17 Feb 1823

Clare Hall Feby 17^th 1823

Sir.

Your favor of 19^th Dec^r reached me while I was at Barbuda, I have just returned in time to answer it as the eight day Boat is in sight, & her orders are not to anchor. Since my last we have been in want of rain, the cane on this Estate have improved but very little, yet I still think we shall make the number of Hogshead’s I wrote in my last, I have planted two pieces for the next Crop, & have the whole of the land intended for the next Crop ready to plant in succession; we shall now be preparing for provisions, you may rely that no expense that can possibly be avoided shall take place. I shall take a particular care to see that the seeds you mention are properly registered.  I find the answer to your Bill in Chancery against Blackburn has come out, but in an informal manner, I was apposite(?) to know if I would wave the informality which I decline doing, it is therefore sent back, & will I suppose return as soon as possible, I write to apply to your lawyer to know the particulars which I will send you, & shall be happy to know how I am to act in case it may be given against you by the Court.

We have been dry at Barbuda, have gotten the yams and Hay, and shall next week I hope get the Corn Harvested(?) the latter will I trust be a tolerable crop, but from being obliged to supply the greater part of it four times it is rather thin there is a good deal of land planted I have not yet been able to secede in disposing of Oxen.  I have bought ten fine ones to this Estate they were much wanted, we shall want as many more as the Estate is close to the Town two principal roads running through it, if they do well it may induce people to purchase but such is the times anything is bought like the very last extremity in haste. I remain

Sir

Your Most Obedient

Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: Gloucestershire Records Office, Microfilm no.351, Section no.6, D1610 C24

Accessed through Simon Fraser University library

14 Jan 1823

Clare Hall Jany 14^th 1823

Sir.

  It is with much pleasure I now inform you the weather has been such for some time back that the Canes in this Estate have improved beyond all expectation particularly on the higher Lands; but they will be very late we cannot begin(?) for the next two months when I first came here it was the general opinion that the Estate could not make twenty Hdds (Hogheads)  I may now venture to say we shall at least make Eighty, & I hope the manure and lime I am now bringing from Barbuda will soon get the Estate in good Heart, the vessel is employed in this work when not engaged for your windward Estates. The George Hibbert with the stores for this Estate arrived here last week.

  The weather at Barbuda has also been good and I trust we shall have a good supply of Guinea Corn. The demand for Cattle is extremely dull; I have offered Oxen at one half they formally sold for, Mr Osborn yesterday informed me he could buy the best Oxen in this Island for twenty pounds currency per Head, he must have some for this Estate to enable us to get the manure to it, and I have some idea of sending the very poor to Barbuda to fatten.  Having been at Barbuda during the Xtmas I have not been able to get an exact list of the Debts due in this Island sent by this Packet but as soon as it can be accurately made out it shall be sent for your instructions. I remain

Sir

Your Most Obedient Humble

Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: Gloucestershire Records Office, Microfilm no.351, Section no.6, D1610 C24

Accessed through Simon Fraser University library

16 Nov 1821

Antigua Nov^r 16^th 1821

Sir.

  Inclosed I have the pleasure to send you M^r Joshua Kentish‘s Bill on John Blackburn Esq^r London for £156:13:3 Sterling being the amount of salvagers of three vessels wrecked on Barbuda as per account which you will receive together with the Island Accounts and the triannial returns of the Negroes which I have sent off this morning by the Brig Adelphi to the care of M^r Trattle, I have also sent by the same Brig the ten Puncheons of Rum the salvage of the Rum saved from the ship Hound two I have left for the use of the Island and it required nearly another to fill the ten up. I fear it will not sell for much but it could not be disposed of here as it would be subject to that colonial duty of 2/6 per Gallon full one third more than it would sell for the Bill of lading I have sent to M^r Trattle. It is with much regret I am not able to send you a Bill for the balance of Robertsons money it has been daily promised me for the last week but on the arrival of the mail Boat this morning I find myself again disappointed, the ship Martha will leave this some time the beginning of next week I shall do all in my power to send it by her there are no Courts open at this time of the year or I could not have been put off so often, since 11^th September we have had a continuance of Rain say sometimes more than I could have wished for, it having laid the low lands completely underwater, & it is some time before we can get rid of it, in these grounds it has done some injury to the young Corn but I hope not very materially so, the Yam Crop will be very small as the greater part of the seed tried on the ground for want of rain, in fact before the rains in September not a blade of grass was to be picked on the Island which obliged me to use a good deal of last years Hay. I trust we shall have a good crop the season as pieces were shut up immediately the rains began.

