1790 HANNAH MORE. Wonderful, Personal Letter from Noted Abolitionist & Authoress.

A wonderful, personal letter from the "bishop in petticoats," and noted abolitionist and women's rights advocate, Hannah More.

She was deeply influential on William Wilberforce, John Newton, the Clapham Sect, etc., both through her imposing personal presence as a friend and contributor at their meetings [and often host at her estate], her writings, English religious writer, and her financial ability to help underwrite causes she believed in.

This particular two full page ALS is undated, but likely dates with a similar group of correspondence from 1773 and into the later 18th century from Hannah More and her sisters to the family of Edward Gwatkin.

It's a wonderful old letter, charming in its familiarity that almost tongue-in-cheek describes Hannah and her sisters [there were five altogether], sort of dithering away as old ladies with their knitting. Nothing could be further from the truth.

She was helping place pastors, underwrite churches, involved in labor issues, abolition, women's rights, the plight of prostitutes, and had her hands in government through sympathetic MPs.

She writes in part, "I shall be very much obliged to you if you will put a full direction on the inclosed so that Miss Ward may receive it, as I do not know where she now lives, and I thought that to commit it to your care wou'd be the safest measure. The five old maids go on as usual purring over their knitting. The three elders are in pretty good condition, but Patty and I are complaining as usual, or rather more so, having had a rather worse summer than usual…I hope…that all these French horrors make you thankful for being an Englishman."

Addressed on the integral leaf in More's hand is present, but almost surgically separated. In fine condition, with a couple small stains, a rusty circular paperclip impression to the top, and repairs to seal-related loss on the address leaf.