Journal, January 1713: Journal Book P

Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 2, February 1709 - March 1715. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1925.

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'Journal, January 1713: Journal Book P', in Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 2, February 1709 - March 1715, (London, 1925) pp. 400-405. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/jrnl-trade-plantations/vol2/pp400-405 [accessed 19 March 2024]

Journal, January 1713

January 9, 17 12/13. Present:—Lord Guilford, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn.

Newfoundland.

Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth with extract of a memorial from the Spanish Ambassador about a claim to fish on the coast of Newfoundland.

A letter from my Lord Dartmouth, of the 1st instant [fo. 268], referring to the Board the extract of a memorial from the Marquis of Monteleone (the Spanish Ambassador), relating to a claim of the inhabitants of Guipuscoa to fish on the coast of Newfoundland, was read; and Captain Moody attending, and being asked what he knew concerning that matter, he said that all the time of his being in Newfoundland, he never heard of any Spanish ships coming thither to fish, and that he beleiv'd if at any time they did come, it was privately, and not openly; which they wou'd have done, if they had right to do the same. After he was withdrawn, their lordships gave directions for preparing a letter to the Lord Dartmouth in answer to his lordship's aforemention'd.

Trade.

Merchants’ memorial touching their apprehensions that sugars and other West India commodities wou'd be prohibited in France.

Restrictions upon granting the tariff of 1664 to the Dutch.

Mr. Onslow, Colonel Thompson and Mr. Harris, with some other planters in the West Indies, attending, a memorial sign'd by several of them, setting forth their apprehensions that sugars and other West India commodities would be prohibited in France, was read; whereupon being asked where they had their information, they desired to be excused the naming of persons, but after some discourse with them, they said they had several letters of it from Holland, and that it was the common discourse among the French here, and upon the Exchange; their lordships thereupon acquainted them that they might be satisfy'd her Majesty would not agree to any Treaty of Commerce with such prohibitions; and they communicated to them some restrictions to be made upon granting the tariff of 1664 to the Dutch, in which sugar refin'd in loaf or otherwise sugar candy, white and brown, was to pay the duties mention'd in the tarif of the 7th of December, 1699; to which these gentlemen said that, if we were to be upon the same foot as the Dutch, they were afraid that article would affect all our sugars, except those from Jamaica; for the Barbadoes and Leeward Islands sugars being clayed, they would pass for refined, and do pay custom here as such; and therefore they desired that some explanation might be made in favour of the Barbadoes and Leeward Islands sugars; whereupon their lordships desired them to consider whether this dispute did not relate more to ye Dutch than to England, and whether by stirring in that matter they might not prejudice themselves. Upon which the said merchants desired the Board would not do anything on ye said memorial until they consider'd further thereof, and they would attend the Board again in a short time with their thoughts thereupon.

January 13. Present:—Lord Guilford, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Newfoundland.

Letter to the Earl of Dartmouth.

Claim of Spaniards to fish on Newfoundland.

A letter to the Earl of Dartmouth [fo. 266], in answer to one from his lordship of the 1st instant, relating to a claim of the inhabitants of the province of Guipuscoa to fish on the coast of Newfoundland, was signed.

Bermuda.

Letter to the Earl of Dartmouth.

Commission for a new Governor.

A letter to the Earl of Dartmouth [fo. 262, 269], inclosing the draught of a commission for Henry Pulleyn, esquire, to be her Majesty's Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of her Bermuda Islands, was signed.

Nevis.

St. Christopher's.

Draught of a debenture to be issued to the sufferers, sent to Mr. Attorny General.

Mr. Campbell and Mr. Duport attending, presented to their lordships the draught of a debenture to be issued to the sufferers at Nevis and St. Christopher's, which was read; and ordered that it be sent to Mr. Attorny General for his opinion, whether the same be conformable to the Acts of Parliament relating to the said sufferers.

January 14. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Foley.

Nevis.

Letter from the Lieut.

Governor and Council, with a list of resettlers on the said island.

Colonel Jory attending, presented to their lordships a letter from the Lieutenant Governor and Council of Nevis, dated the 7th November, 1712, transmitting a list of the resettlers on the said island, who were sufferers by the invasion of the French, sworn to the 31st October, 1712, before the said Lieutenant Governor and Council, which were read.

