The Cozens/Byrnes Merchants Networks Project - Updated 1 August 2007

Future work

The implications ...

Think about the UK International Slavery Museum in Liverpool ... the implications ...

For a page in Chinese
about this website,
click on the image of the junk

This file is for snippets only by way of reference to individuals, situations, networks which Ken Cozens, Dan Byrnes, or any of their e-mailers wish to follow-up in future. With luck, names noted below will become subject of new files on the Merchants Networks Project website.

E-mailers can feel free to let the webmaster know of their research interests so an item can be placed here in due course.

The producers of this website, Dan Byrnes and Ken Cozens, and currently co-writing a book. After recent discussions, a decision has been made to rotate some early versions of some chapters of the book on this website. As mght be guessed, the book is mostly about Merchant Networks. The chapters will be footnoted in the usual way.

(Item 3 from Pieter Dickson)

Dear Merchants Networks,
Many thanks for copy of the Campbell genealogy. The whole concept of this web site is a tremendous lift and the best news of the year; I've already had a note from a current correspondent (a Samuels, originally from Lucea, now living in USA) who has already hit the site and I've no doubt it will grow for years. As to my own research interests, please see below ...

  Jamaica: County of Cornwall, especially Hanover parish, c.1690-1900.
Families: Dickson, related to Crooks, Brown, Malcolm, Sharp, Donaldson. Campbell (influence & trade connections).
Activities: mercantile, marine, farming, professional and trade.  

Scotland: Midlothian especially, c.1690-1850.
Families: Dickson, related to Reid, Thomson, Simpson, Veitch, Murray, Muir. Clerk of Penicuick (land lords, especially Clerk and Campbell relatives in Argyll with Jamaica connections).
Activities: mercantile, farming, professional and trade.

Aim: to glean a sight, from within, of their activities in Jamaica and of what turned their lives "beyond the seas"– kinship connections, business engagements, external events.  

Why? A G-G-G-G-grandson of John Dickson & Ann Crooks of Jamaica thinks that the pre-eminence given to the sugar economy and its movers veils much detail that is revealing and valuable in the record. There is no doubt that speculation surrounding sugar drew many to Jamaica, but their descendants went beyond that first horizon, adapted and survived as a result. The interest is in Daniel Defoe's "middling sort", generally sober, industrious, diligent and god-fearing in their affairs but not without the usual sprinkling of scoundrels.  
All the best (on 26-7-2006), Pieter Dickson  

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(Item 2) Chris Maxworthy of Sydney remains interested in merchants J. and W. Jacob.

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(Item 1) Dan Byrnes is seeking more information on the family history of his own cousins in Australia named D'Elboux, a name from Marseilles, France, emigrating after the 1750s to England, then to Brazil, and Australia. Some descendants also live in New Zealand.

Family legend for the D'Elboux families in Australia, more than any facts, indicate that one Francois Louis D'Elboux worked as a cook in the later 1700s in the household of "Lady F. Leveson-Gower" - all that has been written down, as far as is known at present.

This was perhaps (simply a guess) Frances Boscawen, who had a family of seven or so children with Hon. John Leveson-Gower, (1740-1792), MP and Lord Admiralty.

Dan Byrnes and relatives would appreciate any extra information on this Leveson-Gower family, more so as a Lord Admiralty might have been involved.
Thanks, Dan Byrnes, July 2006.

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Visit his websites now - Len Zell - Australian eco-tourism writer

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This and that lists

Below will be listings about "information in preparation", isolated information on this and that, which is meant to become part of another file or mini-project in due course - Ed

On merchant and financier-names of the period of the American Revolution re US history and wider-world history generally ... as mentioned in many contexts, with an aim here, if possible, of expanding the usually-given lists in any useful way (1770-1790) (?)

Mostly resident in America: Robert Morris,an early partner of Robert Morris being Thomas Willing (Morris and Willing, Philadelphia tobacco traders), John Parish a connection of Robert Morris. William Constable. Alexander Hamilton. Thomas Jefferson (politician/commentator). John Adams (politician, negotiator for Dutch loans). Carter Braxton (of Virginia), Daniel Parker, William Parker, Benjamin Franklin, Gouvenour Morris. Agents for Hope and Co. of Amsterdam, John Holker, Francis Rotch (whaling industry), Matthew Ridley, merchant John Hancock of Boston. John Jay (negotiator of Jay Treaty). One-time partners of Robert Morris were Wallace, Johnson and Muir.

1770

More to come here

1771

1772 - . Colonial merchants objecting were John Hancock, Thomas Wharton and John Dickinson of Philadelphia.

1772 - in 1772 John Hancock deals with Hayley and Hopkins in London. in Philadelphia, Charles Wharton imports Dutch tea using New York firms Ten Eyck and Seaman, John and Cornelius Sebring and John Vanderbilt.

1772 - A Philadelphia merchant Gilbert Barkley (and his partner also of Philadelphia, John Inglis), wanted EICo to establish warehouses in American towns, peferably theirs, to auction tea as was done in England. With an opinion was Thomas Walpole, nephew of famous Robert Walpole, a London merchant-banker, who wanted tea centred in Philadelphia, he is assoc with Benj Franklin and the Whartons, other prominent Philadelphians in the Vandalia Land Company re Ilinois.

1772 - James and Drinker of Philadelphia, . Tea for Philadelphia was jointly for James and Drinker, Thomas and Isaac Wharton, Jonathan Browne (with a brother George in London) and Gilbert Barkley. Quaker merchants of Philadelphia were Abel James, Henry Drinker (deals with Fred Pigou Jnr in London), Thomas and Isaac Wharton (plus brother Samuel in London). After the Boston Tea Party, Whartons urged their London correspondents to drop James and Drinker and replace them with William and Morris.

1772 fix above Follows:

fix above Partial list of Duncan Campbell's correspondents from index to his business letterbook 1772-1776, inc Allison and Campbell, William Adam, Samuel Athawes, Coll Wm Brockenbrough and Austin Brockenbrough, Dr John Brockenbrough, Adam Barnes and Johnson, James Bain, Rev Mr Beauvoir, James and Robert Buchanan, George Buchanan, Robert Cockerell, Messrs Campbell and Dickson, Colin Currie, Stewart Carmichael, William Dickson, Charles Eyles, Fitzhugh, Fauntleroy, Richard Glascock/Glascook, Benj and Charles Grimes, Henderson and Glassford, Rhodam Kenner, Abraham Lopez and Son, James Millar Jamaica, Daniel Muse, Hudson Muse, Hugh McLean, Joshua Newall, George Noble, Francis Randall, Major Henry Ridgely, Adam Shipley, William Snydebottom, Richard Stringer, Alexander Speirs and Co, Speirs, Finch and Co, Dr Sherwin, William and Edward Telfair, Tayloe and Thornton, William Vanderstegan, Charles Worthington.

1773

In 1773, Annapolis merchants James Dick and Anthony Stewart were in debt to John Buchanan and Sons in London for at least L6775, and declared as unfounded a rumour they were in debt for 10,000. T Thompson note 26 - See katefix must, Emory G. Evans, Planter Indebtedness and the Coming of the Revolution in Virginia. William and Mary Quarterly. Series 3. Vol. XIX. Oct. 1962.

1773 - May and later, letter Pennie Pemberton of Aug 12, 1990, she has listed merchants I did not notice in Labaree, involved in the EICO tea deal for the North American colonies. Brook Watson of Watson and Rashleigh, Garlick Hill, London. Joshua Winslow of Boston (late of Nova Scotia), Robarts, Payne and Roberts, Kings Arms Yard (was this Robarts later banker partner with Curtis?). At Charleston, South Carolina, Andrew Lord and George Ancrum; George Hayley and John Blackburn; William Palmer of Devonshire Square; John Nutt, New Broad Street Buildings; and Roger Smith of South Carolina. Were the South Carolina names associated with Abel and Macaulay who later lost over 5000 pounds by the American Revolution? (re info in 1791 DC etc? RIN 1857, William time of BTP London PALMER Tea Merchant, Birth 1773, WILLIAM TIME OF BTP LONDON PALMER TEA MERCHANT, He sent tea to Gov Thomas Hutchinson qv. See Schlesinger on Uprising against EICo.

1774

October 1774 Russell had been directly involved in the affair of the ship Peggy Stewart. (Jacob Price, p. 192 and note 94 and see Papenfuse, In Pursuit Of Profit), the Peggy Stewart affair re dispute Maryland Gazette October 20, 1774, between Wallace firm, and the tea importers, Williams and Co, both of Annapolis. After the stoppage of the John Buchanan ship in 1773, the Annapolis firm of Dick and Stewart, owners of the Peggy Stewart, transferred most of their business to Buchanan. Russell was the rep in London, and he had decided to hide parcels of tea in Peggy Stewart. As early as 1771, Joshua Johnson in London had warned his Annapolis partners Charles Wallace and John Davidson, that Russell and others were shipping tea. In 1774, Joshua Johnson warned his partners again re tea and Russell's moves, and this warning led to destruction of tea the burning of the Peggy Stewart. Wallace had an inflammatory role here. In the aftermath here, Capt Lambert Wickes of the Neptune had once refused to carry tea to Maryland sent by the same London merchant supplying the tea to Russell, Amos Hayton, to the same Annapolis house, Williams and Co.

1774: James Pagan, Sketches Of The History Of Glasgow. Glasgow. 1847. cited in T Thompson note 14, and Pagan notes that at least 46 different Glasgow firms alone were dealing in the tobacco trade in 1774.

1774: increase in European prices for American tobacco.

By contrast, George Washington opposed non-payment. See Thomson, Upper James River, p. 407, noting DC never received tobacco from Upper James River area, the 1773-1775 exporters of tobacco from Upper James included, William Allen, Jerman Baker, Burwell Bassett, Robert Bolling, Thomas Bolling, Carter Braxton, William Byrd, Charles Carter, Colonel Edward Carter, Archibald Cary, Wilson Miles Carey, Rev Wm Coutts, Francis Eppes, Charles Gilmore, John Harmar, William Harwood, Henry Henderson, William Lightfoot, Henry and Edmund Lyne, John Mayo, David Meade, Everard Meade, Richard K. Meade, Joseph Montfort, Robert Munford, Robert Carter Nicholas, John Pankey, John Paradise, John PLeasants, Thomas Prosser, Brett Randolph, John Randolph, Richard Randolph, Thomas Mann Randolph, William Randolph, Henry Skipworth, James Smith, John Throgmorton, Richard Tunstall, Robert Turnbull, Abram Venable, Benjamin Waller, John Wayles, Cary Wilkinson. See pp. 100ff of Nagel, Lees of Virginia, Braxton here by 1776 was allied with one Benjamin Harrison.

