31John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 6 August 1784 (Adams Papers)
We have not received as yet any answer to the letters we wrote you the day I arrived in town; and are yet in a State of great uncertainty and doubt whether to go over to Holland or to go directly on to Paris to meet you there. We have got all ready to leave this Place to morrow morning if we had received any directions from you, and indeed we had some thoughts of setting off for Harwich at any...
32Richard Cranch to John Adams, 12 August 1784 (Adams Papers)
After a long Interval, I had Yesterday the great Happiness of receiving your esteemed Favour of the 3d. of April. I immediately sent the inclosed to Mr. Tyler. I have not seen him since your Letter came to his Hand. When I consider the amazing Exertions of Mind that you must have been continually making, and the Anxieties that must necessarily have prey’d upon your Spirits while Events of the...
33Royall Tyler to John Adams, 27 August 1784 (Adams Papers)
I received your Letter of the Third of April, Two Days since. Whether from the very great Interest I have in the Subject, or some more latent cause; I never Felt more at a loss to Express myself with Propriety, than on the present Occasion. I can only generally Desire you, to accept from me, all those returns of Gratitude, which, a Man of Ingenuity may be supposed to render to the person, to...
34Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 26 November 1784 (Adams Papers)
Yours of Sept. 5. I received the 13th. Instant and rejoice to hear that You are in the Enjoyment of that Family Felicity, which your Scituation heretofore necessarily prevented. The Powers which You have given and the Trust which You have committed to me are great. How well I shall execute them Time must determine. New Care and new Trusts have for some Years past been encreasing upon me , they...
35John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 18 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
After a very warm and dusty Journey, setting out early, and riding late, I arrived here on Monday the 16th. instant at about 4. o’clock in the morning. As soon as I had taken a little rest, I enquired for Mr. Barclay; and immediately went for him. He would have been in Paris, before now, had he not been retained by illness: he is not yet well but seems determined to go for Paris to-morrow...
36Richard Cranch to John Adams, 3 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
This will be handed to you by a worthy young Gentleman Mr. Bulfinch Son of Doctor Bulfinch; I doubt not but his Conduct will render him worthy of your Notice. I have not time to write you on publick Matters at present. The County have put me into the Senate this Year and we have very hard Service. I have enclosed the Speech of our new Governour &c. He is a Man of System and Application, and I...
37Mary McCann to John Adams and Abigail Adams, 2 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
Having humbly presumed to wait on you to solicit the honor of serving your Excellency’s Family with Cream and Milk, and had the honor to give you at the Hotel last Fryday, a Recommendation from his Excellency the Spanish Ambassador’s Steward, you was pleased to order me to wait at your House in Grosvenor Square Yesterday Morning with Cream and Milk, which I accordingly did; but may it please...
38John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 3 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Church proposes to embark on board the british Packet, which is to sail to-morrow. He has offered to take my Letters, and I suppose, he will be the bearer of dispatches from Congress.—Our Passage, though it was not a stormy one, was very tedious. Of eight weeks, that we were at Sea, we had at least four of such calm weather as not to proceed more than 8 or 10 leagues a day. As we were...
39Cotton Tufts to John Adams (Adams Papers)
The Want of a sufficient Power in Congress to regulate the national Concerns of the United States is now pretty generally seen and has been severely felt. In the opening of the last Session of the Gen Court, the Governor in his Address to both Houses among other Things laments that Congress had not been authorized to regulate their foreign Trade, and suggests the Necessity of further Powers...
40Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 6 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
On the 6th. Ultimo I drew on You for £100 sterling in Favour of Mr. Samuel Eliot, payable at 30 Days Sight of whom I received 5 Per Cent above Par. The Exchange has been somewhat higher, up to 7 Per Cent, but has fallen, and it is thought will be still lower. Part of the Money received I have let out for a few Months on private Security that I may if Occasion should call, have wherewith to...
