Journal, August 1706: Journal Book K

Journal, August 1706

August 2. Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Prior.

Jamaica.

Letter from Col. Handasyd.

Extract thereof sent to Mr. Burchet.

A letter from Colonel Handasyd, Governor of Jamaica, dated the 18th of June, 1706, was read; and thereupon ordered that paragraph D of the said letter, relating to the advice Colonel Handasyd has received of five or six French men-of-war's being gone down to the Havana, be sent to Mr. Burchet for the information of his Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral's Councill.

August 6. Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Prior.

Newfoundland.

Letter from Mr. Merret about new attempts of the French.

A letter from Mr. Solomon Merrett to the Secretary of the 1st instant [fo. 169], relating to some new attempts of the French at Ferryland and Port Graves in Newfoundland, and to their being repulsed at both places by Captain Lloyd, who has taken several Canadians prisoners and carryed them to St. John's, was read.

Bermuda.

Letter from Col. Bennet.

A letter from Colonel Bennet, Lieutenant Governor of Bermuda, dated the 9th of July last, was read; and the papers therein referr'd to laid before the Board, and are as follows, vizt.:
Papers therein referr'd to.
Account of the fortifications in Bermuda &c.
Account of the stores of war in the magazines in Bermuda which Colonel Bennet found there at his arrival.
Proceedings of a Court of Admiralty held in Bermuda the 11th of January, 170⁵/6.

Account of stores sent to Board of Ordnance.

Ordered that a copy of the foresaid account of stores be sent to the Board of Ordnance [fo. 369] for their information.

Letter from Mr. Jones with complaints against Col. Bennet.

A letter from Mr. Jones, secretary and provost marshall of Bermuda, to the Board, complaining of Colonel Bennet's administration, together with several papers relating thereunto, dated the 20th of June last, was read; and the papers referr'd to therein laid before the Board, and are as follow:
Papers relating thereto.
Copy of a commission granted by Colonel Bennet to Mr. Spofforth &c. to be Chief Justice of Bermuda, dated the 17th of May, 1705.
Copy of a commission granted by Colonel Bennet to Mr. White &c. to be Chief Justice of Bermuda, dated the 16th of May, 1706. Also copy of the adjournments of the Courts of Assizes.
Copy of a patent granted by Colonel Bennet to Samuel Skinner for a parcel of land to him and his heirs, dated the 29th of May, 1706.
List of commissions granted by Colonel Bennet since his arrival in Bermuda to the 29th of December, 1704.
Copy of Mr. Jones's writ of error on an indictment of perjury, dated 25th May, 1706.
Copy of Mr. Jones's petition to Colonel Bennet for her Majesty's writ of error out of the Court of Chancery in Bermuda.
Copy of the Order of the Quarter Sessions for committing Dr. Star if he could not give 500l. security for ill words spoken by him. Dated 12th July, 1705.
Copy of a lease of land granted by Mr. Day, late Lieutenant Governor of Bermuda, to Mr. White; dated the 25th of Aprill, 1699.

Bermuda.

Letter from Mr. Nelson against Col. Bennet.

A letter from Mr. Gilbert Nelson, complaining of some indecencies in the Lieutenant Governor of Bermuda and three of the members of the Councill there, dated the 13th of June last, was read.

Copy of an order of Councill approving a representation for three new counsellors.

Copy of an Order of Councill of the 15th of July last [fo. 350], upon a representation of the 4th ditto, proposing Captain Brooks, Captain Jenner and Colonel Trimingham to be of the Councill of Bermuda, approving the same, was read.

August 8. Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Prior.

New England.

Letter from Mr. Nelson in favour of Col. Dudley.

A letter from Mr. John Nelson to the secretary, dated at Boston the 11th of February, 170⁵/6, inclosing the case of Colonel Dudley, Governor of the Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire, and desiring that the said Colonel may be continued in the Government of those provinces, was read.

Nevis.

Letter from Mr. Abbot about descent of the French.

A letter from Mr. Abbot, President of the Councill of Nevis, giving an account of the descent of the French on that island, and the ill usage the inhabitants have met with from Monsieur D'Iberville, dated the 3rd June last, was read, and the papers therein referr'd to laid before the Board, and are as follows, vizt.:
Papers therein referr'd to.
Account of the taking of Nevis by Monsieur D'Iberville. His breach of the treaty and barbarity to the inhabitants.
Copy of a petition from the inhabitants of Nevis to her Majesty, praying her protection against the French.

Col. Jory summon'd.

Whereupon ordered that Colonel Jory have notice to attend the Board on Tuesday morning next (vide infra).

Plantations General.

Letter from Mr. Dummer.

A letter from Mr. Dummer of the 1st instant, with an account of the proceedings out and home of the Jamaica packet-boat, was read.

August 13, Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Prior.

Nevis.

Col. Jory and Mr. Smith at the Board with a petition from the inhabitants praying her Majesty's protection, &c.

