[The Earl of Shaftesbury to Lord John Russell.] Autograph Letter Signed to Russell, regarding a memorial to Rev. Sir William Dunbar, ‘a very deserving man’ whom he considers was ‘grossly treated’ by Bishop Skinner of Aberdeen.

An interesting letter, indicating the piety underlining Shaftesbury’s philanthropy. See his long entry in the Oxford DNB, which sums up his achievements as ‘very substantial’ and ‘a source of enduring inspiration to others’, together with those of Russell and Skinner, the last of which contains, regarding the part of the ‘Drummondite controversy’ relating to the Rev. Sir William Dunbar (d.1881): ‘In [1843] a serious controversy had sprung out of the refusal of Sir William Dunbar, minister of St Paul's Chapel, Aberdeen, to receive or to administer the sacrament in accordance with the Scottish ritual. Acting with the concurrence of his synod, Skinner excommunicated Dunbar on 13 August 1843.’ The present item is 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, with negligible remnants of windowpane mount adhering at edges. Good bold signature ‘Shaftesbury’, and headed ‘Private’. Addressed to ‘The Lord Russell | M. P.’, with salutation to ‘My dear Russell’. Shaftesbury’s elongated handwriting is not entirely legible, but the letter appears to read: ‘You have now an opportunity of showing both mercy & justice to a very deserving man, the Revd Sir William Dunbar, who was so grossly treated by that saint of the “old Scotch Prelacy”, Bishop Skinner. / His inheritance was left in anger (but [thro mistake?]) to pay off the national debt!! My belief is that the first national debt due, is, as the Publick friend says, “to do justice & to love mercy” -’. The postcript reads: ‘The Archbishop of Canterbury strongly approves the [publication?] of the Memorial’.