So we have accounted for no fewer than 856 out af every 1,000 Englishmen, and they divide between them only fifteen out of many hundreds, nay thousands, of names from which their parents are at liberty to choose.
Of the remaining 144 of our representative 1,000 a few, such as Richard. Percy or Ernest, are claimed severally by two or three men, but all the rest are the sole and exclusive property of "one in 1,000."
William Hearne, the merchant, did a large business from London to the West India Islands from 1680 to 1688 (mostly at the islands of St. Christopher and St. Thomas) and back to London. shipping large cargoes of goods of all kinds from London to the islands, and on the return trip taking back shipments chiefly of Muscovada sugar, in hogsheads, as his old ledger shows, from 1683 to 1688, inclusive. I have the old ledger before me now, and though greatly mutilated, enough is left to show us clearly his line of business and the character of goods shipped, and though written in a plain hand, and the ink clear and the words and letters perfectly distinct, and more than two hundred years since written, it is very difficult to decipher the many abbreviations and characters, as they are so very different from those now in use. I note one abbreviation that I thought was modern that is. St. Xtopher’s for St. Christopher’s, as in Xmas for Christmas. Opposite is a perfect copy of one-third of a page from the ledger. photographed and then engraved from the original.
Then follows the entire account of several pages, continuing the above, of various kinds of goods, making a total of L631 14s. and 9d. On the return trip to London, I copy as near verbatim as I can.
ST XTOPHERS, February 4th, 1685.
Invoice of 12 hhd.s. of Muscovada Sugar,
Loaden on Board the Lynch Golden Fleece. Mr. Jno. Leech Command. bound
for London for my acct and goes consigned unto Mr. Jno. Westcott, under
the marke and No. as follse. Viz. No.
|
No. 1 gr 1142 2 " 1160 3 " 1272 4 " 1328 ---------- L 4902 ----------- |
:
: : : |
No. 5 gr 1195 6 " 1255 7 " 1159 8 " 1111 --------- L 4720 --------- |
:
: : : |
No. 9 hhd 1356 10 " 1076 11 " 1188 12 " 1300 ------------ L 4920 ------------ 14542 |
Copyright (c) 1999, 2007 Brian Cragun.