[From Atholl Papers - AP X35-2]

[Report by Gov Cochrane] No 2^d Febr 18^th 1755

My Lord

My lst to your Grace was No 1st Jan 13 and last week I had the honour of your Grace's of the 1st of this month which gives me great joy to hear that Lady Charlot is with child. I prey Haven preserve both Mother and child.

The news of the Island's not being disposed off gives universal Joy the Merchants were quite dejected but their Spirrits are now up and they are very pleased.

Trade comes on very well and now we are able to make remittances but doubts offers to send Money to Liverpool is a very easie and a good method but to whom to remit it is now the difficulty for the last accounts from that town Mr Sanfoord[sic] was thought att the point of death with a pluratick? fever being bled five times the day the accounts come from thence. Capt Lace master of one of the traders that goes and comes from Liverpool is a very carefull and a very honest man and the first time he comes to the Island money shall be sent by him to some proper personatt Liverpool and after that it shall be remoted? to whom your Grace shall please to order me.

Inclosed I return to your Grace Mr Arthur's memorial with the Controllers and my opinion signed to it and shall be glad to have your Grace's orders & soon as possible for I think it right that the Merchants should have all reasonable incouragement.

As for the Coin every body here is greatly for the Bust rather than a Crest and to be ingeneous with your Grace I was ignorant and thought that none but a crown head could have a Bust upon coin otherwise I would have mentioned the Bust in my former letters.

As I hope the Baladool cause will never more return to the Island I beg leave to propose that your Grace should fill up the vacant commissions. The Attorney General I think a proper person to be Receiver General and the Controller's son Mr Quayle to succeed him in his posts and as the late Receiver General was conjoint Water Bailiff or Collector and now the bussiness is carryed on by the Controller only and who is the only one in the Island that understands that business and if any accident was to happen to him it would fling us all into a confusion to provide against that I am of opinion that two should be added to that commission the Controller's son and the present Attorney General and those two in a little time would be capable to carry on business and in that case the present Attorney I think should live at Douglas to have an eye over the Trade there and which would leve the Merchants in Douglas the trouble to make their Enters [? Custom entries] here [Castletown]. This I am humbly of opinion would be a good scheme to have both for your Grace and the Merchants.

There will be a meeting of the Clergy here tomorrow and then I shall know what they have done in this affair and realy I am surpised I have not heard from them befor this for upon receipt of Major Harrison's letter I dispatched an Express with all the papers sent and desired them to make an answer with all haste I am with great esteem ...

Basil Cochrane

The Coin is presumably the 1758 copper issue which had the Duke's initials under a ducal coronet on the obverse and the 3-legs + motto on the reverse