John Norton letter to John Hatley Norton, 1767 May 10 and 19

John Norton letter to John Hatley Norton, 1767 May 10 and 19

John Norton letters to his son John Hatley Norton. Primarily concerning their mercantile business. Norton mentions delays in previous letters; silk being sent to Edward Digges; undercharging Prentis; tobacco sales for Benjamin herndon, George Gollowya, Hy Hill, George Brooke and William Thomson; the tobacco market has stiffened and other matters. Concerning personal matters, Norton writes that his wife visited George Whitefield's and "seem'd much disappointed" with his oratory. Norton also mentions that John Frere has taken lodgings in the Strand and "his Flame is expected soon from Bath."

MS 1936.3.54
Folder 5

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

Ink on paper

Page 1

London the 10^th May 1767

Dear Hatley

I wrote you & intended it p Cap^t. Wilkinson he told
me on Change he was goe:^g to Gravesend himself that Afternoon that
M^r. Athawes's Youngest Son w:^d follow him y^e. Evening after
with all his Letters & if mine were sent any time in y^e. fore=
=noon they w^e: be soon enough but instead thereof when I went
with them to M^r. Athawes's house in y^e. morn:^g I found he went
down y^e. Night Tide so they were left & those sent p post to Rams=
=gate it being a bye Post did not get there 'till Monday Noon & they
were left also as I expected & have been since ret^d. to me you have them
by this Opport:^y which is M^r Ballard passenger in Cap^t. Littell
bound to Jas. River. In look:^g over Matters since the Ship sailed
I find by M^r. Barwick's neglect:^g to make out 2 Bills p'cells 1 for
Col^o. Edw^d. Digges y^e other M^r John Perrin for each a p^s. Silk which
your Mother bo^t. for her own wear:^g but substituted them instead
of those they orderd neither of them have been cha:^d in their Invoices
I have wrote them of it & must charge them accord:^gly, also M^r.
Barwick has added his Bill of pcells for M^r Prentis's Goods
£10 short at least M^r Prentis is charg'd £10 too little
for the same in his Invoice, have since charg'd him with y^e Error
& by this Opport:^y advis'd him of it. We are all much as you
left us, your Mother has been to Whitfield's Tabernacle & satisfied
her curiousity she seem'd much disappointed his Oratory fell greatly
short of her Expectations. I have done little in y^e Tob^o. way since I
wrote have sold only 10 hh'ds of Sticky Stript Leaf to Grote & C^o. at
3^d y^e. 36 hh'ds sold Lyde of Stript Leaf prov'd in gen^l very rotten on
delivery old M^r Hodgkin took 900 lb. Allow^ce. & w^d. hardly agree to
take them at that many hh'ds turn'd out rotten quite thro' they

Page 2

belonged to M^r Benj: Herndon, Geo: Holloway, H^y. Hill. Geo: Brooke
& W^m. Thomson. I have got off y^e Leaf of that Stamp to Andrew's
& C^o. & Sayer on pretty good terms except y^e hh'd DVN which was
so bad I let him have it at 2/8^d witho^t. allow^ce. I have only 37 hh'ds
Leaf & 18 hh'ds Stript of Anderson's Cargo & 80 of Lilly's & 10 p odd Ships
unsold many of them by Lilly being new I fear will stick on hand
but y^e old Tob^o. I am not much afraid of as most of the Merch^ts.
have cleared their Warehouses. Lilly has put up his Ship at y^e Coffee
house to sail this M^o p him probably you'll hear from me again
at psent remain with all our good wishes to you & Fr^ds. in Virg^a:

Dear Hatley
Yours Affectionately

PS. I have p^d. y^e greatest part of
the Tradesmen & hope y^e remain^r
will be so before y^e Week expires

(Copy)

