USA > Georgia > Colonial Records of the State of Georgia, Volume 22 pt 2 > Part 9
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If peace should Continue there is one thing that Seems to thretten this province with uter ruin that is a late Proclamation made by ye Governor of St. Augustines promicing freedom to all Slaves yt. repair to yt. Garrison & when our Government Insisted upon it as an Infrac- tion of ye good understanding subsisting betwene ye two nations ye Governer affirmed yt. he had ye King of Spayns orders for so doing.
Begg ye favour yt in any Conversation you may have with Mr. Glinn you will mention this as a thing of very great Consequence & I make no doubt but he will take Care to prevent so
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Hugh Mackay to Harman Verelst and Mr. H. Newman to Messrs. Bolzius, etc.
great an Evil I am With ye greatest Esteeme / Sr. Your obedient Humble : Sert:
John Gerald. Sº. Carolina May 7th: 1739.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.)
HUGH MACKAY TO MR. HARMAN VERELST.
Dear Sir
I arrived late last night and as I cannot go abroad to day, and that it happens to be Yr Committee day, I have sent you here with the papers I had from the General, that, that has one of the Seals Broke was Sent me after I came on Board the ship. I am
Sir
Your most humble servt.
Hugh Mackay.
Wednesday 9th. May 1739.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.)
To MR. H. NEWMAN, EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM MESSRS. BOLZIUS &
Gronau at Ebenezer in Georgia. 15 May 1739.
To M'. H. Newman.
The Honourable Society being always heartily concern'd in Promoting our & our Flocks true welfare, will have their Reward
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
Condition of the Saltz- burgers.
A good har- vest expect- ed.
from above, for all their Works of Love, heaped upon us heretofore, for the obtaining of wch. our Wishes & Prayers in publick & private are constantly offered before the Throne of Grace. The present Condition of the Saltzburgers here is by God's Providence still the same, as we had the Satisfaction to give you & the Society an Account of in our last Lettr. dated ye 12th. of March & besides this we have wrote another Letter to you viz. the 12th. Dec". last, which will we hope come safe to your hands long before this. Everything, that the Saltzburgers have planted this Spring, grows so well, as in any Year before, which affords them a good hope of expecting a very good Harvest, which will en- able them not only to provide better, than for- merly for themselves and Families, but to be Serviceable the better to another Transport of Saltzburgers, which we hope will be sent over next Fall by the generous Care and Goodness of the Honourable Trustees & Society.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.) WM. STEPHENS ESQR. TO THE TRUSTEES RECP 22 AUGUST 1739.
Savannah 19 May 1739.
Honourable Gentlemen
When I wrote to Mr. Verelst on the 21 ultmo after enclosing Coppy of my former, together with a continuation of my Journal, as usual; I
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137
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
prayd him to obtain your pardon if I defer'd giving you farther immediate trouble of that kind; intending in my next to see if I could find any thing which I might perswade my self was worth laying before Your Honours, without ap- pearing a Commentator on my own Journal. In this Interval of time I have had the pleasure, to be informed by Mr. Verelst, in his letter of the 22 Dec. wch. I receiv'd on the 1st. instant, (so long was that letter in its passage) that what Endeavours I had hitherto used to be of Service in the Station appointed me, were kindly accep- ted and well approved : which I should be wholly unworthy of, were I to slacken the like En- deavours for the future : nay, I have not such an opinion of my own performances, as to think what is past a sufficient testimony, how great a desire I have, to be of more Significance, in laying open everything to your View, yt I can attain to the knowledge of, weh. I apprehend is requisite for your Honours to be informed in: but therein, as I have reason to believe I am lookd on by some under the Character of an Informer (a Title odious in many cases, but such as I assure you I am no ways ashamed of, when tis part of my Duty) you'll easily imagine, yt a pretty deal of care is taken, to hang out false Lights on some occasions, in order to mis- lead my unwariness, and then meaning to ex- pose my Ignorance : but under proper caution in these times of darkness, when Truth is so obscured, and hard to be come at, I do what I can to trace it; & shall never hesitate to repre-
Mr. Steph- ens' efforts in the Col- ony accept- ed and ap- proved.
Looked on as being an informer.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
sent it as I find it, tho' it cannot be always agreeable ; as appears too plainly in my Journal.
Long scene of jarring betwixt Messrs. Jones and Causton.
