A prickly parson writes to the second Earl of Aylesford

I wrote to Your Lordship, about a fortnight ago, but as I have not yet been favour'd with an answer, I persuade myself my letter never came to Your Lordship's hands. It was to desire Your Ld.ship's influence, should there be any occasion for it, with Mr Hanmer and Mr. Will: Jennings, to whom jointly with Mr. Charles Jennings Mr. Dorcy [?Dovey] intends to leave the disposal of the Chapel to be built at Birmingham. As for Mr. Charles himself, I have receiv'd already from him a very kind answer to a letter I wrote him some time ago upon that subject. I am the more sollicitous about this affair, because, to say the truth, My Lord, the treatment I have always met with, hath at length render'd my present situation quite insupportable to me; and I ardently long to be upon some footing of my own. From the first week Your Lordship took me into your House, your steward, Mr. Parker, has treated me, to speak in the softest terms, with continued incivilites at home, and endeavour'd, without being very nice about the truth of his insinuations, to render me contemptible & odious in the Parish. This behaviour of his always appear'd to me not very consistent with the duty he ow'd Your Lordship, to use a man thus, to whom your Ld.ship had thought fit freely to offer your House. But I soon knew enough of the man, to be able to account for his conduct. I shall not attempt to particularize a treatment, which has been uninterrupted & uniform for 5 years. I have hitherto endeavour'd to bear myself up under these indignities at the expense of my little Income & my Time, hating the Character, or anything that look'd like a Sycophant, & very loath to trouble Your Lordship with complaints against a Man, whom Your Ld.ship seem'd to value as an able Servant. But my spirits are at length from a continual oppression utterly broke, & the consciousness of having meanly submitted so long to a treatment so unworthy, hath induc'd upon me a disesteem of myself; a terrible state, my lord, to any man who has the least ingenuity of Heart. Indeed the particular consideration, for which I have borne my circumstances so long, in part excuses me to myself as a private person; but as a Clergyman, (a Character, which I cannot but think of great importance to society, when a proper authority is preserv'd to it, without wch it can be of no use at all), I am afraid it was my Duty to have resented the usage I have met with sooner. I see so evidently the Effect Mr. Parker's practises have had upon my Parishioners, who cannot but have look'd upon him as Your Lordship's representative, that I assure Your Lordship, (tho' I am asham'd to say it) I have not resolution enough to reprove the meanest man in my Parish with a proper Authority. -- I had hop'd indeed, upon the removal of Mr. Parker, to have been easy, at home at least; But to my great surprize I meet with a continuance of the same disrespectfull incivilities, with the addition of a low-bred rudeness, from a quarter from whence I should least have expected it, & from whence it is less sufferable. I shall trouble Your Lordship no more with anything relating to myself, only that it is no inconsiderable circumstance of my present unhappiness that I see nothing but a perverse spirit of thwarting, & endeavouring industriously to give uneasiness to a person, who makes it her whole business to be obliging and complaisant. In short there is no attempting to describe thoroughly the state of Your Lordship's family. I wish you had a thorough idea of it, my lord; for surely you would think the present economy of it vastly beneath what would be expected in the family of a Person of Your Lordship's station & Character.

I beg Your Lordship's pardon for giving you this trouble, but less I thought I could not do in justice to myself, & Your Lordship too. Should I be driven from hence by my misfortunes, they will not, I hope, make Your Lordship desert me, on whose patronage alone I have hung all my hopes.

I take the liberty to add two petitions before I conclude. I make the less scruple of making the first because it can possibly be no odds to Your Lordship; it is, that you would be so good as to order your steward to pay me the money due to your late Housekeeper, without which I find myself unable to pay off a debt of 20 guinees contracted just after her death. I should be much obliged to Your Lordship too, if you would allow me the use of any one of your horses, during the lameness of my own. I am now writing from Kineton, from whence I hope this letter will find a way to London. Mr. Talbot and Mrs. desire their compliments to Your Lordship. I am, My Lord, with the most affectionate Duty,

Kineton Feb: 28th. 1746

I shall be at Packington this Ev'ning.

letter courtesy 11th Earl of Aylesford