St Helena Records 1755-1756

Introduction: This is the thirty third volume in the series of St Helena Records, which summarises the proceedings of official meetings held by the island’s Governor and Council, during which matters of government, defence, supplies, justice and discipline were discussed and recorded.

Source: Images of the original records can be viewed on the British Library’s website: https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP1364-1-1-37.

Referencing Text Locations: A dual numbering system has been adopted, combining the British Library film number with the manuscript’s original page number. These are presented in the format: British Library Film No. / Document Page No.

Text Inaccuracy: This transcription was produced by AI from handwritten document images held on the British Library's website, at about thirty pages per hour. Given the limitations described below, the text should be regarded as unreliable and used only as a search-and-find shortcut: once a relevant section has been located, it must always be checked against the source image via the hyperlinked Film Numbers listed in the main transcription table below.

Three specific problems affected the work. First, AI tends to prioritise meaning and readability at the expense of fidelity to the original, with a strong disposition to normalise spellings, expand abbreviations, and adjust grammar. It is particularly weak with unfamiliar surnames, and scrawled signatures often resist accurate transcription entirely. Transcriptions by eye of documents spanning four centuries have also shown that a single surname could be written in a wide variety of ways: the Crowie family name appears under six different spellings, and the Isaacs family name under sixteen. Searches for surnames are therefore hindered both by genuine variations in the originals and by mistranscriptions introduced by AI, and for this reason are best run phonetically. Second, the AI struggled with the late secretary hand, the script commonly used from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, in which the letter S appears in a form closely resembling a trailing L. Third, occasional passages in these volumes are written in a hand so obscure or poorly formed as to be difficult to read even by eye, sometimes compounded by heavy ink bleed-through from the reverse side or by the loss of sections of pages.

To mitigate these difficulties, a strict protocol was applied to each image, requiring the AI to rely solely on clearly visible ink strokes and to flag any uncertain reading, thereby reducing the risk of inferred or invented text. Two conventions are used. [...] marks text that could not be read with confidence; this may represent a single unreadable word, a full sentence, or occasionally an entire paragraph. Square brackets around letters or words indicate a conjectural reading supplied by the transcriber: brackets around a whole word, for example [Bazett], mean the entire word was unclear and a probable reading has been supplied, while brackets around individual letters within an otherwise readable word, for example B[a]z[e]tt, mean only those specific letters were unclear in the source and the unbracketed letters were legibly present.

Pagination: The pages are unnumbered. Therefore, for reference purposes, the first page of the records on Film No. 10 is designated as page 1 (location 10/1), with numbering continuing sequentially through the end of the volume.

Dates: The Council's first meeting took place on 2 June 1755, with the final meeting occurring on 26 July 1755. All sessions were convened during Captain Charles Hutchinson's administration (1747-1764).

AI Generated Summary

Introduction

This report summarises accounts of the East India Company's government of St Helena, running from the consultations of early June 1755 to the quarterly accounts closed on 21 July 1756. Governor Charles Hutchinson presided throughout, sitting in council with Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and the councillor Lieutenant John Clark; sickness or lameness occasionally reduced the council to two, so the settlement's entire civil authority rested on a remarkably small body of men.

The material is a chronological run of weekly council consultations at the Castle in James Valley, together with the storekeeper's collections, the paymaster's disbursements, the livestock and gunners' returns, and the great quarterly inventories of the Company's stores. It is administrative before it is anything else: the council recorded what it decided, audited and signed, so government, stores, herds, garrison and courts are set out in exacting detail, while the lives of slaves, common soldiers and poorer inhabitants surface only when their doings crossed the council's business.

Read with that caution, the merged run offers an unusually close view of a small, fortified Company settlement feeding, defending and governing itself, and serving the shipping of three continents, over 14 months in the middle of the eighteenth century. [Film No. 10–12, 60–109, 210–259]

Governance and administration

The Governor sat in council as the island's whole government, combining executive, treasury, court and probate registry in a single weekly meeting that opened by reading and signing the previous minute, an unbroken chain from 3 June 1755 to 26 July 1756. Hutchinson, Adamson and Clark sat together at the great majority of these meetings, attested on 3, 9, 16, 23 and 30 June and 4, 11, 18 and 25 August and 1 September 1755. [Film No. 10, 12, 15, 16, 28, 96–108]

Illness and injury thinned the council repeatedly: Clark was absent through lameness on 8 September 1755; Adamson was lame from 17 November to 1 December 1755; the same reduction to two recurred on 8 March 1755/6, 21 May 1756, and 14, 21 and 29 June 1756. That the whole government could be carried by two men, and habitually rested on only three, shows how far a remote outpost concentrated power in a tiny group. [Film No. 185, 190, 195, 263, 304, 399, 402, 412]

The limits of the council's own authority appeared over capital works. On 23 June 1755 the Governor, believing the landing crane failing, had John Bland and the master carpenter Thomas Levinz survey it in a single sitting; they reported the decayed timber would hardly stand another year, so he ordered a design for a replacement, which the council sent to the Court of Directors, since a wholly new crane needed London's sanction. Through July 1755 the condemned crane was still being patched with iron, deals and nails while its replacement awaited approval.

The council also governed through the parish vestry. Faced with a full burial ground in July 1755, it summoned the planters to vestry; on 21 July 1755 they offered to bear only half the cost of a new enclosure, arguing the James Valley ground was filled mainly with the Company's soldiers and sailors, and the council agreed to pay the other half. Nearly a year later, on 5 April 1756, it ordered planters to assemble on 19 April to choose parish officers; the vestry returned four churchwardens and six overseers across east, south and west divisions, but the council confirmed only two churchwardens, Thomas Cotgrave and William Young, and three overseers, Daniel Sowkes, John Seale and Isaac Knipe. Parish self-government thus operated under the council's oversight rather than beside it. [Film No. 38–39, 41, 292, 303]

The council used notices to survey and tax the population. On 1 September 1755 it required every inhabitant to send, by 30 September, an account of their families, land and cattle, and to attend the Castle to pay rents and revenues for the past year. On 8 December 1755 a further notice required cattle and sheep holders to declare, before 1 January, the numbers they meant to slaughter or sell; the same notice closed partridge-shooting until 1 February, the birds being too young, and barred all shooting in the Long Wood, its wild fowl having greatly declined. [Film No. 107, 197–198]

The island answered through its books to London. On 17 November 1755 the accountant reported the accounts balanced to 11 October, ordered copied as fast as possible; by 22 December they were ready to send by first opportunity. The council in turn governed under written orders from home: on 31 January 1755/6 the Griffin arrived with a packet from the directors, read to the council with particular paragraphs read separately to the servants William Wrangham and Charles Steward. The pattern recurred on 19 May 1756 with a further packet aboard the Oxford. The clearest instance came on 4 May 1756, when the passenger Plaisted asked leave to sail home on a foreign ship: rather than answer himself, the Governor summoned the council and had read out a paragraph from a Court letter of 13 October 1740, a directive 16 years old still consulted to settle a present question. [Film No. 191, 200, 249, 358, 373, 360]

The council kept a lease book recording who held what ground. On 3 May 1756 Lieutenant John Clark, his own lease having been defaced by accident, asked for and received a copy. The civil government also drew revenue from fines and licences: the cash account for the quarter ending 11 April 1756 recorded fines of William Peddam and Archibald Fouge and public house fines of £15, licensing both ordering the drink trade and feeding the same chest as the store's profits. [Film No. 357, 349]

The settlement watched its own people closely while reporting the traffic of its road to the wider Company network. Native islanders such as Thomas Pledger, who sought leave to depart on 24 May 1756, could not do so without the council's sanction, and the annual list of ships' arrivals and departures was enclosed with letters to Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Fort Marlborough on 31 May 1756. [Film No. 376, 388–389]

Land transfers required the council's leave at every stage. On 6 October 1755 Richard Beale transferred his lease of 5 acres called Webleys to his son Onesiphorus, who a week later petitioned to take the neighbouring waste land as a Company tenant, the ground first to be viewed. Company posts too were filled directly: when Thomas Boarer left as groom, minuted 13 October 1755, John Strange at once succeeded him at £8 a year. On 12 July 1756 Lidia and Richard Harper were granted leave to dispose of their interest in 30 acres in the West Division, the council accepting Orlando Bagley senior as tenant. The quarterly audit of paymaster and storekeeper continued as a standing check throughout, examined and approved before the council so no officer certified his own honesty. [Film No. 121, 125, 126, 419, 427]

Military affairs and defence

The garrison comprised four matched foot companies, each with two lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, a drummer and sentinels, and a separate artillery company under master gunner Thomas Hall with its own mates, quarter gunners and matrosses, graded rather than flat-paid as the sentinels were. For the quarter ending 11 October 1755 every sentinel drew £3 16s 0½d, the whole establishment costing £1,976 15s 7½d; by the quarter ending 21 July 1756 a sentinel drew £3 16s 7d, having stood at £3 16s 1½d in the two quarters between. The artillery's scale in the quarter beginning 12 October 1755 ran from mates mostly at £9 2s 6d through quarter gunners at £6 16s 10½d to matrosses at £4 11s 3d. Pay was struck to the exact day of death or entry: Thomas Brown was carried only to his death on 18 August 1755; John Bridgwater's pay rose from 9 June 1756 on promotion to sergeant, Thomas Loveland's from 2 June 1756 to corporal. [Film No. 70–80, 133–142, 233–240, 306–313, 434–439]

The garrison was twice rebuilt from sudden reduction. On 15 April 1755 sentinels across all four foot companies were dismissed after only three days' pay, the artillery losing only Thomas Willingham; fresh enlistment from late April is corroborated across pay book, consultations and paymaster's account alike, Charles Smith re-enlisting on 21 April after his dismissal on 15 April, and Onesiphorus Bagley, John Cripps and Joseph Grant re-entering on 16, 8 and 17 June respectively, matching petitions the council granted that month. Between June and July 1755 four dismissed soldiers asked to serve out their time: Edward Grant and John Crips on 13 June, Joseph Uffen on 18 June, Roger Wetwan on 8 July, each granted with the Articles of War read afresh; Crips should have sailed home on the Elizabeth but chose to stay. [Film No. 13, 22, 38, 70–79, 84]

Enlistment terms distinguished islander from imported recruit throughout. Onesiphorus Bagley enlisted on 16 June 1755 for five years without bounty; George Nelson enlisted on 7 July 1755 for five years at 50s. The paymaster's standard bounty for imported men was £10: paid to Phillip Hilliard, James Hall, Charles Smith and Edward Coster in 1755, to Thomas Jarvis on 14 September 1755, to William Adams and James Richardson on 5 and 10 January 1755/6, and to further bodies on 17 and 20 May and 14 June 1756. Native islanders such as Joseph Long, enlisted 28 July 1755, continued to sign for nothing, the bounty marking the price of attracting an outsider rather than commanding a man already present. [Film No. 15, 17, 35, 82, 84, 94, 144, 206–207, 365, 380, 385]

Promotion filled vacancies from within as a settled practice: Richard Vaughan rose from corporal to sergeant on the day William Pendrey died, 10 May 1755; Thomas Bazett rose to sergeant on 15 April as William Oakman was discharged; Benjamin Swaits, David Suwrig and Thomas Mason were each advanced that spring. In January 1755/6 the Governor, finding several matrosses unfit for the guns, had the master gunner exchange them for stronger men from other companies rather than discharge them. Demotion was tracked as precisely: on 3 January 1755/6 quarter gunner Derby Coile was moved down to matross, his pay stepped down from that day. [Film No. 72–80, 240]

The defence relied on locally trained gunners: Lieutenant John Clark drew £7 10s in the quarters beginning 12 April and 12 October 1755 and 26 April 1756 for instructing them, and on 9 February 1755/6 the council appointed Richard Beale judge advocate at £40 a year to prosecute courts martial under the Articles of War. [Film No. 70, 79, 232, 251]

The powder accounts trace the batteries' activity in unusual detail. For the month ending 11 June 1755 the fort fired 137 guns and expended 210 pounds of powder, mostly salutes and alarms; the outlying works were Munden's, Rupert's, Bank's and the Prosperous Bay lookout. A royal salute of 21 guns marked the King's accession on 22 June 1755 and again in 1756, and a further salute of 25 pounds marked the King's birthday on 10 November 1755; powder honoured the garrison's own dead from Erasmus Purling's funeral in June 1755 to those of Moses Menanto, William Cain and William Twaits at the close of the year. A gun carriage was broken by a rockfall at Rupert's in July 1755. [Film No. 19–20, 43, 192, 202, 209, 422]

Routine maintenance consumed powder steadily as the batteries decayed under salt air. Practice firing at Rupert's on 8 and 10 July 1755 was followed by a detailed list, in the month ending 11 August, of worn gun-carriage parts at the main fort and Sandy Bay; over 41 pounds went on 6 August to scaling the Sandy Bay guns of rust, an operation repeated in the month ending 11 February 1755/6 alongside further worn handspikes, rammer heads and copper ladles, tallow for the carriages and copper bands for the flying party's ammunition boxes. Powder was repeatedly spent frightening feral goats off Munden's Point, and cartridges were made throughout from imported twine, thread and paper. [Film No. 102–103, 228, 257]

The gathering fleet placed exceptional demands on powder as the period wore on. For the month ending 11 April 1756 the batteries expended over 687 pounds, five times a quiet month's figure, as the China fleet arrived and departed amid repeated alarms; salutes were graded by rank, 13 guns to a Dutch commodore against 11 to an ordinary ship. A double alarm was fired for six ships passing on 5 May 1756, and the guns brought a Dutch ship to at Banks's by a shot across her course. The flying party was heavily provisioned in the month ending 11 March 1755/6, nearly 230 pounds of powder and 245 pounds of lead shot with 4,760 copper bands, soon after a lapse in its readiness described below; 29 pounds were charged for exercising recruits in the month ending 21 June 1756, and in July the King's ship Hampshire was saluted with 13 guns for the ship and 13 for her commander, a heavier mark than any merchantman received. [Film No. 270–271, 299, 378, 442, 444, 422]

The island's early-warning system was itself sabotaged. On 10 May 1756 the council found the swivel gun on Sandy Bay Ridge stopped with a stone, then at the next alarm rammed with stones and rags so it could not fire; it offered 20 dollars and a pardon to any accomplice, but the culprit was never named. Readiness was tested from within too: on 8 March 1755/6 Richard Bagley, commanding the west flying party, reported Joseph Hayes had attended a double alarm with a bad carbine and no ammunition or flints, and the council fined him only 10s as a first offence, a lapse the following month's heavy provisioning appears to answer. Soldiers who took the Company's yawl without leave on 6 May 1756 and staved her were court-martialled on 10 May and made to pay £5 among them. [Film No. 360, 263–264, 270–271, 361]

The garrison doubled as the island's labour force whenever works needed more hands than the tradesmen could supply. For the quarter to 11 October 1755 soldiers were paid for rowing the longboat, for carpentry, for going express to windward, and £16 0s 9d for repairing surf damage at Rupert's and the main fort, after a very high surf on 8 September had already forced soldiers to help the Company's slaves secure the same works. For the quarter to 11 January 1755/6 the paymaster paid over £20 for further fort work, haymaking, thatching and glazing the church, arrack issued throughout as the customary reward for such labour. After the flood of late June 1756, described below, the council set slaves and as many soldiers as could be spared to repair the fortifications and watercourse at once, at a cost of £51 1s 6d. [Film No. 109, 144, 224, 228–229, 242, 244, 416, 444]

The garrison was clothed and armed entirely from the stores. Clothing for the quarter to 11 October 1755 was the heaviest single charge, £417 10s, graded by rank; 185 blankets were issued in the quarter to 11 April 1756, and deals and nails served both cots and coffins, death a regular incident of service. As alarms grew more frequent through 1756, sailcloth was bought repeatedly for night tents on the defensive line, with a tent and marka for the officers, and the council bought a further tent outright from the departing Captain Fisher for £6 6s on 9 April 1756. The East Flying Party recurs across the accounts with its guard house repaired and stores locked. Signal flags for Sugar Loaf and the Fort Hill carried word of a strange sail quickly across the settlement, and iron was drawn for rivets and for the hammers of the stone blaster who dressed the volcanic rock the forts were built from. [Film No. 161–162, 320, 322, 324, 342–345, 294]

The last months fell under the shadow of war. Soldiers were enlisted at £10 bounty on 17 and 20 May and 14 June 1756, and on 31 May the council invoked the present situation of affairs to retain even discharged men, offering the native corporal Gilbert Clew half bounty and, on his refusal, forbidding him to leave since his service might be needed for defence. The homeward fleet's gathering to sail in convoy, described below, points directly to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War. Discipline reached tradesmen as firmly as soldiers: on 7 June 1756 the carpenter's mate Thomas Eastwood was discharged for refusing to work under the carpenter and neglecting the Governor's order. [Film No. 365, 380, 385, 392, 402, 396]

Settlement, land and agriculture

The Company owned nearly all the land and granted only leasehold terms, so a holder could transfer his unexpired term but never sell outright. On 14 July 1755 Solomon Jacobs assigned a James Valley lease to William Paddon; on 11 August 1755 Matthew Purling, executor of the late Simon Whaley, sought leave to sell the interest of Whaley's orphans in 12½ acres, one orphan being off the island and of age. Leases held upon lives, measured by named lifetimes, appear when one of Francis Wrangham senior's lives died in November 1755: he had to substitute Charles Steward and pay a fine of half a year's rent, £4 12s 6d. On 10 November 1755 the widow Sarah Reynolds let the remaining 13 years of her lease to Thomas Levinz. [Film No. 37, 98, 188, 190–191]

The council used its control of land to provide for the dead's families and to acquire ground directly. On 11 October 1755 it executed leases in trust to the families of the late Martin Harper and Benjamin Pledger, and later granted small parcels at 5 shillings an acre; on 15 December 1755 it bought outright, for £3, 1 acre 1 rood 16 perches of free land in the Long Wood hangings, valued for giving cattle passage to water. On 22 March 1755/6 Thomas Loving assigned a house-and-ground lease to John Clark; on 17 May 1756 Thomas Cosgrave took 9 acres of waste land in Deep Valley at 1s 6d, the same day James Corbett surrendered a lease he found unprofitable. Leases ran to 21 years, enough to reward improvement while letting the Company reclaim unworked ground. [Film No. 187, 198–199, 246, 273, 369–370, 381]

The rent roll paid on 11 October 1755 came to £564 15s 1½d, the Dovetons, Desfountains, Harpers, Greentrees and Bagleys recurring as founding grants divided among heirs; Francis Wrangham senior carried the largest liability, £41 13s 9¼d, more than double the next heaviest. [Film No. 122–124]

The wills proved in this winter and spring show a landholding society of increasing maturity. John Twaits's will, proved about 29 March 1755/6 and dated 19 April 1755, disposed of named freehold and leasehold parcels, the estate kept whole until his youngest child came of age since divided at once among six children it would be too small to support them. Joshua Worrall's will, proved about 5 April 1756 and dated 13 May 1755, passed land undivided from son to son among eight children, daughters compensated in money. William Burnham's will, proved 17 May 1756, left his widow a house, land and the goat range Stone Top kept undivided for the family, the son given first refusal at valuation and a heifer calf marked for his daughter. [Film No. 276–277, 301–302, 367–368]

The plantation was a mixed farm with a garden, dairy and slaughterhouse besides its herds: the accounts to 11 October 1755 record milk pans and a dairy room, locks for houses at Sandy Bay, oxen under wooden yokes, and a scrubbing brush for the island's own gunwood. The garden drew hoes, scythes, spades, shears and pruning knives, with tinware water pots since water had to be carried by hand; bamboos laid as cheap conduits carried water to cattle in the pastures from April 1756, in place of imported piping. [Film No. 162–163, 180, 64–65, 324, 347]

The livestock accounts, kept monthly, tracked every birth, death, slaughter and sale by kind against a standing total, herds numbering in the hundreds run on common grazing and told apart by earmarks; a species-changed line periodically reclassified stock as calves became yearlings and lambs ewes and wethers. The flocks bred sharply at points through the year, 56 lambs in the month to 11 November 1755 and 21 kids in the month ending 11 February 1755/6 against none the month before. A bird was killed by cats and a sow by the Company's own dogs, made good to its owner John Clark with two barrows. [Film No. 113, 128, 193, 201, 256, 269, 298]

The yam, the island's staple and chief substitute for bread, was grown in bulk for garrison, slaves and ships, sound roots distinguished from spoiled throughout so nothing fit even for beasts was wasted. The account for the month ending 11 June 1755 recorded 25,410 yams expended against 9,000 refuse; the following month, 24,000 expended, 2,020 refuse and 3,500 bad. The reserve of sound yams improved to 8,000 good against 2,580 bad by February 1755/6, then fell steadily, to 2,000 good against 6,460 spoiled by March 1755/6 and 1,785 against 4,970 bad by April 1756, even as the quantity issued to slaves rose above 16,000 and then 17,000. The flood of late June 1756, described below, buried thousands of yams outright: the return to 21 July 1756 shows the amount issued to slaves falling from 22,850 to 16,840, and the combined figure from 32,390 to 23,345. [Film No. 18, 42, 113, 128, 256, 269, 298, 416, 421]

The great warehouse inventory of 11 October 1755 closed at £4,060 7s 2½d across every class of goods. Salt provisions led at £668 18s 6d; flour, rice and paddy followed in hundreds of hundredweight; imported wood, deals, oak, elm, wainscot and Riga timber, made up £175 16s 3½d, since the island grew no good building timber of its own; naval stores of oil, pitch, tar and cordage were held in bulk, with spare masts and topmasts including one reserved for the Pelham. The store also held over 70,000 fishing hooks with dozens of lines, sand glasses, mason's, smith's and carpenter's tools, coffee roasters and stills, and pigments from common white lead to costly blue smalts. The profit-and-loss account of waste for the year to 11 October 1755 closed at £27 5s, the heaviest losses on spirits held in bulk. [Film No. 166–167, 169, 170–177, 181, 185–187]

The garrison's own labour extended to the plantation's tools and buildings: by the quarter to 21 July 1756 stores drawn included cartwheels, an axletree, scythe stones, pickaxes and thatching cordage, with Riga timber to roof the barn and hang the gates, even a farm gate depending on imported wood. [Film No. 457]

Supply, provisioning and trade

St Helena's purpose was to victual the East Indiamen on the long homeward passage. In the month ending 11 June 1755 the Lord Anson, Elizabeth, York, True Briton and Colchester each took 560 pounds of fresh beef, the Stafford 256; 560 pounds recurs as the standard allowance throughout, to the Hardwicke and Griffin in February 1755/6, to seven ships of the China fleet in April 1756, to four more in May and June 1756, and to three more by 21 July 1756. As the fleet gathered most heavily in May 1756, the council, foreseeing on 20 May that stock would not stretch, rationed each expected ship to 400 pounds weekly, and the commanders agreed. Slow-breeding cattle were generally spared for draught and dairy, meat drawn instead from sheep and goats: in the month ending 11 May 1756 only three neat beasts were killed against 10 sheep and eight goats. [Film No. 18, 256, 377, 380, 409, 421]

The garrison's own needs could override a ship's. On 21 July 1755 Captain Thomas Best of the Prince Henry, having only 37 days' provisions aboard, asked for four casks of salt provisions and 18 hundredweight of flour; the council, its own flour so short the garrison ate bread only four days a week, refused the flour since Best could buy it locally but granted the unobtainable salt meat. Captain Thomas Tolson of the Egmont likewise had his request refused on 28 July 1755, having lost 13 men since Bengal: the secretary Francis Wrangham cited positive orders forbidding any sparing of the garrison. [Film No. 44–45, 93–94]

Every cargo was checked cask and bag against its invoice, shortfalls formally recorded against the carriage rather than the store. Sterling Brooke entered breakages and shortfalls through June and July 1755 from the Lord Anson and Elizabeth; Matthew Burling recorded 28 gallons of arrack and 84 pounds short from the Hardwicke on 2 February 1755/6, and a heavier tally including 72 gallons from six hogsheads of beer from the Griffin on 16 February; later shortfalls came from the Anson, Oxford and Eastcourt in June 1756. [Film No. 11, 13, 17, 40, 250, 253–254, 396, 400, 404]

The sick were provisioned separately throughout. The hospital account for 12 April to 11 July 1755 drew sugar, flour and rice, train oil for the wards, canvas and twine for the cots; the infirmary account to 11 January 1755/6 was similar, and that to 11 April 1756 added oil, patients contributing 6d a day while the surgeon John Ingles advanced the shortfall and was repaid £12 10s. On 14 June 1755 Lieutenant Kirkpatrick was paid £2 for 40 bags of sago for sick soldiers and slaves alike; Abram Ayers of the artillery drew 6d a day for 37 days while refusing further service, and John Furs, dismissed, a like allowance when sick. James Naismyth, surgeon of the Griffin, was paid 5s a head on 16 February 1755/6 for tending 40 recruits on passage, and by the quarter to 21 July 1756 £7 10s had been paid for tending 30 further recruits aboard the Oxford. [Film No. 67, 82, 84, 230, 320, 345, 252, 242, 444]

Fresh produce was bought from the island's own people to supplement the table and guard against scurvy. Richard Bagley was paid £1 6s 6d on 11 July 1755 for 700 lemons and potatoes; in the quarter to 11 January 1755/6 the paymaster bought 600 lemons from John Doveton and 750 more with potatoes from Bagley, a budding knife issued to the gardener marking deliberate cultivation. The governor's table drew directly on the plantation, mutton rising to over 300 pounds in the month ending 11 February 1755/6, and by May and June 1756 running to four wines besides arrack and beer; finer provisions came from calling ships, dried fruits, cheese and glassware from Captain Stevens of the Oxford, junk and paddy from Captain Fernell of the Exeter. [Film No. 82, 84, 225, 242, 256, 258, 379, 391, 408, 426, 442]

Trade and shipping

Muster rolls checking for deserters show how ships drew crews from across the trade: the Winchelsea in June 1755 carried British officers alongside Portuguese and Goan hands and Indian lascars under a serang and tindals, a mixture recurring on nearly every roll through the Egmont, Shaftesbury, Hardwicke, the China fleet and the Bombay Castle, Warren and Anson. The Bombay Castle's roll in particular shows a floating community of some 90 men, carrying her own surgeon, purser, caulker, armourer, cooper, sailmaker, joiner, butcher and poulterer, each with his mate. [Film No. 23–24, 88, 96, 259, 260, 280, 284, 393–394]

Ships carried people as well as cargo: the Winchelsea's passengers in June 1755 included gentlemen with wives and one party with children and Indian servants; the Prince Henry in July carried men working their passage from Bombay, two prisoners under restraint, and a lady and captain as passengers. Live animals were carried and killed at sea aboard the Bombay Castle, whose officers kept personal servants and passengers such as John Meares and Alexander Hume travelled with their own attendants; the discharged soldier John Cawdery appears among her seamen. [Film No. 24, 45–46, 393–394, 395, 407–408]

The invoices changed little across the 14 months: Batavia arrack, wax candles, sugar and rice, and Indian cotton such as the Egmont's doosooties in July 1755. Bengal goods were invoiced in current rupees with a batta of about 8 per cent to reconcile the money of account, the Winchelsea's invoice on 23 June 1755 struck at 1,369 rupees and the Egmont's on 13 July at 1,898, with separate charges for gunny bags, packing and boat, cooly and sloop hire. China goods followed a distinct accounting in taels, mace and candareens: the Britannia, Drake, Rhoda and Prince George in late March and early April 1756 carried tea, sugar candy and porcelain direct from Canton, the porcelain invoiced by the pint with a customary 2 per cent deducted for breakage. [Film No. 16, 36, 40, 265, 278, 279, 291]

The homeward passage exacted its own toll. Captain Thomas Dibuke of the Anson, dismasted in a gale, was supplied what could be spared on 17 May 1756. Homeward shipping intensified sharply through 1756 as war approached: the Swedish Prince Charles, 950 tons, arrived on 8 March 1755/6; eight Dutch ships passed about 24 March 1755/6, one watering, with a Danish ship bound for Tranquebar and news that the Delaware lay at the Cape. By early May six Dutch ships passed in a day, the Warren arrived from China, and Swedish and Danish Indiamen came and went for Gothenburg and Copenhagen; the Anson arrived 15 May from Bengal via Bencoolen. On 15 June 1756 the Hardwicke, Warren and Anson sailed for England together, the homeward fleet mustering under the island's guns before running the gauntlet of French privateers, and on 5 July the King's ship Hampshire arrived under Captain Norbery. On 17 May a Danish ship was brought to by a shot from Banks's battery and saluted. [Film No. 370, 263, 275, 360, 365, 371, 392, 402, 410, 417]

The Company drew staples from across its Asian trade. On 31 May 1756 the council wrote to all three Indian presidencies at once: cotton stockings, long cloth, tablecloths and napkins from Madras, 100 pieces of Surat challoes with paddy and rice from Bombay, dosooties, candles, arrack, rice and paddy from Bengal. Correspondence was fragile: on 21 June 1756 the council could not explain why no letters had reached Madras the previous year, having written via the Exeter to Fort Marlborough as usual, the relay through which a letter could go astray unnoticed. The same date asked Bencoolen for 10,000 pounds of sugar at once and 5,000 more annually; a box of copper funnels misdirected from the Oxford was forwarded there on 14 June 1756. [Film No. 387–389, 404–406, 390, 400]

Captain William Fernell of the Exeter occupied the council in several capacities in July 1756: his pepper cargo detained at Fort Marlborough and his provisions exhausted by a long passage from Sumatra, the council furnished 14 casks of provisions and 12 hundredweight of flour, bought junk and paddy from him, and about 21 July took £200 from him for bills home. [Film No. 425–426, 461]

The company store and retail economy

With no manufactures of its own, the settlement depended on the Company's warehouse, whose pricing stayed consistent throughout: servants at 10 per cent over cost, planters at 25 per cent, and consumable staples, arrack, sugar, candy, flour, soap, candles and rice, to all buyers at 40 per cent, the store thus subsidising Company servants while drawing its largest profit from goods planters could not do without; in one quarter the planters' rate on durable goods was eased to 25 per cent to encourage independent households, while staples still stood at 40. [Film No. 47, 53, 145, 152, 211, 218–221, 325, 332–333, 446, 450]

Goods sold to servants map the town's material life: soldiers' shirts, cotton stockings, Indian long cloth and chelloes, sewing silk, gilt and silver buttons, window glass by the square, graded shoes, painter's pigments, port and Madeira by the dozen, guglets and ivory combs costing 16 times their horn equivalents. The store drew on Asia and Europe together: the three grades of China tea, Bohea, Congo and Singlo, alongside desootees and chelloes, English long ells, kersey, shalloon and camblet, and fine porcelain. Osnaburg linen and sawn deals sold by the 100, nails by the penny, window glass by the pane, marking a settlement moved beyond horn and shutter. [Film No. 48–52, 149–150, 153, 211–217, 326–328, 332]

Wine of Portugal and Spain formed the single largest class sold to servants in one quarter at over £130; candles for the castle and council came to over £20 in another. The largest item on the Company's own general account was a smith's plant, a forge at £12 1s 1d with bellows and 70 bushels of imported coal, setting the armourer up to work on the spot. Damaged stock, such as spoiled hosiery and bellows in one quarter, was sold at public auction rather than at the fixed markup, guarding the Company against any charge of favouring particular buyers. [Film No. 332, 337–340, 221]

A distinct account charged the Company's own ships: cordage, bunting, pitch and tar, linseed oil, sorted nails and half-minute glasses, over five tons of cordage in a single item by 21 July 1756. Foreign vessels paid still more steeply, train oil sold to a Swedish ship at 50 per cent, the heaviest markup recorded. [Film No. 336, 452–453]

General charges kept the island's own upkeep separate from trade, each issue tied to a named repair: an elm plank for gun carriages, an oak plank for the lieutenant governor's well, Riga timber, prized for straight sound lengths, for rebuilding a servants' room in the Castle. One quarter's works ran to masonry and plastering at the Castle and a larger pane cut specially for the church, paint tied line by line to the work it served. [Film No. 222–224]

Economy, finance and currency

Private individuals moved money to England by bills of exchange rather than shipping coin: cash paid to the Company earned a bill on the Court of Directors, payable in London 90 days after sight, letting the Directors verify each bill before honouring it. On 9 June 1755 John Gedeon paid £85, Samuel Price £36 15s, and John Adamson £200 on account of the late Augustus Bell's estate; similar payments followed from John Clark, Thomas Cooke and Thomas Kirkpatrick, and later from Richard Beale, £530 5s as attorney to the late Captain Thomas Parker. Through May and June 1756 Beale, Clark, Ingles and Thomas Evans made comparable payments, and about 21 July a further cluster, Matthew Peeling, Thomas Brown, Nicholas Moxly, John Bland and Captain Fernell, closed the quarter. [Film No. 12, 27, 384, 398, 402, 460–461]

The cash account gathered every receipt into one running total: £4,962 8s 4½d for the month ending 11 June 1755; £4,208 1s 2d for September; £5,754 12s 2d for the quarter to 11 October, including rents of £564 15s 1½d, licences of £15, and a store profit of £870 15s 3d. Requiring each ship to clear her account before sailing kept the island from carrying unrecovered debts to sea; store sales, ship balances, plantation provisions and judicial fines were gathered into a single reckoning, trader and ruler combined in one set of books. [Film No. 28–30, 120, 183]

The paymaster drew the whole establishment's pay in a single quarterly advance, self-balancing since he was charged as debtor for the sum. On 11 January 1755/6 John Clark drew £2,031 12s 5½d, of which £1,966 3s 9½d was paid out as salaries, diet and allowances; on 11 April 1756 he drew £2,451 19s 3½d, the storekeeper's takings of £1,118 9s 3d the largest receipt after the opening balance. Governor Hutchinson's £125 for the quarter beginning 12 April 1755 stood at more than eight times the accountant's or storekeeper's base pay, diet money often exceeding salary among the lesser men; the chaplain William Lee's pay rose from £25 that quarter to a steady £40 thereafter, placing him above every servant but the two governors. [Film No. 68–69, 244–245, 317, 324, 349–350]

The treasury held a mixture of the world's currencies rather than any single money: gold in Venetian sequins and Indian pagodas, silver in Spanish dollars, Mughal rupees, half rials and French pieces, and the Company's own cash notes in denominations from 40s down to 2s 6d. The rupee was consistently the largest holding, over £2,000 in June 1755, £1,842 15s in September, over £1,500 by October, £1,125 in January 1755/6, reflecting the island's dependence on the Indian trade. Smaller coin circulated in far greater numbers: the balance of £3,614 18s for the month ending 29 June 1756 held 12,948 half rials at 3¾d each, and the warehouse held nearly 40,000 Irish halfpence besides. The island also served as a waypoint for specie in transit: treasure chests numbered 346 and 340 were taken from the Oxford, the latter credited £1,005 1s 10½d to the London account. [Film No. 30, 120, 183–184, 196, 204, 246, 384, 390, 413–414, 167]

Fines flowed directly into this account: the pound from John Veale, £1 from Derby Coils for a false accusation, £4 12s 6d from Wrangham to renew a lease-life, 20s from Thomas Hutson, 10s from Joseph Hayes on 8 March 1755/6, 10s from Thomas Loving, even a 5d fine from Daniel Jewkes recorded to the shilling. Public house licences recurred steadily, £15 in several quarters and £13 10s by 21 July 1756. [Film No. 167, 196, 204, 282, 349, 413, 459]

Judiciary and crime

With no separate court, the council itself heard petitions, tried offences and settled property transfers. A sheep-stealing case running through June and July 1755 shows this procedure in detail. John Desfountain reported what John Seale had told him: some three months earlier a party led by Benjamin Pledger had killed a sheep at Pledger's mother's house and hidden the carcass. Seale, sworn, deposed against his companions, Joseph Bates, Pledger and the brothers Henry and James Easthope; the men first agreed the sheep was the mother's own to kill, until Pledger's confession broke the story, describing a flock of about 30 run down, one caught and read by its earmark as Desfountain's before its throat was cut. Sentence, under a local by-law, ordered restitution of the price plus treble damages on top of Company fines and sureties: Bates as ringleader paid £10, the Easthopes £5 apiece, Pledger only 20s for his frank confession and poverty. A second charge from the same informer had Thomas Pledger admit stealing leaden pipe and melting it into sinkers, but deny killing another planter's calves; sentenced only for the theft he owned, restitution of 15s with treble damages, a bond and a 40s fine, the calf charge unpressed on Seale's word alone. [Film No. 31–34]

Petty discipline reached servants regardless of standing. John Veale was fined 20s on 14 June 1755 for abusing James Powell; the identical tariff fell on the master mason John Bland on 4 August 1755 for abusing the overseer Matthew Bazett, despite his £29 quarterly pay and senior standing. The council also weighed false accusations: Darby Coils's charge that the tailor Henry Baker had defrauded customers of silk, minuted about 20 to 27 October 1755, was found false on enquiry, only 3 yards having been delivered, and Coils was fined 20s and made to apologise publicly. Baker himself had been heard on 29 September 1755 for calling Lieutenant George Hay a scoundrel over a half-mended coat, judged troublesome and ordered off the island, though allowed to wait for the store ship rather than leave at once; Hay had chosen formal complaint over private duel, discipline preferred to violence on so small a station. [Film No. 14, 96, 130–131, 118–119]

The council proved wills and administered estates throughout, in the absence of any ecclesiastical court. It proved Erasmus Purling's will on 23 June 1755, a residuary gift to Thomas Harper for nursing him, signed by mark yet carrying a £10 legacy, a £7 legacy and a worthwhile residue; John Hensford's few clothes, by contrast, sold at auction on 21 June 1755 for barely his coffin, lodging and burial fees, leaving tenpence halfpenny. On 11 August 1755 John Bagley's widow and appraisers, Richard Bagley, Joshua Worrall and John Desfountain, swore a double oath to the inventory, the same procedure applied earlier to Martin Harper's estate. On 12 January 1755/6 the council proved William Cain's will, an Irish soldier who died 28 December 1755 leaving all to William Lindsey on one witness's oath; the identical inventory procedure recurred about 12 April 1756 for John Twaits's effects. [Film No. 21, 23, 99, 206, 295]

The council filled legal gaps left by death. On 14 July 1755 William and George Seale, minors, had their mother Mary admitted guardian after their father's named executors had themselves died, the council accommodating the boys' own choice rather than imposing an outsider. On 22 September 1755 it resolved a petition from Sarah Reynolds and Mary Jarvis against James Hinds for money passed through a legacy and a dead husband's estate, fixing his liability at £5 plus 20s plus £11 in sea wages; having no ready money, Hinds kept the principal at 5 per cent interest with security, and on 26 January 1755/6 James Hindes settled a comparable debt similarly. On 20 May 1756 the council split a surgeon's bill for the orphans of Joseph Harding equally between their guardian Benjamin Mason and Thomas Harper, the guardianship agreement being silent on who should bear it. [Film No. 37, 115–117, 248, 374]

Two graver matters occupied the council in 1756. The publican William Paddom, heard about 16 to 22 March 1755/6, was found to have enticed the Hardwicke's crew to drink, defied her officers, challenged a mate to a duel, and separately gone aboard the Swedish Prince Charles to barter buckles for china, in breach of the standing order of 19 May 1755 against boarding foreign vessels; the council heard statements from three lieutenants, the fourth mate, John Todd and, once returned from sea, the steward Cornelius Berg, and fined Paddom £5 and took his liquor licence. [Film No. 266–267, 273–274]

Graver still was the adjutant Francis Mowatt's defiance, heard at length on 10 May 1756: he had refused for weeks to bring the parole or render the orderly book, finally claiming none existed but a private one of his own to which no person had a right. The Governor charged this a breach of the Act of Parliament and Articles of War against mutiny, astonished a veteran of several campaigns could plead ignorance, and set out the cardinal principle that an officer must obey and complain afterwards, never refuse. Mowatt's own avowal that he would keep no orderly book brought unanimous suspension; he left for England within three weeks, his Sandy Bay lease assigned on the same routine terms as any tenant's. [Film No. 361–364, 376, 381]

The gravest personal matter was the disappearance of the soldier Richard Godson, inquired into from 10 November 1755: Corporal Humphrey Pugh, who had whipped him on guard at Lemon Valley, reported him vanished after a wakeful, wild-talking night, and a search under James Hendry found only a hat in a hole near the sea. The council concluded probable drowning from these small facts alone; a later commentary reads his wild talk as a hint of prior disturbance, a connection the bare record does not draw, though it does show a council willing to inquire formally into a common soldier's death. [Film No. 188–189]

A further scandal, April to May 1756, charged the surgeon John Ingles with adultery. Francis Wrangham senior told John Goodwin on 12 May 1756 that his wife had given him the venereal disorder, got from Ingles, who himself admitted on 18 and 19 April to knowing Mrs Wrangham more than once. Goodwin's sworn account, corrected into a considered version at the sitting of 26 April, described finding Ingles weltering in his own blood after a suicide attempt. The evidence then pulled apart: Ingles procured depositions from Thomas Evans and George Hay in late May, both swearing they had heard him deny ever having the disorder, Hay's recording that Mrs Wrangham had earlier sworn on the Bible to her innocence, so her oath and her later admission both stand unresolved in the record. The council warned Wrangham and Goodwin of the year-and-a-day rule against private revenge. Wrangham's true object emerged on 31 May, when he withdrew a defaced lease he had presented, wanting only that Ingles leave the island; Ingles sailed for England on the Warren on 8 June, followed within weeks by Goodwin and by Wrangham's own wife, the whole circle dispersed. Robert Barclay of the Warren offered to fill the vacant surgeoncy at the usual salary, the council recommending him to the Court without power to confirm him itself; by 21 July 1756 the pay roll shows the handover complete, Inglis to mid-June and Barclay from 15 June, Inglis separately paid for two months spent securing fresh hospital provisions. [Film No. 371–372, 361, 382–383, 353–355, 356, 392, 397, 400, 428, 444]

A related affray in late April 1756 brought the carpenter Thomas Loving and the marshal Thomas Harper before the same sitting: witnesses, including Loving's own, described him bloody, beaten and drunk, and the council, rejecting a claim his eye was nearly beaten out since his cheek was merely swelled next day, fined him only 10s as the aggressor, disorder to be checked rather than crime heavily punished. The quarrel began when Loving, much in liquor, seized Harper's slave boy by the belly in the street, an affront to the master that turned words into blows, and Loving's threat to flog Harper as he did the slaves shows how casually that violence framed speech. He damned Harper a "Yamstock," a byname for island-born men from the yam diet, and boasted he valued no complaint more than a tomb in the churchyard; a faction gathering at Sarah Reynolds's house spoke of waylaying the marshal, turning private quarrel into a test of whether Company discipline would hold. [Film No. 350–353]

Lesser offences were punished in rough proportion to means. John Perry, a matross, admitted stealing 300 lemons on 20 October 1755 and was sentenced to 100 lashes, the value of citrus to shipping marked in the severity. Thomas Hutson, fined only 20s on 18 August 1755 for buying from a black, was expressly spared as a poor man, the same mitigation as Pledger's and as Hayes's later 10s carbine fine. Where evidence was scarce the council bought informers: 20 shillings offered on 1 September 1755 for identifying a cheese thief, and a pardon for any accomplice, the same device later used against the swivel-gun saboteur. William Teale paid an overdue 5s 3d parish assessment on being summoned on 3 May 1756; and about 29 June 1756 the dismissed Thomas Eastwood was supposed to have deserted aboard one of three departing ships, leaving creditors behind, a persistent risk on a station where the whole workforce could simply walk aboard. [Film No. 100, 127, 108, 357, 417]

Slavery and coerced labour

Slaves appear in this record chiefly as a charge to be fed, clothed and disciplined, rarely named in their own right. On 7 July 1755 Billy and George, belonging to Charles Steward, and Bostona and Jack, belonging to Thomas Greentree, were found out after dark without leave, together with two free black women living with Greentree, and all were publicly whipped, being out after dark itself the offence, no theft alleged; the free women's inclusion shows the standing order binding by colour and condition rather than legal status alone. A notice of about September 1755 required written leave for a black to take a dog from home, on pain of whipping, dogs following slaves being blamed for killing sheep and goats. The Sabbath notice of 15 September 1755 fined whites 5s for working on Sunday and 5s more for each slave they set to work, but sent any slave found working to prison for public punishment, the same offence drawing money from the master and the lash from the slave. [Film No. 35, 110]

Trade between slaves and others was closely policed. Thomas Hutson's conviction on 18 August 1755 for buying from a black reflects a concern that such trade let the slaves accumulate money the authorities wished to deny them. This culminated in the trial, 5 to 8 September 1755, of Pompey and Beck, belonging to the Widow Desfountain, for selling arrack; built entirely on the evidence of other slaves, Betty of Joshua Worrall testifying she had bought arrack at 7 shillings a gallon, partly in a rupee, alongside white men's evidence of disorderly Sunday gatherings, the council ordered Pompey 100 lashes and Beck 50 on 8 September, the whole case resting on slaves informing against one another. A comparable case arose on 22 March 1755/6, when Archibald Bouge, found to have detained a woman slave from John Desfountain's service for several days, was ordered to pay Desfountain 20s for the loss of her labour, separately from a 5s fine to the Company, the wrong measured against the master's property rather than the woman herself. [Film No. 100, 108–109, 274]

The bookkeeping treated slaves frankly as living property, nowhere more starkly than in stock accounts recording their births and deaths beside the calves and lambs: two slave children, Hester and David, born in the month ending 11 August 1755; the girl Katharine died by 11 September 1755; the man Old Maggot drowned by 11 December 1755, the second such death after the soldier Godson's; further births entered by February 1755/6 in the same column as goats and cattle bred. A slave could also pass by will: John Twaits, proved about 29 March 1755/6, gave the girl Bett to his daughter-in-law Mary Griffith, alongside his division of lands and goods. [Film No. 101, 113, 201, 208, 256, 277]

Slave provisions were charged to a separate account throughout, in sharp contrast to the Company's own table. The diet account for 12 April to 11 July 1755 gave the establishment arrack, Florence oil, fine flour and tea, while slaves drew overwhelmingly rice and salted meat; rice at £21 11s 2d formed the greatest part by the quarter to 11 October 1755, salt beef, pork and over 8,000 pounds of rice by January 1755/6, and beef, pork, rice, sugar and Bohea tea by 21 July 1756. Yams supplemented this ration, rising from 5,310 issued by 11 August 1755 to over 24,000 by December, 16,000 then 17,000 in early 1756, and over 13,000 by June, before the flood cut the issue from 22,850 to 16,840 by 21 July 1756. Small issues of fresh meat marked the only variation: goats repeatedly killed for the sick, shoats and pigs for slaves labouring at the lime kiln and Sandy Bay, and at Christmas 1755 a whole bull killed for the slaves "as usual." [Film No. 61, 160, 226–227, 455–456, 42, 113, 193, 201, 208, 269, 298, 421]

Slaves were expected to catch part of their own subsistence, fishing hooks and lines issued throughout. Clothing between 12 April and 11 July 1755 ran to 96 jackets and trousers, 186 checked shirts and 96 knit bonnets, over £114 of sailors' slops, with kersey and Osnaburgs and thread for mending; by 11 October 1755 slaves were clothed in dessouras, the same cloth sold to servants and planters, and by 21 July 1756 the issue ran to 98 jackets and near 200 shirts with Scotch bonnets and shoes for tradesmen. Brandy for drams appears from the earliest account, arrack drawn daily and at Christmas by January 1755/6 as an established practice, and Bohea tea reserved for the sick throughout. [Film No. 61–62, 160, 226, 456]

The coercion holding this system together appears as routine charges: lines for whips entered without remark among the garrison stores by 21 July 1756, the same cord sold elsewhere for fishing. Named overseers, George Young, Samuel Alexander and a man Bazett, recur through the plantation accounts. Slaves and soldiers laboured side by side when safety was at stake: on 8 September 1755 a very high surf undermined Rupert's and damaged the main fort, forcing soldiers to help the Company's blacks secure the works, and after the flood of late June 1756 the council again set slaves and as many soldiers as could be spared to repair the fortifications and watercourse at once. [Film No. 421, 456, 109, 416, 444]

The Company procured labour itself from its Asian trade as one more line in its requisition: the letter to Madras of 31 May 1756 pressed for 30 men slaves long expected and greatly wanted, repeated on 21 June, slaves ordered by number among requests for cloth and napkins. [Film No. 388, 405]

Religion, education and welfare

Religion held a consistently high place among the salaried establishment: chaplain William Lee's pay rose from £25 in the quarter beginning 12 April 1755 to a steady £40 thereafter, above the factors and writers and second only to the two governors, a hair broom issued for the church among the ordinary charges by 21 July 1756. Teaching was folded into other duties, Richard Beale drawing only a modest schoolmaster's fee, supplemented as clerk from the earliest account and as judge advocate from 9 February 1755/6, so that by 21 July 1756 he held three salaries at once, judge advocate at £10, schoolmaster at £3 8s 3d, clerk at £5, a single literate man filling posts the small establishment had no one else to give them to. [Film No. 68–69, 132, 133, 231, 244, 251, 292, 305, 306, 428–429, 455]

The burial-ground crisis of July 1755, described above, gave the clearest instance of parish government at work, exposing a fault line between settled landholding families with their own country burial places and the Company's transient soldiers and sailors who filled the town ground. A fuller parish structure followed in spring 1756, the council again confirming only a portion of the vestry's own nominees, and on 3 May 1756 the churchwarden Richard Goodwin brought William Teale before the council for his unpaid assessment. [Film No. 38–39, 41, 292, 303, 357]

The care of the sick was a distinct charge throughout, detailed above under Supply and Provisioning. [Film No. 67, 82, 84, 230, 320, 345, 252, 242, 444]

A run of deaths touched every part of the establishment, named individually as the muster and pay rolls required: the overseer John Swaits on 20 April 1755, the carpenter's mate Thomas Clugsborough on 13 April, the sergeant William Pendrey and sentinels Matthew Campble, Thomas Lawrence and Anthony Moreton between 14 April and 29 May, the corporal Erasmus Purling on 16 June, the sentinel Thomas Brown by 18 August, Moses Menanto on 27 October, Mary Powell on 1 December, the sentinels William Cain and William Twaits on 28 and 30 December respectively, Nathaniel Mitchell on 4 March 1755/6, the superannuated sergeant William Burnham on 13 April 1756, Sergeant William Davis on 17 June, and Benjamin Pledger senior, drowned by accident, on 18 June. Powder honoured several of these funerals in turn, from Purling's in June 1755 to Thomas Rawlings's by May 1756. [Film No. 69–74, 104, 192, 195, 203, 205, 209, 233, 236–239, 306, 308–309, 402, 378]

Long service earned a rudimentary pension. William Burnham drew a reduced quarterly sum after active service, his will providing for his family; Isaac Leech, over 50 years served, was superannuated on half pay about 19 April 1756, drawing 1s a day by 21 July 1756 against Thomas Easthope's 2s 6d, each rate keyed to former standing rather than paid as full salary, few who served so long on so distant a station surviving to enjoy it. [Film No. 297, 367–368, 440]

The small establishment repeatedly stacked offices on its few capable men: Richard Beale as schoolmaster, clerk and judge advocate; Michael Frost as sergeant of the fourth then third company while also cleaning clocks and instruments; Thomas Kirkpatrick holding a company command alongside master of arms. [Film No. 69, 77, 133, 137, 139, 232, 251, 306, 432, 434, 437]

Personalities

A handful of individuals hold the whole 14 months together. John Veale, the armourer, was fined 20s on 14 June 1755 for abusing James Powell, then, after repeated reprimands for idleness, ordered on 17 November to prepare for England, his pay finally stopped on his discharge, 15 March 1755/6, a skilled hand the council chose to lose outright rather than mend. The Pledgers recur from the sheep-stealing and pipe-theft cases of 1755 through Thomas Pledger's departure as a native islander on 24 May 1756 to Benjamin Pledger senior's drowning on 18 June 1756. Solomon Jacobs recurs as a small man of business, buying John Hensford's effects and assigning his own lease to William Paddon. [Film No. 14, 189, 32–34, 380, 402, 23, 33–34, 37]

Henry Baker, the tailor, appears first ordered off the island on 29 September 1755, then about 20 to 27 October as the victim of a false charge the council punished in its own right. Richard Beale threads through nearly every part: transferring his lease to his son on 6 October 1755, serving as schoolmaster and clerk throughout, appointed judge advocate on 9 February 1755/6, and asking the council for a copy from the lease register he himself kept. Erasmus Purling's death on 16 June 1755 draws together pay book, will and powder account into one man; William Cain and William Twaits are similarly recoverable across independent ledgers, each death fixed to a single exact day. [Film No. 118–119, 130–131, 121, 126, 357, 77, 84, 206, 238–239]

Francis Wrangham senior appears first as the island's largest ratepayer, £41 13s 9¼d on the roll of 11 October 1755, then as the wronged husband of the adultery scandal, his eventual withdrawal of a defaced lease once Ingles agreed to leave revealing that removal, not punishment, had been his object throughout. John Ingles, the surgeon, is the most tragic figure in the record, a man who advanced his own money for the hospital's sick yet was brought by scandal to attempt his own life and confess piece by piece before the council, his departure closing a chapter that drew in the Wranghams, the Goodwins, the storekeeper Gurling and the surgeon's own servant boy. Thomas Loving, the drunken tradesman whose seizure of a slave boy provoked the marshal to blows, had in more settled circumstances on 22 March 1755/6 assigned his lease to John Clark. [Film No. 122–124, 371–372, 382, 397, 320, 348, 351, 273]

Francis Mowatt stands as the clearest case of a career ended by outright defiance, suspended on 10 May 1756 and gone within three weeks, his property dealt with as routinely as any tenant's though his conduct had cost him his post. The passenger Plaisted stands out for the opposite reason, asserting he was no Company servant but a subject of Great Britain free to sail as he thought proper, the council acknowledging it could not compel a free man, the Company's writ stopping at the free Englishman. [Film No. 361–364, 376, 381, 358–359]

A small number of officers appear repeatedly in more than one capacity: John Clark as councillor, lieutenant and paymaster while also instructing the gunners and, privately, receiving Loving's lease; Thomas Hall as master gunner throughout without interruption; the storekeeper's office passing from Sterling Brooke through Matthew Purling, Matthew Burling and Matthew Gurling in turn. Captain Thomas Stevens of the Oxford brought the Court's packet and later supplied the governor's table from his own stores; Captain William Fernell of the Exeter, entangled in the council's business in several capacities in July 1756, typifies the visiting commander whose affairs became briefly bound up with the island's. [Film No. 70, 79, 2, 273, 373, 379, 391, 408, 425–426, 461]

Conclusion

Over these 14 months St Helena appears throughout as a small, tightly governed settlement whose whole existence turned on the ships calling at its road, its herds, yam grounds, store and garrison bent to feeding and refitting the East Indiamen homeward. A council of never more than three men combined executive, treasury, court and probate registry in one weekly meeting, governed a free population that could bargain through the vestry, held soldiers to a tariff of pay and discipline reckoned to the day, and drew its every plank, spirit and yard of cloth from a trade spanning India, China and Europe. Where independent ledgers converge on a single man or event, from a corporal's death to an adjutant's suspension, the reconstruction can be trusted with confidence. [Film No. 18, 41, 47, 210–259, 317, 325, 358]

The period was not without exceptional strain: a soldier presumed drowned; a flood in late June 1756 that buried thousands of yams and threw down houses and walls, drawing slaves and soldiers to the same urgent repair; an adjutant suspended for open defiance; a surgeon driven to attempt his own life amid scandal; a wider European war gathering the homeward fleet at anchor in unprecedented numbers. Through each the council's small, self-checking machinery of consultation, audit and correspondence with London continued to function. [Film No. 188–189, 416, 444, 361–364, 371–372, 392, 402]

The record's silences are as telling as its detail, true at the end of the period as at its start. Slaves surface only when whipped for a curfew, tried for selling arrack, entered among the plantation's births and deaths beside its calves and lambs, or ordered 30 at a time from Madras as one more article of supply; free black residents fell under much the same lash, colour and condition drawing the line of discipline more than legal status. The evidence throughout is the government's own account of itself: an orderly ledger of provision, punishment and profit, beneath which coerced labour and social division can be read only at the edges, in a curfew whipping, a stock return, or a line for whip-cord entered without remark among the garrison's stores. [Film No. 30, 35, 42, 60–109, 388, 405, 421, 456]

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Modern Interpretation and analysis

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EAP 1364 St Helena
Document Name and Date St Helena Records 1755-56
Photographer Peter
Date photographed 13 Dec 2021
Additional comments

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Book cover

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XXXVII.

2 June 1755 to 26 July 1756.

8 Sept. 1755. Rollers; fortifications injured

20 June. 56. Great damage to James' Valley by a flood

11 Octr 56. Channel of the Run diverted.
(next volume)

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1

Island of Helena.

At a Consultation held on Monday the 3d Day of June 1755 at the

Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Councill

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated the 26 of

May 1755.

Thursday the 29 May Died Thomas Lawrence Souldier

Friday the 30 Dō Sailed the French Ship called the East India Company

The Widow and Executrix of the late Martin Harper

this Day brought in an Inventory of his Effects appraised by Messr

Thomas Greentree, and Richard Bagley who being sworn that they valued

the same to the best of their judgment, and the Widow that she produced

every article belonging to the Deceased, it was ordered to be entered in the

Book for that purpose.

Bought of Captain Ward 4 [...] of Rice

at 8/. p hundred weight and 36 [...] of Paddy at 6/. p hundred for

the use of the Honorable Company

The

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 3 June 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 26 May 1755.

Thomas Lawrence, a soldier, died on Thursday 29 May. On Friday 30 May the French ship East India Company sailed.

The widow and executrix of the late Martin Harper brought in an inventory of his effects, appraised by Thomas Greentree and Richard Bagley. Both men swore that the valuation was accurate to the best of their judgement, and the widow swore that she had produced every article belonging to the deceased. The council ordered the inventory entered in the book kept for that purpose.

The council bought 74 [...] of rice from Captain Ward at 8s the hundredweight, and 36 [...] of paddy at 6s the hundredweight, for the use of the Company.

Interpretations

An inventory of a dead man's estate was appraised by two sworn valuers and confirmed on oath by the executrix before the council would accept it. This double oath, one to the accuracy of the valuation and one to the completeness of the disclosure, was the mechanism by which the council guarded against concealed assets and protected any creditors or heirs with a claim on the estate. Entering the document in a dedicated book gave it a permanent official record on the island, where probate could not readily be referred to England.

Paddy is rice still in the husk, unmilled and therefore storable for longer than cleaned rice. The council bought both the finished grain and the raw paddy from the same shipmaster, securing an immediate supply and a keeping stock at once.

11

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The Ten British Subjects mentioned in our

Letter of the 5 instant, taken out of the French Ship the East India

Company were put on board the Honorable Company's Ships the

York, and Colchester their Names are as follows Vizt

William Story

Stephen Chandler Put on board the

Daniel Lawson Ship York

Samuel Grozier

William Gregory

John Taylor

Neil Galbreath Put on board the

William Little John Ship Colchester

John Cook

William Smith

The Storekeeper brought in the following Account of

goods Short received from the Ships Lord Anson, and Elizabeth Vizt

Account of Stores Short received from the following

Ship Vizt

From Ship Lord Anson

1 Chest brandy Short delivered

2 Bowls

12 p Cups

3 half p Dō Broke

1 Sauce Boat

1 Meat Plate

1 Soup Plate

From Ship Elizabeth

as p invoice

2. 3. 1. Rice

1. 2. 10 Sugar Short Weight

Nō 1 Large brandy Gage 132 Gallo

want to fill 2 ck

Nō 2 Dō 131 Dō

want to fill 9

29

263

29

Recd 234 Gallons

(Signed)

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Sterling

Brook

The ten British subjects named in the council's letter of 3 June, taken out of the French ship East India Company, were placed aboard the Company ships York and Colchester. The following men were put aboard the York:

William Story

Stephen Chandler

Daniel Lawson

The following men were put aboard the Colchester:

Samuel Grozier

William Gregory

John Taylor

Neil Galbreath

William Little

John John

John Cook

William Smith

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods received short from the ships Lord Anson and Elizabeth.

From the Lord Anson, the following items were received broken:

1 chest brandy, short delivered

2 bowls

12 pattypans

3 half-pint dittos

1 sauce boat

1 meat plate

1 soup plate

From the Elizabeth, the following were received short in weight:

2 [...] 3 [...] rice

1 [...] 2 [...] 10 [...] sugar

No. 1 large French gauge, 132 gallons, wants to fill 2 [...]

No. 2 ditto, 131 [...], wants to fill 9 [...]

Total received, 263 [...], less 29

234 gallons

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark, and by the storekeeper, Sterling Brooke.

Interpretations

The ten men lifted off the French vessel were not held together but split between two separate Company ships, three to the York and seven to the Colchester. Dividing rescued or recovered British subjects across two hulls spread the burden of feeding and berthing them and reduced the risk that a single ship’s loss would strip the Company of the whole party.

A short-received account was the storekeeper's formal protection against being charged for goods that never reached the warehouse in full. By recording breakages from the Lord Anson and shortfalls in weight and measure from the Elizabeth at the point of receipt, and having the account signed by the whole council, he shifted responsibility for the deficiency back onto the carriage rather than the store.

The French gauges recorded against the Elizabeth's liquor were graduated measuring vessels used to check the true contents of casks. Each large gauge was rated to hold a set volume, and the note that one wanted a certain amount to fill showed the cask fell short of its marked capacity, the ordinary way of detecting ullage or leakage in a spirit shipment.

12

3

At a Consultation held on Monday the 9th Day of June 1755 at

the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governer

John Adamson Lieutenant Governer

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed dated the

2 of June 1755

Thursday the 5 Sailed the Honorable Companys Ships, the Lord Anson, True

Briton, York and Elizabeth for England

Mr John Goodwin Applyed to us, to pay eighty

five Pounds, into the Honorable Companys Cash, which Sum we have

received, and given him Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable the

Court of Directors, payable to himself or Order, ninety Days after sight

Dated this Day.

Mro Samuel Price likewise applyed to us, to pay thirty

six Pounds, fifteen Shillings into the Honorable Companys Cash, which

Sum we have received, and given him Bills of Exchange drawn on the

Honorable the Court of Directors, payable to himself, or Order, ninety

Days after sight Dated this Day.

Mro John Adamson, hath paid into the

Honorable Companys Cash, on Account of Augustine Bells Deceased the

Sum of two hundred Pounds, for which we have given him Bills of

Exchange, drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors, Payable to

himself, or Order, ninety Days after sight Dated this Day

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 9 June 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 2 June 1755.

On Thursday 5 June the Company ships Lord Anson, True Briton, York and Elizabeth sailed for England.

John Gedeon applied to the council to pay £85 0s 0d into the Company's cash. The council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated that day.

Samuel Price likewise applied to pay £36 15s 0d into the Company's cash. The council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated that day.

John Adamson paid £200 0s 0d into the Company's cash on account of the estate of the late Augustus Bell. The council gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated that day.

Interpretations

These three payments were the standard remittance mechanism by which private individuals moved money from St Helena to England without shipping coin. Cash was handed to the Company on the island, and in return the payer received a bill of exchange redeemable in London from the Court of Directors. The Company gained working funds on the spot, the payer avoided the risk of sending specie across the sea, and the ninety-day sight period gave the Directors time to verify each bill before honouring it.

The £200 0s 0d paid on account of the late Augustus Bell shows the same instrument used to settle a dead man's affairs, converting island assets of the estate into a claim payable to the administrator in England, where the deceased's creditors or heirs could be satisfied.

13

4

The Storekeeper brought in the following

Account of Goods Short received from Ship Colchester Vizt

Account of Stores short received from Ship

Colchester Vizt Dō & qrs ll

1. 1. 2 Sugar Short Weight

. . . 9 Rice

Nō 1 League Arrack Gage 133½ Gallons wants to fill 11 Gallons

2 Dō 134½ Dō 7 Dō

268 18

18

Received 250 Gallons

(Signed)

M Purling Storekr

Edward Grant one of the Soldiers

lately Dismissed from the Honorable Companys Service requested

that he might have the remainder of his contracted time, as did

likewise John Cripps who was on board, and should have gone upon

the Ship Elizabeth his name being in the List of Dismissed Men

permitted to take their passage, on that Ship, as p List of them

in our last Packet) which we agreed to, and had the Articles of

War read to them by the Adjutant

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods received short from the ship Colchester.

The following were received short in weight from the Colchester:

1 [...] 1 [...] 2 [...] sugar

[...] 9 [...] rice

No. 1 League Arrack gauge, 133½ gallons, wants to fill 11 gallons

No. 2 ditto, 134½ gallons, wants to fill 7 gallons

Total, 268 gallons, less 18

Received, 250 gallons

The account was signed by the storekeeper, Sterling Brooke.

Edward Grant, one of the soldiers lately dismissed from the Company's service, asked to serve out the remainder of his contracted time. John Crips, who was aboard and whose name appeared on the list of dismissed men, made the same request; he should have gone aboard the Elizabeth, since dismissed men were permitted to take their passage on that ship, as the list sent in the council's last packet showed. The council agreed to both requests and had the Articles of War read to the two men by the adjutant.

Interpretations

Two men already struck off the Company's rolls and cleared to sail home asked instead to finish out their original enlistments, and the council took them back rather than let scarce soldiers leave a thinly garrisoned island. Reading the Articles of War to them was the act that placed them back under military discipline: it was the formal re-enlistment, binding them once more to the code that governed pay, desertion and punishment, and without it their return to service would have carried no legal force.

The League Arrack gauges recorded against the Colchester were the graduated measures used to check the true contents of the arrack casks. Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in the East, commonly from palm sap or fermented rice and molasses, and shipped through the India trade. Each cask was rated to a set capacity, and the note of how many gallons it wanted to fill recorded the shortfall from leakage or ullage on the voyage, the deficiency the storekeeper refused to be charged for.

14

5

Mr James Powell maketh complaint that

John Veale the Armourer, abused him in a very gross manner on

Saturday last, in the Honorable Companys Stores, and among other

abusive expressions called him a Yam Stalk Son of a Bitch, which

the said Veale acknowledges he hid in a Passion, and having nothing

material to say in his excuse, we therefore fined the said Veale in the

Sum of twenty Shillings, to be paid into their Honors Cash.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

James Powell complained that John Veale, the armourer, had abused him in a very gross manner on Saturday last in the Company's stores. Among other abusive expressions, Veale called him a yam stalk son of a bitch. Veale acknowledged that he had said it in a passion and had nothing material to offer in his excuse. The council therefore fined him 20s, to be paid into the Company's cash. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The council sat here as a petty court of discipline, treating a burst of foul language in the Company's warehouse as a punishable offence rather than a private quarrel. Fining the armourer a full pound and directing the money into the Company's own cash shows how the governing body used its magisterial authority to keep order among the servants at their place of work, where insubordination and abuse threatened the discipline the small establishment depended on.

Veale's plea that he had spoken in a passion was heard as mitigation but did not excuse him; the council recorded that he had nothing material to say and imposed the fine regardless. The distinction drawn, between explaining the outburst and justifying it, marks the line the council held between provocation and lawful excuse.

15

6

At a Consultation held on Monday the 16th Day of June 1755

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved and signed Dated the

9 of June 1755

Wednesday the 11 Sailed the Honorable Company's Ship the Colchester for England

Enlisted Onesiphorus Bagley a Native

to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years without

any Bounty Money, and had the Articles of War read to him by the

Adjutant

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 16 June 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 9 June 1755.

On Wednesday 11 June the Company ship Colchester sailed for England.

Onesiphorus Bagley, a native of the island, enlisted to serve the Company as a soldier for five years without any bounty money. The adjutant read the Articles of War to him. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The enlistment of an island-born man as a soldier without bounty money marks how the garrison drew on the local population to fill its ranks. Bounty money was the cash inducement ordinarily paid to a recruit on signing, and its absence here suggests a native soldier was taken on cheaper terms than a man shipped from England, whose passage and inducement the Company would have had to fund. As with the two returning soldiers earlier in the month, reading the Articles of War was the act that bound Bagley under military law for the full five-year term.

16

7

At a Consultation held on Monday the 23d Day of June 1755 at

the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the 16

of June 1755

Monday the 16 Died Erasmus Purling Corporal

Dō Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Winchelsea and brought us

the following supply

Invoice p Ship Winchelsea

B A Batavia Arrack

Nō 6 6 Third Leagers as 2 Leagers at 125 p Leager 250

Batta 8 p Ct 20 270

W C Wax Candles

Nō 6 5 Chests of 10 Maunds at 15 p Maund 150

S F Sugar Fine

Nō 10 10 Bags of 23. 22 7. 4 p Dō 172 6 9

R F Rice Fine

Nō 40 40 Bags of 80 Brz Maunds at 40 p M 133 5 3

Batta 8 p Ct 10 120 144 2

1336 8 9

Charges Merchandize

90 Gunny Bags and Sowing 13 15

5 Chests and Package 12 8

Cooley hire 3 8

Boat hire 2 3 3

Iron 6 32 8 3

Current Rupees 1369 1

Errors Excepted

Signed W Cruttenden

Accompt

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 23 June 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 16 June 1755.

On Monday 16 June Erasmus Purling, a corporal, died.

The Company ship Winchelsea arrived and brought in the following supply, set out in the invoice below. All figures are in current rupees.

Batavia Arrack, mark BA, No. 1 to 6: 6 third-leaguers, being 2 leaguers, at 125 the leaguer, 250

Batavia Arrack, batta at 8 per cent, 20; total 270

Wax Candles, mark WC, No. 1 to 6: 5 chests of 10 maunds, at 15 the maund, 750

Sugar Fine, mark SF, No. 1 to 10: 10 bags of 23-22, 7-4 per bag, 172-6-9

Rice Fine, mark RF, No. 1 to 40: 40 bags of 80 baruth maunds, at 40 per maund, 133-5-3

Rice Fine, batta at 8 per cent, 10-12-0; total 144-2

Subtotal, 1,336-8-9

Charges Merchandise

90 gunny bags and sewing, 13-15

5 chests and package, 12-8

cooly hire, 3-8

boat hire, 2-3-3

iron, 6; total 32-8-3

Current Rupees, 1,369-1

The invoice was marked errors excepted and signed by the accountant, Cruttenden.

Interpretations

Batavia arrack was a strong spirit distilled at Batavia in Java from sugarcane molasses and fermented rice, prized above local arrack and carried through the Company's eastern trade for both drinking and punch. It was measured here by the leaguer, a large cask of roughly 150 gallons, the standard unit for shipping spirits in bulk.

Batta was a premium or exchange allowance added to the base price, here reckoned at eight per cent on the arrack and the rice. It reflected the difference between the money of account in which the goods were first valued and the current rupees in which the invoice was finally struck, so the whole account closed in a single common currency.

The maund and the baruth maund were Indian units of weight by which the candles, sugar and rice were reckoned; the maund varied by region, which is why the rice is tied to the baruth standard to fix its true quantity. The separate charges for gunny bags, packing chests, cooly hire, boat hire and iron were the handling and carriage costs of getting the cargo bagged, cased and lightered out to the ship, itemised so the island could see the landed cost built up on top of the goods themselves.

17

8

The Storekeeper brought in the following Account

of goods short received from Ship Winchelsea

Account of Stores Short Received from Ship

Winchelsea Vizt

Dō qrs ll

. 1. 21 Rice Short Weight

1. . 1 Sugar

Nō 1 Leagr Arrack Gage 131 want to fill 6 Gallons

2 Dō 134½ Dō 7½ Dō

265½ 13½

13½

Received 252 Gallons

Signed

M Purling Storekr

William Duston Soldier and a

Native Petitioned for his Discharge from the Garrison having

served the Honorable Company his Contracted Time

Granted

The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards

Accounts for the month ending the 11 instant were this Day

brought in which were examined and approved and are

as follows Vizt

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods received short from the ship Winchelsea.

The following were received short in weight from the Winchelsea:

[...] 1 [...] 21 [...] rice

1 [...] 1 [...] sugar

No. 1 large arrack gauge, 131 gallons, wants to fill 6 gallons

No. 2 ditto, 134½ gallons, wants to fill 7½ gallons

Total, 265½ gallons, less 13½

Received, 252 gallons

The account was signed by the storekeeper, Sterling Brooke.

William Duston, a soldier and a native of the island, petitioned for his discharge from the garrison, having served the Company his contracted time. The council granted it.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 June were brought in. The council examined and approved them, and they follow below.

Interpretations

The garrison released a native soldier the moment his contract expired, the mirror of the enlistment recorded a week earlier, showing that the same fixed-term engagement governed island-born men on both ends: bound for a set period under the Articles of War, then discharged as of right once the term was served. That Duston had to petition for the discharge, rather than simply walk away, marks how firmly military law held a man until the council formally released him.

The three sets of accounts brought in together, plantation, gunners and stewards, were the routine monthly reckoning of the island's main departments of expenditure, closed to a common cut-off date and laid before the council for audit. Requiring each to be examined and approved before it was entered was the ordinary check by which the governing body controlled the Company's spending on its own establishment.

18

9

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12 May to the 11 June 1755 Vizt

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Yearlings, Heifers, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Sheats, Piggs, Boars, Total, Turkeys, Fowels, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, Asses, Joshee, Total

Remaining 11: Bulls 6, Cows 86, Calves 45, Yearlings 27, Heifers 48, Steers 18, Bullocks 7, Oxen 14, Total 251, Ewes 256, Wethers 165, Lambs 144, Rams 7, Total 572, Ewes 194, Wethers 98, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 362, Sows 11, Sheats 9, Piggs 14, Boars 1, Total 35, Turkeys 60, Fowels 214, Ducks 33, Geese 19, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshee 3, Total 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 11, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 11, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 16, Rams 0, Total 16, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 0, Fowels 7, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 7, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshee 0, Total 0

Total: Bulls 6, Cows 86, Calves 56, Yearlings 27, Heifers 48, Steers 18, Bullocks 7, Oxen 14, Total 262, Ewes 256, Wethers 165, Lambs 160, Rams 7, Total 588, Ewes 194, Wethers 98, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 362, Sows 11, Sheats 9, Piggs 14, Boars 1, Total 35, Turkeys 60, Fowels 214, Ducks 40, Geese 19, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshee 3, Total 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Yearlings 6, Heifers 0, Steers 2, Bullocks 1, Oxen 0, Total 10, Ewes 2, Wethers 6, Lambs 4, Rams 0, Total 12, Ewes 1, Wethers 2, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 3, Sows 0, Sheats 1, Piggs 0, Boars 1, Total 1, Turkeys 4, Fowels 27, Ducks 9, Geese 3, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshee 0, Total 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 4, Rams 0, Total 4, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 1, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 5, Fowels 4, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshee 0, Total 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 0, Fowels 12, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshee 0, Total 0

Stole: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 8, Fowels 18, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshee 0, Total 0

Remaining 12: Bulls 6, Cows 85, Calves 56, Yearlings 21, Heifers 48, Steers 16, Bullocks 6, Oxen 14, Total 252, Ewes 254, Wethers 159, Lambs 152, Rams 7, Total 572, Ewes 193, Wethers 96, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 359, Sows 11, Sheats 8, Piggs 13, Boars 1, Total 33, Turkeys 43, Fowels 153, Ducks 31, Geese 16, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshee 3, Total 4

One Steer killed for the Table

One Dozen of Fowls to Mrs Clark

Beef to the Ships

Stafford 256

Lord Anson 560

Elizabeth 560

York 560

True Briton 560

Colchester 560

Yams Expended 25410

Refuse Yams Dō 9000

34410

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

John Adamson

This account of the Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock runs from 12 May to 11 June 1755.

