Reference
FR3/7/8/1
Title
Copy draft of Letters by Wm Hawson
Date free text
1781
Production date
From: 1781 To: 1781
Scope and Content
Copy draft of Letter by Wm Hawson 2nd Mar 1781 To Jas Blose of Alton MM (Hants) Received certificate for Thos White, member of Alton MM & his wife. "good degree consistent - one small debt that still remains unsettled. Ignored "his 2 children tho" equally entitled to you care" Resided circa 12 mths at Langley "before he made himself known to any Friend" never attended meeting once "though distant not more than an hour's walk from the Meeting". Now attends once in 6 or 7 weeks "This slackness" does not measure upto Certificate. Certificate sent back because Thos White on leaving Alton went into business in London where he contracted debts for which he was imprisoned only discharged because of late Act for relief of insolvent debtors if Alton MM had issued certificate knowing this, surely improper. "The Friends of our small & weak meeting direct me to say on the occasion that it is with no degree of Painful Concern that they find themselves under the disagreable Necessity of thus objecting to a Joint Act of so Considerable a body of Friends as the Monthly Meeting of Alton appears to consist of". Such Certificates "in this case they have a manifest Tendency not only to frustrate but even pervert their Original Intention and make the Society responsible for the conduct of individuals"
Dorse; Draft of letter from W. Hawson 1781 To J. B[lose], J. Waring, B. C[onstant] re T. W(hite) & wife Reply to letter of "13 ult" were not in a recommendable state "Your not being acquainted with his debts unsettled in London nor his Transactions after his removal from you is no excuse for your neglect & should have been no bar to your enquiry. You had you say heard ... by an uncertain report that T. W. was got into the King's Bench but take no pain to inform your self of the Truth of the fact or how far his Charecter or the Reputation of the Society was affected by it" No date c.1781 Clean Copy Draft Therefore certifying Thos Squire jnr drafted for a Militia man is a Friend No date c.1781
Level of description
item