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Gc 975.8 G29c v.22,pt.2 1721551
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01794 0948
THE COLONIAL RECORDS
OF THE
STATE OF GEORGIA
COMPILED UNDER AUTHORITY OF
THE LEGISLATURE BY ALLEN D. CANDLER, A. M., LL. D.
EDITED IN PART BY WM. J. NORTHEN, LL. D. Compiler of Records
REVISED AND PUBLISHED BY LUCIAN LAMAR KNIGHT, M. A. Compiler of Records
V. 22 pt. 2
VOLUME 22. Part II.
ORIGINAL PAPERS, CORRESPONDENCE, TRUSTEES, GENERAL OGLETHORPE AND OTHERS. 1737-1740.
ATLANTA, GA. CHAS. P. BYRD, STATE PRINTER. 1913.
F 867.34
3
CORRESPONDENCE
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.) WM. STEPHENS TO HARMAN VERELST, ACCOTANT RECEIVED 16 MARCH 1738, A PERSONAL LETTER SETTING FORTH CERTAIN COMPLAINTS. THESE.
RED WAX SEAL
1
1721551
Savannah 3ª. Jan. 173 8/9
Give me leave (Good Sir) to crave your patience in a separate letter, whilst you read a few lines, wch. Necessity extorts from me un- willingly; & which I could have no confidence to offer to you, were I not perswaded in my self, yt by your own adoption I am allowd to esteem you my Real Friend. Without farther Preface therefore, I lay open to your View the present Situation I find myself in, together with my Son.
Twould be impertinent in me to recapitulate to you the Terms I embarkd on, in the Service of the honourable Trust: 'tis the mistaken Foundation of what I was to trust to, that re- quires such an explication as experience has too plainly shewn ought to be set in a true light. I must first with a gratefull Sense of the Favour of the honourable Trustees, ac- knowledge the Benefit I recª, from what they were so good to grant for my Outsett; whereby I was enabled with Spirit to proceed as I have done, and (without vanity I hope I may say) shewn what might be expected from the labour
This letter, personal in character, written un- willingly.
Grateful sense of favors shown by the Trus- tees.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
Adverse conditions set forth.
Servants take the fever. Un- able to work crops.
of Servants, if well lookd after; provided they kept their healths. The Servants which I had, you'll please to remember, were estimated to me at £15 ৳ an. each, weh upon supposition they were 10, must amount to £150: This had indeed an engaging aspect. Now let us see the winding up of the last year, & wt it produced. I may venture to say, yt what was possible for us to do was done; and our application to it, for examples sake, was such, as fow, if any, have ever equalld: we felld and laid open 15 acres of strong Timber land, which we after- wards cultivated, & planted wth Indian Corn, Rice, Potato's, &c in due Season. Having no Lot of 500 acres run out for myself, in pursu- ance of their Honours Grant; and being de- sirous of having Gen1. Oglethorpes Opinion & advice in it when he came; I went to work upon a Town Lot of 5 & 45 acres for the Benefit of a Son in Law of mine, in whose name 'twas taken up, when Mr. Oglethorpe was here last time. The land was found to be as good as I could reasonably expect, & great hopes we conceivd of a good recompense for our pains: but in- stead of that, behold what followd: nothing but Disappointments. As soon as the Summer Heats came on, our Servants grew sickly web. Feavers; 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 down at a time; one of the very best died; and as it went round among 'em, we could rarely, or scarce ever, since May last, have any good use from among 'em all: for those who recover'd in appearance, never yet regaind their Strength, but have been continually relapsing; and are become so dis-
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CORRESPONDENCE
5
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
pirited, partly thro' the Effect of their long illness, & partly thro' a natural laziness, yt most of 'em are no better than Cyphers, & 2 or 3 only of 'em are fit for labour yet; neither can we foresee when such a stubborn Distem- per, joyned with a stubborn Will, may be eradi- cated. Add to all this the Doctors Bill, for Medicines & long attendance; wch for one year comes to near £20; and out of what am I to pay it? for in the next place, a Calamity has overtaken us, weh is common to all others here- about; namely our Expectations miserably de- feated, by the failure of a Crop; occasion'd thro' such a Drought last Spring as in several years has not been seen here; besides the Colony being supplyd wth such Seed for plant- ing, as experience has too plainly shewn was not good : so yt generally speaking, tis agreed by all, 3 parts in 4 are fallen short, of what was computed might have been gatherd in at Harvest. The expence moreover of cloathing these Servants, I presume need not be named. These Articles are surely sufficient to blast our hopes of subsisting, in the way we are at pres- ent. But to compleat this Gloom; since our Generals arrival here in Oct last, & what fol- lowd upon his laying open the miserable Cir- cumstances the Colony was under; it cannot but be shocking to men of the best Dispositions, when Want stares us in the face, far more terri- fying than any Spanish Threats. The Estimate which the honourable Trustees were pleased to send for ye expences of the current Year, even so abridged as it was; by the next letters from
Some no better than cyphers.
Worst drought in several years.
·
Privations more terri- fying than Spanish threats.
6
COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
Promise of help could not be com- plied with.
Inability to help mat. ters renders him con- temptible.
Commends his son, who needs a curb rath- er than a spur.
them we were advised could not be complyd with: so that now I really know not what to say. Twould be injurious not to acknowledge, yt hitherto thro' the Generals Favour, I have had such Supplys deliverd me out of the Stores by Mr. Jones, as have been a Support to us; & the product of the Land I compute will be tan- tamount to what Bread kind we shall spend, or perhaps more, ye whole quantity not being yet cleansed; I can't speak of it with certainty; but you need not be told yt Food alone, without other necessary conveniencys of Life, must leave a man in a comfortless State; & I am sure 'twas never meant to fix me in such an one as to render me contemptible, & thereby defeat the Intent of my Service. It were easy to harangue on such a Theme; but twould ap- pear very weak in me, to imagine any more words wanting, the better to elucidate what I mean. Tis my hearty desire to spend w time I have left me in Life, usefully to the Publick, if I may be enabled so to do: and having said That; I must humbly submit the consideration of it to those honourable persons, who are the proper Judges how far I may be usefull. My Son, who is a sober young man, yt has been some years employd in Book keeping &c, & in a promising way of advancing in the World; affectionately chose to quit such Views as he had at that time when I engaged in the Service I am; and to attend his Fathers Fate: during the time of his being here, he has shewn himself indefatigable in promoting wt we came to do; and often with such a Spirit, even in bodily
-
7
CORRESPONDENCE
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
labour, for whole days together, that I have often thought a Curb more wanting y" a Spur ; fearing such extremitys: & now, to find so un- expected a Turn of Affairs here, it cuts him to the heart; under sad apprehensions of future Misery; wch I endeavour all I can to banish from his thoughts; most assuredly believing, yt none who have acted an honest & diligent part under the Trust, will be left exposed to Severi- tys. Such ought rather to expect it, who in these times of Difficulty, instead of uniting to allay the present Discomposures, have joynd in stirring up Discontents to that degree, yt I might as well hope to asswage the raging of the Sea, as the Madness of the People. No, nothing yt can happen will ever divert me from doing my utmost in the execution of what I am charged with; & I make no doubt but a little time will open another Scene to us that we may view with Comfort. When the General left us last, upon seeing wt Straits I was in, he was pleased to tell Mr. Jones, yt he should assist me wth such necessary Cash as I wanted for a pres- ent Supply ; who in about 6 weeks after, brought me 50 shillings : in the like manner M'. Causton, so long since as in Augt. last, after my often asking him for a little in part of what remaind due to me of the £50 appointed by the Trustees, when I should demand it; was pleased in an ignominious manner (as I thought it) to send me in a Bag upon a mans head £5 ster. in Cop- per, alledging yt he had neither Sola Bills, nor any other Coin. These things cannot but grate sorely; & I hope I may be allowd to say so
Sad appre- hensions of future misery.
But hope indulged of better con- ditions.
1
Mr. Caus- ton offers indignities.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
Desires a hearing be- fore the Trustees.
without being thought petulant : To be oblidged to bow down, & crouch in such a manner like a Mumper, is acknowledging such a Superiority as I never knew whom twas derived from; & am far from pretending to assume any thing like it, to my self; but glad when any occasion offers, wherein I am thought worthy of joyning in consultation for the common Good. Not to tire you farther-S' I must recommend it to your prudence, at what time & in wt manner to offer these things to the consideration of the honourable Trustees; to whose good Judgment, Candour, & Benevolence I most readily submit my self always.
Collonel Horsey's death.
No where- with in pocket.
