In Their Majesties’ Service The Career of Francesco De Gratta (1613–1676) as a Royal Servant and Trader in Gdańsk Michał Salamonik SÖDERTÖRN DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS In Their Majesties’ Service The Career of Francesco De Gratta (1613–1676) as a Royal Servant and Trader in Gdańsk Michał Salamonik Subject: History Research Area: History of the Baltic Sea Region School: Historical and Contemporary Studies Södertörns högskola (Södertörn University) The Library SE-141 89 Huddinge www.sh.se/publications © The author Cover Image: Curicke, Reinhold, Der Stadt Danzig historische Beschreibung [...] (Amsterdam und Danzig, 1687), PAN BG, Od 4503a 2°, p. 49. Photo. PAN BG, Gdańsk, Poland. Cover Layout: Jonathan Robson Graphic Form: Per Lindblom & Jonathan Robson Printed by Elanders, Stockholm 2017 Södertörn Doctoral Dissertations 133 ISSN 1652–7399 ISBN 978–91–87843–85–3 ISBN 978–91–87843–86–0 (digital) Abstract This study analyses the administrative and economic career of Francesco De Gratta (1613–1676) as Royal Postmaster, Royal Secretary, and trader within the postal and fiscal systems of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This investigation focuses mainly on his network and career strategies and is based on various sources from a number of European archives and libraries, mainly those situated in Italy, Poland and Germany. The study presents the family De Gratta and the familial social actions that Francesco used in order to root his children and family in the Polish- Lithuanian noble culture. Next, the analysis shows that the career of Fran- cesco De Gratta was inextricably correlated with the establishment of the early modern royal postal system in Gdańsk (the city of Gdańsk fulfilled an important bridging role within the Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth) as well as his close contacts with different Polish kings and queens. The career followed distinct stages, tying him ever closer with the Crown, the nobility as well as the merchants in Gdańsk. It all started with his position as Head Postmaster in Gdańsk, in 1654. In 1661, he became Postmaster General of Royal Prussia, Courland, Semigallia and Livonia. After these initial steps, Francesco immersed in creditor activities and close contacts with the Royal Prussian cities, royal authorities, and not the least different Polish mint masters. He also got involved in the potash trade with his later son-in- law Jan Wawrzyniec Wodzicki, first as his factor and later as a co-owner of Wodzicki’s company. The study finally traces his social and economic advancement by the analysis of Francesco De Gratta’s legacies and their importance for his heirs’ social status. The summary compares the career of Francesco De Gratta with that of other postmasters and mint masters of Italian origin in Poland-Lithuania. Keywords: De Gratta, Career, Network, Nobility, Merchants, Early Modern Times, Royal Mail, Postmaster, Mint Service, Credit, Potash, Royal Secretary, Poland-Lithuania, Brandenburg-Prussia, Baltic Sea, Italy, Poland, Gdańsk. Acknowledgments Writing of a PhD thesis is a long, draining and sometimes even a painful process, especially when one does discover some part of the text was saved incorrectly. However, it is also – or rather foremost – a great time, when one does meet new people, visits new places as well as learns how to produce a thesis. Indeed, under the four and a half years, I had the pleasure to meet several interesting persons and with some of them I have gained a friendship. Most importantly, I would like to thank my supervisors Heiko Droste and Piotr Wawrzeniuk for their patience, comments and suggestions. Especially Heiko, who did help me exceedingly much throughout these past years. Your comments and specific dialogs with you encouraged me to discover new paths as well as kept me moving forward. Nextly, I should thank all of my colleagues and administrative staff from the School of History of Contem- porary Studies at Södertörn University, especially Per Bolin, Christina Douglas, Maria Nyman, Lars Ekdahl, Kekke Stadin, Madeleine Hurd, Anne Hedén, Martin Wottle and Lisa Stålnacke, and the fellow PhD candidates: Marco Nase, Francesco Zavatti, Julia Malitska, Rahel Kuflu, Karin Johnsson, Martin Andersson, Josefine Hägglund, Patrik Höglund, Ann-Judith Rabenschlag, Nadezda Petrusenko, Yuliya Yurchuk, Anna Kharkina and Fredrik Bertilsson. Also the other PhD candidates I met via Södertörn University, especially of note are Emilia Pawłusz, Łukasz Sokołowski, Maarja Saar and Péter Balogh. Furthermore, my special appreciation goes out to my opponents – Magnus Linarsson from the halftime seminar and Wojciech Tygielski from the final seminar. Lastly, I would like to thank the Nationella forskarskolan i historiska studier vid Lunds universitet – all of the senior scholars, administrative staff and fellow PhD students for the timely seminars, courses and conferences. Here, a special greeting should go out to my friend Margaret Wallace Nillson, who read through the final manuscript. Maggie a huge thanks! Regarding the overall language review, I would like to express my deep thanks to Bradley Knopff, Charlotte Merton and Christopher Kennard. During my studies, I had the occasion to research in different archives in Europe. This was an amazing and sometimes challenging experience to go through all of the rules which differed from country to country, city to city and from private to state institutions. Therefore, I am ever so grateful for the help from archivists and librarians that I met during this time. In order to be able to afford these valuable research phases I have received additional funding. Thanks here to the Nationella forskarskolan for its mobility grant and the time I spent at Toronto University – principally at the magnificent Robarts Library; next the Swedish Institute for a grant to do research at the Gdańsk Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences and finally, the Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse for grants to complete archival research in Germany and finishing the dissertation. Last but not least, large thanks go out to the Baltic Sea Foundation that granted the project: Information Infra- structure in the Baltic Area. Nodes, News and News Agents, c. 1650–1700 where my PhD thesis was concluded. To those dearest to me Rönninge/Flemingsberg, February 2017 Contents Conventions and Glossary ......................................................................................................... 15 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 21 Aim .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Italians in Poland-Lithuania .......................................................................................... 23 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 25 Previous Research ................................................................................................................. 26 Theoretical and Methodological Assumptions ................................................................. 35 Career Theory .................................................................................................................. 35 The Noble Society ........................................................................................................... 38 Patronage and Career ..................................................................................................... 40 Experts .............................................................................................................................. 42 Method ............................................................................................................................. 43 Approach ................................................................................................................................ 47 Sources .................................................................................................................................... 48 Limitations of the Study ....................................................................................................... 55 Outline .................................................................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER 2 Gdańsk – A Bridge ...................................................................................................................... 57 Geopolitical Localization ..................................................................................................... 60 Politics ..................................................................................................................................... 63 Trade and Shipping ............................................................................................................... 66 Communication .................................................................................................................... 69 Religion and Society .............................................................................................................. 72 Culture ...................................................................................................................................