fact and claim of right which pervade this letter make it a model, and will indicate that the young planter and colonel was in full control of the subject and the situation. And on June 12, 1759, he tells the same correspondent that he had written him on May 1, and adds: "I shall expect also . . . to receive some account of the sales of the estate's tobacco sent you, and an account current. As the last is necessary for me to compare with my own account in order to satisfactory settlement with our General Court, I entreat you to be punctual in sending me one every spring and fall yearly. I shall keep the estate under the same direction as formerly, neither altering the managers, the kind of tobacco, nor the manner of treating it, unless you advise otherwise for our interest. "And while I continue to pursue this method, I hope you will be able to render such sales as will not only justify the present consignments to you but encourage my enlarging them; for I shall be candid in telling you, that duty to the charge with which I am entrusted, as well as self-interest, will incline me to abide by those who give the greatest proof of their abilities in selling my own and the estate's tobacco, and purchasing goods of which I cannot otherwise judge than by the accounts that will be rendered." The French and Indian War was over in Virginia when Washington became successor to his wife as administrator of the estate of Daniel Parke Custis and guardian of her children, but in the rest of the world and especially on the high seas it still raged vigorously; and so Washington wrote, "I shall find occasion to write you fully by the fleet" which then, as later in 1917 and 1918, was convoyed across to England by men-of-war, and he said: "Till then I shall forbear to trouble you with particulars." In September 1759 the fleet sailed and These cautious admonitions were probably not neces sary; at any rate the friendship which ripened out of the acquaintance thus begun in 1759 continued for forty years, despite time, the changes of firm, the Revolution, the political independence of the United States, and the engrossment of Washington in larger affairs. Robert Cary and Com pany and Wakelin Welch, their successor, were the firm and faithful friends of Washington and of the United States throughout, and enjoyed the confidence and conspicuous consideration of the man who trusted them though he never saw them, or they him except in the fine portrait they sent Sharples in 1794 from London to paint for them. Washington wrote, as he said he would, fully: MOUNT VERNON, September 20, 1759. GENTLEMEN: This will make the fourth letter I have written you since my marriage to Mrs. Martha Custis. The first two served to cover invoices of such goods as I wanted and to advise you at the same time of the change in her affairs; and how necessary it would be to address, for the future, all your letters, which relate to the estate of the deceased Colonel Custis, to me. The last tended only to order insurance on fifteen hogsheads of tobacco, sent by the Fair American. After remarking upon some difficulties experienced by the agents in fighting new import duties, he continues: "I likewise observe the difficulties you have met with in settling for the interest of the bank stock; but I hope that this is now over, unless any part or the whole should require transferring (when a division of the estate is made) and timely notice will be given; but until this happens, it may be received and placed to the estate's credit in the usual manner. "From this time it will be requisite that you should raise three accounts; one for me, another for the estate, and a third for Miss Patty Custis, or if you think it more eligible (and I believe it will be) make me debtor on my own account for John Parke Custis, and for Miss Martha Parke Custis, as each will have their part of the estate assigned them this fall, and the whole will remain under my management, whose particular care it shall be to distinguish always, either by letter or invoice, for whom tobaccos are shipped, and for whose use goods are imported, in order to prevent any mistakes arising. . . It must appear very plain from my former letters, as well as from what is here said, how necessary it is to send regular accounts current, that, by comparing them with the books here, satisfactory settlements may from time to time be made to our General Court." Under date of "28 May 1762," Washington wrote again to Robert Cary and Company, and regarding the bank stock said: "My letter of the 25th of January will Dane 1) Parke Custis is deceased as appears by Litters of Administrations granted at Doctor Commons 16 July 1774. To Martha Washington Wize of George Washington Esquines formerly Custed / save and except only so far For as concerns all Dividends which were due at the time of his Death or thereafter became due on all such his Stock. Hare & Interest in the Capital Hock & Funds of the Governor MCompany of the Bank of England and which have beenituurd by the said John Moorey). Registred 24 Seps. 1734 And on the 23. Sept. 1784 Letton of Administration with theWill annied of the Goods unadministered wire granting a Doctor Commons to Wakelin Welch the lawful. Bittoney of Martha