05 July 1823

Antigua July 5^th 1823

Sir.

                Inclosed you will receive a Bill of lading for eight Hdds of Sugar shipped on board the West Indian Brig, Cook Master, which ship left this port yesterday for London.

  These 8 Hdds are the only ones we have been able to make since my last letter, on account on the first Instance of calm weather, & since of a continuance of extreme heavy rains, more of which has fallen on this property,& generally throughout the Island than I have ever seen in a given time since I have been in this Country, I may even say for the present crop think is too much, but we must look forward to its paying us the next, as should have made more sugar but the bad (state?)of our roads would not admit of Carting the canes.  We have now about forty five Acres to take off which probably may make about 30 Hdds & which if the weather permits shell be ??? as fast as possible.  I would have suffered them to stay over as they were planted very late but on the current state of the weather our Cotton Crop for the next year would suffer and also prevent my planting the quantity of provisions needed we will therefore get on as fast as possible altho the sugar may not be as good as I could wish.

  I returned from Barbuda last week we have had an equal share of rain there, and I trust we shall have a large proportion of provisions planted, after this month I mean to take up my residence on that Island till after the Hurricane months.

  I hope if the present rains continue Antigua will make as large Crop next year, and that working Oxen will be in demand, we have a great number fit for sale; what I brought to this Estate have turned out well, without them I would have done ????  I have offered the pick of any Oxen on the Estate for sale which may be a means of getting rid of Barbuda Oxen.  Beef Cattle I can get little or nothing for I have sold a few ?? Cows at one shilling per pound formerly they fetched ??? this is the best price I can get & therefore must continue it, by the West Indian I forwarded to M^r. Trattle a duplicate of the Bill of Lading for the above mentioned sugar

                                                                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

01 May 1818

Barbuda May 1^st 1818

Sir.

  Inclosed you have the seconds of Mr Byams two Bills of Exchange on Mess^rs Rodie & Shands for £95: 2:5 & £45: 7:4 Sterling the firsts of which were forwarded in my Letter of the 16^th March, and which I hope have reached safe; they were to have gone by the Packet which sailed about that time, but I find the Boat which followed her to St Thomas’s did not get their till she had sailed; the Antigua mail was therefore forwarded by another vessel.  I am sorry to say we have had no rain since my last, the Island is therefore extremely dry; but the stock still continues in pretty good condition.  The woolly sheep have just been shorn, and I have pleasure in saying the wool is rather better than it has been at any former shearing; as I suppose you would like to have it sent to Bristol I shall keep it till a ship sails for that Port; the flock now consist of two hundred & twenty three Ewes of the American breed and seven Spanish, besides rams, & wethers; my wish is to increase this flock to about two thousand which I think we may maintain within the Walls; I have a Dozen Rams to turn into the woods this season.  I had some turned out last year they have not been seen since, and I have yet seen but one Lamb that appears to be of their getting.  Mr Osborn has made a demand of six more Oxen which shall be sent him next week, I rather think his demand will be pretty heavy for the next season, which I must endeavour to provide for, this dry weather will I hope enable us to Pen them.  Mr Osborn also wishes me to send him the Negros from Barbuda but as they are very loath to leave the Island, and have an idea that it is in my power to keep them here I have requested that he would come over himself and make a demand of them, and take them off; for altho I do not expect any great opposition, yet I think it but fair as he is to receive the benefit of their removal that he should also take a share of the trouble should any occur, or a positive order from you to me to remove them mentioning the number shall be instantly, complied with, they would then see the necessity I was under of sending them to Antigua.

  By the Ships George Hibbert & West Indian I have sent you six fine Turtles, four by the former, and two by the latter, I hope they will reach you in good condition.  What Cotton I can get ready shall be sent by some ship that will sail next month. I am

                                                                                Sir

                     Your Most Obedient Humble

                                  Servant

               (signed) John James

Reference: JJ266 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

14 June 1817

Antigua June 14^th 1817

Sir.

