[ Richard Slate of Preston, Congregational minister. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('R. Slate') to Samuel Walker Alliot, regarding collecting and exchanging of nonconformist letters, with printed notice listing wanted 'Wesleyan Presidents'.

For information on Slate, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item is a 12mo bifolium, with the two-page autograph letter to Alliot on the first leaf, and the printed notice on the recto of the second. In good condition, lightly aged. He thanks Alliot and names the authors of three letters he would like, adding: 'I take it for granted they are letters similar to Dr. Buntings, which I have enclosed and not mere autographs. Walter Griffith's letter (which I will send when I hear from you) is quite equal to Dr. Bunting's but longer. Beside the Presidents letters enumerated in my printed list, I have Duplicates of the following (who are not Presidents) from which you may make your selection.' A list of sixteen names follows. He ends by asking for 'Mr. Mapplebecks address', expressing a fear that he may not have 'deciphered' the recipient's surname. The printed notice begins: 'R. SLATE has for some time been endeavouring to obtain a complete set of original letters of those who have been Presidents of the Wesleyan Conference. He is wanting a copy of each of the following to render his collection perfect'. A list of fourteen names, with date and place, follows. The second part of the notice begins: 'R. SLATE is also in the possession of Duplicate Letters of the following Wesleyan Presidents, which he is willing to exchange for any of those which he does not possess'. A similar list of fourteen ends the notice.