Petty France Westm[inster]
6th March 1710
Honord Sir.
I am very sorry to hear that Your Excellency is still Wind-bound at one of the most disagreable places in England, and yet it had been very unlucky to our Society if you had not been stopt there till now, and now I can say ‘tis our Interest & Inclination too, that your Excellency shou’d be at your Government as soon as possible, for I think the Society has now done all that in them lies to get the possession of Gen[eral] Codrington’s plantations in Barbados, having last night dispatcht away to you the only Instrument remaining, viz. the Exemplification of their Charter, of which a Duplicate is also sent by another hand to out attorneys, there shou’d indeed have been done one thing more, and that was to procure from the Queen some Instructions to Your Excellency to take our Gov[ernou]r of Barbados
Concerns into your particular protection & to Countenance and favour the Society in all just & Necessary prosecutions of the Recovery of the said Plantations; & accordingly the Society addresst her Maj[es]ty so to do; but contrary to our expectations she has been pleased to refer their petition to the Attorney or Sollicitor Gen[era]l thro’ whose hands it cannot pass without trouble and expence & (what is more grievous) so much time, that I fear your Excellency will be gone, before it can be dispatcht; whereas we were in hopes that the Queen wou’d have Directed my Lord Dartmouth, or the Lords Commissioners of Trade to have signifyed to You the desire of the Society, and her own pleasure concerning it. Sr I have but one thing more to trouble you with, and that is to Crave Your advice and assistance about the Society’s Share of the Island of
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Barbuda, concerning which there has as yet been nothing done by them, thro’ the hurry and Multiplicity of other business; and yet some Care ought certainly to be taken of all that stock of Negroes, Cattle &c upon the said Island; I begg therefore that You will be pleased to Communicate Your Thoughts upon that Affair to
Honor’d Sir
Your Excellency’s
Most faithfull humb Serv[an]t
J C
6th March 1710/11
Copy of my Letter
to Gov[ernou]r Lowther.