Falmo. Novr. 1st 1758 Sir,

I have been agreably diverted with yours of 28th July1 & 21st ulto,2 wherein you request sevl. Favour's, which I will now Endeavour to answer without, without repeating them; and first Collo. Westbrook's Right in the Muscongus Lands,3 was not sold, at Vendue as we then hoped enough was Sold besides to pay the Debts, but Since find we were Mistaken; so cant Inform you what it is worth; but it is apprais'd at £20 Lawfull Money & it is abt. £1250 acres, in Common. As to your demands on the Jone's Estate I hardly know what to say, for it seems there is four Estates jumbled into one vizt. Stephn. Jones's Phinehas Jones's, Mr. Fox's & his widow's all which has been under various adminrs. Stephen's I cant tell who but think twas Mr. Stephen Jones Jr. Mr. Phinehas Jones, under, Joshua Freeman & the widow Ann Jones, Mr. Nicholas Hodge was one but dy'd; Mr. Foxes Estate was under the administration of his widow Mrs. Ann Fox, that is she was Execx. to his will, & her Estate is under the admininstration of Mr. Stephen Longfellow & her Daughter Lucy, now marry'd to Mr. Thomas Smith Junr. that is they are Execrs. to her118will, & if you shou'd want any further Information I Shall be ready to give it. And as to Capt. Bangs & Lambert's Debts, I thought I cou'd not adress 'em in a more affecting manner than by reading your Paragraph relating to them which produc'd some brand new Promises, but what other Effect it will have Time will Discover.

I hope you'l Excuse my Delay in giving you an answer; for I have been under a good Deal of Perplexity of mind, not only about my Business, but of which I have lossed a good Branch vizt. the Collectorship,4 but my wife has been Extreem Low all Summer & so continuing, which takes up a great Deal of my Time & Thought. I am Sir, Your Friend & Servt.

ENOCH FREEMAN

RC ; addressed: "To Mr: Robert Treat Paine in Boston"; endorsed.

1.

Not located, but RTP notes in his letterbook under the dateline Boston, July 27, 1758, "wrote to Majr. Freeman at Falmouth, abt. the price of the Muscongus Land, Jones's Exr., Lambert & Bangs."

2.

Not located.

3.

Col. Thomas Westbrook (d. 1744) was in charge of Massachusetts military expeditions against the "Eastern Indians" between the Kennebeck and Penobscot rivers in Maine during the 1720s. His letters concerning these affairs are published in the NEHGR 44(1890):23–32 et seq. Westbrook began his speculation in Maine lands as early as 1719 and was one of the original twenty proprietors of the Muscongus Lands. For further on the Muscongus Lands and RTP's personal involvement, see Nathaniel Appleton, Jr., to RTP, Mar. 25, 1768.

4.

Freeman had been appointed deputy collector of the customs at Falmouth in 1750, but when a full collection district was established there in 1758 Francis Waldo was appointed collector, and he appointed Allon M'Lean as his deputy (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 8:574; Willis, History of Portland, 459).

Boston Novr. 11th. 1758 Dear Old Maid,

Forc'd to lay alone these cold Nights, I dont pity you in yr. cold chamber for my Compassion is swallow'd up in astonishment how you live. The old Horse I believe don't find very good picking. You are sensible the season commands you to come into new measure both for man, or rather Woman & Beast. Let us hear how you are what you do & moreover what you intend to do. Greenleaf is certainly going for York next week & is desireous that you should spend the winter with him. If you do twill save horse keeping & serve him on that acct. too. Consult the matter. That cold Room wont do. Youll be as stiff all over as119my fingers now are before the long cold Winter is gone. Memorandum I shall want the Horse, bless me 'tis not till the 2d tuesday of December. I thought it was sooner; I lent Wriford my Baggs. Take care of them for all my success in Courting depends on them. I want to see you but as I am not sensible I shall get anything by it so I quell the desire. This Morning died after a short Illness, Charles Apthorp Esqr.1 very suddenly. The first thought I had on hearing the news, was what a vain thing it was to plague my self to get money for added to the trouble of getting it I might have the Regret of leaving it before I had a competent Enjoyment of it; 'tis a loss to the community beside a Meloncholly Providence. I hear he has left something for you. (They say tis, not one of his sons, but you may guess.) I shall charge so much a yard for this Letter. Let me hear from you as soon as may be. Farewell. Yrs. &c.

R. T. PAINE

RC ; addressed: To Miss Eunice Paine at Weymouth"; endorsed.

1.

Charles Apthorp (1698–1758) came from England to Boston as a young man, married Grizzell Eastwicke in 1726, and became one of the wealthiest Boston merchants of his day. Apthorp was a great benefactor of Kings Chapel (Henry Wilder Foote, Annals of King's Chapel from the Puritan Age of New England to the Present Day, 2 vols. [Boston, 1896], 2:142–147).