Rev. William Hill (Vicar of Holy Trinity, Leicester, 1838–1865) Autograph Sermon Manuscript — New Year’s Day, 1852 20pp, written on 5 “Superfine Satin” lettersheets with Prince of Wales crest, sewn as notebook

DESCRIPTION

An original 20‑page autograph sermon manuscript preached on New Year’s Day, 1852 by Rev. William Hill, long‑serving Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Leicester (1838–1865). This is a complete, mid‑Victorian clerical notebook, written on five 4p lettersheets, each bearing the blind‑embossed Prince of Wales feathers crest and the papermaker’s mark “Superfine Satin” in the upper left corner.

All five sheets have been hand‑sewn together by Hill himself to form a working sermon notebook for pulpit use — a rare survival of a clergyman’s active preaching material.

The sermon is a classic example of evangelical Anglican preaching, rich in revivalist theology, Sabbatarian commentary, and reflections on Leicester’s industrial and railway expansion.

CONTENT SUMMARY

Based on Habakkuk 3:2: “O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years… in wrath remember mercy.”

Hill develops a three‑part discourse:

1. The Nature of Revival

   • Revival as re‑animation of spiritual life

   • Marks of revival: Scripture appetite, prayer, tenderness of conscience, spiritual‑mindedness

   • Strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s agency

2. The Necessity of Revival

   • Christ as the believer’s pattern

   • The low conventional standard of piety in “provincial towns”

   • Warning against the resurgence of Roman Catholicism and Tractarian influence

   • Statistical reflections on worship and communion attendance

3. The Benefits of Revival

   • God glorified personally, in the Sabbath, and in the missionary vineyard

   • A pointed rebuke of Railway Directors for Sunday operations — highly relevant to Leicester’s railway boom

   • Missionary zeal, pastoral responsibility, and spiritual joy

Ends with four short appendix notes reinforcing themes of divine refuge, conformity to Christ, doctrinal vigilance, and personal holiness.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Firm identification: Rev. William Hill, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Leicester — not the Chartist/Swedenborgian William Hill.

• Local resonance: References to “provincial towns,” railway expansion, and doctrinal agitation match Leicester’s exact social climate in 1852.

• Evangelical heritage: Holy Trinity’s strong evangelical tradition is reflected throughout.

• Material rarity: Sermons sewn into notebooks are highly desirable to collectors of Victorian religious manuscripts.

The identification of the author as Rev. William Hill, Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Leicester (1838–1865) is secure and based on a combination of internal manuscript evidence and external parish history. The sermon’s references to “provincial towns,” its sharp rebuke of Railway Directors for Sunday operations, and its evangelical emphasis on revival, Scripture authority, and anti‑Roman Catholic warnings all align precisely with the social and religious climate of Leicester in 1852. Holy Trinity was founded in 1838 out of the ancient parish of St Mary de Castro, explaining why early clerical records sometimes overlap the two parishes. Hill’s long tenure, his well‑documented evangelical ministry, and the sermon’s localised industrial concerns together form a coherent profile that matches no other William Hill active in the region at the time.

Condition as photos. Guaranteed Original. All items can be returned for a full refund if found to be not as described.