Series 5 > British Linen Company, 1745-1775

208
THE BRITISH LINEN COMPANY
and some to be cleaned. Advise me first if you can do them. Send us a cart and
let it be loaded with the goods wanted at the Hall.
To Lord Elgin, Broomhall, Dunfermline
30 April 1770
Messrs Stark & Millar of Dunfermline sent here John McPhie’s bill dated 31
May 1769 & payable the 5th July thereafter on John Menzies in Aberdeen for
£14.17.6 and Mr William Keir’s bill 20 March last at 10 d[ays]/d[ebit] on
Gavin Hogg for £62.13.9 [total of] £77.11.3. These they paid your Lordship
Value for. We have wrote Mr Menzies & Mr Hogg to order payment, but to
no purpose as the bills lie here still unpaid. You will please give your Directions
about them as I imagine it will not answer any good purpose to keep them
here. The Directors expected more operations on your Lordship’s Account
than which have hitherto been made upon it. It will be obliging that you give
directions for paying your men in our notes.1
Court of Directors
3 May 1770
Mr Goldie the Manager when at Glasgow on the 23rd ultimo on this Com¬
pany’s business, had his pocket picked in the Inn where he lodged of £26-6/
of which £9-12/ was paid him by Wm. Craig for a bill on Oswald & Comp,
sent him by this Company to negotiate and £8-14/ of a sum paid him by Wm.
Craig to account of an acceptance due by him to this Company. The Court
considered that the £9-12/ was the property of this Company and therefore
the loss fell upon them, [but] with regard to the £8-14/ they considered Mr
Craig as liable for it but if he refused to pay it, ordered that it should also be
borne by the Company.
To W[illia]m Christie2 & W[illia]m Christie jun[io]r, Stirling
4 May 1770
I received your letter of the 30 ulto which the Directors had yesterday under
consideration but before they came to any resolution as to giving you a Cash
Credit, they desired me to write you that if it is equally convenient for you
they would rather deal with you by discounting bills payable at 3 m[onths], if
that method will not answer they beg to know to what extent annually your
1 The 5th earl of Elgin had both collieries and limeworks in the area of Dunfermline, and had founded
the port of Charlestown in 1761 to allow the shipment of his estate’s products.
2 William Christie, merchant and dyster, had been provost of StirUng several times since first holding office
in 1743.