Hancock family papers, 1712-1854 (inclusive). Volume JH-6 John Hancock letterbook (business), 1762-1783. Mss:766 1712-1854 H234. Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School.

Sum there is an Additional Expence on her in filling her Ports, new Beams, &c., perhaps £100. As to the Cargo, Judge you may Insure £350 or £400 {Sterling} for your own Account. We have a long Time had a Quantity of Pott Ash in the Hands of a Messrs Trecothick & Co. & have Repeatedly wrote those {Gentlemen} for a particular State, but have {Received} no Satisfactory {Account} only that it Remains unsold. This Pott Ash is in equal halves with Mr. Apthorp & selves, & we have to ask the {favour} you will please on {Receipt} of this to apply to those {Gentlemen} for the State of it, & if unsold desire you will Receive from them the one half of whatever Quantity they may have, which you will dispose of, for our {Account}. And we further Ask the {favour} you will please to Settle our {Account} with them if in our {favour} we beg you will {Receive} the Ballance of them, & Credit our {Account} of other way & we Desire you will pay them what-ever {Ballance} may be due to them, & Take their {Receipt} in full of all {Accounts} as we Decline any further Connection with them.

By this Opportunity we Transmitt Mr. Woodford his whole {Accounts} to {January}{Inclosed]} you have our Bill on said {Gentlemen} for £187.12.10 {Sterling} being the {Ballance} due to us, when paid please to Credit our {Account]}therefor; and we must Repeat our Desires you will Send us our {Accountt} {Current} as soon as possible. We Rely you will be Carefull in the Choice of our Spring Goods & that they be {Charged} at the very lowest Prices, especially as we think we are entitled to the usual {Discountt} for prompt pay, as undoubtedly the Makers ever make that their Rule; this we Submitt to you; we want nothing but what's equitable, & Dare Say you will Judge what we Say is so; this you will think & Doubt not your doing us strict Justice. We have wrote to Messrs Devonsheir & Reeve of Bristol for a small Supply of Goods to come early in the Spring, & have {ordered} them if they prefer to Draw upon you for their Cost immediately on Shipping them, they allowing us the usual {Discountt} for prompt pay, should they Draw, you will please to honour such their Bills & Charge to our {Accountt}. We have at length Collected all the Bills & Charges for the Ship Boston Packett, and Inclose you the {Accountt} of her Cost, with every Charge attending while here, One Third of which being £569.18.1 {Sterling} we Debit your {Accountt} & Inclose you your {Accountt} wherein we Credit you for the Anchors & Sail Cloth, Ballance due to us £475.12.10 {Sterling} which you will Credit our {Accountt} for. In this Concern we consulted the utmost Frugality, and are of Opinion, she is not a dear Ship, she was built on the best Terms. We hope you will Approve our Conduct, & that the Ship will be to your mind, & wish she may prove a Successfull one. You may Rely this is the Original Cost of the Ship, with Charges of Provisions &c. we Judged it no way material to Send any further particulars, if you Desire it, you shall have every Bill, which strictly Corresponds with this {Accountt}.

We hope soon to hear from you, & wish to know the Arrival of the Boston Packett; we Rely on you to Dispatch her soon in the Spring.

We wish you the Compliments of the Season, and are with Tenders of our faithful Services here, & with Sincere Esteem,

{Gentlemen}, Your most {Obedient} {Humble} {Servants}

PS Capt. Blake writes you , Respecting his Insurance, to which Refer. Inclosed is Copy of the Orders we have given Capt. Isaac Cazneau {Master]}of the Ship Adventure, hope you will Approve.

Messrs {Jonathan} Barnard & Co.

[*By Capt. Brett *] [*By Capt. Bannatyne Via Glasgow*]

Sir Boston {January} 5th: 1764

Inclosed we Transmitt you our Accotts. of Supplies for your Contract of 500 Men Ballance in our favour £1874. 12s.10d {Sterling} for which have Drawn a Sett of Bills of Exche. in {favour} of [Jonathan} Barnard & Co. not you will duly honour.

Provisions have been very high last year, of the meat kind, & will Continue so this : have Acted in all Respects as for our selves pork being so high & scarce here, as it was also at Philadelphia, could not procure there the Quantity wanted for Annapolis, and was Obliged to Send Beef instead of Pork : it happened we had more at Chegnecto to Serve all June, & then new would be better than to keep that old, so we Spared Mr. Gerrish 25 Barrells, for which we Charged him the Market Price here, by which you Gain'd Considerable, & have Credit for it in Accott. Some Beef & Butter Mr. Williams purchased at Annapolis, being out before our Supplies Arrived he Took out also 12 Barrells Pork Shipt by Sewall for Chegnecto

We are Sorry to Tell you, 15 Tierces of Callavances[white beans], Shipt from Philadelphia to Annapolis proving not to their Satisfaction, were Condemn'd, & Sent to Boston. we shall make the most of, & Credit you for in new {Account}

We Apprehend the Provisions now at Chegnecto & Annapolis will Victuall up to June, or all June next, with some small Addition of Pease, when to be had, but then there must be further Supplies Sent in Time to Take Place after June, which we shall furnish, unless we Receive contrary Orders from you. Mr. Dyson's Disburstments upon the Surveys of the old Provisions at Annapolis, we think is Chargeable to the Crown.

