To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 23 December 1785

From Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst

Amsterdam the 23d: Xber 1785

Sir,

We have before ús Your Excells. most Esteemed favour of the 13h. Instt., and have taken Duely Notice of the Acceptances made by Yoúr Excelly. to Whom all honoúr Will be done by Messs. Puller.

We observe What yoúr Excelly. is pleased to Say aboút the Credit of £1000 Stg. in favoúr of Mr. Jefferson, of Which We made mention in Our last letter, Messs. Van den Yver freres & Co. of Paris. Wrote ús in date 18t Novembr. the Following. “Mr. Jefferson vient de noús Remettre une Lettre de Credit que Son Excelle. Monsr. Adams lui a laissé ici a la Veille de Son depart pour londres, De mille Livres Sterlings, a Compte des quels il a fourni Sur noús au Colonel Humphrys un mandat que Voici de . . . . £6500.₶—

que noús lui avons payé, & dont noús Vous debittons avec La Commrs. Ordinaire a 1 per Ct.	65.—.—
	£6565.₶—

dont nous disposerons par Occasion, la Lettre de Monsieúr Adams porte que voús de vés porter les dittes mille Livres Sterlings, Si on en dispose au Compte du Congres”1

It is not impossible Sir that thro yoúr many Transactions, This is Escaped yoúr Memory. as The Bill of £.6500.₶ drawned by Mr. Ths. Jefferson, in dte. of 16 novr. and Signed by Mr. D Humphrys, Reposes into Our hands—

As the Time for advertising the Payment of the Intrest of the 2 Mns. is drawing near, and we have not Received any orders there about from the Commissioners we Shall be Very glad to Receive yoúrs, thereon, to proceed in Consequence.2

We have the Honour to Remain With dúe Respect / Sir / Your Excells. most Obedt. / humble Servants

Wilhem & Jan Willink
Nichs. & Jacob van Staphorst

RC (Adams Papers description begins Manuscripts and other materials, 1639–1889, in the Adams Manuscript Trust collection given to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1956 and enlarged by a few additions of family papers since then. Citations in the present edition are simply by date of the original document if the original is in the main chronological series of the Papers and therefore readily found in the microfilm edition of the Adams Papers (APM). description ends ); internal address: “To his Excelly. John Adams Esqr. / London—”

1. Mr. Jefferson has remitted to us a letter of credit for £1,000 sterling that his excellency Mr. Adams gave him here before his departure for London which amounts to, as furnished to Col. Humphreys upon demand, ₶6,500, that we have paid and from which we have debited the usual commission of 1 percent, ₶65–₶6,565. We have, according to the letter from Mr. Adams, charged the £1,000 sterling to Congress’ account.

For an explanation of this transaction, which the consortium first raised in its [1]8 Nov. 1785 letter, see vol. 17:586–587; and JA’s reply of 10 Jan. 1786, below.

2. JA gave the loan consortium permission to advertise in his 10 Jan. letter, below.

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 23 December 1785
Authors: Willink, Wilhem & Jan (business)
Staphorst, Nicolaas & Jacob van (business)
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 23 December 1785

Reference

Cite as: “To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 23 December 1785,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-18-02-0033. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 18, December 1785–January 1787, ed. Gregg L. Lint, Sara Martin, C. James Taylor, Sara Georgini, Hobson Woodward, Sara B. Sikes, Amanda M. Norton. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2016, pp. 66–67.]