I discard most business letters as insufficiently interesting for my purposes but some are irresistible; such are those which follow. It’s 1822 and a presumably young Francis Atkinson of Kirkby Moorside in Yorkshire has decided to try his luck on the other side of the world, in van Diemens Land. As you do. It has been very recently settled and in 1822 was being administered from New South Wales; it became a separate colony in 1825.
Atkinson is not without local family and
London business connections which will enable him to organise and finance his
first outward journey; and the letters show him very adept at networking. He
comes across as highly observant and alert to taking up any business
opportunities which present themselves, even if not anticipated. When his ship
calls at Madeira and the Cape Town, he busies himself in trading – some of it
by barter.
The
first letter shows him seeking to assemble cargo to take with him on his
outward journey which starts from Gravesend; the second to his namesake cousin
in London is written from Madeira where he identifies various trading
opportunities; the third is written from Cape Town to another cousin, Thomas
Atkinson, and again is full of news and identifications of trade possibilities;
the fourth – not written by him – shows that he reached Hobart Town before the
end of 1822 and has promptly set to work. The arrival date means that he and
the Captain of his ship escaped new, higher import duties on the wines and
spirits they are carrying and which applied from January 1823.
Other
related letters show him in Hobart Town in 1826, engaged in extensive trade
activity and shipping bales of wool to family members in Yorkshire. The term "slops" which he uses was the name given to cheap, ready-to-wear as opposed to tailored clothing.
Transcription,
first letter May 1822
Addressed
to: Messrs Boothby & Grove
Merchts Sheffield
Datelined:
Kirkby Moorside [ North Yorkshire] May 31, 1822
Messrs
Boothby & Groves Sheffield
Gentm
[Gentlemen]
I
wrote you on the 25th to which beg reference stating that I was
going to van Dieman’s Land to settle as a Mercht and wished to take an
assortment of Sheffield Goods, [cutting] Edge Tools &c with me, and
being recommended to you by Messrs Whiston & Hewitt of London [who
organised shipping to Australia] I requested you to forward me a list of
your prices of the different Articles with the lowest price affixed suitable
for that Market and if approved, would make a selection and give you an order
in course with satisfactory payment, not having heard from you on this, think
the letter must have miscarried.
Waiting
your reply in course, that if it is not agreeable to you I may apply elsewhere.
I
remain Gentm. Your obdt Servt Fras. Atkinson Junr.
In
another hand:
Answerd
June 1st
We
are much oblgd for the recommendation of Messrs W & H & shall be happy
to execute any orders wh you may be pleased to favor us wth We manufacture
Saws, Cast Steels, Edge tools, &Files wch are all on Printed Lists wth
Prices annexed and may be obtained fr any Ironc or Carpenters …..Tools &
Files are in good Demand at vandemonsland. If you favor us wth an Order can
inclose Lists of Prices – as at prst ……….[can’t read]
We
never recd. your letter you mention of the 25th Ulto. …….. We remain … B&G
Transcription,
second letter 2 September 1822 of which I have only an old and unsatisfactory
photocopy
Addressed
to: Mr Francis Atkinson No 5 Newman’s Court
Cornhill London
England
Datelined:
Madeira Septr 2 1822
Endorsed
Single Sep 2 1822, weak London receiver postmark, manuscript charge mark
Docketing
note: Fras Atkinson Junr Madeira Septr 2 1822
Dear
Cousin
These
few lines are to inform you after 14 days beating about in the Channel with
constantly adverse winds and rather unpleasant weather we cleared it on the 19th and have
since had a fine passage with fair winds al the way and arrive dhere on Friday
last the 29th inst; in consequence of the long time we have been
since leaving Gravesend the Capt. put into this place Funchall for Water and
expects to leave here tomorrow, I am very much pleased with the view from the
ship as the Mountains Gardens and Vinerys are a fine sight the Town is also a
pretty object being all white Houses, but when you come near them and in the
Town they look very shabby. The streets are also very narrow. Fruit is very
plentiful & cheap Lemons d 4 [four pence] per Doz[en] Grapes d 3 …. very
fine & Peaches 70 or 80 for d 6, the oranges are not yet ready in a
fortnight they will be in fine Perfection. I am afraid we shall not be able to
make the Voyage in 5 months the Regalia being such a bad vessel for going thru the water, the Capt & Crew say she is like
a Log and the worst sailing vessel they were ever in, I shall regret very much
if we should not [arrive on schedule] as there is to be an additional
Duty of 5/- [shillings] per Gallon had on all Spirits after the 4th
Jan 1823 therefore if we should not be able to reach Hobart Town before that
period it will be a great loss to me as well as the Capt’s … for he says he has
several puncheons [a puncheon was most likely 70gallons/ 300 litres]
as well as the …. therefore Interest will compel him to lose no time he can
avoid. Hitherto I have felt very well and have only been twice sick and that
only for a short period.