In London on 18 March 1774 a merchant committee headed by Champion (Richard, of Bristol?) and Dickinson, Hayley and Hopkins, Lane Son and Fraser, to discuss Boston matters and they offered surety of 16,000 pounds to cool things down, offer not taken up. Citations: (Labaree, letters between Thomas and Adrian Hope to Thomas Hancock, Boston, in 1745-1755, page 268 of Notes). In (page 268), John Kidd in London writes and vice versa to William Gough of Philadelphia in October 1754. John Kidd in Philadelphia writes to Rawlinson and Davison in London in 1761. There is a John Kidd Letterbook. Henry Lloyd in Boston p. 268 writes to Aaron Lopez of Newport in 22 march, 1756. John Hancock (p. 270 notes) write 3 Sep-2 Nov 1767 to George Hayley London and to William Reeve, London. On 10 May 1768 Richard Clarke and Sons London write to London dealer Peter Contincen (sic). John Reynell (Reynell and Coates) of Philadelphia (Labaree, p. 271 notes), writes 25 Aug 1768 to Mildred and Roberts, London, and on 5 Nov 1768 to Welch, Wilkinson and Startin of London. Dennys DeBerdt often writes to Thomas Cushing of Boston. Labaree notes p. 276 has Alexander Mackay London writes to James Bowdoin Boston on 7 April 1770. In London are merchants Robert and Nathaniel Hude (Huth?) p., 277 of Labaree's notes. Abraham Dupois London writes to Boston merchants Samuel and Stephen Salisbury, Sep 1773 Labaree p. 278. Labaree p. 282 notes note 27 for pp. 68-74 of text that William Palmer as tea dealer had objected to Herries plan from the start. Labaree notes p. 290 that Brook Watson London has letter from Benjamin Faneuil of Boston of November 1773. Labaree's notes p. 301 has John Norton London to Peyton Randolph US 6 July 1773. Cf not read yet, Francis N. Mason, (Ed)., John Norton and Sons, Merchants of London and Virginia. Richmond, Va, 1937. Richard Champion of Bristol writes to Willing and Morris p. 303 of notes on 30 Sep 1774. Labaree notes p. 311, Richard Lechmere of Boston to Lane, Son and Fraser, London on 30 May 1774.

December 1774 >>> Olson, London Mercantile Lobby. p, 35-36, the merchant lobby failed to act quickly in December 1774 when the latest Congress' non-importation of Brit Goods measure reached London, On Dec 19, 1774, the Wilkesite committee members, wanted a mass meeting of merchants and other Londoners for Dec 23, when they probably wanted to present a pro-America petition, the wealthier conservatives being on their holidays in the country. But on the day of the meeting for Dec 23, a conservatives wing, Blackburn, Barclay and Champion put an ad in a paper, another meeting for Jan 4, 1775, so the conservatives finally dominated the meeting. A middle-wing consisted of Samuel Athawes, John Sargent, Brigden, Norton, and Russell, who arranged for a conservative the respected Lane, to preside, get supportive letters from outports and prepare a non-Wilkesite petition.

October 17, 1774, DC to Messrs Abraham Lopez and Son, re their favour of June 14, re a lading of 12 Terces Sugar per the Britannia, the sugar of a mean quality, the market is glutted. NOTES FOR AARON INVESTOR LOPEZ WHALER, See Dickinson on Falklands Sealing. Pares, Yankees and Creoles, p. 162ff, re Lopez here, in 1765 Lopez owed 10,000 pounds to the son of Henry Cruger being Henry Cruger Jnr, a merchant of Bristol, taking 4-5 years to extinguish it. Lopez built an even larger debt to Hayley and Hopkins, to whom he transferred his biz via London, in 1774 Lopez owed Hayley Hopkins some 12,000 pounds. Lopez dealt also to West Indies, owned several ships one in trade Jamaica to London; eg Lopez to Cruger in Bristol, Nov 1770; Pares finds it impossible to quantify any of merchants' dealings such as those of Lopez re capital formations, etc. George Washington Pares p. 3 visited Barbados in 1751-1752 and commented on planter indebtedness there. p. 5 James Reynell a Philadelphia merchant of a later generation 1730-1760 in Pares, Yankees p. 5.

Virginia: Some of the 1773-1775 exporters of tobacco from the Upper James River area included: William Allen, Jerman Baker, Burwell Bassett, Robert Bolling, Thomas Bolling, Carter Braxton, William Byrd, Charles Carter, Colonel Edward Carter, Archibald Cary, Wilson Miles Carey, Rev Wm Coutts, Francis Eppes, Charles Gilmore, John Harmar, William Harwood, Henry Henderson, William Lightfoot, Henry and Edmund Lyne, John Mayo, David Meade, Everard Meade, Richard K. Meade, Joseph Montfort, Robert Munford, Robert Carter Nicholas, John Pankey, John Paradise, John Pleasants, Thomas Prosser, Brett Randolph, John Randolph, Richard Randolph, Thomas Mann Randolph, William Randolph, Henry Skipworth, James Smith, John Throgmorton, Richard Tunstall, Robert Turnbull, Abram Venable, Benjamin Waller, John Wayles, Cary Wilkinson.

1775

In 1775, Lopez, Jarvis, Francis Rotch and one Richard Smith decided to station vessels at the Falkland Islands for the duration of Am Rev hostilities. Whaling mostly, sealing when possible. There was a danger of starvation on Nantucket in 1775 due to shipping blockades. From Dickinson on Falklands sealing, In Sept 1775 Rotch joined with Leonard Jarvis of Dartmouth, Richard Smith of Boston, Aaron Lopez qv of Newport for whaleships, see firms of Champion and Hayley, Champion and Dickason. See Dickinson on the Falklands re the affair Mary Wilkes had with Rotch after George Hayley died.

in 1775-1776- the British Treasury Board contracted with Anthony Merry, merchant, to supply livestock to troops at Boston and New York.

Pre revolution, 1775, some of the leading Glasgow merchants with influential connections in American colonies were Alexander Speirs and William Cunninghame.

1775 - Jacob M. Price The Economic Growth of the Chesapeake and the European Market, 1697-1775., The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 24, No. 4, 1964., pp. 496-516, [note also that nearby that issue, maybe 1963 or 1965 is an article on French merchants at Lyon which maybe I should read. on p. 499, Note 3, Price writes, "It is virtually impossible to compile a good, long term series of London tobacco prices." put this in fn 111. p. 499, since 1670 the Chesapeake tobacco to London was re-exported to markets the Virginians knew little about. there were 100 million pounds shipped annually to Britain in 1771-1775, about 85 per cent of which was re-exported. and p. 502, Note 5, Price cites papers on French Farmers-General, noting they tend to neglect "commercial and political-personal factors".

1776

re George Chalmers - 1776x - Virgin Islands, for some time rather unsually had a Liverpool agent, in Penson, Colonial Agents, p.106ff, at one time it was thought Sir William Meredith should go out, by 1776, but he was then Controller of the Household, so it was decided to appoint John Pownall, under-sec of state in the American Dept and secretary to Board of Trade. the appointee was one George Suckling. a certain London group had been intriguing about the appoinment. In 1783, Henry Rawlinson of Liverpool was appointed. in Penson, Colonial Agents, p.167 says George Chalmers a later agent for the Bahamas was appointed after 1782 chief clerk to the committee of privy council known as board of trade, Bahamas man till he died in 1825. Chalmers p. 168 in his day regarded as a notable opinion on the history of the revolt of the Americans. in Penson, Colonial Agents, p.168 citing George Chalmers, An Introduction to the History of the Revolt of the American Colonies. 2 Vols. Boston. 1845. Chalmers also wrote on Britain's Treaties with other powers. fix VIP re Chalmer's interest in the revolt.

A Robert Morris partner in 1776 dealing with Martinique was William Bingham, American commissioner; and on Santo Domingo, Morris had his (Secret Committee) agent, Stephen Ceronio. ( ) In Williamsburg was Benjamin Harrison Jnr. David Stewart worked at Baltimore. At New Orleans was Oliver Pollock, also dealing for Willing and Morris. Charles Willing was on Barbados. In 1776, one firm was Willing, Morris, (Swanwick) and Co. Operating in Europe were Silas Deane, John Ross and Samuel Beale. Morris had regular European associates, Samuel and J. H. Delap at Bordeaux, Andrew Limozin at Le Havre, Clifford and Teysett of Amsterdam. Deane and Ross began to deal with LeRoy de Chaumont a procurer of supplies for the French army, and John Holker, later the agent of the French navy in America. Another firm was Clifford and Teyset of Amsterdam.

Feb 29, 1776, Beaumarchais wrote to king of France, true words, "The famous quarrel between America and England, which will soon divide the world and change the system of Europe... and he warned the king, if America and England made up, they would attack the French West Indies to make up their losses, so he recommended that France assist the Americans without compromising France - while Vergennes felt that helping the Americans would reduce the power of England, maybe give back the fisheries of Newfoundland the French had long resented losing... So Vergennes wanted any French aid to America kept secret. Meanwhile the British had brought off the secretary of the weak-and-despised London French ambassador, Guines, and had planted a renegade Jesuit in the French embassy who knew of Canadian affairs, Roubaud (sic ok), and Roubaud as a double agent kept in touch with Lord Dartmouth and John Pownall (an America-hater) - the undersecretary for American Affairs, Roubaud gulled Guines about plans for an Anglo-French alliance against the Americans, saying to the English it was a French idea, so this fuelled British arrogance against the Americans, and Lord Sandwich at the Admiralty sent copies of such a false document to America as a warning to the Americans, but the upshot was the Louis decided to help the Americans. Fleming, 1776 Illusions, p.110-113

Feb-March 1776, secret commerce men meeting with French merchants Penet and Pliarne, eager to supply munitions to America, indeed, anything else. gunpowder by the ton, committee chose Silas Deane, aged 39, as representative to go to France Fleming, Illusions, pp. 132-133.

1776, April, Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 158, Beaumarchais the Frenchman, associate of Arthur Lee, sending supplies to US via West Indies, with the semi-fictional company of Hortales and Co., Ferguson, Purse, p. 42, Note 42, See Louis Leonard de Lomenie, Beaumarchais and His Times, New York, 1857. surmising p. 278 "that French merchants other than Beaumarchais got subsidies from the French Court in order to give aid to America." Also, the "booming" war trade to the West Indies is described in J. Franklin Jameson, St Eustatius in the American Revolution. American History Review, 8, (1902-1903), pp. 683-708.

