Adams Family Correspondence, volume 4

Joseph Gardoqui & Sons to Abigail Adams, 14 October 1781 Gardoqui, Joseph & Sons (business) AA

1781-10-14

Joseph Gardoqui & Sons to Abigail Adams, 14 October 1781 Gardoqui, Joseph & Sons (business) Adams, Abigail

Joseph Gardoqui & Sons to Abigail Adams

Madam the 14th. Octovr. 1781

Since the above duplicatte of our last Respectts to you1 has Kissed our hands your allways obliging Esteemed favour of the 18th. Jully2 and therewith your Remmittance for Livers 300 on Paris which in Repply have the pleasure to Informe you has by us been punctually forwarded for Acceptance, as such when in Cash your Account with us will be creditted for the same at the Exchange of 76 Souls per current dollar in Riales 1188 & 29 mrs. of Vellon3 which if Right be pleased to notte in Conformity with us.

The Brigg Boston Packett Capt. White putt in at Coruna, by 228contrary winds from whence we Expectt her hourly, and as you are pleased to directt our shipping the Ammount of the above bill in Sundry goods in her the present Chiefly serves to advice you that it will be with pleasure punctually Comply'd with, by those who Salutting you with due Respectts Subscrive with the highest Reggard & Esteem, Madam, your mt. obt. hble. Servts.,

Joseph Gardoqui & sons

RC (Adams Papers). Follows on same sheet of paper (though it is in a different hand) text of Dupl RC of Gardoqui & Sons to AA, 2 May 1781, q.v. above under that date.

See descriptive note.

Not found.

That is, 1188 reals and 29 maravedis of vellon (or billon), a form of Spanish currency (Patrick Kelly, The Universal Cambist and Commercial Instructor, 2d edn., London, 1826, 1:316–318).

John Adams to William Jackson, 20 October 1781 JA Jackson, William

1781-10-20

John Adams to William Jackson, 20 October 1781 Adams, John Jackson, William

John Adams to William Jackson

Amsterdam Oct. 20. 1781

Your Letter, Sir, of the 26 Ult. I received last night, and should have been astonished at its date and Contents if I had not seen yours to Mr. De Neufville, of the same date, which he received three days before.

I had ever1 taken Mr. Gillon, for a Man of Honour, drawn insensibly into difficulties by a Train of Disappointments: but I cannot reconcile his Conduct upon this occasion.—But it is to no Purpose to enlarge upon this Subject.—What is become of the Dispatches to Congress? There were on board half a Cart Load from me. All my Letters to Congress for 6 or 8 months were there.

Your Account of the Health, and especially of the good Behaviour of my dear Charles, gives me great Pleasure.

I can give you, no Instructions what to do with him. If you have a Prospect, of a Passage soon to America, and can conveniently, take him with you, I suppose that would be most agreable to him. In this Case, if you go to Paris, I wish you would leave him in the meantime, in the Care of Mr. Johnson or Mr. Williams at Nantes, or Mr. Cummings at L'orient,2 desire those Gentlemen to give him a Latin or a French Master, and draw upon me for the Expence. But if you should come to Amsterdam, bring him with you: but in this Case Mr. Charles must lay aside his Thoughts of going to America, untill I go.

I am extreamly sorry you are likely to be embarrassed with the Care of this Child, in Addition to all your other Vexations.

229

My best Regards to Mr. Searle and Coll. Trumbull. I have received some Letters for Mr. Searle from his Excellency Governor Reed. Should be glad of Mr. Searles directions where to send them.

With great Esteem, I have the Honour to be Sir your most obedient & obliged humb. sert.

Pray what do you intend to do, with the Continental Goods left here?

LbC (Adams Papers).

MS apparently reads “even.”

Joshua Johnson (1742–1802), of Maryland and London, whose daughter Louisa Catherine (LCA) was in 1797 to become the wife of JQA; the Johnsons resided at Nantes during the later years of the war, and JA and JQA became familiar with their household there when awaiting passage to America in the spring of 1779 (JA, Diary and Autobiography , 2:300, 357–359; Adams Genealogy).

Jonathan Williams (1750–1815), a merchant at Nantes, identified in vol. 3:72, above.

James Cummings, an American merchant at Lorient (JA, Diary and Autobiography , 2:357, 370; George H. Lincoln, A Calendar of John Paul Jones Manuscripts in the Library of Congress, Washington, 1903, p. 159).