‘2 pair patent screw jacks for £16.19.00’ Letter and Receipt from John Gladstone & Co. of Liverpool to the Manchester and Leeds Railway Office

A 2 page hand written letter and receipt dated 1847 from the prominent 19th-century merchants John Gladstone & Co who were associated with maritime trade and engineering interests in the city of Liverpool. The 2 page document consists of a receipt on paper headed ‘Manufactured by John Gladstone [Sons] & Co’ which outlines an order for ‘2 pair patent screw jacks for £16.19.00’. The receipt is illustrated and headed in a bold font, ‘Brass Box Worm Screws & Improved Patent Worm Screw Jacks’ and hand signed John Gladstone & Co. A hand written letter follows to the recipient Samuel Swarbuck Esq of the Manchester & Leeds Railway Office outlining further details regarding the order. The contents which fold together to form an envelope are in very good condition, stamped with remnants of the original seal.

The Gladstone family had many business interests both in the city of Liverpool and internationally. The family’s wealth was heavily based on slave-run plantations in Jamaica and Demerara. John's son, William Gladstone became a four-time Prime Minister.