Sixty-six holograph and autograph letters addressed to Abraham Howell at Welshpool, in London (2) and in Salop (1), 1836-1846 and undated. The writers include Sam[ue]l Bakewell, Oulton near Stone [Staffordshire], 1845 (5) (the mental and physical condition of recipient's brother [Samuel] who had been placed in the writer's care) (attached to one of the letters is a copy of the reply sent by Abraham Howell), Charles Benbow [? Newtown], [18]46 (2) (financial matters), Geo[rge] Broughall, Oswestry, 1841 (the making of Pont Llanerchymris, Llanfechan bridge and New Bridge over the Verniew [co. Montgomery] into county bridges), [ ] Clarke [London], 1841 (2) ( business matters), J. Foulkes, Milford near Newtown, 1841 (the birth of recipient's son, financial and property matters), J. Griffiths [London], 1838 (personal, law books), John Hamer, Werglodd y Maip, 1837 (uncertainty as to whether Union Chapel [in the parish of Kerry, co. Montgomery] had been licensed, some details concerning the chapel), Ed[ward] Hughes, Llanbrynmair, 1836 (personal, a request for money for the writer's mother, a temperance meeting at the 'Old Chapel'), Edward Hughes, Cambridge, 1838- 1841 (4) (the writer's journey from Pool to Cambridge and his activities at Cambridge in preparation for entering [Queen's College] (1838), applications for money, the writer's degree prospects, news that 'the Cantabs have beaten the Oxonians in a rowing contention on the Thames' (1839), the presence of a small number of 'Oxford-tract-men' at Cambridge and sermons by Professor [James] Scholefield against their views), Charles Jones, Manchester, 1841 (a) (personal, payment for a horse), David Jones, Park Llwydiarth, 1840 (? an answer to applications by recipient for a lease of farms in the Llanbrynmair area), J. Jones, Montgomery, 1836 (enclosing a letter from Messrs. Edye and Jefferson, Montgomery, to A[ braham] Howells, 1836, concerning personal matters), J. Jones, Henllan, 1851 (matters relating to y Ty Mawr farm), John Jones, Bank, Machynlleth, 1839 (a request for copying work from recipient's office), Lewis Jones, Shrewsbury [recipient's uncle], 1836-1841 (3) (personal, financial matters) (enclosing a letter from Hugh Davies, Machynlleth, to the writer, 1839, re financial matters), Morris Cha[rle]s Jones, Welshpool, Liverpool, etc., 1839-1841 and undated (16) (personal, legal and business matters, the tithe commutation agreement for the parish of Hirnant [co. Denbigh], attendance at a ball at Bruce Castle where Rowland Hill 'the immortal penny postage man' was present, the birth of the recipient's first child), Henry Kitson, Shrewsbury, 1840 (the premium on an [insurance] policy), D. Macrorie, Liverpool, 1841 (medical advice for Mrs. H[owell, recipient's wife]), Messrs. Milno, Parry, Milno, and Morris, Temple [London], 1841 (3) ( recipient's application for admission [as an attorney], the regulations relating to the admission [of articled clerks as attorneys]) (enclosed are a circular dated 1836 relating to the said regulations, with a copy of a questionnaire to be completed by the clerk seeking admission and by the attorney under whom he had served his articles, and a copy (printed) of the said questionnaire with the answers supplied (pencilled in) in the case of Abraham Howell), [the Reverend] Thomas Morgan, Tipton [ Staffordshire, previously Independent minister at Welshpool, circa 1832-1837], 1840 (personal, ? the possibility of [the Reverend Cyrus] Hudson becoming [Independent] minister [at Welshpool], comments on Hudson, a meeting at Stafford of the association of the ministers in Staffordshire, the writer's unhappy memories of his ministry at Welshpool with unfavourable comments on the inhabitants) (added as a postscript is a letter from Jane Ann Morgan [wife of the Reverend Thomas Morgan], with personal greetings, remarks on ? the manse, and news of a Baptist missionary meeting at Dudley attended by twelve ministers from London, Birmingham, and America, and a slave), J. R. Ogle, Harlescott and Gungrog, [1839]-1841 (6) (transactions relating to a mare), A[nne] W[arburton] Owen, G[lan] S[evern], 1845 and undated (3) (the possible sale by the proprietors of the [Montgomery] Canal of the 'Feeder from the Rhiew', the powers the said proprietors claimed under the 'General Sale Act', a debt due from Mr. [John] Burke [genealogist] whose Peerage had been advertised, the wish of all the proprietors of the [Montgomery] Canal, with the exception of the writer, to sell the canal, mention of the turnpike road at Brithdir, a