To Thomas Jefferson from Francis Macy and Others, 19 March 1805
From Francis Macy and Others
Nantucket the 19 of 3 mo 1805
Esteemed Friend
As the Office of Collector of customs at Nantucket has been some time Vacated by the Death of Stephen Hussey, and feeling anxious that a Suitable Person for the benefit off Goverment, as well as the Quiet of a large Majority of the Inhabitants of this place might be Appointed to Suceed him, and having Information that Jered Coffin at Hudson is Recommended1 to fill the Office we cannot but Express our our desire (if our Information is Correct) that he may not be the person to fill the office believing it would not tend to the advantage of Goverment nor meet the wishes of the Inhabitants of this place, we perceiving that Capt Daniel Coffin has been Recommended by our worthy Friends Micajah Coffin one of the House of Representatives and Isaac Coffin a Senator from this to the General Court, we Cannot but Unite with their Recommendation, believing that Daniel Coffin is the most Suitable man within our County being a man that is Ardent for the present order of things,—
with Sentiment of Esteem we are your Friends—
Fran Macy
Seth Coffin
Paul Gardner Jnr.
Shubael Coffin
Obadiah Folger
Gilbert Coffin
Latham Gardner
Select Men of the Town of Nantucket
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr. President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as a letter of 9 Mch. from “Coffin Seth et al.” received 17 Apr. and so recorded in SJL with notation “Danl. Coffin to be Collector”; also endorsed by TJ: “Coffin Danl. to be” and “Coffin Jared not to be,” connected by a brace to notation “Collectr. Nantucket.”
Francis Macy (1750-1817) became a Nantucket County justice of the peace in 1811. Seth Coffin (1753-1830) was a whaling captain and Paul Gardner (1755-1835) a merchant and importer. Shubael Coffin (1754-1821) represented Nantucket in the Massachusetts General Court from 1809 through 1812. Ship master Obadiah Folger (ca. 1755-1821) became county treasurer in 1812. Merchant and ship owner Gilbert Coffin (1759-1843) was a state legislator in 1813. Latham Gardner (1760-1830) served for many years as the island’s town clerk and register of deeds. The seven signers were all Republicans and lifelong residents of Nantucket (New-Bedford Mercury, 30 Apr. 1813, 2 Nov. 1821; Lydia S. Hinchman, Early Settlers of Nantucket [Philadelphia, 1901], 289; The Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for the Year of Our Lord 1811, the Thirty-Fifth of American Independence [Boston, 1811], 98; The Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for the Year of Our Lord 1812, the Thirty-Sixth of American Independence [Boston, 1812], 98; Benjamin Sharp, “Nantucket’s Representatives in National and State Legislatures,” Proceedings of the Nantucket Historical Association: Seventeenth Annual Meeting [Nantucket, 1911], 30-1; Nantucket Inquirer, 23 Jan., 25 Sep. 1830, 4 Nov. 1835; Whalemen’s Shipping List, 9 Dec. 1873; Nantucket Historical Association finding aids for Worth Family Papers, 1743-1912, Gardner Family Papers, 1717-1911, Ships’ Papers Collection, Micajah Coffin Papers-Charles Congdon Collection, 1671-1844, Account Books Collection).
TJ had already appointed Daniel Coffin to be collector at Nantucket (TJ to the Senate, 26 Feb.; Vol. 45: Appendix I).
1. MS: “Reommended.”