Tobacco market in 1H C17th London, Middleburg and Rotterdam
Contents
London
In the early 1630s, the custom per pound due on tobacco landed in London was six pence. But, the price of Saint Christophers tobacco, being just six pence, half the custom due per pound was abated to an a merchant named Thomas King. This we learn from John Dansey, gentleman, of All Hallows Barking, London, who was one of the waiters of the London Custom House, and who had custody of a lading of Saint Christophers tobacco brought to London.
- "In annis domini 1631, 1632, and 1633 libellate the custome due to his Majestye and the ffarmers of his customes was six pence per pound for every pound of tobaccoe brought from Saint Christophers to the porte of London and soe much the arlate Thomas Kinge and other merchants that had tobaccoes broughte to the port of London ought top have payd for the same, but at the tyme of the arrivall of the tobaccoe in question Saint Christopher tobaccoe did beare a very lowe prize and was not worth above six pence per pound (to his nowe best remembrance) and in that respecte the arlate Thomas Kinge was abated about halfe of the customes due for the sayd tobaccoe, and payd for the custome therof the somme of three pence for every pound or therabouts. The premisses he knoweth to be true for that he beinge one of the wayters belonginge to his Majestyes custome house had the custodye of the tobaccoes in question after they were landed"[1]
Two Middleburg merchants, John and Isacke de Smekers, sent a letter to a London merchant named Worsam, requesting him to buy six hogsheads of Virginia tobacco and to send them to Middleburg for their accounts. We know this from the deposition of Thomas Peade, twenty-seven year old merchant of Allhallows Barking, London, made in 1639. Peade often met a merchant named Worsam at the London posthouse, where he had seen him open many letters, inclusing letters from two Middleburg merchants, John and Isaacke de Smeker.
- "Hee this examinate hath often meeteinge with the arlate Worsam at the Posthouse in London) seene him there receive letters which came from the arlate John and isaacke de Smeker or one of them, and the said Worsam in this examinates sighte and presense hath many tymes broaken open the said letters and uppon perusall thereof shewed him this examinate (they beinge well acquainted together) the contents of the said letters and desired his ayde and advise about the same, and amongeste other letters which the said Worsam had shewed him this examinate, hee this examinate doth well remember that hee sawe a letter of the said John and Isaack de Smekers or one of them, directed to the said Worsam wherein they or one of them did desire the sayd Worsam to buy for them or one of them six hogsheads of Virginia tobaccoe in leafe, and to send the same unto them or one of them to Middleburrowe by the firste, and to chardge the same uppon them or one of theire accounts"[2]
Middleburg
Thomas Browne, thirty-four year old mariner, of Horseydowne, Surrey. Examined in 1639. Boarded a shipp named the Jonathan of Bristol at Saint Christophers, expecting to sail to Middleburg. However, the ship's master and mariners subsequently refused to sail to Middleburg, sailing instead to the ship's home port of Bristol.
- "Whileste the saied shippe was and remained at Saint Christophers aforeaid there was laden aboard the said shippe for the accounte and adventure of Mr George Snellinge of London merchante to the quantity of twoe hundred forty and fower rolls of Saint Christophers tobaccoe marked with G.M. to bee carried and transported in the said shippe from Saint Christophers aforesaid to Middleburrowe in Zealand, which hee knoweth to bee true for that hee knewe of the ladeinge of the said tobaccoe aforesaid at Saint Christophers and sawe the master of the said shippe subscribed a bill of ladeinge for the same beinge imployed by the said Snellinge for that purpose"[3]
- "When hee this examinate did perceive the master of the said shippe and his company interrate was directly to carry the said shippe and the tobaccoe in her to Bristoll and not to goe to Middleburrowe wheather they were bounde and should have gone, hee tooke his booke [and] called to the master and some others of his company and told them that they were not hired to goe to Bristoll but for Middleburrowe and that if they refused and would not goe to Middleburrowe wheather they were hired desired those that did refuse to goe to sett theire handes to the booke that hee might knowe whoe they were when hee came home and they all refused to sett theire handes to the booke, and absolutely refused and deined to goe to Middleburrowe aforesaid but said that they one and all would carry the said shippe unto Bristoll, and accordingly they did carry her into Bristoll aforesaid"[4]
Rotterdam
John White, thirty-four year old grocer, of Saint Sepulchre, London, was examined in 1638 in a cause concerning tobacco shipped in the Truelove of London (master: Isaacke Watlington). The ship had sailed from London to Virginia, where it took on a lading of tobacco. Originally intended to return to London, Watlington chose to discharge his ship's lading at Rotterdam. Jospeh White offered to buy tobacco on the ship owned by Stephen Gorton, paying ready money in London with delivery in Rotterdam to his local factor. A bargain was agreed and White received two bills of lading, which he sent to Rotterdam, and which his local factor presented to the master of the Truelove, but delivery was refused.
