Adams Family Correspondence, volume 8
y:31
th.1788—
I had the honor to Receive a few lines from you yesterday, relitive to your passage to
America, agreeable to your request, I here Send you the times in writing which will vary
little or Nothing From your owne; I apprehend you, missunderstood me the other day, I do
Assure you Madam, I had No Such intentions as to increace my Demands. I Only wished to
have Convinced you how much pleasure it Would give me, to make my time of Sailing
agreeable to your wishes, & Acquainted you of my Resolution of braking my
engagements with Mr. Potten, & Others of my friends, who
ware disposed to Serve me— Mr. Potten, in particular—who had
given me the Refusal of all his freight—Which would have at least loaded half my Ship,
upon Conditions—That I would engage to Sail as Early as Others (indeed he gave Me all
the Month of Feby.) but finding you was not willing to
Depart from Falmouth till the latter end of 222march, I was feerfull
That My detention in the Channel might proove a great ingery To My freinds, not haveing
his or their goods to market as Soon as others I mentioned this Circumstance, the last
time. I had the pleasure Conversing with you, for No Other Reasion then to Convince you;
how Desireous I was to make everything Conformable to your wishes, and not With Any
intentions to encreese my Demands— I am perfectly Contented With the terms. proposed in
your letter of yesterday1—you Say you
will Agree to give me two hundred pounds, my takeing the furniture from The house, &
providing every Necessary provisions for the voyage Stoping For you at Falmouth; Not
Exceeding the first of April. provided the weather Will permit. I Could wish you to be
there by the 20 or 23d of March as Freequently the Easterly
winds Sets in about that time, but if It Should Not be Convenient; to be at falmouth
then, I will waite till The last of March, or begining of April, &, you may Rest
assured Madam—that I will not engage to take any passanger—in the Cabin till I have your
approbation & Shall make you acquainted Who the are, before I engage with them; as
it is my determination to Render the voyage to you & Mr.
Adams, as agreeable as possib[le] & in Case there Should be only two Servents I do
agree to dedu[ct] his or her. passage from the £200— I dont Recolect that anyt[hing] Was
mentioned in my being at any Charge: in geting furnitur fr[om] the house, but if you
think it Reasionable, I will pay the Carting & further more if you Mr. Adams. or any other persons
Judges in those Cases, think me unreasionable—I am perfectly willing to make any
allowances. that you or they may See fit—& if I can be
of any Servis to you, or his Excellency—in buying or Collecting any matter for your
voyage or in any other way I beg you or his Excellency will Command me: as it would give
me infinite pleasure to Render you Or him Every Servis in my power: Mrs. Callahan Joinis in Respect. to you & family—2
I am— / Madam / your most Obliged humbe Servt
PS. I heard yesterday that Madam Belcher: is Dead. if you wish me to write to prudey
Spears Sister who lived with Mrs. Belcher—please to Send
me word:3 I will write her—agreeable to
your Directions—
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “To Mrs. Adams—” and “Mrs: Adams.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
Not found.
Lucretia Greene (b. 1748)
married Capt. John Callahan in 1774. He named his ship Lucretia for her (JA, D&A
, 3:215; Thwing Catalogue, MHi).
Madam Belcher was probably
Lydia Brackett Belcher (1734–1787), widow of Nathaniel Belcher (1732–1786). Prudence
Spear (b. 1763) was Lydia's much younger second cousin, and Prudence's sisters were
her twin Mehitable, Thankful (b. 1765), and Abigail (b. 1772) (Sprague, Braintree Families
,
p. 560R, 785R, 4356R, 4365R).