XXVI. William Jones to Richard Hanson, 30 December 1790
XXVI. William Jones to Richard Hanson
Bristol 30 Decemr 1790
Dear Sir
Inclosed I send you John Powells Affidavit that no Bond was given by F & J as Guarantees for the Prince of Wales’s Cargoe of Slaves consign’d to Mess. Wayles & Randolph. But their letters accepting the consignment &c &c will certainly be sufficient to make the Executors answerable for the Deficiency. You will perhaps think it extraordinary that they should not require a Bond but they said that they had so high an opinion of our Honor that after settling the terms of Remittance &c. they told us our words was sufficient and they desired no other security.—You have also enclosed the Letters I received from Mr. Jefferson when at Paris, all which I hope will be sufficient. I am Dr Sir Your mo Obedt. Servt,
W. Jones
RC (Vi: USCC); lacking address cover, but presumably sent to Richard Hanson, factor in Virginia for Farell & Jones, in whose name the prosecution of the suit against the executors of John Wayles was made. Enclosures: (1) Copies of Jones to TJ, 11 June 1788, and of TJ to Jones, 9 July 1788 (Vi: USCC); Jones may also have enclosed copies of TJ’s letters of 17 May, 1 June, and 7 Oct. 1789 although none has survived among the papers of Ended Cases of the United States Circuit Court, Virginia District. (2) Affidavit of John Powell, stating that he, together with John Vaughan, James Ruscombe, John Galton, and Joshua Powell, all of Bristol, was owner of The Prince of Wales that sailed in Jan. 1772 “for the Coast of Africa for a Cargo of Slaves”; that they had agreed with Farell & Jones that Wayles & Randolph would remit for the cargo in good bills, “the first Moiety thereof at Six Months and the other … in twelve Months from the date of the Account of Sales”; that he gave a letter of advice to Wayles & Randolph about the cargo, dated 29 June 1772; that The Prince of Wales arrived “about the Month of Septr. 1772 with a Cargo of 280 Slaves,” as acknowledged by a letter from the consignees of 24 Sep. 1772; that Wayles & Randolph disposed of “266 Slaves (the remainder of the said Cargo after the usual allowance of Privilege Slaves)” and transmitted an account of sales, for which the net proceeds were £7748 14s. 0¾ sterling, dated 30 Sep. 1772, and at the same time sent two bills by way of remittance, one for £474 9 0 and the other for £492 12 0 but had never made any further remittances; that in Sep. 1773 he applied to Farell & Jones as security and received from them £2,907 6 0, which, together with the previous remittances, made up the first moiety of £3,874 7 0; that in Feb. 1774 he applied for the second moiety, which was paid with interest (Vi: USCC; undated; docketed).