April 1776, profit on Statia gunpowder had jumped 120 per cent, some shipped to America by Marylander Richard Harrison, and Abraham von Bibber spent time on Statia, Much powder bought with borrowed French money with Statia merchant Isaac van Dam active here, admitting he caried out his trade on behalf of Frenchmen; and in London, Lord Rochford sec of state for Europe accused France of gunrunning to America, and Vergennes disagreed about any breach of agreements here. Fleming, Illusions, p.210ff,

April 2, 1776, Louis of France decided he would help the Americans separate from England, he ordered the navy to begin rebuilding and army to purchase new equipment. and on May 2 he agreed to back Beaumarchais' dummy company, Roderigue Hortalez and Co, which would supply munitions to Americans. but Louis also decided to dispense with Turgot. whereupon Turgot with great prescience warned Louis of the fate of the necks of kings, and exit Turgot. Vergennes then persuaded Spain to assist Hortalez, and so in all, the French supported a revolution that would lead to the re-arrangement of France! Fleming, 1776 Illusions, p. 113

By May 1776, Ver Steeg p. 19, Rbt Morris' half brother Thomas went to London to settle the affairs of Willing and Morris (Ver Steeg p. 205 Note 31, about 10,000 pounds), overall, he was a bungler, ending back at Nantes. Some of Rbt Morris contacts were with French firm De Pliarne, Penet and Gruel, rather a questionable firm. Eventually Deane complained of Thos Morris indulging in the good life, Morris at Market Street in Philadelphia, and Morris appointed John Ross a Philadelphia merchant to replace Thos Morris for Willing and Morris. Ross here handling deals worth 70,000 pounds sterling by may 1778. // Ferguson, Purse, p.83, and Note 27, p. 84 Note 29, To Sept 1776, Morris suggesting Deane do deals with Thomas Walpole in Britain, Chaumont in France, and Legrand with branches in France and Holland, to sop up the neutral or indirect trade(s) between Britain and America. Deane tried to interest Delaps in this. p. 83, The British Govt itself connived at the trade, Ferguson writes, which was enabled by transferring ownership and registry of ships to make them appear to be owned by partners in other countries. such arrangements lasted till 1779. By 1781, Ferguson p. 127, many goods acquired by the US in Europe were of British origin. // Aug 1776, Ver Steeg on Morris, p. 206 Note 39, a British merchant Thomas Walpole has his name implicated in a US idea, Morris realised that the American armies could not be adequately supplied except by Great Britain, therefore an idea to set up with 400,000 pounds sterling to include a group of London merchants including Thomas Walpole, some French merchants such as Chaumont, plus Morris and his associates, citing T. P. Abernethy, Commercial Activities of Silas Deane, American Historical Review, XXXIX, p. 478. But Ver Steeg feels the link was much more with French merchants. // Ketchum p. 43, By May 1776 the French and Spanish had set up a dummy company, Hortalez (ok) and Cie, to conduct a clandestine arms and munitions business with the Americans so as not to embarrass their governments, one of the American contacts here was Silas Deane, whose life is a confusing story, the son of a Connecticut blacksmith who graduated from Yale in 1758. // Ferguson, Purse, pp. 195-196. Late in 1777 re Beaumarchais, he sent an agent, de Francey to American to collect money due to Beaumarchis for supplies, but discrepancies were in de Francey's accounts, congress dealing with Alderman Arthur Lee was unsure if supplies had not been a gift of the French court, but Congress wanted to settle with Beaumarchais, Silas Deane a dealer here. Beaumarchais paid to January 1782. Matter still not clear, although B's heirs paid something in 1835. Thomas Barclay here reviewed accounts, etc.//

Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 158-159, May 3, 1776, Vergennes in France wrote to Grimaldi the Spanish minister that France intending to advance one million livres for aid to the American colonies. Govt would not appear in it, a merchant would arrange matters. Meanwhile a US arrangement from Secret Committee dealing with Penet, Pliarne and Co, interested with the French Farmers-General in American tobacco. Arthur Lee involved here. Silas Deane buying munitions.

Bingham William aged 24 in 1776, fitting of the American army due to Abraham van Bibber, Richard Harrison, Thomas Burch (sic) and/or William Bingham, who worked in the West Indies and by mid- 1776 had supplied Wshington with enough gunpowder. Fleming, Illusions, p.205. also, see Robert C. Alberts, The Golden Voyage: The Life and Times of William Bingham. Boston. 1969.

By June 3, 1776, Committee of Commerce had sent young William Bingham to Martinique to do business, on American war ship, Reprisal, Capt Lambert Wickes, who actually had a mostly British crew! Wickes who had sailed merchant ships for Willing and Morris. At Martinique a British warship challenged Reprisal and Reprisal sent a broadside, the ships duelled, the British lost, and a minor diplomatic incident occurred, with the British speaking diplomatic tosh and the French saying so, and about now, one American ship operated (half-owned) by Abraham von Bibber was Balitmore Hero. Bingham meantime had a small fleet of privateets and made phenomenal profits he shared with Robert Morris, in one week his men got fourteen prizes Fleming, Illusions, p.213, and see dagmar 3 - Robert C. Alberts, The Golden Voyage: The Life and Times of William Bingham. Boston. 1969.

Mid-1776, by now, Thomas Burch head of Thomas Burch and Co had shipped 50 tons of gunpowder to Thomas Mumford of Groton, Connecticut, a relative of Silas Deane. Fleming, Illusions, p. 211.

in the later 1770s, Baltimore merchants worked with a popular party in Maryland led by Charles Carroll of Carrolltown, Samuel Chase, and others, while more radical were John Hall, Mathias Hammond and Rezin Hammond. in 1776, some Baltimore merchants formed a Whig Club, devoted to an idea of deporting anyone opposing independence., which increased general political support for independence. T Thompson p. 23.

1776: Ferguson, Purse, p.83, and Note 27, p. 84 Note 29, To Sept 1776, Morris suggesting Deane do deals with Thomas Walpole in Britain, Chaumont in France, and Legrand with branches in France and Holland, to sop up the neutral or indirect trade(s) between Britain and America. Deane tried to interest Delaps in this. p. 83, The British Govt itself connived at the trade, Ferguson writes, which was enabled by transferring ownership and registry of ships to make them appear to be owned by partners in other countries. such arrangements lasted till 1779. By 1781, Ferguson p. 127, many goods acquired by the US in Europe were of British origin.

Ferguson, Purse, p.89, Note 44, a close friend of Deane was Edward Bancroft, a British spy whom Deane and Franklin employed unwittingly. Bancroft made frequent trips across the Channel and it was said that these trips were linked with stock speculations in which Deane participated, the principal English associate being Thomas Wharton. See Carl Van Doren, Secret History of the American Revolution. New York, 1941.

Ferguson, Purse, p.80, Note 19, re firms such as Benjamin Harrison paymaster of the Continental army in Virginia, Carter Braxton, Jennifer and Hooe, J. H. Norton and Samuel Beale of Virginia, Hewes and Smith of North Carolina, John Dorsius of Charleston, John Wereat in Georgia. circa 1776. Another Morris agent was David Stewart at Baltimore.

About July-August 1776, Ferguson, Purse, pp.78-81, Morris partner in 1776 to Martinique was William Bingham, American commissioner, and on Santo Domingo, Morris had his (Secret Committee) agent, Stephen Ceronio. In Williamsburg was Benjamin Harrison Jnr. David Stewart at Baltimore. At New Orleans was Oliver Pollock, also dealing for Willing and Morris. Charles Willing was on Barbados. In 1776, one firm was Willing, Morris, (Swanwick) and Co. In Europe were Silas Deane, John Ross and Samuel Beale. Morris had a regular European client, Samuel and JH Delap at Bordeaux, Andrew Limozin at Le Havre, Clifford and Teysett of Amsterdam. Deane and Ross began to deal with LeRoy de Chaumont, procurer of supplies for French army, and John Holker later the agent of the French navy in America. Clifford and Teyset of Amsterdam.

1776 - A Dickinson, Falklands sealing, p. 37, citing Lt Samuel W. Clayton, An Account of the Falkland Islands, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, LXVI (1776).

1776, Molleson's Maryland agent was Matthew Tilghman, a Maryland Congressman. Russell's agent in Maryland was John Grahame of Nantes, presumably related to Charles Grahame. Molleson at William and Robert Molleson, of No 1, America Square, his residence also there. Jacob Price, p. 196.

Early 1776 - There was a Virginia firm dealing with Rbt Morris Ver Steeg p21, JH Norton, CM Thurston and Samuel Beale, and Morris using a Capt Ord who had sailed to St Eustatius, and Morris by now encouraging some privateers. Morris brought tobacco from Carter Braxton of Virginia. also in tobacco was Benjamin Harrison.

1776: urgot, his views, one of "the Physiocrats", served Louis XVI, believed all wealth came from the land, eschewed war for commercial advantage in guise of political rivalry, little interest in foreign policy, wanted to see a France whose wealth and fertility from the soil surpassed perfidious Albion. did not want paper wealth as created by the Bank of England. meantime the Farmers-General "a corporate entity which was virtually a state within a state", with the right to collect the taxes of France, and things were, Turgot's views on reform of tax sent the tax-evasive French aristocracy into hysteria. Turgot especially warned the king against war, as any gunshot would drive the state into bankruptcy! So he did not advise the young Louis in early 1776 to assist the American rebels. at the time the French ambassador to England was Count de Guines, there had been diplomatic veerings in 1775 between England and France over 1775, the upshot with France's foreign minister Vergennes was that France would assure England it would not help the Americans, and then it would secretly help the Americans. Vergennes was wanting cheaper loans from the Dutch to offset the murderous interest rate of the Farmers-General, and as Louis waffled about not stabbing Geo III in the back, Vergennes needed another man and found him in England, Pierre Augustin Canon de Beaumarchais, aged 44. and in 1774 he had the confidence of French officials, unofficial envoy to Spain, secret agent for Louis XV in London, where (apart from adventures with the gender-mysterious French spy, for Louis XV, Chevalier Charles d'Eon de Beaumont) (six ok correct spells) Beaumarchais met radicals John Wilkes Lord Mayor of London and Arthur Lee the American. [Wilkes, said mockingly, he had never been a Wilkite) Fleming, 1776 Illusions, p.102-108ff

about mid-1776, when Guines the French ambassador been in London, he had tried unsuccessfully to play the stock market, his bankers being Huguenots Baurieu (ok) and Chollet (ok) who threatened to sue the french king for Guines debts once courts found in Guines' favour, and Necker soothed them with promises of their handling some millions as he handled France's financees. Fleming, Illusions, p.446.

About mid-1776, Aug-Oct 1776, Vergennes in France seeing Silas Deane, and Necker fitting out French revenges against England. Fleming, Illusions, p.447.