Washington formerly Crested Wife of this. Excellinor The Honourable Ginge Washington the Relict and Administratie of third of the Goods of Daniel Parke fustes deer whilst living. The on sole Executor and Residuary Legatio named in the Will of the Honourables Fotin (usted hate of the Eity of Williamsburgh Mrent, of dames Eity in the Elony of Virginia duccard Registred 24 Sept. 1784 alhelin Welch. Administrator the attorney to Martha Copy of record in books of the Bank of England relating to stock (£1650) owned by John Custis, bequeathed to Daniel Parke Custis and descended to Martha Custis (later wife of George Washington) and her children. By his marriage, Washington acquired one-third of this stock. inform you how the interest of the bank stock is to be applied. As that fund was appropriated towards the payment of Miss Custis' fortune, I am informed that the stock ought to be transferred to her. You will please, therefore, to have it done accordingly, and whatever charges may arise, in so doing, place to her account. I hope Messrs. Hill & Co. will send the wine into this river, for I had rather have it in Madeira than at York." The subject of the bank stock and Washington's relation to it, seems never to have excited any interest on the part of those who have written the story of his life and times. In the summer of 1917 the writer of this article was in pursuit of a study of the business affairs of Washington. It occurred to him that these references to shares of stock in a bank could apply only to the Bank of England, and that if so, here lay the beginnings, perhaps, of a story of interest to the American and British public, at a moment filled with fraternal feeling. England in 1917, was pretty deeply engaged in making history and the United States likewise. For several years we had been sending money, food, and munitions across the Atlantic and now were landing ships and men, to help ward off the white peril to democracy and civilization. Perhaps the play of "hands across the sea" made the time not unfavorable to rouse an interest in a longforgotten business, the record of which must be found chiefly in the mother country. At least it was worth while to take the chance and so this letter was sent to the Hon. Walter H. Page, ambassador of the United States, at London, with the kind assistance of the administration at Washington. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, August 27th, 1917. DEAR SIR: In preparing my book, "The Estate of George Washington, deceased," I discovered that the General, through his marriage with the widow of Daniel Parke Custis in 1759, became the owner of some shares in the Bank of England-concerning which some correspondence on his part is preserved here. My purpose in writing to you is to ask your kind assistance in ascertaining from the Bank whether or not any records, documents, or letters to or from him, relating to the subject are preserved in its files and, if so, to obtain copies, photographic or otherwise, and such other information on the subject as the Bank may be able to give, with a view to my telling the story of his connection with the institution in some proper time and place. I appreciate, of course, that you and the Bank are both too busy to take up any merely speculative side issue of a curiosity hunting scribe, but as I wish to use the information only for historical purposes, I trust both you and the Bank will find this of sufficient importance to give it examination. In less than three months, despite the dreadful days of the autumn of 1917, on November 26, to be exact, the secretary of state transmitted to the writer a copy of the ambassador's despatch of November 2 (No. 7426), which acknowledged the receipt of my letter and covered the subject by enclosing the reply received from Lord Cunliffe, the governor of the Bank of England. SIR: BANK OF ENGLAND 1st November, 1917. Referring to your letter of the 23rd ultimo, I have caused a search of the Bank records to be made in the matter of Mr. Prussing's enquiry, with the result that no account has been found in Bank Stock in the name of George Washington. The books have been searched from the year 1747 to 1798. There was however a sum of this stock standing in the year 1735, and subsequently, in the name of John Custis of the City of Williamsburgh, Virginia, of whom Daniel Parke Custis was registered as executor. Daniel Parke Custis died and Letters of Administration were granted in 1774 to Martha Washington, formerly Custis, wife of George Washington. In 1784 letters of administration with the Will annexed of the goods unadministered of the said John Custis were granted to Wakelin Welch, "the "lawful Attorney of Martha Washington, "wife of His Excellency the Honourable "George Washington the Relict and Ad"ministratrix of the rest of the Goods of "Daniel Parke Custis decd." In connection with this account it is found that dividend instructions were given in November 1759, signed by George Washington and Martha Washington, and I enclose a photograph of this document and of the entry in the Bank Stock Register relating to the account, both of which may be of interest to Mr. Prussing in his investiga In using the material, full credit to all tions. [Pages 551 and 553.] concerned will follow as of course. Believe me, my dear Sir, Faithfully yours, EUGENE E. PRUSSING. Hon. Walter Hines Page, It will be seen that Martha Washington was registered on the account as Administratrix from 1778 to 1784, and it may be that the correspondence referred to in the enquiry relates to this holding, but the Bank cannot trace that the name of George Washington appears in con Pay Mr John Moory or Rob Carry Gg. all Dividends now due, or shack hereafter, GJ Washington Martha Washington Dan. Parke Custis Dec?