Title | Letter of March 27 1823 | |
Author | Elizabeth Clay | |
Year of Publication | 1823 | |
Links | A scan of the letter can be found here, while a transcript (to the best of my ability) can be found here. | |
This letter was written by Elizabeth Clay to James Frost, and reflects a concern that some books that had been promised had not arrived, the letter then proceeds into Muggletonian religious protestations. I am told that according to the Pigots 1830 Directory of Nottingham a Robert Clay was a Tallow Chandler at Hounds Gate Nottingham, the address to which a reply is requested in the letter.
The ever wise Francis Reid, author of "Isaac Frost's Two Systems of Astronomy (1846): plebeian resistance and scriptural astronomy" commented that:
This letter is typical of letters between members of minority movements and religions - Clay feels vulnerable and alienated from society, yet she also feels enlightened, elevated and special. And she wants to connect with Frost, and she depends upon him to get information relevant to her faith. This letter also shows how Muggletonians came out of their shell and did proselytize somewhat in the early nineteenth century (and the books the Frosts published were part of that change).