1To George Washington from Edward Church, 11 May 1789 (Washington Papers)
I am one of that unfortunate number whom the late revolution has precipitated from a state of decent competence, and reduced to the necessity of joining the class of your most humble and needy petitioners; but it is not to be expected that the most fortunate revolutions can be favorable to the interest of every individual, I therefore presume not to complain, or to found any pretensions to...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 27 July 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Bordeaux, 27 July 1791 . After a long and tedious passage he arrived on the 1st and would have proceeded to Bilbao but for extreme illness of one of his daughters. He has been told he might not be allowed to function there as consul, and so has written to “the American Minister at … Madrid” for advice. As it is impracticable and expensive to move a large family from place to place, he will...
3To George Washington from Edward Church, 12 August 1791 (Washington Papers)
Impressed with the warmest gratitude for the honor of being remembered by you in the nomination of Consuls, and no less grateful for the singular favor thereby conferred on myself and family; more particularly in your having proposed an healthful pleasant Country for our residence, which at the same time held out the most flattering prospects of other advantages from the valuable and important...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 12 August 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Bordeaux, 12 Aug. 1791 . Being greatly alarmed by what he learned on arrival, he expressed his fears in his of the 27th, sent by brig Hetty , Captn. Drinker, for Philadelphia.—This day his fears confirmed by letter from Carmichael, a copy of which he encloses. He is thereby arrested at the threshold, unable to advance or retreat. He cannot in any sense hold TJ responsible, but appeals to him...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 16 December 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Bordeaux, 16 Dec. 1791 . Although he has only considered the matter for two days, he feels impelled by rapidly changing conditions in France to suggest the propriety and expediency “of improving this critical opportunity, to make the present substitute for money, now circulating in France under the denomination of Assignats , an instrument in the hands of his Excellency the President of the...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 1 January 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Bordeaux, 1 Jan. 1792 . He recurs to the proposal made in his last letter for repaying the American debt to France. It is now possible to purchase assignats with bills of exchange on London or Amsterdam at the rate of 6d. to 6 ½d. per livre, the livre currently being valued at 10d. sterling in America. These assignats are receivable into the public treasury at par and therefore would be...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 13 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
By a letter rec’d early in January last from my esteemed friend Mr. Wingate , dated 15th November, I was informed of the arrival of my letters to his Excellency the President of the United States, and to your Honor, upon the subject of the disagreeable situation in which my appointment to Bilboa had unfortunately placed me and my family. I can easily conceive that the more important publick...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 16 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Words cannot express my astonishment and distress at the tenour of your letter of 13th. March, which I this day received, the idea of demerit hinted at in your letter as a probable cause of precluding my pretensions, made me forget, for a moment, all the difficulties and troubles into which my appointment to Bilboa, had unhappily plunged me and my family, though intended, I am well convinced,...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 17 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I recollect with pain a very culpable omission in my letter yesterday, in answer to your favor of the 13 March, but my extreme distress will I hope in some measure excuse my neglect to acknowledge the very grateful sense with which I am deeply impressed, and which I then very sensibly felt for the benevolent and generous attention of his Excellency the President to the preservation of my...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Church, 31 July 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Lisbon, 31 July 1793. He and his family arrived here by an expensive chartered vessel on 8 July after a long wait in Bordeaux. In order to comply with the request in TJ’s 26 Aug. 1790 letter for an account of American ships entering and clearing ports in his district, he must be furnished with their registers. Although this practice is customary with consuls of other nations, there is no...