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20th March 1662/63, Letter from Ralph Flyer to Sir GO, London

BL, Add. MS. XX, XXX f. 33

Editorial history

22/05/09, CSG: Completed transcription
14/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki

Abstract & context

Ralph Flyer wrote a letter to Sir George Oxenden dated March 20th, 1662/63, sent from London.

In the letter he asked Oxenden for assistance in his administration of the estate of his brother Edward Flyer, who had died in the Company's service in Gombroone. His unnamed father had resigned the administration in favour of him. He wrote at the suggestion of John Jolliffe and "some other my good ffreinds of y:e Hon:ble Comp:a."

Ralph Flyer,^[1] the author of this letter to Sir George Oxenden, has not been satisfactorily identified. He does not himself appear to have been a merchant and his name does not appear in the calendars of the English East India Company court minutes.

His brother, Edward, had previously been appointed as the number three in the Deccan factory, under Henry Revington, though he was almost reallocated to the Surat factory, in March 1658, to replace John Gray.^[2]

It is possible that Ralph Flyer (b. ?, d. ca. 1685) was a doctor of physic, who was ?later a senior fellow of King's College, Cambridge.^[3] A description and pedigree of the Flyer family of Hertfordshire shows that Dr Ralph Flyer was the third of seven sons of the London merchant Francis Flyer and of Martha Boothby, daughter of Thomas Boothby of London, Esquire. The fourth son was named Edward Flyer, though no further details are given in the pedigree. The family was armigerous.^[4]

The accompanying description to the pedigree provides a profile of Francis Flyer, the father of Ralph and Edward. He was a younger son of the London merchant Mathew Flyer.^[5] Following Mathew Flyer's death, his mother remarried another London merchant, William Freeman. He raised Francis Flyer as a merchant under his brother, Sir Ralph Freeman, sending him to Aleppo for nine years. Francis Flyer appears to have become a substantial merchant, retaining his interest in Turkish trade. A mercer, he was elected twice as Master of the Mercer's Company of London, and was also an Alderman and Sheriff of London.^[6]

Francis Flyer purchased Brent Pelham Hall in Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire as his country home, the Flyer family having historical links to both Devon and Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. A plate accompanying the article on the Flyer family shows Brent Pelham Hall as of 1826. As shown, the building was constructed in the form of an E, and was eight bays wide (including the wings).

The eldest son of Francis Flyer was Thomas Flyer, brother to Ralph and Edward. His marriage licence shows that described himself as a gentleman and that he was born ca. 1622.^[7] However, no birth dates have emerged for his younger brothers.

The reason for Ralph Flyer mentioning John Jolliffe in his letter to Sir Geogre Oxenden may be two fold. Firstly, it is possible that they were both resident in the parish of St Martins Outwich at the time of writing. Preparing his will in 1679, Jolliffe referred to "now dwelling house in the said Parish of St. Martin-Outwich in London." When, in the same year, Dr Ralph Flyer gave permission for his niece to marry, her parents being dead, the marriage was at St. Martin Outwich.^[8] Secondly, the Flyer and Jolliffe families may have been connected through their families roots in Staffordshire - in the case of the Flyer family, the link was with Uttoxeter and in the case of the Jolliffe family it was with Leek; both being in the county of Staffordshire.

William Isaacson also wrote to Sir George Oxenden in a letter dated March 24th 1662/63, sent from London, and enclosing the letter form Ralph Flyer. He described him as "Mr. Flyer", rather than "Doctor," so the tentative identification of Ralph Flyer with a doctor of physic in Cambridge may be wrong:

Inclosed are fromm one M:r fflyer whose Broth:r dyed in psia Somew:t was left in M:r Mathew Gray’s hands w:ch he Advised his bro:r of; It seemes M:r Flyer hath made meanes w:th y:e Comp:a y:t what lyes in Surr:tt (belonging to him now) may be putt into theire hands to pay him ?here when they shall know what y:e Amo:t wilbe, he desires yo:r Worp: s Assistance & to y:t and hath sent y:e enclosed^[9]

Suggested links

See Gombroon
See Surat

To do

(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript at BL.

