Rev A Brandram No.
Montego Bay, Jamaica, 28th September 1836
My Dear Friend,
In the beginning of July I made some arrangements for visiting towards the end of the same month, the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Manchester, and also some parts of Westmoreland. An unforeseen circumstance hindered me from verifying my purpose exactly at the time intended; but early in the month of August, I set out. The roads were heavy, owing to considerable falls of rain that had taken place over a good part of the district through which I passed. This circumstance led me to require more horse power than I myself possessed, and what I thus required was kindly furnished by two of the many friends which you have in these parts. On the second day of my journey in, when I was about midway across the island, I met, all in a moment, a new and unexpected adversary, in the shape of a huge tree, which during the preceding night had fallen right across the road on a mountain steep, and rendered it altogether impassable for a wheel carriage or even a horse. I hastened to get help to remove this barrier, but with all the speed we could make, it was five hours before we could remove it and get onward.
In the afternoon of the day mentioned, I came to the house and property belonging to one of our warm friends, Mr Marcey of Kepp of in the parish of St. Elizabeth. I believe I mentioned to you, and one of my communications last year, that Mr. Marcey had formed a Bible Association at his own place, and that it was likely to do well. I found in my arrival on this occasion, that it had done well as had been anticipated of it. It has raised £33 of our currency, and it would have produced more had there been a proper supplies of Bibles on hand of the required size and price.
From Kepp I went to Lacovia where there is a chapel and congregation of the establishment under the Rev. Mr. Hylton, a clergyman well known to you through my statement of last year. The Bible Association there has done very well during the elapsed year, and stands No.1 in its results among the Bible Associations of St. Elizabeth's. It has raised £60:16:8. I had an opportunity of addressing this Association, and urged its members, from all the motives of the Bible, to persevere, and grow greater in their good work. – From Lacovia, I went with Mr. Hylton to his residence, situated in a large and hot plain, which at that time strongly resembled Gideon's fleece in one of its states, as the whole district has been suffering a severe drought for months together, whilst the rain was falling plentifully, and at times in torrents, nearly all around, and reaching to within a very few miles of it. From this quarter I paid a hurried visit to our good friend Mr. Tomlinson (high up on the mountains of Manchester,) whom I injured last year by calling him Wilkinson, and thus making you to print the same. I hope that however is now rectified, through my notice of it to you about the beginning of the year. I return soon to St. Elizabeth's, to have an opportunity of addressing the Grossmonde Bible Association, one of our best in the parish. It has competed nobly with Lacovia, and was thought all along to be ahead of it till the closing of the accounts, when it was found that Lavovia had exceeded it by a very little – only two dollars. Grossmonde has raised £60:3:4.
You will wonder perhaps when I tell you, that I had to appear, both that Lacovia and in Grossmonde, as a kind of culprit, and for what do you think? Why for not having fulfilled my promise made last year, to send them a proper supply of Bibles. Now it is right that you should know this, as part of the blame is attachable, I should think, to you. You will recollect that I desired you to send for that parish six cases, intimating that several more might be required. I said, I was afraid of overshooting the mark, by ordering more than would be taken up, but said that you might draw as long a bow as you like. You did draw stronger than I did, and sent nine cases. But we have both failed in this matter through our darkness, like the King of Israel, in striking on the ground at Elisha's command, thrice only, instead of five or six times, as the prophet said he should have done. Thus have we thrown, so to speak, only nine shells into the enemy strongholds, whereas we might have thrown fifteen or twenty, had we known the demand there would be for the word of God in that place. But this is a discouragement of a very encouraging kind. Let us speedily meet these demands and thus hasten on the kingdom of God. Surely, we who are of England should pull on the glorious car of our Redeemer with as much alacrity as the poor negroes of Jamaica. – Since I left that quarter, and came over to this the North side of the island, I have learned that nine other cases have arrived there, a circumstance that will liven many negroes' hearts in the parish of St. Elizabeth.
On my way to Black River to attend our anniversary meeting I went over the Santa Cruz mountains, and passed a couple of nights cool enough at Malvern near the top of the same, the residence of Mr. Millar and his family, all warm friends of the Bible, and of those who circulate it. On Friday, the 19th of August the meeting took place. Our president, the Honourable Dr. Robertson, the chief Magistrate of the parish was in the chair, and a considerable number of the members of the Committee were present. We had however, we may say, no congregation of people, partly I suppose from a misunderstanding of our object on the part of the public. This we must try to remedy on a future occasion, should the good hand of our God be upon us in bringing us together again in that place in the furtherance of the good work entered into. The Report was read, and contained in it much that was calculated to encourage, and to lead to renewed and further exertions. A copy of this report will be put into your hands along with this letter, and I doubt not but you will have pleasure in perusing it. The year's funds you see come to £243:4:3; and nearly all the sum is from the negroes or apprentices.
