From William Spence   10 October 1856

My dear Sir,

If there were any doubt about the matter, the Hitcham Easter sheet you have been so good as to send me, would at once prove that Prof. ^r Bell was quite right when he called yours a model parish, for how few could show such a numerous list of beneficent institutions, in addition to your legion cultural horticultural & Botanical ones, & scarcely one I fear a “Recreation fund”. This happy mixture of recreation with sciences, & the whole carried out by your own zealous affects, I have always regarded as a feature of your parish peculiar to it & which may well be offered to all your Clerical brothers as a pattern that cannot be too closely followed in theirs, & I rely on you informing me when the time comes what your excursion plans are, that I may have the pleasure of offering my aid. Your decision to decline accepting the Norwich invitation was I think right, but it would be most desirable that at Norwich, Ipswich, Harwich &c the friends of this harmonizing plan of giving in Summer a day’s happiness to the Hitcham children, would provide them with refreshment of tea & cakes, as their contribution towards the far greater share of the trouble & expense taken by yourself.

I am | my dear Sir | yours very truly | W. Spence