Adams Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-18-02-0047

To John Adams from Richard Cranch, 11 January 1786

From Richard Cranch

Bos[ton] Jany. 11th. 1786.

Dear Brother

Mr. John Jenks, the Bearer, has this moment inform’d me that he shall sail for London this Day in Capt. Lyde. As he has been so long connected with our most valuable Friend Doctr Tufts, and is knowing to so many of our Friends and Relations, I think it must be a Pleasure to you and you Family to see him in London. He comes, as I am inform’d, in behalf of some Merchants in Salem to transact some Business of importance in which they are concerned. He expects to be back in the Spring, and will gladly take Charge of any thing you may want to send by him. I left your dear Charles at our House Yesterday he is very well, and behaves exceeding well at the University. It is now the long Winter Vacancy. Your Sons, Mr. Thaxter, and the rest of our Friends at Haverhill were well last Week. Please to give my most affectionate Regards to my dear Sister and to your amiable Daughter, and believe me to be your obliged Friend and Brother—

Richard Cranch

Our Friends are all well— You will have Letters from all of us by Lyde.

Before I had seal’d my Letter the Post from Haverhill came in, and bro’t a Letter for your dear Partner, which I have given in charge to Mr. Jenks, I suppose it contains several Letters.1

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 ); addressed: “His Excellency / John Adams Esqr L. L. D. / Grosvenor Square / Westminster”; endorsed: “Mr Cranch. Jan. 11. 1786.”; notation: “(Favour’d by Mr: John Jenks Mercht.).” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.

1John Jenks (1751–1817), a Salem merchant and former ward of Cotton Tufts’, carried letters from Tufts to AA of 5 and 12 Jan. (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 7:5–6, 9–11) and probably the 21 Dec. 1785 letter from Tufts to JA, above. The packet from the Shaws in Haverhill probably contained Elizabeth Smith Shaw’s 2 Jan. 1786 letter to AA, as well as letters from CA, TBA, and JQA, of which only JQA’s of 28 Dec. 1785 has been found (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 6:503–506; 7:1–4, 62, 71, 75). For Capt. Nathaniel Byfield Lyde of the Active, who regularly transported letters and goods for the Adamses, see the indexes to AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , vols. 6 and 7. AA reported that Jenks and Lyde reached London by mid-Feb. 1786 (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 7:71).

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