MRP: 4th October 1667, Letter from Thomas Stanton to Sir GO, London

From MarineLives
Jump to: navigation, search

4th October 1667, Letter from Thomas Stanton to Sir GO, London

BL, MS. XX, XXXX, f. 27

Editorial history

13/12/11, CSG: Created page






Abstract & context


Captain Thomas Stanton wrote to Sir George Oxenden on October 4th, 1667, from London.

In his letter, Captain Stanton (b. ca. 1624, d. 1691) reported on his eventful voyage back from Surat. Reaching St. Helena safely in February 1666/67, he had been engaged by a war ship from Flushing, suffering some damage, and the deaths of some of his crew. But, in early May, he had safely reached the Isle of Wight. Stanton expressed hope in his letter to Sir George Oxenden that he might return to Surat.

When he wrote this letter, Captain Stanton was on the Surat to London return voyage in the ship the Return, which had been dispatched by the English East India Company for Surat in March 1665/66.[1] The ship was a three hundred and fifty ton vessel, which had been purchased in December 1665 from Captain Stanton and his fellow owners for the substantial sum of £3,800.[2]

This voyage, together with his engagement with the Dutch or Flemings, was recorded in a monument erected in his parish church of Bungay Suffolk.

Captain Thomas Stanton, formerly commander of the good ship Returne, to and from Surat in East India, who by his indefatigable industry made ye said voyage in twelve months: the like not done by any since. In his returne he fought and beat a Dutch man of war, and brought ye said ship (to his never dying fame) safe into the river Thames." He died at Bungay 30th of April, 1691, aged 67 years.[3]

At the time of writing, the letter writer was about forty-three years of age, just a couple of years younger than Sir George Oxenden. He died at the age of sixty-seven and was buried in the parish of Bungay, Suffolk, describing himself as a gentleman.[4]

Nothing is known of his life between 1667 and his death in 1691. The language of his will suggests pride in claimed gentlemanly and armigerous status, requesting that he be:

decently interred in some convenient place wither in Church or Churchyard in Vault or grave with a faier thick marbell stone over me with my name and coate of armes thereon deeply ingraved

His will is more informal than most, and was unwitnessed, suggesting that it was written by him without the aid of a scrivener or lawyer.

He was meticulous in his preparations, giving and bequeathing:

unto those six Gent or Marrin:rs that shall carry my body to be buried to witt to each of them one paire of gloves and a gold ring worth tenn shillings each ?only, and to those Gent my freinds and acquaintance that shall come and be at my funerall and especially to those that hath or may have ticketts under my owne handwriteing wine and gloves to each man, and I give unto that Minister that shall bury me and preach my funerall sermon tenn shillings a paier of gloves and a gold ring worth tenn shillings

In his will he mentioned his wife, Elizabeth Stanton, who survived him, and his only son, Thomas Stanton, who was born ca. 1679. His brother-in-law, Thomas Gray, a London merchant, was married to his surviving sister, Anne. Other beneficiaries included his cousin ffrancis Penny of ?Woladge [?Woolwich] in Kent and a cousin Handa, living in ?Carleton, Suffolk.

He aspired for his son Thomas to attend "any of the Universaties," allowing him from the age of fifteen an annual stipend of fifty pounds to support his university education.

He had houses and land in Bungay, Suffolk, and in ?Carsham, Norfolk, which he had recently bought.

Stanton's will lists some of his possessions. These included his coach and coach mares, and "a learge couch, looking glass and small seader table standing in the same chamber."

A post-portem inventory has survived, which needs to be inspected.[5]




Suggested links


See Bigger alphabet of ships



To do


(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript at BL

(2) Look at Thomas Stanton will
- PROB 11/405 Vere 93-139 Will of Thomas Stanton, Gentleman of Bungay, Suffolk 10 June 1691




Transcription


This transcription has been completed, but needs to be checked

[BL, Add. MS. XX, XXXX, f. 27]

London October ye 4th 1667

Right Worshipfull

After my sevurel to yo:w yo:e Counsell & ye rest of my freinds yt are w:th yo:w & r yo:w may please to take notice I got safe to S:t Hellanah ye last of Feb:ry & ye 30:th of Aprill mett w:th a Flushenman of warr yt fought w:th me 2 men & did me som other damage but through mercy we got safe into the Isle of Weight ye 11:th of May but did not dare giff our goods out if ye shipp till this day soe yt I hoope we shall come for suratt againe, w:ch will be much pleasing to me, my sonn ??Moorecroft presents yo:w w:th his services & I hope yo:w will excuse my bouldness in in troubling yo:w w:th these lines, for I was louth to lett soe good an opportunity ?slip without letting yo:w know yt I am & shall ever remaine

