Jan. 28, 1750/1

Whereas we James Allen,1Joseph Palmer, & Robert Treat Paine, have hired the good Sloop called the Success owned by Jacob Wade of Scituate, on a Voyage to North Carolina under the conduct of Said Robert-Treat Paine as Master & have jointly & severally obliged ourselves to the well & due performance of all Convenants, Payments &c. as may appear by our Charter party of this present date given. We therefore for mutual Security do covenant & agree among ourselves in Manner following viz. That enough of the Cargo that shall be brought upon the Return of the Vessell, Shall be sold for ready Mony as soon as may be in Order to defray the Charges of the Voyage, & that neither of us Shall Convert any part of the Cargo to any other Use, without the Consent of one or more of us, & after said Charges are defrayed, we agree either to divide the Remainder or to allow Any two of us Authority to sell it to the best Advantage as we shall then see fit; & further we agree that in Case Any of the Cargo Exported should be return'd it shall be divided equally, or sold to the best Advantage for the use of the Company above Nam'd; And further we agree to allow to Robert Treat Paine above Named as Factor in this Voyage and Trading, Customary Commissions; & as Master, Two Pounds eighteen Shillings & Eight Pence Wages pr. Month; And lastly that as we have jointly hired said Sloop, so we will share equally in the Profit & Loss of the whole Voyage.

In Testimony whereof the Partys above named have Interchangeably129sett their Hands & Seals this Twenty eighth Day of January, Annoq: Domini One Thousand Seven Hunderd & Fifty,2

JAMES ALLEN J PALMER ROBT. TREAT PAINE Sign'd Sealed & Delivered in Presence of us RICHARD CRANCH MARY PALMER

DS ; endorsed in RTP's hand: "Agreemt. between Allen Palmer & Paine."

1.

James Allen (1697–1755) graduated from Harvard in 1717, became a Boston merchant, and was later accused by Thomas Paine of ruining his credit (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 6:159–164).

2.

Two signed copies of this document are in the Paine Papers. Also included is the form, completed Jan. 28, 1750/1, as an agreement "between the Master, Seamen and Mariners of the good Sloop called the Success Robert-Treat Paine Master, now bound from the Port of Boston in New England to North Carolina and thence directly back to the said Port of Boston." The ship's company enrolled on that day were: Robert Treat Paine, master; Jacob Wade, mate, with £3.4.o advance wages, £3.4.0 per month and 16 Blls. "Privelidge in Hold"; Jesse Willcutt, 2d mate, £2.8.0 advance and monthly rate and 4 Blls. in hold; Caleb Joy, Daniel Woodward, and David Merble, Jr., seamen, each at £1.17.4. advance and monthly rate and 2 Blls. in hold. One James Cannedy signed on Mar. 6 as a seaman but was crossed off the list and replaced by Elisha Bates on Mar. 12.