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List of Factory Records of the Late East India Company

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List of Factory Records of the Late East India Company LIBRARY ANNEX 2 fytmll Wimvmxi^ fihtatg THE GIFT OF Sm.qLLc^.., ..H ...M>. %M^^xkp<^^....y^ Library Cornell University DS 465.E13L7 llimm ««... ^23 223 757 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023223757 LIST I OF MARINE RECORDS OP THE LATE EAST INDIA COMPANY, AND OF SUBSEQUENT DATE, PEESEEVED IN THE RECORD DEPARTMENT OP THE INBIA OFFICE, I.ONDON. 1896. LIST OF MARINE RECORDS OF THE LATE EAST INDIA COMPANY, AND OF SUBSEQUENT DATE, PRESERVED IN THE KECOKD DEPARTMENT OF THE INDIA OFFICE, I^ONDON. 1896. INTRODUCTION. In the latter part of tlie fifteenth century, in consequence of the " grete " mynysshyng and decaye now of late tyme of the navye of this Eeame of England, and " ydleness of the mariners within the same, by the whiche this noble Reame wythin short " process of tyme wythout reform aoion be had therein shall not be of habilite ne power " to defend it selfe,"* an Act was passed (4° Henry VII. c. X.) in 1488-89 prohibiting the importation and exportation of merchandise in any but English ships. This, it appears, gave offence to foreign Princes, who, thinking that the law was made to the prejudice of their respective countries and navies, made similar laws with regard to the shipping of their own dominions ; "by reason whereof," as stated in the preamble to 1° Eliz. c. XIII. (1558-59) " ther hathe not onely growen greate displeasyre *' between the forreyne Prynces and the Kinges of this Realme, but also the " Marchauntes have been sore greved and endomaged." Accordingly, by the Statute last quoted, the former law was repealed, and although this repeal was clogged with many restrictions, it afforded considerable relief and encouragement to English merchants. After this date the Russia Company began considerably to extend its transactions, and a stimulus was given to the development of other commercial enterprises in foreign lands. The principal seat of trade in northern Europe was now in Holland, where commerce had not been restricted in the same manner as in this country, and there, ac- cordingly, were to be found better ships and more experienced sailors than in England. ' Before the establishment of the East India Company, the shipping of England appears to have been on a very limited scale, although this country was, next to Spain, accounted the most powerful maritime State in Europe. It has been stated that in the year 1588 Queen Elizabeth had at sea 150 sail of ships, whereof only 40 were her own, and 110 belonged to her subjects ; that, in the same year, there were likewise 150 sail of English merchant ships, of about 150 tons average tonnage, employed in trading voyages to all parts and countries. The Queen's 40 ships carried 12,000 men, or 300 in each ship ; the 110 hired vessels 12,100, or 110 in each on an average, and the 150 trading ships carried 6,000 seamen or 40 in each.f The first practical step taken with the view of obtaining for this country a share in the East Indian trade dates from 1579, in which year Queen Elizabeth sent William Harburn, an English merchant, to Turkey, who obtained from Sultan Amurath III. permission for the English merchants to resort and trade to Turkey, in all respects as freely as the French,'Yenetians, Germans, and Poles then did, by which concession a foundation was laid for the English Turkey Company, which was established two years later.f Previously to this date, the Venetians used to send vessels yearly to Southampton with Turkish, Persian, and Indian merchandise, but by entering upon this trade themselves the English procured commodities from the Levant and from the Bast much cheaper than formerly, and the returns which it yielded at the beginning are stated to have been three for one.§ * Statutes of the Eealm, Vol. II., p. 534. " Vol. II., 187. t Annals of Commerce," D. Macpherson, p. X Ditto, ditto, p. 165. § It is stated in <'Lex Mercatoria" that the Turkey Company arose out of the Company of Barbary Merchants, which was incorporated in King Henry VII.'s time. IV The first direct voyage to India undertaken by the Bnglisli was in 1591, in which year three vessels, the "Penelope," the " Marchant Eoyal," and the "Edward Bonaventure," sailed from Plymouth on the 10th April, under the command of George' Baymond and James Lancaster. The former died on the journey, and the latter, after a most adventurous voyage, in which several Portuguese ships were captured, returned to England without his vessels, in August 1594.