| Description | The contents of this file were originally in two separate files, one for Motteux and one for Vere. They are mentioned in William D. Brown’s "Catalogue of Papers, M. B.’s Counting Room," (c. 1791) under the following titles:
Jno. Motteux. Letters. 1770 to 1790
Chas Vere. Papers.
The two files were later combined in a single portfolio, entitled as follows:
John Motteux. Charles Vere — 1765 1804
This is the title recorded in the Inventory compiled by the Assay Office in 1921, but unfortunately the portfolio was subsequently discarded. Under Matthew Robinson Boulton’s scheme of arrangement the file was placed in Box K. II, though by 1921 it had been transferred (inadvertently, it appears) to Box H. I.
The contents of the file are now arranged in four chronological sequences, as follows:
John Motteux: Letters. (1-115)
John Motteux: Miscellaneous Papers. (116-117)
Charles Vere: Letters. (118-133)
Charles Vere: Miscellaneous Papers. (134-143)
It is clear that 1-10 were not part of the earlier file in Motteux’s name, but they were probably introduced at the time the files were put into the portfolio. The letters include one directed to Matthew Robinson Boulton. 87, which is directed to Matthew Robinson Boulton, was possibly added to this file by the Assay Office, but, judging by the style of the docket, it appears to belong here. According to the Assay Office Catalogue, 99 is the last letter in John Motteux’s own hand, and he probably died shortly afterwards. If this is the case, all the letters signed by John Motteux after that date must be from his son.
The "Papers" relating to Charles Vere are certainly very miscellaneous, and it seems unlikely that all these documents were originally in this file. Probably they originally comprised only the letters and papers relating to the Astley Estate, but among such a varied collection of documents it is difficult to decide the point with any certainty; consequently no amendment has been made, besides separating the Letters from the other documents.
In the following List, the summaries printed in italics within square brackets are taken from the Assay Office Catalogue: these must be used with caution, since they are not to be relied on as word-for-word transcripts and they do not always give an adequate idea of the entire contents of the letters. |