Sandwich January 29. 1780 Sir,

I1 Learn by Coll: Freeman2 that I am Blamed for not making Returns to your Honr. relative to the Estates of our Absentees, agreeable to a Resolve of Court passed last Summer. As I have never, to my knowledge Seen Said Resolve, I am Ignorant how far I am Culpable, but if my business is only to Exhibit a List of Absentees those Estates, in Order that a Process may be Commenced for their Confiscation; the Publick I apprehend will be no great sufferers by the Delay, for I am Confident, there is not a Single Estate in this Town (and I believe I may add, County) that falls under this Description; that will more than pay the Just Debts, & preserve the remaining Familys, from becoming an immediate Charge to the Town.3 The Fact is, that those wretches who went from these parts, and are with the Enemy, were Composed of young fellows, & Others of Little or no Property, who were made Enthusiast In the cause of Toryasm, by the acts of their Principals and were then left to practice upon those Tenets, which they themselves never mint to Venture upon further than to Inculcate, but this Subject would lead me into a field, by no means necessary to Truble your Honr. with at present, and I beg leave only to add that I was absent from home almost the Whole of last Summer, that when upon my return I was told by Freeman that of my appointment, it was his Opinion, as well as my own, that it was a matter of little or no importance In this County and this is the reason that I took no measures to Obtain the Necessary Information if your Honr. is of a different Opinion I must beg the favour of having my Commission forwarded that I may know what I have to do, And I Shall at all Times take great pleasure In Manifesting my Atatchment to Goverment and the Sincerity with which I Subscribe myself

your Honr. most Obedient Humle. Servt., Joseph Nye

RC ; addressed: “To The Honbl. Robart Treat Pain Esqr. Of Taunton to be left at Mr. Brackets Boston”; endorsed.

1.

Joseph Nye (1723–1790), a member of the Sandwich Committee of Correspondence, was appointed agent in charge of the dispensation of loyalist estates in Barnstable County (Frederick Freeman, The History of Cape Cod [Boston, 1858], 1:523).

111 2.

Nathaniel Freeman (1741–1827) was a physician from Sandwich, Mass., who served in a number of public capacities including state representative, register of probate for Barnstable County, and judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In 1781 he was appointed brigadier general and served until 1793 (Frederick Freeman, Freeman Genealogy [Boston, 1876], 122–124).

3.

Samuel Perry was the owner of a house and one hundred acres in Sandwich. He fled to Rhode Island in Sept. 1777 and at the end of the war went to Shelburne, N.S. Silas and Stephen Perry, also loyalists from Sandwich, fled to Rhode Island in Mar. 1778 (Jones, Loyalists of Massachusetts, 234).