Your servant to command
Tho: Stanton

Pray remember me to
Henrye Munge : my
Banyan



Notes

EEIC 1664-1667


"The agreement concerning the ship Return is confirmed, and order given for her speedy fitting. Captain Thomas Stanton is entertained to go as her commander at a salary of 8/. a month." (p. 184)

"[December 29, 1665] The Shipping Committee agree with Captain Stanton, on behalf of himself and the rest of the owners to buy the Return, a ship pf about 350 tons, with everything belonging to her, except provisions, for 3,800/., provided the Company approve, they to put into her XXXX" [6]

"...paid out by the purser of the Return without order from Captain Stanton or Captain Prowd; and the latter is directed to fit the said ship with guns from the London. (p. 190)

"Captain Stanton is allowed 18/. for fresh provisions, and is desired to hasten his departure." (p. 202)

"Captain Stanton's written request to entertain four or five more able seamen is acceded to." (p. 209)

"...Captain Thomas Stanton has returned from Surat in the east Indies, having landed Sir Gervase Lucas at Bombay, November 5 last. He fought with a Dutch man-of-war on his return, but was forced to leave him, and lost some men by the blowing up of a barrel of gunpowder." (p. 328, 1667, PRO: S.P. Dom, vol. ??, no. ??)

"A letter is read from Captain Stanton to Captain Prowd, and XXXX" (p. 339)

"A letter is read from the Husband and Captain Stanton from Portsmouth XXXX" (p. 342)

"Captain Stanton and his officers are examined again about the goods XXXX" (p. 383)



EEIC 1668-1670


"Captain Stanton to be paid his salary, and the Committee for ..."



EEIC 1677-1679


"Order is given for the following sums to be paid...Captain Stanton 60/. on account of salary due to the late Captain John Atkins, and 20/. to Mary, widow of Thomas Garret, quartermaster in the Return[7]

- See PROB 11/354 Hale 44-95 Will of John Atkins, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 15 August 1677



Monument, parish of Bungay, Suffolk


"Captain Thomas Stanton, formerly commander of the good ship Returne, to and from Surat in East India, who by his indefatigable industry made ye said voyage in twelve months: the like not done by any since. In his returne he fought and beat a Dutch man of war, and brought ye said ship (to his never dying fame) safe into the river Thames." He died at Bungay 30th of April, 1691, aged 67 years."[8]



Possible primary sources

BL


British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections: [no title] E/3/87 ff 8v-10 10 Mar 1666
- Contents: Commission and instructions to Captain Thomas Stanton for his voyage to Surat in the Return



TNA


PROB 4/19627 Stanton, Thomas, of Bungay, Suffolk, gent 1691 30 Dec. [illeg.]

PROB 11/354 Hale 44-95 Will of John Atkins, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 15 August 1677
PROB 11/405 Vere 93-139 Will of Thomas Stanton, Gentleman of Bungay, Suffolk 10 June 1691

- This is the correct will
  1. British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections: [no title] E/3/87 ff 8v-10 10 Mar 1666: 'Commission and instructions to Captain Thomas Stanton for his voyage to Surat in the Return
  2. 'A Meeting of Eight Committees, December 29, 1665' (Court Book, vol. xxv, p. 57), in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of court minutes, etc. of the East India company 1664-1667 (Oxford, 1925), p. 183
  3. Alfred Suckling, 'Bungay', The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk: volume 1 (1846), pp. 119-161. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=75122 Date accessed: 13 December 2011
  4. PROB 11/405 Vere 93-139 Will of Thomas Stanton, Gentleman of Bungay, Suffolk 10 June 1691; Alfred Suckling, 'Bungay', The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk: volume 1 (1846), pp. 119-161. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=75122 Date accessed: 13 December 2011
  5. PROB 4/19627 Stanton, Thomas, of Bungay, Suffolk, gent 1691 30 Dec. [illeg.]
  6. 'A Meeting of Eight Committees, December 29, 1665' (Court Book, vol. xxv, p. 57), in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A calendar of court minutes, etc. of the East India company 1664-1667 (Oxford, 1925), p. 183
  7. XXXX, in Ethel Bruce Sainsbury (ed.), A Calendar of the Court Minutes of the East India Company, 1677-1679 (Oxford, 1938), p. 77
  8. Alfred Suckling, 'Bungay', The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk: volume 1 (1846), pp. 119-161. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=75122 Date accessed: 13 December 2011