The Testimonies for John Ewer the Elder, Walter Ewer, and John Ewer the Younger - Page 8 - Transcript
He rather thinks that at the breaking out of the Troubles—
there were no very considerable Debts due. In so large
a Concern there must always be some Debts.
He does not know whether Mr Lawsons Share was
well or ill sold—but he understood he was obliged to
sell----- his Share being much incumbered. Many
very considble Improvements were made after this Sale.
Robert Christie Esqr – Sworn—
Says he resided abt 12 Miles from the Furnace
and for a year and a half had the House at the Furnace
by way of a Country House.—
They were the best Works of the kind he ever saw
in America—they had been very ill managed by Mr
Lee, but when the Troubles broke out Mr Skinner
the other Manager was considered as paying a proper
Attention to them—
Always understood they had 11 or 12,000 Acres of Land,
There were 2 Farms—One of them a very fine one
and he thinks consisting of 1000 or 1200 Acres and in
very fine Condition.
The Forges were Stone Buildings—The Furnace of
Brick—All were in excellent Order—
Says at the Commencemt of the Troubles he
considered it as a very valuable property He always
understood Messrs Ewer’s Interest was a third—
There were a great many Negroes and the
works appd to be supplied with every Thing necessary
for them—but never having looked upon the Concern
with a view to its value he is unable to put a Value
upon it—
Being further pressed for an Opinion of the Value
Says it must be a mire random Opinion but considg
Mr Lawson obtained £5000 for his 4th at a time when
he was much involved to the Company and therefore
Obliged to sell and that a great deal of Money had been
laid out after he sold his share—he should think the
whole Concern must have been worth £30,000 Sterling
He thinks he could have advised anybody to have
[Transcribed by Elizabeth Lilly]
