Journal, November 1727: Journal Book D.D

Journal, November 1727

November 2. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman.

Sir Peter Meyer, Mr. John Eccleston, and several of the Hamburg merchants attending [fo. 241, vide supra], as they had been desired, their Lordships, after some discourse with them upon their reasons in support of their representation, relating to the Hamburg trade, mentioned in the Minutes of the 24th of last month, gave directions for preparing the draught of a representation thereupon.

November 3. Present:—Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

The representation, ordered yesterday to be prepared [vide supra], in relation to the Hamburg trade, was agreed and signed; as also a letter for enclosing the same to the Lord Townsend.

November 6. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

An Order in Council of the 2nd of November upon a report of the Lords of the Committee, dated the 31st of October, 1727, on a representation of the South Sea Company, relating to an instruction about the duties on negroes at Jamaica [fo. 247], was read; whereupon ordered that the draught of an instruction be prepared accordingly.

November 7. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

The Secretary laid before the Board the draught of an additional instruction [fos. 246, 273], ordered yesterday to be prepared, for Major General Hunter, Governor of Jamaica, relating to the duties on negroes in that Island, which being agreed, their Lordships signed a representation to His Majesty thereupon.

Jamaica.

New York, New Jersey.

Plantations General.

Order of the Committee.

Additional instructions to Hunter and Montgomery about pirates' effects, to be inserted for the future in all instructions.

An Order of the Committee of Council [fo. 269], dated the 26th of October last, directing this Board to prepare additional instructions for the Governors of Jamaica, and New York and New Jersey, relating to pirates' effects, conformable to the 10th Article of Mr. Byng's instructions; and that the like instructions may be added, upon the renewal of all the other Governor's instructions in America, was read; and their Lordships ordered the draughts of instructions to be prepared accordingly.

New England.

A letter from the Duke of Newcastle [fo. 280], dated the 4th inst., signifying His Majesty's appointment of William Burnet, Esq., Governor of the Provinces of the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, in the room of Colonel Shute, and directing the Board to prepare draughts of commissions and instructions for the said Mr. Burnet, was read; whereupon ordered that the draughts of the necessary commissions and instructions be prepared accordingly.

November 8. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

Plantations General.

New York and New Jersey.

Jamaica.

Additional instruction to Hunter and Montgomery about pirates' effects.

Representation thereupon signed.

The Secretary laid before the Board the draught of an additional instruction, ordered yesterday to be prepared [fo. 247], for Major General Hunter, Governor of Jamaica, and for Colonel Montgomery, Governor of New York and New Jersey, in relation to pirates' effects, etc., which being agreed, their Lordships signed a representation to the Lords of the Committee of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council thereupon.

November 9. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

An Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council [vide supra], dated the 14th of July, 1727, referring to this Board the petition of the Rev. Mr. Cutler, Mr. Miles, and other clergymen of the Church of England, against several Acts of the Massachusetts Bay, was read; whereupon ordered that the said Acts be laid before the Board to-morrow morning.

November 10. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

Their Lordships took into consideration [vide supra] the Acts passed in the Massachusetts Bay, ordered yesterday to be looked out, viz:—
An Act for the settlement and support of the ministers and schoolmasters.
An Act for the explaining and altering some clauses and sentences, and the repealing of some others contained in several Acts, made and passed at the second session of this Court, in October last, 1692.
An Act in further addition to the Act for the settlement and support of ministers.
An Act in addition to an Act passed in the first year of Queen Ann, intituled, An Act for more effectually providing for the support of the ministry.

Whereupon ordered that the Bishop of London be acquainted [fo. 254] that the Board are desirous of speaking with him thereupon, on Tuesday morning next.

A letter from the Governor and Council of the Bahama Islands to the Board, dated at New Providence, the 10th day of March, 1726–7, was read, and the Public Treasury's account of cash, 1726, therein referred to, was laid before the Board.

Letter from Captain Phenney to the Board, dated the 20th April, 1727, was read; and the papers, therein referred to, were laid before the Board, viz:—
Minutes of Council, from the 16th of May, 1726, to the 1st of February, 1726–7.
Four Naval Office lists of ships and vessels entered and cleared at New Providence, in the Bahama Islands, from Michaelmas, 1726, to Lady Day, 1727.
Affidavit of George Raddon and Benjamin Bullock, mariners, taken before Captain Phenney, the 25th of March, 1727, relating to some of their people being lately plundered by a Spanish paragua.
Answer to queries from the Board of Trade, sent to Captain Phenney, Governor of the Bahama Islands, with an account of negroes imported there.
Account of ordnance, powder, shot and other stores of war, brought to the Bahama Islands by Captain Rogers and Captain Phenney, with the remains in November, 1721, and January, 1726–7.
Account of powder and other stores of war, wanting, for the fort and garrison of Nassau, in New Providence.
Account of christenings, marriages and burials, for the year 1726.

Whereupon ordered that the draught of a letter [fo. 258] be prepared to the Duke of Newcastle thereupon.

November 14. Present:—The Ld. Bp. of London, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

Their Lordships taking again into consideration the Order of the Lords of Committee [fo. 251], upon the petition of several clergymen in the Massachusetts Bay, mentioned in the Minutes of the 9th inst., as also the several Acts, therein referred to, read at the last meeting, and their Lordships observing, that three of them have been confirmed, gave directions for writing to Mr. Attorney and Mr. Solicitor General for their opinion, whether the said Acts are repugnant to the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay, and if they are so, whether it be not in the King's power to repeal the same.