After a long Scene of Jarring betwixt Mess". Jones and Causton; wherein abundance of Re- proaches, & scurrilous Ribaldry, have been plentifully bestowd on each other, to the Sport indeed of too many, who thought y"selves under no Obligation to either: there seems at present a calm Intermission, and a quiet application to the matter in hand: from whence it ought to be hoped, that some eulaircisment will at length be found, and a Period put to it in time : tho' I am not capable of judging when : but as I make no doubt Mr. Jones writes you fully of all yt he thinks proper; so I can make none, yt This among others he is more particular in. 'Twere to be wished also yt. something more satisfac- tory than (I fear) he is yet enabled to lay be- fore you, could be attaind, with relation to Mr. Bradleys Affair; whereon I touch'd a little in the Close of my last Journal, ending the 18th. ultmo. but the Foot Mr. Bradley leaves that ac- count on now, seems to require such a decision as Mr. Jones (tho' a good Accomptant I must presume, & I mean it as no Reflection on him) probably is not capable of but the Gordian Knot which he cannot untie, he may leave for such to cut, who dare. To be plain, M. Bradley gives out, yt the Injury sustained is on his part, by the Trust not having fulfilld their agreement with him; which if they had, he would have done- Wonders. He appear much elated of late; and tho' he makes a feint outward Skew, of an
Mr. Brad. ley's ac- count a Gor- dian Knot. .
1
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Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
Intention to settle on his own 500 acres; yet few believe it; but rather, as he has sent some of his Family by little and little to Carolina, yt he means ere long to follow 'em thither himself.
So many within few months past have left the Colony in exchange for Carolina, that this Town is become now apparently thinner in people than twas; nevertheless I can't depart from what I have before asserted, y' the greatest part far of those yt are gone, are not to be wishd for again; very few of such as are really valuable, being among 'em, and they who remain, appear generally fixed, and determined to try their for- tune yet farther, at all Events : tho' too many are hard put to it to live; which I know to be true. Under such time of Tryal they have surely an undoubted Right to be dealt tenderly with, and when they have no pretence of Claim from the Stores; soft Words and a kind Deport- ment towards them, would be encouraging, in expectation of better things to come hereafter. This, however trivial it may be thought, I have taken particular care myself to observe; & found a good effect from it; divers yt. have accosted me with sorrowfull faces, growing by such means in better temper: and I wish the same experiment were thought more worth making by others: for a morose surly carriage from any person in Authority, to a man in need; certainly puts it in the poor mans power to look on him as an Instrument of Cruelty; from whence an Odium naturally follows. Far be it from me; & I hope I shall not from hence be
Many leav. ing the Col- ony for Car- olina.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
Mr. Wil- liams going for England.
thought to palliate, much less appear an Advo- cate for, any of those most unjustifiable steps taken by hot brain'd angry men; which I have always taken care to represent in a true Light, as they happend, & will be found in the daily observations I made. M. Williams, who stands most noted for such Excess of Heat, is now going (he says) for England; where he gives it out he'll appear before Your Honours, & speak for himself: in the mean time, an handsome Plantation of near 30 acres; which he has well cultivated, & brought to good perfection, he leaves entirely neglected, to run to Ruin; wch is great Pity and Shame.
Discord be- tween Mag. istrates and storekeeper.
Mr. Jones's' badge of au. thority the key to the · Stores.
When I reflect on the present Discord be- tween the Magistrates and Storekeeper, (wrh. is also taken notice of in my Journal) & seek to learn whence it arises; I find little difficulty wth. my self to determine, that it proceeds from a false estimate they make of their several Pow- ers; cach looking on the other as subordinate: whereas in Truth there is no relation between 'em yt I can discover. The Magistrates have often complained, of M. Jones's sending for them in a peremtory manner, to come to him, on very light, or hardly any occasions; that fre- quently on such Call, they have been allowed only to put in force what he required, in a sum- mary way, without proceeding regularly, as the Law directs; wch they say they are now weary of. M. Jones's Badge of Authority is the key of the Stores; wch they found lately exemplifyd : but any other Power than what thence arises,
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Wm. Stephens Esgr. to the Trustees.
