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 John Pemberton, June 28, July 26, and August 23,1727

     Robert Carter writes to Liverpool merchant John Pemberton, June 28, 1727, enclosing a bill of lading for tobacco other than 17 hogsheads that should have been shipped on the John and Betty. He tells the merchant that 5 of those hogsheads had been damaged in the collapse of a storage house, but he does not know how to ship it except to Liverpool. He tells Pemberton to charge his account with £62 due Pemberton, and also for "Gales bill protested." He also sends two bills of exchange , an invoice for goods which he wishes to have shipped by an early ship, and a bill of lading for 30 hogsheads shipped on the Rappahannock. He concludes by reporting that his negotiation for some of "Esqr. Hallows" land is at a standstill over the price. In a lengthy post script dated July 26th, Carter adds information about other bills of exchange, the safe arrival of Pemberton's slave ship, the John and Betty, and Carter's handling of the sale of the slaves. In a second lengthy post script dated August 23 Carter encloses a bill of lading for tobacco and orders that it be "sold at the Mast." He also encloses an account of the sales of slaves and 30 first bills of exchange received during the sale, noting that he is sending second bills of exchange by the Carter. He and Captain Denton have had a dispute over Carter's role in the sale and the commission charged for his services; he writes that he had undertaken the sale as a favor to Pemberton, an old friend, and that he will deal only with the principal in such matters, not with the ship's master. None of the enclosures mentioned are present.


Letter from Robert Carter to John Pemberton, June 28, July 26, and August 23,1727

-1 -

Mr. John Pemberton     Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]     
June the. 28th: 1727

Sir --

     This by Watkinson brings you a bill of
Lading but for 17 hogsheads of the John and Bettys tobacco he Sent his
Boat for 5 hhds: more but when the men went for them an Accid
ent had happened by the house they were in falling down they had
Suffered Some damage so they brought them to my house and left
them behind Immediately they were uncased and all the damaged
tobacco taken out which amounts to no more then 90 pounds weight there
remains now of that Concern to Ship 17 hogsheads besides some debts
outstanding We hear nothing of Captain Denton yet if he Should
come it will be impossible for him to get his Load what to do with
this tobacco I dont know how to Ship it to any other port than your own
I have no orders I hear Captain Preston in the Mary of your Port takes
freight if I can get him to take it in I think to do it but if I can
meet with no Opportunity to Ship it I Shall think it a Service
to you to get it home in Some of my own Craft for its preservation

-2 -


      [Th] e outstanding Sterling debts amounting to Sixty two pounds I
have got not yet [[ . . . ] in to pay which you must pay your Self and Dentons Account with
that Sum I have not yet got all in however I am desirous you Should
be paid therefore please to debit my Accot: for that Sum also you must --
charge my Accot: with Gales bill protested £15:18-which is money
I Shall be out of a year if not two or three --

      Herein are two Small bills of Exchange drawn upon
your Self which I desire Credit for Thomas Beale for £5:10::17 Robert
Gordon for £4"10"8 3/4 -- Also an Invoice for Some goods which I
desire my be Sent in In one of you [r] forwardest Ships, the goods coming
so late this year was an inconveniency to me You have likewise
now a bill of Lading for 30 hhds: of my own Crop tobacco in the Rappahannock
I take all the Care I can to make it good hope it will prove so and meet
with a Comfortable Sale I have not news yet of the Arrival of Captain Morton in the Content,

     Mr. Randolph Esquire Hallows Lawyer has had Several
discourses with me about the Purchase of his Land his lowest demand
hath been Seven hundred pounds I have bid him five and will give
no more thus that matter Stands as to me I remain


Sir --
Yor: very humble Servt:

per Watkinson
Copy per Trice

-3 -



Mr. John Pemberton Added to his Letter June 28   Rappahannock, July the 26th: 1727

Sir --

     In mine of the 3d: of June you were advised of a bill of
Exchange I had drawn upon you for £300/-/-to George Braxton two days
after I drew on you for £45"3 to William Strother the 13th: Instant

-4 -


I draw on you for £8"-"-to Mrs: Young herewith Comes the Seconds
of the former bills also a Copy of my Invoice

