Papers of John Adams, volume 18

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From James Bowdoin

To John Adams from Richard Cranch, 11 January 1786 Cranch, Richard Adams, John

From Richard Cranch

Dear Brother Bos[ton] Jany. 11th. 1786.

Mr. John Jenks, the Bearer, has this moment inform’d me that he shall sail for London this Day in Capt. Lyde. As he has been so long connected with our most valuable Friend Doctr Tufts, and is knowing to so many of our Friends and Relations, I think it must be a Pleasure to you and you Family to see him in London. He comes, as I am inform’d, in behalf of some Merchants in Salem to transact some Business of importance in which they are concerned. He expects to be back in the Spring, and will gladly take Charge of any thing you may want to send by him. I left your dear Charles at our House Yesterday he is very well, and behaves exceeding well at the University. It is now the long Winter Vacancy. Your Sons, Mr. Thaxter, and the rest of our Friends at Haverhill were well last Week. Please to give my most affectionate Regards to my dear Sister and to your amiable Daughter, and believe me to be your obliged Friend and Brother—

Richard Cranch

Our Friends are all well— You will have Letters from all of us by Lyde.

Before I had seal’d my Letter the Post from Haverhill came in, and bro’t a Letter for your dear Partner, which I have given in charge to Mr. Jenks, I suppose it contains several Letters.1

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “His Excellency / John Adams Esqr L. L. D. / Grosvenor Square / Westminster”; endorsed: “Mr Cranch. Jan. 11. 1786.”; notation: “(Favour’d by Mr: John Jenks Mercht.).” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.

97 1.

John Jenks (1751–1817), a Salem merchant and former ward of Cotton Tufts’, carried letters from Tufts to AA of 5 and 12 Jan. ( AFC , 7:5–6, 9–11) and probably the 21 Dec. 1785 letter from Tufts to JA , above. The packet from the Shaws in Haverhill probably contained Elizabeth Smith Shaw’s 2 Jan. 1786 letter to AA, as well as letters from CA, TBA, and JQA, of which only JQA’s of 28 Dec. 1785 has been found ( AFC , 6:503–506; 7:1–4, 62, 71, 75). For Capt. Nathaniel Byfield Lyde of the Active, who regularly transported letters and goods for the Adamses, see the indexes to AFC , vols. 6 and 7. AA reported that Jenks and Lyde reached London by mid-Feb. 1786 ( AFC , 7:71).