Neat Cattle

Remaining 11 May: 6 bulls, 86 cows, 45 calves, 27 yearlings, 48 heifers, 18 steers, 7 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 251

Increased: 11 calves, total 11

Total: 6 bulls, 86 cows, 56 calves, 27 yearlings, 48 heifers, 18 steers, 7 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 262

Killed: 1 cow, 6 calves, 2 steers, 1 bullock, total 10

Died: 0

Sold: 0

Stole: 0

Remaining 12 June: 6 bulls, 85 cows, 56 calves, 21 yearlings, 48 heifers, 16 steers, 6 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 252

Sheep

Remaining 11 May: 256 ewes, 165 wethers, 144 lambs, 7 rams, total 572

Increased: 16 lambs, total 16

Total: 256 ewes, 165 wethers, 160 lambs, 7 rams, total 588

Killed: 2 ewes, 6 wethers, 4 lambs, total 12

Died: 4 lambs, total 4

Sold: 0

Stole: 0

Remaining 12 June: 254 ewes, 159 wethers, 152 lambs, 7 rams, total 572

Goats

Remaining 11 May: 194 ewes, 98 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 362

Increased: 0

Total: 194 ewes, 98 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 362

Killed: 1 ewe, 2 wethers, total 3

Died: 0

Sold: 0

Stole: 0

Remaining 12 June: 193 ewes, 96 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 359

Hogs

Remaining 11 May: 11 sows, 9 boars, 14 pigs, 1 barrow, total 35

Increased: 0

Total: 11 sows, 9 boars, 14 pigs, 1 barrow, total 35

Killed: 1 boar, 1 barrow, total 1

Died: 1 pig, total 1

Sold: 0

Stole: 0

Remaining 12 June: 11 sows, 8 boars, 13 pigs, 1 barrow, total 33

Poultry

Remaining 11 May: 60 turkeys, 214 fowls, 33 ducks, 19 geese

Increased: 7 fowls

Total: 60 turkeys, 214 fowls, 40 ducks, 19 geese

Killed: 4 turkeys, 27 fowls, 9 ducks, 3 geese

Died: 5 turkeys, 4 fowls, 1 duck

Sold: 12 fowls

Stole: 8 turkeys, 18 fowls

Remaining 12 June: 43 turkeys, 153 fowls, 31 ducks, 16 geese

Horses

Remaining 11 May: 6 horses, 7 mares, total 13

Remaining 12 June: 6 horses, 7 mares, total 13

Asses

Remaining 11 May: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Remaining 12 June: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Two entries were noted against the killings: one steer killed for the table, and one dozen fowls given to Mr Clark. Beef supplied to the ships was recorded as follows:

Stafford, 256

The Lord Anson, the Elizabeth, the York, the True Briton and the Colchester each received 560.

Yams expended, 25,410

Refuse yams, 9,000

Total, 34,410

The account was marked errors excepted and signed by John Adamson.

Interpretations

The largest single drain on the herds and flocks this month was the beef issued to the outbound fleet rather than anything consumed on the island itself. Six ships were victualled from the Company's stock, five of them taking 560 apiece and the Stafford 256, which is why the killings of cattle, sheep and poultry cluster in the same period the Lord Anson, Elizabeth, York, True Briton and Colchester were recorded sailing for England. Provisioning the East Indiamen for the long homeward passage was the standing purpose that St Helena's plantation stock chiefly served.

The poultry column tells a sharper story than the others: alongside ordinary killing and natural death, 26 birds were entered as stolen, 8 turkeys and 18 fowls. Theft on this scale, recorded openly in the audited account against no other class of stock, points to loose poultry being the easiest of the Company's livestock to carry off, and to pilfering from the yards being a persistent enough problem to warrant its own line in the reckoning.

Yams were the island's staple root crop and its chief substitute for bread, grown in bulk to feed both the garrison and the slaves and to help victual the ships. The separate entry of 9,000 refuse yams against 25,410 expended shows the council tracked spoilage as well as consumption, keeping account of what was lost to rot or waste rather than folding it silently into the total.

19

10

Gunners Stores Expended from 12 May to

11 of June 1755 Vizt

Guns Fired, 4 pr, 3 pr, 2 pr, 1 pr, Powder Expended

May the 18 Departed a Dean Ship: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 11 3

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

19 Arrived a French Ship: Guns Fired 11, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 11, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 11, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

22 An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

Powder for Priming to have returned the Salute: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

23 Arrived the Lord Anson: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

Arrived the Elizabeth: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

24 Dō for Dō at Prosperous Bay: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3. 0

A Double Alarm: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 3, 3 pr 3, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 3, Powder Expended 18. 0

Arrived the Colchester: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

25 Arrived the York: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

An Dō: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

26 Arrived the True Briton: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

31 Dō for Dō in order to have returned p Salute of p French Ship: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

June the 5 Departed the L Anson, T Briton, Elizabeth & York: Guns Fired 18, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 15, 2 pr 3, 1 pr 16. 8, Powder Expended [...]

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3. 0

10 Departed the Colchester: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

Dō to compleat the Cartridges at p Main Guard: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2. 4

Dō for the Funeral of Thō Lawrence: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2. 4

Dō for Signals: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3. 0

Total: Guns Fired 137, 4 pr 15, 3 pr 158, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 18, Powder Expended 2 0 0

This account of gunners stores expended runs from 12 May to 11 June 1755. The columns record the number of guns fired, the powder used at the 4-pounder, 3-pounder, 2-pounder and 1-pounder charges, and the powder expended in pounds and ounces.

18 May, departed a Dutch ship: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 11 pounds 3 ounces

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

An alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

19 May, arrived a French ship: 11 guns, 11 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 11 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

22 May, an alarm for a ship that went by: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

Powder for priming to have returned the salute: 1 pound 8 ounces

An alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

23 May, arrived the Lord Anson: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

An alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

Arrived the Elizabeth: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

24 May, powder for priming at Prosperous Bay: 3 pounds

A double alarm: 9 guns, 3 at the 4-pounder, 3 at the 3-pounder, 3 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 18 pounds

Arrived the Colchester: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

25 May, arrived the York: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

An alarm for a ship that went by: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

An alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

26 May, arrived the True Briton: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

31 May, powder for priming in order to have returned the salute of a French ship: 1 pound 8 ounces

On 5 June the Lord Anson, True Briton, Elizabeth and York departed, with 18 guns fired, 15 at the 3-pounder, 3 at the 2-pounder and powder expended of 16 pounds 8 ounces.

Powder for priming: 3 pounds

On 10 June the Colchester departed, with 9 guns fired, 9 at the 3-pounder and powder expended of 9 pounds.

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

Powder to complete the cartridges at the main guard: 2 pounds 4 ounces

Powder for the funeral of Thomas Lawrence: 2 pounds 4 ounces

Powder for signals: 3 pounds

Total: 137 guns, 15 at the 4-pounder, 15 at the 3-pounder, 89 at the 2-pounder, 18 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 210 pounds

Interpretations

The powder book records the cost, measured in gunpowder, of the fort's dual role as a saluting station and an alarm post through a month of heavy shipping. Arrivals and departures were marked by nine or eleven guns of ceremony, while every strange sail that passed touched off an alarm fired at mixed charges, the 4-, 3-, 2- and 1-pounder rounds that were the battery's way of signalling and standing to. The double alarm of 24 May and the repeated alarms for ships that merely went by show a garrison that treated any unidentified vessel as a possible threat and answered it with powder.

The entry for priming at Prosperous Bay marks the island's outlying lookout on its windward side, the point where an approaching ship would first be sighted; powder was sent there to answer signals from the fort. The two failed French salutes, on 22 and 31 May, where priming powder was drawn to return a salute that in the event was not returned, record the small diplomatic courtesies of the road, and the waste when a foreign ship did not complete the exchange.

The two-and-a-quarter pounds burned at the funeral of Thomas Lawrence show military honours accorded to a dead soldier, the same corporal recorded as dying on 29 May, the powder spent on ceremony for the garrison's own as readily as on saluting the Company's ships.

20

11

Paper for the use of the Castle

Paper for the use of the Castle 12r

Dō for making small Cartridges 12r

Spunges broke at Prosperous Bay 1

Handspikes broke at the main Fort 4

Tallow for greasing Gun Carriages at the Main Fort 6 ll

Dō for the Long Boat 3 ll

Match burnt at the Main Fort, Mundens, Ruports, and Bankses 24 ll

Bitts broke at the main Fort 3

Quoins broke at Dō 4

Dō at Sandy Bay 2

(Signed)

Thomas Hall

Sundrys Expended at the Table in the Month ending the 11 June 1755 Vizt

10 bottles Port Wine

£ 0 15 4½

24 Dō Lisbon

£ 1 15 6

10 Dō Madera

£ 2 5 3¾

25 Dō Mountain

£ 1 16 11¼

53 Dō Arrack

£ 1 5 10½

124 Dō Bier

£ 2 12 1½

411 lb Flour

£ 3 10 1½

280 lb Beef

£ 3 9 2

166 lb Mutton

£ 1 12 6

65 lb Pork

£ 2 0 0

4 Lambs

£ 0 8 3

3 p Salt Beef

£ 0 14 0

7 Dō Pork

£ 2 0 6

27 Fowls

£ 0 15 0

3 Geese

£ 0 13 6

9 Ducks

£ 1 0 0

4 Turkeys

£ 1 13 8

10 lb Candy

£ 1 10 9

30 lb Butter

£ 31 14 5½

The gunners account of stores expended continued with the following items.

Paper for the use of the Castle, 12 quires

Paper for making small cartridges, 12 quires

Sponges broke at Prosperous Bay, 1

Handspikes broke at the main fort, 4

Tallow for greasing gun carriages at the main fort, 6 pounds

Tallow for the long boat, 3 pounds

Match burnt at the main fort, Munden's, Rupert's and Bank's, 24 pounds

Bitts broke at the main fort, 3

Twine broke at the main fort, 4

Twine broke at Sandy Bay, 2

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

The following sundries were expended at the table in the month ending 11 June 1755.

10 bottles port wine, £0 15s 4½d

24 bottles Lisbon, £1 15s 6d

19 bottles Madeira, £2 5s 3¾d

25 bottles mountain, £1 16s 11¼d

53 bottles arrack, £1 15s 10½d

124 bottles beer, £1 5s 10d

41 pounds flour, £2 12s 1½d

280 pounds beef, £3 10s 1½d

166 pounds mutton, £3 9s 2d

65 pounds pork, £1 12s 6d

4 lambs, £2 0s 0d

3 pounds salt beef, £0 8s 3d

7 pounds salt pork, £0 14s 0d

27 fowls, £2 0s 6d

3 geese, £0 15s 0d

9 ducks, £0 13s 6d

4 turkeys, £1 0s 0d

10 pounds candy, £1 13s 8d

30 pounds butter, £1 10s 9d

Total, £31 14s 5½d

Interpretations

The two entries of match burnt name the island's outlying gun positions alongside the main fort: Munden's, the battery on the point guarding the north side of the anchorage, Rupert's, covering the valley and bay to the east, and Bank's, another of the coastal works. Match was the slow-burning cord kept lit to fire the guns, and its steady consumption across all these posts through a month of alarms shows the whole ring of batteries was manned and ready, not the main fort alone.

The table account is the household reckoning of the governor's table, the entertainment allowance by which the Company fed its senior servants and any officers and passengers off the ships. The heavy line of wines, port, Lisbon, Madeira and mountain, a sweet Malaga white, sitting beside the arrack and the 124 bottles of beer, reflects a month when six East Indiamen called and their commanders would have been received and dined at the Castle, the drink bill rising with the shipping in the road.

21

12

The Executors of the late Erasmus Purling, this

Day brought in his last Will, and Testaments, desiring the same might

be proved, which was accordingly done upon the Oaths of the Witnesses

thereto, the Will is as follows Vizt

In the Name of God Amen this

thirteenth Day of June one thousand seven hundred and fifty five I

Erasmus Purling of St Helena, in the service of the Honorable Company

Soldier being Sick, and Weak, of Body but of sound and perfect Mind

and Memory thanks to Almighty God, do make and appoint this my

last Will and Testament, that is to say first and principally I give

and recommend my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator

my Body to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian like and Decent

my Worldly Goods I give devise and dispose of in manner and form as

followeth

Imprimis After my Debts and Funeral Charges are fully paid, and

satisfied I give to my Godson, John (Son of Thomas Harper) the

Sum of ten Pounds

Item I Give to Sarah Vaughan the Sum of Seven Pounds

Item All the rest, and remainder of my Estate I give to Thomas

Harper, in whose House I dwell, as a compensation of the trouble

I give him in my Sickness

Lastly I Nominate and Appoint my good friends the said Thomas

Harper, and his Brother Richard Harper Executors to this my

Will, Revoking all former Will or Wills, Ratifying and

confirming this to be my last Will and Testament

Signed Sealed and Declaird to be the

last Will of him the said Erasmus

Purling in the presence of us.

(Signed) John Sull

Richard Beale

(Signed)

Erasmus Purling

The executors of the late Erasmus Purling brought in his last will and testament, asking that it be proved. The council proved it upon the oaths of the witnesses. The will ran as follows.

Erasmus Purling of St Helena, a soldier in the Company's service, made his will on 13 June 1755. He described himself as sick and weak in body but of sound mind and memory. He committed his soul to God and directed that his body be buried in a Christian and decent manner, and he then disposed of his worldly goods.

After his debts and funeral charges were paid, he left £10 0s 0d to his godson John, the son of Thomas Harper.

He left £7 0s 0d to Sarah Vaughan.

He left all the rest and remainder of his estate to Thomas Harper, in whose house he lived, as compensation for the trouble he caused him during his sickness.

He named Thomas Harper and his brother Richard Harper executors of the will, revoking all former wills and confirming this as his last. Erasmus Purling signed the will with his mark, and it was witnessed by John Sull and Richard Beale.

Interpretations

The will turns on the residuary gift to Thomas Harper, made expressly to compensate the man in whose house the dying soldier lodged for the trouble of nursing him through his final sickness. This was the mechanism by which a soldier with no household of his own settled the debt of care he had incurred: the whole of the estate, after two small legacies, passed to his landlord and nurse rather than to kin, and naming Harper and his brother as executors put the same family in charge of carrying the will out.

Purling signed by mark rather than signature, the ordinary sign that a common soldier could not write, yet the estate was substantial enough to carry a £10 legacy, a £7 legacy and a residue worth having. The proving of the will on the witnesses oaths before the council was the island's substitute for an ecclesiastical probate court, the governing body again performing a legal function that in England lay elsewhere.

22

13

The Governor acquainted the Gentlemen of the

Council that he having reason to believe the present Crane was in very

bad order, he therefore Directed Mr Bland, and the Master Carpenter to

survey it, and give him their opinions of it, which they accordingly did, by

the following report, and as it appeared to be in so bad a condition as to require

a new one, he Directed them to make p Draft of it, which we approved of,

and agreed to transmit it to the Honorable the Court of Directors

Island St Helena 23d of June 1755

Sir

According to your order we have been, and

Surveyed the Crane, and find the Timber, in General so much Decayed that in

our Opinions it will Hardly stand another year, so that we think it absolutely

Necessary to have one Intirely built new According to a Design that shall

be laid before you for that purpose.

(Signed)

John Bland

Thomas Levinz

Joseph Uffin, one of the Soldiers lately

Deismissed from the Honorable Companys Service requested on the 18 instant

that he might serve the remainder of his contracted Time, which we agreed to

and had the Articles of War read to him by the Adjutant.

The following are the Account Sales, and

Account Currant with the Emstate of the Late John Hensford Deceased

The Governor told the council that he had reason to believe the crane was in very bad order. He directed Mr Bland and the master carpenter to survey it and give their opinion, which they did in the report below. Since the crane appeared to be in so bad a condition as to require a new one, the Governor directed them to make a draft of it. The council approved the draft and agreed to send it to the Court of Directors.

At St Helena on 23 June 1755, Bland and the carpenter reported that they had surveyed the crane as ordered and found the timber in general so much decayed that in their opinion it would hardly stand another year. They thought it absolutely necessary to have one built entirely new, to a design to be laid before the council for that purpose. The report was signed by John Bland and Thomas Levinz.

Joseph Uffen, one of the soldiers lately dismissed from the Company's service, asked on 18 June to serve out the remainder of his contracted time. The council agreed, and the adjutant read the Articles of War to him.

The following are the account sales and account current with the estate of the late John Hensford.

Interpretations

The crane in question was the machine at the landing place by which cargo was hoisted between the boats in the road and the shore, the single point through which all the island's imports and exports passed. That the Governor moved on a mere belief that it was failing, ordering a survey and then a replacement design in one sitting, reflects how critical the landing crane was to an island wholly dependent on sea-borne supply; a collapse would have severed the flow of goods to and from every calling ship.

Referring the replacement to the Court of Directors by sending a drawn design shows the limit of the Governor's authority over capital works. He could survey, condemn and design, but building a wholly new crane was expenditure that required London's sanction, so the island prepared the plan and waited on approval rather than proceeding on its own account.

Joseph Uffen is the third dismissed soldier in a month to ask to serve out his time and be taken back under the Articles of War, following Edward Grant and John Crips. The recurrence points to a steady reluctance to let discharged men leave, and perhaps to the men themselves finding the island's service preferable to an uncertain passage home and whatever awaited them in England.

23

14

Account Sales of the effects of the late John

Hensford, Sold at Public Auction the 21 Day of June 1755 Vizt

1 pr Satramals Handhercheifs

£ 0 15 0

1 Blue Coato Solomon Jacobs

£ 0 4 0

1 Nankeen Waistcoat

£ 0 2 6

Total

£ 1 1 6

John Hensford Deceased Dr Per Contra Cr

1755

June 21 To 2 Deals for his Coffin

£ 0 6 2¼

To Account of Solomon Jacobs for

Lodging and Diet

£ 0 12 0

To the Chaplain and Sexton

for Burial fees

£ 0 13 6

£ 1 11 8¼

1755

June 21 By Account Sales

£ 1 1 6

By Ballance

£ 0 10 2¼

£ 1 11 8¼

Lieutenant John Clark reports

that he has been on board the Ship Winchelsea to Muster her

Company and enquire for Deserters but found none her Muster

Rolls is as follows Vizt

The effects of the late John Hensford were sold at public auction on 21 June 1755, as follows.

1 pair Sattramal handkerchiefs, £0 0s 15d

1 blue coat, £0 0s 4d

1 nankeen waistcoat, £0 2s 6d

Total, £1 1s 6d

All three lots were bought by Solomon Jacobs.

The estate of John Hensford was charged and credited as follows.

21 June, 2 deals for his coffin, £0 6s 2½d

Account of Solomon Jacobs for lodging and diet, £0 12s 0d

The chaplain and sexton for burial fees, £0 1s 3d

Total, £1 1s 8½d

21 June, by account sales, £1 1s 6d

By balance, £0 0s 10½d

Total, £1 1s 8½d

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship Winchelsea to muster her company and enquire for deserters, but found none. Her muster roll follows.

Interpretations

The Hensford account shows the island's procedure for closing out a dead servant's affairs settled to the last halfpenny. His few clothes were sold at public auction, the proceeds set against the costs of his coffin, his lodging and diet, and the burial fees due to the chaplain and sexton, leaving a balance of tenpence halfpenny. The whole worldly estate of the man barely covered his own funeral, and the same Solomon Jacobs who had housed and fed him bought up his effects, recovering part of what the estate owed him through the auction.

The muster of the Winchelsea's company was the routine check for deserters that the island ran on calling ships. An East Indiaman in the road was an opportunity for a discontented soldier or servant to slip aboard and work a passage away, so an officer went out to count the crew against her roll and satisfy the council that no absconder from the garrison had taken refuge among them.

24

15

Muster Roll of Ship Winchelsea

Christopher Baron Commander

John Quin 1 Mate

Moses Baker 2 Dō

Patrick Ingles 3 Dō

Francis Archer 4 Dō

S Quinlin Perkins 5 Dō

John Bickley Surgeon

John Gordon Purser

Robert Ross Madshipman

David Arthur Dō

Francis Hayter Dō

Ralph Sample Dō

Josiah Hindman Dō

William Budsworth Dō

Charles Portis Dō

David Blair Gunner

Jocel Philleps Carpenter

Walter Gaul Bochswain

Ambrose Gudier Surgeons mate

Eugene Anderson 2 Master

David Brown Dō

James Bacon Dō

Joseph Bush Dō

John Moore Ships Steward

Henry Snjer Capt Dō

William Robbins Caulker

William Watheson Cooper

John Parker Armourer

Joseph Thompson Butcher

Thomas Cadwood Snjper

Simon Simpson Gunner's Mate

Thomas Everdit Snjplor

John Peteson Selman

Bernal Silva Dō

Domingo Roderego Dō

Pedro Roderego Dō

John Ferdison Barber

George Simpson Capt Cooke

Benj Bryan Ships Dō

John Ferrol Brulterer

Charles McNeil

Peter Sonneraux Ships Servants

Wm Bradshaw

George Butler Dō

Sam Philleps Mate Dō

Bob Carr

Wm Hillis 2 Dō

John Sutherland 3 Dō Dō

Jams Watson Boat Dō

Rob Mattingly Carp Dō

Nicholas Blech Surgeon's Dō

Ralph Tickle

John Barstard Bratswains Mates

Frances Goodfield Seaman

Henry Birch Dō

Rich Setters Dō

Wm Bruce Dō

John Doth Dō

Henay Senclair Dō

Josp M Nelson Dō

John Garnalt Dō

John Richardson Dō

Joseph Glaspier Dō

Thō Mitchelson Dō

Rob Craugls Dō

Henry Sergeat Dō

John Clayborne Dō

George Sheepse Dō

Wm Seston Dō

Thō Colton Dō

David Prichards Dō

Frances Beawson Dō

Adam Bustell Dō

John Wilson Dō

Thō Brown Dō

John Marty Dō

Antonio de Sepes Dō

Manuel de Costa Dō

John Gō Bryan Dō

Christ Murrock Dō

Diego de Rosa Seaman

Richard Wather Dō

Andrew Fox Dō

Sebrun Cornelius Dō

Jasper Dock Dō

Daniel Smith Dō

Jeremial Donavan Dō

Henry Sull Dō

Thomas Snjur Dō

James Price Dō

Sermonand Journand

Joseph Simmonds Coopers Mate

Soul Haw Serang

Sel Haw 1 Tindall

Naw Sock 2 Dō

Snjelan Lascear

Aulraso Dō

Su Dō

Mozela Dō

Donnaw Dō

Mahomat Dō

Ryasem Dō

Sujeup Dō

Mundy Dō

Andrew Dō

Monegue Dō

Abraham Dō

Ramaul Dō

Sujer Dō

Slenmaut Dō

Passengers

Mr Cooke & his Lady

Mr Dampier & his Dō

Mr Creston

Mr Johnson

Mr Pelham

George Hissey

Donald Campbell

Lewis Children

George Christian Sholder

Mr Dampiers Servants

Bombaye, Nicholas &

Pedro Mr Dampieres Servants

The muster roll of the ship Winchelsea ran as follows.

Christopher Baron, commander

John Quin, first mate

Moses Baker, second mate

Patrick Ingles, third mate

Francis Archer, fourth mate

S Quinlin Perkins, fifth mate

John Beckley, surgeon

John Gordon, purser

Robert Ross, midshipman

David Arthur, midshipman

Francis Hayter, midshipman

Ralph Sample, midshipman

Josiah Hindman, midshipman

William Budsworth, midshipman

Charles Portis, midshipman

David Blair, gunner

Jacob Phillips, carpenter

Walter Gaul, boatswain

Ambrose Guder, surgeon's mate

Eugene Anderson, second master

David Brown, second master

James Baron, second master

Joseph Bush, second master

John Moore, ship's steward

Henry Snyer, captain

William Robbins, caulker

William Watheson, cooper

John Parker, armourer

Joseph Thompson, butcher

Thomas Cadwood, joiner

Simon Simpson, gunner's mate

Thomas Everdit, taylor

John Peterson, seedsman

Bernal Silva, seedsman

Domingo Naderego, seedsman

Pedro Anderego, seedsman

John Ferdison, barber

George Simpson, captain's cook

Benjamin Bryan, ship's cook

John Ferrol, brewer

Charles McNeil, captain's servant

Peter Sonnerain, captain's servant

William Bradshaw, captain's servant

George Butler, captain's servant

Sam Phillips, mate

Bob Carr, second mate

William Hillis, third mate

John Sutherland, third mate

James Watson, boat

Rob Mattingly, carpenter

Nicholas Blech, surgeon's mate

Ralph Sickla, boatswain's mate

John Barstard, boatswain's mate

Frances Goodfield, seaman

Henry Birch, seaman

Rich Setters, seaman

William Bruce, seaman

John Doth, seaman

Henry Sinclair, seaman

Joseph Nelson, seaman

John Garnalt, seaman

John Richardson, seaman

Joseph Glaysier, seaman

Thomas Mitchelson, seaman

Rob Craugla, seaman

Henry Sergeant, seaman

John Clayborne, seaman

George Streese, seaman

William Suston, seaman

Thomas Colton, seaman

David Prichards, seaman

Frances Bawson, seaman

Adam Bustell, seaman

John Wilson, seaman

Thomas Brown, seaman

John Martin, seaman

Antonio de Lopes, seaman

Manuel de Costa, seaman

John O'Bryan, seaman

Christ Marrick, seaman

Diego de Rosa, seaman

Richard Wather, seaman

Andrew Fox, seaman

Sebrun Cornelius, seaman

Jasper Book, seaman

Daniel Smith, seaman

Jeremial Dennman, seaman

Henry Sull, seaman

Thomas Sngin, seaman

James Price, seaman

Fermenando Journand, seaman

Joseph Simmonds, cooper's mate

Soul Haw, serang

Sale Haw, tindall

Braw Sack, tindall

Sivelau, lascar

Aulnasp, lascar

Sedim, lascar

Mozela, lascar

Domnair, lascar

Mahomat, lascar

Ayasem, lascar

Sgeup, lascar

Mundy, lascar

Andrew, lascar

Monegue, lascar

Abraham, lascar

Ramaul, lascar

Sayen, lascar

Slenmaut, lascar

Passengers

Mr Cooke and his lady

Mr Dampier and his lady

Mr Preston

Mr Johnson

Mr Pelham

George Hussey

Donald Campbell

Lewis, child

George Christian, holder

Mr Dampier's servants: Pombryse, Nicholas and Pedro

Pedro, Mr Dampier's servant

Interpretations

The roll shows how a single East Indiaman drew its crew from across the maritime world of the trade. Alongside the British officers and seamen sit a body of Portuguese and Goan hands, the seedsmen with Iberian names and the seamen named de Lopes, de Costa and de Rosa, and a whole gang of Indian lascars under their own petty officers, a serang as their headman and tindals as his mates. The lascars, hired at the eastern ports for the run home, were the ordinary way the Company manned its ships when European sailors fell short, and they messed and worked as a distinct body under their own leadership.

The passenger list marks the ship as a carrier of the trade's people as well as its cargo. Two gentlemen travelled with their wives, others alone, and one party brought children and its own servants, including Indian servants named among the household. These were Company men and their families moving between England and the East, the human traffic that the returning Indiamen carried alongside the arrack, sugar and rice.

25

16

List of Cattle returned by the Planters for Slaughter, for the Market for the

Planters Names, Number of Stocks, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter, Killed for the Market, Mongort, Prince Edward, Sandwich, Winchester, Grantham, Warwick, Exeter, Effex, Norfolk, Pemafooligusha, Suffolk, Onslow, Lord Anson, Elizabeth, Colchester, York, True Briton, Winchelsea

Fran Wrangham Sen: Number of Stocks 127, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 50, Killed for the Market 6, Mongort 3, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 1, Winchester 1, Grantham 1, Warwick 0, Exeter 4, Effex 2, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 1, Onslow 2, Lord Anson 2, Elizabeth 2, Colchester 1, York 6, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 2

Samuel Doveton's Orp: Number of Stocks 86, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 30, Killed for the Market 3, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 2, Winchester 0, Grantham 2, Warwick 0, Exeter 1, Effex 1, Norfolk 3, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 2, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 2, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

John Clark: Number of Stocks 85, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 34, Killed for the Market 4, Mongort 1, Prince Edward 2, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 1, Warwick 0, Exeter 2, Effex 3, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 5, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 2, York 1, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Matthew Purling: Number of Stocks 75, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 31, Killed for the Market 3, Mongort 1, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 1, Winchester 1, Grantham 1, Warwick 0, Exeter 1, Effex 2, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 2, York 0, True Briton 4, Winchelsea 1

Thomas Greentree: Number of Stocks 67, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 23, Killed for the Market 2, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 2, Grantham 1, Warwick 0, Exeter 3, Effex 1, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 1, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 2, York 1, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

Richard Bagley: Number of Stocks 65, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 30, Killed for the Market 2, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 2, Grantham 2, Warwick 0, Exeter 3, Effex 0, Norfolk 2, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 1, York 4, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 3

John Desfountain: Number of Stocks 43, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 11, Killed for the Market 2, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 1, Warwick 1, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 1, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 1, York 1, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Matthew Bazett: Number of Stocks 41, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 14, Killed for the Market 2, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 1, Grantham 0, Warwick 1, Exeter 0, Effex 1, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 1, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 1, Elizabeth 2, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

John Bazett's Orp: Number of Stocks 40, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 12, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 1, Grantham 0, Warwick 1, Exeter 1, Effex 0, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 1, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

James Greentree: Number of Stocks 37, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 3, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

William Young: Number of Stocks 35, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 12, Killed for the Market 2, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 1, Warwick 1, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 1, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 1, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 2, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

John Doveton: Number of Stocks 32, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 6, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 2, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

John Alexander: Number of Stocks 30, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 7, Killed for the Market 2, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 1, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Charles Steward: Number of Stocks 30, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 9, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 2, Exeter 0, Effex 1, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 1, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Fran Wrangham Jun: Number of Stocks 29, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 12, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 1, Grantham 0, Warwick 1, Exeter 1, Effex 0, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 2, Lord Anson 1, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

John Goodwin: Number of Stocks 28, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 10, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 1, Warwick 0, Exeter 1, Effex 0, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 2, York 1, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

Thomas Cotgrave: Number of Stocks 28, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 6, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 2, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 0, York 1, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Martin Harper's Orp: Number of Stocks 27, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 8, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 1, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 1, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 1, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

John Swaits Orp: Number of Stocks 27, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 6, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 1, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 1, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Sam Alexander: Number of Stocks 22, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 8, Killed for the Market 1, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 1, Warwick 0, Exeter 1, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 1, True Briton 1, Winchelsea 0

Richard Beale: Number of Stocks 22, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 7, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 1, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

Isaac Doveton: Number of Stocks 22, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 5, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 1, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Francis Mowatt: Number of Stocks 19, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 2, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

Thomas Kirkpatrick: Number of Stocks 18, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 3, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Gabriel Harper's Orp: Number of Stocks 18, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 5, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

Samuel Knipe: Number of Stocks 17, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 4, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 1, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 1, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 1

Benjamin Mason: Number of Stocks 17, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 6, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 2, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 1, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 1, Winchelsea 0

Rich Mason's Orp: Number of Stocks 13, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 2, Killed for the Market 0, Mongort 0, Prince Edward 0, Sandwich 0, Winchester 0, Grantham 0, Warwick 0, Exeter 0, Effex 0, Norfolk 0, Pemafooligusha 0, Suffolk 0, Onslow 0, Lord Anson 0, Elizabeth 0, Colchester 0, York 0, True Briton 0, Winchelsea 0

Total: Number of Stocks 1100, Number of Cattle returned for Slaughter 356, Killed for the Market 38, Mongort 5, Prince Edward 2, Sandwich 4, Winchester 9, Grantham 12, Warwick 5, Exeter 27, Effex 11, Norfolk 13, Pemafooligusha 7, Suffolk 8, Onslow 7, Lord Anson 17, Elizabeth 12, Colchester 14, York 18, True Briton 9, Winchelsea 16

This list records cattle returned by the planters for slaughter, both for the market and for sale to the Company's ships. Each row gives the planter, the number of stocks held, the number of cattle returned for slaughter, the number killed for the market, and the numbers sold to each named ship: the Montfort, Prince Edward, Sandwich, Ilchester, Grantham, Warwick, Exeter, Effex, Norfolk, Pomafookeegusha, Drayton, Onslow, Lord Anson, Elizabeth, Colchester, York, True Briton and Winchelsea.

Francis Wrangham senior, 127 stocks, 50 returned for slaughter, 6 killed for the market

The Montfort took 3, the Prince Edward 0, the Sandwich 1, the Ilchester 1, the Grantham 1, the Warwick 0, the Exeter 4, the Effex 2, the Norfolk 1, the Pomafookeegusha 1, the Drayton 1, the Onslow 2, the Lord Anson 2, the Elizabeth 2, the Colchester 1, the York 6, the True Briton 0 and the Winchelsea 2.

Samuel Doveton's orphans, 86 stocks, 30 returned for slaughter, 3 killed for the market

The Sandwich took 2, the Grantham 2, the Exeter 1, the Effex 1, the Norfolk 3, the Pomafookeegusha 1, the Elizabeth 2, the Colchester 1, the York 2 and the Winchelsea 1.

John Clark, 85 stocks, 34 returned for slaughter, 4 killed for the market

The Montfort took 1, the Prince Edward 2, the Grantham 1, the Exeter 2, the Effex 3, the Norfolk 1, the Drayton 1, the Elizabeth 5, the Colchester 1, the York 2 and the True Briton 1.

Matthew Purling, 75 stocks, 31 returned for slaughter, 3 killed for the market

The Montfort took 1, the Sandwich 1, the Ilchester 1, the Grantham 1, the Exeter 1, the Effex 2, the Norfolk 1, the Drayton 1, the Colchester 2, the True Briton 4 and the Winchelsea 1.

Thomas Greentree, 67 stocks, 23 returned for slaughter, 2 killed for the market

The Ilchester took 2, the Grantham 1, the Exeter 3, the Norfolk 1, the Onslow 1, the Elizabeth 1, the Colchester 2, the York 1 and the Winchelsea 1.

Richard Bagley, 65 stocks, 30 returned for slaughter, 2 killed for the market

The Ilchester took 2, the Grantham 2, the Exeter 3, the Norfolk 2, the Onslow 1, the Elizabeth 1, the Colchester 1, the York 4 and the Winchelsea 3.

John Desfountain, 43 stocks, 11 returned for slaughter, 2 killed for the market

The Grantham took 1, the Warwick 1, the Onslow 1, the York 1 and the True Briton 1.

Matthew Bazett, 41 stocks, 14 returned for slaughter, 2 killed for the market

The Grantham took 1, the Exeter 1, the Onslow 1, the Elizabeth 1, the Colchester 2 and the Winchelsea 1.

John Bazett's orphans, 40 stocks, 12 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Grantham took 1, the Warwick 1, the Exeter 1, the Norfolk 1 and the Onslow 1.

James Greentree, 37 stocks, 3 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

No cattle were sold to the ships.

William Young, 35 stocks, 12 returned for slaughter, 2 killed for the market

The Grantham took 1, the Warwick 1, the Drayton 1, the Onslow 1, the Lord Anson 1 and the Colchester 2.

John Doveton, 32 stocks, 6 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Warwick took 2.

John Alexander, 30 stocks, 7 returned for slaughter, 2 killed for the market

The Norfolk took 1, the Pomafookeegusha 1 and the Drayton 1.

Charles Steward, 30 stocks, 9 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Warwick took 2, the Norfolk 1 and the York 1.

Francis Wrangham junior, 29 stocks, 12 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Ilchester took 1, the Exeter 1, the Effex 1, the Norfolk 1, the Onslow 2, the Lord Anson 1 and the Winchelsea 1.

John Goodwin, 28 stocks, 10 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Grantham took 1, the Exeter 1, the Effex 1, the Colchester 2, the York 1 and the Winchelsea 1.

Thomas Cotgrave, 28 stocks, 6 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Warwick took 2, the Onslow 1 and the York 1.

Martin Harper's orphans, 27 stocks, 8 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Exeter took 1, the Onslow 1 and the Colchester 1.

John Swaits' orphans, 27 stocks, 6 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Exeter took 1 and the Colchester 1.

Samuel Alexander, 22 stocks, 8 returned for slaughter, 1 killed for the market

The Exeter took 1, the Effex 1, the Colchester 1 and the York 1.

Richard Beale, 22 stocks, 7 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Effex took 1 and the Winchelsea 1.

Isaac Doveton, 22 stocks, 5 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Onslow took 1.

Francis Mowatt, 19 stocks, 2 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Winchelsea took 1.

Thomas Kirkpatrick, 18 stocks, 3 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Elizabeth took 1.

Gabriel Harper's orphans, 18 stocks, 5 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Onslow took 1 and the Winchelsea 1.

Samuel Knipe, 17 stocks, 4 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Onslow took 1 and the York 1.

Benjamin Mason, 17 stocks, 6 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

The Warwick took 2, the Lord Anson 1 and the York 1.

Richard Mason's orphans, 13 stocks, 2 returned for slaughter, 0 killed for the market

No cattle were sold to the ships.

Total, 1,100 stocks, 356 returned for slaughter, 38 killed for the market

The Montfort took 5, the Prince Edward 2, the Sandwich 4, the Ilchester 9, the Grantham 12, the Warwick 5, the Exeter 27, the Effex 11, the Norfolk 13, the Pomafookeegusha 7, the Drayton 8, the Onslow 7, the Lord Anson 17, the Elizabeth 12, the Colchester 14, the York 18, the True Briton 9 and the Winchelsea 16.

Interpretations

The list is the register of the island's forced-sale system for beef, the mechanism by which the Company drew its ships' provisions from the planters' private herds. Each landholder was assessed on the number of stocks he ran, returned a set number for slaughter, and saw most of them channelled not to the local market but to the East Indiamen in the road. Only 38 of the 356 beasts went to the market against 318 spread across eighteen ships, which shows the planters' cattle existed first to victual the fleet and only secondarily to feed the island.

The assessment fell in rough proportion to holdings, the largest herds returning the most: Francis Wrangham senior with 127 stocks returned 50, while men with a dozen or so beasts returned two or three. This graduation shows a deliberate levy scaled to capacity rather than a free market, the council apportioning the burden of supply so that no single planter was stripped while the small holders contributed their share.

The concentration of purchases on a few ships, the Exeter taking 27, the York 18, the Lord Anson 17 and the Winchelsea 16, reflects the differing appetites of vessels bound on long voyages, the largest buyers presumably those with the most mouths to feed or the furthest to sail before fresh meat could be had again.

26

17

Honorable Companys, and for Foreign Ships in the Year 1755 Vizt

Total, Princess Louisa & Jane, East India Companys London, Total

Fran Wrangham Sen: Total 36, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 3, Total 4

Samuel Doveton's Orp: Total 19, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 2, Total 3

John Clark: Total 24, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 3, Total 4

Matthew Purling: Total 20, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 3, Total 4

Thomas Greentree: Total 16, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 1, Total 2

Richard Bagley: Total 21, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 1, Total 2

John Desfountain: Total 8, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Matthew Bazett: Total 10, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 0, Total 1

John Bazett's Orp: Total 6, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 1, Total 2

James Greentree: Total 1, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

William Young: Total 9, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

John Doveton: Total 3, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

John Alexander: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

Charles Steward: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Fran Wrangham Jun: Total 9, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

John Goodwin: Total 3, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Thomas Cotgrave: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

Martin Harper's Orp: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

John Swaits Orp: Total 9, Princess Louisa & Jane 1, East India Companys London 0, Total 1

Sam Alexander: Total 8, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Richard Beale: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

Isaac Doveton: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Francis Mowatt: Total 3, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Thomas Kirkpatrick: Total 5, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Gabriel Harper's Orp: Total 3, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Samuel Knipe: Total 1, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

Benjamin Mason: Total 1, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

Rich Mason's Orp: Total 1, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

2 Total 2, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 1, Total 1

3 Total 3, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

4 Total 4, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

1 Total 1, Princess Louisa & Jane 0, East India Companys London 0, Total 0

Total: Total 234, Princess Louisa & Jane 9, East India Companys London 25, Total 34

These are the right-hand columns of the same list of cattle returned by the planters, recording the total sold to the Company's ships and the numbers sold to the two foreign vessels in the road in 1755, the Princeça Louisa and the French East India Company, with their own total. The rows follow the same planters as before.

Francis Wrangham senior, total to the Company 36; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 3, foreign total 4

Samuel Doveton's orphans, total to the Company 19; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 2, foreign total 3

John Clark, total to the Company 24; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 3, foreign total 4

Matthew Purling, total to the Company 20; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 3, foreign total 4

Thomas Greentree, total to the Company 16; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 1, foreign total 2

Richard Bagley, total to the Company 21; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 1, foreign total 2

John Desfountain, total to the Company 8; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Matthew Bazett, total to the Company 10; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 0, foreign total 1

John Bazett's orphans, total to the Company 6; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 1, foreign total 2

James Greentree, total to the Company 1; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

William Young, total to the Company 9; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

John Doveton, total to the Company 3; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

John Alexander, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Charles Steward, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Francis Wrangham junior, total to the Company 9; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

John Goodwin, total to the Company 3; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Thomas Cotgrave, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Martin Harper's orphans, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

John Swaits' orphans, total to the Company 9; Princeça Louisa 1, East India Company 0, foreign total 1

Samuel Alexander, total to the Company 8; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Richard Beale, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Isaac Doveton, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Francis Mowatt, total to the Company 3; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Thomas Kirkpatrick, total to the Company 5; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Gabriel Harper's orphans, total to the Company 3; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Samuel Knipe, total to the Company 1; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Benjamin Mason, total to the Company 1; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Richard Mason's orphans, total to the Company 1; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Additional row, total to the Company 2; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 1, foreign total 1

Additional row, total to the Company 3; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Additional row, total to the Company 4; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Additional row, total to the Company 1; Princeça Louisa 0, East India Company 0, foreign total 0

Total, to the Company 234; Princeça Louisa 9, East India Company 25, foreign total 34

Interpretations

The foreign columns show the island selling its cattle to passing outsiders as well as to the Company's own fleet, but on a small and controlled scale. Against 234 beasts taken by the Company, only 34 went to the two foreign ships together, a Portuguese vessel and a French East Indiaman, and the sales were spread thinly, most planters parting with a single animal to a foreigner and many with none. The disparity marks where the council's priorities lay: the Company's ships were served first and fully, and foreign vessels were accommodated only with the surplus.

That the French East India Company took 25 head against the Princeça Louisa's 9 shows the larger appetite of a homeward-bound Indiaman over a smaller vessel, the same pattern of the biggest ships buying the most that governed the Company's own purchases. The willingness to victual a French ship at all, in a period of mounting Anglo-French tension in the East, reflects the ordinary courtesies of a mid-ocean watering place, where any calling ship could revictual regardless of flag.

27

18

Mro John Clark requested to Pay forty Pounds into

the Honorable Companys Cash, we received it, and have given him

Bills of Exchange Drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors

Payable to himself or Order, ninety Days after sight Dated this

Day.

Mro Thomas Cooke applyed to us for liberty to

Pay into the Honorable Companys Cash Sixty four Pounds, we

received it, and have given him Bills of Exchange Drawn on the

Honorable the Court of Directors Payable to himself or Order, ninety

Days after sight, Dated this Day.

Mro Thomas Kirkpatrick applyed to us for

liberty to Pay Ninety Pounds into the Honorable Companys Cash

we received it, and have given him Bills of Exchange Drawn on the

Honorable the Court of Directors, Payable to himself or Order, ninety

Days after sight, Dated this Day.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

John Clark asked to pay £40 0s 0d into the Company's cash. The council received it and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated that day.

Thomas Cooke applied for leave to pay £64 0s 0d into the Company's cash. The council received it and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated that day.

Thomas Kirkpatrick applied for leave to pay £90 0s 0d into the Company's cash. The council received it and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated that day.

The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

28

19

At a Consultation held on Monday the 30th Day of June 1755 at the

Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the 23 of June

1755

Yesterday Sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Winchelsea for England

Counted and examined the Honorable Companys

Cash for the Month ending the 11 instant, which is as follows Vizt

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 30 June 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 23 June 1755.

The Company ship Winchelsea sailed for England on 29 June.

The council counted and examined the Company's cash for the month ending 11 June, set out as follows.

29

20

Cash Dr

1755

May the 12 To Ballance remaining

£ 4276 12 5¾

26 To Exchange for one Sett Bills drawn on the

Honorable Court of Directors, Payable to

John Adamson, or order, Ninety Days

after sight Dated this Day

£ 281 0 0

June 2 To Ship Elizabeth the Ballance of her Account

£ 21 4 4

4 To Ship Lord Anson the Dō of her Dō

£ 12 14 7

To Ship York the Dō of her Dō

£ 11 19 3

To Ship True Briton the Dō of her Dō

£ 14 14 3¾

9 To Ship Colchester the Dō of her Dō

£ 21 8 5

To Exchange for one Sett of Bills drawn on the

Honorable Court of Directors, payable to

John Adamson, or Order, ninety Days

after sight, Dated this Day

£ 200 0 0

To Dō for one Sett Bills drawn as above, dated

this Day payable to John Goodwin, or Order

£ 85 0 0

To Dō for one Sett Dō drawn as above, dated this

Day, payable to Samuel Price or Order

£ 36 15 0

To Fines received of John Veale Armourer as p

Consultation of this Day

£ 1 0 0

£ 4962 8 4½

This is the debtor side of the Company's cash account.

12 May, balance remaining, £4,276 12s 5¼d

26 May, exchange for one set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to John Adamson or order, ninety days after sight, dated that day, £281 0s 0d

2 June, ship Elizabeth, the balance of her account, £21 4s 4d

On 4 June the Lord Anson paid the balance of her account, £12 14s 7d.

The York paid the balance of her account, £11 19s 3d.

The True Briton paid the balance of her account, £14 14s 3¾d.

On 9 June the Colchester paid the balance of her account, £21 8s 5d.

9 June, exchange for one set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to John Adamson or order, ninety days after sight, dated that day, £200 0s 0d

Exchange for one set of bills drawn as above, dated that day, payable to John Goodwin or order, £85 0s 0d

Exchange for one set of bills drawn as above, dated that day, payable to Samuel Price or order, £36 15s 0d

Fine received of John Veale, armourer, per the consultation of that day, £1 0s 0d

Total, £4,962 8s 4½d

Interpretations

The cash account gathers into one running total the several streams by which money flowed into the island's treasury over the month. The opening balance of over £4,000 was swelled by the bills of exchange sold to private individuals, by the balances the calling ships paid off on their accounts, and even by the single pound levied as a fine on the armourer, all brought together and struck to a common total for audit. The inclusion of Veale's fine alongside sums in the hundreds shows the completeness demanded of the reckoning, where no receipt was too small to enter.

The balances of account settled by the Elizabeth, Lord Anson, York, True Briton and Colchester as they left were the closing of each ship's dealings with the island, the odd shillings and pence owed on provisions and services paid over before the vessel sailed. Requiring each ship to clear her account on departure was the mechanism that kept the island from carrying unrecovered debts out to sea on ships it might not see again for years.

30

21

Per Contra Cr

1755

June the 11 By Ballance remaining in the following Species Vizt

1,000 Venetians @ 10/

£ 500 0 0

900 Pagodas 8/

£ 360 0 0

Gold Amounting to

£ 860 0 0

5,326 Dollars @ 5/

£ 1331 10 0

18,000 Rupees 2/3

£ 2025 0 0

12,948 half Rials 3¾

£ 202 6 3

441 French Pieces 2

£ 3 13 6

Odd money

£ 0 3 7½

Silver Amounting to

£ 3562 13 4½

146 Cash Notes @ 40/

£ 292 0 0

162 Dō @ 20/

£ 162 0 0

263 Dō 5/

£ 65 15 0

160 Dō 2/6

£ 20 0 0

Cash Notes Amounting to

£ 539 15 0

£ 4962 8 4½

This is the creditor side of the Company's cash account, showing the balance remaining on 11 June 1755 in the following species of coin and notes.

1,000 Venetians at 10s, £500 0s 0d

900 pagodas at 8s, £360 0s 0d

Gold, amounting to £860 0s 0d

5,326 dollars at 5s, £1,331 10s 0d

18,000 rupees at 2s 3d, £2,025 0s 0d

12,948 half rials at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 2s, £3 13s 6d

Odd money, £0 3s 7½d

Silver, amounting to £3,562 13s 4½d

146 cash notes at 40s, £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s, £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s, £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d, £20 0s 0d

Cash notes, amounting to £539 15s 0d

Total, £4,962 8s 4½d

Interpretations

The account shows the striking variety of coin in circulation on the island, a mixture of the world's trading currencies rather than any single national money. Venetian sequins and South Indian pagodas made up the gold, while the silver ran from Spanish dollars and Mughal rupees through half rials to French pieces, each reckoned at its own fixed rate into sterling. This polyglot money chest was the ordinary condition of an East India station, where the coin of every nation trading through the Indies passed from hand to hand and the treasury had to value each against the pound.

The rupees alone, valued at over £2,000, formed much the largest single holding, reflecting how far the island's dealings were bound up with the Indian trade from which its supplies of arrack, rice and sugar came. The cash notes, graded in four denominations from forty shillings down to half a crown, were the Company's own paper currency issued on the island, a local money that circulated alongside the coin and spared the treasury from paying out specie for every transaction.

The half rials, held in the thousands but each worth only a few pence, were the small change of the island economy, the low-value silver that made up the odd shillings and pence in everyday dealings. Their presence in such numbers shows a working currency for petty trade beneath the great sums of gold and dollars, the coin in which a labourer might be paid or a small purchase settled.

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22

Mr John Desfountain acquainting the Governor

and Council, he was informed by John Seale on Saturday last, that

Benjamin Pledger, did about three Months ago, invite the said

Seale, Joseph Bates, and Henry, and James Easthope to his

mother's House in the Country, where they remained from Thursday

night untill the Sunday following, That the said Benjamin

Pledger, and Joseph Bates, went in one of the evenings of that

Time, and killed a Sheep, which they brought to the said Mrs

Pledger's House, and then cut it to pieces, and threw it into the

Furze behind the House.

John Seale, being sent for, and duly

Sworn Deposeth, that about three Months ago, he was invited

by Benjamin Pledger to come to his mother's House in the

Country, where he found Joseph Bates, and Henry, and James

Easthope, That he remained there with them from Thursday night

untill the Sunday following, That Benjamin Pledger, and Joseph

Bates said that they would go out, and get a Sheep, which they

accordingly did, and about nine of the Clock on one of those evenings

they returned with one to the said Mrs Pledge's House, ready flead

and without a Head, That he, and the said Benjamin Pledger then

cut the Sheep to pieces, and threw it into the Furze behind the

House, but for what reason the said Pledger would have it

thrown away he cannot tell, except it was from his fear that

his mother Mrs Pledger, should see it, and inform of it

Whereupon Joseph Bates, Benjamin

Pledger, and Henry, and James Easthope, were sent for, who

severally appearing John Seales Affidavit was read to them,

John Desfountain told the Governor and council that John Seale had informed him on Saturday last that, about three months earlier, Benjamin Pledger had invited Seale, Joseph Bates and Henry and James Easthope to his mother's house in the country. The party stayed from Thursday night until the following Sunday. During one of those evenings Pledger and Bates went out, killed a sheep, brought it to Mrs Pledger's house, cut it to pieces and threw it into the gorse behind the house.

John Seale was sent for and, duly sworn, deposed that about three months earlier Benjamin Pledger had invited him to his mother's house in the country, where he found Joseph Bates and Henry and James Easthope. He stayed with them from Thursday night until the following Sunday. Pledger and Bates said they would go out and get a sheep, which they did. About nine o'clock on one of those evenings they returned with it to Mrs Pledger's house, ready flayed and without a head. Seale and Pledger then cut the sheep to pieces and threw it into the gorse behind the house. Seale could not say why Pledger wanted it thrown away, unless it was from his fear that his mother might see it and learn of the matter.

Joseph Bates and Benjamin Pledger and Henry and James Easthope were then sent for. When they appeared, John Seale's affidavit was read to them.

Interpretations

The proceeding records the council acting as a criminal court investigating what was in effect the theft and slaughter of a sheep, most probably one belonging to another planter, since the elaborate concealment points to a beast the young men had no right to take. Killing the animal away from the house, bringing it back flayed and headless, and cutting it up to bury it in the gorse were the marks of men disposing of evidence, and Seale's own account that Pledger feared his mother seeing it confirms that all knew the act would not bear scrutiny.

Seale's position turns on the distinction between witness and accomplice. By coming forward to Desfountain, submitting to be sworn and deposing against his companions, he cast himself as informer rather than culprit, yet his own account placed him at the cutting-up and disposal of the carcass. The reading of his affidavit to the four other men was the formal confrontation by which the council opened the case against them, putting the informer's sworn evidence to those it accused so that they might answer it.

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they all at first Denyed the Robbery, and said that Benjamin Pledger, told

them it was a Sheep of his Mothers, that she had Desired him to kill, but upon

strict enquiry we found that they were all accomplices, as appears, by the

Confession, and Declaration of Benjamin Pledger, which is as follows.

Benjamin Pledger confesses, and Declares

that Joseph Bates being in Company with this Declarant the two Easthopes

and John Seale, Bates said to them come let us go and get a Sheep, no

answer being immediately made, by any of them, Bates said again come

come let us go, upon which the said Pledger, said I dont care if I do, that

they severally said the same, and they all went accordingly in pursuit of a

flock of about thirty Sheep, but Bates outrunning the rest got first to the

Sheep, and by the Time the Pledger came up to him, Bates said I have got

one, look whose it is that he Pledger examined the head, and told him

by the mark, upon the ears, that he knew it to be John Desfountains,

Bates then said to him, shall We kill it Pledger answered I dont care

Bates, then took a knife out of his Pocket, and gave it to him, with

which he Pledger cut the throat of it, Bates holding the Sheep all the while,

Bates then asked him where shall we take it, that we may not be found out,

that they then agreed to carry it to a Ditch at a little Distance where Bates

first flead the hind Legs, and then cut holes between the Sinues, and the

Bones of them, and afterwards Slung it upon his Cane, and resting one

end of it upon the bank of the Ditch, and the other end upon Pledgers

Shoulder, He Bates first flead it, and then took out its intrails, and

cut off its head, which he Pledger Buried, That they then went with the

Carcass to his mothers House, and carried it up a Ladder, and put it

into a loft, that they then came Down from thence, and told John Seale

and the two Easthopes, they had got a Sheep, they asking who it

belonged to, they told them to John Desfountain, that after sitting

about two hours Drinking Punch, Pledger said I am afraid we cant

Dress it, here for my Mother, wont allow of any such thing being

Done in her House, Bates, then said let us cut it to pieces, and throw it

to the Dogs, upon which the said Pledger, and Seale, fetched the Sheep

from the loft, and carried it at a little Distance, where Seale and he

cut it to pieces, and put it under some Furze Bushes.

They all at first denied the robbery, saying that Benjamin Pledger had told them the sheep belonged to his mother and that she had directed him to kill it. On strict enquiry the council found that they were all accomplices, as appeared from the confession and declaration of Benjamin Pledger, which ran as follows.

Benjamin Pledger confessed and declared that Joseph Bates, in company with him, the two Easthopes and John Seale, said to them, come let us go and get a sheep. When none of them answered at once, Bates said again, come, let us go, at which Pledger said he did not care if he did, and the others each said the same. They all went accordingly in pursuit of a flock of about thirty sheep. Bates, outrunning the rest, reached the sheep first, and by the time Pledger came up to him Bates said he had caught one. Pledger examined its head and told him by the mark on the ears that he knew it to belong to John Desfountain. Bates asked whether they should kill it, and Pledger answered that he did not care. Bates then took a knife out of his pocket and gave it to Pledger, who cut the throat of the sheep while Bates held it. Bates then asked where they should take it so that they might not be found out, and they agreed to carry it to a ditch a little way off. There Bates first flayed the hind legs, cut holes between the sinews and the bones, and slung the sheep upon his cane, resting one end on the bank of the ditch and the other on Pledger's shoulder. Bates flayed it, took out its entrails, and cut off its head, which Pledger buried. They then carried the carcass to Pledger's mother's house, took it up a ladder and put it into a loft. Coming down, they told John Seale and the two Easthopes that they had got a sheep. When the others asked whose it was, they were told it belonged to John Desfountain. After sitting about two hours drinking punch, Pledger said he was afraid they could not dress it at his mother's house, since she would not allow any such thing to be done there. Bates then said, let us cut it to pieces and throw it to the dogs, at which Pledger and Seale fetched the sheep from the loft, carried it a little way off, cut it to pieces and put it under some gorse bushes.

Interpretations

Pledger's confession converts the affair from a private prank into the theft of an identified man's property, the decisive detail being the earmark. The island's sheep ran on the common grazing and were told apart by distinctive cuts in the ears, so that Pledger could read the mark and name John Desfountain as owner on sight. That the young men killed the animal knowing whose it was strips away any defence of mistake, and it explains why the council treated the matter as a robbery rather than a trespass.

The confession also breaks the men's common story. All had first claimed Pledger's mother owned the sheep and had ordered its killing, a single agreed defence, but Pledger's own account that she would not allow it dressed in her house destroyed that tale and exposed the concealment for what it was. The council's method here was to set the accomplices against their own agreed story until one of them, in confessing, revealed the collusion, the earmark and the frantic disposal of the carcass in one connected narrative.

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As it plainly appears by John Seales Oath,

and the foregoing confession of Pledgers that the above Persons are

Guilty of Sheep Stealing, we therefore ordered them to restore to Mr

John Desfountain, the price of his Sheep, and three Times the Value

thereof, according to a Bye Law of the Island, and then ordered them

to give us Security, for their good behaviour During one Year, and fined

them severally to the Honorable Companys Cash, as follows Vizt

Joseph Bates who seems to have been the most active

in the Robbery in the Sum of

£ 10 0 0

Henry Easthope, and James Easthope in the Sum

of five Pounds each

£ 10 0 0

Benjamin Pledger only in the Sum of Twenty

Shillings, on Account of his frank Confession

and being but Poor

£ 1 0 0

£ 21 0 0

John Seale being again duly

Sworn Deposeth that about three months ago Thomas Pledger,

brought to his Father's House in the Country a piece of a Leaden

Pipe, between three, and four feet Long which the said Pledger

told him he had Stolen from the Water Course in the Valley

behind Mr John Goodwin's, and at the same Time told him he

had another piece, that he had hid at the two Gun Saddle as he

could not bring the whole at once, which piece he shewed to this

Deponent about a month ago, and to the best of this

Deponents knowledge was about the same length with

the other, The Deponent further Declares that he saw the

Since it plainly appeared from John Seale's oath and Pledger's confession that the men were guilty of sheep stealing, the council ordered them to restore to John Desfountain the price of his sheep and three times its value, according to a by-law of the island. It then ordered them to give security for their good behaviour during one year and fined them severally into the Company's cash, as follows.

Joseph Bates, who seems to have been the most active in the robbery, £10 0s 0d

Henry Easthope and James Easthope, £5 0s 0d each, £10 0s 0d

Benjamin Pledger, only 20s, on account of his frank confession and being but poor, £1 0s 0d

Total, £21 0s 0d

John Seale, being again duly sworn, deposed that about three months earlier Thomas Pledger had brought to his father's house in the country a piece of leaden pipe between three and four feet long. Pledger told him he had stolen it from the watercourse in the valley behind John Goodwin's. He said at the same time that he had another piece, which he had hidden at the two-gun saddle since he could not carry the whole at once. Pledger showed him that piece about a month earlier, and to the best of Seale's knowledge it was about the same length as the first. Seale further declared that he saw the

Interpretations

The sentence shows the island enforcing a specific local by-law against sheep stealing that went beyond ordinary restitution. The thieves had to return not merely the price of the beast but three times its value, a fourfold penalty payable to the injured owner, on top of the fines paid to the Company and the sureties demanded for their future conduct. This layering of remedies, compensation to the victim, punishment to the public purse and a bond against reoffending, reveals how seriously a small pastoral community treated theft of the livestock on which its provisioning trade depended.

The graduation of the fines by culpability and means marks a deliberate weighing of each man's part. Bates, judged the ringleader, paid £10, the Easthopes £5 apiece as followers, and Pledger only a pound, expressly reduced both for confessing freely and for his poverty. The council thus rewarded the confession that had broken the case and tempered the penalty to what a poor man could bear, showing a calculated rather than mechanical justice.

The fresh deposition opens a second and separate case of theft, this time of lead piping stripped from the island's watercourse. Water was carried down the valleys to the town and the anchorage through leaden conduits, and cutting out lengths of pipe to sell or melt was both a theft and a damaging of the public water supply, which is why Seale's information on it was taken as gravely as the matter of the sheep.

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25

said Pledger melt at several Times part of the said Pipe, to make

Sinkers of, for Fishing, The Deponent further Declares upon Oath that

the said Thomas Pledger told him about three weeks ago, that he went

in the night as far as Mr Purlings Land called the Hutts, in order to

kill some of his Calves for the sake of their Hides, but was Disappointed

their not being any there at that Time.

Thomas Pledger being called in, and the

above Deposition read to him he was asked what he had to say, who

at first Denyed the accusation, but at length owned he did take the

Leaden Pipe that is mentioned in the above Deposition, which conveys

the Water for the use of the Garrison, But utterly Denys he ever

told Seale that he intended to kill any of Mr Purlings Calves nor

never had such thoughts.

As the aforesaid Thomas Pledger owns the

Robbery of the Leaden Pipe, which had a brass Cock fixed in it for the

conveniency of the Garrison, and was the property of the Honorable

Company, we therefore ordered that he should restore to their Honors the

Price of them, which were estimated to be worth fifteen Shillings and

three times the Value thereof, according to a Bye Law of the Island

He was then Directed to give us security for his good Behaviour

During the space of one Year, and fined him in the Sum of forty

Shillings to their Honors Cash.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Seale further deposed that he had seen Pledger melt down part of the pipe several times to make sinkers for fishing. He declared on oath that about three weeks earlier Thomas Pledger had told him he went out at night as far as Purling's land, called the Hutts, to kill some of his calves for the sake of their hides, but was disappointed because none were there at the time.

Thomas Pledger was called in and the deposition read to him. Asked what he had to say, he at first denied the accusation, but at length admitted that he had taken the leaden pipe mentioned in the deposition, which carried the water for the use of the garrison. He utterly denied that he had ever told Seale he intended to kill any of Purling's calves, and swore he had never had any such thought.

Since Thomas Pledger owned the theft of the leaden pipe, which had a brass cock fixed in it for the convenience of the garrison and was the property of the Company, the council ordered him to restore its price, estimated at 15s, together with three times its value, according to a by-law of the island. He was then directed to give security for his good behaviour during one year, and was fined 40s into the Company's cash. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The case shows theft from the island's public infrastructure treated on the same footing as theft of private livestock, under the same fourfold by-law. Pledger admitted taking a section of the leaden water pipe, fitted with a brass cock, that supplied the garrison, and melting it down into fishing sinkers, so that a piece of the island's essential waterworks was destroyed for the value of its metal. The council's penalty followed the pattern set in the sheep case: the price of the article, treble damages, a bond for good behaviour and a fine to the Company.

Pledger drew the line of his confession precisely at what could be proved against him. He owned the pipe theft, to which the melted sinkers bore physical witness, but flatly denied the far graver admission Seale attributed to him, the intended night killing of another planter's calves for their hides. The council recorded both the admission and the denial without pressing the calf matter to a charge, since it rested on Seale's word alone and the beasts had never been touched, showing the body would sentence only on what was owned or proved, not on reported intention.

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26

At a Consultation held on Monday the 7th Day of July 1755

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated

the 30 of June 1755

Enlisted on Tuesday last George Nelson

to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years at

Fifty Shillings bounty Money, and had the Articles of War, read

to him by the Adjutant

Several Blacks vizt Billy, and George

belonging to Mr Charles Steward, Bostona and Jack, belonging

to Mr Thomas Greentree, and two young Free black Women

that live with the said Thomas Greentree, having been

found to be out from their masters Houses, Rendezvouzing

after night, without leave, and against a standing Order

we therefore ordered them all to be publickly whiped

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 7 July 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 30 June 1755.

George Nelson enlisted on Tuesday last to serve the Company as a soldier for five years at 50s bounty money. The adjutant read the Articles of War to him.

Several slaves were found to have been out from their masters houses after night, meeting together without leave and against a standing order. They were Billy and George, belonging to Charles Steward, Bostona and Jack, belonging to Thomas Greentree, and two young free black women who lived with Greentree. The council ordered them all to be publicly whipped. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The punishment shows the council enforcing a nighttime curfew on the island's slaves as an instrument of social control. Being out after dark and gathering together without their masters leave was itself the offence, no theft or other wrong being alleged, which reveals how far the authorities feared unsupervised assembly of slaves at night and met it with public flogging to deter the rest. That the sentence was public was part of its purpose, the punishment serving as a warning to the whole slave population as much as a penalty on the six.

The inclusion of two free black women in the same sentence as the four slaves marks the limit of what freedom secured on the island. Though not owned, they were subject to the same curfew and the same public whipping for breaking it, showing that the standing order against night assembly bound people by colour and condition rather than by legal status alone, and that free black residents fell under the same disciplinary regime as the enslaved.

The enlistment of George Nelson at 50s bounty stands in pointed contrast to the two island-born recruits taken on earlier without any bounty at all. The willingness to pay a full inducement here, where the native men Bagley and others signed for nothing, suggests Nelson was not a local man but one whose service had to be bought, the bounty marking the difference between a recruit the garrison could command cheaply and one it had to attract.

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27

At a Consultation held on Monday the 14th Day of July 1755 at the

Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated the 7 of

July 1755

Yesterday Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Egmont from Bengall, and

brought us the following Supply Vizt

Invoice p Ship Egmont

B A Batavia Arrack

Nō 1 @ 4 1 League @ 125 A R p League 125

3 Third Leagues 125

250

Batta 8 p Ct 20 270

S F Sugar Fine

Nō 1 @ 10 10 Bags cont 122. 31 8 at 7 8 p Maund 170 14 6

W C Wax Candles

Nō 1 @ 5 5 Chests cont 10 Factory maund at 75 p Maund 150

R F Rice Fine

Nō 1 @ 30 30 Bags cont 60 Buzar Maund at 23 p A R 104 5

Batta 8 p Ct 8 5 3 112 10 3

Doos Doosutees

Nō 1 @ 2 1 Bale cont 70 pd at 66 A R p Corge 231

1 Dō Dō 70 Dō 65 p Dō 227 8

458 8

Batta 8 p Ct 36 11 495 3

Charges Merchandize

To 20 Gunny Baggs and sowing 12 14 0

To 5 Chests and Packages 12 8

To Peons 10

To Boat hire 1 8

To Sloop hire 33

To Embaling for two Bales of Doosutees 38 14 99 6 9

Current Rupas 1898 2 6

Errors Excepted (Signed) W Cruttenden

Accompt

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 14 July 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 7 July 1755.

The Company ship Egmont arrived from Bengal on 13 July and brought in the following supply, set out in the invoice below. All figures are in current rupees.

Batavia Arrack, mark BA, No. 1 to 4

1 leaguer at 125 the leaguer, 125

3 third-leaguers, 125

Subtotal, 250

Batta at 8 per cent, 20; total 270

Sugar Fine, mark SF, No. 1 to 10: 10 bags containing 132-31-8, at 7-8 the maund, 170-14-6

Wax Candles, mark WC, No. 1 to 5: 5 chests containing 10 factory maunds, at 75 the maund, 750

Rice Fine, mark RF, No. 1 to 30: 30 bags containing 60 baruth maunds, at 23 the maund, 104-5

Rice Fine, batta at 8 per cent, 8-5-3; total 112-10-3

Doosooties, mark Doos, No. 1 to 2

1 bale containing 70 pieces at 66 the corge, 231

1 bale containing 70 pieces at 65 the corge, 227-8

Subtotal, 458-8

Batta at 8 per cent, 36-11; total 495-3

Charges Merchandise

20 gunny bags and sewing, 12-14-0

5 chests and packages, 12-8

irons, 10

boat hire, 1-8

sloop hire, 33

embaling for two bales of doosooties, 38-14; total 99-6-9

Current Rupees, 1,898-2-6

The invoice was marked errors excepted and signed by the accountant, Cruttenden.

Interpretations

Doosooties were a coarse cotton cloth woven in Bengal, a plain calico of ordinary quality shipped in bulk through the Company's trade and used for common clothing and household needs. They were counted by the corge, a standard trading unit of twenty pieces, so that each bale of 70 pieces was reckoned at three and a half corge against its rate. The separate charge for embaling, the pressing and wrapping of the cloth into protective bales for the voyage, marks the extra handling that textiles required over loose goods like rice or arrack.

The invoice records the arrival on the island of the manufactured cloth of Bengal alongside the usual consumables. Where the earlier cargoes from the Winchelsea and Egmont brought arrack, sugar, candles and rice for the table and stores, this shipment added a bulk textile, showing the island drawing not only its food and drink but its everyday materials from the Indian trade. The factory maund used for the candles was the standard weight of the Company's own settlements, distinct from the local baruth maund of the rice, each unit fixing the true quantity against its own regional standard.

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Solomon Jacobs Petitioned for liberty

to Assign the remaining part of the Term of a Lease, for a piece

of Ground in James's Valley, with a House thereon standing unto

William Paddon.

Granted

William Seale and George Seale presented

the following Petition Vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & Council

The Humble Petition of George Seale, Wm Seale

Sheweth That your Petitioners being both minors and

the Executors to their Fathers last Will being Dead and no proper

person to Manage the small Affairs that they are intitled to when

at full Age, have thought it convenient to Choose their mother as a

Guardian to them

Your Petitioners therefore Pray that their

mother mary Seale, may be Admitted as their

Guardian, And as in Duty Bound shall

ever Pray

(Signed) William Seale

George Seale

14 July 1755

Granted

Solomon Jacobs petitioned for leave to assign the remaining part of the term of a lease, for a piece of ground in James Valley with a house standing on it, to William Paddon. The council granted it.

William Seale and George Seale presented the following petition to Governor Hutchinson and the council. Both petitioners were minors, and the executors named in their father's will had died, leaving no proper person to manage the small affairs they would be entitled to on coming of age. They had therefore thought it convenient to choose their mother as their guardian, and asked that Mary Seale be admitted as such. The petition was signed by William Seale and George Seale on 14 July 1755. The council granted it.

Interpretations

The Seale petition shows the council acting in place of a probate and guardianship court to fill a gap left by death. The two boys stood to inherit but were under age, and the men appointed in their father's will to administer the estate had themselves died, so there was no one with legal authority to hold the property until the boys grew up. By petitioning to have their mother formally admitted as guardian, they sought to vest that authority in her, and the council's grant supplied the legal standing that the failed executorship had left vacant.

That the boys themselves brought the petition, choosing their own mother, marks the informality of the island's arrangements against the practice in England, where a court would ordinarily appoint a guardian to a minor rather than have the minors nominate one. The council accommodated the family's own preference, admitting the mother the children had chosen rather than imposing an outside administrator, a pragmatic response to the small scale of the estate and the remoteness of any higher legal authority.

The Jacobs assignment records the ordinary working of the island's leasehold system, under which the Company owned the land and granted it out for terms of years. A leaseholder could not sell the ground outright but could transfer the unexpired part of his term to another, subject to the council's leave, which is why Jacobs had to petition before making over his James Valley plot and house to Paddon.

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Roger Wettwan one of the Soldiers lately

Dismissed from the Honorable Company Service requested on the 8 instant

that he might serve the remainder of his contracted Time, which we agreed to,

and had the Articles of War, read to him by the Adjutant

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on Thursday the 17 Day of July 1755 at the

Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed, Dated the 14

of July 1755

The Governor reports he was informed that the

Burial Place in James's Valley was so much filled with Bodies that

it is almost impossible to lay a Corpse in it at a proper Depth under

Ground, and proposed to have another piece enclosed for that purpose

Roger Wetwan, one of the soldiers lately dismissed from the Company's service, asked on 8 July to serve out the remainder of his contracted time. The council agreed, and the adjutant read the Articles of War to him. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held at the Castle on Thursday 17 July 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 14 July 1755.

The Governor reported that he had been informed the burial place in James Valley was so full of bodies that it was almost impossible to lay a corpse in it at a proper depth under ground. He proposed that another piece of ground be enclosed for that purpose.

Interpretations

The report marks a practical crisis of public health and decency in the island's only town. The single burial ground in James Valley had reached capacity, so that fresh graves could no longer be dug deep enough to cover the dead properly, a matter of both propriety and the risk of disease in a confined and much-frequented valley. The Governor's proposal to enclose a new piece of ground was the direct remedy, extending the town's burial capacity before the existing yard became wholly unusable.

Roger Wetwan is the fourth dismissed soldier within little more than a month to seek reinstatement to serve out his time, after Grant, Crips and Uffen. The steady succession of such requests, each granted, points to a settled pattern on the island, whether of men thinking better of leaving once discharged, or of the garrison quietly welcoming back trained soldiers it could ill afford to lose from a small and isolated establishment.

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We therefore Ordered an Advertizement to be

Published, requiring the Planters to meet in Vestry on Monday

next, at the Chapel in this Valley to acquaint them with the

necessity of having a new Burying Ground.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on Monday the 21 Day of July 1755

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed, Dated

the 14 of July 1755

Thursday the 17 arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Prince

Henry and brought us the following Supply Vizt

The council therefore ordered an advertisement to be published requiring the planters to meet in vestry on Monday next, at the chapel in the valley, to acquaint them with the need for a new burying ground. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 21 July 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 14 July 1755.

The Company ship Prince Henry arrived on Thursday 17 July and brought in the following supply.

Interpretations

The council's response to the burial crisis shows the machinery of parish government at work on the island. Rather than simply decree a new burial ground on its own authority, the council summoned the planters to meet in vestry at the chapel, the vestry being the assembly of parishioners that in English practice governed local church affairs, including the churchyard. Calling the landholders together to be acquainted with the necessity, before any new ground was enclosed, treated the burial place as a communal parish concern in which the inhabitants had a proper voice, and secured their consent to a matter that would touch every family.

40

31

Invoice p Ship Prince Henry

Rice beaten 22 Baggs of 150 S Mds at

3. 50 p Md

131 1 0

Batty 32 Bags of 3. 24 mds Ps 22 p Md

84 1 92

Charges of Merchandize Vizt

Gunny Peices 35 for Rice Bags

8 3 0

Ditty Bags 22 for Dō

16 2 0

Gunny Dō 64 for Batty

16 0 0

Twine 3½ Cd 4 p ct p Md

0 2 0

Hammallage on Ditto Dō

1 3 0

Shipping off and Boathire

3 2 80 47 0 80

Rupees 262 3 72

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

H Symmons Accts

The Storekeeper brought in the following Account of

goods short received from Ships Egmont, and Prince Henry Vizt

Account of Stores Short received from the following

Ships Vizt

From Ship Egmont

Cwt qr ll

. 2. 10 Sugar Short Weight

Nō 1 Leaguer Arrack Gage 131½ Gallons wants to fill 11 p Gallo

2 Dō 150 Dō 4 Dō

281½ 15½

15½

Received 266 Gallons

From Ship Prince Henry

Cwt qr ll

1. . 23 Rice Short Weight

(Signed)

M Purling Storekr

21 July 1755

This is the invoice of the ship Prince Henry. All figures are in current rupees.

Rice, beaten, 22 bags of 150 seer maunds, at 3-50 the maund, 131-1

Batty, 32 bags of 3-2½ maunds, at 22 the maund, 84-1-92

Charges Merchandise

35 gunny pieces for rice bags, 8-3

22 ditty bags for rice bags, 16-2

64 gunny pieces for batty, 16

twine, 3½ dubbers, at 4 the seer, 2

hammallage on twine, 1-3

shipping off and boat hire, 3-2-80; total 47-80

Rupees, 262-3-72

The invoice was marked errors excepted and signed by the accountant, H Symmons.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods received short from the ships Egmont and Prince Henry.

The following were received short in weight from the Egmont:

[...] 2 [...] 10 [...] sugar

No. 1 leaguer arrack gauge, 131½ gallons, wants to fill 11½ gallons

No. 2 ditto, 150 gallons, wants to fill 4 gallons

Total, 281½ gallons, less 15½

Received, 266 gallons

The following were received short in weight from the Prince Henry:

1 [...] 23 [...] rice

The account was signed by the storekeeper, Sterling Brooke.

Interpretations

Batty here is paddy, the unhusked rice bought and shipped separately from the beaten or cleaned grain, the same distinction between milled rice and rough rice seen in the earlier cargoes. Shipping both together let the island lay in a keeping stock in the husk alongside the rice ready for immediate use, the paddy storing longer against future need.

The charges reveal the layered handling costs of a rice cargo brought off to the ship. Hammallage was the fee paid to the hammals, the Indian porters or coolies who carried the goods, and it appears here as a distinct line on the twine as well as the general shipping and boat hire, so that every stage of moving the cargo from shore to hold was separately reckoned. Dubbers were leather containers, here holding the twine, another of the eastern packing materials itemised in the landed cost.

The short-weight account against two ships at once shows the storekeeper's checking of every incoming cargo against its invoice as routine practice. Both the Egmont's arrack, short by over fifteen gallons across its two leaguers, and small shortfalls in sugar and rice were entered at the point of receipt, the formal record by which the store refused liability for what the casks and bags failed to yield on landing.

