Freeman's Letters, 1681: nos 208-229

Freeman's Letters, 1681: nos 208-229

208. William Helme [Nevis]

London, January 11, 1680/1
Wee have rec.d your empty letter of the 18th of October p.r Huchinson which gives us an acco.t of the new settlement of factories you have made for us on each island & your great pr.posalls of advantage we may reap therby. But the settlement of new factories without supplyes to carry them on can conduce but little to our advantage. For if you had at the same time taken into consideration the consignations we have made you & T.W. (all in your own hands now) this 4 years last past & that we are at this pr.sent instant twelve thousand pounds sterl. principal money in disburse, besides all the pr.fitts of upwards of twenty five thousand pounds adventures, haveing given your acco.t creditt for every penny that ever [p. 249] we receivd in returne, you will then judg us in a very ill condition to settle new factories or to supply old ones. When from this vast concern you could not load us one pennyworth of goods upon a ship we have had lying there 8 mo. & part of the time on demoridge for want of a loading, after payment of soe much dead freight, as on the last shipp you loaded upon, & now on this to pay 150£ outward bound fr.t & neer £100 proviso money & not to receive a pennyworth of goods upon her doth not a little startle us, espetially when we consider that Mr. Ed. Dendy on the 15th of August Last had sent you from Antigua 6 tunns of sugar on our acco.tts that was left out of a shipp att Antigua that we contracted freight for heer, & that you should keep that lying by you in the storehowse & keep a shipp of ours there on demoridg seems to us a riddle. Your brother (on whom you have some dependency, I pr.sume, if none upon us) though he hath been heer but a little time, beginns to find the want of supplyes as well as ourselves. Which pray take into consideration, & if you expect his complyance with your contract, or any future incouridgment from us, wee must be inabled by your supplyes from our own concern in your hands. Otherwise, we are not in a condition to support a trade nor ourselves much longer. This now comes p.r the shipp Lyon of Leverpoole, John Compton, Master, on whom we have contracted 44 tuns freight homeward, w.ch we have ordered Tho. Westcott to loade. But in case he should not be able to comply with the same in dew time according to contract, afford your assistance, & loade what he may soe fall short. Otherwise we shall be greatly damnifyed by the contract we have made to give the sume to Mr. Anth. Henthorn, sugar baker in Chester, to whome you are to consigne what you lade. If you lade any part of the aforesaid quantity, you may put on bord what is in a readiness from our plant., for which use you will receive p.r this shipp 10 very large barrells of beefe, 100 lbs. in each cask bigger then ordinary, together with 6 half or 3 whole barrells of porke & a box of candles, w.ch let be applyed to noe other use then aforesaid.

Wee desire you, at any time that we have a shipp of our own with you, to loade upon that at such time you take fr.t on any ship or shipps for London, as occations offers for our acco.tts that soe you may hasten our returnes as speedy as possible. ...

Pray omitt not to send us an acco.t of all such goods as you have putt into the hands of T. Westcott to dispose of since his time expired, viz. the cost of the same according to Invo. either out of Estes cargo or any other, that soe we may give your acco.t credit for the same. Likewise such part of Claytons cargoes as you have deliverd him. & Also send us a coppy of the list of debts you have assigned him to receive on St. Christophers, w.ch adjust with him before you send itt, & let s.d Westcott attest the s.d list of debts with his own hand as receivd from you, that soe we may give your acco.t creditt for the same. Also faile not to send us all our Acco.tts of Sales p.r first.

209. [p. 250] Captain John Compton [Commander of the Lyon]

London, January –, 1680/1
Being advised p.r Mr. Clayton that he hath hyred your ship Lyon wherof yourself is Master, for a voyage to Waterford, St. Christophers & the rest of the Leward Islands on acco.t of myself & partners, persuant to the said contract, I send you these our orders & instructions, w.ch you are to bee observe & follow dureing the voyage. Viz., you are to sayle with the first conveniency as wind & weather shall pr.sent to the port of Waterforde in Ireland, & at your first arrivall there to apply yourself to Mr. Rich.d Seay, merch.t (our freind & corrispondent there) & to receive on bord your shipp all such merch.dz & pr.vitions as he shall lade or cause to be laden upon you, according to the tenure of your agreement. & Haveing receivd all such goods on bord your shipp with the needfull dispatches from him, you are to imbrace the first oppertunety of winde & weather that offers without any loss of time, & sayle directly to the island of St. Christophers. & Imdeiatly after your arrivall there to del.r all such letters goods & merchandize as are directed or consigned to Mr. Tho. Westcott, merch.t, or any other p.rson on the s.d island. & After you have delivered all such goods, in case the said Seay should lade any pr.vitions or other goods that p.r Bill of Ladeing are consigned to Nevis, you are to goe up to that island & doe the same according to Bill of Ladeing (alwayes pr.vided that it is not some small inconsiderable p.rcell, not exceeding 5 tuns, that may not be worthwhile to goe up with the shipp, but may as well be transported on a sloope). & After you have soe discharged your outward bound ladeing (w.ch you are to doe with all conv.t expedition), you are then to apply yourself to the aforesaid Mr. Tho. Westcott for the reladeing of all such tunnidg as we have contracted for on your shipp homewards & to follow such orders as from time to time you shall receive from him & to receive on bord your shipp all such goods & merchandize as he shall lade or cause to be laden, according to the tenor of our Charter Party. & Further, if he the said Westcott shall judg itt convenient to order you to goe up to Nevis with your ship or any other the Islands mentioned in the Charter Party, to receive or take on bord any of the ladeing aforesaid, you are to observe & follow all such orders from him or any other that he shall think fitt to give your p.rsuant to the intent & meaning of our s.d Charter Party. & After you have p.rformed the s.d contract there & receivd your dispatches from the s.d Tho. Westcott, you are to sayle from thence to the port or citty of [p. 251] West Chester or as neer thereunto as you can conveniently come &, atr arrivall thence to deliver all such goods & merchandize as shall be laden on bord you as p.r Bill of Loadeing they are consigned.

210. [p. 252] Henry Carpenter [Nevis]

London, January 11, 1680/1
Sir,
I have rec.d the duplicate of yours p.r the Virgin (pr. via Bristoll) bearing date the 8th of November, & observe itts contents, & shall as soon as please God the shipp arrives take care of the disposition of the sugar you have laden upon her. But the information Mr. Pruit gave you of Mr. Bawdens contract was only (I pr.sume) an invitation to incouridg you to lade some tunnidg upon his shipp. For I assure you it is not truth Mr. Bawdens contract is but 25s p.r c.t, w.ch is very little more then London markett would have pr.duced att this time. Yett, whether I may gett soe much for ours when itt arrives, I know not, that markett being full att pr.sent & a very inconstant one for sugars, the sugar bakers there being given to play upon such mens goods as comes p.r chance. Soe that I never would myself nor advise any freind to send any to that port unless under a certein contract with them, as I am alwayes when I send. Besides their pay is very bad, & not made good in less then 12 mo. I am now 3/4 parts behinde of the ladeing of the Abra. that arrived 8 mo. since there. This shipp that this goes by I have sold her ladeing att 25s 6d p.r c.t & given 6 mo. for payment, w.ch will be 12 mo. before compleated. I have writt to one of the sugar bakers & made him an offer of this 5¼ tuns at 25s p.r c.t Whether he will accept it I know not.

As soon as Mr. Brown arrives I will take care of the 6 butts p.r him. But I desire you to loade no more in butt.r for our own acco.tts but in large hhds. which you will finde will turn much better to acco.t. & I further intreat you to loade what sugar you can possibly with conveniency for our own acco.tts, for I am extreamly streightned for money by reason of W.m Helme short returnes. Which I stand in admiration att that we haveing a shipp lyeing there 3 mo. & part of the time on demoridge, that he should not loade us one pound of sugar upon her out of soe vast a concerne, but putt us upon paying demoridg & dead freight upon every shipp, & hath never to this day rendred us but one Acco.t of Sales of upwards of 25,000£ concern principall money. His meaning heerin is beyond my comprehension (I wish it may be honest) for we had certein advise from Ed. Dendy of Antigua [p. 253] that he had on the 15th of August Last sent downe to W. H. 6 tuns of sugar to put on bord our shipp there. That was part of some tunnidge was left out of a shipp that we had contracted for heer and laden from that island &, since that day, noe some dayes before, lay some dayes on demoridge, who he sent himself to St. Christophers to loade. & That he should keep a shipp in demoridge & keep sugar p.r him in the storehowse at the same time is nonsence & what I will never be p.rswaded to beleeive. But am really of beleef that he imployes our goods to his own p.rticuler use (& if soe) he beginning early before his apprenticeship is expired. Now I intreat the favor of you to be secrett in this advise, & give me some private intimations of your sence therof, which shall never goe further. I am at pr.sent forced to be silent to him untill Mr. Ro. Helmes goes home (w.ch he saith will be about 2 mo. hence), for he hath left all our concerns there solely to his bro. mannidgm.t, in strange confusion & disorder, without bringing one acco.t with him. Soe that if you should give the least information to him of what I write, I know not how ill that consequence therof might be to our concerne. Wherfore I once more intreat your secresy

211. [p. 254] Thomas Westcott [Nevis]

London, January 11, 1680/1
This accompanyes the shipp Lyon of Leverpoole, John Compton, Mast.r, on whom we have hired 44 tuns, Nevis tunidg, out & home. A coppy of our contract or Charter Party you will receive from Mr. Tho. Clayton of Leverpoole who hyred the ship for us. & Upon her you will find a competent time for the ladeing of such a p.rcell of goods. Your complyance therwith we desire you not to fayle of, in regarde we have entered into contract w.th Mr. Antho. Henthorn, sugar baker in Chester, for the said quantety of sugar & have oblidged ourselves in a considerable penalty for the same to be delivered upon returne of the shipp to Chester, to w.ch port the ship is bound to returne. Wherfore we desire you to take your Bills of Loadeing accordingly & to consign all the sugers to the s.d Antho. Henthorn, & pray take care to loade as large tunnidg as you cann, & to fill the caske well & take care of the weights therof, & likewise to loade as good sugar as possible you cann. For if you receive any thats extraordinary bad, we had rather you should load it for London then that port, in regard of our pr.mise to him. That we will give directions for the ladeing good goods. Now if it should soe happen (w.ch we hope the contrary) that you should not be able to comply fully with the ladeing the s.d 44 tuns on our own acco.tts, then we desire you to give timely notice therof to Mr. W.m Helme to pr.pare & put on bord in dew time as much therof as you may fall short, either from our plant. at Nevis or otherwise, or if you can gett it down from my plant. in M.tsarratt. For we shal be greatly damnifyed in case the said quantety be not fully laden on our own acco.tts according to contract. But we hope you will finde noe difficulty in the p.rformance yourself, in regarde it wil be in the middle of the crop time that the shipp will be with you. We have ordered Mr. Clayton to loade on bord the said shipp a p.rcell of cheese & butter & to consigne the same unto yourself, as likewise Mr. Richard Seay from Waterforde [p. 255] to loade 300 barrells of beefe to you also. & When please God itt arrives, pray advise whether that or the beef from Corke proves best. We hope he hath taken care in the makeing of itt that it will keep, for we designe it for the latter part of the yeare when doubtless it will turne to a better acco.t then when it first arrives. But that we refer to your judgment, either to keep for a markett or sell as you shall judg most conv.t. But if that comodety be plentyfull, we judg it best to keep it some time. You will also receive a small p.rcell of porke likewise & some candles, & I have ordered to be lade a small p.rcell of beefe, porke & c. for our plant. in Nevis [&] for my plant. in M.tsarratt. That pray take care of the delivery & likewise to deliver the right casks, for those barrells doe contein 100 lbs. of meat in each cask, bigger then ordinary.

