Evidence of the Spanish/Flandrian/Hamburg silver trade in the early 1650s

From MarineLives
Revision as of 17:18, August 28, 2015 by ColinGreenstreet (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "==Trade in silver bullion== Several cases regarding ships other than the ''Sampson'', the ''Salvador'', and the ''Saint George'' mention merchants and ship owners who were co...")

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

Trade in silver bullion


Several cases regarding ships other than the Sampson, the Salvador, and the Saint George mention merchants and ship owners who were connected with the silver ships. Depositions regarding claimants of goods seized in the Saint Michaell or Angell Michaell of Hamburg are particularly informative about the silver trade. The ship had departed Cadiz one month later than the three silver ships, and was bound allegedly for Hamburg, rather than Ostend, carrying silver and other goods.

One claim was brought by the widow and heirs of "Danyel Sloyer deceased".[1] The deceased Danyel Sloyer was quite clearly the father of Daniel Sloyer [the younger] and Franz Sloyer, who were part owners of the ship the Saint George of Hamburg. The forty-four year old steersman of the Angel Michael, Peter Scholenburg, deposed at the end of March 1653 that he well knew the deceased Danyel Sloyer whilst he lived and that he "departed this life at Hamboro about a twelve moneth". Moreover, Scholenburg likewise knew Sloyer's widow (who had brought a case for silver on board the Angel Michael in her and Daniel Sloyer's heirs names), stating that she was his "neere neighbour in Hamborowe where shee liveth with her childern and family".[2] Later in his deposition, Scholenburg described knowing the deceased Danyell Sloyer "for many yeares before his death", and that of his own direct knowledge Sloyer had been "a citizen and burgher of Hamborowe and a subiect of the same ffree city", being "a merchant of good worth and accompt in Hamborowe" and that it had been "commonly knowne and noted to have driven a greate trade and to have dealt much into Spayne for silver and other wares and merchandizes".[3]

This trade had continued since the death of Danyel Sloyer [senior], Scholenburg reporting that "the trade was and still is contynuall by the wydowe Sloyer arlate for and on the behalfe of her selfe and the heyres of her said husband deceased".[4] In answer to interrogatories, Scholenburg specified Daniel Sloyer Senior's precise dwelling place as the Ruyn{?s]markett in Hamborowe".[5] Scholenburg described receiving on board his ship, when lying in the bay of Cadiz in November 1652 "one barr of silver without a bag and one bag or sacke conteyning twoe little barrs of silver...".[6] He stated that he received the silver from the ship's boatswain, together with bills of lading, and that he passed it on to the ship's gunner "whoe stored the same amongest other goods and silver in the hold of the said shipp". He claimed that he heard at Cadiz that the silver was to have been transported from Cadiz to Hamburg in the Angel Michael "for the account of the said producent Wydowe Sloyer and her assignees.[7] The same Scholenburg deposed on behalf of another claimant in the same ship, a Spaniard.

[ADD SENTENCE ON CUSTOMARY BEHAVIOUR OF MERCHANTS TRADING IN SILVER FROM CADIZ TO HAMBURG][8] Spanish concerned about confiscation of their silver by the French, so used Hamburg names colourably as the consignees, when in fact the silver remained their property.[9]


Physical character, weight and markings of the silver


A good deal of information is available from witnesses as to the physical character, weight and markings of the silver, together with its alleged owners.

The silver on board the ships came in many different physical forms - barrs, plate, and coins. Coins, for example, are described as "of Peru",[10] XXX,[11] and XXXX.[12]

"Peices of eight of Peru".[13]
"peeces of eight Peru Coyne"[14]
Pieces of eight of Mexico
Pieces of eight of Sevile
"peeces of eight. Sevill and Mexico"[15]
"Ryalls of eight of Peru coyne"[16]
"Spanish marks"[17]
"one Pinah Clamp or pigg of sylver".[18]
Bags of silver
Little bagg
Barrs of silver
Great barrs of silver (weighing ca. 130 marks each)
Small barrs of silver
Little barres
Fine silver
Cases of silver
Pieces of silver; silver peeces
Barretons
Barratoones[19]


Sources of the silver on board the Silver Ships


Much of the silver was reported to have been physically purchased by its owners in the Spanish West Indies, with places of purchase given as Havana, XXX, and XXXX.

