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Manuscripts
This manuscript letter and account book is written in multiple hands and divided into several sections; the first section covers Goddard's trade with New York, mainly Albany, the middle section covers his contacts with Jamaica, especially Malcolm Laing, and the final section contains inventories of goods shipped, with prices and quantities. The correspondence includes copies of letters sent by Goddard to his American business partners; these letters constitute a valuable record of Anglo-American trade during this period of political volatility. They include commentary on the state of the London market for furs and ginseng, notes on changing prices, the effect of the Stamp Act on trade, and details concerning duties and taxes. The tone of some of the letters is quite contentious as Goddard seemed to have some sort of financial disagreement with some of his business partners; there are also letters of seeking patronage for help to resolve this conflict. He seems to have ceased trading with Albany in approximately 1767, as the text of several of the letters contain comments suggesting his debts led him to bankruptcy in that same year.
mssHM 83398