- "In or about the moneth of Aprill last past the arlate Stephen Gorton the producent came to this deponent and tould him that he had laden aboard the arlate shipp called the Truelove of London (wherof the arlate Isaacke Watlington was master) twentye hogsheads of Virginia tobaccoe to be brought in her to the porte of London for his owne accompte and that hee beleived that the sayd shipp was gonne for Holland, wheruppon this deponent did offer to give the ayd Gorton ten pence per pound for all the said tobaccoes to be delivered in Holland, besides all charges (excepte the fraighte which the said Gorton was to pay) and about ten dayes after the premisses the sayd Gorton came to him agayne and tould him that he then understood that the sayd shipp was arrived at Rotterdam in Holland, and offred to sell all the sayd tobaccoes to him at the rate which this deponent had formerly proffered for them, bit then this deponent tould him that he had had advise of the arrivall of two other shipps in Holland with Virginia tobaccoe and therfore he would not give soe much as he had formerly offered, but offered to give him seaven pense per pound in ready money to be payd heere in London and to paye all the charges of the said tobaccoes, the sayd Gordton alloweinge ten per centum for shrinkidge, and theruppon the sayd Gorton did reallye sell all the said twentye hogsheads of tobaccoe at the rate and prise last mentioned and this deponent payd the sayd Gorton fourtye pounds sterling in part for the sayd tobaccoes and wrote to his factor at Rotterdam to demannd and receive the sayd tobaccoe and sent him the bill of ladeing for the same. And this deponent hath bene since advised bys everall letters fro his sayd factor that he hath demannded the said tobaccoes in Holland and shewed the sayd bills of ladinge unto the sayd Isaacke Wattlington and Mr Joseph Sannders the freighter of the said shipp and offred to pay the fraight, custome and other charges due for the sayd tobaccoes, but they refused to deliver the same to him and theruppon he had made a protest against them which he sentto him this examinate"[5]
Francis Bristowe, thirty-seven year old merchant, of Saint Margarets New Fishstreet, London, was examined twice in 1639, firstly in the cause of Frances Fowler, secondly in the cause of cause of Stephen Gorton. Both depositions relate to the same ship and voyage as the deposition of John White. In the first cause, the party producent, Francis Fowler, had been at Rotterdam with Bristowe and had demanded from the master of the Trelove eight hogsheads of Virginia tobacco belonging to Fowler. Watlington refused to deliver the tobacco, offering instead six pence a pound for the tobacco. This was the same price which Watlington and Joseph Sannders, the owner of the bulk of the tobacco on the ship, had compounded with other small owners of tobacco on the ship.
- "Aboute the latter end of March last was twelve monethes tempus aliter non recolit the arlate shippe the Truelove of London, Isaacke Watlington master laden with Virginia tobaccoe arrived at Rotterdam in Holland and aboute eighte or tenn dayes after the arrivall of the said shippe at Rotterdam aforesaid and after all or moste parte of the tobacco in her was landed there one Thomas White the ffactor or assigne (as hee said hee was) of one ffrancis ffowler the partie producent) in the presense of him this examinate demannded of the said Watlington eighte hogsheads of Virginia tobaccoe which hee said were laden aboard his shippe the Truelove at Virginia for the accounte of the said ffowler and consigned to bee delivered here at this porte of London to him the said White and offred to pay all the chardges due for the same, but the said Wattlington and Mr Sannders the merchante of the said shippe told the said White that hee had compounded with all the reste that had tobaccoe in the said shippe for to give them six pense a pound for what tobaccoe they had in the said shippe and that they would give him six pense a pound for the said eighte hoggsheades of tobaccoe if hee would take it, but refused to deliver him the said tobaccoe in specie and hee beleeveth the said White could not gett the said eighte hogsheads of tobaccoe from the said Watlington for that hee did often tymes after in this examinates presense and heareinge demannde the same of Watlington and Sannders and still they refused to deliver the same, and Virginia tobaccoe was as hee hath heard and beleeveth worth and sold for here in London the tyme aforesaid 14 pence a pounde and soe much hee this examinate payd for a greate quantity of Virginia tobaccoe which hee carried over with him to Rotterdam that winter, but what dammage the said White or ffowler mighte sustaine by the not receivinge of the said tobaccoe at Rotterdam aforesaid hee cannott justly tell for that hee doth not knowe the weight of the said eighte hogsheades of tobaccoe, but hee saieth that ordinary Virginia tobaccoe was sold at Rotterdam the tyme aforesaid for 14 and 16 stivers a pound and some tymes more, and 14 stivers make in English money 15 pence halfe penny at leaste and soe much hee this examinate proffered to give to Mr Sannders the mrchante whoe was the reputed owner of moste parte of the said shippes ladeinge of tobaccoe, for thirty hogsheads of tobaccoe parte of the tobaccoes which came out of the said shippe the Truelove, for one of Dort an acqquaintense of this examinates"[6]
In Bristowe's second shorter deposition, this time in the cause of Gorton, he again affirms the going rate for tobacco in Rotterdam at that time to have been fourteen stivers per pound, and mentions his partner, Thomas White, having demanded and failed to get Gorton's tobacco.
