Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Scervant Jones letter to Thomas B. Montague, 1851 July 31

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Scervant Jones letter to Thomas B. Montague, 1851 July 31

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[Page 1]

Williamsburg July 31. 1851.

My dear Sir. Considering how much I have
desired to see you all since you were here,
I can scarcely realize the fact that I have
not been able to visit Gloucester during
all this year. Nor can I now say when
it will be possible for me to do so, but I
hope to come visit you some time during
the Fall. And in the mean time, you all
must come over here, as soon as your
Vacation will permit.

I went to the last York Court purely to
serve you. Your business in the hands of
W. S. Jones I had often tried to rearranged,
and the excuse was that Doctor Power
was Payor for Wright whose bond B. Jones
held. Power came very late, and did not
pay one Cent, and I do not expect the
business will be settled before some time
this Fall, when, the Bed left by Borbon,
which was sold on Credit, must be paid
for, and then, W. Jones says the whole
business shall be settled. I asked Wirt
to give you all the particulars and he promised
that he would do so.

[Page 2]

From Wirt I learned that a sweet little stranger
had appeared in your Family and that you all
were perfectly delighted with the event.
Well, be of good cheer, for I do verily believe,
that the Lord never multiplies our race
without also giving the needed supply of Corn and Oil.

My only Apology for not sooner writing &
acknowledging the rect of your esteemed favor
is, the multiplicity of my Engagements. Besides
the care of three churches, and of a large Family,
I have also two Farms to see after and one
of them at a distance of 35 or 40 miles - and
added to all this, my Health during the
whole year has been very bad until since
the Commencement of the extreme hot weather.

The only reason why my Wifes boys did
not return to your School was her great dread
that they would be sick and She forced
to Cross York River again, which She
protested She could not do. She says
and will ever say that Georges life was
saved by being sick in Gloucester, at your
House, rather than here, but still She
could not agree for them to Cross that River.
I was truly mortified as I greatly preferred your

[Page 3]

School to the one to which they were
sent. It is now Vacation here, and will be
until Octo. in which time they will, I fear, be
confirmed in idle habits.

The Family suit between Morrison, Wynne
Crafford and myself has at last been tried, and
instead of som $15.000 upon which they had
counted, I have been decreed to pay something
over $2.000. The result has made them
very wrothy and I have to pay upon Monday
the 11th. day of Augt. I must fear that I shall
not be ready as I am disappointed in receiving
aid from a quarter that I had considered most
reliable. They, the plts, will not give m[e]
any the least indulgence, and I know not but that
I shall be compelled to sell some of my Negroes.
Can you under these Circumstances procure for me
some part of th above sum, to be returned
in 60 or 90 days or sooner if the returns for
my Wheat (a good Crop both here and in NKent) be
available. If you can obtain for me, a small loan,
through Wirt, or Doctor Wiatt, or from any other Lender
and will send it to me in all [illegible] week, it will
be in time, and sall be [illegible], to the very
day designated. I should most cer[tai]nly have mentioned
this matter to Wirt at York Court, but I then thought
that my arrangements to meet this business were
fully completed. With my best love to All, I am

Very truly yrs.
S Jones

I have opened his to say, that I have this Morng.
arranged my business and shall not want
the loan.
S.J
Augt 1.

[Page 4]

T. B. Montague Esqr.
Mail Gloucester C House

Original Format

Ink on paper

Citation

Jones, Scervant, 1785-1854, “Scervant Jones letter to Thomas B. Montague, 1851 July 31,” Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, accessed May 1, 2024, https://cwfjdrlsc.omeka.net/items/show/480.
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