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 Captain John Hyde and Company, July 28 and August 22, 1727

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant Captain John Hyde and Company, July 28 and August 22, 1727, concerning some money that Captain Woodward had left for Carter to turn into bills of exchange which he has not been able to do. He sends an order for goods (not present) , and notifies the merchant that he expects to ship tobacco by the Carter. In a post script dated August 22, 1727, Carter sends copies of earlier invoices and two bills of lading for tobacco (not present) from his own and the Burwell estate. He notes that he has not been able to find anyone to take Captain Woodward's money.



Letter from Robert Carter to Captain John Hyde and Company, July 28 and August 22, 1727


-1 -

Capt: John Hyde & Company     Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]     
July the. 28th: 1727


Gent --

     My last went by Capt: Woodward he left with
me Seventy Seven pounds two Shillings to be put of for bills of Exchange
drawn Payable to you I have met with no Person hitherto that would
take of any of this money for English bills a Scotch Mercht: to this day
talkt of wanting about Sixty pounds rather than fail I think to take
his bills for Glasgow if he continues in the mind he will not take a far
thing under 15 perCt: I can now have 20 perCt: for English bills they are the
Scarcest to be had and money the Plentyest that hath bin for Some
Year[s] and is all gold which is much the greater loss,

     Herein Send an Invoice for goods to you in the buying and
Shiping whereof desire you will follow the directions given you I hope
I Shall have them as cheap and as well bought by you as by any Person

     By the Carter I purpose some more Tobbo: to you that will
be proper to dispose of for Exportation I am


Gent
Yor: most humble Servt. --

per Trice --
Cop[y] per Carter


-2 -


                             Added to Capt: Hydes Letter July 20th
Gent --                                                             Rappahannock, Augst: the 22d: 1727

     herewith comes Copys of my Invoices also two bills of
Lading for Tobbo: on board the Carter one for 11 hogsheads which I told
you before I Should be Contented you Sell to Export without taking it
a Shoar The other for 9 hogsheads a Crop belonging to Mr. Burwells Estate

     The money left with me by woodward [sic ] remains
untouchd The Scotch Merchant I Spoke of is Since Dead and I have had
no Offer from any other I Shall give you no further trouble at present
but to Subscribe

                                                  Gent
per the Carter
                                                            Yor. most humble servt:

NOTES



Source copies consulted: Original letter from Robert Carter Letter Book, 1727 April 13-1728 July 23, Carter Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond. 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.

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] Thomas Woodward commanded the Providence, a ship owned by Captain John Hyde & Company, during a number of voyages to the colony, 1723-1729. ( Survey Report 6800 summarizing Adm. 68/194 and Survey Report 6801 summarizing Adm 68/195, Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, and Carter's letter to the firm, September 17, 1723. )

[2] 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 )

[4] 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 probably expected a discount on the charges on his tobacco sold to English merchants for exportation.

[4] 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. )


This text, originally posted in 2003, was revised August 9, 2013, to strengthen the footnotes and modern language version text.