On Saturday the 20th the day immediately after our meeting at Black River we had an appointed meeting at Mandeville in the parish of Manchester. A force of circumstances threw us out of our arrangements, and obliged us to have these two meetings so near each other in time, though the places are 50 miles apart through hot, hot plains, and over mountains. I duly arrived at Mandeville at the appointed time. There I met our friends of the Manchester Bible Society, and then again I had to stand – the culprit, for your crimes in my own, as before stated in regard to St. Elizabeth's, – for failing to send the people Bibles in conformity with the expectations we had raised. I made the best figure I could in this plight, and endeavoured to make up for past promises by making new ones, which I hope will be more to the purpose than the others, and will produce satisfaction on all sides. I warn you now will in time of the part you have to take in these promises, and shall before I close state to you particulars. I know you will not fail to send us all we want.
After leaving Manchester, I rode down the same day to the southernmost parts of the parish within a very few miles of the sea. My ride was through a delightfully cool country, that is cool for the torrid zone, and through delightful plantations of coffee, interspersed with extensive provision grounds in rich luxuriance. When you take it into your head to visit Jamaica, you will find in the mountains of Manchester a very pleasing and temperate clime to lodge or reside in, and in my opinion much superior in the point of weather to you Blackheath, or all your heaths put together. – But, I have forgotten whither was traveling. In the southern parts of Manchester I came to the residence of the Rev. Mr. Paterson one of the Scotch missionaries, who was last year in Montego Bay, but has now taken up his station in that quarter. It is a fine place for a missionary field, as it is a populous and hitherto a much neglected spot. Here our friend Mr. Patterson is, as I said, settled, and his family, all with their hands and hearts most fully occupied in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and with every prospect of success. I saw his congregation on the day after my arrival, being Sunday, and addressed his people on the grand subjects of the Bible, and on the Bible itself. They will hold themselves in readiness to form a Bible Association so soon as we can get Bibles to put before them.
After leaving Coco Walk, for that is the name of Mr. Paterson's place, I came to Comfort one of the stations of the Mico Charity, and the chief one for the county of Middlesex in which it is situated. Mr. McMurray who is at the head of it, has lately become one of the secretaries of the Manchester Bible Society, and promises to be an efficient office bearer in it. Next I passed on to Fairfield the Moravian station from which I addressed you a letter last year. The Rev Mr Rickseeker is still pursuing his heavenly course there, and carrying on the Bible Association formed in his congregation; but he like others has been hampered for want of Bibles. Some six miles onward along the mountain ridge lies Huntly the estate of Mr. Tomlinson, where I again passed another night, and made further arrangements respecting the Manchester Bible Society.
I next descended, I may say, right down the mountains steep, into the hot and dry plain before mentioned, where Mr. Hylton resides.
On the 28th of August I was again at Kepp agreeable to an arrangement made with Mr. Marcey on my visit there some weeks before. Mr Marcey is one of the few proprietors who in the dark years of this island thought about the souls of the slaves. His conscience moved him in 1822 to try himself what he could do to instruct them in the way of God and of Christ. He made his attempt, and the Lord blessed his efforts. The people were inclined to hear, and he continued his instructions. All was dark around when he commenced. Gradually however thereafter, the beautiful feet of the Preacher of the Gospel of peace were seen in the neighbourhood. But having, as I may say, formed his congregation, he still went on with it, and he still goes on to teach and to preach Jesus Christ, and thus acts as a very effective auxiliary to the Rector of the parish, the Rev. Mr. Williams, who is himself a faithful and zealous Preacher of the Gospel, and the diligent labourer in the kingdom of God.
According to previous agreement and notice given, I addressed Mr. Marcey's flock, on the way of salvation, and on the Bible Society concern in which they had embarked, and in which they had done so well. The day was pleasant to us all, and the presence of the Lord was I trust with us. In Mr. Marcey we have an effective friend, and he will now be able to give us more assistance than formerly, as he became a co-anniversary meeting one of our treasurers. Mr Millar before mentioned is the other; and they take the parish between them, the Black River which runs diagonally through the whole parish, dividing it into two pretty equal halves, forming the boundary of their respective operations. We expect good results from both our new officers, they being both men of business, and we hope they will make a business of our Bible Society concerns.