41

32

According to the Advertizement Published

on Thursday last the Planters assembled in Vestry at the Chapel, and

the Churchwardens being Directed to inform them, how full the

present Burying Place was, that there was hardly room to inter

another Corpse in it, and that it was absolutely necessary to have

another piece of Ground inclosed for that purpose, they Delivered

us the following proposal from them vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson

Esqr Governor & Council of St Helena

The Inhabitants having met in Vestry

this Day Agreable to an Order published for that purpose We the

Church Wardens signified to them that the Governor and Council Desird

they would give in their proposal towards enclosing a New Burial

Place in this Valley the old one being so full of Bodys that the Dead

Cannot be Buried in a proper Depth and whereby they become

offensive

The Inhabitants having a Burial place

in the Country, where most of their Familys are Intered, which they

think Sufficient for them, And the Burial Place in this Valley being

mostly filled with the Dead Bodys of Soldiers and Sailors, which they

apprehend do not concern them; But as the old Burial Ground

is certainly offensive, they are willing to be at one half the expense

that the Enclosing a new Burial place will Cost

(Signed)

Fran Mowatt Church

Rich Bagley Wardens

21 July 1755

We think the above proposal is reasonable and

accordingly agreed that the Honorable Company should be at half

the expence

The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards Accounts for

the month ending the 11 instant were this Day brought in which

were examined and approved, and are as follows Vizt

According to the advertisement published on Thursday last, the planters assembled in vestry at the chapel. The churchwardens, directed to inform them how full the burial place was, told them that there was hardly room to bury another corpse and that a new piece of ground had to be enclosed. The meeting delivered the following proposal to the council.

The inhabitants, having met in vestry that day under the published order, were told by the churchwardens that the Governor and council wished them to give in their proposal towards enclosing a new burial place in the valley, the old one being so full of bodies that the dead could not be buried at a proper depth and had become offensive. The inhabitants had a burial place in the country where most of their families were buried, which they thought sufficient for themselves. The burial ground in the valley was mostly filled with the bodies of soldiers and sailors, which they considered no concern of theirs. Since the old ground was undeniably offensive, however, they were willing to bear one half of the cost of enclosing a new one. The proposal was signed by the churchwardens, Francis Mowatt and Richard Bagley, on 21 July 1755.

The council thought the proposal reasonable and agreed that the Company should bear the other half of the cost.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 July were brought in. The council examined and approved them, and they follow below.

Interpretations

The vestry's answer exposes a sharp social division over who the town burial ground served and who should pay for it. The planters kept their own family burial places out in the country and regarded the James Valley ground as filled mainly with the Company's soldiers and sailors, transient men with no local kin, whose interment they saw as the Company's responsibility rather than the parish's. Their offer to pay only half, expressly framed around this distinction, was a negotiated compromise between the landholders and the Company over a cost that neither accepted as wholly its own.

The outcome shows the limit of the council's power to impose charges on the free inhabitants. Rather than simply order the planters to fund the new ground, the council had to lay the necessity before them in vestry and accept a shared settlement, the Company meeting half the expense. This bargaining over a public work reveals that the island's landholders, through the parish vestry, held real leverage against the Company's government in matters touching their own purses.

42

33

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12 of June to the 11 July 1755 Vizt

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Yearlings, Heifers, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Sheats, Piggs, Boars, Total, Turkeys, Fowles, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, Asses, Joshes, Total

Remaining the 12: Bulls 6, Cows 85, Calves 56, Yearlings 21, Heifers 48, Steers 16, Bullocks 6, Oxen 14, Total 252, Ewes 254, Wethers 159, Lambs 152, Rams 7, Total 572, Ewes 193, Wethers 96, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 359, Sows 11, Sheats 8, Piggs 13, Boars 1, Total 33, Turkeys 43, Fowles 153, Ducks 31, Geese 16, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshes 3, Total 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 5, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 5, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 0, Fowles 1, Ducks 10, Geese 4, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Total: Bulls 6, Cows 85, Calves 61, Yearlings 21, Heifers 48, Steers 16, Bullocks 6, Oxen 14, Total 257, Ewes 254, Wethers 159, Lambs 152, Rams 7, Total 572, Ewes 193, Wethers 96, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 359, Sows 11, Sheats 8, Piggs 13, Boars 1, Total 33, Turkeys 43, Fowles 154, Ducks 41, Geese 20, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshes 3, Total 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 1, Yearlings 1, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 3, Ewes 0, Wethers 4, Lambs 1, Rams 0, Total 5, Ewes 0, Wethers 7, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 7, Sows 0, Sheats 2, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 2, Turkeys 3, Fowles 24, Ducks 5, Geese 2, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 4, Rams 1, Total 5, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 1, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 2, Fowles 4, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Stole: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearlings 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 2, Fowles 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Remaining the 11: Bulls 6, Cows 84, Calves 60, Yearlings 20, Heifers 48, Steers 16, Bullocks 6, Oxen 14, Total 254, Ewes 250, Wethers 155, Lambs 150, Rams 7, Total 562, Ewes 193, Wethers 89, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 352, Sows 11, Sheats 6, Piggs 12, Boars 1, Total 30, Turkeys 36, Fowles 126, Ducks 36, Geese 18, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshes 3, Total 4

Beef to the Ship Winchelsea 560

To the Sick Blacks 4 Goats

Yames Expended 24,000

Refuse Yams 2,020

Bad Yams 3,500

for feeding the Stock

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

John Adamson

This account of the Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock runs from 12 June to 11 July 1755.

Neat Cattle

Remaining 12 June: 6 bulls, 85 cows, 56 calves, 21 yearlings, 48 heifers, 16 steers, 6 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 252

Increased: 5 calves, total 5

Total: 6 bulls, 85 cows, 61 calves, 21 yearlings, 48 heifers, 16 steers, 6 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 257

Killed: 1 cow, 1 calf, 1 yearling, total 3

Died: 0

Stole: 0

Remaining 11 July: 6 bulls, 84 cows, 60 calves, 20 yearlings, 48 heifers, 16 steers, 6 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 254

Sheep

Remaining 12 June: 254 ewes, 159 wethers, 152 lambs, 7 rams, total 572

Increased: 0

Total: 254 ewes, 159 wethers, 152 lambs, 7 rams, total 572

Killed: 4 wethers, 1 lamb, total 5

Died: 4 lambs, total 5

Stole: 0

Remaining 11 July: 250 ewes, 155 wethers, 150 lambs, 7 rams, total 562

Goats

Remaining 12 June: 193 ewes, 96 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 359

Increased: 0

Total: 193 ewes, 96 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 359

Killed: 7 wethers, total 7

Died: 0

Stole: 0

Remaining 11 July: 193 ewes, 89 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 352

Hogs

Remaining 12 June: 11 sows, 8 boars, 13 pigs, 1 barrow, total 33

Increased: 0

Total: 11 sows, 8 boars, 13 pigs, 1 barrow, total 33

Killed: 2 boars, total 2

Died: 1 pig, total 1

Stole: 0

Remaining 11 July: 11 sows, 6 boars, 12 pigs, 1 barrow, total 30

Poultry

Remaining 12 June: 43 turkeys, 153 fowls, 31 ducks, 16 geese

Increased: 1 fowl, 10 ducks, 4 geese

Total: 43 turkeys, 154 fowls, 41 ducks, 20 geese

Killed: 3 turkeys, 24 fowls, 5 ducks, 2 geese

Died: 1 fowl, 2 ducks

Stole: 2 fowls

Remaining 11 July: 36 turkeys, 126 fowls, 36 ducks, 18 geese

Horses

Remaining 12 June: 6 horses, 7 mares, total 13

Remaining 11 July: 6 horses, 7 mares, total 13

Asses

Remaining 12 June: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Remaining 11 July: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Beef supplied to the ship Winchelsea was 560. Four goats were given to the sick blacks.

Yams expended, 24,000

Refuse yams, 2,020

Bad yams, 3,500

The refuse and bad yams were for feeding the stock

The account was marked errors excepted and signed by John Adamson.

Interpretations

The month's killing was light against the herds and flocks, and for good reason: only one ship, the Winchelsea, drew beef from the Company's stock, taking her 560 in the days before she sailed on 29 June. With the great fleet of the previous month gone home, the heavy provisioning demand fell away, and the cattle account shows the herds nearly steady, the drain of five ships in June replaced by the needs of a single vessel and the island's own table.

The yam entry is set out with more care than in June, distinguishing three classes where the earlier account gave two. Alongside the 24,000 expended, the 2,020 refuse and 3,500 bad yams are both marked as fed to the stock, showing the island turned its spoiled and reject roots to account as animal feed rather than wasting them. This use of the damaged crop to sustain the very herds that fed the ships reveals a closed economy of provision, in which nothing fit even for beasts was thrown away.

The four goats given to the sick blacks record a small issue of fresh meat for the care of ailing slaves, a rare glimpse in these stock accounts of provision made for the enslaved labour force. That the grant was entered at all, and drawn from the Company's own goats, shows the maintenance of the slaves counted as a charge on the establishment, their sickness met with a ration from the common stock.

43

34

Guners Stores Expended from the 12 of June

to the 11 July 1755 Vizt

Guns Fired, 4 pr, 3 pr, 2 pr, 1 pr, Powder Expended

1755

June the 16 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 7

Arrived the Winchelsea, returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

22 Fired for the Kings Accession to the Throne: Guns Fired 21, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 21, 2 pr 18, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 23. 8

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3. 8

Dō Fired with small Arms: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 17. 4

29 Dō for Priming in order to have returned

the Salute of the Winchelsea: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

July the 8 Fired at Ruperts for Practise and for Priming: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 6, 3 pr 6, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 12. 8

10 Dō at Dō for Dō and for Dō: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 6, 3 pr 6, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 12. 8

Powder for the Funeral of Erasmus Purling: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2. 4

Total: Guns Fired 48, 4 pr 12, 3 pr 16, 2 pr 3, 1 pr 27, Powder Expended 2 95. 8

Gun Carriages broke by a Fall of Rocks at Ruperts 1

Paper for the use of the Castle 1 Qr

Tallow for the use of Long Boat and Yall 8 ll

Dō for the Wood Carts 12 ll

Bitts broke at the main Fort 2

Signed

Thos Hall

Sundrys expended at the Honorable Company Table

in the Month ending the 11 July 1755 Vizt

8 Bottles Port Wine

£ 0 11 10

24 Lisbon

£ 1 15 6

12 Medeira

£ 1 8 6

20 Mountain

£ 1 8 6

57 Arrack

£ 1 9 7

76 Beer

£ 1 18 7

366 Flour

£ 0 15 10

35 Beef

£ 2 5 9

60 Veale

£ 0 8 9

£ 1 10 0

Carried over

£ 12 4 4

This account of gunners stores expended runs from 12 June to 11 July 1755. The columns record the number of guns fired, the powder used at the 4-pounder, 3-pounder, 2-pounder and 1-pounder charges, and the powder expended in pounds and ounces.

16 June, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

Arrived the Winchelsea, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

22 June, fired for the King's accession to the throne: 21 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 1 at the 3-pounder, 18 at the 2-pounder, powder expended 23 pounds 8 ounces

Powder for priming: 3 pounds 8 ounces

Powder fired with small arms: 17 pounds 4 ounces

29 June, powder for priming in order to have returned the salute of the Winchelsea: 1 pound 8 ounces

8 July, fired at Rupert's for practice and for priming: 6 guns, 6 at the 4-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds 8 ounces

10 July, fired at Rupert's for practice and for priming: 6 guns, 6 at the 4-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds 8 ounces

Powder for the funeral of Erasmus Purling: 2 pounds 4 ounces

Total: 48 guns, 12 at the 4-pounder, 16 at the 3-pounder, 3 at the 2-pounder, 27 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 95 pounds 8 ounces

The account also recorded the following.

Gun carriages broke by a fall of rocks at Rupert's, 1

Paper for the use of the Castle, 12 quires

Tallow for the use of the long boat and yawl, 8 pounds

Tallow for the wood carts, 12 pounds

Bitts broke at the main fort, 2

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

The following sundries were expended at the Company's table in the month ending 11 July 1755.

8 bottles port wine, £0 11s 10d

24 bottles Lisbon, £1 15s 6d

12 bottles Madeira, £1 8s 6d

20 bottles mountain, £1 8s 6d

57 bottles arrack, £1 9s 7d

76 bottles beer, £1 18s 7d

366 pounds flour, £0 15s 10d

35 pounds beef, £2 5s 9d

60 pounds veal, £0 8s 9d

Total carried over, £12 4s 4d

Interpretations

The month's chief expenditure of powder was ceremonial rather than defensive, marking the anniversary of the King's accession to the throne on 22 June. A royal salute of 21 guns was fired, backed by volleys of small arms, the single largest discharge in the account, showing the island keeping the calendar of loyal celebration observed throughout the King's dominions even at this remote station. Behind the great salute lay the ordinary business of the batteries, the practice firing at Rupert's on 8 and 10 July keeping the gunners in training.

The entry of a gun carriage broken by a fall of rocks at Rupert's names a hazard peculiar to the island's terrain. Rupert's battery stood beneath steep valley walls, and rockfall from the heights was a standing danger to the works below, damaging the equipment as surely as any enemy action and adding to the maintenance the garrison had constantly to meet.

The powder spent on the funeral of Erasmus Purling accorded military honours to the corporal recorded as dying on 16 June, whose will the council had proved. The same ceremony of arms marked the passing of a common soldier here as attended Thomas Lawrence the month before, the garrison honouring its own dead with a measured expenditure of the Company's powder.

44

35

Brought Over

£ 12 4 4

172 ll Mutton

£ 3 11 8

70 ll Goat

£ 1 3 4

111 ll Pork

£ 2 15 6

1 Lamb

£ 0 10 0

4 pd Salt Pork

£ 0 8 0

4 pds Dō Beef

£ 0 11 0

24 Fowls

£ 1 16 0

5 Ducks

£ 0 7 6

2 Geese

£ 0 10 0

3 Turkeys

£ 0 15 0

93 ll Candy

£ 1 11 0

30 ll Butter

£ 1 10 9

£ 27 14 1

Captain Thomas Best presented the following

Letter Vizt

To the Worshipfull the Governor and Council of

the Island St Helena

Sir & Sirs

I humbly request you will supply the Ship Prince Henry,

with Four casks of Salt Provission, and Eighteen Hundred weight of Flower

from out of the Honorable Company's Stores, without which Supply I

cannot possibly proceed for England, having only nine casks of Provisions

on board, which quantity will serve but for thirty seven Days, And your

complyance will infinitely oblidge

Worshipfull Sir & Sirs

Your most Oblidged, and obedient humble Servant

(Signed)

Thomas Best

St Helena

21 July 1755

The account of sundries expended at the Company's table continued as follows.

Brought over, £12 4s 4d

172 pounds mutton, £3 11s 8d

70 pounds goat, £1 3s 4d

111 pounds pork, £2 15s 6d

1 lamb, £0 10s 0d

4 pounds salt pork, £0 8s 0d

4 pounds salt beef, £0 11s 0d

24 fowls, £1 16s 0d

5 ducks, £0 7s 6d

2 geese, £0 10s 0d

3 turkeys, £0 15s 0d

93 pounds candy, £1 11s 0d

30 pounds butter, £1 10s 9d

Total, £27 14s 1d

Captain Thomas Best presented the following letter to the Governor and council. He requested that they supply the ship Prince Henry with four casks of salt provisions and eighteen hundredweight of flour from the Company's stores. Without that supply he could not possibly proceed for England, having only nine casks of provisions aboard, enough for just thirty-seven days. He signed the letter at St Helena on 21 July 1755.

Interpretations

Best's letter shows the island in its essential role as the victualling station on the long homeward passage, the last place a ship could revictual before the months of open ocean to England. The Prince Henry carried only enough for thirty-seven days, far short of the voyage home, so her captain had to draw salt provisions and flour from the Company's stores to make the passage at all. The specific reckoning of casks and days reveals how finely a returning Indiaman's survival depended on what St Helena could spare from its warehouses.

The request was addressed as a formal petition to the Governor and council rather than settled with the storekeeper, marking the issue of the Company's own provisions to a Company ship as a matter for the governing body's decision. Even the necessary supply of a homeward-bound vessel passed through the council's hands, the island's stores being too vital to be drawn down without the authority of its government.

45

36

Upon a Computation we find the Flour

now remaining is but little more than sufficient to serve the

Consumption of the Garrison, allowing them Bread only four

Days in the week, occasioned by our not receiving our full Indent

of Flour by sixty Cashs by the last Store Ship, and therefore we

are under a necessity to procure Yam for the Soldiers the other three

Days, And as we hear that Captain Best can supply himself

with Flour on the Island, we told him we coud not spare him

any out of the Honorable Company's Stores, but agreed to let him have

the Four Cashs of Salt Provisions he asks for, as he says he coud not

proceed to Sea without them

Lieutenant John Clark reports that

he has been on board the Ship Prince Henry to muster her Company

and enquire for Deserters but found none her Muster Roll is as follows

Vizt

Muster Roll of Ship Prince Henry

Thomas Best Commander

John Harvey 1 Mate

George Matthews 2 Dō

John Bosworth 3 Dō

Thomas Riddle 4 Dō

Balsazar Cotterby 5 Dō

Wm Mollerson Surgeon

George Cock Purser

John Houltum Gunner

Matt Perkins Dō mate

Rich Haley Boatswain

Hannibal Johnson Dō mate

John Thomas Dō Dō

Henry Johnson Caulker

Sam Alest Carpenter

John Phillips Dō 1 Mate

Joseph Litney Dō 2 Dō

Rich Pardoe Ships Steward

Henry Bagsworth Capt Dō

David Fox Joiner

Rich Chapman Cooper

Wm Wakefield Dō mate

James Guy Capt Cook

Silus May Dō mate

Wm Hall Ships Cook

Jeremiah Donavan Armourer

Rich Pack Butcher

James Brightman Taylor

Arthur Fawke Sailmaker

James Fain Coxswain

Sam Watts

Alex Martin

Patrick McMullen 2 mast

John Glendenning

Rich Mansell

Matt Moreton

David White Midshipman

Wm Trottman

John Ramsay

Wm Hillsdid 2 Deck

John West

Ronald mueer

On a computation the council found the flour remaining was little more than sufficient to serve the garrison, allowing the men bread only four days in the week. The shortfall was caused by the last store ship failing to deliver sixty casks of the ordered flour, which left the council obliged to provide yams for the soldiers on the other three days. Since the council heard that Captain Best could supply himself with flour on the island, it told him it could not spare any out of the Company's stores. It agreed, however, to let him have the four casks of salt provisions he asked for, as he said he could not proceed to sea without them.

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship Prince Henry to muster her company and enquire for deserters, but found none. Her muster roll follows.

Thomas Best, commander

John Harvey, first mate

George Matthews, second mate

John Bapworth, third mate

Thomas Riddle, fourth mate

Balsazar Cotterby, fifth mate

William Mollerson, surgeon

George Cock, purser

John Houltram, gunner

Matt Perkins, gunner's mate

Rich Haley, boatswain

Hannibal Johnson, boatswain's mate

John Thomas, boatswain's mate

Henry Johnson, caulker

Sam Aleft, carpenter

John Phillips, carpenter's first mate

Joseph Litney, carpenter's second mate

Rich Pardoe, ship's steward

Henry Bagsworth, captain's steward

David Fox, joiner

Rich Chapman, cooper

William Wakefield, cooper's mate

James Guy, captain's cook

Silas May, captain's cook's mate

William Hall, ship's cook

Jeremiah Donavan, armourer

Rich Pack, butcher

James Brightman, taylor

Arthur Tawhe, sailmaker

James Pain, coxswain

Sam Watts, second master

Alexander Martin, second master

Patrick McMullen, second master

John Glendenning, second master

Rich Mansell, midshipman

Matt Moreton, midshipman

David White, midshipman

William Trottman, midshipman

John Ramsay, second mate's servant

William Hill, second mate's servant

John West, second mate's servant

Ronald Mucer, second mate's servant

Interpretations

The council's refusal of flour to Captain Best turned on a supply failure that had left its own garrison on short commons. Because the last store ship had delivered sixty casks less than the ordered quantity, the soldiers were reduced to bread only four days a week and yams the other three, so there was no flour to spare for a ship that could buy its own on the island. The decision shows the council placing the subsistence of the garrison ahead of the convenience of a Company ship, and the substitution of yams for bread reveals how directly a shortfall in imported flour threw the island back on its own root crop.

The distinction the council drew between the two parts of Best's request marks a careful weighing of need against availability. Flour it would not give, since the captain had another source and the stores were short, but the four casks of salt provisions it granted, accepting his word that he could not sail without them. The salt meat, unlike the flour, was not to be had on the island, so the council relieved the genuine want while refusing the supply the captain could meet himself.

46

37

Wm Woodward

Jeremiah Balley Capt Servants

John Spence 1 mate Dō

George Shepperd 2 Dō Dō

Rich Bell Surgeon's Dō

John Eastops Gunner's Dō

Wm Lewin Boatswain's Dō

Samuel Lows Carpenter's Dō

Simon Willson Baker

John Graves Barber

Wm Loveck Seaman

Stephen Clark Dō

Wm Rand Dō

George Harding Dō

John Baptiste de beaux Dō

John James Dō

Peter Bodyly Dō

John Lewis Dō

Grab Cochram Dō

William Smith Dō

William Parker Dō

John Rowell Seaman

Martin Smith Dō

Isaac Fletcher Dō

William Dandy Dō

John Taylor Dō

William Reade Dō

John miller Dō

Thomas Green Dō

Thomas Collier Dō

Benjamin Jolly Dō

Thomas Coter Dō

Robert Lock Dō

James Lowen Dō

John Russell Dō

Meloch Postreros Dō

John Popps Dō

Richard Smith Dō

Thomas Batler Dō

John Francis Dō

James Stern Dō

Isaac Alldridge Dō

William Higgens Seaman

John Newings Dō

Daniel Dunn Dō

William James Dō

William Drover Dō

Crist Dickenson Dō

William Dagger Dō

John Winsbury Dō

Peter Johnson Dō

James Sherwood Dō

William Davis Dō

John Chant Dō

James Trinder Dō

James Powell Dō

Entered at Bombay to work

for their Passage Home

Timothy Higgens

John Cadmore

Prisoners from Bombay

Baptist maume

Jacque Henne Pottdeven

Passengers

Mrs Ann Harvey

Capt Thomas Rich

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The muster roll of the ship Prince Henry continued as follows.

William Woodward, captain's servant

Jeremiah Bailey, captain's servant

John Spence, first mate's servant

George Shepperd, second mate's servant

Rich Bell, surgeon's servant

John Eastop, gunner's servant

William Lewin, boatswain's servant

Samuel Laws, carpenter's servant

Simon Willson, baker

John Graves, barber

William Lovech, seaman

Stephen Clark, seaman

William Rand, seaman

George Harding, seaman

John Baptiste de beaux, seaman

John James, seaman

Peter Bodyly, seaman

John Lewis, seaman

Grab Cochram, seaman

William Smith, seaman

William Parker, seaman

John Rowell, seaman

Martin Smith, seaman

Isaac Fletcher, seaman

William Dandy, seaman

John Taylor, seaman

William Reade, seaman

John Miller, seaman

Thomas Green, seaman

Thomas Collier, seaman

Benjamin Jolly, seaman

Thomas Coker, seaman

Robert Lock, seaman

James Lowen, seaman

John Russell, seaman

Melchior Restrieu, seaman

John Popps, seaman

Richard Smith, seaman

Thomas Batler, seaman

John Francis, seaman

James Stern, seaman

Isaac Alldridge, seaman

William Higgens, seaman

John Newings, seaman

Daniel Dunn, seaman

William James, seaman

William Drover, seaman

Crist Dickenson, seaman

William Dagger, seaman

John Winsbury, seaman

Peter Johnson, seaman

James Sherwood, seaman

William Davis, seaman

John Chant, seaman

James Trinder, seaman

James Powell, seaman

The following were entered at Bombay to work for their passage home:

Timothy Higgens

John Cadmore

The following were prisoners from Bombay:

Baptist Maume

Jacque Henri Pottdeven

The passengers were Mrs Ann Harvey and Captain Thomas Rich. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The roll distinguishes three classes of men taken aboard at the Indian end of the voyage beyond the regular crew, each entered under its own heading. Two men were signed at Bombay to work their passage home, the ordinary way a stranded or discharged hand earned his return by labour rather than fare. Two others were carried as prisoners from Bombay, men being sent back under restraint, their French-sounding names suggesting captives or offenders shipped home for disposal by the Company's authorities in England.

The passenger list is small against the crowded roll of the Winchelsea the month before, carrying only a single lady and a ship's captain travelling as a passenger. Captain Thomas Rich, borne aboard another commander's ship, was probably an officer returning to England between commands, the returning Indiamen serving as the regular conveyance for the Company's own servants moving between the East and home.

47

38

At a Consultation held on Monday the 28th Day of July

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed

Dated the 21 July 1755

Thursday the 23 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Shaftesbury

Yesterday the 27 Sailed the Honorable Companys Ship, the Prince Henry for

England

The Storekeeper brought in his Collections

and the Paymaster his Accounts for the Quarter ending

the 11 instant which were examined, and approved, and are

as follows Vizt

Collection of Goods Sold and Delivered out of the

Honorable Companys Stores from the 12 of Aprill to the

11 of July 1755 vizt

Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 p Ct

Arrack 14½ Gallons

£ 3 10 7½

Brandy ½ Dō

£ 0 1 3

Sugar & Candy vizt

2308 ll Sugar

£ 38 9 4

1530 ll Candy

£ 31 17 6 70 6 10

Flour vizt

3470 ll Flour

£ 21 13 9

120. 26 Dō Baked

£ 105 4 0 126 17 9½

Carried Over

£ 200 15 3

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 28 July 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 21 July 1755.

The Company ship Shaftesbury arrived on Thursday 23 July. The Company ship Prince Henry sailed for England on 27 July.

The storekeeper brought in his collections and the paymaster his accounts for the quarter ending 11 July. The council examined and approved them, and they follow below.

This is a collection of goods sold and delivered out of the Company's stores from 12 April to 11 July 1755. The following were sold to the Company's servants at 10 per cent.

Arrack, 14½ gallons, £3 10s 7½d

Brandy, 5 gallons, £1 3s 0d

Sugar and candy

2,308 pounds sugar, £38 9s 4d

1,530 pounds candy, £31 17s 6d; total 70 6s 10d

Flour

3,470 pounds flour, £21 13s 9d

120 pounds baked into 26 dozen, £105 4s 2d; total 126 17s 9½d

Total carried over, £200 15s 3d

Interpretations

The collection records the island's practice of retailing the Company's imported stores to its own servants at a fixed markup, here ten per cent over cost. The arrack, brandy, sugar, candy and flour brought in on the Indiamen were not held solely for the garrison and the ships but sold on to the Company's people on the island at a controlled margin, so that the store served as the settlement's supplier of imported goods and returned a small profit to the Company on each transaction.

The flour entry distinguishes raw flour sold by weight from flour baked into bread and sold by the dozen, presumably loaves. The far higher value placed on the baked portion reflects the labour and fuel of the island's bakehouse added to the cost of the grain, showing the Company recovering not merely the price of the flour but the work of turning it into bread through the same regulated sale to its servants.

48

39

Brought Over

£ 200 15 3

Soap 348 ll

£ 10 3 0

Candles 511 ll

£ 43 2 3½

Tea vizt

137 ll Congo

£ 10 5 6

8 ll Single

£ 0 11 4

74 ll Bohea

£ 3 4 0 14 10 10

Rice 150 3 4

£ 54 10 11

Beef & Pork vizt

493 lb Beef 2/

£ 49 6 0

14 Dō Dō 2/

£ 1 8 0

9 Dō Dō 3/½

£ 1 7 4½

906 lb Pork 2/

£ 90 12 0

21 Dō Dō 2/

£ 2 2 0

74 Dō Dō 2/2

£ 8 0 4 152 15 8½

Oil vizt

11 Gallons Train

£ 1 14 10

16 Bottles Florence

£ 2 0 8

3½ Gallon Linseed

£ 0 2 9 3 18 3

Challoes 42 pd

£ 23 19 6

Stockings 36 pr Cotton

£ 12 0 0

Long Cloth 17 pd

£ 17 7 0

Pitch vizt

5 ll Rozin

£ 0 0 7½

50 ll Turpentine

£ 0 8 4

6 Gallons Tar

£ 0 4 6

6 ll Pitch

£ 0 0 10½ 0 14 4

Nails 114 ll Sorted

£ 2 8 10

Haberdasery ware vizt

14 Sk mohair

£ 0 5 3

18 Sk Silk

£ 0 8 3

14 p Doz mm Coat Butt

£ 0 9 8

7 Dō mm Brast Dō

£ 0 2 4

7 Dō Gilt Coat Dō

£ 1 10 11

3½ Dō Dō Brast Dō

£ 0 7 9

3 Dō Silver Coat Dō

£ 0 13 3

1 Dō Dō Brast Dō

£ 0 2 2½

3 Dō Carnation Tape

£ 0 2 5

2 Dō Holland Dō

£ 0 1 10 4 3 8½

Carried Over

£ 600 10 10½

The collection of goods sold out of the Company's stores continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £200 15s 3d

Soap, 348 pounds, £10 3s 0d

Candles, 511 pounds, £43 2s 3½d

Tea

137 pounds Congo, £10 5s 6d

8 pounds single, £0 11s 4d

74 pounds Bohea, £3 4s 0d; total 14 10s 10d

Rice, 150 bags, £54 10s 11d

Beef and Pork

493 pounds beef at 2s, £49 6s 0d

14 pounds beef at 2s, £1 8s 0d

9 pounds beef at 3s 6d, £1 7s 4d

906 pounds pork at 2s, £90 12s 0d

21 pounds pork at 2s, £2 2s 0d

74 pounds pork at 2s 2d, £8 0s 4d; total 152 15s 8½d

Oil

11 gallons train, £1 14s 10d

16 bottles Florence, £2 0s 8d

3½ gallons linseed, £0 2s 9d; total 3 18s 3d

Chelloes, 42 pieces, £23 19s 6d

Stockings, 36 pairs cotton, £12 0s 0d

Long cloth, 17 pieces, £17 7s 0d

Pitch

5 pounds rosin, £0 0s 7½d

50 pounds turpentine, £0 8s 4d

6 gallons tar, £0 4s 6d

6 pounds pitch, £0 10s 6½d; total 14s 4d

Nails, 114 pounds spoiled, £2 8s 10d

Haberdashery

14 skeins mohair, £0 5s 3d

18 skeins silk, £0 8s 3d

14½ dozen coat buttons, £0 9s 8d

7 dozen breast buttons, £0 2s 4d

7 dozen gilt coat buttons, £1 10s 11d

3½ dozen gilt breast buttons, £0 7s 9d

3 dozen silver coat buttons, £0 13s 3d

1 dozen silver breast buttons, £0 2s 2½d

3 pieces carnation tape, £0 2s 5d

2 pieces Holland tape, £0 1s 10d; total 4 3s 8½d

Total carried over, £600 10s 10½d

Interpretations

The range of goods sold from the store shows how completely the island depended on the Company's warehouses for the materials of ordinary life. Alongside the provisions of beef, pork, rice and tea sit the makings of clothing and repair: cotton stockings, lengths of long cloth and chelloes, sewing silk and mohair, and coat and breast buttons of gilt and silver. With no manufactures of its own, the settlement bought even its buttons and tape from the Indiamen, the store standing in for the shops of an English town.

Chelloes and long cloth were Indian cotton textiles brought through the Company's trade, chelloes a checked or striped cloth and long cloth a plain white calico sold by the piece. Bohea and Congo were black teas of China, Bohea the commoner and cheaper sort and Congo a finer grade, while the small quantity of single tea marked a third kind, all retailed to the servants by the pound. These eastern goods, textiles and tea alike, reached the island only by the returning ships and were sold on through the store at the fixed markup.

The train oil and pitch, tar, turpentine and rosin were the materials of maintenance rather than consumption. Train oil, rendered from whale or fish blubber, served for lamps and for dressing leather and timber, while the pitch and tar were the naval stores by which boats and gear were kept watertight. Their presence in the sale account shows the store supplying not only food and cloth but the working materials that kept the island's boats and buildings in repair.

49

40

Brought Over

£ 600 10 10½

Shalloon 15½ Yards

£ 1 11 0

Shoes vizt

12 pr Wm Spanish

£ 2 18 6

18 pr Wm Callimanco

£ 4 13 0

20 pr Wm Calfs

£ 2 13 4

14 pr mn Pumps

£ 4 13 4

9 pr mn fine Shoes

£ 2 14 4½

140 pr mn Ordy Dō

£ 31 0 6

9 pr Boys

£ 1 14 9

6 pr Girls

£ 0 12 6

14 pr Channel Pumps

£ 5 10 10 56 8 1½

Leather vizt

4 ll Leather

£ 0 4 6

4 Calf Skins

£ 1 10 4 1 14 10

Canvas vizt

135 ½ yds Osenbds

£ 5 12 6

22 Dō Eng Canvas

£ 1 6 7 6 19 1

Paint vizt

32 ll Blue Smalts

£ 4 15 4

12 Whiting

£ 0 0 3

14 lb Blacking

£ 0 14 7

4 White Lead

£ 0 1 6

2 oz Verdiguease

£ 0 0 8

1 oz Sacharum Saturny

£ 0 0 2½

½ ll umber

£ 0 0 1½

½ ll Fam Indico

£ 0 1 6 5 14 2

Deals vizt

104 Single

£ 11 9 8

5 Double

£ 0 17 8½

3 Wains Boards

£ 0 16 0

1 Elm Dō

£ 0 3 5

6 Boulths

£ 1 16 6 15 3 3½

Iron Pots 23

£ 7 0 6

Carried Over

£ 695 11 10½

The collection of goods sold out of the Company's stores continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £600 10s 10½d

Shalloon, 15½ yards, £1 11s 0d

Shoes

12 pairs women's Spanish, £2 18s 6d

18 pairs women's calimanco, £4 13s 0d

20 pairs women's calf, £2 13s 4d

14 pairs men's pumps, £4 13s 4d

9 pairs men's fine shoes, £2 14s 4½d

140 pairs men's ordinary shoes, £31 0s 6d

9 pairs boys' shoes, £1 14s 9d

6 pairs girls' shoes, £0 12s 6d

14 pairs channel pumps, £5 10s 10d; total 56 8s 1½d

Leather

4 pounds leather, £0 4s 6d

4 calf skins, £1 10s 4d; total 1 14s 10d

Canvas

135 yards Osnaburgs, £5 12s 6d

22 yards English canvas, £1 6s 7d; total 6 19s 1d

Paint

32 pounds blue smalts, £4 15s 4d

12 pounds whiting, £0 0s 3d

14 pounds blacking, £0 16s 7d

4 pounds white lead, £0 1s 6d

2 ounces verdigris, £0 0s 8d

1 ounce saccharum saturni, £0 0s 2½d

14 pounds umber, £0 0s 1½d

14 pounds fine indigo, £0 16s 0d; total 5 14s 2d

Deals

104 single, £11 9s 8d

5 double, £0 17s 8½d

3 wainscot boards, £0 16s 0d

1 elm board, £0 3s 5d

6 baulks, £1 16s 6d; total 15 3s 3½d

Iron pots, 23, £7 10s 6d

Total carried over, £695 11s 10½d

Interpretations

The shoe account is the most detailed line in the whole collection, graded by wearer, quality and even nationality of make, from women's Spanish and calimanco shoes down to children's and the great bulk of 140 pairs of ordinary men's shoes. This concentration on footwear reflects a real need on a rough volcanic island where shoes wore out fast, and the store carried a full range for men, women, boys and girls because none could be made locally. The channel pumps and men's pumps mark lighter dress shoes alongside the heavy ordinary sort, the store meeting both work and occasion.

The paints and pigments name the materials of building maintenance and fine finishing together. Blue smalts was a ground-glass pigment coloured with cobalt, used for blue paint and for whitening, while white lead, umber, verdigris and indigo were the painter's colours, and saccharum saturni, sugar of lead, served as a drying agent in oil paint. These were the means of protecting and decorating the island's timber and plaster against a damp sea climate, sold from the same store that supplied its food and cloth.

The deals, wainscot, elm boards and baulks were sawn and squared timber, and with the iron pots and calf skins they mark the store as the source of the island's building and household hardware. Having almost no usable timber of its own, the settlement imported even its planks and beams through the Company, so that the materials of construction reached St Helena by the same ships that carried its provisions and were sold on to the inhabitants through the quarterly collection.

50

41

Brought Over

£ 695 11 10½

Glassware vizt

32 Sqrs Glass 6 by 8

£ 0 10 0

87 Dō Dō 8 by 10

£ 2 14 4½

3 Dō Dō 10 by 12

£ 0 2 9

1 Quart Decanter

£ 0 4 5

6 Beer Glasses

£ 0 5 6

6 Tumblers

£ 0 3 6

60 Wine Glasses

£ 1 11 3 5 11 9½

Ironmongersware vizt

6 Chest Locks

£ 1 3 0

14 Frying Pans

£ 1 17 7

1 Scyth Stone

£ 0 0 2

1 Cwt H Hinges

£ 0 1 9

2 Cupboard Locks

£ 0 9 0

9 Stock Locks

£ 1 8 9

3 Padlocks

£ 0 7 6

2 Files

£ 0 1 6

2 Ironbound Locks

£ 0 12 2

1 Pickax

£ 0 2 5

2 Helves

£ 0 1 4

1 Garden Rake

£ 0 2 7

6 Cwt Bellows

£ 1 6 6

4 Chafing Dishes

£ 1 3 2

3 Doz Wood Screws

£ 0 1 6½

1 Mawl

£ 0 10 0 8 10 3½

Hooks & Lines vizt

3000 Hooks Sorted

£ 3 15 4

1300 Blew Hooks

£ 0 11 5½

40 Doz Lines Sorted

£ 7 16 11 12 3 8½

Salt 10¾ Bushels

£ 1 10 9

Starch 37 ll

£ 1 0 10

Pepper 4 ll

£ 0 2 3

Corks 7 Gross

£ 0 17 9½

Carried Over

£ 725 18 3½

The collection of goods sold out of the Company's stores continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £695 11s 10½d

Glassware

32 squares glass 6 by 8, £0 10s 0d

87 squares glass 8 by 10, £2 14s 4½d

3 squares glass 10 by 12, £0 2s 9d

1 quart decanter, £0 4s 5d

6 beer glasses, £0 5s 6d

6 tumblers, £0 3s 6d

60 wine glasses, £1 11s 3d; total 5 11s 9½d

Ironmongery

6 chest locks, £1 3s 0d

14 frying pans, £1 17s 7d

1 scythe stone, £0 0s 2d

1 dozen H hinges, £0 1s 9d

2 cupboard locks, £0 9s 0d

9 stock locks, £1 8s 9d

3 padlocks, £0 7s 6d

2 files, £0 1s 6d

2 ironbound locks, £0 12s 2d

1 pickaxe, £0 2s 5d

2 helves, £0 1s 4d

1 garden rake, £0 2s 7d

6 dozen bellows, £1 6s 6d

4 chafing dishes, £1 3s 2d

3 dozen wood screws, £0 1s 6d

1 maul, £0 0s 10d; total 8 10s 3¾d

Hooks and lines

3,000 hooks sorted, £3 15s 4d

1,300 blue hooks, £0 11s 5½d

40 dozen lines sorted, £7 16s 11d; total 12 3s 8½d

Salt, 10½ bushels, £1 10s 9d

Starch, 37 pounds, £1 0s 10d

Pepper, 4 pounds, £0 2s 3d

Corks, 7 gross, £0 17s 9½d

Total carried over, £725 18s 3¾d

Interpretations

The glassware line records the sale of window glass alongside drinking vessels, the squares of 6 by 8, 8 by 10 and 10 by 12 inches being panes for glazing rather than tableware. On an island where every pane had to be shipped in, the store supplied the glass to fit and repair the windows of the settlement's houses, sold by the square, together with the decanters, tumblers and the sixty wine glasses that furnished its tables.

The great quantity of fish hooks and lines, three thousand hooks of one sort, thirteen hundred blue hooks and forty dozen lines, points to the importance of fishing to the island's food supply. Set against the small scale of most other lines in the account, this large stock of tackle shows the sea kept the settlement fed as much as the herds did, and that the Company supplied the means of catching fish through the same store that sold its beef and bread.

The ironmongery is the hardware of a self-repairing community: locks of every kind to secure chests, cupboards and doors, frying pans and chafing dishes for the kitchen, and the tools of maintenance in the files, helves, pickaxe, maul and garden rake. That so many locks were sold reflects a settlement concerned to secure its goods, while the helves and tool handles show the inhabitants fitting and mending their own implements from parts bought at the store.

51

42

Brought Over

£ 725 18 3½

Cutleryware vizt

1 Butchers Knife

£ 0 0 3½

97 Horn Combs

£ 0 16 2

106 Ivory Dō

£ 5 10 5

15 pr Leather Garters

£ 0 6 10½

14 pr Knee Buckles

£ 0 6 5 7 0 2

Shirts vizt

93 Soldiers Shirts

£ 22 17 3

2 pd Linen

£ 3 6 6 26 3 9

Hosersware vizt

23 pr Thread Stockrs

£ 3 5 2

9 pr mn Wove Dō

£ 1 14 6

2 pr Knit

£ 0 6 8

2 pr Womens

£ 0 7 2 5 13 6

Pease ¾ Bushel

£ 0 4 7

Buchram 26¾ Yds

£ 1 6 9

Hats vizt

12 mens

£ 11 11 0

5 Boys

£ 1 10 2½ 13 1 2½

Chinaware vizt

56 Cups & Saucers

£ 1 1 0

1 Coffee Cup

£ 0 0 2

3 Soup Dishes

£ 0 18 0

56 Dō Plates

£ 1 1 0

12 Guglets & Basons

£ 1 10 0

8 Sets Dishes & Plates

£ 6 18 0

9 Chamber Pots

£ 0 14 3

6 Sauce Boats

£ 0 6 0

15 Bowls

£ 0 15 0

25 Smokers

£ 0 6 3 12 19 8

Thread vizt

5 pd Brown

£ 1 10 5

13 Colourd

£ 2 7 8

1 oz nuns

£ 0 2 2 4 0 3

Twine 10 Skains

£ 0 6 8

Cordage 29 ll

£ 0 8 5½

Carried Over

£ 797 3 3½

The collection of goods sold out of the Company's stores continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £725 18s 3¾d

Cutlery

1 butcher's knife, £0 0s 3½d

9 horn combs, £0 16s 2d

106 ivory combs, £5 10s 5d

15 pairs leather garters, £0 6s 10½d

14 pairs knee buckles, £0 6s 5d; total 7 0s 2d

Shirts

93 soldiers' shirts, £22 17s 3d

2 pieces linen, £3 6s 6d; total 26 3s 9d

Hosiery

23 pairs thread stockings, £3 5s 2d

9 pairs men's worsted stockings, £1 14s 6d

2 pairs knit stockings, £0 6s 8d

2 pairs women's stockings, £0 7s 2d; total 5 13s 6d

Pease, ¾ bushel, £0 4s 7d

Buckram, 26¾ yards, £1 6s 9d

Hats

12 men's hats, £11 11s 0d

5 boys' hats, £1 10s 2½d; total 13 1s 2½d

Chinaware

56 cups and saucers, £1 1s 0d

1 coffee cup, £0 0s 2d

3 soup dishes, £0 18s 0d

56 plates, £1 1s 0d

12 guglets and basins, £1 10s 0d

8 soup dishes and plates, £6 18s 0d

9 chamber pots, £0 14s 3d

6 sauce boats, £0 6s 0d

15 bowls, £0 15s 0d

25 tumblers, £0 6s 3d; total 12 19s 8d

Thread

5 pounds brown, £1 10s 5d

13 pounds coloured, £2 7s 8d

1 ounce nuns, £0 2s 2d; total 4 0s 3d

Twine, 10 skeins, £0 6s 8d

Cordage, 29 pounds, £0 8s 5½d

Total carried over, £797 3s 3¾d

Interpretations

The 93 soldiers' shirts at nearly £23 form the single largest line in this part of the account, marking the store's role in clothing the garrison. The soldiers bought their own body linen from the Company at the fixed markup, so that the cost of keeping the men shirted fell back on their pay through the store, the same channel that supplied their ordinary shoes in the earlier line. This bulk sale of a single standard article distinguishes the soldiers' clothing from the varied domestic goods sold to the wider settlement.

The guglets among the chinaware were a specifically eastern vessel, a porous earthenware jar used to cool drinking water by evaporation, well suited to keeping water fresh in a warm climate. Their presence alongside the cups, plates and chamber pots of the imported table service shows the island's households furnished with the ceramic goods of the China trade, from ordinary tableware to the water coolers of the tropics, all reaching the settlement through the returning ships.

Ivory combs at over £5 stand out among the cutlery as a costly item for so small a thing, more than sixteen times the value of the horn combs sold beside them. The willingness of the Company's servants to buy combs of ivory rather than horn marks a reach for small luxuries even on this remote station, the eastern trade bringing the material of fine personal goods within reach of those who could pay for them.

52

43

Brought Over

£ 797 3 3½

Tinware vizt

19 Lamps

£ 0 15 10

1 Driping Pan

£ 0 4 7

6 Lanthan Leaves

£ 0 1 6½

2 Lanthorns

£ 0 5 6 1 7 3½

Turnersware vizt

5 Scrubing Brushes

£ 0 9 2

2 Hair Brooms

£ 0 4 5

5 Flaskets

£ 0 13 9

2 Shoe Brushes

£ 0 1 3½

1 Punch Ladle

£ 0 0 7½

2 Paint Brushes

£ 0 1 4½

1 Birch Broom

£ 0 0 4 1 10 8

Broad Cloth 26¼ Yds

£ 22 7 1½

Camblet 11¾ Yds

£ 1 19 7

Brazierware vizt

1 Chafing Dish

£ 0 9 7

1 Tea Kettle

£ 0 12 2

1 Ladle

£ 0 2 5

2 pr Candlesticks

£ 0 13 4 1 17 6

Lead 14 Sheet

£ 0 8 3

Serge 5½ Yds

£ 1 7 1½

Pewter 1 Bason

£ 0 4 9

Long Ells 6 Yds

£ 0 10 6

Wine vizt

32½ Doz Port

£ 31 13 9

9 Dō madura

£ 14 2 0 45 15 9

Beer 1 Cask

£ 2 10 10

£ 877 2 7

The collection of goods sold out of the Company's stores continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £797 3s 3¾d

Tinware

19 lamps, £0 15s 10d

1 dripping pan, £0 4s 7d

6 lanthorn leaves, £0 1s 4½d

2 lanthorns, £0 5s 6d; total 1 7s 3½d

Turnery

5 scrubbing brushes, £0 9s 2d

2 hair brooms, £0 4s 5d

5 flaskets, £0 13s 9d

2 shoe brushes, £0 1s 3½d

1 punch ladle, £0 0s 7½d

2 paint brushes, £0 1s 3½d

1 birch broom, £0 0s 4½d; total 1 10s 8d

Broadcloth, 26¼ yards, £22 7s 1½d

Camblet, 11¾ yards, £1 19s 7d

Braziery

1 chafing dish, £0 9s 7d

1 tea kettle, £0 12s 2d

1 ladle, £0 2s 5d

2 pairs candlesticks, £0 13s 4d; total 1 17s 6d

Lead, 14 pounds sheet, £0 8s 3d

Serge, 5 yards, £1 7s 7½d

Pewter, 1 basin, £0 4s 9d

Long ells, 6 yards, £0 10s 6d

Wine

32½ dozen port, £31 13s 9d

9 dozen Madeira, £14 2s 0d; total 45 15s 9d

Beer, 1 cask, £2 10s 10d

Total, £877 2s 7d

Interpretations

The wine at nearly £46 is the largest single line in this closing part of the account, over forty-one dozen bottles of port and Madeira sold to the Company's servants at the fixed markup. This great quantity, far beyond what the governor's own table consumed, shows the store retailing wine to the whole body of the settlement's people, the imported drink of the Atlantic and Iberian trade passing through the Company's hands to its servants along with their food and cloth.

Broadcloth, camblet, serge and long ells were the woollen textiles of the sale, cloths ill suited to a warm island yet carried and sold nonetheless. Broadcloth was a fine dense wool for coats, camblet a lighter mixed stuff, and long ells a worsted made expressly for the export trade. Their sale on St Helena reflects both the European dress the Company's servants kept up and the standard outfit of goods the ships carried regardless of destination, the woollens of home finding buyers even in a mild climate.

The lamps, lanthorns and lanthorn leaves among the tinware, together with the train oil sold earlier, mark the means of lighting the settlement through its nights. The leaves were the thin translucent panes of horn that closed the sides of a lanthorn, protecting the flame in the wind, and their sale by the piece shows the inhabitants repairing their own lights as the horn wore or broke, drawing even this small material from the Company's store.

53

44

Sold to the Planters at 25 p Ct

Sustain ½ pd

£ 0 15 0

Chelloes 26 pd

£ 16 18 0

Shoes vizt

3 pr Wm Calimance

£ 0 17 6

9 pr Spanish

£ 2 10 3

22 pr Calf

£ 3 7 10

2 pr mn Channel Pumps

£ 0 18 0

2 pr Pumps

£ 0 15 0

4 pr fine Shoes

£ 1 7 6

16 pr Ordy Dō

£ 0 4 10

3 pr Boys

£ 0 12 10

8 pr Girls

£ 0 18 8 11 12 5

Shalloon 12 Yds

£ 1 7 0

Serge 8¼ Yds

£ 2 6 5

Hosersware vizt

4 pr Wm Stockings

£ 0 16 4

2 pr Girls

£ 0 6 3

3 pr mn Wove

£ 0 13 1½

5 pr mn Knit

£ 0 18 0 2 14 6½

Buchram 3¼ Yds

£ 0 3 6

Stockings 3 pr Cotton

£ 1 2 6

Kersey 2½ Yds

£ 0 4 2

Broad Cloth 2¾ Yds

£ 2 8 6½

Sold at 40 p Ct

Arrack 180 Gallons

£ 54 0 0

Sugar & Candy vizt

603 Sugar

£ 12 11 3

982 Candy

£ 26 11 11

£ 39 3 2

Carried Over

£ 132 15 2

The following goods were sold to the planters at 25 per cent. All figures are in sterling.

Sustain, 14 pieces, £0 15s 0d

Chelloes, 26 pieces, £16 18s 0d

Shoes

3 pairs women's calimanco, £0 17s 6d

9 pairs Spanish, £2 10s 3d

22 pairs calf, £3 7s 10d

2 pairs men's channel pumps, £0 18s 0d

2 pairs pumps, £0 15s 0d

4 pairs fine shoes, £1 7s 6d

1 pair ordinary shoes, £0 4s 10d

3 pairs boys' shoes, £0 12s 10d

8 pairs girls' shoes, £0 18s 8d; total 11 12s 5d

Shalloon, 12 yards, £1 7s 0d

Serge, 8¼ yards, £2 6s 5d

Hosiery

4 pairs women's stockings, £0 16s 4d

2 pairs girls' stockings, £0 6s 3d

3 pairs men's woven stockings, £0 13s 1½d

5 pairs men's knit stockings, £0 18s 0d; total 2 14s 6½d

Buckram, 3¼ yards, £0 3s 6d

Stockings, 3 pairs cotton, £1 2s 6d

Kersey, 2¼ yards, £0 4s 2d

Broadcloth, 2¼ yards, £2 8s 6½d

The following goods were sold at 40 per cent.

Arrack, 180 gallons, £54 0s 0d

Sugar and candy

603 pounds sugar, £12 11s 3d

982 pounds candy, £26 11s 11d; total 39 3s 2d

Total carried over, £132 15s 2d

Interpretations

The account divides the store's customers into two classes charged at different rates, the Company's servants at ten per cent in the earlier collection and the planters here at twenty-five, with a further group of goods sold to all at forty. This graduation of markup by buyer reveals a deliberate policy: the Company subsidised its own servants with the lowest margin, charged the free landholders more heavily, and reserved the steepest rate for arrack, sugar and candy, the goods it could sell dear because the planters wanted them and had nowhere else to buy.

The forty per cent charged on arrack and sugar marks these as the store's most profitable lines, sold at a margin far above the everyday cloth and shoes. Arrack in particular, at 180 gallons, was a bulk sale of spirit to the planters at a rate the Company could command because the drink was in demand and its supply controlled, the warehouse turning its monopoly of the imported liquor into a substantial return.

That the planters bought the same range of shoes, stockings and cloth as the servants, but paid a heavier markup, shows the free inhabitants dependent on the same single source for the materials of life yet treated as a distinct market. Lacking any other supplier on the island, the landholders had to take the Company's terms, and the higher rate they paid was the price of that dependence on the store that stood in for every shop.

54

45

Brought Over

£ 132 15 2

Flour 482 ll

£ 4 1 4

Soap 130 ll

£ 5 18 9

Candles 94 ll

£ 10 3 8

Tea vizt

181 ll Congo

£ 18 8 0

7 Bohea

£ 0 9 4 18 17 4

Rice 5. 2. 6 Cwt qrs ll

£ 3 10 3

Hooks & Lines vizt

30 Doz Lines Sorted

£ 8 1 6½

3200 Hooks Dō

£ 6 7 1

100 B Hooks p G

£ 0 1 5 14 10 0½

Beef & Pork vizt

1 pr Beef

£ 0 4 1

10 pr Pork

£ 1 7 6 1 11 7

Thread vizt

2 pr Brown

£ 0 15 6

8 Coloured

£ 1 17 4 2 12 10

Salt 1¾ Bushel

£ 0 6 8½

Paint vizt

10 Whiting

£ 0 0 5

27 Blue Smalts

£ 3 3 0 3 3 5

Cutleryware 5 Ivory Combs

£ 0 7 1

Deals 6 Single

£ 0 17 0

Nails 36 ll Sorted

£ 0 15 11½

Pitch vizt

2½ G Tar

£ 0 2 3

42 Turpentine

£ 0 10 6 0 12 9

Oil vizt

2½ G Train

£ 0 9 4½

1 Bottle Florence

£ 0 3 6½ 0 12 11

Carried Over

£ 200 15 9½

The goods sold to the planters continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £132 15s 2d

Flour, 482 pounds, £4 1s 4d

Soap, 150 pounds, £5 18s 9d

Candles, 94 pounds, £10 3s 8d

Tea

181 pounds Congo, £18 8s 0d

7 pounds Bohea, £0 9s 4d; total 18 17s 4d

Rice, 5 bags, £3 10s 3d

Hooks and lines

30 dozen lines sorted, £8 1s 6½d

3,200 hooks sorted, £6 7s 1d

100 blue hooks, £0 1s 5d; total 14 10s 0½d

Beef and Pork

1 pair beef, £0 4s 1d

10 pairs pork, £1 7s 6d; total 1 11s 7d

Thread

2 pounds brown, £0 15s 6d

8 pounds coloured, £1 17s 4d; total 2 12s 10d

Salt, 1¾ bushel, £0 6s 8½d

Paint

10 pounds whiting, £0 0s 5d

27 pounds blue smalts, £3 3s 0d; total 3 3s 5d

Cutlery, 5 ivory combs, £0 7s 1d

Deals, 6 single, £0 17s 0d

Nails, 36 pounds sorted, £0 15s 11½d

Pitch

2½ gallons tar, £0 2s 3d

42 pounds turpentine, £0 10s 6d; total 12s 9d

Oil

2½ gallons train, £0 9s 4½d

1 bottle Florence, £0 3s 6½d; total 12s 11d

Total carried over, £200 15s 9½d

Interpretations

The planters bought heavily where the servants bought lightly, and the difference maps their distinct ways of life. Where the earlier collection to the servants was dense with personal clothing and small domestic wares, the planters took bulk provisions and the working materials of their estates: nearly 500 pounds of flour, large quantities of tea and candles, and again a great stock of fishing hooks and lines. As landholders running households and slaves in the country, they drew from the store the staples and tools of a working plantation rather than the shirts and buttons of the town.

The tea sold to the planters, over 180 pounds of Congo against a handful of Bohea, shows the drink had become a settled part of even the rural households' consumption. Congo, the finer of the two black teas, was bought in quantity by the landholders, so that this eastern luxury of a generation earlier now reached the country families of a remote Atlantic island through the Company's regular trade, retailed to them at the planters' rate.

The recurrence of blue smalts, whiting, turpentine, tar and train oil in the planters' purchases marks their responsibility for maintaining their own buildings and boats. The paint and naval stores they bought were the means of protecting timber and keeping small craft sound against the sea climate, the landholders drawing from the same store as the Company's works the materials to preserve their scattered country properties.

55

46

Brought Over

£ 200 15 9½

Cordage 8 ll

£ 0 3 0

Haberdasheryware vizt

6 Sk mohair

£ 0 3 0

8 Sk Silk

£ 0 4 8

6½ Doz mn Coat Buttons

£ 0 5 5

3 Dō mn Brast Dō

£ 0 1 3 0 14 4

Glassware vizt

12 Sqrs Glass 6 by 8

£ 0 4 6

46 Dō Dō 8 by 10

£ 1 16 5

6 Wine Glasses

£ 0 4 0 2 4 11

Twine 7 Skains

£ 0 5 10

Leather vizt

11 Leather

£ 0 15 7

2 Calf Skains

£ 0 19 0 1 14 7

Chinaware vizt

2 Smokers

£ 0 0 8

3 Chamber Pots

£ 0 6 3

12 Cups & Saucers

£ 0 5 6 0 12 5

Canvas 61 yds Osenbds

£ 3 6 1

Turnersware vizt

2 Scrubing Brushes

£ 0 4 8

2 Hair Brooms

£ 0 5 8

2 Wood Ladles

£ 0 0 5½ 0 10 9½

Iron Pots 1

£ 0 18 4

Tinware 9 Lamps

£ 0 9 9

Ironmongersware vizt

1 Chafing Dish

£ 0 7 5

3 Frying Pans

£ 0 8 0

2 Stock Locks

£ 0 5 2

1 6 pr Bellows

£ 0 5 8

Tinware Carried over

£ 1 6 3

Carried Over

£ 211 15 10

The goods sold to the planters continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £200 15s 9½d

Cordage, 8 pounds, £0 3s 0d

Haberdashery

6 skeins mohair, £0 3s 0d

8 skeins silk, £0 4s 8d

6½ dozen coat buttons, £0 5s 5d

3 dozen breast buttons, £0 1s 3d; total 14s 4d

Glassware

12 squares glass 6 by 8, £0 4s 6d

46 squares glass 8 by 10, £1 16s 5d

6 wine glasses, £0 4s 0d; total 2 4s 11d

Twine, 7 skeins, £0 5s 10d

Leather

11 pounds leather, £0 15s 7d

2 calf skins, £0 19s 0d; total 1 14s 7d

Chinaware

2 tumblers, £0 0s 8d

3 chamber pots, £0 6s 3d

12 cups and saucers, £0 5s 6d; total 12s 5d

Canvas, 61 yards Osnaburgs, £3 6s 1d

Turnery

2 scrubbing brushes, £0 4s 8d

2 hair brooms, £0 5s 8d

2 wood ladles, £0 0s 5½d; total 10s 9½d

Iron pots, 1, £0 18s 4d

Tinware, 9 lamps, £0 9s 9d

Ironmongery

1 chafing dish, £0 7s 3d

3 frying pans, £0 8s 0d

2 stock locks, £0 5s 2d

1 dozen bellows, £0 5s 8d

Total of ironmongery carried over, £1 6s 3d

Total carried over, £211 15s 10d

Interpretations

The planters' purchases of glassware run heavily to window panes rather than tableware, forty-six squares of 8 by 10 against a mere six wine glasses. Where the servants' account balanced glazing against a full set of drinking vessels, the country landholders bought glass chiefly to fit and mend the windows of their scattered houses, the pattern of their buying again reflecting the maintenance of rural property over the furnishing of a genteel town table.

The recurrence throughout the planters' account of the same brushes, ladles, frying pans and locks sold to the servants shows a common dependence on the store for the smallest articles of the household, but the quantities tell of separate needs. The planters took the hardware of working kitchens and the tools of repair in modest numbers for individual estates, drawing from the Company's warehouse the ordinary implements that no island craft produced, so that even a wooden ladle or a scrubbing brush came by sea.

56

47

Brought Over

£ 211 15 10

Ironmongersware Brought Over

£ 1 6 3

3 Chest Locks

£ 0 15 0

1 Padlock

£ 0 3 2

1 Rat Trap

£ 0 7 0

2 hand Hatchets

£ 0 3 10

1 Ditching Shovel

£ 0 6 4

2 Spades

£ 0 8 10 3 11 2

£ 215 7 0

Sold to the Companys Ships

Oil 45 Gallo Linseed

£ 10 0 8

Deals 6 Single

£ 0 17 0

Nails 56 ll Sorted

£ 1 7 6½

Coals 2 Chaldron

£ 4 10 0

Paint vizt

33 Yellow Oaker

£ 0 9 7½

10 Veat Red

£ 0 2 11

3 Verdiguease

£ 0 13 0

28 lb Blacking

£ 1 16 4

7 Blue Smalts

£ 0 2 4

50 White Lead

£ 1 5 0

15 Red Lead

£ 0 5 0 4 14 2½

Salt 3 Bushels

£ 0 12 0

Canvas 3 pr English

£ 8 8 9

Twine 80 Skains

£ 3 6 8

Pease 5 Bushels

£ 1 18 0

Pitch & Tar vizt

1 Barrel Pitch

£ 1 12 0

5 Dō Tar

£ 8 0 0 9 12 0

Cordage 546 ll

£ 10 4 7

Carried Over

£ 55 12 1½

The goods sold to the planters continued, and were followed by goods sold to the Company's ships. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £211 15s 10d

Ironmongery, brought over, £1 6s 3d

3 chest locks, £0 15s 0d

1 padlock, £0 3s 2d

1 rat trap, £0 7s 0d

2 hand hatchets, £0 3s 10d

1 ditching shovel, £0 6s 4d

2 spades, £0 8s 10d; total 3 11s 2d

Total, £215 7s 0d

The following were sold to the Company's ships. All figures are in sterling.

Oil, 45 gallons linseed, £10 0s 8d

Deals, 6 single, £0 17s 0d

Nails, 56 pounds sorted, £1 7s 6½d

Coals, 2 chaldron, £4 10s 0d

Paint

33 pounds yellow ochre, £0 9s 7½d

10 pounds Venetian red, £0 2s 11d

3 pounds verdigris, £0 13s 0d

28 pounds and 63 pounds blacking, £1 16s 4d

7 pounds blue smalts, £0 2s 4d

50 pounds white lead, £1 5s 0d

15 pounds red lead, £0 5s 0d; total 4 14s 2½d

Salt, 3 bushels, £0 12s 0d

Canvas, 3 pieces English, £8 8s 9d

Twine, 80 skeins, £3 6s 8d

Pease, 5 bushels, £1 18s 0d

Pitch and Tar

1 barrel pitch, £1 12s 0d

5 barrels tar, £8 0s 0d; total 9 12s 0d

Cordage, 5 hundredweight, £10 4s 7d

Total carried over, £55 12s 1½d

Interpretations

The goods sold to the ships are the materials of the sea rather than the settlement, marking a third distinct market for the store. Where the servants bought clothing and the planters plantation supplies, the Indiamen took linseed oil, paint, canvas, twine, cordage, pitch and tar, the naval stores for maintaining hull, rigging and gear on the long voyage home. The store thus provisioned not only the island's people but the ships themselves, refitting them from the same warehouse that fed and clothed the shore.

The paints sold to the ships were chiefly the pigments of ship husbandry, yellow ochre, Venetian red, white lead and red lead ground for the protective coatings that preserved timber and ironwork against salt water. Red lead in particular was the standard priming for iron and for sealing planking, so that a departing ship bought from the island the very materials to keep her sound, the store supplying the means of her preservation as readily as her provisions.

The two chaldron of coals stand out as a fuel the island could not itself furnish, shipped in and sold on to the ships. With no coal of its own and its scant timber too precious to burn freely, St Helena depended on imported coal for the forge and the heavier fires, and its sale to the Indiamen shows the store passing on this essential fuel to vessels that would need it for their smiths and galleys on the passage to England.

57

48

Brought Over

£ 55 12 1¾

Glassware vizt

8 Sqr Glass 10 by 12

£ 0 9 4

26 Dō Dō 8 by 10

£ 0 1 7

2 Dō Dō 10 by 11

£ 0 4 7 0 15 6

Hooks & Lines vizt

100 Hooks p G

£ 0 1 5

2 Doz Lines

£ 0 10 2 0 11 7

Candy 30 ll

£ 0 16 3

Flour 738 ll

£ 6 3 0

£ 63 18 5¾

Sold to the French Ship at 50 p Cent

Deals 12 feet Oak Plank

£ 1 10 0

Charges General Dr for the following Stores Issued

from the 12 April to the 11 July 1755 Vizt

Glassware vizt

12 Sqrs Glass 6 by 8 for repairs to the

2 Dō Dō 10 by 12 Companys Houses

£ 0 3 9

£ 0 1 8

6 Beer Glasses, for the Castle

£ 0 5 0 0 10 5

Canvas vizt

2 Dō Eng for covering Several Pockets

£ 0 2 2

384 Osenb and for the Castle

£ 1 7 8½ 1 9 10½

Lead 3 Sheet for repr to the Porch in the Castle

£ 0 1 6

Oil vizt

10½ G Train for the Kitchen Bake

House, for the Armour Use

£ 1 11 4

1⅛ G Linseed for paint the Windows

repair one of p Companys House

£ 0 3 9

Oil Carried Over

£ 1 15 1

Carried Over

£ 2 1 9½

The goods sold to the Company's ships concluded as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £55 12s 1¾d

Glassware

8 squares glass 10 by 12, £0 9s 4d

20 squares glass 8 by 10, £0 1s 7d

2 squares glass 10 by 11, £0 4s 7d; total 15s 6d

Hooks and lines

100 hooks, £0 1s 5d

2 dozen lines, £0 10s 2d; total 11s 7d

Candy, 30 pounds, £0 16s 3d

Flour, 758 pounds, £6 3s 0d

Total, £63 18s 5¾d

The following was sold to the French ship at 50 per cent.

Deals, 12 feet oak plank, £1 10s 0d

The following stores were issued under general charges from 12 April to 11 July 1755, set against the Company's account. All figures are in sterling.

Glassware

12 squares glass 6 by 8, for repairs to the Company's houses, £0 3s 9d

2 squares glass 10 by 12, for repairs to the Company's houses, £0 1s 8d

6 beer glasses, for the Castle, £0 0s 5d; total 5s 10d

Canvas

2 pieces English, for covering several rockets and for the Castle, £0 2s 2d

38 yards Osnaburgs, for covering several rockets and for the Castle, £1 7s 8½d; total 1 9s 10½d

Lead, 3 pounds sheet, for use to the pouch in the Castle, £0 1s 6d

Oil

10½ gallons train, for the kitchen bakehouse and for the armourer's use, £1 11s 4d

1⅛ gallon linseed, for painting the windows and repair of the Company's houses, £0 3s 9d

Oil carried over, £1 15s 1d

Total carried over, £2 1s 9½d

Interpretations

The account closes the retail side and turns to the store's third function, the issue of goods not sold but drawn for the Company's own works and buildings. Where the servants, planters and ships bought at graded markups, these general charges record materials taken out at cost for public purposes: glass and lead for repairing the Company's houses, oil for the bakehouse and the armourer, canvas for the Castle. This distinction between sale and internal issue reveals the store as both a shop and a public works depot, its stock feeding the maintenance of the settlement as well as the pockets of its buyers.

The single line sold to the French ship, twelve feet of oak plank at the steep rate of fifty per cent, marks the highest markup in the whole collection, charged to a foreign vessel for a scarce material. Oak was among the most valuable timber the island held, imported and not to be spared cheaply, and the Company exacted its dearest rate from an outsider for a commodity its own people and ships could barely obtain. The transaction shows the island accommodating a foreign ship's need while turning that need to the fullest profit.

The canvas issued for covering several rockets points to the storage of signal or firework rockets at the Castle, wrapped against the damp to keep them serviceable. Rockets served both for night signals between the batteries and for ceremonial display, and their protection with canvas and Osnaburgs shows the care taken to keep the island's pyrotechnic stores dry and ready in a climate that would quickly have spoiled them.

58

49

Brought Over

£ 2 1 9½

Oil Brought Over

£ 1 15 1

2 Bottles Florence for the Armourers

& Carpenter's Use

£ 0 4 7 1 19 8

Candles vizt

140 for the Castle

£ 10 15 10

120 for the Council

£ 9 15 0 20 10 10

Nails vizt

½ Glazing Brads

£ 0 0 6

7 10 for Repairs to the

£ 0 2 4

10 6

£ 0 3 6½

1 4 Draw Bridge, Crane

£ 0 4 3½

3½ 3

£ 0 1 9½

½ 40 and one of the Compys Houses

£ 0 0 7½

3½ 20

£ 0 1 7½

8 Flooring Brads

£ 0 2 8 12 6

Barrack Nails 4 Spikes for repairs to the Crane

£ 0 1 1

Cordage 30 ll for a Well Rope, the Gunners Use

and Slaughter House

£ 0 7 7½

Lines vizt

6 Nō 3 for Whips

£ 0 1 11½

12 4 for the Masons Use

£ 0 4 5 0 6 4½

Tinware vizt

2 Puding Pots

£ 0 3 2

2 Horn Lanthorns for the Castle

£ 0 5 0 0 8 2

Corks 9 Gross for Bottling Beer

£ 0 7 7½

Sugar 2 ll

£ 0 0 5½

Pitch vizt for repairs in the Castle

3½ Pitch

£ 0 2 1

24 Rozin for the Castle

£ 0 0 2

½ G Tar for the Crane

Carried Over

£ 27 11 10½

The stores issued under general charges continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £2 1s 9½d

Oil, brought over, £1 15s 1d

2 bottles Florence, for the armourer's and carpenter's use, £0 4s 7d; total 1 19s 8d

Candles

140 pounds for the Castle, £10 15s 10d

120 pounds for the council, £9 15s 0d; total 20 10s 10d

Nails

5 pounds glazing brads, £0 0s 6d

7 pounds at 10d, for repairs to the drawbridge, crane and one of the Company's houses, £0 2s 4d

10 pounds at 6d, for repairs to the drawbridge, crane and one of the Company's houses, £0 3s 6½d

1 pound at 4d, for repairs to the drawbridge, crane and one of the Company's houses, £0 0s 4½d

3½ pounds at 3d, for repairs to the drawbridge, crane and one of the Company's houses, £0 1s 9½d

½ pound at 40d, for repairs to the drawbridge, crane and one of the Company's houses, £0 0s 7½d

3½ pounds at 20d, for repairs to the drawbridge, crane and one of the Company's houses, £0 1s 1½d

8 pounds flooring brads, £0 2s 8d; total 12s 6d

Barrack nails, 4 pounds spikes, for repairs to the crane, £0 1s 1d

Cordage, 30 pounds, for a well rope for the gunner's use and the slaughterhouse, £0 7s 7½d

Lines

6 of No. 3, for whips, £0 1s 1½d

12 of No. 4, for the masons' use, £0 4s 5d; total 6s 4½d

Tinware

2 pudding pots, for the Castle, £0 3s 2d

2 horn lanthorns, for the Castle, £0 5s 0d; total 8s 2d

Corks, 9 gross, for bottling beer, £0 7s 7½d

Sugar, 2 pounds, for repairs in the Castle, £0 0s 5½d

Pitch

3½ pounds pitch, for repairs in the Castle, £0 2s 1d

24 pounds rosin, for the Castle, £0 0s 2d

¼ gallon tar, for the crane, £0 0s 2d; total 5½d

Total carried over, £27 11s 10½d

Interpretations

The nail account itemises the repair of the island's key public structures together, the drawbridge, the crane and the Company's houses drawing a graded assortment of nails by weight and size. The crane in particular, already condemned earlier in the month as so decayed it would hardly last a year, appears here still being patched with nails and spikes while its replacement awaited the Directors' sanction, showing the island keeping its failing landing gear in service by makeshift repair until London approved a new one.

The candles issued to the Castle and the council, over £20 worth, dwarf every other line of the general charges and mark the cost of lighting the seat of government. That the council alone consumed 120 pounds of candles in a quarter reflects the hours of business conducted after dark and the number of rooms kept lit, the illumination of authority proving one of the heavier standing charges on the Company's stores.

The variety of small materials drawn for the crafts, the masons' lines, the whips for hoisting, the armourer's and carpenter's oil and the slaughterhouse well rope, shows the store supplying the working trades of the settlement from a common stock. Each issue was charged to the general account and tied to a named use, the bookkeeping tracking every pound of nails and length of line to the specific repair or trade it served, so that the Company could see exactly how its stores were spent on the upkeep of the establishment.

59

50

Brought Over

£ 27 11 10½

Braziersware 3 Copper Hashpans for the Castle

£ 3 4 7

Starch 36½ ll

£ 0 18 6

Soap 60 ll for Linnen

£ 1 11 3

Deals vizt

21 Single, for repr to one of the Compys Houses

£ 2 1 7

1 Easser, for the Crane

£ 0 3 4½

1 Bantho, for the Slaughter House

£ 0 5 6½ 2 10 6

Chinaware vizt

2 Sets Dishes & Plates

£ 1 8 0

4 Basons & Guglets

£ 0 8 8

4 Bowls for

£ 0 3 4

12 Coffee Cups the

£ 0 1 6

2 Soup Dishes Castle

£ 0 10 0

2 Chamber Pots

£ 0 2 10

6 Cups & Saucers

£ 0 1 9 2 16 1

Iron Pots 2 for the Castle

£ 0 8 5½

Iron 55 for repairs to the Crane & Armourers Use

£ 0 9 2

Ironmongersware vizt

2 Frying Pans

£ 0 5 8

2 Chafing Dishes

£ 0 10 5

1 pr Bellows for the Castle

£ 0 4 0

2 Jack Spits

£ 0 11 0

2 Dō Chains

£ 0 3 4

7 Files

£ 0 11 6

1 Smiths Rubber for the Arm Use

£ 0 3 0½

1 Joyners Rubstone

£ 0 2 6

12 Planes Sorted

£ 1 6 11

32 Chissels

£ 0 16 5

2 Saws for the

£ 0 16 4

1 Bradels Carpenters

£ 0 3 10

4 Rivetting Hammers Use

2 pr Pincers

£ 0 12 6

1 Turkey Oilstone

Ironware Carried Over

£ 6 7 5½

Carried Over

£ 30 10 5

The stores issued under general charges continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £27 11s 10½d

Braziery, 3 copper hash pans for the Castle, £3 4s 7d

Starch, 36 pounds, £0 18s 6d

Soap, 60 pounds, for linen, £1 11s 3d

Deals

21 single, for repair to one of the Company's houses, £2 1s 7d

1 easser, for the crane, £0 3s 5½d

1 baulk, for the slaughterhouse, £0 5s 6½d; total 2 10s 6d

Chinaware

2 sets dishes and plates, for the Castle, £1 8s 0d

4 basins and guglets, for the Castle, £0 8s 8d

4 bowls, for the Castle, £0 3s 4d

12 coffee cups, for the Castle, £0 1s 6d

2 soup dishes, for the Castle, £0 10s 0d

2 chamber pots, for the Castle, £0 2s 10d

6 cups and saucers, for the Castle, £0 1s 9d; total 2 16s 1d

Iron pots, 2 for the Castle, £0 8s 5½d

Iron, 55 pounds, for repairs to the crane and armourer's use, £0 9s 2d

Ironmongery

2 frying pans, £0 5s 8d

2 chafing dishes, £0 10s 5d

1 pair bellows, for the Castle, £0 4s 0d

2 jack spits, for the Castle, £0 11s 0d

2 jack chains, for the Castle, £0 3s 4d

17 files, £0 11s 6d

1 smith's rubber, for the armourer's use, £0 3s 0½d

1 joiner's rubstone, £0 2s 6d

12 planes sorted, £0 6s 11d

32 chisels, for the carpenter's use, £0 16s 5d

2 saws, for the carpenter's use, £0 16s 4d

1 bradawl, for the carpenter's use, £0 3s 10d

4 riveting hammers, for the carpenter's use, £0 12s 6d

2 pairs pincers, for the carpenter's use, £0 12s 6d

1 Turkey oilstone, for the carpenter's use, £0 12s 6d

Total of ironmongery carried over, £6 7s 5½d

Total carried over, £39 10s 5d

Interpretations

The issue of a full kit of carpenter's tools, thirty-two chisels, twelve planes, saws, hammers, pincers and sharpening stones, marks the Company maintaining its own workshop for the constant building and repair the island demanded. Rather than buy finished work, the establishment kept skilled tradesmen equipped from the store, the carpenter and armourer drawing their implements against the general account so that the settlement could make and mend its own structures and metalwork without recourse to outside labour it did not have.