     I am pleased that I can give you the welcome news of the
Safe Arrival of the John and Betty Captain Denton he came in the 15th Instant
his Cargo about One hundred and forty Slaves thirty six or thirty Seven
of them men 55 women the rest Boys and Girls many of them very
Small We began the Sale the 20th: and there is now but 15 remains
you must believe that so disproportioned a Cargo will turn out but low
I have done my utmost for your Service I am in hopes to bring them
out at 16£ round I have been under the necessity to take a great deal
of Cash at 15 per Cent which is our Standard to make it Sterling I let a good
Draft of these small ones go for Current money what to do with the Cash
I Have not yet determined Denton is very much against remitting
any of it in Specie advises Strongly to offer 20 perCt. for bills of Exchange
which will be five per Ct. lost to you even upon our Sterling Sales nay
he is desirous I Should take Scotch bills rather than fail I Shall Consult
your Interest the best I can. I Serve him all that I am able towards his
Loading we do not yet See he will Compass above 60 or 70 hogsheads
I purpose to Ship your Tobacco that Watkinson left out and reckon I
I Shall be able to make them up 40 hogsheads with my own,

     Whats become of Christian we dont hear Denton
reckoned he would be here before him I Suppose he writes to you at
large himself I Shall give you no further trouble at present remain
ing

                             Sir --
                                                            Yor: very humble Servt --
per Captain Trice
Copy per Denton

-5 -


                             Added to Mr. Pembertons July the 26th: 1727
Sir,                                                             Rappahannock,     Augst: the 23d: 1727

     We are now come to the departure of the John &
Betty herein comes a bill of Lading for 25 hogsheads of my own Tobacco
also for Sixteen hogsheads belonging to the last years Cargo and for 6 hogsheads
this years Purchase as for my own Tobacco my Desire is that it be sold
at the Mast as Soon as it gets home Its none of my crops and I do not
Expect an Inland Sale You are to observe I have deducted no Salary nor for these Tobacco
nor for those that went by Captain Watkinson I am Con
tented to take it as I did before upon the Sales

     herewith Comes a General Account of the Negroes imported
this year in the John and Betty and how they have been disposed
of Also thirty first bills of Exchange Amounting to Seventeen hundred
Twenty nine pounds Seventeen Shillings for this money I have
already taken my Salary In my bill to Mr. Pemberton on You I have
paid him the odd money of Thirteen pounds Fifteen Shillings & nine
pence due upon the Exchange here is also an Accot: of the Cash received

-6 -


Captain Dentons receipt for what money he had A Copy of h [is Letter?] desiring
me I would take the Cash at 20 per cent . Together wi [th the Acc] ot
of the marks Numbers and weights of the Sixteen and Six hogsheads

     I now Send away the Second bills of Exchange for the
Aforesaid Sum by the Carter bound out with your Ship [There] are
three sick Negroes to sell and Several Debts yet to be received I ca [nnot]
Settle a Stated account at Present will Endeavr. to do it by a later Ship

      Captain Denton and I have had some words at parting
now at the Close of every thing he grumbles much at my Salary
of 10 per Cent Although he knew all along I would take no less (as by Several Expressions of his appeard) he was
so Scrupulous to demand a Sight of your Letter to me to See whe
ther you had Ordered the Ship to my dispose in case of her coming
hither he also was Offended that I had not Endorsed the bills of Exchange to you
& Company I should have pleased him in this but he Spoke too late
for I had Endorsed the bills before he altered the mark of this year ['s] Tobacco
but that I am not at all disturbed at Esteem the Sale to be so well
made that I please my Self with hopes you will be very well Satisfied
with it and not [illegible] Envy ing me my Salary. If the Gentleman had had
the Sale himself which he Seems now to think himself capable of
I am Strongly of the Opinion (that his Salary be what it would) You
would have no reason to think the Commission I have taken too much
I am not fond of business of this nature It was in Service to you an old
friend that I undertook it at first I have no fault to find with
Captain Denton in respect to his business I take him to be an indus
trious diligent man and deserves his Employ but wh th en ever as I am
Concerned in business of this [illegible] Sort I will have no bargain to make
with the Master but will be above any Control of his I must
note to you I have bought his privilege Slaves and the Doctors
two men two women and a boy Mr. Grimes had Shall not give
you any further trouble at Present Only to wish the Ship Safe to

You remaining

                             Sir --
                                                            Your very humble Servant

We have no news of Captain Christian
have lately heard of the Arrival
of Captain Morton --

NOTES



Source copies consulted: Original letter and first post script from Robert Carter Letter Book, 1727 April 13-1728 July 23, Carter Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond. Second post script from Robert Carter letter book, 1727 May-1728 July, Robert Carter Papers (acc. no. 3807), Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. Carter has edited this draft as is indicated by the use of italics.