In the neighborhood of Kepp there live two proprietors, both friends to the Bible cause, Mr Coke and Mr. Scott. I visited these two gentlemen, and also the Rev. Mr. Collis the Moravian minister near there, whose station is called New Carmel, and where there is one of the largest congregations connected with that body in this island. This station is within the parish of Westmoreland. A Bible Association was formed there last year, and it has raised about £25. It would have raised more, like the rest, had there been a proper supply of Bibles. The people here, I may well say, as likewise in the associations before mentioned where the Scriptures were not in sufficient quantity, have exercised much faith and patience, believing that they should in due time be supplied, and patiently waiting, whilst they continued to pay their subscriptions from month to month. There were some doubters here however and it was not wonderful that there should. These in hopelessness of the Bibles coming, spoke to their treasurer to have their money returned. But Mr. Hamilton who fills that office, knew well how to manage the people, and refused to give them their money back again. For Bibles he had received it, he said, and for Bibles he would keep it, and till they came. The present supply come to Black River will put all this matter straight, and encourage to go onward. – I wish I could give you a sketch of Mr. Hamilton's career, the valuable treasurer to our New Carmel Association. He was till of late a slave, and one of those who follow the Lord diligently. Every means were used to compel him to give up his religion, and his attendance at the house of God. But all proved ineffectual; he stood firm amidst dangers and sufferings; and now the Lord has set his feet, I may say, in a large room: he is now free, and the overseer of an estate. – At the close of my address to the New Carmel Association last year, in which, among other things, I noticed your gift of the New Testament and Psalter, and which many of them had in their hands, – at the close Mr. Hamilton stood up, and in his own name, and the name of the rest of the congregation, expressed his and their thanks to the Society for their liberal and Christian gift, and begged me to convey these their sentiments to your great Society. Did I omit this notice in my letters to you last year? If I did, I beg pardon of all the parties concerned for the same. Now, at all events I have given it.
My last stopping place was a Beaufort, and the Moravian station where the Rev. Mr. Pfeiffer resides, this too is in Westmoreland; and here also the Association has suffered for want of Bibles. – The day I left that station, I arrived in Montego Bay.
I came here just in time, and according to previous arrangements, to attend a meeting of the St. James's Bible Society committee preparatory to our anniversary meeting. The 8th of September was fixed for it, and on that day we met; but from deficiency somehow in the notifications from the pulpits the attendance was very scanty, so much so as to dispose us all to an adjournment for a week, with the intention of getting more full advertisement in all the places of worship. This was accordingly done, and on the 14th September we met again, when we found our audience more numerous, but still much less than we could have wished. Of the Ladies however we had not to complain, as they numerously graced that part of our hall allotted to them. That example we trust will prove useful to us on another occasion, when we shall expect to see more manliness exhibited by a deep interest being taken on the part of our men, and that of all ranks, in favour of the circulation of God's most holy word. Our meeting however though not numerously attended was interesting, and we parted all in gladness that we had been there, yet sorry that there were so few to enjoy what we enjoyed. I will not add more in description of our meeting, as before this reaches you, a couple of newspapers will be in your hands in which our proceedings are noticed. In these you will have that happiness to see that our two Editors, though diverse in almost all things else, unite and agree to encourage our Bible Society. This is, as you will recollect it was, last year. So friendly were both papers that the committee in Earl Street begged me to convey a vote of thanks for the same, which I had the pleasure of doing. They are still friendly as before: and is it not a great happiness to be connected with such a Society of Peace as yours in principles and practical results is!
The results of the St. James's Bible Society in its first year are very encouraging. The income from the several sources is £273:3:4. Now think for a little of this sum raised in one parish of this island, for Bible Society purposes, in one year, where but for this Society, we may say, nothing would have been done in this way. Again think on the increase circulation of the Scriptures as a consequence of this, and in connexion with it. And further, consider the many thoughts that have been directed to the Bible as the effect of this stir made about the much neglected Book: and we may add, I think, that many eyes, and hearts too, have been led to the word of God from the influence of the Society in our parish. Think of all these things, and you will then be able to weigh and measure the good that may reasonably be expected to have been done in a year by the St. James's Bible Society of Jamaica.
Two days after our public meeting here in Montego Bay, the Hanover Bible Society held its first anniversary, in the town of Lucea in that parish. It was held in the evening, and the attendance was a good; and all ranks seem to balance their credit in the matter, by proportional representation of their several classes. Here again, you and your Society, are uniters. The Black, and White, the Bond and Free, the Rich and the Poor, and I may add, he that feareth God, and he that feareth him not, – all are brought together about the Bible. If the very exterior of the Bible so unites, O how united and happy should we all be, were its peaceful and gracious interior better known by us all! But, the mechanical operation must precede the spiritual. Let us not be discouraged but animated in our work. The labour of our hands will by and bye affect men's hearts; and a corruptible book, will grow up into and incorruptible one, that shall live and abide for ever.
