We visited a little newly-settled meeting at Thornton Marsh, near Poulton in the Fylde.  Our worthy friend Joseph Wood had the first meeting of our Society that was ever held in this part.  It is so thinly inhabited that the Friends wondered at his concern to request a meeting; but one was appointed for him at an inn, I think a solitary house; a good many poor people came, and it was a most remarkable time.  J.W. said afterwards he believed there would be a meeting of Friends in that neighborhood, but perhaps not in his time.  It has now been settled about eighteen months.

This journey occupied them about two weeks, and on returning home John Yeardley makes the following animating remark:—­

The retrospect of this journey in connexion with that of Wales afforded a sweet feeling of peace.  We were often low and discouraged, but help was mercifully extended in the time of need.  I often wish I had more faith to go forth in entire reliance on the Divine Arm of power, for truly in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

On the conclusion of this engagement followed a month of quiet but industrious occupation at home.

12 mo. 25.—­A month has been spent in the quiet, in reading, writing, and many other things in course.  Leisure being afforded, I have spent a good deal of time in reading diligently and attentively the Holy Scriptures, I trust to some profit.

After this seasonable pause, John and Martha Yeardley were much occupied with a projected change in their place of residence, which issued in their removal, in the spring of 1831, to Scarborough.  The motive which induced them to make choice of this place, and the feelings under which the change was accomplished, are fully unfolded in the Diary.

We have for some time been on the look-out for a change in our residence.  Inclination would have led us to remain in our own Monthly Meeting, but a strong impression that it might be right for us to remove for some time to Scarborough, has remained with us ever since we visited that place in the Seventh Month, and has always stood in the way of our fixing elsewhere, although very often have we tried to put it from us.  We were so desirous to settle at C. [near Pontefract], that only five pounds a year in the rent saved us from taking the step.  It was my prayer at the time, and always has been, that we might be rightly directed, and I had a hope that if it was not right for us to go to C. something might turn up to prevent it.  And since we could not agree for the house which was offered us in that place, we concluded to go for a short time to Scarborough, and try the fleece there, under the belief that we should then be enabled rightly to determine.  This I hope has been the case, for we had not been many days, I may say hours, in the town, before we were fully convinced it was the place for us to settle in.

Having made trial of Scarborough, they returned to Burton to arrange for their removal, which took place on the 7th of the Fifth Month.