MRP: 22nd August 1667, Letter from William Ryder to Sir GO, Bethnal Green

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22nd August 1667, Letter from William Ryder to Sir GO, Bethnal Green

BL, Add. MS. XX,XXXX, ff. 29-34

Editorial history

11/08/09, CSG: Finished transcription
13/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription






Abstract & context




Suggested links


See biographical profile of Sir William Ryder



To do


(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript in BL, and fill small holes

(2) Check who the tin farmers were, who Sir William Ryder refers to in his letter. Was Benjamin Glanville, Sir George Smith's brother-in-law, one of them?



Transcription


This transcription has been finished, but requires checking

[f. 29]

[LH SIDE]
Bethnal Green 22nd August 1667


My last to yow was of ye 16 Aprill past when was very breede being not in my best healthe but I prayed our deere ffreind Sr George Smith[1] to suply my xxxxx though not well allso, who not many weeks affter having had losses by sea & unkindness at home laid it soe neare to heart he waisted away & died ye last of June God in mercie fitt us all for our owne Change, I was at Gravesend w:n he deied preventing ye Insolent Dutch from Coming up ye river of theames but came up to his interment, w:ch was on ye 4th last month yt we e have both lost a deare loveing ffreind, I am not like to be long after him, having got a cold by overstiring in his Ma:ties Service, but I must leave this unpleasing story & come to busnes. Being now to reply unto yo:e wellcom lines of ye 31th March 30th Decemb 17th ffeb: 1665 all in double ??ropyes, & allso yr of ye 9th & 10:th Septemb: 1666 in severall of w:ch yow seeme to be unsatisfied w:th some of ye Comity yt

[f. 30]

they should a ?sperse yow & have hard thoughts for yo:w but I must assure yo:w & y:t wth much Confidente for a great trueth yt I know not one pson of ye whole Comity but hath much love & respects for yo:w & yw busnes hath beene upon yoe writing ye yow gane not content to all, when every man pticulerly XXX himselfe publickly yt thet were never better satisfied w:th any president since there were a comp:y w:th yo:w & yo:w Actings w:ch they finde to be reall & Cordiall to y:m & well they may , but I shall forbeare to tell yow all yt was said in ye ffavours & Comendations, w:ch time will manifest unto yow

I remitt yow herew:th a list of ye Comittes names under Mr Rob:t Blackbourne[2] our present secretarys handwriting, Jn: Stanien[3] being dismissed for houlding Correspondence & privatt trading w:th ye Comp:a Servants, Especially w:th S:r Edward Winter, & some allso of ye ffactory w:ch you will have at large gereafter by ye sgipps w:ch are Intended to yow suddenly, - As for ye Amber yow write of w:cch Sr George Smith gave yow a hint of ye prizes here is now little in towne, it must come from Danthirke & ye Bastirkesea is yet stopped up & will be shortly xxxx of all w:th & publique affaires pleased to be referred unto our Generall letters – The small Box marked WR cont: one Dimond w:ch yow returne me as ye full proceed of ye ?Enamel proves very well, & thanke yow for it, noting yt, yt Comodity is not fitt for yoe parts though our deceased friend Capt. Blackman[4] made me writ for it to venise – I may by ye shipp semd yow a small pcell of false stones, Dymonds, Rubyes, Sapheirs Emralds & xxxxx wt they will doe – The 6 Dymonds for acct of shipps Eagles Stones proved pretty goods & produced about 200: M Cha:s Conyars[5] is dead who XXX & sould ym & my hopes are yt yo:w will not suffer by ym storyes w:ch were carryed out ye Richard & Martha; & for ye 7 Great XXXXXXXXX if ye cann prevaill wt Bennedas[6] to take ym in XXX of his debts hee pretends from quandam, President Blackman[7] Estate for XXXXX lett him give a discharge & send me his power it shall well content me. And I presume yt Warr is proclaimed betweene ye Persian[8] & King of India[9] such great Gunns will grow much in demand & be very usefull aongst y:m; I never heard yt M:r Andrews[10] demanded ought of Capt. Blackman in ye behafe of Bennedas &