I am now to give you acco.t of the receipt of yours by Huchinson (but the shipp not yett gone upp) w.ch Bills of Loadeing & Invoice for 20 1/4 tuns of sugar laden p.r yourself upon him, which we hope will rise well & is as much as we expected from you in him. But cannot but admire that Mr. W.m Helme should loade none, from whom we expected a farr greater quantety then from yourself, & had made an insurance accordingly insoemuch that the premio money wee p.d, viz. neer 100£, & the outward bound freight of the shipp with the demoridge will amount to the greatest part of the pr.ceeds of what we receive home upon her. Soe that we are continually sending out largely but receive little or noething in returne. & How long we are able to continue a trade at that rate we referr it to you or any rationall man to judg. We have now come to an accounting w.th Mr. Rob.t Helmes of all acco.tts heer, & finde the we are upwards of £12,000 sterl. principall money in disburse for what consignd Mr. W.m Helme & yourself, besides the sole pr.fitts of £25,000 sterl. adventures, haveing given creditt for the full pr.ceeds of every pennyworth of goods that ever we receivd in returne from either of you. & Itts now full 4 yeares since we begann our consignation to you & to be still out half our principall is hard. Yet wee doe not nor have noe reason to complaine of anything that hath been p.rticulerly transacted by you, only thought fitt to signifye this much to you, & ask you to hasten us what possible you can in returne, without which we are not able to give you any further supplyes. Which we desire to doe as you may judg by our sending p.rticulerly to you & noe other p.rson. & Wee desire you from time to time to advise what goods are most pr.per & vendible, which we will if able give you constant supplyes of togeather with such quantetyes of wine & pr.vition as you desire & think pr.per for that markett. & You see we have taken care p.r Clayton also to supply you with those comodetyes you desired. Which we doubt you have been to open in or some other p.rsons. That may give some light to others to fall into our trade, or doe us some greater pr.judice therby than at pr.sent we are apprehensive of supposeing. Our letters from W. Helmes hath been broken open there or heer (opened it was certeine), in which he was to plaine & gave us a more ample acco.t then we desired. For we expect noe more from you or him then Acco.tts of Sales, & to advise us at what rate each comodety sells &, when you doe that, to send your letters by some carefull hand. Pray take care to send us Acco.tts of Sales from time to time of each cargo as disposed of, & be large in your advises how goods sells & what comodetyes turnes best to acco.t. W.ch is very satisfactory, & that which W.m Helmes hath alwayes been [p. 256] very short in, notwithstanding our frequent advises to him to that effect. If at any time any remaines of any cargoes of dry goods or other goods when new one arrives, to shutt up those acco.tts & send us Acco.tts of Sales of the pr.cedent cargoes, pray take an acco.t of what remaines & send us & soe make our new acco.tts of merchandize. Ditto the old for the s.d goods, vallewing the same at a moderate rate, soe that whether it pr.duces more or less it can be noe damadg to us. But this I pr.pose as an expedient for the shutting upp of acco.tts that therby we may have Acco.tts of Sales from time to time rendered us. I hope you have receivd wine, p.r which you may p.rceive it was the Generalls orders that we should supply the soldiers noe further, which is my desire also. For indeed I doe not believe the pr.fitt equivalent to the hazerd, though they suppose great advantages hath been made by us therby. But I desire noe more of itt, for I see noe pr.spect of receiveing their pay. W.m Helme adviseth us that he hath assigned over to you upwards of 300,000 lbs. sugar in debts that stands dew upon our books att Nevis from the inhabitants of St. Christophers, w.ch s.d sume, be it more or less, wee desire you to shipp of first. & Let your Invo. run as laden p.r the order of W. Helme & advise therof, that soe his acco.t may have custome for the same. Hee adviseth that you have already received the greatest part of itt. But if any insolvant debts amoungst them, advise him therof that he may render them in acco.t to us.

I observe what you write as to the remainder of W.m Hearns time. He shall give you what assistance he can. & I am glad you soe well accord togeather. But I pr.sume Mr. Helmes att his returne will have an occation of his assistance. I hope he will make a good man. Noe incouridgment that I can give him shal be wanting. Therfore, pray exhort him to good husbandry & to follow his buisness w.ch will be his own heerafter. We have receivd Mr. Huchinsons receipt for 36£ 12s 3d, w.ch have past to your creditt, togeather with the foot of the Invo. of sugar p.r him. But you must be a better husband in makeing our cask for us on better tearmes. We have also receivd advise from W.m Helme that you & hee have farmed the duty of liquors on St. Xtophers, but we hope you designe noe p.rticuler advantage therby from us, but to give us the same allowance that formerly. Otherwise, we shall be discouridged from sending liquors. You must remember my pr.posalls & your acceptance therof, which is to charge noe other charge over & above your 10 p.r c.t comm. but such as you actually pay. If at any time heerafter you receive any dammadg on wines or any other goods p.r bad stoidge or otherwise, pray adjust it there. You shall have the scales, weights & stillyards for Capt. Pogson & c. p.r first from hence. We are glad to hear of Clayton & the ketch Globes arrival with you, & hope all things will succeed well & that you will find a market [p. 257] to content. We hope Terry was not long after them. What servants can be pr.vided by this vessell we have left to the disposition of the Master & desire your advise & assistance to him in dispatch to such plans that we may be sure of the returne p.r the same shipp.

Fayle not to comply with your pr.mise in ladeing the ball.ce of Mr. Vickers acco.t.

... Wee desire you, at any time when we have not shipps there of our owne, to load what you can upon any shipp or shipps for London, fr.t on the best termes you can pr.cure itt. & If any oppertunety offer to advise timely therof, direct your letters to my bro. Baxter & c. according to my former advise. & Pray omitt not p.r first conveniency to send us a p.rticuler acco.t of what goods you have receivd from W.m Helmes as well one of this last cargo p.r Clayton, as the former p.r him, & all other dry goods since your time was expired. & Send Acco.t of Sales to us of all such goods. & Likewise advise us what debts the s.d Helmes hath assigned you upon St. Xtophers that were contracted att Nevis p.r him or yourself before your time terminated, which we would have laden distinctly as I have advised in that foregoeing lines. These things are in order to settle our acco.tts with Mr. W.m Helme.

212. John Bramley [Montserrat]

London, February 8, 1680/1
Sir,
I have receivd yours of the 2d of November by Capt. Browne w.th Bill of Loadeing for 20 hhds. of suger on my p.rticuler acco.t. That I was in hopes would have been a great quantety since his shipp laded there, in regarde I am credibly informed that you laded 60 hhds. on your p.rticuler acco.t in the hurricane time, soe did hope I might have had the like quantety p.r the first shipp after on mine. But whether you laded that or noe for yourself, a breefe acco.t of what you laded & what more I might expect on mine would have been very gratefull. For since I referr all things to yourself, I doe not expect any acco.t from any other p.rson but yourself. & Although I doe not insist upon such nicetyes in acco.t as you mention in your last, yet something more is desired from time to time how affaires goes & what is made or likely to be made & also an acco.t adjusted every 6 mo. I noewayes doubt your justice, as you may be p.rswaded. If I did, I should not soe farr confide in you. But every man at a distance is desirous to hear how his affaires is carried on. & Truely I have rec.d such great disappoyntments from all my concerns abroad that I am extreamly streightned, w.ch occations me to putt you in mind to desire you to make pr.vition for the payment of your bond, w.ch I thought you would have done out of the pr.ceeds of the first goods you had laden. But I pr.sume you may have had more pressing occations as might suppose mine to be not soe greate as in reallety they are; otherwise, I should not reminde you of itt. The full principall is yett dew, & good part of the interest yett unpaid, an acco.t of which & all other concernes you shall have p.r next, with the medicines you order. I am glad to hear all things I sent for the use of the plant. was arrived, & take notice of your complaint of the last years beefe, w.ch I am yet to impute to itts long lyeing, the man that shippt it being both carefull & honest. However, I shall advise him of itt & take care to pr.vent it for the future. A store for this year I had pr.pared of that comodety before; yet, if I had not, I hold it better & cheaper to supply from Ireland then buy there, take one time with the other. & What is sent in that comodety [p. 258] is but a small matter if invested in other goods. However, what supply you require of any other goods shal be sent. & If you chuse to supply your part of beefe there, advise what will answere mine, & doe you put soe many barrells against them there & itts equall to mee. But I am resolved to supply all from home on my part, as neer as can be. Pray fayle not to lade my full half part as fast as it is made & as early as possible you can on any of our own or any other shipps as occation offers for London. You may lade joyntly or p.rticuler as sutes your own occation best. But when you lade p.rticulerly, I desire the caske may be lotted after filled, as I formerly desired in the storehowse, & one half marked for my acco.t, the other for yours. I intreat you not to fayle of sending acco.tts dewly twice a yeare, in which pray be very exacte. & Where the acco.tts are kept in a good method, there wil be little trouble in itt, for those thrivolous articles you mention I am not all curious in, but shall rest satisfyed in your justice. I observe what you desire as to the negro, w.ch if you please you may p.rmitt to attend your child either at home or abroad as freely as if it were your own p.rticuler. But if it pleases you better to put ane upon the plant. that may be equally serviceable there, itts alike to mee. But I judg you may excuse yourself that expence & accept the serviss of the negroe to attend when and how you desire. I shall never insist upon any nicityes as long as there is a good understanding betwixt us, nor refuse anything you are pleased to require in reason, w.ch I know you to be a competent judg of. ...

