NRA-L-000436 / 1836
Letter from Stuart & Smith to Otard Dupuy & Co concerning Liverpool brandy sales, bills and suspected imitation stock, 1836-06-06
Stuart & Smith discuss an invoice and sale of 20 hogsheads of Otard Dupuy brandy, Liverpool prices, a distressed debtor and outstanding drafts, then report suspicions that cheaper or second-quality spirit was being sold under reputable brands. An enclosed account records the sale proceeds and charges.
Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000436
Transcript and readable English text
working scholarly aid
Address panel
Original transcript
Messrs Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac
France
Notes
Editorial notes: Address and historical trade-house wording were checked against the authoritative address-panel image and are preserved as one entity.
Address panel
Readable English text
Messrs Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac
France
Notes
Editorial notes: Address and historical trade-house wording were checked against the authoritative address-panel image and are preserved as one entity.
Letter text - page 1
Original transcript
Liverpool 6 June 1836
Gentlemen
We had this pleasure on the 21st Ultimo and have now to hand your esteemed favor
of the 28th do enclosing Invoice of 20 Hhds Brandy pr Le Persone from Charente
which we are pleased to learn is of the same quality as the last parcel, and we have
no doubt that on arrival it will give satisfaction. We have some Hhds
of it still on hand for which we ask 8/6 pr Gallon, & if they can be replaced at
5/6 pr Gallon from Charente = they can be laid in here for about 7/pr Gall.
& probably in a month or two hence the market will be such as to admit
of them at a price that you can make them of the quality we
wish. Mr Logan called on us yesterday in great distress,
having received a very decided negative in the case of your bill
upon him & it seems is calculated to throw him in the Insolvent
Court. He has no doubt written to his firms to make it good, and as it
was privately of his own, it will be settled without reference to us.
On the 28th Ult we wrote to you respecting the draft of £102.17
that had been passed into the hands of Mr Seager from Mr Lees on
the 11th May last say 150 francs @ 22d which crediting your acct leaves
a balance against us in favor of your brand new draft which is @ 5/6
pr Gall for Lucas's Hhd 1834 Vintage, which rather surprised us, not feeling
at liberty ourselves to sell under 6/6 for that Vintage. We were the more
surprised as they could offer them so low, after they had incurred the heavy
Letter text - page 1
Readable English text
Liverpool 6 June 1836
Gentlemen
We had this pleasure on the 21st of last month and have now to hand your esteemed favor
of the 28th ditto enclosing Invoice of 20 Hogsheads Brandy per Le Persone from Charente
which we are pleased to learn is of the same quality as the last parcel, and we have
no doubt that on arrival it will give satisfaction. We have some Hogsheads
of it still on hand for which we ask 8/6 per Gallon, & if they can be replaced at
5/6 per Gallon from Charente = they can be laid in here for about 7/- per Gallon.
& probably in a month or two hence the market will be such as to admit
of them at a price that you can make them of the quality we
wish. Mr Logan called on us yesterday in great distress,
having received a very decided negative in the case of your bill
upon him & it seems is calculated to throw him in the Insolvent
Court. He has no doubt written to his firms to make it good, and as it
was privately of his own, it will be settled without reference to us.
On the 28th of last month we wrote to you respecting the draft of £102.17
that had been passed into the hands of Mr Seager from Mr Lees on
the 11th May last say 150 francs @ 22d which crediting your account leaves
a balance against us in favor of your brand new draft which is @ 5/6
per Gallon for Lucas's Hogshead 1834 Vintage, which rather surprised us, not feeling
at liberty ourselves to sell under 6/6 for that Vintage. We were the more
surprised as they could offer them so low, after they had incurred the heavy
Letter text - page 2
Original transcript
London charges, with freight and Landing Expenses to this port.
This puts us on our guard, but not to suspect that a
second quality of Brandy had been put into Casks bearing your and
other respectable brands. Consequently we wrote to Mr Davis to know
whether it was possible to be true in London. To this enquiry
we have not yet had a direct reply, but this morning Mr Seager called on
us, and says that he is not for a moment to suppose they are to be guilty of such
a practice. He said he called to let us know that they have Mr Foster
& Co for their London House, and that they often draw upon them, & probably
drew in this way to save the expense of remittance; feeling it to be our duty
if anything improper had taken place to endeavor to put a stop
to it & as we have since had them on so large a scale of your Brandy
which in this town has lasted a few days, & they had sold about 100
Hhds of it, we had every reason to suspect that an imitation or
a second class Brandy at the same price would be disposed of.
