Volume 2 — 7. Accounts of William Bakewell, of "Fatland Ford," as protégé of his future son-in-law and as attorney or agent for Audubon & Rosier, giving certain exact indications of the naturalist's movements and personal relations, before and after finally leaving "Mill Grove." January 4, 1805-April 9, 1810. (For further reference, see Chapter VIII.)

Messrs Audubon & Rozier in a/c with Wm Bakewell Cr

1805

Jan 4 Cash for sundries 11 .25 March 18 Cash 5

12 do 1

18 Brother 150

1807

Apl 22 Cash Mr Rozier 66 Apl 1 Cash of Miller 150

Advertists in Philada & Norristown 7 do of Jackson 50

Cash pd M Fisher 40

do paid Vendreman 3

1808

Adv.ts & hand bills 3 .75 Jan 8 do of Longacre 50

Cash Mr Pears 14 .50 Apl 2 do of Longacre 50

May 3 Exps of Horses to Philada 4 .76 do 25 d 100

20 Sundries 18 .50 May 12 do formon 31 .84

June 8 Cash 3 .18 Dec 20 Cash of Longacre 30

17 Smith's work 5 .00

Advertiset 1

Oct 10 Exchange of Horse 10

Keep of Horses 23 weeks 42 .50

Decr 31 Cash pd Mr Pears 18 .92

1809

Advertisets & Vendue Exps 12 .82 Apl 18 Clennell 20

25 Bills payable to W. Thomas 607 .10 Sept 30 Kymar 22

Cash pd Mr Page for powr of Attorney 1 .37 Oct 27 d 47

13 Paid Attachment fees 9 .28 Nov 6 d 22 .50

Cash paid for tax 2 .91 Dec 23 do 10

25 mortes [?] & half taxes 7

Commission 7998 a 1½ per Cent 119 .97

1810

Jany 23 omitted Exps at Vendue 3 .77 Jan 23 Cash of Dacosta 299 .44

$1176 .91 Feb 13 do of Miller 20

Balle of Neckland 237 .32

Apl 3 Miller 8

9 do 6 .12½

$1159 .22½

NOTE BY THE AUTHOR. This record proves that Audubon upon his first return to France from the United States, must have left "Mill Grove" on the 12th of January, 1805, or not more than a day later; three days were required to walk to New York, which could not have been reached later than the 15th, and probably as many more were needed for a letter to go to "Fatland Ford." He probably sailed for Nantes shortly before January 18, the day when William Bakewell recorded that he had sent his "brother," Benjamin Bakewell, commission merchant in New York, $150; this was undoubtedly in payment of the loan which the brother in New York had made to young Audubon for his passage to France. The next item, of April 22, 1807, was for money advanced to Ferdinand Rozier, probably when he was acting as clerk to Laurence Huron, in Philadelphia; "advertisements in Philadelphia and Norristown" possibly had reference to the lease and final sale of "Mill Grove" of the year before. Miers Fisher was the Quaker merchant, who for many years served as Lieutenant Audubon's American agent and attorney, and who was later the adviser of his son and Ferdinand Rozier. Thomas W. Pears, a relative by marriage of the Bakewells, was with Audubon in Benjamin Bakewell's office in New York, and afterwards associated with him and Thomas W. Bakewell in their disastrous mill experiment at Henderson, Kentucky. The bill of William Thomas, former Quaker tenant of "Mill Grove," was possibly in liquidation of his claim against Lieutenant Audubon and Dacosta in their mining operations at this farm (see the letters to Dacosta, Vol. I, p. 117). The credit entry under May 12, 1808, "formon—31.84," may represent interest collected on an unsettled claim of Lieutenant Audubon against Mr. Formon, a former partner in Santo Domingo, in relation to the sale of the ships, the Count of Artois and the Annette (see Chapter II, p. 33). Dacosta had been urged to apply to Mr. Formon's son-in-law, who appears to have lived at Philadelphia, but was unable to obtain anything from the Formon estate. The "Cash of Dacosta 299.44" possibly represented interest on the mortgage which we have assumed was given to Audubon and Rozier when Dacosta and his mining company came into possession of "Mill Grove," September 15, 1806 (see Chapter XI, p. 148).