- "Good ordinary Virginia tobaccoe was worth and sould for at Rottedam at the tyme of the arrivall of the shippe the Truelove of which the foresaid Watlington was master and the said Parsons purser there fowerteene stivers a pounde and soe much hee this examinate did profferr to give for Virginia tobaccoe broughte to Rotterdam in the said shipp presently after her arrivall there hee beinge then there...Hee was told by his partner Thomas White who hath subscribed his name as witnes to the schedule arlate and as hee said had order for to demannde the same at Rotterdam aforesaid the arlate Gorton had twenty hogsheades of Virginia tobaccoe aboard the said shippe the Truelove when shee came to Rotterdam aforesaid and that hee had demannded the same but could not gett them"[7]
Another man, Thomas Orlye, forty-three year old merchant of All Hallows Barking, London, was examined on the ame day as Bristowe's second examination. Orlye provides details of the price of Virginia tobacco in both Rotterdam and Middleburg, at the time the Truelove of London discharged its lading of Virginia tobacco in Rotterdam. He suggests that the market for Virginia tobacco at Rotterdam was slightly better in terms of realised price per pound of tobacco than the market for the same commodity in Middleburg in Zeeland.
- "Aboute the latter end of January laste was twelve monethes there was laden aboard the shippe the Truelove Isaacke Watlington master for the accounte of the arlate Gorton twenty hogsheads of Virginia tobaccoe to bee transported in the said shippe from thense to this porte of London and soe much both the master and purser of the said shippe confessed to this examinate, but as hee hath heard the said shippe came not to London but went to Rotterdam in Holland where the said twenty hogsheads of tobaccoe as hee alsoe heard were disposed of and sold, and as hee was advised by a freinde of his whoe was at Middleburrowe in Zeeland where hee sold neere uppon twoe hundred hogsheads of Virginia tobaccoe, Virginia tobaccoe was there worth in Aprill laste was twelve monethes, and sold for 11, some 12, and some 13 stivers a pounde, and afterwards in Auguste followeinge hee this examinate did sell 17 hogsheads of Virginia tobaccoe at Middleburrowe aforeaid for 12 stivers a pounde, one with another, and soe much the same was worth and hee heard and soe it was said and accounted at Middleburrowe that Virginia tobaccoe was worth and sold for at Rotterdam in Holland the same yeare and aboute the same tyme that his freinde sold his tobaccoe at Middleburrowe aforesaid and this examinate had 2 stivers in a pounde more then it would yeelde at Middleburrowe"[8]
Gilbert Hutton, twenty-two year old mariner, of Shadwell, was one of the company of the Truelove of London. He was examined in 1639 and describes how the merchant (Joseph Sannders) bought the mariners own tobacco, which they had in hogsheads, at the rate of six pence per pound, clear of all charges. Loose or other tobacco the mariners had, the mariners were left to sell themselves. Hutton estimated the going price in Rotterdam at that time to have been fourteen stivers per pound.
- "The said shippe not commeinge to London but saileing to Rotterdam in Holland the merchante of her bought all or moste parte of the companies tobaccoe which they had in hogsheads at the rate and prise of six pence per pound cleare of all chadges, but lefte them to sell theire other tobaccoes at theire owne advantage after his was all delivered out of the said shippe, and hee saieth hee beleeveth those which had any tobaccoes then in the said shippe in case they sould the same at Rotterdam aforesaid had or mighte have had after the rate of fowerteene stivers per pounde for good merchantable tobaccoe as much as they had, and for soe much hee sawe some sold for and that was accounted the usuall and [?indifferent] price betweene the buyer and the seller. And this hee affirmeth uppon his oath to bee true whoe was one of the said shipp's company all the voyage in question"[9]
Joseph Sannders attempts to justify the diversion of the Truelove of London in his own examination in 1639. Interestingly, he mentions speaking with a servant of Mr Thompson, a London merchant, who may have been the well known Maurice Thompson, who is known to have traded in Virginia tobacco.