Meantime, British merchants froze the assets of American colonial merchants. The US found it difficult to create extra credit in France as it could not ship produce there. At this time Morris used agents such as Benjamin Harrison Jnr and Carter Braxton of Virginia, plus Stephen Stewart and Jonathan Hudson of Maryland. Men such as Hewes and Smith in North Carolina and John Dorsius in Charleston were buying indigo and rice, sending to the West Indies. (_) In December 1776, Carter Braxton claimed, "I was appointed to purchase tobacco for the [US] Army", and he said due to Robert Morris' insinuation Braxton could use some money for his own purposes, various army supply deals mentioned in 1777. (_) Swiggett writes that Morris would often complicate deals by adding riders which if they came off would turn extra profit, but if not, then only annoy people around him. Also, that in August 1778 when Braxton (who died 1797) was re-establishing in Philadelphia after the British evacuation, that Morris purchased some protested bills of Braxton's and then made financial claims on Carter Braxton, possibly also converting things here into pounds sterling, but apparently still kept money out of Braxton's hands here. Swiggett p. 116, says Washington wanted one of his own nephews to join Tench Tilghman, associated with Robert Morris, for some reason, Thomas McKean the chief justice of Pennsylvania recommended Peter Whitesides about 1788 "a man of Morris-Braxton money morals", to John Adams in London as he had been concerned in trade with Robert Morris and was a skilful merchant. John Nicholson was soon to become Morris partner as Morris splitting with Willing and Morris. Swiggett > p.116 dates Morris' moral decline from 1781, and John Nicholson accelerated the process. Swiggett p. 139 in 1795 apparently, some ratification of the Jay Treaty, long chain of events, re resignation of sec of state of US, by October 24 an American serving on the American Claims Commission in London was Samuel Bayard, Bayard in contact with Tom Paine.

1777

Greenberg, p. 21, by about 1777, two large China merchants re Canton were Messrs Hutton and Gordon, Chinese owed them about $1,176,000. One Abraham Leslie an aggressive China resident. a semi-pirate was Capt MacClary.

1777, early in year, Admiral Gayton commanding the Jamaica naval station, his yard needs masts and bowsprits, Albion, Forests and Sea Power, p.307

Ferguson, Purse, p.88, Note 42, re Pliarne, Penet and Co, Oct. 1777. a dubious co, also linked with J. Gruel.

Ferguson, Purse, pp. 195-196. Late in 1777 re Beaumarchis, he sent an agent, de Francey to American to collect money due to Beaumarchis for supplies, but discrepancies were in de Francey's accounts, congress dealing with Alderman Arthur Lee was unsure if supplies had not been a gift of the French court, but Congress wanted to settle with Beaumarchis, Silas Deane a dealer here. Beaumarchis paid to January 1782. Matter still not clear, although B's heirs paid something in 1835. Thomas Barclay here reviewed accounts, etc.

1777 - Oberholtzer, p. 323, Dutch bankers so helpful to Morris were Willink and Co.

Ver Steeg p15, Feb 1777, Bingham wrote Morris re they were buying tobacco for France "pretty deeply". But there were few good judges of tobacco commerce to rely on.

Ver Steeg p. 16-18, the trade between North Carolina and Southern states and Martinique quite helpful by April 1777, dealing with Chaumont in France, an influential French merchant,

end of 1777, Ver Steeg p. 28-29-31, firm of Willing and Morris broke up, but this not announced till July 28, 1778. Willing wanted to wind up English affairs, Morris disliked working with the French, and between 1778-1781, Morris became acknowledged as the premier merchant in US, now completely private, he continued with Bingham working at Martinique, privateering tapered off, Capt Ord went back to ordinary sailing, and Morris teamed with a partner, Jonathan Hudson, who speculated in salt, then tobacco, then the two did business with tobacco, rum, plantations, lands, Hudson rather impetuous, and also linked to Peter Whitesides and Co, from July 1778. Hudson buying eg 2000 hogsheads a time. Morris also dealing much with the French merchant John Holker (There are forty volumes of Holker Papers in the Library of Congress), Morris dealt for Holker in Philadelphia, Virginia and Maryland.

1777 - A Dickinson, Falklands sealing, p. 50 - Francis Rotch's ventures to Falklands terminated when Rotch returned from the Falklands in 1777. Charles Hayley died that year, too. (citing Stackpole, but does he mean George Hayley here?) Dickinson says Rotch in 1777 became business adviser to the Company and to Mary Hayley, new widow. Mary Hayley wished to continue as a whaler, although on a reduced scale. Dickinson p. 51 suggests Hayley and Rotch became romantically involved, and he may have induced her to try the Falkland Islands plan again. Francis' brother William Rotch disliked the plan, William wanted sea otter skins from the Northwest Pacific Ocean to Canton, which would have entailed sailing around Cape Horn.

>>> p. 33, Battle of Long Island. p 33, Sept 1777, Sir William Howe, Brit, sailed up Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware and occupied Philadelphia. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988. items re Am rev >>> = >>> p. 122, at least some of the American naval supplies and gunpowder bought with the proceeds of American tobacco and indigo. >>> p. 159, America used to trans-ship some supplies through Portugal. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988. >> p. 176, Edward Bancroft was a spy for British espionage, he was a correspondent of the American commissioners. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988. >> p. 301, Naval officers generally Whiggish. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988. >>> p. 308-309, Brit's attitude to Am War was matter of planlessness and carelessness, complacency, and the navy was riddled with factionalism. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988. >>> p. 313, Britain calculated an ending to the American Revolution, by the spring of 1777 - and of course, wrong. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988. >>> p. 332, Graft a way of life to the English officials. Tuchman, The First Salute: 1988.

Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 73, squabbles over US paper money, the Quakers refused to handle it as it had been issued for purposes of war, the attitude of the Nantucketeers here was particularly resented, "the accursed crime of refusing paper money", the Nantucketeers as we know from other sources also had a hard opinion on The Debt Repudiation Question.

1777-1778, Navy in London decides on timber supplies from Canada, St John River in New Brunswick, still a part of Nova Scotia, Colbert wanting to supply France from New France. but failed here. extensive timber trade from Nova Scotia, the timber pioneer at New Brunswick was William Davidson, who began in 1779, an initiative from commissioner at Halifax Andrew Snape Hamond, Davidson worked from Fort Howe. Albion, Forests and Sea Power, p. 291.

1777-1778, Scammell went from London, went to the Baltic, St Petersburg for masts, and had made a contract with Riga merchants Wales, Pierson (sic) and Co of Riga for more masts and that supply lasted for the war. Albion, Forests and Sea Power, pp. 287-288.

1778

To about 1778, the most-named British contractors helping prosecute the war seemed to be, Nesbitt Drummond and Franks, Mure, Son and Atkinson, Anthony Bacon, John Amyand, Hennicker, Wheler/Wheeler, Wombwell and Devanes, James Bogle French John Durand, see AO Bundles, 197-208. Also, Jones, Smith, Baynes and Atkinson, from www.americanrevolution.org/britisharmy4.html -

Swiggett p. 207>, an example once of Pickering's way of doing things, [during the Rev?] a Philadelphia merchant named Charles Derby received a bill of exchange of the Dutch banking house Hope and Co, in payment for goods purchased by John Pigeon. Pigeon could not be found to exist. Pickering protested the bill, feeling it was a forgery.

1779

1779 - Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 129, Carter Braxton seems to have stepped into the gap in tobacco-handling business created when the Scots factors had been thrown out of the colonies, and merchants such as DC and Christopher Court were unable to trade. Jan 1779, Braxton complains of low price of tobacco and wanted to trade with Holland, via Antigua or St Eustatius.

Pierre Vilar, A History of Gold and Money, 1450-1920. London. Verso. 1991. pp. 268ff, There was a Roux company in Marseilles. Other financiers p. 275 included the Perregaux, Mallets, Hottinguers, Vernes. Royal or Court bankers before french Rev included Paris-Duverney and De Laborde. see here PAF notes re Rbt Morris. // Necker an employee of Thellussons, from Lyon then to Geneva, Necker became a great Paris financier, did much business with England as well as with the French EICo, Necker dealt for credit with the English house of James Bourdieu and Samuel Chollet, in 1760s, and the enemy of Necker was Isaac Panchaud, who was familiar with English institutions, who had many failures, a Paris bank also was Cottin (sic) at time of American Revolution, Pierre Vilar, A History of Gold and Money, 1450-1920. London. Verso. 1991., pp. 277-278.

France got silver especially from Cadiz, some finance houses involved being English companies Gough and George Browne, and french companies Jolif, Magon and Lefer of Saint-Malo (were Catholics not Protestant), Le Couteulx (Catholics) of Paris and Rouen and see esp Vilar p. 276 on them, they were very cautious about the Law system), Lenormand and Cie, Casaubon and Behic, Gilly Freres, Fornier Freres, some Paris bankers were Waters, who dealt with the Gough company of Cadiz where English transactions were considered, Pierre Vilar, A History of Gold and Money, 1450-1920. London. Verso. 1991.p. 268ff, There was a Roux company in Marseilles. Other financiers p. 275 included the Perregaux, Mallets, Hottinguers, Vernes. Royal or Court bankers before French Rev included Paris-Duverney and De Laborde.

Necker an employee of Thellussons, from Lyon then to Geneva, Necker became a great Paris financier, did much business with England as well as with the French EICo, Necker dealt for credit with the English house of James Bourdieu and Samuel Chollet, in 1760s, and the enemy of Necker was Isaac Panchaud, who was familiar with English institutions, who had many failures, a Paris bank also was Cottin (sic) at time of American Revolution, Pierre Vilar, A History of Gold and Money, 1450-1920. London. Verso. 1991. pp. 277-278

blontt

Based in London/Britain, Francis Baring, Bird, Alexander Fordyce (speculator),

June 1772, financial bubble burst in June 1772 when a London Scot merchant Alexander Fordyce, whose operations were mostly financial, lost a fortune in speculating on EICO shares, and absconded, bringing down his merchant house Fordyce Grant and Co, and his bank, Neale, James, Fordyce and Down. A panic ensued and many Scottish firms in London

"The British Creditors" as a lobby group, tobacco dealer Sir Robert Herries, Benjamin and W. Vaughan. The rather mysterious firm, Lane, Son and Fraser.

Upper James River area, the 1773-1775 exporters of tobacco from Upper James included, William Allen, Jerman Baker, Burwell Bassett, Robert Bolling, Thomas Bolling, Carter Braxton, William Byrd, Charles Carter, Colonel Edward Carter, Archibald Cary, Wilson Miles Carey, Rev Wm Coutts, Francis Eppes, Charles Gilmore, John Harmar, William Harwood, Henry Henderson, William Lightfoot, Henry and Edmund Lyne, John Mayo, David Meade, Everard Meade, Richard K. Meade, Joseph Montfort, Robert Munford, Robert Carter Nicholas, John Pankey, John Paradise, John Pleasants, Thomas Prosser, Brett Randolph, John Randolph, Richard Randolph, Thomas Mann Randolph, William Randolph, Henry Skipworth, James Smith, John Throgmorton, Richard Tunstall, Robert Turnbull, Abram Venable, Benjamin Waller, John Wayles, Cary Wilkinson. See pp. 100ff of Nagel, Lees of Virginia, Braxton here by 1776 allied with one Benjamin Harrison.

