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 23,1720

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant William Dawkins, July 23,1720, informing him that he is sending two hogsheads of tobaccobelonging to the vestry of Christ Church Parish, Lancaster County,which Dawkins is to sell and use the proceeds to buy a communionservice for the use of the parish. Any excess cost Dawkins is tocharge to Carter's account. In an undated note added as a postscriptto this letter, Carter notifies Dawkins that he is sending a hogsheadof tobacco belonging to Robert Gordon that is to be accounted for toCarter.



Letter from Robert Carter to WilliamDawkins, July 23, 1720


-1 -

Rappahannock, [LancasterCounty, Virginia]
July 23d. 172 [0]
Mr. Wm. Dawkins

Sir --

     I herewth. send You a bill of Lading
for two hogsheads ofTobo. on board The Carter markd
CCP wch. is to Stand for Christ Church Parish
and was levyd by the Vestry in order to buy some


-2 -


Church plate, to be sent for by me the Church
Warden to cost£20. or thereabouts to Witt, a Flaggon
& aCommunionPlate wch. are to have these words
at large & engraven uponthem, (Christ Church
Parish Lancasr: County & the Date of the Year,)
These direc [tion] s of the vestry I desire You would follow in
the sending in this plate, what of the money will be
wanting besides the produce of these two hhds. of Tobo.
Youare to charge to my Accot. who am


Sir Yor.
-3 -



Mr. Dawkins
Herein is a bill of Lading for onehogshead of Tobo.
belonging to one Robert Gordon wch. You must
Accot. to me for --

NOTES



Source copy consulted: Robert CarterLetter Book, 1720 July-1721 July, BR 227, Huntington Library, ArtCollections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California. Printed:Wright. Letters of Robert Carter. . .. pp. 39 fr first letter, and p. 38 for the note treated as apostscript.

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, especiallyto merchants abroad. The county and colony have been added forclarity.

[1] A flagon is "a large vessel containing a supplyof drink for use at table; now esp. one with a handle and spout, andusually a lid." ( Oxford EnglishDictionary )

[2] This undated note is found in the letter bookbetween other letters of this date, and is treated as a postscriptdue to its brevity.


This text revised January 16,2009.