Search

This collection contains business letters, financial documents, and a deposition related to the business affairs of merchant Robert Thomas Pyott of Hull, England, in the 1760s. Most items concern the shipment of brandy, Madeira, and other wines to Charleston, South Carolina, and the Caribbean.

This collection contains 28 business letters, 5 financial documents, and 1 deposition related to the business affairs of merchant Robert Thomas Pyott of Hull, England, in the 1760s. Most items concern the shipment of brandy, Madeira, and other wines to Charleston, South Carolina, and to the Caribbean.

Robert Thomas Pyott received business letters from multiple firms and individuals. His most frequent correspondents were Thomas Rennard and McQueen Gordon & Co., both of Charleston, South Carolina. Other merchants wrote to Pyott from London, England. The majority of Pyott's incoming letters concern the shipment of wine to Charleston and to Caribbean ports, including Barbados. Correspondents in South Carolina frequently reported on the state of the local market, and many letters include financial statements or otherwise pertain to monetary arrangements.

Thomas Rennard sent two letters, in which he discussed the British invasion of Martinique in early 1762 (February 27, 1762, and March 3, 1762). John Howell, master of the Hannah & Jane, made a sworn statement that his ship had been captured by a French privateer (April 2, 1762); subsequent letters include one about Pyott's attempt to settle an insurance claim for the loss (December 13, 1762). Along with the correspondence and deposition, the collection includes a bill of lading, 2 invoices, and other financial records concerning Pyott's American interests.