MRP: 1st December 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carrwar

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1st December 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carrwar

BL, Add. MS. XX, XXX, ff. 13-14

Editorial history

23/11/10, CSG: Completed transcription
18/12/11, CSG: Page created




Abstract & context


Robert Master wrote to Sir George Oxenden in a letter dated December 1st, from Carwar. This letter was in response to a letter from Sir George Oxenden dated October 9th, 1662.

In his letter, Robert Master thanked his uncle for family news and expressed sorrow at the death of his brother, George.

Moving to Company business, Robert Master noted that his uncle had requested that he come to meet him in Surat, but that a subsequent general letter in the Mary Rose had requested that goods should be loaded for Surat. He intended to come to Surat once this had been done.

He had had problems obtaining pepper. He had sent his Carwar factory broker Vellagee to procure pepper at Battacola. Vellagee had made purchases, but failed to provide a bill of ladeing. Hence, Robert Master pleaded, he could not invoice the Surat factory for the pepper, despite shipping it. Political tensions between rival kingdoms in the area have meant that transportation times and costs had increased relative to last year.

At the time of writing this letter, Robert Master was XX years old. He had been in the East Indies for over four years, having come out to Surat with Sir George Oxenden in ?1657.[1]


Suggested links


See 24th October 1662, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwarr
See 27th February 1662/63, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwar
See 26th August 1663, Letter from Robert Master to Sir GO, Carwarr

See 1st December 1662, Letter from Richard Ball to John Lambton Carware
See 30th November 1663, Letter from Cesar Chambrelan to Sir GO, Carwar


To do


(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript at BL

(2) Was Mr. Snow James Snow, commander of the Hopewell?


Transcription


This transcription has been completed, but requires checking

BL, Add. MS. XX, XXX, ff. 13-14

[p.13]

Right Worp:ll & my Hon:d Unckle

Yo:rs of y:e 9:th October p y:e Rich:d & Martha I rcvd y:e 26:th Ditto to which I shall respond unto as followeth.

It dooth much rejoyce mee to reade in yo:r said lre y:t all my relations at yo:r leaveing England were in good health accept it were my Brother Geo:[2] who hath pleased God to take out of this troubldsome world, God in Mercy fitt us all for yt. day

I finde in yo:r pticular & alsoe in Generall y:t I was to come up to Surratt p y:e Rich:d & Martha but since p yo:r Generall p his Maj:tes Shipp y:e Mary Rose I am to stay Lade her a way y:e w:ch I hope will bee Compleated in á few Dayes; soo y:t p her according to yo:r order I shall take my passage to you & then shall give you full relation of all w:t trade there is in these parts, till when I desire your worp:s excuse.

According to yo:r oder I did ??cosult both w:th ?villgee Muddan Concerning y.e procurery of pepp: upon this Coast, w:ch was Concluded y:t Battacola[3] was y:e Conveniante place for that Comodity & accordingly I sent villgee thither p Land, who y:e 9:th Novemb:r returned mee p Answer, how y:t hee had bought there 400 ?Landyes (Or, candyes) of pepp for 20; pag:o p Candy soo y:t y:e same day I dispeeded y:e Rich:d & martha thither, to take it in, who returned Back a gaine y:e 23:th Ditto but Vellgee writt mee never a word, p ?har of w:t was Laden on board wherefore

[p.14]

Wherefore wee cannot Invoyce y:e Pepp to you; as for w:t treasure & goods hee had w:th him I referr you to o:r generall; M:r Chambrelan[4] according to yo:r order went upon her, by reason y:t my occasions heere would not pmitt mee to goo, But to him neither did Vellgee give any acco:t w:t reason hee had for it I know not neither can I learne for w:t hee stayed there for, without it bee to sell his private trade of which you wll reade at large p our Generall.

This yeare wee were ?forst to have our Goods brought 5 dayes Journey Round a bout by reason of our takeing off a Bassanore[5] vessell last yeare soo y:t wee Could not have them Brought the Mapore[6] way by reason y:t ?Supponagee y:e Raja of ?carmara hath taken it from y:e raja of ?Sundue, w:ch made us feare to bring them threw his dominions fearing that they might bee stopt by them in Liew of y:e vessell w.ch wee tooke, But I hope yo:r Worp:e will make a peace w:th them in restoreing y:e vessell w:ch M:r Snow[7] tooke in his voyadge up from Cocheene, & then wee may have y:e goods brought y:e Mapore way againe, y:d w;ch is something Cheaper than y:e way wee are forced to bring them now.

Heere inclosed I have sent you Sig:r Jn:r de Pradoes[8] acco:t w:ch I forgott to send you p y:e Roy:ll Welcome thus w:th my humble service presented unto yo:r worp:e I ?Crave leave and rest.

Yo. Worp:s most humble
servant & nephew.
Rob:t Master


Notes

  1. ↑ This is the footnote text
  2. ↑ George Master was XXXX
  3. ↑ Battacola was a port on the east coast of Ceylon (alias Sri Lanka). It was well located for trade with the Kingdom of Candy (The Asiatic annual register, or, A View of the history of Hindustan, and of the politics, commerce and literature of Asia, For the year 1802, vol. 4 (London, 1803), p. 22)
  4. ↑ Cesar Chambrelan, a son of Sir Thomas Chambrelan, was at Carwar with Robert Master. See 30th November 1663, Letter from Cesar Chambrelan to Sir GO, Carwar, BL, Add. MS. XX, XXX, f. ?
  5. ↑ Bassanore lay to to the south of Honawur. Honawur was a province of Kanara, which lay south of Goa
  6. ↑ Mapore XXXX
  7. ↑ M:r Snow was XXXX. See Missing faces
  8. ↑ Sig:r Jn:r de Pradoes was XXXX. See Missing faces

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