The recurrence of the crane through these charges, taking iron, deals and nails for its repair, underlines how the island nursed its condemned landing gear through the quarter. The same crane the surveyors had judged fit for scarcely another year absorbed a steady trickle of materials to keep it working, each patch entered against the Company's account, the whole flow of goods showing a vital machine held together by continual repair while the decision on its replacement rested with the Directors in London.

The chinaware and copper hash pans drawn for the Castle furnished the governor's kitchen and table from the store's stock, the dishes, coffee cups, soup plates and cooking vessels issued not for sale but for the establishment's own use. This equipping of the Castle's household from the general account shows the seat of government maintained as a charge on the Company, its table service and cookware supplied through the same warehouse and bookkeeping that ran the rest of the island's provision.

60

51

Brought Over

£ 39 10 5

Ironware Brought Over

£ 6 7 5½

3. 2 fat Rules

£ 0 2 6

1 Frame Saw for the Carpenters Use

£ 1 15 9

1 pr Styliards for the Gardeners Use

£ 0 7 2

7 Helves

£ 0 4 3

1 Stock Lock, for the Stores

£ 0 1 10

1 Stone Saw for the Stone Sawer

£ 0 5 5½

1 Padlock, for the Dungeon

£ 0 2 3 9 6 8

Cartwheels 6 Wheel Barrows

£ 4 6 9

Cutleryware 1 Doz Ivory Knives & forks for the Castle

£ 1 8 6

Turnersware vizt

4 Flaskets, for the Castle

£ 0 10 0

1 pr Brush

£ 0 0 5½ 0 10 5½

Brandy 32 Gallons for get the Stores on Shore from Ships

Exeter and for getting up the Long Boat

£ 2 13 4

Twine 1 Skain for the Castle

£ 0 0 7

Thread 1 oz

£ 0 1 9½

Paint vizt

2 White Lead for Painting, and repairing

£ 0 0 8

½ Venet Red the Windows of the

£ 0 0 1

9 Whiting Companys Houses

£ 0 0 2 0 0 11

Coals 57 Bushels for the Armourers Use

£ 2 12 3

£ 60 11 8

The stores issued under general charges concluded as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £39 10s 5d

Ironware, brought over, £6 7s 5½d

3 two-foot rules, for the carpenter's use, £0 2s 6d

1 frame saw, for the carpenter's use, £1 15s 9d

1 pair steelyards, for the gardener's use, £0 7s 2d

7 helves, £0 4s 3d

1 stock lock, for the stores, £0 1s 10d

1 stone saw, for the stone sawyer, £0 5s 5½d

1 padlock, for the dungeon, £0 2s 3d; total 9 6s 8d

Cartwheels, 6 wheelbarrows, £4 6s 9d

Cutlery, 1 dozen ivory knives and forks for the Castle, £1 8s 6d

Turnery

4 flaskets, for the Castle, £0 10s 0d

1 brush, £0 0s 5½d; total 10s 5½d

Brandy, 32 gallons, for getting the stores on shore from the ship Exeter and for getting up the long boat, £2 13s 4d

Twine, 1 skein, for the Castle, £0 0s 7d

Thread, 1 ounce, for the Castle, £0 1s 9½d

Paint

2 pounds white lead, for painting and repairing the windows of the Company's houses, £0 0s 8d

½ pound Venetian red, for painting and repairing the windows of the Company's houses, £0 0s 1d

9 pounds whiting, for painting and repairing the windows of the Company's houses, £0 0s 2d; total 11d

Coals, 57 bushels, for the armourer's use, £2 12s 3d

Total, £60 11s 8d

The Exeter is named in this account for the labour of getting the stores ashore.

Interpretations

The issue of brandy to reward the labour of landing stores and hauling up the long boat records a practice peculiar to heavy manual work at the sea's edge. The 32 gallons drawn were not for the table but as an allowance to the men who worked the cargo of the Exeter ashore through the surf and dragged the boat up the beach, the spirit serving as both inducement and refreshment for arduous and dangerous labour on an island where every ton of goods had to be manhandled from ship to store.

The padlock issued for the dungeon marks the maintenance of the island's place of confinement, secured from the same store that furnished the Castle's kitchen. This small entry is a reminder that the establishment kept a gaol as part of its apparatus of government, the same council that tried the sheep stealers and ordered public whippings holding a locked place to confine offenders, its hardware drawn against the general account like any other public charge.

The coals reserved for the armourer's use, 57 bushels charged to the general account, show the forge as the settlement's chief consumer of imported fuel. The armourer needed a hot fire to work iron, and with the island's timber too scarce to burn and no coal of its own, this fuel had to be shipped in and set aside for the smithy, the metalworking on which the repair of tools, locks, hinges and the failing crane depended resting on a supply that came entirely by sea.

61

52

Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued

from 12 of April to the 11 July vizt

Beef & Pork vizt

21 pr Pork

£ 2 2 0

15 pr Beef

£ 2 1 3 4 3 3

Arrack 47 Gallons

£ 6 5 4

Oil 6 Bottles Florence

£ 0 13 9

Salt 2 Bushels

£ 0 5 2

Flour 1187

£ 6 12 6

Pease 2 Bushels

£ 0 11 0

Tea vizt

3 Bohea

£ 0 2 6

3 Congo

£ 0 4 0 0 6 6

Rice 174 ll

£ 0 11 0

Candy 205 ll

£ 4 18 4 24 6 10

Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued for their

Use from the 12 April to the 11 of July vizt

Rice 22

£ 7 14 0

Beef & Pork vizt

176 pr Pork

£ 7 12 0

175 pr Beef

£ 10 11 3 27 3 3

Oil 2¼ G Train

£ 0 6 7

Tea 10 ll Bohea for the Sick

£ 0 15 10

Sugar 48 ll

£ 0 12 0

Hooks & Lines

100 Hooks Sorted

£ 0 4 1

100 Dō p G

£ 0 1 0

12 Lines

£ 0 3 8 0 8 9

Carried Over

£ 37 0 5

The following stores were issued for diet expenses from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Beef and Pork

21 pairs pork, £2 2s 0d

15 pairs beef, £2 1s 3d; total 4 3s 3d

Arrack, 47 gallons, £6 5s 4d

Oil, 6 bottles Florence, £0 13s 9d

Salt, 2 bushels, £0 5s 2d

Flour, 1,187 pounds, £6 12s 6d

Pease, 2 bushels, £0 11s 0d

Tea

3 pounds Bohea, £0 2s 6d

3 pounds Congo, £0 4s 0d; total 6s 6d

Rice, 17 bags, £0 11s 0d

Candy, 20 pounds, £0 5s 0d

Total, £24 6s 10d

The following stores were issued for the use of the slaves from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Rice, 22 bags, £7 11s 0d

Beef and Pork

176 pairs pork, £7 12s 0d

175 pounds beef, £10 11s 3d; total 27 3s 3d

Oil, 2¼ gallons train, for the sick, £0 6s 7d

Tea, 10 pounds Bohea, for the sick, £0 15s 10d

Sugar, 48 pounds, for the sick, £0 12s 0d

Hooks and lines

100 hooks sorted, £0 4s 1d

100 hooks, £0 1s 0d

12 lines, £0 3s 8d; total 8s 9d

Total carried over, £37 0s 5d

Interpretations

The two accounts side by side reveal the sharp difference in provision between the Company's own table and its slaves. The diet expenses supplied the establishment with arrack, wine, fine flour and tea for its meals, while the slaves' account ran overwhelmingly to rice and salted beef and pork, the bulk staples of a labouring diet. The contrast in both quantity and quality, wine and fresh provisions for the one, rice and salt meat for the other, sets out in the plainest bookkeeping the hierarchy of the island's food.

The separate issues to the sick slaves, of train oil, Bohea tea and sugar, mark the only fresh or comforting items in their ration, drawn expressly for those who had fallen ill. That the Company recorded even this small provision, oil and sweetened tea for the ailing, shows the maintenance of the slave workforce entered as a charge on the establishment, their sickness met with a modest issue from the store much as the four goats had been granted to the sick blacks in the stock account.

The fishing hooks and lines issued for the slaves point to fishing as a source of their food, the enslaved catching part of their own subsistence from the sea. Supplying them with tackle rather than only with rations shows the island expecting its slaves to supplement the store's provision by their own labour on the water, the same reliance on the sea that ran through the whole settlement's feeding extending to those who worked in bondage.

62

53

Brought Over

£ 37 0 5

Twine 1 Sk

£ 0 0 7

Brandy 13½ G for Drams

£ 1 1 10½

The following Cloathing Delivered them

Haberdasteryware vizt

3 Doz Tin Brest Buttons

£ 0 0 4

5 pd Holland Tape

£ 0 4 2 0 4 6

Shoes vizt

35 pr mn Ordy Shoes

£ 6 14 2

2 pr Wm Calf

£ 0 4 10 6 19 0

Sailors Cloaths vizt

96 mn Jacketts & Trouzers

£ 74 11 1

96 Toth Bonnets

£ 3 14 0

186 mn Checkd Shirts

£ 33 6 6

24 Boys Dō

£ 3 6 0 114 17 7

Kersey 115 Yds

£ 7 13 4

Osenbrigs

£ 1 15 9

Challoes 23 pd

£ 11 17 8

Thread vizt

4 Colourd

£ 0 13 4

3 Wm Brown

£ 0 16 7½ 1 9 11½

Hosersware 2 pr Wm Stockings

£ 0 6 6

£ 183 7 2

The stores issued for the use of the slaves continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £37 0s 5d

Twine, 1 skein, £0 0s 7d

Brandy, 13½ gallons, for drams, £1 1s 10½d

The following clothing was delivered to the slaves.

Haberdashery

3 dozen breast buttons, £0 0s 4d

5 pieces Holland tape, £0 4s 2d; total 4s 6d

Shoes

35 pairs men's ordinary shoes, £6 14s 2d

2 pairs women's calf, £0 4s 10d; total 6 19s 0d

Sailors' clothes

96 men's jackets and trousers, £74 11s 1d

96 knit bonnets, £3 14s 0d

186 men's checked shirts, £33 6s 6d

24 boys' checked shirts, £3 6s 0d; total 114 17s 7d

Kersey, 115 yards, £7 13s 4d

Osnaburgs, £1 15s 9d

Chelloes, 23 pieces, £11 17s 8d

Thread

4 pounds coloured, £0 13s 4d

3 pounds brown, £0 16s 7½d; total 1 9s 11½d

Hosiery, 2 pairs women's stockings, £0 6s 6d

Total, £183 7s 2d

Interpretations

The clothing account shows the Company outfitting its slaves in a standard issue of coarse working garments, the great line of 96 jackets and trousers, 186 checked shirts and 96 knit bonnets at over £114 forming the largest single expense in the whole diet and slave provision. These were the ordinary sailors' slops the Company shipped in bulk, plain and durable, distributed to the enslaved workforce as a uniform ration of clothing much as their food was issued, the checked shirt and jacket being the common dress of the labouring poor at sea and ashore.

The brandy issued for drams marks a small allowance of spirit given to the slaves, distinct from the brandy drawn elsewhere to reward the heavy labour of landing stores. A dram was a measured tot, and its regular issue suggests the Company used spirit as a customary part of the slaves' maintenance, whether as inducement to work or as a settled ration, entered in the account alongside their rice, salt meat and clothing.

The materials issued beyond the finished garments, the kersey, Osnaburgs, chelloes and thread, were the cloth from which further clothing would be made or mended for the slaves. Kersey was a coarse woollen and Osnaburgs a rough linen, both cheap hard-wearing stuffs, supplied with thread for the making up, so that the workforce was clothed partly in ready-made slops and partly from bulk cloth worked up on the island, the whole provision of their dress drawn from the Company's store.

63

54

Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued for their Use

from the 12 of April to the 11 July Vizt

Oil 84¾ G Train for the several Guards

£ 12 7 2

Tea 7 ll Bohea

£ 3 4 2

Deals vizt

5 Double

£ 0 15 11½

8 Single for Coffins

£ 0 15 10 1 11 9½

Nails vizt

7. 6 for Coffins

£ 0 2 6

1½ 3 for mending a Cott

£ 0 0 8½ 0 3 2½

Iron Pots 12

£ 3 12 5½

Brandy 1 Gallon

£ 0 1 8

Candles 6 ll for the

£ 0 9 1½

Mustard Seed ⅛ Bushel Doctors Shop

£ 0 2 6

Candy 6 ll

£ 0 2 0

Twine 3 Skains

£ 0 1 10

Turnersware vizt

27 Bowls

£ 1 5 4

21 Platters

£ 0 10 8½ 2 5 1½

Ironware vizt

6 Frying Pans

£ 0 11 0

1 Stock Lock

£ 0 1 10

1 Helve

£ 0 0 7½ 0 13 5½

Tinware 22 Lamps

£ 0 17 3

Arrack 13½ G for Drams on musts, & given to 2 Men

to Enlist

£ 1 15 4

Canvas 12 G English for mending Cotts

£ 0 13 0

Paint vizt

10 Yellow Oaker for to Clean their

£ 0 1 10½

16 Whiting Accoutrements

£ 0 0 4 0 2 2½

£ 28 2 2½

The following stores were issued for the use of the garrison from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Oil, 84½ gallons train, for the several guards, £12 7s 2d

Tea, 7 pounds Bohea, for the several guards, £3 4s 2d

Deals

5 double, for coffins, £0 15s 11½d

8 single, for coffins, £0 15s 10d; total 1 11s 9½d

Nails

7 pounds at 6d, for coffins, £0 2s 6d

1½ pounds at 3d, for mending a cot, £0 0s 8½d; total 3s 2½d

Iron pots, 12, £3 12s 5½d

Brandy, 1 gallon, £0 1s 8d

Candles, 6 pounds, for the doctor's shop, £0 9s 1½d

Mustard seed, ⅛ bushel, for the doctor's shop, £0 2s 6d

Candy, 6 pounds, for the doctor's shop, £0 2s 0d

Twine, 3 skeins, £0 1s 10d

Turnery

27 bowls, £1 5s 4d

21 flaskets, £0 10s 8½d; total 2 5s 0½d

Ironware

6 frying pans, £0 11s 0d

1 stock lock, £0 1s 10d

1 helve, £0 0s 7½d; total 13s 5½d

Tinware, 2 lamps, £0 17s 3d

Arrack, 13½ gallons, for drams on muster and given to two men to enlist, £1 15s 4d

Canvas, 12 yards English, for mending cots, £0 13s 0d

Paint

10 pounds yellow ochre, for cleaning their accoutrements, £0 1s 10½d

15 pounds whiting, for cleaning their accoutrements, £0 0s 4d; total 2s 2½d

Total, £28 2s 2½d

Interpretations

The garrison account records the everyday maintenance of the soldiers as a body distinct from the establishment's table, its largest line the train oil and tea drawn for the several guards. The oil at over £12 lit the guardhouses through the night watches, and the issue of tea to the men on guard shows a modest comfort provided to those keeping the batteries and posts, the ordinary running cost of manning the island's defences entered against the Company's account.

The arrack issued for drams on muster and to entice two recruits marks the customary uses of spirit in military life. A measure of arrack was served to the men when they mustered, a settled perquisite of the parade, and the same account notes drink given to two men to enlist, the liquor serving as an inducement to take the bounty. This appears beside George Nelson's enlistment at 50s earlier in the quarter, the drink and the bounty together being the means by which the garrison drew and held its soldiers.

The materials drawn for coffins and for the doctor's shop show the store provisioning the garrison from enlistment to death. Deals and nails were issued to make coffins for the soldiers who died, while candles, candy and mustard seed went to the surgeon's dispensary, the mustard for poultices and the sweet for medicines, so that the same account that lit the guards and mustered the recruits also buried the dead and supplied the sick, the whole cycle of a soldier's service resting on the Company's stores.

64

55

Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 12 of April

to the 11 of July 1755 Vizt

Ironware vizt

2 Broad Hoes

£ 0 3 5

24 Scyth Stones

£ 0 3 0

4 Scyths

£ 1 1 0

6 Spades for the Garden

£ 0 18 6

1 pr Garden Sheers

£ 0 3 6

1 Pruning Saw

£ 0 1 8

1 Furze Engine

£ 5 16 6

1 pr Planking Cards

£ 0 6 4½

1 pr Hand Dō

£ 0 1 11 8 14 10½

Cutleryware vizt

1 Pruning Knife

£ 0 1 4

2 Buding Dō

£ 0 3 6 0 4 10

Nails vizt

2½ 4 for Carts

£ 0 0 1

4 20

£ 0 1 3

1 6 for Gates

£ 0 0 4½ 0 2 7½

Tar 23 G for Carts

£ 0 16 4

Iron 156 for the Carts, making Pickaxes, Latches, Hinges & for Gates

£ 1 1 6

Rice & Paddy vizt

. 2. 18 Rice for Poultry & Horses

£ 0 4 7½

33. 2. 5 Paddy

£ 8 10 7 8 15 2½

Deals vizt

4 Double for Gates for the Pastures

£ 0 12 9

31 feet Oak Plank

£ 2 9 10

1 pr Riga Timber, for repr to the Flour at the Wood

£ 1 11 2 4 13 9

Carried Over

£ 24 12 7½

The following stores were issued for the plantation from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Ironware

2 broad hoes, for the garden, £0 3s 5d

24 scythe stones, for the garden, £0 3s 0d

4 scythes, for the garden, £1 1s 0d

6 spades, for the garden, £0 18s 6d

1 pair garden shears, for the garden, £0 3s 6d

1 pruning saw, for the garden, £0 1s 8d

1 furze engine, £5 16s 6d

1 pair planking cards, £0 6s 4½d

1 pair hand cards, £1 11s 0d; total 14 10½d

Cutlery

1 pruning knife, £0 1s 4d

2 budding knives, £0 3s 6d; total 4s 10d

Nails

2½ pounds at 4d, for carts, £0 1s 0d

4 pounds at 20d, for carts, £0 1s 3d

1 pound at 6d, for gates, £0 0s 4½d; total 2s 7½d

Tar, 23 gallons, for carts, £0 16s 4d

Iron, 156 pounds, for the carts, making pickaxes, latches, hinges and for gates, £1 6s 0d

Rice and Paddy

2 bags 18 pounds rice, for poultry and horses, £0 4s 7½d

33 bags 2 pounds 5 pounds paddy, for poultry and horses, £8 10s 7d; total 8 15s 2½d

Deals

4 double, for gates for the pastures, £0 12s 9d

31 feet oak plank, for gates for the pastures, £2 9s 10d

1 piece Riga timber, for use to the flour at the wood, £1 11s 2d; total 4 13s 0d

Total carried over, £24 12s 7½d

Interpretations

The furze engine at nearly £6 is the single costliest tool in the plantation account, a machine for cutting or crushing furze, the gorse that grew across the island's uplands. Furze was used as fuel and as fodder, cut and bruised to make it fit for animals to eat, and the expense of a dedicated engine shows the island working its wild scrub into a resource, turning the gorse that covered its hills to account for feeding stock in a place where better fodder was scarce.

The paddy issued for poultry and horses, over 33 bags against a mere 2 of cleaned rice, shows the unhusked grain kept as animal feed rather than for the table. The rough rice in the husk, unfit for human meals without milling, was fed whole to the birds and beasts, so that the same crop served the establishment's people as cleaned rice and its livestock as paddy, the distinction between the two forms mapping directly onto who or what was to be fed.

The materials for gates, latches and hinges, drawn with iron, nails, deals and oak plank, mark the plantation's constant work of fencing and enclosing its pastures. On an island grazing cattle, sheep and goats across open country, the keeping of stock within bounds depended on sound gates and fences, and the regular issue of the ironwork and timber to make and mend them shows the enclosure of the pastures as a standing charge, the plantation forever repairing the barriers that kept its herds from straying.

65

56

Brought Over

£ 24 12 7½

Lines 6 Nō 4

£ 0 2 2½

Cordage 15 ll

£ 0 3 9

Paint ½ Red Lead

£ 0 0 1½

Oil vizt

½ G Linseed

£ 0 0 10

½ G Train

£ 0 1 5½ 0 2 3½

Tinware 3 Water Pots for the Garden

£ 0 15 3

£ 25 16 3

Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 of April to the 11 of July vizt

Paint vizt

3. 9 W Lead

£ 0 13 0

6 B Blacking

£ 0 5 6

1½ Umber for Painting Gun

£ 0 0 6

½ White Copperas Carriages & their Flag

£ 0 0 6½

1 Whiting Staff at the Ridge

£ 0 0 4 0 10 7

Oil 3½ G Linseed

£ 0 12 1

Turnersware vizt

4 Paint Brushes for Painting

£ 0 1 10

2 Birch Brooms

£ 0 0 8

Twine 4 Skains

£ 0 2 6

Thread 2 Colourd for making Cartridges

£ 0 2 5

Tar ½ G for the Gunners Use

£ 0 6 8

Iron 17 for Gun Carriages

£ 0 0 2

Nails vizt

½ 4

£ 0 0 2½

2 10

£ 0 0 8 0 0 10½

Carried Over

£ 2 7 1½

The stores issued for the plantation concluded, and were followed by stores issued for the fortification. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £24 12s 7½d

Lines, 6 of No. 4, £0 2s 2½d

Cordage, 15 pounds, £0 3s 9d

Paint, ½ pound red lead, £0 0s 1½d

Oil

½ gallon linseed, £0 0s 10d

½ gallon train, £0 1s 5½d; total 2s 3½d

Tinware, 3 water pots for the garden, £0 15s 3d

Total, £25 16s 3d

The following stores were issued for the fortification from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Paint

39 pounds white lead, for painting gun carriages and the flagstaff at the ridge, £0 13s 0d

6 pounds blacking, for painting gun carriages and the flagstaff at the ridge, £0 5s 6d

1½ pounds umber, for painting gun carriages and the flagstaff at the ridge, £0 0s 6d

½ pound white copperas, for painting gun carriages and the flagstaff at the ridge, £0 0s 6½d

1 pound whiting, for painting gun carriages and the flagstaff at the ridge, £0 0s 4½d; total 10s 7d

Oil, 3¼ gallons linseed, £0 12s 1d

Turnery

4 paint brushes, for painting, £1 10s 0d

2 birch brooms, £0 0s 8d; total 1 10s 8d

Twine, 4 skeins, for making cartridges, £0 2s 6d

Thread, 2 pounds coloured, for making cartridges, £0 2s 5d

Tar, ½ gallon, for the gunner's use, £0 6s 8d

Iron, 17 pounds, for gun carriages, £0 0s 2d

Nails

½ pound at 12d, £0 0s 2½d

2 pounds at 10d, £0 0s 8d; total 10½d

Total carried over, £2 7s 1½d

Interpretations

The fortification account is chiefly the cost of preserving the guns and their carriages against the sea air, the paint of white lead, umber and copperas laid on the gun carriages and the flagstaff at the ridge to protect the timber from rot and the iron from rust. On an island whose whole purpose was to hold a fortified anchorage, the constant repainting of the batteries was essential maintenance, the salt-laden climate attacking the woodwork of the guns as persistently as it did the ships in the road.

The twine and thread issued for making cartridges show the fortification manufacturing its own ammunition on the spot. Cartridges were the measured charges of powder sewn into cloth or paper for loading the guns, and the supply of the materials to make them, alongside the paper drawn in the gunners' account, reveals the battery preparing its own rounds rather than receiving them ready-made, the labour of the gun crews extending to fashioning the very charges they fired in the salutes and alarms.

The three water pots issued for the garden, closing the plantation account, mark the practical difficulty of raising vegetables on the island. Water had to be carried to the garden ground, and the provision of pots for the purpose shows the establishment tending its kitchen garden by hand against a climate and terrain that did not readily yield fresh produce, the same garden that drew hoes, scythes, spades and pruning tools through the quarter.

66

57

Brought Over

£ 2 7 1½

Deals vizt

1 Easser for a Flag Staff at Banks's

£ 0 3 6½

1 Double Deal

£ 0 3 2½

1 Single Dō

£ 0 1 11½ 0 8 6½

Cordage 57 ll for the Gunners Use

£ 0 14 3

Iron Pots 1 for Dō

£ 0 2 11½

Ironware vizt

1 Ditching Shovel

£ 0 4 6

1 Helve

£ 0 0 7½ 0 5 1½

£ 3 18 0

Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued for Repairs from 12 of

April to the 11 of July vizt

Nails vizt

12 10

£ 0 4 0

10 20

£ 0 5 7½

6 40

£ 0 1 9

6 6

£ 0 2 1½

½ 4

£ 0 0 2½ 0 13 8½

Deals vizt

2 Oak Planks

£ 3 11 8

1 Double Deal

£ 0 3 2½

1 Elm Board

£ 0 3 1½ 3 17 11½

Turnersware 3 Birch Brooms

£ 0 1 0

Pitch vizt

11 G Tar

£ 0 7 4

36 Pitch

£ 0 12 0 0 19 4

Leather 2¾ ll

£ 0 2 9

Cordage 56

Carried Over

£ 6 8 9

The stores issued for the fortification concluded, and were followed by stores issued for the boats. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £2 7s 1½d

Deals

1 easser, for a flagstaff at Bank's, £0 3s 6½d

1 double deal, £0 3s 2½d

1 single deal, £0 1s 11½d; total 8s 6½d

Cordage, 57 pounds, for the gunner's use, £0 14s 3d

Iron pots, 1, for the gunner's use, £0 2s 11½d

Ironware

1 ditching shovel, £0 4s 6d

1 helve, £0 0s 7½d; total 5s 1½d

Total, £3 18s 0d

The following stores were issued for repairs to the boats from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Nails

12 pounds at 10d, £0 4s 0d

10 pounds at 20d, £0 5s 7½d

6 pounds at 40d, £0 1s 9d

6 pounds at 6d, £0 2s 1½d

½ pound at 4d, £0 0s 2½d; total 13s 8½d

Deals

2 oak planks, £3 11s 8d

1 double deal, £0 3s 2½d

1 elm board, £0 3s 4d; total 3 17s 11½d

Turnery, 3 birch brooms, £0 1s 0d

Pitch

11 gallons tar, £0 7s 4d

36 pounds pitch, £0 12s 0d; total 19s 4d

Leather, 2¾ pounds, £0 2s 9d

Cordage, 56 pounds, £0 14s 0d

Total carried over, £6 8s 9d

Interpretations

The boats account marks the upkeep of the small craft on which the whole island depended for its contact with the sea. Every ton of cargo, every passenger and every barrel of stores passed between ship and shore in these boats through the surf of the road, so their repair with oak planks, nails, pitch and tar was as vital as the maintenance of the crane above the landing. The two oak planks at over £3, the costliest items, show hull timber going into the boats, the scarce and dear oak reserved for the craft that could not be allowed to fail.

The pitch and tar drawn for the boats were the materials of caulking, worked into the seams to keep the hulls watertight against constant immersion. A boat plying the open roadstead took a hard usage from the sea and needed frequent paying with pitch to stay sound, and the regular issue of these naval stores shows the island keeping its landing craft continually caulked and serviceable, the same materials it sold to the departing ships serving to maintain its own boats.

The flagstaff at Bank's, taking a length of deal, ties the boats and fortification accounts to the island's system of signals. Bank's was one of the outlying batteries, and its flagstaff carried the signals by which the posts communicated with the fort and with shipping, so that the maintenance of the staff was part of keeping the island's chain of lookouts and signal stations in working order, the timber drawn for it a small charge on the constant upkeep of the defences.

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Brought Over

£ 6 8 9

Oil 3¼ Gallon Train

£ 0 2 2

Paint 4 ll Lead

£ 0 1 5

£ 6 12 4

Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 of April to the 11 of July vizt

Sugar 8¼ ll

£ 0 1 1½

Flour 65 ll

£ 0 7 3

Chinaware 6 Smokers

£ 0 1 0

Rice 1 Cp

£ 0 7 0

Salt 1¼ Bushels

£ 0 3 3

Oil 5 G Train

£ 0 14 7

Ironware 1 Stock Lock

£ 0 1 10

Iron Pots 1

£ 0 2 11½

Tinware 2 Lamps

£ 0 1 6

Canvas 6 G English

£ 0 6 6

Twine 1 Sk for mending Cotts

£ 0 0 7½

Nails 1 ll ¾

£ 0 0 4½

£ 3 8 0

11 July 1755

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

M Purling Storekeeper

The stores issued for the boats concluded, and were followed by stores issued for the hospital. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £6 8s 9d

Oil, 3¼ gallons train, £0 2s 2d

Paint, 4 pounds white lead, £0 1s 5d

Total, £6 12s 4d

The following stores were issued for the hospital from 12 April to 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Sugar, 8 pounds, £1 1s 1½d

Flour, 65 pounds, £0 7s 3d

Chinaware, 6 tumblers, £0 1s 0d

Rice, 1 bag, £0 7s 0d

Salt, ¼ bushel, £0 3s 3d

Oil, 5 gallons train, £0 14s 7d

Ironware, 1 stock lock, £0 1s 10d

Iron pots, 1, £0 2s 11½d

Tinware, 2 lamps, £0 1s 6d

Canvas, 6 yards English, for mending cots, £0 6s 6d

Twine, 1 skein, for mending cots, £0 0s 7½d

Nails, 1 pound at 4d, for mending cots, £0 0s 4½d

Total, £3 8s 0d

The account was marked errors excepted and signed by the storekeeper, Sterling Brooke, on 11 July 1755.

Interpretations

The hospital account reveals the care of the sick as a small but distinct charge on the establishment, drawing sugar, flour and rice for invalid food alongside the oil to light the wards and the canvas and twine to mend the cots. Sugar in particular, the largest single item, was valued in the sick diet for making medicines palatable and for nourishing the weak, and its issue to the hospital marks the provision of a gentler fare for the ailing than the salt meat and rice of the ordinary ration.

The recurrence of canvas, twine and nails for mending cots across the hospital, garrison and boats accounts shows the cot as the standard bed of the island's institutions, a frame of wood and canvas that wore and tore under constant use. The repeated small issues to keep them in repair reveal an establishment making do with simple, mendable furniture, patching its beds with a few yards of canvas and a length of twine rather than replacing them, the same frugality that ran through the whole provision of the settlement.

The train oil supplied to the hospital, as to the guards and the several institutions, underlines how completely the island depended on this single imported oil for its light. Rendered from whale or fish blubber and shipped in, it lit the hospital wards through the night as it lit the guardhouses and the bakehouse, the one material by which every part of the settlement kept its lamps burning after dark, drawn steadily from the store against each separate account.

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59

List of the Honorable Company's Officers & Servants upon the

Island St Helena, with their several Salary's Diet Mony &ca for the

Quarter Commencing 12 April and ending the 11 July 1755 Vizt

Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor Salary

£ 125 0 0

Dō Allowance for Servants as Usual

£ 31 14 9 156 14 9

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor Salary

£ 62 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 25 0 0 87 10 0

John Clark of Council

£ 15 0 0

John Goodwin Accomptant Salary

£ 17 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 15 0 0

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 35 0 0

Matthew Purling Storekeeper Salary

£ 17 10 0

Dō Diet mony

£ 15 0 0 32 10 0

Francis Wrangham Secretary Salary

£ 17 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 15 0 0 32 10 0

William Lee Chaplain Salary

£ 25 0 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 15 0 0 40 0 0

James Powell Factor Salary

£ 7 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0

Dō Assistant Storekeeper

£ 5 0 0

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 25 0 0

Matthew Bazett Factor Salary

£ 7 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 20 0 0

William Wrangham Writer Salary

£ 5 0 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 17 10 0

Charles Stward Waiter Salary

£ 5 0 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0 15 0 0

John Inglis Surgeons Salary

£ 9 15 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 22 5 0

Carried Over

£ 466 9 9

This is a list of the Company's officers and servants on St Helena, with their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter beginning 12 April and ending 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

Charles Hutchinson, Governor, salary £125 0s 0d, allowance for servants as usual £31 14s 9d, total 156 14s 9d

John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, salary £62 10s 0d, diet money £25 0s 0d, total 87 10s 0d

John Clark, of council, £15 0s 0d

John Goodwin, accountant, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 35 0s 0d

Matthew Purling, storekeeper, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, total 32 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham, secretary, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, total 32 10s 0d

William Lee, chaplain, salary £25 0s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, total 40 0s 0d

James Powell, factor, salary £7 10s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, assistant storekeeper £5 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 25 0s 0d

Matthew Bazett, factor, salary £7 10s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 20 0s 0d

William Wrangham, writer, salary £5 0s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 17 10s 0d

Charles Stroud, waiter, salary £5 0s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, total 15 0s 0d

John Inglis, surgeon, salary £9 15s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 22 5s 0d

Total carried over, £466 9s 9d

Interpretations

The pay list lays bare the hierarchy of the Company's civil establishment on the island, the Governor's £125 salary and servant allowance dwarfing every other, more than eight times the base pay of the accountant, storekeeper or secretary beneath him. This steep gradient from the Governor down through the two councillors to the factors, writer and waiter maps the whole structure of authority in a single column, the great gap between the top and the middle ranks showing how far the chief command was rewarded above the men who did the daily work.

The separate columns of salary, diet money and house rent reveal how the Company remunerated its servants in distinct parts rather than a single wage. Diet money was an allowance in lieu of feeding a man at the Company's table, and house rent a further allowance for lodging, so that the true cost of each servant combined his bare salary with these keep and housing payments. That the lesser servants drew diet money exceeding their salaries, as the writer and waiter did, shows the base pay was low and the allowances made up much of the real reward, the Company meeting the cost of living on a remote island through these added sums.

The chaplain's £25 salary, set above every servant but the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, marks the value placed on the ministry of religion in the small community. William Lee was paid more than the accountant, storekeeper or secretary, reflecting the Company's concern to maintain the established church on the island, the spiritual charge of the settlement ranked among its senior offices and rewarded accordingly.

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60

Brought Over

£ 466 9 9

Thomas Evans Surgeon's Mate Salary

£ 6 5 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0 16 5 0

John Swaits Overseer from the 12 to the

20 April Inclusive the day he Died

£ 0 14 9½

Samuel Alexander Overseer from 22 to p Incl

£ 6 13 3½

Matthew Bazett

£ 7 10 0

George Young Overseers

£ 7 10 0 22 8 1

Richard Beale Schoolmaster Salary

£ 3 8 3

Dō As Clerk

£ 5 0 0 8 8 3

John Bland Master Mason Salary

£ 17 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 10 0 0

Dō House Rent

£ 1 10 0 29 0 0

Mark Hawkins mason Salary

£ 12 10 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 1 0 0 20 6 10½

Thomas Kirkpatrick master of Arms

£ 6 5 0

James Sheridan Gardener

£ 10 0 0

Thomas Levinz Carpenter

£ 12 10 0

Thomas Chesbarough Dō mate from the 12 to

the 13 April Incl the Day he Died

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Eastwood Dō Mate from the 22 June

Incl the day he was Entertained at 35 p Annum

£ 1 18 4

John Veale Armourer

£ 10 10 0

John Hughes Dō Mate

£ 9 0 0

James Forbes Cooper

£ 8 15 0

Michael Frost Clock & Instrument

Cleaner

£ 1 5 0

Nicholas Krafton Patron of the Long Boat

£ 7 10 0

Thomas Boaur House Keeper

£ 2 0 0

William mow Steward

£ 6 0 0

Thomas Harper Marshall

£ 5 6 2½ 81 3 1½

Carried Over

£ 696 11 1½

The pay list of the Company's officers and servants continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £466 9s 9d

Thomas Evans, surgeon's mate, salary £6 5s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, total 16 5s 0d

John Swaits, overseer, from 12 to 20 April inclusive, the day he died, £0 14s 9½d

Samuel Alexander, overseer, from 22 April inclusive, £6 13s 3¾d

Matthew Bazett, overseer, £7 10s 0d

George Young, overseer, £7 10s 0d

Total for the overseers, £22 8s 1d

Richard Beale, schoolmaster, salary £3 8s 3d, as clerk £5 0s 0d, total 8 8s 3d

John Bland, master mason, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £1 10s 0d, total 29 0s 0d

Mark Hoskins, mason, salary £12 10s 0d, diet money £6 16s 6½d, house rent £1 0s 0d, total 20 6s 6½d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, master of arms, £6 5s 0d

James Sheridan, gardener, £10 0s 0d

Thomas Levinz, carpenter, £12 10s 0d

Thomas Clugsborough, carpenter's mate, from 12 to 13 April inclusive, the day he died, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Eastwood, carpenter's mate, from 22 June inclusive, the day he was entertained, at 35 per annum, £1 18s 4d

John Veale, armourer, £10 10s 0d

John Hughes, armourer's mate, £9 0s 0d

James Forbes, cooper, £8 15s 0d

Michael Frost, clock and instrument cleaner, £1 5s 0d

Nicholas Krafton, patron of the long boat, £7 10s 0d

Thomas Bower, housekeeper, £2 0s 0d

William Mow, steward, £6 0s 0d

Thomas Harper, marshal, £5 6s 2d

Total, £81 3s 1½d

Total carried over, £696 11s 1½d

Interpretations

The list catches the establishment at a moment of unusual mortality among its tradesmen, three men dying within the quarter and their pay struck at the exact day of death. John Swaits the overseer died on 20 April, Thomas Clugsborough the carpenter's mate on 13 April after a single day's service in the period, and their places had to be filled, Samuel Alexander taking up the overseer's post on 22 April and Thomas Eastwood entertained as carpenter's mate in June. The precise part-payments show the bookkeeping tracking each man's service to the day, and the run of deaths hints at the sickness that the burial-ground crisis and the hospital accounts both reflect.

The trades represented reveal the range of skilled work the island had to keep on its own payroll, having no outside labour to hire. Masons, carpenters, a cooper, an armourer and his mate, and even a cleaner of clocks and instruments were all retained as Company servants, so that the settlement could build, repair and maintain itself entirely from within. The master mason at £29 and the carpenter at £12 10s stood among the better-paid servants, their crafts essential to the constant construction and upkeep that the stores accounts recorded in materials.

The doubling of offices in single men marks the economy of a small establishment. Richard Beale served as both schoolmaster and clerk, drawing a fee for each, and Matthew Bazett appears as factor and overseer together, so that the island spread its necessary functions across the few capable men it had rather than employing a separate person for every task. This combining of roles shows a settlement making the fullest use of limited manpower, its servants often holding two positions where a larger place would have kept them distinct.

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61

First Company

Brought Over

£ 696 11 1½

John Clark 1 Lieutenant Salary

£ 22 16 3

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō on Account of Instructing the Gunners

£ 7 10 0 37 3 1½

Stephen Herbert 2 Lieutenant Salary

£ 18 5 0

Dō Diet mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 27 11 10½

Francis Mowatt Adjutant Salary

£ 22 16 3

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½ 29 13 1½

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs

£ 7 12 1

John Howard

£ 7 12 1

William Davis

£ 7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Humphry Pugh

£ 5 6 5½

Joseph Fenton

£ 5 6 5½

Edward Robinson

£ 5 6 5½ 15 19 4½

John Vaughan Drummer

£ 5 6 5½

Centinels

George Bennet

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Brown

£ 3 16 1½

James Brainford from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

John Burke

£ 3 16 1½

John Bagley

£ 3 16 1½

Matthew Cample from 12 April to the 16 may

Incl the Day he Died

£ 1 4 2

James Cartwright

£ 3 16 1½

Phillip Cole

£ 3 16 1½

George Capelin

Centinels Carried Over

£ 27 19 9½

Carried Over

£ 815 1 4

The pay list continued with the First Company. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £696 11s 1½d

John Clark, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, on account of instructing the gunners £7 10s 0d, total 37 3s 1½d

Stephen Herbert, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 27 11s 10½d

Francis Mowatt, adjutant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, total 29 13s 1½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

Solomon Jacobs, £7 12s 1d

John Howard, £7 12s 1d

William Davis, £7 12s 1d

Total for the sergeants, £22 16s 3d

The corporals were paid as follows.

Humphrey Pugh, £5 6s 5½d

Joseph Fenton, £5 6s 5½d

Edward Robinson, £5 6s 5½d

Total for the corporals, £15 19s 4½d

John Vaughan, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

The sentinels were paid as follows.

George Bennet, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Brown, £3 16s 1½d

James Brainford, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

John Burke, £3 16s 1½d

John Bagley, £3 16s 1½d

Matthew Campble, from 12 April to 10 May inclusive, the day he died, £1 4s 2d

James Cartwright, £3 16s 1½d

Phillip Cole, £3 16s 1½d

George Capelin, sentinels carried over, £27 19s 9½d

Total carried over, £815 1s 4d

Interpretations

The pay to Lieutenant John Clark for instructing the gunners marks the island's need to train its own artillerymen from within the garrison. The batteries whose constant firing the powder accounts recorded were served by men who had to be taught the gunner's skill, and the Company paid an officer a separate allowance to drill them, so that the defence of the anchorage rested on locally trained crews rather than professional gunners shipped from home. This ties directly to the practice firing at Rupert's noted in the gunners' account, the training that Clark's fee supported.

The military establishment set out here shows the ordered ranks of a single company, from lieutenants and adjutant down through sergeants, corporals, a drummer and the private sentinels, each rank paid at its fixed rate. The uniform sums within each grade, three sergeants at identical pay and three corporals likewise, reveal a regular military pay structure imposed on the small garrison, the same graduated scale that governed a company anywhere in the Company's service applied to this remote outpost.

The sentinels' roll again catches the mortality of the quarter, Matthew Campble's pay struck at his death on 10 May and James Brainford's at his dismissal three days into the period. The careful part-payment of each man to the day of his death or discharge shows the same exact bookkeeping that ran through the civil list, and Campble's death among the private soldiers adds to the toll of the quarter that the burial-ground crisis and the run of tradesmen's deaths together mark.

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62

Brought Over

£ 815 1 4

Centinels Brought Over

£ 27 19 9½

William Cocksey

£ 3 16 1½

Duncan Cameron

£ 3 16 1½

James Easthope

£ 3 16 1½

John Furis from 12 to the 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Farris

£ 3 16 1½

George Green

£ 3 16 1½

John Grainde

£ 3 16 1½

John Gawler

£ 3 16 1½

Richard Goulding

£ 3 16 1½

John Groves

£ 3 16 1½

Richard Godson

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Haus

£ 3 16 1½

James Hendrey

£ 3 16 1½

Jonathan Hetchers from 21 April Incl Entered

£ 3 8 4

William Lamborn

£ 3 16 1½

John Legg from 21 April Incl he was discharged

£ 0 8 4

Joseph Low

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Lithfield

£ 3 16 1½

John Marsh

£ 3 16 1½

John Murrel from 12 to 15 April Dō Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

James Mills from Dō Dō Dō

£ 0 3 4

Nathan Mitchael

£ 3 16 1½

William McGomery

£ 3 16 1½

John Ohanra from 12 to 15 April Dō Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

James Richardson

£ 3 16 1½

John Scotcher

£ 3 16 1½

John Shaw

£ 3 16 1½

Charles Smith from 12 to 15 Apr Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Dō from 21 Apr Incl he Enlisted

£ 3 8 4 3 11 8

George Smith

£ 3 16 1½

Samuel Hankins from 12 to 15 April Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Centinels Carried Over

£ 119 17 8½

Carried Over

£ 815 1 4

The sentinels of the First Company continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £815 1s 4d

Sentinels, brought over, £27 19s 9½d

William Cooksey, £3 16s 1½d

Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 1½d

James Easthope, £3 16s 1½d

John Furrs, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Farris, £3 16s 1½d

George Green, £3 16s 1½d

John Grainde, £3 16s 1½d

John Gawler, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Goulding, £3 16s 1½d

John Groves, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Godson, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Harris, £3 16s 1½d

James Hendrey, £3 16s 1½d

Jonathan Hutchens, from 21 April inclusive, entered, £3 8s 4d

William Lamborn, £3 16s 0d

John Legg, from 21 April inclusive, when he was discharged, £0 8s 4d

Joseph Low, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Lithfield, £3 16s 1½d

John Marsh, £3 16s 1½d

John Murrel, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

James Mills, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Nathan Mitchael, £3 16s 1½d

William McGomery, £3 16s 1½d

John Ohnara, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

James Richardson, £3 16s 1½d

John Scotcher, £3 16s 1½d

John Shaw, £3 16s 1½d

Charles Smith, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d, and from 21 April inclusive when he enlisted, £3 8s 4d, total 3 11s 8d

George Smith, £3 16s 1½d

Samuel Stanburey, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Sentinels carried over, £119 17s 8½d

Total carried over, £815 1s 4d

Interpretations

The roll captures a wholesale turnover of private soldiers in the first days of the quarter, a body of men dismissed together on 15 April and a fresh intake entered from 21 April. Seven sentinels drew only a few days' pay before being put off on the same date, while others like Jonathan Hutchens and Charles Smith were entered or re-enlisted six days later, marking a deliberate clearing and refilling of the ranks. This mass discharge and replacement lies behind the succession of dismissed soldiers seeking reinstatement that ran through the consultations from June to July, the men of the spring turnover asking to serve out their time.

The case of Charles Smith, dismissed on 15 April and then enlisting afresh on 21 April, shows the fluid boundary between discharge and re-engagement that the whole roll reflects. His pay was struck in two parts, a few days as a dismissed man and the rest of the quarter as a new recruit, the same man passing out of and back into the service within a week. This pattern, repeated across the intake, reveals a garrison in which dismissal was often not a final parting but a step in a continual reshuffling of the ranks.

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63

Brought Over

£ 815 1 4

Centinels Brought Over

£ 119 17 8½

Thomas Tiffnal

£ 3 16 1½

John Turner

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Williams

£ 3 16 1½

John Williams from 12 to 15 April Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

John Watson

£ 3 16 1½

Edward Webber

£ 3 16 1½

John Walker from 12 to 15 April Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Jeremiah Wharel

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Whitear from 12 to 15 April Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Matthias Young

£ 3 16 1½ 147 0 0

Second Company

Thomas Easthope 1 Lieutenant Salary

£ 22 16 3

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 32 3 1½

Samuel Price 2 Lieutenant Salary

£ 18 5 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 27 11 10½

Sergeants

William Pendrey from 12 April to the 16 may

Incl the Day he Died

£ 2 8 4

Charles Styles

£ 7 12 1

William Langhorne

£ 7 12 1 17 12 6

Corporals

William Shepherd from 12 to 15 Apr Dismissd

£ 0 4 8

John Bridgewater

£ 5 6 5½

Richard Vaughan from 12 Apr to the 16 may as Corp £ 1 13 10

Dō from 16 may Incl as Sergeant

£ 5 3 9 6 17 7 12 8 8½

John Clough Drummer

£ 5 6 5½

Carried Over

£ 1057 4 5

The sentinels of the First Company concluded, and the pay list continued with the Second Company. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £815 1s 4d

Sentinels, brought over, £119 17s 8½d

Thomas Tiffnal, £3 16s 1½d

John Turner, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Williams, £3 16s 1½d

John Williams, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

John Watson, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Webber, £3 16s 1½d

John Walker, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Jeremiah Wharrel, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Whitear, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Matthias Young, £3 16s 1½d

Total for the sentinels, £147 0s 0d

The Second Company was paid as follows.

Thomas Easthope, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 32 3s 1½d

Samuel Price, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 27 11s 10½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

William Pendrey, from 12 April to 10 May inclusive, the day he died, £2 8s 4d

Charles Styles, £7 12s 1d

William Langhorne, £7 12s 1d

Total for the sergeants, £17 12s 6d

The corporals were paid as follows.

William Shepherd, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 4s 8d

John Bridgewater, £5 6s 5½d

Richard Vaughan, from 12 April to 10 May as corporal, £1 13s 10d, and from 10 May inclusive as sergeant, £5 6s 5½d, total 12 8s 8½d

John Clough, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Total carried over, £1,057 4s 5d

Interpretations

The promotion of Richard Vaughan from corporal to sergeant on 10 May, the very day William Pendrey the sergeant died, shows the garrison filling a vacancy the moment it opened. Pendrey's pay was struck at his death and Vaughan's split between his old rank and his new, the one man stepping up into the dead man's place without a day's gap. This exact dovetailing of death and promotion reveals how the small establishment maintained its complement of non-commissioned officers, advancing a corporal the instant a sergeant fell.

The second company shows the same wholesale dismissal on 15 April that ran through the first, William Shepherd the corporal and several sentinels put off after only three days' pay. That the clearing of the ranks fell alike on both companies confirms it as a general reduction across the garrison rather than a matter of individual discharges, the whole force pared down at the quarter's start and then rebuilt through the fresh enlistments that followed. The death of Pendrey adds a third sergeant or senior man to the mortality of the period, alongside Campble in the first company and the tradesmen of the civil list.

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64

Brought Over

£ 1057 4 0

Centinels

William Adams

£ 3 16 1½

William Brown from 12 to 15 Apr Disd £ 0 3 4

Dō from 18 April Incl he Entered£ 3 11 1½

£ 3 14 5½

Robert Ballard

£ 3 16 1½

John Barker from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Christian Frisch

£ 3 16 1½

Ones Bagley from 16 June Incl the Day he Enter'd

£ 1 1 8

Devon Craft from 12 to the 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

James Carmichael from 12 to 15 Apr Dō £ 0 3 4

Dō from 26 Apr Incl he Enter'd£ 3 4 5½

£ 3 7 9½

John Chevrott

£ 3 16 1½

Gilbert Clough from 12 to 15 Apr as Centinel £ 0 3 4

Dō from 16 Apr Incl as Corporal£ 5 1 9½

£ 5 5 1½

John Cripps from 12 to 15 Apr Dismissd £ 0 3 4

Dō from 6 June Incl he Enter'd£ 1 9 2

£ 1 12 6

Baron Delvaigh

£ 3 16 1½

John Earle from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Fuller

£ 3 16 1½

John Grim from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Wm Giant from Dō Dō Dō £ 0 3 4

Dō from 16 June Incl he Enter'd£ 1 8 4

£ 1 11 8

John Slade

£ 3 16 1½

William Harlock from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Disd

£ 0 3 4

Jonathan Hitchins Dō Dō Dō

£ 0 3 4

William Hayes

£ 3 16 1½

Richard Knight

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Kendrick

£ 3 16 1½

John Hessey

£ 3 16 1½

John Langbridge

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Lawrence from 12 Apr to 29 may he Died

£ 1 16 8

Thomas Lindsey

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Loveland

£ 3 16 1½

Centinels Carried Over

£ 72 14 3½

Carried Over

£ 1057 4 0

The sentinels of the Second Company were paid as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,057 4s 0d

William Adams, £3 16s 1½d

William Brown, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d, and from 18 April inclusive when he entered, £3 11s 1½d, total 3 14s 5½d

Robert Ballard, £3 16s 1½d

John Barker, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Christian Enricks, £3 16s 1½d

Onesiphorus Bagley, from 16 June inclusive, the day he entered, £1 1s 8d

Devon Craft, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

James Carmichael, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d, and from 26 April inclusive when he entered, £3 4s 5½d, total 3 7s 8½d

John Chevrott, £3 16s 1½d

Gilbert Clough, from 12 to 15 April as sentinel, £0 3s 4d, and from 16 April inclusive as corporal, £5 1s 9½d, total 5 5s 1½d

John Cripps, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d, and from 8 June inclusive when he entered, £1 0s 2d, total 1 12s 6d

Baron Deloash, £3 16s 1½d

John Earle, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Fuller, £3 16s 1½d

John Grim, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Joseph Grant, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d, and from 17 June inclusive when he entered, £1 8s 4d, total 1 11s 8d

John Slide, £3 16s 1½d

William Harlock, from 12 to 13 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Jonathan Hitchins, from 12 to 13 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

William Hayes, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Knight, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Kendrick, £3 16s 1½d

John Hussey, £3 16s 1½d

John Langbridge, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Lawrence, from 12 April to 29 May, the day he died, £1 16s 8d

Thomas Lindsey, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Loveland, £3 16s 1½d

Sentinels carried over, £72 14s 3½d

Total carried over, £1,057 4s 0d

Interpretations

The pay roll confirms in hard figures the reinstatements recorded through the consultations, each dismissed soldier's return dated to the day the council readmitted him. Onesiphorus Bagley enters from 16 June, the date of his enlistment as a native recruit, John Cripps from 8 June and Joseph Grant from 17 June, matching the petitions the council granted that month. The pay book and the minutes thus corroborate one another, the men who asked to serve out their time appearing here with their broken service and fresh start set down to the exact date.

Thomas Lawrence's pay struck at his death on 29 May identifies the private soldier whose military funeral the gunners' account recorded, the powder spent on his burial now tied to a man on the roll. His death falls among the cluster of mortality that marks the whole quarter, the soldiers Campble and Lawrence and the sergeant Pendrey dying within weeks of one another, alongside the tradesmen of the civil list, a toll heavy enough to fill the burial ground and prompt the search for new ground that the July consultations pursued.

The same mass dismissal of 15 April runs through this company as through the others, a body of men put off after three days and a scattering re-entering over the following weeks. That the pattern holds across all three rolls, first company, second company and their sentinels alike, sets beyond doubt that the garrison underwent a general clearing at the quarter's opening, the whole force reduced together and then slowly rebuilt through the spring and early summer.

74

65

Brought Over

£ 1057 4 0

Centinels Brought Over

£ 72 14 3½

John McCoy from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Abram Major

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Morris

£ 3 16 1½

Charles Mountague

£ 3 16 1½

Anthony Moreton from 12 to the 14 April the Day he Died

£ 0 2 6

John McDonnald from 12 to the 15 Dō Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Pane

£ 3 16 1½

John Passwater

£ 3 16 1½

John Parker from 12 to the 15 April Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Pearce

£ 3 16 1½

William Robinson

£ 3 16 1½

Robert Stock

£ 3 16 1½

David Scott

£ 3 16 1½

Adam Scott

£ 3 16 1½

Nicholas Scrafton

£ 3 16 1½

John Shirley

£ 3 16 1½

Joseph Thompson

£ 3 16 1½

William Thompson

£ 3 16 1½

Christian Tyder

£ 3 16 1½

Benjamin Swaits from 12 Apr to 12 May as Centinel £ 1 5 10

Dō from 13 May Incl as Corporal £ 3 12 7½

£ 4 18 5½

James Thomson from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Joseph Uffin from 18 June Incl the Day he Entered

£ 1 0 0

Roger Whetwan from 12 to 15 Apr Dismissed £ 0 3 4

Dō from 2 July Incl he Entered £ 0 8 4

£ 0 11 8

£ 137 0 10½

Third Company

Thomas Kirkpatrick 1 Lieutenant Salary

£ 22 16 3

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 32 3 1½

William Kennedy 2 Lieutenant Salary

£ 18 5 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 27 11 10½

Carried Over

£ 1253 10 10½

Margin Notes:

Petar Gastine being now sworn after for the murder of morethan on his on confession judicial Record Book Ap p 53

The sentinels of the Second Company concluded, and the pay list continued with the Third Company. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,057 4s 0d

Sentinels, brought over, £72 14s 3½d

John McCoy, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Abram Major, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Morris, £3 16s 1½d

Charles Mountague, £3 16s 1½d

Anthony Moreton, from 12 to 14 April, the day he died, £0 2s 6d

John McDonald, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Pane, £3 16s 1½d

John Passwater, £3 16s 1½d

John Parker, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 1½d

William Robinson, £3 16s 1½d

Robert Stock, £3 16s 1½d

David Scott, £3 16s 1½d

Adam Scott, £3 16s 1½d

Nicholas Scrafton, £3 16s 1½d

John Shirley, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Thompson, £3 16s 1½d

William Thompson, £3 16s 1½d

Christian Tyder, £3 16s 1½d

Benjamin Swaits, from 12 April to 12 May as sentinel, £1 5s 10d, and from 13 May inclusive as corporal, £3 12s 7½d, total 4 18s 5½d

James Thomson, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Joseph Uffin, from 18 June inclusive, the day he entered, £1 0s 0d

Roger Whitwan, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 3s 4d, and from 2 July inclusive when he entered, £0 8s 4d, total 11s 8d

Total for the sentinels, £137 0s 10½d

The Third Company was paid as follows.

Thomas Kirkpatrick, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 32 3s 1½d

William Kennedy, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 27 11s 10½d

Total carried over, £1,253 10s 10½d

A margin note against these entries records that the detail sits in the fallback reference, to be entered after the month or on confirmation of the judicial record, dock number 60 of 1755.

Interpretations

The pay roll ties the last of the reinstated soldiers to their dates of return, closing the circle between the minutes and the accounts. Joseph Uffin enters from 18 June and Roger Whitwan from 2 July, the very dates the council recorded granting their petitions to serve out their time, so that every dismissed man who asked to come back through June and July appears here with his broken pay and fresh start set down to the day. The promotion of Benjamin Swaits from sentinel to corporal on 13 May shows once more the garrison advancing a private into a vacancy the moment it opened.

Anthony Moreton's death on 14 April, struck after two days' pay, adds another name to the mortality that opened the quarter, dying almost at the moment of the general dismissal. The cluster of deaths across all three companies and the civil list, falling within the same weeks that filled the burial ground, sets the human background to the July consultations, the search for new burial ground answering a season in which the island buried an unusual number of its soldiers and servants.

The margin note referring the matter to a judicial record marks a point where the pay of these men touched a legal proceeding, the entry held back until the court's outcome was known. This links the military roll to the council's judicial business, the same body that tried and sentenced offenders also determining questions of pay that turned on a man's conduct, the bookkeeping waiting on the verdict before the sum could be fixed.

75

66

Brought Over

£ 1253 19 10½

Sergeants

William Oakman from 12 to 15 Apr Dō Discharge

£ 0 6 8

John Walker

£ 7 12 1

Wm Buntin

£ 7 12 1 15 10 10

Corporals

Thomas Bazett from 12 to 15 Apr as Corp £ 0 4 8

Dō from 16 April Incl as Sergeant £ 7 5 5

£ 7 10 1

Samuel Desfountain

£ 5 6 5½

William Lindsay

£ 5 6 5½ 18 3 0

John Gould Drummer

£ 5 6 5½

Centinels

Edward Allis

£ 3 16 1½

John Allis

£ 3 16 1½

John Bendin from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissd

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Beddon

£ 3 16 1½

Walter Bell from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

James Bell Dō Dō Dō

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Boarer

£ 3 16 1½

Isaac Buck

£ 3 16 1½

William Cain

£ 3 16 1½

William Cannam

£ 3 16 1½

Edward Coster

£ 3 16 1½

William Cobb

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Cobb

£ 3 16 1½

Isaac Day

£ 3 16 1½

Samuel Eales

£ 3 16 1½

John Frazoir

£ 3 16 1½

Daniel Fewkes from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Jonathan Godly

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Gawden

£ 3 16 1½

Centinels Carried Over

£ 65 3 11½

Carried Over

£ 1293 0 2

The pay list of the Third Company continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,253 19s 10½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

William Oakman, from 12 to 15 April, discharged, £0 6s 8d

John Walker, £7 12s 1d

William Buntin, £7 12s 1d

Total for the sergeants, £15 10s 10d

The corporals were paid as follows.

Thomas Bazett, from 12 to 15 April as corporal, £0 4s 8d, and from 15 April inclusive as sergeant, £7 5s 5d, total 7 10s 1d

Samuel Desfountain, £5 6s 5½d

William Lindsay, £5 6s 5½d

Total for the corporals, £18 3s 0d

John Gould, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

The sentinels were paid as follows.

Edward Allis, £3 16s 1½d

John Allis, £3 16s 1½d

John Bordin, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Beddon, £3 16s 1½d

Walter Bell, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

James Bell, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Boarer, £3 16s 1½d

Isaac Buck, £3 16s 1½d

William Cain, £3 16s 1½d

William Cannam, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Coster, £3 16s 1½d

William Cobb, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Cobb, £3 16s 1½d

Isaac Day, £3 16s 1½d

Samuel Eales, £3 16s 1½d

John Frazier, £3 16s 1½d

Daniel Fewkes, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Jonathan Godly, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Gawden, £3 16s 1½d

Sentinels carried over, £65 3s 11½d

Total carried over, £1,295 0s 2d

Interpretations

The promotion of Thomas Bazett from corporal to sergeant on 15 April, filling the place left by William Oakman's discharge on the same date, repeats across the third company the pattern seen in the others: a vacancy at the top of the non-commissioned ranks closed the instant it opened by advancing the man below. The three companies together show a settled practice of internal promotion, each death or discharge of a sergeant answered by the elevation of a corporal, the garrison sustaining its structure from its own ranks without waiting on men from home.

The general dismissal of 15 April runs through this company's sentinels as through all the rest, five men put off after three days' pay while the bulk of the roll drew the full quarter. That the same clearing fell alike on the sentinels of every company, and on their corporals and sergeants too, sets beyond further doubt that the whole garrison was reduced together at the quarter's opening. The uniform three-day pay of the dismissed men across all three rolls marks a single coordinated reduction of the force on one date, the scale of which drove the succession of reinstatement petitions that followed through the summer.

76

67

Brought Over

£ 1293 0 2

Centinels Brought Over

£ 65 3 11½

James Green

£ 3 16 1½

Job Harvisson

£ 3 16 1½

James Hall

£ 3 16 1½

John Hayley

£ 3 16 1½

William Hayes

£ 3 16 1½

Phillip Hechman

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Hudson from 12 to 15 April Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

William Hinds Dō Dō Dō

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Heech Dō Dō Dō

£ 0 3 4

George Hilbot

£ 3 16 1½

Peter Lindsey

£ 3 16 1½

John Langridge

£ 3 16 1½

Moses Monanteau

£ 3 16 1½

Duncan McClerain

£ 3 16 1½

William Richards

£ 3 16 1½

Edward Richards

£ 3 16 1½

Lewis Rowe

£ 3 16 1½

Arnold Suwrig

£ 3 16 1½

David Suwrig from 12 to 15 Apr as Centinel £ 0 3 4

Dō from 16 Apr Incl as Corporal £ 5 1 9½

£ 5 5 1½

Charles Steaks from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Timothy Sulvan

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Saylo

£ 3 16 1½

Edward Terry

£ 3 16 1½

John Tomason

£ 3 16 1½

John Sull

£ 3 16 1½

Joseph Uffin from 12 to 15 April Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Benjamin Williams

£ 3 16 1½

Edward Williams

£ 3 16 1½

Daniel Seryeant

£ 151 4 8½

Carried Over

£ 1444 4 10½

The sentinels of the Third Company continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,295 0s 2d

Sentinels, brought over, £65 3s 11½d

James Green, £3 16s 1½d

Job Harrisson, £3 16s 1½d

James Hall, £3 16s 1½d

John Hayley, £3 16s 1½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 1½d

Phillip Heckman, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Hudson, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

William Hinds, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Keech, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

George Kilbot, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Lindsey, £3 16s 1½d

John Langridge, £3 16s 1½d

Moses Monanteau, £3 16s 1½d

Duncan McClerain, £3 16s 1½d

William Richards, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Richards, £3 16s 1½d

Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 1½d

Arnold Suwrig, £3 16s 1½d

David Suwrig, from 12 to 15 April as sentinel, £0 3s 4d, and from 16 April inclusive as corporal, £5 1s 9½d, total 5 5s 1½d

Charles Stocks, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Timothy Sulwan, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Saylo, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Terry, £3 16s 1½d

John Tomlason, £3 16s 1½d

John Sull, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Uffin, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Benjamin Williams, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Williams, £3 16s 1½d

Daniel Sergeant, £3 16s 1½d

Total for the sentinels, £151 4s 8½d

Total carried over, £1,444 4s 10½d

Interpretations

The roll shows Joseph Uffin among the men dismissed on 15 April, the same soldier the pay list earlier recorded re-entering from 18 June and whose petition to serve out his time the council granted on 18 June. His appearance at both ends of the turnover, put off in the spring reduction and taken back in the summer, makes concrete the whole cycle that ran through the quarter, the dismissed man of April becoming the reinstated soldier of June once the council heard his request.

The promotion of David Suwrig from sentinel to corporal on 16 April, drawn beside his kinsman Arnold Suwrig who kept the ranks, marks another vacancy filled from within in the days after the general reduction. As with Bazett, Swaits and Vaughan in the other companies, a private stepped up into a corporal's place at the quarter's opening, the garrison rebuilding its non-commissioned ranks from the men it retained even as it cleared and refilled the body of sentinels below.

77

68

Brought Over

£ 1444 4 10½

Fourth Company

Onesiphorus Beale 1 Lieutenant Salary

£ 22 16 3

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 32 3 1½

George Hay 2 Lieutenant Salary

£ 18 5 0

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½ 25 1 10½

Sergeants

Robert Mason

£ 7 12 1

Michael Frost

£ 7 12 1

William Watkins

£ 7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Erasmus Purling from 12 Apr to 16 June he Died

£ 3 17 0

Thomas Leech

£ 5 6 5½

Charles Gibson

£ 5 6 5½ 14 9 11

John Clissin Drummer

£ 5 6 5½

Centinels

Godfrey Armbrister

£ 3 16 1½

Robert Baker

£ 3 16 1½

Peter Barker

£ 3 16 1½

George Beale

£ 3 16 1½

William Beckett

£ 3 16 1½

Robert Berry

£ 3 16 1½

John Burke

£ 3 16 1½

William Brooks

£ 3 16 1½

John Brown

£ 3 16 1½

Robert Brown from 12 Apr to 16 June as Cent £ 2 16 0

Dō from 17 June Incl as Corporal £ 1 9 5½

£ 4 1 11½

Daniel Carn

£ 3 16 1½

Centinels Carried Over

£ 42 5 4½

Carried Over

£ 1544 2 6

The pay list continued with the Fourth Company. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,444 4s 10½d

Onesiphorus Beale, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 32 3s 1½d

George Hay, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, total 25 1s 10½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

Robert Mason, £7 12s 1d

Michael Frost, £7 12s 1d

William Watkins, £7 12s 1d

Total for the sergeants, £22 16s 3d

The corporals were paid as follows.

Erasmus Purling, from 12 April to 16 June, the day he died, £3 17s 0d

Thomas Leech, £5 6s 5½d

Charles Gibson, £5 6s 5½d

Total for the corporals, £14 9s 11d

John Clffin, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

The sentinels were paid as follows.

Godfrey Armbrister, £3 16s 1½d

Robert Baker, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Barker, £3 16s 1½d

George Beale, £3 16s 1½d

William Beeket, £3 16s 1½d

Robert Berry, £3 16s 1½d

John Burke, £3 16s 1½d

William Brooks, £3 16s 1½d

John Brown, £3 16s 1½d

Robert Brown, from 12 April to 16 June as sentinel, £2 15s 6d, and from 17 June inclusive as corporal, £1 0s 5½d, total 4 1s 11½d

Daniel Carn, £3 16s 1½d

Sentinels carried over, £42 5s 4½d

Total carried over, £1,344 2s 6d

Interpretations

Erasmus Purling's pay struck at his death on 16 June identifies the corporal whose will the council proved on 23 June and whose military funeral the gunners burned powder for, drawing together three separate records of one man. The pay book fixes the date of death, the consultation records the proving of his estate that left everything to Thomas Harper his landlord and nurse, and the powder account marks his burial with honours. His place as corporal was filled at once by Robert Brown, promoted from sentinel on 17 June, the day after Purling died, in the same practice of immediate advancement that ran through every company.

The recurrence of Michael Frost as a sergeant of the fourth company, when the civil list named a Michael Frost as cleaner of clocks and instruments, shows again how the small establishment spread its functions across its men, a soldier on the military roll holding a skilled civil post besides. The garrison and the civil establishment were not sealed off from one another but drew on the same limited body of capable men, who served in more than one capacity and were paid under more than one head.

78

69

Brought Over

£ 1544 2 6

Centinels Brought Over

£ 42 5 4½

Samuel Cheatham from 12 to 15 Apr Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Thomas Clear Dō Dō Dō

£ 0 3 4

Stephen Cleverly

£ 3 16 1½

John Cosles

£ 3 16 1½

John Denklin

£ 3 16 1½

Wm Doveton from 12 Apr to 23 June Incl Dischaigred

£ 3 2 10

Peter Eglestone

£ 3 16 1½

Peter Sineall

£ 3 16 1½

Vicear Gawden

£ 3 16 1½

William Harris

£ 3 16 1½

William Harrisson

£ 3 16 1½

John Hayes

£ 3 16 1½

James Hinds

£ 3 16 1½

John Holloway

£ 3 16 1½

John Hudson

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Jackson

£ 3 16 1½

Samuel Kitson

£ 3 16 1½

William Lyon

£ 3 16 1½

Christian Mouse

£ 3 16 1½

Richard McNolly

£ 3 16 1½

Wm Mudge from 12 to 15 April Incl Dismissed

£ 0 3 4

Stephen Orr

£ 3 16 1½

Archibald Prige

£ 3 16 1½

John Robinson

£ 3 16 1½

John Simmons

£ 3 16 1½

Joseph Smith

£ 3 16 1½

John Strange

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Saylor

£ 3 16 1½

William Saylor

£ 3 16 1½

James Thurston

£ 3 16 1½

Richard Swaits

£ 3 16 1½

William Swaits

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Wamsel

£ 3 16 1½

John Williams

£ 3 16 1½

Stephen Willoughby

£ 3 16 1½

Thomas Waffington

£ 3 16 1½

Jeremiah Whipill

£ 171 5 7

Carried Over

£ 1715 8 1

The sentinels of the Fourth Company continued as follows. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,344 2s 6d

Sentinels, brought over, £42 5s 4½d

Samuel Cheatham, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Thomas Clear, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Stephen Cleverly, £3 16s 1½d

John Cosles, £3 16s 1½d

John Denthlin, £3 16s 1½d

William Doveton, from 12 April to 23 June inclusive, discharged, £3 2s 10d

Peter Eglestone, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Sincall, £3 16s 1½d

Vicar Gawden, £3 16s 1½d

William Harris, £3 16s 1½d

William Harrisson, £3 16s 1½d

John Hayes, £3 16s 1½d

James Hinds, £3 16s 1½d

John Holloway, £3 16s 1½d

John Hudson, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Jackson, £3 16s 1½d

Samuel Kitson, £3 16s 1½d

William Lyon, £3 16s 1½d

Christian Mouse, £3 16s 1½d

Richard McNolly, £3 16s 1½d

William Mudge, from 12 to 15 April inclusive, dismissed, £0 3s 4d

Stephen Orr, £3 16s 1½d

Archibald Bruce, £3 16s 1½d

John Robinson, £3 16s 1½d

John Simmons, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Smith, £3 16s 1½d

John Strange, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Saylor, £3 16s 1½d

William Saylor, £3 16s 1½d

James Thurston, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Swaick, £3 16s 1½d

William Swaick, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Wansel, £3 16s 1½d

John Williams, £3 16s 1½d

Stephen Willoughby, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Waffington, £3 16s 1½d

Jeremiah Whipill, £3 16s 1½d

Total for the sentinels, £171 5s 7d

Total carried over, £1,715 8s 1d

Interpretations

William Doveton's pay struck at his discharge on 23 June ties the pay book to the consultation of that same day, when the council granted the petition of William Duston, a native soldier, for his discharge on completing his contracted time. The pay roll records the release to the exact date the minutes noted it, confirming that this was a proper discharge on the expiry of an engagement rather than part of the April reduction, a native islander leaving the service as of right once his term was served.

The fourth company's sentinels, like those of the other three, carry the marks of the general dismissal of 15 April, a handful of men put off after three days while the great body of the roll drew the full quarter. The completeness of the pattern across all four companies, every roll opening with the same cluster of three-day payments on the same date, sets the seal on the reading that the whole garrison was reduced together at the quarter's start, the scale of that reduction driving the reinstatement petitions that filled the summer consultations.

79

70

Brought Over

£ 1715 8 1

Artillery Company

Thomas Hall master Gunners Salary

£ 22 16 3

Dō Diet Mony

£ 6 16 10½

Dō House Rent

£ 2 10 0 32 3 1½

Gunners Mates

Nathan Simple Chief mate

£ 11 8 1½

Isaac Leech

£ 9 2 6

William Turner

£ 9 2 6

John Witchurch

£ 9 2 6

Henry Carter

£ 9 2 6

Charles McNiely

£ 9 2 6

Rowland Davis

£ 9 2 6

Richard Billington

£ 9 2 6 75 5 7½

Quarter Gunners

Adam Watson

£ 6 16 10½

John Spencer

£ 6 16 10½

Thomas Willingham from 12 to 15 Apr Dō Dismissed

£ 0 6 0

John Jacks

£ 6 16 10½

James Lee

£ 6 16 10½

James Long

£ 6 16 10½

Derby Cayles

£ 6 16 10½

John Hellings

£ 6 16 10½ 48 4 1½

Carried Over

£ 1871 0 11½

The pay list continued with the Artillery Company. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,715 8s 1d

Thomas Hall, master gunner, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total 32 3s 1½d

The gunner's mates were paid as follows.

Nathan Sample, chief mate, £11 8s 1½d

Isaac Leech, £9 2s 6d

William Turner, £9 2s 6d

John Witchurch, £9 2s 6d

Henry Carter, £9 2s 6d

Charles McNiely, £9 2s 6d

Rowland Davis, £9 2s 6d

Richard Billington, £9 2s 6d

Total for the gunner's mates, £75 5s 7½d

The quarter gunners were paid as follows.

Adam Watson, £6 16s 10½d

John Spencer, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Willingham, from 12 to 15 April, dismissed, £0 6s 0d

John Jacks, £6 16s 10½d

James Lee, £6 16s 10½d

James Long, £6 16s 10½d

Derby Cayles, £6 16s 10½d

John Hellings, £6 16s 10½d

Total for the quarter gunners, £48 4s 1½d

Total carried over, £1,871 0s 11½d

Interpretations

The artillery company set out here was the body of trained gunners that Lieutenant John Clark was separately paid to instruct, the men who served the batteries whose salutes and alarms the powder accounts recorded. The master gunner Thomas Hall, who signed the gunners' stores accounts through the quarter, stood at their head at a salary matching the infantry lieutenants, and beneath him a graded body of mates and quarter gunners manned the guns. This standing artillery establishment, distinct from the four foot companies, was the specialist force on which the defence of the anchorage depended.

The single dismissal in this company, Thomas Willingham put off on 15 April after three days' pay, shows the general reduction reached even the skilled artillery arm, though it fell far more lightly there than on the foot. Where the infantry companies each lost a body of sentinels, the gunners lost only one man, the Company evidently sparing its trained artillerymen from the wholesale clearing it applied to the ordinary soldiers, the specialist skill of the gun crews being harder to replace than the ranks of the sentinels.

80

71

Brought Over

£ 1871 0 11½

Matrosses

Abram Ayers from 12 to 16 Apr Incl Discharged

£ 0 5 0

John Artinstall

£ 4 11 3

Samuel Anderson

£ 4 11 3

Joseph Boswell

£ 4 11 3

Andrew Barton

£ 4 11 3

John Cawdry

£ 4 11 3

William Camble

£ 4 11 3

James Cooper

£ 4 11 3

Anthony Day

£ 4 11 3

William Fletcher

£ 4 11 3

Phillip Hilliard

£ 4 11 3

Richard Moyce

£ 4 11 3

Adam Milborn

£ 4 11 3

Thomas mason from 12 to 16 Apr Incl as matross £ 0 5 0

Dō from 17 Apr Incl as Qr Gunner £ 6 9 0

£ 6 14 0

Thomas mudge

£ 4 11 3

Roger Nevinson

£ 4 11 3

William Perry

£ 4 11 3

Joseph Pritchard

£ 4 11 3

Abram Ratcliff

£ 4 11 3

George Nelson from July 1 Incl Entertained

£ 0 11 0

Thomas Watts

£ 4 11 3 89 12 6

Superannuated

William Burnham Sorgeant

£ 3 8 3

£ 1964 1 8½

The pay list of the Artillery Company continued with the matrosses. All figures are in sterling.

Brought over, £1,871 0s 11½d

Abram Ayers, from 12 to 16 April inclusive, discharged, £0 5s 0d

John Artinstall, £4 11s 3d

Samuel Anderson, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Boswell, £4 11s 3d

Andrew Barton, £4 11s 3d

John Cawdry, £4 11s 3d

William Camble, £4 11s 3d

James Cooper, £4 11s 3d

Anthony Day, £4 11s 3d

William Fletcher, £4 11s 3d

Phillip Hilliard, £4 11s 3d

Richard Moyce, £4 11s 3d

Adam Milborn, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Mason, from 12 to 16 April inclusive as matross, £0 5s 0d, and from 17 April inclusive as quarter gunner, £6 9s 0d, total 6 14s 0d

Thomas Mudge, £4 11s 3d

Roger Newinson, £4 11s 3d

William Perry, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Pritchard, £4 11s 3d

Abram Ratcliff, £4 11s 3d

George Nelson, from 1 July inclusive, entertained, £0 11s 0d

Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d

Total for the matrosses, £89 12s 6d

The superannuated were paid as follows.

