Robert King Carter's Correspondence and Diary

   A Collection Transcribed
        and Digitized
   by Edmund Berkeley, Jr.


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Electronic Text Center , University of Virginia Library


Summary



Letter from Robert Carter to Micajah and Richard Perry, July14, 1720

     Robert Carter writes to London merchants Micajah and Richard Perry, July 14, 1720, concerning the affairs of the Lloyd estate (the lands belonging to John Lloyd, widower of Carter's niece, who had gone to England after his wife's death) that Carter aparently managed for the Perrys who held a lease from Lloyd. He reports bills of exchange drawn against the estate's accounts for Dr. Belfield's and Richard Meeks' (the overseer) salaries as well as one of his own for his use of four slaves on his lands, and some miscellaneous expenses. He comments that the estate's poor lands make it difficult to produce sufficient income, and that the estate's slave cooper is a "Bungler at the Trade" and the tobacco shipping casks are poor. He closes by asking the Perrys to remember the trouble he has had managing the estate's affairs if they should "find It necessary to give up Yor. Interest in That Affair."



Letter from Robert Carter to Micajah andRichard Perry, July 14, 1720


-1 -

Rappahannock, [LancasterCounty, Virginia]

July 14th. 1720-

Messrs. Micajh. & Richd.
Perry

Gent -- --

     You have herein a bill of Lading for 54 hogsheads of
The [Lloyd estate tobacco] mark being the Produce of The Labour of That Estate, The
Overseers Shares Excluded for the Year 1719 how long That concern will
be under my care I cant tell, The Familys however will want goods
yearly an Invoyce for them for the next year is herein Enclosd wch. You
may either send or omitt as You please I have drawn on you upon the
Accot. of That Concern as followeth, To Witt for the Impost of these
Tobos., To Doctr. Belfeild , for £15 for his Sallary & Medicines for
Looking after the Slaves in the Year 1719, To Dr. Belfeild for £50
for his Damages Sustaind by the nonrepairs of his housing &c
According to the tenour of Loyd's Leese wch. You give me Directions
to pay, To Richd. Meekes The genl. Overseer £35"-"-his Salary
for the Year 1719 wch. Desire You to pay on accot. of That Estate
my own Accot. will be but Small for working of four of the
Slaves upon my Lands, for 20 Bus [he] ls of Salt & for Taylors
work amounting to as per The Enclosd Accot. 25"5"6
wch. I desire Credit for. The rest of the Contingent Charges
we have made a Shift to Defray, by Sale of Corn & provision

     I have already sufficiently acquainted You wth. the
meaness of these Lands for the maintenan ce of so many slaves
and how Impossible It is to make tollerable Crops wth. Such
A number To save the Charge of Cooprs. work we have Em=
=ployd a Negro belonging to the Estate who is but a Bungler
at the Trade, The Tobo. is all Stem'd & straight Lade
but The Casks It is in are not so good as I could wish them

     Whenever you find It necessary to give up Yor.
Interest in That Affair I hope You'l not forgett me for the
Trouble & care I have bin at in the managemt. for the several Years I have
had It in my possession wch. is all I shall add at present


but Gent
Yor. most
hum ser

NOTES



Source copy consulted: Robert Carter Letter Book, 1720 July-1721 July, BR 227, Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California. Printed: Wright. Letters of Robert Carter. . . . pp. 21-22.

Robert Carter generally used a return address of "Rappahannock" for the river on which he lived rather than "Corotoman," the name of his home, on his correspondence, especially to merchants abroad. The county and colony have been added for clarity.


[1] The impost was the duty imposed by Britain on imported tobacco.


This text revised December 12, 2008.