Memoir of James Parnell with Extracts from His Writings .

London: Charles Gilpin, 5, Bishopsgate Street, 1846 .. 1st edition. Original publisher's cloth binding. [2pp.]/pp.v./[1p.]/pp.124 . Brown cloth binding with simple blind stamp decoration. Edges rubbed and bumped . Gilt title to spine. Hinges carefully strengthened. Library label to verso of the front board: "Woodbridge Monthly Meeting Library." Facsimile folded letter as frontispiece. Clean text throughout. VG. ** "James Parnel or Parnell (baptised 1636 � 1656) was an English Quaker preacher, author, and martyr...Parnell is said to have been �young, small of stature, and poor in appearance,� but thousands in England were made to confess that �he spoke as one having authority, and not as the scribes.� He was convinced of the Truth when only fourteen years of age, and became a mighty preacher and promoter of the gospel by sixteen. Following a debate with a prominent priest, Parnell was arrested on spurious charges of being an �idle and disorderly person,� and imprisoned at Colchester Castle. There he was confined to a small hole in the thick castle wall, twelve feet above the ground. He died from sickness and ill-treatment after ten months' imprisonment at the young age of nineteen. According to historian William Sewel, "So great was the malice and envy of his persecutors, that to cover their guilt and shame, they spread among the people, that by immoderate fasting, and afterwards with too greedy eating, he had shortened his days. But this was a wicked lie". (wiki). *** "Charles Gilpin (31 March 1815 � 8 September 1874) was a Quaker, orator, politician, publisher, and railway director. Among his many causes were repeal of the Corn Laws, establishing world peace through the Peace Society, abolition of the death penalty, abolition of slavery, enfranchisement by providing freehold land for purchase, liberation of Hungary from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Hungarian exiles in England, the Poor Law, prison reform, and foreign relations. He was "a thorough liberal... In 1842, Charles Gilpin moved to London and took over the stock of the bookseller's and publisher's business of Edward Fry (1783�1841) moving it from Houndsditch to No. 5, Bishopsgate Street Without in the City of London. The business was successful but in 1853, he retired to develop his other business, philanthropic and political interests." - See Wikipedia