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 to the heading on the draft.

[1] Watkinson was captain of the Vine, a ship that may have been owned by Micajah Perry. (Carter to Pemberton, 1724 March 25)

[2] The John & Betty was a Liverpool ship owned by merchant John Pemberton; she often carried slaves into the colony. In 1726 the captain was John Gale, and in the next year, she was commanded by a Captain William Denton. The ship would be lost in 1729. (Wright. Letters of Robert Carter. . . . p. 18, n. 23 ; Carter to Pemberton, April 15, 1730; and Carter to William Dawkins, June 28, July 26, and August 22, 1727, for Denton's first name. )

[3] The Mary may have been a Liverpool ship owned by prominent merchant Bryan Blundell of that city. She was taken by the Spanish in October 1730 off Havanna. (Charles McLean Andrews. Guide to the Materials for American History, [Washington, D.C.: Carnegie institution of Washington, 1912.] Part I, Vol. I , p. 256, citing Board of Trade, Commercial Papers, 1716-17 Spanish depredations.)

[4] A bill of exchange is a kind of check or promissory note without interest. It is used primarily in international trade, and is a written order by one person to pay another a specific sum on a specific date sometime in the future. If the bill of exchange is drawn on a bank, it is called a bank draft. If it is drawn on another party, it is called a trade draft. Sometimes a bill of exchange will simply be called a draft, but whereas a draft is always negotiable (transferable by endorsement), this is not necessarily true of a bill of exchange. ( "Dictionary of Financial Scam Terms," 8/22/2005 )

[5] There were several vessels with the name Rappahannock . One was based in Liverpool and was commanded by a Captain Francis Etheridge in 1725; she was a 90 ton ship with 13 men. Another of which Charles Whate was captain was of 60 tons with 11 men in 1726/27. Carter's letters mention a Captain Brackhill in 1728, and Captain Loxum in 1733. ( Adm. 68/194, ff.30, found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. )

[6] The Content was a Liverpool ship owned by John Pemberton and commanded by various masters including captains Stephenson (1721) , Fowler (1723), and Morton (1727). (Wright. Letters of Robert Carter. . . . pp. 92, 93, 102 ; and Carter to Pemberton, February 14, 1721, and this letter.)

[7] John Hallowes (Hallows) (1615-1657) had come to Maryland as an indentured servant, but later moved to Westmoreland County where he acquired extensive tracts of land. Some of that land was purchased in 1733 by Thomas Lee from Samuel Hallowes of County Lancaster, England, who "as a great nephew of Major John Hallowes," had acquired title in an important legal case decided in 1722. This land became part of Stratford. Carter may have hoped to acquire a tract from Samuel Hallowes to add to Nomini as John Hallowes had lived near that plantation of Carter's. ("Major John Hallowes. 1615-1657." Norris. Westmoreland County, Virginia. pp. 99-103.)

[8] Watkinson was captain of the Vine, a ship that may have been owned by Micajah Perry. (Carter to Pemberton , March 25, 1724.)

[9] The 140 ton Welcome was owned by London merchant James Bradley to whom Carter would write about her on May 17, 1727. John Trice (Frice) was her captain, 1723-1727. ( Adm 68/195, 154r, found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. )

[10] Mrs. Elizabeth Young was Carter's housekeeper. He had agreed with her for one year's service in 1724 but found her satisfactory for a longer term. She went to England in May 1728. (DiaryJune 2, 1727, and Carter to William Dawkins, June 28, July 26, and August 22, 1727, for her first name. Carter to Pemberton May 8, 1728, for her sailing to England.)

[11] The John & Betty was a Liverpool ship owned by merchant John Pemberton; she often carried slaves into the colony. In 1726 the captain was John Gale, and in the next year, she was commanded by a Captain William Denton. The ship would be lost in 1729. (Wright. Letters of Robert Carter. . . . p. 18, n. 23 ; Carter to Pemberton, April 15, 1730; and Carter to William Dawkins, June 28, July 26, and August 22, 1727, for Denton's first name. )

[12] James Christian was captain of the Rose, a vessel owned by merchant John Pemberton of Liverpool. (See Carter to Pemberton, April 15, 1730.)

[13] Because English law allowed an English purchaser of imported tobacco to apply for rebates of the impost, or duty, if the tobacco was exported from the country, Carter would have expected a discount on the charges on his tobacco sold to English merchants, or inland sales.


This text, originally posted in 2003, was revised January 29, 2013, to strengthen the footnotes and modern language version text.