Ffeil NLW MS 12501E. - Letter book of Robert Howard,

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).