Robert King Carter's Correspondence and Diary

   A Collection Transcribed
        and Digitized
   by Edmund Berkeley, Jr.


List of Letters | About This Collection

Electronic Text Center , University of Virginia Library


Summary



Letter from Robert Carter to William Dawkins, July 22 and 27, 1720

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant William Dawkins, July 22, 1720, about "Jones's appeal" which it appears he will win; Carter is pleased and notes "I Shall be very ready to Do That Gentleman any service That may lye in my way." The remainder of the letter deals with tobacco shipment and sales, and several bills of exchange. In a postscript in his hand dated July 27, 1720, Carter reports some bills of exchange, a bill of lading for tobacco shipped aboard the Mercury, and reminds Dawkins of his involvement in the sale of a cargo of slaves, adding that he "had thots of Giving You some Trouble in that affair, but have now thrown It wholly on Mr. Perry."



Letter from Robert Carter to William Dawkins, July 22 and 27, 1720


-1 -

Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]

July 22d. 1720

Mr. Wm. Dawkins
Sir -- --

     I have received Your Letters by Cap.
Friend, according to Mr. Sewels Letter about Jones's appeal, It looks
as If he would gett [sic] the victory in the End I Shall be very ready
to Do That Gentleman any service That may lie in my way upon
The Character You give of his Dilligence and ability, I could wish
I knew the Charge of this appeal so far as It is gone --

     This accompanies a bill of Lading for 64 hogsheads
62 of them [tobacco mark] The other two came from abroad & are Leaf
of my Crop Stemd [sic] and Straight laid Except 2 also, a bill of
Lading for Three more under a Difft. mark, on board the
Carter, I hope You'l [sic] exert Your Utmost in the sale of this Tobacco I always expect particular Accounts of sales for every mark we
Dont know how to think of less than Eleven pence for our Crops May
You be able to keep It there Its the only way to make us able
to pay a Suitable freight , You make no mention of the Sale
of the AS [tobacco mark] hogsheads that came to You last Year I hope the spring
Carried It off -- --

     Herein I send You some first bills of Exch
as per List amounting to £155"3"9 which I desire Your management
of --



July 27. 1720

The above is a Copy now comes my 2d bills of Exchange also
here is a bill of Lading for 8 hds aboard the Mercury It is
stmmed Tobacco but cant say tis [sic] my own Crop I have
drawn on You this day for 150 Pounds to Robert Tucker
wch desire You to answere You are alreadie [sic] advised
of my being Concernd [sic] in the Sale a Ship of Negroes
I had thots [sic] of Giving You some Trouble in that affair,
but have now thrown It wholy on Mr. Perry howevr
hope You'll befriend me if there be Occasion



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. . . . p. 36.

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.


The July 27, 1720, postscript is entirely in RC's hand as is indicated by italics.

[1] This sentence was added as a note at the bottom of the page of the draft to be inserted where it now appears.

[2] Robert Tucker (d. 1722), a merchant and justice of Norfolk County, with whom RC was partners in the sale of the cargo of slaves.


This text revised December 16, 2008.