Papers of John Adams, volume 18

From John Adams to Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 10 January 1786 Adams, John Willink, Wilhem & Jan (business) Staphorst, Nicolaas & Jacob van (business)

To Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst

Gentlemen Grosvenor square Jany 10 1786

I am honoured with your Letter of the 23d of Decr. and remember very well my giving the Credit for a 1000£— It was to pay for swords medals &c for officers, which Coll. Humphries had orders from Congress & their Financier to have made— I informed you of it at the same time— I only gave the power to Mr. Jefferson to draw for the money as Humphry might want it, in order to multiply the checks— This Credit stands very well—

You will please to advertise for the payment of the Interest as you propose.

On the 9th. of this month I accepted a Bill of John Ledyard1 on me at 60 Day’s sight for twelve Guineas in favour of Mr. Grand dated Paris Decr. 29. 1785—indorsed by Mr. Grand to Louis Tessier. certified by Mr. Jefferson to be drawn by order of John Lamb expressed in a Letter in Mr. Jeffersons possession— on the 18th of this month I drew a Bill on Messrs. C. & R. Puller in favour of Coll. Smith for 150£ sterling to pay for a sword for the Baron De Steuben according to the order of Congress & the Board of War—

I think I have informed you before that I have accepted Bills of Mr. Barclay as far as No. 12.— Late as it is I wish you Gentlemen the Compliments of the season & have the honor to be with much esteem / Your &c

J. A

LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Messieurs Wilhem & Jan Willink / Nicholas & Jacob Van Staphorst”; APM Reel 113.

American explorer John Ledyard (1751–1789) arrived in Paris in the summer of 1785 with the objective of raising funds for a variety of schemes, most notably a plan to walk across Russia and establish a fur trade venture in the Pacific Northwest. In Sept. 1786, in JA’s absence, WSS provided Ledyard with a letter of introduction to Catherine II, to conduct a mission for “the Extension of Science and the Benefit of Mankind.” Ledyard, however, was refused admission to Russia and returned to London by May 1788 ( ANB ; Jefferson’s Memorandum Books , 1:611; James Zug, American Traveler: The Life and Adventures of John Ledyard, the Man Who Dreamed of Walking the World, N.Y., 2005, p. 171, 263).

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).