Lewis ffernandez Angell, for example, purchased silver at Havana and accompanied it to Cadiz in the ship the Saint John Baptist (Master: John Jericho), where he transferred it into the Sampson for transport to Flanders, and again accompanied the silver as a passenger.[20] The bills of lading for ffernandez Angell's silver were signed by the Sampson's purser on "the eleventh day of September 1652. new stile aboard the sayd shipp the Sampson, when the ship was riding at anchor in the bay of Cadiz.[21]

Lawrence de Veles, a thirty-eight year old Cadiz merchant, reported seeing Don Antonio da Ponta lade various merchandizes at Lenera Cruz in Nova Hispania into a small frigate, which he shipped to Havana. At Havana, De Veles purchased six bars of silver with the proceeds of his merchandizes.[22]

Still more of the silver was purchased in Cadiz itself. For example, the same Lawrence or Lorenzo de Veles mentioned above, made a separate deposition reporting seeing a Jeronimo Brudgmans "in the moneth of July 1652 buy att Cadiz of a Biscay merchant the four barrs of sylver arlate...the weight marked on them as they came marked from the Indies three hundred sixty six markes and five ounces".[23]

The thirty eight year old Flandrian merchant Lorenzo de Veles described carrying several parcels of Flandrian goods out to the Spanish West Indies on behalf of two Antwerp based merchants, Peter and Andrew Annakach, and other Flandrian goods for Joanna Vanden Bergue, the widow of a further merchant. These he sold in the West Indies for pieces of eight, which on his return to Cadiz, he converted through sale and purchase into a barr of silver for the Annakachs and a small pig of silver and two small silver bars for Mrs Vanden Bergue.[24]

The use of neutral or "free" ships to ship Spanish bullion to Northern Europe had several advantages for the shippers of such bullion. Firstly, if the ships were seized, there was some degree of protection of the goods in foreign Admiralty Courts. Secondly, as claimed by John Martinsdorp in a deposition, "if any sylver and moneys unlicensed by seized before the same be shipped, it is confiscatable. But in case the same be laden aboard a free shipp, or arrive att any place or port out of the power of the lawes of Spaine, such unlicensed sylver can neyther be seized by the King of Spaine nor confiscate to his use".[25]


Goods shipped outwards to exchange for silver in return


There is some evidence of the physical goods and commodities shipped to Spain and to the Spanish West Indies from Antwerp and England, which were later "converted" or "returned" in the form of silver, either in the Spanish West Indies, or in Spanish ports.

ffrancisco Boesdonck, the cashier and book keeper of the Antwerp merchant James Pinquett, gave details of two outward shipments of goods, in support of James Pinquett's claim for silver on the Morning Starr. He stated that "in the yeare 1651. last past the Interrate James Pinq[?uett] did in the moneth of November of and in the said yeare send one tunne of fflemish yarne marked No. I.P.3. by one Peter de Keyser master of, and aboard the shipp the Keyser of Ostend to David Clinquert aforesaid then being at Sevill in Spaine, and saith the two baggs of ryalls of eight now claymed were and are the proceed of the said tunne of yarne, Hee further saith That inm the moneth of October 1652. the said James [?Pinquett] did send unto his ffactor Peter Jansen de Yonghe one packett of Antwerpe lace marked No. I.P.8. by one Hendrick Garfel Master of a shipp of Ostend to Cadiz for which the seaventeen barrestons of silver are returned of the worth thereof"[26]


