Rev A Brandram No.5
Antigua 13th April 1832
My Dear Friend
I have now a second time taken out my passport for leaving this Island, and at length think I shall succeed in getting away from it. You already know the cause of my detention here and will rejoice in it as I have done. The hand of the Lord has been evident in the matter, and I trust we shall yet see his hand in it and still more conspicuously. Twenty associations have now been formed. Were we inclined to push the matter we could I believe form ten more, but enough has been done in this new kind of work for the purpose of a trial. If these associations turn out well, more can be formed at another time. The slaves feel lively and warm upon the subject at present, and I have been much encouraged by what I have seen at the meetings held on the different estates. One evening after our meeting was over two slaves from a neighbouring estate came to enquire whether we were not going to visit them also to form a Bible Association. This is one specimen of interest taken in the subject. There is I think a goodly prospect that these our meetings and our associations will draw the attention of the slaves with an increased interest to the word of God for their instruction and salvation.
I should not omit to mention that those of our friends here who take the liveliest interest in the Bible Society cause have intimated that it would be desirable that I should return this way in order to encourage and extend these associations and otherwise promote our general object. I have not been able to give any definite answer to this suggestion, but should Providence spare me to make my tour through these Leeward Islands I may perhaps be able to revisit Antigua without much loss of time in course of passing on to Porto Rico next season.
For our twenty associations already formed we shall have a claim upon you for at least as many copies of your monthly extracts. Be kind enough therefore to forward these with whatever opportunity you may judge best, directing them to Mr. Garling, and continuing your remittance of them from month to month until you shall hear further upon the subject. The reading of these by the slaves on the estates from time to time will be both gratifying to them and instructive, and will tend to keep up an interest in the associations.
I believe I mentioned to you in a former letter something about the great backwardness of the clergy to give us their aid in forming our Auxiliary Society here. All of them refused to join us, except Mr. Gilbert who acknowledges no homage to the Bishop. It is a curious and pleasing circumstance that our associations have been the means of bringing some of them round. We succeeding in inducing one of them to attend at one of our meetings with which he was much gratified and spoke on the occasion. Another was led into the business by another road, and now we count four of the clergy, besides Mr. Gilbert, as our coadjutors in forming and sustaining these associations. We have had one and sometimes two of them at all our recent meetings, and they have warmly advocated the cause, and were delighted to see the interest the slaves take in this matter. Thus you see again that the hand of the Lord is with us.
The preceding paragraph must I suppose be considered as a kind of private communication. I thought however that it would be wrong to omit noticing to yourself at least what I have referred to as it is a very encouraging circumstance.
Please send me to Barbados 50 Pearl Bibles and 50 Pearl New Testaments as we are likely to have some demand for these as convenient pocket volumes. A little variety & elegance in the binding will be desirable. Be so good as see that these are of the London edition of 1824 as this is much smaller than the last edition. I hope Mr. Cockle will be particular in this. If the edition I have mentioned cannot be got, or one as small, then half of the number will be sufficient.
On reaching thus far in my letter I received a note from Mr. Gilbert, from which I give you an extract. "We have now 510 subscribers to our association. The monthly subscriptions amount exactly to 19 dollars, and we actually received on Saturday last, being the first Saturday in the month, 14 dollars 7 bits and 5 dogs. The deficiency principally arose from the white people of whom we have 18 subscribers, but they will pay up arrears I hope at a future time. I trust our association will be the first in amount of subscriptions as it was the first in order of formation. New subscribers are constantly giving in their names, and they appear to enter into the nature of the society and to be much interested by it. I will tell you many pleasing and interesting circumstances when we meet."
I leave Antigua this evening for Guadeloupe. I leave I trust under feelings of gratitude to the Father of mercies for his great goodness to me thus far in my mission. I trust and hope that he will still be with me, to protect me and to prosper me in the hallowed work of circulating the word of salvation. In this island I have met with much encouragement, and my thanks are due to many individuals for the readiness with which they have aided me in various ways. I mentioned before our obligations to two of our friends for facilitating my passing from place to place in this island. I should not omit noticing a third in reference to the same thing. Mr. Harvey the superintendent of the Moravian Mission here has always supplied me with a vehicle whenever my wish was made known to him. Had I been obliged to pay for a conveyance in my repeated movements over the Island the sum would have been considerable. But through the kindness of the friends mentioned my journeyings have not cost me a single dollar.
Sir Patrick Ross has been so kind as give me letters of introduction for the Governors of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Barbados.
I remain Truly Yours
James Thomson.
P.S. I have drawn £100 in three bills which will in due course be presented at Earl Street. J.Thomson.