05 May 1823

Clare Hall May 5^th 1823

Sir.

                In my last letter of 11^th April I informed you that in consequence of your mentioning that the first sugars would probably bring a good price, I would ship by the two first vessels what I might have ready; I have therefore sent by the Glaphyra for London which will sail in a few days fifteen Hd^ds for when I enclose you are Bill of lading; I shall write Mr Trattle & send him by the Glaphyra a duplicate of the Bill of lading; also the list of the debt due. I had fifteen other Hd^ds ready for the Geo Hibbert as soon as she comes to St Johns, which will be in about ten days; but on their sugars I shall be under the absolute necessity of drawings some Bills; I have been very much pressed for the last two or three days for payments of some cash accounts some due last month, & some due three or four years back; but have refused until the sugars had sailed. Mr Eldridge has been very pressing, the amount of whose account you will see in the list I sent, it bears interest; I have therefore promised that he shall have a Bill by the next Packet, the Overseers must also be paid in Cash, Sugars for Cash will sell him for next to nothing, I have only been offered four Dollars equal to about 18 shillings Sterling per hundred weight, which price I have refused to part with any; Rum, & Molasses are equally low, but I trust by & by in payment of the debts they shall bring something higher, in fact I will do the best I can. I have had two or three small accounts sent to me since I sent you the list of debts, together not amounting to one hundred pounds Currency, I shall purchase as little as possible this year. A few Boards & shingles we must have, what I may be obliged to purchase I will pay for immediately in produce.  I am happy to say the weather since my last has been pretty favorable for the next Crop, I hope it will continue.  All the Canes are planted except the pieces which have Provisions, these can only be planted as the Eddoes & Potatoes are taken out, and they will keep but a short time out of the Ground, but I trust we shall complete all by the end of this month.  I still think we shall fall very little if any thing short of the quantity of Sugar I mentioned in former letters.  And we shall fully complete the quantity of land for Canes & Provisions for next Crop.

  Mr. Osborn I am happy to say is much better but still unwell, I find he means to try the Benefit of a trip to Barbuda the next time I go there, which will be as soon as the Glaphyra sails; I left it on Wednesday last, we had had fine rains on Monday I had planted Corn & Potatoes & left them planting more.

  The Articles for the smiths shop are arrived & the House nearly finished, it will save much expence.  Mule Harness which amounted to a pretty large sum will be done in future at Barbuda, as well as many other Items which you will observe by a reference to the list of debts due.

                I remain

Sir

Your Most Obed^t

   Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ275 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

11 April 1823

Clare Hall April 11^th 1823

Sir.

  The present Packet has brought me your favor of 18^th July you may rest assured that everything shall be conducted on this Estate with the utmost Economy, in one thing I have certainty added to the expense by increasing the Negroes allowance; on your Windward Estates they are all allowed twelve pints of Corn per week, on all others in this neighbourhood they have ten, on this property they had but eight, I now give them ten pints, the Negroes made no complaint because they were allowed in a manner to do what they pleased, Mr Ick told me the reason they had not this allowance of other Estates was they were so near town they could sell grass to help themselves, they are now I am happy to say perfectly content & do their work properly. We have been dreadfully dry some time past, but it is with much pleasure I inform you we had a good shower the day before yesterday, & yesterday morning, also some this morning, I had planted two pieces in the dry weather because I would not (???) the plants, these rains will I hope save them, I am now planting more, and shall have in before night 70 Acres,25 more to plant, 75 of which are well manured the rest shall be if possible, for the next year I shall plant from 25 to 30 Acres of Yams, the same quantity of Eddoes and about 14 Acres of potatoes which if there is weather will be a fair proportion.  For the two last weeks I was obliged to stop making Sugar as it began to be a little soft, we commenced again on Monday last, and have now eighteen Hd^s in the Curing Houses; of very fair Sugar, better I believe than has been made on the Estate for some time, of this Mr Trattle will be the Judge as I shall forward what may be had to him by the first Vessels the Glaphyra & Geo Hibbert (say) from 20 to 30 Hds.  I first intended keeping them till I had your orders respecting the debts due from the Estate in this Island, but your last letter mentioning that the first Sugars home would probably bring a good price will induce me to send as many as I can get ready; but then I must be under the necessity of drawing some Bills  I have been much pressed for payment of several Accounts by this Packet many of which Mr Ick had engaged to pay on the first of the present month, I shall put them off as long as possible and examine their Accounts narrowly, but such is the poverty of the times in this Island every one is craving for their money.  I trust my Accounts this year will be trifling nothing shall be purchased that can be dispensed with; the weather lately has been against us, but having taken care of the late canes I still trust we shall make the quantity of Sugar I mentioned in my former letters, in future I hope to be enabled with the help of Barbuda to manure every piece of Land that may be planted.  I have just heard that M^r Blackburns answer to your Bill in Chancery has again arrived in this Island, I can give you no particulars as the boat follows the Packet this afternoon; I suppose it will be bought before the Master immediately, your instructions respecting it I shall be happy to have.  M^r Jarvis arrived in the Packet I met him at Bettys Hope on Sunday last. I am sorry to say M^r Osborn has (been? Letter damaged) extremely and dangerously Ill, but am happy to say is now getting better.  I was at Barbuda last week we are very dry there I shall go back again in a few days & remain some time as I am endeavouring to put as much more land as possible having for provisions, in future I shall pay attention to your observation respecting the correspondence in the two properties, my family has been at Clare Hall since Christmas, and will remain here till the Hurricane months.  I suppose the Glaphyra will sail early in May

                    I remain

                                                                Sir

Your Most Obedient

Servant

 (signed) John James

Reference: JJ274 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.