Robert Carter writes to his son John, then in London studyinglaw, July 19, 1720, about an opinion that he has received from SirRobert Raymond in England concerning "Mr. Lee's Deed of Settlement,"expressing his dissatisfaction with it. Sir Robert's opinion hadindicated "a wide Difference between a bond Debt and a debt upon Simple Contract" and Carter expounds upon the trouble such aninterpretation will create for the colonists. He asks John to attemptto see Sir Robert or another able attorney to have certain points inthe opinion expanded upon, and adds that he will consult lawyers inVirginia. He sends family news, and indicates his need for aschoolmistress for "my three Younger Children . . . at home with me Mary, Lucy, & George," noting that he haswritten Mr. Perry about one, but John may be able to assist.
I have Considered Sir Robert Raymonds
opinion
upon Mr. Lee's Deed of Settlement& can find but little en=
=
makes a wide Difference between a bond Debt and a debt
upon Simple Contract now If all Debts are resolvable
intothese two mine must be Construed to be a Contract
Debt. & soaccording to Sir Robert not recoverable out
of a real estate, If This be Law we in thePlantations
are in a very Dangerous
but the Merchants Accounts for our Security, and any Merchants
for the
money he has of others topurchase a real Estate
with & when he's Dead his family goesinto the possession of It
& his Claimers are with out remedy,but to the point as
for the pretence of a free contract that wasmade between
Lee & his wife before the
nothing In It norindeed can It be Thought That Lee the
Son Should propose a
Lands which were fee Simple So long beforethe fathers
Death when he had no knowledge whether the lands would
Ever come to him or no. If the truth were known this
Settlement was Contrived Just as Lee found himself
Tottering to Defraudhis Creditors, & to do something
for his wife and Childrenat other men's cost, but how
to discover the Dark
way, my next Step must be to Show Sir Robert's opinion
to our Lawyers here & See what they Say to It. It is a hard
case & for my Life I cant see the Equity of It.That my
Children Should go a Starving & another mans upon
my money should have a maintenace & no Law
will Affordme nor mine a remedy, Sir Robert Raymond
is a very Great man & perhaps will not allow You a
Free Discource with him If You can have so much Influence
with him or any other able Lawyer wthout heaving away
more money, togain me a Clear opinion upon all
These points It would beSattisfactory, Sir Robert's
opinion is in such a terrible Character
in some places
I can do no more but
friends hereare well for what I know, Mrs. Ann
is the
Chief housekeeper I have, my threeYounger Children
are at home with me Mary,
Lucy,
& George
Igreatly
want a Schoolmistress for them a Grave woman of
about forty years of age, that hath been well Educated &
is of a towardly Disposition to make It her business to be
their Tutoress I would willingly give reasonable yearly
wages to such a person for four or five Years, I know
Thereare a great many Such to be met with in London
That are hardly able to maintain themselves, I have
may Perhaps be instrumental in procuring one
& It beinga matter in which You are more nearly Concerned
have