The
purport of this is merely to say that I have found from the Captain and Mates
that old clothes of every description sell for a high price and a ready sale in
Hobart Town & Sidney and as I thought you might probably have a
quantity as People in London cannot wear
their clothes near, if you were to make up a parcel and send them by the first
Ship I should be able to make you a good price of them also old Hats, Shoes,
Boots or anything of that description that you are not able to wear. Capt
Collins had a Parcel of Cloth that he has been bartering for 30 Pipes [ a
Pipe about 100 gallons / 400 litres] of Madeira, which is the reason
we stay so long here as they got all their water in the first day, he has made
a good thing of it, as he has sold the cloths for 27/- per yard which cost him
from 16/- to 21/- I should feel greatly obliged to you, if you would
occasionally send me a London Price Current as I met with Mr Raines [?] at Gravesend who told me to have one sent by
all means it was the most useful thing in the Colony and brought a Person into
notice, he appears a very nice man. Mr Whiston introduced me to him but he was
in such a hurry I was not able to have more than ½ an Hours conversation with him I wish I had
met him in London, I should have got some useful information from him he said
he should be in the Colony in abt 6 weeks and would be ready to impart any Information
to me that he required. He told me he married Boothbys Daughter of Sheffield. I
find on checking Boothbys Invoice over, there is an evident error of £2-0-0 in
the carrying on .. which he wants debiting for which you will perceive as a ….
And if he will not possibly allow the other Errors, he must allow this, as he
will see at once it is an error [he sets out the details at the end of this
letter].
The
Newspapers from Yorkshire you will have the goodness to forward to me along
with any Parcel of Letters directed to Post Office Hobart’s Town. If you could
without much trouble have procured me a copy of the Report of Commissioner Bigs
[John Thomas Bigge, responsible for a major government-ordered enquiry] Inquiry
into New South Wales I shd have felt additionally obliged as I find they will
be worth any Money. Capt Collins is taking one out and has let me read it you would be much pleased with it as it gives
an account of all the Land that has been granted and what purchased, the
Characters of …[letter torn here] Magistrates and Inhabitants, their occupation
and …. Have been possessed of their property which … many not been very creditably obtained,
how the magistrates conducted themselves as well as others in office and what
they originally were, in short it is a complete exposure; I do not know whether
it is to be had of any of the Booksellers or it cannot be obtained but through
a member of the House of Commons, it is just at the latter end “printed July
1822 by order of the House of Commons”.
I
should feel obliged if you would send me
3 Cwt [hundredweight] of Shott say 1 Cwt if cut for Kangaroos abt Double B’s not quite so large as Buck
Shott, 1 Cwt of No 1 and 1 Cwt of No 4 as I find it is generally scarce and
selling from 1/- to d18 [eighteen pence = 1 shilling and six
pence] per lb [pound weight] the price wholesale in England is from
24/- to 28/- per Cwt [112 pound weight = one hundred weight] also 100
Gun & pistol Flints sorted and I will remit you for them when I remit for
the soap and others which I trust will be not long after I arrive there. With
love to my Aunt and Cousins and feeling particularly obliged to you for all
favors
I
remain Dr Francis your aff. Cousin Fras Atkinson
PS
I have written home from Madeira P.S.
over[leaf]
Slops
of all kinds pay an enormous profit … the Cape [of Good Hope] and at van
Diemen’s I wish I had brt some I could have sold then readily they are selling
here [Madeira] the … Trowsers [?] for 7/- that cost at a Dixon’s 2/9
[Note
added explaining the Boothby error of £2.]
July
6 1822
6
x cut Saws @ 22/- £ 6 12 0
6
do do 6 ½ feet at 24/- 7
4 0
6
do do 7 feet 7 16 0
21. 12.