Our Hanover anniversary exceeded in interest, I think, our St. James's one, pleasing and profitable as that was. I suppose our numerous and interesting assembly might have given the stimulus, for numbers are animating. In income however the Hanover Bible Society was less, and there were obvious circumstances which led to its being so. The amount is £173. Here again we might make the same observations as before, when speaking above of the results of the St. James's Bible Society; all of which results we may consider, so to speak, as the creation of our Bible Society, and formed in one sense out of nothing, that this is where nothing of this specific kind would have been but for this institution: and to him who only can create out of nothing, be all the praise and glory.
Since I returned here from Hanover I have in addition to other things connected with our objects, been attending to the printing of the First Annual Report of the St. Elizabeth's and the St. James's Bible Societies. Two copies of each I now forward to you, the sight and reading of which, I trust, will prove gratifying to yourself, and to others in the Committee. We do not compare ourselves here, nor must you, with your auxiliaries there; but in estimating our poor labours, you must consider who and what we are, not say what we have been, and till very recently to.
I avail myself in forwarding these reports do, of my Lord Glenelg who is one of your Vice Presidents, and whose name, and part of whose speech at your last anniversary we have noticed in one of these reports. We hope his Lordship will not be displeased, either with the use we have made of his name, or of the liberty taken in sending you this little packet through the Colonial Office. If he is, we shall not trouble him again.
I come now to speak of supplies of Bibles. You see, from the statements above, that all the places through the course of my late tour were quite out of books, and to the injury of our objects. I may add also, that they are out of supplies in Hanover, St. James's, and Trelawney; that is, they are out of Bibles of the size chiefly in demand. – (In Hanover Mr. Jackson has a little account to settle, inasmuch as by a letter which they there have from him, and which I saw, dated so far back as the 30th April, he promised that the supply of 250 Bibles which that Society had written for, should be sent them immediately after, – and they are not yet come, nor has anything been heard of them.)
The books lately come to Black River as above noticed, will supply the immediate demands there, or at least will appease for a time. The books ordered from Montego Bay and Falmouth, which must now be on their way, and near, will meet the pressing wants of those places. The large supplies ordered for Kingston will also for a time meet demands in that quarter. – We must however, if possible, make such arrangements as shall prevent our running out in future. This will be best done, I think, my having a good stock always on hand in Kingston in a General Depot, so that all local wants occurring anywhere in the island, may be from thence supplied with as little loss of time as possible. This, of course, will be in addition to all quantities sent direct to the out ports for individual Societies. Of this depot I would take the exclusive charge, and would render you an account from time to time of the books sent to parish societies out of it, so that you would be able to regulate your separate accounts with them accordingly. – To this General Depot then, please send, for a commencement, 500 nonpareil Bibles, coloured calf, – 500 nonpareil, plain calf, 2nd paper, – 250 Ruby, 24mo coloured calf, – and 500 Brevier 8mo coloured calf; in all 2000 Bibles: – and to this add 500 Minion Testaments 24mo skivar, 2nd paper, – and 500 Brevier Testaments, 12mo skivar, also 2nd paper. – Him these supplies you will please forward at your earliest convenience, invoice to me, and consigned to James Taylor Esq. Kingston, to whom please send a duplicate of the invoice.
I expected lately some of those Bibles come to Kingston by the United Kingdom and the Calypso, for meeting our need in Manchester, but for want of an invoice and notice of their arrival, I found when I applied that all the Bibles in request were disposed of, amounting to about 600. See what a demand there, for the Scriptures! Sad as I was, and Manchester also, I could not but rejoice in the disappointment. O may God continue among us this ardent desire for the Precious Volume, and more and more precious may it be to us all!
Your last letter dated the 22nd June came into my hands on the 30th August, and was very acceptable. It is full of interesting matter, and has much gratified our friends in this quarter. Many thanks to you from Jamaica, for two years privilege of purchasing at the reduced prices. Your generosity, I trust, will not be lost in this matter. (I shall be glad to see Mr. Wheeler's speech when the Monthly Extracts come to hand. Spain and Italy I see are opening. Your accounts about Wales, and the appointment of an Agent to it, and a meeting of 20,000 on the Green at Bala, are all truly gratifying.) May your £10,000 legacies be often repeated. There are many in England who could well afford to give or to leave a sum of this amount; and it would be well for all such to have their books and accounts in a proper state, to present to our Lord Jesus Christ at the date of his reckoning. But you, my dear friend, and I, and all the ministers and administrators in the kingdom of God, have the longest accounts to make out. The Lord make us faithful and good servants, with our accounts always ready, and our loins girded! O let us pray for each other! The Lord grant unto us, that we may all obtain mercy of the Lord in that day!
Believe me, Ever Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
Note (BM): We have not at this point been able to locate the 16th August 1838 letter from St Elizabeth's or the 27th September 1836 letter from Montego Bay.