Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 6, 1837
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 6, 1837
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mah
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-10-06
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 6, 1837
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: Westfield, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: mah
revision: ekk 2015-11-24
<>
Page
1
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield Oct 6. 1837.
My dear Henry
Gen Farnsworth
on me, with a wish for the settlement
of affairs between you and him. He states
that he is able to shew the continued
recognition of his contract by Peacock
after it had run out. & that under it he
had erected a building at Peacocks re-
quest. That on the receipt of Mr. Careys
Circular, recognizing old contracts
he came forward & tendered to Haight
The principal & interest due under
his contract, who refused the tender
but said he was entitled to a deed.
He further says that he has
been informed that you entertain the
belief that he has been solicitous for
a suit & ^is^ willing to give you trouble.
- against which he protests & affirms
that there is not one word of truth in
the report.
[right Margin] Lewis
Page
2
He seems rather anxious to adjust the affair
with me, but on account of the peculiar
interests connected with it, I decline to do
it. He remarked that he had asked of
Mr. Dickson
to the present time, & recieved for reply
“about $70”. This he would expect of
course to pay, and to pay up, prin-
cipal & interest on the contract. &
I doubt not be glad to quit so.
But there has been given him such
strong confidence in the success of his
claim & so much progress has since
been made in it that I doubt whether
he would do more, and since
the necessity of effecting the public mind
has passed away, and your affairs are
found in an easy & favourable position
& especially as you have written two
or three times of late, taking sides with
settlers & extending to them additional
indulgence, I have supposed it more
than probable that you would write the
Page
3
old gentleman a kind letter & let him
off on favourable terms. He expects me
to write and begs an early answer.
Capt. Chancy
old contracts, and three to stand
between us and him. I gave an article
for one till 1 Jan. which is to be decided
& Deed B. &M. made, when $75 &
inst is paid. The others, renewed
by Deed B &M in the usual way
on an understanding that we will
re[ ceive ]
Reason: wax-seal payment in april instead
of Jan'y. The business was con-
ducted with perfect decorum & apparent
satisfaction on all sides. The pride
of consistency, however induces the Capt
to persist on his resolution not to trust
himself under a mortgage
, and after ^all^ the distrust which the Capt &
his coadjuters professed to feel, it is per-
fectly apparent, that they entertain the
fullest confidence in the justice & mag-
nanimity of the office.
I have been thinking every week
that I would slip off to Batavia the next
[left Margin] Chancy takes a B.&M. on the top of ours for the mill property which he
sells, his interests are now all adjusted with the office.
Page
4
and leave returns & obtain papers & get
information, & return by Buffaloe to attend
to a few matters there; but I have been so
full of business I have not made it out yet
& see little prospect of doing it next week
only that the season is advancing & necessi-
ty presses it upon me. If I can I will
go on Monday.
Your statement of a/c with the Batavia
office will go with the present or the fol-
lowing mail.
Your grateful Brother
B.J.S.
B.J. Seward
Oct 6. 1837.
W.H. Seward Esq
Auburn
N.Y.
Westfield N.Y.
OCT 7
Type: postmark
h
B.J Seward
Oct 7. 1837
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield Oct 6. 1837.
My dear Henry
Gen Farnsworth
Birth: 1775-07-16 Death: 1855-09-26
has calledon me, with a wish for the settlement
of affairs between you and him. He states
that he is able to shew the continued
recognition of his contract by Peacock
Birth: 1780-02-22 Death: 1877-02-21
after it had run out. & that under it he
had erected a building at Peacocks re-
quest. That on the receipt of Mr. Careys
Birth: 1787-08-11 Death: 1869-06-20
Circular, recognizing old contracts
he came forward & tendered to Haight
Birth: 1799-11-28 Death: 1866-02-23
. The principal & interest due under
his contract, who refused the tender
but said he was entitled to a deed.
He further says that he has
been informed that you entertain the
belief that he has been solicitous for
a suit & ^is^ willing to give you trouble.
- against which he protests & affirms
that there is not one word of truth in
the report.
[right Margin] Lewis
Birth: 1801-08-07 Death: 1879-10-12
goes into Stockton next.He seems rather anxious to adjust the affair
with me, but on account of the peculiar
interests connected with it, I decline to do
it. He remarked that he had asked of
Mr. Dickson
Birth: 1787-07-23 Death: 1875-04-19Certainty: Probable
what the costs would be upto the present time, & recieved for reply
“about $70”. This he would expect of
course to pay, and to pay up, prin-
cipal & interest on the contract. &
I doubt not be glad to quit so.
But there has been given him such
strong confidence in the success of his
claim & so much progress has since
been made in it that I doubt whether
he would do more, and since
the necessity of effecting the public mind
has passed away, and your affairs are
found in an easy & favourable position
& especially as you have written two
or three times of late, taking sides with
settlers & extending to them additional
indulgence, I have supposed it more
than probable that you would write the
old gentleman a kind letter & let him
off on favourable terms. He expects me
to write and begs an early answer.
Capt. Chancy
Birth: 1772 Death: 1840Certainty: Probable
has been in with threeold contracts, and three to stand
between us and him. I gave an article
for one till 1 Jan. which is to be decided
& Deed B. &M. made, when $75 &
inst is paid. The others, renewed
by Deed B &M in the usual way
on an understanding that we will
re[ ceive ]
Supplied
of Jan'y. The business was con-
ducted with perfect decorum & apparent
satisfaction on all sides. The pride
of consistency, however induces the Capt
to persist on his resolution not to trust
himself under a mortgage
The charging of property by a debtor to a creditor as security for a debt, on the condition that it shall be returned on the payment of the debt within a certain period • Convey property to a creditor as security on a loan •
to the Land Office, and after ^all^ the distrust which the Capt &
his coadjuters professed to feel, it is per-
fectly apparent, that they entertain the
fullest confidence in the justice & mag-
nanimity of the office.
I have been thinking every week
that I would slip off to Batavia the next
[left Margin] Chancy takes a B.&M. on the top of ours for the mill property which he
sells, his interests are now all adjusted with the office.
and leave returns & obtain papers & get
information, & return by Buffaloe to attend
to a few matters there; but I have been so
full of business I have not made it out yet
& see little prospect of doing it next week
only that the season is advancing & necessi-
ty presses it upon me. If I can I will
go on Monday.
Your statement of a/c with the Batavia
office will go with the present or the fol-
lowing mail.
Your grateful Brother
B.J.S.
B.J. Seward
Oct 6. 1837.
W.H. Seward Esq
Auburn
N.Y.
Westfield N.Y.
OCT 7
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10Certainty: Probable
William Seward
Oct 7. 1837