(2) Look at the will of Ralph Flyer, doctor of physic. King's College, Cambridge

(3) Look at Alumni Cantagbrigiensis for Ralph Flyer

(4) When did Francis Flyer purchase Brent Pelham Hall?

(5) Look at PROB 11/286 Pell 1-49 Will of Thomas Flyer of Brent Pelham, Hertfordshire 11 January 1659 (possibly the elder brother of Dr Ralph Flyer and Edward Flyer, and heir of Francis Flyer, London merchant)

Images

Brent Pelham Hall, Chauncy, 1826

Image credits & copyright information

'Brent Pelham Hall', stone engraving, C.L. Tyler, plate, betw, pp. 280 & 281 in Henry Chauncy, The historical antiquities of Hertforshire, vol. 1 (Bishops Stortford, 1826)^[10]

Transcription

This transcription has been completed , but requires checking

[BL, Add. MS. XX, XXX f. 33]

Hon:d Sir

I have beene psuad:d by M:r John Jollyfe^[11] & some other my good ffreinds of y:e Hon:ble Comp:a to give you y:e Trouble of this lre humbly begging of you y:t you wold be pleased to call into yo:r hands all goods, or proceed of goods, belonging to my Bro:r Edward Flyer deceased at Gombroone & to give me Creditt in y:e Comp:a Bookes for w:t shall be receaved, I having Administered by my ffathers^[12] consent, w:t I suppose y:e hon:ble Comp:a lres will make mention of, S:r by y:e last Shipp s from Surr:t M:r Mat: Gray^[13] (to whome I am pticulerly oblidg:d for it) sent me an Acco:t of: 4667:ma:d 9pitie, in his hands & some small things he had not then Sold, & I am Informed by M:r Buckridge^[14] y:t M:r Randolph Taylor^[15] is indebted to my Bro:r for y:e proceed of 10:ba:e of Ruinas sold at Rajap:o to good proffitt w:ch were bought of M:r Buckridge for 3000:shas, S:r you will forever in a most speciall man:r oblidge yo:r Serv:t in takeing these things mentioned, & whatsoever else you shall find due to my Bro:r Edw:d^[16] in any psons hands in yo:r possession & giveing me Creditt for ?y:em, who humbly begs yo:r pardon For this bold Trouble wishing you all prosperities

Hon:d Sir
Yo:r most humble Serv:t
Ralph Flyer

Notes

Ralph Flyer

Ralph Flyer was possibly a doctor of physic at King's College, Cambridge

See PROB 11/379 Cann 1-51 Will of Ralph Flyer, Doctor in Physic of Kings College University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 11 February 1685

"Jackson, Issac, of Stepney, Middlesex, silkthrower, widower, and Margaret Washington, of Euen, co. Herts, spinster, 20, her parents dead, she at the disposal of her uncle and guardian, Ralph Flyer, doctor of physic, senior fellow of King's College, Cambridge, who consents - at St. Martin Outwich, London. 7 June, 1679. F."^[17]

Edward Flyer

"[January 1658] In the Deccan: Henry Revington to be Chief, Robert Herbert second, Edward Flyer third, Randolph Taylor fourth, and Richard Taylor fifth."^[18]

"[March 1658] Edward Flyer, to take the place of John Gray at Surat"^[19]

Thomas Flyer

"Flyer, Thomas, of Burnt Pelham, Herts, gent, bachelor, 27, and Elizabeth Mustars, of same, spinster, 21, at her own disposal, her father dead - at Burnt Pelham aforesaid, or St. Mary, Aldermanbury, London. 2 March, 1648/49. F."^[20]

- See possibly PROB 11/286 Pell 1-49 Will of Thomas Flyer of Brent Pelham, Hertfordshire 11 January 1659
- See also possible second son of Thomas Flyer: PROB 11/363 Bath 60-123 Will of Thomas Flyer, Gentleman of University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 27 June 1680

Richard Flyer

A Richard Flyer's name appears on a list of members of English merchants at Aleppo in a letter addressed to Winchelsea, dated March 18th 1661/62^[21]

