Robert Keen, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1766 August 20
Date20 August, 1766
Call Number766470.1
abstractKeen writes a lengthy letter to Wheelock about the progress of the fundraising tour in England, and the management of the funds collected.
handwritingFormal handwriting is clear and legible.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages has been heavily reinforced, which makes it difficult to gauge the condition of the paper. It appears to be in good-to-fair condition, with light staining and wear, and heavy creasing.
inkBrown-black.
EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain
Persistent Identifier
I have the Happineſs to acquaint you
Providence appears Remarkably to smile here on your
Indian School affairs — there is already Subscrib'd & Collected
Three Thousand Pounds Sterling— There is no doubt but the
Lord put it into your Heart at first, & has wonderfully Sup‐
-ported you & those Disinterested Creatures, such as Mr Kirtland,
Fowler, Occom &c &c who have truly gone with their Lives in
their hands & have as miraculously been preserv'd. as your
Letters now before me of April 5th-29th & June 24th & Sundry former Ones
and many others dear Mr Whitefield when in America transmitted to
me abundantly Shew — from all which, together with the Lords
Opening the Hearts of his people to Subscribe so liberally; looks
as if the time was come, when the Lord will work a great Work
on the Earth; & Litterally fulfil his promises, & give his Son the
Heathen for his Inheritance & the uttermost parts of the Earth for
his poseſsion — I hope your Life will be preserv'd to see much
of this accomplish'd; and have the pleasing Hopes of a
Foundation being laid, for its entire Accomplishment, when
you are dead & Gone. — — As Mr Whitaker needed
Aſsistance, we judg'd it best, to have a weekly meeting of such
persons, who seem'd quite hearty in the Cause. & Accordingly,
The Rev.d Meſs:rs Whitefield, Brewer, Hitchins, D.r Gibbons,
D:r Gufford, & D.r Stennett; together with Mr Smith of Boston,
Charles Hardy Esqr, Mr Saml Savage & My self; have met some,
or all of us, every tuesday; and purpose so to do, when Meſsrs
Whitaker & Occum are in the Countries round about, to send them
any advice and Letters of Recommendation to the leading men in
the places they are next to go to; and every other needfull step proper
to be taken — and we all do agree, that M.r Whitaker acts quite to
our satisfaction; listens to advice, and takes it when given — is most
Indefatigable in every instance relateing to the affairs he is come about.
is greatly belov'd, and no One could have done better, unleſs dear
Providence appears Remarkably to smile here on your
Indian School affairs — there is already Subscrib'd & Collected
Three Thousand Pounds Sterling— There is no doubt but the
Lord put it into your Heart at first, & has wonderfully Sup‐
-ported you & those Disinterested Creatures, such as Mr Kirtland,
Fowler, Occom &c &c who have truly gone with their Lives in
their hands & have as miraculously been preserv'd. as your
Letters now before me of April 5th-29th & June 24th & Sundry former Ones
and many others dear Mr Whitefield when in America transmitted to
me abundantly Shew — from all which, together with the Lords
Opening the Hearts of his people to Subscribe so liberally; looks
as if the time was come, when the Lord will work a great Work
on the Earth; & Litterally fulfil his promises, & give his Son the
Heathen for his Inheritance & the uttermost parts of the Earth for
his poseſsion — I hope your Life will be preserv'd to see much
of this accomplish'd; and have the pleasing Hopes of a
Foundation being laid, for its entire Accomplishment, when
you are dead & Gone. — — As Mr Whitaker needed
Aſsistance, we judg'd it best, to have a weekly meeting of such
persons, who seem'd quite hearty in the Cause. & Accordingly,
The Rev.d Meſs:rs Whitefield, Brewer, Hitchins, D.r Gibbons,
D:r Gufford, & D.r Stennett; together with Mr Smith of Boston,
Charles Hardy Esqr, Mr Saml Savage & My self; have met some,
or all of us, every tuesday; and purpose so to do, when Meſsrs
Whitaker & Occum are in the Countries round about, to send them
any advice and Letters of Recommendation to the leading men in
the places they are next to go to; and every other needfull step proper
to be taken — and we all do agree, that M.r Whitaker acts quite to
our satisfaction; listens to advice, and takes it when given — is most
Indefatigable in every instance relateing to the affairs he is come about.