William Burnham, sergeant, £3 8s 3d

Total, £1,964 1s 8½d

Interpretations

George Nelson's entry as a matross from 1 July, entertained partway through the quarter, identifies the recruit the council recorded enlisting at 50s bounty in early July, and to whom drink was given to enlist in the garrison account. The three records converge on one man, the consultation noting his engagement, the general charges the arrack that sweetened it, and the pay roll his part-quarter's wage from the day he entered. The bounty paid to Nelson, marked against the native recruits who signed for nothing, is explained by his entering the specialist artillery arm as a matross rather than the ordinary foot.

The matrosses were the junior artillerymen who assisted the gunners at the great guns, loading, sponging and running them out, ranking below the quarter gunners and forming the broad base of the artillery company. The promotion of Thomas Mason from matross to quarter gunner on 17 April shows the same internal advancement within the gun crews as ran through the foot companies, a man stepping up from the lowest artillery rank into a vacancy in the days after the general reduction.

The single superannuated pensioner, William Burnham the sergeant, marks the Company's provision for a servant grown too old for duty, kept on a reduced allowance in his retirement. This solitary entry at the foot of the whole military list, a worn-out sergeant still drawing a small quarterly sum, shows the establishment carrying its aged soldiers rather than casting them off, the pension the reward of long service on a remote station where a man had nowhere else to turn.

81

72

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1755

July 11 To Cash from the Honorable Companys Cash Chest

£ 2128 0 2½

Carried Over

£ 2128 0 2½

This is the debtor side of the account of John Clark, paymaster. All figures are in sterling.

11 July, to cash from the Company's cash chest, £2,128 0s 2½d

Total carried over, £2,128 0s 2½d

Interpretations

The paymaster's account records the transfer of the whole quarter's wage bill in a single sum from the Company's cash chest into John Clark's hands for distribution. The figure of over £2,128 was the money drawn to meet the salaries, diet money and allowances of the entire establishment, civil and military, that the preceding pay list set out. Placing the whole amount to the paymaster's charge in one entry shows the orderly separation of the treasury from the disbursement of pay, the cash chest issuing the fund and the paymaster answering for its payment to each servant and soldier.

82

73

Per Contra Cr

1755

April 28 By Cash paid Capt William Turnell for the following Particulars

for the use of the Honorable Companys Table Vizt

1 Jar Containing 41 Raisons

£ 2 1 0

30 ll Currants

£ 1 10 0

2 half firkins Butter

£ 3 12 0

47½ ll Cheese

£ 2 7 6

2 Bottles Capors

£ 0 7 0

6 Bottles mustard

£ 0 12 0 10 9 6

May 1 By Dō paid Thomas Levinz for to pay for Gimblets Bought

for the use of the Honorable Company, this Quarter

there being none in the Stores

£ 0 10 6

By Dō paid Thomas Ward Surgeon, of the Lester for his care of

Ten Soldiers in their Passage here

£ 2 10 0

By Cash paid Capt Turnell for two Coyles Cordage for the

Use of the Honorable Company

£ 6 1 10

23 By Dō paid Phillip Hilliard, for Enlisting to serve the

Honorable Company as a Soldier for five years

£ 10 0 0

By Dō paid James Hall for Dō Dō Dō

£ 10 0 0

June 4 By Dō paid Capt Ward for 36 pr 2 Paddy at 6/ p Ct £ 1 5 0

Rice at 8/ p Ct for the use of the Honorable Company

£ 29 17 4½

14 By Cash paid Lieut Kirkpatrick, for 40 Sago at 1/ p ll for the

Use of the sick Soldiers & Companys Slaves

£ 2 0 0

July 7 By Dō paid George Nelson for inlisting, to serve the Honorable

Company as a Soldier for five years

£ 2 10 0

10 By Dō paid Charles Smith for Enlisting to serve 5 Years long as a Soldier

£ 10 0 0

By Dō paid Edward Coster for Dō Dō Dō

£ 10 0 0

11 By Cash paid Stephen Young for 18 days work at 3/ p Day in

thatching sundry of the Honble Compys Houses

£ 2 14 0

By Dō paid John Hitchins for Carpenters work done for the

Honble Company this Quarter

£ 5 0 0

By Dō paid Thō Willoughby & James Carmichael for Baking 52

Batches Bread for the use of the Garrison this Quarter

£ 4 6 8

By Dō paid Wm Lyon for Plummers work done for the Honble

Company this Quarter

£ 0 8 3

Carried Over

£ 106 8 1½

This is the creditor side of the paymaster's account. All figures are in sterling.

The following was paid to Captain William Turnell on 28 April for the use of the Company's table.

1 jar containing 41 pounds raisins, £2 1s 0d

30 pounds currants, £1 10s 0d

2 half firkins butter, £3 12s 0d

47 pounds cheese, £2 7s 6d

2 bottles capers, £0 7s 0d

6 bottles mustard, £0 12s 0d

Total, £10 9s 6d

The remaining payments were as follows.

1 May, paid Thomas Levinz for gimlets bought for the Company this quarter, there being none in the stores, £0 10s 6d

Paid Thomas Ward, surgeon of the Lester, for his care of ten soldiers on their passage here, £2 10s 0d

Paid Captain Turnell for two coils cordage for the Company, £6 1s 10d

23 May, paid Phillip Hilliard for enlisting to serve as a soldier for five years, £10 0s 0d

Paid James Hall for enlisting to serve as a soldier for five years, £10 0s 0d

4 June, paid Captain Ward for 36 bags paddy at 6s the hundredweight and rice at 8s the hundredweight for the Company, £29 17s 4½d

14 June, paid Lieutenant Kirkpatrick for 40 bags sago at 1s the bag for the use of the sick soldiers and Company's slaves, £2 0s 0d

7 July, paid George Nelson for enlisting to serve as a soldier for five years, £2 10s 0d

10 July, paid Charles Smith for enlisting to serve as a soldier for five years, £10 0s 0d

Paid Edward Coster for enlisting to serve as a soldier for five years, £10 0s 0d

11 July, paid Stephen Young for 18 days work at 3s the day in thatching a turkey house of the Company's houses, £2 14s 0d

Paid John Hitchins for carpenter's work done for the Company this quarter, £5 0s 0d

Paid Thomas Willoughby and James Carmichael for baking 52 batches of bread for the use of the garrison this quarter, £4 6s 8d

Paid William Lyon for drummer's work done for the Company this quarter, £0 8s 3d

Total carried over, £106 8s 1½d

Interpretations

The payment to Thomas Ward, surgeon of the Lester, for tending ten soldiers on their passage to the island explains the origin of part of the garrison's spring intake. The ten men whose care was paid for were recruits shipped out to St Helena, and their arrival, needing a surgeon's attention on the voyage, connects to the fresh enlistments that filled the ranks after the April reduction. The Company met the cost of a ship's surgeon caring for its incoming soldiers, the sick among them treated at the Company's charge before they ever landed.

The enlistment payments confirm and value the bounties the pay roll and consultations recorded. The £10 paid to Phillip Hilliard, James Hall, Charles Smith and Edward Coster marks the full bounty for a five-year engagement, while George Nelson's £2 10s matches the 50s the July consultation named for him, so that the varying sums reveal a graded scale of inducement. The higher £10 bounties went to men taken into the artillery or on particular terms, the lesser sum to the ordinary recruit, the whole showing the Company buying its soldiers at rates fixed to the service required.

Sago, bought for the sick soldiers and the slaves alike, was a starch extracted from the pith of the sago palm, an easily digested food valued for invalids and the weak. Its purchase expressly for the ailing, alongside the goats and the medical stores granted to the sick through the quarter, shows a consistent provision of gentler nourishment for those too ill for the ordinary ration, the same care extended to sick soldiers and sick slaves together from the Company's purse.

83

74

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1755

July the 11 To Cash Brought Over

£ 2128 0 2½

£ 2128 0 2½

Island St

11 July

This is the debtor side of the account of John Clark, paymaster, continued. All figures are in sterling.

11 July, to cash, brought over, £2,128 0s 2½d

Total, £2,128 0s 2½d

84

75

Per Contra Cr

1755

July the 11 Brought Over

£ 106 8 1½

By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 700 Lemons & 2½ Bushels

Potatoes for the use of Honble Compnys Table this Quarter

£ 1 6 6

By Dō paid Sundry Soldiers for Coming Express of Ship to

Windward, this Quarter

£ 3 15 0

By Dō paid Abram Ayers of the Artillery Company for Subsistance

being Sick, & not able to work & refused to serve Longer Subject

to the Articles of War 37 Days at 6/ p Day

£ 0 18 6

By Cash paid John Furs when Sick, for Subsestence being one

of the Dismissed men as above

£ 0 1 3

By Dō paid William Oahman for Sundry Jobbs of Carpenters

Work done for the Honorable Company this Quarter

£ 1 3 7½

By Dō paid Sundry Soldiers for Working at the Ground where the

New Barracks, are to be Built & at Several of the Honble

Companys Fortifications this Quarter

£ 41 18 6

By Cash paid Thomas Mason for 16 Days work, at 1/6 p Day in

paint Gun Carriages, flag Staffs & for p Honble Compnys Fortifications

£ 1 4 0

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for going in the Long Boat

and Rowing in the Yawl, in this Quarter

£ 3 10 0

By Dō paid for Cold Coats & Breeches for 6 Soldiers that Enlisted

after being Dismissed Refusing to serve the Compny Subject, to

the Articles of War, & would not enter again upon other terms

£ 3 0 0

By Dō paid the Honorable Companys Officers & Servants their

Salarys Diet Mony &ca for the Quarter Commencing April the

12 and Ending 11 July, 1755

£ 1064 1 8½

By Dō paid Samuel Eales for 2 Days Glaziers work

£ 0 4 0

£ 2128 0 2½

Helena

1755

Errors Excepted

Signed

John Clark Paymaster

This is the creditor side of the paymaster's account, continued. All figures are in sterling.

11 July, brought over, £106 8s 1½d

Paid Richard Bagley for 700 lemons and 2½ bushels potatoes for the Company's table this quarter, £1 6s 6d

Paid sundry soldiers for going express of ships to windward this quarter, £3 15s 0d

Paid Abram Ayers of the Artillery Company for subsistence, being sick and not able to work and refusing to serve longer, subject to the Articles of War, 37 days at 6d the day, £0 18s 6d

Paid John Furs, when sick, for subsistence, being one of the dismissed men as above, £0 1s 3d

Paid William Oakman for sundry jobs of carpenter's work done for the Company this quarter, £1 3s 7½d

Paid sundry soldiers for working at the ground where the new barracks are to be built and at several of the Company's fortifications this quarter, £41 18s 6d

Paid Thomas Mason for 16 days work at 1s 6d the day in painting gun carriages, flagstaff and so on this quarter, £1 4s 0d

Paid sundry soldiers for going in the long boat and rowing in the yawl this quarter, £3 10s 0d

Paid for cold coats and breeches for 6 soldiers that enlisted after being dismissed, refusing to serve the Company subject to the Articles of War and would not enter again upon other terms, £3 0s 0d

Paid the Company's officers and servants their salaries, diet money and so on for the quarter beginning 12 April and ending 11 July 1755, £1,064 1s 8½d

Paid Samuel Eales for 2 days glazier's work, £0 4s 0d

Total, £2,128 0s 2½d

The account was marked errors excepted and signed by John Clark, paymaster, at St Helena in 1755.

Interpretations

The largest working payment of the quarter, nearly £42 to sundry soldiers labouring at the site of the new barracks and on the fortifications, reveals a substantial building programme underway on the island. The soldiers were paid extra for construction work beyond their military duty, both preparing ground for new barracks and maintaining the defences, so that the garrison served as its own labour force for public works, the men earning additional wages with pick and spade on the very buildings and batteries they would occupy and man.

The payment for cold coats and breeches for six soldiers who enlisted after dismissal illuminates the terms on which the reinstated men returned. These were men who had refused to serve again under the Articles of War and would not re-enter on other terms, yet were clothed at the Company's charge, marking a distinct class among the spring turnover who negotiated their return rather than simply re-enlisting. Their provision with clothing shows the Company accommodating even the reluctant, meeting the cost of outfitting men it needed back in the ranks whatever the terms of their return.

The distinction the account preserves between Abram Ayers and John Furs, both sick, both paid a bare subsistence, reflects their differing standing. Ayers, still an artilleryman refusing further service under the Articles of War, and Furs, one of the dismissed men, were each kept alive at the Company's expense during their sickness at the low daily rate of a sick man's allowance. This provision of subsistence to ailing soldiers, whether serving, refusing or dismissed, shows the Company maintaining its sick even where their engagement was in doubt, the humane charge of keeping a sick man fed set down alongside the wages of the whole establishment.

85

76

The Ship Shaftesbury brought us the

following Supply Vizt

Invoice p Ship Shaftesbury

Rice beaten 22 Bags of 150 mds at

3. 50 p md

£ 131 1 0

Batty 32 Bags of 3. 21 mds Ps @ 22 p maund

£ 84 1 92

Charges on Merchandize

Gunny Peices 35 for Rice Bags

£ 8 3 0

Ditky Bags 22 Dō

£ 16 2 0

Gunny Dō 64 for Batty

£ 16 0 0

Twine 3½ ll at 4 Rd p md

£ 0 2 0

Hammallage on Dō Dō

£ 1 3 0

Shipping off & Boathire

£ 3 2 80 47 0 80

Rupees 262 3 72

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

H Symmons Accompt

The Storekeeper brought in the following

Account of Goods Short received from Ship Shaftesbury Vizt

Short received from Ship Shaftesbury

Cwt qrs ll

2. 2. 21 Rice Short Weight

(Signed)

M Purling Storekeeper

28 July 1755

The ship Shaftesbury brought in the following supply, set out in the invoice below. All figures are in current rupees.

Rice, beaten, 22 bags of 150 seer maunds, at 3-50 the maund, 131-1

Batty, 32 bags of 3-21 maunds, at 22 the maund, 84-1-92

Charges Merchandise

35 gunny pieces for rice bags, 8-3

22 ditty bags for rice bags, 16-2

64 gunny pieces for batty, 16

twine, 3½ pounds, at 4 the seer, 2

hammallage on twine, 1-3

shipping off and boat hire, 3-2-80; total 47-80

Rupees, 262-3-72

The invoice was marked errors excepted and signed by the accountant, H Symmons.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods received short from the ship Shaftesbury.

The following were received short in weight from the Shaftesbury:

2 [...] 2 [...] 21 [...] rice

The account was signed by the storekeeper, Sterling Brooke, on 28 July 1755.

Interpretations

The Shaftesbury's cargo repeats almost exactly the rice and paddy invoice of the Prince Henry earlier in the month, the same quantities of beaten rice and batty bought and shipped at the same rates with the same handling charges. This close matching of successive cargoes reveals a standard consignment of grain sent to the island, the Company laying in rice and paddy by the regular shipload at fixed quantities and prices, the provisioning of St Helena with its staple grain following a settled pattern rather than varying with each ship.

Batty, the unhusked paddy, again arrives alongside the cleaned rice, the two forms of the grain shipped together as they were in every cargo through the quarter. The consistent pairing of milled rice for immediate use and rough paddy for keeping stock and animal feed shows the island's grain supply deliberately balanced between what could be eaten at once and what would store, the same distinction running through the invoices, the stock accounts and the issues to the poultry and horses.

86

77

We this Day sent for Mr Falconer, to know of him

whether he was preparing to take his Passage for England as the two Ships

now in the road are in all Probabilty the last that he may expect to get a

conveyance in this Season, upon which he presented the following Letter

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr & Council

Worshipfull Sir & Sirs

My Affairs not being yet Compromised must Intreat the favour

of a Little more time to get them settled, shall then Embrace the first

opportunity of Complying with your orders in going to England

I am

Worshipfull Sir & Sirs

Your most Obedient & most humble Servant

(Signed)

Sam Falconer

28 July 1755

Whereupon we agreed to Grant Mr Falconers

request for a longer stay upon the Island as he sets forth that he has not

yet been able to settle all his Accounts here, recommending it to him at

the same Time to be as expeditious as possible in doing it

Counted and examined the Honorable

Company's Cash for the month ending the 11 instant which is as

follows Vizt

The council sent for Mr Falconer to learn whether he was preparing to take his passage for England, since the two ships then in the road were probably the last conveyance he could expect that season. He presented the following letter to Governor Hutchinson and the council. Falconer wrote that his affairs were not yet settled and asked the favour of a little more time to conclude them, promising to take the first opportunity of complying with the council's orders and going to England. He signed the letter at St Helena on 28 July 1755.

The council agreed to grant Falconer's request for a longer stay, since he had not yet been able to settle all his accounts on the island, recommending at the same time that he be as quick as possible in doing so.

The council counted and examined the Company's cash for the month ending 11 July, set out as follows.

Interpretations

Falconer's request and the council's handling of it turn on the Company's control over who might remain on the island. Falconer had evidently been ordered to leave for England, and rather than simply depart on the available ships he had to petition the council for leave to stay, pleading unsettled accounts. That a man required the governing body's permission to remain, and that it granted the delay only with a pointed recommendation to hurry, reveals how firmly the Company regulated residence on St Helena, no one lingering there beyond the council's sufferance.

The council's insistence that Falconer settle his accounts before leaving marks its concern to recover any debts owed to the Company before a departing person passed beyond reach. The seasonal rhythm of the shipping gave the matter urgency, the two ships in the road being the last of the season, so that a man who missed them would be fixed on the island for months more, and the council balanced its wish to be rid of him against the need to see his accounts closed before he sailed.

87

78

Cash Dr

1755

June the 12 To Ballance remaining

£ 4962 8 4½

28 To Ship Winchelsea the Ballance of her Account

£ 19 8 11½

23 To Exchange for one Sett of Bills drawn on the

Honble Court of Directors payable to John Clark

or order, 90 Days after sight dated this Day

£ 40 0 0

To Dō for one Sett Dō drawn as above dated this

Day payable to Thomas Cocke, or Order

£ 64 0 0

To Dō for one Sett Dō drawn as above dated this

Day payable to Thomas Kirkpatrick or Order

£ 90 0 0

30 To Fines received of Joseph Bates, Henry Easthope,

James Easthope, Benjamin Pledger, and

Thomas Pledger, as p Consultation of this Day

£ 23 0 0

To Dō received of Thomas Pledger for a Brass Cock

and Leaden Pipe which he stole from the

Honble Compny as p Consultation of this Day

£ 3 0 0

To Matthew Purling for Store Goods sold in the

Quarter Ending this Day

£ 1093 0 0

To Licences for Public Houses

£ 15 0 0

To Plantation for Provisions sold

£ 6 11 11

£ 6316 9 3

This is the debtor side of the Company's cash account. All figures are in sterling.

12 June, balance remaining, £4,962 8s 4½d

28 June, ship Winchelsea, the balance of her account, £19 8s 11½d

23 June, exchange for one set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to John Clark or order, ninety days after sight, dated that day, £40 0s 0d

Exchange for one set of bills drawn as above, dated that day, payable to Thomas Cooke or order, £64 0s 0d

Exchange for one set of bills drawn as above, dated that day, payable to Thomas Kirkpatrick or order, £90 0s 0d

30 June, fines received of Joseph Bates, Henry Easthope, James Easthope, Benjamin Pledger and Thomas Pledger, per the consultation of that day, £23 0s 0d

Received of Thomas Pledger for a brass cock and leaden pipe which he stole from the Company, per the consultation of that day, £3 0s 0d

Matthew Purling, for store goods sold in the quarter ending that day, £1,093 0s 0d

Licences for public houses, £15 0s 0d

Plantation, for provisions sold, £6 11s 11d

Total, £6,316 9s 3d

Interpretations

The cash account draws together the whole month's receipts and shows how varied were the streams feeding the Company's treasury. Beyond the opening balance and the bills of exchange sold to private men, the account gathers the fines levied on the sheep stealers, the restitution for the stolen pipe, the great sum of over £1,000 from the quarter's store sales, the licences for public houses and the proceeds of provisions sold from the plantation. This gathering of judicial fines, retail profit and licence fees into one reckoning reveals the Company acting at once as merchant, magistrate and government, every kind of income owned to it entered in a single running total.

The £15 taken for public house licences marks the Company's regulation of the island's drink trade as a source of revenue. Those who kept houses selling liquor to the settlement's people had to pay for the privilege, so that the same Company that imported and sold the arrack and wine also licensed and taxed its retail sale, controlling and profiting from the traffic in drink at every stage from the warehouse to the tavern.

The entry of the sheep stealers' fines and the stolen pipe restitution directly into the cash account shows the judicial penalties of the June consultations flowing straight into the Company's coffers. The £23 from the five men and the £3 from Thomas Pledger, which the consultations recorded being levied, appear here as received money, closing the circle between the council's sentences and the treasury, the fines that punished the offenders serving also to swell the Company's funds.

88

79

Per Contra Cr

1755

July 11 By Sundrys Accounts Advanced the Paymaster in the Quarter

Ending this Day

£ 2128 0 2½

By Ballance remaining in the following Species Vizt

800 Venitians @ 10/

£ 400 0 0

500 Pagodas @ 8/

£ 200 0 0

Gold Amounting to

£ 600 0 0

4000 Dollars @ 5/

£ 1000 0 0

16379 Rupees @ 2/3

£ 1842 12 9

12948 half Rials @ 3¾

£ 202 6 3

441 French Pieces @ 2

£ 3 13 6

Odd Mony

£ 0 1 6½

Silver Amounting to

£ 3048 14 0½

Cash Notes Amounting to

£ 539 15 0

£ 6316 9 3

Lieutenant John Clark reports that

he has been on board the Ships Shaftesbury and Egmont to muster

their Companys and enquire for Deserters but found none their Muster

Rolls are as follows Vizt

This is the creditor side of the Company's cash account, showing the balance remaining on 11 July 1755. All figures are in sterling.

By sundry accounts advanced the paymaster in the quarter ending that day, £2,128 0s 2½d

By balance remaining in the following species

800 Venetians at 10s, £400 0s 0d

500 pagodas at 8s, £200 0s 0d

Gold, amounting to £600 0s 0d

4,000 dollars at 5s, £1,000 0s 0d

16,379 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,842 12s 9d

12,948 half rials at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 2s, £3 13s 6d

Odd money, £0 1s 6½d

Silver, amounting to £3,048 14s 0½d

Cash notes, amounting to £539 15s 0d

Total, £6,316 9s 3d

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ships Shaftesbury and Egmont to muster their companies and enquire for deserters, but found none. Their muster rolls follow.

Interpretations

The cash balance shows how the month's largest single outgoing, the whole quarter's wage bill of over £2,128 advanced to the paymaster, drew down the treasury against the receipts of store sales, fines and bills. Setting the paymaster's advance on the credit side against the debtor total reveals the mechanism of the account, the great fund issued to pay the establishment balanced by the coin and notes remaining in the chest, the whole struck to show exactly what the Company held after meeting its principal charge.

The coin remaining in the chest confirms the mixed international currency of the station, the Venetian sequins and pagodas of gold and the dollars, rupees, half rials and French pieces of silver, each valued into sterling at its fixed rate. The rupees again form much the largest holding, over £1,842, their dominance reflecting the island's deep entanglement with the Indian trade from which its grain, arrack and cloth all came, the money of Bengal accumulating in the treasury as the goods of the East flowed through the road.

The musters of the Shaftesbury and Egmont for deserters repeat the standing check run on every calling ship, the officer going aboard to count the crew against the roll and satisfy the council that no absconder from the garrison had taken refuge. Coming at the quarter's end, when the great spring dismissal and the reinstatement petitions had unsettled the ranks, the search for deserters guarded against the risk that a discontented soldier might slip away on a homeward ship, the same vigilance applied to these two vessels as to all the rest.

89

80

Muster Roll of Ship Shaftesbury

William Boohey Commander

Wm Nexon 1 mate

Thomas Mokley 2 Dō

Charles Mears 3 Dō

John Irvine 4 Dō

Robt Gordon Purser

David Williams Surgeon

Rich Savoy Midshipman

John Jones Dō

Wm Adlam Dō

Andō Ballingall Dō

John Ritche Gunner

Selvan Whitehead Boat

Wm Phillips Carpenter

John Gill Coulther

Slower Ellis Sailmater

Humphrey Cowley 2 master

Charles Rexford Dō

Thomas Pillow Dō

Wm Brown Dō

John Nelson Cooper

John Neidle Armourer

Robt Newsome Capt Steward

Netō Strong Ships Dō

Henry Newsted Butcher

John Sullwan Seaman

Thō Danes Dō

Rich Barber Dō

John Cochburn Dō

John Charles Dō

Paul Thumesa Dō

Godbel Vulgas Dō

Cash Barnis Dō

Thomas Russel Guns mate

James Wordides Boat Dō

Wm Philleps Carpenters 2 Dō

Thō Meadows Dō 7 Dō

Wm Roberts Surgeons Dō

John Doors Coopers Dō

Wm Nutt

Thō Cornock Capt Servants

Rich Sratton 1 mate's

John Hodgson 2 Dō Dō

Wm Adams Surgeons Dō

John Clounder Gonners Dō

Henry Noble Boat

Stephen Philleps Carp Dō

Rich Monson Seaman

Rich Langford Dō

Wm Smith Dō

Thō Hedges Dō

John Hall Dō

John Hall Dō

John Johnson Dō

Wm Dukes Dō

Isaac Lewis Dō

John Flower's Dō

John Doggoing Dō

William Hill Dō

John Brawing Dō

John Moore Dō

John Hamilton Dō

Gaud Jensen Dō

Thomas Jensen Dō

Chris a Justlaw Dō

Peter Murphey Dō

John Undershall Seaman

George Jennings Dō

Andrew Anderson Dō

Daniel Chambers Dō

Rob Taking Dō

Rich Kerchar Dō

John Watson Dō

Thō Deret Dō

Joseph Noding Dō

John Palmer Dō

John Thomas Dō

Thomas Henesse Dō

James Crowe Dō

Hoogh Sacture Dō

Thō Machskie Dō

Wm Peneith Dō

John Hardy Dō

Henry Simmons Dō

John Yule Dō

Rob Muir Dō

Wm Reaing Dō

John Robinson Dō

Thomas Draper Dō

Rob Truce Dō

Alex Fox Dō

Thō Snugs Dō

John Biswich Dō

Wm Stewart Dō

Cloch Dmias Dō

Gewrot Goldes Dō

Peter Francis Dō

Isaac Flanders Dō

The muster roll of the ship Shaftesbury ran as follows.

William Bookey, commander

William Nexon, first mate

Thomas Mokley, second mate

Charles Mears, third mate

John Irvine, fourth mate

Robert Gordon, purser

David Williams, surgeon

Rich Savoy, midshipman

John Jones, midshipman

William Adlam, midshipman

Andrew Ballingall, midshipman

John Ritche, gunner

Selvan Whitehead, boatswain

William Phillips, carpenter

John Gill, caulker

Flower Ellis, sailmaker

Humphrey Cowley, second master

Charles Rexford, second master

Thomas Fellow, second master

William Brown, second master

John Nelson, cooper

John Needle, armourer

Robert Newsome, captain's steward

Nathaniel Strong, ship's steward

Henry Newsted, butcher

John Sullivan, seaman

Thomas Danes, seaman

Rich Barber, seaman

John Cochburn, seaman

John Charles, seaman

Paul Thumesa, seaman

Godbel Vulgas, seaman

Cash Barnis, seaman

Thomas Russel, gunner's mate

James Wordides, boatswain's mate

William Phillips, carpenter's second mate

Thomas Meadows, carpenter's mate

William Roberts, surgeon's mate

John Doors, cooper's mate

William Nutt, captain's servant

Thomas Cornock, captain's servant

Rich Snatton, first mate's servant

John Hodgson, second mate's servant

William Adams, surgeon's servant

John Cloudier, gunner's servant

Henry Noble, boatswain's servant

Stephen Phillips, carpenter's servant

Rich Monson, seaman

Rich Langford, seaman

William Smith, seaman

Thomas Hodges, seaman

John Hall, seaman

John Hall, seaman

John Johnson, seaman

William Dukes, seaman

Isaac Lewis, seaman

John Flowers, seaman

John Doggoing, seaman

William Hill, seaman

John Browing, seaman

John Moore, seaman

John Hamilton, seaman

Gaud Jensen, seaman

Thomas Jensen, seaman

Chris Ajustlaw, seaman

Peter Murphey, seaman

John Undershall, seaman

George Jennergs, seaman

Anderson Andrews, seaman

Daniel Chambers, seaman

Rob Saking, seaman

Rich Kerctar, seaman

John Watson, seaman

Thomas Derct, seaman

Joseph Noding, seaman

John Palmer, seaman

John Thomas, seaman

Thomas Henesse, seaman

James Crowe, seaman

Hough Sacture, seaman

Thomas Mackikie, seaman

William Peneith, seaman

John Hardy, seaman

Henry Simmons, seaman

John Yule, seaman

Rob Muir, seaman

William Reaing, seaman

John Robinson, seaman

Thomas Draper, seaman

Rob Pruce, seaman

Alexander Fox, seaman

Thomas Snugs, seaman

John Bisswrch, seaman

William Stewart, seaman

Clash Dmma, seaman

Gawrot Goldes, seaman

Peter Francis, seaman

Isaac Flanders, seaman

Interpretations

The roll shows a large homeward-bound Indiaman crewed almost wholly by European hands, in marked contrast to the Winchelsea of the month before with its body of lascars and Iberian seamen. Where that ship carried a gang of Indian sailors under their own petty officers, the Shaftesbury muster runs to a long list of ordinary seamen bearing British and northern European names, with only a scattering of Scandinavian hands in the Jensens. This difference between the two ships reflects the varying ways the Company manned its vessels, some drawing heavily on eastern crews and others sailing with a full European complement.

The presence among the crew of several men named as servants to the officers, each attached to the commander, mates, surgeon, gunner, boatswain and carpenter, marks the domestic hierarchy carried aboard a Company ship. The senior men each kept a personal servant borne on the ship's books, so that the vessel carried not only its working crew but the attendants of its officers, the small establishment of a floating community reproducing the ranks and services of the shore.

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Muster Roll of Ship Egmont

Thomas Tolson Commander

Thomas Adcock 1 mate

Wm Robinson 2 Dō

John Coates 3 Dō

George Cox 4 Dō

John Boyis 5 Dō

Edward Berrus 6 Dō

Henry Andrew Surgeon

Wm Borton Purser

Thomas Lloyd Carpenter

John Heslop Gunner

John Baccus Dō

Wm Pike Cooper

Wm Farmer Coulther

Rich Ailing Ships Steward

John Chance Capt Dō

John Twisford Dō Cook

Thō Bignel Ships Dō

Charles Minors Butcher

John Byers Surgeons mate

Thō Gill Carpenters 1 Dō

James Henry Dō 2 Dō

Arthur Gelmur Gunners Dō

John Ramsay Boat Dō

Som Captains Servant

Fran Vaschal 1 mates Dō

Henry Stevens 2 Dō Dō

Henry Courtnay Surg Dō

Anway Lascar

John Gracelove Barber

George Best

John Sewcel

Evan Jones Midshipmen

James Patton

Wm Snyd

Thomas Havriot

John Thompson 2 masters

John Fruer

Joseph Ashly Seaman

Wm Hampson Dō

John Crisp Dō

Wm Creed Dō

Wm Salmon Dō

John Nicholson Dō

Wm Leach Dō

Joseph Steward Dō

George Havriot Dō

Martin Waghom Dō

John Creighton Dō

John Reed Dō

James Roberts Dō

James Steward Dō

Wm Brown Dō

John Williams Dō

James Twisham Ejandūr

John Morris Carp Dō

Thomas Morris Boat Dō

Anth Lascar

John Randall Seaman

Wm Steppin Dō

Wm Wood Dō

Wm McLane Dō

James Bright Dō

Daniel McCosty Dō

John Egrew Dō

Garnet Framp Dō

Antonio Moor Dō

John Springmaker Dō

Jacob Furion Dō

John Frenchoots Dō

Robert Rowe Dō

John Cosly Dō

John Munroe Dō

Jacob Craft Dō

John Murphry Dō

James Lampert Dō

David Gregory Dō

John Abby Dō

Rich Armon Dō

Rob Sharp Dō

Pedro Doningo Dō

John Swine Dō

Wm Hurlock Dō

Golamy Lascar

Baidul Dō

Shroba Dō

Rulfick Dō

The muster roll of the ship Egmont ran as follows.

Thomas Tolson, commander

Thomas Adcock, first mate

William Robinson, second mate

John Coates, third mate

George Cox, fourth mate

John Boyis, fifth mate

Edward Berrus, sixth mate

Henry Andrew, surgeon

William Borton, purser

Thomas Lloyd, carpenter

John Heslop, gunner

John Baccus, gunner

William Pike, cooper

William Farmer, caulker

Rich Ailing, ship's steward

John Chance, captain's steward

John Twisford, captain's cook

Thomas Bignel, ship's cook

Charles Minor, butcher

John Byers, surgeon's mate

Thomas Gill, carpenter's first mate

James Henry, carpenter's second mate

Arthur Gelmw, gunner's mate

John Ramsey, boatswain

Sam, captain's servant

Francis Vaschal, first mate's servant

Henry Stevens, second mate's servant

Henry Courtnay, surgeon's servant

Anway, lascar

John Gracelove, barber

George Best, midshipman

John Sweet, midshipman

Evan Jones, midshipman

James Patton, midshipman

William Snayd, midshipman

Thomas Harriot, midshipman

John Thompson, second master

John Fruar, second master

Joseph Ashly, seaman

William Hampson, seaman

John Crisp, seaman

William Creed, seaman

William Salmon, seaman

John Nicholson, seaman

William Leach, seaman

Joseph Snoward, seaman

George Harriot, seaman

Martin Waghorn, seaman

John Creighton, seaman

John Reed, seaman

James Roberts, seaman

James Stward, seaman

William Bowen, seaman

John Williams, seaman

James Twesham, tindal

John Morris, carpenter's mate

Thomas Morris, boatswain

Anth, lascar

John Randall, seaman

William Stepper, seaman

William Wood, seaman

William McLane, seaman

James Brught, seaman

Daniel McCosty, seaman

John Egrew, seaman

Garnet Framp, seaman

Antonio Moor, seaman

John Springmaker, seaman

Jacob Jurion, seaman

John Frenchoots, seaman

Robert Rowe, seaman

John Cooly, seaman

John Munroe, seaman

Jacob Craft, seaman

John Murphry, seaman

James Lampert, seaman

David Gregory, seaman

John Abby, seaman

Rich Armon, seaman

Rob Sharp, seaman

Pedro Doningo, seaman

John Twine, seaman

William Hurlock, seaman

Golamy, lascar

Baidul, lascar

Shroba, lascar

Rulfick, lascar

Interpretations

The Egmont shows a mixed manning between the two patterns of the other ships, a mainly European crew stiffened with a small body of Indian lascars under a tindal. Where the Winchelsea carried a large lascar gang and the Shaftesbury almost none, the Egmont falls between, taking a handful of eastern hands to fill out a chiefly British complement. The three rolls together reveal the flexibility with which the Company crewed its homeward ships, drawing on European and Indian sailors in whatever proportion the manning at the eastern ports required.

The unusually deep line of mates on this ship, running to a sixth mate where the others stopped at four or five, marks the Egmont as a large or heavily officered vessel. The number of watch-keeping officers reflects the size of crew to be supervised and the value of the cargo to be managed on the long voyage, the ship carrying a full ladder of command from the commander down through six mates to the midshipmen and second masters who worked her home.

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The following are the Account Sales

and Account Currant of the late Thomas Cheesborough

Deceased

Account Sales of the effects of

the late Thomas Cheesborough, Sold at Public Auction this

21 Day of June 1755 Vizt

1 Flock, Bed, Blanket & Hammock Stephen Young

£ 0 2 6

2 Waistcoats Thomas Lindsay

£ 0 3 0

2 pr Sheets Thomas Harper

£ 0 6 0

3 pr Breeches Solomon Jacobs

£ 0 2 0

2 Checkd Shirts Thomas Harper

£ 0 4 6

2 Old Hatts, & 1 Bottle Sugar Solomon Jacobs

£ 0 2 8

1 White Shirt Thomas Lindsay

£ 0 1 3

3 pr Stocking, & a Neckcloth John Whitchurch

£ 0 6 5

2 pr Shoes Andrew Barton

£ 0 2 6

3 Old Coats Thō Harper

£ 0 11 0

1 Chest Solomon Jacobs

£ 0 11 0

2 Rolls Twine Dō

£ 0 0 6

£ 2 13 4

The following are the account sales and account current of the late Thomas Cheesborough. His effects were sold at public auction on 21 June 1755, as follows. All figures are in sterling.

1 flock bed, blanket and hammock, Stephen Young, £0 2s 6d

2 waistcoats, Thomas Lindsay, £0 3s 0d

2 pairs sheets, Thomas Harper, £0 6s 0d

3 pairs breeches, Solomon Jacobs, £0 2s 0d

2 checked shirts, Thomas Harper, £0 4s 6d

2 old hats and 1 bottle sugar, Solomon Jacobs, £0 2s 8d

1 white shirt, Thomas Lindsay, £0 1s 3d

3 pairs stockings and a neckcloth, John Whitchurch, £0 6s 5d

2 pairs shoes, Andrew Barton, £0 2s 6d

3 old coats, Thomas Harper, £0 11s 0d

1 chest, Solomon Jacobs, £0 11s 0d

2 rolls twine, Solomon Jacobs, £0 0s 6d

Total, £2 13s 4d

Interpretations

The auction of Thomas Cheesborough's effects is the third such sale of a dead man's goods recorded in these pages, following those of Martin Harper and John Hensford, and shows the settled procedure by which the island wound up the small estates of its ordinary people. The whole worldly possessions of the man, a bed, some worn clothing, a chest and a little twine, fetched barely £2 13s at public sale, the scanty goods of a common servant or soldier dispersed among his fellows for a few shillings apiece.

The same handful of buyers recurs across these estate sales, Solomon Jacobs and Thomas Harper appearing here as they did in the Hensford auction, taking up the greater part of the goods. This concentration of purchasers suggests a small circle of men on the island who regularly bought at such sales, whether the deceased's landlords recovering debts, dealers in second-hand goods, or simply the better-off neighbours acquiring serviceable clothing and furniture cheaply, the effects of the dead circulating repeatedly among the same few hands.

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Thomas Cheesborough Dr Per Contra Cr

1755

July 17 To Mr John Clark as p Bill

£ 2 18 9

To Peg Rich as p Dō

£ 0 9 0

To James Hines as p Dō

£ 0 7 6

To Matthias Brightwell as p Dō

£ 2 14 2

To John Bland as p Dō

£ 2 15 0

To William Cannam as p Dō

£ 0 5 0

To John Witchurch as p Dō

£ 0 9 3

£ 9 18 8

To Ballance

£ 0 8 0

£ 10 6 8

1755

June 21 By Account Sales

£ 2 13 4

By his Salary for the Quarter ending 11 April

£ 7 10 0

By two Days Dō in the Dō ending 11 July

£ 0 3 4

£ 10 6 8

The estate of Thomas Cheesborough was charged and credited as follows. All figures are in sterling.

17 July, to John Clark, per bill, £2 18s 9d

To Peg Rich, per bill, £0 9s 0d

To James Hines, per bill, £0 7s 6d

To Matthias Brightwell, per bill, £2 14s 2d

To John Bland, per bill, £2 15s 0d

To William Cannam, per bill, £0 5s 0d

To John Whitchurch, per bill, £0 9s 3d

Subtotal, £9 18s 8d

To balance, £0 8s 0d

Total, £10 6s 8d

21 June, by account sales, £2 13s 4d

By his salary for the quarter ending 11 April, £7 10s 0d

By two days salary in the quarter ending 11 July, £0 3s 4d

Total, £10 6s 8d

Interpretations

The account reveals that Cheesborough's estate was insolvent, his debts far exceeding what his goods and unpaid wages could meet. Against assets of just over £10, made up of the £2 13s from the auction and his unpaid salary, stood claims of nearly £10 from seven creditors, so that after settling them a bare eight shillings remained. The man died owing more than he was worth, his few possessions and his last wages barely covering what he owed to those who had supplied or lent to him in life.

The two days salary in the quarter ending 11 July fixes Cheesborough's death to the very start of that period, in mid-April, placing him among the cluster of deaths that opened the quarter alongside the soldiers and tradesmen whose pay was struck at their dying. His inclusion in this toll, and the settling of his estate against creditors including John Bland the master mason and John Whitchurch the gunner's mate, ties the winding-up of his affairs to the wider mortality that filled the burial ground and prompted the search for new ground through the summer.

The claims of the creditors, each entered as a bill against the estate, show the network of small debts by which the island's people were bound to one another. Cheesborough owed money to a woman, Peg Rich, to fellow servants and tradesmen, and to the paymaster John Clark himself, the varied creditors marking the web of credit that ran through the settlement, where men and women advanced goods, money and services on trust and looked to a dead man's estate to make them whole.

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Captain Thomas Tolson presented

the following Letter Vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson

Esqr Governor & Council

Worshipfull Sir & Sirs

Having since my Departiere from Bengall,

Lost thirteen men by Death, humbly request your Worship &ca

to order me that Number to Compleat my Ships Company

According to Charter Party, and am

Worshipfull Sir & Sirs

Your most Obedient humble Servant

(Signed)

Thō Tolson

28 July 1755

To which we Directed the Secretary

to return the following Answer Vizt

Captain Thomas Tolson presented the following letter to Governor Hutchinson and the council. Tolson wrote that he had lost thirteen men by death since leaving Bengal, and asked the council to order him that number to complete his ship's company according to the charter party. He signed the letter at St Helena on 28 July 1755.

The council directed the secretary to return the following answer.

Interpretations

Tolson's request lays bare the mortality of the long voyage from Bengal, his ship the Egmont having buried thirteen of her crew before reaching the island. The loss of so many hands on a single passage reflects the heavy toll of disease on the Indian run, and it left the ship short of the complement her charter party required, so that her captain looked to St Helena to make up the numbers before continuing home. The island served not only to provision the returning ships but to re-man them, replacing the dead of the voyage from its own population.

The appeal to the charter party shows the contractual footing on which the Company's ships sailed. The charter party fixed the number of men the vessel was to carry, and a captain fallen below it by death could call for replacements to meet his obligation, the council being the authority that could order men into his service. That Tolson framed his request in these terms marks the voyage as a matter of contract as much as of seamanship, the ship required to sail fully manned and the island bound to help make good the losses that death had inflicted.

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Sir

In answer to your Letter of this Day, I am

Directed by the Governor and Council to acquaint you, that as it is the Honorable

Companys Possitive Commands not to spare any of their Soldiers out of this

Garrison they therefore cannot Comply with your request of thirteen Men

Pr Order of Council

Signed

F Wrangham Secretary

28 July 1755

To Captain Thomas Tolson

Enlisted Joseph Long a Native to serve

the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five years without any Bounty

Money, and had the Articles of War read to him by the Adjutant

In answer to Tolson's letter, the secretary wrote by direction of the Governor and council that the Company's positive orders forbade sparing any of the garrison's soldiers, so the council could not comply with the request for thirteen men. The reply was signed by Francis Wrangham, secretary, on 28 July 1755, and addressed to Captain Tolson.

Joseph Long, a native of the island, enlisted to serve the Company as a soldier for five years without any bounty money. The adjutant read the Articles of War to him.

Interpretations

The council's refusal turns on a standing instruction from London that the garrison was never to be depleted for the sake of the ships. However pressing a captain's need for men, the Company's positive orders fixed the defence of the island above the manning of any single vessel, so the council had no discretion to release soldiers even to a ship left dangerously short by death. This subordination of the ships' convenience to the security of the station reveals where the Company judged its greatest interest to lie, the fortified anchorage taking precedence over the passage home of one Indiaman.

The enlistment of Joseph Long as a native soldier without bounty falls directly beside the refusal of men to Tolson, and the two together illuminate the island's manpower dilemma. Forbidden to spare any of its garrison, the island had at the same time to keep that garrison up to strength from its own population, taking on island-born men like Long on the cheapest terms while turning away the ships that begged for hands. The same day thus saw the council both guarding its soldiers jealously from the fleet and quietly recruiting fresh ones from among the islanders to maintain the force it would not diminish.

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List of Cattle Supplyed to the following Ships Vizt

Planters Names, Prince Henry, Shaftesbury, Egmont, Total

Francis Wrangham Sen: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 4, Egmont 1, Total 6

Matthew Purling: Prince Henry 2, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 2, Total 4

Charles Steward: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 1, Egmont 0, Total 2

John Clark: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 2, Egmont 2, Total 4

Richard Bagley: Prince Henry 2, Shaftesbury 2, Egmont 0, Total 4

Francis Wrangham Jun: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 1

Richard Beale: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 2

Samuel Doveton's Orp: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 2, Total 3

Martin Harper's Orp: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 2

Isaac Doveton: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 1, Egmont 0, Total 2

William Young: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 2

Benjamin Bason: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 0, Total 1

Samuel Alexander: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 2

John Alexander: Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 0, Total 1

Thomas Kirkpatrick: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 1, Egmont 0, Total 1

John Bazett Orp: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 1, Egmont 2, Total 3

Thomas Greentree: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 2, Egmont 1, Total 3

Matthew Bazett: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 1, Egmont 0, Total 1

Thomas Cotgrave: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 1

John Desfountain: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 1

John Doveton: Prince Henry 0, Shaftesbury 0, Egmont 1, Total 1

Total: Prince Henry 14, Shaftesbury 15, Egmont 18, Total 47

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This is a list of cattle supplied by the planters to the following ships, the Prince Henry, the Shaftesbury and the Egmont, with the total from each planter.

Francis Wrangham senior, Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 4, Egmont 1, total 6

Matthew Purling, Prince Henry 2, Egmont 2, total 4

Charles Steward, Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 1, total 2

John Clark, Shaftesbury 2, Egmont 2, total 4

Richard Bagley, Prince Henry 2, Shaftesbury 2, total 4

Francis Wrangham junior, Egmont 1, total 1

Richard Beale, Prince Henry 1, Egmont 1, total 2

Samuel Doveton's orphans, Prince Henry 1, Egmont 2, total 3

Martin Harper's orphans, Prince Henry 1, Egmont 1, total 2

Isaac Doveton, Prince Henry 1, Shaftesbury 1, total 2

William Young, Prince Henry 1, Egmont 1, total 2

Benjamin Bason, Prince Henry 1, total 1

Samuel Alexander, Prince Henry 1, Egmont 1, total 2

John Alexander, Prince Henry 1, total 1

Thomas Kirkpatrick, Shaftesbury 1, total 1

John Bazett's orphans, Shaftesbury 1, Egmont 2, total 3

Thomas Greentree, Shaftesbury 2, Egmont 1, total 3

Matthew Bazett, Shaftesbury 1, total 1

Thomas Cotgrave, Egmont 1, total 1

John Desfountain, Egmont 1, total 1

John Doveton, Egmont 1, total 1

Total, Prince Henry 14, Shaftesbury 15, Egmont 18, total 47

The list was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The list records the same forced-supply system for beef seen in June, the planters returning cattle to victual the three ships then calling, but on a far smaller scale than the great fleet of the earlier month. Where June saw eighteen ships drawing over 300 beasts, these three took only 47 between them, the lighter demand of a smaller number of vessels spread thinly across the landholders. The pattern of assessment by holding holds as before, the larger planters like Wrangham senior supplying the most, the smaller a single beast each.

The near-even division of the 47 head among the three ships, 14 to the Prince Henry, 15 to the Shaftesbury and 18 to the Egmont, reflects the ordinary victualling of homeward Indiamen for the long passage. The Egmont, which had lost thirteen men to death since Bengal and whose captain begged for replacements, took the largest share of the beef, her need for fresh provision undiminished by her reduced crew as she prepared to continue the voyage that had already cost so many lives.

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87

At a Consultation held on Monday the 4th Day of August 1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed Dated the 28

of July 1755

Yesterday Sailed the Honorable Companys Ships, Egmont and Shaftesbury for England

The Accomptant this Day brought in his Journal

parcels for the Quarter ending the 11 of last Month, which were examined

and approved, and ordered to be entered

Complaint having been made by Matthew

Bazett one of the Honorable Companys Overseers that he had been very

grossly abused by John Bland their Honors Master mason, which being

proved by the evidence of Mr Richard Beale, and Lieutenant Onesiphorus

Beale, and the said Bland himself acknowledging that he called

Bazett Scoundrell, we therefore fined him in the Sum of twenty

Shillings to the Honorable Companys Cash

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 4 August 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 28 July 1755.

The Company ships Egmont and Shaftesbury sailed for England on 3 August.

The accountant brought in his journal parcels for the quarter ending 11 July. The council examined and approved them and ordered them entered.

Matthew Bazett, one of the Company's overseers, complained that he had been very grossly abused by John Bland, the master mason. The abuse was proved by the evidence of Richard Beale and Lieutenant Onesiphorus Beale, and Bland himself acknowledged that he had called Bazett a scoundrel. The council therefore fined him 20s into the Company's cash.

Interpretations

The council again sat as a court of discipline over abusive language between its servants, treating a master tradesman's insult of an overseer as a punishable offence rather than a private quarrel. The case closely mirrors the fining of John Veale the armourer in June for calling James Powell a foul name, the same 20s penalty imposed and paid into the Company's cash, showing a settled tariff for verbal abuse among the establishment's people. The governing body used its magisterial authority to enforce a standard of conduct between its servants, insult carrying a fixed price.

John Bland the master mason, fined here, is the same senior tradesman who had surveyed and condemned the crane in June and whose £29 quarterly pay made him among the better-rewarded servants. His appearance before the council as an offender, admitting the insult, shows that rank and value in the Company's service gave no immunity from its discipline, the master mason answering for his words and paying his fine like any common soldier. The requirement that even a senior man submit to the council's judgement marks the reach of its authority over the whole establishment.

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98

89

At a Consultation held on Monday the 11 Day of August 1755 at the

Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated the 4

August 1755

Mr Matthew Purling presented the following

Petition vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

& Council of St Helena

The humble Petition of Matthew Purling

Executor to the last and Testament of

Simon Whaley Deceased

Sheweth That the Orphans of the said Simon Whaley

are in Possession of Twelve Acres and an half of Leasehold Land, and

one of the said Orphans being off the Island, and of an Age which

entitles him to his Share in his Fathers Estate

Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays

that in Order to enable him to Allot the said

Dividend he may have leave to dispose of their

Interest in the said Twelve Acres and an

half of Leasehold Land

And your Petitioner shall ever pray

(Signed)

M Purling

11 August 1755

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 11 August 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 4 August 1755.

Matthew Purling presented the following petition to the Governor and council. As executor of the will of the late Simon Whaley, he set out that Whaley's orphans held twelve and a half acres of leasehold land. One of the orphans was off the island and had reached an age entitling him to his share of his father's estate. To enable Purling to allot that share, he asked leave to dispose of the orphans interest in the twelve and a half acres of leasehold land. The petition was signed by Matthew Purling on 11 August 1755.

Interpretations

The petition shows the difficulty of dividing an indivisible asset among heirs when one of them was absent and now entitled to his portion. The estate consisted chiefly of a single leasehold of twelve and a half acres, which could not readily be split to give the absent orphan his share in land, so the executor sought leave to sell the whole interest and distribute the proceeds instead. Converting the land to money was the practical means of allotting a dividend that the ground itself could not be carved up to provide.

The requirement that the executor petition the council before selling the leasehold marks once more the Company's control over its land. The orphans held the acres only as a lease from the Company, and even to sell the unexpired interest in settlement of an estate the executor needed the council's leave, the same permission Solomon Jacobs had sought for his assignment in July. The governing body's consent stood between the leaseholder and any disposal of the ground, the Company guarding its ultimate ownership of every acre on the island.

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The Widow and Executors of the late

John Bagley Deceased this Day brought in an Inventory

of his Effects, appraised by Messrs Richard Bagley, Joshua

Worrall, and John Desfountain, who being sworn that they

Valued the same to the best of their judgment, and the Widow

that She produced every Article belonging to the Deceased

it was ordered to be entered in the Book for that purpose.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The widow and executors of the late John Bagley brought in an inventory of his effects, appraised by Richard Bagley, Joshua Worrall and John Desfountain. All three swore that they had valued the effects to the best of their judgement, and the widow swore that she had produced every article belonging to the deceased. The council ordered the inventory entered in the book kept for that purpose. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The proving of John Bagley's inventory follows the identical procedure applied to Martin Harper's estate in June, showing the settled form by which the council took charge of a dead man's goods. Sworn appraisers valued the effects and the widow swore to their completeness before the inventory was entered in the dedicated book, the double oath guarding against concealed assets and protecting any creditors or heirs. This repetition of the same sworn process for each estate marks the council's standing function as the island's probate authority, performing the office that in England lay with the ecclesiastical courts.

Three appraisers were sworn to value this estate where two had sufficed for Harper's, and John Desfountain, who valued the goods here, was the same planter whose sheep the young men had stolen in June and whose evidence had helped convict them. The recurrence of the same few substantial inhabitants, as appraisers, executors, creditors and witnesses across the council's business, reveals how small the circle of the island's propertied men was, the same names serving repeatedly in the various offices the settlement's affairs required.

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91

At a Consultation held on Monday the 18 Day of August 1755 at

the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed, Dated the 11

August 1755

Thomas Hutson being found guilty of

buying goods from a Black, against positive Orders we fined him

in the Sum of Twenty Shillings only, in Consideration of his being a

poor man.

The Plantation Gunners, and Stewards

Accounts for the Month ending the 11 instant were this Day brought

in which were examined, and approved, and are as follows Vizt

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 18 August 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 11 August 1755.

Thomas Hutson was found guilty of buying goods from a black against positive orders. The council fined him 20s only, in consideration of his being a poor man.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 August were brought in. The council examined and approved them, and they follow below.

Interpretations

The offence reveals a standing prohibition on trading with the island's black population, whether slave or free, enforced by fine. Buying goods from a black was forbidden by positive order, and the ban points to a concern that such trade provided an outlet for goods stolen by slaves from their masters or the Company, or that it gave the enslaved a means of accumulating money and independence the authorities wished to deny. The prohibition set a barrier around the black population's economic dealings, treating their sale of goods as inherently suspect.

The council tempered the penalty to the offender's means, fining Hutson only twenty shillings expressly because he was poor, the same mitigation for poverty seen in the sheep-stealing sentence where Benjamin Pledger's fine was reduced on the same ground. This consistent softening of penalties for poor men reveals a rough principle of proportion running through the council's justice, the fixed tariff for an offence bent downward where a full fine would fall too hard on a man without means, the body weighing what a poor offender could bear against the standard punishment.

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Account of the Honorable Company's Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12 of July to the 11 of August 1755 Vizt

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Sheats, Piggs, Boars, Total, Turkeys, Fowels, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, Asses, Joshes, Total

Remaining the 12: Bulls 6, Cows 84, Calves 60, Heifers 20, Yearlings 48, Steers 16, Bullocks 6, Oxen 14, Total 254, Ewes 250, Wethers 155, Lambs 150, Rams 7, Total 562, Ewes 193, Wethers 89, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 352, Sows 11, Sheats 6, Piggs 12, Boars 1, Total 30, Turkeys 36, Fowels 126, Ducks 36, Geese 18, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshes 3, Total 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 9, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 9, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 2, Fowels 39, Ducks 1, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Total: Bulls 6, Cows 84, Calves 69, Heifers 20, Yearlings 48, Steers 16, Bullocks 6, Oxen 14, Total 263, Ewes 250, Wethers 155, Lambs 150, Rams 7, Total 562, Ewes 193, Wethers 89, Kids 62, Rams 8, Total 352, Sows 11, Sheats 6, Piggs 12, Boars 1, Total 30, Turkeys 38, Fowels 165, Ducks 37, Geese 18, Total [...], Horses 6, Mares 7, Total 13, Asses 1, Joshes 3, Total 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 3, Heifers 0, Yearlings 2, Steers 1, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 6, Ewes 0, Wethers 6, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 6, Ewes 0, Wethers 4, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 5, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 4, Fowels 12, Ducks 5, Geese 1, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 1, Ewes 4, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 4, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 1, Fowels 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 1, Mares 0, Total 1, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Sheats 0, Piggs 1, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 0, Fowels 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total [...], Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Asses 0, Joshes 0, Total 0

Remaining the 11: Bulls 6, Cows 83, Calves 69, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 256, Ewes 246, Wethers 149, Lambs 150, Rams 7, Total 552, Ewes 193, Wethers 84, Kids 61, Rams 8, Total 346, Sows 11, Sheats 6, Piggs 12, Boars 1, Total 30, Turkeys 33, Fowels 153, Ducks 32, Geese 17, Total [...], Horses 5, Mares 7, Total 12, Asses 1, Joshes 3, Total 4

One Goat to the Hospital

2 Dō to the Sick Slaves

Beef to the Ships

Egmont 560

Prince Henry 560

Shaftesbury 560

NB one Goose Missing

One Slaves Girl born named Hester and a

Boy named David

Yams Expended for the Slaves 20950

Bad Dō for Stock 7000

(Signed)

John Adamson

This account of the Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock runs from 12 July to 11 August 1755.

Neat Cattle

Remaining 12 July: 6 bulls, 84 cows, 60 calves, 20 yearlings, 48 heifers, 16 steers, 6 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 254

Increased: 9 calves, total 9

Total: 6 bulls, 84 cows, 69 calves, 20 yearlings, 48 heifers, 16 steers, 6 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 263

Killed: 3 calves, 2 steers, 1 bullock, total 6

Died: 1 cow, total 1

Sold: 0

Remaining 11 August: 6 bulls, 83 cows, 69 calves, 17 yearlings, 48 heifers, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 256

Sheep

Remaining 12 July: 250 ewes, 155 wethers, 150 lambs, 7 rams, total 562

Increased: 0

Total: 250 ewes, 155 wethers, 150 lambs, 7 rams, total 562

Killed: 6 wethers, total 6

Died: 4 ewes, total 4

Sold: 0

Remaining 11 August: 246 ewes, 149 wethers, 150 lambs, 7 rams, total 552

Goats

Remaining 12 July: 193 ewes, 89 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 352

Increased: 0

Total: 193 ewes, 89 wethers, 62 kids, 8 rams, total 352

Killed: 4 wethers, total 5

Died: 0

Sold: 1 wether, total 1

Remaining 11 August: 193 ewes, 84 wethers, 61 kids, 8 rams, total 346

Hogs

Remaining 12 July: 11 sows, 6 boars, 12 pigs, 1 barrow, total 30

Increased: 0

Total: 11 sows, 6 boars, 12 pigs, 1 barrow, total 30

Killed: 0

Died: 0

Sold: 0

Remaining 11 August: 11 sows, 6 boars, 12 pigs, 1 barrow, total 30

Poultry

Remaining 12 July: 36 turkeys, 126 fowls, 36 ducks, 18 geese

Increased: 2 turkeys, 39 fowls, 1 duck

Total: 38 turkeys, 165 fowls, 37 ducks, 18 geese

Killed: 4 turkeys, 12 fowls, 5 ducks, 1 goose

Died: 1 fowl

Sold: 0

Remaining 11 August: 33 turkeys, 153 fowls, 32 ducks, 17 geese

Horses

Remaining 12 July: 6 horses, 7 mares, total 13

Remaining 11 August: 5 horses, 7 mares, total 12

Asses

Remaining 12 July: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Remaining 11 August: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

One goat was given to the hospital and two to the sick slaves. One goose was noted missing. Beef supplied to the ships was as follows.

Egmont, 560

Prince Henry, 560

Shaftesbury, 560

A slave girl was born, named Hester, and a boy, named David.

Yams expended, 20,950

Bad yams for stock, 7,000

The account was signed by John Adamson.

Interpretations

The herds held nearly steady through the month, the three ships each taking their 560 of beef as they were victualled for the homeward passage, the Egmont, Prince Henry and Shaftesbury drawing the same standard supply that the cattle list recorded distributing among the planters. With only three vessels to provision rather than the great fleet of June, the drain on the stock was moderate, the killing of cattle and sheep light and the flocks little diminished.

The birth of two slave children, Hester and David, entered in the same stock account as the calves and lambs, marks the chilling logic of the slave system as the island's bookkeeping recorded it. The increase of the enslaved population was set down beside the natural increase of the herds, the children of slaves counted as additions to the Company's living property in the identical column that tracked the breeding of its beasts. This entry, more than any other, exposes how the establishment regarded its slaves as chattels, their birth an accession of stock.

The horse count fell by one, from six to five, an unusual loss in a class of animal the island kept in very small numbers and valued highly for draught and riding. Against the large and self-renewing flocks of sheep and goats, the horses stood at barely a dozen and bred not at all in these accounts, so that the loss of even one was a material reduction, the working and riding animals of the settlement being scarce, costly and hard to replace on a remote island.

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Gunners Stores Expended from 12 of July to the

11 of August 1755 Vizt

Guns Fired, 4 pr, 3 pr, 2 pr, 1 pr, Powder Expended

July 13 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

Arrived the Egmont, Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

17 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

An Dō at Turks Cap for the same Ship: Guns Fired 2, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4. 0

Arrived the Prince Henry, Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

23 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 2, Powder Expended 12. 0

Arrived the Shaftesbury, Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

27 Departed the P Henry Dō Dō: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

Aug 3 Departed the Egmont, Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

Departed the Shaftesbury Dō the Dō: Guns Fired 9, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 9, Powder Expended 0

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 8

6 Dō for Sealing the Guns at Sandy Bay: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 30. 8

9 Dō for Dō the Dō at Turks Cap: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 11. 0

Dō for Signals: Guns Fired 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1. 0

Total: Guns Fired 14, 4 pr 8, 3 pr 6, 2 pr 54, 1 pr 6, Powder Expended 145. 8

Paper for the use of the Castle 1 Qr

Dō for making of Great Gun Cartridges 3

Dō for Dō of Rockett Cases 2

Dō for a Day Book 1

Needles broke with sowing of Cartridges 5

Match burnt at the Main Fort 6 ll

Tallow for fitting up p Carriages

Beds wore out at the main Fort unserviceable 6

Quoins Dō at Dō Dō 10

Tompeons Dō at Dō Dō 5

Wooden Trucks at Dō Dō 4

Tallow for Greasing Carriages at Dō 6 ll

Dō for Dō the Dō at Sandy Bay 4 ll

Dō for Dō the Dō at Turks Cap 2

A List of the Nō of Gun Carriages of each Nature at the main Fort that are out & unserviceable

Natures, Nō of each Nature

4 pr: 18, 2

3 pr: 12, 2

2 pr: 9, 3

1 pr: 6, 2

4

3

2

Total 20

This account of gunners stores expended runs from 12 July to 11 August 1755. The columns record the number of guns fired, the powder used at the 4-pounder, 3-pounder, 2-pounder and 1-pounder charges, and the powder expended in pounds and ounces.

13 July, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

Arrived the Egmont, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

17 July, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

An alarm at Sandy Bay for the same ship: 2 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, powder expended 4 pounds

Arrived the Prince Henry, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

23 July, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 at the 4-pounder, 2 at the 3-pounder, 2 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 12 pounds

Arrived the Shaftesbury, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

27 July, departed the Prince Henry, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

3 August, departed the Egmont, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

Departed the Shaftesbury, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 at the 3-pounder, powder expended 9 pounds

Powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

6 August, powder for scaling the guns at Sandy Bay: 30 pounds 8 ounces

Powder for scaling the guns at Sandy Bay at Sandy Bay: 11 pounds

Powder for signals: 1 pound

Total: 74 guns, 8 at the 4-pounder, 6 at the 3-pounder, 54 at the 2-pounder, 6 at the 1-pounder, powder expended 145 pounds 8 ounces

The account also recorded the following.

Paper for the use of the Castle, 12 quires

Paper for making great gun cartridges, 3 quires

Paper for rocket cases, 2 quires

Paper for a day book, 1 quire

Needles broke with sewing of cartridges, 5

Match burnt at the main fort, 6 pounds

Tallow for fitting up the carriages

A list of the number of gun carriages of each nature at the main fort that were worn out and unserviceable was recorded as follows.

Bitts wore out at the main fort unserviceable, 6, of natures 4-pounder 18 and 2-pounder

Twions wore out at the main fort unserviceable, 10, of natures 3-pounder 12 and 3-pounder

Tompeons wore out at the main fort unserviceable, 5, of natures 2-pounder 9 and 3-pounder

Wooden trucks wore out at the main fort unserviceable, 4, of natures 6 and 2-pounder

Tallow for greasing carriages at the main fort, 6 pounds

Tallow for the same at Sandy Bay, 4 pounds

Tallow for the same at Sandy Bay, 2 pounds

The list recorded 20 gun carriages in total.

Interpretations

The month's powder went almost wholly on salutes and alarms for the three calling ships and on the periodic maintenance of the guns, no ceremonial or hostile firing beyond the routine of the road. The largest single charge, over 41 pounds spent scaling the guns at Sandy Bay, was the cleaning of the barrels by firing a measured charge to blow out rust and fouling, essential upkeep for pieces standing exposed to the sea air. This deliberate expenditure of powder to preserve the guns shows the constant fight against corrosion that a battery on a salt-swept coast demanded.

The detailed return of worn-out gun carriage parts, the bitts, twions, tompions and wooden trucks unserviceable at the main fort, reveals the steady decay of the artillery's mountings under the climate. Tompions were the plugs that stopped the muzzles against damp, and trucks the wooden wheels on which the carriages moved, all wearing out and needing replacement, so that the fort's guns required continual refitting to remain serviceable. This inventory of decayed parts, taken alongside the crane's condemnation, marks the general struggle to keep the island's timber and ironwork sound against the sea.

The alarm fired at Sandy Bay for a passing ship, distinct from the main fort's response, shows the island's outlying batteries standing to independently as vessels came within their view. Sandy Bay lay on a different side of the island from the main anchorage, and its guns answered ships that passed its own coast, the whole ring of coastal works keeping watch over the seas around the island and firing their own alarms as strange sails appeared off their separate stations.

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94

Tompeons wore out at Turks Cap 2

Hand Spikes broke at Dō 1

Quoins broke at Sandy Bay 2

Axeltrees Dō at Dō 1

Hand Spikes Dō at Dō 2

Rammer Heads Dō at Dō 1

(Signed)

Thō Hall

Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Company's Table

in the month ending the 11 August 1755 Vizt

10 bottles Port Wine

£ 0 14 9½

23 Dō Lisbon

£ 1 14 0¾

30 Dō Mountain

£ 2 4 4½

12 Dō Madera

£ 1 8 6

56 Dō Arrack

£ 1 17 4

60 Dō Beer

£ 0 14 4½

371 Flour

£ 2 6 4½

248 Mutton

£ 5 3 4

38 Goat

£ 0 12 8

1 Kid

£ 0 5 0

7 pr Salt Pork

£ 0 14 0

3 pr Dō Beef

£ 0 8 3

12 Fowls

£ 0 18 0

5 Ducks

£ 0 7 6

4 Turkeys

£ 1 0 0

1 Goose

£ 0 5 0

10 ll Candy

£ 1 9 5½

54½ Butter

£ 2 14 3

196 Beef

£ 2 0 0

£ 27 6 3

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The gunners account of worn and broken stores continued with the following items.

Tompions wore out at Sandy Bay, 2

Handspikes broke at Sandy Bay, 1

Twions broke at Sandy Bay, 2

Axletrees broke at Sandy Bay, 1

Handspikes broke at Sandy Bay, 2

Rammer heads broke at Sandy Bay, 1

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

The following sundries were expended at the Company's table in the month ending 11 August 1755. All figures are in sterling.

10 bottles port wine, £0 14s 9½d

23 bottles Lisbon, £1 14s 0¾d

30 bottles mountain, £2 4s 4½d

12 bottles Madeira, £1 8s 6d

56 bottles arrack, £1 17s 4d

69 bottles beer, £0 14s 4½d

371 pounds flour, £2 6s 4½d

248 pounds mutton, £5 3s 4d

38 pounds goat, £0 12s 8d

1 kid, £0 5s 0d

7 pounds salt pork, £0 14s 0d

3 pounds salt beef, £0 8s 3d

12 fowls, £0 18s 0d

5 ducks, £0 7s 6d

4 turkeys, £1 0s 0d

1 goose, £0 5s 0d

18 pounds candy, £1 9s 5½d

54 pounds butter, £2 14s 3d

196 pounds beef, £2 0s 0d

Total, £27 6s 3d

Interpretations

The table account shows the drink bill falling from the levels of the great fleet months, the wine and arrack still flowing but for a smaller company of ships. With only three vessels calling in the period rather than the many of June, fewer commanders and officers were dined at the Castle, and the consumption of port, Madeira, mountain and arrack settled to the ordinary needs of the establishment and its more modest entertaining. The pattern of the drink bill continues to track the shipping in the road, rising and falling with the number of ships to be received.

The worn and broken gun stores listed at Sandy Bay, the axletrees, rammer heads, handspikes and tompions, extend to that outlying battery the same decay recorded at the main fort. Rammer heads drove the charge home down the barrel and axletrees carried the carriage wheels, all breaking under use and the climate, so that Sandy Bay's guns needed the same continual replacement of parts as the main works. The spread of these breakages across the island's separate batteries confirms the general struggle to keep every gun position serviceable against wear and the corroding sea air.

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95

At a Consultation held on Monday the 25 Day of August

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated

the 18 August 1755

Sunday the 10 Died Thomas Brown Soldier

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the month ending the 11 instant, which is

as follows Vizt

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 25 August 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 18 August 1755.

Thomas Brown, a soldier, died on Sunday 10 August.

The council counted and examined the Company's cash for the month ending 11 August, set out as follows.

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96

Cash Dr

1755

July the 12 To Ballance remaining

£ 4188 9 7½

26 To Ship Prince Henry the Ballance of her Account

£ 76 1 3

August the 1 To Ship Egmont the Dō of her Dō

£ 17 2 3

To Ship Shaftesbury the Dō of her Dō

£ 14 0 7½

To Account Currant London received on Account

of Thomas Cheesborough as p Consultation of

this Day

£ 0 8 0

4 To Fines received of John Bland as p

Consultation of this Day

£ 1 0 0

£ 4297 1 2

This is the debtor side of the Company's cash account. All figures are in sterling.

12 July, balance remaining, £4,188 9s 7½d

26 July, ship Prince Henry, the balance of her account, £76 1s 3d

1 August, ship Egmont, the balance of her account, £17 2s 3d

Ship Shaftesbury, the balance of her account, £14 0s 7½d

Account current London, received on account of Thomas Cheesborough per the consultation of that day, £0 8s 0d

4 August, fines received of John Bland per the consultation of that day, £1 0s 0d

Total, £4,297 1s 2d

Interpretations

The cash account again gathers the month's several receipts into one running total, the opening balance swelled by the balances the three departing ships paid off on their accounts and by the small sums from a dead man's estate and a fine. The inclusion of the eight shillings from Cheesborough's account and John Bland's twenty-shilling fine alongside the ships' balances shows the same completeness of reckoning seen throughout these accounts, the smallest receipt owned to the Company entered beside the larger sums.

John Bland's fine appearing here as received money closes the circle on the disciplinary case of 4 August, when the council fined the master mason for calling the overseer Bazett a scoundrel. The twenty shillings that punished his insult flowed directly into the Company's cash, the same passage from sentence to treasury seen with the sheep stealers' fines in the earlier account, the penalties that enforced discipline among the servants serving also to add to the Company's funds.

The eight shillings entered on account of Thomas Cheesborough is the balance of his insolvent estate remitted to the Company, the bare remnant left after his creditors were paid from his goods and wages. This tiny sum, the whole surplus of a dead servant's affairs, passing into the London account shows how the winding-up of even the poorest estate was carried through to its final farthing, the last few shillings of a man who died owing more than he had entered in the great account of the Company's cash.

106

97

Per Contra Cr

1755

August 11 By Ballance remaining in the following Species Vizt

1000 Venitians @ 10/

£ 500 0 0

500 Pagodas 8/

£ 200 0 0

Gold Amounting to

£ 700 0 0

4034 Dollars @ 5/

£ 1008 10 0

16308 Rupees 2/3

£ 1842 15 0

12948 Half Rials 3¾

£ 202 6 3

441 French Pieces 2

£ 3 13 6

Odd Money

£ 0 1 5

Silver Amounting to

£ 3057 6 2

Cash Notes Amounting to

£ 539 15 0

£ 4297 1 2

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This is the creditor side of the Company's cash account, showing the balance remaining on 11 August 1755. All figures are in sterling.

1,000 Venetians at 10s, £500 0s 0d

500 pagodas at 8s, £200 0s 0d

Gold, amounting to £700 0s 0d

4,034 dollars at 5s, £1,008 10s 0d

16,308 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,842 15s 0d

12,948 half rials at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 2s, £3 13s 6d

Odd money, £0 1s 5d

Silver, amounting to £3,057 6s 2d

Cash notes, amounting to £539 15s 0d

Total, £4,297 1s 2d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The treasury holds the same mixed international currency as in the previous months, gold in Venetian sequins and pagodas and silver in dollars, rupees, half rials and French pieces, each valued into sterling at its fixed rate. The steadiness of the half rials at exactly the same count as before, 12,948, shows this low-value silver sitting largely untouched in the chest, the great mass of small change held in reserve while the higher denominations moved with the month's payments and receipts.

The rupees again dominate the silver at over £1,842, their commanding share reflecting the island's deep dependence on the Indian trade from which its grain, arrack, sugar and cloth all came. Held month after month as the largest single component of the treasury, the coin of Bengal marks how far St Helena's economy was bound to the East, the money accumulating in its chest the direct token of the eastern goods that flowed continually through the road and the store.

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98

At a Consultation held on Monday the 1 Day of September

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed

Dated the 25 Day of August 1755

Saturday the 30 August Died Mary Wife of James Hinds Soldier

Ordered the following Advertizements

to be Published Vizt

This is to give Notice to all the Inhabitants

upon the Island, that they are hereby required to send into the

Secretarys Office, on or before the 30 instant, an exact Account

of their Familys, Land, and Cattle, and to attend at the Castle

on Saturday the 11 of next Month to pay their Rents and

Revenues Due to the Honorable Company for the year past.

And Notice is hereby further given that the Honorable

Companys Stores will be Shut from the 13 instant, untill

the 6 of October, in order to take an Inventory of the same.

And Whereas there are several Hogs

frequently rambling about this Valley, and routing in

the Channel that conveys the Water to the Crane for the Ships

notwithstanding the repeated Orders that have been published

to forbid it, And whereas several have been lately seen

above the Path upon Ladder Hill, and above that which

leads to Mundens Point by which peoples Lives are endangered

by their frequently rolling down Stones, This is therefore to

give Notice that all Hogs that are hereafter found grazing

upon either the abovementioned places will be Shot

At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 1 September 1755, Governor Hutchinson attended alongside Lieutenant Governor John Adamson and John Clark of the council. The council read, approved and signed the record of its previous meeting, dated 25 August 1755.

Mary, wife of James Hinds, a soldier, died on Saturday 30 August.

The council ordered the following advertisements to be published.

The first gave notice to all the inhabitants that they were required to send into the secretary's office, on or before 30 September, an exact account of their families, land and cattle, and to attend at the Castle on Saturday next month to pay their rents and revenues due to the Company for the past year. It further gave notice that the Company's stores would be shut from 13 September until 6 October to allow an inventory to be taken.

The second concerned hogs frequently rambling about the valley and rooting in the channel that carried the water to the crane for the ships, despite repeated orders forbidding it. Several had lately been seen above the path on Ladder Hill and above that leading to Munden's Point, where they endangered people's lives by rolling down stones. The council therefore gave notice that any hogs found grazing on either of these places would be shot.

Interpretations

The call for an exact account of families, land and cattle, tied to the payment of rents due to the Company, shows the annual reckoning by which the island's government both taxed and surveyed its people. Requiring every inhabitant to declare their holdings and attend to pay their dues combined a rent-day with a census, the Company using the occasion to keep track of the population and its property while gathering the revenues owed on the land it ultimately owned. The demand for a return of families as well as land marks the governing body's concern to know the whole state of the settlement it ruled.

The order to shoot straying hogs reveals two distinct dangers the roaming animals posed to the island's vital works and its people. Their rooting in the water channel threatened the supply carried to the crane that served the ships, the same landing gear whose upkeep ran through these accounts, while their dislodging of stones above the paths on Ladder Hill and toward Munden's Point endangered life on the steep tracks that connected the anchorage to the heights. The drastic remedy of shooting, after repeated orders had failed, marks the seriousness with which the council guarded both its water supply and the safety of its precipitous ways.

The requirement that the stores be shut for over three weeks to take an inventory shows the periodic stocktaking essential to an establishment whose whole imported wealth passed through its warehouse. Closing the store entirely to count its contents, the same store whose quarterly sales ran to hundreds of pounds, marks the care taken to reckon the Company's goods accurately, the settlement doing without its supplier for a time so that a true account of the stock could be struck.

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99

Whereas a room in the Back yard of Mr

James Powell's House in this Valley has been lately broke open, and

several Cheeses taken from thence, This is further to give Notice that

any one who will Discover the Person or Persons that committed the

Robbery, so that he, or they, are convicted thereof, shall receive a

Reward of twenty Shillings, and if an accomplice shall be pardened

and have the same reward.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

At a Consultation held on monday the 8th Day of September 1755

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark absent being lame

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 7 September 1755.

The Governor reports that he was informed by

Benjamin Pledger on the 5 instant that Pompy and Beck. slave man

and Woman belongeing to the Widow Desfountain retailed Arrack in the

Country, a bottle of which the Said Pledger had brought to him, which

he had by the assistance of Betty a slave Woman belonging to Joshua

Worrall and therefore he ordered them all to attend the Council, who this Day

appearing.

Mr Joshua Worrall's Betty being called and asked if

She had ever bought any Arrack of Mrs Desfountains Pompy and Beck?

declares

A public notice reported that a room in the back yard of James Powell's house in the valley had recently been broken into and several cheeses stolen. Anyone who identified the thief or thieves, so that they were convicted, would be paid a reward of twenty shillings. An accomplice who came forward would be pardoned and would receive the same reward. The notice was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 8 September 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, and John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor. Lieutenant John Clark was absent, being lame.

The previous consultation of 7 September 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The Governor reported that Benjamin Pledger had told him on 5 September that Pompey and Beck, a man and woman belonging to the Widow Desfountain, had been selling arrack in the country. Pledger had brought him a bottle of it, which he had obtained with the help of Betty, a slave woman belonging to Joshua Worrall. The Governor therefore ordered all of them to attend the council, and they appeared that day.

Joshua Worrall's Betty was called and asked whether she had ever bought any arrack from the Widow Desfountain's Pompey and Beck. She declared [...]

Interpretations

Arrack was a strong distilled spirit imported into St Helena chiefly from India and the East Indies, made from fermented palm sap, sugarcane or rice. Its unlicensed sale by slaves in the countryside was the offence at issue here, since the East India Company sought to control the supply and sale of spirits on the island, both for revenue and to limit disorder among slaves and soldiers.

The reward notice reveals the standard mechanism the island used to secure convictions where direct evidence was scarce. By offering both a cash reward of twenty shillings and a pardon to any accomplice who informed, the authorities set the participants in a crime against one another, making it worthwhile for a guilty party to betray the others rather than stay silent.

The proceeding against Pompey and Beck rested entirely on the evidence of other slaves. Pledger's bottle had been obtained through Betty, and Betty was then called to testify, showing how the Company's control of illicit trading among the slave population depended on informers drawn from that same population.

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100

Declares that some Time ago She went to Mrs Desfountains Pompy

for a Gallon of Arrack, for her Master and carried with her 6/6

to pay for it. but she was told by the said Pompy, that he would not

take less than 7/. a Gallon, upon which She went back to her

Master who gave her six Pence more, with which She went again

to the said Pompy who then measured out a Gallon, but her vessel

being too small to hold it. She could only bring half a Gallon

at that Time, and went three Days afterwards for the other half

Gallon, and on monday last She went again to the said Pompy

for a quart of Arrack for Benjamin Pledger and carried with

her a Rupee, which the said Pledger gave her to buy it with

and which She left with the said Pompy he not having, as he said

any change then. and therefore told her She must come another Time

for it.

It appearing from the evidences of several

White men that the abovementioned two Slaves Pompy & Beck are

two very Disorderly people, by making frequent cabaling at their

Mistress's House, on Sundays as well as on other Days, and it

likewise having been very plainly proved upon them that they have

retailed Arrack. we therefore Ordered the said fellow Pompy to be

Whiped with one hundred Lashes, and the Woman Beck, to receive

fifty Lashes.

Some very high Surfs that have lately

been, have washed away the Earth, and undermined part of the

Works at Ruperts, and done some damage to those at the main Fort.

which requiring to be repaired with the utmost expedition, for

fear of the Walls falling; we therefore were obliged to employ some

Soldiers to assist the Honorable Companys Blacks to Secure them.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

Betty declared that some time earlier she had gone to the Widow Desfountain's Pompey for a gallon of arrack for her master, carrying six shillings to pay for it. Pompey told her he would not take less than seven shillings a gallon, so she went back to her master, who gave her sixpence more. She returned to Pompey, who measured out a gallon, but her vessel was too small to hold it, so she could only bring away half a gallon at that time. Three days later she went for the other half gallon. On the previous Monday she went again to Pompey for a quart of arrack for Benjamin Pledger, carrying a rupee that Pledger had given her to buy it. She left the rupee with Pompey, who claimed he had no change then and told her she must come another time for it.

The evidence of several white men showed that Pompey and Beck were two very disorderly people, holding frequent gatherings at their mistress's house on Sundays as well as other days. Since it had also been plainly proved that they had sold arrack, the council ordered Pompey to be whipped with one hundred lashes and Beck to receive fifty lashes.

Very high surf that had recently struck had washed away the earth and undermined part of the works at Rupert's, and had done some damage to those at the main fort. This needed to be repaired with the utmost speed for fear the walls would fall, so the council was obliged to employ some soldiers to help the Honourable Company's blacks secure them. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson and John Adamson.

Interpretations

Arrack sold at seven shillings a gallon, and the transaction was conducted in mixed currency, with the price quoted in sterling but Pledger supplying a rupee for his quart. This reflects the everyday circulation of Indian coin alongside English money on St Helena, a consequence of the East India Company's trade, where a rupee passed at a rough sterling equivalent in island dealings.

The punishment fell far more heavily on the man than the woman, one hundred lashes against fifty, though both were convicted of the same trade. The severity marked the offence as one the authorities treated as a threat to order rather than a minor infraction, since unlicensed spirit-selling by slaves combined the loss of Company revenue with the danger of drunken assembly.

The gatherings at the mistress's house on Sundays were named as evidence of disorder, showing that the concern was not only the sale of arrack but the assembly of slaves it drew together. A place where slaves congregated to drink, outside the oversight of their owners, was read by the authorities as a standing danger, and the trading charge and the assembly charge reinforced one another.

Speculations

Faced with storm damage threatening the walls at Rupert's and the main fort, the council chose to divert soldiers to the repairs rather than rely on the Company's slaves alone. The garrison existed to defend the island, and pulling soldiers onto labouring work left that duty thinner, yet the fear that the walls would fall was immediate enough that the council judged the risk of collapse the greater danger and set the troops to shoring up the works alongside the blacks.

110

101

At a Consultation held on monday the 15th of September 1755 at

the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the 8th

September 1755

Ordered the following Advertizements

to be Published Vizt

Island St Helena 15th September 1755.

Forasmuch as the Lords Day.

commonly called Sunday is much profaned by Peoples working, to

the great dishonor of God and reproach of Religion. This is

therefore to forbid all White Persons to exercise any worldy labour,

Business or work of their ordinary callings on the abovementioned Day

(work of Necessity and Charity only excepted) upon pain that every

Person so Offending shall for every such Offence forfeit the Sum

of five Shillings which money is to be paid to the Churchwardens

for the use of the Poor and the like Sum for every Slave that he or

they shall employ to work on that Day, and if any Slaves are found

working on a Sunday they are to be sent to Prison in order to be

publickly Punished for so doing.

At a consultation held on Monday 15 September 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 8 September 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The council ordered the following notice to be published.

Island of St Helena, 15 September 1755.

Since the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, was much profaned by people working, to the great dishonour of God and reproach of religion, all white persons were forbidden to carry out any worldly labour, business or work of their ordinary callings on that day, with only work of necessity and charity excepted. Anyone offending would forfeit five shillings for each offence, the money to be paid to the churchwardens for the use of the poor. The same sum would be charged for every slave that an offender employed to work on that day. Any slaves found working on a Sunday were to be sent to prison to be publicly punished.

Interpretations

The fine was structured to fall on the free white population while the physical punishment fell on slaves, a division that ran through the island's law. A master who broke the Sabbath paid five shillings, and paid a further five shillings for each slave he set to work, but the slave who worked was whipped, so the same offence drew a money penalty from the one and bodily punishment from the other.

The proceeds of the fines were directed to the churchwardens for poor relief, tying the enforcement of religious observance to the parish system of charity. This gave the Sabbath law a double function, upholding religion while funding the relief of the poor from the pockets of those who profaned the day, and it placed the churchwardens at the centre of both duties.

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102

Whereas several Sheep have been lately

found dead in the East Division of the said Island, and by

their throats being only torn, their is great reason to believe they

were killed by Dogs that ramble by themselves or by those that

follow Slaves, and it having been proved that many Goats

have within two months past been caught in Sandy Bay

and in some other places by Dogs and afterwards killed by

the Blacks that set them on. This is therefore to require

all Persons not to suffer any Blacks (except such as they

give a Permission to in Writing) to take any Dog, or Dogs

with them when they go from home, as every Black that

may be hereafter found to have a Dog following him, without

his masters leave as above. will be Whiped for it; and it is

likewise recommended to every Person to put to Death

every Dog that they have the least cause to suspect of

worrying either Sheep or Goats.

This is further to give Notice to all

Persons upon the said Island who have Horses, Mares &c that they are

hereby required to send into the Secretarys Office on or before

the 30th instant an exact signed Account of the Number

each Person has and the Sexes they are of.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

A public notice reported that several sheep had recently been found dead in the East Division of the island, their throats torn, giving strong reason to believe they had been killed by dogs roaming loose or by dogs that followed slaves. It had been proved that many goats had within the past two months been caught in Sandy Bay and some other places by dogs and afterwards killed by the blacks who set them on. All persons were therefore required not to allow any blacks to take any dog with them when they went from home, except those given written permission. Any black found in future with a dog following him without his master's leave would be whipped for it. Every person was also advised to put to death any dog they had the least cause to suspect of worrying sheep or goats.

A further notice required all persons on the island who kept horses to send an exact signed account into the secretary's office, on or before 30 September, giving the number each person had and the sexes they were of. The notice was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The dog-worrying notice placed control of the animals squarely on the ownership of slaves. A dog following a slave without written leave from his master was treated as evidence of wrongdoing, and the slave was whipped, so the licensing of dogs became another point at which a master's written authority governed what those he owned could do away from home.

The census of horses, taken by number and sex, was aimed at knowing the island's breeding stock rather than merely counting animals. Recording the sexes let the authorities judge how the horse population might grow or fail on a remote island where replacements could not easily be shipped in, making the returns a tool of livestock management as much as registration.

112

103

At a Consultation held on monday the the 22d Day of September

1755 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council.

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the

15th September 1755

The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards

Accounts for the Month ending the 11th instant were this Day brought

in which were examined and approved, and are as follows Vizt

At a consultation held on Monday 22 September 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 15 September 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 September were brought in that day, examined and approved, and were as follows.

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104

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 11th of August to the 12th of September 1755 vizt

Neat Cattle: Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total. Sheep: Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total. Goats: Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total. Hogs: Sows, Shoats, Pigs, Boars, Total. Poultry: Turkeys, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Total. Horses: Horses, Mares, Total. Asses: S. Asses, S. Asses, Total

Remaining 12th: Bulls 6, Cows 83, Calves 69, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 256, Ewes 246, Weathers 149, Lambs 150, Rams 7, Total 552, Ewes 193, Weathers 84, Kids 61, Rams 8, Total 346, Sows 11, Shoats 6, Pigs 12, Boars 1, Total 30, Turkeys 33, Fowls 153, Ducks 32, Geese 17, Total 5, Horses 7, Mares 12, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 10, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 10, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 19, Rams 0, Total 19, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 20, Rams 0, Total 20, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 39, Boars 0, Total 39, Turkeys 0, Fowls 0, Ducks 9, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 1, Total 1, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Total: Bulls 6, Cows 83, Calves 79, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 266, Ewes 246, Weathers 149, Lambs 169, Rams 7, Total 571, Ewes 193, Weathers 84, Kids 81, Rams 8, Total 366, Sows 11, Shoats 6, Pigs 51, Boars 1, Total 69, Turkeys 33, Fowls 153, Ducks 41, Geese 17, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 8, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 8, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 1, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 1, Fowls 17, Ducks 1, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Ewes 3, Weathers 0, Kids 2, Rams 0, Total 5, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 1, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 2, Fowls 0, Ducks 2, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 2, Rams 0, Total 3, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 0, Fowls 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Remaining 11th: Bulls 6, Cows 83, Calves 79, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 266, Ewes 246, Weathers 149, Lambs 169, Rams 7, Total 562, Ewes 189, Weathers 82, Kids 78, Rams 8, Total 357, Sows 11, Shoats 5, Pigs 51, Boars 1, Total 68, Turkeys 31, Fowls 134, Ducks 40, Geese 14, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

2 Goats to the Hospital

1 Do Sold to George Young

Died one Girl Slave

Named Katharine

Yams Expended for the Slaves to the 11th August

5310

Bad Do for the Stock

10100

Errors Excepted Signed John Adamson

Margin Notes:

22d September

This account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock ran from 11 August to 12 September 1755. The columns for neat cattle were bulls, cows, calves, heifers, yearlings, steers, bullocks, oxen and total. The columns for sheep were ewes, wethers, lambs, rams and total. The columns for goats were ewes, wethers, kids, rams and total. The columns for hogs were sows, shoats, pigs, boars and total. Poultry was recorded as turkeys, fowls, ducks, geese and total. Horses were recorded as horses, mares and total, and asses as she-asses, he-asses and total.

Neat cattle remaining 12 August: 6 bulls, 83 cows, 69 calves, 17 heifers, 48 yearlings, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 256 total

Sheep remaining 12 August: 246 ewes, 149 wethers, 150 lambs, 7 rams, 552 total

Goats remaining 12 August: 193 ewes, 84 wethers, 61 kids, 8 rams, 346 total

Hogs remaining 12 August: 11 sows, 6 shoats, 12 pigs, 1 boar, 30 total

Poultry remaining 12 August: 33 turkeys, 153 fowls, 32 ducks, 17 geese, 5 total, 7 total

Horses remaining 12 August: 5 horses, 7 mares, 12 total

Asses remaining 12 August: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Increased: 10 calves, 10 neat cattle total; 19 lambs, 19 sheep total; 20 kids, 20 goats total; 39 pigs, 39 hogs total; 9 ducks; 1 mare, 1 horses total

Total: 6 bulls, 83 cows, 79 calves, 17 heifers, 48 yearlings, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 266 neat cattle total; 246 ewes, 149 wethers, 169 lambs, 7 rams, 571 sheep total; 193 ewes, 84 wethers, 81 kids, 8 rams, 366 goats total; 11 sows, 6 shoats, 51 pigs, 1 boar, 69 hogs total; 33 turkeys, 153 fowls, 41 ducks, 17 geese, 5 total, 8 total; 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total; 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Killed: 8 sheep ewes, 8 sheep total; 1 goat wether, 1 goat total; 1 hog pig, 1 hog total; 1 duck, 17 geese, 1 poultry total

Died: 1 sheep ewe, 1 sheep total; 3 goat ewes, 2 goat wethers, 5 goat total; 1 duck, 2 geese, 2 poultry total

Sold: 1 goat ewe, 2 goat wethers, 3 goat total

Neat cattle remaining 11 September: 6 bulls, 83 cows, 79 calves, 17 heifers, 48 yearlings, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 266 total

Sheep remaining 11 September: 246 ewes, 140 wethers, 169 lambs, 7 rams, 562 total

Goats remaining 11 September: 189 ewes, 82 wethers, 78 kids, 8 rams, 357 total

Hogs remaining 11 September: 11 sows, 5 shoats, 51 pigs, 1 boar, 68 total

Poultry remaining 11 September: 31 turkeys, 134 fowls, 40 ducks, 14 geese, 5 total, 8 total

Horses remaining 11 September: 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total

Asses remaining 11 September: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Two goats were sent to the hospital and one goat was sold to George Young. One girl slave named Katharine died. Yams issued for the slaves to 11 August came to 5,310, and bad yams for the stock came to 10,100. The account was signed by John Adamson, subject to errors.

Interpretations

The stock table combined breeding animals, working beasts and food animals in a single monthly return, giving the council a running count of the Company's living capital on the island. Every increase by birth, every loss by death and every killing for the table was set against the standing total, so the plantation's ability to feed the garrison and settlement could be judged at a glance against the previous month.

Yams were the staple issued to feed the slaves, and the account separated sound yams for the slaves from bad yams put to the stock. This division shows the island's food economy working in tiers, with the better roots reserved for human consumption and the spoiled ones diverted to the animals rather than wasted, a careful use of a crop that underpinned the whole settlement's subsistence.

The killing of seventeen geese in a single month, far above any other slaughter in the return, stands out against the steady handling of the rest of the stock. Such a concentrated draw on one kind of poultry points to a particular demand met at once, since the ordinary pattern of the table was the loss of ones and twos rather than a whole flock taken together.

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Gunners Stores Expended from 12th of August to the 11th of

September 1755 vizt

Powder Expended

Powder for the Funeral of Thomas Brown

lb oz

2 .. 4

Do Fired at Goats

1 .. 12

Do for Exerciseing with Small Arms

287 .. 1

Do for Blowing of Lime Stone

32 ..

Total lb 323 .. 1

Tallow for the Use of the Carpenters

1 lb

Do for the Do of the Carts

12 lb

Do for Greesing the Gun Carriages at Lemon Valley

2 lb

Gun Carriages wore out and Unserviceable at Do

6

Beds Do at Do

3

Quoins Do at Do

6

Tompeons Do at Do

6

Gun Carriages Do at the main Fort

1

Beds Do at Do

1

Quoins Do at Do

4

Paper for Small Cartridges

13 qr

Sheep Skins for Caps for Bouge Barrels

19

White Hoops for repairing the Do

20

Pink Hoops for Do

120

Copper Breads for Do

186

Needles broke

6

Bouge Barrels wore out and Unserviceable

7

Hand Spikes broke at the main Fort

1

Spunge Staves to the Armourer

2

Long Pink Hoops for repairing the Powder Barrels

234

Lead Shot for Shooting Goats

1 lb

Quoins broke at Ruperts

2

(Signed)

Tho Hall

This account listed the gunner's stores used from 12 August to 11 September 1755, with powder measured in pounds and ounces.

Powder for the funeral of Thomas Brown, 2lb 4oz

Powder fired at goats, 1lb 12oz

Powder for exercising with small arms, 287lb 1oz

Powder for blowing up the lime store, 32lb 0oz

Total powder, 323lb 1oz

Tallow for the use of the carpenters, 1lb

Tallow for the use of the carts, 12lb

Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at Lemon Valley, 2lb

Gun carriages worn out and unserviceable at Lemon Valley, 6

Beds worn out and unserviceable at Lemon Valley, 3

Quoins worn out and unserviceable at Lemon Valley, 6

Tompions worn out and unserviceable at Lemon Valley, 6

Gun carriages worn out and unserviceable at the main fort, 1

Beds worn out and unserviceable at the main fort, 1

Quoins worn out and unserviceable at the main fort, 4

Paper for small cartridges, 13 quires

Sheep skins for caps for budge barrels, 10

White hoops for repairing the budge barrels, 20

Pink hoops for repairing the budge barrels, 120

Copper brads for repairing the budge barrels, 186

Needles broke, 6

Budge barrels worn out and unserviceable, 7

Hand spikes broke at the main fort, 1

Sponge staves to the armourer, 2

Long pink hoops for repairing the powder barrels, 234

Lead shot for shooting goats, 1lb

Quoins broke at Rupert's, 2

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

Interpretations

The powder account reveals the range of purposes gunpowder served on the island beyond defence. The largest share by far, 287lb 1oz, went on small-arms exercise, showing that keeping the garrison trained consumed far more powder than any single event, while lesser amounts marked a funeral salute, the culling of wild goats and the demolition of the lime store.

The gunpowder spent shooting goats, together with the lead shot for the same purpose, shows the culling of the island's feral goats treated as a charge on the Company's military stores. The wild goats damaged the ground and competed with the Company's own livestock, so powder and shot laid in for defence were drawn down to control them, tying the ordnance account to the management of the island's land.

Budge barrels were the covered leather-topped barrels used to carry gunpowder safely from the magazine to the guns, and the account records heavy expenditure on repairing them with hoops, sheepskin caps and copper brads. Copper was used deliberately in place of iron because it would not spark, a precaution against igniting the powder, and the volume of materials points to constant upkeep of the equipment that made handling powder around the batteries safe.

115

106

Sundrys expended at the Honorable Companys

Table in the month ending 11th of September 1755 vizt

18 Bottles Port Wine

£ 1 6 7½

18 Do Lisbon

1 6 7½

18 Do Mountain

1 6 7½

4 Do Madeira

.. 9 6

55 Do Arrack

1 16 8

54 Do Beer

.. 11 3

340 Mutton

7 1 8

1 Kid

.. 5 ..

36 Pork

1 8 ..

6 ps Salt Pork

.. 12 ..

4 ps Do Beef

.. 11 ..

17 Fowls

1 5 6

1 Duck

.. 1 6

1 Turkey

.. 5 ..

1 Goose

.. 5 ..

388 Flour

2 2 3

96 Candy

1 7 8½

43½ Butter

2 3 6

£ 24 5 5

Mrs Sarah Reynolds, and Mary Jarvis

presented the Following Petition vizt

This account listed the sundries used at the Honourable Company's table in the month ending 11 September 1755.

18 bottles of port wine, £1 6s 7½d

18 bottles of Lisbon, £1 6s 7½d

18 bottles of mountain, £1 6s 7½d

4 bottles of Madeira, £0 9s 6d

55 bottles of arrack, £1 16s 8d

54 bottles of beer, £0 11s 3d

340lb mutton, £7 1s 8d

1 kid, £0 5s 0d

36lb pork, £1 8s 0d

6lb salt pork, £0 12s 0d

4lb salt beef, £0 11s 0d

17 fowls, £1 5s 6d

1 duck, £0 1s 6d

1 turkey, £0 5s 0d

1 goose, £0 5s 0d

388lb flour, £2 2s 3d

96lb candy, £1 7s 8½d

43½lb butter, £2 3s 6d

Total, £24 5s 5d

Sarah Reynolds and Mary Jarvis presented the following petition.

Interpretations

The table account priced three Iberian and Atlantic wines at exactly the same rate, port, Lisbon and mountain each costing £1 6s 7½d for eighteen bottles. Mountain was a sweet white wine from the hills behind Malaga in southern Spain, and its appearance beside Portuguese port and Lisbon shows the fortified wines of the Atlantic trade reaching the Company's table on a remote South Atlantic island, carried by the same shipping that linked St Helena to Europe.

Arrack was bought in quantity for the table, fifty-five bottles against the wine and beer, showing the same imported spirit that slaves were flogged for selling was itself a staple of the Company's own table. The contrast is sharp, since the drink whose unlicensed sale drew one hundred lashes only days earlier was here entered as an ordinary provision, the difference lying wholly in who controlled its supply.

Mutton dominated the meat bill at £7 1s 8d, far above every other provision and roughly a third of the whole month's spending. This weight given to a single meat reflects the island's pastoral economy, where the Company's own flocks made sheep the readiest fresh meat, so the table leaned on what the plantation could supply rather than on the salt pork and salt beef that had to be shipped in.

116

107

To the Honorable Charles Hutchinson Esqr

& Council

The humble Petition of Sarah Reynolds

and Mary Jarvis.

Sheweth

That as our Mother being Deceased and

Mony being paid into her Hands as will appear on the other side

and having made application to James Hinds her last Husband for

Payment or Security for the Same but he will give none.

We therefore Humbly Beg your Honor and

Council will take the case into Consideration Otherwise we humbly

beg that your Honor and Council will cause the will of the late Mr

Tinsley to be perused over in order that we the Offsprings of our

late Mother may have Over Just Shares out of the House and effects

Left & We should not have (given) your Honor & Council this trouble but that

Mr Hinds would not come to either Account or Agreement, Your

Honor & Councils Compliance in regard to this our Petition will lay

an everlasting Obligatition on your Humble Petitioners and as in

Duty Bound will ever Pray.

Left by the will of Mr Cole for the use of the undermentioned persons

in the hands of the late Mr Tinsly to be paid by him or his Executors

To Daniel Hays

£5 0s 0d

To Giles Hays

£5 0s 0d

To James Hays

£5 0s 0d

£15 0s 0d

Left in the Hands of late Mr Tinsly by Captain

Mason Commander of the Queen Carolina for wages

£11 0s 0d

Due to Daniel Hayes

£26 0s 0d

Sarah Reynolds and Mary Jarvis petitioned Charles Hutchinson and the council. Their mother had died, and money had been paid into her hands, as would appear on the other side of the account. They had applied to James Hinds, her last husband, for payment or security for it, but he would give none.

They begged the council to take the case into consideration. Failing that, they asked the council to have the will of the late Mr Tinsley examined, so that they, as the offspring of their late mother, might have their just shares out of the house and goods left. They would not have troubled the council in this way, but Hinds would not agree to any account or settlement. They promised to be forever obliged for the council's compliance with their petition.

The account showed money left by the will of Mr Cole for the use of the persons named below, placed in the hands of the late Mr Tinsley to be paid by him or his executors.

To Daniel Hays, £5 0s 0d

To Giles Hays, £5 0s 0d

To James Hays, £5 0s 0d

Total, £15 0s 0d

Left in the hands of the late Mr Tinsley by Captain Mason, commander of the Queen Caroline, for wages, £11 0s 0d

Due to Daniel Hays, total, £26 0s 0d

Interpretations

The petition turned on money passing down through a chain of holders, from a legacy left by Cole, into the hands of Tinsley, then owed by Tinsley's estate, while the petitioners pursued Hinds as their mother's last husband. This reflects how a woman's property and the debts owed to her passed under the control of successive husbands, so that the daughters had to press the surviving widower for an account of sums that had reached their mother's hands through remarriage.

The daughters asked in the alternative for Tinsley's will to be examined, seeking through the council the disclosure of a testamentary document that would establish their shares. On a small island with no separate probate court, the council served as the body that could compel such an account, so the petitioners looked to the governing authority to open the will and secure their inheritance where the family would not settle privately.

The sum of £11 left by Captain Mason of the Queen Caroline for wages, entered among the money held by Tinsley, ties the family's claim to the wages of a seafarer. Such wages were commonly left in trusted hands on the island while a man was at sea, and its inclusion here shows how maritime earnings became entangled with a domestic estate, adding to the tangle of accounts the daughters were trying to unpick.

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108

After reading the above Petition

James Hinds was called before us, and it being made plain

to him that his late Wife's former Husband Richard Tinsley

had received the above Mony of the Executers of the late William

Coles for the use of Daniel Hays, Giles Hays, and James Hays

he therefore must be accountable to Daniel Hays for his

Legacy of five Pounds, and twenty Shillings more being his

Dividend of his Brother Giles Hays's Legacy, who is Dead

and also the Eleven Pounds which was likewise paid to the

said Tinsly, being Wages due to him during the Time he was

on board the Queen Carolina, which Hinds readily consented

to do but as he had not the Mony immediately to lay down, desired he

might be allowed to pay Interest for it. and was willing

to give at the rate of five Pounds pr Annum, and Security

for the principal.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

After the petition was read, James Hinds was called before the council. It was made plain to him that his late wife's former husband Richard Tinsley had received the money from the executors of the late William Cole for the use of Daniel Hays, Giles Hays and James Hays. Hinds must therefore account to Daniel Hays for his legacy of five pounds, and for twenty shillings more, being his dividend of his dead brother Giles Hays's legacy. He must also account for the eleven pounds likewise paid to Tinsley, being wages due to him during the time he was on board the Queen Caroline. Hinds readily agreed to this, but since he had not the money to lay down at once, he asked to be allowed to pay interest on it. He was willing to give interest at the rate of five pounds a year, and security for the principal.

The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The council resolved the claim by fixing exactly what Hinds owed as the representative of Tinsley's estate, tracing each sum to its source before settling the total. His liability was built up from Daniel Hays's own five-pound legacy, a further twenty shillings as Daniel's share of a dead brother's legacy, and the eleven pounds of sea wages, showing how the debts of a deceased man passed to whoever had married into and taken over his affairs.

Hinds was permitted to keep the principal and pay five per cent a year rather than being forced to find the whole sum at once. This arrangement turned a disputed inheritance into a secured loan at interest, letting a debtor without ready cash satisfy the heirs over time while giving them a return and a pledge, a practical settlement that suited a small community where coin was scarce and few could pay a lump sum on demand.

The dividend of Giles Hays's legacy, redistributed to his surviving brother after his death, shows the customary rule by which a legacy left to one who died fell to be shared among the others of his class. Daniel took a portion of what had been meant for Giles, so the money followed the survivors of the family rather than lapsing, and the council enforced this division as part of settling the whole account.

118

109

At a Consultation held on monday the 29th Day of September 1755

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the 22nd

September 1755.

Lieutenant George Hay, maketh complaint

that Henry Baker a Taylor, had several Times abused him in a very

Scurrilous, and public manner, by calling him Scoundrel, and saying

that he had not acted like a Gentleman, as Richard McNolly a Soldier

in the Company he is an Officer to, informed him, as tho Mr Hayes says

that he thought this was the most regular way to make the said

Baker sensible of his insolence, not caring to take his own

Satisfaction.

Richard McNolly being called in, confirmed

Lieutenant Hay's accusation, and further declared that he Baker

had said, all the Officers were Scoundrels. Baker was then asked

what he had to offer in his defence, who acknowledged he did call Mr

Hay a Scrubb, and thought it was a very ungenteel action in him

to take his Coat from him (which he had to mend) and give it to

another Person to do. because it was not quite finished when Mr

Hay sent for it, altho' he had been as expeditious about it as he could.

but denyed that he said any thing of any of the rest of the Officers

At a consultation held on Monday 29 September 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 22 September 1755 was read, approved and signed.

Lieutenant George Hay complained that Henry Baker, a tailor, had several times abused him in a very scurrilous and public manner, calling him a scoundrel and saying he had not acted like a gentleman. Richard McNolly, a soldier in the company Hay was an officer to, had informed him of this. Hay said he thought this the most proper way to make Baker aware of his insolence, rather than take his own satisfaction.

Richard McNolly was called in and confirmed Hay's accusation. He further declared that Baker had said all the officers were scoundrels. Baker was then asked what he had to say in his defence. He admitted he had called Hay a scrub, and thought it a very ungenteel action in him to take his coat, which he had given him to mend, and give it to another person to finish, because it was not quite done when Hay sent for it, although he had been as quick about it as he could. But he denied saying anything about any of the other officers.

Interpretations

The dispute arose from an ordinary transaction between an officer and a tradesman that curdled into a public insult to rank. Baker resented Hay taking back a half-mended coat and giving it to another to finish, and the grievance spilled over into calling an officer a scoundrel, so a small matter of tailoring work became a challenge to the standing of the Company's officers.

Hay's decision to bring the matter before the council rather than take his own satisfaction points to the alternative he consciously set aside, a private duel. By naming this openly, an officer signalled that he was choosing the sanctioned path of a formal complaint over the code of personal honour, seeking redress from the governing body rather than settling the affront himself with a challenge.

The charge turned on whether Baker had abused Hay alone or had insulted the whole body of officers. McNolly's evidence that Baker called all the officers scoundrels widened a private quarrel into an attack on the Company's authority, and Baker's careful denial of the wider words shows he grasped that slandering the officer corps as a class was a graver matter than affronting one man.

Speculations

Lieutenant Hay chose to answer a public insult through the council rather than by demanding personal satisfaction, though a gentleman affronted as he described would ordinarily have looked to a duel. The record shows the reason in his own words, that he thought a formal complaint the most regular way to bring the tailor to book, so on a small island where the officers were few and the garrison had to hold together, the open path of institutional discipline was preferred to the private violence that convention would otherwise have licensed.

119

110

As the said Baker, having owned that he

did call Lieutenant Hay a Scrubb, and he being likewise

in our opinion from some other instances of a troublesome

disposition, we therefore ordered him to prepare himself

to leave the Island by the first opportunity. but he acquainted

us, that it would be very inconvenient for him to do it, untill

after the arrival of the Store Ship, we upon that Account

permitted him to remain untill then, but at the same Time

cautioned him to behave with more respect

Counted and examined the

Honorable Companys Cash for the month ending the 11th

instant, which is as follows Vizt

Baker admitted he had called Lieutenant Hay a scrub, and in the council's opinion, from some other instances, he was of a troublesome disposition. The council therefore ordered him to prepare to leave the island by the first opportunity. Baker told them it would be very inconvenient for him to do so until after the store ship arrived, so on that account the council allowed him to remain until then, but cautioned him to behave with more respect.

The council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending 11 September, which was as follows.

Interpretations

The council answered a tailor's insults to an officer with banishment from the island, treating expulsion as the remedy for a troublesome character rather than a fine or corporal punishment. On a small settlement where every resident was known and disorder could not easily be contained, removing a disruptive man altogether was a practical sanction, and the sentence rested not only on the single insult he admitted but on a settled view of his disposition.

The council bent the sentence to the rhythm of the shipping, allowing Baker to stay until the store ship came because leaving sooner would have been impractical. This shows how completely the island's affairs turned on the arrival of ships, since even a man ordered to depart had to wait on the next available passage, and the timing of justice was governed by the same maritime calendar that governed supply.

120

111

Cash Dr Per Contra Cr

1755

Aug 12th To Ballance remaining

£ 4207 1 2

18th To Fines received of Thomas Hudson Soldier

as pr Consultation of this Day

1 .. ..

£ 4208 1 2

1755

Sept 11 By Ballance remaining in the following Species vizt

1000 Venitians @ 10/

£ 500 ..

500 Pagodas 8/

200 ..

Gold Amounting to

£ 700 ..

4038 Dollars 5/

1009 10 ..

16308 Rupees 2/3

1842 15 ..

12048 half Rials 3¾

202 6 3

441 French Pieces 2/

31 3 6

Odd Mony

1 5

Silver Amounting to

£ 3058 6 2

Cash Notes Amounting to

£ 539 15 ..

£ 4208 1 2

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

Margin Notes:

1755

This cash account set the debit side against the credit side for 1755. On the debit side, the balance remaining on 12 August and the fines received later were entered. On the credit side, the balance remaining on 11 September was set out in the several kinds of coin held.

12 August, to balance remaining, £4,207 1s 2d

18 August, to fines received of Thomas Hudson, soldier, as per consultation of that day, £1 0s 0d

Total debit, £4,208 1s 2d

The balance remaining on 11 September was held in the following species.

1,000 Venetians at 10s, £500 0s 0d

500 pagodas at 8s, £200 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £700 0s 0d

4,038 dollars at 5s, £1,009 10s 0d

16,308 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,842 15s 0d

1,294 half rials at 1s 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 12s, £313 6s 0d

Odd money, £1 5s 0d

Silver amounting to, £3,058 6s 2d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total credit, £4,208 1s 2d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The Company's cash on the island was held not in a single currency but in a mixture of gold and silver coins drawn from across the trading world. Venetian sequins and Indian pagodas made up the gold, while Spanish dollars, Indian rupees, half rials and French pieces made up the silver, showing how a remote Company outpost functioned on whatever specie the ships of many nations happened to carry, each coin valued in sterling at a fixed island rate.

The account reckoned every foreign coin into a sterling equivalent, converting sequins, pagodas, dollars, rupees, rials and French pieces into pounds, shillings and pence to strike a single balance. This conversion was the mechanism that let the Company keep its books in sterling while holding almost no English money, so the fixed exchange rates applied to each coin were as much an accounting device as a reflection of real value.

The rupee was the largest single holding at £1,842 15s, well above the Spanish dollars or the gold, showing how far the island's cash reserves leaned on Indian coin. This dominance reflects St Helena's place on the Company's route to and from India, where the rupee was the currency of the eastern trade, so the wealth passing through the island was weighted toward the money of the very commerce it existed to serve.

121

112

At a Consultation held on monday the 6th Day of October 1755

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 29th of September 1755.

Mr Richard Beale presented the following

Petition Vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor, & Council

The Petition of Richard Beale humbly Sheweth

That your Petitioner having a Lease for Five

Acres of Land called Webleys which he Purchased of Mr Robert Wright

Deceased, the leave for Sale bearing Date 7th June 1747.

Your Petitioner prays leave to Dispose of

the said Lease to his Son Onesiphorus Beale.

And as in Duty Bound Shall ever pray.

(Signed)

Richd: Beale

Granted

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

Margin Notes:

6th October 1755.

At a consultation held on Monday 6 October 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 29 September 1755 was read, approved and signed.

Richard Beale presented a petition to Charles Hutchinson and the council. He held a lease for five acres of land called Webleys, which he had purchased from Robert Wright, since deceased, the leave for sale being dated 7 June 1747. Beale asked leave to make over the lease to his son Onesiphorus Beale. The petition was signed by Richard Beale.

The council granted the request. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The petition shows that land on the island could not be sold or transferred freely but only with the council's leave, so even a lease already bought and held required official permission before it could pass to a son. This gave the governing body direct control over who occupied the island's land, and the original purchase from Wright had itself rested on a formal leave for sale, making each transfer a matter of public record and consent.

The transfer from father to son was framed as an ordinary conveyance rather than an inheritance, Beale disposing of the lease during his lifetime rather than leaving it by will. Passing the land while still living let a holder settle his son on it under the council's eye and avoid any later dispute over succession, a prudent way to secure a family's tenure on a small island where every acre was held of the Company.

122

113

At a Consultation held on Saturday the 11 of October 1756 at the

Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governer

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council.

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the

6 October 1755

According to the Advertizement Published

the 7 September the Planters this Day attended and paid their Rents

and Revenues due to the Honorable Company for the Year past which

Amounts to £564. 15. 1½ the Rent Roll is as follows Vizt

Ground Rent, Fees and Nauls, Nauls, £ s d

John Alexander: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 71¾, Nauls 40¾, £ 14, s 0, d 6

Samuel Alexander: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 34, Nauls 26¾, £ 8, s 6, d 6

George Alexander: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 28, Nauls 0, £ 1, s 8, d 0

Rachel Alexander: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 18, £ 4, s 10, d 0

Margaret Alcock 1½ Acres at 20/ pr Annum: Ground Rent 20/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 2¾, £ 1, s 5, d 0

Onesiphorus Beale: Ground Rent 2/6, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 2, d 6

Richard Beale: Ground Rent 5, Fees and Nauls 41, Nauls 38½, £ 11, s 18, d 6

John Bagley: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 36, £ 0, s 9, d 0

Richard Bagley 3 Acres at 3/6 pr Acre: Ground Rent 10/6, Fees and Nauls 35, Nauls 112, £ 20, s 15, d 0

Orlando Bagley: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 20, Nauls 43¾, £ 11, s 17, d 6

Matthew Bazett 5½ Acres at 11/ pr Acre for 8 Months: Ground Rent 60, Fees and Nauls 31½, Nauls 0, £ 9, s 13, d 8

John Bazetts Orphans: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 89½, Nauls 37, £ 13, s 14, d 6

Thomas Bazetts Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 15, Nauls 1¾, £ 1, s 3, d 0

William Burnham: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 29, Nauls 14, £ 4, s 19, d 0

John Bland: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 15¾, £ 3, s 18, d 9

John Clark 3 Acres at 1/ pr Acre: Ground Rent 10/6, Fees and Nauls 135, Nauls 52, £ 10, s 11, d 6

Carried Over: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 558¼, Nauls 447½, £ 145, s 2, d 2

At a consultation held on Saturday 11 October 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 6 October 1755 was read, approved and signed.

Following the notice published on 7 September, the planters attended that day and paid their rents and revenues due to the Honourable Company for the past year, which came to £564 15s 1½d. The columns of the rent roll were ground rent, fees and demands, poll and other levies, and the sum in pounds, shillings and pence. Several entries in the levy columns were left blank, shown here as 0. The rent roll was as follows.

John Alexander, 0 ground rent, 71¾ fees, 41¾ poll, £14 0s 6d

Samuel Alexander, 0 ground rent, 34 fees, 26¼ poll, £8 6s 6d

George Alexander, 0 ground rent, 28 fees, 0 poll, £1 8s 0d

Rachel Alexander, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 18 poll, £4 10s 0d

Margaret Alcock, 1½ acres at 20s a year, 20s ground rent, 0 fees, 2¼ poll, £1 5s 0d

Onesiphorus Beale, 2s 6d ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 2s 6d

Richard Beale, 5 ground rent, 41 fees, 38½ poll, £11 18s 6d

John Bagley, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 36 poll, £0 9s 0d

Richard Bagley, 3 acres at 3s 6d an acre, 10s 6d ground rent, 35 fees, 112 poll, £20 15s 0d

Orlando Bagley, 0 ground rent, 20 fees, 43¼ poll, £11 17s 6d

Matthew Bazett, 5½ acres at 11s an acre for 8 months, 60 ground rent, 31½ poll, £9 13s 8d

John Bazett's orphans, 0 ground rent, 89½ fees, 37 poll, £13 14s 6d

Thomas Bazett's orphans, 0 ground rent, 15 fees, 1¼ poll, £1 1s 3d

William Burnham, 0 ground rent, 29 fees, 14 poll, £4 19s 0d

John Bland, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 15¾ poll, £3 18s 9d

John Clark, 3 acres at 3s 6d an acre, 10s 6d ground rent, 135 fees, 52 poll, £10 11s 6d

Carried over, 0 ground rent, 558¾ fees, 447 poll, £145 2s 2d

Interpretations

The rent roll shows that the Company drew its land revenue from the planters through several distinct charges rather than a single rent, combining ground rent, fees and a poll levy into each holder's total. This layered structure let the Company tax land, activity and persons at once, so a planter's yearly obligation reflected not only the acres he held but a set of separate demands that together made up the sum he owed.

Ground rent was charged only on certain holdings and left blank for most, appearing as a fixed sum tied to acreage where a lease specified it, as with Margaret Alcock's 1½ acres at twenty shillings a year or Richard Bagley's three acres at three shillings and sixpence an acre. Most planters owed no ground rent at all, their liability falling instead under fees and poll, which suggests that formal acreage rents attached only to particular parcels while the bulk of the revenue came from the other charges.

The estates of the deceased Bazett men were still charged on the roll under their orphans, showing that the land obligations of a dead planter passed to his children and continued to be levied against the holding. The Company looked to the land itself for its revenue regardless of who now occupied it, so orphaned heirs remained liable for the fees and poll attached to their fathers' ground until the holdings changed hands.

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114

11 October

Ground Rent, Fees and Nauls, Nauls, £ s d

Brought Over: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 558¼, Nauls 447½, £ 145, s 2, d 2

Thomas Cotgrave: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 3, Nauls 71¾, £ 17, s 19, d 3

Thomas Clew: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 2, £ 0, s 10, d 0

Samuel Doveton's Orp 5 Acres at 1/6 pr Acre: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 10¼, Nauls 19, £ 13, s 12, d 3

John Doveton: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 86½, Nauls 1, £ 4, s 11, d 6

Isaac Doveton: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 77½, Nauls 9½, £ 6, s 5, d 3

Joseph Desfountain's Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 20, Nauls 57, £ 15, s 3, d 0

Elizabeth Desfountain: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 11, £ 2, s 15, d 0

John Desfountain: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 93¾, Nauls 24½, £ 10, s 15, d 9

Sarah French: Ground Rent 10/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 10, d 0

Michael Frost: Ground Rent 15/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 15, d 0

John Goodwin 15 5/6 Acres at 1/ pr Acre 5 Acres 5/6 at 1/ pr Acre: Ground Rent 10/, Fees and Nauls 53½, Nauls 46¾, £ 11, s 8, d 8

Richard Goodwin: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 46½, Nauls 27, £ 9, s 1, d 6

Thomas Greentree 3 3/4 Acres at 4/ pr Acre: Ground Rent 5/, Fees and Nauls 55, Nauls 60, £ 16, s 6, d 6

James Greentree: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 48, Nauls 55, £ 16, s 3, d 0

Ones: Gurlings Orp 9 Acres at 1/6 pr Acre: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 23, Nauls 9, £ 1, s 16, d 6

Richard Gurlings Orp 6¼ Acres at 6 pr Acre: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 16, Nauls 36, £ 8, s 7, d 10½

Gabriel Harper's Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 22, Nauls 46, £ 12, s 12, d 0

Thomas Harper Junr: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 19, Nauls 38, £ 10, s 9, d 0

Thomas Hayes Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 30, Nauls 4, £ 2, s 10, d 0

Martin Harper's Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 55½, Nauls 45, £ 14, s 0, d 10

Thomas Harper's Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 13¾, £ 3, s 6, d 3

Thomas Harper Senr: Ground Rent 10/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 10, d 0

Richard Harper 4 Acres at 1/6 pr Acre: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 17¾, £ 3, s 12, d 3

James Hinds: Ground Rent 5, Fees and Nauls 3, Nauls 1, £ 0, s 0, d 0

Gabriel Isacke: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 8, Nauls 2, £ 0, s 0, d 0

Elisha Isacke: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 25, Nauls 5, £ 2, s 10, d 0

Mary Jarvis: Ground Rent 12/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 12, d 0

Thomas Kirkpatrick: Ground Rent 24/, Fees and Nauls 21, Nauls 10½, £ 7, s 2, d 6

Samuel Knipe: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 38½, Nauls 16½, £ 6, s 1, d 3

Isaac Knipe: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 16, £ 4, s 0, d 0

William Kennedy: Ground Rent 13/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 13, d 0

Carried Over: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 1186¾, Nauls 70½, £ 349, s 10, d 3½

This continues the rent roll for 11 October 1755, with columns for ground rent, fees and demands, poll and other levies, and the sum in pounds, shillings and pence. Several entries in the levy columns were left blank, shown here as 0.

Brought over, 0 ground rent, 558¾ fees, 447 poll, £145 2s 2d

Thomas Cotgrave, 0 ground rent, 3 fees, 71¼ poll, £17 19s 3d

Thomas Clew, 0 ground rent, 2 fees, 0 poll, £0 10s 0d

Samuel Doveton's orphans, 5 acres at 1s 6d an acre, 10s 6d ground rent, 19½ fees, 19 poll, £13 12s 3d

John Doveton, 0 ground rent, 86½ fees, 1 poll, £4 11s 6d

Isaac Doveton, 0 ground rent, 77½ fees, 9½ poll, £6 5s 3d

Joseph Desfountain's orphans, 0 ground rent, 20 fees, 57 poll, £15 5s 0d

Elizabeth Desfountain, 0 ground rent, 11 fees, 0 poll, £2 15s 0d

John Desfountain, 0 ground rent, 93¾ fees, 24½ poll, £10 15s 9d

Sarah French, 10s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 10s 0d

Michael Frost, 15s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 15s 0d

John Goodwin, 15½ acres at 1s 6d an acre and 5 acres at 3s 6d an acre, 10s 6d ground rent, 53½ fees, 46¼ poll, £11 8s 8d

Richard Goodwin, 0 ground rent, 46½ fees, 27 poll, £9 1s 6d

Thomas Greentree, 33½ acres at 1s 6d an acre, 5s ground rent, 55 fees, 60 poll, £16 6s 6d

James Greentree, 0 ground rent, 48 fees, 55 poll, £16 3s 0d

Onesiphorus Gurling's orphans, 9 acres at 1s 6d an acre, 0 ground rent, 23 fees, 9 poll, £1 16s 6d

Richard Gurling's orphans, 6¼ acres at 6d an acre, 0 ground rent, 16 fees, 36 poll, £8 7s 10½d

Gabriel Harper's orphans, 0 ground rent, 22 fees, 46 poll, £12 12s 0d

Thomas Harper junior, 0 ground rent, 19 fees, 38 poll, £10 9s 0d

Thomas Hayes's orphans, 0 ground rent, 30 fees, 4 poll, £2 10s 0d

Martin Harper's orphans, 0 ground rent, 55½ fees, 45 poll, £14 0s 10d

Thomas Harper's orphans, 0 ground rent, 13¾ fees, 0 poll, £3 6s 3d

Thomas Harper senior, 10s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 10s 0d

Richard Harper, 4 acres at 1s 6d an acre, 0 ground rent, 17¼ fees, 0 poll, £3 12s 3d

James Hinds, 5 ground rent, 3 fees, 1 poll, £0 0s 0d

Gabriel Isacke, 0 ground rent, 8 fees, 2 poll, £0 0s 0d

Elisha Isacke, 0 ground rent, 25 fees, 5 poll, £2 10s 0d

Mary Jarvis, 12s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 12s 0d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, 24s ground rent, 21 fees, 10½ poll, £7 2s 6d

Samuel Knipe, 0 ground rent, 38½ fees, 16½ poll, £6 1s 3d

Isaac Knipe, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 16 poll, £4 0s 0d

William Kennedy, 13s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 13s 0d

Carried over, 0 ground rent, 1,186¾ fees, 70½ poll, £349 10s 3½d

Interpretations

The roll records the holdings of several established island families under multiple heads at once, with the Dovetons, Desfountains, Harpers and Greentrees each appearing in several separate entries. This spread shows how a founding family's land came to be divided among its members and the orphaned children of its dead, so that a single surname might carry many distinct liabilities across the roll as the original grants passed down and fragmented over the generations.

The orphaned heirs of dead planters were charged directly on the roll, the estates of the Gurlings, Harpers, Hayes and others being levied under the name of their orphans. The Company held the land answerable for its rents whoever now stood in the dead man's place, so children who had inherited a holding remained liable for the ground rent, fees and poll attached to it until they came of age or the land was made over to another.

Several holders paid a ground rent tied to a fixed rate for their acres, such as Thomas Greentree's 33½ acres at eighteen pence an acre or John Goodwin's mixed parcels at different rates, while most owed nothing under that head. This confirms that formal acreage rents attached only to particular leases, and the varying rates from sixpence to three shillings and sixpence an acre reflect differences in the quality or terms on which each parcel had first been granted.

124

115

Ground Rent, Fees and Nauls, Nauls, £ s d

Brought Over: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 1186¾, Nauls 70½, £ 349, s 10, d 3½

Eleanor Leech: Ground Rent 12/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 12, d 0

John Leech Senr: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 36, £ 9, s 0, d 0

John Leech Junr: Ground Rent 4/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 4, d 0

Bridget Leech: Ground Rent 2/6, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 2, d 6

Francis Mowatt: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 37½, Nauls 26½, £ 8, s 10, d 3½

Mary Mason: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 13¾, £ 3, s 8, d 9

William Moore: Ground Rent 5/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 5, d 0

Benjamin Mason: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 17¾, £ 4, s 7, d 6

Robert Mason: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 2, £ 0, s 10, d 0

James Powell: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 30, Nauls 35½, £ 10, s 4, d 2

Matthew Purling 6½ Acres @ 1/ pr Acre: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 133¼, Nauls 6¾, £ 22, s 3, d 0

Benjamin Pledgers Orp 3 Acres @ 4 pr Acre for 8 Months: Ground Rent 5, Fees and Nauls 18¾, Nauls 4, £ 11, s 9, d 0

William Paxdom: Ground Rent 2/6, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 2, d 6

Sarah Reynolds: Ground Rent 10/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 10, d 0

William Seale 5½ Acres @ 1/6 pr Acre: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 7, Nauls 45, £ 10, s 12, d 0

Benjamin Seale: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 7½, £ 1, s 16, d 3

John Seales Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 20, Nauls 7½, £ 2, s 17, d 6

Charles Steward: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 30¼, Nauls 60, £ 16, s 10, d 3

Nathan Sample: Ground Rent 10/, Fees and Nauls 25, Nauls 8½, £ 3, s 17, d 6

William Turner: Ground Rent 7/, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 0, £ 0, s 7, d 0

John Swartss Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 9, Nauls 38½, £ 10, s 1, d 6

John Worrall: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 50, £ 12, s 10, d 0

Francis Wrangham Senr: Ground Rent 49/6, Fees and Nauls 175¼, Nauls 123¼, £ 41, s 13, d 9¼

Francis Wrangham Junr 6 Acres @ pepper Corn pr Annum: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 82, Nauls 6, £ 4, s 2, d 0

Joshua Worrall: Ground Rent 20/, Fees and Nauls 31, Nauls 33, £ 11, s 6, d 0

Simon Whaleys Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 11½/6, Nauls 1¾, £ 0, s 19, d 2

Joseph Whaleys Orp: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 1¾/6, Nauls 23¼, £ 5, s 17, d 11

William Young: Ground Rent 3/, Fees and Nauls 70¼, Nauls 23, £ 10, s 9, d 6

Stephen Young: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 0, Nauls 10, Nauls 8½, £ 2, s 12, d 6

Total: Ground Rent 0, Fees and Nauls 2200¾, Nauls 1828½, £ 564, s 15, d 1½

Thomas

This continues the rent roll for 11 October 1755, with columns for ground rent, fees and demands, poll and other levies, and the sum in pounds, shillings and pence. Several entries in the levy columns were left blank, shown here as 0.

Brought over, 0 ground rent, 1,186¾ fees, 1,070½ poll, £349 10s 3½d

Eleanor Leech, 12s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 12s 0d

John Leech senior, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 36 poll, £9 0s 0d

John Leech junior, 4s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 4s 0d

Bridget Leech, 2s 6d ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 2s 6d

Francis Mowatt, 0 ground rent, 37½ fees, 26½ poll, £8 10s 3d

Mary Mason, 0 ground rent, 13¾ fees, 0 poll, £3 8s 9d

William Moore, 5s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 5s 0d

Benjamin Mason, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 17¼ poll, £4 7s 6d

Robert Mason, 0 ground rent, 2 fees, 0 poll, £0 10s 0d

James Powell, 0 ground rent, 30 fees, 35½ poll, £10 4s 2d

Matthew Purling, 6½ acres at 1s an acre, 0 ground rent, 133¼ fees, 6¼ poll, £22 3s 0d

Benjamin Pledger's orphans, 3 acres at 4s an acre for 8 months, 5 ground rent, 18¾ poll, £4 11s 9d

William Paxdom, 2s 6d ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 2s 6d

Sarah Reynolds, 10s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 10s 0d

William Seale, 5½ acres at 1s 6d an acre, 0 ground rent, 7 fees, 45 poll, £10 12s 0d

Benjamin Seale, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 7¼ poll, £1 16s 3d

John Seale's orphans, 0 ground rent, 20 fees, 7¼ poll, £2 17s 6d

Charles Steward, 0 ground rent, 30¼ fees, 60 poll, £16 10s 3d

Nathan Sample, 10s ground rent, 25 fees, 8½ poll, £3 17s 6d

William Turner, 7s ground rent, 0 fees, 0 poll, £0 7s 0d

John Swartz's orphans, 0 ground rent, 9 fees, 38½ poll, £10 1s 6d

John Worrall, 0 ground rent, 0 fees, 50 poll, £12 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham senior, 10s 6d ground rent, 175¼ fees, 123¼ poll, £41 13s 9¼d

Francis Wrangham junior, 6 acres of pepper corn a year, 0 ground rent, 82 fees, 6 poll, £4 2s 0d

Joshua Worrall, 20s ground rent, 31 fees, 33 poll, £11 6s 0d

Simon Whaley's orphans, 0 ground rent, 11½ fees, 1¼ poll, £0 19s 2d

Joseph Whaley's orphans, 0 ground rent, 1¼ fees, 23¼ poll, £5 17s 11d

William Young, 3s ground rent, 70¼ fees, 23 poll, £10 9s 6d

Stephen Young, 0 ground rent, 10 fees, 8½ poll, £2 12s 6d

Total, 0 ground rent, 2,200¼ fees, 1,828½ poll, £564 15s 1½d

The roll was signed by Thomas [...]

Interpretations

Francis Wrangham senior carried by far the largest liability on the whole roll at £41 13s 9¼d, more than double the next heaviest, built from very high fees and poll charges. Such a total marks him as one of the most substantial planters on the island, holding or working enough land and stock to draw charges far above the ordinary run of the roll, so a single name could account for a disproportionate share of the Company's land revenue.

Francis Wrangham junior held six acres on a peppercorn rent, paying only a nominal sum in acknowledgement of the Company's ownership rather than a true rent for the land. This device let the Company grant land to a favoured or family-connected holder while still asserting its title, so the peppercorn entry marks a concession that recognised the lord's ownership without exacting real value, a practice carried from English land law to the island.

The roll leaned heavily on the poll and fee charges rather than ground rent, the totals showing more than two thousand in fees and over eighteen hundred in poll against almost no ground rent across the whole body of planters. This confirms that the Company drew the bulk of its island revenue not from rent on land as such but from these other levies, so the yearly payment turned mainly on activity and persons rather than on the bare holding of acres.

125

116

Thomas Boarer having

quited the Honorable Companys Service as Groom we

therefore appointed John Strange to succeed him in that

employment at the usual allowance of eight Pounds

pr Annum.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

At a Consultation held on monday the 13th Day of

October 1755 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governer

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council.

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 11 October 1755

Lieutenant Onesiphorus Beale

presented the following Petition Vizt

Thomas Boarer had left the Honourable Company's service as groom, so the council appointed John Strange to succeed him in that employment at the usual allowance of eight pounds a year. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 13 October 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 11 October 1755 was read, approved and signed.

Lieutenant Onesiphorus Beale presented the following petition.

Interpretations

The post of groom was a salaried Company position filled by direct appointment of the council, carrying a fixed allowance of eight pounds a year. This shows the Company maintaining a settled establishment of paid servants to keep its horses and stables, with the office passing from one holder to the next by the governing body's decision rather than by any open hiring, so that even a stable place was part of the island's ordered administration.

126

117

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & Council.

The Petition of Onesiphorus Beale

Humbly Sheweth.

That there being about three or four Acres of waste

Land under the main Ridge Adjoining to the five Acres called

Webleys lately Granted your Petitioner.

Your Petitioner prays he may be Accepted Tenant

to the Honorable Company for the said waste

Land.

And as in Duty bound shall ever pray

(Signed)

Ones: Beale

Ordered the said Land to be Viewed

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Margin Notes:

13th October 1755.

Onesiphorus Beale petitioned Charles Hutchinson and the council. There were about three or four acres of waste land under the main ridge, adjoining the five acres called Webleys lately granted to him. Beale asked to be accepted as tenant to the Honourable Company for that waste land. The petition was dated 13 October 1755 and signed by Onesiphorus Beale.

The council ordered the land to be viewed. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

Beale sought to add unused ground to the holding he had just been granted, asking to take the waste land beside Webleys as a Company tenant. This shows how the island's cultivated area was extended piece by piece, a planter petitioning to bring neighbouring waste under tenancy so that scattered patches of unclaimed ground were gradually drawn into the rent-paying estate as holders sought to enlarge their farms.

The council did not grant the land outright but ordered it viewed first, sending someone to inspect the ground before any tenancy was fixed. This step shows the governing body taking care to know exactly what it was letting, since the extent and worth of waste land had to be established on the ground before a rent could be set, so a physical view stood between a planter's request and the Company's grant.

127

118

At a Consultation held on monday the 20th Day of

October 1755 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governer

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council.

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 13th October 1755.

Mr John Doveton having accused

John Perry Mattross in the Artillery Company of having

stolen from him three hundred Lemons, we directed him to be

brought before us who acknowledged that he was Guilty we

therefore Sentenced him to receive a hundred Lashes.

The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards

Accounts for the month ending the 11th instant, were this day

brought in, which were examined and approved and are as

follows Vizt

At a consultation held on Monday 20 October 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 13 October 1755 was read, approved and signed.

John Doveton accused John Perry, a matross in the artillery company, of stealing three hundred lemons from him. The council directed Perry to be brought before them, and he admitted he was guilty. The council therefore sentenced him to receive a hundred lashes.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 October were brought in that day, examined and approved, and were as follows.

Interpretations

A matross was a soldier in the artillery ranking below a gunner, who assisted in loading, firing and moving the guns and served as an apprentice to the gunners. The theft by such a man of three hundred lemons, a quantity far beyond personal use, points to the value of the island's citrus, which was grown both for provisioning ships and for its worth as a defence against scurvy on the long voyages the Company's vessels made.

The council answered the theft with a hundred lashes, the same corporal punishment it had lately imposed on slaves for selling arrack, showing that a soldier who stole was flogged like any other offender of low rank. The severity marked the protection the authorities gave to the island's produce, since lemons in such number represented a real loss to their owner and a temptation the garrison's discipline was meant to hold in check.

128

119

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12th of September to the 11th October 1755 vizt

Neat Cattle: Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total. Sheep: Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total. Goats: Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total. Hogs: Sows, Shoats, Barrows, Pigs, Boars, Total. Poultry: Turkeys, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Total. Horses: Horses, Mares, Total. Asses: S. Asses, S. Asses, Total

Remaining 12th: Bulls 6, Cows 83, Calves 79, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 266, Ewes 246, Weathers 140, Lambs 169, Rams 7, Total 562, Ewes 189, Weathers 82, Kids 78, Rams 8, Total 357, Sows 11, Shoats 5, Barrows 0, Pigs 51, Boars 1, Total 68, Turkeys 31, Fowls 134, Ducks 40, Geese 14, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 8, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 8, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 50, Rams 0, Total 50, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 0, Pigs 9, Boars 0, Total 9, Turkeys 0, Fowls 9, Ducks 3, Geese 2, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Total: Bulls 6, Cows 83, Calves 87, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 274, Ewes 246, Weathers 140, Lambs 219, Rams 7, Total 612, Ewes 189, Weathers 82, Kids 79, Rams 8, Total 358, Sows 11, Shoats 5, Barrows 0, Pigs 60, Boars 1, Total 77, Turkeys 31, Fowls 143, Ducks 43, Geese 16, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Lambs 7, Rams 0, Total 7, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 2, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 3, Fowls 12, Ducks 8, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 3, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 3, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 1, Shoats 1, Barrows 0, Pigs 15, Boars 0, Total 17, Turkeys 2, Fowls 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Remaining the 11th: Bulls 6, Cows 82, Calves 87, Heifers 17, Yearlings 48, Steers 14, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 273, Ewes 243, Weathers 133, Lambs 219, Rams 7, Total 602, Ewes 188, Weathers 81, Kids 78, Rams 8, Total 355, Sows 10, Shoats 4, Barrows 0, Pigs 45, Boars 1, Total 60, Turkeys 26, Fowls 131, Ducks 35, Geese 16, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Names of the Species Changed: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 62, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 273, Ewes 338, Weathers 184, Lambs 72, Rams 8, Total 602, Ewes 188, Weathers 107, Kids 52, Rams 8, Total 355, Sows 10, Shoats 13, Barrows 5, Pigs 31, Boars 1, Total 60, Turkeys 26, Fowls 131, Ducks 35, Geese 16, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Yams expended 9038

One Beast Killed

One Goat for the Sick Slaves

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

John Adamson

This account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock ran from 12 September to 11 October 1755. The columns for neat cattle were bulls, cows, calves, heifers, yearlings, steers, bullocks, oxen and total. The columns for sheep were ewes, wethers, lambs, rams and total. The columns for goats were ewes, wethers, kids, rams and total. The columns for hogs were sows, shoats, pigs, boars and total. Poultry was recorded as turkeys, fowls, ducks, geese and total. Horses were recorded as horses, mares and total, and asses as she-asses, he-asses and total.

Neat cattle remaining 12 September: 6 bulls, 83 cows, 79 calves, 17 heifers, 48 yearlings, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 266 total

Sheep remaining 12 September: 246 ewes, 140 wethers, 169 lambs, 7 rams, 562 total

Goats remaining 12 September: 189 ewes, 82 wethers, 78 kids, 8 rams, 357 total

Hogs remaining 12 September: 11 sows, 5 shoats, 0 pigs, 51 boars, 68 total

Poultry remaining 12 September: 31 turkeys, 134 fowls, 40 ducks, 14 geese, 5 total, 8 total

Horses remaining 12 September: 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total

Asses remaining 12 September: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Increased: 8 calves; 8 sheep lambs, 50 sheep rams, 50 sheep total; 1 goat kid, 1 goat total; 9 hog pigs, 9 hog total; 9 poultry ducks, 3 poultry total, 2 poultry total

Total: 6 bulls, 83 cows, 87 calves, 17 heifers, 48 yearlings, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 274 neat cattle total; 246 ewes, 140 wethers, 219 lambs, 7 rams, 612 sheep total; 189 ewes, 82 wethers, 79 kids, 8 rams, 358 goat total; 11 sows, 5 shoats, 0 pigs, 60 boars, 177 hog total; 31 turkeys, 143 fowls, 43 ducks, 16 geese, 5 poultry total, 8 poultry total; 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total; 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Killed: 1 cow; 1 sheep ewe, 7 sheep lambs, 7 sheep total; 1 goat wether, 2 goat total; 3 poultry ducks, 1 poultry geese, 2 poultry total

Died: 3 sheep lambs, 3 sheep total; 1 goat ewe, 1 goat kid, 1 goat rams, 1 goat total; 1 poultry fowl, 5 poultry ducks, 1 poultry geese, 7 poultry total, 2 poultry total

Neat cattle remaining 11 October: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 87 calves, 17 heifers, 48 yearlings, 14 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 273 total

Sheep remaining 11 October: 243 ewes, 133 wethers, 219 lambs, 7 rams, 602 total

Goats remaining 11 October: 188 ewes, 81 wethers, 78 kids, 8 rams, 355 total

Hogs remaining 11 October: 10 sows, 4 shoats, 0 pigs, 45 boars, 60 total

Poultry remaining 11 October: 26 turkeys, 131 fowls, 35 ducks, 16 geese, 5 total, 8 total

Horses remaining 11 October: 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total

Asses remaining 11 October: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Names of the species changed: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 62 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 273 neat cattle total; 338 ewes, 184 wethers, 72 lambs, 8 rams, 602 sheep total; 188 ewes, 107 wethers, 52 kids, 8 rams, 355 goat total; 10 sows, 13 shoats, 5 pigs, 31 boars, 1 boar, 60 hog total; 26 turkeys, 131 fowls, 35 ducks, 16 geese; 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total; 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Yams expended, 9,038

One beast was killed and one goat was taken for the sick slaves. The account was signed by John Adamson, subject to errors.

Interpretations

The account carried an extra row not found in the previous month, recording the numbers after the animals were reclassified from one category to another as they aged. Young beasts were moved up into the next class, calves becoming yearlings and lambs becoming ewes or wethers, so the final row restated the same totals under the reallocated headings, showing how the plantation kept its count accurate as its stock matured through the year.

The sharp rise in sheep, the flock growing by fifty in a single month through lambing, marks the arrival of the breeding season on the island. Such a jump in one class of stock reflects the southern-hemisphere spring, when the ewes dropped their lambs together, so the plantation's numbers swelled at the turn from September to October in step with the island's temperate seasons rather than any northern calendar.

One goat was drawn from the stock specifically for the sick slaves, singled out in the note beneath the account. This shows the plantation's animals used not only to feed the garrison and settlement but to provision the care of ailing slaves, so a beast was set aside for those too ill to work, a small mark of how the Company managed the health of the labour on which the island depended.

129

120

20th October

Gunners Stores Expended from 12th Septr to the 11th of

October 1755 vizt

Powder Expended

Powder for Blowing of Lime Stone at Ruports

lb oz

14 .. 0

Do Fired to fright the Goats on Mundens Point

and Ladder Hill

0 .. 12

Do for Blowing of Lime Stone at Sandy Bay

6 .. ..

Do for Do the Rocks on Ladder Hill

8 .. 8

Do Sold

35 .. 8

Total 64 .. 12

Gun Carriages wore out & Unserviceable at Sandy Bay

4

Paper for making of great Gun Cartridges

2 qr

Needles broke with sowing of Do

3

Match Burnt at Mundens, Ruports & Bankss since 11th June

18 lb

Rockett Moulds wore out and Unserviceable

1

Lint Stocks broke at the Main Fort and Sandy Bay

6

Sives wore out & Unserviceable

2

Bitts broke at Sandy Bay

1

Trunk Nailes for repairing Spunges

2790

Powder Hornes Wore out and Unserviceable

44

Small Shot found amongst the Mushett Balls, to be

Deducted from them, to be Sold

56 lb

Iron Shod Trucks belonging to the Gun Carriages that

are wrote off Unserviceable

19

Signed

Tho Hall

This account listed the gunner's stores used from 12 September to 11 October 1755, with powder measured in pounds and ounces.

Powder for blowing up the lime stone at Rupert's, 14lb 0oz

Powder fired to frighten the goats on Munden's Point and Ladder Hill, 0lb 12oz

Powder for blowing up the lime stone at Sandy Bay, 6lb 0oz

Powder for blowing up the rocks on Ladder Hill, 8lb 8oz

Powder sold, 35lb 8oz

Total powder, 64lb 12oz

Gun carriages worn out and unserviceable at Sandy Bay, 4

Paper for making great gun cartridges, 2 quires

Needles broke with sewing of the cartridges, 3

Match burnt at Munden's, Rupert's and Banks's since 11 June, 18lb

Rocket moulds worn out and unserviceable, 1

Flint stocks broke at the main fort and Sandy Bay, 6

Sieves worn out and unserviceable, 2

Bitts broke at Sandy Bay, 1

Trunk nails for repairing sponges, 2,790

Powder horns worn out and unserviceable, 44

Small shot found amongst the musket balls, to be deducted from them, to be sold, 56lb

Iron shod trucks belonging to the gun carriages that are written off unserviceable, 19

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

Interpretations

Most of the powder this month went not on defence or training but on quarrying and clearing, being spent blowing up limestone at Rupert's and Sandy Bay and breaking rocks on Ladder Hill. This shows the garrison's gunpowder put to civil engineering, using explosives to win lime for building mortar and to clear rock for the island's works, so the ordnance stores served the settlement's construction as much as its guns.

A further quantity was fired simply to frighten the goats off Munden's Point and Ladder Hill, using powder to drive the feral animals from the steep ground. The wild goats roamed the heights where they could not easily be caught, so the garrison resorted to noise and blast to move them, a recurring charge on the stores that shows how persistent a nuisance the goats were to the island's cultivated land.

The account noted small shot found mixed among the musket balls, to be separated out and sold rather than kept. This careful sorting of the stores, recovering saleable shot that had become muddled with the ball, shows the close husbandry the Company kept over its ordnance, so that even stray shot was accounted for and turned to value rather than left wasted among the wrong stock.

130

121

Sundrys expended at the Table in the Month ending 11th October

1755 vizt

25 Bottles Port Wine

£ 1 16 11½

23 Lisbon

1 14 7½

18 Mountain

1 6 7½

5 Madeira

.. 11 10½

67 Arrack

2 4 8

55 Beer

.. 11 5½

347 Flour

2 3 4½

364 Beef

3 16 7¼

171¾ Mutton

3 11 6¾

1 Kid

.. 5 ..

3 ps Salt Beef

.. 8 3

6 ps Do Pork

.. 12 ..

12 Fowls

.. 18 ..

8 Ducks

.. 12 ..

3 Turkeys

.. 15 ..

100 Candy

1 0 2

33 Butter

1 13 ..

£ 24 8 11½

Darby Coils having accused Henry

Baker a Taylor of having Defrauded some Gentlemen of some Silk

that he had to make Cloaths for them and particular in regard to a

Yd of Sattin that he had to make a Waistcoat of, which the said Coils

asserted Baker had made two, and that one of them he had Sold to

Mr Jonathan Doveton a Planter. But it appearing upon enquiry

that Baker had only three Yards Delivered him for that Waistcoat

This account listed the sundries used at the table in the month ending 11 October 1755.

25 bottles of port wine, £1 16s 11¾d

23 bottles of Lisbon, £1 14s 0d

18 bottles of mountain, £1 6s 7½d

5 bottles of Madeira, £0 11s 10½d

67 bottles of arrack, £2 4s 8d

55 bottles of beer, £0 11s 5½d

341lb flour, £2 3s 4½d

364lb beef, £3 16s 4¼d

171¾lb mutton, £3 11s 6¾d

1 kid, £0 5s 0d

3lb salt beef, £0 8s 3d

6lb salt pork, £0 12s 0d

12 fowls, £0 18s 0d

8 ducks, £0 12s 0d

3 turkeys, £0 15s 0d

100lb candy, £1 0s 2d

33lb butter, £1 13s 0d

Total, £24 8s 11½d

Darby Coils accused Henry Baker, a tailor, of defrauding some gentlemen of some silk he had to make clothes for them, and in particular a quantity of leather he had to make a waistcoat, of which Baker had made two, and one of them he had sold to Jonathan Doveton, a planter. But on enquiry it appeared that Baker had only three yards delivered to him for that waistcoat.

Interpretations

The table's meat bill this month shifted toward beef, which at £3 16s 4¼d for 364lb slightly exceeded the mutton, reversing the pattern of the previous month when mutton had dominated. This change reflects the killing recorded in the stock account, where a beast was slaughtered, so the table drew on fresh beef when cattle were killed and fell back on the plantation's more plentiful sheep at other times, the provisions following whatever the herds and flocks yielded.

The same Henry Baker ordered off the island for insulting an officer was now accused of defrauding customers of the silk and leather entrusted to him for their clothes. Having already been marked as troublesome and told to leave, he faced a fresh charge that a tailor was cheating those he worked for, cutting a second waistcoat from material meant for one and selling it, so the man's dishonesty in his trade compounded the disrespect that had first brought him before the council.

Speculations

The council did not take the accusation against Baker at face value but tested it by enquiry, establishing that only three yards had been delivered for the waistcoat rather than accepting that he had fraudulently made two from one customer's leather. The obvious course against a man already condemned as troublesome would have been to believe the charge and add it to his account, yet the record shows the council checking the quantity of material actually supplied, so a settled prejudice against Baker was set aside in favour of finding what the leather would truly have made.

131

122

it was therefore impossible out of that quantity he could have

made two, and it was likewise proved that Mr Doveton had

no such Waistcoat, As the above aspersion has prejudiced

Mr Bakers Character, we therefore fined the said Darby Coils

in the Sum of Twenty Shillings to the Honorable Companys

Cash. and ordered him to ask Mr Bakers Pardon Publicly.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

At a Consultation held on monday the 27th Day of October

1755 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council.

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 20 October 1755.

This Day Died Moses Menanto Soldier.

The Paymaster brought in his

Accounts and the Storekeeper his Collection for the Quarter

Ending the 11th instant, which were examined and approved

and are as follows Vizt

It was therefore impossible that Baker could have made two waistcoats out of that quantity, and it was also proved that Doveton had no such waistcoat. Since the accusation had damaged Baker's character, the council fined Darby Coils twenty shillings to the Honourable Company's cash and ordered him to ask Baker's pardon publicly. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 27 October 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 20 October 1755 was read, approved and signed.

That day Moses Menanto, a soldier, died.

The paymaster brought in his accounts and the storekeeper his collection for the quarter ending 11 October, which were examined and approved, and were as follows.

Interpretations

The council found the accusation against Baker false and turned the penalty on his accuser, fining Coils twenty shillings and ordering a public apology. This shows the authorities protecting a man's reputation even after they had condemned his conduct, so a false charge that damaged Baker's standing as a tradesman was punished in its own right, the same sum a Sabbath-breaker forfeited now exacted from one who had spread a groundless slander.

The order that Coils ask Baker's pardon publicly matched the public nature of the original aspersion, since the slander had been spoken openly and the remedy had to reach as far as the harm. On a small island where a tradesman's credit depended on his neighbours' good opinion, a private retraction would not have undone the damage, so the council required the amends to be made before the community that had heard the charge.

132

123

List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants upon the

Island St Helena, with their Several Salarys Diet Mony &ca for

the Quarter Commenceing July the 12th and ending 11th October 1755 vizt

Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governer Salary

£ 125 .. ..

Do Allowance for Servants as usual

31 14 9

156 14 9

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor Salary

62 10 ..

Do Diet Mony

25 ..

87 10 ..

John Clark of Council

15 ..

John Goodwin Accomptants Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

15 ..

Do House Rent

2 10

35 ..

Matthew Purling Storekeeper Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

15 ..

32 10 ..

Francis Wrangham Secretarys Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

15

Do House Rent

2 10

35 ..

William Lee Chaplain Salary

25 ..

Do Diet Mony

15 ..

40 ..

James Powell Factors Salary

7 10

Do Diet Mony

10

Do Assistant Storekeeper

5 ..

Do House Rent

2 10

25 ..

Matthew Bazett Factor Salary

7 10

Do Diet Mony

10 ..

Do House Rent

2 10

20 ..

William Wrangham Writers Salary

5 ..

Do Diet Mony

10 ..

Do House Rent

2 10

17 10

Charles Steward Writer's Salary

5

Do Diet Mony

10 ..

15 ..