London y^e 19 May 1767

Dear Hatley

Cap^t. Littell being detained longer than he expected gives
me an Opporty of add:^g a few more Lines just to advise you we are all
well, M^cNabb & Fox are just arriv'd but have no Letters of any
Conseq:^ce by them. The Market is rather stiffned for good Tob^o
but y^e Arriv^l of these 2 Ships will not I suppose help it much
I have lately sold Clarke & Leake 6 hh'ds Stript Leaf 3 at 10 1/4^d & 3 at
10^d also 5 hh'ds to R^d. Vaux 4 Stem'd 2 J: Baylor's 1 EWD
& 1 M^r Nelson Berkley's at 3 1/2^d y^e other a hh'd Leaf PP
at 3^d also Fonblanque & C^o. 30 odd hh'ds p^t. out of Anderson's
Ship at 2 7/8^d & p^t ouf of Lilly at 2 5/8^d also 8 hh'ds Shag tob^o. to
Croger. I hope to get 2 3/4^d for y^e remain^r. of Shippers in Anderson
tho have not been offerd as yet more than 2 5/8^d for them, they are
neither dry nor Stout. M^r. Baylor has 1 hh'd unsold 'tis as grey

Page 3

as a Badger & great part of it appears by y^e Sample to be perished. M^r Peter Lyons &
some others are in same State. I must endeavor to get them off
before warm Weather comes on very little appear^ce. of Summer as
yet we have not been at putney but have tho^ts. of goe:^g soon. I shall
be prepare:^g to get y^e. Acco^t Sales made out & expect shall send
them all or near it in a M^o. or 6 Weeks time if any Opport:y abo^t
that time to be sure they are far from being equal to my Wishes
but still I think they will at least be as good as my Neighb^rs
for Tob^o. of y^e same quality. I believe y^e Crop will come to a pretty
clear Market there being very little old on hand. W^m. Hill has
not yet rec'd M^r Nelson's Tob^o. which is abominable tho it can't be
helped M^r. Maxwell has not p^d. M^r. Page's Bill remitt^d p
M^r. Prentis tho the days are expired he tells me if there is Effects when
the Leeds Anderson arrives he will let me know whether he will pay
it or not & desires me to keep it 'till that time. 'tis noted properly.
When y^e n^t pceeds of the Tob^o are ent^d to y^e Credit of those to whom
they belong shall make out a List of D^rs. & send you there has
been abo^t. 4000 hhds Virg^a. & Maryl^d. Tob^o. sold y^e. French at this
Port at 2 1/8^d am inform'd y^e Glasgow people are now sell:^g them at 1 15/16^d
which is a despicable price. M^r Jn^o. Frere is just come to Town &
has Lodg:^gs. in y^e. Strand, his Flame is expected soon from Bath

Our best Wishes attend you & all Fr'ds in Virg^s. I remain
Dear Hatley
Yours Affectionately
John Norton

Cap^t. Lilly talks of sail:^t in abo^t.
10 days shall probably write you
again by him

There is this Moment present:^d to me for
Accept^ce. a Bill drawn by M^r Smith dat^d. 20^th
Aug^st. last for £305..1..6 pay^a. to M^r pride there is no Letter of Advice
neither did M^r Smith in all the Conversation we had together ever
mention a word abo^t it or propose any provision for Paym^t of it by

Page 4

'its being kept back so long I cant think but M^r Smith may have
agreed with M^r. pride that y^e Bill sh^d not be sent home & that
he was to pay it at his Return in Virg^a. I am at a loss to guess &
therefore M^r Smith cant blame me for its being ret^d when y^e
days are out. There has been a Man in y^e Minories call'd on
me & demanded Paym^t. for a Matrass near £3 but y^r. mother
& M^r. Withers think they heard M^r Smith say he had paid for it,
shou'd be glad you w^d. enquire & let me know. The Leeds Anderson
is just arriv'd.

London 10^th. & 19^th May
John Norton
Rec^d. the Sep^r. 1767

Answered fully p
Cap^t. Lilly Nov^r. 1767

This has been answer'd
in part some time
ago