MRP: 8th March 1665/66, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, Putney

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8th March 1665/66, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, Putney

BL, Add. MS. 40,708 - 40,713, vol, 235, year 1665, ff. 30-34

Editorial history

10/09/08, CSG: Completed transcription
15/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki






Abstract & context


Sir Thomas Chambrelan wrote to Sir George Oxenden on March 8th, 1665/66.

The letter was sent from his county residence in Putney. In the letter, Sir Thomas Chambrelan wrote that he had been "since beginning of Jult last at my Country house at Puttney w:te S:r Arthur Ingram[1] & his Lad

Sir Thomas Chambrelan XXXX



Suggested links


See 29th September 1662, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO
See 29th March 1663, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, London
See 29th March 1663, Letter from Thomas Chambrelan to Sir GO, continuation
See 30th November 1663, Letter from Cesar Chambrelan to Sir GO, Carwar




To do


(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript at BL & add foliation to transcription



Transcription


This transcription has been completed, but required checking

[BL, Add. MS. 40,708 - 40,713, vol, 235, year 1665, ff. 30-34]

Right Worp:ll

Your severall letters of the 25:te November 1664 & since them of the 6:th: & 31:te March w:te the coppies of them I have xxxxx by your first letter yo:w advise me of the safe arrivall of our shipp the London as XXXXXX the Roy:ll Charles which are since praysed be God safely returned yo:r first letter came not to hand till after the arrivall of the shipps, otherwise it could have much troubled me, to have understood of your sickness but blessed be God the same letter that brought y:r badd newse, brought & likewise advise of yo:r recovery, I doubt not but yo:w have heard of the great mortallity in these ptes, but blessed be God he has restored healthe to us againe & preserved me & all my family in health, having been XXXX since beginning of Jult last at my Country house at Puttney w:te S:r Arthur Ingram[2] & his Lady, The sickness & the warre has caused among a very great Decay of trade, espetially upon all East India Commodities, a great pte of the callicoes of last yeare remayning upon the Comp:s hands unfetched away by those y:t have bought them, & those y:t ?have for y:t have fetched them away, have them still upon there hands unsould, so wee are like y:t to have a Badd Sale, & the wours in regard y:t the French have likewise declared warrs against us & wee against them & hitherto we have had little ?pratiqud our trade among them hitherto they refusing any of our goodes, & now they are prohibited by the warr w:te Holland & France, Denmark has likewise declared for the Hollanders so we have none to trust to but to God allone , who has hitherto ?persuaded us from their Crueltys, XXXXXX having upon us the Victory in Severall enocunters against the Dutch, & have taken, & sunke many of there shipps, among which were taken two of ?those east India shipps, y:e goodes that were not porloyned by the Seamen have been delivered into y:e Compy:s hands to be sould for his Maj:ies use except the Saltpeter: & Copper which his Maj:tty hath so reserved for himslef fore y:e publis ??ifo. I doubt not but my Coz:n Tho:s Papillon[3] does give yo:w longe advices of all y:t passes, he having remayned in London all this time, w:te S:r George Smith, and one more, & have had the manadgment of most of the business & have enjoyed prasied be to God there healthe, I was chosen likewise one of the Comm:tee this last yeare, but having served them 6 yeares before, I thought it best for my health & quietness to take a writt of XXXX this yeare & though many both Governeure & Comm:tee have been for the most pte in the Country this yeare, The Governe:re likewise would have Dispensed w:te me that I might have come to y:e Court, when I could have done it w:te ?connveniencey, but I cannott understand that my oath if I had taken it would have Dispensed w:te mee, And now to answer your letters, I take notice yo:w had XXXX those things I sent pp the London & Royall Charles, & that yo:w had sent forwards for my Sonne[4] those things I had sent for him, he adviseth mee likewise the same for which shall xxxxx how In some XXXXX I may come out of yo:e Debt, I am sorry to understand that y:e Royalls proved so badd a Commodity, I did sell them here for 16:11 10xx pps ?salo & since have been sould for 20:ll p Balo/Salo, however it happens I returne yo:w many thanks as allso for sending me 3 Diamonds which are to content, being sorry that the mXXXX proved no better, I see what yo:w write concerning Bladwell[5] who has been well Instructed pp Andrewe who pp friends and otherwise has come off at a cheap rate so that honest ?mann are standard & abused & knaves that have wronged the Comp:y most they come off best, if they cann answer it in another world, so well as in this, it would be well for them, I am sorry yo:w have taken so much paines in writing me so at large about Andrews business, I being very well satisfied of yo:r integrity & just proceedings, what I writt yo:w concerning it was not any wayes to Question it but lay beforte yo:w y:t unworthiness & unthankfullness of some menn, I am very well assured, that a Gentleman as yo:w are cannott be taxed w:te any base unworthy action, & therefore need not to feare the slanderous tongues of menn, truth may be Blamed but not ?Shamed as for Will:m Bell[6] he is not worth naming, & the other he was as extravagant here as in India, but I beleeve as he has gott it so twill be spent, when I was Gouovernour[7] I boxt his nose to y:e Grindstone both at Court w:te y:e Company, but since he is matched into a presbiterian family he carryes all things before him, it being his owne Business, & other men y:t have been in opposition ag:st him have ?received nothing, but reproaches & unthankfullness for their paines, but they expect a better reward in heaven, than upon earth; As concerning expenses, I heare the Comp:y is very well satisfied w:te yo:r frugall expenses & truly these sadd times doo require it, for y:t is y:e first money gotten, I see what yo:w write concerning y:e order about Jewells, truly I never did like it & XXXX with it had been leess [left?] free, & that factors & others might have made their returnes in that commodity, y:t so they might not intermeels in the Comp:ys commodities, but it was pretended to be a great ???proffitt to the Comp:a y:t indeed I could not think it to be so, but some will make Mountaines of Molehills & all in prXXXXXX of the Comp:a service & in Discharge of their oath, but they straine at Knatts & swallow Cammells, but why that resolution or order should not give y:w the same privilledge y:t they give the commen Seamen for they hand pt p:d downe, & yo:s is to be left upon Acc:tt to be p:d when yo:w come home, for ?beleeve yo:w may have it for asking, & by that time the Comp:a has considered w:te they pay out of what they receive in it is not worth the adventure & trouble, & so much I have often told severall of the Comm:ttee & do beleeve, that after a while they will find it so, I see what yo:w write concerning the Kings ?shipps, all which have been alledged to them but they being officers in y:e Kings service, would needs show their witt by arguing & Disputing contrary to all reason, the worst is they are commonly aforehand w:te XX by being in the Comp:a debt for saltpetre, I beleebe Cap:t Minors did what he could to express himself & was gladd to lay the fault on any Body, there came home in the fXXXX shipp a factor from the Bay called Harrison who has been more extravagant than any of the ?formere having spent & given away many thousand pounds, what end the Comp:a will make w:te him I know not but I am sure they must come off w:e a great Deale of loss, I did Dispose his Bills of lading, & Invoyces for a great ??prellof goods which I delivered to the Comm:te being tired out w:th him, herein ?closed I send yo:w an acco:tt of what goods was found in the two Dutch East India shipps & the valluation as they are vallued w:re, and all to be sould y:e 20th day of this mo:te as allso the most pte of the Comp:y goods, God send them a good sale, the Comp:a hath ordered a Dividend of 40 pp to all the adventurers, to be allowed out of the goodes they shall buy of the Comp:y, I send yo:w likewise here inclosed a ??generall Bill of mortallity, for y:e last yeare past P which yo:w may see what a sadd time we have had, & the greater ????reason we have to bless God for his mercy that we are yet allive, I XXXX p the ship London one parcell q:t 2 persian carpetts and a leather xxxpett, but yo:w make no mention of them in yo:w letter but the purser tells me he had order from you to deliver them to me, I know not what to say of it but I shall keep them till I heare from yo:w the Cap:t of the Roy:ll Charles sayes he p:d yo:w for y:e bale of Royalls of which yo:w make likewise no mention, I must pay likewise according to y:e Comp:e orders for the 3 Diamonds, ??divers of the Comp:a wishing me not to sxxmple it, In regard I must show good example, I doubt not but yo:w have heard y:t the trade for the Canarys is in a Comp:a having a Charter from y:e King,[8] S:r Arthur Ingram being Governe thereoff, they have had a great deale of trouble & oppositions, but hitherto praysed be God, they have gone on very successfully I was in good hopes they would have had some new Cannary before this time y:t I might have sent yo:w some by this shipp, but there are none yet arrived & good Cannary is not to be had but it shall be God willing for the next opportunity when they may trade w:te more safety, the treaty w:th Spain is as good as concluded I hope before next shipps goo to India we shall have peace both w:th Fraunce & Holland, which God in his mercy graunt to whose holly protection I commend yo:w & Remaine Yo:r loving friend to serve yo:w