In 1775, the top seven tobacco importers in London were William and Robert Molleson, C. Court and T. Eden, Lyonel Lyde and Co, Dunlop and Wilson, Gale, Fearon and Co, Wallace, Davidson and Johnson, and various other and unknown accounting for 44.3 per cent of overall trade.. Jacob Price, p. 180.

fix above 1774 ok Among the London dealers were Walter Mansell and Co, Arthur Lee, Thomas Walpole, the later alderman Brook Watson and his partner Rasleigh, Champion and Dickinson, Hayley and Hopkins, Lane Son and Fraser, Davidson and Newman, Abraham Dupois, Pigou and Booth; and John Fothergill. Merchants who may have been Londoners, or Americans, it is difficult to say, included James Hall, Hugh Williamson and John D. Whitworth, who with William Rotch later contacted the Privy Council on Feb 19, 1774 [Labaree, p. 295, note 36; pp. 89-95].

fix above 1755 - 1775 >> Olson, London Mercantile Lobby. p. 26, both James Russell and Dennys DeBerdt Jr both signed the extreme October 1775 petition urging government to take steps to restore peace with America. .... p. 27, Core of the American merchants included Edward Athawes, dean of the Virginia tobacco merchants since the 1750s, John Norton, Quakers David Barclay and Daniel MIldred, the Marquis of Rockingham's friend Sir William Baker and his lawyer son, Carolina merchants John Nutt (and Nutt a pro-American) and Edward Brigden, New England merchants Alex Champion and Thomas Lane, Maryland merchants James Russell and William Molleson, the Virginia merchant Duncan Campbell, plus traders New York-Penn being William Neate and Frederick Pigou.

fix below - 1781 Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 306, Virginia in anarchy due to poor administration. By June 8, 1781, Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 281, Robert Morris wrote to French Paris bankers Le Couteulx (sic ok) and Co to open an account with them. at a time when US agent Henry Laurens had been thrown in the Tower of London, Le Couteulx seems to have been Morris' banker. Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 94, about Feb March 1781, Geo III of opinion that even with French aid, the US could not restore its paper currency. Geo III generally of opinion that British credit would outlast all shocks of this war and assist a victory for the Mother Country. He was not wrong, but events proved otherwise, only just. fix - Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 36, In 1781 the agent of Virginia complained to Washington that the Virginia troops were "so naked they could not leave their quarters." and various American historians writing on Rbt Morris indicate the army was made of the waste people from the lower orders, the affluent found it inconvenient to fight with Washington. - Oberholtzer says, p. 60, Geo III regarded by 1781 the mismanagement of the American finances as his greatest ally - he cannot, Byrnes, thinks, have been advised here by anyone but the men of the City. Just as Robert Morris was brought in to shore up American financial behaviour. - Ver Steeg p. 227, various letters from Morris to Matthew Ridley in August 1781. Ridley Papers, mostly concentrated with the Massachusets Historical Society. - In 1781, Ver Steeg p. 35, Morris linked with a new Philadelphia house Samuel Inglis and Co, from Virginia, a man ruined by the burning of Norfolk. Inglis engaged in shipping ventures, and Morris also linked with Isaac Hazelhurst to get European goods to US. Then Morris linked with Morris, Samuel Beall and John May to procure unused lands in Virginia. Morris by now linked with Carter Braxton re tobacco and shipping, John Ross for goods shipped from Europe, Conyngham and Nesbitt re privateers, Matthias Slough for commissary needs, Hewes and Smith for tobacco and shipping, and with Thomas Mumford, Thomas Russell and John Bradford for shipping. By 1780, Morris' expansion meant he had nine major partnerships to deal with. - Ver Steeg p. 58, office of Superintendent of Finance in US created by Congress on Feb 7, 1781, many eyes turned to Rbt Morris.later dealing with Necker the French minister or director-general of Finance, Morris also worked out a scheme to carry Spanish silver from South America and West Indies the Spanish could not receive due to British squadrons, possibly to use the money for US purposes. Morris also became agent for Pennsylvania. - Ver Steeg, p. 74, Morris writes to Matthew Ridley re troops supplies prior to Yorktown conflict of August 1781-ish, eg 3000 barrels of flour. Ver Steeg p. 139, Matthew Ridley when in France a partner with Holker, agent of the French Marine. Ver Steeg p. 145, Ridley's name appears on scholar's lists of early American corporations. - Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 2, p. Chapter XVIII Sumner has a highly detailed discussion of money in the colonies, exchange rates, the mint, coinage, the history of the weird uses of money, and various different forms of money, in the American colonies, all the product of Britain's ineffective financial system applied for decades to the colonies, Robert Morris being driven to obtain the best assays of the contents of various available coinage just to try to find a rational means of justifying transactions large and small. If Robert Morris had trouble here, any London merchant such as DC from, afar would have exceptional difficulty in measuring US commercial matters, and changes in commercial matters. -

1780

After November 9, 1780, Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 252, William Lee is mentioning the name of the Dutch banker, Van Berkel, and a contract. and Laurens knows of this. Sumner p. 252 says that British knowledge of this contract became the immediate reason for the war between Britain and Holland.

1780ff - Ver Steeg p. 51, US had out some 165 ships out privateering, with 6000 men aboard, especially from New England towns. quite a year for business confidence in US. John Holker purchased in US for the French forces, 1781 a peak year for American privateers, the number declined in 1782.

Ver Steeg p. 32-33-34, spring of 1780, Morris now dealing with William Turnbull and Co, and Holker and Morris became partners with Turnbull here. Later Turnbull, Marmie and Co. Holker taught Morris much about dealing with France, Holker let Morris use considerable funds freely. Holker also made links with William Turnbull and Co, Benjamin Harrison Jr and Co, and Stacey Hepburn and Co, re tobacco,indigo and rice, Hepburn sent some goods via St Eustatius. Some of Morris words re morality and judgement by society Ver Steeg p. 35, suggest Morris might have been a Mason.

Ver Steeg p. 227, various letters from Morris to Matthew Ridley in August 1781. Ridley Papers, mostly concentrated with the Massachusets Historical Society. - In 1781, Ver Steeg p. 35, Morris linked with a new Philadelphia house Samuel Inglis and Co, from Virginia, a man ruined by the burning of Norfolk. Inglis engaged in shipping ventures, and Morris also linked with Isaac Hazelhurst to get European goods to US. Then Morris linked with Morris, Samuel Beall and John May to procure unused lands in Virginia. Morris by now linked with Carter Braxton re tobacco and shipping, John Ross for goods shipped from Europe, Conyngham and Nesbitt re privateers, Matthias Slough for commissary needs, Hewes and Smith for tobacco and shipping, and with Thomas Mumford, Thomas Russell and John Bradford for shipping. By 1780, Morris' expansion meant he had nine major partnerships to deal with. - Ver Steeg p. 58, office of Superintendent of Finance in US created by Congress on Feb 7, 1781, many eyes turned to Rbt Morris.later dealing with Necker the French minister or director-general of Finance, Morris also worked out a scheme to carry Spanish silver from South America and West Indies the Spanish could not receive due to British squadrons, possibly to use the money for US purposes. Morris also became agent for Pennsylvania. - Ver Steeg, p. 74, Morris writes to Matthew Ridley re troops supplies prior to Yorktown conflict of August 1781-ish, eg 3000 barrels of flour. Ver Steeg p. 139, Matthew Ridley when in France a partner with Holker, agent of the French Marine. Ver Steeg p. 145, Ridley's name appears on scholar's lists of early American corporations. - Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 2, p. Chapter XVIII Sumner has a highly detailed discussion of money in the colonies, exchange rates, the mint, coinage, the history of the weird uses of money, and various different forms of money, in the American colonies, all the product of Britain's ineffective financial system applied for decades to the colonies, Robert Morris being driven to obtain the best assays of the contents of various available coinage just to try to find a rational means of justifying transactions large and small. If Robert Morris had trouble here, any London merchant such as DC from, afar would have exceptional difficulty in measuring US commercial matters, and changes in commercial matters. -

early 1780, Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 239, tobacco to be requisitioned as a commodity to be accumulated and traded, to pay for import of items which could not be furnished by the US, necessary imports. By April 1781, the blockading of the Chesapeake made this almost impossible to succeed.

After November 9, 1780, Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 1, p. 252, William Lee is mentioning the name of the Dutch banker, Van Berkel, and a contract. and Laurens knows of this. Sumner p. 252 says that British knowledge of this contract became the immediate reason for the war between Britain and Holland.

Ver Steeg p. 32-33-34, spring of 1780, Morris now dealing with William Turnbull and Co, and Holker and Morris became partners with Turnbull here. Later Turnbull, Marmie and Co. Holker taught Morris much about dealing with France, Holker let Morris use considerable funds freely. Holker also made links with William Turnbull and Co, Benjamin Harrison Jnr. and Co., and Stacey Hepburn and Co., re tobacco,indigo and rice, Hepburn sent some goods via St Eustatius. Some of Morris words re morality and judgement by society Ver Steeg, p. 35, suggest Morris might have been a Mason.

