Children of Jonathan and Elizabeth Binns

LIVERPOOL.

For PHILADELPHIA,

The Well-known American Ship

ROSE,

CALEB HATHAWAY, Master,

A constant Trader, Burthen per Register 274 Tons, has good Accommodation for Passengers, and is intended to sail on or before the Eighth of August.—For Freight or Passage apply to Capt. Hathaway, on Board in the Queen's Dock; or to

ABRAHAM BINNS and SONS.

Liverpool, July 8th, 1803.

LIVERPOOL.

First Spring Ship for Philidelphia,

The well-known American Ship ROSE, Caleb Hathaway, Master (a constant Trader) Burthen per Register 274 Tons; has good Accommodations for Passengers, and is intended to sail the first Spring Ship. For Freight or Passage apply to Capt. Hathaway on Board, in the Queen's Dock, or to

ABRAHAM BINNS and SONS, Liverpool.

LIVERPOOL,

An Early Spring Ship for PHILADELPHIA,

The Well-known American Ship

ROSE,

JOHN HAMILTON, Master,

A constant Trader, Burthen per Register 270 Tons; she is a fast-sailing, firm-built Vessel; has always delivered her Cargoes free from Damage, and has good Accommodations for Passengers.—For Freight or Passage apply to Captain Hamilton, on Board, in the King's Dock, or to

ABRAHAM BINNS and SONS,

Liverpool, January 14th, 1805.

ABRAHAM BINNS, Liverpool.                           71                     19 6 Mo, 1815.

His illness was a gradual decay of nature, without any particular disease. He bore his confinement with much resignation, often expressing his acquiescence in the Divine will; and that he had no choice of his own either to live or die. He possessed much disinterested goodness, much kindness to his fellow-creatures, and much Christian humility. He was very industrious in business, but careful to limit his pursuits by Christian moderation, and never to allow his engagements in the affairs of this world to prevent his constant attendance of religious meetings, both for worship and discipline: nor did he ever permit his private concerns to interfere with his religious duties; evincing that "he preferred Jerusalem above his chief joy." He was punctual and honourable in all his dealings, and would rather suffer himself than be the means of injuring others. He was a kind, affectionate husband, father, and friend; and after having honourably fulfilled the duties of life, he was mercifully permitted to leave this state of mutability without pain, closing his days, as he had spent them, in quietness and peace. He was many years an approved Elder.

JONAS BINNS, a boy in his fifteenth year, son of Jonathan Binns, of Crawshawbooth, in Lancashire, departed this life the 23d of the Ninth month, 1760. His surviving father gave a testimony concerning him, which I nearly copy.

He had great delight in reading the Holy Scriptures when very young. He said he preferred learning before money. He was often alone when others were at their play. He read much, and was often much affected, being observed, sometimes, to make a stop in his reading, and plentifully scatter his tears. And not only in reading, but when solidly set in meetings, tears did run down his face: which was affecting to the well-minded, and evidenced that he met with something worth waiting for; which, when but nine or ten years of age, he confessed. He was then very desirous to go to meetings, and being asked the reason, he was very still for a time, and then broke out into tears, and signified that he met with something in them, which sweetened his mind. He was steady in his conduct, and careful in his words, and often reproved others who were not so. He was remarkably patient under disappointments, and content with such things as he had. He was dutiful to his parents, and his behaviour and conversation were truly edifying.

In the thirteenth year of his age he fell into a decline; and in the last six months of his life he was under great bodily affliction, which he bore with great patience and fortitude. He was never heard in the least to repine, but seemed wholly given up to the Divine will. Thus far his father. A few of his expressions are preserved, confirming this paternal testimony.

Lying in a weak state, he said, 'The Lord hath been very gracious to me all along, and followed me with the extendings of his love. Praised be his name.' To his brother and other relations present he said, 'Grieve not for me. It will, I believe, be well with me.' He desired those present to take care of their company and their behaviour, adding, 'The Lord hath been good to me, and I think I would rather go than stay in this world, where there are troubles enough for every day. You have done all you could. Don't sorrow for me. I am going to eternity—a blessed eternity, where we shall meet again, if we live as we ought.'

. . . a prospect opened of the post being filled by Dr. Jonathan Binns, then a Physician in a large and lucrative practice in Liverpool. His appointment was made at the General Meeting, but he did not enter upon his duties until the 24th of Tenth Month.

