To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 7 May 1813
From Peter Augustus Jay
New York 7 May 1813
Dear Papa
I recd. this Morning your letter of the 4th. instant1 & instantly sent the one enclosed to Mrs Livingstons brother Anthony Barclay—2 On the 1st. instant I paid Mrs. Watkins $35 agreably to the Directions contained in your letter of the 27 April.3 And I have this day paid her $69 being the Interest recd. on Honeywells bond & $35 which you say you have recd. for her, making $104 for which I have taken Receipt. I have also paid Mr Munro $58.25 for Uncle Peter— The sums paid Sir James & Mrs F. Jay were each $58.25 there must have been a mistake of a figure in my last letter which I was obliged to write in great haste. I have agreed to put out $500 of Mrs Watkins’s Money to a Mr Roads at Somers—
The Result of the Election in the town of Westchester has not disappointed our friends here.4 I believe all was done that could be done— We have a Majority of 2— if I remember right there was a Majority of 10 against us the last Govrs. Election. Valentine Morris has been confined with the Gout these three Months— he does not yet leave his house— James is unwell & occasionally quite sick with the same Disease. Westchester like Mamaroneck is becoming a Manufacturing town & the Manufactures in each place are under Democratic Direction— How the Election throughout the County is ended I know not for though we have returns from every other County within 200 Miles, we have none from thence— It is certain however that Tompkins is re-elected— This is an event for which I am utterly unable to account— The old federal party remains entire but with scarce any addition to its Numbers. The Clintonian party I think no longer exists— Mr Clinton & perhaps a dozen More voted for us here— R. Riker & possibly 50 others did not vote at all— All the rest have gone back to the Maddisonians and voted against us. In this City I suspect that about 150 federalists friends of Radcliff voted against us— at least there is very strong Circumstantial Evidence of the fact—5
I am very happy to hear that Roe has recovered & that Nancy has been to Rye— My love to her & William We are all well—
I inclose my account to the 1st. instant. Today or tomorrow I shall receive the Rent of the Stone House I am my dear father Your very affect Son
Peter Augustus Jay
John Jay Esqr.
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06181). Addressed: “John Jay Esqr / Bedford / W.Chester County / N.Y” Endorsed: “… and 11 May 1813 / has pd. Mrs. Watkins &c”
1. JJ to PAJ, 4 May 1813, above.
2. Enclosure not found. Anthony Barclay (1772–1877), of Georgia, British boundary commissioner. Eliza Barclay Livingston (1776–1817), Anthony’s sister, widow of Peter Schuyler Livingston (1772–1809), and daughter of Thomas Barclay and Susanna (De Lancy) Barclay.
4. For the recent elections in the town of Westchester, see JJ to PAJ, 4 May 1813, and note 2, above.
5. For more on the doings of New York’s Federalists, see the editorial note “Political Changes and Challenges in the War of 1812,” above.