Collection number: MS 117

Size: 1 oversize item (0.20 cu.ft.)

About David Lockhart

David Lockhart of Tenerife, Portoratava, Canary Islands

About the David Lockhart Letter

An April 25, 1740 letter written by David Lockhart of Tenerife, Portoratava, Canary Islands sent to John McCarrick and George Simpson. It instructs the two men how to smuggle Canary wine into Massachusetts. The ship Oratavo set sail from Tenerife, Canary Islands in April 1740. In July, authorities sighted the ship off Cape Cod, Mass., and, due to its suspicious behavior, ordered her in for examination. They discovered that the Oratavo (a.k.a. the Providence), John McCarrick, and George Simpson were involved in illicit trade, contrary to the British government’s Navigation Act of 1663. The authorities seized the men and the cargo and discharged them only after they had paid the proper fees.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

David Lockhart Letter, Apr. 25, 1740, MS 117, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Donated: Mrs. Carroll Towle, Aug. 1, 1979 (Accession number: 016)