Letter from John Bishop Estlin, Bristol, [England], to Eliza Wigham, 1851 May 3

Item Information

Title:
Letter from John Bishop Estlin, Bristol, [England], to Eliza Wigham, 1851 May 3
Description:
John Bishop Estlin writes to Eliza Wigham regarding his daughter's illness, which has confined her to Bridgewater "for the last ten days and I was obliged to return home without her." He writes that Miss Michelle is coming to take care of him and visitors Brown and the Crafts), "who have come home again (as Ellen calls our house)." Miss Michelle has sent "clerical Teachings" and the Resolutions to all the "parishes you indicated and will probably be in the Post Office before their letter goes." He writes that he has sent as many "Bristol Resolutions (of the Public Meeting) as we had, marking the 2nd Resolution particularly." He writes that the resolutions put forth will not be accepted by all antislavery people but that he needs to keep "truths which are not always acceptable." He says, "my Resolutions about the American A.S. Society, and the reflection upon the British & Foreign Anti-Slavery Society...will be very offensive to....Scoble & co. but they are not the less truthful or pertinent." He discusses the reaction to his speech in praise of Garrison at a recent meeting. He writes of the troubles of the abolitionists in Edinburgh, in particular that "sufficient allowance was not made for the Crafts and Brown." He writes of his mistrust of black ministers like Dr. Pennington and says, "Be always suspicious of colored men, Ministers especially, who come before the public under the patronage of the 'British and Foreign A.S. Society' and look with more confidence upon such as neither receive nor ask their recommendation!!" The 'American Baptist' begs the English not to trust Josia Henson for that he "professes to represent a body who have not delegated him to his usurped Mission." Henson claims he was sent by the "Dawn (C.W.) School" to collect funds, which was denied by the school. Estlin writes of the trickes practiced by another Reverend H.H. Garnett, such as stating that Frederick Douglass was not a "Christian." C[harles] Stuart argues that the abolitionists should have "devoted themselves to the education of the free colored people, instead of Abolitionism, they would have done more for the cause, which Estlin does not agree with and believes that abolition of slavery was "their only chance of elevation in the present state of Colorphobia in America." He writes of the surrender of T[homas] Sims, a slave who escaped from Georgia and captured in Boston, only to be returned to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Law. He also discusses the improvement of the Brown and Crafts Exhibitions.
Addressee:
Wigham, Eliza
Author:
Estlin, J. B. (John Bishop), 1785-1855
Date:
May 3, 1851
Format:
Letters/Correspondence
Manuscripts
Location:
Boston Public Library
Rare Books Department
Collection (local):
Anti-Slavery Collection
Subjects:
Freedmen--United States--History--19th century
Fugitive slaves--Legal status, laws, etc--United States--History--19th century
Fugitive slaves--United States--History--19th century
African Americans--Education--United States--History--19th century
Abolitionists--Public opinion--United States--19th century
Abolitionists--England--19th century--Correspondence
Abolitionists--United States--19th century--Correspondence
Antislavery movements--Great Britain--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Meetings--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Newspapers--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Publishing--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Publishing--Great Britain--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Religious aspects--Christianity--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--United States--History--19th century
Freed persons--United States
Fugitive slaves--Legal status, laws, etc.--United States
Fugitive slaves--United States
African Americans--Education--History
Abolitionists--United States
Public opinion
Abolitionists
Abolitionists--United States--History--19th century
Antislavery movements--Great Britain
Antislavery movements--United States
Meetings
Publishers and publishing
Christianity
American Anti-Slavery Society
British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society
Wigham, Eliza
Sims, Thomas, approximately 1834-
Stuart, Charles, 1783?-1865
Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895
Estlin, J. B. (John Bishop), 1785-1855
Places:
United Kingdom
England
Extent:
1 leaf (4 p.) ; 21 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2z10z690b
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
Bristol, [England]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
Letter in different ink and handwriting says "Copy of a letter from Mr. Estlin to Miss Wigham.
Identifier:
5122547
Call #:
MS A.9.2 v.25, p.84
Barcode:
39999085430674