Robert Carter writes to London merchant William Dawkins, July 14, 1720, about his pleasure at the good reports on his sons' progress at school in England and that he is determined that they should be raised in the Church of England. He expresses shock at the cost of their education and that he thinks that he may move them out of the city to a good but less expensive school, and comments on how little his education had cost his brother during the six years he spent in England. He notes what the colonists have learned about the "South Sea Stock," about Captain Baily Kent's loading of his ship, and presses Dawkins to find employment for the sons of Captain Adam Graves. His "Controversy" [law suit] with [Thomas] Wise has nearly concluded, he has little interest in the "bank" observations Dawkins has sent, and adds some comments on the estate of "old Hammerton" as Pinchback Hammerton is going to England to deal with the estate's problems. Dawkins' debtors in the colony have sent tobacco to him this year, but Mark Atkins has recently died with no estate of value. He concludes that he has become a "Great Smoaker," asks Dawkins to send him yearly a small box of tobacco, and requests his sister-in- law, Mary Swan's, small debts to Dawkins be paid from his account.

     Yors. of the 5th of April came to hand but
Yesterday I shall be glad the shoos &c, may gett [sic] to me time
Enough for my occasions -- --

     The health of my Sons & their Improvemt. in Learning
and manners is one of the Greatest blessings I can meet wth.
in this world, lett others take wt. cources [sic] they please in the
bringing up their posterity, I resolve The Principles of our wholly
religion shall be Enstilled into mine betimes, as I am of the
Church of England way so I Desire they Should be but the high
flown ^up Top notions & the great Stress that is laid upon Ceremo
nies any farther than decency & conformity are what I can
=not come into The reason of, Practical Godliness is the Substance
these are but the Shell, -- --

     I come now to their Expenses. I find You have gon [sic]
beyond the bounds of Yor. proposal, Yor. setting Down Every thing
in particular is very sattisfactory [sic] and what I must always desire
The Character I have of their master pleases me well Enough
and their Improvemts. I hope answers my Desire also but their
Expenses Staggers me very much, Landon hath bin there
but half a Year, I observe nothing paid for his board,
How these things compote [sic] wth. Yor. proposals of 40 pound
per annum I can [not] recconcile nor shall not be able
to hold out at This rate, I have good Intelligence that
further from the City they may have as good an Education
for less than half the money and thither they must go
If You can be no better husband for Them. There is
Several Strange Articles in their Accots. Mr. Harrison
The Apothecary a person I know very well £7 for poor
Charles's Physick I dare say 7/ would have pd. for It all
The world is Strangely alter'd sure since I was Young, I
livd wth. old Mr. Baily Six Years I never stood my bror.
in £30 in any one Year of the time Tis in vain I
know to run into particulars, I'm unwilling to order
The remove of them at once but to that It must come
I fear,

     All our Lettrs. are full of the Stock Jobbing
Trade, The South Sea Stock to advance so much in so
Short a time is very surprizing all these things are Mystiries [sic]
to me I must leave them to clarer [sic] heads. pray God
Send us a General peace all the world over & the continuance
of It Through my Days Then wch. nothing is ^{can be} a Greater blessing

     Captn. [Baily] Kent hath made a little more haste than he did last
Year in Loading If God blesses him wth. a good Passage he will
be able to gett [sic] him into the old Tract again

     I am really sorry for the two Young Graves's laying
Idle so long. for Ben's part I'm sattisfyd [sic] he deserves an Employ as well
as any body at all, Surely for the Sake of their good Father as
well as their own, You will Exert Yor.self in getting them into
some proper business

     The heavyest part of my Controversy wth. Wise is
already over, I shall be contented to Stay Yor. leizure for the
Conclusion of what's behind,

     I take notice of Yor. observat[ion] s abt. the bank
for That Little Interest I have there must Expect to meet wth.
no better fate then other men do

     Pinchback Hammerton tells Mr. Walker
he's coming over hither to look for his right. Walker
as one of the Ex[ecuto] rs of old Hammerton still keeps the
remaining p[ar] t. of the Estate in his hands to secure
himself ag[ain] st. a protested bill of Hammertons that
is lying out In James rivr. [sic] this is all
that I can say abt. that Affair and pray lett Mr.
Hollis be acquainted wth. It, It cannot be Expected
of me to be young Hammerton's security If the Money
were returned for Engd. & the Protest afterwards comes to
be recover'd wt. a fine Condition will the security bee in

     I have lately discoursed Mr. Richd. Lee abt. Yor. Debts he thinks
most of Yor. Debtors have shipt Tobo. to you this year and I hope There
will not much remain unpaid -- Yor. debt with Mark Atkins
will certainly be lost, he was upon the arms of the Parish & is late[ly]
dead, leaving some debts behind him that will never be p[ai] d. --

     I am become a great Smoaker You must yearly make me a
present of a small box of Tobo. My Sister Swan who for the most
part lives wth. me tells me She's in Yor. Debt 6 or 7 pounds. I think
You must charge It to my Accot., Mr. Lee's Draft of an Accot. is
here inclosd It was forgot to be put into the Lettr. relating to
Yor. Affair wth. him I am --