fix elsewhere, make john parish a special file of his own based on this - endnote - Ernest Samhaber, Merchants Make History: How Trade Has Influenced the Course of History Throughout The World. London. Harrap. 1963. In 1730, English drank coffee, after heavy propagandizing by the EICo they turned to tea, and from then the Co lived on the tea revenues. /// Liverpool began its slave trade in 1709. /// 1797, Pitt introduced income tax, remarking at the time that 4/5ths of Britain's overseas receipts came from the West Indies. //// p. 277 ff, article on Bills of Exchange open up the Continent [finance market]. on a man named John Parish, During the American War, with the British naval blockades, a British merchant John Parish worked in the free Hanseatic town of Hamburg, forbidden by Britain to send ships to the West Indies [see Tuchman on Americans getting gunpowder through Eustatia], Parish' ships flew the Hamburg flag, the British consul threatened Parish with confiscations, etc, but Parish protested the usefulness of his shipping, and his neutrality, of the trade from Hamburg, so the consul allowed Parish to keep his passport. Some of Parish' troubles due to envious competitors in Hamburg, it's said. Hamburg an entrepot port for British colonial merchandise for Central, northern and eastern Europe, eg in WI sugar and coffee, EICo tea, and the French were striving to obtain the customers of the British. //p299, Hope and Co of Amsterdam had significant holdings in Baring Bros and Co, John Parish dealt with them. // p. 278ff, John Parish originally a Liverpool-based son of a sea captain, who had settled in Hamburg and begun a ships chandler's business, John took it over at age of 20, about time of the Seven Years War, //p288, Britain supported Frederick the Great with subsidies inc WI goods, paid in silver, transferred ion goods via Hamburg, and Parish' house experienced a boom, he sold sugar, rum, tobacco and coffee, WI goods from Liverpool, to Baltic ports, he was badly hit by the Fordyce problem in 1772-1773, when Fordyce crashed, so did Clifford and Sons in Amsterdam and Terner [sic] in Bremen, Parish lost 4000 pounds sterling, he began using bills of exchange, which the banks discounted, but on which they advanced money, as security, Parish might hand over his ships bills of lading, he dealt to Baltic, England, Portugal, Spain and France, a leading grain merchant, large to America which was risky. He concealed the true nature of his dealings by camouflaging his warehouses and ultimate destinations of cargoes, at one time had had 100,000 pounds worth of bills dishonoured, very risky. Parish lost money in running cargoes to WI, losing 16,000 pounds sterling in just two ships chartered to WI. He was still in Hamburg in 1789, tried speculating in post-1789 French currency, dealing with Hope and Co. in Amsterdam, and with Harman, Hoare and Co. in London. Parish dealt here also with a partner of the Paris firm, Boyd, Ker and Co., speculators there, and the Marquis de Walkiers, son of a crown banker of Brussels. / p. 284ff, Walkiers acquainted with the American banker, Morris, US ambassador to Paris, who stayed at Parish' house, Altona, just outside Hamburg, so Parish became first US Consul in Hamburg, [ Foster Dulles, The Old China Trade p. 39, in 1796 the Americans began shipping tea to Hamburg.] this strengthened his capital, in Liverpool, Parish' suppliers were Richard and Mathieson, and G&H Brown, while in London the firm Burton, Forbes and Gregory, who opened up paper credit for Parish, and they supplied money to the Liverpool suppliers. the modern biz term for such techniques is kite-flying, an excellent way to go bankrupt, .... a crash in Holland led to the demise of Burtons, and Parish also was damaged. // p285, Parish had bought large volumes of grain for British govt, drawing on Scott, the factor of the British PM, Pitt. in 1793, Parish looked as though he might crash due to being out by 2,000,000 Marks Banco [a currency unit based on silver). He also dealt with Caldwell and Co in London, and he lost 13,000 pounds for example with Burton (5000 pounds slid away on the Hamburg rates of exchange). G&H Brown in Liverpool went bankrupt. //p288, Hamburg firm of Berenberg did biz with Constantinople, Venice, Milan, Genoa, Marseilles, Algiers, Cadiz and Lisbon, Nantes, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Bristol, Copenhagen to Archangel. // Samhaber explains bills of exchange pp. 289-290. /// p290, one firm was Berenberg and Gossler. ///p297ff, David Parish took over from John his father and in 1809 see notes as he pulled off a stunning deal in silver that enraged Napoleon. NB Byrnes says John Parish not a well-known name in London of 1787 as one recalls.

1781

Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 2, p. 221, in 1781 Rbt Morris sent his two sons Robert 12 and Thomas 10, to Europe for the education, in care of Matthew Ridley, commercial agent for Maryland. The boys at Geneva and Leipsic till 1788 when they came home.

fix put this in the book for Ken - Ref Pool, 1782, In the spring of 1782, there were debates in both Houses on a Contractors' Bill designed to prevent members of Parliament from having any interest in Govt contracts. The Act was passed Act 22 Geo III c.45, providing that all persons holding Govt contracts should be incapable of being elected or of sitting in the HOC, subject to a penalty of 500 pounds per day, Every gvt contract was to contain "an express condition that no member of the HOC be admitted to any share of part of such contract, or any benefit to arise therefrom. Samuel Whitbread supported the Bill in the House. Act 22, Geo III c.45, An Act for restraining any person concerned in any contract, Commission or Agreement made for the Publick Service from being elected or sitting or voting as a member of the HOC. This is the Act Oldham speaks of. See Notes Act 25, Geo III, c.19, Pitt's Bill for the Reform of Abuses in Publick Office,

Braxton Educated College of William and Mary, signed Declaration of Independence, in 1757-1760 he lived in England, encyc also = no mention of Rbt Morris or tobacco deals. Greene, Carter diary, Vol. 1, p. 270, he was Burgess for King William Co, 1761-1771, 1775-1776, member of the Virginia Conventions 1774-1776, delegate to the Second Continental Congress. This man took up marketing American tobacco by arrangement with Robert Morris early in the Am Rev. See Evans, Planter Indebtedness, p. 531, this man on a list of those opposed to repaying debts to British. There is also a man of similar view, probably a relation of Landon Carter's family, Robert Carter Nicholas. By contrast, George Washington opposed non-payment. See Thomson, Upper James River, p. 407, noting DC never received tobacco from Upper James River area, the 1773-1775 exporters of tobacco from Upper James included, William Allen, Jerman Baker, Burwell Bassett, Robert Bolling, Thomas Bolling, Carter Braxton, William Byrd, Charles Carter, Colonel Edward Carter, Archibald Cary, Wilson Miles Carey, Rev Wm Coutts, Francis Eppes, Charles Gilmore, John Harmar, William Harwood, Henry Henderson, William Lightfoot, Henry and Edmund Lyne, John Mayo, David Meade, Everard Meade, Richard K. Meade, Joseph Montfort, Robert Munford, Robert Carter Nicholas, John Pankey, John Paradise, John Pleasants, Thomas Prosser, Brett Randolph, John Randolph, Richard Randolph, Thomas Mann Randolph, William Randolph, Henry Skipworth, James Smith, John Throgmorton, Richard Tunstall, Robert Turnbull, Abram Venable, Benjamin Waller, John Wayles, Cary Wilkinson.

Swiggett on Robert Morris, Sketch of Rbt Morris in Howard Swiggett, The Forgotten Leaders of the Revolution. New York. Doubleday. 1955. Swiggett, t33 p. 38> Wadsworth was in France in 1783 - many men by 1777-1783 thought "Washington, Wadsworth and Robert Morris were the great triumvirate from whom anyone could borrow". Swiggett suspects that by November 1788, Morris was just beginning to find himself inextricably caught in a downward spiral of debt. t51 Swiggett p. 42,> VIP In 1786, half the original stock of the Bank of North America was owned by Wadsworth and his partner Church, Robert Morris and William Bingham, also linked to the foreign cargo ventures of William Constable and Co - all the leading venture capital deals of the day were linked with this whole group. Swiggett p. 70, Littlepage at times an associate of John Jay, been in London, a "sometime secret agent" in Europe, like Gouvernour Morris and Aaron Burr coming finally to Hamburg t45 - Swiggett p. 88-89, > says Chancellor Livingston as Minister in Paris also connected with the t44 Lousiana Purchase; Monroe helped connsummate the purchase from 1803 to find that Livingston had closed the deal for five million dollars more than authorized to pay, to include Louisiana and whole western side of the Mississippi, "Tallyrand wished to cut his losses" the groundwork had been laid by Thomas Pinckney the regular minister for London, though John Jay was thought by many to be responsible, . Swiggett p. > 114, in December 1776, Braxton says, "I was appointed to purchase tobacco for the [US] Army", and he said due to Robert Morris' insinuation t23 Braxton could use some money for his own purposes, various army supply deals mentioned in 1777, Swiggett said Morris would often complicate deals by adding riders which if they came off would turn extra profit, but if not, then only annoy people around him. Swiggett, p. 114, says in August 1778 when Braxton (who died 1797) was re-establishing in Philadelphia after the British evacuation, that Morris purchased some protested bills of Braxton's and then made financial claims on Braxton, possibly also converting things here into pounds sterling, but apparently still kept money out of Braxton's hands here. Swiggett p. 116, says Washington wanted one of his own nephews to join Tench Tilghman, associated with Robert Morris, for some reason, Thomas McKean the chief justice of Pennsylvania recommended Peter Whitesides about 1788 - t51 "a man of Morris-Braxton money morals", to John Adams in London as he had been concerned in trade with Robert Morris and was a skilful merchant. John Nicholson was soon to become Morris partner as Morris splitting with Willing and Morris. Swiggett > p.116 dates Morris' moral decline from 1781, and John Nicholson accelerated the process. Swiggett p. 139 t69 in 1795 apparently, some ratification of the Jay Treaty, long chain of events, re resignation of sec of state of US, by October 24 an American serving on the American Claims Comission in London was Samuel Bayard, Bayard in contact with Tom Paine. Swiggett p. 145, 1796-1797 were years of financial ruin for Morris and Nicholson, at which time the agent for Morris in Hamburg is John Parish, asking Parish to sell US land for him. Swiggett p.153, in Feb 1798 an action by a minor creditor sent Morris to a debtor's prison, and while he was there, John Parish in Hamburg plus Gouverner Morris made efforts (Swiggett says p 154) to extricate Morris. Swiggett p. 207>, an example once of Pickering's way of doing things, [during the Rev?] a Philadelphia merchant named Charles Derby received a bill of exchange of the Dutch banking house Hope and Co, in payment for goods purchased by John Pigeon. Pigeon could not be found to exist. Pickering protested the bill, feeling it was a forgery. Swiggett p. 258-259, 1787-1788, t51 Thomas Pinckney is in London re negotiotions re evacuation of British troops from Northwest posts, settlement of private claims by Revolution, reimbursement by Britain of slaves taken, settlement of private American debts with British merchants, wanting also freedom of the seas, a right to trade in their own American bottoms in any port of the world on a most-favored nation basis with Britain, on his arrival in London at a time when Britain at War with France, many of the rulers had known Pinckney at Westminster School, Oxford or Middle Temple before the revolution. Gouverneur Morris had the year before Pinckney's arrival here been the special agent in London. this appears to be before the Jay Treaty arranged, Pinckney was unable to conclude any arangements, so by April 16, 1794, against strong opposition, John Jay confirmed as envoy extraordinary to London to secure a settlement. so this is all pre-Jay material. Swiggett p. 271> t69 about 1797-1798, Rufus King the US Minister in London.

Sumner on Rbt Morris, Vol 2, p. 168-169, Morris seems to have been impressed by the French interest in taking tobacco, so once he resigned he entered such trade on his own account, made a contract with the French Farmers-General of France, but it seems the French made the first overture - so was it Robert Herries working here, Byrnes wants to know? db - with Rbt morris dealing with French, he may have also been attracted by Herries' habit of often paying in cash????? It seems one Jonathan Williams and his father in law, were linked here, so Morris linked with them, by March 1784, contract re 15,000 hogsheads of tobacco per year for three years. Morris also dealing re tobacco with Le Norman receiver-general of finances of France, for 60,000 hh of tobacco in 1785, 1786 and 1787, using link with Le Couteulx in Paris. In 1785, a shipment of 2000 hh were lost, Morris and Alexander still linked, Morris by 1788 wanted the business continued, but matters lapsed, some earlier tobacco quality been poor and tobacco then quite scarce. Sumner p. 170 says these tobacco arrangements produced a clamour in Virginia due to arguments about price.

