1From William Cranch to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 November 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have not words, my dear Aunt, to express my gratitude for your kind and consoling letter of the 25th. ulto.—It was, as I wished, minute and particular respecting the last moments of my dear and venerable parents. Mr. Norton’s letters having been directed to George town remain’d there some days, so that your letter was contain’d the first information I received of the death of my mother,...
2To John Adams from William Cranch, 6 August 1823 (Adams Papers)
Accept my thanks for your kind letter of the 10th. of March last, and for all your other Kindnesses to me, to my parents, & to my sister; and believe me most sincerely, respectfully & affectionately, your grateful & obliged nephew MHi : Adams Papers.
3To John Adams from William Cranch, 13 April 1805 (Adams Papers)
I received by Mr. J. Q. Adams the volumes of the “defence of the Constitutions,” for which I presume I am indebted to you.—Although I have not since had much leisure, I have still had enough to read, with some attention, the 3d. volume; particularly your examination of Nedham’s wrong constitution of a Commonwealth.—I am more than ever satisfied that the animadversions it your work has received...
4From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 13 December 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of a set of documents, and the second Volume of Wheaton’s reports stiched in boards, which have been sent to me by the department of State.— And to be with high respect / your most obedt. servt. DNA : RG 59—ML—Miscellaneous Letters.
5To John Adams from William Cranch, 23 February 1815 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate you on the news of Peace; and thank God that you and my most excellent Aunt have lived to see this happy day. Although we have suffer’d much we have gain’d wisdom; and, I hope, honour. Our Country has learnt the value of a navy, and the imbecility of commercial restrictions as a measure of coercion. The embarrassments of the Administration have taught them the inexpediency of...
6To Thomas Jefferson from William Cranch, 19 December 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
In consequence of a note at the bottom of a petition to you in behalf of Charles Houseman , I have the honour to state, that he was indicted at June term last for stealing plank, and Carpenter’s tools from three several persons. It appear’d in evidence that the articles were found in his possession, but were of little value. He was found guilty on each indictment, and sentenced to be burnt in...
7To John Adams from William Cranch, 28 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
Colo. Charles Semmes, of Alexandria. This gentleman I have never seen, to my knowledge. General report speaks of him as a man of talents in his profession, of a good moral Character, and friendly to the government. His practice is very extensive. Thomas Swann Esquire.—of Alexandria. I have seen this Gentleman. He appears to be about 36 years old—is very much esteem’d as a lawyer, and a man. He...
8From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 19 February 1825 (Adams Papers)
Mr. John Douglass Simms of Virginia is the son of Colo. Charles Simms for many years collector of the port of Alexandria, and wishes to obtain employment under government. You are not unacquainted with the revolutionary services of his father, who was a very brave officer, & distinguished himself at the defence of the fort at mud island. He was the personal friend of Genl. Washington and a...
9From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 2 December 1822 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the 7th. Vol. of Wheaton’s Reports, the supplemental census of Alabama, and the commission of Tench Ringgold; as Marshall of the Dist. of Columbia, untill the end of the next session of the Senate. With great consideration / I have the honour to be / sir, yr. obed. servt, DNA : RG 59—ML—Miscellaneous Letters.
10From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 8 August 1826 (Adams Papers)
No one has felt more deeply impress’d with the occasion which has drawn you to Quincy, than myself; but I have hesitated in assuring you of my sympathy, lest I should intrude upon your time which is now doubly occupied; and because I am sure you did not doubt my feelings upon that event. The late venerable tenant of your present mansion was the last surviving friend of my father’s youth; and...
11From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 19 February 1825 (Adams Papers)
Mr John Douglas Simms of Virginia is the son of Col Charles Simms for many years collector of the Port of Alexandria, and wishes to obtain employment under government. You are not unacquainted with the revolutionary Services of his father, who was a very brave officer & distinguished himself at the defence of the fort at Mud island. He was the personal friend of Genl. Washington and a uniform...
12To John Adams from William Cranch, 11 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
I again take the liberty of troubling you to send to the Post Master Genll. the inclosed application in behalf of Mr. Benjamin More as successor to Mr. Richmond the late Postmaster in this City, who died yesterday morning.—Mr. More is a native of Boston and a worthy honest man whose interest I wish to promote as far as it lays in my power.— I will thank you to lose no time in sending my...
13William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 10 June 1790 (Adams Papers)
Phillips has this moment handed me yours of the 5 th. and I now throw by a Qui tam in which I have been drudging this ½ hour, to thank you for your letter.— Whence comes this Listlessness—this depression of Spirits? What can relax the Elasticity of your Mind? I have often found myself in the same Situation. I felt it yesterday without being able to trace the least Cause. The Connection between...
14To James Madison from William Cranch, 7 April 1807 (Madison Papers)
Understanding that Mr. Alexander Moore is an applicant for the office of Register of Wills for the County of Alexandria, vacant by the resignation of his father, and that he has in fact discharged the duties of that office for some time past to general satisfaction, I take the liberty of suggesting the convenience and propriety of appointing him to fill this vacancy. As far as I am acquainted...
15To John Adams from William Cranch, 29 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
Please to present my thanks to my aunt for her kind letter; and accept my congratulations on the prospect of your soon seeing your excellent son again after so long an absence; as well as upon the occasion which recalls him to his Country. I am rejoiced to see all parties approximating those orthodox political principles which you have so long advocated, and for the rigid adherence to which...
