Taunton Sept. August 13th. 1765 Respected Sr.,

I set me down to write you concerning many matters, & what you first desire to hear of I conclude is yr. affair with Natl. Whites Estate of which I have to inform you that the Commissioner allowed the whole of yr. Claim, & nothing remains now but for the Administrator to settle with the Judge that the Dividend may be apportioned. What this will be I dont know, but would have you send me some orders respecting the money when it is payable paid how to convey it to you, or to whom to deliver it &c.

Inclos'd I send a note of David Stoops to Nathl. Snell due to him for his board while here & which is all due before & an account beside of 4£ L.M. Mr. Snell can't afford to loose the money, & would think himself much obliged to you beside paying yr. trouble if you would secure the money for him. You know him Stoops & his freinds. Perhaps they would do something rather than he should be sued which I must desire you to promise done if he dont pay the money. The Note is Endorsed to prevent the Trouble of a Power of attorney.

But Sr. I have one thing more to mention to you as a Freind to mankind the afflicted unfortunate & distressed wch. is concerning one John Ingham who is now in our Goal for Stealing Mr. Fales Mare. He is abt. 30 yr. old saith he came from Solesbury in Bucks Co. in yr. Government where he was a Clothier & that his Father is a Clothier there, a Justice of peace & has been a Deputy for that County & that he himself was sometime at yr. Accademy in Philada. that he is acquainted with David Hall the Printer who printed a book for him intitled called the little Book opened. This poor young fellow has been loitering among us above a year & worked at his business when he first came but his Conduct disgusted every Body he dealt with, being the most unaccountable I ever saw till June last he was committd for the sd. Theft. Upon his Examination he gave the above Acct. of himself & I immediately wrote a full acct. of all the matter to his Father directed to him as above described & sent it by a Vessell inclosed in a Letter to Mr. David Hall352desiring him to forward it, & hopd to have heard from them before our Court was sat in August, but have heard nothing, & am rather inclined to think the Letter miscaried than that his Father would neglect to help a Son so really miserable, for I wrote him that his Conduct seem'd to be rather the Effect of Distraction than Vice. He was indicted & put on trial, but after many consultations too many to relate his matter is adjournd upon further Advice hoping his freinds will come & take him away for his behavior is such have as renders it necessary for the safety of the People he should be Confind & the Court are not dispos'd to treat him with any severity.

I have nothing but My views in writing to you is to service the unhappy young man & am therefore the more free in desiring you to enquire of Jas. Hall if he recd. the Letter & whether he sent it. This young Man doth not seem to be a Lyar but far otherwise, he openly avows & justifys all his bad Conduct & therefore I suppose he did but give a full Acct. of himself. You will be able easily to find out the matter, & if there be such a person as he describes his father to be let him know. Thus if he was fully inform'd of all his Son's Conduct since here & his present Scituation it would move his Compassion to assist him. The poor man expresses a desire to get hence & I believe it may be easily obtain'd for we want as much to part with him. If you find his Father pray desire him to say 1whither he will do any thing for him that so we may know how to Conduct. & I shall take it as a great favr. & so will yr. freinds here if you will let me know what you learn of this person & his freinds as soon as you can. Mean time I subscribe yr. respectful freind & hble. servt.,

RTPAINE

Mm. of the note sent Mr. Smith inclosed in the above Letter. I promise to pay Nathaniel Snell on Order the sum of Forty two Pounds Lawful Money within one month from the date hereof with the Interest being for value recieved as witness my hand August the 28th. 1762

DAVID STOOPS Testis ELIPHAZ HARLOW Endors'd blank (NATHLL. SNELL)

LbC ; "To Mr. Richard Smith Mercht. at Phila."

1.

Illegible cancelled line.

353

Boston Septr. 14, 1765 Bror. Pain,

I1 have sued your old Client Calfe2 & attached his great Coat & sundry other things he had, all that I could come at. The Action is depending at the Infer. Court at Newburyport. I must have the note to obtain Judgmt. You gave me the Copy only. Calfe is at Newburyport at present, and suppose his body will be taken on the Exon. if you desire it. Yr. most Obedt.

DANL. FARNHAM

RC ; addressed: "For Robt. Treat Pain Esqr. Barrister at Law Taunton"; endorsed.

1.

Daniel Farnham (1719–1776), the first lawyer at Newburyport, Mass., graduated from Harvard in 1739. Appointed kings attorney for York County in 1744 and a justice of the peace for Essex County in 1752 (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 10:364–366).

2.

Daniel Calfe, trader of Boston, appointed RTP his attorney, Apr. 2, 1761 (RTP Papers).

Boston Sepr. 20th. 1765 Sr.,

I recd. your favr. of 16th & observe a Verdict was given in favr: Seth Williams, & as Capt. Fossey is gone to sea have Concluded to pay the mony & not carry the affair to Supr. Court. You'l desire Mr. Williams to Stay till I come up, wch. will be abt. Ten days. & will then pay him. I am Sr. Your hble. Servt.

GILBT: DEBLOIS

RC .

Philaa. Octobr. 26th. 1765 Respectd Friend Robt. Treat Paine Esqr.,

I Reced. thine 13th. Ultimo a few Days, and Note the Contents, I have taken some Pains to find out the father of John Ingham the Unfortunate Young Man Who has for some time been a Little out of his Head.1 The father Intends to Sett off Next Week, to Come to Taunton. When he is there Must Beg thy kind354Assistance in any thing Wanting and If thou Shd. have Reced. my Quota of Natt. Whites Estate May send it per him in Johanns, If to be had in time if not, Send it to Scott & Gill in Boston I am in hast thy Frd.,

RICH. SMITH

P.S. Yesterday we had an Acct. from Jamaca that John Wormley is Dead there.

R.S.

RC ; addressed: "To Robert Treat Paine Esqr. att Taunton N.E. Via Rd. Island"; endorsed.

1.

John Adams noted in his diary, Aug. 30, 1774, while in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress: "Towards the Evening, Mr. Thomas Smith, . . . and Dr. Shippen and his Brother and Mr. Reed, went with Us to the Hospital. We saw, in the lower Rooms under Ground, the Cells of the Lunaticks, a Number of them, some furious, some merry, some Melancholly, and among the rest John Ingham, whom I once saved at Taunton Court from being whipped and sold for Horse stealing" (Adams, Diary, 2:116). RTP noted more briefly in his diary that day: "PM Conducted by Dr. blank Shippen to the Hospital among the Lunaticks in their Cells I saw John Ingham."