Series 5 > British Linen Company, 1745-1775

DEBT AND DEVOLUTION, 1763-1764
189
The court thereafter named Lord Kames, Messrs Whitefoord, Boyes,
Guthrie, Tyler, and John Tod as a Committee of Proprieton, to meet with
the Directors and consider the said state, and the above plan of trade followed
by the Directors since 30 May 1763 (independent of their late copartnery).
And also to consider of any proposals that may be made by their late copartners
Messrs Alexanders and McCulloch. And appointed the Directors and said
committee of Proprietors, after considering of said matters, to report their
opinion upon the whole to the next General Court which is adjourned to
Monday the seventh day of January next.
To William Fonyth, Cromarty
17 December 1764
I wrote you on the 15th current and agreeable thereto have this day made
application to the Board of Customs here to allow you to return by the
Expedition Capt Inglis for Leith the six tons of flax unloaded by mistake &
what yams you may have ready for Leith; as to all which the Board here have
by this post given orders to their officers & Messrs A & G Guthrie the owners
of the vessel have wrote to Capt Inglis. If that ship is sailed please to get an
opportunity to ship the flax for Mr Richard Neilson at Dundee, where it is
much wanted, but if that is not to be had you must just send it to Leith per
Paterson’s vessel as you proposed, advising me in all of these cases that I may
make insurance.
I come now more particularly to reply to yours of the 26th Nov., 5th and
10th Dec. acknowledged in my last. Since things have happened thus with
regard to Mr Anderson, it is a pity you had not allowed that flax to remain in
the vessel as I wrote you formerly, & saved the trouble and expense of
reshipping it but Mr Anderson deceived us all. As the Company have again
taken all these contracts into their own hands we will in all things act so as shall
[be] most for the interest of all concerned. And I beg to know from you against
what time you would choose the next year’s quota offlax should it be delivered
at Cromarty. I am thoroughly convinced of the impropriety of its being late
in the season but that we were obliged to submit to this year on sundry
accounts. Pray yourself, & cause the other undertakers, keep the flax now
delivered by this Company separate in every respect from any that may be
delivered by Messrs. McC[ulloch] & Co. Send them the produce of their own,
and this Company the produce of this. I must beg the favour that you will take
the trouble to make out the accounts thereof with as great exactness as possible
both for yourself & the other undertakers & send them to me. It surely can be
done so as on the whole to make a very triffling if any error & your care &
exactness therein will be a particular favour done me.