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at which he was a little Surprized, and made answer that then he must depend upon the Governors recommendation only, for he had no Interest with you himself, and indeed I don't think he can reasonably expect it, considering the Treatment you mett with when at Antigua.

you more

I now make you a tender of my Service, and you may depend none will serve you more just. I will write at large per Captain Carr, which sailes in 10 days; Several makes Interest for him to the Governor. as for my part I have not, nor shall not depend, or speak to any but your self, and as you always have been my freind, I am in hopes you will still continue. you may depend I shall study to merritt your favours, consider I shall not keep any of your Negroes out of your feild. I have House Negroes enough of my own, and that advantage only will be considerable in your way, as you want a great many more then you have to settle your Estate. you was pleased to order the Governor at two different times to lett me have Land, for which I return you my hearty thankes, although I am not certain whether I shall have any or not as yett. therefore I am sure if you don't give him positive orders to give me the Management of your Estate I am sure he will give it to Tomlinson. my Brother Richard presents you and your good family with his Service. he setts out next week for New York, where he goes in order to settle an Account for me there. I have money in the hands of Colonel Nathaniel Gilbert of that place between one and 200£ this money. I shall order it to be remitted to you, if he has not already shipt it to me. my Brother meets Captain Carr at your Island to come back with him. I will say more of this affaire in my next. your Sloop, Captain Pope, is not yett arrived. when he does you may depend I shall doe him all the Service in my power. you'l have several letters in favour of Tomlinson. I pray make no answer to them, untill Captain Carr arrives. I have by this tired your patience with my Nonsense, but I hope you'l excuse it. my Spouse joynes with me, in our best

respects to your good Lady, and please to accept the same your self, for I am

Worthy for & most off #fbletered

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Coppie via Boston sent before.

JONAS LANGFORD TO ABRAHAM Redwood

Dear Couzin,

[Antigua, March, 1730-31.]

YOURS [I] receiv'd by Capt. Pope1 with one a little before in both of which you charge me with a neglect in not writeing; Now to justifye myself in that particular and lay the whole blame to the Captains of your vessels; for not dischargeing their Duty; in whom I have confided two Letters since your absence vizt. one by Capt. Thodey 2 (via York) the other (via Boston) both which I thought you had receiv'd ere now; They both giving melancholy accounts as to the Condition of our Island; not haveing had one Rain to do us any service for these twelve months past; which has reduc'd your Crop to less than half what I ex

1 Francis Pope.

2 A captain William Thody was in command of a sloop Endeavour taken by the French at St. Lucia in 1727. New England Weekly Journal, July 10, 1727.

pected, and am affraid will ruin the next years Crop entirely; if not a Season very speedily. I mention'd the Death of my Father to you in my last which you have not receiv'd, but find by your Letter you have heard of the same. I have since taken possession of the Popes head Plantation which fell to me by Death of Mrs. French, which has oblidg'd me to quitt your Estate, the management of which you were so kind to trust me with and have given all my accounts to the Governour in order to be sent by this Opportunity which I hope will meet with Approbation. The Governour has thought proper to let Mr. Thomlinson, Junior, have the management of your Estate whom I am certain is one of the best planters we have in these parts; and a Gentleman that will do you as much Justice as if you were upon the spot your self; Therefore hope for your own advantage you will continue him there, notwithstanding some misunderstanding happen'd between you whilst in this Island; in relation to the Cains upon your Land, which he was oblidg'd to pay for; and if the Governour thought him not a proper person he never would have fixed him there contrary to the Interest of him who he has always studied. So with Love to Wife and Family and same to self, I remain your Loving Kinsman,

JONAS LANGFORD

P. S. I shall send by this opportunity tenn gallons of Arrack;1 and three dozen bottles of Citron Watter2 also what things you sent for by Mr. Lovell who is just arriv'd. my Watch is broke; and can't perswade my Mother to sell her Negroe boy Jonny; but shall desire the Governour to send Charles.

