Draft letter written by Thomas De Quincey in Everton to Rev. Samuel Hall, "Near St....

This draft letter is an attempt by De Quincey to persuade the Rev. Samuel Hall that he (De Quincey) should be allowed to go to college. Hall (one of De Quincey's guardians) had been continually obstinate in refusing him sufficient cash for "The Oxford scheme" to be realised (see Lindop op. cit.p. 105). This would appear to be a draft for the "polite and humble letter" De Quincey's mother urged him to write to Hall, concerning his willingness to enter a profession after graduating. Lindop refers to this letter on p. 105 (quoting A.H. Japp De Quincey Memorials, 1891, Vol. 1, pp. 94 - 95) and some wording is similar to that used in the draft - see "... on my pledging myself to enter into a profession, my mother's scheme of sending me to college would receive your sanction ...", "any assurances on this point - short of an absolute promise ..."

Rev. Samuel Hall was "an old and trusted family friend" (Lindop, pp. 13, 15), named as one of the five guardians in Thomas Quincey's will in 1793. At this time he was curate of St. Anne's Church, Manchester. In 1793 Thomas De Quincey was sent to the Rev. Samuel Hall who acted as his tutor. On weekdays De Quincey went to his home for lessons in Greek and Latin and on Sundays he was sent to St. Ann'e church to hear him preach. According to Lindop, p. 15 "Thomas's feelings towards Hall were rather cool. He could not help seeing the dullness of Hall's mind for his teaching and preaching were equally uninspired". Hall had evolved a system by which he built up "... a body of 330 sermons which ... at a rate of two every Sunday, revolved through a cycle of three years ...". Hall appears to have been very mean and in the question of allowing Thomas De Quincey the money to go to college, he became so obstinate "... that both his former allies, Mr. Kelsall and Mrs. Quincey, were alienated ..." (Lindop, p. 105). The Rev. Samuel Hall became Rector of St. Peter's, Manchester, in 1794 and died in September 1813 (see W.E.A. Axon Annals of Manchester, 1886, p. 145).

"Mr. Kelsall", see first line of the letter, was another old friend of Thomas De Quincey's parents. Thomas Kelsall had formerly been "principal clerk" to De Quincey's father, but became a merchant in his own right in Manchester "... still managing part of the Quincey business interests ..." (see Lindop, pp. 46, 50).

"Mr. Cragg, Liverpool", see last lines of letter, was a Liverpool merchant "... apparently an old friend of the Quincey family ..." (see Eaton op. cit. Notes on the Text, p. 218, note 12). According to Lindop, p. 99, "Mr. Cragg seems to have had responsibility for keeping an eye on Thomas [in 1803] ... Cragg was just the sort of kindly, paternal, well-meaning, half-educated person whom Thomas loved to despise ...". The diary, listed at 920 MD 424 above, gives some accounts of conversations etc. with Mr. Cragg, noted in the text as "C" or "Mr. C".

Purchased from Maggs Bros., London, in January 1974.