# From Robert Stedden Scrimgeour & John S. Scrimgeour & Co.   17 June 1859

22, Threadneedle Street, | London | E.C.

17 June 185 9.

Dear Sir

In reply to your favor of 15th. inst1 we beg to call your attention to the following information respecting the Gt. North of Scotland Ry. Co.

Original Share Capital £232.324— Preference ' '330.768— Dividend on Ordinary Share Capital 1855 1$\frac{1}{4}$ Pr. Cent —6 2$\frac{1}{4}$ ' —7 4$\frac{1}{2}$ ' —8 4$\frac{1}{2}$ ' —9 4$\frac{1}{2}$ '

The Optimal Preference Stock is the only Preference in this Company.—

The other Stock to which we alluded in our last is “North Eastern—Berwick 4% Preference” This stock, the amount of which is about £2.000.000, is protected by an ordinary share capital of £6.427.345 upon which dividends have been paid of late varying from 4$\frac{1}{2}$ to 6%

Last Feby. twelvemonth the stock touched par or 100. & you will now see it quoted in “the Times” nominal price is only 96.8

It is impossible to give the amount of “Berwick” Loans, as the Loans on the

Nth. Eastern—Berwick Line

Do. Leeds '

Do. York '

are a joint charge on the three associated Companies The total amount is £5.500.000 against a total share capital of £16.198.295

The exact figures of the ‘Berwick’ Capital are

Ordinary £6.427.345 Preference 2.047.900

We are Dear Sir | Yours respectfully | RS. & JS. Scrimgeour Co

To C. R. Darwin. Esq

P.S. | We may perhaps state that this is so far a favorable time for effecting the operation you have in view that there is just now a parcel of “Berwick” stock on the market, while at times it is impossible to buy it at all.2

## CD annotations

1.4 Preference] ‘Loans 300’ added ink
2.1 Optimal] del pencil; ‘Sharing with other capital’ added pencil
3.1 The other ... Times 4.2] crossed pencil; ‘The option of change Perpetual’ added ink
3.2 4£% Preference] ‘at £97’ added pencil; circled pencil
8.1 P.S.... all. 8.3] crossed pencil

## Footnotes

CD’s letter to the stockbroking firm Scrimgeour & Co. has not been found. The proprietors of the firm were Robert Stedden Scrimgeour and John S. Scrimgeour (Post Office London directory 1858).
CD’s Investment book (Down House MS) records that on 22 June 1859 he purchased 90 preference shares in the Great North of Scotland Railway Company at 11$\frac{1}{2}$, adding to the 180 shares he bought in April and June 1858. On 1 July 1859, he bought 9000 preference shares in the North Eastern Berwick Railway at ‘4 per cent (with perpetual power of changing into ordinary shares) at 96$\frac{3}{4}$’. The latter shares cost him £8707 10s.

## Summary

Provides requested information about certain railway shares.

## Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2469B
From
Scrimgeour, Robert Shedden & John Shedden & Co.
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from