From John Jay to the Bishop of London (Beilby Porteus), 18 June 1796
To the Bishop of London (Beilby Porteus)
New York 18 June 1796
My Lord
On my Return from England I took the earliest opportunity of communicatinged to Mr Randolph the Memorandum ^wh^ your Lordship had given me relative to your Estate in Virginia— he very readily understood ^promised^ to make the necessary Inquiries and to write to you Lordship respecting the Result of them— Thinking that the Business could not be in better Train, I omitted to take a Copy of the Memorandum—1
It appears to me not improbable that the disagreable Circumstances wh. he ^Mr Randolph^ has since experienced,2 have diverted his Attention from the Subject, and that you remain uninformed whether any thing and what has been done— If this Conjecture should prove well founded, be pleased to send me another memorandum, and I will with great pleasure take care that measures for procuring ^& transmitting to you^ the Information you desire— I have the honor to be with great Respect & Esteem Your Lordships most obt. & most hble Servt.
The Right Revd. the Lord Bishop of London—
Dft, NNC (EJ: 08876).
1. Beilby Porteus was Lord Bishop of London (1787–1809), and an Anglican reformer and abolitionist. Porteus was born in Virginia, where his parents were planters, who returned to England. Porteus and JJ met in London during the Jay Treaty negotiations, and continued to correspond. See the editorial note “John Jay’s Mission to London,” above.
2. Porteus informed JJ that ER had not provided him with the information he sought and restated his query. Porteus to JJ, 10 Oct. 1796, ALS, NNC (EJ: 04907). His elder brother, Edward Porteus (d. 1752), had remained in America and owned a farm named St. Mathews near Port Tobacco, Md. Edward Porteus left the property to his widow, and upon her death, it was to pass to his brother. The Bishop wished to know if his sister-in-law were still alive, and if not, what was the condition and value of the estate. He emphasized that he had a copy of his brother’s will. JJ sought assistance from James McHenry, explaining that McHenry’s “acquaintance with Persons and affairs in Maryland” would enable him to give JJ aid in the matter. JJ to McHenry, 6 June 1797, Dft, NNC (EJ: 08972); no reply has been found. Article 9 of the Jay Treaty allowed for British nationals to inherit lands in the U.S. For another such case, see JJ to Lord Jeffrey Amherst, 12 Apr. 1796, above.