William Tate letters to Thomas Adams, 1792 May 26-1798 October 10.

ArchivalResource

Tate, William. William Tate letters to Thomas Adams, 1792 May 26-1798 October 10.

William Tate letters to Thomas Adams, 1792 May 26-1798 October 10.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/701831192

The collection consists of 67 letters from Tate to Adams dated from 26 May 1792 to 10 October 1798, a couple of which include transcriptions of letters from other business associates in New Orleans, Jamaica, and Barbadoes. Tate acted on behalf of Adams in London in a wide range of areas: supplying him with wine and fruit, looking after his financial interests including pursuing debtors, representing him in legal disputes (both those in London and those involving the Alnwick property), procuring books (e.g., Ireland's Shakespeare) and other articles such as wallpaper. The letters contain a wealth of financial details on stocks and bond prices. Early letters detail the bartering on a shipment of indigo from New Orleans in respect to monies owned to his brother Benjamin Adams who had died in America. As a wine merchant the letters contain many details of negotiations and trade of port and makes reference to Pitt's intention to increase the duty and reports that he was able to get Adams's pipe out before the Treasury men took stock. Throughout the correspondence, Tate makes reference to current events and conditions that affect trade, such as the banking crisis of 1792/3, the threat of invasion by France and rumors of their landing in Ireland at Lough Swilley, the mutiny of the fleet at Nore in 1797, Nelson's victory on the Nile, as well as the effects of trade caused by the frozen Thames and the loss of ships at sea.

.75 linear ft. (1 box)

Yale University, Lewis Walpole Library