26 June 1814

Antigua June 26^th 1814

Sir

Herewith I have the pleasure of forwarding to you the seconds of three Bills of Exchange,(Viz) Tho^s Allman’s on Alex^r Worswick for £717: 12:4. Michael Furlong’s on Mess^rs, Plummer Barham & C^o. for £200, and James Athill’s on Mess^rs S S & C Turner for £132 making the sum of one thousand four hundred & nine pounds 12/4, the first of these Bills I shall forward by the Packet, which is now here and which will I doubt not reach England before this, as this will go in the Man of War that convoys the fleet. Onboard the Bristol Volunteer, for Bristol I have sent you two fine Turtle, and one on board the West Indian for London, I also sent you five by the last Fleet which I hope you have received safe. The little Cotton I have made this year I have not been able to send by this Fleet, on my arrival here I found the Captain of the ship by which it was to have gone intended carrying it on his deck, and at your risk; to which I objected; and thought it better to keep it for another Fleet, I could have sent it to out Ports but thinking you would rather have it sent to London I have not done it; we have only made 15 Bales.  I regret to add that the weather at Barbuda still continues as dry as ever, we shall I fear consume nearly the whole of our Hay; I have one Large Rick, and about the half of two others still left, I shall write you more fully by the Packet.  I am

Sir

your most obedient humble

servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ260 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

23 May 1814

Barbuda May 23^rd 1814

Sir.

                The last Packet brought me your letter of 20^th March inclosing protests for non acceptance of two Bills (Viz) MacKays for £140: 13. 1 & Taylor’s for £105 Sterling both of which they assure me will be paid when due, which I hope will be the case; these Bills were paid me on account of the Wreck Sales, which were sold for Bills. I have also received the original of Rawlins’s Bill & have put it into the hands of a lawyer for recovery, he will proceed against the endorser of the Bill as I find the drawer is in Prison in England; I have every reason to hope it will be recovered with Costs.  Inclosed you have the duplicates of the two Bills. Your Accounts to Christmas last I intended to have forwarded by the last Fleet, they were all ready but at the time of its sailing a Gentleman arrived here from Barbados to purchase Cattle, for which Admiral Duram was to have sent a Frigate, and expecting her momently I could not leave the Island; the ship has never arrived and the Gentleman after waiting three weeks return to Barbados whither he will come back or not is uncertain, as I have not since heard from him, he had twelve hundred pounds Government Bills with him which I was sorry to see again carried off the Island; these Accounts I shall now keep and bring myself, as I hope to leave this in the Fleet which is to sail the latter end of next month if nothing particular should occur to detain me.  I have now nearly sent over all I can get from the Woolwich, it has been a very troublesome job. Your salvage will be I suppose upwards of one thousand Guineas, but I cannot speak positively to the Sum as the Articles are to be valued by the Officers of the Naval Yard at Antigua I shall arrange every  thing before I leave this Country, there has been some delay in consequence of your Vessels being obliged to attend to the carrying your sugars.

I am extremely sorry that I am not able to give you a good account of the Island, we have had but one shower (to speak of) since last September; which was on the eleventh of last month, it then rained for about three Hours; but the Ground was so dry before that it has been of little service, no appearance of it remained two days after; therefore you may form some idea of the state of the place: at this moment not a sign of vegetation on the whole Island; I have been for some time feeding on Hay & and now obliged to have recourse to Bush, the Cattle are notwithstanding looking pretty well, my greatest fear is for the sheep, every precaution shall be taken to keep them up.

The Negros for the last ten days have been employed picking Salt, and must now be distributed over the Island to cut Bush for the Sheep. This is the dryest season except 1809 I have seen since I have been on the Island.

I will endeavour to get all the information I possibly can respecting Blacks contract before I have the pleasure of seeing you in England I am

Sir

Your most Obedient Humble

Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ259 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

22 January 1814

Antigua Jany 22^th 1814.

Sir,

                At last the Officers and Crew of the Woolwich have left Barbuda, they were taken off by the Childres Brig on the 25^th of last month having been on the Island since eleventh of September, during which time they have consumed eleven thousand & ninety four pounds of Beef & Mutton; for which, they have paid me at the rate of 12 pence half penny per pound, which amounts to £577: 15:3 Sterling but having supplied them with Bread etc purchased by me at the Wreck Sales, I have received a Bill for the whole on the Commissioners for Victualing the Navy amounting to £672: 18: 8 ¼ which I have enclose. I have also received Certificates for the trouble we have been at, & lodging the Men, but as I have undertaken to send the Materials of the ship to English Harbour Naval Yard, I shall keep it till the whole is completed as they will refer to each other, the Cables & several other things are still on board, but I hope if the weather will permit, have one of your vessels laden with them on Monday.

                The salvage of the Brig Abo was settled today after I last wrote you, you have been awarded one third of the Gross Sales, and forty per cent on the sales of the Vine. Say Brig Abo £1388: 12:4. & Brig Vine £1239: 3:9 together £2627: 16:1 Currency but some deductions must come out of that for the hire of vessels & to bring part of the Cargo to this Island. Have not yet been able to bring over the whole of the Vines Cargo, but shall do it as soon as the Woolwich’s Cables are sent off as they are on board the ship consequently in some danger of being lost, & they are too troublesome to land & there have to reship them.  At the bottom you have a list of the Bills now sent on account of the Wrecks, & also of the Island, the Bill for £672: 18: 8 ½ I shall put to the Credit of the Island altho part of it is for Articles bought at the Wreck Sales and which will be stoped(?) from me out of the Salvage, but in order to keep the Accounts distinct I shall place the whole of this as above stated. Both Accounts shall be sent you by the next Packet.

                I am sorry to inform you that the weather has been extremely unfavourable, we have had no rain since I last wrote you, & in fact very little since the month of September the day the vessels were Wrecked in consequence of which both the Corn & Cotton have suffered considerably.  Our Stock have still plenty of Food. I remain,

                                                Sir

                                Your Most Obed^nt Servant

(signed) John James

The following are the Bills sent with this

Paul Horsford	on JJ & C Turner	£98-6-9
LL Hodge’s	on Mr Trattle	400……
John Crosbie’s	on Rodie & Shands	70……..
Jos & JL Darrel’s	on Newman & Spence	100……
Frans Willick’s	on self	62.10…
Hugh Mackay’s	on F & R Maxwell	140.13.1
John Taylor’s	on J Latham	105…….
Lieut - G McGuire’s	on Commissioner of Navy	22.6.2
On Account of the Wrecks	…………………………………………	…………………………..£998:16:7
RM Whichelos’s	on Commissioner of Victualing the Navy……………………………………	£672:18:81/4
Simon Bishop’s	on Do Do	17: 16:3
On Account of the Island	……………………………....................	…………………….£690:14:111/4
	Total (Stirling)	£1689:11:61/4
equal to £3,041:4:81/2	Currency…………..................................	……………………………………………

Also duplicates of the two Bills sent with my last of the 25^th Nov.
Thomas Allmans Bill on Alex Warswick for £208:19:2 and Finch Bovels d^o on the Pay Master General for 100 Sterling.
(signed) John James

Reference: Gloucestershire Records Office, Microfilm no.351, Section no.6, D1610 C24
Accessed through Simon Fraser University library