119 118 75. Kirkmichaell zonger. Thomas Kennedy, younger of Kirkmichael. Richard Oswald the Peacemaker 12th line. 76. 3Ir. James Hall, Ballantrae. Mr. James HaU, BY W. STITT ROBINSON, JITN., minister at Ballan• Associate Professor of History, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas trae. 77. Johne Kennedye. ;> Who was Richard Oswald?' This question was asked by the 78. David McC'awel. British Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, in 1839, while examining Anglo-American treaties relating to the boundary disputes between the United States and Canada. Best known to 79. James Greg. history as the British peace commissioner in Paris in 1782, Oswald had a varied career as merchant, slave trader, peace commissioner, 80. James McMeikeine. and adviser to the British Ministry on trade regulations and the conduct of the American Revolution.'^ Signatures Below Glasgow Determination. Born in Scotland around 1705, Richard Oswald was the son of the Reverend George Oswald of Dunnet in the county of Caithness, and 81. James Corre. James Corrie in Maybole, who was the younger brother of the Reverend James Oswald of Scotstoun, at one time a servitor of the Earl of sometime Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Cassillis, and was probably the Scotland. Richard Oswald had two sons—George Oswald and II.! fd-iri- ' Captain James Corrie in Maybole Richard, Jun., presumably by his first wife, whose identity has- who was killed at the battle of not been established. George died in France on March 1, 1763, Alford in 1645. He was the under the care of Laurence Sterne.'' Richard, Jun., apparently younger brother of George Con-ie ran away from home in 1762 or 1763 and appeared in Jamaica in of Kelwood (died c. 1633-4) and 1764 in the Army, but was returned by relatives to England, so was the uncle of the John Corrie where he died around 1768. Through marriage in 1750 to Mary of Kelwood of 1638. Ramsay,^ heiress of Alexander Ramsay of Jamaica, Richard Oswald came into possession of estates in both the West Indies 82. Frances Mure. Francis Mure of Pennj^glen, a and North America, later acquiring additional land by purchase younger brother of John Mure in Florida. Described as a man " of very large independent fortune of Auchindrane and so a nephew much exceeding a quarter of a million sterling," Oswald owned of Sir Alexander Kennedy of several tracts in East Florida, one including eight thousand acres, Culzean. (1) This article is reprinted with tlie permission of the Tracy W. Mctiregor Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesviiie, Virginia, and is n revision of the essay that 83. David Kennedye of Oarrihorne. accompanied the editing of Richard btiwaliTs Memorandum (Charlottesville, Virginia, 1953). (2) General biographical information about Richard Oswald may be found In the sketch 84. J. Mure Aucheindraine. John (later Sir John) by W. P. t!oiirtney in The Bkiionurtf of National Biography, vol. ii, p. 329-30 ; Sir George V. Lewis, Essays on the Ail ministrations of Great Britain from r7« to ISSO (London, 1884), p. 81-84 ; Kiirhe's Oenealoffical and Heraldic History of the LancLed Mure of Auchindrane. Gentry ; David Duncan Wallace, Ttw Life of Henry iMurens (New York, 1915); Elizabeth Donnan, editor, Documents lUustraiive of the History of the Slave Trade to America (Washington, 1930-35), vols. 2 and 4 ; and an excellent analysts of the personality and character of Oswald in a letter from Benjamin Vaughan to James 85. Knokdaw. John Kemiedy of Knockdaw. Monroe, Sept. 18, 1795, in The Monroe Papers, library of Congress (Washington, D. (J.), vol. 3, leaves 585-66. -i; . • S6. (3) for letters from Laurence Sterne to lUchard Oswald and John Mill about the death of W. Craufurd of Skeldone. WilUam Craufurd of George Oswald, see Archib.ald Boiling Shepperson, " Yorick as Ministering Angel," The Virginia Quarterly lleview, vol. 30, no. 1 (Winter, 1954), p. 54-8«. Skeldon. (4) There was no issue to Richard Oswald's marriage to Mary llamsay in 1750. 87. li. Kennedy. - • • 120 121 where he unsuccessfully attempted to plant a colony. In Scotland men was a lastmg one. They met several times between 1771 and Oswald also amassed a large family estate, including the purchase 1774 during Laurens's intermittent residence in England to educate of Auchincruive in Ayrshire in 1764 and Cavens House .