We Allow'd Mr. Giles Tidmarshe but 2/6 {per} Day the short time he Acted for you at Halifax; are Sorry the Charges Attending your Contract run so high, for which Reason, have Charg'd no Commissions on £597.9. 4 1/2 paid as you'll See by the {Account}.

In our last to you of 23d. {December} Copy herewith; we Sent you Mr. Winston's Returns, & Letter, as also Copy of Mr. Gerrish's Letter, & Ration {Account} hope you will Receive.

We ar, Sir Your most Obedt. & most Humble Servts.

PS Should General Bastide & Family be at Southampton beg our, & Mrs. Hancock's most Respectfull Compliments of the Season, which please also to Accept your self Matthew Woodford Esqr.

{Gentlemen} Boston {January} 12th 1764

We have already wrote you by this Vessell, bad weather still Detains her head. We now Inclose you Copy of Orders given to Capt Casneau {Master} of Ship Adventure hope you will Approve. We should have prefer'd Capt Blake's Continuing {Master} but he declin'd, & Spends the winter here, what his Reasons are we know not, as he put this Man in {Master} without our Knowledge, we however hope from the Character he Sustains, that he will be faithfull, & wish may obtain a good Price for the Ship, {which} think will be best

We forgot in our tact to Acquaint you that Mr Woodmass had Remitted us the Value for the Bill you Return'd us protested, that you need be at no further Trouble in procuring {Payment} in London

Mr. John Bell of {Philadephia} Acquaints us, he has Drawn on you for our {Accounts} Viz In {favor} of {Thomas} Riche 2 Bills each £100 is.... £200 {Thomas } Clifford....... 165.6.2 Robert Proud....... 70 Archibald Ritchie...... 128 {John} Morris......25 {Thomas} Weston.....50 {James} Louttit.....60 Peter Wikoff .....100 [Total] {Sterling} £798.6.2

Which you will please honour charged to our {Account}, he will also Draw a further Bill of near £80 {Sterling} which is the full Ballance due to {said} Mr Bell from us.

We are without any of {your} {favors} to Reply to, hope soon to hear from you, and are with Sincere Esteem, {Gentlemen} your most {Obedient} {Servant} Messrs {Jonathan} Barnard & Co

[*By Capt Brett*] [*By Capt Bannatyne Via Glasgow*]

{Gentlemen} Boston 16th {January} 1764

We some time ago wrote you to Ship us some Pork from Ireland, and Butter, which hope before you {Receive} this will be [crossed out] upon the Passage, but if upon {Receipt} hereof it should not be Shipt , you must Omitt Sending us the Pork & Beef, as it will be quite out of Time for our Use & we must be obligated to Purchase here before it can possibly Arrive, but the Butter you will please to Send by first {opportunity}. This you will note. We are {Gentlemen}, Messrs {Jonathan} Barrnard & Co your most {hunble} {Servants}

[*By Capt Brett *] [*By Bartlett Via Bristol*]

Sir Boston {Febuary} 6th 1764

Our last by Capt. Brett where we Inclos'd you your whole {Accounts} & Drew on you for £1872.12.10, {Ballance} due to us, which upon Examination hope you will find Right. We have now only Time to Cover you Two Months Victualls Lists, Viz 1 from 5 {Septmber} 1763 to 2 October.....17230 Rations 1 from 3d {October} 1763 to 30th {October}...... 14084 Do Which hope will Enable you to Recieve your pay.

We also Inclose a Return from Mr. Williams at Annapolis, by which you will aboard the Necesity of Sending Supplies there, which we are now doing, & a Vesell will Sail in a few days with Rice, Bread & Pork, which we purhcase on the best Terms. We hope soon to hear from you, shall write you more largely by next [?] Remain with Esteem, Sir Your most {humble} {Servant} Matthew Woodford Esqr

[*By Bartlett Via Bristol*] {*By Jarvis *}

Boston Feb[rua]ry 16th [17]64

Gent[leme]n,

The Inclos'd Power to K & B you will please to get Authenticated as soon as possible, & Return'd, when the Affair of Sewall & Lewis may be Settled.

