Robert Carter Nicholas letter to John Norton, 1768 October 3

Robert Carter Nicholas letter to John Norton, 1768 October 3

Robert Carter Nicholas letter to John Norton, merchant in London, England. Nicholas writes to Norton concerning an error in his account; the skins sent to Purdie and Dixon; Mr. Cary's poor handling of Norton's business; the impossibility of Norton collecting the debt owed by the estate of Mr. Waters; the tobacco he has sent and his desire for reading material especially daily papers and pamphlets. Nicholas also writes that the Virginians don't want independence noting: "We only desire a free Enjoyment of our Birth Rights; possibly these may be wrested from us, but the Americans , I hope & am persuaded, will never resign them."

MS 1936.3.156
Folder 15

Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Ink on paper

Page 1

Williamsburg 3^d. Oct^r. 1768

Dear Sir.

A pretty severe Indisposition for upwards of
two Months past obliged me to content myself with writing
you several short Letters by the last Ships.

I duly received your Fav^r. of 31^st. March with the
Goods shipt on my own Acc^t.; you mention in y^r. Letter the
Amount to be £272..15..2, when the Invoice amounted to
£253..4..2; this must have been a mere Mistake in taking
the Cost of my Things from the Foot of the Invoice sent
to the Printers & I only note it that the Things may be
set right. Before this reaches you, you will, possi
bly have rec^d. the Materials sent to the Printers,
which they reship'd by Cap^t. Estin; as they sh'd
not correspond with their Order & would by no
Means answer the Purpose, for which they were
design'd. I also wrote to you on this Subject by
Cap^t. Estin. I am sorry that I can't give you a better Acc^t.
of your Affairs in M^r. Cary's Hands: your Son I pre:
sume has given you a full State of them; Upon
receipt of y^r. first Letter, recommending these Affairs
to my Attention, I advised M^r. Norton to hurry the
Settlement, which he did, but it was postponed from
Time to Time by different Pretences; a Meeting
was proposed at Col^o. Snelson's, where Col^o. Hill & M^r.
Jerdone might examine the Acc^ts.; your Son atten:
ded, but I understand M^r. Cary omitted to carry the
most material of his Books. I was astonish'd to
hear this, but was still of Opinion that the best
way would be to endeavour to procure an ami:
cable Settlement; the Book & Acc^ts. were all in
M^r. Cary's Hands & the whole Transaction rested
in his Knowledge, so that it would have been necessary
to commence a Suit in Chancery to bring him to Acc^t.,
& you know how very tedious Proceedings of that
Sort are with us. With Respect to the exact Bal^a.
due to you, that can't be fix'd, y^r. Son tells me,
'till he receives an Acc^t. of the Remittances
made by Cary; he has taken a Mortgage of every
Thing M^r. Cary has, & is in Hopes of procuring
personal Security for any Deficiency that
may happen. The outstanding Debts, he is labouring

Page 2

to get Bonds & Security for, & has employ'd two diligent
young Men to assist him in doing this & collecting
what Money can be got; tho' this Article is so
very scarce, that the most, which can be done at
present, will be to put the Debts upon as sure a
Footing as may be. I was sorry to learn you were
engaged with M^r. Waters, as there seems to be no
Probability of securing any Part of that Debt.
I have spoke to his Executor upon the Subject, but
he assures me that there will not be near enough
to discharge the Judgments already obtained,
so that 'twill be hardly worthwhile to commence
a Suit, when the Fruits of it will only an additional
Expence to you. The unhappy Circumstances of
this poor Gentleman astonish'd every one here;
for my own Part, I always thought him so safe
a Hand, that I should not have scrupled trusting
him with any Part of my Property. You, no Doubt,
were a little surprized to hear that I had shipt
so large a Part of my Tob^o. on Board Cap^t. Walker:
I mention'd the Reason of it in a former Letter;
your Ship had staid out so long, that I despair'd, almost,
of her Arrival; add to this the Prospect there was,
at that Time, of an enormous Crop all over
the Country, which made me anxious to get my
Tob^o., as early as possible, to Market. When Cap^t.
Robertson first arrived, & indeed for some Time
after, your Son seem'd so very apprehensive that
he might be pinch'd, that I determin'd to assist
him all in my Power, & accordingly purchased
fifty-Hogsheads, besides my Overseer's Shares inclu
ded in the forty by Walker; the three last, which
M^r. Norton purchased for me, Cap^t. Robertson
could not take in, & they were put on Board of
young Cap^t. Esin, as I before have advised you.
How these Ventures may turn out, I can't say, but
hope for the best; Inclosed 25/ p c^t. for my own Crop
& gave from 21/ to 26 p c^t. for what I purchased. Your
Endeavours for my Interest, I don't doubt will equal
my earnest Inclination to serve you.