-^ his children. Upon returning to America in 1774, Laurens became a Revolutionary leader and succeeded John Hancock in 1777 as As a merchant Oswald participated in extensive commercial President of the Continental Congress. Two years later he was ventures. He gained early experience in trade by association with selected as commissioner to the Netherlands to negotiate a loan his cousins in Glasgow. While still a young man he lived for six and to draw up a treaty of amity and commerce with the Dutch. En years in V^nginia and engaged in trade in the area around Norfolk roide to Europe he was captured by the British off the shore of and Elizabeth River. Referring to his stay in Virginia, Oswald Newfoundland. During a six-hour sea chase Laurens destroyed stated that he " had in person visited every part " of the colony most of his papers and belatedly threw overboard the remainder and " had bought upon the spott Assortments or Cargos of every of what he considered insignificant records in an inadequately Article of . produce." He then returned to England and weighted sack. The British fished the papers from the sea and sent established himself as a merchant at Philpot Lane in London, them to London, where the Van Berckel paper, contaming tlie continuing in trade for over thirty years. During the Seven Years' draft of a proposed treatj' between the Dutch and the Americans, War he served as contractor for supply of troops on the continent. was used by England as one of tlie reasons for beginning hostilities Being unable to get satisfactory agents, he himself went to Germany against the Netherlands. as Commissary-General to the Array of the Duke of Brunswick, a nephew of Frederick the Great. Laurens was taken to England after his capture and imprisoned in the Tower of London in October, 1780, on suspicion of high As a London merchant Oswald devoted considerable attention treason. Oswald made several visits to the Tower and worked for to the African slave trade. In 1748 the firm of Alexander Grant, his friend's release. Through the aid of Edmund Burke and Richard Oswald, and Company purchased Bance Island, one of Benjamin Franklin, Laurens was released on bail in December, several islands in the mouth of the Sierra Leone River in the colony 1781, with plans for the exchange of the prisoner Lord Cornwallis. of the same name, where the Royal African Company had erected a Oswald posted bond of £2,000. In April, 1782, Oswald was sent fort. Oswald and his associates gained control of other small by the British Ministry to the South Carolinians with the announce• islands by treaties with native chiefs and established on Bance ment of his final discharge from further obligations to British Island a trading station for factors in the slave traffic. courts. The two men then continued their association as peace commissioners, Laurens having been designated by the American Frequent correspondence relative to the slave trade was carried (yongress as one of five peace commissioners and Oswald selected on with Henry Laurens of South Carolina. Operating as a by Lord Shelburne to open negotiations with the Americans. Charleston factor and commission merchant, Laurens traded principally in deer skins, indigo, wine, rice, and slaves. For Oswald Prior to selection for peace negotiations, Oswald was acquainted he handled most of the slave cargoes imported into Charleston, with many of the leading officials of the British Ministry. Because and when unable to manage his friend's business personally, he of his residence in America and his knowledge of its geography arranged for the disposition of shipments to reliable mercantile and trade, he was frequently consulted about the war. Lord firms. North, serving as Prime Minister from 1770 to 1782, sought information from Oswald on several occasions. Oswald also made Oswald in 1778 referred to "a correspondence of more than detailed recommendations to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Twenty Years " with Laurens, whom he had always found a man of a position created in 1768 to improve imperial administration and " strict honour . , most humane & friendly temper," and a person to strengthen the King's control over colonial government. The " of good sense, & of great industry." The friendship of the two Secretaries of State for the Northern Department and Southern Department considered the third Secretary mferior in rank. But (6) Three letter books, owned by Major lUchard Alexander Oswald, J.P., M.E.B., of the outbreak of the Revolution focused the attention of the British Cavens House, Kirkbean, Dumfries, cover the period 1704-1784 and cootain the following :—I. Correspondence of Mrs. Mary Uamsay Oswald, wife, with lUchard upon the American colonies, and one modern writer has concluded Oswald, 1761-1768. 420 p. II. Correspondence, miscellaneous, with Richard Oswald, that the third Secretary became " in practice, at least until defeat 1764-1784, including letters from Oswald's nephews employed in commercial activities, from his son llichard Oswald, .Tun., from his brother the Reverend James loomed on the horizon, the principal Secretary of State." " Oswald, from Laurence Sterne, and others. 469 p. III. Letters to Richard Oswald. ] 765-) 784, from John Maxwell, Oswald's factor or agent for the Cavens estate and other farms in Dumfries. 570 p. A microfilm copy of those letters is now in the (6) Margaret M.