George Washington Papers
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From George Washington to James Keith, 17 July 1796

To James Keith

Mount Vernon 17th July 1796

Dear Sir,

You will perceive by the enclosed letter from Mr Bushrod Washington to me, what is enjoined by the High Court of Chancery of this Commonwealth.1

By Mr George W. Craik, I send in Bank Notes of the United States—the Sum required to be deposited in the Bank of Alexandria, by the decree. Had I known of this decree before I left Philadelphia I could, & would have drawn the Specie for this purpose; and I think to avoid any caval hereafter, the receipt from the Bank of Alexandria ought to be expressed in such a manner as to imply this—or rather not to imply the contrary; and this it may well do, for the presumption is, that this Sum will remain there long before the proper claimants are ascertained.

As Mr Craik is young in business, you would do me a favor by accompanying him to the Bank (in Alexandria) for the purpose of arranging this matter properly, at that place; thereby placing me on secure ground. I have directed Mr Craik to take a copy of the Decree; on the back of which it may be best, perhaps, to take the receipt from the Bank.

Not having the Will of Colo. Thos Colville by me; nor recollecting distinctly where the relations of his Mother were said to reside; and being unacquainted with characters in Alexandria who would have it most in their power to cause the notification required by the Decree, to be inserted in “Some public paper in the Kingdom of Great Britain for two Months” thereby serving the parties, and fulfilling the intention of the Court; let me ask the favor of you to ingage, if you can hit upon a suitable person for this purpose, the doing it. Mr Hodgden2 some years ago, presented claims in behalf of some who conceived themselves entitled under the Will of Colo. Thos Colvill:3 and if in Alexandria, may be as eligible a character to apply to as any.4 With very great esteem and regard I am Dear Sir Your most Obedt and obliged Servant.

Go: Washington

LS, (retained copy), DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.

1See Bushrod Washington to GW, 3 July, and n.2 to that document.

2For William Hodgson, see n.4 below.

3These claims have not been identified.

4Keith replied to GW from Alexandria, Va., on 18 July: “Mr Craik has deposited in the Bank the money your Excellency directed, and procured a Receipt from the Cashier which I hope will be conformable to your Expectations: The Deposit is entered on the Bank Books in the Stile of the Receipt There is no Vessell bound from this place to Europe in any short time. The Executors of Colo. Colville inserted their Advertisement notifying his Death and Residuary Legacy of Colo. Colville in one of the Newcastle papers, in that place it may best answer to publish the decree of the High Court of Chancery and the deposit made by you in the Bank of Alexandria in pursuance of it. Mr Hodgson went to England last Spring with an Intention to return this Fall, if he does, he will leave England before a Letter can reach that Country. If I Remember right Mr Rumney of that house had powers of Attorney from some of the Claimants of Colo. Colville’s Legacy to state their Claims and receive payments of their dividends—if it be so, he appears the most proper person to apply to on this Occasion. A short Advertisement in your Name explanatory of the Decree may not be improper. If your Excellency approves of an Advertisment, shall I draw it up and write to Mr Rumney on that Subject, or woud your Excellency prefer doing it yourself?” (ALS, DLC:GW). GW recorded on this date a payment of $3,110 “into the Bank of Alexandria, Agreeably to a Decree of the High Court of Chancery of Virginia; being the Balance due from me as Surviving Exr of the Will of Thos Colvil decd to that Estate as pr Settlement with the court of Fairfax Cty—and which is in full” (Cash Memoranda, 1794–97 description begins Cash + Entries & Memorandums, 29 Sept. 1794–31 Aug. 1797. Manuscript in John Carter Brown Library, Providence. description ends ).

John Rumney, Jr. (1746–1808), was a partner in the mercantile firm Robinson, Sanderson, & Rumney of Whitehaven, England, that operated a store in Alexandria.

For his involvement with claimants to the Colvill estate, see GW to Rumney, 6 April 1787 and 24 Jan. 1788, and Rumney to GW, 22 Jan. 1788 in Papers, Confederation Series, description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1992–97. description ends 5:125–26; 6:58–59, 53–54.

William Hodgson, associated with Robinson, Sanderson, & Rumney, held a power of attorney (see Munson, Alexandria Hustings Court Deeds, 1783–1797, description begins James D. Munson, comp. Alexandria, Virginia: Alexandria Hustings Court Deeds, 1783–1797. Bowie, Md., 1990. description ends 55, 204).

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