Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
The Generall Court of the Massachusets State have Apointed me with others a Comtee. to Erect or purchase an Air Furnace For Casting and Boring Cannon.1 Sd. Comtee. have Proceeded on that Bussiness and have gott the Furnace in some Considerable Forwardness at Tittiquat in Bridgwater.
In order to carry the Bussiness into execution A large Quantity of Pigg Iron is Necessary which to Obtain we Aprehend will be difficult at this time. We have therefore agreed with Mr. Stevenson to go in Person to Philladelphia to purchase it and get it Transported into this State. Sir my Personall Acquaintance with yow emboldens me to request of yow to lend your friendly aid and Advice to Mr. Stevenson as he is A Stranger in Philladelphia.2 I flatter my self that any assistance he may Stand in need of Consistant with your Character will readyly be granted. Whatever informality there may be in the manner I transact this busseness with your Honrs: your Known Candor encouradges me to hope that my well meant Indeavour will meet with a favourable reception.
I am Sr. with due respect your Honrs: most humle. and Obedient Sert.
Honble. Mr. Hancock is intreated to promote the Exchange of Carpenter,3 who will otherwise remain most probably a long Time with the Enemy, considering the late added Subjects of Cartel.
with respectful Complimts.
Hugh Orr was at this time representative to the legislature from the town of Bridgewater (Journals of the House of Representatives, 52, pt. 1:4).
RTP wrote a letter of introduction for Henry Stevenson. See below, RTP to Samuel and Robert Purviance, Dec. 5, 1776.
On Richard Carpenter, see John Hancock to RTP, Jan. 13, 1777.
This was a James Lovell who lived at Bridgewater, not to be confused with the James Lovell (1737–1814), who had been recently released as a prisoner of war and even more recently appointed to the Massachusetts delegation to the Continental Congress (Pruitt, Massachusetts Tax Valuation List of 1771, 630–631).
Mr Steavenson Set out for philada. in the morning. By him I Send this. I wrote you by Mr. Holloway & Sence by the docter which I hope you have rec’d. This is the fourth time I have wrote Since I have recd. a Line from you. What the reason is I dont know but I desine to write to you untill I think you are tired of rec:g of my Letters & then I think it my duty to Leave of. Could you Look in upon us & See with what Joy your Letters are rec:d Surely you would afford me the pleasure of hearing from you much oftener for thats the next to Seeing of you but to be denied both is cruel. Docter Cobb has bought the house that was McKinstrey & is to move when he returns from Boston which will be in three weeks by which time I hope youll be at home. Our family are well & Charles grows finely Since he was weand. He is a Sweet boy. Bob & Sally & Tommy goe to Scool & Learns very well for our Scools. Sally works very well for one of her age. She is a fine girl. We had parson toby1 to day. He kept us their till almost night & so cold that my head aks So I cant hardly See. So I wish you a good night. All friends desired to be rememberd to you. Due write Soon I mean come Soon your ever mindfull & affectionate
Samuel Tobey (1715–1781), a 1733 Harvard graduate, became the first minister of Berkley, Mass., in 1737 and served that congregation until his death (
Sibley’s Harvard Graduates
, 9:342–345).