Rev A Brandram No.1
St. John's, Antigua 7th January 1832
My Dear Friend,
I am safely arrived in this island: please to join me in thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for his merciful protection of me on the great ocean. Our voyage was long, and a great part of it very unpleasant. Three weeks, as you already know, we were detained in the English Channel. On the 9th of November we weighed anchor off Ryde, and succeeded in getting fairly to sea. In three days after we were out of sight of land, and in the Atlantic Ocean, making with a fair wind an agreeable progress towards this place. Our favourable breeze continued for about ten days and brought us to about a hundred miles of the Azores or Western Isles. Here while we were regaling ourselves with the prospect of passing close by these islands and of picking up a little fruit from some of the boats that might be about, the wind rose upon us, and soon grew into a violent gale, blowing right against us. We could only lie under such circumstances, and allow ourselves to be driven backwards. This gale continued very violent all night, and by the morning had raised the sea into rolling mountains. In the morning enjoying the following day the wind was moderate though still direct against us. But at night it began to blow again about as violent as before. This was followed by a cessation of the storm on the following day, which again was succeeded by a repetition of the gale. In short, not to trouble you with items, we had gale upon gale, with intervals of moderate weather, for full three weeks.
On 13th December we got a fair wind, and the next day we got into the Trades, after which our voyage was very pleasant. On the 28th we reached this island (just ten weeks after we left London).
In the afternoon of the same day I disembarked, and took up my temporary lodgings in this place. Next day I called upon the Rector of this town and parish, the Rev. Mr. Holberton. I called also on the Archdeacon, and on the Governor, and by each of these gentlemen I was courteously received. I next called upon the Moravian missionaries, for whom I had a letter of introduction from the Secretary of their Society in London. I likewise called upon Mr. Felvus the Wesleyan missionary with a similar introduction.
The missionaries entered warmly into my objects, and the promised me every assistance. Much has been done here in the instruction of the slaves and others, and not a few have turned unto the Lord, and adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour. My heart has truly been refreshed and cheered by what I have heard and seen in this place; I feel myself placed much as Barnabas was when he went down from Jerusalem to Antioch. The Historian says of him, that "when he came there and had seen the grace of God he was glad." It is added, that "he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." I shall endeavour to follow his example in the opportunities I may have publicly and privately of speaking to those here whom the Lord hath called on to his kingdom and glory.
My object here as you know, is twofold. First to ascertain what once there are for Holy Scriptures, and to supply these wants from the stores you have furnished me with. The second part of my object, is to form Bible Societies and Associations as far as practicable. To both of these I am now attending, and my prospects of doing something are fair.
The forming of a Bible Society in any given place upon a proper basis is I conceive an object of the first importance. A Bible Society when properly ramified into district associations affords the surest means within human reach of ascertaining where the Bible is needed, where it is wished for, and where it is likely to be read with advantage. It affords the cheapest means also of providing what is wanted. By interesting the poor individually in this matter and making their own exertions in part the means of supplying them with that book they may wish for, we lessened the cost of the Bible to the Parent Society and enable it to deal its bounties more extensively. But another advantage flowing from this mode of procedure is still more important, and that is the interest they feel for that book which has thus been made to them an object of solicitude, and which they have themselves in a great measure purchased.
From what I have now stated, and which I am sure accordance with your own judgment and experience, I am anxious to see a Bible Society well formed in this Island. You are aware that there was a Society here formerly, but that has become extinct, and from causes which are not very occult. What we do then now, we do on new ground entirely, and there is some advantage in that, which we shall endeavour to turned to account.
There are two other reasons which weigh much with me in wishing to form a Society in Antigua. You will see by inspecting the map that it is closely connected in a geographical point of view with Monserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, Barbuda, and Anguilla. Two of these islands are joined with it in the civil establishment. But from its population and importance it may be considered the centre and leader of the whole group. Whatever therefore we do here is likely to have a useful effect upon the islands immediately around us.
The other reason for my anxious wish to form a Bible Society here, is the Religious Status, if I may so call it, which God has been pleased to give to this island. It is desirable to fan the flame, and in doing so we will give more light to this place itself, and greatly contribute to enlighten the adjacent islands already mentioned. There are fifteen missionaries in this island, all actively employed in their holy work; and speaking in general terms, about one half of the population is more or less under their instruction and care.
Mr. Garling was the Treasurer of the former Society here, and corresponded with you during its existence, and also since it failed into desuetude. He feels as lively an interest in the cause as ever, and is most anxious to see a Society established on a sound footing. He was not in town when I came here, but arrived a few days after; and I made a point of seeing him as early as I could. I have had much conversation with him, and find him deeply interested in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and feelingly alive to everything that may benefit this Island.
I invited a few friends of the Bible Cause to meet at his house, to devise means for the formation of a Society. On the 4th instant ten of us assembled, and after bowing our knees together and beseeching the Lord to direct us, we began to communicate with each other on this subject.
All were agreed that it was desirable to form a Society in the Island, and all were of the opinion that it was practicable to do so. After some time spent in consulting with each other as to who would be the most efficient persons for composing the Committee &c. of our projected Society it was agreed that the Governor should be invited to be our President, and that I should wait on him to ask this favour.