Page 3

Perhaps I may remit you some Bills this Fall; or
I probably may have Occasion to draw on you; this
will depend upon my Receipts, which ought to be
considerable, tho' I can't at present depend with Cer:
tainty upon any Thing in the Cash Way.

M^r. Cocke rec^d. his Goods in proper Order,
tho' it's a Pity they had not come sooner. If you'll
be pleased to turn to my Letter, in which I de:
sired them to be shipt, I think I mention'd how very
essential it would be to him to receive them
early in the Spring; he had laid his Acc^t. in dis:
posing of most of them during the Assembly, Gen^l
Court & Court of Oyer & Terminer, which I am per:
suaded would have enabled him to have made
you a full Remittance by Return of y^r. Ship;
I know he depended partly on receiving a conside:
rable Sum, which was due to him by a safe Hand,
but in this he was disappointed; so that his Re:
mittance has fallen too short. I have promised to give
him Credit with you for £100 St^g.; which you'll
be pleased to do & charge me with that Sum,
advising me as soon as it is done. He is in Hopes
of making you a handsome Remittance from
the approaching Court. He talks of writing for
a few more Things; I have told him, if he can satis:
fy you as to the Terms of remitting, that I will stand
his Security ultimately, so that, if you please,
you may value yourself upon me in that
Respect. He is diligent, industrious & frugal.

In a late Letter you seem to wish
to know my Sentiments of the Money Scheme
lately sent to our Agent; I can hardly refuse
to comply with any Request of your's; but will you
excuse me if I chuse to be silent on this Head.
Our Friend, poor M^r. Edw^d. Ambler has been in a
very dangerous Way for some Months; he is now
here for change of Air, & we have great fears
about him. When the year ends, you'll be pleased to
discontinue sending the Reviews & London Magazines
upon our joint Accounts, & only send me the Gent. Mag.

Page 4

& the best daily Papers. Any entertaining Pamphlets or
Books of small Prices, I should be glad of by different
Opportunities; if Things of this Sort don't so immediately
fall under y^r. Notice perhaps some Friend may point
them out to you.

We on this Side the Water, are become
very anxious to know what is preparing for us at
Home. However we may have been misrepresented,
you, my Friend, who lived so many years amongst
us, are too intimately acquainted with our Disposition
to believe that Virginians are become disaffected
to their King or Mother Country. Let but Things re:
turn to their old Channel, thro' which mutual &
reciprocal Advantages have constantly flow'd to us all, & we shall
ever be happy in our Connections. We affect not, nor
have not the most distant Wish of an Independency:
We only desire a free Enjoyment of our Birth Rights;
possibly these may be wrested from us, but the Ameri:
cans, I hope & am persuaded, will never resign them.
What can great Britain desire more of us, than the
Fruits of our whole Labour, which she already
reaps? I could enlarge, but this is become so
trite a Subject, I perhaps, in so doing, I should
be too tedious. For the sake of Peace & Happi-
ness, my constant & earnest Prayers are that
these unfortunate Disputes may have a speedy
& favourable Issue; but, be this as it may, I shall
ever retain the sincerest Regard & Esteem for
you & all your's, being very truly, my dear Sir,

Y^r. aff^te. & mo. ob^t. Serv^t.
Ro. C. Nicholas

I have by several Op:
portunities advise you
of the very great Alteration
in our Crop of Tob^o.; it is agreed
that it must be exceedingly
short & very mean in Quality.

Virginia 3^d Oct^o. 1768
R.C Nicholas

Rec'd 30^th Nov^r.
p Necks

Goods ent^d. pa: 51

Ans^d y^e Dec^r. 1768
p Theodrick