Description
Brown, Moses. One autograph letter signed by Moses Brown plus two copies of letters sent to two of his sea captains in his hand. One set of orders dated August 15, 1798, addressed to Elijah Mayhew for a voyage to Trinidad, is signed by Elijah Mayhew. Moses Brown 1738 – 1836 was an American international shipping magnate, a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, a design innovator, a pacifist, an abolitionist and a founder of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations destined to become Brown University.
March 7, 1800, 1 sheet folded once, 7 ½ in x 6 ¾ in, one and a half pages, ink on paper, fine condition, signed in full, written from Newburyport:
“Mr Knap
Sir I received your[s] this day / and find that you are offended at me for/which I am much surprised I have no / Desire of Living in Enmity with any / of my Neighbors and if you will be / So Kind as to Call & see me [ – ——-] /I can satisfy you that you have / No Reason for Righting [sic] such a Letter / to one I shall not Show your Letter / only (?) to mr regan & to none else until / I Know your mind I have no objection / to meeting you at capt regans if you Chuse [sic] / as I do not fell [sic] I have ingured [sic] / you in the Least and Nothing more / has Bean [sic] said than Commonly takes place / Between man & man when any dispute / takes place you apear [sic] to me much agitated / I think without any Reason and I should / Not have taken any Notice of your / Letter if I Did not think that you / had intending mistaken the matter and / upon Knowing the Right of it you / would acht [sic] with moderation & temper. Moses Brown”
September 11, 1792, 1 sheet, 11 ¾ in x 7 ½ in, ink on paper, folds but very good condition, unsigned, written by Moses Brown to Capt. Picket, a copy made by Brown:
“Capt Pickket
I rec[eive]d your Lynes by the / Pilot and have rote [sic] at Hogshon (?) that you / would right [sic] to him to Know What Cash he had / in his hands & desire him to give you Liberty / to draw for the [ ] proceeds of the Rum But / I would not have you draw for one Styow (?) more than / he give you Liberty to draw for you Left / you Buy Rope and a Side of Leather which / I have put on board Capt Whitwells Ship / please to call on him for the same and he will [?] them to you I have desired Capt Perkins / to right [sic] you from Virginia whence he hopes / to Lodge the Whole proceeds of his Cargo / if he goes to Holland it will be without [?] / & if to any other place either with that house / or Thomas dockeepers of London I shall Right [sic] / you again by some of the worst (?) things that / you from [him?] hear”.
Newburyport, August 15, 1798, 1 sheet, 13 3/8 in x 8 1/8 in, ink on paper, damp-stained and worn on the right-hand edge, to Captain Elijah Mayhew, a copy of sailing orders to merchant marine Captain Elijah Mayhew written Moses Brown, signed, attested and agreed to by Captain Elijah Mayhew:
“Captain Elijah mayhew [sic] you being master of / the Brigantine Columbia Now Ready for the / Seas your order[s] are to in –? the first / fair wind & proceede [sic] to Sea and direct / your Coarse [sic] for trinidad [sic] and there sell your / cargo and take such purchase at a price/ Likely to afford the next packet home / But if Markets Shou[l]d be very Low there /you have Liberty to proceede [sic] to any other / Islands whence it appears to you that you / can go with most safety [?] as your / object might be to Keep clear of any / bus[i]ness you therefore had better sell at / the first market there keep any Confederate / Resque [sic] should you fall in Near any Port / where you can touch with Safety / you may touch & inquir [sic] the market & if good / Sell and keep as above you must Remember that / our Laws forbid you going to any french ports / and take care Not to Speake [sic] with any [?] / on your voyage if you lose proceed at Night / use only a percentage & make all possable [sic] des[patch] / and for your encouragement I agree to pay / you ten dollars per month wages Thereto / and Three P[er]cent on all goods you Purchase as Cargo / This is thereby being a copy of my orders which I promise / to Comply with
Signed at the Base
[?] your ensign at your
Mainstay gallant Mast Head
Elijah Mayhew”.
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