Narrative of Willing, Morris & Co.'s Contract with the Secret Committee of the Continental Congress, March 30, 1776

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[Philadelphia, September 19, 1775 ー March 30, 1776]²

[Extract]

In September 1775 Willing Morris & Co entered into an agreement with The Honble Congress by their Committee appointed for that purpose, to deliver them Certain Arms & Ammunition they had written for by the Ship Lion, Capt [John] Wilson,³ provided she arrived safe with the Goods, on which they received an advance of Eighty thousd Dollars. This Ship arriving in Europe at the time the Foreign Coutts were most watchfull to prevent the Exportation of such Articles from their Dominions, Capt Wilson was disapointed altho' he applyed to different Merchants in Spain, France & Holland. and was obliged to return without the Goods bringing back the Specie & bills intended to pay for the purchase.

Congress thought proper to accept the latter and directed the Secret Committee to Renew the Contract which was done in Feby 1776. Mr John Ross of Philada Mercht was half owner of the Ship Lion & Consequently half Interested in the Contract tho' not named therein. To prevent further disapointments, he determined on a Voyage to Europe to prosecute this & other business. We purchased afine Brigt in which he went [passenger] [Meanwhile] Willing Morris & Co ... made application for leave to Export Provisions (during the time of the prohibition) on the Continental Account & Accordingly obtained permits for the following Cargoes—

One p Ship Morris⁴ Cap [Thomas] Bell. Cost p Inv[oic]e	£ 2560. 2 .7
One p Ship Nancy & Polly⁵ Capt Wade	3105.15. .8
One p Ship Autora⁶ Capt [Jacob] Getshius	4474.13.10
One P Ship Clementine⁷ Capt [Patrick] Brown	3036.12 .4	½
One p Ship Neptune⁸ Capt. [Robert] Collins	4569.16. .0
One p Ship Sampson⁹ Capt Farquharson	6983.19 .7
One p Ship Lion¹⁰ Capt [John] Wilson	4441 .5 .2
	£ 29172 .5 2	½

This entire Sum was supplyed by Willing Morris & Co and it is the Proffit or loss on the Cargoes that belongs to the Continent the design being to replace for WM & Co in Europe the Money they had drawn for, to serve the Public and the Money Mr. [William] Duncan was to lay out in Hamburg¹¹ & the Exchange was to be Estimated at. the same rate the bills had been supplyed that is 175 pCt.

Willing Morris & Co therefore Charge Congress in a Contract acct
for the Cost of these Cargoes	£ 29172 .5 .2	½
& for the Cost of 601Bolts of Canvass Stg.
£ 3094,15. .7 a 175 [Pr] Ct	5415.17 .3
	3458 .2 .5	½
& for Cost pd Mr Gibbs the Ship Auroras pct	2057.10 .2	½
	£ 3,6645.12 .7	½

1. Robert Morris Papers, HUL.

2. These dates are approximate, the first being the day the Secret Committee was elected, and the latter the probable date that the last of these vessels sailed for Europe.

3. Captain John Wilson in the ship Lion had cleared Philadelphia ostensibly for Falmouth on July 24, 1775, Pennsylvania Packet, July 24, 1775.

4. The ship Morris, of 250 tons burden, was owned by Willing, Morris & Co. The date of her sailing was sometime in February 1776, Public Advertiser, London, June 11, 1776.

5. The Nancy and Polly, of 120 tons burden, was owned by Thomas Wharton, Jr., Ships' Registers, HSP. She had arrived from St. Vincents in ballast under Captain Woolman Sutton about October 20, 1775, Pennsylvania Journal, October 25, 1775.

6. The Aurora, Captain Thomas Read, had arrived from London October 5, 1775, and had brought the news of the two unarmed munition brigs sailing from London for Quebec; news which induced the first naval efforts of the Continental Congress, Pennsylvania Journal, October 11, 1775. She sailed under Captain Getsheus and was in the rivei: Delaware ready to go under convoy of the Continental fleet in January 1776. See Volume 3, 617. She did not sail, however, until some time in March.

7. The Clementina, Captain Patrick Brown, had entered from Scotland at about the same time as the Aurora, Pennsylvania Journal, October 5, 1775.

8. The Neptune, Captain Robert Collins, had entered from London about November 10, 1775, Pennsylvania Journal, November 15, 1775. She was named by Captain Parket as in the Delaware River at the same time as the Aurora.

9. "The Sampson, Capt Farquhar, from London, which sailed from Poole [Liverpool] in August last, for America, is safe arrived at Philadelphia, after being out 18 weeks." London Chronicle, April 20 to April 23, 1776.

10. The Lion must have been the last vessel to sail from Philadelphia under this contract, as she bore letters stating that three vessels loaded with flour had cleared that port on March 30, 1776, Public Advertiser, London, May 27, 1776. ll. See Volume 2, 329, for the account of the death at sea of William Duncan in the ship Duke of York.

11. See Volume 2, 329, for the account of the death at sea of William Duncan in the ship Duke of York.

Document Information

Date

1776 March 30

Volume

Volume 4

Series

American Theatre from February 19, 1776, to April 17, 1776

Naval Documents of the American Revolution

Narrative of Willing, Morris & Co.'s Contract with the Secret Committee of the Continental Congress, March 30, 1776

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