Sir Patrick Ross our Governor is much and justly esteemed in this place, and has long been a friend and the promoter of the Bible Society. In Zante some years ago, I understand, he was very instrumental in forming a Society or in distributing the Scriptures when Dr. Pinkerton went there for that purpose. With these circumstances in his favour we calculated on Sir Patrick's acceptance of the presidentship of our Society.
On the 5th I waited on the Governor agreeably to our arrangement. I stated to him what we had in view, and what prospect we had of succeeding; and that out anxious wish was that he would become the President of the Society in contemplation. He stated in reply, that he had always considered it his duty to lend any aid he could to the great cause of the Bible wherever he might be, and that he would have pleasure in taking an active part in our Society according to the wish that had been expressed to him. The only thing that occurred to him he said was, how far it might be advisable and practicable to combine our object with that of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and whether or not a new Society might tend to injure the other. I replied to this by saying that the object of our Society was one and undivided namely, to put the Holy Scriptures without comment into the hands of all, whereas the other's Society's object was to distribute Scriptures with a comment. All Christians agreed, I added, in the former object, but not all in the latter; and it was desirable to unite all denominations in the circulation of the Scriptures, which could not be effectually done but by the Society now proposed. As to the funds of the Christian Knowledge Society being injured by our Society, I said, there was every probability that they would be increased by it and not diminished as had happened in other places. Sir Patrick seemed quite satisfied with this statement of the respective objects of the two Societies, and renewed his offer of lending us any assistance he could.
Yesterday we had another conversation meeting, at which I communicated the favourable reception the Governor gave to our proposal of his being President of our Society. At this meeting we fixed on a number of individuals for a Committee from lists brought by our friends according to agreement of such persons as would in all probability forward the holy object from the heart.
Our next meeting is to be on the 13th current, and in the interval I am to visit the gentlemen proposed as Vice Presidents, &c. and who live in different parts of the island, to see if they will accept the offices which it is wished to confer upon them. The results of the next meeting and further proceedings will be communicated to you by next packet.
In the formation of our Committee we have endeavoured to effect, what the Bible always does, a union of castes, remembering that "God has made of one blood all that dwell on the face of the earth." The main subject of agitation in these islands, little as we know of it in England, is the separation hitherto kept up between the white and coloured population. The former wish still to keep up this separation, whilst the latter as might be expected wish to break it down. Our Committee is composed of both classes.
Four days after my arrival here, your kind letter reached me, and reminded me, that though absent from you I am not forgotten. The doleful notice contained in it was not new to me. It so happened that on the day we sailed from Ryde we received a London newspaper printed the day before namely the 8th Nov. When we were fairly out at sea on the evening of the same day this paper fell into my hands. After reading in it all that I usually read in newspapers, I turned to the register of deaths, a thing I very rarely do. Well, what should first meet my eye but No.6 Northumberland Terrace, Islington. On reading thus far, the person who lived there at once rushed into my mind, and next instant as I read on brought our late dear brother's name in full length before me. I could scarcely realize it, and should have been disposed to considered it somebody else had not the words "superintendent &c" taken away every doubt. Greenfield! said I to myself as I sat in my solitary cabin alone, Greenfield! Are you gone! You who I so lately saw in the full bloom of health, and with whom I spent an evening so pleasantly, and so recently too that it seems but last night! Yes – gone – alas! My brother! – The Lord keep me girded and ever ready for that hour which must come, and may come immediately.
You have in truth suffered a great loss in the removal of Mr. Greenfield. His talents were indeed, as you justly observe most extraordinary, and getting putting forth all his intellectual superiority, he did it with the unobtrusiveness and more to state of a school boy, and I hope profitably, in the many long sleepless nights of our tedious and stormy voyage. Be so good as to place Five Pounds from me to the fund collection for Mrs. Greenfield. May the Lord be a husband to her, and be a father to her children.
I should have mentioned above, that just before I went out to our meeting I had a friendly visit from the Archdeacon. I seized the opportunity, although I had talked with him before also on the subject, to gain him over to cooperate with us in our Bible Society. I did not however succeed, as he considers it his duty to support with all his means and influence the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and to the exclusion of the Bible Society. Mr. Holberton the Rector, I am sorry to say, keeps also aloof from us, and for the same reason, if reason it may be called.
In opening yesterday case No.39, in which according to invoice there should be 12 Reports, I found none. I find myself here there for without a single Report of the Society which places me somewhat awkwardly. Be so good as to send me four or five copies of the few last years to Barbadoes by the first ship. Please send me also a copy of Dowley's Analysis which will be of great service to me in forming and regulating societies. My next letters please to forward to Barbadoes, to the care of some person who will keep them for me till in the Providence of God I may arrive there.
I now conclude, wishing for yourself and for all your associates on the commencement of a new year – every blessing.
James Thomson.
P.S. "if consistent with the stricter rules of your Society" I should be glad if you could favour Mrs. Thomson with an early sight of this letter. JT.