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1st April 1663, Letter from John Bankes to Sir GO, London

BL, Add. MS. XX,XXX, f. 82

Editorial history

04/06/09, CSG; Completed transcription
14/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki

Abstract & context

The London merchant John Bankes wrote to Sir George Oxenden from London on April 1st 1663 on behalf of his kinsman, Alexander Grigsby.

John Bankes described Alexander Grigsby as a former servant of his, reporting that as his servant "hee was Injenyous & apt to busyeness & very honest."

Grigsby was the son of John Bankes' aunt, Elizabeth, who had married Thomas Grigsby in Maidstone in 1622. He was thus John Bankes' first cousin.^[1] At the time of John Bankes letter Thomas Grigsby was long gone, having died in ca. 1650, when his son was still a youth.^[2]

The first mention of Alexander Grigsby in English East India Company records is in 1658 in connection with a planned, but aborted, mission to establish a factory in China.^[3] He was described then as a young man, which matches a suggested birth date of 1628.^[4]

Alexander Grigsby was appointed a member of the eight man council at Surat, though stationed initially at the Keralan town of Cale Velha, a few miles south of Cochin.^[5] Subsequently he was moved to the coastal town of Porcat.^[6]

Suggested links

To do

(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript at BL

Transcription

This transcription has been completed, but needs to be checked

[BL, MS. XX,XXX, f. 82]

S:r

In y:e first place I wish yo:r health & happynesse & shall heartily rejoyce to understand y:e same by y:e next shipps not doubting but then the Comp:a expectations will bee fully answered & if you Can finde any opportunity wherein I may prove serviceable beleeve it S:r I shall bee willingly ready to serve you; as yo:r true ffreind and Countryman.

And next I wish my kindsman’s Alexander Grigsbyes^[7] wellfare for whome (when I had y:e opportunity to kiss yo:r hand) I did acquaint you I had á kindness; The Comp:a haveing entertayned him upon my request, & I shall Rejoyce to understand hee prove á good servant, haveing beene soo to mee some yeares & was never sent thither upon any other acco:t than as aimeing at his prefrment I doo hope by y:e next shipp to understand y:e efforts of yo:r promised kindeness to him as knowing yo:r Countenance cann onely bee his happyness, & I may say while hee was heere, hee was Injenyous & apt to busyeness & very honest, & hope hee soo Continues By his last lres hee was at Cale Vela^[8], whither to remove him, or Continue him ??replace him to any other imploym:t I wholy submitt to your good Judgem:t & long experience, it is onely my desire hee may doo well, & live to bless god, & ever show himselfe obedient too you for all yo:r kindnesse I begg yo:r favour y:t y:e inclosed may bee conveyed to him, whither at Cale Vela, or else wheare affarding [affording?] you I remaine.

S:r
Yo:r affectionate humble
Serv:t
John Banks

London y:e 1:st April 1663

Notes

Grigsby family

A genealogical web page suggests that Alexander Grigsby was born in Maidstone, Kent and christened on March 4th 1628 at Ashford, Kent. The same site suggests he died on June 25th 1673 at Surat, aged 35. This parents are given as Thomas Grigsby (b. 1599, d, ca, 1650) and Elizabeth Bankes (b. 1607, d. 1675).^[9]

Elizabeth Bankes, alleged mother of Alexander Grigsby, is shown on the genealogical website as the sister of Caleb Bankes (and thus the aunt of John Bankes, who wrote to Sir George Oxenden on April 1st 1663 regarding his relative (that is his first cousin). Elizabeth Bankes marriage to Thomas Grigsby is given as June 9th 1622 at All Saints Church Maidstone.^[10]

Cale Vela, East Indies

"...Walter Travers, John Harrington , and Alexander Grigsby. At Mokha: Anthony Smith. In Persia: Nicholas Buckeridge (Agent), Stephen Flower, and Edward Swinglehurst..."^[11]

