The following is a transcription of the letters catalogued at Lambeth Palace Library as FP Temple 32 ff. 109-119 and 126-157 . They chart the history and politics behind Morris Fuller's eventual move to St Mark's Marylebone Road. With many thanks to Victoria Gray at Lambeth Palace Library for all her interest and help with this project
The first letter (109-110)
From Mr George Clench Bellewes (died 5 January 1900) to the Lord Bishop of London is overwritten:
“ Does the Archdeacon of Middlesex know Mr Fuller and has he any opinion to give?”
Also:
“ What thinks the Bishop of Marlborough”
and in another hand:
“Mr. Morris Fuller not a suitable incumbent ”
Signature not readable
St Mark’s Vicarage
Marylebone Road W. April 4 1888
Lord,
I venture to ask your Lordship’s opinion on a matter of some importance.
The Rev. Morris Fuller now Rector of Ryburgh, Norfolk is desirous of an exchange of livings with me . He was formerly in the Diocese of Exeter and is I believe known to your Lordship.
The Revd. Canon Leigh, Rector of St Mary’s Bryanston Square is Patron of this living - and would of course consent to Mr Fuller’s coming here only on condition of your Lordship’s approval. This Parish of St Mark’s is a daughter Parish of St Mary’s Bryanston Square.
May I ask whether we may count on your Lordship’s approval? Mr Fuller is very desirous of coming to this Diocese - and as he has considerable private means, a parish like this , in which there are some thousands of poor people, might benefit by his coming. He knows this Parish well - and has on repeated occasions preached in St Mark’s Church.
I can do nothing further in the matter until I have ascertained your Lordships opinion.
I beg to remain my Lord,
Very obediently yours
Geo. C. Bellewes.
The second letter (111-112)
This following letter gives the opinion of James Augustus Hessey, the Archdeacon of Middlesex :
Mr Morris Fuller
Mr Bellewes.
41 Leinster Gardens,
Hyde Park, W
Private and Confidential Ap .6 88
My dear Bishop of London,
I once met the Rev. M.J.Fuller at the dedication (by myself) of a memorial window at St Clement Eastcheap, to Thomas Fuller & two other worthies of the City. (Fr. Fuller was in the City before going to Cranford)
Mr M. J. Fuller was there as the historian of his namesake & collateral ancestor, and was introduced to me. His book is very interesting, and Mr M. J. Fuller seems to have written several works of literary interest. I have no means of knowing what sort of a Parochial Clergyman he is, or whether he is likely to attend to the “some thousands of poor people”of whom Mr Bellewes speaks, but with whom, I fear, Mr Bellewes is not very successful. Mr Bellewes is not a lucid man, & was merely matriculated at Univ. of London. I happen to know that he has made various efforts of exchange, unsuccessfully. We should not lose much , I think, by his quitting the Diocese, tho’ there is nothing tangible against him. The only thing I should care for is this - Can you find out whether , as Rector of Lydford in Devon, he was an active or merely a literary Clergyman? He seems to wish to come to London - Will he come to work among the poor of St Marks, or does he simply want a place in Town for literary purposes? One circumstance that strikes me is this, Ryburgh is, in Crockford, twice the value of St Marks -Why does he make this sacrifice? Or may it be that Bellewes want of success at St Marks is a thing that Fuller thinks his activity can remedy, & so increase the value of the living-?
But as I say, I am thinking of the poor, who, in that region want attending to.
All this in confidence
You will understand that there is no reason against Mr Bellewes ***** being countersigned - but I should like to be sure what sort of successor he is providing
Sin. Yrs.
J A Hessey
The Lord Bishop of London
(Many thanks to you and Mrs. Temple - Mrs Hessey going on well )
The third letter (113-14)
April 9th 1888
My dear Lord,
Mr Fullers record was unsatisfactory when at Princetown and at Lydford Reading Archdeacon Hessey’s letter I quite agree that to entrust “some thousands of souls” to one whose antecedents as a parish priest are not successful must be a mistake. He is extremely clever one of the cleverest men I know, but, I should not care to see him entrusted with such a parish he is not the man for such work.