Puttney 8th Match 1665/6

S:r there is one M:r South[9] which died coming home in the last shipp who lived at Maccassa he is indebted to M:r Henry Barnard[10] a spetiall friend of mine about 1500 XX Inndostands he has left there a very good estate I doo entreate yo:w to write about it to see if anything may be gott there, & yo:w will very much Oblidge me therein, be pleased to send y:e xxxxx to my sonne



Notes




Possible primary sources

  1. Sir Arthur Ingram, London merchant, who was Sir Thomas Chambrelan's son-in-law
  2. Sir Arthur Ingram, London merchant, who was Sir Thomas Chambrelan's son-in-law
  3. Thomas Papillon, London merchant
  4. Cesar Chambrelan was XXXX
  5. Richard Bladwell is also mentioned in a letter to Sir George Oxenden from Thomas Tyte. See 25th September 1667, Letter from Thomas Tyte to Sir GO, London
  6. William Bell was XXXX
  7. Sir Thomas Chambrelan was Governor of the English East India Company, XXXX-XXXX
  8. The Canary Company was short lived. XXXX
  9. Nicholas Buckeridge mentions a Mr. South in Macassar in a letter to Sir George Oxenden. See 31st March 1663, Letter from Nicholas Buckeridge to Sir GO, London
  10. Henry Barnard, London merchant, a subscriber to the SVJS