1 A word of Eastern origin applied to any spirituous liquor of native manufacture, but in the West Indies meant a liquor distilled from sugar, fermented with the cocoa-nut juice. Johnson defined it, “a spirit procured by distillation from a vegetable juice called toddy, which flows by incision out of the cocoa-nut tree." It does not appear to have been an article of import into Great Britain from the West Indies; but rackee (ragi) from Turkey, practically the same sort of spirit, is mentioned in the customs tables.

2 Properly a liquor distilled from the rind of citrons.

ISSABELLA LANGFORD TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD1

Dear Cosen,

Antigua, April 7, 1731.

YOURS I received and am glad to hear of your safe arrival with your family. I wish you joy of your second son health and happiness attend you and yours. I return you thanks for your present of apples. Capt. Car sent me a few apples in a handkerchief but weare good for nothing; however your good will was never the less. we have not seen him since he came. my Mother returns thanks for all favours receiv'd, particular[ly] for her half part of a Horse.2 I understand the other half for my Sister Betty. I need not writ you thee misfortun that has befallen our family since you left us. I understand you have heard of the Death of my Dear Father, which is a very great trouble to us, in particular to my Dear Mother who would have wrot to you, but her troubles being very great have defer'd itt to the next oppertunity. she gives her kind love to you and yours. my brothers and sisters gives their loves to all your family. pray make my love and service exceptable to your good Spoues, and my littel Cosens, and except the same from your sinceare and loveing Cosin. I have sent you by this oppertuni[ty] a Cagg of tamrons.3 my Mother gives her kind love to Cosin Whipple and will writ by the next oppertunity. my Sow lies in with nine piggs and am in hopes I have not made so bad a bargain as you thought I had. Yours,

4

Issabella Langford

1 The original is in the Newport Historical Society.

2 The export of horses to the West Indies centred in Connecticut, and continued an important commerce until the War of Independence. In the act of 1731 the sending of horses or lumber from the American continent to foreign sugar colonies was prohibited, to the end of placing these colonies at a disadvantage in producing

sugar.

4

Tamarind, the fruit of the Tamarindus Indica.

* Joseph Whipple married Sarah, sister of Abraham Redwood.

WALTER NUGENT TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD

Worthy Sir,

Antigua, April the 11th, 1731.

THE above is a Coppy of mine to you by way [of] Boston and New Yorke to which I reffer you. This goes by Capt. [Carr] to advise you I have yours per Capt. Pope with a Gould Watch to be [sold] I'll doe my Endeavours to gett it don. you have not limitted me t[o a] price, so that I can't well tell what to demand for it. I will alsoe [1] all the Service in my power, but am afriad he will make no gr[eat] it, all soarts of goods being now a drugg, for People have not any [] the weather being so very Dry; if I had seen him before he had [ ] advise him to goe farder to seeke a Markett; but he tells me he [had no] discresionally orders for that purpose, which with Submission to you, Sir, is wrong, for I take him to be a serious sober discreet Gentleman, and such men should have orders in case they should arrive here to markett as he now has, to proceed farder. I have looked out for [a] Pipe of wine for you, but could not meet with any that was good enough for] you. I shall send you one by Captain Pope, with the hollands. my brother goes [per Capt.] Kerr. I design'd to send him to New york - but the affair I was sending him about, I had an account of it's being don. Incloased I send you a Letter to Collonel Nathaniel Gilbert, which please to seale and forward by the Post. I send you two Negroes; 2 if you like them keep them and give my Account credit for what you think they are worth. the Negroe man is a Peice of a Saylor and a fine Papa Slave-cost thirty pounds Sterling out of the Ship. the Negroe woman is a fine Slave. I had another which is a better wather, but suspected somthing I entended against her, on which shee's given us the Slip

1 Mutilated.

2 In this year Paul Dudley printed at Boston his Essay on the Merchandize of Slaves and Souls of Men. Massachusetts imposed a duty of £4 a head on negroes, but the King in 1732 issued an order that no new duty should be laid on them. Belcher Papers, 1. 256.

M

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