Yours faithfully
A Marlborough
(Alfred Earle Bishop of Marlborough)
Earle had encountered Morris Fuller during his time in Devon as Archdeacon of Totnes. He was placed in charge of the Ecclesiastical Enquiry into Fuller’s misdemeanours on behalf of Frederick Temple then Bishop of Exeter
The fourth letter (115-116)
Ryburgh Rectory Fakenham
April 25th 1888
My dear Lord Bishop,
I hardly like intruding upon you with all your arduous multifarious duties, but I feel quite certain that you would not knowingly do me an injustice.
Mr Bellewes of St Marks, Marylebone Rd. writes me word that you do not think me a suitable incumbent for the asking as I would give myself to my books and I think I ought to say in justice to myself, that I make a point of putting my parish and official duties first and my studies are made quite subordinate to them.
In point of fact I simply give that time to my studies which my neighbours give to their gardens or their amusements, to flourish in society - while not one in this neighbourhood can show the same ‘tale’ of work that I can. As in Devonshire so also in this Diocese, I am regarded as one of the most energetic clergymen in the Deanery which has sent me to the Diocesan Conference to represent them. I have daily services in church, three services on Sunday, including celebration, and I usually open my school every morning, I give attention to these while the afternoon is devoted to visiting in the Parish. I have the care of two parishes containing nearly 1000 souls and though single handed, during last lent I conducted 90 services, with 3 sermons & 2 catechising weekly.besides the usual services described above.
I shouldn’t trouble you Lordship with these figures, except to prove that if I accept a Parish, I throw myself heart & soul into the official duties thereof making that the
of my life. But as a country clergyman has a good deal of spare time on his hands - I don’t waste it as most of my clerical neighbours do, but use it for the good of the Church, to spread information as to its history & classics. But this is my
I can only account for the mistake having arisen into which your Lordship has inadvertently fallen, from my having written about a City Church, and saying that I should prefer such a one without a Parish as then I should have plenty of time for the Libraries, and go on with my studies
Undoubtedly, I should prefer just a position, but that does not mean that if I had a parish I should neglect it for literature. I don’t do that here, I didn’t do that on Dartmoor. It simply means that I am very fond of work, and that if I had more time to give to them, I should embrace that opportunity. But being still, thank God, brimful of energy and enthusiasm, should His good Providence call me to an active there, I should go heart & soul into it, and not neglect its duties for any other more attractive work whatever.
Today is St Mark’s Day - and my duties today would contrast I doubt not favourably with those of the Vicar of St Mark’s Marylebone Road Services at 8.30 and 6 Board of Guardians 10.30 visiting & Parish in the afternoon.
I really feel I ought too apologise for intruding at such length on your Lordship’s valuable time, but I am sure you wouldn’t like to leave a wrong impression on Mr Bellewes mind or Canon Leigh’s on this point. I saw Canon Leigh the week before last, & he made no objection my going to St Mark’s, and Mr Bellewes has asked me to write to your Lordship, with a view to your correcting what seems to them an erroneous, if not unfavourable impressions to my fitness for the post. I may add that I have often preached at St Mark’s on special occasions, and I believe with approval. I have known it nearly nine years.
I remain , my Lord, Your Lordship’s very faithful servant
Morris Fuller
P.S. One of my daughters is working as a sister in Mr Ottley’s Parish (Quebec Chapel) in the same neighbourhood as St Mark’s.
The reply is written over the first page and dated 27th April 1888
My dear Sir, I have used all my endeavours to judge you fairly. I do not think it would be wise for you to undertake the charge of such a parish as St Mark’s Marylebone. I can not say more
Yours faithfully
+ Londin
The fifth letter (117-118)
Ryburgh Rectory Fakenham
April 25th 1888
My dear Lord Bishop,
At the risk of intruding once more upon your Lordship, I must send this one line to put matters straight with regard to St mark’s.
Of course if your Lordship doesn’t approve of my becoming its incumbent, my negotiations with Mr Bellewes must be broken off at once, as I am sure Canon Leigh would only appoint me with your approval.
This approval I distinctly understood from him at our last interview we had secured and the enclosed letter would seem to bear out that fact, though I find it difficult to reconcile the statements therein contained with your Lordships present attitude. Still no doubt they can be reconciled though we are all mystified at present.
Mr Bellewes & self have been known for the last nine years, during which our negotiations have been going. I have preached for him on several special occasions, e.g.Lent & sermons Harvest Festival, and not only is he fully aware of the difference in our views, but he believes that his work is done at St Mark’s, and the time is come for the work to be raised and services to be ’screwed up’ somewhat in short for a new more advanced man to carry on the services, more in accordance with the requirements of the present day.
