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CHAPTER VI

PREPARING FOR HIS RETURN TO THE HOME OF HIS CHILDHOOD

The correspondence between the father and son during the last year of young Charles' life abroad related mostly to the preparations for the young man's return. The father's letters contained reminders of the necessities of the voyage and of the things he should bring over. Among these were some good blooded stock, books, book cases, house furniture and other things which in that day the colonists imported from England. Young Charles spoke of a servant but hardly had thought that a good one could be induced to transport himself. He admits a want of the practical side of a law education because he could not find such an instructor as seemed desirable. In a letter dated September, 1763, Mr. Carroll senior mentions that his grandfather was living in 1688. It is thought more than probable that he died just previous to the visit which Charles, the immigrant, made to London at the time of the death of Lord Baltimore.

About this time Mr. Carroll senior in a letter to the young man in London gives a summary of his estate. The estimate of value made at that time was as follows:

40,000 acres of land, two seats
alone containing each upwards
of 12,000 acres would now sell at
20 shillings per acre....
1/5 of iron works with forges,
150 , teams, carts and 30,000
acres, a growing estate which
produces to my one-fifth annu-
ally £400

£40,000

10,000

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You must not suppose my annual income to equal the interest on the value of my estate. Many of my lands are unimproved, but I compute I have a clear revenue of at least 1,800 per annum, and the value of my estate is annually increasing.

I propose upon your coming to Maryland to convey to you my Manor of Carrollton 10,000 acres and the addition thereto of 2,700 acres now producing annually £250 sterling, one-half of which is let. Also my share of the iron works producing at least 400£.

On my death I am willing to add my Manor of Doughoregon 10,000 acres and also 1,425 acres called Chance adjacent thereto on which the bulk of my negroes are settled. As you are my only child you will, of course, have all the residue of my estate at my death. Your return to me will be, I hope next Fall.

Some time previous to this, Mr. Jenison, one of the Masters, wrote the following letter to Maryland and it was doubtless very gratifying to the elder Carroll for he endorsed it:

"A character of my son:

By Mr. Jenison his Master."

Tho' I am not in a disposition of writing letters, having lost this morning the finest young man, in every respest, that ever enter'd the House, you will perhaps, afterwards, have the pleasure of assuring yourself by experience that I have not exaggerated

Charles Carroll's character in the foregoing lines. The Captain will be able to give you, I hope, a satisfactory account of him. It is very natural I should regret the loss of one who during the whole time he was under my care, never deserved, on any account, a single harsh word, and whose sweet temper rendered him equally agreeable both to equals and superiors, without ever making him degenerate into the mean character of a favorite which he always justly despised. His application to his Book and Devotions was constant and unchangeable, nor could we perceive the least difference in his conduct evern after having read the news of his destination, which, you know, is very usual with young people here. This short character I owe to his deserts - prejudice I am convinced, has no share in it, as I find the public voice confirms my sentiments. Both inclination and justice prompt me to say more, yet I rather chuse to leave the rest to Captain Carroll, to inform you of by word of mouth.

During his stay in London he made many short trips to interesting places in the vicinity. And he made it a point as far as possible to go to places not usually visited by the traveler. He became much interested in the names he found had been transferred to Maryland and with which he had been made familiar by letters from home, and by the Maryland Gazette of which he was a constant reader from the time he went to the college in Paris. At St. Omer his masters did not think it well for his mind to be diverted by reading the newspaper.

On a visit to Yorkshire he went to see Sherman Woods, the scene of Robin Hoods' adventures and found himself dining at an inn at Skipton and stopping at Easton and Lewes. He wanted to see the River Wye because of his familiarity with the name. He found it a romantic and picturesque body of water and was

interested to encounter the name of Plimhimmon given to one of the nearby mountains. Years afterwards when the eminent Charles Carroll of Carrollton was making the trip up Lake George in New York State he remarked to his companions, "this reminds me of a section of the Wye in England."

He took the greatest interest in the history and traditions of the rooms and buildings occupied by the lawyers and courts. In a letter to his father he seriously criticised the conditions imposed on a man who desired, after his qualification as to learning, to become a member of the Temple. The student must obtain the certificate of the barristers and in case the middle temple, that of a bencher to show he is " aptus habitis, et idoneus montris et scientia." On his admission, he has the use of the library, may claim a seat in church or chapel of the Inn and can have his name set down for Chambers. He must then keep commons, by dining in hall for twelve years, of which there are four each year. Before keeping terms, he must also deposit 100 with the treasurer, to be returned without interest when he is called to the bar. No student can be called till he is of three years standing and twenty-one years old. After he is called he becomes a Barrister.

The young man thought all this probably well enough for one who was expecting to earn his living as a London lawyer, but he couldn't see much in it worth while to one who was going to return to America to manage estates and enter politics. For notwithstanding all his father had told him of the hindrance he would meet with on account of his religion he believed a way would be opened and that he would be able to take such a place in public life as he might be found fitted to occupy.

In London young Charles pretty closely followed his father's advice, to treat all with civility but made few

intimacies. He belonged to several clubs and visited them frequently and met the civilities of the day, making the acquaintance of such as he cared to meet on a friendly footing. A young man of education, refinement and ample means would have no difficulty in making acquaintances. As his father intimated there would be much greater difficulty in getting rid of the undesirable ones. This he fully understood and acted accordingly. There were a number of young men from Maryland in London at this time completing their educations and preparing for professional careers. He was on friendly terms with all these and some of the acquaintances were continued with pleasure and advantages after their return to the Province. Lloyd Dulany, Edmund Jennings, John Hammond, Philip Lee, Wm. Paca and others are mentioned as among the Marylandians he frequently met in London. He doubtless met Cecelius Calvert and treated him with becoming courtesy but didn't make over him. Such a meeting was not considered worth mentioning in his correspondence.

Finally the time came for his return to America. Many and in detail were the preparations he made. He bought stock and household articles including books for the library and a thousand labels for putting into the books.

Little details are given of his trip over except that he followed his father's directions in chosing a ship and found the officers and passengers agreeable people.

There is no record of the fact but there is every reason to believe that Capt. John Barry afterwards known as Commodore Barry was a young officer on the ship that brought Charles Carroll home. The Carrolls had usually made it a point to travel on the ship, The Two Sisters, which was commanded by Captain Carroll, a distant relative. This ship made regular trips between

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