Wyddrington,
Edgbaston,
Birmingham,
Monday

Can you supply me with the address of Lady Augusta Onslow?

J.D. Weale

You and I ought to comprehend one another by this time my dear Sir, had I had a good balance at my Banker’s you shd have had the £20 by return of post but all the expenses of my long illness made me the poorer. However, I handed yr letter to Mr Wilson and he took it to read and then said £2 or £3 will be disposed to … and you had best write to some of the Peases, so I wrote to Mrs Theodore Fry and have just seen Mrs Albright and her husband she feels sure will give £5, and maybe tomorrow I will be able to write to 2 more. By the time I was down stairs today Mr Wilson was away it being his day at Oldbury where his clerical works are, and having been out and since resting I carried up here to my room again I thought wd put pen to paper to give you the word that I fancy you had best secure Mr Spencer’s services and I’ll try and beg donations from some others. Where does Mr Spencer live? Whose curate is he, is he in the Bp of London’s diocese or in Bp of Rochester’s part of London in the east. Bishop (How) of Bedford’s diocese parish I know many a particular so when I write to the Bp of London I want to tell him facts so I’ll be grateful if Mr Spencer wd write me about the Maories. Was Tawhaio ever baptised and who by? Or was he only ever nominally a Christian? I have ordered some prayer books Maori and English to be bound I will forward to Major Te Wheoro as soon as I get them. I feel ashamed to write such a scrawl but it can’t be helped. I am so glad they are asked out more and Miss Fowler and another visitor have just arrived on a visit. Have you … to either of the Mr Fowler’, … Wm Fowler for the Lord Mayor about Mr Spencer, I quite think that to get the money part of the … managed quite less and these Maories are gentlemen and all Maories are hospitable and quite as … over the dean of St Paul’s not coming forward and others also and think Bp Abraham’s action in the matter very naughty. May I venture to ask you, is Mr Spencer a good ch man. I suspect he is low ch but don’t really know to ch family he belongs. There have 2 sets of parish clergy in New Zealand. I hope he will deem it his duty to act as chaplain and give them religious instruction daily. As to Te Wheoro, he and Patara having years gone by been often in my good prayers and all these weeks I have longed to be in town and with them.

I am too glad Tawhiao is keeping sober and I quite believe that they have wrongs wh shd be righted and are loyal to our Queen and to law and order albeit they … to restore their wrongs. I thank you for … notes.

Kind regards to Mrs Chesson
Yrs obliged
C.J.D. Weale