Townsend, William Blair, 1723-1778. William Blair Townsend letter and receipt books, 1743-1805, bulk 1744-1777. Mss:766 1743-1805 T752, Volume 1, Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School.

Boston 13th May 1747

Mr. John Pole

Sir This confirms the above as copy of my last, since w'ch have hir'd a sloop of eighty tonns in comp'y w'th three other gentlemen here to proceed on a voyage from hence to Philadelphia. We have agreed to con- =sign the sloop & cargo to you & if wind & weather permitt she will sail this week to you. Accordingly thought proper as soon as I could to acqu =aint you of it that you might prepare a proper cargo for her that the vessell might be dispatch't at once. Don't suppose you would be ag= -ainst advancing a little while if her cargo should not sell at once, as this is a common thing & as it may open the way for larger business be =tween us. Her cargo from hence will be chiefly rum w'ch we hear has risen with you & so will doubtless quickly sell of but however that may be would begg the favour of you not to retard the vessell upon that accompt as {the} voyage depends upon dispatch & upon that accompt have consign'd her to you. Had rather allow you something more than your comm['s?] than you should not give her dispatch. The value of the cargo that will be consign'd you will be about two thousand pounds our currency. The particulars we desire you to purchase for her cargo, you have below. As to the money you will have in your hands after you have loaded her. Shall give you further orders about when the vessell sails. In the interim am with respect & offers of service

Sir {your} [friend?]

10,000 staves 2000 {bushels} corn 10 [?] rice

{per} Capt. Jacocks

Boston 2d June 1747

Sir Since I wrote you last I received your favour May [?]th & note the contents, but have no answer to the above which suppose you have not had an opportunity of answering, tho I doubt not you have received & have provided the cargo I wrote you for, to give the Sloop Dispatch which is now upon sailing. Have inclosed you invoice & bill lading of her cargo, which have con =sign'd you. As I wrote you above her cargo is chiefly rum, which according to your accompt, will answer better than any thing we could have sent, though it is dear & scarce with us as I suppose it is with you. If you should think the price of rum will rise with you in a little while would desire you to keep it provided you will load & dispatch the vessell directly according to order. W'd desire you not to detain her above three days if possible as the voyage depends intirely upon dispatch, but a caution here I apprehend almost needless as I could not. If you have rec'd the above, her cargo is now ready for her & I doubt not of your activity in giving her dispatch. You will observe {per} the invoice inclosed my partners names who are concern'd as also the name of Master vessells for your direction only I would observe to you that after you have loaded her that in your invoice you must consign the vessell & cargo to the ^^care disposall of Capt. {Robert} Robins, whom we employ as our factor for the voyage who will show you our orders to him. As to your loading, have wrote you the main things we would have her loaded with, staves, corn & rice & whatever other commoditys & such a quantity as Capt. Robins shall apprehend most for our advantage. But as we apprehend you will receive a much greater cargo from us than will be sufficient to reload her, would desire you to give him the remainder in silver to carry [?] him, that he may return to us with a full load w'ch was our design in shipping so much. & in case you cannott dispose of her cargo at once, would desire you to ship as nigh as you can to what you think will be the amount of her cargo when sold, & if you should shipp more than the effects will remitt you afterwards. But would upon no acco't have you fail of shipp'g the whole effects as it will make a great alteration in the voyage & so be a great damage

the whole Amount of the Cargo we send you, you will observe is £2085 our Currency wch is something more than I wrote you I thought it would be which has proceeded from the Scarceness of Rum, as soon as you have disposed of the Cargo you will render me Accompt & Sales & to favour me with a Line when the Vessell arrives & Sails & in any Commands this way shall be ready to send you & am

Sir Your friend & Humble Servt.

P.S. There is upon Freight 5 {Hogsheads} Rum a 10/- {per} {Hogshead} to Isaac Griffis 3 {Barrels} {Turpentine} @ 3/6 {per} CC. Chris: Marshall 1/2 Tonn Cordage @ 30/-Tonn which you will please to recieve of the Respective Persons to whom they are Consign'd (For our Accompt you will please to observe that the same Persons that are named in the Invoice must likewise be inserted in your Invoice as we are equally concern'd.

Eliakim Palmer Esq. Boston 8th June 1747 Sir, I have only to inform you that I rec'd {per} Capt Snelling 3 yards Cloth packed in a Case sent to Mr. Balston wch proves to Content, you don't write whether the Tickett is paid of which I should be glad to hear, have wrote you already {per} Capt Craige [?], to which shall [refoor?] I am respectfully Sir yr Very {humble} {Servant}

[?] Capt. Craigie [?] [Fores?]

Eliakim Palmer Esq. Boston 13th July 1747. Sir, This Confirms the above as Copy of my last since have none of yours hope {per} the receipt of this Letter your will receive the bill of exchange from Mr. Charles Mathews in Antigua for £100 Sterling, which I wrote you concerning in my last, unless the Vessells should be taken I have wrote him by as the First has had the Unhappiness to be- Have now to beg the Favour of you to make Insurance for me £250 Sterling on one third part of the Schooner Friendship & Cargo William Sherburne Master from Boston where She now lays to Gibraltar & to make what further Insurance on said Schooner & Cargo, said Sherburne shall write you for, wether directly to Boston or to any other Place I wish, accordingly have ordered him to notify you upon his Arrivall at Gibraltar how he shall proceed & the Time when For your Government of the Insurance upon her - you will please to observe the Schooner is new, having never been a Voyage as yet well fix'd & mann'd Curthen'd about Twenty Tonns. would be obliged to you to get the Insurance for as low a premium as you can & good Endorsers - was in hopes I should have been able to have remitted your Bill of Ecxhange from hence for £50 Sterling, but the first I light off will send you as I should now have done had I not been disappointed I begg you would not fail of making this Insurance as I absolutely depend upon it & it would be a great disappointment - I would take this opportunity to inform you that upon looking over the Papers of my Uncle John Phillips deceas'd I find an {Account} {Current} of yours wherein you make him Da. for a Ballance of £40 Sterling or thereabouts & as I can find

none of your invoices fild or Enter'd, should be glad you would send them first opportunity. not that we dispute your {Account} but as I apprehend he had his Gold watch of you & severall other Articles of which he has made no Entry, which would be of great service to us, have spoke to Mr. Balston but he has only your {Account} {Current} but as I informed Mr. Balston I appre=hend there will be no difficulty attending the payment of it, as I am appointed one of his Administrators I sahll do what Justice I can & as he has a great deal more than will to pay every Body, there cannot be any difficulty, as soon as I can get all his Debts in shall discharge your {Ballance} with Mr. Balston as I promis'd him I would do as soon as I could, have no= =thing furthor present But am with Hours of Service. Sir {your} Very {humble} {Servant} P.S. I would desire you not to insure more than £250 in Sterling on the Schooner from Gibraltar if she comes directly to Boston from thence nor otherways unless the Master should write you par ticularly about it. She will sail sometime next week, {per} Capt Jones Clark Stoddard

Messrs Sitwell [Noyes?] & {Company} Boston July 14th 1747. {Gentlmen} I have yours of ye 7th March now before me am glad to find the Bill of Exchange for £200 Sterling on Coleman & Scott accepted & as you write will be paid & when it is you will ship me the Goods wrote for & pass the Remainder to my Creditt - I was in hopes as I wrote you then of this opportunity to have permitted you £50 Sterling more drawn on the same Gentlemen, but the Gentleman who drew the last on whose promise I depended has disappointed me, for which I am ex=ceeding sorry as you have been so good as to send me the Goods I have wrote you for upon Creditt in a great Measure & as I always choose to keep my Creditt good. I could & should have remitted you long ago, were there not so many Bills of Exchange {Current} that are bad & I have been so often nick'd that way, but as I am now waiting to hear of some good Bill to purchase & send you, hope I shall soon do it am obliged to you for your offers of Service as to Insurance upon Schooner Enterprise, which sailed to Gibraltar, {which} Schooner was taken going in to Gilbraltar, which risque I [inowr'd?] here be= =fore She Sailed, Should have been glad I had wrote you to have done it, that you might have had your Remittance. 10 that you may not expect any Advice from Mr. Payne Oserve what you write me in Answer to what I wrote you concerning the damage of the Gloves, you seem inclin'd to think they were put up well & I cant say but they were. but this I am sure of, that when I received them they were all damaged to a great degree, insomuch that I could not obtain half Price for them. I believe they were very good Gloves before they were damaged, they were of a good Size, but there was hardly a pair of them but were very much spotted, the least of which hurts ye Sale of a white Glove, it is certainly aloss to me & am glad to find you were inclin'd to do what is right & just in the affair, accordingly shall referr it intirely to you As to the Pinns & [crossed out]] Shears have since found out the Mistake, they were not put in the Trunk Specificed in the Invoice but came in the next Ship in the Cask of Kettles, so that if you please you may again {per} my {Account} for them -- Have nothing farther go add but my hearty offerrs of Service & am Respectfully {Gentlemen} {your} Very {humble} {Servant} {per}Capt. Jones Clark Stoddard

Boston 12th Sep 1747

{Messers} Sitwell, Noyes & Comp'y

{Gentlemen} Yours of the 26th May rec'd {the} 24th {last} {month} {per} Capt. Stephenson & also invoice & bill lading for sundry goods to {the} am't of {pound symbol} 69.7.9. in your letter. But in the invoice it is {pound symbol} 69.19.7. but upon review'g them you will find {pound symbol} [?] overcast in {the} invoice, exclusive of insurance policy & comm. {pound symbol} 57.0.7. adding thereto {pound symbol} 11.19 -. Will make but {pound symbol} 68.19.7. w'ch if you find so you will give me creditt {pound symbol} [?]. What of the goods I have seen turn out well. Am sorry you shipt me more than {pound symbol} 50- as it is so difficult making remittance & as I choose to ballance my acc't before I write for any more goods. It has been a great un- easiness to me that I have not remitted you more, especially when I have advanc'd the money ago for a bill of exchange for {pound symbol} 100to remitt you, but it will not be long. I believe it is a good bill or should not have waited so long for it. Should be oblidged to you {per} first opportunity to send my acc't curr'tt. As soon as have ballanc'd my acc't shall write you for more goods, but as it is difficult making remittances don't choose to be much in debt. I wanted to write you now for a cask of cutlery ware & this only prevents me. [?] any commodity from hence will answer at home as well as bill. Please to advise me. Any service I can afford you here shall be ready to do it & am

