Letters to Tom Pecke, of James City County; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., vol. 5, No. 4

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Letters to Tom Pecke, of James City County

   William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4.
   (Apr., 1897), pp. 269-270.

                    LETTERS TO TOM PECKE(1), OF JAMES CITY COUNTY.
                                                          July the 28th, 1659.

   Dearest Brother:
   I have sent you goods & one servant in John Chambers Mr of ye prosperous & in ye Charles,
Saml Cooper, Master, two servants and goods, two boxeds with hatts No 1, 2, C. T., and a bayle
of cloth & one mother's box in ye Bayle C.T. No 3 in ye Charles.  I pray doe ye most you can
for mee this yeare for I doe intend for to send to you in some other shipp this yeare, in ye
Pilgrim or some other shipp or by Mrs Hunt.  I am willing to doe what I can for you and doe 
stil intend for to entreat our ffather.  Hee doth not know that I have sent you a mayd servant
or goods this yeare.  I told him that I have sent James Clarke to serve you one yeare for to
helpe you till you gett other servants, and that James Clarke will doe you but little good for
you must send something for his yeare's service.  I have gott money of him for the Boy.  I pray
give him thankes & wright to him & our mother earnestly & entreat them for to supply you once
more, for I find them willing if hee could gett money in and happily hereafter hee may, however
in ye meantime I will not be unmindful of if I see opportunity for to doe you good.  I have
spoke to one yt was mr Gowres man one mr Thomas Solsbury newly out of his time for to make you
his ffactor for he is heare part owner of a shipp, & told mee that hee did intend hir for 
James River but ye rest of the owners were not agreed, & hee answeared if hee could have his
will he would not be unmindfull of my Brother.  If anything happen, I pray doe your best, for
hee is a man of gentile spiritt & much a gentleman & mrchant, and if I bee not mistaken hee is
of a better nature than young Mr Gower.  I pray if tobacco be very deare, I mean ordinary, 
send not too much but rather if you can send me a bill of Exchange for to receive moneys & 
some sweet scented soe they be very right that I may have moneys for to cleare them.  I pray
send one hogshead of yor owne cropp & Ile send you how it proceeds here.  As for ye mayd I have
promised hir that shee should be a servant in your house for to ye worke of a servant mayd &
that shee should not be sold unlesse that some planter for a wife.  I pray send
_______________________________________________________________
   (1) Tom Pecke was a merchant who had a store in James City county.  From the records the 
store appears to have been pretty well stocked.  These letters were recorded in York county in
connection with the administration of his estate.

Page 270.

returne for hir.  Remember my kind love to my sister & I pray be kind to James Clarke.  Soe I
rest yor Brother to serve you & love whilst I am                  CHARLES PECKE.
   I pray sned this letter inclosed as soon as you can.
   Rec.r 17 Novemb 1659.

   Tom:  Out of a true sense of yor condition which hath more wrought uppon mee than my own
Necessityes, I have to my own prejudice sent you another servant (vizt) a Boy; which though it
may seeme but little to you, yet to mee in ye condition I am yet in it is a great matter to
spare Tenne pounds, for soe much or neare it every servant stands mee in.  Besides you may
consider what I have formerly done for you which I am sure hath been more than any man in
England of my Estate hath done for his younger children.  May there be many that have farre 
greater estates then I ever had have not done hardly halfe soe much for them as I have done.
But if God blesse me & ever make me able, I shall doe what is fitting for mee to doe hoping
God will blesse your Industry in ye meane time, & that above all things your care to serve
him shall Increase more & more which that it may is ye dayly prayers of
              Yor Loving ffather
   July 26, 1659.                                H. PECKE.
   To Mr Tho: Pecke mrchant att skiffes creeke on James River in Virginia.
   Recordr 17 Novem 1659.