MRP: 24th March 1662/63, Letter from William Isaacson to Sir GO, London
Contents
24th March 1662/63, Letter from William Isaacson to Sir GO, London
BL, MS. XX,XXX, ff. 46-47
Editorial history
22/05/09, CSG: Completed transcription
13/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki
Abstract & context
The writer, Williamm Isaacson, refers to a "Mr. fflyer"", who had died in Persia, and to his brother. Isaacson may be referring to Stephen Flower, who wrote a letter to Sir George Oxenden from Gombroon, dated February 2nd, 1662/63.
Isaacson writes in a familiar manner of John Lambton in Surat, which suggests that Issacson himself my be a former servant of the English East India Company in Surat.
Suggested links
See 2nd February 1662/63, Letter from Steven Flower to Sir GO, Gombroone
To do
(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript in BL
Transcription
This transcription has been completed, but needs to be checked
[BL, MS. XX,XXX, ff. 46-47]
[CSG, 22/05/09 – TRANSCRIPTION IS COMPLETE]
[f.46]
Right Worp:ll & ev:r hon:d S:r
My ill Success w:ch I had y:e last yeare by M:r Aungeir discourages me this yeare from Troubling your Worp: besides I know not what returnes I may have, for y:t w:ch safely Arrived in yo:r hands w:ch makes me not Soe forward to Adventure as I should be in regard I have had soe bad from y:e Coast y:e pris’ of Diamonds being much higher than when I came from there but I hope for bett:r newes this yeare from Surratt.
S:r y:e 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; Newes I send none because M:r Buckridge hath Undertaken to send all y:t may be gratefull to you, As for my Old Freind M:r John Lambton I have writt soe often to him yett received not a line from him y:t I thincke he is Angrey now I am resolved to try whether I cann Extract a lre from him by my Silence; S:r I shall not further Trouble you at present, w:th my humble
[f. 47]
Service presented, I take leave to Subscribe my Selfe
London March y:e 24:th 1662/3
Yo:r Worp:es most Oblig:d Serv:t
Will:m Isaason [could be Isacson, but really looks like “Isaason”!]
Notes
[CSG, 25/05/09 - I am beginning to think that William Isaacson was the former Fort St George minister, who also knew Surat well. He will have known GO well, having been in India since at least the early/mid 1640s?]
[CSG, 11/01/09 – I think there may have been an Anthony Issacson connected with Smyrna]
Eaxample of a merchant helping another family recover money/assets after death of a young merchant in Persia [Fflyer]
"At Masulipatam: Thomas Peniston (100l.), Henry Olton (150l.), William Methwold (30l.), William Netlam (18l.), William Gurney (20l.), and William Isaacson (20l.) In Bengal: Robert Hatch (80l.) and George Travell (XXl.)..."[1]
[Rather strangely, EFI 42-45, p. 196 refers to a Rev. William Isaacson” on a ship with Henry Tyrell signing a letter referenced in a FN]
"If Mr. William Isaacson had bin desirous to have stayed in this countrey, wee should have .."[2]
"The Protestants were without a chaplain until the arrival in 1647 of William Isaacson from Surat, the factory to which Fort St. George had become subordinate two years earlier. While Isaacson was still resident chaplain at the fort, Father Ephrem was kidnapped in 1649 by Portuguese agents and carried off to Goa. Isaacson was succeeded at the fort by Robert Winchester in 1650, but he left in the following year and its Protestants were again without a chaplain...The return of Isaacson in 1654 with several chaplains brought an end to the ecumenical atmosphere at the fort. English soldiers, most of them who were Protestants, had contracted alliances with Luso-Asian women who were often Catholics..."[3]
