Orange Hill, Manchioneal, Jamaica

August 31st 1833

Dear Sir,

It gives me pleasure to acknowledge receipt of your letter by the Corsair dated 2nd July & I am sorry to hear you are not well.

I had a letter from Mr McNab last packet communicating the intelligence of the marriage of your youngest sister. I beg to offer my congratulations on the happy occasion. I am not at all surprised at the gloom which has disheartened you on the failure of the Orange Hill crops – I can assure you I have had a difficult & delicate task to perform. But the estate came into my hands in everything like a cultivated state. I could have avoided all parties easily but it was quite the reverse and the accounts I have been obliged to send home have caused me much pain. For the first twelve months I had the property but my own accounts have been sufficient to show the necessity of having it relieved. However let me recommend a little longer patience & I look forward to better things. The cane field is at present in high cultivation, and produces all the canes, crops for the estates & the works put in good repair. I have thus much chance on the factories for all debts incurred against the estate during your brother’s lifetime & my management up to 30th June 1832, & the total amount of a bill which is now bearing interest of £800 received by me since. The contingencies for the present year are very light & I hope next year will show an ease or recovery of all debts except one branch claim.

Mr McNab writes me he intends to buy up your cousin James’ claim, but he might also do to endeavour to purchase all the legatees, to get them to send Mr Forsyth and myself a legal discharge to record, then I will be enabled to settle the legacies in this country.

The negroes have all been informed of the proposed change and I am happy to say they continue quiet & orderly. The Orange Hill Estate was in a very bad state as you are aware. It is now improving; there are no shortages or arrears. It is my firm opinion that the new system will take place at least for some time and upon the whole I think it is for the best execution. Negroes continue peaceable & industrious as ever & every improvement, however slow, meets with satisfaction & reconciliation tempered between the parties.

I regret to say our crops have fallen off much this year but it is a general thing throughout the Island.

Wishing you every happiness,

I remain dear Sir,

Yours very truly,

Robert McKewen

Attorney

P.S. I thank you kindly for the Greenock newspapers but if you would be good enough to continue it every packet (as it is a great treat) I must beg of you to put it in the Post Office & pay 1/2d for each or I will have to pay postage as for a letter per each which would be very expensive.

Saml. Foulds Esq.

Greenock