Colourable names entered for consignees of silver


Spanish and Flandrians were concerned about confiscation of their silver by the French, so used Hamburg names colourably as the consignees, when in fact the silver remained their property.[27] For example, Christian Aelst of Antwerp and Hjeronimo Brudgmans of Spain had their bills of lading for silver made out colourably at Cadiz. The young Spanish merchant Michael Perry Severino stated that "some of the bills of lading for sylver laden by this deponent [for Aelst and Brudgmans] wherein the same is colourably entred for the accompt of Arnoul van Haasdonck of Hamburgh the better to preserve his sylver from the french were found aboard the shipp Salvador".[28] The Dunkirk based merchant Lorenzo de Veles admitted in Court that there was no such person called "John Baptista [?Hemme] and "saith he himselfe did make use of that name being a fictious or suppositious name for such sylver as he did in person lade aboard att Cadiz, to avoyde the danger that might befall him if he should have bene knowne there to lade sylver to be transported out of Spaine".[29]


Absence of names of Cadiz laders of silver on bills of lading and in ship's book


Christian Cloppenburg, master of the Salvador, explained that: "all the said goods and silver were laden at Cadiz aforesaid in the monethes of August, September and October last past or thereabouts by many severall merchants whose names hee saith hee cannot remember without booke, but referreth himselfe [?therein] to his said bills of lading and papers, only the names of such as laded the silver are not mentioned in the bills, by reason of the danger of their lives that are discovered to send it thence, and saith the said goods were and are consigned to many severall merchants of Antwerp, Ostend, Bridges, London and Hamburgh and other places mentioned in his said bills and papers to which hee in that matter referreth himselfe not being able as hee saith to remember them without booke, and hee was not told or understood from any but that the said goods were and are belonging in propertia to the said severall persons to whom they are soe consigned."[30]


Getting to the true ownership of the silver


Identifying the true, as opposed to the alleged, ownership of the many diverse parcels of silver onboard the three Silver Ships is of course impossible. Nevertheless, some patterns emerge in the many witness statements, which suggest that that the true owners of the silver were geographically diverse.

At least five geographical groups of "true" owners can be identified: (1) Spain (2) Flanders (3) Hamburg (4) England (5) Ireland. In addition, some of the silver was presumably Dutch owned, but war with the English between 1652 and 1654 precluded Dutch merchants making such claims, and any "true" Dutch owners are likely to have sought recovery through merchants of any or all of the other five geographies.


Were the goods on the Silver Ships insured?


The Commonwealth was keen to establish that the silver had been insured by insurers resident in the United Provinces. Hence the question put to deponents in thE English Admiralty Court as to whether the silver was insured. The deponents responded by claiming that the silver was uninsured, or that it had been insured in Sevile, Antwerp, Hamburg or London.

According to Michael Perry Severino, goods shipped on the account of the two Flandrians Christian Aelst of Antwerp and Jeronimo Brudgmans of Sevile were insured. Severino reported Hjeronimo Brudgmans telling him "att Cadiz that befre he came away from Sevill he had caused himselfe to be ensured upon and for three hundred thousand peices of eight bein parcells of the moneys now claymed, and that the sayd ensurance was made in Sevill." However, Severino did not know of what country or with whose subjects the insurance had been taken.[31]

According to John Moller, the servant and cashier of Antwerp merchant George Bosschaert, Boschaert had various parcels of silver on board the three silver ships. For the silver purchased "for his own particular account...hee hath caused a thousand pounds fflemish to be assured at Hamborough on all his silver in each shipp of the said three shipps in the passinge of which assurance hee used the assistance of Mr ffrancis Sloyer a Hamburger there dwelling, and as hee hath heard and beleeveth the assurers are also Hamburgers, but their names hee knoweth not".[32] A second cashier of Boschaert, the Brabanter Adrian Valzolio, stated that "there is assurance made at Hambourgh and Antwerp by the producents on the said silver namely at hamborough for Boschaert and at Antwerp by Puiguet".[33]