__ Original in possession of the Bank of England. Refers to shares of stock standing in the name of John Custis, of Virginia, father of Daniel Parke Custis, whose estate passed to his widow (Mrs. W.) and children. The shares were held until 1784 and then sold on Washington's order. nection with any further documents or bottom. It is the earliest document we letters in their possession. I am, Sir, Yours faithfully, CUNLIFFE. S. L. Crosby, Esq., First Secretary, now have evidencing the marriage of Washington. It is published for the first time. The document on page 551 is a transcript from the bank's stock ledger and notes first the death of Colonel Custis and Embassy of the United States of the grant of letters of administration upon America. his estate on July 16, 1774, in the Archbishop of Canterbury's Court-the Pro The two documents enclosed in this bate Court of England, called Doctors' letter are here reproduced. The one above is all in the handwriting of Washington, except the signature of his wife and the clerk's notation at the Commons; and second, the grant of letters of administration in the same court on September 23, 1784, to Wakelin Welch, referred to in Lord Cunliffe's letter. The appended note in the ledger shows matters of tradition. The date is reasonthe extent of the holding: "I am emboldened by my first success in this matter of great interest to the American public, to quote to you the old proverb of Roumanian origin, which says: 'Having done us one favor, you are under obligations to do us another.' I trust it needs no assurance on my part to make you feel that it will be gratefully received and that reciprocity will be my aim. "When I opened this subject in my letter to Ambassador Page, I did not fully state what I hoped to find, as that letter was intended chiefly to be one of preliminary discovery. The case is this: "We have at hand a letter from Washington to Robert Cary, his wife's agent in London, dated May 1, 1759, the first after his marriage in the preceding January, in which he opens up the subject of his interest in his wife's affairs and those of her two children. I append a copy of this letter. (A) "In the opening paragraph of that letter, with which only we are now concerned, he refers to the enclosure of his marriage certificate and a decree of the General Court at Richmond, Virginia, in substantiation of his rights. "It is my hope that both these documents, and perhaps others, have been preserved and are in the Bank's possession, as evidence to support the dividend order, because, curiously enough, there is no record now existing here of this marriage, and even the date and place are merely ably certain because of a casual remark said to have been made by General Washington on January 6, 1790 that it was his wedding anniversary. The parish records and the Court records were destroyed, the former, probably, during the Revolution, the latter, certainly, during the Rebellion of 1861-'65. Permit me to state the history of the shares in the Bank briefly. "They were originally owned by John Custis of Virginia and London, who devised them to his son Daniel Parke Custis upon whose death, in 1757, they passed to his wife and minor children, Martha Custis, John Custis and 'Patsy' Custis. Mrs. Custis was appointed Administratrix to her husband's Estate and while such, in January 1759, married George Washing ton. "General Washington thus became entitled to his wife's share and as Guardian of her children, was in control of their portions. This was confirmed by the decree above referred to, in the General Court at Richmond." Then followed quotations from the letters. to Robert Cary given in this article, and the letter continued detailing the history of the Custis estate interest in the bank stock until Washington became sole owner, and concluded with a request for further information, through the bank's solicitors, concerning bank or court records on the subject, and this apology: "I know this is 'a large order,' espe cially when times are not favorable for inquiries of this character, but it seems a matter of duty to exhaust the subject now so favorably begun, despite the concluding lines of your letter to Ambassador Page, dated November 1, 1917, wherein you say 'the Bank cannot trace that the name of George Washington appears in connection with any documents or letters in their possession.' About a month later I received "passed by the censor," in a plain tissue-paper envelope, a letter from the then deputygovernor of the Bank of England, Sir Brien Cokayne (now the successor of Lord Cunliffe, as governor). The letter covered three long legal-cap pages on plain paper, no printing, engraving, or other ex |