Bermuda.

Governor's instructions considered.

Then their lordships took into consideration the draught of Mr. Pulleyn's instructions for the Government of Bermuda [fo. 268, 273], and made a progress therein.

January 15. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Foley.

Bermuda.

Governor's instructions to be transcribed.

Their lordships again took into consideration the draught of instructions for Mr. Pulleyn, Lieutenant Governor of Bermuda, and agreed the same, and order'd them to be transcribed.

January 20. Present:—Lord Guilford, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

St. Christopher's.

Five letters from Mr. Cuningham.

Complaints against Major Douglas and Mr. Lambert.

Five letters from Mr. Robert Cuningham, at St. Christopher's, dated the 13th and 15th of September, 6th October, 5 and 10 November, 1712, containing complaints against Major Douglas and Lieutenant Governor Lambert, much to the same purport as those already laid before her Majesty, were read.

Trade.

Letter from Lord Bolingbroke with Flanders merchants’ representation about the commerce between that country, Britain and Ireland.

A letter from my Lord Bolingbroke, of the 2nd instant [fo. 273], with a representation from the British merchants in Flanders, relating to the commerce between that country, Britain and Ireland, for the Board's observations thereupon, was read; and thereupon ordered that the Flanders merchants be desired to come to the Board on Thursday morning next, at eleven of the clock.

St. Christopher's.

List of resettlers there proved upon oath before the Council.

Nevis.

St. Christopher's.

Form of a debenture approved of by Mr. Attorny General.

Mr. Duport and Mr. Campbell attending, Mr. Duport presented to their lordships a list of the resettlers on the island of St. Christopher's, who were sufferers by the invasion of the French there in 1705, and whose re-settlement was proved upon oath before the Council of that island, and certify'd by the Governor under the seal of the Leeward Islands, November the 8th, 1712, which was read. Then Mr. Campbell presented to their lordships the form of a debenture to be issued to the sufferers of Nevis and St. Christopher's, approved of by Mr. Attorney General, which was also read; and their lordships agreed to reconsider that matter this day sevennight, and gave directions that the absent Commissioners be acquainted therewith.

January 21. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Moore, Mr. Foley.

Nevis.

St. Christopher's.

Mr. Attorny General sumon'd on the affair of the sufferers.

Their lordships taking into consideration the affair of the sufferers of Nevis and St. Christopher's, ordered that Mr. Attorney General be desired to come to the Board on Tuesday next, at twelve of the clock.

Trade.

between England and France.

Memorial.

A memorial from Mr. Sansome [fo. 169, 292], who is appointed Consul at Bourdeaux, relating to the trade between this kingdom and France, was read.

St. Christopher's.

Mr. Duport's petition recomending two councillors.

A petition from Mr. Stephen Duport, setting forth that Mr. Payne and Mr. Peters, members of the Council of St. Christopher's, are dead; and recommending to their lordships Mr. Ralph Willet and Mr. John Duport to supply those vacancies, was read, and their names ordered to be inserted on the list of persons recommended for that island.

Trade.

Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth.

Canaries.

A letter from the Earl of Dartmouth, with a representation of her Majesty's Consul in the Canaries, relating to the trade of those islands, was read.

Newfoundland.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Roope.

A letter from Mr. John Roope to the secretary, dated at Barcelona, August the 23rd, 1712, promising at his return to offer what will be of advantage to the Newfoundland fishery and British trade to Spain, was read.

January 22. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Bermuda.

Instructions sent the Earl of Dartmouth.

A letter to the Earl of Dartmouth [fo. 269], transmitting the draughts of instructions for Henry Pulleyn, esquire, Lieutenant Governor of her Majesty's Bermuda Islands, was sign'd.

Miscellanies.

Letter to Lord Treasurer.

Salary.

A letter to the Lord High Treasurer, relating to the arrear of salary due to the Board, was sign'd.

Trade.

Mr. Dorpere's observations on the project for re-establishing commerce between Great Britain, Ireland and Fflanders.