 The last wrecks have given me a good deal of trouble particularly the Hound, she was so far to Leeward of the Island as to oblige us frequently to sleep in the Boats, we never could get home in less than five Hours, in one instance we were very near losing some of our people, I was in the largest of our boats about 30 feet long & 19 feet 6inches Beam and had myself than steering her the greater part of the morning, & had not given the helm out of my hand half a minute when a gust of wind struck her she filled instantly and went down in sixteen feet water, I had ten men with me for of which could not swim & we were a mile & half from the shore after taking care of those that could not swim by securing them to the Oars we succeeded in getting the torn ballast net off (?)(Letter damaged) the Boat she then rose to the edge of the wreck(?)(Letter damaged) Lee shore under us in about an hour and half we all landed safe, having in the first instance thrown of my Coat, shoes & stockings I had about seven miles to walk without any, in the Brig with the Accounts I have sent a list of a few things required for the use of the Island, Clothing for the Negroes is the only thing of consequence they have not had any since 1818. I am

                                                                Sir

Your Most Obedient

Servant

 (signed) John James

Reference: JJ273 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

15 October 1821

Antigua Octo^r 15^th 1821

Sir.

  By the second August Packet which arrived a few days since I had the honor to receive your letter of the 15^th of that month & I particularly regret to find you have reason to complain of my not writing as often as you could wish, I certainly meant to have written by the Apollo & to have sent you the wool, Turtle, Arrow Root &c, which except the Wool was sent by the Percy Hall to London, but the Apollo sailed within three days after I wrote saying I should do so, & certainly much sooner than I expected I was therefore not ready for her, being then engaged getting as much from the Spanish schooner as possible.  The Wool I have not hitherto sent having an idea you would rather have it at Bristol than London, & the Apollo was the only ship for the former Port, also being informed that it would not injure by keeping I have also to regret that the weather has been such it was impossible to send off any fat Cattle from Barbuda, nor has there been a single demand for the working Oxen except from your Estates, Bettys Hope has had twenty-two &  Skerritt’s twelve; Barbuda working Oxen are not in demand when they are to be got in this Island; I have done all my power to make the most of the Island, but we are so subject to dry weather that every precaution cannot secure a Crop, the two years before the last the first 1818 was dry & the gale of 1819 nearly destroyed all the Corn, the consequence of which was that I was obliged to buy a considerable quantity for the Negroes; last year we were more successful & I think shall have from one thousand to twelve hundred bushels to spare but it has been at so low a rate and I have not thought it advisable to sell any as yet, particularly as Guinea Corn will keep two or three years, at the time I received Robertsons money I forwarded all the Bills I could get, & then owing some money for Corn I thought it advisable to pay for it out of what remained, expecting to get Bills the beginning of August to forwarded to you in its place, but which I have hitherto been disappointed of, but I have no doubt shall be able to do so by the next Packet, by which conveyance you shall also have a Bill for the amount of the wrecks, the proceeds are very trifling compared with the trouble we have had they were all but under the direction of M^r Joshua Kentish Agent to Lloyd’s in the Island who has assured me that I shall have his Bill by the Packet for the Amount.  The Rum from the last ship could not be sold here without paying the Colonial duty which would be scarcely double its value. I have therefore determined on shipping your third part to M^r Trattle, your part was 13 Puncheons which I have kept in Barbuda, I suppose it will take one to fill the others up, two I shall keep for the use of the Island, the other ten I shall ship on board the Snow Adelphia, F. Stuart master of 337 tons she is insured at Lloyds and is expected here immediately to load sugars. I have done all in my power to recover Rawlins Bill but without effect he has gone to one of the Dutch Islands taking all is Negroes with them, the whole of the Papers I left with Mr Woodley the Attorney General of St Kitts to do what was possible I shall write him by the first opportunity if you still wish to have the Papers sent home it shall (be?) done. I do assure you I should be most happy to part (with?) a great part of the Negroes, & I think it a pity Mr Osborn will not assist me in sending them to your Estates, as fast as I can find them doing anything wrong they are sent to Bettys Hope, seven able men have been sent lately as you will perceive by the Triennial Return which will be forwarded you together with the Island Accounts to the end of June, by the Adelphia directed to the care of Mr Trattle; the next Packet will be due at Barbuda next Sunday week, the amount of the salvages independent of the Rum is £321:3:3 currency. The Privotes(?) has proved the best to you as they left all her sails, ropes and cables &c behind which will serve your vessels for some time they have already had a good cable & a set of sails each we have as much more canvas left, besides a quantity of rope which will last the vessels at least three years.

                                                        I am Sir Your Most Obed Humble

                                                          Servant

               (signed) John James

 

Reference: JJ272 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.