Stahlke Adoption

In a Nov. 18, 1736 letter to Mr. Klemm, a member of the city council of Sangerhausen, Bach describes his own rejection as organist several decades prior, and how this unfortunate event might now help his son Bernhard:

. . .  Your Most Noble and Worshipful Council are now better in a position, by choosing one of my children, to keep the promise made to my humble self almost 30 years ago, in the conferring of the post of organist for the figured music then vacant, since at that time a candidate was sent to you by the highest authority of the land, as a result of which, although at that time, under the regime of the late [Mayor] Vollrath, all the votes were cast for my humble self, I was nevertheless, for the aforementioned raison, not able to have the good fortune of emerging with success.  Your Honor will please not take it unkindly that I disclose my fate at that time on this occasion; only the fact that the first entree of my written correspondence found such gracious ingress brings the thought to me that perhaps Divine Providence is taking a hand here.  May Your Honor futher remain a gracious patron of me and my family, and believe not only that the good Lord will reward you, but also that I and my family will be our life long . . . Your Honor's wholly obedient servant JOH. SEB. BACH

source: The Bach Reader, edited by Hans T. David and Arthur Mendel, rev. ed. (New York: Norton, 1966), pp. 150-51.