Calvin McQuesten Esqr.
Dear Sir

With very great pleasure I respond to the duty assigned me by the Congregation of the McNab [sic] Street Presbyt'n Church, at its annual meeting held on the evening of the First³ by enclosing to you copy [sic] of a resolution which was at said meeting carried unanimously.⁴

I have only further to convey to you Sir especially, my individual grateful acknowledgements for a gift which relieved me of a very great responsibility and to assure you that your generous and [seasonable???] donation will be long remembered with gratitude by the congregation to which I belong.

¹ The date is rather difficult to read, but it appears to be the 4th of May, which fits in well with the content of the letter.

² It is most likely that Dr. McQuesten was still living in Brockport, New York in 1838 since his wife, Margarette [Barker Lerned] McQuesten was still living there and Dr. McQuesten received much mail to that address, particularly from his cousin and business partner, John Knox Fisher, who was living in Hamilton to manage the foundry they had established there in 1835. However, as the evidence strongly suggests that he moved to Hamilton in the spring or summer of 1839 it is also very likely that he was already planning to move to Canada to help John with the business as they had experienced many difficulties in Canada because of their troubled business relationship with a Mr. Joseph Janes as well as the strong anti-American sentiment in Canada at the time. (For more information and links about the foundry and Dr. Calvin McQuesten's move to Hamilton, see Dr. Calvin McQuesten's biography and W-MCP4-6.163. For information on John Knox Fisher, see W-MCP5-6.240.) It is very possible, though not certain, that by making significant donations to the Presbyterian society in Hamilton Dr. McQuesten was actually trying to establish more friendly relationships with the people there.

³ The letter indicates that the meeting took place on the first of May, but W-MCP1-3a.051 indicates that the meeting took place on the 3rd of the month.

⁴ See W-MCP1-3a.051.

⁵ This is probably Andrew Frazer Skinner, mentioned in other documents concerning the MacNab Street Presbyterian Church, particularly Box 14-101 about the church's mortgage.