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.