MRP: C10/155/38 f. 1
C10/155/38 f. 1
Abstract
Charles II, following his restoration, had urgent need for large quantities of naval supplies, specifically for hemp, tar and pitch, and reasonable prices. So in early 1661 he, his counsel and the commissioners of the Navy decided to appoint two or three experienced London based merchants to assist in procuring such supplies. It was decided to advance £20,000 to fund this enterprise and to place it with London bankers. William Cutler and Sir William Ryder were selected as suitable merchants, and they invited George Cocke to join them in this business in a partnership in which each were to hold a one third share. The commercial terms allowed a four per cent commission on the value of all purchases of hemp, tar and pitch, together with some other commercial terms which are unspecified in the Bill of Complaint. The £20,000 was advanced and placed with Edward Backwell in London, and the three partners instructed their Stockholm correspondents, Thomas Cutler, Beniamyn Ayloffe and Samuell Sowton, to commence buying large quantities of hemp, tar and pitch for shipment to England. In the first year of operation £20,000 of materials were purchased and shipped, as demonstrated by the bills of lading. Sir William Ryder maintained the accounts for the concern. Bills of exchange for this amount were delivered to London and were settled both by Sir William Ryder and Alderman Edward Backwell, with documentary proof remaining in the hands of Sir William Ryder in the form of bills of lading, invoices, account books, and bills of exchange.
William Cutler complains that his one third share of the approximate £1000 of provision money has been witheld by his other partners, together with his full share of the other advantages and profits of the concern to which he is due. He is unable to produce documentation of the value oweing him since he agreed to the books of account and other documentation being kept and retained by Sir William Ryder. William Cutler refers to a contract between the partners on the one hand and the King and commissioners of the Navy on the other, dated July 3rd, 1662.
Transcription
//To The right hon:ble S:r Orlando Bridgman kn:t & Barr:t Lord Keeper//
//of the great seale of England//
//Complayning shweth unto yo:r good Lordshipp yo:r Orato:r William Cutler of London Merchant that whereas o:r Soveraigne Lord the King his Mai:tie that now is soone after his Mai:ties happy restoraconn that is to say about the beginning of the yeare of o:r Lord one thousand six hundred sixtie & one haveing occasions to make XXXXX XXXXX great quantity//
//of Hemp Tarr & Pitch to be imployed in his Navy and to be placed in storehouses for his Navy pvisions and haveing lately thentofore bought diverse pcells of Hemp Tarr and Pitch from diverse English merchants in London and other places XXXXX at extraordinary great rates and prizes & yet could not be furnished ?or supplyed with//
//such vast quantities as the psent exegencies of that tyme did require for the supply whereof It was thought fitt by his sayd Mai:tie, his Councell, and the Comissioners of the then Navy, that there should be an expedient ?found out to furnish his sayd Mai:tie with y:e sayd Hemp Tarr & Pitch from Stockholme and other partes ?in //
//the Kingdome of Sweden or from other parts beyond the seas, at farr cheaper and more easy rates, and prizes than his Mai:tie had thentofore bought y:e same for, and that there might be noe lacke or want of such ??poisions, if in case y:e sayd Warrs should continue, whereupon his Mai:tie did think fitt and itt was soe concluded & ?agreed//
//on by y:e then Comm:rs ofhis Mai:ties sayd Navy that his sayd Mai:tie should forthwith pvide a summe of money in Banke and elect two or three fitt and able merchants resideing in London who might prudently manage y:e sayd affaires and have trusty agents and correspondents resideing at Stockholme aforesaid and other XXXXXXXXXXX//
//beyond y:e seas to ?pcue orders and make carefull retorne, all w:ch matters being thus agreed upon, it was his sayd Mai:ties gracious pleasure ?to (Or, in) thinke yo:r Orato:r and S:r William Ryder of y:e Citty of London then Merchant both being well acquainted in y:e way of trade as merchants to be fitt psons & agents for y.e sayd imploy:mt ?had did XXXX//