The General went South the last time from hence on the 12th of Novbr: since which we have not seen him: but upon the melancholly News of our Dear Friend Collonel Horseys death, I wrote acquainting him y' I had recª letters from both you and Mr. Sam" Horsey, directing me to do the Office of a Friend, in applying prop- erly in behalf of the Family, for obtaining the Fees & perquisites web are customarily paid, from the death of a preceding to a succeeding Governour: that I had a letter of Attorney for that purpose, wth other necessary papers; but was directed to conduct my self under his In- structions wholly therein; wherefore I hoped for his good advice and assistance, & should wait his Commands, &c. How grievous to me may you then imagine it, in so long time to have recd no Directions touching it when I cannot justify my going without his appointment; nor, if I could do that, have I wherewith in my
9
CORRESPONDENCE
Jno. McLeod to Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
pockett to defray the necessary expence of Travel, till he supplys that Want. This is not doing Service to my deceased Friends Family, with yt dispatch I would: but as we are every day now expecting the General here; I am in hopes of writing to Capt Horsey himself in a short time something to better purpose. Please to make my sincere Respects acceptable to the Family. With my Wishes for a Happy new year to all my Friends, I remain
Dear Sr / Your most humble & hearty Servant Will: Stephens
My Son whom you were so good to remember in your late letter, desires to present his best Service to you.
The enclosed letter directed to the Isle of Wight, youll be so kind to take care may be put safely into the General Post.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.)
PART OF A LETTER FROM MR. JOHN MCLEOD MIS- SIONARY AT NEW INVERNESS IN GEORGIA, TO THE SECRETARY OF THE INCORPORATED SOCIETY IN SCOTLAND FOR PROPAGATING CHRISTIAN KNOWL- EDGE, DATED JANUARY 6TH. 1738-9.
"Your Letter, bearing Date the 8th of July "last came to my Hand some Days ago, by "which, (as also by a Copy of a Minute Sign'd "by Mr. Harman Verelst, Accomptant to the
Establish- ment of a fixed mis- sionary proposed.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Jno. McLeod to Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
"Honble. Trustees for establishing the Colony "of Georgia you sent inclosed,) I understand "the Society is willing to contribute to the "Establishment of a fix'd Missionary here, tho' "they can't at present go So great a Length "that way as the Case requires, because their "Funds are much burden'd by the Number of "Schools, &cc. they maintain; but they would "chearfully bestow a Sum not much exceeding "£20 Sterling, provided that would answer the "End together with what I might in time spare "& apply for Improving the Ground mention'd "in the above Copy. In answer to which, I beg "leave Sr. to put you in mind that I propos'd "to the Society to Surrender the Ground allow'd "me by the Trustees, upon Condition the Same "should be granted to my Successors in this "Mission, and that the Society would bestow "money to purchase Servants to cultivate it, for "the better Support of me & my Successors; "and I firmly adhere to it: But a Sum not "much exceeding £20 Sterling, would be in that "Shape, a poor assistance, tho' better than "None at all, to me; and of no great Advantage "to the next Missionary, Seing a Servant in- "dented for 3, or 4, years is not bought in this "Colony under £10 Sterls; and two Such, tho' "they should outlive their Seasoning-Sickness, "would clear but very little Ground cover'd ""with Wood as close as it can grow ! But if the "Society will bestow Money to purchase 4 Serv- "ants, (which indeed is a greater Number than "I would choose otherwise to be troubled with, "and yet Smaller. Im afray'd, than can be ex-
11
CORRESPONDENCE
Jno. McLeod to Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
"pected to answer the Design) I'm apt to think "that in Process of time they would be of some "Assistance to me & my Successor, tho' he "should have no other Advantage by it but a "Title to possess Land conveniently Situated, "which will be worth Something, if the Colony "prospers; and it may be Suppos'd it will be "improv'd at least as much as the Sum to be "allow'd by the Society will be sufficient for. "Yet after all, Dr. S. a Difficulty may ensue "which I did not think of when I made this "Proposition, Viz. as my Circumstances are so "narrow that I cant furnish Servants with "Vituals, Cloathing, Tools &c. but by borrow- "ing from my Neighbours in this or other Geor- "gia Settlements, who are all very kind to me; "and the Returns of Servants Labour in Culti- "vating Ground, will not in two, or hardly three "Years balance their Expences, tho' they should "all live in good Health. If my Master shall "be pleas'd to call me out of the World before "Im able to pay this Debt, I do not See how "Justice will be done to my Creditors, because "I don't expect to have Effects to leave Them ; "They cant possess the Improvements or Serv- "ants on which their Money was laid out; for "Both belong to the Mission: If it be urg'd "that the improv'd Land may be continu'd with "the Creditors till they are paid. That will "not answer; for every one has, of his own, as "much Land as he can manage; and for the "Same Reason none will farm it. Perhaps None "will think the Mission should continue Vacant "till that Debt be paid; but that Remedy in
Victuals, cloathing, tools, etc., borrowed from neigh- bors.
