Letter from Edwyn Sandys Dawes to Henry Shelton Sanford (January 24, 1882)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Edwyn Sandys Dawes to Henry Shelton Sanford (January 24, 1882)
Alternative Title
Letter from Dawes to Sanford (January 24, 1882)
Subject
Investments--Florida
Insurance--Florida
Description
A letter from Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891), dated January 24, 1882. In the letter, Dawes acknowledged Sanford's earlier requests for company information, indicating that he had "requested Mr. Waller to send [Sanford] all the particulars [Sanford] asked for." Dawes also informed Sanford that William MacKinnon (1823-1893) would be in London for the upcoming board meeting, adding that he would defer to MacKinnon's discretion regarding reading Sanford's earlier, and potentially inflammatory, letter before the board of directors. Dawes feared that the letter in question, in which Sanford offered a "severe criticism" of Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) agent G. A. Thompson, "would create an awkward breach." The letter followed with some subtle jabs at Sanford's role in the company and his inability to raise the financial capital to buy out the fellow investors, including Dawes, with whom he had strong disagreements. The letter reflects the often tense relationship established between Sanford and the London-based board members of the FLCC.
Dawes was one of the founding partners of Gray Dawes and Company, a London-based company founded in 1865 by business partners Archie Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903). Located at 13 Austin Friars in London, England, the company was focused, at least initially, on maritime insurance. By the mid-1870s, the company had also expanded its operations into shipping, overseeing a fleet of steamships that circulated within a trade network including London, Calcutta, Madras, and elsewhere. The company was closely linked to the Scottish shipping titan, Sir William MacKinnon. Gray was Mackinnon's nephew. Dawes, meanwhile, went on to become a close and trusted business partner to MacKinnon. As such, the firm became a useful means for MacKinnon to reward his friends and business associates. The company availed insurance accounts to these select individuals, accounts that could be used as a source of credit to be paid at a later date. The company became associated with Henry Shelton Sanford thanks to the mutual connection to MacKinnon. In 1880, MacKinnon lent Sanford, who was faced at the time with financial difficulties, some £8,000 to facilitate the founding of a Florida land investment company. The money offered by MacKinnon was in fact loaned to Sanford by Gray Dawes and Company. Additionally, at the behest of MacKinnon, both Gray and Dawes became reluctant subscribers to Sanford’s land investment scheme, the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC).
Dawes was one of the founding partners of Gray Dawes and Company, a London-based company founded in 1865 by business partners Archie Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903). Located at 13 Austin Friars in London, England, the company was focused, at least initially, on maritime insurance. By the mid-1870s, the company had also expanded its operations into shipping, overseeing a fleet of steamships that circulated within a trade network including London, Calcutta, Madras, and elsewhere. The company was closely linked to the Scottish shipping titan, Sir William MacKinnon. Gray was Mackinnon's nephew. Dawes, meanwhile, went on to become a close and trusted business partner to MacKinnon. As such, the firm became a useful means for MacKinnon to reward his friends and business associates. The company availed insurance accounts to these select individuals, accounts that could be used as a source of credit to be paid at a later date. The company became associated with Henry Shelton Sanford thanks to the mutual connection to MacKinnon. In 1880, MacKinnon lent Sanford, who was faced at the time with financial difficulties, some £8,000 to facilitate the founding of a Florida land investment company. The money offered by MacKinnon was in fact loaned to Sanford by Gray Dawes and Company. Additionally, at the behest of MacKinnon, both Gray and Dawes became reluctant subscribers to Sanford’s land investment scheme, the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC).
Creator
Dawes, Edwyn Sandys
Source
Original letter from Edwyn Sandys Dawes to Henry Shelton Sanford, January 24, 1882: box 53, folder 7, subfolder 53.7.4, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Date Created
1882-01-24
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from Edwyn Sandys Dawes to Henry Shelton Sanford, January 24, 1882.
Is Part Of
Box 53, Folder 7, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Florida Land Colonization Company Collection, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Requires
Format
application/pdf
Extent
330 KB
Medium
4-page handwritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Gray Dawes and Company, London, England, United Kingdom
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Edwyn Sandys Dawes.
Donated to the Connecticut Historical Society after 1901.
Loaned to the Tennessee State Library and Archives for processing until June 1, 1960.
Acquired by the General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum in 1960.
Rights Holder
The displayed collection item is housed at the General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum in Sanford, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from the Sanford Museum to display this item for educational purposes only.
Curator
Fedorka, Drew M.
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
Munro, J. Forbes. Maritime Enterprise and Empire: Sir William MacKinnon and His Business Network, 1823-1893. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2003.
Collection
Citation
Dawes, Edwyn Sandys, “Letter from Edwyn Sandys Dawes to Henry Shelton Sanford (January 24, 1882),” RICHES, accessed April 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/4739.