A Collection Transcribed
and Digitized
by Edmund Berkeley, Jr.
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Summary
Letter from Robert Carter to Thomas Evans, March 6 and 2[?], 1724
Robert Carter writes to London merchant Thomas Evans, March 6 and 2[?], 1724, to respond to sales reports which have pleased him but he expresses the hope that all his tobacco has been sold as he does not like having tobacco held for several years before it is sold. He chides Evans because he has not had an account current since 1717. He has 6 hogsheads of stripped tobacco he will send the mechant if Adam Graves will take it even if not consigned to William Dawkins, Graves' owner. In a lengthy postscript dated March 2?, 1724, Carter adds that he is sending 10 hogsheads of straight laid tobacco in the Bailey.
He orders goods for a head overseer, and winter shoes and hats for his two sons at home, as well as coffee for himself.
Letter from Robert Carter to Thomas Evans,
March 6 and 2[?], 1724
-1
-
Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]
Mar. the 6th 1723/4
[Mr. Thomas] Evans
Sir --
Your pcket by Colvil came to me three days ago
[th]
e Account of Sales You send me, I shall not complain of & if the rest
[t]
hat are behind comes out as well, I Shall not find fault, You
are then
clear of all my Old Concern to 16 hhds. & I hope before now
they are gone after the rest to keep Tobacco three or four years & after to
Sell it for 8 pence is a very poor Storey, I wish the higher prices may
have weight Enough to Overballance the Lower, I hope with my
Goods I Shall receive complete Accots from You of all my Concern
& once in my life more an Account Current which I think I have been
without since the year 1717., You speak it as a certainty that the
Carter
& Richardson
are coming into our river & by the former
that You intend me my Goods pray God send her in safe but
when she comes I am at a loss to think what will become of her
I have half a Score hhds. of steipped Tobacco
that I intend on board Adam Graves
I purpose to mark for You, but whether he will be contented
to let them go from Mr. Dawkins,
I cant Yet say & I must
tell you Tobacco hath been So crowded upon these forward Ships that
it hath been very much in the Masters power to Heckle us in
Our Consignments, Your Garden Seeds came in good order
& in the proper Season, I am,
Sir
Your Most humble Servant
-2
-
Mr: Tho Evans -- Rappa March the 2 [?, 1724]
The above is a Copy there are ten hhds: of Stra [it]
laid tobacco of an entire Crop except of
one as I take it of
in [...]
under the mark I alwayes use to you in the Bayley which
Graves knows I have designed to you and Expect you will tak [e]
to them although he is gone away without giving me Bills of
Lading, Captain Holloday
in the Carolina the only Ship that
I hear of coming to our river
from London and is in the room
of the Carter is Arrived and brings me all the Goods I Expect
from thence this year Except yours, I have no line from you
by her and am at a loss to guess where you have put them
It may be in one of the York Ships, no ship
other of your Fleet
being yet Arrived but this
Herein I send you a Small Invoice for some
Goods for a head Overseer of mine who is a good midling
liver to be sent by the first Oportunity you have, and if
you send me in 6 or 8 pound of your best Coffee I may want
it by that time and I would have 4 pair of Winter shoes for
my two Sons, both well grown as I beleive you know one
of them will be 18 years of age the other 19 would also
have a good hat apiece for them without Lace and
for each a pair of winter boots half jack to be large
for they have Stout legs Especially the Elder I tell you
the Circumstances of my overseer that you may the better
judge what bed furniture will be proper for him
not too dear and yet Decent and Substantial that may
be durable will best fit his circumstances
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] Captain [James?] Richardson commanded the Sarah
and was based in Weymouth.
[2] William Holladay commanded a ship named the Princess Carolina.
( Survey Report 6800, found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
)
[3] The Rappahannock River.