All the neighbourhood clergy will tell you (Canon Leigh Mr Ottley & others) that St Mark’s is all behind, & the “marplit” (sic)of that locality.
The Church is never opened in the week, no clerical visiting done in the parish, & only a Sunday Curate. If I go there, I shall at once put on a double daily service, saints days observance a weekly Eucharist (at least) and a regular curate - all which things are now wanting . I should add the churchwarden and congregation have known me sometime.
I remain your Lordship’s faithful
Servant Morris Fuller
This letter overwritten
“I said nothing to Canon Leigh either for or against you written
The sixth letter (119)
Copy 17 Great Quebec Street Montagu Square W
Dear Mr Bellewes,
I return the letter you enclosed. I must say I do not understand the Bishop’s letter as I certainly understood from him that he had no objection to Mr Fuller coming to St Mark’s.
Believe me
Yours very faithfully
(Signed) J W Leigh
Copied April 23rd 1888
The seventh letter (126)
There is much overwriting on this page. Written on Bishops Tawton Vicarage , Barnstaple note paper and dated April 3 1891 overwritten: 24 Manchester Street Manchester Square .W.
My dear Lord Bishop,
I am in town for a week or two , and should be glad if you would grant me a short interview of ten minutes or quarter of an hour when it is quite convenient to your Lordship. The purpose of my visit is to talk over the proposal with regard to St Mark’s Marylebone Rd.
Tomorrow afternoon I have for W end to take my friend Mr Kirby’s duty but return to duty on Monday morning. I could call either tomorrow morning or next week which ever is more convenient.
Mrs joins me in best respects
I remain
Your Lordships faithful servant
Morris Fuller
This letter is overwritten:
Say 5.45 on Wednesday 8 April at 32 St James’ Square 6.4.92.
Urges the exchange proposed before
States that his practice is to give his mornings
To his study and his afternoons to his parish
Children living in London and
Wishes to be near them
To wait till
He writes again.
The eighth letter (130-131)
24 Manchester Street Manchester Square .W.
Written on Grosvenor Club, Bond Street W. note paper and dated
April 20 1891
My dear Lord Bishop,
I trust your Lordship has received the copy of my new work on “The Throne of Canterbury” which is written to uphold the jurisdiction of that See, and the Judgement based upon it: & I hope you will appreciate my line of argument & the authorities with which it is enforced & illustrated.
My object in approaching your Lordship is to ask you if you would kindly give me a testimonial for the Dixie Professorship of Ecclesiastical History Cambridge - which I am told would have the greatest weight with the Board of Electors.
Ecclesiastical History - including the Canon Law - is a subject to which I have devoted many years of careful & philosophical study, and the best energies of my life. Indeed in some of its departments I have been accounted a specialist and as an ecclesiastical historian I believe I have built up a solid reputation.
If I have it owing to my love for the subject-matter, and the enthusiasm which from the first I have taken in it for many reasons.
My desire to obtain this chair is that I may have an opportunity of enkindling the same enthusiasm in the minds of the Divinity students at Cambridge, and of imparting to them the results of those stores of information which I have been steadily amassing all the time.
Believing as I do , this position would give me the desired locus standi for carrying out my wishes, I should feel very much obliged if your Lordship could see your way to give me such a testimonial as would assist me in my Candidature.
Should your Lordship kindly consent to do so, please mention the particular Professorship for which I am a Candidate - Dixie Professorship of Ecclesiastical History which Canon Creighton is about to vacate.
Enclosed please find some critiques on my various works which I have published from time to time.
I remain
Your Lordship’s faithful servant
Morris Fuller
In March 1897 Fuller wrote to Mandell Creighton, recently installed Bishop of London. He replaced Frederick Temple upon his move to Canterbury. This letter and its enclosures is found in the Lambeth Palace Library catalogued as FP Creighton 5 ff 205-212 . In typically arogant fashion Fuller writes
As we are comparative strangers,
I am taking the liberty of enclosing
a few testimonials from Prelates under
whom I have worked for many a long year
& notably your predecessor in the See of London.
