November 17, 1796 — to John Dickinson
GREENSVILLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 191
On November 17 Asbury was evidently at the house of Brother Barr in Greensville County, Virginia. Here the Virginia Conference had been in session. John Dickinson, a layman of Wilmington, Delaware, had been a benefactor of Cokesbury College. Of principal interest in this letter are the references to the Chartered Fund.
GREENSVILLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
November 17, 1796
[TO JOHN DICKINSON]1
Dear respected Sir:
After a diligent search for the writings respecting the ground which you were so very kind as to bestow upon our Connexion, they are not to be found. We must, therefore, cast ourselves upon your candour and goodness and entreat favour of you to renew the grant.
Our General Conference lately held in Baltimore agreed, from the hints given them by many of their principal friends to establish a fund for the support of our travelling preachers, among the mountains and in the Western Territories, and to supply the wants of our superannuated preachers and the widows and orphans of preachers. We have appointed several of our most respectable friends in Philadelphia, trustees of this fund viz, Messrs. Jacob Baker,2 Haskins, North,3 etc. and prefer the State of Pennsylvania for the chartering of the fund. Several thousand dollars have been already subscribed and as the former deed which you were so kind as to execute is lost, we are persuaded, that there is no charity in our Connexion to which the land can be granted, so important or so secure as the above described. The principal of all the subscriptions, grants, legacies, etc. is never to be touched. The interest is to be at the disposal of our yearly conferences, under such regulations as shall be made from time to time, at the four years General Conference.
We therefore, Sir, do entreat the favour of you to execute another deed instead of that which is lost, and if you be pleased to convey the land to Jacob Baker, Thomas Haskins and Caleb North, merchants in Philadelphia, as mediate persons, they will secure it to the Chartered Fund, without giving you further trouble. But we shall write to them immediately that they may make themselves known to you, that everything may be settled according to your superior judgment. We give you a great deal of trouble in this business but we know you will pardon us.
We subscribe ourselves, with great respect, dear respected Sir, Your much obliged and very humble servants,
THOMAS COKE
FRANCIS ASBURY
P.S. We send you this letter by our much respected brother, Jesse Lee, one of our Presiding Elders. Dr. Coke intended doing himself the honour of paying a visit to Mr. Dickinson4 this winter, but letters lately received from England, prevent his enjoying that happiness. However, he intends to return to America in about a twelve month’s time and shall be highly grateful if Providence then indulges him with this pleasure. His respects wait on Mr. Dickinson.
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Notes (4)
- See letter of December 10, 1786. ↩
- Baker was a prominent Methodist layman of Philadelphia. He was a wholesale dry-goods merchant, and he and his wife joined St. George’s Church in 1773. He was a member of the second board of trustees of the church. In 1801 he was one of those who went out to organize the Union Church. He was president of the Chartered Fund. He was converted under Joseph Pilmoor and died in 1820. (See Pioneering in Penn’s Woods, Philadelphia Conference Tract Society, 184.) (Jacob S. Payton.) ↩
- North first appears in Methodist history as a resident of Chester County, Pennsylvania. He had a distinguished record in the Revolutionary War and was later given a responsible post in Philadelphia. He, with Thomas Haskins (then also a resident of Philadelphia), now a merchant, formerly a preacher, and others created the Chartered Fund. North’s services to Methodism were considerable. (Jacob S. Payton.) ↩
- In the report of the Chartered Fund, July 1, 1823, there is a list of contributors. Among these is “John Dickinson, Esq., Delaware, a plantation, for which was received $1460.62.” This is the second largest amount contributed. ↩