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 Thomas Colmore, July 3 and 26, 1723

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant Thomas Colmore, July 3 and 26, 1723, covering a shipment of 10 hogsheads of tobacco on board the Carter and reporting that he had earlier sent 20 of his and 10 of the the Burwell's estate on board the Booth. He encloses an invoice (not present) for goods and gives instructions about their delivery. He sends some bills of exchange (not present) and asks that Colmore send his tobacco to an early market. His later post script notifies Colmore of other bills of exchange.



Letter from Robert Carter to Thomas Colmore, July 3 and 26, 1723


-1 -

Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]

July 3d. 1723.

Mr. Thos. Colmore

Sir --

     I wrote to You the other day by Captain Wills
In whom I sent You 20 hogsheads of my own Tobacco and 10 of
Mr Burwell's, This accompanies a bill of Lading
for 10 hogsheads more In the Carter of stemmed Straight laid
Tobacco my own Crop which I hope Will prove Accept
=able, I also now Send a [n] invoice for Some Goods
which I am desireous Should come in with the Booth or
If You Send them In any of Mr Perrys Ships Into
York [River] it will please me well Enough. I dare say they
will take them in freight free & Send them home to me

     In all Your Letters You Seem to be in no doubt
that In the Spring the market for Tobo will would mend


-2 -


and that In summer last there was not Tobacco up [on . . . ]
for 6 months Consumption, I hope by this time [my]
Tobo is Sold Off, & that Your next will bring my [sales]
to me,

     Herein I also send You bills of exchange as per the
list Enclosed, Amounts to £ One hundred thirty four
pound Nine shillings and three pence --

      In some later Ships I design You some more, I pray
You take the first good Opportunity of a market In
disposing of my Tobo, I am mightily out of humor
with these Tedious Lag sales, Your Ship having made
So good a Dispatch this Year, you'll be in a readiness
to have her As forward as any of them the Next. I shall Con=
=clude at present the 1st w [en] t. by the Carter


Your very humble Servt

July 26.1723
Herein are Second bills of exchange amounting
to £134"9"3. Also first bills of exchange as per List amounting to
£67"6"7. which I desire You would give my Account Credit for

NOTES



Source copy consulted: Robert Carter letter book, 1723 June 16-1724 April 23, Robert Carter Papers, (acc. no. 3807), Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

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] Thomas Colmore was a London merchant. ( A 1740 London directory, A Compleat Guide . . . , consulted by Francis L. Berkeley, Jr., in London listed Colmore as a resident of Pudding Lane, Eastcheap. )


[2] Captain Peter Wills commanded the Booth in 1723 and the Amity in 1727. ( Survey Report 6800, Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert H. Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. )



This text revised August 19, 2009.