Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1
I recd. yr. Letters by Capt. Homer. Am sorry to hear of yr. Indisposition, wch. I hope is only a Seasoning to the Climate. I wrote you largely per Capt. Jones, to wch. I have recd. no Answer. The Lameness I there inform'd you off, confin'd me three Weeks, & my Ancle is yet very weak. However I have improv'd my Time closely in the Study of the Law; by the time I was able to walk, the Weather came on so cold that I threw up the thoughts of going to Falmouth till the Spring, & have determind to spend the Winter at Lancaster, where I can live very cheap & command my own Time. I should have been gone some time since but bad weather has hindred me.
I hope these Lines will find you in health, as they leave us all, dayly expecting to hear from you.
I beg Sr. you would write me yr. Advice, largely concerning my own Schemes or any that would please you better. I am tolerably willing to settle down if could see any prospect of living, tho' at the same time If I237could first visit the West Indies & London my heart would be satisfy'd with Travailing. As I am certain the welfare of yr. Children is of great weight with you, so I can wth. the utmost Franckness & expectation consult you in every point that has any relation thereto.
Herewth. I expect you'll recieve some News Papers, besides which, we having Nothing observable, saving that the Monday after the Court was prorogued Mr. Fletcher saild in the Massachusetts for West Indies.1 Nothing else occurs to my mind at present & so I conclude by subscribing myself yr. ever dutifull & much Obliged Son
William Fletcher (b. 1718), a merchant and the Cambridge representative to the Great and General Court, had in 1751–1752 sued William Vassall for slander. Although Vassall prevailed in the inferior and superior courts, Fletcher obtained a writ of review which overthrew the earlier decisions. Vassall then appealed to the Privy Council which in 1753 found in his favor, and he sued Fletcher for recovery of the original decision. The Superior Court refused to issue a warrant for Fletcher while he was sitting as a member of the legislature, but when the Court was prorogued, Fletcher left for St. Eustatius where he eventually settled (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 9:352–353; Dana Family Papers, MHS).