According to London merchant Giles Vandeputt, Vandeputt received letters of advice from John Bollart, a merchant and burger of Antwerp, in late October 1652, requesting him to take out insuance in London on silver and plate laden by Bollart on all three of the Silver Ships. "whereupon this deponent upon the 28th of the said moneth of October 1652 did cause three severall pollicies to be duely drawne att the Assurance office London for and concerning the ensurance of the said Bollarts moneys and plate laden aboard the said three shipps att Cadiz to be transported and delivered as aforesaid, wherein and whereby this deponent procured and caused an Assurance of 400 li sterling to be made upon the said Bollarts plate and moneys in the said shipp Sampson, and 400 li sterling in the said shipp Salvador, and 400 li sterling in the said shipp Saint George, All which assurances this deponent caused and procured to be made - and duely drawne as aforesaid, And to be subscribed upon the 29th day of the said moneth of October 1652. by Nicholas Skinner, James Stainier for and in the name of James Johnson Peter Bultel and others Merchants residing in England, And saith That hee this deponent did thereupon satisfie unto the said Assurers their severall premiums after the rate of 10 li per Cent and did Charge the same by bill or bills of Exchange upon the said John Bollart, who accordingly payd the said bills, And further hee cannot depose, saving that the said Assurances and policies drawne thereupon and all the transactions for and concerning the same were and are reall and true, Which hee knoweth and deposeth being the person who did act and negotiate the same from the first to the last, and thereby hath an absolute and assured knowledge thereof".[34]


How did foreign merchants pay for Spanish silver?


John Moller described George Boschaert and his partner, James [?Puiquet] driving and using a constant trade "from Antwerp to Cadiz in Spaine and places there about Cadiz for plate and moneys".[35] Moller's detailed testimony includes a description of bills of exchange drawn in Cadiz on Bosschaert and his partner "for the payment of the moneys for the said silver and plate soe bought and laden for their accompt".[36] Moller states that the bills of exchange were drawn "by the waye of Sevill". For Bosschaert's half of the silver, it was drawn by the order of Bosschaert's Cadiz factor, the Dunkirk born Francois de Sierpe "on him by Giles and Michael [?Diensart] of Sevill by 6 bills of exchange for soe much money in ducats as amounted to 5900 ducats payable to Christofer [?Diensart] John Alst and others in Antwerp, which the said producent George Boscaert accepted and hath paid the same by this deponents [John Moller] hands".[37]

ffrancisco Boesdonck, servant, cashier and book keeper to James [?Puiquet], described the trade of Puiquet and Boschaert slightly differently. He stated that they "have driven and still drive a constant trade from Antwerp to Cadiz and Saint Lucars in Spaine for silver and plate, and for all the said time have had their factors, agents and correspondents resident at Saint Lucars and Cadiz but especially at Cadiz to that purpose".[38]


Bills of lading for silver


Some bills of lading were carried by passengers on board the Silver Ships from Cadiz. However, others were sent overland.

The Dunkirk merchant Lorenzo de Veles states that he sent signed bills of lading for goods on the Sampson "from Cadiz over land to [?Gilles] de Nemay of Antwerpe in fflanders from whence this deponent received the same in a letter here att London from the said [Gilles] de Nemay, and delivered them to Mr Smith one of the proctors of this Court".[39] John Moller similarly stated that the bills of lading for Antwerp merchant George Boschaert's silver were sent overland to Antwerp from Cadiz.[40] ffrancisco Boesdonck stated that multiple bills of lading were signed by the masters or pursers of the three silver ships for James [Puiquet's] silver, and that "one of every of the said bills soe signed was sent alonge in the said ships from Cadiz".[41]