{Gentlemen} {your} very humb. serv't

Boston Octob'r 5th 1747

{Messers} Sitwell, Noyes & Comp'y

{Gentlemen} This acknowledges the receipt of an invoice goods {per} Capt. Stephenson am't to {pound symbol} 69.7- which I find right & prove to content excepting {pound symbol} [?] overcast, which upon adding the several sums together you will find out & upon so doing you will creditt me therefor. Inclosed you have a bill exchange drawn on {Messers} {Richard} & {Robert} Newman, merch'ts in Dartmouth {per} George Grey of Newfoundl'd payable to Mr. {Nathaniel} Bethune or order in London & so endorsed to me. Doubt not the bill will be duely paid & when it is please to pass it to my creditt. You have likewise a small invoice inclosed to the value of {pound symbol} 12- {sterling} which goods being in your way shall be sure of having them well bought & packed as good as any of {the} price in London. Would begg your particular care of the ivory handle knives & forks being for my own use, a handsome handle & a good blade. Desire you would not shift me more than the above sum including the charges. Should be oblidged to you {per} first opportunity to send me my acc't curr'tt. I want to write you for a large invoice goods in your way but chuse to settle the old accompt. Am sorry I have not been able to remitt you your money before which has been occasioned by being disappointed of good bills. Any service I can afford you here shall be ready to do it & am

{Gentlemen} {your} very hum. servt.

P.S you will please to ship me these goods {per} first opportunity. Would to desire you to insure them unless the vessell you should ship them in should come out under convoy

{per} Capt. Gardner Hunt via Bristol [Freiton?]

{Messers} Rilby & Bonnard Boston 9th Nov. 1747 Gentl'n This ackowledges the recept of your fav'r 22d. May & also acco't curr'tt which I find right, accordingly you have inclosed a Bill of Exchange drawn {per} {Robert} Leak in favour of Joseph Royall on {Christopher} Rilby Esq. for {pound symbol} 20-- sterl'g which hope will be duely paid. Ballance then will be in my favour L 2.9.[?] w'ch please to remitt me in English soles very good [?] pair. Would not have you insure them. Am very sorry I have not remitted you before but it is very good getting good Bills. Any Service I can afford you here shall be ready to do it & am with Respect

Gentl'n {your} Very hum: Serv't

{per} Capt. Hunt via Bristol [Keiton?] [Bruce?] via [?]

{Messers} Sitwell, Noyes & Comp'y Boston Dec. 11th 1747

Gentl'n I have wrote you already {per} this convey ance & as the Packett is just upon Sailing, have just time to inform you you have herein Inclosed a Bill of Exchange {pound symbol} 25- sterl'g drawn on the {Honorable} John Cleaveland, Esq. in London by {William} Cleland payable to George Bethune o[?] order which is indorsed to me & hope will be duely paid. Have likewise inclosed you a small invoice Cutlery Ware which being in your way doubt not you will take particular care of according to the several prices that they are well bought & Packed. Would choose to have them packed in a Trunk rather than any thing else. You will please to insure what you send me {per} first vessell this way. You will observe the Inclosed invoice does not quite amount to the Bill, wherefore would have you add the Charges upon them & what remains send in any of the Inclosed Articles. {Thomas} Hubbard Esq. has just informed me he has received Schooner Dolphin's Acco't from you, but have not Time at present to look them over. Have nothing further at present but am

Gentl'n {your} Very hum: Serv't

{per} Cap. Reiton, {pound symbol} 95 sterl'g Malcom via Glascow Bruce

Eliakim Palmer Esqr. Boston [?]th Decem'r 1747

Sir, This acknowledges the receipt of your Acco't curr'tt. Have not had Time as yet to examine it, but observe the ballance is in your Favour, but as I suppose [?] this Time, you have received a Bill of Exchange of {pound symbol} 100- Sterling {pound symbol} 50- Sterling whereof you will have [?] in your hands w'ch will more than ballance my Acco't. I should always be glad to have my acco't once a year. Inclosed you have a Bill of Exch=ange drawn {per} John Mascarend on {Messers} Lane & Caswall {Merchants} in London for {pound symbol} 100- Sterl'g & also Invoice about the same value w'ch hope you will take particular Care they are well bought & shipt {per} First Vessell this way. Would desire your special Care as to the Scarlett half drabb Cloth I wrote you for, being for a Roguelo for myself. Would have a dark Scarlett & a good Cloth such as you would chuse for yourself. Hope you have made the Insurance on Schooner Friendship I wrote you for by Jones & as she has not as yet return'd, am afraid he may be taken. If you