Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
Permit me1 to trespass so far upon Your Time & Attention to the important Business of the United States, as to Sollicit Your Interest on my Behalf for some Employment in their Service, within this State.
I ask not for great things. My only wish is to obtain some little additional Support for my Family, and that you may be induced to favor me in this respect, I beg the liberty to mention; That about ten days after the Battle at Lexington, being determined not to Submit to the Arbitrary & Tyrannical Impositions of the British Administration, I Voluntarily made a Sacrifice of all my Business & means of Support, and with my Family left Boston, and from that time, till the disgraceful flight of the British Troops, remained in the Country; where I had not the means of earning a Shilling; and the little Business I am now employed in, does not equal a fourth part of the Expence of my Family, altho I live in the most frugal manner; and I am Reduced from a State which made me easy in Life, to a Prospect of Distress.
Thus Sir, I have laid before You my Situation and Circumstances in as few lines as possible, & would Beg Your favorable attention to the same. Should I be so happy as to obtain Your kind interposition on my Behalf, it will always be Remembered with the utmost Gratitude & Respect by Sir, Your most Olibged and Obedient Servant.
Ezekiel Price (1728–1802) was confidential secretary to several of the Massachusetts provincial governors. Shortly after independence was declared, Price became clerk of the courts of common pleas for Suffolk County. He was also very active in Boston politics and the longtime chair of the town’s selectmen (Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1st ser., 8:85). His diary, kept during the siege of Boston, appears in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society 7(1863–1864):185–262.
We have found Clay near South Amboy that will Answer the purpose for retorts, have engaged a potter, & made up the Compound in a small quantity, as an instruction to him, we have not received any Letter from you since our being at Philadelphia. If you will please to let us know what you may have resolved upon our proposals with regard to Sulphur I shall take it as a great favour, and am Gentmen. with great respect Your most obedt. Servt.
please to direct to the Care of the Post Master at this place.
I rec’d yours of July 30 & augt. 3 by which I Learn you have been Sick & not fully recoverd helth. If you ware to ride I Beleive it would be of Service to you. I fear your Confineing your Self So Close to buisness will be two much for you. Due you know how Long it is Since you Left home if you did Surely you take this opportunity to Come home & recover your helth. You desire’d me to write what my desines ware about the Small pox. Our Justices are to meet this week to determine Where the265 Hospital Shall be if it Should be in a pleasant place & the docter think proper for me to have it I Shall go & three of the Children. I Should not think of having it ware it not for the Children but I Chuse to be with them. Nothing has been done with dr. Mckinstrey Estate Since his death. Mr. Harlow has not open:d Williams desk.1 We have Cut four tuns of hay & I desine to buy two tuns but I must give 12 dollars a tun. Sukey Adams wrote to me for Some papers that She left with you about Some Land Call:d Sharps Land. Her Letter was not dated from any place. Who She is or where to Send them to I know not.2 I expect the docter up this week. I am in hopes I Shall know by him as the Letter Came through his hands to me. I want to know if I must deliver papers to people. I Last weak I went to Attleborough to See my old home & to take a ride to see if it would due me good for I have been unwell. I wish you would come & See your old home. Prehaps it may due you Some good. Our family are well. Brother Jonathan wife is Sick. The docter has another daughter. Bobe & Sally Send duty & are very much pleas’d with thoughts of having the Small pox & Tommy promises to be very good if he may goe. All friend desire to be rememberd to you, your ever mindfull & affectionate,
Probably a reference to the estate of Dr. William McKinstry. See David Cobb to RTP, May 12, 1775.
Not further identified.