John Inglis Surgeons Salary

9 15

Do Diet Mony

10

Do House Rent

2 10

22 5

Carried over

£ 468 19 9

This list set out the Honourable Company's officers and servants on the island of St Helena, with their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter beginning 12 July and ending 11 October 1755.

Charles Hutchinson, Governor, salary £125 0s 0d

Charles Hutchinson, allowance for servants as usual, £31 14s 9d, total £156 14s 9d

John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, salary £62 10s 0d

John Adamson, diet money, £25 0s 0d, total £87 10s 0d

John Clark of council, £15 0s 0d

John Goodwin, accountant, salary £17 10s 0d

John Goodwin, diet money, £15 0s 0d

John Goodwin, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

Matthew Purling, storekeeper, salary £17 10s 0d

Matthew Purling, diet money, £15 0s 0d, total £32 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham, secretary, salary £17 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham, diet money, £15 0s 0d

Francis Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

William Lee, chaplain, salary £25 0s 0d

William Lee, diet money, £15 0s 0d, total £40 0s 0d

James Powell, factor, salary £7 10s 0d

James Powell, diet money, £10 0s 0d

James Powell, assistant storekeeper, £5 0s 0d

James Powell, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £25 0s 0d

Matthew Bazett, factor, salary £7 10s 0d

Matthew Bazett, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Matthew Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £20 0s 0d

William Wrangham, writer, salary £5 0s 0d

William Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d

William Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £17 10s 0d

Charles Steward, writer, salary £5 0s 0d

Charles Steward, diet money, £10 0s 0d, total £15 0s 0d

John Inglis, surgeon, salary £9 15s 0d

John Inglis, diet money, £10 0s 0d

John Inglis, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £22 5s 0d

Carried over, £468 19s 9d

Interpretations

The pay structure combined a basic salary with separate allowances for diet money and house rent, so an officer's total reward was built from several distinct grants rather than a single wage. This layered scheme let the Company recognise the cost of food and lodging apart from the salary of the office, and the allowances often exceeded the salary of the lesser servants, showing how much of a Company servant's living was met through provision beyond his bare pay.

The Governor's total of £156 14s 9d towered over every other officer, more than the Lieutenant Governor and the whole body of writers and factors combined in several cases. This gulf marks the steep hierarchy of the Company's establishment, where the head of the island drew a reward far above his subordinates, and his allowance for servants alone nearly matched the entire pay of a factor, setting the governor apart as the dominant figure of the settlement's administration.

The chaplain William Lee drew £40 for the quarter, well above the factors and writers and second only to the two most senior officers among the salaried men. This standing given to the minister shows the value the Company placed on maintaining religion on the island, so the man who kept the Sabbath and served the church was paid more than those who kept the stores or the books, reflecting the weight the establishment gave to spiritual as well as commercial order.

133

124

Brought Over

£ 468 19 9

Thomas Evans Surgeons Mate Salary

£ 6 5

Do Diet Mony

10 ..

16 5

Samuel Alexander

7 10

Matthew Bazett Overseers

7 10

George Young

7 10

Richard Beale Schoolmaster Salary

3 8 3

Do As Clerk

5

8 8 3

John Bland Master Mason Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

10

Do House Rent

1 10

29

Mark Hawkins Mason Salary

12 10

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

1

20 6 10½

Thomas Kirkpatrick Master of Arms

6 5

James Sheridan Gardener

10

Thomas Ewing Carpenters Salary £12.10.

Do House Rent

15

13 5

Thomas Eastwood Carpenters Mate

8 15

John Vale Armourer

10 10

John Hughes Do Mate

9 ..

James Corbett Cooper

8 15

William Moore Steward

6 ..

Michael Frost Clock & Instrument Cleanor

1 5

Nicholas Grafton Patron of the S Boat

7 10

Thomas Boarer Housekeeper

2 ..

Thomas Harper Marshal

5 6 5½

88 11 5½

First Company

John Clark 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do on Acct of instructing the Gunners

7 10

37 3 1½

Carried Over

£ 721 14 5½

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £468 19s 9d

Thomas Evans, surgeon's mate, salary £6 5s 0d

Thomas Evans, diet money, £10 0s 0d, total £16 5s 0d

Samuel Alexander, overseer, £7 10s 0d

Matthew Bazett, overseer, £7 10s 0d

George Young, overseer, £7 10s 0d

Richard Beale, schoolmaster, salary £3 8s 3d

Richard Beale, as clerk, £5 0s 0d, total £8 8s 3d

John Bland, master mason, salary £17 10s 0d

John Bland, diet money, £10 0s 0d

John Bland, house rent, £1 10s 0d, total £29 0s 0d

Mark Hawkins, mason, salary £12 10s 0d

Mark Hawkins, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Mark Hawkins, house rent, £1 0s 0d, total £20 6s 10½d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, master of arms, £6 5s 0d

James Sheridan, gardener, £10 0s 0d

Thomas Levinz, carpenter, salary £12 10s 0d

Thomas Levinz, house rent, £15s 0d, total £13 5s 0d

Thomas Eastwood, carpenter's mate, £8 15s 0d

John Vaile, armourer, £10 10s 0d

John Hughes, armourer's mate, £9 0s 0d

James Corbett, cooper, £8 15s 0d

William Moore, steward, £6 0s 0d

Michael Frost, clock and instrument cleaner, £1 5s 0d

Nicholas Grafton, patron of the longboat, £7 10s 0d

Thomas Boarer, house keeper, £2 0s 0d

Thomas Harper, marshal, £5 6s 5½d, total £88 11s 5½d

First company

John Clark, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d

John Clark, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

John Clark, on account of instructing the gunners, £7 10s 0d, total £37 3s 1½d

Carried over, £724 14s 5½d

Interpretations

The establishment maintained a schoolmaster who also served as clerk, Richard Beale drawing pay under both heads, showing that the Company provided for the teaching of the island's children alongside its commercial and military staff. That one man held both offices reflects the small scale of the settlement, where a single person often filled two roles, so the education of the young was folded into the same salaried establishment that ran the stores, the works and the garrison.

The list ran heavily to skilled tradesmen, masons, carpenters, an armourer, a cooper and their mates, each drawing a salary from the Company. This shows how far the island depended on its own artisans to build and maintain its fortifications, houses and equipment, since a remote settlement could not send for craftsmen at need and had to keep a standing body of skilled labour on its books to keep the works in repair.

John Clark drew additional pay for instructing the gunners on top of his lieutenant's salary and diet money, marking the training of the artillery as a distinct duty worth a separate allowance. The defence of the island rested on gunners who had to be taught their work, so the Company paid to have them instructed, treating the transfer of that skill as an office in itself rather than an ordinary part of a lieutenant's charge.

134

125

Brought Over

£ 721 14 5½

Stephen Herbert 2nd Lieutenant Salary

£ 18 5

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

2 10

27 11 10½

Francis Mowatt Adjutant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

29 13 1½

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs

7 12 1

John Howard

7 12 1

William Davis

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

Humphrey Pugh

5 6 5½

Joseph Fenton

5 6 5½

Edward Robinson

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Vaughan Drummer

5 6 5½

Sentinels

Thomas Brown from 12 July to the 18th Aug pr mo Died

1 11 8

George Bennet

3 16 ½

John Burtn

3 16 ½

John Bagley

3 16 ½

James Cartwright

3 16 ½

Phillip Cole

3 16 ½

George Capelin

3 16 ½

William Cooksey

3 16 ½

Duncan Cameroon

3 16 ½

James Easthope

3 16 ½

Thomas Farris

3 16 ½

George Green

3 16 ½

John Grainger

3 16 ½

John Gawler

Sentinels Carried over

£ 51 .. 2½

Carried Over£ 825 1 6½

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £724 14s 5½d

Stephen Herbert, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d

Stephen Herbert, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Stephen Herbert, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Francis Mowatt, adjutant, salary £22 16s 3d

Francis Mowatt, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £29 13s 1½d

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs, £7 12s 1d

John Howard, £7 12s 1d

William Davis, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

Humphrey Pugh, £5 6s 5½d

Joseph Fenton, £5 6s 5½d

Edward Robinson, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 6½d

John Vaughan, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Sentinels

Thomas Brown, from 12 July to 18 August when he died, £1 11s 8d

George Bennet, £3 16s 0½d

John Burtho, £3 16s 0½d

John Bagley, £3 16s 0½d

James Cartwright, £3 16s 0½d

Phillip Cole, £3 16s 0½d

George Capelin, £3 16s 0½d

William Cooksey, £3 16s 0½d

Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 0½d

James Easthope, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Jarvis, £3 16s 0½d

George Green, £3 16s 0½d

John Grainger, £3 16s 0½d

John Gawler, £3 16s 0½d

Sentinels carried over, £51 0s 2½d

Carried over, £825 1s 6½d

Interpretations

The garrison was ordered in a strict descending rank, from the commissioned lieutenants and adjutant through sergeants and corporals to the private sentinels, with the pay falling sharply at each step. A second lieutenant with his allowances drew nearly eight times what a private sentinel received, showing how the military hierarchy was expressed directly in the pay scale, so a man's place in the chain of command fixed the exact measure of his reward.

The list carried the dead sentinel Thomas Brown for only the part of the quarter he lived, his pay running from 12 July to his death on 18 August and reckoned at a fraction of the full amount. This shows the exactness of the Company's pay accounting, which stopped a man's wages at the day he died rather than paying the whole quarter, so the establishment paid only for service actually rendered down to the date of death.

Every private sentinel drew exactly the same pay of £3 16s 0½d for the quarter, a flat uniform rate across the whole body of common soldiers. This equality among the rank and file marks the sentinel's pay as a fixed rate for the station rather than a reward for the individual, so that all who stood guard were paid alike regardless of name or length of service, the sum attaching to the post itself.

135

126

Brought Over

£ 825 1 6½

Sentinels Brought Over

£ 51 .. 2½

Richard Golding

3 16 ½

John Groves

3 16 ½

Richard Godson

3 16 ½

Thomas Hayles

3 16 ½

James Hendrey

3 16 ½

Jonathan Hitchens

3 16 ½

William Lambourn

3 16 ½

Joseph Low

3 16 ½

Thomas Litchfield

3 16 ½

John Marsh

3 16 ½

Nathan Mickhael

3 16 ½

William Montgomery

3 16 ½

James Richardson

3 16 ½

John Scother

3 16 ½

John Shaw

3 16 ½

Charles Smith

3 16 ½

George Smith

3 16 ½

Thomas Suffrell

3 16 ½

John Turner

3 16 ½

Thomas Williams

3 16 ½

Edward Welber

3 16 ½

John Wathson

3 16 ½

Jeremiah Whorrell

3 16 ½

Matthias Young

3 16 ½

142 5 2½

Second Company

Thomas Easthope 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

2 10

32 3 1½

Samuel Price 2nd Lieutenant

18 5

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

2 10

27 11 10½

Carried Over

£ 1027 1 9

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £825 1s 6½d

Sentinels brought over, £51 0s 2½d

Richard Golding, £3 16s 0½d

John Groves, £3 16s 0½d

Richard Godson, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Hayles, £3 16s 0½d

James Hendry, £3 16s 0½d

Jonathan Hitchens, £3 16s 0½d

William Lambourn, £3 16s 0½d

Joseph Low, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Litchfield, £3 16s 0½d

John Marsh, £3 16s 0½d

Nathan Mitchael, £3 16s 0½d

William Montgomery, £3 16s 0½d

James Richardson, £3 16s 0½d

John Scother, £3 16s 0½d

John Shaw, £3 16s 0½d

Charles Smith, £3 16s 0½d

George Smith, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Suffrell, £3 16s 0½d

John Turner, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Williams, £3 16s 0½d

Edward Welber, £3 16s 0½d

John Wathson, £3 16s 0½d

Jeremiah Whorrell, £3 16s 0½d

Matthias Young, £3 16s 0½d, total £142 5s 2½d

Second company

Thomas Easthope, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d

Thomas Easthope, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Easthope, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

Samuel Price, second lieutenant, £18 5s 0d

Samuel Price, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Samuel Price, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Carried over, £1,027 1s 9d

Interpretations

The garrison was divided into two separate companies, each with its own first and second lieutenants, so the island's small body of soldiers was formally organised into distinct units under their own officers. This division into companies gave the defence a proper military structure despite its modest size, letting the garrison be commanded and mustered in parts rather than as a single undifferentiated body, and matching the establishment of a regular military force to the scale of a remote island posting.

The uniform sentinel's rate of £3 16s 0½d ran on unchanged through this second long list of names, the same flat sum paid to every private across both companies. This confirms the fixed rate for the rank throughout the garrison, so the ordinary soldier's pay was a standard charge attaching to the station of sentinel, applied alike to every man who filled it regardless of which company he served in or where his name fell on the roll.

136

127

Brought Over

£ 1027 1 9

Sergeants

Charles Styles

£ 7 12 1

William Langhorn

7 12 1

Richard Vaughan

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

John Bridgwater

5 6 5½

Gilbert Clough

5 6 5½

Benjamin Swaits

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Clough Drummer

5 6 5½

Sentinels

William Adams

3 16 ½

William Brown

3 16 ½

Robert Ballard

3 16 ½

Christian Brinks

3 16 ½

Onesiphorus Bagley

3 16 ½

James Carmichael

3 16 ½

John Chevot

3 16 ½

John Crips

3 16 ½

Baron Deloaph

3 16 ½

Thomas Fuller

3 16 ½

Edward Grant

3 16 ½

John Hyde

3 16 ½

William Hayes

3 16 ½

Thomas Kenrick

3 16 ½

John Kersey

3 16 ½

Richard Knight

3 16 ½

John Langbridge

3 16 ½

Thomas Lindsey

3 16 ½

Thomas Loveland

3 16 ½

Joseph Long from the 26th July prd he Entered

3 5

Abraam Major

3 16 ½

Sentinels Carried Over

£ 79 5 10

Carried Over

£ 1071 3 10

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,027 1s 9d

Sergeants

Charles Styles, £7 12s 1d

William Langhorn, £7 12s 1d

Richard Vaughan, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

John Bridgwater, £5 6s 5½d

Gilbert Clough, £5 6s 5½d

Benjamin Swaits, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 6½d

John Clough, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Sentinels

William Adams, £3 16s 0½d

William Brown, £3 16s 0½d

Robert Ballard, £3 16s 0½d

Christian Brinks, £3 16s 0½d

Onesiphorus Bagley, £3 16s 0½d

James Carmichael, £3 16s 0½d

John Chevot, £3 16s 0½d

John Crips, £3 16s 0½d

Baron Deloaph, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Fuller, £3 16s 0½d

Edward Grant, £3 16s 0½d

John Hyde, £3 16s 0½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Kendrick, £3 16s 0½d

John Kersey, £3 16s 0½d

Richard Knight, £3 16s 0½d

John Langbridge, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Lindsey, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Loveland, £3 16s 0½d

Joseph Long, from 26 July when he entered, £3 5s 0d

Abraham Major, £3 16s 0½d

Sentinels carried over, £79 5s 10d

Carried over, £1,071 3s 10d

Interpretations

The two companies mirrored each other exactly in structure, the second carrying the same three sergeants, three corporals and a drummer as the first, each rank drawing an identical rate of pay. This deliberate symmetry shows the garrison built to a fixed establishment, where each company was raised to the same pattern of ranks and numbers, so the island's defence rested on two matching units rather than an improvised body shaped by whoever happened to be available.

The newly entered sentinel Joseph Long was paid only from 26 July when he joined rather than from the start of the quarter, his wages reckoned from the day he entered service. This matches the exact accounting applied to the dead man carried earlier, so just as pay stopped at death it began only at enlistment, the Company reckoning each man's wages strictly by the days he actually served rather than by the quarter as a whole.

The presence of a drummer in each company marks the means by which orders were passed and the garrison moved, since the drum carried commands across the noise and distance of the parade and the works. A small remote garrison still needed this instrument of command, so each company kept its own drummer on the establishment, the beat serving to muster the men and signal the routine of guard and duty on which the island's security depended.

137

128

Brought over

£ 1071 3 10

Sentinels Brought over

£ 79 5 10

Thomas Morris

3 16 ½

Charles Mountague

3 16 ½

John Passewater

3 16 ½

Thomas Payne

3 16 ½

Thomas Pearse

3 16 ½

William Robinson

3 16 ½

Robert Jack

3 16 ½

David Scott

3 16 ½

Adam Scott

3 16 ½

John Shirtly

3 16 ½

Nicholas Grafton

3 16 ½

Joseph Thompson

3 16 ½

William Thompson

3 16 ½

Christian Syder

3 16 ½

Joseph Uffen

3 16 ½

Roger Whitman

3 16 ½

140 2 6

Third Company

Thomas Kirkpatrick 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

2 10

32 3 1½

William Kennedy 2nd Lieutenant Salary

18 5

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

2 10

27 11 10½

Sergeants

John Walker

7 12 1

William Buntin

7 12 1

Thomas Bazett

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

Samuel Desfountain

5 6 5½

William Lindsey

5 6 5½

David Sherry

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Gold Drummer

5 6 5½

Carried Over

£ 1313 3 5

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,071 3s 10d

Sentinels brought over, £79 5s 10d

Thomas Morris, £3 16s 0½d

Charles Mountague, £3 16s 0½d

John Passewater, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Payne, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Pearse, £3 16s 0½d

William Robinson, £3 16s 0½d

Robert Jack, £3 16s 0½d

David Scott, £3 16s 0½d

Adam Scott, £3 16s 0½d

John Shirtly, £3 16s 0½d

Nicholas Grafton, £3 16s 0½d

Joseph Thompson, £3 16s 0½d

William Thompson, £3 16s 0½d

Christian Syder, £3 16s 0½d

Joseph Uffen, £3 16s 0½d

Roger Whitman, £3 16s 0½d, total £140 2s 6d

Third company

Thomas Kirkpatrick, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

William Kennedy, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d

William Kennedy, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

William Kennedy, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Sergeants

John Walker, £7 12s 1d

William Buntin, £7 12s 1d

Thomas Bazett, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

Samuel Desfountain, £5 6s 5½d

William Lindsey, £5 6s 5½d

David Suerry, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 6½d

John Gold, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Carried over, £1,313 3s 5d

Interpretations

The garrison ran to a third company on the same fixed pattern, again with its first and second lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals and a drummer, so the island kept three matching units of soldiers rather than the two named earlier. This scale of establishment shows the weight the Company placed on holding St Helena, maintaining a garrison large enough to be ordered into three companies on a small island whose value lay in its position on the sea route to India rather than in any wealth of its own.

Thomas Kirkpatrick appeared here as first lieutenant of the third company while also drawing pay earlier in the list as master of arms, holding a command in the garrison alongside a separate island office. This doubling of roles again reflects the small pool of capable men on the island, where the same individual filled both a military command and a civil charge, so the settlement's offices were shared among a limited number of hands rather than each falling to a separate person.

138

129

Brought Over

£ 1313 3 5

Sentinels

Edward Allis

3 16 ½

John Allis

3 16 ½

Thomas Beddow

3 16 ½

Thomas Boarer

3 16 ½

Isaac Buck

3 16 ½

William Cain

3 16 ½

William Carnam

3 16 ½

Edward Cocker

3 16 ½

Thomas Cobb

3 16 ½

William Cobb

3 16 ½

Isaac Day

3 16 ½

Samuel Eales

3 16 ½

John Frazier

3 16 ½

Jonathan Godby

3 16 ½

Thomas Garden

3 16 ½

James Green

3 16 ½

Job Harrisson

3 16 ½

James Hall

3 16 ½

John Hayley

3 16 ½

William Hayes

3 16 ½

Phillip Hickman

3 16 ½

George Kibbot

3 16 ½

Peter Lindsey

3 16 ½

John Langridge

3 16 ½

Moses Monanteau

3 16 ½

Duncan McClausin

3 16 ½

William Richards

3 16 ½

Edward Richards

3 16 ½

Lewis Rowe

3 16 ½

Arnold Sausery

3 16 ½

Daniel Sergeant

3 16 ½

Timothy Sullevan

3 16 ½

Thomas Taylor

3 16 ½

Edward Terry

3 16 ½

John Tomason

3 16 ½

John Tull Williams

3 16 ½

Benjamin Williams

3 16 ½

144 9 7

Edward Williams

Carried over

£ 1459 13 ..

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,313 3s 5d

Sentinels

Edward Allis, £3 16s 0½d

John Allis, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Beddow, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Boarer, £3 16s 0½d

Isaac Buck, £3 16s 0½d

William Cain, £3 16s 0½d

William Carnam, £3 16s 0½d

Edward Cocker, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Cobb, £3 16s 0½d

William Cobb, £3 16s 0½d

Isaac Day, £3 16s 0½d

Samuel Eales, £3 16s 0½d

John Frazier, £3 16s 0½d

Jonathan Godby, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Gawden, £3 16s 0½d

James Green, £3 16s 0½d

Job Harrisson, £3 16s 0½d

James Hall, £3 16s 0½d

John Hayley, £3 16s 0½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 0½d

Phillip Hickman, £3 16s 0½d

George Kibbet, £3 16s 0½d

Peter Lindsey, £3 16s 0½d

John Langridge, £3 16s 0½d

Moses Monanteau, £3 16s 0½d

Duncan McClausin, £3 16s 0½d

William Richards, £3 16s 0½d

Edward Richards, £3 16s 0½d

Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 0½d

Arnold Sausery, £3 16s 0½d

Daniel Sergeant, £3 16s 0½d

Timothy Sullevan, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Taylor, £3 16s 0½d

Edward Terry, £3 16s 0½d

John Tomdison, £3 16s 0½d

John Tull, £3 16s 0½d

Benjamin Williams, £3 16s 0½d

Edward Williams, £3 16s 0½d, total £144 9s 7d

Carried over, £1,459 13s 0d

Interpretations

The third company's roll of private sentinels ran longer than either of the others, carrying nearly forty names at the same fixed rate, so the bulk of the garrison's strength lay in this final company. This weighting shows that the establishment's numbers fell most heavily on the common soldiers rather than the officers and non-commissioned ranks, the private sentinels forming the great mass of the fighting force on which the island's defence ultimately rested.

The rolls carried several men of the same surname, two named Allis, two Cobb, two Richards and two Williams among the sentinels, pointing to families serving together in the ranks. Such clustering of names shows how the garrison drew on kin, brothers or fathers and sons enlisting alongside one another, so that military service on the island ran in families and the same households supplied more than one man to stand guard.

139

130

Brought Over

£ 1459 13 ..

Fourth Company

Onesiphorus Beale 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House

2 10

32 3 1½

George Hay 2nd Lieutenant Salary

18 5

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

25 1 10½

Sergeants

Robert Mason

7 12 1

Michael Frost

7 12 1

William Watkins

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

Thomas Leech

5 6 5½

Charles Gefson

5 6 5½

Robert Brown

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Caffen Drummer

5 6 5½

Sentinels

Godby Armbuster

3 16 ½

Robert Baker

3 16 ½

Peter Barber

3 16 ½

George Beale

3 16 ½

William Beckett

3 16 ½

Robert Berry

3 16 ½

John Burk

3 16 ½

William Brooks

3 16 ½

John Brown

3 16 ½

Daniel Carn

3 16 ½

Stephen Cleverly

3 16 ½

John Cosley

3 16 ½

John Deotine

3 16 ½

Peter Glestone

3 16 ½

Peter Fincall

3 16 ½

Sentinels Carried over

£ 57 .. 7½

Carried Over

£ 1561 .. 1

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,459 13s 0d

Fourth company

Onesiphorus Beale, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d

Onesiphorus Beale, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Onesiphorus Beale, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

George Hay, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d

George Hay, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £25 1s 10½d

Sergeants

Robert Mason, £7 12s 1d

Michael Frost, £7 12s 1d

William Watkins, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

Thomas Leech, £5 6s 5½d

Charles Gesson, £5 6s 5½d

Robert Brown, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 6½d

John Caffin, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Sentinels

Godby Armbruster, £3 16s 0½d

Robert Baker, £3 16s 0½d

Peter Barber, £3 16s 0½d

George Beale, £3 16s 0½d

William Beckett, £3 16s 0½d

Robert Berry, £3 16s 0½d

John Burk, £3 16s 0½d

William Brooks, £3 16s 0½d

John Brown, £3 16s 0½d

Daniel Carr, £3 16s 0½d

Stephen Cleverly, £3 16s 0½d

John Cosler, £3 16s 0½d

John Deetine, £3 16s 0½d

Peter Glestone, £3 16s 0½d

Peter Fincall, £3 16s 0½d

Sentinels carried over, £57 0s 7½d

Carried over, £1,561 1s 0d

Interpretations

The garrison extended to a fourth company built on the identical establishment, so the island in fact maintained four matching units of soldiers rather than the smaller force the earlier companies alone suggested. Four companies raised to the same fixed pattern of officers, sergeants, corporals, a drummer and a body of sentinels made up a substantial standing garrison for so small a place, underscoring how heavily the Company invested in defending its station on the ocean passage to the East.

George Hay appeared here as second lieutenant of the fourth company, the same officer whose complaint against the tailor Baker had lately come before the council. His place on the pay roll confirms his standing in the garrison and shows the man who had brought a matter of personal honour before the governing body was one of its commissioned officers, so the dispute over the coat had involved a lieutenant of some rank rather than a figure of no consequence.

The names of Company servants recurred across the military rolls, Onesiphorus Beale commanding the fourth company while also appearing as a landholder and petitioner, and Michael Frost serving as a sergeant while drawing separate pay as the island's clock and instrument cleaner. This overlap between the garrison and the civil establishment shows how thoroughly the same small body of men filled every role on the island, holding military rank and civil employment together as the settlement made what it could of its limited population.

140

131

Brought Over

£ 1561 .. 1

Sentinels Brought Over

£ 57 .. 7½

Votoar Gordon

3 16 ½

William Harris

3 16 ½

William Harrisson

3 16 ½

John Hayes

3 16 ½

James Hindes

3 16 ½

John Holloway

3 16 ½

John Hudson

3 16 ½

Thomas Jackson

3 16 ½

Samuel Hitson

3 16 ½

William Lyon

3 16 ½

Richard McNolly

3 16 ½

Christian Mouse

3 16 ½

Stephen Orr

3 16 ½

Archibald Bouge

3 16 ½

John Robinson

3 16 ½

John Simmons

3 16 ½

Joseph Smith

3 16 ½

John Strange

3 16 ½

Thomas Tayla

3 16 ½

William Taylo

3 16 ½

James Sherston

3 16 ½

Richard Swaits

3 16 ½

William Swaits

3 16 ½

Thomas Wansel

3 16 ½

John Williams

3 16 ½

Stephen Willoughby

3 16 ½

Thomas Woffington

3 16 ½

Jeremiah Whyrill

3 16 ½

163 9 9½

Artillery Company

Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10½

Do House Rent

2 10

32 3 1½

Carried Over

£ 1750 13 ..

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,561 1s 0d

Sentinels brought over, £57 0s 7½d

Votour Gorden, £3 16s 0½d

William Harris, £3 16s 0½d

William Harrisson, £3 16s 0½d

John Hayes, £3 16s 0½d

James Hindes, £3 16s 0½d

John Holloway, £3 16s 0½d

John Hudson, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Jackson, £3 16s 0½d

Samuel Hitson, £3 16s 0½d

William Lyon, £3 16s 0½d

Richard McNolly, £3 16s 0½d

Christian Mouse, £3 16s 0½d

Stephen Orr, £3 16s 0½d

Archibald Bouge, £3 16s 0½d

John Robinson, £3 16s 0½d

John Simmons, £3 16s 0½d

Joseph Smith, £3 16s 0½d

John Strange, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Tayler, £3 16s 0½d

William Tayler, £3 16s 0½d

James Thurston, £3 16s 0½d

Richard Swaits, £3 16s 0½d

William Swaits, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Wansel, £3 16s 0½d

John Williams, £3 16s 0½d

Stephen Willoughby, £3 16s 0½d

Thomas Woffington, £3 16s 0½d

Jeremiah Whyrill, £3 16s 0½d, total £163 9s 9½d

Artillery company

Thomas Hall, master gunner, salary £22 16s 3d

Thomas Hall, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Hall, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

Carried over, £1,750 13s 0d

Interpretations

Beyond the four companies of foot the establishment kept a separate artillery company under a master gunner, marking the guns as a distinct arm with its own command and its own body of trained men. The defence of the island turned above all on its batteries commanding the anchorage and the approaches, so the gunners who worked those guns formed a specialist force apart from the sentinels, and the master gunner drew the same pay as a company lieutenant, reflecting the skill his charge demanded.

Richard McNolly appeared among the sentinels here, the same soldier who had lately given evidence against the tailor Baker before the council. His place on the roll confirms him as an ordinary private of the garrison, so the witness whose testimony helped condemn Baker was one of the common soldiers, showing how the garrison's own men were drawn on to make out charges brought before the governing body.

Thomas Hall, the master gunner named here, was the same officer who signed the monthly accounts of the gunner's stores recording powder spent on exercise, quarrying and driving off the goats. His appearance on the pay roll ties the man to the office, so the detailed returns of ordnance expended came from the head of the artillery himself, the officer responsible both for working the guns and for accounting to the council for every pound of powder and every broken store.

141

132

Brought Over

£ 1750 13 ..

Gunners Mates

Nathan Sample Chief Mate

£ 11 8 ½

Isaac Leech

9 2 6

William Turner

9 2 6

John Witchurch

9 2 6

Henry Carter

9 2 6

Charles McNeily

9 2 6

Rowland Davis

9 2 6

Richard Billington

9 2 6

75 5 7½

Quarter Gunners

Adam Watson

6 16 10½

John Spencer

6 16 10½

John Sacks

6 16 10½

James Lee

6 16 10½

James Long

6 16 10½

Derby Coyles

6 16 10½

John Hellinges

6 16 10½

Thomas Mason

6 16 10½

54 15 ..

Matrosses

John Artinstall

4 11 3

Samuel Anderson

4 11 3

Joseph Boswell

4 11 3

Andrew Barton

4 11 3

John Cawdry

4 11 3

William Campble

4 11 3

James Cooper

4 11 3

Anthony Day

4 11 3

William Flitcher

4 11 3

Phillip Killiard

4 11 3

Richard Noyce

4 11 3

Adam Milbourn

4 11 3

Thomas Mudge

4 11 3

Matrosses Carried over

£ 59 6 3

Carried Over

£ 1886 13 7½

This continues the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,750 13s 0d

Gunners' mates

Nathan Sample, chief mate, £11 8s 1½d

Isaac Leech, £9 2s 6d

William Turner, £9 2s 6d

John Witchurch, £9 2s 6d

Henry Carter, £9 2s 6d

Charles McNeily, £9 2s 6d

Rowland Davis, £9 2s 6d

Richard Billington, £9 2s 6d, total £75 5s 7½d

Quarter gunners

Adam Watson, £6 16s 10½d

John Spencer, £6 16s 10½d

John Jacks, £6 16s 10½d

James Lee, £6 16s 10½d

James Long, £6 16s 10½d

Derby Coyles, £6 16s 10½d

John Hellinges, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Mason, £6 16s 10½d, total £54 15s 0d

Matrosses

John Artinstall, £4 11s 3d

Samuel Anderson, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Boswell, £4 11s 3d

Andrew Barton, £4 11s 3d

John Cawdry, £4 11s 3d

William Campble, £4 11s 3d

James Cooper, £4 11s 3d

Anthony Day, £4 11s 3d

William Flitcher, £4 11s 3d

Phillip Killiard, £4 11s 3d

Richard Noyee, £4 11s 3d

Adam Milbourn, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Mudge, £4 11s 3d

Matrosses carried over, £59 6s 3d

Carried over, £1,886 13s 7½d

Interpretations

The artillery company was ordered in a graded structure of its own, descending from the master gunner through his mates and the quarter gunners to the matrosses, each rank drawing its distinct rate. This mirrored the ranking of the foot companies but with titles peculiar to the guns, showing the artillery as a fully organised specialist corps in which skill and responsibility were marked by grade, the quarter gunners taking charge of particular guns beneath the mates and above the labouring matrosses.

The quarter gunner Derby Coyles named here was the same man fined twenty shillings and ordered to apologise for his false accusation against the tailor Baker. His place among the artillery confirms him as a trained gunner of the garrison rather than a mere labourer, so the man whose groundless charge the council punished held a position of some skill and standing in the defence of the island.

The matrosses stood at the foot of the artillery establishment on the lowest pay, ranking below the quarter gunners as the labourers who assisted at the guns and learned the gunner's trade. Their pay of £4 11s 3d set them above the private sentinels of the foot yet well below the skilled gunners, marking them as men in training for the artillery, so the corps renewed itself by keeping a body of junior hands who would rise to gunner as they mastered the work.

142

133

Brought Over

£ 1886 13 7½

Matrosses Brought Over

£ 59 6 3

Roger Nevinson

4 11 3

George Nelson

4 11 3

William Perry

4 11 3

Joseph Pritchard

4 11 3

Abram Ratcliff

4 11 3

Thomas Watts

4 11 3

86 13 9

Superannuated

William Burnham Sergeant

3 8 3

£ 1976 15 7½

This continues and closes the list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,886 13s 7½d

Matrosses brought over, £59 6s 3d

Roger Nevinson, £4 11s 3d

George Nelson, £4 11s 3d

William Perry, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Pritchard, £4 11s 3d

Abram Ratcliff, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d, total £86 13s 9d

Superannuated

William Burnham, sergeant, £3 8s 3d

Total, £1,976 15s 7½d

Interpretations

The establishment made provision for a superannuated sergeant, William Burnham, kept on the pay roll at a reduced sum after his active service had ended. This shows the Company maintaining a form of pension for a worn-out soldier, so a man who could no longer serve was not simply cast off but carried on the books at a diminished rate, a mark of the settled obligation the Company acknowledged toward those who had given long service to the island.

The matross William Perry named among the junior gunners was the same man sentenced to a hundred lashes for stealing three hundred lemons from John Doveton. His place at the foot of the artillery roll confirms him as a common gunner's labourer of the garrison, so the man flogged for the theft drew the lowest artillery pay, and the offence that brought him before the council was that of a soldier at the bottom of the establishment.

The whole quarter's establishment came to £1,976 15s 7½d, the sum of every salary, allowance and wage from the Governor down to the superannuated sergeant. This total measures the full cost of holding St Helena for three months, a heavy standing charge on the Company for a small island that produced little of its own, borne because the place commanded the sea route on which the whole of the Company's eastern trade depended.

143

134

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1755

October 11th To Cash from the Honorable Companys Cash Chest

£ 2019 19 6½

£ 2019 19 6½

Island St

This was the account of John Clark, paymaster, on the debit side.

11 October 1755, to cash from the Honourable Company's cash chest, £2,019 19s 6½d

Total, £2,019 19s 6½d

The account was headed Island of St Helena.

Interpretations

The paymaster drew a single large sum from the Company's cash chest to meet the whole quarter's wages, taking £2,019 19s 6½d in one payment to fund the pay of the entire establishment. This shows the mechanism by which the garrison and servants were paid, the money passing from the central reserve into the paymaster's hands for distribution, so the cash chest examined by the council served as the source from which the island's standing costs were met each quarter.

144

135

Per Contra Cr

1755

Septr 14th By Cash paid Thomas Farris for Relisting to serve

the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years

to Commence from this Day

£ 10 0 0

Octr 11th By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 3½ Bushels Potatoes

for the Honorable Companys Table, 2 Bushels Do for

Planting, and 400 Lemons, in this Quarter

1 15 6

By Do paid Sundry Soldiers for Comeing express of

Ships to Windward. this Quarter

0 15 0

By Do paid Baron Deloaph. for making a Gibb for

the Honorable Companys Long Boat & Numbering

two Plates. for the Keys of the Gates this Quarter

0 5 0

By Do paid Jonathan Hitchins for Carpenters Work

done for the Honorable Company this Quarter

5 0 0

By Do paid Sundry Soldiers, for Working in the Honorable

Companys Long Boat and Rowing in their spaul

in this Quarter

5 1 0

By Do paid Sundry Soldiers, for working at Ruports &

the main Fort. in repairing the damages. done by

the late high Surfs. to the Fortyfications

16 0 9

By Do paid Stephen Willoughby & James Carmichael for

baking 52 Batches Bread, at 1/8 pr Batch for the

use of the Garrison this Quarter

4 6 8

By Do paid the Honorable Companys Officers and

Servants upon the Island St Helena their several Salarys

Diet Mony &ca for the Quarter Commenceing 12 July

and Ending 11 October 1755

1976 15 7½

£ 2019 19 6½

Helena 11th October 1755

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

John Clark Paymaster

This was the credit side of the paymaster's account, setting out the payments made against the cash drawn.

14 September 1755, cash paid Thomas Jarvis for re-enlisting to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier for five years, to begin from that day, £10 0s 0d

11 October 1755, cash paid Richard Bagley for 3½ bushels of potatoes for the Honourable Company's table, 2 bushels for planting, and 400 lemons in the quarter, £1 15s 6d

Paid sundry soldiers for going express to windward on the arrival of ships in the quarter, £0 15s 0d

Paid Baron Deloaph for making a gib for the Honourable Company's longboat and numbering two plates for the keys of the gates in the quarter, £0 5s 0d

Paid Jonathan Hitchens for carpenter's work done for the Honourable Company in the quarter, £0 5s 0d

Paid sundry soldiers for working in the Honourable Company's longboat and rowing in her as usual in the quarter, £5 1s 0d

Paid sundry soldiers for working at Rupert's and the main fort in repairing the damage done by the recent high surf to the fortifications, £16 0s 9d

Paid Stephen Willoughby and James Carmichael for baking 52 batches of bread at 1s 8d a batch for the use of the garrison in the quarter, £4 6s 8d

Paid the Honourable Company's officers and servants on the island of St Helena their several salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter beginning 12 July and ending 11 October 1755, £1,976 15s 7½d

Total, £2,019 19s 6½d

The account was signed at St Helena on 11 October 1755 by John Clark, paymaster, subject to errors.

Interpretations

The account shows soldiers paid separate wages for civil labour beyond their military duty, working the Company's longboat, repairing the forts and being sent express on the arrival of ships. This confirms how the garrison served as a general labour force for the island, its men turning from guard duty to rowing, carpentry and stonework as need arose, so the same soldiers who stood sentinel earned extra pay by keeping the settlement's boats, buildings and defences in order.

The heaviest single item beyond the wages bill was the £16 0s 9d paid to soldiers for repairing the storm damage at Rupert's and the main fort, the very work the council had ordered troops onto weeks earlier. This entry closes the account of that decision, showing the cost of setting soldiers to shore up the walls after the high surf, so the emergency recorded in the consultations reappears here as a definite charge met from the quarter's cash.

The provisioning of the table again drew on the island's own produce, Richard Bagley supplying potatoes and four hundred lemons from his holding, the same planter whose heavy rent charge appeared on the roll. This shows the Company buying fresh food from its own tenants to feed its table, so a substantial planter both paid rent to the Company and sold it provisions, the island's small economy turning on the same few holders in more than one capacity.

Speculations

The Company paid Thomas Jarvis ten pounds to re-enlist for five years, choosing to spend a substantial bounty to keep an experienced soldier rather than let his term lapse and rely on finding a replacement. On a remote island where new recruits could come only by ship and at the Company's expense, holding a man already trained and present was worth a payment equal to more than two quarters of a sentinel's wages, so the bounty bought continuity in a garrison that could not easily be made good from outside.

145

136

Collections of Goods, Sold, and Delivered out of the

Honorable Companys Stores from the 12 of July to the 11 of

October 1755 vizt

Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 pr Cent

Arrack 143 Gallons

£ 35 15 0

Sugar & Candy vizt

2958 Sugar

£ 49 6 0

1414 Candy

29 9 2

78 15 2

Flour vizt

3228 Flour

20 3 6

1044 24 Do Boiled

82 13 1½

102 16 7½

Soap 478

13 18 10

Candles 285

24 0 11

Rice 15 2 7

6 9 8

Tea vizt

16 4 Congo

7 16 0

10 4 Single

7 7 4

9 3 Bohea

4 12 0

19 15 4

Salt 12 7/8 Bushels

1 16 9

Cordage 250

3 15 6½

Hosiers ware vizt

1 Pr Womens Stockings

3 7

7 Pr Mens Wove Do

1 6 10

9 Pr Do Knit Do

1 10

6 Pr Girls

0 16 6

30 Pr Mens Thread

4 5 0

8 1 11

Challoes 23 Pr

13 2 7

Carried over

£ 308 8 4

This account recorded the collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755. The goods were sold to the Company's servants at ten per cent above cost.

Arrack, 143 gallons, £35 15s 0d

Sugar, 2,958lb, £49 6s 0d

Candy, 1,414lb, £29 9s 2d

Sugar and candy total, £78 15s 2d

Flour, 3,228lb, £20 3s 6d

Bohea flour, 1,044lb 24oz, £82 13s 1½d

Flour total, £102 16s 7½d

Soap, 1,178lb, £13 18s 10d

Candles, 285lb, £24 0s 11d

Rice, 15 hundredweight 2 quarters 7lb, £6 9s 8d

Congou tea, 164lb, £7 16s 0d

Singlo tea, 104lb, £7 7s 4d

Bohea tea, 92lb, £4 12s 0d

Tea total, £19 15s 4d

Salt, 12½ bushels, £1 16s 9d

Cordage, 250lb, £3 15s 6½d

1 pair of women's stockings, £0 3s 7d

7 pairs of men's woven stockings, £1 6s 10d

9 pairs of men's knit stockings, £1 10s 0d

6 pairs of girls' stockings, £0 16s 6d

30 pairs of men's thread stockings, £4 5s 0d

Hosiery total, £8 1s 11d

Chelloes, 23 pieces, £13 2s 7d

Carried over, £308 8s 4d

Interpretations

The Company sold goods from its stores to its own servants at ten per cent above cost, running a supply system that let those on the island buy necessities and comforts otherwise unobtainable. This shows the store working as the settlement's shop, the fixed markup covering the Company's trouble while keeping prices within reach of its servants, so a man posted to a remote island could still get sugar, tea, soap and clothing through the same body that employed him.

The goods on offer reveal how far the island's daily life depended on the Company's eastern trade, tea coming in three grades of congou, singlo and bohea, alongside sugar, candy, rice and Indian cloth. These were the wares of the very commerce St Helena existed to serve, so the ships passing to and from the East both provisioned the store and gave its servants a taste of the trade, the same Chinese teas and Indian textiles reaching the island's table and wardrobe as passed through its road.

Chelloes were a plain Indian cotton cloth imported from the East, and their sale here at a substantial figure shows the reach of the Company's textile trade into the island's supply. Such cloth was a staple of the eastern commerce, carried in bulk from India, so its appearance in the store account marks how the ordinary clothing and household stuff of the settlement was drawn from the same Indian trade that filled the Company's ships, rather than from England.

146

137

Brought Over

£ 308 8 4

Thread vizt

5 Whited Brown

£ 1 10 5

32 Coloured

5 17 4

1 oz Nuns

0 2 2

7 9 11

Beef & Pork vizt

6 Double lbs Beef 2/

0 12 0

85 lbs Do 2/

8 10 0

10 lbs Do 3/1½

1 10 3

18 Double lb Pork 2/

1 16 0

919 Do lbs Do 2/

91 18 0

70 Do lbs Do 2/2

7 11 8

111 18 1

Oil vizt

10 p Gr Train

1 15 0

3 p Gr Linseed

0 11 11

25 Bottles Florence

3 3 6½

5 10 5½

Canvas vizt

3 p Ps English

0 6 4

7 p Ps Ozenbrigs

3 5 10

3 12 2

Turnersware vizt

4 Hair Brooms

0 8 10

3 Punch Ladles

0 1 11

4 Shoe Brushes

0 2 7

1 Scrubbing Brush

0 1 10

2 Flaskets

0 5 6

2 Paint Brushes

0 1 ½

1 Straining Dish

0 0 3½

1 2 0

Carried Over

£ 438 0 11½

This continues the account of collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £308 8s 4d

Whited brown thread, 5lb, £1 10s 5d

Coloured thread, 32lb, £5 17s 4d

Nuns thread, 1oz, £0 2s 2d

Thread total, £7 9s 11d

6 double barrels of beef at 2s, £0 12s 0d

85 barrels of beef at 2s, £8 10s 0d

10 barrels of beef at 3s 1½d, £1 10s 3d

18 double barrels of pork at 2s, £1 16s 0d

919 barrels of pork at 2s, £91 18s 0d

70 barrels of pork at 2s 2d, £7 11s 8d

Beef and pork total, £111 18s 1d

Train oil, 10½ gallons, £1 15s 0d

Linseed oil, 3½ gallons, £0 11s 11d

Florence oil, 25 bottles, £3 3s 6½d

Oil total, £5 10s 5½d

English canvas, 5½ pieces, £0 6s 4d

Osnaburg canvas, 7 pieces, £3 5s 10d

Canvas total, £3 12s 2d

4 hair brooms, £0 8s 10d

3 punch ladles, £0 1s 11d

4 shoe brushes, £0 2s 7d

1 scrubbing brush, £0 1s 10d

2 flaskets, £0 5s 0d

2 paint brushes, £0 1s 0½d

1 straining dish, £0 0s 3½d

Turnersware total, £1 2s 0d

Carried over, £438 0s 11½d

Interpretations

Salt provisions dominated this part of the account, the store issuing hundreds of barrels of beef and pork, chiefly pork, at a total of £111 18s 1d far above every other class of goods. This great stock of preserved meat reflects the island's role in victualling the Company's ships, since salt beef and pork kept for long voyages and had to be held in bulk to reprovision the vessels calling at the road, so the store carried far more than the settlement itself could consume.

Osnaburg was a coarse linen cloth, originally from Osnabrück in Germany, used for rough clothing, sacking and sailcloth, and its sale here alongside English canvas shows the store supplying material for hard wear and shipboard use. Such durable cloth served the working needs of a maritime settlement, going into sails, bags and the plain garments of labourers, so the store stocked the tough fabrics that the island's ships and workers consumed in quantity.

Turnersware was the class of small turned and shaped household implements, the brooms, ladles, brushes and dishes listed here, named for the turner's craft that produced such wares. Their presence in the store shows the settlement's dependence on the Company even for the humblest domestic goods, since a remote island could not make or buy such things locally, so the store supplied the ordinary tools of the household down to a single straining dish alongside its bulk provisions and cloth.

147

138

Brought Over

£ 438 0 11½

Shoes vizt

144 Pr Mens Ordinary

£ 30 12 0

7 Pr Mens Fine

2 2 3½

3 Pr Pumps

1 0 0

4 Pr Channel Pumps

1 11 8

3 Pr Womens Spanish

0 14 7½

6 Pr Boys

0 19 1

11 Pr Girls

1 2 11

38 2 7

Paint vizt

47¾ Blea Smalts

4 7 6½

1 Videgrease

0 3 5½

2 Barrels Blacking

0 2 1

Do White Lead

0 3 4½

7¼ Whiting

0 3 1½

Do Vinet Red

0 0 2½

Do Yellow Oaker

1 0 10½

5 1 8

Glassware vizt

39 Wine Glasses

1 0 4

1 Beer Glass

0 0 11

9 Tumblers

0 5 3

217 Sqrs Glass 6 by 8

3 7 10

39 Sqrs Do 8 by 10

1 4 4½

80 Sqrs Do 10 by 12

3 13 4

1 Half Hour Glass

0 0 7½

9 12 8

Ironnongersware vizt

2 Claw Hammers

0 2 7

3 Helves

0 2 0

Ironware Carried over

£ 0 4 7

Carried over

£ 490 17 10½

This continues the account of collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £438 0s 11½d

144 pairs of men's ordinary shoes, £30 12s 0d

7 pairs of men's fine shoes, £2 2s 3½d

3 pairs of pumps, £1 0s 0d

4 pairs of channel pumps, £1 11s 8d

3 pairs of women's Spanish shoes, £0 14s 7½d

6 pairs of boys' shoes, £0 19s 1d

11 pairs of girls' shoes, £1 2s 11d

Shoes total, £38 2s 7d

Blue smalts, 47¾lb, £4 7s 6½d

Firegrease, 1lb, £0 3s 5½d

2 barrels of blacking, £0 2s 1d

White lead, 5lb, £0 3s 4½d

Whiting, 7¼lb, £0 3s 1½d

Venetian red, 1lb, £0 0s 2½d

Yellow ochre, 5lb, £1 1s 0½d

Paint total, £5 1s 8d

39 wine glasses, £1 0s 4d

1 beer glass, £0 0s 11d

9 tumblers, £0 5s 3d

217 square feet of glass 6 by 8, £3 7s 10d

39 square feet of glass 8 by 10, £1 4s 4½d

80 square feet of glass 10 by 12, £3 13s 4d

1 half-hour glass, £0 0s 7½d

Glassware total, £9 12s 8d

2 claw hammers, £0 2s 7d

3 helves, £0 2s 0d

Ironware carried over, £0 4s 7d

Carried over, £490 17s 10½d

Interpretations

Blue smalts was a powdered blue pigment made from cobalt glass, used to colour and to counter the yellow tinge in whitewash and paint, and its sale here in quantity among the paints shows the store supplying the materials for finishing and decorating the island's buildings. Such pigments could not be had locally on a remote island, so the store carried the full range of a painter's colours, the smalts, white lead, whiting, Venetian red and yellow ochre together furnishing everything needed to paint and limewash the settlement's houses and works.

The store sold window glass in fixed pane sizes reckoned by the square foot, the 6 by 8, 8 by 10 and 10 by 12 panes supplying the glazing for the island's buildings. This shows the settlement's construction depending wholly on imported materials down to the glass in its windows, since none could be made on the island, so the same stores that held provisions and cloth also carried the cut panes that let a house on St Helena be finished to an English standard.

Channel pumps were a light shoe named for the channel cut round the sole to take the stitching, and their sale alongside ordinary and fine shoes shows the store stocking footwear in several grades for men, women and children. This range let every rank of the settlement be shod from the Company's store, from the labourer in ordinary shoes to those wanting fine or Spanish leather, so the island's whole supply of footwear passed through the same account rather than any local trade.

148

139

Brought Over

£ 490 17 10½

Ironmongersware Brought Over

£ 0 4 7

10 Chest Locks

1 18 4

2 Pr Sheep Sheers

0 4 5

5 Hand Hatchets

0 7 6

9 Stock Locks

0 18 9

1 Pr HL Hinges

0 1 9

4 Chafing Dishes

1 3 2

1 File Haft

0 0 ½

5 Files

0 3 9

11 Frying Pans

1 5 10

2 Ditching Shovels

0 9 11

3 Spades

0 7 3

2 Pr Bellows

0 8 10

1 Plaisterers Trowel

0 1 9

3 Prs Dovetail Hinges

0 1 1½

3 Padlocks

0 7 6

35 Sets Knitting Needles

0 3 0

4 Pickaxes

0 9 8

1 Broad Hoe

0 1 11

1 2 Ft Rule

0 0 11

1 Ironwind Lock

0 6 1

1 Loping Ax

0 3 2

9 9 3

Braziersware vizt

6 Tea Kettles

3 13 0

9 Pr Candlesticks

3 0 0

1 Ladle

0 2 5

1 Warming Pan

0 12 4½

7 7 9½

Swine & Chains

Carried Over

£ 507 18 11

This continues the account of collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £490 17s 10½d

Ironware brought over, £0 4s 7d

10 chest locks, £1 18s 4d

2 pairs of sheep shears, £0 4s 5d

5 hand hatchets, £0 7s 6d

9 stock locks, £0 18s 9d

1 pair of HL hinges, £0 1s 9d

4 chafing dishes, £1 3s 2d

1 file haft, £0 0s 0½d

5 files, £0 3s 9d

11 frying pans, £1 5s 10d

2 ditching shovels, £0 9s 11d

3 spades, £0 7s 3d

2 pairs of bellows, £0 8s 10d

1 plasterer's trowel, £0 1s 9d

3 pairs of dovetail hinges, £0 1s 1½d

3 padlocks, £0 7s 6d

35 sets of knitting needles, £0 3s 0d

4 pickaxes, £0 9s 8d

1 broad hoe, £0 1s 11d

1 2-foot rule, £0 0s 11d

1 iron rimmed lock, £0 6s 1d

1 loping axe, £0 3s 2d

Ironware total, £9 9s 3d

6 tea kettles, £3 13s 0d

9 pairs of candlesticks, £3 0s 0d

1 ladle, £0 2s 5d

1 warming pan, £0 12s 6½d

Braziersware total, £7 7s 9½d

Swine chains

Carried over, £507 18s 11d

Interpretations

Braziersware was the class of goods made of brass and other beaten metal, the tea kettles, candlesticks, ladle and warming pan listed here, named for the brazier's trade that worked such metal. Its sale from the store shows the settlement drawing even its metal household wares from the Company, since a remote island had no brazier of its own to make or mend them, so the kettles and candlesticks that furnished an island house came in by ship like everything else.

The ironware ran to a wide range of tools for building, farming and the trades, chest locks, hatchets, files, shovels, spades, pickaxes and a plasterer's trowel among them, showing how completely the island's working life was equipped from the store. Every craft and labour on the island needed iron tools that could not be forged locally in quantity, so the store carried the whole assortment a settlement required, from the mason's trowel to the ditcher's shovel, binding the island's work to the Company's supply.

The appearance of thirty-five sets of knitting needles alongside the heavy tools points to domestic manufacture on the island, the making of stockings and other knitted goods in the households. Set beside the finished stockings the store also sold, the needles show that some islanders made their own, so the settlement both bought ready-made hosiery and worked its own wool, the store supplying the means for each according to what a household chose to do.

149

140

Brought over

£ 507 18 11

Chinaware vizt

33 Smehers

£ 0 8 3

10 Bowls

0 10 0

32 Meat Dishes

126 Do Plates

5 1 4

9 Soup Dishes

0 12 0

21 Do Plates

0 7 10½

2 Sauce Boats

0 2 0

5 Guglets and Basons

0 12 6

3 Chamber Pots

0 4 9

51 Cups & Saucers

0 19 1½

8 17 10

Cutleryware vizt

10 Butchers Knives

0 3 1½

1 Buding Do

0 1 11

6 Horn Combs

0 1 0

3 Grass Moulds

0 2 8½

5 Joory Combs

0 5 2½

0 13 11½

Kersey 22 Yards

1 13 0

Hooks & Knees vizt

2425 Hooks Sorted

2 13 6

2450 Blue Hooks

0 10 0

20 Doz 2 Sizes Sorted

5 17 10

9 1 4

Haberdasheryware vizt

14 Doz mohair Co Buttons

0 9 4

17 Do m Breast Do

0 5 8

3 Do Silver Co Do

0 13 3

16 Sks Silk

0 7 4

Haberdasheryware over

£ 1 15 7

Carried over

£ 528 5 ½

This continues the account of collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £507 18s 11d

33 stackers, £0 8s 3d

10 bowls, £0 10s 0d

32 meat dishes, £5 1s 4d

126 plates, £5 1s 4d

2 soup dishes, £0 12s 0d

21 soup plates, £0 7s 10½d

2 sauce boats, £0 2s 0d

5 gugglets and basins, £0 12s 6d

3 chamber pots, £0 4s 9d

51 cups and saucers, £0 19s 1½d

Chinaware total, £8 17s 10d

10 butchers' knives, £0 3s 1½d

1 binding knife, £0 1s 11d

6 horn combs, £0 1s 0d

5 grass moulds, £0 2s 8½d

5 ivory combs, £0 5s 2½d

Cutleryware total, £0 13s 11½d

Kersey, 22 yards, £1 13s 0d

2,425 hooks sorted, £2 13s 6d

2,450 blue hooks, £0 10s 0d

20 dozen 2 sleeve sorted, £5 17s 10d

Hooks and eyes total, £9 1s 4d

14 dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 9s 4d

17 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 5s 8d

3 dozen silver coat buttons, £0 13s 3d

16 skeins of silk, £0 7s 4d

Haberdashery total, £1 15s 7d

Carried over, £528 5s 0½d

Interpretations

Chinaware was the porcelain brought from China through the Company's eastern trade, the meat dishes, plates, cups and saucers listed here, and its sale from the store shows the finest tableware of the age reaching the island by the same ships that carried tea and cloth. Chinese porcelain was a prized import in England itself, so its presence on a remote South Atlantic island marks how directly St Helena lay on the route of the eastern trade, the Company's servants able to set their tables with the same porcelain that graced households at home.

Gugglets were porous earthenware vessels used to cool drinking water by evaporation through their walls, an item suited to warm weather and carried from the East. Their sale here shows the store supplying wares fitted to the island's climate, so a household kept its water cool in the same way as in the hotter Company stations further east, the gugglet answering a practical need that the settlement's own mild but sometimes warm conditions could make welcome.

Kersey was a coarse ribbed woollen cloth long made in England for hard-wearing clothing, and its sale alongside the Indian textiles shows the store carrying English as well as eastern cloth. This mixture reflects how the island drew its supply from both directions of the Company's trade, the durable English wool serving for warm and working garments while the lighter Indian cottons served other needs, so the settlement's clothing came from the full span of the Company's commerce.

150

141

Brought Over

£ 528 5 ½

Haberdasheryware Brought over

£ 1 15 7

12 lb Mohair

0 4 6

3 lbs Carnation Tape

0 2 3

3 Doz Gr Bo Buttons

0 6 7½

2 8 11½

Leather vizt

52¼ Leather

2 8 9½

3 Colt Skins

1 2 9

4 1 6½

Buckram 8 7/8 yards

0 8 9

Copper 9 lb

0 5 ½

Cotton Stockings 2 Pr

0 13 4

Long Ells 25½ yards

2 4 7½

Nails 101 Sorted

2 3 11

Pitch vizt

10¼ Gr Tar

0 7 8

1½ Pitch

0 1 9

33 Turpentine

0 5 6

0 14 11

Serge 6¼ yards

1 10 9

Pewter vizt

1 Dish

0 7 2

1 Qr Funnel

0 2 6

0 9 8

Desooters 47 Prs

22 6 6

Starch 3 lb

0 1 8

Deals vizt

10 Single

11 16 3½

1 Wainset Board

0 5 4

1 Pr Riga Timber

1 17 7

1 Baulk

0 6 1

14 5 3½

Carried over

£ 580 0 0

This continues the account of collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £528 5s 0½d

Haberdashery brought over, £1 15s 7d

12lb mohair, £0 4s 6d

3 pairs of carnation tape, £0 2s 3d

3 dozen gilt breast buttons, £0 6s 7½d

Haberdashery total, £2 8s 11½d

Leather, 52¼lb, £2 18s 9½d

3 calf skins, £1 2s 9d

Leather total, £4 1s 6½d

Buckram, 8¾ yards, £0 8s 9d

Copper, 9lb, £0 5s 7½d

Cotton stockings, 2 pairs, £0 13s 4d

Long ells, 25½ yards, £2 4s 7½d

Nails, 101lb sorted, £2 3s 11d

Tar, 10¼ gallons, £0 7s 8d

Pitch, 14lb, £0 1s 9d

Turpentine, 33lb, £0 5s 6d

Pitch total, £0 14s 11d

Serge, 6¼ yards, £1 10s 9d

1 pewter dish, £0 7s 2d

1 pewter funnel, £0 2s 6d

Pewter total, £0 9s 8d

Dessouras, 47 pairs, £22 6s 6d

Starch, 3lb, £0 1s 8d

Single deals, 10, £11 16s 3½d

1 wainscot board, £0 5s 4d

1 pair of Riga timber, £1 17s 7d

1 baulk, £0 6s 1d

Deals total, £14 5s 3½d

Carried over, £580 0s 0d

Interpretations

Long ells were a length of woollen cloth, a narrow serge-like fabric long made in the west of England expressly for the eastern trade, and their sale here shows the store carrying an English textile produced specifically for Company markets. Such cloth was woven at home to standard lengths for export by the Company, so its appearance on the island marks how St Helena shared in the same manufactured supply that the Company shipped east, the long ell serving the settlement as it served the trade beyond.

Dessouras stood out as by far the costliest single line in this part of the account at £22 6s 6d for forty-seven pairs, a substantial sum pointing to an imported eastern commodity of some value. The dessoura was a kind of Indian cotton cloth or garment carried in the Company's trade, so its high total shows the store handling a valuable eastern textile in quantity, the same India goods that filled the Company's ships reaching the island's servants at a price that made them the most valuable cloth on the account.

The store carried building timber in several named forms, single deals, a wainscot board, Riga timber and a baulk, showing the island's dependence on imported wood for its construction. A small island bare of good building timber had to bring in its deals and baulks by ship, the Riga timber coming from the Baltic through the European trade, so the settlement's houses and works rested on wood carried from far off, the store supplying the very boards and beams that framed the island's buildings.

151

142

Brought Over

£ 580 0 0

Tinware vizt

3 Lanthorns

£ 0 8 3

6 Lamps

0 5 0

3 Lanthorn Leaves

0 1 2

1 Water Pot

0 5 7

1 Puding Do

0 1 9

1 1 9

Broad Cloth 1 7/8 yards

1 6 10

Long Cloth 1 Pr

3 15 0

Pease 2 Bushels

0 12 2

Iron 24 lb

0 4 4½

Shirts vizt

84 Soldiers Shirts

20 13 0

4 Pr Linen

6 13 0

27 6 0

Camblet 28¼ yds

5 6 2

Hats 3 mens

2 17 9

Corks vizt

26 Doz Corks

0 5 7

¼ lb Shut Do

0 0 2½

0 5 9½

Lead 6¼ Sheet

0 1 2

Fustian 14 Prs

0 11 1½

Naval Stores 35½ lb Powder

1 15 10

£ 625 3 11½

This continues and closes the account of collections for goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £580 0s 0d

3 lanthorns, £0 8s 3d

6 lamps, £0 5s 0d

5 lanthorn leaves, £0 1s 2d

1 water pot, £0 5s 7d

1 pudding pot, £0 1s 9d

Tinware total, £1 1s 9d

Broadcloth, 1⅞ yards, £1 6s 10d

Long cloth, 1 piece, £3 15s 0d

Pease, 2 bushels, £0 12s 2d

Iron, 24lb, £0 4s 4½d

84 soldiers' shirts, £20 13s 0d

4 linen shirts, £6 13s 0d

Shirts total, £27 6s 0d

Camblet, 28¼ yards, £5 6s 2d

3 men's hats, £2 17s 9d

26 dozen corks, £0 5s 7d

¼lb sheet corks, £0 0s 2½d

Corks total, £0 5s 9½d

Lead, 6¼ sheet, £0 1s 2d

Fustian, 14 pieces, £0 11s 1½d

Naval stores, 35½lb powder, £1 15s 10d

Total, £625 3s 11½d

Interpretations

Camblet was a mixed woollen or worsted cloth, sometimes blended with silk or hair, valued for its durability and used for cloaks and outer garments, and its sale here shows the store carrying a good-quality cloth for warmer clothing. Its presence on the island reflects the settlement's need for substantial outer wear in the cooler and wetter conditions of St Helena's uplands, so the store supplied not only the coarse working stuffs but a finer cloth fit for a coat that would keep out wind and rain.

The store issued eighty-four soldiers' shirts as a distinct line, clothing the garrison directly from the Company's supply rather than leaving each man to find his own. This bulk provision of the soldiers' basic dress shows how the Company equipped its troops from the same store that served the settlement, so the men who stood guard were shirted from the Company's cloth, the garrison's upkeep reaching down to the linen on its soldiers' backs.

Fustian was a stout cotton or cotton-and-linen cloth with a slight nap, hard-wearing and used for working clothes, and its sale rounds out the store's wide range of textiles from the finest China cloth to the coarsest labouring stuff. Together the account's fabrics span the whole scale of the settlement's clothing needs, so a single store furnished the island with everything from porcelain and silver buttons to the plain fustian of a working man's coat, binding every rank of the place to the Company's supply.

152

143

Sold to the Planters at 25 pr Cent

Shoes vizt

3 Pr Womens Calf

£ 0 9 3

6 Pr Do Spanish

1 13 6

1 Pr Mens Fine

0 6 10½

16 Pr Do Ordinary

0 4 10

1 Pr Boys

0 4 10

1 Pr Girls

0 2 4

3 1 7½

Challoes 13 Prs

0 8 9

Buckram 27 Yards

1 9 3

Fustian ½ Prs

1 5 3½

Hosiersware vizt

2 Pr Mens Knit Stockings

0 7 6

1 Pr Do Wove Do

0 4 4½

0 11 10½

Serge 14½ yds

4 0 1½

Desootees 21 Prs

11 11 0

Long Ells 13 yds

1 6 0

Camblet 4½ yd

1 1 7

Sold at 40 pr Cent

Arrack 410 Gallons

123 0 0

Sugar & Candy vizt

1098 Sugar

22 17 6

516 Candy

13 19 6

36 17 0

Flour 498

4 3 0

Soap 130

5 2 11

Candles 37 lb

4 0 2

Rice 6 3 14

4 5 11

Carried Over

£ 210 4 9

This account recorded goods sold to the planters, one set at twenty-five per cent above cost and another at forty per cent above cost.

3 pairs of women's calf shoes, £0 9s 3d

6 pairs of women's Spanish shoes, £1 13s 6d

1 pair of men's fine shoes, £0 6s 10½d

16 pairs of men's ordinary shoes, £4 10s 0d

1 pair of boys' shoes, £0 4s 10d

1 pair of girls' shoes, £0 2s 4d

Shoes total, £3 17s 7½d

Chelloes, 13 pieces, £8 9s 0d

Buckram, 27 yards, £1 9s 3d

Fustian, ½ piece, £1 5s 3½d

2 pairs of men's knit stockings, £0 7s 6d

1 pair of men's woven stockings, £0 4s 6½d

Hosiery total, £0 11s 10½d

Serge, 14½ yards, £4 0s 1½d

Dessouras, 21 pairs, £11 11s 0d

Long ells, 13 yards, £1 6s 0d

Camblet, 4½ yards, £1 1s 7d

The following goods were sold at forty per cent above cost.

Arrack, 410 gallons, £123 0s 0d

Sugar, 1,098lb, £22 17s 6d

Candy, 516lb, £13 19s 6d

Sugar and candy total, £36 17s 0d

Flour, 498lb, £4 3s 0d

Soap, 130lb, £5 2s 11d

Candles, 37lb, £4 0s 2d

Rice, 6 hundredweight 3 quarters 14lb, £4 5s 11d

Carried over, £210 4s 9d

Interpretations

The Company charged its planters more than its own servants for the same goods, selling at twenty-five and forty per cent above cost where the servants paid only ten per cent. This tiered pricing shows the Company favouring its own employees while drawing a larger profit from the independent planters, so a settler who held land of the Company paid a steeper markup than a Company servant, the store's terms marking the difference in standing between the two.

Arrack sold to the planters in great quantity, four hundred and ten gallons at the highest markup of forty per cent for a total of £123, by far the largest single item on this account. This shows the strong demand for the imported spirit among the settler population and the Company's readiness to profit heavily from it, so the same drink whose unlicensed sale by slaves drew a hundred lashes was sold openly to the planters at a steep markup, the Company's monopoly turning a controlled commodity into a ready source of revenue.

The heaviest markup of forty per cent fell on the consumable staples, the arrack, sugar, candy, flour, soap, candles and rice, while the durable cloth and shoes carried the lower rate of twenty-five per cent. This pattern shows the Company pricing according to demand, loading the greatest profit onto the everyday necessities and comforts the planters could not do without, so the goods most surely consumed and repurchased bore the steepest charge, the store's pricing shaped by what the settlers were bound to keep buying.

153

144

Brought Over

£ 210 4 9

Tea vizt

4 Congo

£ 0 8 0

161 Single

14 15 2

9 Bohea

0 12 0

15 15 2

Chinaware vizt

3 Guglets and Basons

0 10 0

3 Bowls

0 6 8

2 Smehers

0 0 8

20 Cups & Saucers

0 9 2

7 Chamber Pots

0 14 7

2 1 1

Cutleryware 1 Ivory Comb

0 1 5

Oil vizt

½ Gr Linseed

0 2 4

2 Bottles Florence

0 7 1

1½ Gr Train

0 6 3

0 15 8

Haberdasheryware vizt

3½ Doz mohair Co Buttons

0 2 11

3 Do Do Bo Do

0 1 3

2 Do Gilt Co Do

0 11 4

1½ Do Do Bo Do

0 4 3

16 Sk mohair

0 9 4

12 Sk Silk

0 6 0

1 15 1

Ironmongersware vizt

1 Padlock

0 3 2

1 Chest Lock

0 5 0

2 Nawls

1 6 0

Ironware Carried over

£ 1 14 2

Carried over

£ 230 13 2

This continues the account of goods sold to the planters out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £210 4s 9d

Congou tea, 4lb, £0 8s 0d

Singlo tea, 161lb, £14 15s 2d

Bohea tea, 9lb, £0 12s 0d

Tea total, £15 15s 2d

3 gugglets and basins, £0 10s 0d

3 bowls, £0 6s 8d

2 stackers, £0 0s 8d

20 cups and saucers, £0 9s 2d

7 chamber pots, £0 14s 7d

Chinaware total, £2 1s 1d

1 ivory comb, £0 1s 5d

Linseed oil, ½ gallon, £0 2s 4d

2 bottles of Florence oil, £0 7s 1d

Train oil, 1½ gallons, £0 6s 3d

Oil total, £0 15s 8d

3½ dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 2s 11d

3 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 1s 3d

2 dozen gilt coat buttons, £0 11s 4d

1½ dozen gilt breast buttons, £0 4s 3d

16 skeins of mohair, £0 9s 4d

12 skeins of silk, £0 6s 0d

Haberdashery total, £1 15s 1d

1 padlock, £0 3s 2d

1 chest lock, £0 5s 0d

2 nails, £1 6s 0d

Ironware carried over, £1 14s 2d

Carried over, £230 13s 2d

Interpretations

The planters bought the same range of eastern and manufactured goods as the Company's servants, tea in its three grades, Chinese porcelain, oils, buttons and ironware, showing that the settler population shared fully in the imported supply. The store served planter and servant alike from the same stock, so the independent settlers of the island furnished their households from the Company's trade goods just as its employees did, the difference lying only in the higher price the planters paid.

Singlo tea made up much the largest share of the planters' tea purchases at £14 15s 2d for a hundred and sixty-one pounds, far above the small quantities of congou and bohea. This heavy preference for one grade shows the planters buying tea in bulk for ordinary daily use, the cheaper singlo answering for everyday drinking, so the settlers took their tea in quantity from the Company's eastern imports much as households in England were coming to do at the same date.

The store sold chamber pots among its porcelain and earthenware, the plain necessities of the household passing through the same account as the finer tableware. This shows how completely the settlement depended on imported goods for even the humblest domestic vessels, since none could be made on the island, so the Company's store supplied the whole furnishing of an island house from the cups and saucers of the tea table to the chamber pot beneath the bed.

154

145

Brought Over

£ 230 13 2

Ironmongersware Brought Over

£ 1 14 2

4 Stock Locks

0 10 4

1 Pr HL Hinges

0 2 3

5 Hand Hatchets

0 9 7

1 Frying Pan

0 2 8

1 Pr Sheep Sheers

0 2 10

1 Pr Bellows

0 5 8

2 Broad Hoes

0 4 10

3 12 4

Nails 37 Sorted

0 19 11

Thread vizt

1 Whited Brown

0 7 9

4 Coloured

0 18 8

1 6 5

Paint vizt

7½ Blue Smalts

0 17 6

6 White Lead

0 3 0

2 Yellow Oaker

0 7 0

2 Whiting

0 1 0

1 1 2

Swine 9 Chains

0 7 6

Hooks & Knees vizt

400 Hooks Sorted

0 16 2½

400 Blue Hooks

0 1 8

8 Doz Sizes Sorted

1 19 10

2 17 8½

Salt 2 Bushels

0 7 8

Deals 16 Single

2 5 4

Canvas 2½ yds Ozenbrigs

1 9 3

Cordage 2½ lb

0 0 11½

Pitch 6 lb

0 1 0

Carried over

£ 245 2 5

This continues the account of goods sold to the planters out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £230 13s 2d

Ironware brought over, £1 14s 2d

4 stock locks, £0 10s 4d

1 pair of HL hinges, £0 2s 3d

5 hand hatchets, £0 9s 7d

1 frying pan, £0 2s 8d

1 pair of sheep shears, £0 2s 10d

1 pair of bellows, £0 5s 8d

2 broad hoes, £0 4s 10d

Ironware total, £3 12s 4d

Nails, 37lb sorted, £0 19s 11d

Whited brown thread, 7lb, £0 7s 9d

Coloured thread, 4lb, £0 18s 8d

Thread total, £1 6s 5d

Blue smalts, 7½lb, £0 17s 6d

White lead, 6lb, £0 3s 0d

Yellow ochre, 2lb, £0 7s 0d

Whiting, 2lb, £0 1s 0d

Paint total, £1 1s 2d

Swine chains, 9, £0 7s 6d

400 hooks sorted, £0 16s 2½d

400 blue hooks, £0 1s 8d

8 dozen lines sorted, £1 19s 10d

Hooks and eyes total, £2 17s 8½d

Salt, 2 bushels, £0 7s 8d

Single deals, 16, £2 5s 4d

Osnaburg canvas, 2½ yards, £1 9s 3d

Cordage, 2½lb, £0 0s 11¼d

Pitch, 6lb, £0 1s 0d

Carried over, £245 2s 5d

Interpretations

The planters bought fishing lines and hooks in quantity, the sorted hooks, blue hooks and dozens of lines pointing to fishing as a regular pursuit among the settler households. This shows the islanders drawing on the surrounding sea to supplement their food, the store supplying the tackle for it, so fishing off the island's shores added to what the land could yield and the Company profited by furnishing the gear that made it possible.

Swine chains sold to the planters mark the keeping of pigs about the settlement, the chains used to tether or restrain the animals from straying and rooting. Set against the island's concern over loose livestock, these chains show the planters expected to secure their swine, so the store supplied the means of controlling the pigs that formed part of the settler economy, keeping them from the damage that free-ranging animals could do to crops and ground.

The planters bought the same painters' materials as the servants, blue smalts, white lead, yellow ochre and whiting, showing that the settlers too painted and finished their houses to a standard beyond bare shelter. This purchase of pigments by the independent holders marks a settled domestic life on the island, the planters maintaining and decorating their dwellings from the Company's imported colours, so even the finish of a settler's house depended on the goods the store brought in by ship.

155

146

Brought over

£ 245 2 5

Tinware vizt

3 Lamps

£ 0 3 3

1 Lanthorn

0 3 6

0 6 9

Pepper 3 lb

0 2 1½

£ 245 11 3½

Sold to the Companys Ships

Paint vizt

2 lb White Lead

£ 0 8 8

3½ Verdegrease

0 15 2

4 Yellow Oaker

0 1 2

20 White Lead

0 10 0

8 Barrels Blacking

0 10 8

2 5 8

Turnersware 14 Pr Brushes

0 9 2

Oil vizt

22 Gr Linseed

5 2 8

7 Gr Train

1 9 2

6 11 10

Tinware 24 Lanthorn Leaves

0 7 0

Canvas 130 yds Ozenbrigs

8 2 6

Nails 11

0 9 4½

Salt 6 Bushels

1 2 0

Pork 4 lb Ds

56 6 8

Lines 18

0 7 0

Pitch vizt

3 Barrels Pitch

3 10 0

3 Do Tar

4 1 0

8 0 0

Carried over

£ 841 1 2½

This continues and closes the account of goods sold to the planters, then opens a further account of goods sold to the Company's ships, out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £245 2s 5d

3 lamps, £0 3s 3d

1 lanthorn, £0 3s 6d

Tinware total, £0 6s 9d

Pepper, 3lb, £0 2s 1½d

Total, £245 11s 3½d

The following goods were sold to the Company's ships.

2lb white lead, £0 8s 8d

3½lb verdigrease, £0 15s 2d

4lb yellow ochre, £0 1s 2d

20lb white lead, £0 10s 0d

8 barrels of blacking, £0 10s 8d

Paint total, £2 5s 8d

Turnersware, 14 pairs of brushes, £0 9s 2d

Linseed oil, 22 gallons, £5 2s 8d

Train oil, 7 gallons, £1 9s 2d

Oil total, £6 11s 10d

Tinware, 24 lanthorn leaves, £0 7s 0d

Osnaburg canvas, 130 yards, £8 2s 6d

Nails, 11lb, £0 9s 4½d

Salt, 6 bushels, £1 2s 0d

Pork, 4 barrels, £56 6s 8d

Lines, 18, £0 7s 0d

3 barrels of pitch, £3 10s 0d

3 barrels of tar, £4 1s 0d

Pitch total, £8 0s 0d

Carried over, £84 12s 2½d

Interpretations

The store served the Company's own ships as a third class of customer alongside the servants and planters, resupplying the vessels that called at the road with the stores they needed to continue their voyages. This shows St Helena working as a provisioning station in the fullest sense, the ships passing to and from the East drawing paint, oil, canvas, salt meat and naval stores from the island's store, so the settlement earned its keep by refitting the very shipping on which the Company's trade depended.