213. Henry Carpenter [Nevis]

London, February 1680/1
Sir,
An Acco.t of Sales of the 30 hhds. p.r the Old Head of Kingsale you have heerinclosed, as likewise an Acco.t Currant of the our comission negro acco.t. The moyety of the ball. dew to the same is carried to the creditt of your p.rticuler Acco.t Currant, which you have also heerwith. By which you may see how your acco.t now stands with mee. & In answer to your [p. 259] objections thereunto, I have communicated them to Mr. Helmes, viz. the 1st of £24 p.d Mrs. Fraine. He saith it was p.r your directions as well as his, & he doth not remember that ever he received any p.rticuler satisfaction. Soe that charge stands good. Now, as to that next of 20 lbs. part of the money p.d Mr. Steede, hee gives the same answer too. But if any difference upon that acco.t, you must decide those things betwixt yourselves there & accommodate matters at your meeting, which I hope may not be above a mo. after this. & For what is past, doe each other right there, of which I can make noe alteration heere. Yet in awnswer to what you alleadg, that your hand is not to that £24 bill, yet Mr. Helmes signed itt for you, as he hath done many others for negros bought att M. tsarratt, Antigua & c., which you may as well object against. But as you shipt in comp., soe you drew in comp. & therfore hath equally lyable to each others subscriptions. But for the future I will avoyd any such occations of objections, & therfore have carried ½ the Comp. negros acco.t to the Cr. of your p.rticuler acco.t. & What goods heerafter comes to hand shall carry ½ the WL pr.ceeds therof to the Cr. of your p.rticuler acco.t. & What bills you have occation to charge upon that acco.t in any other, I desire you to charge them distinctly, you for your part & Mr. Helmes for his; or in case of each others absence, the one to draw for the other distinctly. & Soe advise that the charges may be placed to each others debt accordingly. The acco.tts you mention sent I suppose is an omittion, unless in the box you shipped of, w.ch is not yet come to hand. Soe can give noe answer to any of them. ...

214. Richard Watts [Nevis]

London, March 10, 1680/1
This accompanyes Mr. Robert Helmes to whome I have referred all things in poynt of mannadgment of my concerns whose advise & directions in all things I desire you to follow & to give him your utmost assistance in all things relateing thereunto. & Further, it is my order & desire that you doe not fayle twice in every yeare, viz. about a mo. before Xtmass & in the mo. of May or beginning of June from this time forward, as long as you shall be in my serviss or untill you receive an order from me to the contrary to goe up to M.tsarratt to my plant. there & to make up a full & p.rfect acco.t of all things relateing to the said plant. as well of the disbursements as pr.fitts of the same. & Likewise, at all or any such time or times as you shall make up the said acco.t, to take a full exact [p. 260] & true acco.t or inventory of all such slaves, viz. men, wo. & children with their names & ages as neer as you can guess, as likewise of all other stock, viz. houses, mules, cattle, ass, negros, sheepe, hoggs or any other stock, with all the howses, mills, coppers, stills or any other utensills or goods whatsoever thereunto belonging, of any kind or quantity whatsoever, & to take an exact acco.t of all such sugers or other goods that at such time shal be in the howse, either in cask or potts, computing the weights of the same as neer as you can. & Likewise, to give me an acco.t or neer as you can what quantety of canes is upon the ground, & as neer as you can the ages of each peece, & as neere an estimate as you can of what quantety of sugar may in pr.babillity be made the next insueing 6 months. Pray fayle not to be very punctuall in the p.rformance of all these things & deliver the inclosed letter to Mr. Bramley which is my order to him to this effect. & Further, if the said Mr. Bramley at any time require your assistance in takeing freight for any of the said goods or shipping it of from Nevis if oppertunetyes should not offer from M.tsarratt, fayle not therin, & from time to time to send me the accompts by the first shipp after you have made it up signed p.r Mr. Bramley w.th a duplicate therof by the next shipp following. ...

215. Richard Pickford & Obadiah Allen [Madeira]

London, March 10, 1680/1
Gentlemen,
This accompanyes my brother Mr. Robert Helmes by whom wee have only consigned you a p.rsell of hoops & a staves of 500 @, being resolved to shutt upp all our old accompts & put a period to them before we pr.ceed anything further. & In order therunto, he is now bound to Nevis to adjust all our concernes there. & We have thought it convenient for him to touch at your island to draw of part or as much as may be convenient of our effects there in the Islands, & to make up all accompts with you. I hope Rivetts buisness may be cleered long since. If not, Mr. Helmes is able to take all that the goods was pr.perly ours & not Rivetts, as is alleadged. You will in one of your former Accompts of Sales finde there is above 8 milrs. undercast to our pr.judice. I thinke it may be in the acco.t of Vandinells. But time will not at pr.sent p.rmitt me to looke it over. We desire you will please to lade on board this shipp 150 pipes for the remaineing ballance (wch we pr.sume) may be dew to us. We will, sometime the latter end of the yeare, take order for the drawing that of also. 60 of these 150 pipes we desire you will please to consigne Mr. Tho. Westcott in St. Xtophers, the other 90 to Mr. Robert Helmes.

By this shipp I have sent you a p.rcell of goods amounting to £ [blank] for acco.t of my brother Henry Freeman. The Invoice & Bill of Loadeing for the same you have heerinclosed. I desire you will please to dispose of the same for his most advantage, & write me from time to time what goods will vend & turn best to acco.t. He may deale with [p. 261] you for 150 or 200 pipes of wine a yeare, & will order you a suteable shipment of goods as you shall require from time to time for the same. Please to direct your letters to Mr. W.m Baxter. About Xtmass Next I may order a small p.rcell of wines upon this acco.t & shall take care to supply you with some bills for Lisboa for upon our acco.t in thirds as formerly. We shall doe noe more than draw of our ballance. ...

216. General Sir William Stapleton [Montserrat]

London, March 10, 1680/1
Honored Sir,
This accompanyes Mr. Robert Helmes in the ship St. George, by whom I have sent you the chest of medcines that are put up by Mr. Westcott, not by the p.rson you desired. Which I hope you will forgive, for indeed I did not see that direction on the backside till after I had bespoke them. But I hope they are as good & as cheape (as he pr.mised me they are) as any p.rson in England can make &, if soe, you will receive noe pr.judice thereby. The pott & lymbeck I have also sent according to direction, & a white marble tumb stone, in which I have endeavored all servis (it being the last) to my deceased freinds memory, whom I had a true vallew for. (fn. 1) I heartely wish the epitaph may please you. Itt's done by Doctor Littleton, the most employed man in England that way, who tooke p.rticuler care in giveing the stone cutter directions as well as in the penning it, & was 3 or 4 times with him to see the work exactly well done according to method. (fn. 2) The same p.rson hath done the late Bishop of Canterburyes. I had two other epitaphs made: the one p.r a p.rticuler acquaintance of mine, w.ch cost noething; the other by Capt. Ratcliffe, a famed poett, that cost me two guinyes. (fn. 3) Both which I send you. & I wish I have at last made choice of the [one] which will please you best; but if I have errd, you must not blame mee, for I tooke the oppinion of the more learned who in generall allow the Doctors to be a most famous thing & as modest as anything can be said. I was very desirous to have it in English, but the other mens oppinion that were of understanding against itt, to which I also submitted. The Dr. being altogether a stranger to mee, & I only introduced by a freind of his & mine into his acquaintance, I must make him some pr.sent, which as yett I have forborne till I have advised with some other freinds what may be convenient, being not willing to over or under doe. But he being a p.rson of eminence, it must be what is handsome. I judge 6 oz. bottles of wine may doe, for money will not be soe well taken. Indeed, he hath taken great care about it, & I hope it will be to content.

In the Invo., you will find a charge of insurance I have put you to, which I did by reason you formerly ordered mee to send you noething by way of Madera as this shipp goes. But being a good shipp & noe other oppertunety offering direct, I thought good not to omitt the sending these things by her. I have rec.d the £20 of Mr. Rookeby & past the same to your creditt. I have likewise receivd an awnswer from my freind out of Ireland which I heerwith send you, & have likewise answered him what sume is ready & that in a little time more 7 or 8,000 lbs. more [p. 262] to add to that summe, if any good thing offers. You see what he writes – that p.rchases there are caught up. Wherfore I desire your more p.rticuler directions about it, & your possitive orders to pr.ceed if anything should offer. & I also request you to appoynt some freind in Ireland to assist in the buisness that may be able to give you a more p.rticuler acco.t of the affair then it will be possible for me to doe. Your money in my hands shall alwayes be ready at an hours notice, but what is in the Kings there is noe certeinty off. Upon delivery of my last petition in the Treasury about a fortnight since, they pr.mised fairely that it should be foorthwith done, but is as yet undone. & I now intend to petition the K & C againe. They shall not want being put in mind of it. ...

The Royall Comp. are under some apprehensions that the interlopers doe find some incouridgment from you, at which they seem disgusted, for which reason I would not move the affaire you desired to them. I have desired to be acquitted from that imployment & have itt conferd on Mr. Helms & my name out. He can doe you any service you desire that way without an order from them, who I am sure you will finde alwayes ready & willing.

Now, Sir, I have given answer to all the p.rticulers of your last & what I have further to add is by way of request to yourself in favor of my own p.rticuler interest which I humbly desire your assistance to Mr. Helmes in, who now goes over with resolutions to put a period to all our concernes there in trade, finding noe incouridgment to pr.ceed further that way, & our debts being great & many of them of long standing. I hope & am well assured that you will suffer all dew pr.cess in law against all such as by other faire means will not be p.rswaded to pay. I should not mention anything of this kinde to you (haveing had suffitient testimonyes of your sensibility at all times to doe justice to all people) but that I have lately received testimony from thence that some officers acting in their severall stations under you, p.rticulerly the late Marshall, have not been soe forward in doeing their duty in that kinde as they ought to doe. By means therof they are forced to a further forbearance then is reasonable, which will in time begett an undeserved odium upon the island that hitherto hath had the greatest applause of any in the Indies for speedy & legall pr.ceedings, which I am sure you will maintein on your own part dureing your governments. ...

