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 William Dawkins, June 1, 1721

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant William Dawkins, June 1, 1721, concerning the freight charges being asked by ship captains in the colony, reporting that those in the York River have dropped the rate to £8, and some to £7. Bailey Kent, captain of the Carter, is having trouble obtaining cargo; Carter has put aboard 200 hogsheads of the 600 Kent has on board. Captain Wharton continues to ask for £8 and Carter thinks he may not obtain cargo at all. He continues that the prospects for a crop are not good because of the abundance of worms that have destroyed the plants. He sends his blessings to his young sons then in England at school under Dawkins' care.


Letter from Robert Carter to William Dawkins, June 1, 1721,

-1 -

Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]

June the 1st 1721

Mr. Wm. Dawkins

Sir --

     I writ to You a few days ago by way of Leverpool then
told You the York Masters had Struck their freit to £8. nay there is some
I hear take Seven, Since [Bailey] Kent hath bin with me complains all
his old friends have left him in revenge for his high freit last year
and are not contented not to Ship their own Tobo. upon him but dis=
=wade all others they can, Even Armistead Churchills Tobo. is put
on board of a stranger, he says the most he can reckon is but about Six
hundred hhds and two of the Six I Ship my Self, and yett I must pay
freit for my Goods in Surely You will not be able to Stand that
Article, If I had deserted the Ship with the rest of Yor. friends, You would
have but a ruefull Accot. of her proceedings however twill be as tis
It's the General Cry at this time that very few if any of the Ships will be
loaded, no body pretends to ask above Eight Except Wharton, And he
will Insist so long I believe that he may go hoop for his Loading,

     We have now but a very Indifferent prospect of a Crop, The plants
In our beds in a great measure destroyd by the Ground-Worme & those that
are planted Intirely cutt off. This is the General Cry where I have to do
A month or Six weekes more will tell us more of the Matter,
If we fail of a Crop I Shall wish my Tobo. in my houses again
but Ile add [no] more at present but to send my Blessing to my Children
& conclude -- --


Yor. humble Servt.

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. 100-101.

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] Wharton was Captain John Wharton of the 80 ton Loyal Margaret. ( Survey Report 6800 abstracting Adm. 68/194 found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Shirley and Albert Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. )


[2] Several of Carter's sons were in England at school, and Dawkins was responsible for them.



This text revised April16, 2009.