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my Love to you both and your Children and all them that ask after poor Frank.

wee all well at present, I thank God for it; only wee lost David, died the thursday after wee come out.

[Endorsed,] these pr Capt. Clark.

Sir,

JOHN TOMLINSON, JR. TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD

Antigua, March 21: 1732/3.

I AM now to acknowledge the favour of several of yours, and shall follow your Orders, as near as can be.

The occasion of your Sloop being detain'd here so long, has been intirely owing, to the great Rains we had after Xmas, which continued untill the middle of Feb: so that no mills were at work, till about that time; However as the Rains were general over all the Islands; I hope your Effects will come to so good a Market as to make amends, for the long time she has been out.

Inclosed is a Bill of Lading for Sugar, Rum,1 One peece of

1 Rum was sent in large quantities to Great Britain, but could not find a market in France, as brandy, the local product, received protection. The rum and molasses of the French islands could profitably be sold only on the American continent, and the British factors complained that the Americans sold lumber, provisions and horses to the English islands, and spent the proceeds in buying sugar and molasses of the French islands, "whereby the French are enabled to increase their settlements, and also their negro trade,” and the prices of slaves and produce were thus enhanced. In former years the British islands obtained their provisions and supplies from the mother country; but now the chief benefit of the northern colonies to the kingdom was their ability to satisfy the islands, and their trade should be confined to the British islands. That four-fifths of the profits of the sugar islands centred in Great Britain, and one-fifth in the northern colonies, and that one-fifth, estimated to be about £300,000 per annum, was largely expended in the French islands. In reply it was asserted that the British sugar islands could not supply the molasses and rum needed for the Indian trade and the fisheries; that the principal imports from the French islands were molasses, which was made into rum, silver and cocoa. The silver was sent to England in payment for supplies, and was the only ready money obtainable by the colonies; that to prohibit imports of molasses from islands other than the British would destroy an important shipping industry, create a monopoly and greatly reduce the fisheries, the trade in peltry and the commercial connections with the mother country. Anderson, Origin of Commerce, III. 181. The controversy continued until 1733, when Parliament, for the encouragement of the British sugar islands, passed an、act imposing duties

Sheeting Holland, One Cag of preserv'd Ginger, four of Sweet-meats, Two dosin quart Bottles of Citron water, One Dosin pints ditto, all which I hope will come safe to Hand and be to your satisfaction.

As we have no likelyhood of Sugars mending in their price in England, I think you're very much in the right for ordering the greatest part of your Sugars to be shipt to your self.

We have no news here, worth mentioning to you, not so much as any certainty of a New General, which gives us no uneasiness, since we are so happy as to have Gov: Byam over us. The Sugars numbred 29 to 36 are all strain'd; but I think 29 and 35 are the brightest.

I am now straining, and design to strain all, if I can but supply myself with straining Cloths, which are now very

scarce.

I hope this will find you and Family in good Health; which is the hearty wish of, Sir, Your most Obliged Friend and Humble Servant,

JOHN TOMLINSON, JUNIOR

My Wife joyns with me in our best respects, to your self and Lady. I have sent you two Barrels of Oranges, but I am very much afraid (they are so ripe) that they wont keep till the vessel arrives; but the Captain has promist to take all the care that can be.

FRANCIS POPE TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD

Sir,

Antigua, June 28th day, 1733.

THESE few Lines comes by Capt. Thomas, that I have got in seventy five hhg of Rum and Suger, beside twenty teirces of Suger; and hope, if it pleases the allmighty God

on products of foreign sugar colonies, other than Portugal, imported into any of the British plantations in America, viz.: nine pence per gallon on rum, six pence per gallon on molasses, and five shillings on every hundred weight of sugars and paneles, "to be paid down in ready money by the importers, before the landing of the merchandise." 6 Geo. II. c. xiii.

with my Liberty, I hope to sale in about four or five days after Capt. Thomas, and hope by night to have in about ninety hhgs. in. I wood a rote you by Capt. Scott,1 but Bennett and he both saled in one day for Rhoad Island, and I gave my letter to Bennett. and pray Sir you wood be so good as to deliver my letter to my Wife. So, Sir, Major tomlinson, being in town yesterday, I was saying to him that I could not despose of my Candles, he told me I had better to sell them for sevenpence then to leve them. So, Sir, I wood not dew nothing to your Disadvantage upon no account, what ever trust you put in me yesterday bringing down Rum from the plantation your Cattle being verey poor that two of them died in the path a come to the town, wich will be sumthing of hendrenc of my not saleing so soon as I thought to saled four days after Bennett Sir, I have nothing farther to wright you at present, being all well at present I thank God. With my Love and Service to you and all friends,

FRANCIS POPE

So,

I shall bring about ten hhgs. upon the deck for Capt. Gardner.2

[Endorsed,] These per Capt. Thomas.

