1793 Norfolk VA Shipping Letter William Lindsay Customs Collector British Ships For Sale

Letter Overview & Transcription

• Date & Origin: Norfolk, Virginia — June 18, 1793

• Author: William Lindsay (Norfolk, VA)

• Recipient: Messrs. Huie, Reid & Co. (Dumfries, Virginia)

Full Letter Transcript:

\"Messrs. Huie, Reid & Co.Norfolk, June 18, 1793

Gentlemen,I duly rec\'d your fav. [favor] of the 11th. The letter it covered for your friends Dr. P. Honyman is forwarded by the Maria, Capt. Callaghan, for Liverpool (an American bottom). It came to hand just as he was leaving this. Capt. H. did not apply to me for any money.

There are no vessels here at present for charter, & orders lodged to take up several at high rates. The insurance on British ships is affected with risk & so much reduced, & I hope that vessels will be plenty & freights more moderate. I am respectfully, gentlemen, your mo. ob. [most obedient] serv\'t,William Lindsay\"

Key Passage: Context on British Ships & Shipping

In the line referencing British shipping:

\"The insurance on British ships is affected with risk & so much reduced, & I hope that vessels will be plenty & freights more moderate.\"

• Context: In early 1793, France declared war on Great Britain and the Dutch Republic, plunging Atlantic maritime trade into chaos. British shipping suddenly faced severe threats from French privateers, causing marine insurance rates for British-flagged vessels to spike or fluctuate wildly.

• Lindsay specifically notes that letters are being routed via an \"American bottom\" (an American-flagged merchant vessel) to avoid seizure or interference by warring European powers.

About the Author: William Lindsay

• Role: First U.S. Collector of Customs for the Port of Norfolk & Portsmouth, Virginia (Appointed by President George Washington in 1789).

• Customs Duties: As Collector of Customs, he oversaw maritime trade, shipping clearances, duty collection, and post-war shipping movements through the bustling port of Norfolk.

About the Recipient: Messrs. Huie, Reid & Co.

• Firm: A major Scottish-American merchant house operating out of Dumfries, Prince William County, Virginia during the 18th century.

• Trade Activity: Dumfries was one of Virginia\'s primary Potomac River ports for exporting tobacco and agricultural goods back to Glasgow and Liverpool. Firms like Huie, Reid & Co. managed large store networks, imported British manufactured goods, and relied on Norfolk merchants/customs officials to route their transatlantic correspondence and shipping charters.

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