The Secretary then laid before the Board a commission from the King, appointing Major General Charles Sibourg Lieutenant Governor of Nevis, which, being read, was ordered to be entered.

The draught of a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, ordered to be prepared at the last meeting [fo. 253], in relation to the want of stores of war at the Bahamas, was agreed and ordered to be transcribed [vide infra].

November 15. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

The letter to the Duke of Newcastle [vide supra], relating to the want of stores of war at the Bahamas, agreed yesterday, was signed.

Mr. Fane's report [fos. 232, 237] upon an Act, passed at Antigua in 1719, entituled, An Act for the better securing and confirming the title of George Thomas, nephew and heir to William Thomas, late of the said Island, deceased, to certain lands and negroes purchased by the said William Thomas, was read; whereupon ordered that the draught of a representation be prepared for confirming the said Act, and that the draught of a letter [fo. 247], ordered to be prepared the 5th of October last, to General Matthew upon this subject, should be cancelled.

November 17. Present:—Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

Ordered that General Nicholson be reminded of his having promised, when he attended the Board the 27th of September last [fos. 209, 264], to give their Lordships in writing, what he had to offer in relation to the fort built on the Alatamaha River in South Carolina.

Ordered that Mr. Scrope be reminded of the letter writ to him the 10th of March last [fos. 62, 262], inclosing the draught of a bill for preserving His Majesty's woods in America.

A warrant for Mr. Rolles [fo. 232] to prepare new seals for His Majesty's Plantations in America, ordered to be prepared the 6th of the last month [fo. 228], was agreed and signed.

A representation, ordered to be prepared at the last meeting [fo. 255], proposing the confirmation of an Act, passed at Antigua in 1719, entituled, An Act for the better securing and confirming the title of George Thomas, nephew and heir to William Thomas, late of the said Island deceased, to certain lands and negroes purchased by the said William Thomas, was agreed and signed.

Mr. Fane's report [fos. 236, 261] upon an Act, passed at Antigua in 1723, entituled, An Act for constituting a court to hold plea of foreign attachments, according to the custom of the city of London, was read.

Whereupon ordered that Colonel Hart, Governor of the Leeward Islands, Mr. Yeamans, one of the Council of Antigua, Mr. Gerrish, Mr. Byam, Mr. Fry and Colonel Archibald Cochran, be acquainted that the Board desire to speak with them thereupon, on Wednesday morning next.

A letter from the Duke of Newcastle [fo. 244], dated the 14th inst., signifying to their Lordships His Majesty's pleasure, that they prepare an instruction for John Pitt, Esq., Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Bermuda Islands, relating to his appointments, agreeable to that which was prepared for John Hope, Esq., etc., was read; whereupon ordered that an instruction for this purpose be inserted among those, which are now preparing for him.

November 21. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the incidental charges of this office [fo. 4], from Christmas, 1726, to Michaelmas, 1727, amounting to £631 15s. ½d.

Whereupon a letter to the Lords of the Treasury, desiring payment thereof, as also of the salary due to the Secretary and under officers for the same time, was signed.

November 22. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

Colonel Hart, Governor of the Leeward Islands, attending, as he had been desired [fos. 257, 269], with Mr. Yeamans and Colonel Cochran, two of the Council of Antigua, and Mr. Gerrish, Mr. Byam and Mr. Fry, their Lordships took again into consideration the Act, passed at Antigua in February, 1723–4, entituled, An Act for constituting a court to hold plea of foreign attachments, according to the custom of the City of London, as also Mr. Fane's report thereupon, mentioned in the Minutes of the 17th inst., and after some discourse with these gentlemen thereupon, their Lordships agreed to lay this Act before His Majesty, as proper to be confirmed.

The letter, ordered to be prepared the 17th inst. [fo. 256], to Mr. Scrope, Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, in relation to the draught of a Bill for preserving His Majesty's Woods in America, was agreed and sent.

November 24. Present:— Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Sir O. Bridgman.

A letter to Mr. Worseley, Governor of Barbadoes, as agreed the 24th of the last month, was signed.

Their Lordships took into consideration the draught of a representation [fos. 230, 267], ordered the 6th of the last month to be prepared, for proposing His Majesty's disapprobation and disallowance of the Act, passed at New York in 1726, for the easier partition of lands held in common, etc., and made a progress therein.

November 28. Present:— Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

General Nicholson, Governor of South Carolina [fo. 264], attending, laid before the Board a letter, which he had received from the President of the Council, enclosing some depositions from persons who had been taken by the Spaniards upon the coast of Carolina, and the copy of a letter from Captain Massey to Kingsmill Eyre, Esq., inclosing copies of several others relating to his having abandoned Fort King George, upon the Alatamaha River.

General Nicholson [fos. 256, 265, vide supra] also laid before the Board some remarks, which he had made upon the copy of Captain Massey's letter, delivered to him the 27th of September last, in relation to the fort built upon the Alatamaha River, which were read; and their Lordships, after some discourse with him upon this subject, gave directions for preparing the draught of a representation thereupon.

November 29. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

The draught of a representation, ordered yesterday to be prepared [fo. 264, vide infra], in relation to the fort built upon the Alatamaha River in South Carolina, was read; and their Lordships resolved to consider further thereof to-morrow morning.

November 30. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir O. Bridgman, Mr. Cary.

The draught of a representation, mentioned in yesterday's Minutes [vide supra, fo. 265], in relation to the fort built upon the Alatamaha River in South Carolina, was agreed and ordered to be transcribed.

Copy of His Majesty's Privy Seal, directing salaries to the Commissioners and under officers in the Commission for Trade and Plantations, was read.