8. Concerning a Power of Attorney issued by Lieutenant Audubon and Anne Moynet Audubon to Ferdinand Rosier and John Audubon, the Younger, at Couëron, France, in 1805; parts in French translated by a Philadelphia notary; signatures of original document authenticated by the Mayor of Couëron, October 21, 1805; his attest of the legality of Anne Moynet Audubon's signature, at Couëron, October 27, 1805; authentication of the signature of the Mayor of Couëron by the Subprefect's of Savenay, November 27, 1805; attest of the Subprefect's signature by the Prefect. (Remainder of document missing.)

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ss:

I, Peter Stephan Du Ponceau, notary public & Sworn Interpreter of foreign Languages for the Commonwealth aforesaid, residing in the City of Philadelphia, do hereby certify that I have carefully translated into English so much of the Instrument of writing hereunto annexed as is written in the French language, as follows, to wit:

At the bottom of the Deed [act] and immediately after the Signatures of the Witnesses, there is a Certificate in France [French], which being translated, is as follows:

Seen by us, the Mayor of the commune of Coueron, who attest the above Signatures of G. Loyen, assistant mayor, C. D'orbigny, Doctor of medicine, Audubon, & Anne Moynet Audubon, to which full faith and credit is to be given, whereever it may be necessary—Done in our Office at Coueron, the thirtieth of vendemiaire fourteenth year of the French Empire [sic].

G. Vallin, mayor.

[Mayor's seal]

And on the back of the said Deed [Act] is written in French what follows.

We, Germain Vallin, Mayor of the commune of Coueron in the Department of Lower Loire in the French Empire, certify to all whom it may concern, that on this day, personally appeared before me John Audubon and Anne Moynette, his wife, both now residing in this said commune, and represented to us, That in order to give its full force & effect to the Instrument written on the other side hereof, in the English language, which they have declared to be a letter of attorney in favor of Messieurs Ferdinand Rozier, & John Audubon, junior for the purposes therein mentioned, it was necessary that the said Instrument be by them acknowledged before us, according to the forms prescribed by the Laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and that the said Anne Moynette Audubon should be examined by us separate from her said husband, in order to declare that she has signed and executed the said Deed [Act] of her own free will and accord, and without being compelled thereto by her husband; That this formality is rigorously required by the Laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and no other act, not even a notarial Instrument, can in any manner Supply the same.

In consideration thereof, we have received the acknowledgment which the said appearers have made before us, by which they have declared and acknowledged that the said Instrument, written in the English Language on the other sides hereof is their own Act and Deed, and that they desire that it may be recorded as such, whenever it may be necessary.

And the said John Audubon having withdrawn, we have examined the said Anne Moynette Audubon separately and apart from her said husband, and She declared to us, That She knows & perfectly understands the contents of the said Deed [Act], and that She has Signed, Sealed, and declared [delivered] the same, of her own free will and accord, without being compelled thereto by her said husband, either by threats or by any other means of compulsion whatever. In faith whereof, we the Mayor aforesaid, have Signed the present Certificate, and have caused the Seal of this mayoralty to be thereunto affixed—Given at Couëron the thirtieth of vendemiaire fourteenth year of the French Empire [sic]

G. Vallin.

[Seal of the mayoralty of Couëron.]

(Afterwards is written also in the French Language, as follows:)

I have seen the above and attest the Signature of G. Vallin, mayor of the commune of Couëron, above and on the other side affixed.

Done in the Subprefect's office, at Savenay, the fifth Brumaire fourteenth year.

The Subprefect of the first District. Magonet Tremelotrie

[Seal of the District of Savenay]

I attest the above Signature of Magonet Tremelotrie.—

Nantz, the 7th. Frimaire 14th. year

The Prefect Belleville which [remainder wanting.]