Friday, August 29, 2008

The Philadelphia Years 1711 - 1715

Almost as soon as he was settled in Philadelphia, Cadwallader Colden, started his general merchandise business, trading in bread, wheat, flour, rice, rum. He travelled far and wide from Philadelphia to Charles Toun in Carolina to Jamaica and the West Indies. In November, 1711, he writes from Charles Toun to a merchant in Philadelphia named Alexander Arbuthnotte, and tells him "Rum is the only best commodity that can be sent here at present." In the same letter he says "All your Country commodities in a little time will be wanted here as Ale Cyder but especially Bread & Flower a little milk bisket will do extroadinary well."

On December 18, 1711, Colden writes to Arbuthnot again and tells him that he is thinking of sailing to the Spanish Coast, "I have some thoughts of goeing a Voyage upon the spanish Coast in a Sloop which is now dayly expected, if I do succeed in what I do at present Imagine about that Voyage it will occasion me to be with you in the Spring."

Over the next few years through his correspondence with various merchants in Philadelphia, New York, Virginia, Jamaica and Barbados, we find Cadwallader continuing his mercantile business. He traded in goods and occasionally in guns and other hardware, but never in slaves.

His letters to various merchants continue through May 2nd, 1715, and then they stop. This is because Cadwallader Colden returns to Scotland with the intention of getting married.

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