The letter reads as follows and the spelling and punctuation is as per the letter.

To:                 Mr. John Likely, Paisley.

From:             Charles  Addison, Bo’ness.

Dated:            2^nd January 1802.

        Dear Sir,

          I beg to refer to mine of this date & to that of the 31^st. - My nephew Chas. Addison writes his Mother, rec’d today, from Portsmouth, advising his Reg’t having got orders to prepare to embark for Jamaica. - This was quite unexpected, as he meant to have applied next day for leave to come to Scotland for two leave months. – It of course damages the plan you was so good as suggests, as to lending money upon his lands lying round this place. – I however place some hope it may still be possible to get the security done & with this view I mean to go to Edin’ early on Monday morning to wait upon Mr. Smith & to show him title deeds over the lands in question - & to have a Heritable Bond made out for such sum as he may judge proper which I will immediately send to Charles to be executed - & when returned, to submit it to you & the other Gentlemen concerned to determine on the propriety of granting the Loan upon it.

          I have had a slight acquaintance with Mr. Smith & it would be a particular favour if you were so kind as write him in course mentioning the business & that I will give him a call on Monday forenoon. – If my plan is approved Mr. S will of course have the Bond to write & I shall take care to have the Search of Registers completed.

          If you think of writing me, please address it care of James Carfrae Esq., South Bridge.  – I believe I mentioned that the lands were unencumbered by any debt - & I am certain are of much more value, any day, than the £1,200 I spoke of –

          I am Sincerely,

                   Dear Sir,

                             Yours & etc.

                                      Charles Addison.

(Draft reply)

          I have your favour of yesterday – I am sorry you thought a journey to Edin., Mr. Smyth being from home, and things not being yet in readiness for lending out the monies – Some circumstances have made it necessary to submit all matters relating to the management of Mr. Gerard’s Estate to Counsel, and by the opinion we got my conduct will be regulated.  If there is the smallest *** of after challenge, I will relinquish the factorship – but in any event there will be a considerable sum of money to be lent on heritable security, and from what you mention of your Nephew’s property being unencumbered, extending to about 30 acres worth at least £100 per Acre, and the sum of £1,000, to £1,200, being all that was wanted upon it – I have little doubt that whether I continue or do not, you will get the Money if the Bond can be got executed. – I am sorry however to find by your letter that there is the prospect of your Nephew going abroad before the necessary means can be taken for concluding this business – I hope the destination of his Reg’t may yet be countermanded.

            This is a letter from a Partner of the Paisley Union Banking Company (Charles Addison) to the John Likely, who was the cashier of the Paisley Union Banking Company. 

            Charles Addison is referred to as being a member of the Firm of Charles Addison & Son, Bo’ness and also as Charles Addison of Woodhead.  I can find no reference to Charles Addison & Son although Smith, in “The Making of Scotland” refers to Addison having closed the Brewery in 1813. 

I noted that Charles Addison was, along with Dr. J Short, Dr. John Roeburn and his brother Benjamin, a Brother within the Masonic Lodge (No. 90) which was declared dormant in 1799.  John Roebuck was a prominent member of the community and is recorded as having introduced “long wall” mining to Scotland.  (Long wall mining is a form of underground coal mining where a long wall (typically about 250-400 mtre. long) of coal is mined in a single slice (typically 1-2 mtre. thick). The longwall "panel" (the block of coal that is being mined) is typically 3-4 km long and 250-400 mtre. wide).  Roebuck, who was also the founder of the Carron Iron Works, is known to have lived at Kinneil House, Bo'ness.  The relevance of this latter point is that the only meaningful reference I can find to Woodhead is to Woodhead Farm which is located very close to the Kinneil House.

James Watt, the renowned inventor of the Steam Engine, is also known to have frequented Kinneil House when working on a steam engine for Kinneil Collieries which was owned by John Roebuck.  Watt’s correspondence is held at Birmingham Central Library and these papers include letters from a number of prominent industrialists including Charles Addison.  The papers also include correspondence from David Dale of the Royal Bank of Scotland. From other items in my collection I am aware that David Dale would frequently deal with Gilbert Hamilton, the Glasgow Agent of Bank of Scotland, and that Gilbert Hamilton was also an Agent on behalf of the Carron Iron Works.  The industrial and commercial links of the time must have been considerable for Addison and he must have interacted on a daily basis with renowned industrialists.  I also know that in 1829 Charles Addison, along with a small number of individuals – including John Roebuck – appeared in Court as Partners of the Firm of the Devon Iron Company with this a substantial Iron Works business in Clackmannanshire.

John Likly was the Cashier for the Paisley Union Banking Company.  He was from Old Meldrum and was very probably introduced to the Bank by John Christie (a further Partner of the Paisley Union Banking Company) who hailed from Aberdeenshire and may have been acquainted with Likly.  John Likly would have been assumed as a Partner on taking up his post as Cashier.

Likely’s career is not well documented although he did pursue the robbers all the way to London after the 1811 Robbery of the Paisley Union Banking Company.

I cannot positively identify Charles Addison (the Nephew) as I have no knowledge of to which regiment he refers.  His regiment was being sent of to the West Indies and it is to be hoped that, with 1802 being the final year of the War, he survived the campaign.  Loss of life was not necessarily always down to conflict .  In “Fear of Pain: British Surgery 1790 – 1850" it is suggested that

“Almost exactly half of the 100,000 British soldiers and sailors who served in the West Indies died of illness there; many before they had seen a Frenchman, some before they disembarked from the transports”

The content of the letter is relatively routine and relates to the Bank obtaining a formal security over 30 acres of land – on which there is no current debt.  The suggested value of £3,000 would be more than adequate for a debt of £1,200. Modern day conversion of these figures suggests that the Bank were being offered security of c. £214,000 of assets to cover debt of c. £86,000.  A not inconsiderable sum!

The letter also includes what I believe to be the draft response of John Likly in which he suggests that matters are on hold as a consequence of the Management of Mr. Gerard’s Estate having been referred to Counsel.  I am aware from other correspondence owned that Mr. Gerard was James Gerard who had died on 14^th June 1801 without having made a will.  This, and the fact that his widow was his second wife, appears to have caused considerable legal wrangling, particularly James’ father (George Gerard) had died in 1799 and George’s estate had not yet been wound up.  James Gerard was a Merchant in Paisley and also a Partner of the Paisley Union Banking Company.  Counsel did not provide for any problems for Likly and he managed the affairs of Mrs. Gerard and her children for many years thereafter.

I believe the James Carfrae of South Bridge referred to in the letter to have been a Merchant in Edinburgh.  Of passing interest is that James Carfrae, Merchant, was a Jury member at the Trial of Deacon William Brodie and George Smith on 27th August 1788.
        I was always aware that in 18^th, and early 19^th Century, banking many banks did not provide deposit taking services but merely made profit from lending capital injected by the Partners.  If I interpret this letter correctly the Paisley Union Banking Company is awaiting an injection of capital from the estate of a deceased Partner and will use that sum to satisfy the loan needs of Charles Addison.