- This conceivably could be the sixth son of the London merchant Francis Flyer, and the younger brother of Dr Ralph Flyer and Edward Flyer (who died in Persia and who is referred to in the letter from Ralph Flyer to Sir George Oxenden)

Possible primary sources

TNA

C 2/ChasI/B105/49 Short title: Bladwell v Flyer. Plaintiff: Bladwell. Defendant: Flyer and others. Document type: Answer. 1625-1660

PROB 11/135 Soame 1-64 Will of Mathew Flyer, Merchant of London 22 January 1620
PROB 11/286 Pell 1-49 Will of Thomas Flyer of Brent Pelham, Hertfordshire 11 January 1659

1. ↑ Ralph Flyer was XXXX. See Missing faces
2. ↑ 'A Court of Committees for the New General Stock, January 13-13, 1658' (Court Book, vol. xxiv, p. 51), in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of the court minutes of the East India Company, 1655-1659 (Oxford, 1916), p. 212; 'A Court of Committees for the New General Stock, March 8, 1658' (Court Book, vol. xxiv, p. 84, in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of the court minutes of the East India Company, 1655-1659 (Oxford, 1916), p. 237
3. ↑ PROB 11/379 Cann 1-51 Will of Ralph Flyer, Doctor in Physic of Kings College University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 11 February 1685
4. ↑ Henry Chauncy, The historical antiquities of Hertforshire, vol. 1 (Bishops Stortford, 1826), pp. 281-282
5. ↑ Probably PROB 11/135 Soame 1-64 Will of Mathew Flyer, Merchant of London 22 January 1620
6. ↑ Henry Chauncy, The historical antiquities of Hertforshire, vol. 1 (Bishops Stortford, 1826), pp. 280-281
7. ↑ Joseph Foster (ed.), London marriage licences, 1521-1869 (London, 1887), p. ?
8. ↑ "Jackson, Issac, of Stepney, Middlesex, silkthrower, widower, and Margaret Washington, of Euen, co. Herts, spinster, 20, her parents dead, she at the disposal of her uncle and guardian, Ralph Flyer, doctor of physic, senior fellow of King's College, Cambridge, who consents - at St. Martin Outwich, London. 7 June, 1679. F."(Joseph Foster (ed.), London marriage licences, 1521-1869 (London, 1887), p. ?)
9. ↑ 24th March 1662/63, Letter from William Isaacson to Sir GO, London
10. ↑ 'Brent Pelham Hall', stone engraving, C.L. Tyler, plate, betw, pp. 280 & 281 in Henry Chauncy, The historical antiquities of Hertforshire, vol. 1 (Bishops Stortford, 1826)
11. ↑ John Jolliffe, London merchant. He was subscriber to the SVJS
12. ↑ Father of Ralph and Edward Flyer is unknown, though he may have been the London merchant Francis Flyer, whose country residence was Brent Pelham Hall, Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. See Missing faces
13. ↑ Mathew Gray
14. ↑ Probably Nicholas Buckeridge
15. ↑ Randolph Taylor
16. ↑ Edward Flyer was XXXX. See Missing faces
17. ↑ Joseph Foster (ed.), London marriage licences, 1521-1869 (London, 1887), p. ?
18. ↑ 'A Court of Committees for the New General Stock, January 13-13, 1658' (Court Book, vol. xxiv, p. 51), in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of the court minutes of the East India Company, 1655-1659 (Oxford, 1916), p. 212
19. ↑ A Court of Committees for the New General Stock, March 8, 1658' (Court Book, vol. xxiv, p. 84, in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of the court minutes of the East India Company, 1655-1659 (Oxford, 1916), p. 237
20. ↑ Joseph Foster (ed.), London marriage licences, 1521-1869 (London, 1887), p. ?
21. ↑ 'The factory at Aleppo to the Earl of Winchelsea, 1661[-2], March 18', in H.M.C., Report on the manuscripts of Allan George Finch. Esq.. of Burley-on-the-hill, Rutland, vol. 1 (London, 1913), p. 182