Letter relating to character of George Liele, 23 April 1809 

Unknown correspondent, Kingston, Jamaica, to H. D. Brannis, 10 Willmot Square, Bethnal Green, 23 April 1809. [Letter later sent to John Rippon, who is mentioned in the letter; letter details aspects of Liele's character c. 1809 in Kingston.]

Kingston Jamaica April 23d 1809

Very Dear Friend

         Per Prince’s Earnest Packet which sail on 17th Inst I wrote you an Essay containing nine or ten Folio’s comprehanding an Abridged Statement of the Outlines of Lisle’s conduct towards us in general; as I could not croud particulars in so short a Compass nor shall I attempt it now, only venture to add a particular or two merely to illustrate what ^I have^ briefly skimmed over to you.

         I observed, that at the dismissal of Lisle from the Liutenant Governor’s service, he was then incumbered with a large Debt, and stood the Martial. In this predicament he took his residence on the Race Ground or Commons near Kingston, on a small spot of land whereon he built a temporary shelter of a Hutt, Stockaided round and covered with straws: In this place he accomodated himself and family till he joined the few Baptist brethren afore mentioned, whom he found possessed of an House of Worship, rent free, and Cash at command. And here let me remark. If distress is the mother of Invention, by giving an occasion of exercising our will and other mental faculties of the Soul; in a corrupt state, it is most natural, that a Man in his embarrassed circumstances, would, most certainly advert to such means as would ^be^ most likely ^to^ relieve his wants, and supply his needs as the present one promised to afford. For so as a drowning Man will catch at a straw in hopes of saving his life, so did a Lisle sieze every opportunity available to his, and his family’s unpleasant condition.

         I shall beg leave to ask, on the ground of this position, Do you think it unlikely under the trying situation he was, when he joined us, had he not as much self Interest in view, and an attentive eye to avoid the Martial and save House rent at our Cost, by quarreling with the Steward and prevailing on us to quit Mr Coe’s, to an Inconvenient House on terms of Rent? For I say he well knew that our enjoying this House as a place of worship, gratis, held out no encouragement that he and his family should enjoy as such. If you thus far go hand in hand with me, you will readily grant what I tell you, that amongst other reasons best known to himself, his motive for removing us to a House on hire, was as it turned out, to save rent to himself, and which his pride would not then acknowledge, but sought other pretences; for as soon as he had engaged a place for us, he gave up the Hut on the Commons, and removed himself and family to our new Tenement of worship. [paper torn] that we should purchase, but after a sufficient sum of money was collected to do so, he was found deficient of £25 for which he could ^not^ or would not account; but however it happened, shortly after removed his family to another [penn?] previously rented from a William Anderson. In this progressive mode of Improvement, he was again found deficient of £30 and £80, favoured us as a loan from a certain brother of the name of William Beckford for expediting the purchase of the ground on which our present Chapel is erected. These deficiences attended with the purchase of Dr Morton’s penn alluded to by Sabina Pascal, led to an enquiry of his Character, and was witnessed by an American brother to be nothing more than his (Lisles) familiar practices in America; in consequence of which, he would then have met with very unhandsome Words from the Brethren, if I did not Interpose on his behalf in assuaging the brethren from ill-treating him. His other means of resources for raising Cash to himself was, fees which he regularly demanded for weddings and funerals, charging not less than £1 for every Couple joined together, and from 4£ to 8£ for every Individual funeral & if the Deceasd was very poor, he indorsed the attendance with me, in which ^case^ nothing could be paid. These several fees amounted to £350 pr Annum; including the Inhabitants in the South parts of the Country. On a certain plantation on which I had formed a Society and continued to live upon, Lisle visited me and then he joined 30 Couples together, the fees of which [rose?] to the amount of £120. No sooner than the ceremony was over than he rode off without delay with his booty. From his several Incomes, besides his other acts of negotiating on Lands, Houses, Horses, dreys, waggons, Carts &c. he entered into [?] a Drogger Vessel which he bought for himself; [he] thus went on trading with success, till providence suddenly blasted this undertaking by the loss of the Vessel. Besides these he had other advantages arising from the overplus of our [land] appertaining to the Church, the which he Lett out in small parcels to our people, from whom he used to exact the rents with vigour, by levying on their goods till redeemed. These rents I compute to the amount of £100 pr Annum.

I shall now say a word on Sweigle and our documents. I wrote you that I had every reason to believe, the Captn gave our papers to Sweigle. This is not a mere Imagination founded on a Suggestion in my mind – but an impression imbibed in Answer to three [hours?] prayer and supplication at a Throne of Grace to direct a recovery of them; the impression is certainly divine and supernatural, the which I cannot doubt. It was in consequence that I went to Sweigle and demanded those papers, however within [?], he denied having received any other from [him] than what the Captn had had of Pascal himself; the whole was desired to return him. Such a demand I take to be a slight false head; by reason, the Captn would not have of Pascal’s alone and without ours, and therefore must be given now into his hands at the same time with Pascal’s. – If it be asked what Interest has Sweigle in withholding our papers? It is answered, in order to keep out every White Minister from our Churches of whom he is both jealous and is aware will be the Case, when repossession of our Church is obtained. He asked me one day what I would do with the Church when matters is settled? My answer was, that I would throw it into the hands of Dr Rippon, of whom I expected to, and declared since this is my Intention, he would have no more to do with us, and has made good his threatening by withdrawing himself from the business which he Intimated to our Attorney several months previous to Peck’s receiving our papers. Those papers together with out Church Ledger, he is determined never to let slip out of his possession. All these particulars afford the strongest presumption to conclude, our Documents are in Sweigle’s hands. I wish also to inform you that Lisle and the Captn in his life time, were close and intimate friends, and often the Captn when to Lisle’s house, even as late as a few days previous his requesting a sight of our documents. I have dunned Mr D[?] again, although without success; yet, he promises to sell a part of his property so as to discharge the amount of his IOU in my hands, as well as make restitution for an error in settling us as your letter plainly point out, and which he says was inadvertently committed, being sick at the time. He says he has wrote you by last packet (April) and will again to this effect?

         Without apologizing for the length of my letter as you have done in your last one and others,

                                 I remain

                                             Very dear friend

                                                         Your [signature cut out]

Address: H. D. Brannis | No 10 Wilmot Square | Bethnal Green | London

Postmark: 8 June 1809

Text: John Rippon Letters, British Library, Add. Ms. 25389, vol. 4, fols. 342-43.