George Flowerdewe Norton letter to Francis Jerdone, 1779 January 26

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London the 26^th January 1779

Dear Sir,

Your two Letters one of the 28^th Nov. another of
the 2^d. January have been rec'd some time ago, having of
late been very much employed when Intervals of Health
would permit my Attention to any Business, I hope you
will excuse the want of punctuality that has prevented
you from hearing, which has not been owing to any inten=
=tional Neglect, or omission on my part, but to the Cause that
I have already mention'd to you, however if you had recol=
=lected the Conversation that passed between us just
before your Departure for Scotland, when I told you that
whenever you wanted any Money on your Mother's Acco^t.,
you might draw for it, & I would pay your bill, you need not
have long been without it ^{or for my Answer,} I now repeat what I said before
that I will answer your bills ^& to the Amount of £150 I will
pay as you may want this Sum, leaving enough to pay M^r.
Davie's bill (which) is about £20 agreable to a Copy which he
says he gave you by your own desire, £30 which may be
due also, in Case J H N has not paid your Mother any Money
in Virginia on Account of this ballance, but of this you
shall hear from me previous to my leaving this Country, which
I hope be be able to do in a few Montsh, when I shall leave
proper Directions with our Attorney here to pay you the ball^ce.
which I do not want to withhold from you. As M^r. Ainslie
is a Stranger to me, I would rather if agreable to you that you
give him or some other Friend, Drafts, for Payment of this

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Sum of £150, which will be my Vouchers for transactions
which perhaps at a future day I may be called to an Account,
to produce & is a regular Mode of transacting business. i wish
it was in my Power to help many worthy Friends here in the
most deep Distress, but I can hardly scrape enough together
to depay our own Family Expences, so scarce is the Article
of Money everywhere. I have about £1,200 worth of tob^o. unsold
which is a great weight on me, & the want of that [illegible] straits,
me greatly. The Nation is verging fast into utter ruin, & God
only can tell what Steps can be taken to rescue it from it's
apparent declining Situation. I am sorry to find that your
ill health obliged you to go to Harrowgate this ^last Summer
to get it removed, may you enjoy the greatest of all Blessings
in this Life, which is perfect health, a State that I have
long been denied the happy enjoyment of, tho' I have travelled
about a great deal in search of it since you, & I parted in London
in July. I hope your Brother Jack is well, altho' not one
of the Family that I know of has seen a Line from him
since he left us, which I think is raterh unkind. My Mother
joins in wishing you both health & happiness, & I am
my dear Sir,

Your's very Sincerely,
Geo. F: Norton.

P.S. My Sister Frances
was married above two Months
ago to her Cousin J. Baylor, & they are gone together to S^t. Eustatia
to try to get home. M^r Burnley is returned to New York after
making an unsuccessful Attempt to land in Virginia, but
was obliged to depart by Order from the Legislature of the State.

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M^r. Francis Jerdone
At M^rs. Jerdones
in Jedburgh
North Britain

single Letter.