Adams Papers

Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 22 May 1786

Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams

London May 22 1786

My dear son

I have time only to write you a line or two, not expecting captain Bigolow to Sail so Soon. I was yesterday informd that he would not go till the middle of the week, but this morning he has sent for the Letters. I thought your sister had letters, but she says they are not ready. She wrote you by mr Jenks 3 weeks ago.1 I must refer you to your Friend Storer for further information as I have written to him more particularly. I send you a Book2 which was presented us by the Author. Your Friend Murry dinned with us yesterday and wonders he does not hear from you. Tis probable you will meet with some curious annecdotes in the English papers respecting Lord Gorge Gorden, mr Simon Tufts and mr Lewis Gray, Who took it upon them to assert that your Pappa received his Sallery Quarterly from Count d A[dhé]mar the french Ambassador. I designd to have transmitted the whole correspondence to dr Tufts, but have not time to write him. The Publick advertizer is the paper which contains the matter, and in which they are challenged to produce their evidence. Not a Syllable has since appeard.3 Adieu yours

AA

RC (Adams Papers.)

1AA2’s No. 13 to JQA, not found, was carried by John Jenks (AA2 to JQA, 25 April, above).

2Possibly François Soulés, Histoire des troubles de l’Amérique anglaise, 2 vols., London, 1785, a set of which, with JQA’s bookplate and JA’s notes throughout volume two is now at MQA. Soulés was known to the Adamses and had borrowed money from JA (Soulés to JA, 9 June 1785, 3 Feb. 1786, both Adams Papers). JQA acknowledged the receipt of Soulés’ volumes in his letter to AA, 30 Dec., below, but they were sent via Callahan, not Bigelow (Diary description begins Diary of John Quincy Adams, ed. David Grayson Allen, Robert J. Taylor, and others, Cambridge, 1981– . description ends , 2:115–116).

3See AA to Cotton Tufts, 22 July, below.

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