41Royall Tyler to John Adams, 15 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
It has not been without Anxiety, that I have refrained from addressing a Letter to you for some months past. But not having the Advantage of a Femiliar, or even the Honour of a Personal Acquaintance: There was but one Subject upon which I could write to you liberally: and I intended to have Desisted from that, Until the Completion of my Arrangements should enable me to Discuss it to our mutual...
42Richard Cranch to John Adams, 19 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have just received the within Letters, and as I hear Capt. Young is to sail tomorrow I take the liberty of inclosing them to you. By Capt. Cushing who sailed a few Weeks ago I sent you the News-Papers from last May, and by Capt. Young I have sent the Papers since and a Register for 1786. I have also sent a little Bundle for Sister Adams. I wrote you largely by Capt. Cushing, and have wrote...
43Richard Cranch to John Adams, 29 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
When the Senate was last sitting I desired the Honble. Mr. Goodhue≠ of Salem, to answer your Request to me about the Cod-Fishery, and give you a Statement of it—and I learn by Capt. Geo: Williams that a Letter he deliver’d me a few Days ago (which I herewith send you) contains his Observations on that Subject. The Hon: Peleg Coffin Esqr. of Nantucket, the Senator for that County, also promised...
44John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 2 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
After having suffered so long an interval of Time to pass, since I wrote you last, it is absolutely necessary, for my own justification, to give you, an account of my Studies, since my return home, and if it is not sufficient, to exculpate me intirely, I hope, at least it will induce you to forgive me. When I arrived here, I found, that I had far more to go through, than I had an Idea of...
45Richard Cranch to John Adams, 20 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
We have received the Favour of your Letters and those from Sister Adams, by the Captains Cushing and Lyde. Cushing arrived on Sunday last and Lyde on Monday. I thank you for the further explanation of your Sentiments respecting the probable Operation of our Navigation Act, and think they are well founded. I think what you mention about the Sugar Trade with France in return for our Oil, is a...
46John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 21 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am now much more at my disposal, with respect to my Time, than I was at Haverhill, and can devote more of it to writing, though, it is said, this Quarter, that is, the last of the Junior Sophister year, is most important, and busy, than any other in the four years. Mr: Williams’s Lectures on natural Philosophy, render it so; his Course consists of 24 Lectures, 13 of which we have already...
47Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 18 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
Mrs. Cranch last Evening informed me, That a Mr. Standfast Smith of this Town is empowered to sell Verchilds Lands. Would it not be agreable to You to purchase those belonging to His Heirs which you have improved for some Years past? Sometime past I sued Sloane and recovered judgment against Him. He has given a Release to the Lands mortgaged and I think it would be best to sell them as they...
48William Stephens Smith to John and Abigail Adams, 8 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
We were pleased by the receipt of yours of the 5th. inst. from Harwich, to find that your jaunt to that period and place had proved so agreable, you have our earnest wishes for its continuance. But we have been apprehensive since, that the fine Sun and fair Brieze which invited you on board in the morning, forsook you before, you had crossed the Channel. At this place, the after part of the...
49John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 30 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days agone, your favour of June 2d: you mention an Affair, concerning which I had determined to write in the begin ning of this Quarter. I have thought much of an Office in which to Study the Law. Should you return home next Spring, and be yourself at Leisure to instruct me, I should certainly prefer that to studying any where else. But if you are still detained in Europe, I...
50Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 December 1786 (Adams Papers)
We arrived here about four oclock a fryday afternoon, after a very pleasent journey. The weather was somewhat cold, but a clear Sky and a fine Sun Shine was ample compensation. We found convenient apartments, Good Beaf Mutton and excellent fish for dinner; it was fortunate that we engaged Lodgings before we came, as every House is full. To day being rainy and fogy we have not made any...
