MRP: 24th October 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwarr

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24th October 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwarr

BL, Add. MS. XX,XXX, ff. 6-7

Editorial history

18/12/11, CSG: Page created & posted transcription to wiki






Abstract & context


Robert Master wrote to his uncle Sir George Oxenden in a letter dated October 24th, 1662, sent from Carwar.

Sir George Oxenden had sent a letter down to Carwar on the Richard & Martha, dated October 9th, 1662, which arrived in Robert Master's hands on October 26th, two days after Master had written to his uncle. Hence, Master sent a second letter to his uncle, dated December 1st, 1662, addressing issues his uncle raised.[1]

In his first letter, Robert Master congratulated his uncle on his safe arrival at Swally, the estuary port of Surat. He then moved on to what appears to be personal business relating to Sir George Oxenden, reporting the recovery of funds from Goa, and funds he had received when he was in Rajapur, which remained in his hands.

He had been in Surat more recently, and had left a letter of attorney with his younger brother, Streynsham Master. This letter empowered Streynsham to receive money on his brother's behalf. However, the retiring President in Surat, Mathew Andrewes, had blocked all transfer of funds for Robert Master's benefit. Robert Master claimed no knowledge of why this might be. In this claim he may have been a trifle disingenuous.

A 'consultation' in Surat, dated May 20th, 1662, signed by Mathew Andrewes and the Surat warehouseman John Lambton, exudes anger at Robert Master's supposed commercial duplicity. Masters was alleged to have promised a lading of pepper to be sent from Carwar to Surat on the Seaflower, yet delivered none. This was an "evill carriage of affaires," motivated, according to Andrewes and Lambton, by Masters designing to get himself made Chief of the Carwar factory. Masters was criticised for infrequent and poor written communication and the consultation concluded with the intention to "supply that factory w:th a better head."[2]

Mathewes and Lambton were not themselves unbiased witnesses, both subsequently coming under severe subsequent criticism from the committees of the English East India Company. Andrewes was frequently criticised by correspondents writing to Sir George Oxenden in late 1662 and early 1663.[3] Lambton was heavily criticised following his death in XXXX, as claims emerged of severe malpractice by Lambton and the embezzlement of private funds belonging to other deceased factors.[4]

In a later letter, Robert Master felt a need to defend himself from criticism from his uncle. He addressed the claim that his expenses in Carwar were excessive and inappropriate:

Yow write mee y:t p: á second hand you are advised of á fine pallanqueene I have & alsoe how y:t I have á great many servants, & three Horses w:ch I cannot denye but y:t I hired á pallanqueene to Cary mee up y:e Cuntrey but now I am returned I have disposed those men, & for other serv:ts I have noo more than what wee had last yeare; & as for Horses yo:r worp:a knowes wee have but Two, w:ch if you will not allow off I shall returne to yo:u againe, but yett I know noo reason why wee should not bee allowed as much as other ffacto:s are or have beene.[5]



Suggested links


See 1st December 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carrwar
See 27th February 1662/63, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwar
See 26th August 1663, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwarr



To do


(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript at BL



Transcription


This transcription has been completed, but requires checking

BL, Add. MS. XX,XXX, ff. 6-7

Right Worp:ll

These few Lÿnes are onely to Congratulate yo:r safe arrivall to Sw:a Marine for which I give y:e Allmighty thanks, y:t hee hath brought you safe into these pts once againe, trusting y:t as hee hath brought you in safety, soo likewise hee will defend you from all Casualtyes [I think this is correct] w:tsoever y:t shall happen.

S:r y:e Last yeare when y:t I was in Goa in y:e Eagle, I recovered of Sign:r Jn:o De Prado[6] r:e 1790: sherasseenes [OR “sherassoones”] it being y:e produce of w:t Clokes (sic), and Hatts [??] [the second letter is missing, due to a worm hole], were sent by mee, p yo:r worp:s order to Sig:r Ballt (Or, ‘c’)azar de Viego,[7] y:t yeare I was at Rajap:o y:e w:ch moneys is still remaineing in my hands a Coppy of whoos acco:t I have heere inclosed sent you.

S:r At my Departure from Surr:t for this place I left w:th my Deare Brother Streynsham[8] a lre of Atturney Impowering him to rcve all w:t moneys y:t should bee due to mee from any Body, But since my departure y:e Worp:ll Math:w Andrewes[9] hath Baffelled him, & will not pay any thing on my acco:t what his reason is for it I know not , wherefore I desire yo:r Worp:e y:t if in Case my Brother Can prevaile soo farr as to recover any thing of his said Worship, then to repay yo:r selfe, y:e said money which I rcvd of Sig:r Jn:o De prado at Goa, for your acco:t

Thus w:th my most humble service presented unto yo:r Worp:e I XXXX XXXX and subscribe my selfe.

Carwarr y:e 24:th Oct: 1662:

Your worp:s most Obliged Neph:w
and servant.
Rob:t Master



Notes

Mathew Andrewes

1660-1663


"[September 10, 1662] On being informed that Mathew Andrewes owns one-sixteenth of the Constantinople Merchant, his proportion of her freight is ordered to be detained until he shall make fair account with the Company"[10]
  1. 1st December 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carrwar
  2. 'Consultation in Surat y:e 20:th May 1662', Mathew Andrewes, John Lambton', in George W. Forrest (ed.), Selections from the letters, depatches, and other state papers preserved in the Bombay secretariat, Home series, vol.1 (Bombay, 1887) , pp. 201-202
  3. This is the footnote text
  4. This is the footnote text
  5. 26th August 1663, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwarr
  6. Sign:r Jn:o De Prado was XXXX. See Missing faces
  7. Sig:r Ballt (Or, ‘c’)azar de Viego was XXXX. See Missing faces
  8. Streynsham Master, brother of Robert Master, and nephew of Sir George Oxenden
  9. Mathew Andrewes, the former President at Surat (1659-1662). XXXX
  10. 'A Court of Committees, September 10, 1662' (Court Book, vol. xxiv, p. 528), in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A Calendar of the Court Minutes of the East India Company, 1660-1663 (Oxford, 1922), p. 254