Rev A Brandram No. 17
Barbados, 18th January 1833
My Dear Friend,
In my last I gave you some statements regarding the formation of our first Bible Association in Bridgetown that I thought would prove pleasing to you as they had done to me. I confess however that I felt some fear, after my letter was gone, lest you might possibly think that I had overdrawn things under the impressions of the occasion. I am glad therefore in this epistle to give you a couple of vouchers as to the correctness of my statements. The first one is this. When the person who owned the house or hall where our meeting was held, and who also furnished us with lights, was asked to send in his note of charges, he replied that he would make no charges, but gave us all free and cheerfully. The other voucher is this. In 14 days after the installation meeting I described to you there was sent to the Auxiliary a request to be furnished with sixty Bibles at different prices subscribed for by members of this new and promising Association.
The 7th current was the regular day for the meeting of the Committee of the Ladies' Branch Bible Society of this place. I attended it, and it was the first of their meetings that I had been present at. The thing that first struck me and gratified me at this meeting was the number of members of the Committee that were present. Out of an entire Committee of 19 not fewer than 15 were assembled. The next thing that pleased me was the prospering state of things in this Society, and the interest felt by its Committee in the work entrusted to them. – At this meeting an important arrangement was entered into for extended operations, namely, that the individual members of the Committee should correspond with their friends in different parts of the Island in order to ascertain through them, what want of the Scriptures exists, whether those who have not the word of God in their possession wish to have it, and whether they can afford anything towards the procuring it for themselves. This I consider a truly important arrangement, as it will in the first place be the means of finding out and supplying the wants of the Scriptures in the interior parts, and will on the other hand prepare those parts for forming in them Bible Associations, the only effectual way as I conceive of perfecting Bible Society work.
On the day after this meeting of the Ladies' Committee there was held a special meeting of the Committee of the Auxiliary, to make arrangements for the formation of additional Bible Associations, and for other business. We had the pleasure of seeing at this meeting our President for the first time after a long confinement arising from a dangerous accident he had met with. There was forthwith assigned to him the charge of forming a Bible Association in the district of the town in which he resides. This charge he cheerfully received, and from his well-known activity and the interest he takes in the work there is every probability that he will soon and effectually accomplish the object entrusted to him. I have said, "his well-known activity," and I may well say so, for he gave a good proof of it in the prompt effectual visit which he made of his district soon after the Society was formed. He visited 333 families, and noted down the number of individuals in each, what persons could read and could not, who had and who wanted the Scriptures, who wished to have them, who would and could give something for them and how much, together with such other particulars as bore on the object of this visitation. The document containing all these particulars he laid on the table of the Committee at the very next meeting after he had received the trust. Judge Beckles, the gentleman of whom I am now speaking, is the person next in rank at the present time to the person who is governing the island. – I give you the result of the investigation of this district as a specimen of the state of things in this town. In these 333 families, there were found to be 1308 individuals, of whom 931 could read and 377 could not. The number of Bibles found in the district was 200, and the additional copies wished for turns out by adding up the list to be exactly the same number, namely, 200.
At this meeting the Treasurer announced that he had on hand a fresh sum of £50 sterling at their disposal, and he forthwith produced a Bill for this sum; and before this reaches you, the money I suppose will be in your possession. – On considering the actual and prospective wants of the Scriptures the Committee judged it necessary to send an order for 300 additional Bibles. This order will I believe also be in your hands, and I am sure it will afford you all as much and even more satisfaction than the draft for £50 accompanying it.
Last night agreeable to previous arrangements I went out, accompanied by Mr. Edmondson, to a plantation or Estate 7 miles from town in order to form on it a Bible Association. There were upwards of 200 people present and almost all were slaves. The Proprietor of the Estate, a pious man, and a member of our Committee, was in the chair, and was chosen President of the Association, whilst a neighbouring Proprietor and a person of colour was elected for Treasurer. Thus was formed the First Bible Association among the slave population of Barbados. May God prosper this beginning, and in due time may the topmost stone of this work be brought forth and laid in its place with shouts of joy hallowed unto the Lord.
By the time that Mr. Edmondson and I returned to town, it was eleven o'clock at night, and the streets of the population of Bridgetown lay all still and motionless as the grave. This scene connected with the one we had left was calculated to stir up reflection. We had been making preparations for softening the gloomy horrors of the grave, and we had been making preparations for joyfully meeting that Great Day which will follow the resurrection from the dead. O that these preparations may not be in vain!
Yesterday the Packet I have been looking for arrived and this afternoon at 4 o'clock I sail for Demerara. Four mail boats will sail at that hour in various directions. All four are more or less engaged in your service. With one there goes a case of Bibles for the Island of Grenada, with another goes a case filled with the same sacred treasure for the Island of St. Lucy, the third carries a message for you to La Guayra, and the forth conveys your agent to Demerara.
Sincerely yours, James Thomson.