MRP: March 1665/66, Letter from George Smith to Sir GO

From MarineLives
Jump to: navigation, search

March 1665/66, Letter from George Smith to Sir GO

BL, Add. MS. XX, XXXX, ff. 40-42

Editorial history

18/12/11, CSG: Page created




Abstract & context



Suggested links


See 27th March 1663, Letter from Robert Cranmer, London (Cranmer is highly critical of John Swift's behaviour)


To do


(1) Check this transcription against the physical manuscript at the BL - check for missing text and a sign off at the end of the letter


Transcription


This transcription has been largely completed, but requires checking

BL, Add. MS. XX, XXXX, ff. 40-42

S:r Geo: Oxinden

My honoured President your Sev:ll Lett:es of the 6:th & 31:th March I have rcvd overland & by Ship London who w:th Roy:ll Charles and American blessed be God are well arrived at Portsmouth such Lett:es directed to Madam Dalyson[1] by these shipps I tooke care to have them in my custody soo set them into Kent, where they are Safe come to hand touching the two potts of Muske seny yo:w I have your answer thereto & shall conferr w:th M:r Cradock[2] & Lambton[3] about it, and gett y:e best Satisfaction I cann those in your custody please to returne hither by the next Shipps being they are worth nothing in India.

I heartily thank yo:w for your great care and trouble, relating to my Brother Swift,[4] these Letters sent to him are returned, yo:w did Honorably & Just to pay his debts contracted by him in the Country, the remaines I shall receave of M:r Will:m Limbery[5] [Or, Kimberly], this Brother of mine[6] I heare from Sundry hands carried himself insolently and foolish in all his actions by word & penn, I hope God hath forgiven him soo pray S:r doo yo:w his folly hath been no small trouble and Vexation to me, pray, S:r tell M:r John Goodier for the 100:ll owing by the deceased, for which M:r Glanvill[7] is bound, tis á good Debt if not allready paid, I am confident it will, w:ch shall be my pticuler care to have it done, I am truly Sorry for your trouble & care relating to Sam:ll Young menn, abroad, that my freind Rich:d Ball[8] should be one of them concernd displeaseth me exceedingly, & will be sadd newes to his Reverend father[9] who will weep, and mourne for him, pray God turne and Instruct him to bett:r manners; I am gladd y:t my Sundry Letters overland to yo:w and by shipping, were Safe come yo:w, and that yo:w are well Satisfied of the delivery of the two round Boxes, recommended to Mad:m Dalyson & my Self, in that ?course yo:w might have stilll continued, for Presid:t ?Sake, and capitulated the Bussiness but yow are á good mann, & pte from your might [right, wight?] easily, Yet I hope the Comp:ay will consider it & recompense yo:w towards your care & paines therein, as they have formerly ?advised yo:w what the thoughts of private psons are concerning yo:w or their Speeches cannott tell, in publick they Say nothing but what is honourable, & what ‘actedby yo:w in theire affaires exceedingly pleasing Soo much I affirme by all Debates and Discourses at Court, w:th M:r Andrews they have made an Absolute’end as long Since advised yo:w his Discourse

[f.41]

Relating towards yo:w or any other is of Small reputation, he being that pson absolutely, as your Character is of him, not to be beleeved nor trusted w:th that same [OR. “fame”?] he likes.

Cap:t Seaman[10] is lately returned from Bantam, what hath passt betwene yo:u and him, forgive him, kindnesse done to that tribe [? Looks like “tribe”] is like water spill’s upon the ground y:t cannott be gathered up againe, I gave onely my opinion as to this Stock, upon it’s expiration of the 7 yeares end, it now continues upon á new ?foudation, on his Maj:ties Roy:ll Charles (SURELY THIS IS ROYAL CHARTER) granted Some yeares Since, Soo y:t y:e Comp:a cann never have á period unless the Charter be calld in by any mysdemeanour of theirs, which I hope they will never be guilty of. we having rcvd our principall money uponn this Stock the remaynes is worth 120p C: more , which we alll impute to your prud:t mannagem:t of affaires in your Circuit (I wish I could say the like by S:r Edw:ed Winter) what yo:w act in the preservation of these 3 shipps from Surratt is iudged by all prudent men, Wisdome, yo:w abroad CHECK may prevent an ewill in y:t pticuler when wee at home cannott foresee y:t danger, the fface of our Court is allterd but Soe farr as I cann possibly Discerne they have kindness for yo:w Obey all their orders frankly, Soo farr as they agree w:th the Lawes of England & no ?furthe:r and be not weary of well doing, nor of their service, S:r Tho:s Chambrelan[11] never appears w:th us he never was Salomon, there fore the less need of him I am very gladd y:t M:r Gary[12] hath obtayned his owne desires of yo:w in being Muster Master at Bombay, of his Maj:ties fforces there, á good riddance & fitter for his haughty spirritt than á merch:t his friend M:r Povy[13] [I think I am righty] declynes much in his power here, I am sorry the mumm and Clarrett wine sent upon the London proved Soo Badd, I will observe your Directions hereafter for 60 pottle and gallon Bottles and pray your Sister to provide ???none I have said enough of my Br:o Swift before, lett him Sloope, Good S:r pardon onely his Imperfectionnes, would to God yo:w had onely appending my Letter dirced to him, by y:t yo:w should have seen my advice to him, blaming him for his Conceipted pride and ffolly, the Character of Rob:t Barber I am pswaded is too true tis my fate to fall into y:e hands of Knaves and ffooles, S:r what yo:w have rcvd of M:r Limbery 18:o ?B: 229:ll 4s: 6:d is very well approoving it’s keeping by yo:w untill next shippingh, of the same Limbery I shall Demand that