217. [p. 263] William Fox [Montserrat]

London, March 10, 1680/1
Worthy Friend,
I received yours by Capt. Brown by which I p.rceive you could not lade me any sugers then but hope by Terry you will. Indeed, I am ashamed to put you in minde therof, which noething could oblidge me too but the greate streights I am put to for want of money which I never knew soe much of since I knew the use of itt as of late. & Therfore, I hope you wil be more ready inclyned to excuse mee. Indeed, I had now gone over myself. But the trust I have resposed in me by the Gen.ll & severall other gents. will not p.rmitt mee untill I have discharged myself from their interests. But unless I find better complyance from my concernes there, I must of necessety be compelled to itt. Heerwith I send you my Acco.tt Curr.t. The ballance dew to me from yourself is 39£ 11s 4d. I intreat you to order me that also as soon as you can conveniently. I have receivd by Capt. Browne a letter from Mr. Bramley with 20 hhds. of sugar, a small buisness in respect of what I might reasonably have expected, considering how little I have receivd from thence before (& if I am not misinformed) is very short of what was really my dew to have had. I am informed he shipt neer 80,000 lbs. sugar upon his own pr.per acco.t in July & August last & hath p.d away neer as much more, which cannot be for the plant. acco.t. Yet I am not yet to give creditt to every report. But what gives me the greatest dissatisfaction & most reason to beleive itt is that he sends me noe acco.t (although I am constantly pressing that to him). Neither doth he give me the least intimation of what made or likely to be made. Soe that I am altogeather in the darke except what I can learn from other people. This cannot be pleaseing to any man. Since I have refered all things to his own mannadgment, you know my order was if he did not ship joyntly, that the sugars should be constantly devided as it was made. Neither doth he take the least care to pay my money debt out of what he shipps home, the very interest dew upon his bond part of it yet unpaid nay the greatest part. If I have not more satisfactory accompts, it will put me upon doeing those things which he will not finde corrispondent with his interest. Pray take noe notice of anything further then at your leasure to send me a breif acco.t of the mannidgment of affaires. & Let him know it's my request to you to put him in minde of makeing upp acco.tts dewly from time to time to send me, by which I might make some small computation of affaires. But without that, can doe noething. ...

218. Henry Carpenter [Nevis]

London, March 10, 1680/1
Worthy Friend,
The inclosed was intended by a former conveyance but omitted. Since the writeing therof, I have receivd your severall accompts by Brown, with the ballance of the books, in which I finde Mr. Helmes & myself to be a large deb.r at which I was very much surprized. But upon discourseing the matter with Mr. Helmes, he shewed me an acco.t ag.st that acco.t made up betwixt you & himself where we are creditors neer 450,000 lbs. pounds of sugar, & the storehowse not brought to the Cr. of the acco.t neither, w.ch is above 80,000 lbs. sugar more. Soe that when both these creditts are brought against that debt of seven hundred & odd thousand pounds of suger, it will appear that our interest hath not drawn of more then you have done from that concerne. Yet it is a very great dissatisfaction to mee that all these acco.tts were not adjusted by you & him before his comeing of the Islands, as I often desired. But since it was not then done, I now most [p. 264] earnestly intreat you both that it may be one of the first things you goe upon after his arrivall there, & that you will not fayle to adjust all the Royal Companyes acco.tts & send them home secure, too, as they require it should be done. For till then I cannot get myself discharged from them, though I have presst it with all imaginable earnestness. I have sent for our sugars you laded in the Virgin to be shipt about for this port, there being nobody there that will bid a penny of money for them. Those 6 butts by Browne you have an Acco.t of Sales for, also an Acco.t Currant of our comission acco.t & your particuler Acco.t Currant. By Mr. Helmes I have sent those peeces of plate you desired, w.ch you will finde the cost of in your Acco.t Currant. ...

219. [p. 265] John Bramley [Montserrat]

London, March 10, 1680/1
Sir,
Heerwith you have a coppy of my last. Since which I have receivd the 20 hhds. sug.r p.r the William, Thomas Brown, Master, which pr.ved extraordinary course sugar & neer 17 p.r cent wastidg upon them & the cask light weights. All which is very injurious to mee & what I cannot but take notice of since you are not pleased to lade joyntly. For indeed on the 20 hhds. that were ordered for my p.rticuler the beginning of the yeare, there was the same reason of complaint. & As you may see by the acco.t of those 40 hhds. laden joyntly, there was not more above half the wastidg upon them & the sugar much better. & From my plant. suger att Nevis where it hath itts dew time of cureing, it usually wasts but from 2 to 4 or 5 p.r c.t, & this wastidg is the greatest extream of what sugers receivd in the way of trade from the worst payments that knock it out as soon as it's well cold in the potts doth. & You will know that it was my order & desire if at any time you should thinke fitt to shipp p.rticulerly, that the cask should be equally lotted in the storehowse in the pr.sence of my freind Mr. W.m Fox, that soe I might receive my just pr.portion both in quantety & quallety. But being desirous rather to avoid all trouble in that kind & to incouridge you to load joyntly, I am content to dispose of it heer without any charge to you. & For what I soe dispose of, if you have not as good & pr.fitable accompts rendered from mee as any other p.rson hath, I should be ready to condemn myself. This & all other thing reasonable I am & shal be ready to condescend to for the carryeing on our interest fairely betwixt us. & On the other hand, since I doe referr all things there to your mannadgment without any manner of controule, it is as reasonable that I should have some small satisfaction rendred mee of the pr.ceedings of the concerne there, which would be much more satisfactory to mee to have it from yourself then from a second hand, knoweing that people in such cases are apt to amplifye & may be a means of begetting a misunderstanding. That on my part I am very unwilling to allow anything that might be a means of createing itt, nor am I willing to adher to any discourse tending to it. Yet itt's naturall to all men to inquire after their concerns, espetially since you have not been pleased to give me an acco.t neither of what made nor likely to be made. W.ch put me upon makeing such inquiry that otherwise I should not (& my expectations being raised), by the hopes all p.rsons from thence gave mee of a large quantety of sugers made & that you had for many mo. togeather continued almost constantly grinding, & had still many canes to grinde. [p. 266] Soe that by Terry & Brown I was in hopes of a large quantety. But the latter informes mee that at his comeing away there was none in the howse but what was soe lately made that it could not be otherwise disposed off, but that you had made a payment of a large quantety to Mr. Persons on acco.t of the R. C. to whom I was noewayes a debitor that I am yet sencible of. Neither have you made me sencible of any other disbursement considerable, unless barely the common expence of the familly, which cannot be great, at least I hope soe. Further, you see I have been informed that you laded upon your own p.rticuler acco.t for Bristoll in the mo. of July & August 66 hhds. of sugar of all which you have not made the least mention to mee. If you had & that it might have done you any p.rticuler serviss, I should have been noewayes displeased at itt. But still I am desirous to have an acco.t of all pr.ceedings relateing to the plant. I shall not trouble you further on this subject then to request you to make up an acco.t dewly from time to time, viz. every 6 months. & In order therunto, least other affaires might take you off, I have ordered my servant Rich.d Watts to goe twice a yeare from Nevis to M.tsarratt to take an exact & full acco.t of all things upon or belonging to the plant., as likewise the pr.fitts & disbursements of the same, which I have given him more p.rticuler instructions about. & Desire you will please to afford him your assistance. I have likewise ordered him to shew you my instructions to that effect, w.ch tends to noe other thing then barely the sending me such acco.tts.

This accompanyes Mr. Robert Helmes p.r whome you have the chest of medicines you ordered, with the Invo. of the same. Also I have sent you your p.rticuler acco.t as it now stands & intreate you to make pr.vition for the payment of the ballance. I have also ordered 2 pipes of the best Madera wine to be laden & marked FB for our plant. acco.t & expence & soe will futurely yearly & a pipe or two more if you desire itt. What you doe not expend, you may dispose of, for I am very desirous of lessening our disbursements there, that soe the full pr.ceeds may be laden. & If I could see anything considerable from itt, would be ready to advance something towards the settlement of Bodkins plant. by putting 40 or 50 slaves more upon it, which if you judg may be advantageous and if you find a good oppertunety of a choice shipp of negros, I believe Mr. Helmes will accommodate you on pretty moderate tearmes about 3,000 or 3,200 lbs. sug.r p.r head for choice slaves. & Soe gett some time for payment, viz. 9 or 12 mo. & in that interim advise me & I will send you ps. 8/8 to make the payment within the time, which will bring them down to 15 or 16 p.r head, which you need not take notice of till you come to make the payment. A slight work would serve for that plant. with little charge, saveing the coppers & c. w.ch should be supplyed from hence in dew time. I mention this to you but referr itt to your further consideration.

Mr. Helmes will touch att M.tsarratt & itts my desire that what sugar you have or you gett ready should be laden upon this shipp, makeing the best agreement with him you can for the freight & for what quantety you agree for. If the shipp stayes not there to take it in, make the agreement with him to send up a sloope for the same at his own cost & charges, and please to advise by first what you shall lade upon her. Be sure whatever you lade at any time to lett the caske be large, well filled & well hooped. ...

220. [p. 267] George Liddell [Montserrat]

London, March 10, 1680/1
Itt is our order & desire that you lade on board any good shipp or shipps, from time to time, bound for London, the rent of our plant. in M.tsarratt in your possession (viz. thirty two thousand pounds of sugar p.r annum) as the same shall grow dew according to covenants, & consigne the same to Mr. W.m Baxter. & Lett the superscription of your letter bee directed to the said Baxter, but the contents within to W.m Freeman. ...

221. MEMORANDUM for Mr. Robert Helmes

1. Att your arrivall att Madera, adjust our accompts with Sen.r De Gamma getting what abatement you can for comission of sales of the last 200 pipes of wine, which he ought to have allowed us. You have his letter oppen, in which is his accompt. & After you have adjusted the said acco.t, give us a line what you have agreed upon, that soe the ballance may be paid him.

2. Secondly, adjust our accompts w.th Mr. Pickford & Comp. & desire him to forward them to us p.r the first conveniency, & please to take notice that there is an error in one of his accompts of about 8 milrs. undercast to our pr.judice, w.ch I thinke is in the Acco.t of Sales of Vandivells cargo. Also, if Rivetts goods be not cleered, give your testimony there that the goods was pr.perly ours & the Master in no wayes concerned in them.

3. Thirdly, when please God you arrive att Nevis, it's my desire that you imediatly take into your custody all books of accompts relateing to any of our concern, either kept by yourself, W.m Helme or any other p.rson imployed in our serviss, as likewise all bonds, bills or other obligations whatsoever the relates to our concerns, & the same to keep in your custody untill their effects bee recovered in. Also as soon as possible to make up and adjust all our Acco.tts of Sales of goods consignd yourself, W.m Helmes, Tho. Westcott or any other p.rson or p.rsons in those Islands. & For your better government therin, you have heerwith an acco.t of all the severall cargoes with the cost & charges of the same. Pray let this buisness be finished with all expedition. & If any p.rson should refuse, you have a full & ample power from us to compell them thereunto.

