The Thomas Allan Collection
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The Thomas Allan Collection Thomas Allan (1774-1845) Thomas Allan was born near Malton, North Yorkshire. He was married to Esther (d. 21 November 1844), the daughter of Thomas Robinson, merchant and ship owner. They had two sons, Thomas Robinson Allan (d. 8 December 1866) who was also a solicitor and Joseph William Allan (d. 10 February 1848). A solicitor and political adviser to the Wesleyan Methodists, Thomas Allan was considered to be one of the most important laymen of his generation. Based in Frederick’s Place, Old Jewry, London, he was appointed WM connexional legal adviser in 1803. He came to prominence as a member of the Committee of Privileges opposing Lord Sidmouth’s Bill. The Bill would have effectively put in jeopardy Methodism’s use of local preachers and even threatened the itinerancy itself. Seen as a threat to religious liberties, it was opposed by the Committee which was set up in 1803 to protect nonconformist rights under the Toleration Act. Thomas Allan produced 700 WM petitions against the Bill which contained 30,000 signatures. As a result of the petitions and in the face of growing opposition, the Bill was dropped after its second reading. He was responsible for masterminding the new Toleration Act of 1812 which was of importance to all the Free Churches. Thomas Allan was a leading member of the Protestant Union, founded in 1813, and opposed Catholic Emancipation in 1829 and grants to Catholic schools. As a local preacher, he preached to the poor in the workhouses and smaller chapels. He died at Brighton on 26 September 1845. Thomas Allan’s biographical information was taken from the following sources: The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. The Wesley Society online Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland. The Dictionary of Evangelical Biography. The Thomas Allan Collection This is a significant collection which will prove useful for researchers into Methodism and the early 19th century in general. It contains letters from 3 Prime ministers (Henry Addington, Spencer Perceval and Lord Liverpool), numerous bishops, government ministers and senior legal figures. The subjects covered by the archive include the Toleration Act controversy, medicine, Roman Catholic emancipation, and anti-slavery. Provenance The collection was probably compiled by the Allan family and passed to the WM Connexion in London sometime after Thomas Allan’s death in 1845. It was retained there by the Methodist Church until 1977 at which time it was transferred to the John Rylands Library on permanent deposit as part of the Methodist Archives and Research Centre. Arrangement and content The collection consists of 22 boxes of manuscript and printed material comprising letters, documents, and personal papers relating to Thomas Allan’s role as a solicitor and also concerning his opposition to the Toleration Act and Lord Sidmouth’s Bill. The collection has been listed by item and where an asterisk appears, this indicates that there is biographical information which can be found 1 at the end of the catalogue. The items have been retained in the original box order and have been listed accordingly. The first part of the reference number relates to the box to which the material belongs. Karen Jacques The John Rylands Library December 2012 2 Box 1 (MAW MS 1) Toleration Act documents Brown Manila Folder labelled “Practising Certificates, etc (1799-1832)” 1/1 Counterpart articles of clerkship between Thomas Allan, Thomas Smith (witness) and James Smith (employee). Dated 30 Jan 1810 1/2 Itemised list of expenses relating to admittance as an Attorney Commissioner for Oaths, etc. Dated Easter Term 1795 1/3 Certificate of Qualification to act as an Attorney in the Court of Exchequer, Westminster, granted to Thomas Allan, late of New Malton in the County of York now of Fredericks Place, Old Jewry, London. Dated 31 Jan 1831 1/4 Certificate of Authority to take affidavits in the counties of York, Lancaster, Lincoln, Cumberland and Nottingham, cities of York and Lincoln and towns of Kingston-upon-Hull and Nottingham granted to Thomas Allan of New Malton, County of York. Dated 19 May 1795 1/5 Certificate of Admittance as a solicitor in the Court of Chancery granted to Thomas Allan of New Malton in the County of York. Dated 16 May 1795 1/6 Certificate of Authority to take affidavits in the Court of common pleas in the counties of York, Lancaster, Cumberland, and Nottingham, the cities of York and Lincoln and the towns of Kingston-upon-Hull and Nottingham granted to Thomas Allan of New Malton in the County of York. Dated 19 May 1795 1/7 Certificate of Admittance as an Attorney in the Court of Common Pleas granted