Letter 3941

Posted on August 2, 2016 by -

Arthur Rawdon to Hans Sloane – May 10, 1688


Item info

Date: May 10, 1688
Author: Arthur Rawdon
Recipient: Hans Sloane

Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 34-35


Original Page


Transcription

[fol. 34r]
For
Doctor Hans
Sloane

[fol. 35r]
Moyra May 10/88
Dr Sr
I have I believe write a dozen letters to yr Brother & cold
never hear the word of answer from him wch makes me believe
they have miscarried. I lately write by a private hand & enclosed
one to you in it, But since I have heard the Gentleman did
not goe, so yt I fear yt letter has miscarried to, this goes
by another private hand but to & I hope will come safe
to yr hands. Yrs from Jamaica wth an accompt of yr
Voyage I had, & was overjoyed to head you got so well
there, & yt if you agree so well wth the country, I am sure
ours here is a miserable one not a penny of mony to be
got for any thing in the world, No mannor of Trade
the Tenants not able to pay their rents, nor the
Landlords to forebear their tenants, so yt most of the
discourse is of Tenants dayly running away, &
tradesmen breaking, so yt I believe no country was
so ever so poor, nor is there any prospect of amendement.
I have heard yt in Jamaica on the tops of the mountains
tis usually to have frost, I desire to be resolved whether
tis so or no, & I must beg the favour of you by the
[fol. 34v]

[crosswise text]
first ship comes to Dublin yt yu wold send me some seeds, direct them
to Mr Robert King at his house in Skinners row in Dublin, & if
you can by any convenience procure seeds out of New England New York
&c they will I believe agree much better wth our climate then those of
Jamaica, & I am informed they have several sorts of Cedars, Pines &c: very
usefull timber, I wish this may come last to your hands & am
Dr Sr
Yr reall humble servant
Ar. Rawdon

Sloane MS 4036, f. 34r

Rawdon wrote to Sloane’s brother several times but received no answer. He thinks they must have been miscarried. Rawdon sent a letter to Sloane, but he believes that too was miscarried. He was glad to hear Sloane reached Jamaica safely. Rawdon says that money was scarce and people were having trouble paying their rents. He heard that it was common for frost to appear on mountain tops in Jamaica and wonders if it is true. Sloane could reach Rawdon through ‘Robert King at his house in Skinnersrow in Dublin’. He asks if Sloane could procure seeds from New England and/or New York. Rawdon believes such seeds would grow better in Europe than in Jamaica.

Sir Arthur Rawdon (1662-1695), 2nd Baronet was the son of Sir George Rawdon, 1st Baronet and Hon. Dorothy Conway. Arthur married Helena Garham circa February 1681/2 (George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume III, page 318).



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