It is highly probable that this is the testimonial in question:
The ninth letter (132-133)
24 Manchester Street Manchester Square .W.
April 21st 1891
My dear Lord Bishop
I have to thank your Lordship very heartily for the kind and excellent testimonial which you have given me for the Dixie Professorship of Ecclesiastical History Cambridge. It will be a very real assistance to me in my candidature for I was informed that though your Lordship is an Oxford man - and the Cambridge Dons are very peculiar in this respect - yet a testimonial from the Bishop of London would have the greatest possible weight. Indeed if I get the Chair, I shall always consider that I am very much indebted to your Lordship for my success.
The only Oxford man among the Electors is Bishop Stubbs and I am pretty sure that I am right with him. It is understood that one or two really good testimonials will have the greatest weight yet published works will carry the day,
Should I be appointed, I shall do my best to rise to the sanguine expectations of my friends & to deserve success in stimulating the important study (in these days especially) of Ecclesiastical History Tell him I will & especially the Canon Law, which has been all too much neglected by our Divines
Again thanking your Lordship for your very prompt & kind reply.
I remain
Your Lordship’s faithful servant
Morris Fuller
The tenth letter (134-135)
Bishops Tawton Vicarage,
Barnstaple
July 13th 1891
My dear Lord Bishop,
I’m sending your Lordship a copy of my academic sermon, which I preached on the taking of my BD degree at Cambridge. I desire to thank your Lordship for your kind support of my Candidatue for the Dixie Chair.
It may interest your Lordship to know that the Vice-Chancellor whose guest I was at the Hall of Trinity Coll. opined me that my application received the “most respectful attention”, and I was told that the decision of the Electors lay between Mr. Gwatkin & myself out of seven candidates. The authorities of my College consoled me with the remark, that it was no disgrace to have been beaten by such an exceptionally strong Candidate,(whatever he might be physically) one, who had taken four first classes in the Tripos, a scholarship in Hebrew, a prize for Biblical Greek, & who was never more happy than when absorbed in natural history studies. Being a layman he will probably retain the Chair for life and it carries with it a fellowship at Emmanuel.
On account of my literary works the Divinity faculty at Cambridge will grant me a DD degree next year instead of having to wait the usual five years. But I shall have to write another book for it on a thesis selected by the Professors, and when I have done this, I shall —-cease from writing any more at all events for a time & devote myself closely to the duties of the Ministry.
This being the case, will your Lordship sanction an exchange with are Bellewes, Vicar of St Mark’s Marylebone Road - who is coming here as my L[ocum] T [enens] next month. Canon Leigh (the Patron) has again opined me that he will appoint me to St Mark’s at any time, when your Lordship will kindly give your permission.
Mr Bellewes allows me to say that the grant for a Curate quite alters the circumstances of the case to what they were when the case was last brought before your Lordship, and as I have now ample means, I could keep a second Curate if necessary.
Another of my boys will be married next month, and this will make three sons married and settled. In Town, besides a daughter working in connection with the East Grinstead Sisters at S. Saviours, Haggerston. Your Lordship will understand our natural desire to be nearer children at our time of life.
Trusting your Lordship will regard favourably the proposed transfer under its new aspects, and with my best thanks & our united kind regards
I remain
Your Lordship’s faithful servant
Morris Fuller
This letter is overwritten:
I am inclined to let him come, as at any rate being better than Bellewes but what do you think
F Lond
Tell him I will consent to the exchange
17/7/91
The eleventh letter (136)
13 Vicarage Gate,
Kensington
My dear Lord,
I should allow the exchange.
Yrs faithfully
A Marlborough
July 16 .91
The twelth letter (138-139)
Grosvenor Club,
Bond Street. W.
April 29 .92
My dear Lord Bishop
As your Lordship may think it strange that the transfer between myself & Mr Bellewes, of St Marks Marylebone Road, has not come off, though both the Patron & Incumbent were willing to give effect to the negotiations which your Lordship had sanctioned, I am writing a few words of explanation.
The Bishop of Exeter, it appears, has made a rule , not to sanction a second exchange, as Patron of a living, and as he has refused in one case he cannot give his permission another. He has also kindly said he does not want to lose me from his Diocese.
I am very disappointed, after these prolonged negotiations not to be able to carry out the transfer, as it means that I must stay at Bishop’s Tawton, except I have a direct offer made to me. At all events I shall not be able to move by way of exchange and I believe that Mr Bellewes & his son would have suited Bishops Lawton - which you may remember very well in many respects.
