Robert Carter writes to London merchant Micajah Perry, December 12, 1727, to comment on the merchant's letter about the actions of the Board of Trade concerning the Northern Neck proprietary and complain that Lord Fairfax shows little interest in defending his property. He adds comments about the Lloyd estate, and William Dawkins' ship, the Carter (in which he owns an interest), and in closing reminds Perry that he has never received any payment for his administration of the Lloyd estate since the time of the merchant's grandfather.

     In yours of the 9th of Octor: you are pleased
to Advise me that After a great number of Attendance on the Lords of
trade yo: have at last got the Attorney's & Solicitor Generals opinion
upon the Northern Neck Affair differing in some points from their
former Opinions, which Mr Clayton tells yo: proceeded from the different
Stating of the question; & that the Lds have sent in their Opinions to-
gether with their instructions to the Govr: I shall only Observe that
Mr Clayton hath all along been a strenuous enemy in this Affair
& I am apt to think hath strongly pursued it in prevailing upon the
Lawyers to Alter their Opinions as for the state of the Case I am sure
they had it rightly before, The Grant & all the words of it relating to
the Controversie were nakedly laid before them But if the Proprs
will set still & suffer their rights to be determined from them with
out ever strugling in defence of them they must not lay the fault on

     Your next Paragraph relates to the LL's
affair Advising me of the little likelyhood there is of bringing it
to an End & desiring that this Crop may be shipt in Keeling & tells me
he told ^enform'd yo: I had kept back the Tobbo: 'till he was near loaded this Story
I have taxed Keeling with wch: he disowns if he did say it he wronged me
egregiously for instead of delaying him I sent the tobbo aboard in a
Sloop of my own & instead of twelve hogsheads of that Tobbo: that I put
into the Carter I put twenty of my own into him beleiving it to
be safer for the Estate to ship it ⁱⁿ two bottoms than one

     Mr Dawkins acquaints me he is ^{intends to} send ing
the Carter to us Again with all dispatch if he makes her a lag
Ship it may be doubtfull she will still continue ^{to be} an unfortunate one,
for my own part I have little reason to Desire a continuance of
my interest in her it would have been a great Deal of money saved
in my pocket had she been sold seven Years agoe

      According to a former desire of yours I now send
you a Copy of your Mortgage & an Accot of the mortalitys at that estate ^{for the slaves}
since the last Accot you had, you give me no intelligance yet of any Goods co=
ming for the supply of them familys yo: will not Expect them to be sub=
sisted without Cloaths & tools. I must never treat of this Affair without pu
tting you in mind of the salary thats due to me for the Care of this est=
ate I made my claim soon after it was put into my hands by yr:
Grandfather & I have continued that claim ever since & not many
Years agoe made my Demand as to the Quantum to this you
make me no Answer surely you do not intend to leave me to Carve
for my self before this Estate goes out of my hands -- --

     I shall Expect ^desire in your next you will ^{pleas to} speak plain
to me upon this last Subject I am