is greatly belov'd, and no One could have done better, unleſs dear
M.r Wheelock had come over himself — He is quite cut out for ye work,
and in our Opinion, has been neither too speedy nor too slow; but has
acted prudently and Wisely, and has succeeded Accordingly — and we
likewise think it would be Marring the Work to recal him, or send any other
in his Room, but let him go through with it, if please God spare his
Life, nor would we advise the least hint to be dropt to him of that nature
to discourage him, but on the contrary every thing that is encourageing;
as we really think he ought to have the Approbation of all —
I've aſsisted him in his accounts from the beginning, as well for Your sake,
his sake, and the publicks — I was thinking in this letter to have sent
you a list of those that have Subscrib'd largely, but that I may do in a
Future one if requested — the Money Collected is Chiefly lodg'd in Bankers
hands; except the running Cash, which is chiefly in Mr Savages & mine; with
which I pay all the Bills drawn by You, and Accordingly I've paid a Bill
of Exchange of £100 Sterling dated Nov.r 28.th 1765 drawn by Nathl Eells of
Boston to Mr John Timmins or Order — — One of £52..13s..9p payable to
Moses Peck or ordr dated at Boston May 28th — — One of £50 Sterling payable
to Asahel Clark Junr or Ord.r dated at Boston May 29th — One of £120 sterling
payable to Gersham Breed or Order dated June — just paid — the Three last is
drawn by your self which is the most satisfactory of all — likewise let
Mr Smith of Boston (who I believe is one of the worthiest men in ye world &
his being here a most Singular bleſing to this affair) have £30 & £25 to be
by him in Bills &illegibleremitted to & for the use of Mr
Occum
&
Whitaker family &c
and in our Opinion, has been neither too speedy nor too slow; but has
acted prudently and Wisely, and has succeeded Accordingly — and we
likewise think it would be Marring the Work to recal him, or send any other
in his Room, but let him go through with it, if please God spare his
Life, nor would we advise the least hint to be dropt to him of that nature
to discourage him, but on the contrary every thing that is encourageing;
as we really think he ought to have the Approbation of all —
I've aſsisted him in his accounts from the beginning, as well for Your sake,
his sake, and the publicks — I was thinking in this letter to have sent
you a list of those that have Subscrib'd largely, but that I may do in a
Future one if requested — the Money Collected is Chiefly lodg'd in Bankers
hands; except the running Cash, which is chiefly in Mr Savages & mine; with
which I pay all the Bills drawn by You, and Accordingly I've paid a Bill
of Exchange of £100 Sterling dated Nov.r 28.th 1765 drawn by Nathl Eells of
Boston to Mr John Timmins or Order — — One of £52..13s..9p payable to
Moses Peck or ordr dated at Boston May 28th — — One of £50 Sterling payable
to Asahel Clark Junr or Ord.r dated at Boston May 29th — One of £120 sterling
payable to Gersham Breed or Order dated June — just paid — the Three last is
drawn by your self which is the most satisfactory of all — likewise let
Mr Smith of Boston (who I believe is one of the worthiest men in ye world &
his being here a most Singular bleſing to this affair) have £30 & £25 to be
by him in Bills &
If these are all right, and any more is drawn, or you can Communicate
in what Channel you would like to have the Money Subscrib'd run in — wether a
Large Sum for Building a School at once or draw annually for certain sums
or Occasionally as you choose, orillegiblewether ever any Bills may be paid that
is not of your drawing (tho' we like to see your name best) in Short,
whatever you find Freedom to write, we shall read in our weekly meeting,
and endeavour to make the best use of it, to promote the design, both
among our selves and others, that seem able & willing so to do. — we do
not attempt to prescribe to you, but would contribute all we can to strengthen
your hands and enlarge your design — and beg continually call'd upon to give
answers, some of One sort & some of another; haveing engag'd ourselves fully in it,
should be glad to be furnish'd with every thing neceſsary to be known —
in what Channel you would like to have the Money Subscrib'd run in — wether a
Large Sum for Building a School at once or draw annually for certain sums
or Occasionally as you choose, or
is not of your drawing (tho' we like to see your name best) in Short,
whatever you find Freedom to write, we shall read in our weekly meeting,
and endeavour to make the best use of it, to promote the design, both
among our selves and others, that seem able & willing so to do. — we do
not attempt to prescribe to you, but would contribute all we can to strengthen
your hands and enlarge your design — and beg continually call'd upon to give
answers, some of One sort & some of another; haveing engag'd ourselves fully in it,
should be glad to be furnish'd with every thing neceſsary to be known —
Dear Mr Whitefield is as much own'd
&
bleſs'd here as ever, Large, Crowded
& Serious Congregations every time he preaches. and though he has been frequently
Brought low as to his Bodily strength, yet he has always been enabled to preach
at least twice in a week; Vizt at Tottenham Court Chapel on a Lords day Morning
at 10 o'Clock and at ye Tabernacle near Moorefields on a Wednesday Evening;
& Serious Congregations every time he preaches. and though he has been frequently
Brought low as to his Bodily strength, yet he has always been enabled to preach
at least twice in a week; Vizt at Tottenham Court Chapel on a Lords day Morning
at 10 o'Clock and at ye Tabernacle near Moorefields on a Wednesday Evening;
Thousands will bleſs God to Eternity they ever heard him —
I swel'd this letter grea[gap: tear][guess: tly bey]ond my Intention — especially as I'm a
stranger to You— but b[gap: tear][guess: elieve you']ll excuse & believe it to proceed from a
Real desire to promote [gap: tear][guess: the] Redeemers Kingdom, and to Cultivate a
lasting Friendship & Correspondence with dear Mr Wheelock.
I swel'd this letter grea[gap: tear][guess: tly bey]ond my Intention — especially as I'm a
stranger to You— but b[gap: tear][guess: elieve you']ll excuse & believe it to proceed from a
Real desire to promote [gap: tear][guess: the] Redeemers Kingdom, and to Cultivate a
lasting Friendship & Correspondence with dear Mr Wheelock.
P. S. all the above-mentiond Friends
joyn in hearty Love — — please to direct for
me. Woollen draper in the Minories — London
Meſs.rs Whitaker & Occum are at Bristol — I heard
from them yesterday are both well & well Employ'd — I believe they
will go from thence to Bath, Exeter, Plymouth &c & so finish their tour in ye west
joyn in hearty Love — — please to direct for
me. Woollen draper in the Minories — London
Meſs.rs Whitaker & Occum are at Bristol — I heard
from them yesterday are both well & well Employ'd — I believe they
will go from thence to Bath, Exeter, Plymouth &c & so finish their tour in ye west
P. S. There was a Bond on Edwd Lollard for £100 & upwards sent wth a power of Attourney
to Mr Saml Broome to recieve the Money & pay it into your hands — the person hopes
Mr Broome will not let him shuffle butmakOblige him to
pay it—
to Mr Saml Broome to recieve the Money & pay it into your hands — the person hopes
Mr Broome will not let him shuffle but
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