I must therefore remain where I am till I have a direct offer made to me, and I thought it only right to tell your Lordship this, after the trouble which I have given you in the matter.
With best respects, I remain
Your Worship’s faithful servant.
Morris Fuller
Overwritten:
Ack with thanks 2 May 1892
The thirteenth letter (140-141)
Dec 13 /92 86 Gloucester Place
Portman Square. W.
My dear Lord Bishop,
I have received a communication from the Rev G C Bellewes informing me that yourLordship has signified your willingness to receive Dr Morris Fuller at
St Mark’s Marylebone Road & for MrBellewes to go to the Vicarage at Bishops Tawton. If such is the case & your Lordship considers that the exchange would be for the benefit of St Mark’s Parish, I can have no objection to the exchange.
I am my Lord
Yrs faithfully & obediently
J W Leigh
P.S/ I should be very grateful to your Lordship if you could possibly manage to hold a Confirmation in St Mary’s Church at any time most convenient to you - It is some years now since your Lordship has been to my Church & I know several members of the congregation would be much pleased if you could come, - I expect a good many candidates from the Boy’s House Brigade as last year owing to alterations in the premises they were unable to be prepared. I shall also be having some members of the Church Army.
The fourteenth letter (142-143)
Dec 20 /92 St Mark’s Vicarage,
Marylebone Road, W.
My Lord,
The Morris J Fuller of Bishops’ Tawton and myself have recently been in correspondence and we have (I think I may say) agreed to an exchange of livings,- subject of course to the consent of your Lordship, and the Bishop of Exeter.
The Bishop of Exeter has kindly given his consent to the exchange after much deliberation. Your Lordship gave your consent to the arrangement some time since. But I am about to hand in my conditional resignation, and I shall have to get for Mr Fuller the presentation to the Living from Canon Leigh (the Patron). Canon Leighwrites to say that he is willing to appoint Mr Fuller to St Matk’s if your Lordship consents to the appointment. May I ask the favor of a line signifying that consent which O might forward forthwith to Canon Leigh?
My Lord, Obediently yours
Geo. C. Bellewes
Overwritten with Bishop of London’s response:
We have previously consented to this exchange But have you any more to say? F L
To await communication from Bp of M
The fifteenth letter (144-145)
Dec 26 /92 St Mark’s Vicarage,
Marylebone Road, W.
My Lord,
The letter I addressed to your Lordship last week might have been overlooked. Canon Leigh is quite ready to appoint Mr Morris Fuller to this Benefice when assured of your Lordship’s assent to the appointment. Mr Fuller showed me some months since a note in which that assent was given. I do not know that he can lay his hand upon the note just now - But if your Lordship will favor me with one line which I can lay before Canon Leigh, I shall be greatly obliged.
Pardon my troubling you again
My Lord,
Obediently yours
Geo. C. Bellewes
Overwritten with Bishop of London’s response:
To await Bp of Marlborough’s reply
The sixteenth letter (146)
13, Vicarage Gate,
Kensington, W.
My dear Lord,
I hope the Quebec matter may go forward. Canon Leigh has just left me and keeps to his original lines. I will see H Sec on the fresh matter away from Canon Leigh arising from Canon Leigh’s interview this will save some time.
Canon Leigh after our interview ?closed as to Quebec Chapel opened the question of the exchange at St Mark’s and placed the accompanying letters in my hands they were as you will see written some time back during his predecessors time. He feels that these letters ought to be put in your hands
He was not apparently cognisant of these letters when he assented to the exchange - he has also recently heard unsatisfactory reports from Mr Fuller’s late neighborhood Ryburgh he is asking to make enquiries I told him that to my belief the exchange was going forward - but he nevertheless urged that you should see the letters
Ever yours
A Marlborough.
Dec 30 /92 send six letters herewith.
Overwritten with Bishop of London’s response:
I hope Leigh will be quick.
We cannot retract on Letters of 14 years ago
The last five ? letters date from 1879 and they refer to Fuller’s first attempts to replace George Clench Bellewes at St Mark’s Marylebone Rd. whilst at St. Paul’s East Molesey and before he came to Ryburgh.