request to recipient to write to London concerning Berriew tithe commutation book, the rents for property [in Liverpool]), Rich[ar]d Griffithes Parry, 1841 (personal, business affairs), John Phillips, Newtown, 1846 (a request for aid for the writer's brother Evan to go to America), [the Reverend] Henry Rees [Methodist minister], Shrewsbury, [18]36 (a request for information concerning any small farms in the Carno-Llanbrynmair district, and more especially concerning Bryn Cae Miler farm near Machynlleth, which were for sale as part of the Esgir Evan estate, information the writer had received about a farm near Whitechurch 'Ond nid oes yno un Seiat, Cyfarfod Misol na ddaith Sabboth yn agos'), Mary Ryder [1840] (a request to recipient to hand a note to Mrs. Jones concerning her son's illness), James Smith, Chester, 1839 (a request, on behalf of the writer's friend, Mrs. Collins of Little Sutton near Chester, for information concerning the settlement of the affairs of her uncle, Mr. Clarke, deceased, of Welshpool), W[illia]m Ward, 1841 (a request for an increase in his salary as a clerk in Mr. Jones's office, from twenty-one to twenty-five shillings a week), C. Wilding, [18]40 (a promise to consider an application by a friend of the recipient in respect of Gesseldu farm), and J. Yearsley, Welchpool, undated (the writer's return from Brighton, congratulations on the birth of recipient's son).

Fifty-five holograph letters addressed to Abraham Howell at Welshpool and in London (1) by various members of his family, 1835-1845 and undated. The writers include Edward Howell [recipient's brother], Shrewsbury, Quatt, Collingbourn, Bontdolgadfan, Towyn and Carshalton, 1837-1841 (12) (personal and family news, the writer's activities as an excise officer in the Quatt- Bridgnorth area [co. Salop] and in the Collingbourn area [co. Wilts.], his posting to the Croydon excise district, comments on his health, lodgings, acquaintances, etc., a visit to [their sister] Ellen who was at school in Minsterley [co. Salop] (1837), the writer's plans to have Ellen to live with him at Carshalton, a visit to London and wonder at seeing a 'Diving Bell', a visit to Windsor and a sight of the Queen and Prince Albert (1841)), Eleanor Howell [recipient's sister], Minsterley [co. Salop], 1838-1839 (2 ) (personal, mention of the Llanidloes rioters, hopes that there would be no attack on her parents), Elinor Howell [recipient's mother], Llanbryn- mair and [Y] Drefnewydd, 1835-1841 (5) (personal and family affairs, the sending of [recipient's sister] Elinor to school in [y] dref newidd in 1835, the need to speak to the steward about wainwen, concern about an impending visit by recipient and his wife in 1840 and the inadequate state of the house, worry because [recipient's brother] Samuel was not settling down in his job in Newtown) (one of the letters is endorsed with a note from S[amuel] Howell from Newtown, 1839), Geo[rge] Howell [recipient's brother], Machynlleth and Liverpool, 1839-1841 and undated (11) (personal, copying work undertaken for recipient at Machynlleth, the writer's office employment in Liverpool), Lewis Howell [recipient's brother], Cincinnati [America], 1841 (recipient's marriage, reflections on the married state and on the death of the writer's wife), Samuel Howell [recipient's brother], Newtown, Carshalton, London and Bont[dolgadfan], 1839-1845 (17) (personal, family affairs, a request to recipient to buy specified medical and scientific books for the writer (1839), the writer's employment in druggist stores in Newtown and London, his unfavourable impressions of London and the English, a bad report (1842) on the flannel trade [in Llanbryn-mair], a proposed move to a shop in Brighton in 1844), and W[illiam] and E[linor] Howell [recipient's parents], Llanbrynmair, 1836-1839 and undated (7) (personal and family affairs, news from America of [recipient's brother] Lewis, of the illness of Lewis's wife, and of the death of recipient's uncle Edward Bebb, mention of other emigrants to America, a visit to London by [recipient's cousin] John Robearts [sic] who, in company with Evan [Howell, recipient's brother], had visited the Houses of Parliament and heard [Daniel] O'Conel [sic] making a speech [1836], the purchase of £130 worth of wool by recipient's father, straitened financial circumstances, the [flannel] factory at Llanbrynmair, condemnation of alcoholic drinks (including verses on this theme), the poor harvest prospects in 1839, and a request for information concerning the leasing of Geselddu farm).