Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 2
I take the liberty of writing to you1 tho yr. Person to be unknown to me I have not the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with you & the Occasion of my writing is, I have a house which has fallen to my Care as Excr. to me since the Death of my Father Thomas Paine who resided in Halifax Some time ago. The House is the next to Mr. Fairbanks & was lately improved by James Freeman now deceased. As I am at so great a distance I cannot take that Care of it which is Necessary & there-93fore by the kind advice of Capt. Ichabod Jones make bold to apply to you to accept a Power from me to transact the affair for me. As Mr. Freeman time was out in the house (for I suppose there was no written lease) it is now necessary some body else should hire it. I therefore pray you Sr. to take possession of it in my Name & hire it out for the future as you think will be most advantagious to me. Mr. Freeman made a prodiguous Advantage by letting it out in Small parcells & receiving the Rent weekly or monthly. Capt. Jones informs me he let in the following manner vizt. for the Slaughter house 5/ pr. Week. The End of the House next Mr. Fairbanks 7/6 pr. Week without the cellar, the other End of the House 7/6 per Week with the Cellar; the chamber of the new part to a taylor 5/ pr. Week the Under part of the new End for 10£ pr. ann., the Blockmaker shop 10/ pr. month, besides the cellar & Yard which brought in much more which you percieve amounted to above 70£ per ann. besides Yard & Cellar for Storage & keeping Cattle. I write this as a Specimen of the Value of the place owing to its handy Scituation, which Shews how much one person might afford to give for it or what it ought to fetch divided into severall tenements which I think is not less than 40£ or 50£ in the Lump. However Sr. if you will please to take it and make the most of it I leave it to you and will allow you Commissions in proportion to the trouble you take in the matter & promise you if you will improve it in the most profitable way that I will reward you to yr. Satisfaction. The Power I send enclosed is witnessed by a Person who comes with it so that you may prove it there. Please likewise to get the deed of the House from Mrs. Freeman, & I should take it as a great favour if you would let me hear from you as soon as you can abt. this affair. Mean while I rest.
John Burbidge (ca. 1718–1812), master of public works at Halifax from 1753; later served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, colonel commandant of the county militia, and in the House of Assembly (DCB).