Autograph Letter Signed ('R. Churton') from Ralph Churton, Rector of Middleton Cheney and Archdeacon of St David's, to an unnamed recipient, providing information for a planned reprint of the 'Life and Death of Philip Henry, Minister of the Gospel'.

1p., 4to. 41 lines of text, written in a close neat hand. Good, on aged paper, laid down on grey paper leaf removed from autograph album. He begins by explaining that an earlier answer was not possible 'while my family were all with me and much sickness in the house and in the parish'. He explains that he is sending 'two or three autographs', and gives a reason for not sending that of 'Mr. Warton', whose handwriting would show 'that he wrote rather more legibly, but not much better than another excellent & learned man, the Bp. of St. Davids'. He now expresses the hope that his correspondent is 'not immediately going to press with the reprint of the Life of Mr. Henry; at least that the intended addition about "popular preacher" is not yet wanted; for it certainly wants to be revised. [.] The passage also about Jan. 30. of which you say very truly, that it is an important document, wants, I fear, both consideration and correction.' He suggests that the recipient call on 'Mrs. James Mainwaring (Sister to my late incomparable friend Mr Bridge)' who will 'shew you the picture of her revered ancestor, the Rector of Malpas'. He now discusses the 'Sermon of the Rector, or heads of a sermon', there being 'a few mistakes in the references, either in your transcript, or in the copy that was before you'. He discusses the sermons of the period, and the '[o]ne thing that amazes' him, 'how Mr. Henry could possibly carry away with him so many distinct topics & texts of Scripture'. The last paragraph concerns 'Bp. Barrow's burial', and the site of his tomb. COPAC records an edition of the 'Life and Death of Philip Henry' printed in Edinburgh by Andrew Jack in 1823.…