1810 John Howard Hinton ALS Oxford Baptist Minister Abolitionist Early Letter For Sale

Oxford, England | August 9, 1810 | Stampless Folded Letter

Offered here is an unusually early autograph letter signed by John Howard Hinton, later one of the best-known English Baptist ministers, religious writers, and abolitionist figures of the 19th century.

The letter is dated Oxford, 9 August 1810, when Hinton was only about 19 years old, well before his formal theological training and decades before his prominence in Baptist affairs and anti-slavery reform.

Hinton writes to Mrs. Rolt of Fairford, Gloucestershire, relaying information from his mother concerning a suitable house in Oxford. He describes a “genteel house” with a pleasant garden and discusses the possibility of temporary furnished or unfurnished lodgings through an intimate friend of his father.

The letter is signed in full:

“John Howard Hinton”

The integral address panel is addressed to:

Mrs. Rolt
Fairford
Glostershire

and bears an Oxford postal marking dated August 9, 1810.

A contemporary docket on the reverse identifies the writer and date:

“Mr. John Howard Hinton / to / Mrs. Rolt / 9th August 1810”

Oxford, 9th August. 1810

Madam,

My Mother begs me to acquaint you
that after making diligent search, she has found
in our own neighbourhood, a genteel house, with a
pleasant garden, perfectly retired, the entrance being
through a clean alley/footpath, but having no view of
the street, but very pleasant ... back way.

Altho’ it is probable the house
may suit, my Father & Mother think it most
eligible that you should come & see the house before it is taken, or occupy lodgings in
Oxford, for a short time, till a dwelling may offer
that shall be quite agreeable. Very pleasant
lodgings, furnished or unfurnished, may be taken
at the house of an intimate friend of
my Father, where he has no doubt but
you would feel yourself perfectly comfortable.

I am, Madam,
Your obedient Servant,

John Howard Hinton

A vertical marginal addition reads approximately:

“in case of you decline doing that, that you should”

John Howard Hinton (1791–1873) was an influential English Baptist minister, author, and religious reformer.

Born in Oxford, he was the son of Rev. James Hinton, a Baptist minister and educator. Hinton was named after the celebrated 18th-century humanitarian and prison reformer John Howard.

He later trained for the ministry and became one of the prominent Baptist voices of the Victorian period. Over the course of a long career, he served several congregations, wrote extensively on theology and religious liberty, and became active in major Baptist organizations.

Hinton was also associated with the British anti-slavery movement and took part in the famous World Anti-Slavery Convention of 1840 in London, one of the landmark international gatherings of abolitionists.

His name is therefore connected not only with Baptist history, but also with the wider 19th-century reform movements surrounding religious freedom and the abolition of slavery.

This 1810 letter predates those public achievements by decades, making it an especially interesting glimpse of Hinton as a young man still living within his parents’ Oxford household.

Rev. James Hinton (1761–1823), John Howard Hinton’s father, was a respected English Baptist minister and schoolmaster associated with Oxford.

He was active in Baptist religious life and education and maintained a household that became an important formative environment for his son.

The present letter is particularly interesting because John Howard Hinton repeatedly refers to both “my Father & Mother,” showing him acting directly on behalf of his parents in a matter concerning housing and lodgings.

That family context adds considerable personal interest to the manuscript.

The recipient is identified from both the address panel and contemporary docket as Mrs. Rolt of Fairford, Gloucestershire.

The precise identity of Mrs. Rolt has not yet been conclusively established, but the correspondence suggests that she was known personally to the Hinton family and was considering relocating to, or temporarily lodging in, Oxford.

The letter therefore preserves a small but vivid episode in the Hinton family’s private social network.

What makes this letter especially desirable is its early date.

In August 1810, Hinton was still a teenager and had not yet embarked upon the formal theological education and ministerial career for which he later became known.

Rather than a routine late-career clerical letter, this is a document from his formative years, written from Oxford and directly involving his parents and family circle.

For collectors of:

• English Baptist history
• Anti-slavery and abolitionist material
• Religious history
• Oxford history
• Early 19th-century manuscripts
• Autograph letters
• British postal history

this is a particularly appealing example.

Original stampless folded letter, written in ink on laid paper.

Features include:

• Full autograph signature of John Howard Hinton
• Integral address panel
• Oxford postal handstamp
• Contemporary docket identifying writer, recipient, and date
• Original mailing folds
• Evidence of the original wax-seal opening
• Visible laid-paper structure and watermark/countermark
• Light overall age toning
• Minor edge wear and small areas of paper loss
• Some ink offset, bleed-through, and smudging consistent with age and postal use

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

August 9, 1810

Oxford, England

Mrs. Rolt, Fairford, Gloucestershire

John Howard Hinton

A scarce and unusually early signed letter from a notable Baptist minister and abolitionist, dating from decades before his better-known public career.