Olson, Making the Empire work, p>179, Christopher Court, Thomas Eden John Blackburn, Thomas Land, Alex Champion; and Davis Strahan and Co all survived the war and returned to American trade. The old tobacco merchant Daniel Mildred became a banker, as did many Quakers. William Telfair and Basil Cooper bankrupted. De Berdt, Dearman and Co became brokers for the purchase and sale of American land [one wonders if they dealt with Robert Morris?]. John Norton's heirs did not continue their trade after Norton died. Olson, Making the Empire work, p>179, by 1783, Cooke and Ralph had gone bankrupt, and Fludyer, Hudson and Streatfield reported they had broken up. Olson, Making the Empire work, p>175, after 1783 the Annapolis tobacco exporter Wallace revived links with Joshua Johnson in London. Thomas Jefferson considered dealing again with Carey, Moorey and Welsh "though he didn't much like them". Carey and Moore died. Olson, Making the Empire work, p>175, from 1783, Olson writes, Christopher Court and Thomas Eden as soon as shipping was safe re-established old business with pre-war tobacco growers in Maryland. John Blackburn tried to resurrect old associations, Mary Hayley wrote to pre-war correspondents, wanting orders from her deceased husband's former clients. Some New England firms rushed back to do business with firms such as Lane, Son and Fraser, or Champion and Dickason. Some New York merchants tried Londoners such as John Blackburn (who had a new partner) or Fludyer, Hudson and Streatfield. Olson, Making the Empire work, p>174ff, in 1783 with the end of the Revolution, many of the pre-war interest groups, writes Olson, actually expected to re-establish their earlier associations in America. but cohesion was gone. some London interests had to work their English provinces, while some Americans sought to create new national US links.

Patrick Colquhuon, Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1782, and in 1783 founded the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.

1783: Dakin, WA, intro. Dakin places the beginning of the South Whale Fishery, applying to the Southern Atlantic, as 1783, following the close of the American War of Revolution.

1782

More to come

1783

More to come

1783: Olson, Making the Empire work, p>179, only nine of Annapolis' seventeen leading 1774 firms survived to 1783.

1783: Steven TTT p. 66-67: Stackpole pp. 16-17.Sam Enderby's sons Samuel Jnr, George and Charles had recently joined their father in his work at the Enderby counting house, Lower Thames St., at Paul's Wharf. After the Treaty of Paris, a son of Samuel Enderby had gone to Boston, USA, to engage Nantucketeer whalers for employ from England. By 1785, Enderbys employed 30 Nantucketeers. Steven p. 67: "Under Pitt the whalers of the southern fishery enjoyed an indulgence that has few parallels in British economic history". After 1783, whale oil became important enough to involve international politics. Stackpole p16-17> Other London merchants following Enderby example were Alex and benj Champion, Thomas Dickason, John St. Barbe. Alex Champion Snr. had been assoc with George Hayley Co, a "merchant of eminence" who became president of Lloyd's of London. St. p. 17 > St. Barbe was an able entrepreneur reputed to have been a Lt in Royal Navy "also, an adventurer in [the] Whale Fishery....of a very active and enterprizing adventurous disposition, and seems very sanguine in the pursuit of it". Francis Rotch St pp24-25 continued as an advisor in London to Madame Hayley as she continued her husband's whaling business. > Olson, Making the Empire work, p. 246 Note 4, p. 250, Note 60, cites Mary Hayley business letter to Christopher Champlin Feb 1, 1783, May 22, 1783, Commerce of Rhode Island, 1776-1880, Boston. 1915. II, p. 170.

April, Complete independence of the USA ceded by Britain. With the termination of hostilities, Transp to America became a more common sentence.

Maryland's prominent Whig merchant, George Salmon, did not know George Moore in London, but Salmon knew Philip Moore who had originally urged the business, George's brother in Philadelphia. In April 1783 Salmon wrote to George Moore, and thought selling cons had been a good business. Salmon confident of his political connections. Salmon promised he would be far from leading Moore into a scrape, Salmon to Moore April 30, October 3, 1783. Ekirch secret trade p. 1287, note 10. From Woolsey and Salmon Letterbook. p. 1287, note 10.

April 1783, with the American war nearly over, George Salmon, a leading Whig merchant with an eye for the main chance, had written to George Moore about renewed opportunities for selling British felons to local Maryland planters. The two had never met, but Salmon had been urged to write to George Moore by Moore's brother, Phillip, a Philadelphia merchant. Notes from A. Roger Ekirch, Great Britain's Secret Convict Trade To America, 1783-1784. The American Historical Review, Vol. 89, No. 5, December 1984, pp. 1287. Salmon was not unduly concerned re convicts not being permitted to land in Maryland, although he certainly was aware of earlier opposition to their importation and the growth of anti-British sentiment during the Rev. No law yet existed to prohibit the trade in felons and Salmon had confidence in his political connections. But caution suggested the mission of the George be disguised, so Salmon and Moore agreed to market the ships' people as indentured servants, to rename the vessel, and to announce in London that Nova Scotia was to be the destination. Once at sea, the ship master, Thomas Pamp, would sail to Baltimore. See Joshua Johnson to John Jay, Aug 22, 1783,; Matthew Ridley to William Paca, Sept 12, 1783, James Cheston to William Randolph, Feb 23, 1784, Feb 18, 1785. renaming the ship Swift. See Salmon to Moore, April 30, 1783, Library of Congress, Washington, Peter Force Collection, series 8D, Woolsey and Salmon Letterbook, WSLB. Note 8, p. 1287-1288, four Salmon/Moore letters dated June 11, June 29, July 20 and Aug 17, 1783, are only referred to, otherwise unavailable.

Ekirch con secret p. 1287, Note 10, Maryland merchant James Cheston a onetime trader in cons called Salmon a very high Whig in a letter to William Randolph on Feb 18, 1785. (Cheston Galloway Papers at Maryland Hist Soct. Ekirch, p. 1285, Moore's George ready to sail within weeks with 143 cons after July 12, 1783.

April, 1783: Complete independence of the USA ceded by Britain. Bligh placed on half pay as a Jnr Lt. 2/- per diem.

date is? James de Lancey the greatest landlord in South New York State, who constituted himself an agent for procuring colonists among Loyalist refugees in Nova Scotia and was disappointed when the scheme fell through.

1783 re end of Am Rev from http, when it began, Cork was chosen as supply base for the Am rev, the British army was fed from London, did not live off the land, in 1776 the treasury apptd Robert Gordon, the surveyor general of Munster, as commissary of provisions at Cork, in 1779 he was replaced by John Marsh per Navy Board as agent victualler, George Cherry had a similar position at Deptford and Cowes in England itself. Provisions were sent fro Cork to Montreal, Quebec, Halifax for Canada, New York and Philadelphia for Middle Colonies, Charleston and Savannah for the southern colonies and St Lucia for the West Indies. Contracts came partly, originally, from Sec of state for the colonies, dealt with army contractors, not clear if there was competitive bidding, but samples of provisions were seen, apparently no public tender of bids, the views of adjutant-general Edward Harvey was much sought. Few of the actual contracts can be found today, but were from 12-16 months, provisions were deliverable at contractors risk and expense to either America or Cork, on 2 April 1776 the board contracted with Messrs Nesbitt, Drummond and Franks, for 12,000 men for16 months beginning 1January 1776. food but what about grog?In Nov 1776, the commissary generalat New York complained re bad fgood quality, bad packaging contributed, in Canada,m commissary general was Nathaniel Day, from 20 march 1776 tolate 1777, and also for Canada, Daniel Chamier, 1774-1777 for Canada, Daniel Wier (sic) 1777-1781 and Brook Watson, 1782-1783. each commissary-general had staff, in 1775-1776

1783-84-85: Dallas usual p. 46, 36: French Government established at Dunkirk a colony of whalers with American "loyalists" from Nantucket. This would have relieved French dependence on oil bought from London merchants.

1784

Kellock informs that one Nathaniel Tracy by 1783 had become linked to Lane, Son and Fraser of London. John Lane (whose father had recently died) in 1784 went to Boston from London, as in 1783 his father has unwisely loaned money to Tracy, who was verging on bankruptcy. Lane stayed five years in US, using the assistance of lawyer John Lowell and of Boston's leading banker, Thomas Russell. Lane's presence in Boston is consistent with information presented by Bhagat about Lane and Fraser's activities. (7 fix G. Bhagat, p. 9, Note 40. See Holden Furber on US trade to India.

Michelguglielmo Torri, Trapped Inside the Colonial Order: The Hindu Bankers of Surat and their business world during the second half of the Eighteenth Century., Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 25, No. 2, 1991., pp. 367-401. On p. 384 re David Scott of EICo in 1784 was owed 191,254 pounds by the Bombay government and owed 208,870 to his clients in India. He went to London in 1786. It is known that when Wellesley was at war in India, Scott got the military contracts.

NOTES FOR RICHARD SALEM MERCHANT DERBY, See G. Bhagat,p. 9, this man traded to West Indies, GB, Spain, Portugal, Gibralter, till Am Rev. Name Elias Hasket US-India DERBY Salem Merchant, died 1799, NOTES FOR ELIAS HASKET US-INDIA DERBY SALEM MERCHANT, His business largely liquidated on his death. Cf., Marion V. Brewington, Maritime Philadelphia, 1609-1837, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. LXIII, April 1939, pp. 110-111. He had a ship to India in 1784, Grand Turk. See Bhagat p. 10, he also sent many ships to Mauritius. at times a US India ship earned profits of 700 per cent. One of Derby's Captains was Capt Jonathan Ingersoll of Grand Turk in 1784. another captain was John Gibaut (sic) Derby's son was Elias Derby Jnr who lived in India at Madras by 1790. Other US-India traders were Benjamin and Jacob Crowninshield. by 1792. Cf., Richard H. McKey, Jr, Elias Hasket Derby, Merchant of Salem, 1739-1799, Ph.D, Clark University, Worcester, Masachuseets. 1961 not available. G. Bhagat article, p. 7, on 15 Dec 1792, Derby in India stated that his ship Grand Turk would soon sail for the US. Bhagat p. 7 notes on William Duane, an American who set up a newspaper in Calcutta, rather startling, got into trouble and in 1794 he appealed to John Jay, then in London with Jay Treaty, for assistance, to no avail. Duane was arrested and whisked out of British India. Gordinier p. 153 says that due to his immersion in US-INdia trade he became US first millionaire. See Gordinier article on US-INdia trade.

G. Bhagat, Americans and American Trade in India, 1784-1814. American Neptune. 1986, 46, 1, pp. 6-15. mentions Lane and Fraser dealing with Elias Hasket Derby of Salem in Feb 1784.

