SD1082. John Edwards to Samuel Goodin Barrett

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 362 (in part).

Kingston

4 Decr 1839.

My dear Sir

You may remember my urging on you at a very early period of our Trust as Exer of your late Uncle the propriety of preparing Capt. Barrett to come out & attend to his Int. under his Brothers Will. I regret that he has not yet appeared & so far as I know he has not yet appointed an Atty to act for him. I am anxious therefore to direct your notice to our position, I mean your position & desire in the matter, we are doing the work & making pecuniary advances, while Capt. Barrett a Co Exer. & extremely interested in succession is looking on, & I daresay keenly looking at the procedure of the Exer who are of a class generally supposed to consist of sad fellows requiring sharp looking after, now this is unreasonable and so far as I am concerned must not continue– It is not usual I believe for an Exer to urge a termination of his Trust, but I do strongly & earnestly recommend such a measure– The debts in proportion to the Property left by your Uncle are as far as we are discovered trifling, & I do not see why the Parties who are to benefit by the Succession should not proceed to a division now. In my opinion the arrangement might be easily made– This course would save time expence & mutual responsibilities while each person might manage his concern in his own ways—and with his own proper resources– If on the other hand this is not done & that soon, a large supply of money must be found somewhere, or an extensive sale of personals must take place, and this last would not I think be a profitable or advisable measure if it can be avoided– I beseech you however to think seriously of the whole thing, because we may expect the creditors to become impatient of delay–

I am My dear Sir

Yours Faithfully

J Edwards

Publication: None traced.

Source: Copy at Eton College Library.

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