Through the assistance of some of his Barnsley friends, an offer was made to him of a situation in a flax-spinning mill at Bentham, which was then or had lately been the property of Charles Parker, a minister in the Society of Friends.  He accepted the offer; and an extract from a letter to his wife, when on a journey, will show the motives under which he acted in this important step.

Hawkshead, 6 mo. 28, 1817.

MY VERY PRECIOUS DEAR,

When I wrote thee last, my time and feelings would not permit me to say much on our impending prospect of leaving Barnsley; but since then this very important subject has obtained my most serious and weighty consideration, and I am now free to communicate to thee my feelings, in order that thou mayest weigh them duly and compare them with thy own while we are separated.  In the first place, in taking such a step, we must be reconciled to sacrifice our present comfortable home, our relations and friends—­in short, all that may seem near and dear to us as to the outward.  With respect to our spiritual prospect, I must confess, if any service is designed for me in the Church militant, I have sometimes apprehended it might be within the compass of our present Particular and Monthly Meetings; but should this be ordered otherwise in best wisdom, I trust I shall be relieved from the oppressive feeling, and in a short time see my way clear.  On the other hand, if this change takes place, we have a probability of a comfortable living, and of being relieved from the extreme anxiety attendant on trade, when the whole responsibility rests on our own shoulders.

H.R. [one of the firm who had offered to employ him] seemed rather desirous for me to come.  If we should agree, he wants me to go over directly to lay down plans for a few weavers’ houses, and to make other arrangements to save time until we could remove.

I don’t much like the situation of the house in the town, but I think another might be had if required.  They have a nice one in Low Bentham, with a good garden attached, which would be at liberty in next Fifth Month; this would be a pleasant walk from the mill by the water-side all the way, which might be useful to my health after being confined in the warehouse, and much nearer to the meeting.  It is a very small meeting indeed; there are only about two female Friends; but, should we be in the right place, the smallness of the number would not preclude our access to the divine spring.

I don’t know how we shall come on with the thread trade, but it seems as if we were to be done out with both thread and linens, for there is scarcely any thing selling with me on this journey.

John Yeardley and his wife removed to Bentham in the Eighth Month, 1817.  Bentham is a considerable village on the north-west border of Yorkshire, a few miles from the foot of Ingleborough; and it was at that time, according to the division of the county adopted by the Society of Friends, comprised in the Monthly Meeting of Settle.