SD1081. Mary Elizabeth Graham-Clarke to Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 362 (in part).
[Frocester near Stroud]
[30 November 1839] [1]
My dear Sam
As the new postage regulations are not yet acted upon you see we are economists in making the most of one sheet of paper and I hope we shall not annoy you be having to read two letters under one Cover—even with all my prolixity—for you know you your Uncle John is not apt to be very communicative on paper—and Ladies in general enter into many details & are often inquisitive on subjects which gentlemen from being more accustomed to, then do not think of[–] Your Uncle John desires however I will state that the whole we have recd this year from Jamaica is £344 & this is the bal. of 2 years proceeds 1837 & 1838, but as we said before they purchased Land amounting to £530 & other produce—but the Commissions were not small—as well as the outlay in supplies for the Negroes– Mr Hutton states in a recent letter than he hopes we shall sanction his expending about £300 in enclosing (Groveland) the new purchase with Walls—this seems a large sum to us when so small a return is promised to us—but Mr H. is inconsistent in his own statements for he tells us he has made full £2000 this year & the whole expenditure for labour is £280—that 800 has been spent in the purchase of Cattle but that a considerable balance ou<gh>t to remain to remit to us– the whole rent demanded for Negro Grounds & huts is that the occupiers are to furnish so many days labor during the year—& Mr Atkinson told us last year he shd recommend our giving the Negroes some little clothing—& medical advice to render them satisfied to remain where they were– Some years back Whitehall used to produce (when perhaps it was not as well managed as it might have been) 3000 or 4000 annually & then we had certain annuities & other expenses which have now ceased—but they used to remit us from 1500 to 1800 a year from it– Mount Tirzah seems never to have had due attention paid to it and has gradually declined—it used at one time & that not distant, to make about £1200– Matthew Parkinson was just beginning to establish a Sugar Work there when he died– Mr Allen who had for some years the management of [it] advised the doing away with that which Mr Cunningham of Bristol says was wrong, but Mr Atkinson disagrees on that opinion– I presume we shall have to sell it but I cannot help fearing that if the management of that business were entrusted to our present Agents they wd not do the best in the mode of disposing of it as I cannot help thinking Mr Atkinson listens too much to Mr Huttons judgement rather than consult his own– They say it might bring more if divided in lots but the expense of surveying it would be great– I wish they wd surrender that place at once to you to do with it what you consider best that is if it is attended with no expence—but if there are any Taxes charged on it of course it must wait till it can be transferred with Whitehall into your hands. Have you yet learnt any thing of the affairs of those Gentlemen whose estates are indebted to us—a list of which your Uncle gave you when in Town– Mr Vidal who manages those transactions gave no favorable opinion of those parties—except of Mr Allen’s estate which he said had been doing well & that we might look for something considerable from thence—but we are still kept in suspense & I imagine since the death of Richd Barrett who was appointed overseer for the benefit of the Creditors, the proprietor is trying to get possession—& disappoint the Creditors & Mr Vidal has applied to Chancery on our behalf for a new receiver—perhaps you may hear something for us on this head—they are even trying to dispute the amt of the debt tho’ we have had a judgement since 1826. We shall only remain here till the middle of Decr when we return to Kinnersley– Leonard is now here but John is gone on a visit to Glamorganshire to shoot Woodcocks—he has had [to] ride thro’ the disturbed district of Newport, Cardiff &c & I hope will not fall in with riotous Chartists near Bridgend where he is staying– I fear most populous Counties now are full of such ill disposed people & even this neighborhood harbours such—& the dearness of provisions promises badly for this winter— Leonard & John went to stay with James after they quitted Ireland—but found him rather unwell & he then talked of leaving |Barmouth| immediately for good & coming up here to visit us—& then to go to Torquay—but we have heard nothing further since our young men returned to us– Bell is still at Torquay & intends I believe to remain [a] great part of the winter– Elizabeth was rallying her spirits for the loss of her Physician when Bell last wrote & your father was then staying with them but I shd suppose he cannot long absent himself from his family in Town. John would have written to you this Packet had he not been absent– Leonard unites with me in every kind wish to yourself & Brother—believe me my dear Sam
yours ever affectely
Mary. E. G. Clarke
It would seem from Mr Atkinson’s view of the estates income that it was chiefly derived from the labour of the Negroes—& yet they made out a large estimate of what wd be the expence of labour under the present system– How did it then happen that the estates in the Slavery system could afford to spare the Negroes to work on other estates to so large an amount?
Address, in John Altham Graham-Clarke’s hand, on integral page: Samuel Moulton Barrett Esqr / Cinnamon Hill / Little River Post Office / Jamaica.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Date provided by SD1080.
___________________