Maybe spurious info, see Richard Kelly Hoskins, War Cycles - Peace Cycles. nd Virginia Publishing Co. PO Box 997, Lynchburg, VA 24505. USA. in Nexus Magazine, Feb-March 1994. pp. 30ff, in 1780 the ejection of the British left a banking vacuum in America, Alexander Hamilton presented three arguments for a central bank, to do for the US what the Bank of England had done for England, done by himself and his backers some of whom were reputed to be Rothschilds and their Bank of England (were Rothschilds in England at the time?). In 1781 the private Bank of Pennsylvania was replaced by Bank of North America [among those in the original subscription were Benj Franklin, Thos Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, John Jay, John Paul Jones, Commodore John Barry. a leading force was Robert Morris; this bank opened on Jan 1, 1782 with capital assets of $335,000; in four years it had grown 600%; it grew to 68 branches; it possesses the oldest cheque drawn in US dated March 18, 1782. In 1784 was founded Bank of New York, a Hamilton creation. Later was formed Bank of Massachusetts, Virginia settled her areas named Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. In 1786 came first major depression in US as new banks took interest. Banks foreclosed debtors forcing them into poverty and debtors prison. Many farmers ruined. Led by Capt Daniel Shay some 2000 men seized Worcester, Massachusetts and other towns, threatening the establishment of interest-charging banks in US. Gov of Mass took field against "Shay's rebels". on 27 Feb 1787. in 1787 the Constitution was put together in Philadelphia the home of Bank of North America. in 1791 was chartered the First Bank of the US, a private bank to which all govt's money was entrusted with a charter for 20 years and opposed by James Madison of Va on Feb 2, 1791. Its successor was Second bank of the US, discovered about 50 years later to have 64% of its 25,000 shares owned by foreigners, mostly British, friends of the Bank of England. In 1793, George Washington put down what he called "the Whiskey Rebellion",

date is - Some of the major land companies operating in America in the period included:

merchant names, Mary Elizabeth Ruwell, Eighteenth Century Capitalism: The formation of American Marine Insurance Companies. New York. Garland Publishing Inc. 1993. [Per Tod Moore]. Call 368.2/R983E. Cf., on Baring, and Gouv. Morris, p. 89 of H. C. Allen, The Anglo-American Relationship since 1783. London. Adam and Charles Black. 1959. Robert Morris financier of the American Revolution with some New York merchants sent his first ship to China, the Empress of China.

1784 - Morris' efforts to open useful trade with the French had limited success, Ver Steeg p 1, p. 33, dispute between Holker and Morris interrupted the firm Turnbull, Marmie and Co.

1784 Ver Steeg p. 187-188, Morris completed his transition from public financier to private merchant by November 1784, his private affairs had suffered of late, as affairs hampered by a British blockade. Morris still dealt with John Holker via William Turnbull and Co, plus Benjamin Harris and Co, Samuel Inglis and Co, and Thomas Willing, plus Jonathan Hudson now feeble. Severed with John Ross, Matthew Ridley had looked after Morris' sons being educated in France, and here Ridley dealt via Ridley, Pringle, Holker and Morris, but here, mainly Pringle and Holker. Morris in Ver Steeg p. 189 interested in ships to China, with Daniel Parker of Parker and Co also contractors for the now US army, ship Empress of China sailed for Canton in January 1784 with ginseng, brandy, wine, turpentine, and $20,000 in specie. ( ) Morris here invested some $60,000. Morris and Parker here also outfitted two ships for Europe, but by the time they got back, Morris and Parker had split, partly due to a Morris-Holker dispute. The Dec 1783-Jan 1784 China venture marked Morris re-emerging into private trade. Morris assisted a new firm in Baltimore with Tench Tilghman (an aide of Washington, says Oberholtzer), this firm enjoyed an almost vast spread of Morris' connections. Morris meanwhile had left Turnbull, Marmie and Co of Philadelphia, and Holker withdrew from Benjamin Harrison and Co of Richmond Va. Morris and Harrison here formed a new firm, Harrison, Nicholls and Co. Morris also invested in a new house in New York. Daniel Parker and Co in severe trouble by May 1784, says Ver Steeg p. 191, and owing money to a Holker-connection firm.

1784, inauguration of the formation of the Shipowner's Society of Britain. see 27 January, 1824 for its 40th anniversary dinner.

First American consul at Canton is installed in 1784, Major Shaw, and in 1785-86, a mere 5 American ships at Canton.

Lane and Fraser on 18 February, 1784 wrote to Elias Hasket Derby, maybe about shipbuilding at Boston? By the later 1780s it appeared Lane and Fraser were trying to creep back into trade to the US. Lane, Son and Fraser had sent tea into the Boston Tea Party situation.

1785

VIP In 1786, half the original stock of the Bank of North America was owned by Wadsworth and his partner Church, Robert Morris and William Bingham, also linked to the foreign cargo ventures of William Constable and Co - all the leading venture capital deals of the day were linked with this whole group.

Ferguson, Purse, p264-270, by early 1789, Rbt Morris' affairs were badly deteriorated, and G Morris trying to help him. G. Morris developed an idea to organise matters in Europe so that he and his friends could buy (re-finance) the entire domestic debt of the US, so he linked with Daniel Parker. They wanted to set up a group of capitalists at Antwerp and force an alliance with the "Amsterdam Society" which included Dutch houses already dealing with Parker. Rbt Morris and associates would have a third (of the US). this plan much too ambitious, but G Morris went to London where he spoke to various capitalists including Barings, who had already begun to invest in American securities. GMorris in London dealt with Parker and a British merchant, Samuel Rogers, plus Francis Baring, Edmund Boehm and Thomas Hinchman re $600,000 in securities. Craigie and Constable would deal in New York, Constable drew on Samuel Rogers in London. GMorris then went back to the Continent. The existing plan got not much further, but then Morris had another plan, to buy the American debt to France. But he had much competition in this. others had had the idea of buying this debt, selling it to Holland and taking the gains. In 1786, a syndicate of Willinks, Van Staphorsts and Hubbard had offered France a sum for the American debt, but that failed as Congress preferred France to Holland. Later, from 1786, other schemes arose, with Dutch, French and even British capitalists. In 1788, American merchants were alerted by the visit to US of Brissot de Warville, an agent of a Swiss banker, Stephen Claviere, who headed a group of capitalists interested in purchasing the US debt. Warville talked to RMorris and GMorris, William Duer and Jeremiah Wadsworth. Parker had earlier talked with Warville. In October 1789, Gouvenour Morris in Europe and he talked formally with Necker the head of French finances. Necker had already had overtures from Dutch sources. What would Morris, Parker and Le Couteulx pay? Necker drove GMorris so high that Le Couteulx backed out. The plan needed the permission of US govt, and the Amsterdam interests whom GMorris had not yet fully consulted. Amsterdam then made Necker a different offer. Alexander Hamilton in US was informed. Unable to go further without Dutch backing, GMorris withdrew. GMorris now distrusted the Dutch. See Ferguson, Purse, p.267 Note 36, much of the debt was in fact transferred to Holland between 1790 and 1794, with eg. an American merchant James Swan involved for about $2 million. All up, about $11.4 million. due to all this, inflation hit American commerce, a US bill on London in 100 pounds sterling got only 87 to 95 pounds in US ports. Craigie and Constable by 1788-1790 were looking at handling indents and US states' debts, Daniel Parker privy to this and Hamilton could not but help leak details of what might happen to people who might thus profit.

Based in France, financier Ferdinand Grand, Vergennes, the French Farmers-General as buyers of American tobacco.

Netherlands: Hope(s) and Co. of Amsterdam. Jan (and Jan Jnr.) and Wilhelm (and Wilhelm Jnr.) Willink (Amsterdam bankers). Nicholas van Staphorst. Jan Gabriel van Staphorst.

fix where Re Holland Land Company (the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, or, the Holland Purchase by 13 Dutch investors, re the Genesee River area). Jan and Wilhem/Willem Willink are Amsterdam bankers for Robert Morris and for US Govt. Some of the 13-in-total Dutch investors in the Holland Lanc. Co were Wilhelm and Wilhem Jnr Willink, Jan and Jan Jnr Willink, Nicholas van Staphorst, Pieter van Eaghan, Hendrik Vollenhoven, Rutger(t) Jan Schimmelpennick, and later, Jan Gabriel van Staphorst and Roelif van Staphorst Jnr; Cornelius Vollenhoven, Henrik Saye and Pieter Stadnitski, all of whom hired general agent Theophilus/Theophile Cazenove, and Cazenove was succeeded by Paul Bust, Paoli Busti (1749-1824, who earlier with an Amsterdam bank) from Milan, Italy, who had married a dr of one of the Dutch syndicate members, and worked for the syndicate, resident in America, till he died in 1824. Land surveyors included brothers Joseph and Benjamin Ellicott; and later invovled were Americans, William Peacock and Gerrit Boon. See item also on answers.com. A rambling memoirs http notes others in Holland Land Co as investors included many members of Willink family, Walrave van Hencklom, Nicholas van Beeftinghle, Jan van Eeghan, Garvet Schimmelpennick, Rutger Jans Son, Van Bennebreck. Plus Moses van Campben.

1779 - France - Pierre Augustine Caron de BEAUMARCHAIS, died 1799, NOTES FOR ERRE AUGUSTINE CARON DE BEAUMARCHAIS FINANCIER, He is a dramatist and watchmaker by trade. Wrote two comedies which influenced Rossini, re Barber of Seville; and re Mozart, the Marriage of Figaro which was taken as an attack on privileges of aristocracy. In 1775-1775 he was used as an agent by Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, sent supplies by dummy company Hortalez and Cie, some payment to be in tobacco never forthcoming, and (B was a noted litigant who wrote wittily about his cases) matters not resolved till 1835 when heirs of B were reimbursed by Congress. See E. S. Kite, Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence. See Sainsbury, Pro-Americans, p. 437.

1786

More to come

1787

More to come

1788

More to come

1789

More to come

1790

More to come

1791

More to come

1792

More to come

1793: Lane, Son and Fraser: the firm's affairs seemed to be clearing up by 1793, when Bank of England worried about rumours of war with France and so threw out Lane's paper, so they failed for up to one million pounds, which began a chain of bankruptcies, yet they were not overdrawn more than 50 pounds. Had dealt earlier with John Rowe in Boston. (Kellock lists)

below is offcuts

. // Dallas D. Irvine, The Newfoundland Fishery: A French objective in the War of American Independence, Canadian Historical Review, 13, Sept. 1932. // Derek Jarrett, The Begetters of Revolution: England's Involvement with France, 1759-1789. Totawa NJ. 1973. // re Maxine Young, Cf E. A. Reitan, The Civil List in Eighteenth Century British Politics: Parliamentary Supremacy versus the Independence of the Crown. Historical Journal, 9, 1966., pp. 318-327.

Georges Lemaitre, Beaumarchais. New York. 1949. VIP to get hold of this.

Dallas D. Irvine, The Newfoundland Fishery: A French objective in the War of American Independence, Canadian Historical Review, 13, Sept. 1932.

See also, Margaret L. Brown, William Bingham, Agent of the Continental Congress in Martinique, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 61, 1937.

Derek Jarrett, The Begetters of Revolution: England's Involvement with France, 1759-1789. Totawa NJ. 1973.

am rev period, Sir James Cockburn MP for Linlithgow, valuable contract to supply 100,000 gallons of rum to the troops. Colley, Britons, p126.

Fix elsewhere In 1795, Oberholtzer p. 308, agent of Robert Morris in London was William Constable. By then, one of Morris' land deal partners was John Nicholson.

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