Two letters from Charles William Roemer to Frederick Huth & Co.,19 February 1839 and 4 November 1841

MLMSS 11942

fonds

1839-1841

9675408

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder)

Charles William Roemer (1799-1874) was a German-born merchant. Initially importing German wool in London, he emigrated to New South Wales in 1832 to grow and export Australian wool. He bought properties in New South Wales and Queensland, but lived in Sydney as a merchant where he focused on the export trade.

Reference:
Pike, A.F. “Roemer, Charles William (1799–1874).” Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed 14 July 2023. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/roemer-charles-william-2601

Both letters formed part of the Huth records, which got dispersed in the mid-twentieth century. The letter dated 19 February 1839 was later kept in the collection of Captain T.G.S. Ward.

1. Letter from merchant Charles William Roemer to merchant bankers Frederick Huth & Co., London, dated 19 February 1839, Sydney. Manuscript letter, laid paper with ‘SE & Co’ watermark, three pages on bifolium with address panel on fourth page, 25.2 x 20.3 cm. Includes various postal stamps and a largely intact red wax seal.

The letter is accompanied by a typescript transcription and index card containing additional shipping and postage information about this letter. The transcription and index card have been created by Captain T.G.S. Ward, a previous owner of the letter.

In the letter, Roemer provides the bank with instructions relating to his recent wool trade affairs and expresses his regret that the bank intends to charge him only 2.5% ‘if I send you bills in lieu of produce to cover any debts I might owe you for Orders executed for my acc’t. Messrs Gowen stopped my business partly by their charge, I hope you will not do the same.’

Roemer also gives insight into the New South Wales whaling industry, referring to Huth’s ‘question about whaling’. He mentions it costs £15 per ton to fit out and provision a vessel sailing out from Sydney (‘though for the last 10 years this charge has only been £14-- but provisions & every thing else is now rather dear)’. Adding that the captain’s and officers’ pay and the lays of the crew are settled on the ship’s return, he also writes that ‘it requires £14-- per Tun on the oil caught to cover this item’.

The letter also covers updates and predictions relating to the wheat, tea, sugar and rum trade (‘Tea is getting scarce & worth near £5-- a chest but Sugars are not worth beyond £23-- a ton I think however the latter article likely to pay next year, at present it hardly pays any profit.’). He concludes the letter with the hope that Huth has ‘not encouraged any Germans to send out staves as the Colony has absolutely been glutted’.

The last page of the letter contains a manuscript copy in a different hand of a letter sent by Roemer to Frederick Huth & Co on 12 January 1839 (marked ‘Copy’), containing information on wool prices and the sugar market.


2. Letter from merchant Charles William Roemer to merchant bankers Fred Huth & Co., London, dated 4 November 1841, Sydney. Autograph letter, wove paper, one page with address panel on verso, 25.2 x 20 cm. Includes various postal stamps and removed wax seal (loss of paper where seal has been removed).

Roemer raises the matter of again only being charged 2.5% in a recent sale, ‘I have therefore had again to make an advance without remuneration’. He then shares financial particulars involving Mr H[enry] Meinertzhagen and the Australian Loan Company, and concludes the letter by voicing his concern with regard to the latter: ‘I am bound to say that I am alarmed at the quantity which the said Company has issued and that if you have not sold the Scrip at once it will be difficult to sell if larger quantities are thrown on the market. Mr. Meinertzhagen is aware that this is my opinion but he as well as others, who have sent large quantities to your market think I am needlessly alarmed. I hope I may be deceived, but as £250,000-- have been sent home, it will be a great disappointment if it should not sell’.

Out of copyright: Author(s) died more than 70 years ago
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales