More leads

A good day uncovering a lot of new leads which I have to chase up. I mentioned the Patrick Henry was our debt collector one, but also:

1. Lord Dunmore gave the Donalds a parcel of land in South Virginia in 1773 - which I have to admit Alexander put on the market fairly shortly after. Intend to go there on Saturday. Given for "good causes and considerations". Dunmore was the last British Governor of Virginia. Surely an excuse to show his Lordship himself? Was Dunmore Scottish?

2. Letters to and from Robert Morris and Alexander - they are in the Virginia Historical Society where I am going on Thursday. Morris was from Liverpool and was one of the only men to sign all three major pillars of the US - the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. Was known as "the financier of the revolution" - and ended up in debtor's jail at the same time that Alexander had his misunderstanding on financial matters. Alexander became Robert Morris's primary agent for tobacco in 1787. Apparently the letters are all about Morris being broke. Picture of Robert Morris? Doesn't look happy. Think someone has taken his wig.

3. Letters to and from William Short and Alexander - they are in the William Short collection in UVA, so I am going there tomorrow. There used to be a monopoly to sell tobacco to the French - and guess who wanted it after the French revolution and kept nagging Jefferson to use his connections to get it for him? Precious, precious French tobacco monopoly. William Short is known as Jefferson's adopted son and was also the American Charge d'affaires in Paris after the revolution so he was involved.

Loads of letters in 1790 between Alexander and Short as Alexander stakes his claim and between Short and De La Ville in Paris about Alexander. He failed obviously in his attempt. One of the reasons for his downfall - the French abolished the monopoly system, cut off the heads of several people involved and started to grow their own tobacco. This can explain part of the Donald's decline - from Jacob Price: "If planters on the better, newer lands of inland Virginia and Maryland could turn to wheat, for those in the tidewater there was often no choice but to abandon cultivation. Another ancien regime came to an end, more slowly, but as surely."

William Short lost a lot of money because of Alexander's collapse in 1793.

Ok - a picture of William Short as well. Funny how painting styles changed in a very short space of time - it really was a period of revolution.