Very finely preserved and rather rare autograph example of a letter by pioneer missionary, William Ellis [1794-1872].
Ellis attended Homerton College under the auspices of the London Missionary Society, then departed for the South Sea Islands in 1816. He was friends with the martyred missionary, John Williams, etc., Then, in 1822 he visited Honolulu in the Sandwich Islands [Hawaii, or Owyhee] and was invited to stay on as missionary by King Kamehameha II. He and his family moved there in 1823. He baptized Queen Keopuolani in Maui and was one of the most effective missionaries of the era.
He also was the first to transcribe the Hawaiian language in a Roman Alphabet so that a printing press could be established.
Ellis resigned from missionary work in the 1840's to pastor in England. Nearly all autograph examples we see derive from that period. Wonderful to obtain a letter from him written while still with the London Missionary Society.
The present addressed to Mr. Snow, London publisher, probably referencing his articles written on Polynesia for the Evangelical Magazine.
Addressed to:
"Mr. Snow | Paternoster Row"
The letter, complete:
"My Dear Sir,
I have to request that you will send me either tonight or tomorrow morning before ten o clock an account of the number of the Magazine printed for the last 6 months previous to February the number of each month on hand. Please to favor me also with particulars of the Magazine for January this year, viz the number sent to Scotland - to Ireland supplied to the Evangelical & sold over the counter. I wish this particularly by ten o clock.
I am yours very truly,
W. Ellis
Tuesday Evening
February 12, 1839"