"...the arrivall of our shipping there, have drawne off from the factory at Cale-Velea two persons, vizt. John Harrington and Alexander Grigsby, well experienced in the trade of Porcat,^[12] with intention to settle them there and provide such quantities of cleane pepper, to be shipt off in October, as wee shall furnish them with stockes from hence to effect; and have left only two persons at Cale_Velea, for..."^[13]

East India Company

"[December 4, 1663] By the commission given to James Snow, commander of the Hopewell, that vessel was only ordered to sail to Porcat or Quiloane, there take in her lading of pepper, cassia lignum, and such calicoes as should come from Cale Velha, and not go to Cochin or any other port or place. The Hopewell had on board eleven parcels of opium, and ' baggs of chicqueenes of gold ', consigned to John Harrington and Alexander Grigsby, the Company's factors at Porcat ; she carried no arms, ammunition, or contraband goods. Porcat is about fourteen leagues south of Cochin and is a place of no defence, having no garrison or fortifications ; only about five guns lying on a sandbank by the sea, and these are used more to salute friends than to offend an enemy. About 1649 the Company's ship, the Discovery, laded a large quantity of pepper at Porcat, and since then the English have traded there, being several times invited by the King or Rajah of that place and the country thereabouts, who is neither a Portuguese or Moor, but a Gentue, and tributary to the Samareene or Emperor, who lives up in the country and whose dominions extend from about Carwar to Cape Comorin and who is neither tributary nor vassal to the King of Cochin. The Dutch had not obtained any victory or conquest over the King of Cochin, who was not dependent upon, neither had he any protection from,
the Portuguese, being a free Prince and only tributary to the above-mentioned Samareene. His residence is in the upper town of Cochin, up in the country, so that the pretence of the Dutch to the conquest of the King of Cochin appears to be but a fallacy, as they only obtained the conquest of Cochin, which was in the possession of the Portuguese. In 1660 the President and Council of Surat sent factors to settle a factory and to reside at Porcat. They were very courteously entertained by the Rajah, who undertook to build them a house (which he did), and give it freely to the English, who should only pay the ordinary customs and be free from all molestation and encumbrances.."^[14]

"The Court therefore, appointed Sir George Oxinden to be President at SURAT, with a Council of Eight, viz. Mr. Gerard Aungier, Mr. Mathew Gray, Mr. Thomas Rolt, Mr. Henry Young, Mr. Streynsham Master, Mr. Charles James, Mr. Philip Gofford, and Mr. Alexander Grigsby, five of whom were constantly to reside at Surat, particularly Mr. Aungier, Mr. Gray, and Mr. James."^[15]

"The account of Alexander Grigsby [Grigby] to be re-examined and reported."^[16]

Possible primary sources

TNA

1. ↑ This is the footnote text
2. ↑ http://thestoms.com/StomTree/9393.htm, viewed 15/01/12
3. ↑ This is the footnote text
4. ↑ This is the footnote text
5. ↑ This is the footnote text
6. ↑ This is the footnote text
7. ↑ Alexander Grigsbye was XXXX. See Missing faces
8. ↑ Cale Vela was XXXX
9. ↑ http://thestoms.com/StomTree/9514.htm, viewed 15/01/12
10. ↑ http://thestoms.com/StomTree/9392.htm, viewed 15/01/12
11. ↑ EFI 61-64, p. 27
12. ↑ Porcat (alias Purakkad
13. ↑ EFI 61-64, p. 72
14. ↑ The Company to Sir George Downing [at The Hague], December 4, 1663 (Letter Book, vol. iii, p. 324, in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A Calendar of the Court Minutes of the East India Company, 1660-1663 (Oxford, 1922), pp. 363-364)
15. ↑ John Bruce, Annals of the Honorable East-India Company: from their establishment by the charter of Queen Elizabeth, 1600, to the union of the London and English East-India Companies, 1707-8, vol. 2 (London, 1810),p. 252
16. ↑ Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of the court minutes, etc., of the East India Company (Oxford, 1938), p. 8