An additional section from Maule’s book, which I did not include in last year’s entry, also concerns Branson. It comes from a period only three years later — — at which time things were more tense between Branson and Maule:
On Third day we went to Flushing, and Thomas and Samuel thought it would not be right to pass by the home of Ann Branson without calling to see her. I told them of the reception I had met with some time before, and I felt an aversion to going where I might hear such condemnation of honest Friends; but as we approached her residence I became satisfied of the propriety of our going to see her, and my feeling of unwillingness was removed. We found her still quite unwell, and we took seats in her room. Without waiting to see if Thomas had anything to communicate, she acquainted him with her belief that “he was engaged in giving his strength and encouragement to wrong things,” which she recounted and described… She introduced the subject of the war tax, saying: “You make a high profession about that, but you get it paid: smuggle it through; every one has paid it here at Flushing but W. Williams and myself; the tax-collector told me so.” I told her she was mistaken, and that David Conrow had not paid the tax. She went on to condemn some statements in our published address, but I showed her they were true, and that the leading members of her meeting certainly had used their influence to prevail on members to pay the war tax and “avoid trouble;” that Joseph Hobson, a prominent elder, had told me “he was thus influenced to do what he knew to be wrong;” and that the same kind of influence had been exerted in meeting for discipline.
Further on…
Some days after Thomas left us he sent me a letter for Ann Branson, requesting that my wife and myself would take it to Flushing and read it to her. This was a fresh trial, in regard to which I reasoned with myself for some days before complying.… It was a plain, clear testimony, placing the Truth over her accusations and condemnation of Friends in a good measure of authority. She objected to some parts, but did not deny any statement or make much comment, but soon recommenced on the subject of the war tax, saying our friends at Flushing had paid, and that W. Williams had paid it since we were here. David Conrow said “he did not believe William had done so,” and he adverted to the untrue reports about his own having been paid. Both Ann and Rebecca Branson, who also was present, urged it upon us that as we made much profession about the tax we ought to disown our members who had paid it. David assured them we would try to attend to our own members.… We next went to W. Williams, and found that his war tax had not been paid.
