Note Type
Cataloging NoteNote
Transcribed by Danya Bichsel with assistance from app.transkribus.org:
Mattapoisett Jan. 9th 1839.
Mr. Wolcott.
Dear Sir. I hope you got home well from your journey & ex-
perienced no ill effects from your rapid & rough trav-
elling. Soon after you left here I perceived that it was necessary for
me to write to you, & I am sorry that I could not have done
it at that time. You will recollect I informed you I was much
engaged in preparing a Discourse for the Plymouth Anniver-
sary. I had no intermmission of labour till that business was fin-
ished, Dec. 22d. The week following I attended the Board of Education
at Boston, which carried me through the week. And I have had
no opportunity to write till now.
I am satisfied that in our Contract, in which you purchased,
my land, you did not do me, or perhaps more properly, I did
not do myself, justice. I have ever considered that piece of land
worth, at least, 400 dollars. It has paid me a rent of at least
24 dollars a year, exclusive of expences. And I considered it the
best property I had. It appears clearly that you considered it
worth that, from the consideration named in the Deed. You
desired to have it fixed "at 400 dollars or over." You evidently
expect to have it answer that sum at least to you, & I pre
sume it will; I hope it will. I presume you will get that
with the expences of your journey. You give me 312 dollars,
six months without interest. There can be no justice on pro-
priety that I should lose 88 dollars. - If you ask, how I came
to do so? I would say that I felt that you came here to make
me a visit, which you have often talked of. It did not occur to
me that you came for the sake of making that purchase, still
less of getting my land, the only piece I owned, as low as it could be.
I am so little accustomed to making bargains, that I am not
on the look out for such things, as most men are. You men
tioned several things, that Mr. Rollo offered his very low, that
the land had become much poorer, that you could not rent it, that all
that lived it lost by it, that Mr. Tilley had got what he wanted,
se. se. which at first had a good deal of influence on my mind.
But I am convinced that I was misled. My mind was so much
more intent on making your visit pleasant to you, & having
my friends here see you, which they much wanted, having
heard me speak of you so often, that & thought but little about
the bargain. You reduced the sum per acre to the lowest price that I gave
for the poorest of the land, deducting an eighth of an acre for loss
by the river. And at the conclusion, as you was about to leave,
struck off half a year's interest. It gave me disagreeable feelings,
but I thought you had made all the bargain yourself & said
nothing. – I conclude you will do me justice. – You spoke
about not being well satisfied with the former settlement
of our accounts. I have all the papers now, & am convinced
that you have no claim against me, in fact or equity. At the
last summary of our accounts, I set down the bill for board &
house-keeping, at the same sum as at the preceding reckoning.
After I had left Windsor, you received some payments from
the society, amounting to ninety dollars & a little over, above
the sum due you, as the accounts then stood. On completing
the business, you mentioned that that boarding-bill was too
low. I asked if you would be satisfied with the 91 dollars, then in
your hands; you said you would, & so it was balanced. I presume
we could go over it all now, if it were necessary. _ I am not in-
sensible of the kindness + favours I received in your family, &
never shall be. Mrs. Wolcott did much for me. So did you, & your
excellent son + daughter. On the other hand, I even felt it to be
my duty to do as much for you & them as I could. I have never
been as well accommodated since I left your house, & have never
done half as much for any other family. You know that what
I did in that respect gave much offence to my people, I think
unreasonably, & was no small cause of my leaving them.
And now, Sir, what shall be done? My first wish would be
to have the contract made void, & the land be restored to me.
And I will pay you the expences of your journey. If you can do
that I shall be satisfied. If you cannot do that, I hope you will be willing to
give me an additional Note of 88 dollars, & deduct from the
same the expence of the journey; including however the nine
dollans of interest that I ought to receive on the Note --(ripped)
have given me. -- If these propositions do not meet your
views, I am willing to leave the matter to the decision of your
two sons Tudor & Mr Haskell. At any rate, I think your deed
ought to speak truth. It makes me say that I have received 400
dollars, when I have but 312. It makes me say an untruth. The 400 is very ... what I paid
for it, a little more or less, I suppose I can ascertain. It has ever
been worth that to me, & you can certainly do better by it than
I can. I feel confident that I should be willing to rectify
such an error, & I trust you will. I have but a little property, I
am getting into years, & I need all that belongs to me.
I hope you will write soon & let me know which course you
think proper to take. -- My kind regards to all of your family.
Your faithful friend, Thomas Robbins.
