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 Micajah Perry, July 8, 1728

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant Micajah Perry, July 8, 1728, to report bills of exchange for Nathaniel Burwell's estate and how they are to be accounted for.



Letter from Robert Carter to Micajah Perry, July 8, 1728


-1 -

[Rappahannock, Lancaster County, Virginia]     
July the 8th: -- 1728

Mr. Micajh. Perry Esqr.

Sir --

     You have been already advised that we Should
quickly remit to you Some bills of Exchange for the Account of Mr. Bur
wells Estate
herein are Enclosed the following bills drawn by
the Executors of Mr. Wormeley to wit upon your Self for £150. On
Mr. Tucker 123"13" -- On Mr. Stark of Glasgow £75" -- and
I have another bill on Mr. Dawkins which I have promised


-2 -


not to Send away till the Carter goes for £55"4"6 in the whole £
403"17:6 You are to observe that £300 of this money is only to be
placed to the Credit of Mr. Burwells Account the £103"17"6 is to be placed
to the Credit of Elizabeth Burwells Account being the Interest due for the Currt
this money let out according to the will of her father, I Shall add
no more here but remain


              Sir
                  Your most humble Servant



Colonel Page and I have lately drawn
on you for £100 payable to Colonel
Braxton
being for Negroes we bought to Supply the Mortalitys of
that Estate

per Wills
Copy per Trice

NOTES



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

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. "Rappahannock," the county, and colony have been added for clarity to this unheaded draft.

[1] 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 )

[1] John Stark was a prominent Glasgow merchant in the sugar trade. He served as as baillie and provost (mayor) from 1725-1727. ( John M'ure. The History of Glasgow. [Glasgow: D. Macvean and J. Wyllie & Co., 1830] pp. 227-228 as seen on Google books; and "Provosts of Glasgow" at "Welcome to Glasgow" . )

[2] Elizabeth Burwell (1718-?) was Carter's grandaughter by his daughter, Elizabeth, and her first husband, Nathaniel Burwell. She married in 1738 William Nelson of Yorktown.(Carleton. A Genealogy. . . of Robert Carter. . . . p. 143. )

[4] Captain Peter Wills commanded the Booth in 1723-1724, a ship belonging to merchant Thomas Colmore of London (see Carter's letter to Colmore of January 20 and February 15, 1724), and the Amity, a vessel of 500 tons and 21 men, in 1727-1729. He is mentioned in Carter's diary in 1723. ( 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. )

[5] 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, 1723-1728. ( 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 2004, was revised November 18, 2014, to add footnotes and strengthen the modern language version text.