Individually insolvent.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Jno. McLeod to Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
"this Part of the World, is worse than any "Other; for the poor Flock would either Starve, "or stray without a Shepherd, among ravenous "Woolves, unless the great Shepherd concern "himself in an extraordinary Manner in their "Cause! Wherefore I beg you'll be pleas'd to "represent my Case to the Society, who, I'm "fully perswaded, will have a Fellow-Feeling "of it; and I will, under Providence, be directed "by Them.
"As for the Nature of the Right I have to "the Land, you may soon know it, because it is "no more than a Copy of the Letter sent by the "Trustees to the Society, before I left Edin- "burgh, purporting that they would allow me "personally, as Gen1. Oglethorpe understands "it, 300 Acres of Land; tho' in the Sign'd Copy "of the Minute formerly mention'd, 50 Acres "only are spoke of, which may be imputed to "Forgetfulness, or a Neglect of looking to their "Minute of it: So you See the Society may "judge which of the Two, whether the Sign'd "Copy of the Minute or that old Letter, they "are to abide by. But 'tis the Judgment of "Friends here that the Society ought to desire "of the Trustees a formal Grant on Vellom, "with the Trustees Seal to it, of 300 Acres, "where-ever any Person or persons the Society "will commission to that Effect, will choose "them, of the Land not yet Survey'd or pitch'd "upon, within twelve Miles of New Inverness, "in Darien, for I don't See how I, or my Suc- "cessor will be the Better for the Society's lay-
Request for a grant of land for missionary.
Grant asked for 300 acres of good land for mission.
13
CORRESPONDENCE
Jno. McLeod to Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
"ing out Money on the Improvement of Poor "Land, or incommodiously Situated, and that "on a precarious Footing too! And this Favour "is no more than is usually allow'd to Men of "lesser Consequence in the Colony than a Mis- "sionary. It being probable that the Condi- "tions in the Sign'd Copy will be inserted in "the Grant, I think the Word, Support, in the "last Paragraph, should be left out if possible, "because the Mission Land chosen as above, "may possibly, together with the Constitution "of the People, (who will, then or never, be "able to give Assistance) be a Sufficient Sup- "port for the Missionary, 30 or 40 years hence ! "About ten Days ago I did myself the Hon". "of waiting on Gen1. Oglethorpe, who receiv'd "me very civilly, as he always did, & was so "good of his own Accord as to tell me he would "order the Trustees Storekeepers to give me "Credit for any Thing I Stood in need of, & "the Stores could afford; for I know, Say he, "your Paymasters are far off. Sometime after, "I told him the Inconveniency our People "labour'd under by not having a Church; and "his Answer was, that before he went for Eng- "land, in Nov. 1736, he left an Order, & small "Fund, to build a Church in our place, but that "Such Things fell out as Stopt it, and the Fund "was otherwise employ'd; and Since I came at "this time to Georgia, Says he, upon Applica- "tion, I caus'd a Carpenter draw a Plan of "Specify'd Dimensions, & ask'd what he could "afford to build Such a Piece of Work for, but "his Demand was So extravagant that I would
..
Funds for a church sorely needed. Conversa- tion with Oglethorpe
.
14
COLONIAL RECORDS
Jno. McLeod to Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
"not answer it: I knew all this to be Fact. In "the mean time (continued he) I will bestou "out of my own Pocket upon building Some "Sort of a House to defend You & the people "from the Weather in time of Worship, 'till a "Fund be obtain'd in Some Shape or other, for "building you a Church. The Trustees, he said, "have two different Funds; one for religious "Uses, the other for peopling the Colony &cª; "The first is to be employ'd in Supporting the "Church of England, consequently no part of it "can be employ'd in building a Presbyterian "Church: But a Woman dyed in Tower Street "in London, who left in her Will a disputable "Claim of Some Hundreds of Pounds Sterls. "upon the East India Company, to be apply'd "to the Use of the Presbyterian Church in Geor- "gia, & I put the Trustees in mind of this, tho' "they have not done any thing in it hitherto. "Soon after, having pass'd the ordinary Com- "plements, on his Excellency, I parted; & hum- "bly think the Society ought to look into this "Affair. I send the enclos'd Copy of the "Trustees Minute, in case there shall be use for "it. So, wishing God to protect & direct you, "I remain Dr. S.
Money left in will for Presbyterian Church.
Yr. &c. Jnº. McLeod.
New Inverness, in Darien, Georgia-Colony, Jan'y. 6th.
1738-9.
15
CORRESPONDENCE
Thos. Jones to General Oglethorpe.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.)
THOMAS JONES TO GENERAL OGLETHORPE SENT
WITH THE GENL'S LETTER TO THE TRUSTEES RECD. 29 APRIL 1739, GIVING A SHORT AC- COUNT OF CERTAIN IRREGULARITIES.
Savannah Janry 14. 1738.
