Quotation from James Raven

I would not be surprised if I have posted this before but I cannot see where, if I have. On page 152 of a book called Publishing Business in Eighteenth-century England (Boydell Press, UK) James Raven writes

Of many examples, the Baptist minister and prolific hymn-writer, Benjamin Beddome (1717-95), used his co-religionist and Little Britain bookseller, Aaron Ward (d.1747) as receiver of all his correspondence during his visit to London in 1740 (and probably on other occasions). Ward sent some of the letters on to Beddome's London lodgings but, like Pepys and many others before him, Beddome visited Ward and the printing houses of Little Britain as a way of meeting people and learning of the latest news and publications. From Ward, Beddome collected his latest correspondence, leaving notes of reply and letters to others implicated in the latest news.

Letter from Beddome to Hall

In the archive at the Angus Library there is a letter from Beddome, dated February 18th, to ‘Richard Hall, hosier, of Red Lion Street, Southwark’. Written on a Saturday afternoon, this friendly letter asks Hall to purchase stock to the value of £100 and also mentions Mr Snooke. It has the greeting ‘to my good friend Mrs Hall’ and contains a hymn for her ‘By night, by day, at home, abroad’. Presumably Beddome had just completed it for singing the next day. The hymn is Hymn 498 in the posthumous hymnal.

It begins "I think my Account makes you Debtor ...". After the business part he writes

It being Saturday afternoon and my Head indisposd for thinking You will excuse my enlarging but I will send a few lines to my good friend Mrs Hall which I made at least the greatest part one Night after I was a bed not upon any particular Text but as expressive I hope of the Language of my own soul."

Six stanzas follow.

He ends "Thus I have almost filld up my Paper but cannot conclude without wishing You and your dear Spouse Soul prosperity & all Manner of spiritual Blessings Light in Darkness Peace in Trouble and mush of Heav'n upon Earth."

He then adds his wife's greetings to his own and concludes.

Aaron Ward

Aaron Ward was a London printer and bookseller from about 1721 or 1724 until his death in 1747. Previously he had been at The Duck. He was based at the sign of the King's Arms in Little Britain. Beddome had his post sent there when he was in London in 1740. Aaron's son John Ward carried on the business until his own death in 1758.