Following is a transcription of a letter from J L Pedder to Canon Hudspeth, father of the first boarder, Francis Hudspeth, dated .
Hobart Town,
.
Sir,
At a meeting held at the Schoolroom in Harrington Street on , immediately after the funeral of the late Archdeacon Hutchins, and attended by several of the Clergy and other gentlemen who had been present at the ceremony, it was resolved to found a school, to be called ‘Archdeacon Hutchins’ School,’ as a most appropriate tribute to the memory of that excellent man, the school to be placed under sole management of the chief ecclesiastical authority for the time being of the Church of England in Van Diemen’s Land. At the same meeting a committee was appointed to give effect to its resolution with power to add to their numbers, and already the names of several other gentlemen resident in this town and its neighbourhood have been added accordingly. But the committee desire also to avail themselves of the co-operation of such gentlemen of weight and influence in the country as they doubt not are favourably disposed towards the design of the subscribers, and with this view I am directed to give you the foregoing information and to add that it will give the committee great satisfaction to receive your authority for adding your name to the list of their body.
In that event a copy of the list of the subscribers will be forwarded to you, and I am to beg that you will be so good as to give every publicity to the design of the subscribers amongst your friends and in your neighbourhood, and to receive the subscriptions of those who are willing to contribute towards it. And I am to request that you will address your communications on this subject to me, or to John D. Loch, Esq., the Honorary Secretary, under cover to Francis Hartwell Henslowe, Esq., the Private Secretary of His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
J. L. PEDDER,
Chairman of the Committee of the Subscribers to Archdeacon Hutchins’ School.
Source
Rait, B. W. . The Official History of The Hutchins School. J Walch and Sons.