4. Fourthly, I intreat you not to fayle imediatly after your arrivall to goe upon the settlement of all the Royall Comp. concern & adjust the acco.tts in such a method as they require them to be done. & Let them be sworn to by Mr. Carpenter & yourself, & sent home p.r the first shipp, w.th duplicate p.r the 2d, these all sworn to, one of which you may direct to mee. & After you have soe done at your soonest leisure, adjust all acco.tts between Mr. Carpenter & ourselves. & What you find comeing dew from that concern, you may imediatly draw of ¼ prt & send home pr.tending it to my p.rticuler, which shall be carryed to our joynt accompt.

5. Fifthly, at your soonest leisure make up & adjust all accompts depending betwixt you & myself, viz. our comission acco.tts, cooperidg acco.tts, custome acco.tts of what kind so ever, Acco.tts of Sales of all goods, p.rticulerly betwixt ourselves, either bought there or consigned from hence, charges of howsekeeping, storehowse rent or otherwise, w.th all other acco.tts of what kinde so ever, that soe I may see the pr.fitt or loss of the same.

6. Sixthly, I desire you to make a purchase of the reversion of all Procter's estate upon our joynt accompt; & stock the same, with all other our lands thereunto belonging, with as many able slaves as may be convenient to manuer the whole. & Send me a full & p.rfect acco.t of the whole disbusements you have been att in settling the same from the beginning with all acco.tts of itts full pr.duce likewise. & From Xtmass Next, beginn [p. 268] an acco.t of the same to be kept exactly & made up dewly every 6 mo. & sent me of the full pr.duce, as also the disbursements upon the same.

7. Seventhly, I desire that the acco.tts of the plant. in partnership with George Lyddell may be made upp & sent me. & All such goods as you finde are not mentioned in the schedule he must pay for or be inventoryed.

8. Eightly, after you have made a settlement of all accompts with Mr. Carpenter, if he will keep howse in towne, come to a certein agreement with him for our pr.portion of the charges, as well for the time past as to come, & make a pr.posall to him of selling our ½ prt of all the storehowses belonging to the concerne. & If you cannot bring him to give a good price for them, lett there be a divission made of the same, that soe you may dispose of our part before you come of & receive the pr.ceeds of the same. You know their cost, by which you may govern yourself in the disposition.

9. Ninthly, after you have well considered the state of our plant., take a full inventory of what may be convenient for a yearely supply, & what may be necessary to be bought here. Send your order for itt, that soe it may be supplyed on the best & easiest termes &, if you buy slaves, to send for ps. 8/8 to pay for them.

10. Tenthly, it will be convenient & is desired by my bro. Baxter, after you have settled all our Acco.tts of Sales, to send us home a list of the debts standing out. & Upon the makeing up & adjustment of all such accompts, if you find anything undershipt according to his dew pr.portion, ship as much as will make good the same upon his p.rticuler. Also give him an allowance of 40£ p.r tun upon his pr.portion of all cask shipt or to be shipt.

11. Eleventhly, be sure to take care of the w.tts of what sugar you shipp. & For what you loade at Morton's Bay, marke with another marke & soe likewise distinguish what comes from any other islands, by which we shall easely finde out the deceipt of the receivors if any.

12. Lastly, I referr all things to your prudent mannadgment to act as in your discretion shall seem meete, either in shipping home of our sugar or disposeing of any our concerns, as you may finde ocation offers for our most advantage, & wish you a happy & pr.sperous voyadg. Which shal be the prayers of your affectionate freind.

222. William Helme [Nevis]

London, March 10, 1680/1
This accompanyes your brother Mr. Robert Helmes to whom we have refered all things relateing to our concerne to adjust with yourself or any other p.rson or p.rsons whatsoever in those parts, to whom I referr you in all things. & Desire you forthwith to make a settlement of our buisness with him. In order thereunto, I have given him an acco.t of all such goods as we have consigned yourself, as likewise of what we have receivd in returne from you. & Upon adjusting the whole acco.t, you will finde we are upwards of £15,000 pounds sterl. out of our principall to this day. After 5 years corespondency, the whole amountant of our consignation being [blank] & the whole pr.duce of what we have receivd in returne but £ [blank]. By which you may judge what just cause we have had to complain of short returnes. & It is much to bee feared (if we have not very advantageous Accompts of Sales rendered), we shall never see our principall money with common interest, w.ch will rise to a great summ of money, that we might have had with securety here without hazerd of the seas and enemies.

W.ch putts me in mind of giveing answer to one or two p.rticulers [p. 269] in yours of the 4th of January that came to hand 3 dayes since, viz. of an obligation we lay under to Tho. Westcott & yourself for 350£ worth of goods that J.W. rec.d from his brother 3 years since that had ever since been imployed in our stock. To which I answer that I never gave pr.mition to his brother to send him more then £150. & As he was then my servant, he was obleidged by covenants not to trade for anythinge upon his own acco.t without my p.rmition. If he did pr.fitt therof, must redownd to mee. Neither did I p.rmitt him to trade with the same there any other way then to returne the pr.ceeds of itt. & This was a kindness to him, that I had much adoe to pr.vaile with his brother to send him these goods, & for soe much as £150 it was by my p.rswasion. But upon a further inquiry into the buisness, I find John Westcott sent him £160 & odd pounds (& as much more upon his own acco.t), of which he hath receivd the pr.ceeds long since. & Truly, if we had receivd the one half of the pr.ceeds of those goods we sent at the same time & before, I should have thought we had been well dealt with, which you might have been pleased to have taken into consideration before you had mentioned such kindnesses don to us, tho I cannot yet be sencible off. For if wee have but the pr.ceeds of our own stock, itts as much as wee desire, & are not att all covetuous of other p.rsons.

The next p.rticuler I take notice of is the pr.posall you make as to caske, which I cannot acquiess with you in, in regarde I am in partnership with your brother; & as he reapes an equall benefitt of all things with mee. Soe I expect the same p.rformance on his part, & that a just acco.t of all things should be rendered me of what transacted by him, or any other p.rson acting under him, as I have already rendered him.

Now as to the 3d & last p.rticuler that I shall take notice of: I never have yet accused you of any unjust actions, either by tradeing with our stocks or otherwise, because I never was yet sencible of any trade you drove upon your owne acco.t but that what you have transacted hath been upon your brother & mine. In which I doubt not but you have discharged the trust & part of a good servant, which is a character every good servant will endeavor to deserve from their master. & If you have done extraordinary things to deserve an extraordinary character, the greater will be your advantag in poynt of reputation, which is the only means to put a young man into the world & a way to advance his fortunes. Which ought to bee your greatest dependency, since your stock is but small to beginn with. & I doe assure you I should be glad it were in my way to doe anything that might contribute to it. Yet one thing I cannot but take notice, that you seem to say there is an obligation lyes upon mee of £500 in recompence of your last yeares serviss & comissions. To which I answer that I am altogeather a stranger to what covenants are betwixt you & your brother. But doubtless all the world must own the obligation on your part when he tooke you young & rawe, without anythinge, when he might as well as taken a servant with a couple of hundred pounds that might a been as capeable as yourself. & For what relates to my p.rticuler, I can never owne that you have done anything for mee that might meritt my such obligation from mee, in regarde, as I [p. 270] have said before, your brother was under covenants with mee to transact on his part as well as I on mine; & if he had one servant to transact for him, I have had two to transact for mee. & The pr.heminence I have given you over them was noething but a pure respect I had for you as his brother, endeavoring therby to give you the pr.ference of any other. For you cannot but be sencible that if I had given my servants that incouridgment I have you, they might now have been equall with you in reputation. & For what comissions I have given you p.rmition to draw (which as your brother informes me) before your time was out with him, viz. on Claytons cargo & the wines p.r Terry, is soe much cleerly given you, which I did purely to give you incouridgment. For my own servants was as capable to transact for mee as any other p.rson. Yet I say you shall alwayes finde me ready to doe you all the freindshipp & kindnesses that I am capeable of. But when things are lookt upon as a duty incumbent upon mee, its fitt they should be made sencible of the contrary, where ther is noe such obligations. Thus much I have s.d for awnswer to yours, which I should have forborne had not your lies prompted me therunto. For you shall alwayes finde me inclynable to advance your reputation rather then in the least to deminish itt. & What I have to add is to desire you to send an Acco.t of Sales of those goods I consigned you in p.rtnership with my brother & to make the returnes as it comes to your hands. My designe therin was to have joyned you in partnership, that your bro. & I might have done what we could for you both. But finding you were not inclynable thereunto, I will not be the pr.moter of itt, but referr you to yourselves when please God you came togeather. & If you cannot agree, he must depend upon his own fortune, w.ch by Gods blessing I hope he may doe well, though his stock is but small that was left him, not eight hundred pounds, of which £150 of it to this day is in John Vickers hands, notwithstanding I have writt soe often to him about itt. & Something more I will doe for him when I can conveniently. ...

223. [p. 272] Henry Carpenter [Nevis]

London, April 19, 1681
Sir,
I have receivd yours of the 22th of January, & take notice of itts contents, but sure there is some grand mistake between you & Mr. Helmes. For by those acco.tts Mr. Helmes brought home & left with mee, it appears you had drawn of as much as we had done; & by your acco.t, we have drawn of 444,902 lbs. suger more then you have done. This doth soe amuse mee that I know not what answere to give to itt further then to desire you to settle the accompt w.th Mr. Helmes as soon as he arrives & to draw out att large (all the p.rticulers) & send me signed by you both that I may once understand how things stand. For till then I cannot be satisfyed. I know we ought to have gone on hand in hand, as you say, & to have drawn equally, which was alwayes my desire &, on the contrary, what I am altogether a stranger to, if its as you mention. I cannot imagin how soe much can be imployed as is drawn off. For out of neer 28,000£ sterl. principall adventures in 6 years trade, we have had but £14,000 returned. & If upwards of 700,000 lbs. sugar be drawn out of that concern, the 1/3 prt hath come from that, w.ch to me seems a riddle. But I hope a little time will pr.duce me a more satisfactory acco.t. For hitherto I am a stranger to all things transacted there since my departure w.ch Mr. Helmes was sencible was a great error in him & w.t gave him a great dissatisfaction since his brother had not answered what he expected, in whom I p.rceive he putt to great a confidence.

By Mr. Helmes I sent you both our comission acco.t & your p.rticuler acco.t. & Those alterations you desire Mr. Helmes must give you satisfaction in there, for I have p.d itt by both your orders. & If Mr. Helmes hath received p.rticuler satisfaction, he will refund to you Mr. Bartletts debt. I have charged to Mr. Helmes his acco.t, haveing pr.duced his order as well as yours to him. That nor what more I am in disburse I should not mention were I not extreamly streightened, as you may judg I am by the returnes that have been made. & You well know heer is noe living without money. I should be glad it were in my power to serve you. But all men must look home first. I hope there wil be a better understanding betwixt you & Mr. Helmes & that all things wil be settled to all our satisfactions. W.ch is my hearty desire & shal be my study alwayes to mainteine a faire correspondency & to doe what serviss I can for my freinds, amongst which number I hope I may be bold to tearme you.