they deny, unless he shews it : and if he has such, he ought (they say) most certainly to produce it. I have it registerd, and publishd; otherwise, they think y"selves not obliged, to pay an im- plicit Obedience to his Will. During such wrangling my labour is always for Peace; but so much Rancour is now grown among 'em, that I begin to fear the Breach too wide, for me to soder easily :for it began; from wt. I learn, early ; Mr. Jones looking on Parker with a jealous Eye, as one who wished too well to Mr. Causton; and therefore he conceiv'd him instrumental in giv- ing what joynt assistance he could, to obstruct the Discoverys, expected to be made in that Enquiry. Parker owns his having always had a good opinion of M. Causton, & a long fami- liarity : but as to his Acc's in the Stores, he pro- fesses he never was conversant wth. what was doing ; nor was he capable, if he would, of giving him any help in those matters, wch. were far above his Reach : he has often taken occasion to declare, yt as soon as any Fraud, yt Mr. Causton has been guilty of, is laid open, he'll be as for- ward to renounce all farther acquintance wth. him as any; but till then, he apprehends it no crime to converse with him as a Neighbour. Parker moreover makes grievous complaint, that Mr. Jones is become such an inveterate enemy to him, as to do all he can, to blast his Character with the Trustees, as a Sot, and an idle fellow; and particularly in one letter that Mr. Jones wrote to your Honours, (web he shewd to a certain person who told Parker of it again) he exhibits it against him as a notorious offence,
Mr. Parker's good opinion of Mr. Caus- ton.
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Mr. Jones trying to blast the character of Mr. Parker.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
yt one Evening at Jenkins's (where he happend to be, tho' he is scarcely there perhaps twice in a year) he was drunk, & behaved unbecoming the Character of a Magistrate, by a foolish Frolick, too mean and ridiculous to relate; which very probably proceeded from taking a Cup too freely and unguarded : but nothing was done that created any mischief ; and only Mirth; as the Story was told to me: such Freaks how- ever, are certainly not to be allowd, among strict Moralists; but the Greatest of Men in Authority may sometimes slip; and a poor Bay- liff of Savannah cant be supposed at all times to appear wth the same Gravity and Form, as when on the Bench. So far M. Parkers Friends urge in his behalf : and as to his being an idle fellow, I should do him wrong not to aver what I know; that he has been a Zealous Planter, cultivating land, every year since I knew this place; & will appear (if I mistake not) among those who have improved ye greatest Number of acres this Season; when I shall hereafter have the honour, I hope, to lay that before you.
Mr. Par. ker's friends urge in his behalf.
Commanded to express thoughts freely.
I must confess I find myself under many Doubts, in giving my pen such liberty, not knowing how far it may give offence; but as it proceeds from a conscientious regard to Truth, without the least prejudice; and your Com- mands were expressly to write my thoughts openly and freely; I hope I shall not thereby split on that Rock weh I might easily avoid. I look on M'. Jones as a person Endued wth. un- questionable ability, to go thro the Work he has
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143
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
the Direction of; and I am fully perswaded he has it in his View, to do all things with the greatest frugality: Happy would it be if he could command his temper a little more; & suf- fer his resentments to die away sooner, which he sometimes conceives (I fear) rather from Jealousys & Suspicions, than Reason well in- formed. Mr. Parker has in his Station, as far as I could well observe, acquitted himself like a good Magistrate, & an honest Man; having strict Justice in his aim, at all times; and his good understanding will not easily misguide him: but the present difference betwixt Mr. Jones and him, arises from the Causes before mentioned; wherein each might assume less Dignity as I apprehend, without any Diminu- tion of their Real Power, wch I am sure would conduce more to ye public Benefit. - To pass on from these things to somewhat more agree- able - I have the satisfaction to see the late seasonable Rains weh we have had, give a prom- ising prospect, that those who have taken due care and pains in planting, are likely to meet with a better return for their labor, than of the former years within my observation: but twere to be wished that I could at the same time acquaint you, with an encrease of the number of acres planted; which I fear will fall short of what the last year produced; tho' I would not anticipate what I may have to say on that oc- casion, when I shall go through each individual.
Your Silk Manufacture encreases a little, and as they are now winding off the Bolls, I
Differences between Mr. Jones and Mr. Parker.
Better crops expected.
Increase in manufact. ure of silk.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens Esqr. to the Trustees.
Insufficient number of Mulberry leaves for the raising of silk- worms.
think we are not mistaken in computing more than double the quantity of what we saw the last Season. I cant but be of opinion yt it has been a loss in suffering the seed to hatch too soon : our Spring comes on here very early; and That produces the Worms faster y" the Mul- berrys will afford leaves to feed 'em; especially if a Frost happens in March (which has been our misfortune for 2 years past) and that cuts off all early tender leaves; the consequence of which must be yt infinite numbers of 'em perish ; so yt probably there are not more y" a 4th part of the Worms preserved, from which we are to expect any good; and they are such as come abroad latest. The Family who have the man- agement of this, appear very diligent, and give sufficient marks of their skill: but upon my observing to them what I have here done, they seem to think as I do; and intend another Sea- son to preserve the Seed in a Cellar, or some cool place, till they can be judged out of any such danger.