Colonel Jory attending [vide supra], with Colonel Smith, one of the Councill of Nevis and lately arrived from thence communicated to their lordships a petition from the inhabitants of Nevis to her Majesty, praying for her protection of them against the French (the copy whereof was mentioned in the last minutes), together with several other papers relating to the French breaking the articles of capitulation made with the inhabitants of Nevis, and to their barbarous usage of them, which was read; whereupon these gentlemen were advised to draw up in writing what they had to propose for the benefit of the said inhabitants, and to deliver the same, as also the forementioned papers, to Mr. Secretary Hedges, in order to be presented to her Majesty, which they promised to do accordingly.

Bermuda.

Letter to the Board of Ordnance with account of stores.

A letter to the Board of Ordnance, inclosing the account of stores of war received from Colonel Bennet, and mentioned in the minutes of the 6th instant [fo. 365], was signed.

August 15. Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Prior.

New Yorke.

Connecticut.

Letter from Mr. Secretary Hedges for preparing a warrant to draw Commission of Review about Mohegan Indians, &c.

Letter to Mr. Attorney General thereupon.

A letter from Mr. Secretary Hedges of the 12th instant [fo. 356] desiring the Board to prepare a warrant for her Majesty's Royal signature for drawing up a Commission of Review [L. fo. 50] for hearing and determining the differences between the Mohegan Indians and the Government of Connecticut, pursuant to an order of the 26th of June last (and mentioned in the minutes of the 11th of the last month), was read; and thereupon ordered that a letter be writ to Mr. Attorny General, inclosing a copy of the former commission relating to that matter, together with the proceedings had thereupon in Connecticut, as also a list of Commissioners' names to be inserted in the Commission of Review, for drawing up the said commission accordingly.

August 27. Present:—Lord Bishop of London, Lord Dartmouth, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

New England.

Capt. Povey at the Board with broken seal of New Hampshire.

Account of state of defence of Massachusets Bay.

Captain Povey, Lieutenant Governor of the Massachusets Bay, lately arrived from thence, attending, presented to their lordships the broken seal of the province of New Hampshire; and being ask'd in what condition he left the province of the Massachusets Bay in relation to the state of defence, he said that there was a very good fort and battery finished on Castle Island in the entrance of the harbour of Boston, but that the Government there did not allow men enough to defend it in case it were attacked by the enemy—that though their militia was numerous, consisting of 11 or 12,000 men (six troops of horse and two regiments of dragoons included), yet there was not any in the province capable of drawing them up, or of teaching them the ordinary discipline of war, and that they were so negligent in their keeping of their arms that there was scarce 1,000 good ones in the province.

August 29. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

Antego.

Letter from Mr. Secretary Hedges with memorial from Mr. Cary about cannon.

A letter from Mr. Secretary Hedges of the 24th instant, inclosing a memorial from Mr. Cary [fo. 373], in behalf of the inhabitants of Antego, praying that they may have 40 or 50 cannon &c. sent over for the defence of the said island, was read.

Barbados.

Letter from Sir Beville Granville.

A letter from Sir Beville Granville, Governor of Barbados, dated the 28th of June last, was read, and the papers therein referr'd to laid before the Board, and are as follows, vizt.:
Papers therein referr'd to.
List of persons' names recommended by Sir Beville Granville to be of the Councill of Barbados.
A petition from the Councill and General Assembly of Barbados to Sir Beville Granville, praying that he will represent the disadvantages they labour under in relation to trade, particularly in that of sugar, to her Majesty for a redress thereof.
Naval officers' list of ships entred and cleared in Barbados from the 25th of December, 1705, to the 24th of March following.

Letter to be prepared to Mr. Secretary Hedges upon the foregoing petition.

Whereupon ordered that the secretary prepare a draught of a letter to Mr. Secretary Hedges [fo. 374], for laying before her Majesty the abovesaid petition.

Ireland.

Blackwel Hall Factors about sending wooll, &c., from Ireland to France.

Some Blackwell-Hall factors attending, presented to the Board a memorial setting forth the ill consequences that will attend the sending of wooll and woollen yarn from the southern coast of Ireland into France, and praying a stop may be put to the said pernicious practices; and the gentlemen were acquainted that orders were already given by the Lord High Treasurer and the Duke of Ormond to the Commissioners of the Revenue in that kingdom, so that, if they thought anything yet wanting they might make application to the said Commissioners, who will do what is necessary in that behalf; with which answer those gentlemen went away satisfyed.

August 30. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

Barbados.

Bermuda.

Letters to the Governors.

Letters to Sir Beville Granville, Governor of Barbados, and to Colonel Bennet, Lieutenant Governor of Bermuda, were signed.

Antego.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Hedges about cannon.

A letter to Mr. Secretary Hedges, in answer to his of the 24th instant [fo. 371], relating to cannon for the island of Antego, proposing that matter may be referr'd to the principal officers of her Majesty's Ordnance, was signed.

Barbados.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Hedges with the Assembly's petition.

A letter to Mr. Secretary Hedges, inclosing the petition of the Councill and Assembly of Barbados, to Sir Beville Granville [fo. 372], as directed in yesterday's minutes, was signed.