Scope and Contents

Received his letter; Ann told him that the bundle had arrived; Lewis arrived on Monday and may stay for a week; he [WLM] and Sarah [a former servant] went to Long Island to look at the house that Ann and Sarah [Maury?] had already visited; there are 50 acres of land and a good house, for sale for $4000; Lewis liked the house, so he and Ann will accept the offer; before Lewis leaves for Balt[im]o[re] to charter a schooner to bring their belongings, they will have purchased the house; it may take a week to work through all the legal business of the sale; the property will be in his [RM] name, for the present at least; the owners can leave any time within two weeks after being notified; Sarah [the former servant] will go with Lewis to Glo[uce]ster, Virginia to help with packing and will accpmany Nan and the boys to New York; Jane and Mary Lewis will stay with relatives in Virginia; Lewis must settle with Mr. Kemp for the two years of the lease which he will not fulfill; if he has to forfeit that money, he will lose $700; the total expenses for the move will be $6000 or more; he and Ann have assumed that he would be willing to pay one-third of the cost; would like to know his thoughts on the topic; (22 March) found out that Ann wrote a similar letter, but they may as well send both of them; he and Lewis called on Mr. Wetmore, an old friend who specializes in real estate law; enclosed a copy of Lewis's letter to the owner of the house [not present]. 3pp. Cy of ALS