John Norton letter to John Hatley Norton, 1767 July 31

John Norton letter to John Hatley Norton, 1767 July 31

John Norton letter to his son John Hatley Norton in Virginia. Norton writes of the scarcity of tobacco; the sale of tobacco; Colonel Tucker's loss; visiting the Andersons; shipping goods to George Wythe, Robert Carter Nicholas, and Governor Francis Fauquier. Norton also mentions that he has sent wine to William Nelson.

MS 1936.3.64
Folder 6

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

Ink on paper

Page 1

London the 31 July 1767

Dear Hatley

I wrote you a long Letter the 18^th Inst^t. p Cap^t. Hamil=
=ton bound to Norfolk who is still I believe Wind bound in the
Downes since have rec'd your's of 13 June p Cap^t. Esten wrote at M^r.
Wythe's giv:^g me some hopes notwithsand:^g the Scarcity of Tob^o
in Virg^a. that my Charter Party will be complied with which
I am glad to hear. I have lately deliv:^d the last 8 hh'ds of Anderson's
Cargo which were Stem'd to Hen^y. Spencer who was the only person
I could get to take them they were bad enough he says he has
not seen such these 4 Yr's he gave me 2 5/8^d for 4 & y^e other 4
2 1/2^d witho^t allow^ce for Con^d & I was glad to get clear of them, the
remain:^g Acco^ts Sales I have sent by this Opport^y p List Inclos'd
They are a sortable Cargo of Good bad & indiff^t I have still
18 hh'ds Lilly's Cargo unsold 2 of M^r Brookes's in Wilkinson
& 1 in B: King of M^r Tho^s. Starke's y^e. 3 last sticky Stem'd
on a paid Entry & as they are 3 old hh'ds & not tender hope they
will go off by & bye. I have just landed M^r Cary Wilkinson's
2 hh'ds out of Necks. hot enough 1 is a pretty hh'd of Stem'd
y^e other Leaf, one head dry & good pretty Tob^o the other quite black
hurt in the priz:^g & tender I might say rotten that was the
Case of the last hh'd the Sale of which he complains of. The
Market here remains much as it was as to price tho no quantity
on hand till the Arriv^l. of the last Ships. I have seen vile Stuff
of M^r Hanbury's out of Necks 'tis a great doubt with me
whether the French will take them at any Price the princip^l
demand at p'sent is for Stout blanck hands, Shag Tob^o. or
fine dry stem'd midl:^g tob^o. hardly bears any Price equal to the

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Quality. I have 7 hh'ds in Necks & 8 in Esten from M^r. Perrin,
& M^r Jn^o. Page Jun^r I shall pay the duties of the whole. I have
wrote M^r Smith if he draws on me for £150 to Allen Jones I shall
pay it had my Letters to Ramsgate got to hand he w^d. have seen
I had sent that Bill in an Open cover p Anderson's Ship that
he might have accepted it & if order'd by him I should have
p^d. it you may remember the Bill was drawn on him pay^a. to
me therefore it could not have been regularly p^d witho. his
Accpt^ce. As to the £300 Bill I mention'd in a former Letter which
M^r. Pride remitted to Edw^d. Hunt the days are expired, Hunt pro=
=poses keep:^g it a M^o. or 6 Weeks to see what Instructions
may be given about it, but M^r Smith as yet has
never mentioned a word about it which makes me conjecture
M^r pride was not to have sent it home it is dated in August
last in short I dont know what to make of it. We' are all shock'd
to hear of Col^o. Tucker's distress & it gave me great Concern that
Gaddes's Ship was loaded by him, however tis not not likely to
turn out so bad as I was apprehensive for I am informed
on the Ship's Arriv^l. at Barcelona, M^r Herries a Friend of
Col^o. Tucker's there, know:^g the Failure of Crisp & Warren stopt
the Cargo on Col^o. Tucker's Acco^t., & got possession of it, to be
sure as the Bills were not p^d. the property was the Col^o's
indeed he was 1/4th concerned in the Cargo & as these Proofs have
been sent to Barcelona I believe the Creditors will have no

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right to the Effects so that the Loss can't be very considerable
Poor M^r W^m. Holt I find was Col^o. Tucker's Security for a large
Sum as he writes me I w^d. not have you speak of his drafts on
me on that Acco^t. as it might hurt his Credit. w^ch. are for £1000 Your Acquaint^ce.
young M^r. Anderson & his Wife are arriv'd, we p^d. them a Visit
a few days ago. We are all much as you left us & join in
best Wishes to you & all Friends in Virg^a. I remain

My dear Hatley's affectionate
John Norton

Aug^st. the 3^d.
P.S. Since y^e above The £150 draft Endors^d.
by y^o. & drawn by M^r. Jn Smith on me has
been presented & I have Accepted y^e same.
Bills enough have Appear^d lately, y^o remember
what y^o s^d. abo. y^e hot weather in Virg^a I fear the heat
has had great Influence on the In Dividuals
I have shipt some Goods p Cap^t. Anderson to y^e follow^g persons viz.
M^r. Savage, Geo. Wilson Geo. Wythe, Benj. Johnston, Cary Wilkinson,
R^t. Carter Nicholas Esq, & Gov^r. Fauquier among those of y^e latter
is a Chest markt G^r FF N^o. 11 contain^g Wine for M^r. W^m Nelson w^ch. I
have given the Cap^t. strict orders about; have sold the 3 hhd
Sticky Stript to Clarke & Leake at 10^d if they take them 'tis better
than Export^g on a paid Entry.

M^r John Hatley Norton

Address leaf

London 31^st. July
1767
John Norton
Rec^d. Oct^o. 1767

Answered p Cap^t. Lilly
Nov. 1767

This Letter has been
answered in part some
time ago