John Jay Papers
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Peter Jay to James Jay, 14 April 1763

Peter Jay to James Jay

[Rye] 1763 Aprill 14th:

Since my last of the 15th. Feb:, I have received your Letters of the 28 Novr & 8 January—1 the good state of health you injoy and our kind Bristol Relation’s attention for you, gives me great Satisfaction.—I’m surprised you had received only two of the many Letters I’ve wrote you, which Johnny assures me he did put into the Ship’s bags himself. he was lately here and when I told him you had received his Letter, he appear’d concern’d at his having received None from you,—the greatest, and indeed almost only, comfort I can expect on this side of the Grave is, from yourself and your two youngest Brothers, two very promising Youths, and I pray God you may be a Blessing to each other, by an uninterrupted Brotherly intercourse always subsisting between you.—Fady is now an apprentice to yr Cousin Js. D.Peyster,2 and he lodges at yr Uncle Chambers’,3 so that no application must be made abot. him, as hinted in my last Letter to you, wherein I also make mention of Johnny who continues determin’d to Study the Law, and finding that Nothing can be done for him here in that way I now write ^request^ Cousin Peloquin to assist you4 in getting him to write in the Office of an Attorney in London or, much rather, in Bristol, where he’ll be more immediately undr. Cousin Peloquin’s Notice, and where I conceive it will be far less Expensive in regard to his Board &ca, than in London, and where the End will be answer’d as well—When he is well acquainted wth the office of an Attorney & the Practice in the Courts, he may then pass a year or two at the Temple,5 My great distance from England makes it necessary to look out Early and if you succeed in getting a Place for him, i’ll send him over this time twelve Months, immediately after he has pass’d his Degrees at the College.

abot. 4 weeks past your Uncle Chambers was seiz’d with the Dead palsy, inso much that his life was despair’d of. he is now something better, but its bad Effects in regard to his Memory &ca. still remain. We all remember our love to you and I am

LbkC, NNC: Peter Jay Lbk. 3 (EJ: 11187). Addressed: “Doctr. Js. Jay in London.”

1James Jay to PJ, 28 Nov. 1762 and 8 Jan. 1763, not located.

2James Abraham De Peyster (1726–99), the son of Abraham and Margaret Van Cortlandt De Peyster.

3John Chambers (1699–64), husband of Anne Van Cortlandt Chambers (c. 1701–74). John and Anne Chambers were JJ’s godparents.

5PJ is referring to the Inns of Court, the four London legal societies that provided legal training from the fifteenth century. The four, Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple, and Inner Temple, are located in an area known as the Temple, once the English seat of the Knights Templar. Paul Lucas, “A Collective Biography of Students and Barristers of Lincoln’s Inn 1680–1804,” Journal of Modern History 46 (1974): 227–61.

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