Boston July. 10th. 1786 Sr.,

I recd. yr.1 several Letters of last Feby.2 & am sorry I did not see you when last at Boston, but I have to assure you I have not forgot the matter we have talked about, tho’ I have not lately wrote you about it. I have been in great expectations of your being assisted by Brigadier Freeman, but his affairs will not admit; I therefore now send you a Power of Substitution to 366 conduct the business wch. you failed in before, hoping you will have all desired Success: the Letters I have heretofore sent you on the Subject explain the Object of my desires. I wish you to peruse them & see if there is any thing which I now omit to state: I want Evidence to prove that Timo. Folger was possessed of the sloop Good Intent3 after she was seized by Ichabod Plaisted; that he fitted her out & sent her abroad or was concerned with others in so doing; that the sails and Rigging that were taken away stripped off the sloop after she was seized, were put on again after she was appraized, & that T. Folger was in possession of the whole vizt. the Sloop as she was appraized & the Sails and rigging that were taken away; that the Sails were stripped off after the Sloop was seized, and the whole was worth, say, 600£; I want Evidence to prove the embezling the Bond, to shew the reason why it is not produced:

I herewith send Timo. Folgers certificate that he received the Sloop Good Intent, Tested Henry Smith; let said Smith depose that he saw Timo. Folger sign said Instrument and that he subscribed as a witness, & if he says the Sloop delivered to T. Folger or heard Folger say it was, or saw him in possession of her with her Sails & rigging let him say it and all he knows of the matter of the above question, let his Deposition be wafered on to his certificate and refer to it; be very careful of the certificate, that I may have it again at all events, & to prevent any mistakes about the matter, I have made out a copy of it, let Mr. Smith see the Copy and Compare it & I wish he would attest it as a true copy, let copies be taken of all the depositions and one Caption to see that they are right, & let them be sent me by the first Opportunity that I may have time to rectify it if it be not right. Inclosed is a letter to Stephen Huzzy Esqr. whom I have requested to assist you.

Hoping to hear soon on this matter from you I rest yr. freind & Servt.

R T Paine

P:S having Read the letter to Mr. Huzzy, Seal & deliver it & apply to him in the matter.

RC ; addressed: “Mr. John Bean Merchant Nantuckett favr. honble. Peleg Coffin Esq.”

1.

John Bean (1744–1836), merchant, lived in Nantucket during the Revolution and died in Jamaica Plain in 1836 at age ninety-one (Vital Records of Nantucket, Massachusetts [Boston, 1928], 5:60).

2.

Not located.

3.

On the case of the sloop Good Intent, see RTP to Nathaniel Freeman, Aug. 27, 1782 (above).