Letter from David Barclay to Richard Gurney

This letter is one of hundreds written between members of the Barclay and Gurney families during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Both families were Quakers, running successful banks, and the connections between the two were fortified by a series of marriages. The letters contain a mix of business, social, family and political news. In this letter, David Barclay is explaining to Richard Gurney why he did not give Hudson Gurney (Barclay's grandson) a share in the London bank (referred to as 'No 56' in the letters). The letter is a wonderfully revealing account of Barclay's opinion on his business and some of his partners: 'J F' [John Freame the younger] - 'a weak man,' and 'Isaac Smith, who bore no love to our family.'