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 Alderman [Micajah] Perry, June 1732

     Robert Carter writes to London merchant Alderman [Micajah] Perry, June 1732, to alert him to renewed attacks upon the proprietary in the current assembly, and to send a record of "their votes" as he has to Thomas Lord Fairfax. He relates the problems ship masters are having in finding complete cargoes, and hopes this will mean a better market for tobacco.



Letter from Robert Carter to Alderman [Micajah] Perry, June 1732


-1 -

Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]

June 1732

Alderman Perry

Sir

     I wrote to you by the Rebecca at some Length about my Lord
Fairfax's
Affairs. The Burgesses are now making a fresh attack against
his Lordship's grant as you will see by their Votes, which I have thought it my
Duty by this first Opportunity to transmit to his Lordship that he may be upon
his Guard in the Defence of his Estate; & I send also a Copy of these Votes for your
Perusal. The Money they voted for soliciting their Petition in the Former
Session was disallowed by the Council; but whether it will meet with the
same Fate now I cannot take upon me to say. I expect the Gentlemen of
our Revenue will leave no Stone unturned to carry their Point for
Reasons I have formerly mentioned to you.

     Captain Bradby of the Spotswood has lately visited me & makes
a heavy Complaint of the Little Hopes he is in of getting his Ship near Loaded, &                                                                                                      names


-2 -


a great many more in the same Circumstances with himself; & I am
advised that the Ships will not be near loaded in James River; Captain Malbon Bradby
tells me he has written these stories to You both by the Rebecca & by Brooks. I have
done all in my Power towards Loading your ships. Seabrook they say will
get full. What Dove will be able to do he cannot yet tell. Your chartered Ship
takes a great deal away from him. We flatter ourselves these Things will
have a great Influence upon the Markets towards our Relief under our
Unhappy Circumstances. I am,


              Sir,
                Your most Humble Servant.

NOTES



Source copy consulted: Letter book, 1731 July 9-1732 July 13 , 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] The Rebecca was probably a London ship; she was of 300 tons, had a crew of 11, and was commanded by Samuel Malbon in 1731-32. ( Survey Report 06445 sumarizing "Adm. 68/196," "Greenwich Hospital: General Accounts. the Names of Ships and The Accounts Paid for Sixpences at the Port of London" found in theVirginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. )

[2] "The receiver-generalship was a royal appointment" and the official was required to give bond both to the lord of the treasury and to the governor. "Those who filled the office of receiver-general were practially all councillors. . . . The duties of the receiver-general included the receiving of the quit-rents, the revenue arising from the export duty of two shillings per hogshead on tobacco, the one penny per pound on tobacco exported from Virginia . . . the port duty, which was the revenue arising from the fifteen pence per ton on all vessels arriving in the colony, and all funds of the colony not received by the treasurer. . . . He paid out of the revenue . . . the salaries of the officers of the colony, also those of the auditor-general of the colonies and the solicitor of Virginia affairs, both of whom lived in England. All the public expenses of the colony, except, of course, those paid out of the funds held by the treasurer, were paid out of the funds received in his office. . . . He of course reported to the lords of the treasury all payments made on the order of the governor. The accounts of the revenues and the reports of disbursements forwarded to the lords of the treasury were certified to by the auditor and the governor, and sent by the governor." (Percy Scott Flippin. The Financial Administration of the Colony of Virginia [Johns Hopkins Press, 1915.] 41-42. )

[3] The Spotswood was a London ship commanded by James Bradby, 1727-1732, and was owned by Micajah Perry. ( Survey Report 06445x summarizing "Public Record Office Class: Adm. 68/195. Greenwich Hospital: General Accounts. The names of Ships and the Amounts paid for Sixpences at the Port of London, 1728-1731.", 70r ff., found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. See Carter to Micajah Perry April 16. 1730. )

[4] The Cambridge made voyages to Virginia from London in 1727 and 1729. In the first she was commanded by Peter Moore, and in the latter by Christopher Brooks. She was a vessel of 70-100 tons with about 11 men. She may have been oowned by Haswell & Brooks.( Survey Report 06444 summarizing "Public Record Office Class: Adm. 68/195. Greenwich Hospital: General Accounts. The names of Ships and the Amounts paid for Sixpences at the Port of London, 1728-1731." .)

[5] Charles Seabrook was a partner with Thomas Reynolds in a Yorktown business. In Seabrook's 1752 will, he bequeathed half his estate to Reynolds including his share in a sloop. ( "Reynolds and Rogers." William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine ,12: 128; and Survey Report 04620 summarizing the 1743 will of George Tilly in "Principal Probated Registry Class Will-Register Books 26 BOYCOTT Probate Act Book 1743," f. 9, vo, mentions Chas. Seabrook as a witness together with the chief and second mates and the ship's carpenter. )

[6] The Bailey was a London ship owned by William Dawkins and commanded at various times by Adam Graves (1725-1730) and by Thomas Dove 1730-1732. She was a vessel of some 250 tons and carried 15-17 crew members. ( Survey report 6801 summarizing Adm. 68/195, 156v, and other data in Adm. 68/194 and /196, found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia; A letter of Carter's to Dawkins May 12, 1732, refers to "your ship Bailey." as does a letter of August 10, 1733, from Carter's executors to Dawkins. [ Lloyd T. Smith, Jr., ed. The Executors' Letters of Robert Carter of Corotoman, 1732-1738. (Irvington, VA: Foundation for Historic Christ Church, 2010) p. 76]. )


This text, originally posted in 2006, was revised June 14, 2016, to add footnotes and strengthen the modern language version text.