Don Guillermo Hartnell’s cousin Dr. Robert Wyllie informed him that their ‘old friend McCulloch died’ leaving ‘his and your claim on the Mexican government’

Wyllie’s letter ends with distressing news of Mr. Brotherston, the family friend and kind employer of Hartnell’s youth: “Brotherston became a Bankrupt, and is now serving as a Clerk to a Bank in Newport, Wales.”  And Hartnell’s former partner, “our old friend McCulloch died in February, 1842 near Liverpool, of disease of the Heart.  He left his and your claim on the Mexican government.”

From Mexico City, Wyllie writes again to Hartnell on November 5.  It is almost a duplicate of his August communication from Tepic, which he fears may have miscarried.  But he refers, in addition, to efforts of the late English envoy to Mexico, Mr. Pakenham, to settle several private claims, among them the ancient bill of McCulloch, Hartnell and Company for $7,800 to the Mexican government.  McCulloch’s heirs in England now wish to renew attempts at collection.  To his earlier arguments for acquiring land in California in order to settle the huge Mexican debt to the Spanish-American bondholders, Dr. Wyllie adds:

‘The British bondholders prefer lands on the Atlantic coast but as without doubt both the United States and France grasp at California and as Mexico cannot defend it, it is evidently more for the interest of this country to strengthen that remote Department, by throwing the Colonists there – California would thus soon become capable of defending itself and its connection with Mexico would be secured.’

Of course there is a personal stake in this huge transaction.  As a silent partner in the firm of Barron and Forbes, which he admits to be “a shrewd establishment with a vigilant eye to the main chance,” Wyllie stands to profit handsomely by the commissions and other benefits the firm would receive for handling the cession.

 

[Pages 262 - 263 of Susanna Bryant Dakin's 1949 history of Upper California, The Lives of William Hartnell]