RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (West Riding) => Topic started by: kellysmith1976 on Thursday 04 November 10 14:19 GMT (UK)
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Hi, I have had this very old letter translated, to this:
To John Stead
Manchester Jany 25th 1792
Friend John
I suppose you have
heard of the Transactions that happen
ed here concernying the Rights of
Man. I mean the Devil raising
a number of Advocates crying Church
& King who threaten'd to make Havock
among the Swinish multitude as
Mr Burke calls 'em for speaking
about Bishops having such large
Salaries you know John Bunian
was the most surprised to see the
Devil go into a Pulpit with a white
Sleeve or a Black gown on. I dare
say you have read the Proclamations
that have been sent out forbidding
People to read or write for if the People
be enlightened to see how heavily they
are taxed & imposed upon its enough
to make Doctor Bacon swear for
the good Bishop of Durham wonders
at poor people complaining in this
happy Constituon of our you must
understand he only has a Salary of
Twenty Five Thousand a Year.
And besides the Friends of the
poor has endeavoured to show the
Cause of Corn being so dear. Your
know our Seaports is shut up
when it comes under seven Shillings
a Bushel so when it is above
this Price it is open. This wants
a reform for I would rather
have a Shilling loaf for 8 pence
would not you from yr
well wisher
Wm Wood
I hope you & your Father & your
Sister Susy Joseph Best are all
well as I am at present
I Think this letter is amazing... Now comes the hard bit... Who is it to!!..
The furthest back i am on the Stead is 1796, A John Stead.. who married Sarah Fisher, I think John Stead was born in Otley, or perhaps Harewood... Yorks
No im presuming this letter is to Johns father in 1792.. I know it was to John Stead as on the reverse of the letter it states.. To John Stead, Stanley Yorks...
Can anyone link me with this John Stead?.. I have looked into the author of the letter, and i think its from William Wood, who was a famous speaker and botanist..
Kelly
Help im trying to post a scan of the letter, it keeps telling me file too large, how do i make it smaller?
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Think ive managed it
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Hi Kelly,
what a great find !
There is a link to Otley PR's
http://www.archive.org/details/parishregisters00socigoog
and one for Harewood
http://www.archive.org/details/parishregisterso50hare
Dave
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Later Otley parish registers.
http://www.archive.org/details/parishregisterso44otle
Brian
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Kelly, that's amazing!
Can I ask how you came by this letter.
David
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John Stead b 1796 was my 4 X great Grandad...
This letter must have his fathers...
The letter was found in my elderly cousins belongings.. along with diaries from the 1800s... and postcards from WWI..
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You lucky thing, Kelly!
Best wishes with your research
David
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Lovely letter!
Is there anything to be gained from the last bit?
I hope you & your Father & your
Sister Susy Joseph Best are all
well as I am at present
A Joseph Best married a Rebecca Stead in 1791 in Wakefield...
Do you have your John Stead on the census? Is he the one born Otley, living in Bradford?
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What an amazing piece of history Kelly, lucky you!
Please can you say why you think John, circa 1797, was born in Harewood or Otley?
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Your letter is fascinating.
Unfortunately I cannot trace John Stead but I can give you some clues about the meaning of the letter he received. I hope that this will be of some use.
The first sentence refers to the Rights of Man. This is a pamphlet written by Tom Paine which had just been published in 1792. In it Paine seeks to champion the lost rights of the common people in England. He is in support of the French Revolution which was seen to be a victory for democratic ideas and was against rule by Kings and clerics. He was also against heavy taxation.
At the time of it’s publication there were reports of literate men in the back rooms of public houses reading the pamphlet to others who were unable to read and advising them of their ancient rights which had in effect been stolen from them. The sender refers to this when he writes that people were forbidden to read The Rights of Man and he points out that he wanted people to be enlightened so that thgey would see how heavily they are taxed and that their taxes were being used to pay large amounts to Bishops and other place men who supported the Government.
When the writer evokes the Devil raising a number of advocates crying "Church and King" who threatened to make havock among the swinish multitude, he is referring to incitement by landowners who raised mobs to attack supporters of the Rights of Man and to apprehend Paine himself if possible.
The writer refers to Mr Burke. This is Edmund Burke who was an eminent Whig MP. He attempted to rebut Tom Paine’s arguments in his own pamphlet which he named Reflections on the Revolution in France. In it he used the phrase “swinish multitude”
He believed that Britain might be on the verge of revolution as had happened in France where large scale changes had taken place. His view was that any changes should be slow and measured and should evolve from existing customs. Radical changes could be hasty and dangerous.
Edmund Burke is still very influential amongst Conservative theorists.
This is obviously a brief version of Paine and Burkes arguments. However if you are interested both The Rights of Man and Reflections of the Revolution in France are still in print.
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Geoff,
that's a brilliant explanation, thank you for taking the time to post it. I shall certainly seek out 'The Rights of Man' and 'Reflections of the Revolution in France' .
Dave
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My 4 X Great grandad, John Stead, Was born c1796... He is on the 41, 51, 61 census... I cannot find him on the 71 census... I think he may have died in 1875.. but im not 100% sure its my John..
On the 51 census he says he was born in Otley, On the 61 he says he was born in Harwood...
He married Sarah Fisher in 1820.. I can find no trace of her either!..
Although something you said interested me... I didnt know of a Rebecca stead.. Which could well be my johns sister..
John Stead & Sarah Fisher had Rebecca in 1821, She is my 3 X Great grandmother..
I will look into the Best connection...
As the generations went on they seem to use previous surnames as middle names..
I have a William Wood Ellmer... Which could be named after william wood the letter author...
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My 4 X Great grandad, John Stead, Was born c1796... He is on the 41, 51, 61 census... I cannot find him on the 71 census... I think he may have died in 1875.. but im not 100% sure its my John..
On the 51 census he says he was born in Otley, On the 61 he says he was born in Harwood...
He married Sarah Fisher in 1820.. I can find no trace of her either!..
As the generations went on they seem to use previous surnames as middle names..
I have a William Wood Ellmer... Which could be named after william wood the letter author...
Hi again. I think you have two Johns there, both were married to a Sarah.
1. John Stead m Sarah Fisher at Bradford 2 March 1820
1841
John Stead 45 labourer
Sarah ditto 40
Thos ditto 15
William ditto 14
Mary ditto 10
Sarah ditto 7
Hannah ditto 3
1851
Bradford
John Stead w 55 labourer Otley
Wm ditto son 23 Bradford
Mary ditto dau 19 ditto
Hannah ditto dau 16 ditto
I don't see this John in 1861
2. John Stead m Sarah Unknown
1841
Hunslet
John Stead 40 lab
Isabella ditto 15
Richard ditto 14
Charles ditto 12
Mary ditto 10
Joseph ditto 4
1851
Leeds
John Stead m 54 miller/carrier Harewood
Ann ditto wife 51
Mary Ann ditto 19 Leeds
John H Austick son in law 17
1861
Leeds
John Stead w 64 corn mill labourer Harwood
Mary Ann Walker dau 28 Hunslet
John ditto son in law 29
Walter ditto grandson 1 week
Isabella etc were baptised at Hunslet, and there is a Mary Ann baptised there in 1831 so that fits together.
I can see a baptism for John Fisher Stead in Bradford 9 Aug 1820 and then you say your Rebecca was baptised in 1821. Is that Rebecca at Wakefield 5 Feb 1821?
That strikes me as a little odd, to fit in Rebecca at Wakefield and then back to Bradford for more. Are you certain that her mother was Sarah Fisher?
(Sorry to keep asking for justification, you klnow how it is :) )
Anyhow, I think one John Stead was born Harwood, another was born Otley, and I am querying if there was a third who was the father of your Rebecca.