[f. 42]

Small adventure K:S: what was sent out by S:r Will:m Rider and my selfe yo:w now Returne by Cap:t Bowen[14] which is very well, your Joynt Letter speaks So much w:ch wee shall answer in due time It seemes our newse bookes cannott be read for want of time , I shall forbeare sending them hereafter what yo:w say concerning Amber I doo very well observe, in w:ch I thought to have had a good intrest in 3/3 but y:e warre betweene us and Holland hath prevented it. No Shipping, having come from Dantswick this 9 mo:ths I will carefully observe your Direction therein, & Serve á good pcell of it by the very first, the money for yo:r 1/3 I know where to call for, for your kind present to GS by M:r Limbery I returne my hearty thankes, yo:r oblidge’me to high in all things y:t relates to Substance, I will not dye in debt I wil make M:r Randell [or Randall] Tayler his desires knownee to the Comm:tee of the two Sisters, whose condition yo:w may well know & help him in what possibly I may , three mo:ths Since dyed S:r Martin Noell & his lady & Dick Holdworthy[15] the 2 former of the plague the latter by á fall off his horse, our Pearle for acco:t in 3/3 yo:w shall receive by the next Surat shippe Our hafts [or hasts?] and Beads will not Sell I hope something may be done erre [orre?] the departure of o:r Shipp, What yo:w have returned home for the Owners of the Loy:ll mercht is well relisht I allso thanke yo:w for what concearnes N:o Millett and myselfe, the Loy:ll Merch:t[16] is in the kings Service, Cap:t Risby is now her commander instead of Cap:t Millett who will goo no more to Sea The compa:y have writt yo:w fully by this convey:a to whome refferr yo:w for newse, the warr between us and Holland is violently followed the Duke of Albemarle good genn:ll the next Spring to Sea w:th the Prince Rupert, the French and we shall fall out and we take shipps on both sides all yo:r freinds in the Country are well , the God of heaven keepe yo:w in health, I am: S:r If Tho:s Hoskins[17] be capable of Bussiness I pray furth:r him w:t yo:w cann

[CHECK FOR MISSING TEXT]


Notes

  1. ↑ Elizabeth Dallison, Sir George Oxenden's elder sister and London agent
  2. ↑ ?Richard Craddocke
  3. ↑ John Lambton
  4. ↑ John Swift, Sir George Smith's brother-in-law; the brother of his wife, Martha Smith
  5. ↑ Sir George Swift mentions the death of a friend, Mr. Limbree, in much earlier letter to Sir George Oxenden. See XX Another primary document shows a William Limbery to be a part-owner in 1652 of the Thomas and William, together with the Smirna Venture Joint Stock subscribers James Modyford, Robert Dawes and Thomas Hodges, and Sir George Smith's friends the then William Ryder and the then John Robinson See C 6/151Pt2/28 f. 1. However, the William Limbery of this letter of march 1665/66 Limbery has not been identified with any certainty. See Missing faces
  6. ↑ John Swift. Sir George Smith (and others) had written earlier to Sir George Oxenden asking Sir George to favour Swift, who was down in his fortunes. However, Robert Cranmer, a SVJS subscriber and Swift's commercial contact had no good word to say for him. See 25th August 1662, Letter from Sir George Smith to Sir GO, Letter 2; and 27th March 1663, Letter from Robert Cranmer, London
  7. ↑ Benjamin Glanvill was a brother-in-law of John Swift, as was Sir George Smith
  8. ↑ Richard Ball was the son of Dr. Richard Ball. In the East Indies since the late 1650s, Richard Ball had been a personal servant to Sir George Oxenden at Surat, prior to his engagement by the English East India Company
  9. ↑ Dr. Richard Ball
  10. ↑ Captain Seaman was probably Captain Richard Seaman, commander of the Richard and Martha. He was appointed to the command in late 1661 by the owners of the shiip, following the death of the precious captain (XXXX)
  11. ↑ Sir Thomas Chambrelan (alias Chamberlaine). London merchant and relative of Sir George Oxenden. He had houses in London and Putney, and corresponded a number of times with Sir George Oxenden. His son, Cesar Chambrelan, was at Carwar, in the East Indies (25th September 1662, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO; 29th March 1663, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, London ; 29th March 1663, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, continuation ; 8th March 1665/66, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, Putney
  12. ↑ Henry Gary
  13. ↑ John Povey
  14. ↑ Captain Robert Bowen
  15. ↑ Richard Holsworthy, a London merchant, and brother of the SVJS subscriber Sir Mathew Holsworthy
  16. ↑ Sir George Smith and Sir George Oxenden were part owners of the Loyall Merchant. See C10/488/141, for a full listing of the partowners of the ship. A dispute occurred between the part owners and the navy Board, following the charter to the King's service, regarding just payment
  17. ↑ Thomas Hoskins, the son of Sir Edmond and Lady Elizabeth Hoskins. Elizabeth Dallison was friends with the Hoskins family

Retrieved from ‘http://www.marinelives.org/index.php?title=MRP:_March_1665/66,_Letter_from_George_Smith_to_Sir_GO&oldid=3945’