This is an original June 8, 1686 handwritten manuscript letter sent from London, addressed to Cousin Cryer, who was responsible for managing the writer’s overseas estate and plantation interests. The letter provides extensive instructions for the transfer of authority and oversight of the writer’s property, accounts, and labor.

The writer expresses concern about earlier misunderstandings and clarifies his expectations for Cryer’s conduct, noting that he is “unwilling any way to prejudice thee” and emphasizing the need for “readiness of care in my affairs.” He stresses that Cryer must deliver “my books and writings… bonds and other belonging” into the hands of Mr. Horner, who is being appointed to take over the management of the estate.

The letter further instructs that Cryer and Capt. Beel are to admit Horner into the plantations and allow him to review and inventory the property, including “my goods ..., cattle & other stock,” along with any other items “they may in nature require.” This language reflects the administrative and commercial realities of late‑17th‑century English colonial operations, where estate managers, ship captains, and agents coordinated the handling of goods, livestock, labor, and debts across great distances.

The plantation’s location is not named, but the content clearly concerns trans‑Atlantic estate management typical of English colonial holdings of the period. (The document was found with other papers from Maryland and Virginia). The letter also references the need for Cryer to provide “an account of what you have received” and to assist Horner in the “more speedy receipt of my debts,” underscoring the financial and logistical challenges of long‑distance property oversight in the 1600s.

Written in period cursive on laid paper.. This is a strong and unusually detailed example of 17th‑century English mercantile and plantation correspondence, containing named individuals (Cryer, Capt. Beel, and Mr. Horner) and explicit instructions regarding estate transfer, accounts, livestock, and labor.

A compelling piece for collectors of early manuscripts, colonial history, mercantile trade, or 17th‑century handwriting.