[f. 31]

it would be to small purpose for him to doe it, Jeremy not being in a condition to pay such sumes of monys - Your reasons have Convinced me y:t yo:w could not w:th safety (as y:e case stood) have detayned Andrewes in y:t Cuntry & Comp:a have cleered w:th him for a song, & now he is not a shamed to demand monyes of y:e Comp:a w:ch pretends yo:w have stope of in Tulcidas Parorks[11] hands when y:e Comp:a hath yett 2: bonds against him - As for ye ship Love Sr Martin Nowell & he [PRESUMABLY THE "HE" IS ANDREWES?] sent out & was lost nigh Musembeque ye Compa:a Complayned to his Ma:tie of it, Sir Martin[12] is dead & his Executor[13] doth not pay his just debts, soo I am if yt opinion yt Andrewes furnished & made use of ye Kings Name for retourning of their Ill …….. [one inch blank in originall manuscript] pretending yt they wold goe to ports unfrequented by ye Comp:a & bring sich Comoditys as ye Comp:a did not use to deale in, A lye is but sandy foundation to buyld on, but their shipp found a XXXXX ye Mariners behaved ym selves well not to part w:th ye mony as they had ?surety for their pay but I have dwelt to long on this.

The whole remainder of ?Terrells[14] estate ye ring his wife had, but ye ??Asaseseta not bein good to her was Consumed in ye late dreadfull fire, We have had plenty of Gods Judgm:ts upon us of late yeares, & are little ye better, pestilence, fire & sword in a full measure have beene showered upon ye Nation

The 15 stones w:ch yo:w sen on Acco:tt in 1.2 to S:r George Smith & myselfe, he had ym long in his hands, & not long before he deid he xx ym to me, & I sould y:, last weeke to Mr: Jn:e Portman[15] at 6:19p Carrett being 2 3.4 being 3 16 I tooke his note to pay in amontte & he refusin to pay for y ¼ carrett I gott 20 of him & for ye Agetts & beads in 1.4 trade being shutt XXXX can yett make nothing of it, they remaine w:th ye executor Mr: Mathew who since her ffathers Death is marryed XXXXX Mr Jn:e ffenn,[16] ye pay Mr of his Ma:tie Navy, as I deeme her to be well maryed presunub yt S:r Ge:o in his life time was XXXXX to it, he hath left his lady about 1/3 pt of his Estate & giving all rest to his daughter –

I have not herd ought of Ma: Dallison[17] in his lifetime, nor of S:r Henrey Oxinden[18] since her death anything towards ye 1/3 pt of ye XXXXX sent out by ye Returne w:ch I am sorry to heare proves not to yo: content soe yoe ay please to make it me good there XXXXXX it how you plese & send returnes in good XXXXX well bought Dymonds but rather in XXX for Dymonds are in now Demand at all ye Towne full, these warrs have destroyed all trade, & y:m yt have jewells in & about ye (they doe sell y:m to rebuild their houses, soe yt these

[f. 32]

Judgm:ts have much Impoversihed us, I have had my sheare but thanks e to God w:t is left, & I shall not lay it to heart, seeing it hath beene Gods good pleasure to leave me w:te more y:n I expected at his hand, if ye strings of ye false pearles be faulty I conceive it was through too much frugality in not sending y:m home to my drye warehouse, but letting y:m lye in my son Rich:d Myddellton’s house by ye moyst yard, yett hope yow will use y:m

I hope our little Charles will gett safe to yo:w & yt yow will pardon my brevity being y:n w:th a fitt of ye gravell on me & ye shipp depted I would send a suply – I see yow are not well please w:th ye Comp:a semding yo:w our shipps in these times of warr yett thanks be to God through his providence & ye Carefull managm:t all is come safe near our homes, only ye Dowras was taken by a pittifull privatere a worse shipp by farr yn her selfe