Don Antonio de Ponte was assistant in the lading of thirteen bars of silver for Lewis ffernandez Angell into the Sampson, and gives considerable detail about the receipt by the purser of the Sampson of the silver. He describes the purser receiving the silver and making "notes or receipts for the same in writing therein expressing the markes and numbers of the same, the name of the lader, for whose Accompt. and to and for whom and where to be delivered"[42] De Ponte adds that he subsequently "saw the sayd Purser signe three bills of lading of one tenor, whereof the bill interrate was and s one. and the sayd three bills were in this deponents sight all of them delivered to the sayd Lewis ffernandez Angell; one whereof was left att Caddiz. an other sent by the post into fflanders. and the third being the schedule to the allegation annexed was brought by the producent to sea with him and in his owne Custody."[43] De Ponte, responding to a final interrogatory, stated that the silver was laden in the Bay of cadiz, under the protection of the fort,a nd not on the open sea, and that "there was not any Cocquett for the same nor is it usuall in such case to take any Cocquetts"[44]

Several deponents refer to bills of lading being sent to, or carried with, their masters in London or carried with their masters. Adrian Valzolio, one of George Boschaert's two cashiers stated that he recognised the bills of lading shown him in Court "because hee this deponent brought them from Antwerp to London whether hee came in company of Mr Boschaert".[45]


Other documentation of ownership of the silver


[ADD DATA]


Merchants' correspondence concerning the silver


Several young merchant deponents located in Antwerp refer to reading and copying correspondence from their masters' factors in Cadiz. For example, the twenty year old ffrancisco Boesdonck, reported reading and copying correspondence from his master James [?Puiquet] to his Cadiz factor, ffrancis de la Sierpe, instructing him to buy silver in Spain, before personally carrying the letters to the post. Moreover Boesdonck saw and read the advices returned from ffrancis de la Sierpe to Antwerp concerning the buying and lading of the silver.[46]


Merchant attempts to recover the silver


What do we know about the efforts of individuals and partnerships to recover their silver?

It remains to be seen if we can piece together the practical and legal steps taken by an individual or partnership to recover their silver. The prospects seem reasonable for the silver bought by the partners George Bosschaert and James [?Puiquet]. Firstly, we have very detailed depositions from their servants, who acted as their cashiers and book keepers - John Moller in the case of Bosschaert and cisco Boesdonck in the case of [?Puiquet]. Secondly, both Moller and Boesdonck suggest that Bosschaert went from Amsterdam to London "about looking after the said silver and other laden by him in the said shipps." Boschaert states that Bosschaert went to London in December 1652.[47] Thirdly, there are traces of Bosschaert in the Calendar of State Papers Domestic in regard to another ship in which he had silver, the Morning Star.[48]


English involvement in Spanish silver trade


A number of depositions by merchants resident in London shed light on English involvement in the Spanish silver trade.

  1. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1497
  2. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1497
  3. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1498
  4. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1499
  5. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1499
  6. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1497
  7. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1498
  8. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1502
  9. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1502
  10. ↑ HVA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2652]
  11. ↑ ADD REFERENCE
  12. ↑ ADD REFERENCE
  13. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2660]
  14. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 0 IMG 118 07 2529
  15. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 0 IMG 118 07 2522
  16. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 1 f.31v
  17. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 15 f.4r
  18. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2665]
  19. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 0 IMG 118 07 2513
  20. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2547]
  21. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2550]
  22. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2562]
  23. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2651]
  24. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2665]
  25. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2656]
  26. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 1 f.32v
  27. ↑ [HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_1502]
  28. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_2663
  29. ↑ HCA 13/67 f.? IMG_117_07_2667
  30. ↑ HCA 13/66 Silver IMG 118 07 2451
  31. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2664]
  32. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2941]
  33. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2949]
  34. ↑ HCA 13/70 f.149r
  35. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2937]
  36. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2939]
  37. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2939]
  38. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2942]
  39. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2666]
  40. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2941]
  41. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2943]
  42. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 1 f.2r
  43. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 1 f.2r
  44. ↑ HCA 13/69 Silver 1 f.2v
  45. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2949]
  46. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2942; 2943]
  47. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2945]
  48. ↑ [HCA 13/69 f.? IMG_118_07_2945]

Retrieved from ‘http://www.marinelives.org/index.php?title=Evidence_of_the_Spanish/Flandrian/Hamburg_silver_trade_in_the_early_1650s&oldid=100418’