Their so called Brandy is pitted directly against us, & while they can
sell at 5/6 pr Gall, we must get 6/6 to save us. We had last week had
an order for 10 Hhds but they had still a good portion of their last Import
on hand. We remain Gentlemen
Your most obedt Servants
Stuart & Smith
We have drawn upon you for £172.10/. We enclose you Account Sales which we
trust will be satisfactory. We have again sold 1 Hhd which we must try to hold
over till next week. We have not yet heard from Mr Davis, which we should do
in a day or two, and we will write you again on the subject.
* P.S.
Letter text - page 2
Readable English text
London charges, with freight and Landing Expenses to this port.
This puts us on our guard, but not to suspect that a
second quality of Brandy had been put into Casks bearing your and
other respectable brands. Consequently we wrote to Mr Davis to know
whether it was possible to be true in London. To this enquiry
we have not yet had a direct reply, but this morning Mr Seager called on
us, and says that he is not for a moment to suppose they are to be guilty of such
a practice. He said he called to let us know that they have Mr Foster
& Co for their London House, and that they often draw upon them, & probably
drew in this way to save the expense of remittance; feeling it to be our duty
if anything improper had taken place to endeavor to put a stop
to it & as we have since had them on so large a scale of your Brandy
which in this town has lasted a few days, & they had sold about 100
Hogsheads of it, we had every reason to suspect that an imitation or
a second class Brandy at the same price would be disposed of.
Their so called Brandy is pitted directly against us, & while they can
sell at 5/6 per Gallon, we must get 6/6 to save us. We had last week had
an order for 10 Hogsheads but they had still a good portion of their last Import
on hand. We remain Gentlemen
Your most obedient Servants
Stuart & Smith
We have drawn upon you for £172.10/. We enclose you Account Sales which we
trust will be satisfactory. We have again sold 1 Hogshead which we must try to hold
over till next week. We have not yet heard from Mr Davis, which we should do
in a day or two, and we will write you again on the subject.
* P.S.
Enclosed account statement and freight charges
Original transcript
Account Sales of 20 Hogsheads Brandy received pr the Sloop
Le Persone from Charente on acct & risk of Messrs Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac
Thos Banks 20 Hhds May 1 equal 4 Mos
TB
1. 27.7 | 1. 28.5
2. 27.7 | 2. 28.5
3. 28.0 | 3. 28.5
4. 27.5 | 4. 27.5
5. 27.5 | 5. 27.5
6. 27.5 | 6. 27.5
20 Hhds
138.2 Gallons
w/g 212.5.0
Charges
Freight on 5 Ins & Wharfage &c 126
12 7 6
Sample Bottles
13 4
Insurance on £210 @ 10/6 & 20/2 Duty 4/-
2 11 -
Commission Affecting £212.5 @ 2 1/2 %
5 6 3
21 8 1
Nett proceeds
£190 16 11
Errors Excepted
Liverpool 6 June 1836
Stuart & Smith
[left margin annotation]
Insurance 1/6 - 42.00
5113.97
Commisn 1/16 2/3 x 212.5
4428.97
Duty
171.10
Enclosed account statement and freight charges
Readable English text
Account Sales of 20 Hogsheads Brandy received per the Sloop
Le Persone from Charente on account & risk of Messrs Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac
Thos Banks 20 Hogsheads May 1 equal 4 Months
TB
1. 27.7 | 1. 28.5
2. 27.7 | 2. 28.5
3. 28.0 | 3. 28.5
4. 27.5 | 4. 27.5
5. 27.5 | 5. 27.5
6. 27.5 | 6. 27.5
20 Hogsheads
138.2 Gallons
w/g 212.5.0
Charges
Freight on 5 Ins & Wharfage &c 126
12 7 6
Sample Bottles
13 4
Insurance on £210 @ 10/6 & 20/2 Duty 4/-
2 11 -
Commission Affecting £212.5 @ 2 1/2 %
5 6 3
21 8 1
Net proceeds
£190 16 11
Errors Excepted
Liverpool 6 June 1836
Stuart & Smith
[left margin annotation]
Insurance 1/6 - 42.00
5113.97
Commission 1/16 2/3 x 212.5
4428.97
Duty
171.10
Discovery Terms
- Cognac trade
- Commercial correspondence
- Brandy sales
- Account sales
- Hogsheads
- Bills of exchange
- Brand imitation
- Brandy prices
- Stuart & Smith
- Otard Dupuy & Co
- Liverpool
- Otard Dupuy
- Britain