51Abigail Adams to John Adams, 30 December 1786 (Adams Papers)
I yesterday received your kind favour by mr Murry and the day before; yours by mr Bridgen. Mr and Mrs Rucker left us this morn ing, but I did not write by them knowing that the post would be much Spedier. You tell me to keep a journal, but you do not think what a task you impose or how every Hour is occupied at this place by those who stay only ten or twleve Days, and run the circle of...
52Richard Cranch to John Adams, 24 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
I herewith send you the News-Papers by which you will see the state of our publick proceedings. Our most excellent Governor M r. Bowdoin is to be left out this Year—M r Hancock will doubtless succeed him. Strenuous efforts have been made at the present Election to get a Gen l. Court that will suit the minds of the Insurgents and their Friends—Many good Men, however, will be chosen into both...
53Abigail Adams to John Adams, 29 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
I received mr Cuttings Letter on Monday morning, and was glad to find you had stoped Short of Hardwick. I prognosticated from the wind on saturday that you made your passage by nine or ten on sunday morning. I commisirated your sickness, and that I might feelingly sympathize with you, used mr Hollis’s prescription yesterday morning, finding a return of some of my former complaints. the effect...
54Abigail Adams to John Adams, 7 June 1787 (Adams Papers)
I expected to have heard from you by the last post, but was dissapointed, only a few lines from Mr Cutting have come to hand since you left me. I wrote you on the 29 th of May, and inclosed two Letters respecting mr Barclay. Since that time a Letter from the Frenchs, has arrived, in which they inform you that Mr Barclay was liberated by applying to the Parliament of Bordeaux in virtue of his...
55Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 13 June 1787 (Adams Papers)
In my Letter to M rs. Adams P r. Cap t. Scott, I mentioned to her, That M r. S. Q. was negociating for Borlands Place— it was then my Opinion that He would purchase it— Yesterday M r. Cranch informed me that he had learnt from M r. Borland that M r. S. Q. had given up the Matter—and that M r. B. is determined to make Sale of it as soon as he has settled with M r. T——r. I conclude therefore...
56John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 30 June 1787 (Adams Papers)
I am at length released from the multiplicity of business which has employ’d so much of my time, for the last eighteen months: during that period I had scarcely a leisure moment, and was forced to a degree of application, which has been injurious to my health. but as I am left at present free from every employment, I shall have time to recruit; and I shall also be able to give more frequent...
57Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 30 June 1787 (Adams Papers)
On conversing with M r. Parsons relative to Your Sons entring into the Study of the Law, I found him disposed to take him under his Instruction, and it being the Wish of your Son to live with him, I accordingly agreed with M r. Parsons on the Subject— After Commencement Vacation M r John will repair to Newbury Port— M r. Parsons’s Terms are £100— for Thrree Years exclusive of Board, the money...
58Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 28 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
I rec d. M rs. Adams’s Lett r. of Nov. 6. and had wrote a long Epistle of the 21 t. Ins t. and put it into the Post Office to go by a Cap. Brown who is to sail from Portsmouth, had also drawn a Bill on you for £150 Sterl g which I found necessary— But on receiving this Day M rs. Adams’s Favour of Jan y 1. and finding that they were not forwarded & that the Vessell would not sail for some Days...
59Abigail Adams to John Adams, 7 March 1788 (Adams Papers)
Not a word have I heard of, or from you Since you left me this day week. I am anxious to know how you got over & how you do. I am so unfortunate as to be confined for several days past with an inflamation in my Throat attended with canker, & some fever. it is rather abated to day, and I hope is going of. we go on packing, but it is a much more labourious peice of buisness than I imagind and...
60Abigail Adams to John Adams, 11 March 1788 (Adams Papers)
The Mail is this day arrived, but not a Line have I got from you, nor have I heard a word from you since you left me. I hope you are well. I am anxious to learn when you expect to get back. I find by Letters received yesterday from France that mr Jefferson is gone to meet, you, which will render your visit in Holland much pleasenter to you. Callihan does not appear in any great Hurry, and I am...