Mr. Dorpere attending, as he had been desired [fo. 270], their lordships comunicated to him the project for re-establishing commerce between Great Britain, Ireland and Flanders, mention'd in the minutes of ye 20th instant, upon which he said as follows:—
First Article. The duties payable upon our English woollen manufactures by the tariff of 1680, is about five per cent., which the Dutch pay also. If there can be an abatement obtained, there's no doubt but it would be an advantage.
Second Article. If the duty there mention'd on butter be a new duty, it may not be difficult to get it taken off, but, if it be the ancient toll, he did not beleive it was to be done.
Third Article. If the duty on salt salmon be not paid by the Dutch as well as us, it will not be difficult to get it taken off; and therefore ‘tis necessary to know how that matter stands in relation to them.
Fourth Article. ‘Tis true the duty on our corn exported there is high; but yet not so high as the duty on their corn imported here, which cannot be done neither, unless the price of our wheat be above 48 shillings per quarter here.
Fifth Article. ‘Tis necessary to insist that the duty payable on our tobacco imported there by the tariff be reduced as is proposed.
Sixth Article. Their lordships took notice that what relates to the sale of tann'd calf skins, has already been represented.
Seventh Article. He said the hardship there complain'd of is the same as what has been done here by a late Act of Parliament.
Eighth Article. ‘Tis true the harbour of Ostend is out of repair, and the magistrates ought to be prest to mend it, which they may do by applying part of the convoy mony, which our ships are obliged to pay there, even in time of peace.
Ninth Article. ‘Twere also to be wish'd they could be perswaded to mend the canal betwixt Ostend and Bruges.
Tenth Article. ‘Tis necessary that the vat gelt or tonnage which we pay on the rivers between Ostend and Brussels, Antwerp &c., be on the same foot as that which the Dutch pay, but at one bridge and we at four.
Eleventh Article. He agrees that ‘tis necessary that the merchants be allow'd to choose such masters or schippers as they shall want for the transportation of their goods, out of the Company of Free Schippers in each town, by which means they will not be imposed upon in their freight.
Twelfth Article. Their lordships took notice that they had already represented that our goods, going out of Flanders into the New Conquests, should pay no more transit than the Dutch pay for their goods coming from the sas of Ghent, &c.

January 27. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Virginia.

Memorial from Mr. Perry about necessity of arms there,

sent Earl of Dartmouth.

Mr. Micajah Perry attending, presented to their lordships a memorial [fo. 277], setting forth the necessity there was for sending arms at present to Virginia, by reason of the apprehension there is of an Indian war, and of the inability of the people to supply themselves, which was read, and a letter to the Earl of Dartmouth ordered thereupon.

Nevis.

St. Christopher's.

Draught of a debenture for the sufferers agreed.

Mr. Attorney General attending, as also several of the gentlemen concern'd for the sufferers of Nevis and St. Christopher's, the draught of a debenture (mention'd in the minutes of the 20th instant) was again read; and after some discourse with Mr. Attorney General, the same was agreed and order'd to be printed.

Plantations General.

Letter from Mr. Lownds about instruction for Col. Nicholson, &c.

A letter from Mr. Lowndes, of this day's date [fo. 277], signifying my Lord Treasurer's desire that the Board would consider of proper instructions for Colonel Nicholson, now going to America, and of the number of clerks he is to take with him, and of his and their respective allowances, was read; and their lordships agreed to take the same into consideration on Thursday morning next.

January 29. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Virginia.

Letter to the Earl of Dartmouth.

Ordnance stores.

A letter to the Earl of Dartmouth [fo. 276], relating to the want of small arms and ammunition for Virginia, as directed at the last meeting, was signed.

Newfoundland.

Nova Scotia.

Anapolis Royal.

Col. Nicholson's commission.

Colonel Nicholson attending, laid before the Board his two Commissions, one as General and Comander in Chief of the forces in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the other as Governor of Nova Scotia and Annapolis Royal, which were read.

Plantations General.

Newfoundland.

Instructions for trade and heads of enquiry to be prepar'd for Col.

Nicholson.

Mr. Lowndes's letter [fo. 276, 287] (mention'd in last Tuesday's minutes) was again read, and their lordships gave directions [fo. 291] for preparing a draught of instructions for the said Colonel Nicholson relating to the Acts of Trade and Navigation, as also heads of enquiry relating to the fishery at Newfoundland; and Colonel Nicholson was directed [fo. 285] to lay before their lordships a scheme of the allowances for himself and the clerks he is to take over with him; which he promised to do accordingly.