Our sugers att Leverpoole the refinors will not meddle with, unless they may have them att 23s 6d p.r c.t & 12 mo. time for payment, w.ch may be 18 mo. before p.d. On w.ch tearmes they shall never have them of mee. ...

224. [p. 274] John Bramley [Montserrat]

London, May 23, 1681
Sir,
This serves only to advise of the receipt of yours p.r Capt. Terry with the 20 hhds. of suger & plant. accompt which I have not yet had time to p.ruse. But by the foot of itt I find an extraordinary swelling charge which in a manner eats out the whole pr.duce. As to the p.rticulers, I can say little to untill I have examined. But this much I think good to signifye to you (as I have done in my former) that I am resolvd to supply my part from hence, as I desire you will take care to doe the like, by joyneing a suffitient stock for the carrying of itt on & not to pay double prizen for everything there when I am in a condition to supply from hence on better tearmes. For it is not with us as with ordinary planters who requires 2 or 3 yeares creditt, when we pay ready money for everything that in 3 or 4 mo. after advised for may be supplyed from hence. & Any man may foresee 3 or 4 mo. before what will be wanting. However, it is an easy matter to overun the pr.cedent accompts, by which you may calculate what wil be necessary for every years expence & rather advise for double the quantety then less. & What is not expended one yeare will serve the next or may be disposed of. & In this p.rticuler I am now possitive that for the future I doe absolutely disallow of the buying of anything there without my approbation, except by any accident such things may fall out, by want of which the work cannot be carried on. Only if you think good to purchase of Mr. Carpenter 20, 30 or 40 negros or of Mr. Helms, I doe agree thereto and advise for all things needfull for another worke. They shal be sent from hence as coppers, stills, cases & c., nayles, bords or iron worke for building, or anything elce needfull, pr. vitions of all kinds, beefe, porke, fish, butter, candles, herrings & c. Choice negros cannot be had heer from the Comp. But if you cannot gett them there, as I have formerly advised, give me your orders & I will endeavor to pr.cure them heere, such as may be for our purpose. I take note you write the dryness of the suger is the reason of the light weights, but I find still the same loss of weight as in the sugers p.r the same ship receivd in pr.cell. & If the cask were made by those truss hoops I sent over, they were never filld. For I sent the same to our plant. att Nevis. & 20 hhds. from thence by this shipp makes out neate heer att the scale 25 lbs., weighs more then them 20, which is great loss to mee. Which I hope will be remedied for the future, as also the great wastidg. I desire you to hasten home our suger as fast as made. & Whatever you loade in the mo. of July, August or Sept., pray fayle not to advise of by some foregoeing vessell. For I will insure all my p.rticuler interest of what is loaden in these mo. & yours also, if you please. I cannot inlarge att pr.sent, but will by next. ...

225. [p. 277] Henry Carpenter [Nevis]

London, June 25, 1681
Worthy Friend,
I have received yours of the 11th of March, & hope before this Mr. Helmes may be well with you, who I desired to adjust all accompts depending betwixt us, which was a great dissatisfaction to mee that it was not done before his departure, espetially since there seemed to mee soe great a difference in acco.tt. For by those acco.tts he brought home to mee, it appeared you had drawn as much as we had done & was very reasonable you should (& have gone on hand in hand togeather, as you are pleased to say, which was but just). But by those accompts you sent me, you say he had drawn upwards of 400,000 lbs. sugar more then you had, which did very much surprize mee, & am very uneasy till these things are reconciled. Which I intreat you not to deferr, but come to an adjustment of all accompts with all convenient expedition. & Please to compare your books & let all the acco.tts be drawn out of our books as well as yours at large, & send me by some carefull hand. In case of Mr. Robert Helmes miscarridg (which God forbid), lett his bro. W.m & my servant Rich.d Watts make them up with you, as also all accompts of pr.fitt ariseing from the R. Comp. buisness, viz. either by p.rchase of negroes or ought elce, cooperidge comission & all other accompts whatsoever. & If any horses, slaves or ought elce in partnership betwixt you & Mr. Helmes & myself, pray let there be a list of all such goods & c. sent mee. For I am as yet concerned in that affaire, though against my will, by reason I cannot gett myself [p. 278] discharged from the Comp. untill you have sent their accompts & a list of debts to ballance them sworne to, according to an order Mr. Helmes carried with him from s.d Comp. Which if come to hand I doubt not but you have effected it before this; if not, pray fayle not to doe it with all convenient expedition, and please to send duplicates therof to mee by another shipp also sworne to, as also signe your securety bond & send the Comp. in which Mr. Skutt and myself are bound with you to the R. Comp. And then we will take up your old securety bond. This new one the Comp. required from you in regarde your old securety wil be voyd upon any discharg. I could not comply with your desire in filling up those blank debts you sent, for indeed my correspondents have kept me soe short still feeding me with faire words & great expectations (but according to the proverb, whilst the grass grows, the horse starves) but noe money. For of all the adventures that I have made since I came for England, I am above 4,000£ sterl. principall money out of purse to my own p.rticuler part to this day, & any reasonable man may judg this cannot last. I have sent my correspondent Mr. W.m Helme an acco.t of this at large, in which I am sure he cannot object against anything I say. & Then I will give you or any rationall man leave to judg whether I complain without cause. & To this day I have never receivd but one Acco.t of Sales of about 1,000£ out of 30,000£ adventures. Yet, nevertheless, though I could not pay the money, I have given my bond to John Elliott for 23,904 lbs. sugar & to Mr. Duck for 28,000 od hundred pounds, that, in case it be not shipt before Xtmass day, I am oblidged to pay 6 p.r c.t interest ever since the time our obligation became dew, which must be shipt with the principall. Both which sumes as well as Elliotts I desire you will take care & not fayle to shipp & consigne the same to me upon the foresaid accompts not to them but expres it in the Bills of Ladeing for their accompts, because itts soe agreed betwixt us that upon receipt of the goods here or the Bills of Loadeing (which I am to deliver them up), I am to take up my obligations. I have pr.mised you shall ship it in good sugar & large hhds. to their advantage, which pray take care to doe. Mr. Duck is much concerned att your noncomplyance who hath a respect for you. & Indeed, these things reflects much upon your reputations, which you must heerafter take more care to comply with your obligations from which all punctuallety is expected. Heerinclosed, you have an Acco.t of Sales of the sugar sent to Leverpoole. Had it come for London, it might have yeelded a better price, but I was [p. 279] forced to sell it to John Fleet who hath brought it about here and lost money by itt. The refinors there would give but the same price and demanded 12 mo. time for payment. I intreat you to ship what you can upon our comission accompt, for I am extreamly streightned for money, as I have given you to understand in severall former letters. By advise from W.m Helme there was a considerable p.rcell of suger made in partnership betwixt us & you from the plant., which I hope you have shipt. ...

226. Thomas Westcott [Nevis]

London, June 29, 1681
I have rec.d both yours of the 12th & 16th of March w.th Accompts of Sales of 50 pipes of wine p.r Hutchinson & 50 more p.r Terry. Both w.ch sales comes out soe very lowe that I doubt wee shall never see theire full cost. & One thinge I observe in the acco.tts that you charge the custome of the fall, w.thout soe much as giveing allowance for those that ware lower & produced nothinge, w.ch the sevearest custome howse in the world allowes 10 p.r c.t for. & Now since the customes is in your hands, it is expected that you should give the same allowance that former farmers did to us, w.ch as Mr. Ro. Helmes informes me was 1/3 p.t p.r agreem.t. However, if you judge that to much, doe w.tt is reasonable by us in that case. For as our wines are sold, I am confident we shall never see our first cost & charges. & Pray advise me for the time to come what allowance you will give upon the custome of wine, brandy & other liquors. For if I canot import them soe as to make my principall with comon interest, you canot imagin I can suply you. I alsoe desire you that what shall come to your hands futurely, you will keepe up the price of & sell none under 2,500 lbs. sugar p.r pipe at lowest, unles to such as you receive pres.t paym.t from. To such I leave you to your discresion or, in case of a greate glut, rather then to let them perish upon your hands. Mr. Bawden informes me he hath given the same instructions to Mr. Pruit.

