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A letter book of Rob[er]t Howard [collector of customs at Conway, co. Caernarvon], and post master there 1759-1760, containing holograph copies and abstracts of letters written at Conway during the period 1755- 1765. The outside upper cover is inscribed 'Letter Book since Feb[ruar]y 1752', but the first few pages of the volume have been torn out and the first entry is dated Jan[uar]y 1755. The addressees include Ralph Allen, Bath, 1759-1761 (6), W[illia]m Allix and Edw[ar]d Mason at the Receiv[er]s Office, Tower Hill [London], 1758, W[illia]m Allix and ? others, Esquires, 1757, Mr. Bostock, 1756, Mr. Bradney, Penn, 1756, Mr. Bridge at the furnace, 1758, W[illia]m Bridge, 1756, James Brisco [1759], Geo[rge] Brown at Sir John Wynne, M.P., in Dean Street, Soho [London], 1759, W[illia]m Brynkir, 1755-1757 (6), Ynyr Burges, East India House, 1755-1759 (7), Sir Francis Charlton, Gen[era]ll Post Office [London], 1760 (4), Mr. Cochran, London, 1763 (2), Mrs. Coytmore, Chester, 1758-[1760] (3), Griff[i]th Coytmore at St. Davies, 1763, John Cross, Chester, 1757, Brother Davies, 1763, Master Edwards, Lincolns Inn, 1755-1765 (21), Rich[ar]d Edw[ar]ds, 1759, Hugh Evans at Bodysgallen [co. Caernarvon], 1758-[?1760] (?2), Rees Foulkes at Gwern y Gron, 1755-1756 (?3), Roger Griffith, London, 1763-1764 (3), W[illia]m Holland, Lincolns Inn, 1756-1757 (7), James Forbes Jones, Dublin, [ 1761]-1762 (2), John Jones and others, miners in Holywell, 1764, Rich[ar] David Jones, attorney at ?Bewmares, 1761, Mrs. Winifred Jones, White Chapple Road, London, 1762-1763 (3), Mr. Langford, Lond[o]n, 1759, the Rev[ eren]d Mr. [Robert] Lewis, Mold, 1755-1763 (6), Mrs. Limbrey [Exeter] [1762], Matthew Limbrey, Exeter, 1760-1765 (38), ? P. Magrun, the Gen[era]ll Po[st] Office, Dublin [1759], the Mas[ter] in Chancery, 1755, J[oh]n Owen, Bodidda [co. Caernarvon], 1755, John Owen, Carnarvon, 1759-1760 (2), Mrs. Pearson, ? North Runcton, Norfolk, 1764-1765 (9), Mr. Penkett, 1757, Mr. ? Henry Perkins, Chester, 1756-1757 (8), Tho[ma]s Pit[ ], Gen[era]ll Po[st] Office [London], 1760, [the] Post Masters Gen[era]ll [London], 1760, Henry Potts, secretary at the Gen[era]ll Post Office, London, 1760 (2), the Hon[ oura]ble Lady Prendergast, Dublin, 1757-1759 (4), Mrs. Preston, Dublin, 1764, Charles Rob[er]ts, Bodnod [co. Denbigh], 1760, Tom Rob[er]ts, Plow Court, Fetter Lane, London, 1761, Jo[h]n Saw[ ]ll, the Gen[era]ll Po[st] Office [ London], 1760 (2), Thomas Seele, ? Liverpool, 1757, George Shelvock, the Gen[era]ll Post Office, London, 1759-1760 (3), John Spencer [?Bombay], 1758, Edw[ar]d Stanley, the Custom h[ouse], London, 1758, Capt[ai]n Thomas, Green Street, Grosvenour Square [London], 1762, W[illia]m Vaughan, Plas [ ]ydd, 1756, Tho[ma]s Ward, London, [1763]-1764 (2), Councillor Williams, [17]58-1760 (4), Mr. W[illia]ms, Glanrafon, 1758-1761 (3), Rob[er]t Williams, breeches maker [Chester], 1762, Cha[rle]s Wrench, attorney, Chester [1763], Edw[ar]d ?Wrench, Chester, 1763 (2), Mr. Wright, Chester, 1763, Mr. Wynn of Glyn in London, 1765, Mr. Wynn of Wern, 1761-1762 (5), Sir John Wynne [2nd bart. of Bodfean and Glynllifon, co. Caernarvon], Dean Street, Soho, London, 1757-1765 (17), Rob[er]t Wynne [of Bodysgallen, co. Caernarvon], member of parliament [for Caernarvon, 1754-1761], London, 1755-1759 (11), and W[ illia]m Young and W[illia]m Allix, the Receiv[er]s Office, Tower Hill [London], 1755. The letters deal with the personal and family affairs of the writer (health, financial transactions, legal problems, etc.), his activities as an estate agent or steward, and, to a much lesser degree, his work as a customs and post office official (mainly the rendering of accounts). Specific matters dealt with include the death of Mrs. Marg[are]t Wynne [of Bodysgallen] and the management of affairs at Bodscallen for Robert Wynne, M.P., during his absence (1755); a law suit in which the writer's right to property [?Tre Castell] at Llanglunnin [co. Caernarvon] was contested (1756-1757); the excessive price of corn, the scarcity of corn [ at Conway] market, the distress of 'the meanest sort of people', and the justices' recommendation that no grain be moved 'from this river' [at Conway] (1757); disturbances [at Conway], and a subpoena issued against the writer as one of the commissioners of the [Conway] turnpike road (1758); the writer's application for and appointment to the office of post master at Conway in succession to Hugh Holland in 1759, and his resignation of the said office in 1760; the purchase by the writer from Robert Williams of Chester of property called Hendre and the payment of annuities charged upon the said property (1762-1763); the writer's management of the Bodnod estate [in the parish of Eglwys-back, co. Denbigh] on behalf of Mr. Matthew Limbrey (1760-1765); and the writer's management of additional estates in Merionethshire (Cefn Bodig demesne and property in Bala [in the parish of Llanycil], tenements at Trawsfynydd), and Denbighshire (houses in Denbigh, property at Gwytherin) also on behalf of the said Mr. Limbrey ( 1762-1765).

