To James Madison from Maury & Latham, 2 October 1821
From Maury & Latham
Liverpool 2 Octor 1821
Sir,
Enclosed we beg to hand you the valuations of your Tobacco ⅌ Glide—also the account of some which have been sold—to which we may add No. 14 @ 4¾ d.
The Tobacco is certainly good, but our manufacturers run now entirely upon long leafed perfect in the points &c; for such we are getting 7½ & the writer knows that your land will produce as fine as Mr Rives1 in Nelson.
We would recommend your planting in future the Big Frederick or some large description for really this parcel sells below its intrinsic value from prejudice.
Your Bill for £250 has appeared & met due honor.
We are now holding your Tobacco for ¼ d advance owing to the loss of a Cargo off our Port.
We think there is no prospect for our Ports opening to Flour now & would advise your selling in preference to holding.
We have sent you the annexed circular merely supposing that the view of our operations in your great Staples might afford you some amusement. We have the honor to be Sir Your most obedient servant[s]
Maury & Latham
⅌ William Maury
4 Octr. Tobacco has rather advanced & we sold 1 Hhd No. 13 @ 4¾. We hold the remaind[e]r at that price.
[Enclosure]
28 Sept. 1821
Weights & Valuations of JM 14 Hhds of Tobacco P Glide on a/c of Mr. Madison.
Value | No. | Cwt | yrs | ℔s | |||
3¾ d | 1 | 11 | 3 | 26 | ordinary quality, rough & strong | ||
" | 6 | 11 | 1 | 22 | |||
" | 10 | 11 | 3 | 7 | |||
12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | ||||
" | 13 | 11 | " | ||||
4¼ | 11 | 11 | 3 | 16 | rather better | ||
4¼ to 4½ | 4 | 12 | 3 | 6 | strong useful leaf, rather soft | ||
4¾ | 8 | 12 | " | 12 | ditto, & a little better | ||
" | 9 | 13 | " | 16 | |||
3 | 12 | 1 | 21 | ||||
2 | 11 | 3 | 2 | sold at 5d | |||
5 | 10 | 1 | 26 | sold at 4¾ | |||
7 | 11 | 2 | " | sold at 4¼ | |||
4¾ d | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | good planter’s stem’d | ||
165.2.25 Total Landing weight or | 18,561 lb. | ||||||
Shrinkage 17 lb.p hhd | 238 " | ||||||
Nett Sale weight | 18,323 " |
RC and enclosure (DLC). RC addressed by William Maury to JM, and franked. Postmarked 19 Nov. at New York. Docketed by JM. Filed after James M. Bell to JM, 25 Sept. 1821. JM made figure calculations in the lower left margin of the enclosure.
1. This was probably Robert Rives (1764–1845), a Revolutionary War veteran, proprietor of the plantation Oak Ridge in Nelson County, Virginia, and the father of William Cabell Rives (Alexander Brown, The Cabells and Their Kin: A Memorial Volume of History, Biography, and Genealogy, 2d ed. (Richmond, Va., 1939), 236–44).