[From Atholl Papers - AP X32-4]

Letter from Mylrea + Taubman (in absence of Governor) to Duke 20 Oct 1749

May it please your Grace
The Governrs illness put of the Audit, so that it could not be settled before he went away, we held it the 27th of last month, and the Books are in the Comptrollers hands ready to be forwarded to your Grace as soon as an opportunity offers, wch we think will be by Mr Forbes who proposes going into Scotland towards the end of this or beginning of the next month.

Your Graces receipt for £927 5s 7½d remitted to London last Aprill was wanting, but the Governr left yor Graces letter of 29th May from Dunkeld mentioning sd sum pursuant to which and to the Governrs direction in that behalf said remittance was brought into account as your Grace will see in the Receivers Disbursments, with a note on the mergent [sic margin?], that Mr Reeves had thereout stopt his premium. On the allowance of Mr Ross's arrear in the 2d page of the account of the Impropriated tythes there is another mergenal Note to explain that altho' the whole £150 in his bond and assignment is there allowd in the accounts 1748 yet that £30 of it is for the year 1749, and the Receiver to stand charged with it in that year accordingly because the sum could not be properly severed and brought into two different years accts.

In our sheading court circuit (wch ended las Saturday night) the Shannon of Whitehaven Robert Thompson master arrived at Douglas from Burdeux with Brandy, who informed us that David Prichard one of his hands had in the river of Burdeux thrown or pushed another of his hands, one James McGee overboard the vessell into the river where he was drowned, and desired the criminal might be secured accordingly we ordered him to be put in custody and appointed a day for matter and crew to appear to take the matter information and to examine the crew which was done in writing and upon oath in presence of the criminal who had little to say for himself yet it did not appear to us to be preeditated malice, the vessell touched at Cork but the matter made no report there fearing (as he says) that they would seize his ship and cargo because bound hither : After we had taken the information and examinations the fact being proved, we consider that we coud not try him this circuit, nor coud the master and crew stay or be here next May Courts to give evidence at his tryal. Therefore resolved to transmit him to take his fate in his own country, and accordingly ordered him under a guard in irons on board the vessell into the care of the Master and Crew and took their bonds in £100 each that they would carefully (danger of the sea excepted) deliver him up prisoner to Mr How a justice of peace in Whitehaven to whom we wrote and transmitted duplicates of our proceedings. Nothing else worth mentioning has happened since the Governr went off.

We are etc. Dam Mylrea , Jon Taubman