By Capt Jarvis went Passenger Mrs. How, who we Recommended to your Civilities & Advice; if she Succeeds with the Governm[en]t she is to pay a Ballance due to Apthorp & Hancock from her late Husband being £434.18.9 the half of w[hi]ch she will pay to you for Acco[un]tt T H, & you will please to Discharge said Estate, we now Inclose you the Acco[un]tt, & should be obliged to you for yo[u]r Assistance.

We shall soon Send an other Vessell to Philad[elphi]a for Provisions for Mr. Woodford's contract, & shall Give orders to Draw on you for their Cost, that you will please to honour such Bills as Mr. W[illia]m Sword or any other merch[an]t in Philad[elphi]a may Draw on you for that Service.

We were last Night favour'd with your Esteem'd Letter of 26th Nov[embe]r by Packett, obserue the Contents, and that you had made Insurance on the Boston Packett, we hope soon to hear of her safe Arrival with you; We are pleased at the Acco[un]tts you Give of Oyle, & wish may Continue that think we have a prospect of a good beginning with the new Vessell.

We wrote you we had Recover'd of Mr Woodmass at Halifax the Value of his Bill you Return'd us Protected, that you need be at no further Trouble about it.

We wish to hear Cumings Bill is Settled & that Debbiege has finish'd his Balla[nce]

This we send to York for Conueyance hope to hear from you soon, & are in haste Gent[leme]n Your most Obed[ient] Serv[an]ts

Messrs Jona[than] Barnard & Co.

[left margin, vertical] Via New York

--------------------------------------------------------- Boston April 2nd 1764

Gent[leme]n,

We are favour'd with yours of 15th Febr[uar]y] by Capt Calef, who Arriv'd here yesterday; by him have an Acco[un]tt of the Arrival of the Boston Packett w[hi]ch is the first News we haue had of her since she Sail'd, you mention nothing Respecting her, but perhaps you wrote before. We Note you are Loading her, & hope you will get her away as soon as possible. We observe you have order'd the Provisions from Cork, & wish may Arrive soon, tho' the prospect of meeting a good Markett is not very favourable, but shall Do the best we can.

We haue Sent a Vessell to Philadelphia for Provisions for Mr. Woodford; contract to the Addrefs

of Mr. William Sword, we have Sent him Bills for part of their Cost, & Directed him to Draw on you for the Remainder, whose Bills you will please to honour & Charge to our Acco[un]tt.

We Inclosed you Copy of a Letter Rec'd from Isaac Carneau Mas[te]r of Ship Adventure, who is Arriv'd in West Indies, but no prospect of Disposing of the Ship, we Refer to his Letter. By very next oppor[tunit]y will Send you her Acco[un]tts.

You have Sent no Acco[un]tt Sales of the Oyle by Jacobson & Jarvis. Hope you will be able to Dispose of the Whale Fins to a Profit, the Sale of the Oyle by the Boston Packett [shink?] is a good Beginning. Pray send us our Acco[un]tt Curr[en]tt.

We can't add now, but that we are with Esteem,

Gent[leme]n Your most Obed[ien]t Serv[an]ts

[right margin, vertical] By Capt Gardner Via Bristol By Capt Baker D[itt]o

You will please to pay to Messrs Devonshire &Reeve of Bristol £187.11.5 Sterl[in]g Balla[nce] of our Acco[un]tt, we have wrote them to Draw on you for that Sum w[hi]ch place to our Acco[un]t

Messrs Jona[than] Barnard & Co.

--------------

Boston April 2d 1764

Gent[leme]n

Your's of Nov[embe]r 10th came to hand only a few days ago, note the Contents ~ This is just to Desire you will Draw on Messrs Jona[than] Barnard & Co. of London for £187.11.5 Sterl[in]g, being Balla[nce] of our Acco[un]tt Due to you, we have wrote those Gent[leme]n to honour yo[u]r Drafts after w[hi]ch please to Send our Acco[un]tt Curr[en]tt.

We are in hopes of our Goods from you early; we can't add but that We are Gent[leme]n Your most hum[ble] Serv[an]ts

Messrs Devonshier & Reeve

[right margin, vertical] By Capt Gardner By Capt Baker

---------- Boston April 6th 1764

Gent[leme]n

We haue wrote you already by this Ship of 2 d Ins[tan]t since which we haue Rec'd your fav[ou]r of 30th Dec[embe]r and Note the Contents. Observe you had made near full Insur[an]ce on the Boston Packett; you Say nothing of the Ship, Master, nor indeed any thing about her, should have been Glad to have known the Character of Mr Coffin, & whether you should like to Continue him in the Ship, of w[hi]ch you are Silent ~ The Schooner from Nantuckett Sailing to your place with Oyle was very unlucky, most especially as it fetched so great a price, as it may be a means of their Continuing that method, besides keeping up the price of Oyle here. Capt Folger did all he could to prevent her Sailing, but they were Determin'd upon it.