Oranges and vines hurt by frost.
Your Oranges and Vines in the Garden, like- wise felt severely the effects of that cruel Frost about the middle March (as noted them) : such Vines as were very young. & began to put forth Tendrils, especially suffered, & divers were cut off : such as had taken good Root, & were of age to bear it, escape a little better; and many of 'em shew us very promising Clusters; by which
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145
Mary Townsend to the Trustees.
we hope to see different kinds, & be better able to judge which to give the perference to.
Honourable Gentlemen
Your most Obedient humble Servant Will : Stephens.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 21.) MARY TOWNSEND'S LETTER TO THE TRUSTEES. RECP 7 Nov. 1739.
Savannah May 29 : 1739.
To The Honble: Board of Trustes
I Beg Leve this once to trubell your Hon's : I asked a faver in my widdowhoe which was a Licanc which your Hon's: Grantded. I think I Prormed with as Strick Regard and defie any Persons to aledg one Crime before Merreg or after My Husband Observing the same we had Asserts her it Renewed some short time Before M. Ogle- probity of character. thorps Second Arriavl some time after we had a Company of indan traders as Lodgers Jacob Mathes with a half inden Came in and Pickd a quaril with them and insulted them So Long that thay Sent for the Gard desiring them by No Means to Let the indan go to the Guard hows My husband the Same: Mathes Said he Should go accordingly took him he would stay all Night the Next Morning he Applied to M'. Oglethorpe and acqused my hubad of sending him thither my husband was Sent for and was
Jacob Math- es and an Indian half breed pick a quarrel with traders.
146
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mary Townsend to the Trustees.
Husband unjustly ac- . cused.
License for- feited to an Irish Rogue and an Eng- lish fool.
.
Grievances set forth in detail.
Falsely con- demned for selling liquor with- out & license.
Readey to bring teen Men to Prove the Con- trary but Neither he or they Could be heard a Very ood way of administering Justice tho Common to us we Must Loos our Licanc Right or Rong to make Room for an Ierish Roge and an Enlish fool the one had not honesty enouf to live and the other not Sence as to Peavy when he had Run his Credit as fare in the Publicks and Privet as he Could in about a ear he Run also and Left his wife at augusta the other Stands indepted to the Publick which he hops Mr. Oglthorp will Pay for in all apearane the Poor Man will Never we Let him our hows he heald it about Six Months all the Licker was ingrosed for them one Credit when we had Reddy Money in the Stors and Denighed having Lickor: when we ware turned out of our Brad My husband agreed with a Cap': for a boat at twenty Pounds Ster1. the good Gent™: employd Mr. Rob: willams to bye her out of his hands he Not knowing the Genal : or My husband aright did and gave 20 geneys for her and th gen. gave her to tow Loosyong men which Lost her at Cards in Charls town in Six weaks time which gave Me some small Pleasure besides Money lent to trade with: in the accounts your hon": will se their Names are Named Jams heuet the other Charls Bowler after this four of the Constabls Came with an Acte of Parlement what was to be done to Persons that Sold Licker without a Licanc at the same time we had the Licanc and the time Not expired we send word as we had Not brok tenor we shuld not let our Lickor Spoyl thay sayd if we would ask Pardon thay thot all
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147
Mary Townsend to the Trustees.
wod but as we had done no Crime it was beneath an honest Soul that had No Mean Vies for my Part I think an hones Poor Man has a grate a Right to a Subjects Lawfull Privgels as a Rich I asked M. Oglethorp for what Reason we ware so Vesed if any Person had blackend our Carick- ter he sayd No we bore an unqestonabell Carick- ter he Said there was 15 or 16 better gone then hear indeed I made this Reply by his good will their shuld Not an honest Einlish Man live in this Plase: and I Plead my one and Nabors Pleads her Rights as free Subjacks the best I Could we Cannot have Redres by Law it will be hard in- deed Gent™. if we are denighed Spaking in a Right Case thus we have faired with Many More of our honest Nabors the Barer M. Wil- lams can give your hon's: a very good account of the Plase and Persons and I dare say will be faithfull if Your Hon's: are, willing to heare My husband has bin sick and Lame above a year tiby Light hows broke his Contitusion all to peases and want to imploy and sicknes has brok his littil Substanc but hithertow we have god be Praised lived independant till Latly I could get Now and then a littil but Now all ways is block- ed up as to any littil way of dealing the Publick stors Selling Retail the inhabatants very few and very littil Money that eating Moath devors all had that fatal Plas bin Shut four Years ago it wod have done some littil good but if we had had six Year agoe the Privegles as his Magestys Subjeks has in other Colonys in all Probabilty your Honrs would have had No Need of Pala- ment Supplys or the Nation the Charg of a
own and her neighbor's rights as free sub- jects.
