James Claypoole's 1683 Letter on His Family’s Arrival in Philadelphia & Request for Enslaved Laborers

After his family’s arrival in Philadelphia, James Claypoole once again wrote to his brother Edward, in Barbados. In this letter, James requested Edward send 4 Black people to labor in his new home at the corner of Front and Walnut Street, extending to Dock Creek. To view the whole four-page letter, click on the document images below to see large full-size images on the letter re-written in Claypoole’s letter book. Scroll down to see a transcription of the letter.

James Claypoole Letter Book, 1681-1683, pp. 426-429. Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Am.045.

Title: James Claypoole's 1683 Letter on His Family’s Arrival in Philadelphia & Request for Enslaved Laborers
Date: 1683
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Object Information: Letter book, paper document
Repository: Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Description:
In the tenth month of the Quaker calendar, December 2, 1683, James Claypoole, a London merchant now settled in Philadelphia, wrote to his brother, Edward Claypoole in Barbados to inform him of his family’s arrival in the city. Amid writing about his house and requesting rum and molasses, once again James requested Edward, the owner of a large sugar “plantation” on the island of Barbados, to send four Black people, a woman, man, boy, and girl, and if not possible at least, a boy, 12 to 20 years old. Unfortunately, the consecutive letter book has been lost, therefore, it is not clear if James ever received the people that he requested from his brother in 1683. These letters were written before the arrival of the first known group of Angolans kidnapped and trafficked on the ship Isabella in 1685 to Philadelphia to be sold and enslaved by Quaker settlers in the new city of Philadelphia.

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Pages of the 1683 Letter

Click on the images below to see full-size versions. Courtesy of the Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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TRANSCRIPT
[Page 1]
Dear Brother Edward Claypoole
Philadelphia, 2^nd, 10^th mo., 1683

My last to thee was the 10^th, 5^th month, which I sent from Gravesend by Captain Manbey [the Arabella], with 6 agate knives, which I hope are come safe to hand. If I can, I will upon this sheet send thee copy of the said letter.As to our voyage from England to this place, we went on board the Concord at Gravesend the 24^th, 5^th month, and after we lost sight of England, which was in about 3 weeks’ time, we were 49 days before we saw land in America, and the 1^st, 8^th month [October], some of us went ashore in Pennsylvania. The blessing of the Lord did attend us so that we had a very comfortable passage and had

[Page 2]
our health all the way.
We came to this city the 8^th or 10^th, 8^th month, where I found my servant had builded me a house like a barn, without a Chimney, 40 foot long and 20 broad with a good dry cellar under it, which proved an extraordinary conveniency for securing our goods and lodging my family. Although it stood me in very dear, for he had run me up for diet & work near £60 sterling, which I am paying as money comes in for goods. To this I built a kitchen of 20 foot square where I am to have a double chimney, which I hope will be up in 8 or 12 days.

I writ to thee to send me 4 blacks, viz., a man, a woman, a boy, a Girl, but being I was so disappointed in England as not to send thee those goods though wrote for, I could not expect thou wouldst send them. If they had been sent, I should have taken it very kindly and have balanced account with thee in some reasonable time. Now my desire is that if thou dost not send them all, however, to send me a boy between 12 & 20 years, & if thou wilt, send some rum and molasses which are no in great demand, 5s (shillings) per gallon & 2s per gallon. I will dispose of it for thee and send the produce either in bills for England or silver or oil, or some other way which yet we know not. Thou must send also a ton of sugar, 2 hhds. Thirds and 2 hhds. fourths, and ½ ton of ginger, 5 cwt. scraped, and 5 cwt. scalded, and I shall, if thou wilt, be ½ concerned.My lot in this place proves to be especially [good] for trade, one of the [best] in the city, and though I employ my time in serving the Society, being treasurer, for which I have £100 sterling, yet my wife and children with my direction shall manage the business as well as if I did it myself, & I will be accountable for all. So I desire thee, let us have a little trade together, and as I writ formerly, if thou wilt take for thyself, or for any other, 1,000 or 2,000 Acres of land in this Country, the sooner the better. For people come in so fast that it is like to be much dearer in a little time. It’s judged about 1,000 people came in 6 weeks, so that it is already worth double what it was, 1,000 Acres being now at £40 sterling.Samuel Carpenter is next but one to me & is likely to get a great estate quickly. W[illia]m Frampton is on the other side of me, building a great brewhouse. If I had time and could write for cold, having no Chimney, I would have filled some sheets paper in giving

[Page 3]
thee account of the Country and our settlement, trade, and laws, etc., but now I must be excused till another time, only this short, I do believe it will prove a very healthy Country, and that great improvements may be made in a few years by Industry & Skill. (account details of items James sent to Edward to sell, money sent to Edward that James owed him, details about their brother Norton who intended to sell his land and houses and move to Philadelphia, then pay his debt to James, asked about Edward’s interest in selling whale oil and silver).

[Page 4]
Thy Assured Loving Brother.
(Invoice of items James sent to Edward via the ship Comfort, George Thorpe, master (captain), to Barbados and a postscript.)

Note: Marion Balderston noted that the ship was actually the Endeavor, not the ship Comfort, which had recently arrived from Liverpool and was bound for Barbados with James's merchandise for Edward to sell. See James Claypoole’s Letter Book: London and Philadelphia, 1681-1684, ed. Marion Balderston (San Marino: Huntingdon Library Publications, 1967), Internet Archive Books, accessed July 2, 2024, https://archive.org/details/jamesclaypoolesl0000mari/mode/2up.)