ST.
It is with great reluctancy, that I interrupt you in those weighty affairs you are engaged in, and add to your Disquietude, But the just Re- gard I bear to your Honor & the Trustees Inter- ests; oblige me to trouble you wth this Short Accot. of Some Occurencies out of ye many, that daily happen here.
Mr. Causton has at length contrived his Cash- Accompt, (of weh I have a Copy) whereby he makes the Trustees indebted to him in a Bal- lance of £780. He triumphs much thereat; I have looked into ye Accot. & can, without exam- ining the Vouchers, discover: That for two Years last past Several Sums of mony are Said to be paid to persons as by their Receipts. Whereas they received No Mony of him, but Effects out of the Store to that Value, And that not placed to their Accot nor any mention in their Books of those Effects being issued-Sev- eral Sums paid to others in discharge of his own Debts, to whom the Store was not indebted. He has given Draughts to others on persons (not indebted to the Trustees) weh have been
Mr. Caus. ton's ac- counts ir- regular.
16
COLONIAL RECORDS
Thos. Jones to General Oglethorpe.
protested; having obtaind a Receipt for those draughts as Cash; but will not repay the Mony.
Others im- plicated.
I am not so much Surprized at any thing of this nature that he has, or may undertake; But that others, who, I thought, to be men of Repu- tation and upright in their dealings should com- bine with him in the Same fraudulent Designs, has disturbed me greatly; Minis, Woodroffe, Brownfield &c. Mr. Brownfield's demands on ye Trustees is greatly enhanced, Since ye Accot given me of his Ballance in October; His going to Oxtead of late and tarrying there Several Nights; And his joyning in the Representacon, contrary to his judgement, wch he had declared to me,-gave me a Jealousy, that the Conjunc- tion of such Opposites, portended some extra- ordinary Event. I examind Mr. Brownfields Accot (as in ye Store Books) for One Year past ; And found Several Sums of mony to ye Amount of near Seventy pounds, (within that time) charg'd to the Trustees Accot, which by his Bills of parcells appeared to have been placed to M'. Causton's private Accot.
All the Sums before March last had been cer- tify'd by M'. Causton, to have been delivered to the Store for Accot of ye Trustees, (wch Cer- tificate has been pd. in England). I took a Copy of the Certificate & went to Mr. Brownfield, I Asked him, whom he made Debitor in his Books for those Sums of mony, He told me, Mr. Caus- ton, being goods he had Sent for to his Own Use, But Mr. Causton had agreed, lately, to charge the Trustees with them I shewd him the
17
CORRESPONDENCE
Thos. Jones to General Oglethorpe.
Copy of the Certificate, And asked, Whether he did not know (when he receiv'd it) that the Alle- gations therein were false, and that M. Causton had therein certifyed a Manifest Falshood. He reply'd. The greatest part of the People who has Dealings with Mr. Causton, had done the Same; I told him, That it was with Concern, I must charge him wth fraudulent and base Ac- tions, as well as Ingratitude; And that other people's being guilty of the Same fraudulent Contrivances was but a thin Subterfuge-That I should in Justice to ye Trustees acquaint them wth this Scene of Villany,-I do not pretend to remember exactly w pass'd, being very much moved.
About the Same Sum of money is lately taken from M. Caustons Debt to Minis & put to ye Trustees.
Last Sunday M. Henry Parker with Seven or Eight of his new Confederates (the Scotch) went to dine at Oxtead- and the next day, A Letter was found by them, dropt in ye Street, (of three Sheets of Paper) directed to your Excellency, I have not Seen it, but Colle. Ste- phens heard it read by Hugh Anderson (the Supposed Author,) who took much pains to ex- patiate upon it, It is the Second part of their Representation, but more insolent-I went that Evening to Jenkins's expecting to hear Some- what of what had been contrived at their Meet- ing-I found there a full Assembly (16 in Num- ber) They were for a long time Silent till at length Dr. Tellfier began the Complaint of their
Mr. Brown- field charz- ed with fraudulent and base actions.
Letter found con- taining insolent. statements.
18
COLONIAL RECORDS
Thos. Jones to General Oglethorpe.
Capt. Stew- art's toast: "Damnation to all Rogues."
injurious Treatment by ye Excellency and the Trustees, he was Seconded by Douglas & others. Then Capt. Stewart (of ye Charles Transport) Stood up & drank, Damnation to all Rogues, which was much aplauded, they asked me whether I would not drink the Health, I reply'd That unless they would name those they called Rogues and explain what they meant by Dam- nation, I should not do it, having never been used to Cursing they then dropt it, & fell into their Silent Mood.
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