US Newburyport MA 17 DEC 1833 to Boston MA. 40c PAID (quadruple 10c rate). Red Newburyport DEC 17 Mas CDS, red PAID, manuscript 40, wax seal. Stampless FL. George Perkins remits $114.16 in banknotes to merchant Silas Pierce. Winter strained whale oil, packet.

Summary

• Date sent: 17 December 1833 (from the postmark, the same date as the letter)
• Country of origin: United States
• Sent from: Newburyport, Massachusetts (Essex County)
• Sent to: Boston, Massachusetts
• Distance: about 35 miles in a straight line, roughly 38 miles by post road
• Philatelic details:
  • Red circular datestamp “NEWBURYPORT DEC 17 Mas.”
  • Red straightline “PAID.”
  • Manuscript “40”: four times the 10-cent single rate for 30–80 miles under the 1825 rate act, prepaid by the sender. Postage was charged by the number of pieces of paper, so the letter sheet plus three banknotes, or bank bills, made a quadruple rate.
  • Red wax seal remnant with a seal tear.
  • Recipient’s docket “Geo Perkins Dec 17 1833,” and a note on the letter “only $109 rec’d.”
  • Later pencil notes “53” and “1833.”
  • Stampless FL.
• Sender: George Perkins of Newburyport. The letter was written and signed for him by a clerk, R. S. Curtis (reading tentative).
• Receiver: Mr. Silas Pierce, merchant, of Boston. He was probably Silas Peirce, a Boston wholesale grocer, though this is not confirmed.
• Historical interest:
  • Pierce had asked for payment of Perkins’s note, which fell due on 25 October. Perkins replied that their agreement was for six months, but since Pierce needed the money, he enclosed the full $114.16 and asked for the note to be returned.
  • The note “only $109 rec’d” on the letter suggests the recipient found less money in the letter than the $114.16 stated. Sending cash by mail was risky, and banknotes sometimes went missing or were found to be worthless.
  • “Winter strained oil” was sperm whale oil filtered in cold weather to remove the waxy spermaceti, so it stayed liquid and burned cleanly in lamps in winter. It was a valuable product of the New England whaling trade.
  • Perkins asked for the oil to be sent “by packet,” the coastal sailing vessels that carried goods between Boston and Newburyport before the Eastern Railroad reached Newburyport in 1840.
  • The postage of 40 cents was a large sum in 1833, roughly half a day’s wages for a laborer, which shows the cost of sending money by mail.
• Genealogical interest: The letter places George Perkins at Newburyport and Silas Pierce at Boston in December 1833, and names R. S. Curtis as Perkins’s clerk or agent.

Transcription

The letter is transcribed with the original spelling. Abbreviations are written out, and uncertain readings are marked.

Inside letter:

Newbury Port Dec 17th 1833

Mr Pierce —
Sir Your letter of the 14 instant was duly received in which you state that my note became due on the 25th October but my agreement with you was for 6 months but as you say you are in want of it — I forward you (enclosed) the amount being one hundred and fourteen dollars and 16 cents for which you will please forward my note.
Please forward me by Packet one barrel of Winter Strained Oil if you have a prime article — and a bill of the same.

Yours &c
Geo Perkins
per R. S. Curtis (reading tentative)

only $109 received (written at the lower left, apparently by the recipient)

Address panel:

PAID 40
Mr Silas Pierce
Merchant
Boston

Docketing (written by the recipient):

Geo Perkins
Dec 17 1833

Pencil (later notes):

53
1833

Notes on terms:

• “Instant” means “of this month.”
• “Per” before a name means the letter was written on the sender’s behalf.
• “Packet” was a vessel sailing a regular route.