Those fustians that ware consigned you last year p.r Mr. Henthorn I have bought of him & p.d him mony for them here. Soe that if you have made him any return upon that acco.tt, pray advise me. & If you have not given my p.rticular acco.tt C.r for theire n.t proceeds & make me the return of them, as alsoe of the bale of canvis & dowles the last yeare, I alsoe desire you to send me a p.rticular acco.tt of what goods you recd out of Clatons first cargo, as also an exact acco.t of w.t you rec.d out of this last cargo. & Pray send distinct Acco.tts of Sales as above of goods not intermixed with any other goods. If you have intermixt them in your sales you must examine, you must work to find them out. & For what remaines unsold of either of these cargoes, pray send a list of. & If please God Mr. Ro. Helmes bee arivd there, I desire you will give him an exact acco.tt of all dry goods you have remaineing unsold. & Because I knowe it wil be inconvenient for you to hold two distinct Acco.tts of Sales of dry goods & of different concerns, I therefore desire you to come to an agreem.t with him for all such dry goods as remaine unsold, makeing the best tearmes you can with him. & Make this cargo of goods w.ch you will receive p.r the Abraham Deb.r for the same, as you doe agree with Mr. Helmes. & That soe you need keepe but one acco.tt & you may stile this acco.tt for acco.tt of your br. John Westcott & Comp., although I am 1/2 concerned & my bro. Baxter 1/ 4 concerned therin. Yet we would not have any notice taken thereof, but as if they ware your bro. & your own concern. & What return you make upon that acco.tt, let the Bills of Ladeing run for acco.tt of your bro. & comp. & Soe direct your letters. & Pray send mee an acco.tt of all the p.rticulars that you doe agree w.th Mr. Helmes for & the price you are to give. Or in case of Mr. Helms his miscaridge (w.ch God forbid), then I refer it to yourselfe to allow such a moderate price for such goods, as in your judgm.t you shall thinke reasonable. You will likewise by this ship receive some provitions & other goods for acco.t of myselfe & bro. Baxter, God sending them safe. Its my request to you to keep up the prices as much as you can, unless to such as you can sell for ready paym.t. & To such wee had much rather sell to at lowe rates then to make long debts, w.ch wee desire you to take best care you can to prevent. For wee had rather our goods should lye unsold then be sold to such persons whose debts may be doubtfull or theire paym.t very long. For without returns noe man can continue a trade. Of w.ch hitherto we have reason to complain as well of your slownes as others. For when you consider how greate our concern is in your hands, you will find but a very slender return made. W.ch makes mee once more give answer to your argum.ts that wee canot expect that return coming as from W.m Helme, who hath 3 times the concern in his hands that you have. To w.ch I give answer that if W.m Helmes would send us nothinge (as in reality hee doth not worth takeing notice of), should we then expect nothinge from you? Does not your owne reason tell you that noe man can continue a trade without returnes? & Pray consider how inconsiderable our returns have been to what our adventures have after soe many yeares. I never saw there once made accompt of my principall at least in 6 mo. after I rec.d any p.rcell of goods, as I hope the same thinge may be expected from you. However, as long as you use your indeavors, I shall content myselfe, let the suckses be what it will. Yet you ware much to blame in not giveing your assistance towards Terys dispatch. For wee are the sufferers in your private animosities betwixt you & W.m Helmes in not assisting each other. For the future, pray keepe noe goods ag.st the arivall of any ship, but hasten us returnes upon any bottome or bottomes for London as fr.t shall offer, giveing still our ships when there the prefference of w.t you can loade. & Pray use your dilligence to send home what possible you can. For untill you have further inabled us, wee are able to send you noe more goods. Another thinge I desire you – not to fayle of sending us Acco.tts of Sales. & Pray send us a list of such debts as W.m Helme turned over to you to receive, w.ch he informed us ware upwards of 300,000 lbs. sug.r, & advise w.t debts remaine unrec.d of that debit. I take notice of w.t you hint as to the customes; but for that or any other charge you must expect noe allowance, but for w.t you really pay according to my 1st proposalls. & I am well assured Mr. Pruit hath noe other allowance. You must consider you are jumpt into a buisnes that few young men out of England hath a better. I am well sattisfied your comissions may be worth you at least 500£ ster. paid, if you please to follow your buisnes close, w.ch you will finde other men are many yeares before they obtaine (if ever) such considerable buisneses. & For w.t I adventure I assure you its to promote you & not out of the hope of any greate matters I expect from it. Yet, as long as I advent.re, its in expectation of profit. As to w.t I formerly writ you concerning a p.rtnership w.th my bro., you need not trouble yourselfe to give any answer to, for he hath contrary to my inclinations put himselfe into the French army. ...

227. [p. 280] Captain John Bramley [Montserrat]

London, July 6, 1681
Sir,
... If any other charges are brought to accompts, I shall never allow them, being resolved to supply all things at the best hand. & That there may be noe want found, I had rather you would order a double quantety of everything, that soe you may have alwayes a stock lyeing by for payment of workemen or any other occations.

Upon p.rusall of your last accompt & compareing the same with the former, I find these objections. Viz., in the accompt made up to the 20th of July 1679, there is 2,900 lbs. sugar charged for the cost & transportation of 2,000 hhd. staves, which cannot belong to the plant. acco.t, because I finde noe creditt in the acco.t for the cask, & for what cask hath been sent either for my p.rticuler or joynt accompt. The staves I sent will much more then make good (which Mr. Fox informes me were delivered to you), of which as yet I have noe accompt rendered. And in one of the last articles in the acco.t made up the 20th July 1679 is a charge of 1,201 lbs. sugar for a beast of Lef.t Lee's kild by our negroes, & in the next acco.t made up to the 25th of December 1679 is the same charge againe in the first article of that accompt, which I take to be a double charge of that article. & In my Accompt Currant, you charge me 300 lbs. sugar for [blank] tuns of caske, wheras there is a negroe cooper upon the plant.; & for all the worke he hath done in 3 years before, I have had but 100 hdds made in total of my p.rticuler, accompting my pr.portion of what was shipt joyntly. All which allowing to have made 100 hhds. more for you is not one years worke, & noe creditt given in the acco.t for any other worke done by him. Againe you charge my Accompt Currant for 1,200 hoops in that yeares accompt 1,520 lbs. sugar, wheras I had but 60 hhds. That might as well have been made with the country hoopes as formerly but allow them to be all of those hoopes. There are but 700 lbs. at most. When I send out hoopes & staves, then they must lye by & rott & noe use made of them. & When I doe not, I must pay double. These are articles noe man can allow off.

Many other objections there are. As for pr.vitions & c. for your p.rticuler family that the plant. ought not to be charged with, that I have not now time to p.rticulerize, nor it's like I should never take notice of if you did not accorde soe harde in every p.rticuler upon mee, which you have noe reason for. Another thing I doe not finde creditt for in my Acco.t Curr.t w.ch is for teaching Bando & somewhat elce that I have formerly writt concerning that at pr.sent I cannot call to minde, being full of buisness. I also observe that a great part of the charge of the last years accompts is for bords, nayles, plankes & c., and workemens wages for buildings, & yet I am not made acquainted with any buildings neither before they were begun nor since. Which charges is all contrary to Articles. Neither shall I ever allow of such charges without being acquainted therewith & my approbation thereunto. You nor noe man can judge it but reasonable that every man should have the disposition of his own estate.

I have thought fit to take notice of these things to you & to shew my disallowance thereunto, in regarde you never are pleased to acquaint me with anything of the concerne or to desire my approbation in my worke you carry on of late, which you know to be contrary to Articles, & what I am sure you yourself would never allow of. This is what time at pr.sent will p.rmitt relateing to the acco.ts. ...

I have according to your order sent a caske of horse shoes and brasses p.r this ship [p. 281] Abraham, Abr. Terry, Master, the cost & charges therof is £ [blank] and have consigned them to Richard Watts to convey them to you, in regarde the shipp hath noe other goods to land att M.tsarratt. I have inquired into the buisness of the ps. of blew linnen you mention to be wanting which I have p.d the draper for. & Both my man and the packer that put up the goods doe averr it was packt up. I strange at the miscarridg. I was then in the country. As to the quantety of canvis you mention to have receivd by Clayton, which you judge to large for our plant. use, I cannot thinke it soe, being what is most pr.per & serviceable for clothing the negroes & a comodety not p.rishable, by which there can bee noe loss in lyeing by. I take notice of what you hint that it's necessary in case of warr to have a vessell alwayes ready for the transportation of our slaves, & you desire an order from mee to that effect. To which I answear that the hazzerd may be as great at any such time upon the sea as the land & at best all the rest of the estate must be received, whether the island lost or not lost, for want of the negroes upon it to keep it in order. & For these considerations, I am resolved to run the adventure in time of warr as well as in peace & leave the issue to God Almighty. For at best it wil be but receiveing of the estate to pr.serve a small part therof, & the loss may happen to fall heavier the other way. Noebody knowes the event of warr; therfore, ought not to be soe discouridged.

I shall now give answer to yours of the 8th of Aprill. As to the charge you mention dew to Coll. Ed. Stapletons estate of 1,500 lbs. sugar from mee, I know noething of it. Neither is it possible for me to keep accompts in my head. But I desire you, if you find any such summe charged by me to the plant. accompt, that you will inquire of George Lyddell & desire him to looke over Coll. Stapletons acco.tts in my books kept by him. & If he doth not finde the creditt of it there, pray write to Mr. Robert Helmes & Richard Watts to Nevis to determine all the said Coll. Ed. Stapletons acco.tts there, whether they find not the creditt of itt in his acco.t there. & Please to advise me what the said 1,500 lbs. sugar creditt was for. Doubtless, if I charged the plant. with it, hee hath creditt for itt. Yet, if it should soe appeare that he hath creditt in neither & that it is dew to him, I doe order you not to pay it, for Coll. Stapletons estate is indebted to mee 346£ 12s 6d which the Gen.ll refuses to allow me in accompts. Soe that may well be forborne untill the said summe is paid or allowed mee. I also observe you wil load 40 hhds. of suger on Clayton for our joynt accompt, upon which I will insure 300£, since you referr it to mee. I observe what you wrote as to the goodness of the sugars, & the great advantage Mr. Cone hath by his sugers sold by Mr. Mortimer. To which I answear that if our sugars are as good as Mr. Cones, I doubt not but to sell them as well as Mr. Mortimer, and am glad to hear you can make such good sugars when you ship joyntly. For all that you have laden for my p.rticuler pr.ves worse by 12d p.r c.t then the worst p.rcells that comes in the shipps. Nor could I have sold them within 12d p.r c.t of the comon markett price of others if I had not sold them with great quantetyes in p.rcell & the wastidge upon them 14 & 15 p.r cent, the caske all riseing very well conditioned. You may believe I cannot but take notice of these things. My desire is that all thngs may be carried on fayrly betwixt us & that an equall advantage may redound to you as well as to mee in all things relateing to the plant. concern, without takeing any advantages of each other. & When I see you make that your rule, I shall never find fault with anything that any man may judge to be reasonable. And the method I resolve upon, viz. of supplying all things at the [p. 282] best hand, being rightly considered by you, you will finde it your advantage as well as mine. Wherfore I desire you to take into consideration what may be needfull for the next years supply of all things, & send me an acco.t therof w.th your orders for sending such necessaryes only. & If you judge some ps. of 8/8 wanting also, rather calculate more then less of all things, that soe you may have alwayes a stock lyeing by. It would be convenient for us to have alwayes 10 or 20 white men servants upon the plant. which though are rather a charge then proffit to the plant. Yet it wil be a strengthening to the Islands & that land you have let out to tenents when white servants are upon it may as well be imployed to our owne use. If you agree in this p.rticuler with mee, send me your orders, & I will send out soe many lusty men, amongst which I will endeavor to pr.cure some tradesmen if possible. Pray fayle not to shipp of what sugers are made by the first oppertunety with the plant. acco.tts from time to time. I hold it a great loss to us that you doe not beginn to grinde earlyer in the year, notwithstanding the reasons you give. I am sure what you gaine one way you loose double in others, for severall reasons I could give that time will not now p.rmitt mee to doe. But I desire you will alwayes beginn early. ...

228. General Sir William Stapleton [Montserrat]

London, July 6, 1681
Honored Sir,
I have receivd both yours of the 24th of January & 4th of February with your objections to my accompt, which are many of the summes great. To all which I will give you the most satisfactory answer I can. As to the first of 346£ 12s 6d dew to mee from your brother Edmunds estate, it cannot but be allowed a just charge, since you have given his estate to your brother Redmond (or otherwise I am misinformed), of whom I can never recover the debt, neither in equity nor by law, since he derives his title from you. Yet if that were the only article in dispute, I would never make a word about itt, but give you satisfaction therein, though I were sure to loose every penny of the money. Yet I must acquaint you the great part of the money was lent by your order, before you contradicted. All which I doe not insist upon, for I will never have a difference with you for such a summe.

