Papers of John Adams, volume 19
y.1788
Seeing in the Gazette of Saturday last that you had taken leave of his Majesty, & presuming you are soon about to return to America, I should feel myself wanting in gratitude was I not to avail myself of an opportunity before your departure of expressing the obligations I was lain under by the distinguished respect I received when you visited this part of the Country,1 very heartily Sir do I now return Thanks to you Mrs. Adams, & Mrs. Smith for your condescending Visit. I heartily wish you a safe pleasant & prosporous Voyage, & happy meeting of the other dear parts of your Family & Friends in America; that you may find your Country in perfect tranquility & its Liberty’s both Civil & Religious settled on an immovable Basis is my more than most hearty Wish.
It gives me much concern to inform you that Mr. Andrew Cranch died 16 Decr last., & that I am this moment informed of the death of Mr. William Cranch at Brook near Kingsbridge.—2 If the great
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concerns you are engaged in before you leave this Country will give you a few moments leisure to favor me with a line in reply I cannot express how much honor & pleasure it will afford to / Sir / Your most respectful & obliged humble Servant—
PS. Please to present all my Family’s most tender & affectionate Regards to all our dear American Relatives & Friends, & inform Mr. R. Cranch I have been long in expectation of hearing from him, to whom I wish every consolation he may want when he is acquainted with the awful bereavements of his poor antient Brothers.
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “To the Honorable John Adams / Ambassador from the United States / of America. / London”; internal address: “To the Honorable John Adams”; endorsed: “J Bowríng / 88—”; notation by AA: “Clothier.”
Clothier John Bowring was a business partner of Christopher Cranch’s and had met the Adamses during their tour of southwestern England the previous summer (
AFC
, 8:161).
For Andrew and William Cranch, Richard’s brothers, see JA, D&A
, 3:207–210. With JA away in Amsterdam, AA replied to this letter on [ante 30 March], acknowledging the family’s losses and complimenting Bowring on “Integrity of Character, your industry merit & virtue” (
AFC
, 8:249).
ante 28 February 1788
As the Period of my Mission to His Majesty is expiring, I have requested the Honour of this Audience that I might have an oppertunity in taking my leave of your Majesty of presenting to your Majesty my most humble Thanks, for the Civilities I have received at your Majestys Court and my best Wishes for every Blessing and Felicity to your Majesty and every Branch of your Majestys Royal Family.1
Dft (Adams Papers); notation by TBA: “Intended address / to the Queen of / G. B.”
JA never had the opportunity to deliver this address, for which see the Marquís of Carmarthen’s 24 Jan. letter, and note 1, above.
ry28 1788
It was my earnest desire to have obtaind an Audience of Leave of the Queen that I might have had an opportunity of presenting to Her Majesty before my departure for America my most Humble thanks 280 for the Civilities, that myself and my family have Received at her Majestys Court, and my best wishes for every Blessing and Felicity to her Majesty, and to every Branch of her Majestys Royal Family, But the indispensable Necessity I am under of making a Journey to Holland before my Embarkation for America So presses me in point of Time, that it is now become impossible to repeat my Request of an Audience
I am extreamly Sorry for the dissarrangment of Her Majestys Health which has deprived me of the Honour I Solicited for three drawing Rooms and must now beg the Favour of Your Lordship to make my most respectfull Excuses where ever they may be Necessary.
With very great Respect I have the Honour to be / My Lord your Lordships most obedient Humble / Servant
LbC in AA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Right Honorable / The Earl of Ailesbury / Chamberlain to her Britannic / Majesty.”; APM Reel 112.
This is the last letter in JA’s Letterbook 24, for which see vol. 18:xxxiv.