Part 896s – Smith Robertson – The Search Continues for GGG-Grandfather James Smith – 1798/9

Good Day,

And The St. George’s Chronicle and Grenada Gazette dated Friday June 8, 1798; No. 484 provides additional and possible thought in the search for the ancestry of GGG-Grandfather James Smith.

My transcription –

THE Sub∫criber having received full powers
from Thomas Tarleton, John Tarleton, and
Daniel Backhou∫e, E∫q. all the different branches
of the Commercial Hou∫e of Tarletons and Back-
hou∫e of Liverpool, formerly trading to and from
this i∫land under the firm of Thomas Tarleton and
Co. by their ∫everal Agents or Factors, Morris, Fer-
gu∫on, and Po∫tlthwaithe; Morris and Po∫tlethwaite;
William Po∫tlethwaite and Po∫tlethewaite and Smith,
begs leave to inform all manner of per∫ons who may
be indebted in any wi∫e to the above-mentioned
firm of Thomas Tarleton and Co, that he only in
this i∫land is duly authori∫ed to give them valid and
legal di∫charge for their re∫pective debts, as will
fully appear by a reference to the ∫aid powers, duly
recorded in the Secretary;s Office of this I∫land, to
him directed, in conjunction with William Smith
E∫q; of the i∫land of Martinico, merchant; Richard
Hooton, E∫q; of the i∫land of Dominica, merchant,
and Jo∫hua Hinde, E∫q; of Bath E∫tate in the colony
of Demarary, merchant, which were received by the
Sub∫criber on Sunday la∫t in the fir∫t April mail for
this i∫land, brought from St. Vincent’s in his Ma-
je∫ty’s ∫loop Frederic. JOHN FERGUSON


ON the 31∫t ultimo the following notice was ∫ent
to William Po∫tlethewaite, E∫q; his an∫wer
thereto being deeming in∫ufficient by the above
∫igned, he is induced to publi∫h it:
SIR, St. George’s Grenada, May 31 1798.
In con∫equence of my being now duly inve∫ted
with full powers, (which you have paru∫ed in the
Secretary’s office) from Thomas Tarleton, John
Tarleton, and Daniel Backhou∫e, E∫quires, your
late employers, under the firm of Thomas Tarleton
and Co. in this i∫land, I do ∫pecifically demand from
you all their Books of Accounts, Mortgages, Bonds
Notes, and every other Specialty or Specialties, of
‘what∫oever nature they may be, ari∫ing from the
tran∫actions of that Hou∫e during the agencies of
Morris, Fergu∫on, and Po∫tlethwaite, Morris and
Po∫tlethwaite, William Po∫tlethwaite, and Po∫tle-
thwaite and Smith; as al∫o, all their hou∫es, lands,
∫hallops, ∫ailor negroes, and other ∫laves, and every
other article that may appertain or belong unto
them the ∫aid Thomas Tarleton, John Tarleton, and
Daniel Backhou∫e, E∫quires. Your prompt com-
pliance with this my requi∫ition will prevent me
from adopting mea∫ures that will be di∫agreeable to
my∫elf, and which in the end may prove highly de-
trimental to you.
(Signed) JOHN FERGUSON.
William Po∫tlethwaite, E∫q.


Please remember that the letter “∫”, the long “s” is used in the body of the original text. I am very curious now as to when the actual “∫” was used and when the “s” was used. It appears to me that there is now consistent direction, but then again I don’t think that I was around in 1798. If I was I believe I would have walked in to GGG-Grandfather James Smith’s office and asked him directly who his father, my GGGG-Grandfather was.

Something to note, GGG Grandfather James Smith passed away in 1842, His eldest daughter, my gg-grandaunt Sophia was born about 1806. The William Smith mentioned in the above passage could have been at least older than ggg-grandfather James Smith. GGG-Grandfather could have been about, at possibly the youngest between the ages of 7 and 13 years old. This is purely a guess on my part.

If you have any comment, question, thought, idea please feel free to contact me via email at A Genealogy Hunt.

Regards,

Jim