ROWLAND AND SAMUEL FRYE TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD

Sir,

We are now to acknowledge your Favour 21 May enclosing a Certificate of the Death of your Brother William Redwood. We thereupon applyed to Mrs. Field, who is Executrix to the Estate, but could get no satisfactory answer from her. she complains of her being left very much involved and that she has paid several Legacys which the Law could not have obliged her to do. had you sent

1 Perhaps Joshua Scott, an "honorary" member of the Fellowship Club, August 7, 1753. This club admitted only such persons as were or had been commanders of vessels, and met monthly in one of the public houses in Newport. A list of the members from 1753 to 1850 is in Newport Historical Magazine, IV. 167.

2 William Gardiner?

us at first a regular account of this Legacy we might have recover'd it as well as the former one; but now we cannot tell how we shall succeed, but we shall apply to Mr. Walter Newberry, who may possibly do us some service.

II

We were in expectation you would not have taken it amiss that we did not pay all your Drafts on us, as they amounted to so considerable a Sum; but would have thought your self obliged to us for advancing you £612. 4. 11 at a time, when all the merchants refused to advance any thing for their West India correspondents; sugars being then so low and the Islands in so declineing a condition. we have been enquiring after the rest of your Bills but cannot hear any thing of them, therefore suppose they are sent back. Mr. Tomlinson has shipped us 20 hhds. of your Sugar by Blair, and 12 hhds. by Capt. Sherburne. Enclosed is account of Sales for the first parcel. Nett Produce £157.0.4; the others are not yet landed.

Our market is a little better than it was last year, and if there be much Exportation Sugars will still rise.

We have nothing further to add but that we shall be proud of the Continuance of your Favours, and we shall always take care to execute faithfully what you entrust us with. We are, Sir, Your most humble Servants,

ROW'D AND SAM'LL FRYE

London, 20 July, 1733.

ROWLAND AND SAMUEL FRYE TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD London, 29 August, 1733.

Sir,

OUR last was by Capt. Homans, since which we have not heard from you. we have again applyed to Mrs. Field about your Legacy of £38: 10:0, but perceive the Certificate you sent us is for Mr. Wm. Redwood, whereas the Legacy is due to your Brother Jonas Langford Redwood. we have already rec'd £154. 0:0 for the Legacy due to your Brother William, and should have rec'd this at the same time had you sent us a proper authority.

Mrs. Field says if the Legacy is due she will pay it but must first consult Mr. Walter Newbury, as she is a Stranger to the Affair; and therefore we should have a Letter of Attorney from you to impower us to receive the money and also a Certificate of Jonas Langford Redwood's Birth and Burial, and that the Legacy is now due to you. however we believe you need not put your self to this expence till you hear from us whether Mrs. Field will pay the Legacy or not.

Enclosed is Copy of Sales for 20 hhds. of Sugar by Blair. the 12 by Sherburne are sold but at 17/6 per C. they proving very indifferent, and hope to send the sales in our next. we have lately rec'd 20 hhds. by Whipple, and Thirty by Draper, both which we shall take care to dispose of at the height of our Market. If there be any of your Bills in town unpaid we shall take care to discharge them all, for, as we promised, we are still ready to supply you with two or three hundred pounds when it may be of Service, tho' our affairs will not permit us to advance a large Sum.

There has been a Storm in the Leeward Islands which has done them a good deal of Damage, and we believe it will make Sugars rise here. We are, Sir, etc.,

Copy per Capt. Cary.

ROW'D AND SAMUEL FRYE

ROWLAND AND SAMUEL FRYE TO ABRAHAM REDWOOD

Sir,

On the other side is a Copy of our last by Capt. Cary, since which we have not heard from you, but have received 10 hhds. more of your Sugar by Tomlinson; as they are not landed we cannot write you how they prove. however shall take care to get the most for them that our Market will afford. the 30 hhds. by Draper and 20 by Whipple are sold at 18/6d per C. The accounts shall be rendred of the whole in our next, if possible; at present they cannot be made out, because we have not yet settled with the Buyers.

1 An account of the hurricane, which struck the islands June 30, 1733, is in the New England Weekly Journal, August 13, 1733.

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