0. and he has carried it out in the Invoice 23. 12. 0. consequently an error of 40/-
Rec.d
letter from Boothby 7 Sept with copy of this letter to you in reply to yours of
31 May ……..
Transcription,
Third Letter Nov 14 1822
Addressed
to: Mr Thomas Atkinson Merchant no 7 George Yard Lombard Street London
Datelined:
Cape Town Nov 14 1822
Unreadable
Ship Letter postmark indicating where brought ashore; London receiver postmark
8 FE 1823
Docketing
notes: 1822 Fras. Atkinson Cape Town – 14 Nov Ansd. p[er the ship] Aguilar for
van DL [it regularly sailed the
route to van Diemen’s Land but at the end of 1825 was deemed unable to complete
a return voyage to London and was broken up at Cape Town].
Dear
Cousin
I
have just received an order from the Capt to be on board by 10 o’clock this
morning as he wishes to be off before the South Easter blows and will leave
some of the Water Casks rather than stop he wants to get to save the Duty on
Spirits by the 1st Jan. I wrote you a few lines from Madeira – it
was expected we should not sail before Saturday next. I am happy to inform you
I have made 60/- per box for 20 Boxes of 100 to each of the yellow soap and
70/- per box for 12 Boxes of the Mottled by barter for some Hardware and
Clothes. Mr Whiston has also sold here 9 boxes of 50 to each at 58/- for the
100 and 6 do [ditto] @ 57/- of the yellow and I hope to send you a good Account
of the remainder and will send you a remittance from van Diemen’s. I have also
quitted 1 Box of each of the low Tin Plates for 20/- a Box profits the prices I
cannot say exactly as my Book is on board also the two fine tin plate Boxes at
20/- profit. Those kinds are the right ones and what are wanted. If you or your Friends were to ship any more
soap, Tin, Hams, Cheese, Butter and Slops they would meet a ready & a good
Market they are decidedly what are the most wanted and all fetch high prices
and will bear to cross the Line [the Equator?] very well if properly
packed and secured, what we have now on board are in excellent order I find
from the Books in the Commercial Exchange here that there has only been 4
Vessels to N S Wales [New South Wales]
since last Jany that have touched here. If you are inclined to send any
more Goods to this Market I can only say I will use every exertion to make it
answer to your purpose and as the Capt is waiting of me to go on board must
conclude with kind love to Aunt &
Cousins and I remain Dr Cousin Your ever aff cousin F Atkinson
P.S.
over
I
took a parcel of Skins in the way of Barter for some Draperies here which Mr
Whiston will forward to you pr the Luna or first vessel with the particulars of
each kind & I trust you will make the most of them for me and cr [edit]
me for the same they are of more value for [the] Horns being to them. I
only wish a market price ..
Transcription
Fourth Letter
I
do not have a letter from Francis Atkinson after his arrival in Hobart but I do
have this which shows that he arrived:
Addressed
to: Messrs Scurr & Atkinson 5 Newmans Court Cornhill London
Datelined:
Birmingham November 11th 1823
Postmarked
BIRMINGHAM NO 11 1823 London arrival mark 12 NO 1823
Docketing
note: 1823 Smith Walker & Horton
Birmingham 11 Nov Ansd (enclosed) 14 ~
Messrs
Scurr & Atkinson
Gentlemen
A
few days ago we had the pleasure of receiving an order from Mr Francis Atkinson
of Hobart Town van Deemans land which he wishes us to forward to your care for
shipment without delay, subject to a credit of 6 Months, or rather 12 Months
but 6 Months interest added to the Invoice. The terms we have not the least
objection to but we beg leave to state to you our invariable rule not to do any
trade in a foreign country unless we can be furnished with a responsible
guarantee in our own. Probably you would have no objection to accept our bill
for Mr F As shipment as heretofore. We cannot say the amount of the order but
we think it will not exceed £300 [equivalent to about £32 000 at 2026 prices
per Bank of England inflation calculator]. We wait the favor of your reply
& are
Gentlemen Your obliged Servts Smith Walker & Horton
Copy
of the Reply added to the original letter:
Messrs
Smith, Walker & Horton London
14th Nov 1823
Gentm
The
firm of Scurr & Atkinson being dissolved your favor of the 11th
has come into my hands & in reply thereto I can only say that having no
advice from Mr Francis Arkinson of Hobart Town, I know nothing of the Order to
which you allude. Should I receive any directions from him on the subject, or
be enabled to give a more satisfactory answer to your letter I will let you
know. I am &c F.A. [Francis Atkinson]
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