16From William Cranch to Abigail Smith Adams, 7 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
Upon receipt of your kind letter of the 17th. ulto. I was too deeply afflicted by the information it contained even to thank you for it, as I aught to have done. I inferr’d from it that my dear mother had gone to join the departed spirits of her mother, her father and those other friends from whom she had been so long separated by death. It was A day or two pass’d before I was undeceived; so...
17William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 24 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
M r. Carroll has requested me to communicate the Contents of the inclosed letter, and I hasten to do it lest it you should have given an Answer to M r. Law, before this arrives. M r. Carroll’s description of his house is a very modest one— And I can say in addition to it, that it’s situation is delightful, being the whole of square N o. 736, which is delightf a large square, and has a good...
18William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 20 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have a thousand times wish’d to express to you my gratitude for the attentions I received from you during your residence here; and most particularly, for your kindness to my dear mother and family during her late severe illness; but a consciousness of the inadequacy insufficiency of language to give a faithful representation of my feelings, has hitherto imposed upon me a silence which I fear...
19From William Cranch to Abigail Smith Adams, 22 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your kind letter of 17th. instant, informing me of the death of my dear and venerable father, and of the hopeless state of health of my dear Mother. I rejoice and am thankful that my father was not left to linger out a painful and solitary existence deprived of the dear partner of all his comforts. which It seems like a special interposition of the all–merciful hand. My...
20From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 28 May 1822 (Adams Papers)
I beg leave to introduce Mr. John D. Herbert, a respectable gentleman of this place, who I understand wishes to see you upon business. I am, Dr Sir, / most respectfully / your obedt. servt. DNA : RG 59—ML—Miscellaneous Letters.
21To John Adams from William Cranch, 3 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I beg you to be assured, my ever honourd & venerated Uncle, that we sympathize most sincerely with you in your late affliction. But while one friend after another drops around you, I know you have all the consolations which Philosophy and Religion can afford; and how inexhaustible are they !— My dear Aunt, I know, will rouse all the energies of her great and noble mind to sustain the shock....
22To John Adams from William Cranch, 9 July 1823 (Adams Papers)
As I know you feel an interest in the prevalence of the pure principles of the Gospel, I take the liberty of introducing Mr. Mauro; a respectable citizen of Washington, who, I understand, intends visiting New England upon business connected with the interests of the Unitarian Society at Washington; any information which it may be in your power to give him, tending to facilitate the object of...
23William Cranch to James Madison, 4 February 1836 (Madison Papers)
I had the honor, yesterday, to receive your favor of the 31st. ulto. enclosing a letter from Mr. McCleland of Balto. communicating his ideas respecting the Washington Monument, and shall lay it before the Board of Managers. At the meeting of the Board on the 3d. instant, a resolution was proposed to advertise for plans & estimates; but as we cannot yet form a correct idea of the amount of the...
24William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 1 October 1787 (Adams Papers)
Not to acknowledge the many favours I have recieved from you, and the obligations they have laid me under, would be ingratitude in the greatest Degree. The only method now in my power of Cancelling those obligations is to acknowledge them & perhaps prevent your being dissappointed, should Callahan arrive before Folgier. For upon the supposition that Folgier would sail first, all the Letters...
25To John Adams from William Cranch, 15 March 1812 (Adams Papers)
Upon the representations of Mr. Quincy, I made, through him, to Mr. Elwyn, the agent of Lewis Brotherson Verchild, an offer of 2000 Dollars for the title of the Verchilds to that part of the estate which was holden by my father. He has declined accepting it, and I am not sorry, because I am satisfied, that the claim of the Verchilds is good for nothing. I understand that Lewis B. Verchild...
26William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 4 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
I should have answer’d your kind letter of 16 th. ult o. before this time, but I have only this morning return’d from the General Court at Annapolis. I thank you most sincerely for the interest you take in my affairs, and for the parental advice you have given. I have already suffer’d enough by becoming surety for others, to know how to prize that advice, but it requires a kind of hardness of...
27To John Adams from William Cranch, 27 September 1819 (Adams Papers)
I intend that this shall be handed to you by my daughter Nancy, who accompanies her sister Mary; in a visit to our friends in New England. These my children are almost what I could wish them to be. I rejoice that they will have an opportunity of seeing you whose character they have been taught to revere. I had hoped that they might have become acquainted with her who was so deservedly dear to...
28From William Cranch to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
I thank you most sincerely for your excellent letter of 5th. ulto. which I should have answer’d before, but for the sickness & removal of my family. The precarious state of my dear mother’s health, for some time past, has, I trust, in some measure prepared me for an event, which is certainly inevitable and which we know can not be long procrastinated. Indeed our term of existence here is so...
29From William Cranch to Abigail Smith Adams, 21 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
I know you will rejoice with me that Mrs. Cranch is again the mother of a daughter. This event happend last Evening. Mrs. Cranch requests you to permit us to name her with your name, not only as a testimony of our gratitude to you r for all your kindness to us and our connections, but as an incentive to the little stranger to in imitate the virtues which she will hear recounted when she shall...
30William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 1 October 1789 (Adams Papers)
Altho I have written you before, I know you have no objection to recieving another letter before you answer my last— My greatest motive for writing now is to know the truth of a Report which has been industriously spread here within this week past, “that there is so great a Coolness between the P——t & V-P——t that they do not speak to each other.” I know that there are some people, (I hope but...