//to yo:r Orato:r y:e sayd S:r William Ryder to appoynt such psons as yo:r Orato:r and the sayd S:r William Ryder shoulde thinke fitt to be theire correspondents beyond seas and his sayd Mai:tie of his further grace and favor to yo:r Orato:r and the sayd S:r William Ryder was pleased to contract and agree or otherwise some agreem:t was had and XXXXX//
//by his said Mai:ties Comm:rs of the Navy for and on his Mai:ties behalfe to and with yo:r Orato:r and y:e sayd S:r William Rider (sic) to allow unto yo:r Orato:r and y:e sayd S:r William Ryder four pounds p Cent ?poision money for all such sums of money as should be layd out and expended in buying y:e sayd Hemp & Pitch and some other ?most advantag?eous XXXXX//
//were to accrue to yo:r Orato:r amd y:e sayd S:r William Ryder in y:e management of y:e sayd imployment and soe yo:r Orato:r & y:e sayd S:r William Ryder became ioynt ptners in y:e sayd imploym:t by way of merchandizinge And yo:r Orato:r further shewes that after y:e sayd contract soe made yo:r Orator and y:e sayd S:r William Ryder did thinke fitt and XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX//
//consent admitt George Cocke of London Merchant to come in a ptner with yo:r Orator & y:e sayd S:r William Rider (sic) in y:e sayd affaire for y:e better managery (sic) thereof and to have an equall third pt or share of y.e said poision money and all such other pfitts & emoluments as might iustly accrue in such negociacon as aforesayd XXXXX//
//psuance hereof of his Mai:tie in y.e sayd yeare one thousand six hundred sixtie & one did advance in Ready Cash y:e summe of Twentie Thousand pounds or neere the thereabouts w:ch sayd summe soe advanced by his sayd Mai:tie was either payd in, unto y.e sayd S:r William Rider or unto Edward Backwell one of y.e now Aldermen of y.e Citty of London [??by the]//
//order of y:e sayd S:r William Rider, there to remayne ready at all tymes to defray & discharge all such Bills of exchange as should be drawne upon yo:r Orato:r or y:e sayd S.r William Ryder for such Hemp Tarr & Pitch as should be bought by their Correspondents beyond Seas And yo:r Orato:r further shewees that should after XXXXXXXXXXXXX//
//mai:ties had soe deposited his advance money, yo:r Orato.r y:e sayd S:r William Rider and Cocke did take upon them the managem:t of y.e sayd concerne and forth with did appoynt their correspondents in sewall pts beyond y:e seas that that is to say Thomas Cutler Beniamyn Ayloffe and Samuell Sowton Merchants resideing at Stockholm XXXXXXXXXXXXX//
//and other pts in y.e sayd Kingdome of Sweden And by letters of Advise did direct & appoynt y.e aforesaid Correspondents to buy up great quantities of Hemp Tarr & Pitch and with the first convenient expedicon, safely to shipp y:e same, for y:e River of Thames to be layd ?up in his Mai:ties Storehouses And to advise yo:r Orato:r and the sayd S:r William Rider & George Cocke [?of ?the]//
//same, and that what Bills y:e sayd Correspondents or any or either of them should drawe upon yo:r Orato:r and y:e sayd S.r William Rider or the sayd Cocke or any of them for paym:t of the same should be forthwith payd, And yo:r Orato:r further shewes that that y.e sayd Corespondents did according to y.e sewall Advises of yo:r Orato:r & y:e sayd S:r William Ryder and [?y.e]//
//sayd Cocke or some or one of them in y:e aforesayd yeare sent over for his sayd Mai:ties use diverse & sundry great quantityes of Hemp Tarr & Pitch to y:e value of Twentie thousand pounds or thereabouts and with the sayd sewall Shipps freighted with the sayd Hemp Tarr & Pitch did send over sewall Bills of Layding and Envoyces sheweing y.e pXXXXXXX//
//thereof all which goods safely arrived & were stored in his Mai:ties Navy Storehouses with great appbaconn of his sayd Mai:tie & his Comm:ers of y:e Navy & all such Envoyces & Bills of Lading came to y.e pticular hands of y.e sayd William Rider who did undertake to keep y:e accompts thereof and as to all such Bills for paym:t as were drawne by XXXXXX//