   Since my last to you of the 21^st April I have had the pleasure to receive yours of the fifth March; which I had answered to go by the last Packet, but the Calm weather, & southerly winds prevented my boat from getting to this Island before the mail boat followed the Packet I have therefore thought it useless to send it with this.  I have then anxiously looking for the first of Rawlin’s Bills which you mentioned in your letter had been sent to me some weeks before you wrote, but I am sorry to say it has not yet arrived, I have therefore not been able to take any steps in the business for want of it, and the last Courts are now closing for the year; but I trust it will arrive so that we may be ready by the opening of the Courts next Season.  I suppose it must have slipped the memory of the Gentleman that was to have sent it.

  With respect to the removal of the Negros from Barbuda I had not taken any steps, on receipt of yours I wrote to Mr Osborn stating to him as there will be great objection is on the part of the Negros to leave the Island, that the best method would be for you to give a positive order for a certain number to be removed; in which case your orders must & shall be put into execution; I was in hopes to have seen Mr Osborn before the last Packet sailed, but the state of the weather would not admit of my crossing the Channel without the risk of my being out two or three days, however I am happy to find that he wrote you on the subject.  Since I have been here I have made particular enquiries concerning the Bill which has passed the Legislature of this Island, and am happy to find that Barbuda has been taken care of, as far as it was possible to do so; Negros may at all times be brought from that Island to this, and on particular occasions such as wrecks happening, or a Gale of wind doing any damage.  Tradesmen are permitted to go there provided a security is given for their again returning to this Island, in fact Barbuda would have been exempted altogether, but it was feared that in case of them intention of sending Negros from Antigua the Law might be evaded by first sending them to Barbuda.  Altogether the Bill appears to be merely to prevent diminution of Slaves on this Island, as many have within the last year or two been sent from this to some of the Southern Colonies.  The Negros which we shall be able to spare from Barbuda must be very young ones, as at present it is with difficulty in case of the wreck that I can properly man our Boats, which was the reason we did not get to the last two vessels on shore in time to claim a Salvage, they were on the South side, and the boats had to make half the circuit of the Island to get to them, they therefore got off without our assistance; nor will the Negros if sent off young feel the change so much as older ones.

  I am happy to say our weather continues favourable, the greater part of my yams are planted, and I am preparing for Corn and Cotton with all expedition.  By the ship Killenbeck which sailed early May I sent six Bales of Cotton consigned to Mr Trattle; it was all I had ready at that time, the remainder shall go by the Francis which will sail early in July; it will be about six or eight Bales more by the Bristol Volunteer you will receive six Bales of sheep wool some of it has been on the Island some time and I fear is not very good, but the shepherds assure me it is worth sending; the Bale N^o 6 is the last taken from the sheep, will therefore be the proper sample, there is also another Bale which was shorn last October but I do not know the Number of it.  By the London ships only for Turtle were sent you, two by the George Hibbert and two by the West Indian, I shall send you some by the Bristol Volunteer.

   Inclosed you will receive the first’s of six Bills of Exchange. (Viz) two drawn by J:J: Kerin one on Miss^rs Richard & Thomas Neavis, London for £233: 18:11, the other on Henry Fauntleroy Esq^r London for £256: 17:7 three by John Osborn one as Attorney to Will^m Ogilvy on Captⁿ Will^m Ogilvy RN Edenburgh for £156: 4:6. one as Attorney to William M Frye,on Will^m M Frye at Geo: Blackmans Esqr London for £50 and the other as Attorney to Alice Eliot on misters Plummer Barham & Co London for £65: 11:9 lastly one drawn by Wm Shill on Henry Dyatt Esq^r London for £30, together making the sum of £792: 12:9 Sterling.  You have also enclosed the second of Sir H: W: Martins Bill for £616: 17:4, the first of which was sent you on the 21^st April.  I hope you will receive them safe.  I had requested my Agent here to send you the Barbuda Accounts (letter damaged) the end of December last, I now find they were sent to you (letter damaged) blank cover by the Killenbeck, no notice of the Bills (letter damaged) was taken in these Accounts, they will appear in the next

                                                I am

            Sir

             Your Most Obedient

              Humble Servant

        (signed) John James

Reference: JJ263 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

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.