1. (147-148)
From Revd. Charles Natali Edgington Vicar of Holy Trinity Stepney who was Morris Fuller’s brother-in-law……….. Written to The Hon. &. Revd William Henry Freemantle, Rector of St Mary’s Bryanston Square 1865-1883
( St Mark’s Marylebone Rd was an “extra” to St Mary’s Bryanston Square built in 1870 to serve an ever increasing local population)
Trinity Parsonage,
Bow Road
Dec 24th 1879 (Private)
Dear Freemantle,
I am informed that an application was made to you yesterday or will be made to you shortly to consent to an exchange of livings between the Revd. G.C.Bellewes, incumbent of St. Mark’s Marylebone Road and the Revd. Morris Fuller vicar of St. Pauls. East Molesey. The exchange as proposed would be a corrupt exchange and the parties to it would be liable to heavy penalties under an Act 31.Eliz C.6 S7. I can also give you very important information respecting the character of one [of] the parties but in strict confidence, my name must not be mentioned, but I entreat you to suspend your decision until you have seen me and then if you think fit, to withhold your consent without assigning any reason. I should have called on you today, but I am very busy and was afraid of missing you, I expect to be at the C.C.C. on Monday, or I could see you before then if you would appoint a time.
Yours faithfully,
Charles N. Edgington
2. (149-150)
From Revd.Walter James Tait Vicar of Tavistock 1872-1883 to The Hon. &. Revd William Henry Freemantle, Rector of St Mary’s Bryanston Square 1865-1883
Xmas Eve. The Vicarage ,
Tavistock
Confidential
Dear Mr Freemantle,
I write at once to beg you to have nothing to do with Mr M. Fuller.
He is a clever man but thoroughly unconscientious. When at Lydford he called on extreme rituals & at least latterly had full vestments, lights & incense.
But what is comparatively & more point he most grossly neglected his duty again & again. Once for 6 weeks to force a clergyman to exchange with him, he went away leaving no provision for the Service. A Wesleyan went round to try to get the neighbouring clergy to take an evening service. He only returned on the Bp. threatening ecclesiastical proceedings.
He long had a grant for the curate & aid for a Curate for a Mission Chapel on the Moor. He had no curate,& made false referral This was proved before the Archdeacon & Rural Dean.
There is no clergyman here who wd. admit him into his pulpit wd. be on intimate terms with him.
The Curacy of Princetown goes with Lydford & he actually tried, on resigning the living of Lydford, to sell the Curacy. Of course he was not able to do so. Some suspect his moral character in other ways: but I am not overstating it when I say that he is considered a most untrustworthy, unconscientious man. It is a great pity for he is an able man & is very pleasant in his manner he has also a very nice wife but in no way or form can he suit you.
With best Xmas wishes
I am Yrs v. truly
W.J. Tait
3. (152)
Incomplete but the relevant section reads:
I don’t feel that I can give you much information about Mr Fuller but for your purpose I should think your best informant would be
The Revd Prebendary Kempe (Jas. Cory Kempe)
Merton Rectory
Bradford
N Devon.
who was his Rector while he was here
With all good wishes
I remain
Yrs very truly
Clinton
Charles Henry Rolle Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton (2 March 1834 – 29 March 1904),
4. (153-154)
Dec 30th Rge Vicarage
Tavistock
Confidential.
Dear Mr Freemantle I write a line to suggest that if you have any difficulty in deciding with Mr Fuller, the easiest plan might be to get the opinion of the Bp. Of Exeter or the Archdeacon of Totnes. Though being a clever man he has managed in a wonderful way to escape legal detection, I feel sure that neither of them wd give him a character for trustworthiness or earnestness in work
Yrs v truly
W.J.Tait.
5. (155-156)
Private
Address “ The Palace, Exeter
30 Dec 1879
My Dear Sir,
It is not easy to qualify an old testimonial. It is much easier to write a new one.
Mr Morris Fuller is an able man, and has done good work. But he cannot be trusted to go on as he begins. He likes getting things going. He does not like keeping things going. And in each case he does well what he likes and not what he does not like.
It is impossible to avoid forming a lower opinion of good beginnings as soon as you find that the promise which they seem to contain is false and that the beginning is the whole. And the slackening which marks the end of this “beginning” is almost always positively mischievous .
I think I need hardly say more.
Yours truly
F. Exon.
This must be the “old testimonial” referred to above, when Temple was trying to help Fuller out of the Diocese and before he moved to East Molesey in 1879. Again found in FP Creighton 5 ff 205-212.