//correspondents upon yo:r Orato:r and the sayd S:r William Ryder the same were also delivered to y.e sayd S:r William Rider and paym:t thereof made by him or or by y:e sayd Alderman Backwell accordingly as by y.e sayd Bills of Layding Envoyces books of Accompt & Bills of exchange now remayning in y.e custody of y:e sayd S:r William Rider if y:e XXXXXXX//
//or could pduce the same ?migh[t] fully appeare And yo:r Orato:r further shewes that y:e very p?vision money of y:e pticuler yeare doth amount unto neare one thousand pounds whereof yo:r Orato:r ought to have had and recced his full thirds part besides his equall ?devident of XXXX other XXX p:rfitts & advantages that did accrue to yo:r Orato:r y:e sayd [?S:r ?William]//
//Ryder and Cocke in the carreing on and manageing y:e sayd affaire as is well knowne to y:e sayd S:r William & the sayd Cocke All which the sayd S.r William Rider & y:e sayd Cocke or one of them iniustly & contrary to good conscience deteyne from yo:r Orato:r and refuse 4 (sic) to rende him any accompt thereof takeing advantage that yo:r Orato:r//
//submitted y:e keeping the said accompts to the sd S:r William Rider who therefore of necessity was to have the keeping of all the sayd Bills of Layding and Envoyces soe as yo:r Orato:r cannot give him or the sayd Cocke or either of them any pticuler charge And yo:r Orato:r further shewes, that his Mai:tie & his sayd Com:rs of his Navy were pleased with the faithfullnesse & good service of yo:r Orato:r y:e sayd S:r William Ryder & Cocke//
//in that imploym:t for y:e aforesayd yeare, that the sayd Com:rs for y:e Navy at his Mai:ties appbaccon & appoyntm:t by a certayne writing of contract and agreem:t under their respective hands & gewall seale bearing date the third day of July one thousand six hundred sixtie and two reciteing y:e conveniency for his Mai:tie to be accomodated w:th yXXXXX//
//from Sweden in psuance of y.e Crowne of Sweden pposalls & reciting that y:e managem:t thereof should be comitted to psons of knowne integrity and and ability & that in psuance thereof they had made choice of y.e sayed S:r William Rider yo:r Orato:r & the sayd Cocke And by y:e sayd writeing did agree that y:e sayd S:r William Rider your//
//Orator & the sayd Cocke should cause to be bought at Riga or Quinsborough & delivered at Portsmouth Chatham or Woolwich (the danger of y:e seas excepted) five hundred tonnes or what pt thereof could be pcured of Merchants att Riga ?Rhyne Hemp w.ch was conceived would amount to four & twenty thousand pounds//
//w:ch sume the sayd Com:rs did thereby pmise to pay y.e sayd S:r William Ryder, yo:r Orato:r & Cocke within eight weekes by weekely pporconns And the sayd S:r William Ryder yo:r Orato:r & the sayd Cocke did by the sayd writeing oblige themselves to cause ?disbursances upon y:e syd Accompt to be made att the easiest rates either in//
//his Mai:ties name or their owne names And it was thereby agreed that the com:rs should pay all cost and charges freight & factorage ensurances x:r And allow the sayd S:r William Ryder yo:r Orato:r & the sayd Cocke four pounds p Cent upon y:e whole for pvision money ?as by y.e sayd writeing itselfe now remayning//
//with yo:r Orato:r ready to be pduced may at large appeare And yo:r Orato:r further shewes that the sayd four & twenty thousand pounds was payd according to y:e sayd contract either to y:e sayd S:r William Ryder or to y.e sayd Alderman Backwell by his ?'appoynt:mt & great quantities of Hemp together with Pitch & Tarr //
//were bought for his sayd Mai:ties use by yo:r Orato:r y:e sayd S:r William Ryder & Cocks aforemenconned Correspondents & were by them sent for England & safely Arrived & stored in his Mai:ties Storehouses at direconn oy y:e sayd Comm:rs to his Mai:ties and y:e sayd Comrs of the Navys good appbaconn and that y.e sayd S:r William Ryder or the sd//
//Cocke or one of them (in like mannor as in y:e yeare before) had all these Bills of lading & Envoyces & kept the accompts thereof & payd the Bills of exchange & recced all the pvision money w:ch was allowed in Accompt:s by y:e which amounted to above one thousand pounds one third parte thereof as all other XXXXXXX//
