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
transcriberTranscriber: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
Person
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
Person
location:
Westfield NY
Place
Name: City: Westfield
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: mah
revision: ekk 2015-11-24
<>
Page 1
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield Oct 6. 1837.
My dear Henry
Gen Farnsworth
Name: Joseph Farnsworth
Birth: 1775-07-16
Death: 1855-09-26
has called
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
Name: William 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
Name: Trumbull Cary
Birth: 1786-08-11
Death: 1869-06-20
Circular, recognizing old contracts
he came forward & tendered to Haight
Name: Fletcher 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
Name: Abner Lewis
Birth: 1801-08-07
Death: 1879-10-12
goes into Stockton
Name: City: Stockton
County: Chautauqua
State: NY
Country: US
next.
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
Name: Abram Dixon
Birth: 1787-07-23
Death: 1875-04-19Certainty: Probable
what the costs would be up
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
Name: Isaac Chauncey
Birth: 1772
Death: 1840Certainty: Probable
has been in with three
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 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
Name: City: Batavia
County: Genesee
State: NY
Country: US
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
Name: City: Buffalo
County:
State: NY
Country: US
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
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10Certainty: Probable
B.J Seward
Oct 7. 1837
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield Oct 6. 1837.
My dear Henry
Gen Farnsworth
Person
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
Person
after it had run out. & that under it he
had erected a building at Peacocks re-
quest. That on the receipt of Mr. Careys
Person
Circular, recognizing old contracts
he came forward & tendered to Haight
Person
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
Person
Place
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
Person
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
old gentleman a kind letter & let him
off on favourable terms. He expects me
to write and begs an early answer.
Capt. Chancy
Person
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 ]
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 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
Place
[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
Place
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
Person
Oct 7. 1837
date:
Friday, October 6, 1837
receiver:
sender:
year: