24 | To Lord Barrington

    Boston January 17. 1761

    My Lord

    I am favoured with yours of the 15th of Oct.142 which like every other adds much to my Obligations to Your Lordship. I beg through your hands to return my thanks to Mr. Shute Barrington for his concern for my son. I have had that business so much at heart, especially as I had recd. advice that there would be great intrest made on that Occasion, that I have been unnecessarily troublesome to your Lordship, having then recd. Advice that a Ship which Carried a letter to your Lordship, was taken & not knowing then that my second Venture had escaped.143

    I have received advice from Mr. Bollan the Agent for this Province that he has had full & proper Assurance that my Commission will be renewed.144 As I am undoubtedly indebted to your Lordship for this repeated favor I must beg leave to return your Lordship my Particular thanks for my being continued in His Majestys service. And at the same time I must beg leave to state my present case, as it is very singular, without any imputation to the gratefull sense I have of the unmerited honour that has been conferred upon me.

    It is no uncommon thing for a man’s purse to be impaired by perferment coming too fast upon him. I remember to have read of a Bishop’s being undone by too frequent translations.—My case is as uncommon as I suppose that of Any one whatsoever: I shall have had three Commissions within the space of 3 years; the two latter will I suppose be within the space of one year. The fees of a Commission are not less than £400: I have now before me an account of the fees of my first Commission to the amount of £390, tho it does not include all. So that by this time I suppose I shall have Pd. £1200 in fees, & I shall have received from New Jersey 2 years at £800, £1600 & 1 year from Boston including the whole of the Current Year to the End of May next £1100, total £2700, dėd £1200 remains 1500 Thus my public account would stand, according to which I should have £500 a year for my 3 years service But when I apply my private Account to this I find it more against me. I expended in fitting myself out at least £1600, including my fees which may be thus divided: fees £400, Expences of Voyage £300 Expences of Journeys, carriage & living in London & Portsmouth £300 Cloaths Equipage & other trapings of Government £600 So that adding the three last articles to the former one of fees I have Expended in the whole £2400 in qualifying myself for these Governments. There are two articles that may be added to my receipt; the Gratuities received at my accession which were at New Jersey £300 at Boston £225.145 These are give[n] towards the Expence of removing & settling; & considering that against this be sett the extraordinary expence of two settlings & one removal, they will go far to Answer both, But supposing the least of the sums will Answer these Extraordinary expences, my Account will stand thus

    Cr.

    The Expences of fitting out &c.

    1200

    Dr.

    the 3 years income

    2700

    The fees of 3 Commissions

    1200

    The Jersey Gratuity_

    3[00]

    1400

    3000

    [2400]

    After this I need not say that after 3 years service I have not got a step forward towards retrieving my first Expence: & this is not owing to any miscalculation mismanagement or disappointment but only to the uncommon accident of having so many Commissions to sue out in so short a time.

    Pardon me my Good Lord for being so explicit on this subject: It is only to apologise for a request (as I have too often occasion to do) which I have to make that your Lordship would be so good to advise Mr. Pownal to whom I have wrote on this Subject146 whether it may not be proper to petition the Lords of the treasury for a grant on this uncommon occasion to what may be urged in my favor on this Subject, may be added my Service at the Indian treaty at Easton, which produced immediately the surrender of Pittsburg & soon after the entire reconcilation of the 6 Nations, I have learnt to set a value upon this service, from the great Compliments I have recd. on the Occasion; but never expected a particular reward nor should have mentioned it in that light otherwise than a make weight to another request.147 If their Lordships of the treasury will be pleased to grant me £800 (being the fees of two Commissions) they will amply reward me if they will grant me £500 or 400 I shall be quite satisfied & thankfull. If this Applicasion should be approved of I have desired Mr. Pownall to communicate this request to my Lord Halifax; but I did not care to write to him my self, till I was better satisfied about the reasonableness & practability of my request.

    I am

    Lord Barrington

    L, LbC BP, 1: 292-295.

    Nothing came of FB’s request for reimbursement, as Barrington reported in a letter of 6 Jun. 1761. “I have made enquiries whether any allowance could be made by the Government here in consideration of the expence you have been at, and particularly of the enormous fees paid on the passing of your Patents. I have talk’d to the duke of Newcastle on this Subject, but I find nothing can be obtain’d; whatever is paid on such occasions, must come out of the Civil List, a fund considerably lessened by the King’s moderation when it was settled, and his bounty since: besides great apprehensions of the danger of making a precedent. I should think your best way would be, to get your case properly represented to the Assembly.” BP, 9: 209-212.