Elihu Burritt letters to Henry Richard

Three letters, May 1861-December 1862, from Elihu Burritt, New Britain, Connecticut, to his friend and fellow peace campaigner Henry Richard [in London]. Burritt describes the effects of the American Civil War on the peace movement in America and on Burritt's own position, and gives details of his arrangements to leave New Britain in late 1862 (ff. 7-9).
In the final letter, 1 December 1862, Burritt thanks Richard for sending £15 to pay for his passage to England. He was due to sail from New York on the 13 December 1862; he returned to Birmingham to live from 1863 to 1869 (f. 9). Also included is a letter, 9 December 1846, from Burritt, Birmingham, to 'Dear Friend Featherstone' (f. 6).

Henry Richard (1812-1888), politician, also known as the 'Apostle of Peace', was born in Tregaron and was apprenticed as a draper before being ordained as a minister in 1835 and thereafter serving all his working life at the Independent chapel in the Old Kent Road, London. Richard was concerned throughout his life with the peace question and in 1848 was appointed secretary of the Peace Society. In 1868 he was elected as Liberal member of parliament for Merthyr Tydfil and strove to uphold Welsh and Nonconformist causes while, through his writing, he sought to present a portrait of Wales and her history to English readers.
Henry's father, Ebenezer Richard (1781-1837), Calvinistic Methodist minister, was born in Tre-fin, Pembrokeshire. One of the principal organisers of his denomination, it was he who helped draw up the Calvinistic Methodist confession of faith in 1823. He was also the chief supporter of the Sunday school movement in South Wales and, in all, served the Methodist cause for sixty years.

Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers; London; Purchase; December 2014.

Henry Richard (1812-1888), politician, also known as the 'Apostle of Peace', was born in Tregaron and was apprenticed as a draper before being ordained as a minister in 1835 and thereafter serving all his working life at the Independent chapel in the Old Kent Road, London. Richard was concerned throughout his life with the peace question and in 1848 was appointed secretary of the Peace Society. In 1868 he was elected as Liberal member of parliament for Merthyr Tydfil and strove to uphold Welsh and Nonconformist causes while, through his writing, he sought to present a portrait of Wales and her history to English readers.
Henry's father, Ebenezer Richard (1781-1837), Calvinistic Methodist minister, was born in Tre-fin, Pembrokeshire. One of the principal organisers of his denomination, it was he who helped draw up the Calvinistic Methodist confession of faith in 1823. He was also the chief supporter of the Sunday school movement in South Wales and, in all, served the Methodist cause for sixty years.

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 24045F, ff. 6-9.

Folio 8 torn along fold.

For three further letters from Burritt to Richard, 1856-1876, see NLW MS 5503C, items 19-21; for other letters of Elihu Burritt see NLW MS 10577C, pp. [257]-[261]. Other papers are New Britain (CT), Central Connecticut State University, Elihu Burritt Library, Burritt Collection; and Swarthmore (PA), Swarthmore College Peace Collection DG 096.

Published