The Constantinople & St George I hope safe at Kingssaill[19] in Ireland ye Returne in portsmouth harber where ye Ducth who are now & have beene all this simer M:es of ye seas, attempted to destroy his Ma:ties Shipps Royall, ye like attempt they made on Harwich but beaten off though they were much encouraged by yt success they had at Chatham where they rayzed of ye Royall Charles burnt ye Royall James Oake & Katherine, w:ch 3 of their grear ships were formerly tooke from y:m & all through our Carlessness & seXXXXXty w:n they might allso come up ye Thames & burnt ye remaynder of ye Citty & suburbs w:th ye Tower XX but by his Ma:ties Command we sunke shipps tXXXX ye ReXXXX at woolw:ch & planted guns there one both sdes w:ch being done his Ma:tie sent me to Gravesend to fortify yt place w:ch being done allso & now there fleer came into Tilbury hope yett wee sent downe fireships & disordered y:m burning all their fire ships XXXXX in Number w:th ye losse of ffive of our owne & one of their fire ships taken by us though they have beene M:ts of ye seas yett it hath pleased God to preserve Miraculously our Merch:ts Shipping, wee having in severall ports of ireland above 50 saile of merch:t shipps from severall ports & at falmouth xxxx & ["Plymouth Plimouth] 59 saile of good ships from Virginia & at Dartmouth about 40 saile of strayts XXXX & w:th severall other Merch: shipps & at Portsmouth above 30 saile soe yt wee have at least 200 saile of good

[f. 33]


Merch:t ships come safe into port & they have not taken above ??100 merch:t ships of ours, we have taken of their Merch:t ships by our Kings ships & privateres above 60 saile & y XXXXX [scotch?] have very much XXXXXXX y:m who have taken some hundred sof their ships since these Warrs begunn in soe much yt ???Turky is like to prove a Gentleman

M:r Valentine Nurse[20] is heare & I thank yo:w for y:t good Caracter w:ch yo:w give of him to ye Comp:a whose ffather[21] ye good honest XX died about 2 months past, & it is XXXX hee may have left Valentine some wt but he must abroad againe, If yo:w could XXX my ffreind, M:r Jn:e Portmans sonn[22] honest Erasmas Smiths Nephew[23] it will be greatfull XXXX busness is alsoe ended easy enough to him, I was much mistaken in Jn: Lambton[24] but find it to evedent he was worthe nothing poore Tho: Crowthers Widdow[25] is like to be a great sufferer by him.

I am troubled to heare yt saffagee[26] hath againe gott his liberty to pay y Rogue soe my granada shells are like to be desperat, w:th ?demed ym long sence to be I take notice of ye good Carracter w:ch yo:w gave Jn:e Goulsborough[27] who being an able seaman I will not be wanting to stead him w:t I can for yo:w sake, The miscarriages at Bombay I hope are now all reforemd by S:r Jarvis Lucas,[28] who seemeth to be a very sivall rationall psone & fitt for Goverm:t

The affaires of ye Royall Comp:a are in truth bad enough who have lost their stock double by surprisalls of ye Dutch, & yettI hope wee shall have enough left to pay ye just debts, & as goods ar ½ our stock about 60 pct to beginn ye ?would againe w:te all, soe y:t now in a day or 2 wee shall meete & thinke on some way to revive y:t dead Child y:e trade in it selfe is very beneficiall; Honest M:r Bartlett[29] who was mate on y:e Affrican ffrigeet hath bought a small freggatt & now bound for Ginny being loycensed by ye Royall Comp:a soe I have 1/8 [I THINK IT IS ONE EIGHTH] of his ship Cargozon y:e Comp;a having licensed severall privat ships to goe y:t way paying 10 pcent on y:e Cargo[30] w:ch they Carry out before departure, alto keepe life & soule to gather & latle anough, but they will raly again & a Comp:a though farr below y:e speace ?of y:e East India comp:a who have devided 15 pcent on y:e new Joynt stocke,[31] & ye ramaines still worthe ye principle, so y:t y:s yeare we shall send out about 10 saile of good ships & a stock on y:m of a bought 17:m of value of w:ch yo:w are like to have about 7:m of in ?both lead quicksilver vermilian copper of severall sorts, & if ye Comp:a doe not thinke fitt to send you a parcell of Tinn I shall aske

