[The Cornwall Estate, Jamaica.] Manuscript bill of loading of 'Supplies required for Cornwall Est[at]e. for the year 1838' to London bankers Messrs Hankeys, with letter from William Ridyard and estate manager Robert Locke, and copy letter from Locke.

The three items form a letter of 4pp., foolscap 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf: 'Bill loading | Messrs. Hankeys Plummer & Wilson | Mincing Lane | London | Lady Kathe Barham'. Docketed '97 Robert Locke | 10 | 28 July 1837 | Received 20 September [1837]'. The bill of loading covers the whole of the first page, with two columns of closely written items, ranging from '2300 yds Osnabury 8lbs do thread' to quinine, opium and '1 Box Hydrometer proof Bubbles from 15 to 30'. The dozens of other entries also include: '1500 needles 100 fine ditto', '1 doz (ea) soup & shallow Plates | 1/2 Breakfast cups and saucers', '1m Copper Pump Tacks', '2 Gross Wine Corks 1 dozen (ea)', '1/2 Ream Foolscap paper 6 quires | large Folio post 4 Blk ink powders | An Assortment of Garden Seeds'. Directions on the reverse of the first leaf read: 'A Plough to be made of the same dimensions as the one sent for last year but particularly to have it made of wrought Iron with three spare Mould boards three wrought Iron Coulters Six wrought Iron shares and other necessary spare Iron. The head of the plough to be attached to the land side instead of the Mould board.' There follows the 'Duplicate' of a letter from Locke to Messrs Hankeys. Among general news he writes: 'The present Season is rather unhealthy to the white population, several of whom have dropt off and I am sorry to say amongst them Mr. Moon the young man who was a Bookeeper [sic] at Cornwall'. He continues with news of Moon's illness and burial at the Cornwall Burrying Ground, 'with due attention and solemnity'. Ridyard and Locke's letter covers a whole page. Among other matters they report 'the safe landing of the Still and other articles', the 'plate for Mesopot[ami]a. Plough', 'the Ploughman McKinzie' ('as Capable as any Scotland can produce'). '[...] all that is necessary for us to say, at present, is that our Plough is of four Horse Power, and always breaks the furrow up from solid ground, it is not regular ploughing which is much easier work'. They continue on the same theme, before turning to 'Captain Morton', whom they will give 'any assistance in wainage &c he may require'. Lady Katherine Barham was the daughter of the first Earl of Verulam and widow of the MP John Foster-Barham. In 1839 she married George Villiers (1800-1870), 4th Duke of Clarendon. From the Hankey banking archive.