* In 1596 another expedition, consisting of three ships, the " Bear," the Bear's Whelp," and the " Benjamin," under the command of Captain Benjamin Wood, was fitted out, principally at the charges of Sir Robert Dudley, for a trading voyage to China. This •expedition was, however, not heard of again, not one of the company ever returning to give an account of the rest. In 1600 Queen Elizabeth granted a charter to George Earl of Cumberland and two hundred and fifteen Knights, Aldermen, and Merchants, for the formation of a corporate body to be styled " the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies." On the formation of the East India Company, Richard Hakluyt was appointed historiographer, and their historical and geographical documents were subsequently placed in his custody. He thus had charge of the journals of all the East India voyages from 1600 to the date of his death in 1616. In about 1620, four years after Hakluyt's death, these journals came into the hands of the Reverend Samuel Purchas, having probably been made over to him for publication. Instead of printing them in extenso, Purchas resolved to epitomize his materials, and, in this form, he published them in four folio volumes, in 1625, under the title " Hahluytus Posthwrnus, or Purchas his Pilgrimes." It seems doubtful whether most of these original journals were ever returned to the East India House, but, if they were, many of them have since been lost, and of others only fragments now exist. This is much to be regretted, as the earliest journals were the most important, and in many cases the only records of the pro- ceedings of the Company's Agents abroad. Later on, much of this information is contained in letters received by the Court from their Captains and Factors in the East. No proper provision appears to have been subsequently made for the safe custody of these journals, and consequently those that remain of these priceless records of the past are in many cases defective, and a still greater number are damaged by damp and decay. The earliest document of this nature, extant in the records of this Ofl&ce, is a fragment of a Journal, from the 31st July to the 4th August 1605, kept by an oflBcer on board the " Ascension," in the second expedition sent out by the East India Gompany. It is proposed in the following introductory remarks to show which are the original journals that are now missing, and where the particulars of those that have been published are to be found. At a meeting of the Company on the 24th September 1599, certain rules were agreed provision of shipping to for the and other matters, of which the following is an : — extract " First that noe ship shalbe receavid to be brought in by any adventure'' " in this viage to be imployed in the same as his stock or portion of adventure at any ^' rate whatsoever—Also that all shipping to be imploied in this viage shalbe bought " and provided by suche as shalbe therto appointed for ready money onlie." The first expedition sent out by the East India Company was placed under the com- mand of Captain (afterwards Sir) James Lancaster. For the fleet to be employed upon this voyage the Company purchased vessels in the river Thames. One of these, the " Voyages of Sir James Lancaster to the Indies." The Hakluyt Society, No. LVI. " " Mare Scurge (also alluded to by tte name of tlie " Malyce Scurge "), a vessel of 600 tons, was bought from the Earl of Cumberland* for 3,700Lf "When the ship was offered to the Oorapany they entertained great doubts as to the expediency of buying her, " her burthen being so great, whereby the Tunage agreed uppon shalbe so greatly exceeded "; but it was afterwards decided to purchase her, " to the ende the preparation of the viage be not hindred by restinge in an uncertentie of o"" shipping." The name of this vessel was subsequently changed to the " Eed Dragon."J The other vessels of the fleet were the " Hector," the " Ascension," and the " Susan." The " Susan," of 240 tons, was purchased from Mr. Alderman Bannyng for 1,600Z., he agreeing to re-purchase the vessel at the expiration of the voyage for 8001. The " Hector," of 300 tons, and the " Ascension," of 260 tons, were also purchased for this voyage, but it does not appear what sum was paid for either of these. A small ship called the " Guift," of 130 tons, was bought of Mr. Fraunce Chery, of Eatclyff, for the sum of " 300Z., and accompanied the fleet as a victualler. The "Discovery" and the " Godspeed were also purchased about the same time. In this expedition the " Red Dragon " was commanded by Captain James Lancaster, the " Hector " by Captain John Middleton, the " Ascension " by Master "William Brand, and the " Susan " by Master John Heyward, The expedition went to Sumatra and Java.
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