As to your 2d objection of 3£ 11s for a hat to Mr. Helmes, I made him Deb.r for 3£, which was the summe you formerly ordered me to doe, & Mr. Helmes hath allowed the same. & I have given your accompt creditt for soe much. If the other 11s be your dew, you must require it of him, for I have made up all accompts heer with Mr. Helmes.

As to the 3d objection of 50£ p.d Mr. Helmes w.ch was p.d L. Gratebach, I charged Mr. Helmes againe D.r for the said summe and have given your accompt creditt for itt. (fn. 4) Soe that if that appears dew to Mr. Helmes, you must make it good, for I made him allow it in accompt to you as before.

As to the 4th objection for the 750£ receivd from the King (for the country), I have given your accompt creditt for 715£. The other 35£ is for my pr.vition for my trouble about that affaire, which Mr. Crisp pr.mised should be allowed mee. And you [p. 283] must make the country D.r for the same. For the former 500£ I receivd upon your accompt, I never charged anything neither for my truble nor expences. Yet I am sure I had five times the trouble above it as Mr. Bradshaw had, who thought himself not well p.d with 20£ only for sollicitation. By which they may finde that other men wil be p.d for their trouble, & there is noe reason why I should not.

As to the 5th objection relateing to the other 750£ upon the same accompt, it is not yet received. But Mr. Trant tells me he hath your orders for the receiving that summe soe that you cannot expect the credit therof from mee before receivd. (fn. 5)

As to the 6th objection, being the 500£ lent Mr. Skutt which you should have made 800£, there being soe much then in his hands at interest, to that I answear that you ought not to have the creditt of that from mee when it was out upon interest upon your own accompt which I esteemed very well placed. Otherwise, it had not layn soe long there. Yet, as soone as I receivd your order for the calling it in, I forthwith observed itt & the money was p.d me at the first call, viz. 800£ principall & 80£ dew upon the interest, which 880£ I have given your acco.t creditt for. & In the former acco.t sent you, you have C.r for twice 30£ which was for 2 years interest of the 500£.

As to the 7th objection relateing to the 1,200£ bills I sent you, to that I answear that I had at that time when I drew those bills one years pay in my hands & had your ord.rs for the keeping it untill I receivd your further order. And being then advised by Mr. Robert Helmes that he had given your soldiers creditt (upon pr.sumption that there pay was in my hands) & by there officers allowance to the vallew of 700£ which he desired mee to stop in my hands, I thought it but reasonable it should be paid. & To this effect I then writt you & sent you bills upon him for 1,200£. Yet if you had thought good to have returned them, you might. Which would have given me much more satisfaction (though I should have lost my pr.portion of the 700£ advanced them, which would have been but 200 & odd pounds, viz. the 1/3 prt of that sume, which was the most I was concerned in that payment) than to fall under your hard sensure or displeasure. But these bills being received & returned with your discharge upon them & charged to my acco.t, how is it possible for mee to remedy this?

As to the 8th objection, being the ps. of 8/8 I sent you, be pleased to examine your coppy booke of letters & in that of the 15th of November 1679 you will find your orders to mee to send you 1,800£ in ps. of 8/8 which came to my hands soone after I had sent you the aforesaid bills for 1,200£. Which I tooke into consideration and therfore sent you in ps. of 8/8 to the vallew but of 619£ 01s. Which the former 1,200£ bills surmounted your said orders but 19£ 01s. In which you could not be much damnifyed.

Yet if, upon dew consideration of all the aforesaid answers to your objections, you are not fully answered to your satisfaction, I doe not desire to be my owne judge in anything that I have transacted. & Therfore, I humbly desire you wil be pleased to appoynt your pr.sent attorney Mr. Patrick Trant & joyne with him what p.rson or p.rsons you shall think fitt & send to him or them [p. 284] your objections or such of them as you are not fully satisfyed in. & If I cannot fully answer them to their satisfactions, or any other indifferent p.rsons, I wil be bound to make good the same, if all I am worth will doe itt.

Thus much in answer to your objections in your note. Yet there remaines some objections in your letters, viz. of the 4th of February, wherin you are pleased to say I p.rsist strangely in some p.rticulers relateing to the £1,200 bills & ps. 8/8 I sent. Wherin I say I had not receivd the 2 years pay which I still say is unreceived (& could wish it were in my power to receive it) & yet you are pleased to say in my pr.ceeding letter I wrote I had rec.d itt. I humbly intreat you, Sir, not to mistake things, but be pleased to examine my pr.ceeding letters; & if it shall appear in any one of them that I wrote I had receivd any more then what I have rendred you in accompt, I must make it good. But I can finde noe such thinge I have writ in any copies I have. But I presume the letter you make mention of bares date the 17th Feb. 1679. The words are these: Your last yeare & halfe pay I have got setled upon the harth duty, but feare I must be forced to stay for it till Michealmas. & At that time I had the Lords of the Treasurys words soe possitive for it that I gave Mr. Bradshaw mony to strike the tallyes & did realy beleeve the tallyes had been struck, & knew nothinge to the contrary but that it was soe. & Indeed was soe confident of it that, if there had been any occation, I should have advanced the mony myselfe without the least scruple. The truth of this Mr. Bradshaw is able to testifie as well as myselfe. & That day I writ you this letter, Mr. Bradshaw hapned to be out of towne, w.ch was the occation of this mistake, w.ch I contradicted in my since letter of the 9th of March, as may appeare. W.ch was the same letter I sent to the ps. 8/8 with. That was a suffitient and timely caution to prevent the advancement of their money. Yet you may please to take notice that in the very words of that letter I was soe far from advising that I had rec.d it, that I did not expect to receive it in 8 months after, yet I writ nothing but what I had the possitive words of the Lords of the Treasury for. & That can never be deemed an eror in mee. For, if I was to transact the same thing againe & had the like assurance, I might be guilty of the same fault. If persons of hon.st words may not be taken, I know not whose may. And all I writ I am sure I am able to make good proofe of, yet should be sory if it might hapen to your loss, but that I am sure will not. For I am still confident that a little time will produce all things to your sattisfaccion. For I thinke the paym.t canot be delayed much longer. And your attorny can informe you that there is noe neglect in mee, but that I doe suffitiently press it both by peticcon and otherwise. I am sure it hath cost me upwards of 20£ in expences within this & in foll.g the Councell to Windsor & Hampton Court where they now sit & layeing before it the Lords suffitiently w.th petitions. The last answer I had was last weeke, when they assured me it should be forthwith don without any further delay. Soe that I now dayly expect it. I have rec.d Mr. Trants assistance if mony be wanting to advance it out of theire farme, w.ch, if that can be obtained, I am sure the Lords of the Treasury will not refuse.

I omitted to acquaint you that the proceeds of your sug.r remaine in my bro. Baxter hands w.ch he tells me he hath rendred you an acco.tt of.

You are pleased to taken notice of one thinge relateing to the patent, as if I had don you an injury therein, w.ch, if I had the honor to see you, I should soon convince you of. & Now I doe assure you I never transacted anythinge in that affaire, but what I did by the spetiall com.d of your Lady and acquainted her what we did expect for the mooveing in it, who comanded mee to proceed. Therefore, if that was an eror, pray lay it not to my charge, for it was a thinge never thought of by mee, nor did I beleeve it would be pleaseing to you. But being put upon it by your Lady, I could not refuse. & This is the truth of that matter w.ch I endeavored to excuse, suposeing your Lady would have don me that right as to have cleared me in that p.rticular. I hope you harbor noe ill thought of mee upon that acco.tt. I am not soe necessitous as to doe any ill act (by my freinde). Yet, if I ware, I should deserve to have my throat cut for an action that I soe much scorne & abhor. I canot but take notice of it, since this is the 2d time you have repeated it to mee. & Therefore, I have now dealt candidly in it with you. One thinge more you are pleased to charge me with that I am a stranger to – that is in the exorbitant prices of goods sold to the soldiers, instanceing blew linen at 16£ p.r yard. If any such exactions have been made, it was by those that never rendred me such acco.tts. For I should be glad to see my principall mony w.th comon interest for all the adventures I have made since I came into Engl.d, of w.ch I am to this day some thousand of pounds out of pocket. This is impertinent in me to trouble you with. But certainly if such advantages have been made as you are pleased to mention, I never have been a p.rtaker of them nor doe [p. 285] I ever expect to see my own run to 16 p.r c.t interest for it as I have before b.t thereof. Only I must be grossly abused if these things have been. ...

229. Charles Mathew [St. Christopher]

London, July 6, 1681
Sir,
Yesterday yours of the 6th of May came to hand adviseing of the death of your father, at w.ch I am very much concerned. I alsoe take notice of what you write touching the acco.tt depending betwixt your father & myselfe, wherein you made me Deb.r 333£ 16s 2d. But if you please to examine that acco.tt, you will finde I have given your father credit for a bill charged upon me by Sir W.m Stapleton for 677£ 15s 5d, w.ch s.d bill the s.d Sir W.m refuseth to allow me upon acco.tt as haveing made good the same to your father there as I conceive. For w.ch reasons I canot pay any more mony untill you have adjusted the same there with Sir W.m Stapleton. & To this purpose you will finde I writ your father in his lifetime, requesting to have him reach acco.tt with the Gen.ll & to send me his further order about it, w.ch hitherto is undon. & It is what I have already made good your father & p.d by his order in part of that bil, viz. 343£ 19s, is all what appeare to be your fathers dew from the Gen.ll. Upon stateing & makeing up the acco.tt, I doubt not but you will doe him that justice as to take some imeadiet care to reimburse him. How this mistake hapens betwixt the Gen.ll & your father in acco.tt I know not, being a stranger thereunto. But the Gen.ll is pleased to impute it to me, w.ch occations me to request that there may be a right understandinge of the buisnes betwixt you, soe that I may doe right to whome it belongs for imediatly. If it was not your fathers dew, you canot require it from me; & if it ware, doubtles the Gen.ll will doe you right and send me his further orders about it. But as the thinge now stands, it seemes to be a greate hardship put upon me, for I must either incur the Gen.lls greate displeasure or pay the mony out of my owne pocket. The latter is very unreasonable & the former I hope I shall doe nothing to merit. For the afores.d reasons I have refused to pay the 12£ 4s 6d to Gebedee Clure, your father's coachman. But I presume my bro. Baxter hath p.d him upon the request of your bro. W.m, it being pitty the poore fellow should want his dew. Thus, am all more desireing you not to omit the settlm.t of this acco.tt with the Gen.ll. ...