Description:

Robertson James - British General James Robertson to Elias Boudinot regarding New Jersey property of James Drummond, 1st Baron of Perth, what is now the city of Perth Amboy



4 pp ALS penned by General James Robertson to Elias Boudinot, Esq. from Wimpole Street in London, England on April 30, 1785. Rapidly inscribed in compact script on three full pages with small paragraph, post script, and docket on fourth page. Signed "James Robertson" at letter's end. The letter is docketted in Boudinot's hand verso. Expected wear including fold marks, minor toning, and light ink bleeding, each page measuring 7.375" x 8.625".

General James Robertson (1717-1788), recently retired to England after an illustrious military and political career in America, writes a letter to New Jersey lawyer Elias Boudinot (1740-1821) regarding the financial matters of James Drummond, 1st Baron of Perth (1744-1800). Lord Drummond had inherited the earldom of Perth following the death of his older brother Thomas in 1781. (Thomas Lundin attempted to negotiate a peace between the 13 colonies and George III immediately preceding the American Revolution.) In 1785, Boudinot had just agreed to serve as one of Lord Drummond's attorneys in America, joining a Mr. Smith and a Capt. Rutherford already representing family interests in New Jersey. It is not entirely clear why General Robertson took such an interest in Lord Drummond's affairs, although it is likely that the two knew each other as both were Scottish officers in the British Army.

In the letter, Robertson speculates about the total worth of the Perth estate as well as how Lord Drummond's finances would be affected by his recent marriage. General Robertson estimated that income from Lord Drummond's "North Country" [Scotland] estates amounted to about ë£10,000, but that ë£4,000 of outstanding debts had also been inherited by the new earl. Neither was Lord Drummond's financial situation ameliorated by his marriage to Clementina Elphinstone (1749-1822) almost exactly one month before this letter was written. General Robertson underscores the importance of marrying for money: "I'm told Capt. Drummond intends to discharge them [the debts] faithfully, [as] he has lately marryd [sic] a daughter of Lord Elphinstones [sic] a Lady of beauty and merit - but without the third requisite for making the married state happy - " To pay off some of the debt, Lord Drummond "deems to entertain a wish that the ... American estate may be discharged there as it will be some time before saving can be made to answer all the debts and demands here ... ". The "American estate" here described were tracts around modern Perth, Amboy New Jersey acquired by the family in the seventeenth century.

The rest of the letter goes into more detail about various financial matters. General Robertson ends his letter by wishing that it "can contribute to your amusement and convenience, [as] this is the only advantage I can propose from living in a country at a distance from you. I am with much regard Dear Sir your obliged & obt servant James Robertson".

Portions of the text with untouched spelling errors can be found below:

"Dear Sir, Convinced of your regard for poor Lord Drummond, and pleasd with an Idea, that the civilitys I have received from you was markd with some regard for me I'm happy that you will undertake the troublesome task of joining Mr. Smith and Capt. Rutherford as attorney to Capt. Drummond in America...

This gentleman is about to enter into possession of a princely estate - the North Country - will probably be worth ten thousand a year, when well managed, altho it has not produced a government above those ...

I have given him the information I received from your letter, desiring that his sister Lady Rachel may send me a deed appointing the attorneys named by him to be ? here. I have repeated to him the resume I gave him of your services to Lord Drummond, and indeed to the whole family as I do not know whether Lord Drummond had satisfied your trouble till the time of his leaving ... "

General James Robertson served as an officer in the British Army during the French & Indian War. From 1779 to 1783, Robertson served as 40th colonial governor of New York. Following the British surrender, Robertson returned to England where he died four years after writing this letter. Elias Boudinot managed a thriving law practice, served as Commissary-General of Prisoners during the Revolutionary War, was elected a New Jersey state representative, and later administrated the United States Mint. James Drummond, 1st Baron of Perth served in the British Army in India during the 1780s. In later life, he managed his Scottish estates and served as a British peer.

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