to Thomas Allan late of New Malton in the County of York, now of Charles Square, Hoxton in the County of Middlesex, dated 12 June 1799 and enrolment as an Attorney in the Court of Common Pleas. Dated 3 May 1800 1/8 Certificate of Admittance and enrolment as an Attorney of the Kings Bench granted to Thomas Allan of New Malton in the County of York. Dated 16 May 1795 1/9 Oath of Allegiance on swearing in as Master Extraordinary at the Court of Chancery granted to Thomas Allan (copy in Thomas Allan’s own hand). No date 1/10 Certificate of Commission of swearing in as Master Extraordinary at the Court of Chancery granted to Thomas Allan of New Malton in the County of York. Dated 22 May 1795 1/11 Certificate of Admittance and enrolment as an Attorney and Solicitor in the Court of Bankruptcy granted to Thomas Allan of Frederick’s Place, Old Jewry, London. Dated 17 January 1832 1/12 (a) Certificate of Admittance as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, London granted to Thomas Allan of London. Dated 15 October 1799 (b) Receipt for £25 for the Livery of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, London paid by Thomas Allan. Dated 10 September 1799 (c) Oath of a Freeman of the Company of Haberdashers (d) Oath of every Freeman of the City of London 1/13 Bundle containing: (a) Examination Question Papers (Viva voce examination, Senate House) c1820 (b) Poem in Latin (c) Diary (The Student’s Journal) Jan 1817-Nov 1821, Thomas R. Allan 1/14 (Commonplace) notebook containing handwritten notes written by Thomas Allan on various aspects of Law inc. Martime and Church Law. No date 1/15 Handwritten copy of legal textbook. No date 1/16 Bundle containing: (a) Notes relating to Law on: Abitration, Attorney, Infancy, Principal and Surety, Master and Servant, Partnership, Companies, Banking, Bankruptcy, Insurance, Patents, Costs, Maritime, Debt, Statute of Frauds, Lord Tenterden’s Act, Statute of Limitations. Written by Thomas R. Allan [c.1830] 3 (b) Notes taken from History of the English Law from the time of the Saxons to the end of the reign of Elizabeth by John Reeves. (c) Letter dated 20 June 1839 From Peremet Thompson [?], Elliott Vale, Blackheath, to Thomas Allan, Elliott Place, declining Invitation Box 2 (MAW MS 2) 2/1 Notebook, with mostly blank pages, but containing notes on the “Syllabus of Locke” and Book 1 of Blackstone 2/2 Notebook, unbound, with notes on Blackstone, Books 2 and 3 2/3 Bound notebook, entitled “Bills of Exchange and Pleading” 2/4 Bound notebook, foliated, apparently containing indentures. Inside the book is a card reading “Trusts, Settlements, Conveyances, etc …” 2/5 Packet of loose notes on various legal topics: 42 double leaves and 1 loose scrap (a note on the annuities charges on land); the sheet enclosing the rest is marked “Action of Debt”. The notes themselves are headed “Pleas de Proprietate” and discuss Action for Debts, Writ of Debt, Writ of Detinue, Law Wager etc… Many references, mainly to the first three volumes of John Reeves’ History of English Law (1783, 1789-1829) but also to Ralph Glanvell, Ryley’s Placita Parliamentaria et al. as well as to the relevant codes 2/6 Another packet of loose legal notes: 16 double leaves and 1 loose scrap, which seems to be a rough guide to the contents of the first eleven sheets. Up to leaf 11: general notes on Annuity – form of the writ, process at law etc … From leaf 11 to the end: form of the particular writ and an account of the trial between Thomas Jones and John Hughes on a plea of annuity in Middlesex. Probably taken from Littleton (pencilled reference at top of page) 2/7 Unbound notebook, foliated. The contents are in chapter form and so are possibly abstracted from some legal authority such as Blackstone. However, nowhere is this stated, no name is given, nor is there any contents page. Headings are as follows: 2R – 236 ……..Fines………. (Fourteen chapters). 25R – 41R (end of book) …….Common Recovery……. (Also fourteen chapters) 2/8 Notebook (green spine), foliated. This notebook has a contents page and is concerned with Mortgages. Again it is in chapter form and so may also be a précis of some unknown authority Both of the above enclosed small scraps of scribbled notes, 3 and 2 respectively. There were a great many scraps of paper (often the rough notes of the fair copy which made up the packets) scattered through this box, particularly in the last item. Mostly, they have been collected and put at the very bottom of the box, since it seemed unnecessary to number and describe each one 2/9 Large bundles of loose notes on various legal topics. Contents are as follows (numbering is as the original or arbitrary): (1) Fifty double sheets marked A1, A2…, B1, B2, B3 etc… 1, 2 … A (1-17): Parol and Written Evidence.