Reduced to sore straits by unjust treatment.
:
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COLONIAL RÉCORDS
Mary Townsend to the Trustees.
Much of the truth still untold.
Prefers to suffer rather than do wrong.
Complains of General Oglethorpe.
Ridgment our numbers wod have bin a defnc. Numbers at first was Coming from one Plase or oather but thay finding the tenore of Lands so falty with the train of inconvenancy fownd our Plase Like a fine drawn Dish which may Plase the eye but will Not Norish the body thay know- ing Amarick better sone departed thus I hav wrot Nothing but truth but Not all the truth that would be endless the Barer Can deliver more in an hower then I can Scarl in weake if your Hon's. ask why we do Not Pant You Hon's : will See by the accounts how heavy it falls one the Publick and how hard one a poor man as to my husband he has No Land as to Mine we spent twenty pounds one it and Never had twenty peney worth of one it then haveing our bread torn from us we ware not abell to goe one except we had Cheated our Marchants or Run in dept to the Publick as to the first we wold not do for all the Plase knowing a good Name is better then bread as to the Latter we had as good a Right to Pertake of a Shear of our kind Benifactors County as our Nabors which with- out dout was given for a Comfortabell Support to all honest industros Men but My husband haveing No Land and Mine as soon as the breath is out of my Body becomes my Childs and the tracks being boath smal and Leying Miles apart and Nither Larg ennofe for Stok and grain with- out which No family Can be Maintained if we had Run and improv on a Larger M. Oglethorp might with as Much Justis have torne us to Peases thare as he did hear but if your Hon™s. Pleases to bestowe on him a 500 Acar track with
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CORRESPONDENCE
Mary Townsend to the Trustees.
a Proper grant and Certifacat from the Plan- tasion offis then we will think our selevs obliged to your Hon's. but your Hon's: may Qury how shall a man that is Redused improve land Several has taken up tracks and Lots in hops your Hon's: Minds will Chaing when you are Rightly informed of the Many Inconvencies we Labor under it may be your Hon". will say why do we not aply to the Genal. the Reason Gentm: is this a mans word is Not suffisent for a titel to land which the Charing to your Hon's : is incomprehensab I only harttyly wish lyour Hon's : Clemancy would willing give us 500 for Clearing five. I do Not love Beging but when I Consider your Hon's. as a kinde of parant that imboldens me as we have Suffered so much by your Representitif I hope your Hon's : will make me some Restytusion if your Hon's: Pleases to give Me a hundred Pounds Ster': that wod make us toping sort of Planters in tow or three years time and not at all over balance our Injury but if your Hon's : will not give it if your hon's: will Lend it without intrest tow Years and lawfull intrest till we Can Pay by degres I Now am very loft to Leve the Plase but if Nes- sety shuld drive us of how can we help it it wold have Pirsed the hardes hart had your Hon's: seen Mr. Wardrop an honest aged man with what Coresern he Spook being forsed to Leve this Plase but how can an honest man see his famaly in Nessetety when he thinks he can get brad elswhere very Likely your Honors will say I am a Very Bold Beger to aske So Largly I answer Less will do me No Servis to buy Cat-
Restitution asked.
Not a bold beggar.
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COLONIAL RECORDS
Mary Townsend to the Trustees.
Wants mon- ey placed in hands of Jír. Brown- field.
tel and Provid hands Nither Shuld I Care to be Confind to a Set Number of Servants as to the germans they may be good Masters but all that has tried them finds thay are bad Servants we do Not fear geting Servants if we have money if Your hon's. is Pleas to grant our Requests I beg the Money May be Lodged in the hands of Mr. Brownfield or Some honest Man that will Let us have it to Paye for Cattel or Servants or other Neserserys that will be wanting when drane for if your Hon's. Suespex and frad no Parson ever yet had ever any occasion or ever found any fraud in our hands or Gile in our Mouths we haveing Paid Your Hon"s. and all other Persons Could we have favend or flaterd we might have more faver but Prefaring a good Concianes before grate Riches we injoy a pease of mind amongs all our afflictions
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