Forty-seven holograph letters, etc., 1735-1775, addressed to Robert Howard, Collector of His Majesty's Customs at Conway, co. Carnarvon. The writers include Rob[er]t Carrey, Carn[arvo]n, 1753 (a request to recipient to prevail upon J. Ellis, who was incapacitated through illness, to allow someone to examine his books so that his account with Sir J[oh]n Wynn could be settled), John Cross, Chester, 1757 (the execution by Mr. Perkins of a bond which would secure recipient against claims by Mr. Lloyd on a certain estate), [ ] Davies, Caerhun, 1758 (enclosing interest due), Tho[mas] Edwards, Pwllheli, 1751 (a bill drawn by his brother on the writer to pay Howard £150 [endorsed with recipient's answer]), Thomas Evans, Llanrwst, 1735 (sending 'Silver Spurrs and Stockins' and an account of money due to the writer from Cadwallader Williams), W[illiam] Holland, Lincolns Inn, 1756 (5) (legal proceedings), John Hookes of Gaunts, co. Dorsett, 1741 (letters of attorney appointing Robert Howard collector of the rents of the grantor's estates in the county of Carnarvon), H[ugh] Howard [recipient's brother], Bombay, 1746 (the writer's indisposition and his wishes with regard to the disposing of Mr. Hoar's money), Sam[ue]l Jennions, Holywell, 1753 (a request that he be considered if the recipient decided to let certain lands which he had bought 'to Venture for Ore' [ endorsed with a copy of Howard's reply]), W[illia]m Jones, Llanfihangel, 1775 (a lease of lands in Trefriw), T. Kyffin, Maynan, 1756 (personal, legal), [ ] Paynter, Chelsea, 1744 (personal, information from the Admiralty re Cad[waladr] W[illia]ms who had 'entered on board the Shrewsbury' and died in 1742), Z[achar]y [Pearce, bishop of] Bangor, 1752 ( a proposed visit to Bangor and Conway), John Penkett, Ches[te]r, 1753-1756 (4 ) (financial and legal matters, mention of Flintshire miners and the finding of ore and the possibility of recipient becoming 'a Great Mine Adventurer'), Henry Perkins, Chester, 1750-1757 (5) (legal and financial matters, the Trecastell estate), Anne Prendergast, Dublin, 1757 (parcels and chairs carried in the Catherine of Conway and their liability for duty), Rich[ar]d R. Short, Newport, 1772 (personal), John Spencer and W. Wake, Bombay [India], 1746/7-1750 (3 + 1 dup.) (the death of recipient's brother, Hugh Howard, and arrangements for the disposal of his estate), J[ohn] Spencer, Bombay [India], 1752-1753 (3 + 1 dup.) (matters relating further to the estate of recipient's deceased brother Hugh Howard, the death of recipient's nephew Mr. [Robert] Went), M. Went [sister of recipient], London, 1744/5 (personal, a request that her son Robert should be sent to London immediately as she had hopes of a post for him, plans with regard to Robert), Cadwallader Williams on board H.M.S. Shrewsbury in the Downs, 1742 (personal, a request to recipient to collect money due to him), ?R. Williams, 1756 (a law suit in which recipient was involved), W[illia]m Williams, 1758 (personal, legal matters), J. Wynn [1742-1743] (2) (the intention of the recipient's brother [Hugh Howard] to go to India and the signing of a bond in connection therewith), J. Wynn [London], 1758 (legal matters), and Sidney Wynne, Glynn, 1744 and undated (3 and a fragment) ( personal, domestic and farm news).