- "Before hee went from hense to Roterdam, hee had writing from thense that at the tyme of the arrivall of the said shippe there Virginia tobacco was there soulde for fourteen stivers per pounde and this examinate wrott to his factor there to sell his tobaco at that rate, but before his factor had received this examinates letter, his factor wrott another letter to him that now hee had taken all the tobaccos out of the said shipp the Truelove hee would not bee proffered above tenn stivers for the same, all chardges beeing paid in respecte that there was newes comme thither that there were two shippes laden with Virginia tobacco then arrived at fflushing or Middleborrowe, and this examinate before hee went to Roterdam after the said shippe, bought divers parcells of good ordinary Virginia tobacco carried to Roterdam in the said shippe for sixe pence a pounde, and after hee came to Roterdam hee was tolde that his ffactor there had bin offered tenn stivers a pounde and redused it but when this examinate came thither they refused to buy any parcells there, soe that for the space of at least three monethes hee solde none of his tobacoes there"[10]
- "Hee was tolde before he went to Roterdam and after hee came thither that the price of Virginia tobacco fell there within 3 or 4 dayes after the said shipp the Truelove arrived there uppon the newes of the arrivall of the two shippes aforesaide at fflushinge"[11]
- "The shippes company of the said shippe the Truelove and all the underladers in her (except one who tooke upp his owne tobaccoes) soulde their tobaccoes in that shippe to this examinate for sixe pencse sterlinge a pounde Roterdam weight, and noe more, but hee heard they sould some small parcells which they sould out of the said shippe for tenn or eleaven stivers a pounde, which woulde not have amounted to above 5 or sixe stivers[?XXX]"[12]
- "The freight of the said shippe from the Downes to Roterdam, and the marriners wages and victualls to carry her over and whilst shee remained there cost the sume of one hundred and fifty pounds sterlinge being at the least which hee knoweth to bee true for that hee hath paid the same"[13]
- "Hee received advertizement by letters from Roterdam that within sixe dayes after the said shippe the Truelove arrived at Roterdam there came two shippes laden with tobacco to Zealand and that thereby the rate for tobacco was become very low and that they could bee bidd little or noe money for it, and in two or three moneths after the arrivall of those shippes neither this examinate nor any of his factors coulde sell any of the tobaccoes which were in the Truelove unsoulde, and after this examinate went over from hence to Roterdam which was within three weekes or a moneth after the Truelove arrived there, hee was there told by the servant of Mr Thompson of London merchant that his master had written over letters to that place that hee would shortly send a shipp thither with tobaccoes, and that hee could affoard his tobacco at 9 or tenn stivers a pounde, which hee founde to bee divulged there and that drew downe the price of tobacco there and [?XXXXXXXXXXXX] weeks after the Truelove arrived at Roterdam hee [?XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]"[14]
- "Hee beleiveth that the said Gortons tobacco arlate remaineth yet unsould at Roterdam because hee hath not received any advertizement from thense of the sale of it"[15]
- "The excise and custome at Roterdam for every pounde of tobacco came to fower stivers and a groater which is five pence sterlinge a pounde, and his ffactor wrott to him the last weeke that hee had a bill of seaven hundred poundes flemishe which maketh above fower hundred poundes sterling to chardge this examinate withall for the petty chardges and warehouse roome for the tobaccoes yet unsoulde which were landed at Roterdam out of the said shippe the Truelove"[16]
- "The tobacco arlate demannded by Gorton was often tymes offered by this examinate and his ffactor to bee delivered to the assigne of the said Gorton uppon payment of the freight, custome, and other dutyes of that place belonging to that tobacco, and this examinate on the behalf of the arlate Watlington and Parsons did offer to the said Gortons assigne at Roterdam, and to Gorton himself here at London to deliver him the same tobacco aforesaid at Roterdam or the like quantity of as good tobacco here at London, which hee is still ready to performe if the same tobacco bee still extant or to deliver him the like quantity of as good tobacco in stead thereof"[17]
- "The shippe interrate sayled to Roterdam by this rendents order"[18]
- "After this rendent came to Roterdam which was about three weekes after the said shipp arrived there one White came to this rendent having then the tobaccos interrate in his possession and demannded them of him as belonging to one White his brother who as hee said bought them of Gorton, and this rendent proffreed to deliver those tobaccoes to him, paying the freight and dutyes of the land, but hee refusing to pay the same, or to give a bill of exchange uppon his brother for payment thereof this rendent tolde him hee should not have the [?XX] tobaccoes without doeing of the same"[19]
- "The said tobaccoes were put in warehouses amongst the rest of the said shippes ladeing, and hee lefte them at Roterdam in the possession of one Mr Holliday unsoulde, and the custome and petty chardges thereof were paid by one James [?Yans]"[20]
