11 May 1825

Clare Hall / Antigua / May 11th 1825 

Sir, 

  Since my last letter of the 1st April the weather has been extremely dry at least till Yesterday evening when we had a good rain which continued the whole of last night and which is the best we had for nearly two years of course we have stoped sugar making all hands taking advantage of the rain to get as many plants in as possible I shall have now in about 98 Acres and have 27 more to plant, with 50 Acres Rattoons for the next crop, the young canes promise well.  As yet we have only made 35Hhds and shall not exceed 100.  Last year we would only establish about 64 Acres of canes and had no ratoons being obliged to cut them off for plants for the next crop the sugar we have made is good, the first 20 will be shipped to Geo: Hibbert for London 50 will be kept for Capt. Mereweather the remainder I shall ship to London as soon as they are ready. 

  Mr. Carr the mail before this promised to send me out the opinion of an eminent special pleader which we are anxious to see as not liking to commence measures until it arrives I cannot find that any powers have arrived in this Island from Blackburns representatives, my last account from Barbuda was that it was very dry I meant to have gone there tomorrow but Mr Osborn had offered to go with me if I can stay a day or two for him  I shall remain there until the arrival of the next Packet unless it may be necessary to move in Blackburns business, I think there is a good prospect of more rain I have been obliged to draw a Bill for £374.9.6 stlg chiefly for salaries & take the particulars of which you have with this, I am sorry to say the Invoices of this year have far exceeded what I expected many things being sent that were never ordered they must have been taken from the invoice of the preceeding year they are chiefly hard ware and will keep, we shall want nothing for the next year but clothing unless you wish to send out the Xmas Pork................................... it is now selling here for 20 dollars per barrel  I have taken the liberty of including in the Bill drawn on Mr Trattle £50 stlg for my self which will make £150 that I have drawn for altogether, as you have never mentioned what I may be entitled to I shall be obliged to you to do so when I shall be enabled to send you all your accounts by Capt. Mereweather we are in want for Barbuda of a few pieces of Cotton Bagging to put the wool in which would wish to send by Mereweather this I suppose will reach you are he can sail by him I sent you a small box of Cayenne Pepper which I hope will be good  I am getting more made I have determined on keeping all the Staves & Lumber at Barbuda for this Estate which will help us a good deal.  The Doctors Bill is the principal if not the only one of the old Debts unpaid & that is to every thing having never received any thing since you have been in possession of the Estate except what I paid last year & must now be about £1200 currency payable in produce could they be paid in sugar or Cash  I have no doubt this would deduct at least 50 per cent they offered me last year to take Sugar at ten dollars per 100 pounds.  The third of the Lumber being the salvage I shall keep for the use of Barbuda as we are much in want of some as yet I do not know the quantity. 

I am 

Sir 

Your Most Obedient  

Humble Servant 

(signed) John James 

1825 

April       1    to Cash pd Mr Winters Salary 31 decr to date£50,0,0 

        to  ““  “   “ Mr Spenk  “  “  “   “  “  “£25,0,0 

7      to “ “ “ “ “ “ I S I McKie Co. for 3 carts purchased 

In d??? last Pble on 1st inst.£50,0,0 

          to Cash pd John Bradshaw for 15 puncheons 

M???? purchased 13 Nov last pble on 1st inst.£121,0,0 

15     to Cash paid John Osborn for retaining fee 

Blackburn vs Codrington£100,0,0 

          to ditto pd chanery fees on same cause£50,0,0 

May        9      to ditto Mr. Nelson’s salary in full from 

31st decr last to date£35,8,4 

         to Cash pd

Reference: JJ279 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

09 June 1823

Clare Hall June 9^th 1823

Sir.

  By the Packet I received your two letters, one respecting Mr Blackburns claim, inclosing a letter to you from Mr Carr on the subject; it gave me great pleasure the(?) receiving it, as I feared the claim might have been brought on the last Court day, which was Tuesday last, & the last day for recovery this year. There letters I have given to the lawyer employed, & have requested him to write Mr Carr fully on the subject, which I purpose sending to him through you. Your other letter of the 20 April was also a great relief to me, as it enabled me to satisfy the clamorous of the creditors of Clare Hall, & last week I was beset on all quarters, many of there debts have been long standing, two actions were brought against the Estate, one for £12 .2 this I was not aware was owing, the amount never having been rendered to me; this I immediately paid. The other from Carlisle the Sadler for £152:9, who attempted to turn a produce account into cash; making at least 100 per cent difference; I have tended him rum which he has refused to take; I have therefore employed Mr Musgrave the Attorney General to make him the tender according to law & defend the action if not accepted. Some other cash transactions of Mr Icks I have been obliged to pay & have drawn on Mr Trattle for them as well as the taxes & Overseers salaries which I trust will be accepted, Mr Trattle shall have the accounts sent him by the George Hibbert, the greater part of Mr Eldridges account has been bearing in trust since April 1822. Inclosed you have a Bill of lading for fifteen Hds of sugar by(?) the Geo: Hibbert she will sail tomorrow or next day by her I also send you four Turtle, besides the 30 Hd^ds sugar shipped, I have paid away & sold 10 Hd^ds which has enabled me to pay a number of the small balances due, also one Hd^d paid the Customs House. The liberal authority you given me in your last letter will I trust enable me to get rid of the greater part of the debts, but I will withhold as many as I can & send you the sugars, was the whole of the crop appropriated to do this I think it would pay everything due in this Island. I shall if I can avoid it, pay the Debtors only in part, the debt due Doing & Aird of £234:1.9³/₄ & which was included in the first sent you, does not belong to you, as it was priv(?) to your taking full possession of the Estate they have therefore consented to give it up.

                The weather for the last three weeks has been very much against sugar making not having sufficient wind to move the mill, at the same time we have had an immense quantity of rain which tho it will do the present canes no good, will I trust be of much benefit to the next crop; as well as to the provision; of which I shall plant as much as possible in fact the quantity I mentioned to you would all have been planted had I been able to get of the rotten canes; I am happy to find that there is a good wind this morning & hope it will continue as the rain(?) changed last evening, Mr Osborn has furnished me with yams to plant. My next letter will be most probably from Barbuda.

                I remain

Sir

Your Most Obedient Humble

   Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ276 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.