Adams Papers
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From John Adams to the Massachusetts Board of War, 16 January 1781

To the Massachusetts Board of War

Amsterdam January 16. 1781

Gentlemen

There are three Gentlemen, in the Mercantile Way, Mr. Sigourney, Mr. Ingraham and Mr. Bromfield, who are now in this City, and propose to reside here and establish a mercantile House. These Gentlemen are very well known in the Massachusetts, and therefore it is unnecessary for me to Say any Thing concerning their Characters. They have travelled a good deal in Europe, and I believe have been constantly in Pursuit of Business and usefull Information in the commercial Line. Their design of residing here, is well approved, and may be very usefull both to this Country and ours, by facilitating a Communication and Commerce Advantageous to both. Perhaps they may execute any Commission from the Honourable Board, more to their Satisfaction than a Stranger. I cannot therefore, especially as these are the first who have conceived such a design here, but recommend them to the Favourable Attention of these Honourable Board.1

LbC (Adams Papers).

1. There is no indication that anything came of JA’s recommendation of the firm formed by Charles Sigourney, Duncan Ingraham Jr., and Henry Bromfield Jr., but it may have proceeded from JA’s visit to Sigourney and Ingraham on 13 Jan. (JA, Diary and Autobiography description begins Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. description ends , 2:453). For JA’s use of the firm to rent a residence, see his letters of 9, 11, and 13 April, all below.

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    Source Project
    Adams Papers
    Title
    From John Adams to the Massachusetts Board of War, 16 January 1781
    Author
    Adams, John
    Recipient
    Massachusetts Board of War
    Date
    16 January 1781

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From John Adams to the Massachusetts Board of War, 16 January 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-11-02-0035. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 11, January–September 1781, ed. Gregg L. Lint, Richard Alan Ryerson, Anne Decker Cecere, Celeste Walker, Jennifer Shea, and C. James Taylor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003, pp. 53–54.]