Dr. Binns's administration, however able, appears about 1800, to have pressed somewhat heavily upon the susceptible mind of the West Wing. The leading spirits of that department rose against what they considered the harmful influence of the Superintendent and his wife. To consider the best means of coping with this serious want of harmony, the Country Committee desired the London Committee to appoint some of its members to unite with others of its own body to investigate the case. That these Friends came to the conclusion that injudicious interference had been practised, may be supposed from their suggestions. In their report to the general body they delicately, and, with lawyer-like euphuism, advised that "The Superintendent be allowed to take his meals in ordinary with his wife in their own parlour," instead of taking them as hitherto at the public table in the house-keeper's room with the masters and mistresses. They also suggested that the Doctor's wife, not being in a position of responsibility, should be requested not to interfere with the mistresses. Then, entering into a minuteness of detail for the regulation of the family, which was a part of the spirit of the time, they proposed that the senior school-master should sit at the foot, and the senior mistress and the housekeeper at the head of the teachers' table at dinner and supper and that they should be "responsible for the orderly conduct of the family at meals." They further advised that "the family do not retire in a hurry after dinner but wait at least till the cloth be taken away." This advice might be unjustly supposed to suggest the existence of discourteous habits, or a deficiency in the two sides of the house in the mutual enjoyment of each others society; but the sub-committee which tendered it believed genial social converse to be promotive of a harmony which they deemed it all-important to establish throughout the Institution, as may be imagined from the import of the last phrase of their report which may act as a gloss upon the suggestion to the more general body of the teachers—"that the Superintendent and the principal Mistress do maintain free and frequent intercourse; all shyness and reserve to be avoided as the greatest evil." That the General Committee thought these propositions alike wise and timely is certain, for, without exception or modification, id directed "that they shall be adopted immediately." That the issue of such an edict did not drive an independent man, like Dr. Binns, into an immediate resignation of his post, is perhaps the proof of an absence in his mind of all petty feeling and the existence in him of a lofty trust that twisted perversions and misconceptions would be best rectified by patient endurance and the illumination with which Time usually lights up the course of the past. It is perhaps also an indication of his deep interest in, and sense of responsibility towards the School, which may have fortified him to minimise the import of the painful reflections conveyed by the document of the Committee.

In the spring of 1803, the Superintendent and his wife, having kept table separate from the family for three years, the Country Committee proposed, for the consideration of the London Committee, the propriety of inviting them to "take their dinners and suppers in the housekeeper's room as formerly."

The extent to which the Committee interfered in details of management which would, in these days, be unquestionably left to the heads of departments, must have been not a little irritating to the spirit of a man like Dr. Binns. The cumulative force of oft-repeated interference with his freedom of action led him at last to challenge, not only the expediency of such policy, but the right of the Country Committee to exercise it. He complained of its tendency to sap his authority and to render it impossible to preserve good order and declared his intention, in writing, of appealing to the London Committee or to the ensuing General Meeting of 1804, or to both, for their opinion whether such "interference were constitutional," and to induce them to take such steps as might "prevent future misunderstandings between the Committee and the Superintendent." This appeal was not made, for, instead of taking that course, Dr. Binns resolved, before the next Committee met, to resign his post. This was done in the Sixth Month 1804, and he quitted the establishment on the 25th of the following Tenth Month.

To the President, Committee and Subscribers to the Dispensary in Lancaster.

DR. CAMPBELL being about to remove, and having intimated an intention to RESIGN his office of PHYSICIAN to the LANCASTER DISPENSARY, I am induced to make a tender of my services to succeed him. Having for many years been one of the Physicians to the extensive Dispensary in Liverpool, I flatter myself with the hope, that I shall be thought qualified to take a share in contributing relief to the SICK POOR in this town.

JONATHAN BINNS.

Lancaster, 29th of 3d Month, 1805.

LANCASTER DISPENSARY.

AT an adjourned MEETING of the COMMITTEE, held this day, at the Dispensary, Dr. CAMPBELL, Senior Physician to the Charity, having sent in his resignation, it was

RESOLVED,

[ . . . ]

3. That JONATHAN BINNS, M.D. and LAWSON WHALLEY, M.D. having offered their services to co-operate with Dr. PARKINSON, for the benefit of the poor, be appointed Physicians to the Dispensary.

ROBERT HOUSMAN, President.

Committee-Room, April 4, 1805.

HAVING been elected a PHYSICIAN to the LANCASTER DISPENSARY, by the PRESIDENT and COMMITTEE, I take the earliest opportunity of returning my grateful acknowledgements to them, and to the SUBSCRIBERS at large; assuring them that I feel happy in being enabled to take a share in contributing to the relief of the sick poor in this town.

JONATHAN BINNS.

Lancaster, 5th of 4th Month, 1805.

On Thursday last age 64, Jonathan Binns M.D., one of the Society of Friends; after a life of usefulness, devoted to the good of mankind, the loss that will be sustained by his numerous friends needs not to be described.

Dr. Binns a respectable physician belonging to the religious society of the Quakers, and to whom Isaac Hadwen had introduced me, was near falling into a mischievous plot, which had been laid against him, because he was one of the subscribers to the Institution for the Abolition of the Slave-trade, and because he was suspected of having aided me in promoting that object.