File NLW MS 12812B. - Transcripts of miscellaneous letters, etc.,

Two note-books inscribed on the outside, upper covers 'C[hurch] M[ issionary] S[ociety]', and containing transcripts of, or extracts from, forty-two letters, 1799-1816, and other miscellaneous items. The writers of the letters include E[dward] Bickersteth, Norwich, John Davies of Vronhaulog, near Corwen, from Dolgelley, [the Reverend] Josh[ua] Davies [vicar of Dingestow and Tregare] from Goytre Lodge, near Abergavenny, Tho[mas] Evans, [?curate of] Llanddowror, Tim[oth]y Evans, [? vicar of] Llanbadarn Trefeglwys, Nath[aniel] Gilbert, [? rector of] Bledlow, W[illia]m Grey, York, [the Reverend] Edw[ar]d Griffin, [the Reverend] D[avid] Griffith, vicar of Nevern, ?John Hughes, Talsarn, near Lampeter, [the Reverend] John Jenkin, minister of Newchurch, from Mydrim, Benj[ami]n Jones, Haverfordwest, Hezekiah Jones [? curate of St. Bride's Wentlloog] from Cadaxton [sic], [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Jones, [curate of] Creaton, John Mayor [? vicar of Shawbury] from Shrewsbury, [the Reverend] W[illia]m Owen, curate of Milborne Port, [the Reverend] D[avi]d Prothero, curate of Llanstephan, near Carmarthen, [the Reverend] John Roberts, [vicar of] Tremeirchion, [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Scott, [rector of] Aston Sandford, Tho[ma]s Smith, Little Moorfields [London], [the Reverend] Ja[me]s Thomas, vicar of St. Mary's, Haverfordwest, John Venn, [? rector of] Clapham, J[ohn] Walker, Chester, and Rowland Williams, Bangor. Only in a few instances are the names of the addressees given, and on every such occasion the recipient is either the Reverend Tho[ma]s Scott or the Reverend Josiah Pratt. Both these clergymen served as secretaries of the missionary society founded in 1799 and called firstly 'The Society for Missions to Africa and the East', and subsequently 'The Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East', and the correspondence and other items transcribed in these two note-books relate largely to matters (financial contributions, recruiting, etc.) ? appertaining to this society. Other matters referred to include the edition of the Welsh Bible [published in 1799 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge] and [the Reverend Thomas] Charles's interest in obtaining supplies thereof (No. 2), a clerical meeting held at Creaton, August 1800 (No. 4), the persecution of [the Reverend Edward] Griffin (No. 4), a proposed new edition of the Bible [with commentaries] published by Thomas Scott (Nos. 4-5), the possibility of forming a society for publishing ? abridged editions of 'the best of our divinity books' (No. 5), a Welsh treatise on infant baptism being written by Thomas Jones, Creaton (No. 5), the founding of the Bible Society in 1804 (No. 7), clergymen who had allegedly 'espoused [Joanna] Southcott's imposture' (Nos. 8 + 10), Welsh orthography (No. 29), a letter from [the Reverend Thomas] Charles, ?in the Evangelical Magazine, on the subject of teaching Welsh children to read the scriptures in their own language rather than through the medium of English, and the applicability of this principle to work in the foreign mission field (No. 42), etc.