[f. 34]

their leave to send tenn tuns to yo:w for a tryall[32] y:t will not cost above 5:f: pc:to XXXX a board, I having soe unhapy as to be of y:e Tinn ffarmers[33] by w:ch wee are like to loose 2000 ??f:pman of in 2 or 3 years y:t we have held y:e farme by reason Gods Judgm:ts pestilence & sword hath debarred us of trade, soe yt wee have now above 100 thousand pounds worth of y:e Comodity in our hands & ye Kings prtension destroyed but Gods will must be done

I cannot now take cume to Answers every pticular of yo:w severall lres having tried yo:w patience alredy

The Narrative in our Generall lette will advise yo:w of publique affaires I begg yow to Excuse me to honest M:r Goodier[34] M:r Gray[35] M:r Aunger[36] & M:r Tayler[37] I shall by y:e shipps if Gods pmitt write y:m & enlarge to yo:e goodselfe in ye intrim my prayers are not wanting for yo:e health & happines & on all occasions yo:w shall assuredly ffriend me

[NO SIGNATURE OR SIGN OFF]



Notes

Valentine Nurse, merchant


"Valentine Nurse "drunken sott" as he is, he sends home to England instead of leaving him to die in the country"[38]

- This above statement is rather surprising in the light of the good character that Sir William Ryder reports receiving from Sir George Oxenden for Valentine Nurse in Ryder's letter to Oxenden dated August 22nd, 1667[39]

- The above statement is more consistent with a sentence from an earlier letter from Sir William Ryder to Sir George Oxenden, dated April 16th, 1667:

I must beg yo:e Pardon for my brevity but xx [worm hole obscures small word] I conclude must thanke yo:e kindness to my friends son va: [?] Nurse who I see is but Athick sculled peece [!!] [could be peere][40]



Possible primary sources

TNA


PROB 11/308 Laud 53-107 Will of Thomas Crowder or Crowther, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 03 June 1662

PROB 11/344 Bunce 1-53 Will of Erasmus Smith, Esquire, one of His Majesty's Gentleman Pensioners of Saint Dunstan in the West, City of London 08 January 1674

PROB 11/396 Quire 91-138 Will of Richard Bartlett, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 13 July 1689
PROB 11/406 Vere 140-189 (pp. 13) Will of Erasmus Smith of Saint James Clerkenwell, Middlesex 09 October 1691



Possible secondary sources


Tanner, Joseph Robson (ed.), Further correspondence of Samuel Pepys, 1662-1679: from the family papers in the possession of J. Pepys Cockerell (London, 1929)

