uncle. Johnson was described by the Wesleyan minister John Valton as one of the three most pious women in Methodism. Her home in Hilgrove Street was a centre of the movement in the city of Bristol and she was a described by John Wesley as ‘deep in grace, and lives like an angel here below’. Johnson was one of the conservative wing of Methodism opposed to separation from the Church of England. Her memoir was published in 1799 as An Account of Mrs Elizabeth Johnson. Source: A Biographical Dictionary of 18th century Methodism by Samuel Rogal (Edwin Mellen Press 1997)

Note

Note

  • Elizabeth Johnson (1720-98) was the daughter of a West India Merchant resident in Bristol. Disinherited by her father when she joined the Methodists, she lived on an annuity bequeathed to her by her uncle. Johnson was described by the Wesleyan minister John Valton as one of the three most pious women in Methodism. Her home in Hilgrove Street was a centre of the movement in the city of Bristol and she was a described by John Wesley as ‘deep in grace, and lives like an angel here below’. Johnson was one of the conservative wing of Methodism opposed to separation from the Church of England. Her memoir was published in 1799 as An Account of Mrs Elizabeth Johnson. Source: A Biographical Dictionary of 18th century Methodism by Samuel Rogal (Edwin Mellen Press 1997)