- See "140 [M.S. p. 541] S.P. to Mr John Fenn, 16 October, 1668" (Robson: 1929: 195)
  1. Sir George Smith, London merchant
  2. Robert Blackbourne, Secretary of the English East India Company; appointed 1667 on dismissal of John Stanian
  3. John Stanian (alias Stanyon), Secretary to the English East India Company (1654-1667). See 25th August 1662, Letter from John Stanyan to Sir GO; 6th April 1663, Letter from John Stanian to Sir GO, London (poss. 1662/63); March 1665/66, Letter from John Stannian
  4. Captain Jeremy Blackman (b. ?, d. 1656), former President at Surat. He was a close associate of Sir William Ryder in the 1650s, and Sir George Oxenden appears to have known him, presumably from Blackman's presidency at Surat (16XX-16XX). See Jeremy Blackman senior will
  5. Charles Conyers, London merchant. Sir William Ryder reported to Sir George Oxenden in an earlier letter, dated April 16th, 1667, that "M:r Cha:s Conyers died about 10 dies past." In that letter Ryder begged Oxenden to "dispose of Y:e gunns y:t he bought of y:e Eagles owners." ( PROB 11/323 Carr 1–58 Will of Charles Conyers, Merchant of City of London 24 April 1667; 16th April 1667, Letter from William Rider to Sir GO, London)
  6. Bennedas was XXXX
  7. Captain Jeremy Blackman
  8. This is the footnote text
  9. This is the footnote text
  10. Possibly President Andrewes XXXX
  11. Tulcidas Parrack was XXXX
  12. Sir Martin Noell (b. ?, d. 1665), London merchant. He and his wife, Lady Noell, died from the plague within days of each other in the last week of September and the first week of October 1665
  13. The administration of Sir Martin Noell's estates was much disputed in court. The executors were Thomas Noell, Sir Martin Noell junior, and George Robinson, a former servant of Sir Martin Noell. See C6/36/77 f. 1, C6/36/77 f. 2; PROB 11/318 Hyde 108-162 Will of Sir Martin Noell of London 06 October 1665
  14. Terrell was XXXX
  15. John Portman, goldsmith. A friend of Sir William Ryder. John Portman wrote several times to Sir George Oxenden enquiring about his son, also named John Portman, who had gone out to Surat on the African. Portman's business was on the 'street syde' of Great Lombard Street, in the parish of St Mary Woolnoth. His eight hearth premises were adjacent to the nine hearth premisses of his fellow goldsmith, Charles Everard (25th March 1666/67, Letter from John Portman to Sir GO, London; 2nd October 1667, Letter from John Portman to Sir GO, London)
  16. John Fenn (b. ?, d. ?), London merchant; paymaster to the Navy. Samuel Pepys had a correspondence with John Fenn, and makes reference to him in the diary. Sir William Ryder alludes to Sir George Smith's only daughter being "well maryed," hinting at the potential of the naval paymaster's job to lead to private enrichment
  17. Maximillian Dallison, Elizabeth Dallison's son
  18. Sir Henry Oxenden, Sir George Oxenden's elder brother
  19. Kinsale, in Munster, at the southern tip of Ireland
  20. Valentine Nurse was XXXX
  21. Valentine Nurse's father was Dr Thomas Nurse (b. ca. 1598, d. 1667), a doctor in physic. Born in Leicestershire, and admitted to Lincoln College, Oxford, he took a bachelor of medicine in 1626 and was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians in 1641. He had a significant practice in Westminster following the Restoration. He died on June 9th 1667 and was buried at St. Peter's, Westminster, three days later (XXXX, The roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London, comprising biographical sketches of all the eminent physicians whose names are recorded in the Annals (XXXX, XXXX), pp. 230-231; PROB 11/324 Carr 59-116 Will of Thomas Nurse 25 June 1667)
  22. John Portman [junior], who had travelled out to Surat. John Portman [senior] suggested in a letter to Sir George Oxenden that his son had been in trouble in England, and thanked Oxenden for taking him on in a personal capacity (2nd October 1667, Letter from John Portman to Sir GO, London)
  23. Erasmus Smith was XXXX
  24. John Lambton XXXX
  25. Thomas Crowther was probably the deceased brother of the similarly deceased John Crowther, Sir William Ryder's brother-in-law. Both men were mariners. John Crowther referred in his will to "my brother Thomas Crowther of Rattcliffe Marriner and to my sister Hannah Crowther his Wife" ( PROB 11/294 Pell 400-456 Will of John Crowther, Merchant of Stepney, Middlesex 19 August 1659; PROB 11/308 Laud 53-107 Will of Thomas Crowder or Crowther, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 03 June 1662)
  26. Saffagee was XXXX. See Missing faces
  27. John Goulsborough was XXXX. See Missing faces
  28. Sir Jarvis Lucas assumed his position as Governor of Bombay in November 1666, but died on May 21st, 1667. Sir William Ryder did not know of Lucas' death at the time to writing to Oxenden
  29. Mr. Bartlett was XXXX. See Missing faces
  30. This is the footnote text
  31. This is the footnote text
  32. This is the footnote text
  33. The Tin Farmers were XXXX
  34. John Goodyer
  35. Mathew Gray
  36. Gerard Aungier
  37. Randall Taylor (b. ?, d. ca. 1669) ( PROB 11/331 Coke 108-166 Will of Randolph Taylor, Merchant 11 October 1669)
  38. James Douglas, Bombay and western India: a series of stray papers, vol. 2 (XXXX, 1893), p. 376
  39. 22nd August 1667, Letter from William Ryder to Sir GO, Bethnal Green
  40. 16th April 1667, Letter from William Rider to Sir GO, London