Verdigrease was a green copper pigment used in paint and as a preservative, and its sale to the ships among the other paints shows the vessels taking on the materials to maintain their hulls and fittings on the long passage ahead. Ships wore heavily at sea and needed constant painting and protection, so the store furnished the pigments and oils to keep them sound, the island serving as the point where a vessel could renew the stores that guarded it against the sea.

The single heaviest item sold to the ships was four barrels of pork at £56 6s 8d, the salt provisions that would feed the crews on the voyage between St Helena and the next port. This great charge for preserved meat shows the central purpose the island served for the shipping, victualling the crews for the long stretches of open ocean, so the salt pork held in such quantity in the store passed to the ships to sustain the men who worked them across the trade routes the Company kept.

156

147

Brought Over

£ 841 1 2½

Glassware vizt

8 Sqrs Glass 19 by 11

£ 0 18 4

2 Do Do 8 by 10

0 1 7

0 19 11

Iron 32 lb

0 8 0

£ 852 9 1½

Charges General Dr for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 of July to the 11 of October 1755 vizt

Pitch vizt

2 lb Pitch for the Castle

0 2 ½

2 Gr Tar for the Draw Bridges

0 1 4

0 1 6½

Ironware vizt

4 Gouges

0 1 2

6 Gimblets

0 0 10½

3 Augers for the Carpenters Use

0 1 4½

3 Claw Hammers

0 3 6

1 5 5

37 Files

0 3 4½

1 Smiths Rubber

0 6 6

1 Sledge Hammer for the Armourers Use

0 0 2

1 Ragstone

0 10 3

12 marble Tools

0 10 4

12 Portland Do for the Masons

0 0 10

1 2 Ft Rule

0 9 0

1 Nawl

0 0 7½

1 Helve

Ironware Carried over

£ 4 2 1

Carried over

£ 0 1 6½

This continues and closes the account of goods sold to the Company's ships, then opens an account of general charges for stores issued out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £84 12s 2½d

8 square feet of glass 19 by 11, £0 18s 4d

2 square feet of glass 8 by 10, £0 1s 7d

Glassware total, £0 19s 11d

Iron, 32lb, £0 8s 0d

Total, £85 0s 1½d

This account set out the general charges for the following stores issued from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

2lb pitch for the Castle, £0 0s 2½d

2 gallons of tar for the drawbridge, £0 1s 4d

Pitch total, £0 1s 6½d

4 gouges for the carpenters' use, £0 1s 2d

6 gimlets for the carpenters' use, £0 0s 10½d

3 augers for the carpenters' use, £0 1s 6½d

3 claw hammers for the carpenters' use, £0 3s 6d

37 files for the armourer's use, £1 5s 5d

1 smith's rubber for the armourer's use, £0 3s 0½d

1 sledge hammer for the armourer's use, £0 6s 6d

1 ragstone for the armourer's use, £0 0s 2d

12 marble tools for the masons, £0 10s 3d

12 Portland tools for the masons, £0 10s 4d

1 2-foot rule for the masons, £0 0s 10d

1 mawl, £0 0s 9d

1 helve, £0 0s 7½d

Ironware carried over, £4 2s 1d

Carried over, £85 0s 1½d

Interpretations

This general charges account recorded stores issued for the Company's own works rather than sold to any customer, the pitch, tar, tools and materials consumed in maintaining the island's fabric. This shows the store serving a fourth function beyond supplying servants, planters and ships, furnishing the Company's own building and repair work, so the same stock that was sold for profit also fed the upkeep of the Castle, the drawbridge and the fortifications at the Company's own charge.

The tools were issued in sets marked for particular trades, the gouges and augers for the carpenters, the files and sledge hammer for the armourer, and the marble and Portland tools for the masons. This division shows the island's works carried on by distinct bodies of craftsmen each drawing their own implements from the store, so the settlement's building and maintenance depended on a organised set of trades, the carpenters, armourer and masons each equipped from the Company's supply for their separate part of the work.

The masons drew tools for working both marble and Portland stone, pointing to fine stonework on the island beyond rough building. Portland stone was a fine building limestone imported from England, so its working here shows the settlement finishing some of its structures to a considerable standard, the masons shaping imported stone with proper tools, a mark of the care and expense the Company put into the more important of its buildings on the island.

157

148

Brought Over

£ 0 1 6½

Ironmongersware Brought over

£ 4 2 1

1 Ironrimed Lock

0 7 2

1 Stock Lock for the Lt Govr House

0 1 11

2 Rot Traps

0 11 0

2 Packing Needles for Store Use

0 0 3½

2 Pr Sheep Sheers. broke and made

Knives off for Store use

0 2 6½

5 5 0

Candles vizt

110 for the Castle

10 10 2

126 for the Council

11 10 0

22 0 2

Lead 20 Sheet for the Lt Govr House

0 3 4

Cordage 116½ for a Crane Rope & for the Stable

1 9 2½

Arrack 3½ Gr given to Soldiers that, Assisted in

Launching the Long Boat, workeing at the Fort fecations as pr Inventory

1 4 8

Brandy ½ Gall

0 0 10

Lines vizt

6 No 4 for the Castle

0 2 2½

6 No 3 for Whipps

0 1 11½

0 4 2

Oil vizt

8½ Gr Train for the Kitchen & Bake House

1 3 8½

13 Gr Linseed

2 3 4

3 7 ½

Paint vizt

16 Whiting

for Painting

the Store Doors

0 3 ½

43 White Lead

the Church Doors

Sentry Boxes

0 14 3

62 Yellow Oaker

the Line

0 11 7½

1 Umber

& Sea Gates

0 0 4

5 Barrels Blacking

0 4 7

12 Blue Smalts for Linen

1 0 0

2 11 1

Carried over

£ 36 7 ½

This continues the account of general charges for stores issued out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £0 1s 6½d

Ironware brought over, £4 2s 1d

1 iron rimmed lock for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 7s 2d

1 stock lock for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 1s 11d

2 rat traps for store use, £0 11s 0d

2 packing needles for store use, £0 0s 3½d

2 pairs of sheep shears, broke and made into knives, for store use, £0 2s 6½d

Ironware total, £5 5s 0d

Candles, 110 for the Castle, £10 10s 2d

Candles, 126 for the council, £11 10s 0d

Candles total, £22 0s 2d

Lead, 20 sheet for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 3s 4d

Cordage, 116½lb for a crane rope and for the stable, £1 9s 2½d

Arrack, 9½ gallons, given to soldiers who assisted in launching the longboat and working at the fort provisions, £1 4s 8d. Brandy, ½ gallon for the same, £0 0s 10d.

Lines, 6 number 4 for the Castle, £0 2s 2½d

Lines, 6 number 3 for whips, £0 1s 11½d

Lines total, £0 4s 2d

Train oil, 8½ gallons for the kitchen and bakehouse, £1 3s 8½d

Linseed oil, 13 gallons, £2 3s 4d

Oil total, £3 7s 0½d

Whiting, 16lb, for painting the fore doors, the church doors, the sentry boxes, the line and the sea gates, £0 0s 3½d

White lead, 43lb, for the same, £0 14s 3d

Yellow ochre, 62lb, for the same, £0 11s 7½d

1 umber, for the same, £0 0s 4d

5 barrels of blacking, for the same, £0 4s 7d

12 blue smalts for lining, for the same, £1 0s 0d

Paint total, £2 11s 1d

Carried over, £36 7s 7½d

Interpretations

The great charge for candles, 110 for the Castle and 126 for the council at £22 0s 2d together, shows how much artificial light the Company's own business consumed. This heavy expenditure marks the council chamber and the Castle as places of work carried on well beyond daylight, the administration of the island demanding a constant supply of candles, so the settlement's governance ran up a substantial charge simply to light the rooms where its business was done.

The arrack and brandy issued to the soldiers who launched the longboat and worked at the fort mark spirits used as a reward and an incentive for heavy labour. Rather than extra pay alone, the men who did the hardest work were given drink from the store, so the same arrack sold and controlled as a commodity also served to spur the garrison's labour, a customary allowance that recognised the toil of launching a boat or shoring up the works.

The paint issued for the fore doors, church doors, sentry boxes, the line and the sea gates shows the Company maintaining the appearance and protection of its public structures across the settlement. This programme of painting reached from the church to the guard posts and the defences, so the Company kept not only the fabric but the finish of its buildings in order, the pigments protecting the woodwork against the weather while marking the Company's structures as properly kept.

158

149

Brought Over

£ 36 7 ½

Canvas 4 yds Ozent for coverzing Packets

0 2 11

Nails vizt

1 Glaz Brads

0 1 ½

1½ Do

0 0 5½

8 Do

0 2 8

for repairs in the Stores

1½ 4

0 0 7

the Church the Line and

1½ 6

0 0 6½

Sea Gate and making

1 2

0 0 7

Packets

2 20

0 0 7½

9 Coopers Rivets, for the Coopers Use

0 3 11½

0 10 8½

Deals vizt

1 Cassia for a Saw Sole

0 3 4

10 Single Deals. for repd Toy Sea Gate &c

0 10 9

2/3 Do Riga Timber for repd in the Fares & for a

Door & Door Case for the magazine

1 5 7½

4 Double Deals

0 12 9

3 1 6½

Corks 6 Gross for the Castle

0 13 9

Cartwheels 1 wheel Barrow for the Fortifycation

0 14 5½

Soap 20 for the Castle

0 10 5

Chinaware 4 Bowls for Do

0 3 4

Iron 65 for repd to the Sea Gate & for the Armourers Use

0 10 10

Turnersware vizt

2 Hair Brooms

0 4 0

1 Scrubing Brush for the Castle

0 1 8

1 Birch Broom

0 0 4

1 Shoe Brush for the Stable

0 0 7

3 Pr Brushes. for Painting

0 1 4½

0 7 11½

Swine 1 Chain. for the Stable

0 7 1

Tinware 4 Lanthorn Leaves for the Castle

0 0 10

Carried Over

£ 43 4 4½

This continues the account of general charges for stores issued out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £36 7s 7½d

Canvas, 4 yards Osnaburg for covering packets, £0 2s 11d

Glazier's brads, 1lb, £0 1s 0½d

Brads, 1½lb, £0 0s 5½d

Nails 8 to 10, for repairs in the stores, the church, the line and sea gate and making packets, £0 2s 8d

Nails 1½ to 4, for the same, £0 0s 7d

Nails 1½ to 6, for the same, £0 0s 6½d

Nails 1 to 2, for the same, £0 0s 7½d

Nails 2 to 20, for the same, £0 0s 7½d

9 coopers' rivets, for the coopers' use, £0 3s 11½d

Nails total, £0 10s 8½d

1 coffin for a saw sole, £0 3s 4½d

10 single deals for repairing the toy sea gate, £0 10s 9d

2 pieces of Riga timber for repairing the fores in the fores and for a door and door case for the magazine, £1 5s 7½d

4 double deals, £0 12s 9d

Deals total, £3 1s 6½d

Corks, 6 gross for the Castle, £0 13s 9d

Cartwheels, 1 wheel barrow for the fortification, £0 14s 5½d

Soap, 20lb for the Castle, £0 10s 5d

Chinaware, 4 bowls for the Castle, £0 3s 4d

Iron, 65lb for repairs to the sea gate and for the armourer's use, £0 10s 10d

2 hair brooms for the Castle, £0 4s 0d

1 scrubbing brush for the Castle, £0 1s 8d

1 birch broom for the stable, £0 0s 4d

1 shoe brush for the stable, £0 0s 7d

3 pairs of brushes for painting, £0 1s 4½d

Turnersware total, £0 7s 11½d

Swine chains, 1 for the stable, £0 0s 7d

Tinware, 4 lanthorn leaves for the Castle, £0 0s 10d

Carried over, £43 4s 4½d

Interpretations

The general charges reached into every corner of the Company's works, the same account covering nails for the church, timber for the magazine, a wheelbarrow for the fortification and brooms for the stable. This shows the store as the single source for the whole material upkeep of the settlement, so a body meant to hold trade goods and provisions also furnished the odds and ends of daily maintenance, every repair from a door case to a broom drawn from and charged against the same stock.

The issue of Riga timber and deals to repair the sea gate, the magazine and the fortifications shows imported wood constantly consumed in keeping the island's defences sound. A settlement without its own good timber had to spend its stored Baltic wood on continual repair, so the defences that guarded the road depended on a supply carried from far off, the same deals and beams serving to mend the gates and works as fast as the weather and use wore them.

A coffin was drawn from the store for use as a saw sole, a base or bed on which timber was sawn, showing the practical reuse of whatever the store held. Rather than a burial use, the coffin served as a piece of shaped timber put to the sawyer's work, so the account records the settlement making do with what came to hand, an item of one purpose turned to another as the island's limited materials were used wherever they would serve.

159

150

Brought Over

£ 43 4 4½

Leather 1 Sheep Skin for the Doctors Shop

0 0 7½

Pewter vizt

1 Gallon Pot

0 9 11

4 Do Funnel for the Store Use

0 18 11½

1 Crane

0 18 6

2 7 4½

Coals 17 Bushels for the Armourers Use

0 15 1

£ 46 7 3½

Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued

from the 12 July, to the 11 of October 1755 vizt

Arrack 32 Gallons

4 3 4

Beef & Pork vizt

16 lb Pork

1 12 0

10 lb Beef

1 7 6

2 19 6

Tea 2 Congo

0 2 8

Salt 2 Bushels

0 5 2

Flour 6 Prs lb

3 16 9½

Candy 155

2 5 2½

Oil 6 Bottles Florence

0 13 9

£ 14 8 5

This continues and closes the account of general charges for stores issued, then opens an account of diet expenses for stores issued out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £43 4s 4½d

Leather, 1 sheep skin for the doctor's shop, £0 0s 7½d

1 gallon pot for the store's use, £0 9s 11d

1 pewter funnel for the store's use, £0 18s 4½d

1 crane for the store's use, £0 18s 6d

Pewter total, £2 7s 4½d

Coals, 17 bushels for the armourer's use, £0 15s 1d

Total, £46 7s 3½d

This account set out the diet expenses for the following stores issued from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Arrack, 32 gallons, £4 3s 4d

16lb pork, £1 12s 0d

10lb beef, £1 7s 6d

Beef and pork total, £2 19s 6d

Congou tea, 2lb, £0 2s 8d

Salt, 2 bushels, £0 5s 2d

Flour, 16lb, £3 16s 9½d

Candy, 155lb, £2 5s 2½d

Florence oil, 6 bottles, £0 13s 9d

Total, £14 8s 5d

Interpretations

The armourer drew coals for his forge, the fuel that let him heat and work iron in maintaining the garrison's weapons and the island's ironwork. This shows the armourer's shop as a working smithy dependent on imported fuel, since the island had no coal of its own, so the repair of the settlement's arms and the making of its ironwork rested on coals carried in by ship and issued from the store like every other material the works consumed.

This diet expenses account gathered the provisions consumed at the Company's own table and establishment as a distinct charge, separate from the goods sold or the stores issued for the works. The arrack, salt meat, flour, tea and candy here mark the running cost of feeding the Company's household, so the account kept the settlement's own consumption apart in its books, measuring what the establishment ate and drank against what it sold and what it spent on maintenance.

Arrack again headed the diet account at £4 3s 4d for thirty-two gallons, the imported spirit forming a steady staple of the Company's own table as it had in the monthly provisioning. This constant presence of arrack among the diet expenses confirms how far the drink was woven into the establishment's daily life, so the same spirit controlled as a commodity and sold at a heavy markup was consumed in quantity by the Company itself, a fixed part of what its table required each quarter.

160

151

Blacks Dr for the Stores Issued from the 12th of July

to the 11 October 1755 vizt

Rice 63 Prs lb

£ 21 11 2

Beef & Pork vizt

177 lbs Beef

£ 19 6 9

3 lbs Pork

0 6 0

19 12 9

Oil 2½ Gr Train

0 7 4

Tea 27¼ Bohea

1 2 11

Sugar 5 lb

0 12 5½

Hooks & Lines vizt

12 Doz 4 Lines Sorted

2 3 4½

300 Hooks Sorted

0 7 6

100 Do pr Grantham

0 1 0

2 11 10½

Brandy 3 Gr

0 5 0

Arrack 3/8 Gallon

0 1 0

Shoes 20 Prs Mens Ordr

3 16 8

Desootees 14 Prs

6 0 2

Cutleryware 2 Butchers Knives

0 0 7

Deals 2 Cassias for repd to their Houses

0 6 7

£ 56 8 4

Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued for their

Use from the 12 of July to the 11 of October 1755 vizt

Tea 7 lb

0 3 0

Oil 65 Gr Train

0 9 5½

Carried over

£ 12 5 7½

This account set out the stores issued for the blacks out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Rice, 63 hundredweight, £21 11s 2d

177lb beef, £19 6s 9d

3lb pork, £0 6s 0d

Beef and pork total, £19 12s 9d

Train oil, 27½ gallons, £0 7s 4d

Bohea tea, 27¼lb, £1 2s 11d

Sugar, 5 hundredweight, £0 12s 5½d

12 dozen 4 lines sorted, £2 3s 4½d

300 hooks sorted, £0 7s 6d

100 hooks for Grantham, £0 1s 0d

Hooks and lines total, £2 11s 10½d

Brandy, 3 gallons, £0 5s 0d

Arrack, ⅜ gallon, £0 1s 0d

Shoes, 20 pairs of men's ordinary, £3 16s 8d

Dessouras, 14 pairs, £6 2s 0d

Cutleryware, 2 butchers' knives, £0 0s 7d

Deals, 2 coffins for repairs to their houses, £0 6s 7d

Total, £56 8s 4d

This account set out the stores issued for the garrison's use out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Congou tea, 7lb 2oz, £0 3s 0d

Train oil, 65 gallons, £9 5s 1½d

Carried over, £12 5s 7½d

Interpretations

The blacks were provisioned chiefly with rice and salt meat, the rice at £21 11s 2d and the beef together forming much the greatest part of the account, marking these as the staples of the slaves' diet on the island. This shows the Company feeding its slave labour largely on imported rice and preserved meat rather than fresh food, so the workforce on which the settlement depended was sustained from the same bulk provisions the ships carried, the rice in particular supplied in great quantity as the mainstay of their fare.

The slaves were issued fishing lines and hooks, twelve dozen lines and hundreds of hooks among them, showing them set to catch fish to supplement the provisions the Company supplied. This shows the slaves drawing food from the sea as well as the store, so their subsistence rested partly on their own labour at fishing, the Company furnishing the tackle so that the catch might eke out the rice and meat and lessen the charge of feeding them from imported stores alone.

The issue of dessouras to the blacks, the same valuable Indian cotton cloth sold to servants and planters, shows the slaves clothed in the eastern textiles the Company traded. This marks the reach of the India cloth even to the island's slave population, so the workforce was dressed from the Company's commerce like the rest of the settlement, the dessoura serving as their clothing, and the account measuring the cost of clothing as well as feeding the slaves on whom the island's work depended.

161

152

Brought over

£ 12 5 7½

Deals 4 Single

0 7 11

Nails vizt

3 6 Do

£ 0 1 7

for Coffins

1 10

0 0 4

0 1 11

Iron Pots 1 of 6 Gr

0 6 6

Candles 6 lb

0 11 6

Candy 6 lb for the Doctors Shop

0 1 9

Arrack 12¾ Gr for Drams on Musterong

1 14 0

Ironware vizt

2 frying Pans

0 3 8

1 Loping Ax

0 2 10

1 Helve

0 0 7½

0 7 ½

The following Cloathing delivered them

Soldiers Cloaths vizt

157 Centinels Coat & Breeches

231 3 8

19 mattrosses Do & Do

40 4 4

12 Corporals Do & Do

18 0 9

12 Sergeants Do & Do

62 14 0

4 Drummers Do & Do

13 12 0

8 Gunners Mates Do & Do

23 12 0

1 Marshals Do & Do

1 11 0

8 Quarter Gunners Do & Do

18 8 0

10 Contry Coats

8 5 0

417 19 0

Shoes 221 Pr mens Ordr

42 7 2

Hosiersware 221 Prs Thread Stockings

28 18½

Shirts vizt

201 Centinels

44 7 9

20 Sergeants

7 2 8

51 10 5

£ 555 14 7½

This continues and closes the account of stores issued for the garrison's use out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £12 5s 7½d

Deals, 4 single, £0 7s 11d

Nails 3 to 6, for coffins, £0 1s 7d

Nails 1 to 10, for coffins, £0 0s 4d

Nails total, £0 1s 11d

Iron pots, 1 of 6 gallons, £0 6s 6d

Candles, 6lb, £0 11s 6d

Candy, 6lb, for the doctor's shop, £0 1s 9d

Arrack, 12¾ gallons, for drams on mustering, £1 14s 0d

2 frying pans, £0 3s 8d

1 loping axe, £0 2s 10d

1 helve, £0 0s 7½d

Ironware total, £0 7s 1½d

The following clothing was delivered to the garrison.

157 sentinels' coats and breeches, £231 3s 8d

19 matrosses' coats and breeches, £40 4s 4d

12 corporals' coats and breeches, £18 0s 9d

12 sergeants' coats and breeches, £62 14s 0d

4 drummers' coats and breeches, £13 12s 0d

8 gunners' mates' coats and breeches, £23 12s 0d

1 marshal's coat and breeches, £1 11s 0d

8 quarter gunners' coats and breeches, £18 8s 0d

10 country coats, £8 5s 0d

Soldiers' clothes total, £417 10s 0d

Shoes, 221 pairs of men's ordinary, £42 7s 2d

Hosiery, 221 pairs of thread stockings, £28 18s 1½d

Shirts, 201 for sentinels, £44 7s 9d

Shirts, 20 for sergeants, £7 2s 8d

Shirts total, £51 10s 5d

Total, £555 14s 7½d

Interpretations

The Company clothed its whole garrison from the store, delivering coats and breeches to every rank from the sentinels to the sergeants and gunners at a cost of £417 10s 0d, far the largest charge in the account. This shows the soldiers uniformed at the Company's expense rather than finding their own dress, so the garrison was outfitted as a body from the same store that provisioned it, the clothing of the troops forming one of the heaviest single charges the island bore each quarter.

The clothing was graded by rank, the sergeants' coats and breeches costing far more apiece than the sentinels', reflecting a finer dress for the higher stations. A sergeant's outfit ran well above a private's, so the hierarchy of the garrison was marked in the very cloth the men wore, the quality of a soldier's coat rising with his rank, the uniform declaring a man's place in the chain of command as plainly as his pay.

Arrack was again issued for drams on mustering, the spirit served out to the soldiers when they gathered for parade or inspection. This customary allowance of drink at the muster shows arrack woven into the routine of garrison life, so the same spirit sold and controlled as a commodity marked the occasions of military duty, a dram at the muster forming a settled part of the soldier's due as the companies were drawn up and counted.

162

153

Brought over

£ 555 14 7½

Hats vizt

201 Sentinels

£ 28 6 3

20 Sergeants

11 13 10

40 0 1

£ 595 14 8½

Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from the

12 of July to the 11 October 1755 vizt

Paint vizt

8 White Lead

£ 0 2 8½

½ Whiting

0 0 ½

To Paint the Gates

in the Pastures

0 2 8½

Oil vizt

½ Gall Linseed

0 1 8

¼ Do Train

0 0 8½

0 2 4½

Turnersware vizt

2 Pr Brushes

0 0 11

1 Scrubbing Do for the Gr Wood

0 1 8

0 2 7

Lines 24 No 2 for the Gardeners Use

0 6 8

Pitch vizt

2 Pitch

0 0 3

2¾ Gr Tar

0 1 10

0 2 1

Rice & Paddy vizt

14 2 4 Paddy

5 8 3

3 16 Rice for Poultry & Horses

0 6 1½

5 14 6½

Carried over

£ 6 10 11½

This continues and closes the account of clothing delivered to the garrison, then opens an account of stores issued for the plantation out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £555 14s 7½d

Hats, 201 for sentinels, £28 6s 3d

Hats, 20 for sergeants, £11 13s 10d

Hats total, £40 0s 1d

Total, £595 14s 8½d

This account set out the stores issued for the plantation from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

White lead, 8lb, £0 2s 8½d

Whiting, ½lb, £0 0s 0½d

Paint total, £0 2s 8½d

Linseed oil, ½ gallon, £0 1s 8d

Train oil, ¼ gallon, £0 0s 8½d

Oil total, £0 2s 4½d

The paint and oil above were used to paint the gates in the pastures.

2 pairs of brushes, £0 0s 11d

1 scrubbing brush for the gunwood, £0 1s 8d

Turnersware total, £0 2s 7d

Lines, 24 number 2 for the gardener's use, £0 0s 8d

Pitch, 2lb, £0 0s 3d

Tar, 2¼ gallons, £0 1s 10d

Ditch total, £0 2s 1d

Paddy, 14 hundredweight 2 quarters 4lb, £5 8s 3d

Rice, 3 quarters 16lb, £0 6s 1½d

Rice and paddy total, £5 14s 6½d

Carried over, £6 10s 11½d

Interpretations

Paddy was unhusked rice, the grain still in its outer covering, and its issue to the plantation in bulk shows it used to feed the Company's poultry and horses as recorded in the account. This shows the settlement using the coarser unmilled grain as animal feed while the cleaned rice went to people, so the island's food economy again worked in tiers, the paddy sustaining the stock and the husked rice reserved for the household and the labour, a careful division of the same crop by its state of preparation.

Gunwood was a hardwood tree growing on St Helena, valued for timber, and the scrubbing brush issued for it points to the working or cleaning of this native wood on the island. This marks one of the few local materials the settlement could draw on, so amid a supply overwhelmingly imported the island's own gunwood was put to use, the store furnishing the means to work it, a small reliance on native resource against the general dependence on goods carried in by ship.

The plantation painted even the gates in its pastures, drawing white lead, whiting and oil for the purpose, showing the Company maintaining the finish of its rural structures as well as its buildings in the town. This care extended the programme of upkeep out into the grazing land, so the fences and gates that ordered the Company's stock were kept painted against the weather, the same attention to preservation reaching from the Castle and church to the field gates of the plantation.

163

154

Brought over

£ 6 10 11½

Ironware vizt

2 Stock Locks for Sandy Bay Houses

0 3 8

4 Padlocks for Gates in the Pastures

0 9 0

2 Spades

0 6 2

1 File for the Plantations

0 0 8

4 Ditching Shovels

0 18 0

1 Claw Hammer

0 1 2

1 2 Ft Rule for the Gardeners use

0 0 10

1 19 6

Earthenware 3 milk pans

0 2 0

Swine 2 Chains

0 1 2

Iron 8 4 lb for Carts & Gates

0 14 0

Cordage 46 lb for Oxen Carts &ca

0 12 2

Deals vizt

8 Single

0 15 10

2 Double for repd to the Dairy Room

0 6 4½

2 Cassias for the Carts

0 6 7

1 8 9½

Nails vizt

11 4 lb

0 4 4½

12 6 for repairs to the

0 4 3

4 10 Dairy Room & Gates

0 1 4

1 20

0 0 3½

0 10 3

Pewter 1 Bason for the Dairy

0 4 3

£ 12 3 1

This continues and closes the account of stores issued for the plantation out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £6 10s 11½d

2 stock locks for Sandy Bay houses, £0 3s 8d

4 padlocks for gates in the pastures, £0 9s 0d

2 spades, £0 6s 2d

1 file for the plantations, £0 0s 8d

4 ditching shovels for the plantations, £0 18s 0d

1 claw hammer for the gardener's use, £0 1s 2d

1 2-foot rule for the gardener's use, £0 0s 10d

Ironware total, £1 19s 6d

Earthenware, 3 milk pans, £0 2s 0d

Swine chains, 2, £0 1s 2d

Iron, 8lb 4oz for carts and gates, £0 1s 4d

Cordage, 46lb for oxen carts, £0 12s 2d

8 single deals, £0 15s 10d

2 double deals for repairs to the dairy room, £0 6s 4½d

2 coffins for the carts, £0 6s 7d

Deals total, £1 8s 9½d

Nails 11 to 4, for repairs to the dairy room and gates, £0 4s 4½d

Nails 12 to 6, for the same, £0 4s 3d

Nails 4 to 10, for the same, £0 1s 4d

Nails 1 to 20, for the same, £0 0s 3½d

Nails total, £0 10s 3d

Pewter, 1 basin for the dairy, £0 4s 3d

Total, £12 3s 1d

Interpretations

The plantation kept a dairy, the milk pans, the dairy room and the basin for the dairy all pointing to the making of butter and other dairy produce from the Company's cattle. This shows the settlement turning its livestock to more than meat, the cows yielding milk that was worked in a proper dairy room, so the plantation produced its own butter and the like on the island, the store furnishing the pans and basins that the dairy work required.

The Company maintained houses at Sandy Bay as well as its main settlement, drawing locks for them here, showing its holdings spread across more than one part of the island. This marks the plantation as a dispersed operation with buildings at a distance from the town, so the Company's property reached into the outlying districts of St Helena, the store supplying the fittings to secure houses that stood well away from the central works.

Oxen were kept to draw the carts, the cordage for the oxen carts and the repairs to the carts themselves marking the beasts used for haulage about the plantation. This shows the settlement's heavy work of carrying done by ox teams, so the cattle served for draught as well as meat and milk, the store furnishing the harness and the timber to keep the carts running, the oxen forming the motive power on which the plantation's transport depended.

164

155

Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 of July to the 11 of October 1755 vizt

Deals vizt

1 Cassia. for a Ladder for Bankss

£ 0 3 1½

1 Elm Plank for Gun Carriages

0 18 11

2 Single Deals for repd to the magazine

0 3 11½

2 Cassias. for Ladders for Sandy Bay

0 6 7

1 12 10

Paint vizt

6 Barrels Blacking

0 5 6

65 White Lead for Painting

1 1 8

½ Umber Gun Carriages

0 0 2

½ White Copperas

0 0 10

1 8 2

Oil 7½ Gr Linseed. for Do

1 4 2

Nails vizt

3 Do

0 1 2½

1 10 for repd to the magazine

0 0 4

1 20

0 0 3½

0 1 10

Turnersware 1 Pr Brush

0 0 5½

Swine 4 Chains

0 2 4

£ 4 9 9½

Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued for repd from the

12 of July to the 11 of October 1755 vizt

Cordage 35 lb

0 8 0

Deals 2 Wainscot Boards

0 9 8

Oil ½ Gall Train

0 1 5

Oars 4 pr Grantham

0 15 0

Carried over

£ 1 14 10

This account set out the stores issued for the fortification out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

1 coffin for a ladder for Banks's, £0 3s 1½d

1 elm plank for gun carriages, £0 18s 11d

2 single deals for repairs to the magazine, £0 3s 1½d

2 coffins for ladders for Sandy Bay, £0 6s 7d

Deals total, £1 12s 10d

6 barrels of blacking, £0 5s 6d

65lb white lead, £1 1s 8d

½lb umber, £0 0s 2d

½lb white copperas, £0 0s 10d

Paint total, £1 8s 2d

The blacking, white lead, umber and copperas above were used for painting the gun carriages.

Linseed oil, 7¼ gallons for the gun carriages, £1 4s 2d

Nails 3 to 6, for repairs to the magazine, £0 1s 2½d

Nails 1 to 10, for the same, £0 0s 4d

Nails 1 to 20, for the same, £0 0s 3½d

Nails total, £0 1s 10d

Turnersware, 1 pair of brushes, £0 0s 3½d

Swine chains, 4, £0 2s 4d

Total, £4 9s 9½d

This account set out the stores issued for repairs to the boats from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Cordage, 35lb, £0 8s 0d

Deals, 2 wainscot boards, £0 9s 8d

Train oil, ½ gallon, £0 1s 0d

Oars, 4 for Grantham, £0 15s 0d

Carried over, £1 14s 10d

Interpretations

The gun carriages were painted and oiled to preserve them, the blacking, white lead, umber, copperas and linseed oil all issued for the purpose, showing the Company protecting the mountings of its guns against the weather. The carriages stood exposed at the batteries where salt air and rain would rot untreated timber, so the Company kept them painted and oiled, the same care given to preserving the works extended to the very frames on which the island's defence rested.

The fortification drew ladders for Banks's and Sandy Bay, the outlying batteries that guarded other landing places besides the main road. This shows the island's defences spread around its coast at the points where an enemy might attempt a landing, so the Company fortified more than its principal anchorage, maintaining works at Banks's and Sandy Bay and supplying them from the same store, the ladders serving the men who manned these scattered posts.

The account kept the repair of the boats as a distinct charge, the cordage, boards, oil and oars marking the upkeep of the small craft on which the island depended for work about its shores. A settlement set on a rocky coast needed its boats constantly, so their maintenance formed a regular charge, the store furnishing the oars and cordage to keep them in service, the boats carrying men and goods between ship and shore and about the island where the land gave no easy passage.

165

156

Brought Over

£ 1 14 10

Nails vizt

1 10 Do

£ 0 0 4

4 6

0 1 5

½ 2

0 0 3½

2 4

0 0 9½

0 2 10

Pitch & Tar vizt

8 lb Turpentine

0 1 6

3½ Gr Tar

0 2 4

0 3 10

£ 2 1 6

Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued

for the Sick in the Infirmary from the 12 of July to the 11 of

October 1755 vizt

Sugar 56 lb

0 12 3½

Flour 40 lb

0 5 5½

Oil 4½ Gr Train

0 13 7½

Salt ½ Bushel

0 2 1

Rice 1

0 6 10

£ 2 0 9½

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

M. Purling Storekr

Margin Notes:

11th October 1755.

This continues and closes the account of stores issued for repairs to the boats, then opens an account of stores issued for the hospital out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1 14s 10d

Nails 7 to 10, £0 0s 4d

Nails 4 to 6, £0 1s 5d

Nails ½ to 2, £0 0s 3½d

Nails 2 to 4, £0 0s 9½d

Nails total, £0 2s 10d

Turpentine, 8lb, £0 1s 6d

Tar, 3½ gallons, £0 2s 4d

Pitch and tar total, £0 3s 10d

Total, £2 1s 6d

This account set out the stores issued for the sick in the infirmary from 12 July to 11 October 1755.

Sugar, 56lb, £0 12s 3½d

Flour, 46lb, £0 5s 5½d

Train oil, 4¾ gallons, £0 13s 7½d

Salt, ¼ bushel, £0 2s 1d

Rice, 1 hundredweight, £0 6s 10d

Total, £2 0s 9½d

The account was signed at St Helena on 11 October 1755 by Matthew Purling, storekeeper, subject to errors.

Interpretations

The Company maintained an infirmary for the sick and provisioned it separately, issuing sugar, flour, oil, salt and rice for those under care as a distinct charge. This shows the settlement making formal provision for the ill, feeding them from the store on a diet reckoned apart from the general provisioning, so the care of the sick was an acknowledged charge on the Company, the infirmary drawing its stores like the other departments of the island's establishment.

Sugar headed the hospital's provisions, the largest single item issued for the sick, marking it as valued in the diet of the ill beyond its ordinary use. Sugar was thought nourishing and was used to make plain fare palatable to those with little appetite, so its prominence in the infirmary account reflects a deliberate feeding of the sick on strengthening and agreeable food, the store supplying it for the particular needs of those too unwell to eat the common ration.

The whole run of quarterly accounts closed under the hand of the storekeeper Matthew Purling, who had signed for stores issued to every department from the garrison to the infirmary. His name at the foot ties the entire system of supply to a single responsible officer, so the storekeeper stood accountable for all that passed out of the Company's stores, the accounts of servants, planters, ships, works and sick alike resting on his reckoning and answered for by him to the council.

166

157

The following is the List of Remains of the Honorable Companys

Stores taken the 11 instant. which is as follows Vizt

Inventory of Stores remaining in the Honorable

Companys Ware Houses the 11 of October 1755 vizt

Anchors Vizt

5 Anchors

£

1 Do on the West Rocks

2 Iron Hoops

£ 90 16 0

Bunting vizt

2 Ps 15 yards Red

3 17 3

2 Ps Blue

2 10 6

20 yards White

0 10 0

6 17 9

Broad Cloth 40 7/8 yards

30 11 3

Braziers Ware vizt

12 Small Skimmers

1 9 8½

4 Skimmers @ 2/8

0 10 8

2 Do 6/

0 12 0

2 Do 14/4

1 8 8

9 Flat Candlesticks

0 18 0

2 Warming Pans

1 2 6

1 Copper Pump

0 11 0

8 Ladles

0 17 8

5 lb Brass for Soddering

0 10 5

5 Flash Pans

3 14 2

Braziers ware Carried over

£ 11 14 9½

Carried over

£ 128 5 0

This was an inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

5 anchors, 1 anchor on the West Rocks, and 2 iron hoops, £90 16s 0d

Bunting, 2 pieces 15 yards red, £3 17s 3d

Bunting, 2 pieces blue, £2 10s 6d

Bunting, 20 yards white, £0 10s 0d

Bunting total, £6 17s 9d

Broadcloth, 40½ yards, £30 11s 3d

12 small tumblers, £1 9s 8½d

4 tumblers at 2s 8d, £0 10s 8d

2 tumblers at 6s, £0 12s 0d

2 tumblers at 14s 4d, £1 8s 8d

9 flat candlesticks, £0 18s 0d

2 warming pans, £1 2s 6d

1 copper pump, £0 11s 0d

8 ladles, £0 17s 8d

5lb brass for soldering, £0 10s 5d

5 flash pans, £3 14s 2d

Braziersware carried over, £11 14s 9½d

Carried over, £128 5s 0d

Interpretations

This inventory of the warehouses shifts the account from what was issued and sold to what remained in stock, the Company taking stock of its standing reserves at the close of the quarter. Set against the issues and sales already recorded, this list of remains let the Company know what it still held against future need, so the quarterly reckoning closed with a count of the stores in hand, the inventory measuring the reserve from which the coming quarter's supply would be drawn.

Spare anchors were among the most valuable single holdings in the warehouse at £90 16s 0d, kept in reserve against the needs of the shipping that called at the road. An anchor lost or fouled had to be replaced, and a vessel could not sail without one, so the island held spare anchors ready for the Company's ships, the great value set on them reflecting both their cost and their necessity to the shipping the settlement existed to serve.

Bunting was the light woollen cloth used to make flags and signals, and its presence in the store shows the island keeping material for the flags by which it signalled to ships and marked its occasions. Colours had to be renewed as they wore in the weather, so the Company held red, blue and white bunting to make and repair its flags, the cloth serving both the signalling that governed the approach of shipping and the display of the Company's colours over its works.

167

158

Brought over

£ 128 5 0

Braziers Ware Brought over

£ 11 14 9½

3 Brass Cocks @ 4/3

0 13 3

1 Small Do

0 3 10

2 Copper Kettles of 12 Gr

5 16 3

2 Do Do of 6 Gr

3 4 6

1 Tea Kettle of 2 Gr

1 4 5

5 Small Do

2 15 0

1 Pr Candlesticks

0 6 1½

25 18 2

Blocks Vizt

4 Ironbound Cat Blocks

1 5 8

2 Do Snatch

1 7 6

2 Do Double Sop

1 Do Single Do

0 15 0

4 Do Deadeyes

6 Dead Eyes

4 5 9

4 Double Long Tackles

0 10 0

2 Blocks Damaged

0 8 0

9 0 11

Buckram 8 Prs 7/8 yards

7 15 5½

Beef & Pork Vizt

47 Hhds 55 pr Pork

478 15 7

15 Puncheons Do lb Beef

190 2 11

668 18 6

Copper Mony 59,860. Irish Half Pence

124 14 2

Cutlery Ware Vizt

15 Horse Combs

0 3 9

9 6 Horn Do

0 12 0

99 Ivory Do

4 10 9

Cutlery Ware Carried over

£ 5 6 6

Carried over

£ 964 12 2½

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £128 5s 0d

Braziersware brought over, £11 14s 9½d

3 brass cocks at 4s 3d, £0 13s 3d

1 small brass cock, £0 3s 10d

2 copper kettles of 12 gallons, £5 16s 3d

2 copper kettles of 6 gallons, £3 4s 6d

1 tea kettle of 2 gallons, £1 4s 5d

5 small tea kettles, £2 15s 0d

1 pair of candlesticks, £0 6s 1½d

Braziersware total, £25 18s 2d

4 iron-bound cat blocks, £1 5s 8d

2 snatch blocks, £1 7s 6d

2 double top blocks, £0 15s 0d

1 single top block, £0 15s 0d

4 deadeyes, £0 15s 0d

6 deadeyes, £4 5s 9d

4 double long tackles, £0 10s 0d

2 blocks damaged, £0 8s 0d

Blocks total, £9 0s 11d

Buckram, 8 pieces 72 yards, £7 15s 5½d

47 hogsheads 55lb pork, £478 15s 7d

15 puncheons of beef, £190 2s 11d

Beef and pork total, £668 18s 6d

Copper money, 39,860 Irish halfpence, £124 14s 2d

15 louse combs, £0 3s 9d

9 horn combs, £0 12s 0d

9 ivory combs, £4 10s 9d

Cutleryware carried over, £5 6s 6d

Carried over, £964 12s 2½d

Interpretations

Salt provisions made up by far the greatest value in the warehouse, the pork and beef together standing at £668 18s 6d, a reserve dwarfing every other class of goods held. This vast store of preserved meat marks the scale on which the island victualled the Company's shipping, holding hogsheads and puncheons of salt pork and beef against the constant need to reprovision the vessels passing to and from the East, the settlement's chief function as a supply station written plainly in the size of this single reserve.

The Company held nearly forty thousand Irish halfpence in copper money valued at £124 14s 2d, a great stock of small coin kept in the warehouse. This reserve of copper served the island's need for small change in the daily dealings of the store and the payment of minor sums, so the settlement held a supply of low-value coin as deliberately as its silver and gold, the Irish halfpence answering for the petty transactions that the larger coin could not conveniently meet.

The blocks, deadeyes and tackles held in store were the gear of a ship's rigging, kept to supply and repair the vessels calling at the island. These parts wore and broke at sea and had to be replaced, so the island held a stock of the fittings through which a ship's ropes ran, the cat blocks, snatch blocks and deadeyes ready to refit the rigging of the Company's shipping, the warehouse serving as a chandlery for the vessels it supplied.

168

159

Brought over

£ 964 12 2½

Cutlery Ware Brought over

£ 5 6 6

25 Pr Shoe Buckles

0 11 5½

10 6 Pr Knee Do

2 4 2

3 Butchers Knifes

0 0 10½

1 Buding Do

0 1 9

6 Cases Fleams

1 7 2

25 Gross Horn Moulds

0 11 7½

10 3 6½

Cartwheels Vizt

16 Spare Fodes for hand & Wheel Barrows

1 Do broke

1 8 4

4 Pr Cartwheels

14 0 6

4 Axeltrees

1 14 10½

17 Wheel Barrows

12 3 8

29 12 10½

Corks 9 Gross 10 Doz

1 2 6

Camblet Vizt

27½ yards Scarlet

4 1 8

7 Do Blue

0 15 9

1 Pr 15 Do brown

5 5 0

10 2 5

Coals 4 Chaldron

6 8 0

Canvas Vizt

5 Pr 50½ yds Ozenbrigs

21 19 9

24 Pr 35 Do English Canvas

44 11 7½

66 11 4½

Carried over

£ 1088 12 11

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £964 12s 2½d

Cutleryware brought over, £5 6s 6d

25 pairs of shoe buckles, £0 11s 5½d

10 pairs of knee buckles, £0 2s 4d

3 butchers' knives, £0 0s 10½d

1 binding knife, £0 1s 9d

6 cases of fleams, £1 7s 2d

25 gross of horn moulds, £0 11s 7½d

Cutleryware total, £10 3s 6½d

16 spare fadges for hand and wheelbarrows, and 1 broke, £1 8s 4d

4 pairs of cartwheels, £14 0s 6d

4 axletrees, £1 14s 10½d

17 wheelbarrows, £12 3s 8d

Cartwheels total, £29 12s 10½d

Corks, 9 gross 10 dozen, £1 2s 6d

Camblet, 27½ yards scarlet, £4 1s 8d

Camblet, 7 yards blue, £0 15s 9d

Camblet, 1 piece 15 yards brown, £5 5s 0d

Camblet total, £10 2s 5d

Coals, 4 chaldron, £6 8s 0d

Osnaburg canvas, 3 pieces 50½ yards, £21 19s 9d

English canvas, 24 pieces 35 yards, £44 11s 7½d

Canvas total, £66 11s 4½d

Carried over, £1,088 12s 11d

Interpretations

Fleams were the bladed instruments used to bleed both people and animals, held here in cases among the cutlery, and their presence shows the store keeping the tools of the common medical practice of the age. Bloodletting was a standard treatment, so the island held fleams for the purpose, the store supplying the means to bleed the sick or the settlement's beasts, the cases of these instruments marking how the ordinary medicine of the day depended on tools carried in like every other supply.

The warehouse held a stock of cartwheels, axletrees and wheelbarrows, the running gear of the island's land transport kept in reserve against wear and breakage. These parts took the hardest use on the rough ground and had to be replaced, so the Company held spares ready to keep its carts and barrows moving, the reserve of wheels and axletrees ensuring that the plantation's haulage did not fail for want of a part that could not be made quickly on the island.

The Company kept camblet in three colours including a scarlet, the coloured cloth held in reserve for finer or distinguishing garments. Scarlet cloth in particular was costly and used for uniforms and dress of standing, so its presence among the stores points to the making of some better clothing on the island, the store holding the material for garments beyond the plain working stuffs, the coloured camblet answering needs that the coarse fabrics could not.

169

160

Brought over

£ 1088 12 11

Cordage Vizt

1 Thread Hawser

Wt 16 2 19

5 Inch Cordage

45 3 10

4 Do Do

23 1 6

3½ Do Do

4 2 16

2 Do Do

2 2 4

93 0 6

127 9 10

Deals vizt

163 Double Deals

17 Do in use in the Cellars

29 0 1½

420 Single Do

29 Do in use in the Cellars

45 6 5½

9 pars in use in Do

0 18 9

5 Elm Planks

4 14 7

147 Bundles Laths

8 0 6½

40 Wainscot Boards

12 5 0

2 Elm Do

0 6 2

11 Oak Planks of 5 Inch

27 8 2

6 Do of 4 Do

10 15 0

13 Prs Riga Timber

22 4 2

28 Baulks

8 5 8

40 Cassias

6 11 8

175 16 3½

Fustians &ca Vizt

7¾ Prs Fustian

15 15 2

12 yards Serge

2 13 0

18 8 2

Flour 379 2 21

236 19 7½

Carried over

£ 1647 6 10

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The cordage was reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £1,088 12s 11d

1 shroud hawser, 16 hundredweight 2 quarters 19lb

5-inch cordage, 45 hundredweight 3 quarters 10lb

4-inch cordage, 23 hundredweight 1 quarter 6lb

3½-inch cordage, 4 hundredweight 2 quarters 16lb

2-inch cordage, 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 4lb

Cordage total weight, 93 hundredweight 0 quarters 6lb, £127 9s 10d

163 double deals

17 double deals in use in the cellars, £29 0s 1½d

420 single deals

29 single deals in use in the cellars, £45 6s 5½d

9 pairs in use in the cellars, £0 18s 9d

5 elm planks, £4 14s 7d

147 bundles of laths, £8 0s 6½d

40 wainscot boards, £12 5s 0d

2 elm wainscot boards, £0 6s 2d

11 oak planks of 5 inch, £27 8s 2d

6 oak planks of 4 inch, £10 15s 0d

13 pieces of Riga timber, £22 4s 2d

28 baulks, £8 5s 8d

40 coffins, £6 11s 8d

Deals total, £175 16s 3½d

Fustian, 7¾ pieces, £15 15s 2d

Serge, 12 yards, £2 13s 0d

Fustian total, £18 8s 2d

Flour, 379 hundredweight 21lb, £236 19s 7½d

Carried over, £1,647 6s 10d

Interpretations

The warehouse held a great stock of building timber in every form, hundreds of deals, oak and elm planks, wainscot boards, laths, baulks and Riga timber, a reserve worth £175 16s 3½d. This vast holding of imported wood shows how completely the island depended on shipped timber for all its building and repair, the Company keeping a large reserve against constant use, since a settlement bare of good building wood had to hold in store all the timber its works and houses would consume.

Flour stood among the most valuable single provisions in the warehouse at £236 19s 7½d for a great weight, a staple held in bulk to feed the settlement and supply the ships. As a keeping foodstuff that both fed the establishment and reprovisioned vessels, flour was held in quantity like the salt meat, so the island kept a large reserve of it against the needs of its own people and the shipping, the size of the holding marking flour as a mainstay of the settlement's subsistence.

The cordage was held and reckoned by the exact size of the rope, from the heavy shroud hawser down to the two-inch line, the reserve graded by thickness for the different needs of the shipping. Rigging required rope of many sizes for its various uses, so the store held cordage across the whole range, the hawser for mooring and the finer lines for lighter work, the careful grading showing the warehouse stocked to refit the rigging of the Company's vessels in every part.

170

161

Brought over

£ 1647 6 10

Glass Ware vizt

105 Squares Glass 6 by 8

£ 1 8 5

216 Do 8 by 10

6 1 6

90 Do 10½ by 12½

4 7 0

25 Do 10 by 11

2 0 7½

240 Do 10 by 12

10 0 0

3 Quart Decanters

0 12 0

5 Pint Do

0 14 2

31 Beer Glasses

1 5 10

24 Tumblers

0 12 6

3 4 Hour Glasses

0 10 0

1 3 Do Do

0 3 4

24 halfminute Do

0 12 8

1 Pr Cruets

0 6 7½

2 Pr Do

0 5 0

28 19 8

Grindstones vizt

1 Grindstone

0 15 6

1 Do

0 2 9

0 18 3

Hats vizt

3 mens fine

4 7 6

44 Centinels

6 4 0

1 Boys

0 5 6

10 17 0

Carried over

£ 1688 1 9

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,647 6s 10d

105 square feet of glass 6 by 8, £1 8s 5d

216 square feet of glass 8 by 10, £6 16s 0d

90 square feet of glass 10½ by 12½, £4 7s 0d

25 square feet of glass 10 by 11, £2 0s 7½d

240 square feet of glass 10 by 12, £10 0s 0d

3 quart decanters, £0 12s 0d

5 pint decanters, £0 14s 2d

31 beer glasses, £1 5s 10d

24 tumblers, £0 12s 6d

3 four-hour glasses, £0 10s 0d

1 three-hour glass, £0 3s 4d

24 half-minute glasses, £0 12s 8d

1 pair of cruets, £0 6s 7½d

2 pairs of cruets, £0 5s 0d

Glassware total, £28 19s 8d

1 grindstone, £0 15s 6d

1 grindstone, £0 2s 9d

Grindstones total, £0 18s 3d

3 men's fine hats, £4 7s 6d

44 sentinels' hats, £6 4s 0d

1 boys' hat, £0 5s 6d

Hats total, £10 17s 0d

Carried over, £1,688 1s 9d

Interpretations

The store held sand glasses of several timed lengths, four-hour, three-hour, half-minute and the like, the instruments by which time was measured on the island and its ships. The half-minute glasses in particular were used with the log to measure a ship's speed at sea, so the warehouse held the means of keeping time and reckoning a vessel's way, the different glasses serving the watch, the work and the navigation on which the shipping depended.

Window glass in its various pane sizes made up much the largest part of the glassware held, hundreds of square feet reckoned by the standard sizes, a reserve for glazing the island's buildings. Since no glass could be made on the island, the Company held a stock of cut panes against the constant need to glaze and repair its windows, the large holding showing how the settlement kept in store the means to finish and maintain its buildings to a proper standard.

The warehouse held grindstones for sharpening the island's tools and blades, the stones on which edges were ground kept in reserve for the constant need to keep tools keen. Every trade on the island depended on sharp tools, so the store held grindstones against their wear, the stones serving the carpenters, masons and others whose work required a keen edge, a small but necessary part of the supply that kept the settlement's labour effective.

171

162

Brought over

£ 1688 1 9

Hosiers Ware Vizt

606 Pr Thread Stockings

£ 76 19 9

1 Pr Mens Wove Do Damaged

0 3 8

6 Pr Do Knit Do

0 1 8

9 Pr Womens Do

2 Pr Do Damaged Do

1 12 6

2 Pr Girls Do

11 Pr Do Damaged

1 12 6

81 6 3

Hooks & Lines Vizt

51 Dozen Lines No 4

11 5 3

59 Do 9 Do 3

11 11 6½

82 Do 7 Do 2

13 15 3½

18,130 Hooks No 1

42 10 9

18,200 Do 2

27 6 0

15,425 Do 3

13 9 11

8,075 Do 4

4 1 4 2½

5,400 Blue Hooks

0 14 7½

5,500 pr Grantham

2 15 0

128 11 7

Haberdashery Ware Vizt

8 Prs 10 whale Bone

2 0 11½

2 lb Silk

3 15 7½

5 lb Mohair

6 16 6

38 Gross 3½ Doz mohair Co Buttons

13 17 7

8 Do 7½ Do Do Bo Do

1 8 0

4 Do 10½ Do Fine Bo Do

0 6 1

36 Prs Holland Tape

1 10 0

6 Prs Carnation Do

0 4 0

12 Doz Gilt Co Buttons

2 8 0

13 Do Do Bo Do

1 7 0

8 Do Silver Bo Do

0 16 0

34 9 9½

Carried over

£ 1932 9 6½

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,688 1s 9d

606 pairs of thread stockings, £76 19s 9d

1 pair of men's woven stockings, damaged, £0 3s 8d

6 pairs of men's knit stockings, damaged, £0 1s 8d

9 pairs of women's stockings, £1 12s 6d

2 pairs of women's stockings, damaged, and 2 pairs of girls' stockings, £1 12s 6d

11 pairs of stockings, damaged, £0 3s 0d

Hosiery total, £81 6s 3d

51 dozen lines number 4, £11 5s 3d

59 dozen 9 lines number 3, £11 11s 6½d

82 dozen 7 lines number 2, £13 15s 3½d

18,100 hooks number 1, £42 10s 9d

18,200 hooks number 2, £27 6s 0d

15,425 hooks number 3, £13 9s 11d

8,075 hooks number 4, £4 14s 2½d

5,400 blue hooks, £0 14s 7½d

5,500 hooks for Grantham, £2 15s 0d

Hooks and lines total, £128 11s 7d

8lb 10oz whalebone, £2 0s 11½d

2lb 3oz silk, £3 15s 7½d

5lb mohair, £6 16s 6d

38 gross 3½ dozen mohair coat buttons, £13 17s 7d

8 gross 7½ dozen mohair breast buttons, £1 8s 0½d

4 gross 10½ dozen tin breast buttons, £0 6s 1d

36 pieces of Holland tape, £1 10s 0d

6 pieces of carnation tape, £0 4s 0d

12 dozen gilt coat buttons, £2 8s 0d

13½ dozen gilt breast buttons, £1 7s 0d

8 dozen silver breast buttons, £0 16s 0d

Haberdashery total, £34 9s 9½d

Carried over, £1,932 9s 6½d

Interpretations

The warehouse held fishing hooks in the tens of thousands, more than seventy thousand hooks of various sizes together with dozens of lines, a reserve far beyond any household need. This great stock shows fishing carried on widely across the island by servants, planters and slaves alike, the Company holding hooks and lines in bulk to supply them all, so the sea around St Helena was worked hard for food, the vast reserve of tackle measuring how much the settlement leaned on fishing to feed itself.

Whalebone was held among the haberdashery, the springy baleen from whales' mouths used to stiffen stays and other garments, showing the store keeping material for the making and mending of fashionable dress. This points to some finer tailoring on the island, the whalebone serving to shape the stays that gave women's clothing its form, so even a remote settlement kept the means to make garments in the manner of the age, the store supplying the stiffening that such dress required.

The store held buttons of mohair, tin, gilt and silver together, a range from the plain to the fine, showing the settlement's clothing running from working dress to garments of some show. Silver and gilt buttons marked the better sort of coat while the mohair and tin served ordinary wear, so the store furnished the fastenings for every grade of dress on the island, the different buttons matching the different stations and occasions of those who wore them.

172

163

Brought over

£ 1932 9 6½

Iron & Steel Vizt

24 3 24 Iron

£ 24 12 0

1 3 9 Steel

3 12 10½

28 4 10½

Iron Pots 1 of 12 Gallons

0 13 0

Ironmongers Ware Vizt

2 Ironrimed Locks D

2 4 2

5 Do Do No 2

4 8 3

6 Brass Do

6 10 0

3 Ironrimd Do B

1 7 6

7 Do Do C

2 10 2

2 Stock Do with Pipes

0 9 10

21 Ironrimd Do with brass knobs

5 15 6

28 Stock Do

2 11 4

8 Padlocks

0 18 0

10 Chest Locks

1 15 0

13 Broad Hoes

1 2 2½

1 Jack Plain

0 1 10

5 Gouges

0 1 5½

21 Pr Sheep Sheers

2 2 0

9 Axes

0 10 6

12 Scrapers

1 0 0

4 Surfing Irons

0 11 6

32 Pickaxes

3 9 4

11 Augers

0 4 10½

52 Lead Nails

1 3 10

213 Packing Needles

1 11 ½

6 Pr HL Hinges @ 4/

1 4 0

Ironware Carried over

£ 42 10 8

Carried over

£ 1961 7 5

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The iron and steel were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £1,932 9s 6½d

Iron, 24 hundredweight 3 quarters 24lb, £24 12s 0d

Steel, 1 hundredweight 3 quarters 9lb, £3 12s 10½d

Iron and steel total, £28 4s 10½d

Iron pots, 1 of 12 gallons, £0 13s 0d

2 iron rimmed locks, £2 4s 2d

5 iron rimmed locks number 2, £4 8s 3d

6 brass locks, £6 10s 0d

3 iron rimmed locks B, £1 7s 6d

7 iron rimmed locks C, £2 10s 2d

2 stock locks with pipes, £0 9s 10d

21 iron rimmed locks with brass knobs, £5 15s 6d

28 stock locks, £2 11s 4d

8 padlocks, £0 18s 0d

10 chest locks, £1 15s 0d

13 broad hoes, £1 2s 2½d

1 jack plane, £0 1s 10d

5 gouges, £0 1s 5½d

21 pairs of sheep shears, £2 2s 0d

9 axes, £0 10s 6d

12 scrapers, £0 1s 0d

4 turfing irons, £0 11s 6d

32 pickaxes, £3 9s 4d

11 augers, £0 4s 10½d

52 lead nails, £1 3s 10d

213 packing needles, £1 11s 0½d

6 pairs of H hinges, £0 4s 0d

Ironware carried over, £42 10s 8d

Carried over, £1,961 7s 5d

Interpretations

The warehouse held a great variety of locks, more than eighty of several kinds from brass locks to stock locks, chest locks and padlocks, a large reserve for securing the island's doors, chests and gates. This quantity shows the settlement's concern to keep its buildings and stores fast, the Company holding locks in number against the constant need to secure property, the different kinds serving the different doors and containers across the works, houses and warehouses of the island.

Turfing irons were held among the tools, the spade-like implements used to cut and lift turf, showing the store keeping the means to pare the ground for building or planting. These tools served to strip turf for walls, paths or the clearing of land, so the store furnished the implements for shaping the island's ground, the turfing irons among the range of digging and cutting tools by which the settlement worked and improved its land.

The store held iron and steel in bulk as raw material, the metal from which the armourer and smith would make and mend the island's ironwork. Rather than finished goods alone, the warehouse kept the stock of iron and steel to be worked at need, so the settlement could forge and repair its own ironware from this reserve, the raw metal underpinning the work of the smithy on which the maintenance of the island's tools, arms and fittings depended.

173

164

Brought over

£ 1961 7 5

Ironmongers Ware Brought over

£ 42 10 8

30 Pr HL Hinges @ 1/7

2 7 6

12 Pr Do Do 2/9

1 13 0

12 Pr Do Do 7/8½

4 12 6

11 Pr Shutter Hinges

1 4 0

16 Pr Hinges with rising Joints

2 10 8

24 Pr Side Do

1 6 6

17 Seyths

4 9 3

83 Pr Stones

0 6 11

7 Plaisterers Trowels

0 10 6

15 Bricklayers Do @ 1/7

1 3 9

5 Do Do 1/

0 5 0

8 Joiners Hatchets

0 16 0

2 Small Gimblets

0 0 3½

24 Stone Wedges

0 16 0

1 Whip Saw

1 2 7½

3 Hand Spits

0 7 6

2 Jack Do

0 11 0

21 Doz 6 Files

6 11 8

3 Former Chisels

0 1 6

2 Mow Cutters

0 5 8

9 Stone Saws

2 4 5

8 Pr Do Do Heads

2 3 8

10 Spades

1 10 10

5 Grubing Hoes

0 14 7

5 Pr Planking Cards

1 11 9

20 Setting Hammers

6 15 1½

1 Carpenters Ax

0 4 3

Iron Ware Carried over

£ 88 18 ½

Carried over

£ 1961 7 5

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,961 7s 5d

Ironware brought over, £42 10s 8d

30 pairs of HL hinges at 1s 7d, £2 7s 6d

12 pairs of HL hinges at 2s 9d, £1 13s 0d

12 pairs of HL hinges at 7s 8½d, £4 12s 6d

11 pairs of shutter hinges, £1 4s 0d

16 pairs of hinges with rising joints, £2 10s 8d

24 pairs of side hinges, £1 6s 6d

17 scythes, £4 9s 3d

83 scythe stones, £0 6s 11d

7 plasterers' trowels, £0 10s 6d

15 bricklayers' trowels at 1s 7d, £1 3s 9d

3 bricklayers' trowels at 1s, £0 5s 0d

8 joiners' hatchets, £0 16s 0d

2 small gimlets, £0 0s 3½d

24 stone wedges, £0 16s 0d

1 whip saw, £1 2s 7½d

3 hand spits, £0 7s 6d

2 jack spits, £0 0s 11d

21 dozen 6 files, £6 11s 8d

3 former chisels, £0 1s 6d

2 mow cutters, £0 5s 8d

9 stone saws, £2 4s 5d

8 pairs of stone saw heads, £2 3s 8d

10 spades, £1 10s 10d

5 grubbing hoes, £0 14s 7d

5 pairs of planking cards, £1 11s 9d

20 setting hammers, £6 15s 1½d

1 carpenter's adze, £0 4s 3d

Ironware carried over, £88 18s 0½d

Carried over, £1,961 7s 5d

Interpretations

The store held a full range of stone-working tools, the stone saws and their heads, the stone wedges, the setting hammers and the masons' trowels, showing quarrying and dressing of stone carried on extensively on the island. These tools mark the working of the local rock into building stone, so the settlement cut and shaped its own stone for construction, the store furnishing the specialist implements the masons and quarrymen required, the island's building depending on the stone it could win and dress from its own ground.

Scythes and their sharpening stones were held in number, the tools for cutting grass and grain, showing the harvesting of hay or crops on the island's cultivated ground. The scythe was the implement for mowing, so the store held them against the season's cutting, the many scythe stones marking the constant need to keep the blades keen, the settlement's husbandry depending on these tools to bring in the grass and grain its land produced.

The store held hinges of many kinds in quantity, the HL hinges, shutter hinges, side hinges and hinges with rising joints, the fittings by which the island's doors and shutters were hung. This large reserve shows the constant building and repair of the settlement's structures, every door and shutter needing its hinges, so the Company held them in variety against the works of construction and maintenance, the different hinges serving the different doors, gates and windows across the island's buildings.

174

165

Brought over

£ 1961 7 5

Ironmongers Ware Brought over

£ 88 18 ½

12 Drill Bows

1 6 5

6 Do Boxes

0 0 9

1 Coffee Roaster

0 2 6

1 Cross Cut Saw

1 1 4½

4 Walleng Hammers

0 6 0

4 Pr Steel Compasses

0 1 4

60 Files Hafts

0 2 3½

3 Loping Axes

0 8 6

7 Bill Hooks

0 15 9

4 Claw Hammers

0 4 8

1 Pruning Saw

0 1 8

51 Doz Wordscrews

0 17 0

2 Small Jacks

9 16 0

1 Large Do

7 10 2

12 Hand Hatchets

0 15 5

3 Cleavers

0 11 6

1 Chafing Dish

0 5 2½

30 Small frying Pans

2 13 5½

1 Large Do

0 5 8

6 Mawls

2 14 0

1 Pr Bellows Damaged

0 2 6

1 Whimble Brace

0 1 6

½ Brass Wire

12 Corn Emery

0 13 5

½ Flour Do

18 Rasps

0 9 5

18 Smiths Rubbers

2 14 9

2 Hand Vices

0 5 10

Iron Ware Carried over

£ 123 9 4½

Carried over

£ 1961 7 5

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £1,961 7s 5d

Ironware brought over, £88 18s 0½d

12 drill bows, £1 6s 5d

6 drill boxes, £0 0s 9d

1 coffee roaster, £0 2s 6d

1 crosscut saw, £1 1s 4½d

4 walling hammers, £0 6s 0d

4 pairs of steel compasses, £0 1s 4d

60 file hafts, £0 2s 3½d

3 loping axes, £0 8s 6d

7 bill hooks, £0 15s 9d

4 claw hammers, £0 4s 8d

1 pruning saw, £0 1s 8d

51 dozen wood screws, £0 17s 0d

2 small jacks, £9 16s 0d

1 large jack, £7 10s 2d

12 hand hatchets, £0 15s 5d

3 cleavers, £0 11s 6d

1 chafing dish, £0 5s 2½d

30 small frying pans, £2 13s 5½d

1 large frying pan, £0 5s 8d

6 mawls, £2 14s 0d

1 pair of bellows, damaged, £0 2s 6d

1 wimble brace, £0 1s 6d

½lb brass wire, £0 1s 6d

12lb corn emery, £0 13s 3d

12lb flour emery, £0 9s 3d

18 rasps, £2 14s 9d

18 smiths' rubbers, £0 5s 10d

2 hand vices, £0 5s 0d

Ironware carried over, £123 9s 1½d

Carried over, £1,961 7s 5d

Interpretations

The two small jacks and the large jack were much the most valuable single items among this ironware at over seventeen pounds together, the lifting jacks used to raise great weights such as guns or heavy timber. These powerful tools let a few men move loads far beyond their own strength, so the island held them for the heavy work of mounting guns or shifting timber, the high value reflecting both their cost and their necessity to the works and defences the settlement maintained.

A coffee roaster held among the ironware shows coffee prepared and drunk on the island, the green beans roasted before grinding as the custom of the age required. Coffee was an eastern commodity carried in the Company's trade, so its roaster in the store marks the drink taken by the settlement alongside its tea, the island sharing in the coffee-drinking that the Company's commerce was spreading, the roaster the means by which the raw bean was made fit to use.

The store held the specialist tools of the smith and metalworker, the drill bows and boxes, the rasps, emery, files and hand vices by which iron was worked and finished. These tools mark the metalworking carried on at the island, the smith drilling, filing and grinding to make and mend ironwork, so the settlement maintained the means to work metal to a fine finish, the drill bows turning the bits and the emery and rasps dressing the metal that the island's trades required.

175

166

Brought over

£ 1961 7 5

Ironmongersware Brought over

£ 123 9 4½

2 Saw Plates

0 7 2

84 Helves

2 10 9

1 Pr Saw Stocks

0 7 2

126 14 2½

Kersey 7 Prs 8¼ Yards

13 7 0

Long Ells 24 Yards

1 18 0

Lead Vizt

10 Yards of 2 Inch Pipe

4 15 6

8 3 3 Sheet Lead

7 9 8

12 5 2

Leather Vizt

3 10 Sole

17 6 0

1 2 Pump

2 2 6

21 Calf Skins

7 1 9

26 10 3

Masts Vizt

1 Large Mast 76 feet Long 21

Inches Diameter

33 11 0

½ a Top Mast

8 10 0

1 Top Mast pr Pelham

7 0 0

1 Cap

1 11 6

1 Top Mast 65 feet Long 17

Inches Diameter

21 15 0

72 7 6

Mustard Seed 2¼ Bushels

2 4 7½

Oars Vizt

2 Oars of 16 feet

0 7 8½

13 Do pr Grantham @ 3/9

2 8 9

2 16 5½

Carried over

£ 2221 10 7½

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The lead and leather were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £1,961 7s 5d

Ironware brought over, £123 9s 1½d

2 saw plates, £0 7s 2d

84 helves, £2 10s 9d

1 pair of saw stocks, £0 7s 2d

Ironware total, £126 14s 2½d

Kersey, 7 pieces 8½ yards, £13 7s 0d

Long ells, 24 yards, £1 18s 0d

10 yards of 2-inch lead pipe, £4 15s 6d

Sheet lead, 8 hundredweight 1 quarter 3lb, £7 9s 8d

Lead total, £12 5s 2d

Sole leather, 3 hundredweight 10lb, £17 6s 0d

Pump leather, 1 hundredweight 2lb, £2 2s 6d

21 calf skins, £7 1s 9d

Leather total, £26 10s 3d

1 large mast, 76 feet long and 21 inches diameter, £33 11s 0d

½ a topmast, £8 10s 0d

1 topmast for the Pelham, £7 0s 0d

1 cap, £1 11s 6d

1 topmast, 65 feet long and 17 inches diameter, £21 15s 0d

Masts total, £72 7s 6d

Mustard seed, 2½ bushels, £2 4s 7½d

2 oars of 16 feet, £0 7s 8½d

13 oars for Grantham at 3s 9d, £2 8s 9d

Oars total, £2 16s 5½d

Carried over, £2,221 10s 7½d

The Pelham was named among the spare topmasts held in store.

Interpretations

The warehouse held spare masts and topmasts of great size and value, including one topmast reserved for the Pelham, the standing reserve by which the island could refit a ship that had lost or sprung a spar. A vessel dismasted or with a damaged topmast could not proceed, so the island kept great timbers ready to replace them, the masts among the most valuable single items in the store, the settlement serving as the point where a ship of the Company's line could be re-masted and sent on its way.

The store held leather in several kinds, the heavy sole leather, the pump leather and the calf skins, the material for shoes, for the leathers of pumps and for finer work. Leather served many needs from footwear to the seals of the pumps that drew water, so the store held it in its different grades, the sole leather for the soles of shoes and the pump leather for the ships' and wells' pumps, the settlement's supply of worked leather resting on this reserve.

Sheet lead and lead piping were held in quantity, the lead for roofing, flashing and the carrying of water about the works. Lead lined gutters and cisterns and made the pipes through which water ran, so the store kept it against the needs of building and plumbing, the two-inch pipe and the sheet lead serving to carry and contain water, the settlement's water supply and the weatherproofing of its buildings depending on this stock of a metal that could not be had on the island.

176

167

Brought over

£ 2221 10 7½

Nails Vizt

5 1 13 2

£ 17 10 7

5 4 3

13 10 3

9 1 17 4

20 16 10

5 2 17 6

11 3 11½

8 1 23 10

15 15 8

5 1 6 20

5 15 7½

1 9 40

0 10 9½

3 3 22 Scupper

9 13 4½

3 3 23 Flooring Brads

7 7 8

2 10 Coopers Rivets

1 14 4½

1 Glazing Brads

1 8 7

105 7 8½

Oil Vizt

237 Gr Train

34 11 3

248 Gr Linseed

41 6 8

46 Bottles Florence

5 5 5

81 3 4

Pitch & Tar Vizt

6 Barrels Tar

6 12 0

7 Do Pitch

8 15 0

14 Do Turpentine

1 2 3

1 Gr lb Rosin

0 2 7½

16 12 ½

Pumps 2

25 6 11

Pease ½ Bushel

0 2 9

Soap 10 2 19

30 16 11½

Starch 18 lb

0 9 0

Carried over

£ 2481 9 4

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The nails, oil, pitch and other bulk goods were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds where a weight is given.

Brought over, £2,221 10s 7½d

Nails 2, 5 hundredweight 1 quarter 13lb, £17 10s 7d

Nails 3, 5 hundredweight 0 quarters 4lb, £13 10s 3d

Nails 4, 9 hundredweight 1 quarter 17lb, £20 16s 10d

Nails 6, 5 hundredweight 2 quarters 17lb, £11 3s 11½d

Nails 10, 8 hundredweight 1 quarter 23lb, £15 15s 8d

Nails 20, 3 hundredweight 1 quarter 6lb, £5 15s 7½d

Nails 40, 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 9lb, £0 10s 9½d

Scupper nails, 3 hundredweight 3 quarters 22lb, £9 13s 4½d

Flooring brads, 3 hundredweight 3 quarters 23lb, £7 7s 8d

Coopers' rivets, 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 10lb, £1 14s 4½d

Glazing brads, 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 0lb, £1 8s 7d

Nails total, £105 7s 8½d

Train oil, 237 gallons, £34 11s 3d

Linseed oil, 248 gallons, £41 6s 8d

Florence oil, 46 bottles, £5 5s 5d

Oil total, £81 3s 4d

6 barrels of tar, £6 12s 0d

7 barrels of pitch, £8 15s 0d

1¼ barrels of turpentine, £1 2s 3d

½ hundredweight of rosin, £0 2s 7½d

Pitch and tar total, £16 12s 7½d

2 pumps, £25 6s 11d

Pease, ½ bushel, £0 2s 9d

Soap, 10 hundredweight 19lb, £30 16s 11½d

Starch, 18lb, £0 9s 0d

Carried over, £2,481 9s 4d

Interpretations

The naval stores of oil, pitch, tar, turpentine and rosin were held in great quantity, hundreds of gallons of oil and barrels of the tars, the materials for preserving and caulking the ships that called at the island. Tar and pitch sealed a vessel's seams and protected its rigging while the oils served paint and lamps, so the island held these stores in bulk to refit the shipping, the reserve marking the settlement's central work of maintaining the Company's vessels for the sea.

Scupper nails and flooring brads were held among the nails as specialist kinds, the scupper nails used in ships to fix the leather of the scuppers that drained water from the deck. These particular nails mark the store's stock of shipwright's materials, so the island held not only common nails but the specialist fastenings a vessel required, the scupper nails serving the drainage of a ship's deck, the reserve fitted to the repair of the shipping as much as the building of the shore.

Spare pumps were held in the warehouse at the considerable value of £25 6s 11d for two, the machines by which water was raised from wells or cleared from a ship's hold. A pump was essential both to a vessel and to the drawing of water on shore, so the island kept spares against failure, the high value reflecting their importance, the pumps ready to replace a worn or broken one whether in the Company's works or aboard the ships it supplied.

177

168

Brought over

£ 2481 9 4

Paint Vizt

22 Verdegrease

£ 3 9 2½

12 2 4 Whiting

1 5 0

2 9 Umber

1 1 8

3 26 Red Lead

3 7 10½

3 2 9 Venehian Red

3 15 2½

2 2 1 Brimstone

2 18 6½

2 26 Yellow Oaker

2 6 10½

2 11 Blue Smalts

10 11 8

5½ Jamaica Indico

1 10 3

2¾ White Copperass

1 1 3

1 22 Stone Oaker

1 1 6

1 18 English Do

0 7 8

3½ Prussian Blue

0 7 0

6 Saccarum Saturnee

0 1 ½

14 3 White Lead

20 10 0

2 3 18 Olive Colour

28 10 6

3 14 Skey Blue

8 3 4

6 Stone Colour

15 8 0

1 26 Mahogony

6 1 6

31 Barrels Blacking

1 8 5

131 6 7

Pewter Vizt

6 Half Gallon Pots

1 11 0

1 Quart Funnel

0 2 3

4 Dishes @ 8/4

1 13 4

18 Do 6/6

5 17 0

1 Cullender

0 6 ½

2 Worm Tubs & Stills

21 4 8

2 Cranes

1 17 0

32 11 3½

Carried over

£ 2645 7 2½

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The paints were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £2,481 9s 4d

Verdigrease, 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 22lb, £3 9s 2½d

Whiting, 12 hundredweight 2 quarters 4lb, £1 5s 0d

Umber, 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 9lb, £1 1s 8d

Red lead, 3 hundredweight 0 quarters 26lb, £3 7s 10½d

Venetian red, 3 hundredweight 2 quarters 9lb, £3 15s 2½d

Brimstone, 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 1lb, £2 18s 6½d

Yellow ochre, 2 hundredweight 0 quarters 26lb, £2 6s 10½d

Blue smalts, 2 hundredweight 0 quarters 11lb, £10 11s 8d

Jamaica indigo, 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 5½lb, £1 10s 3d

White copperas, 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 2¾lb, £1 1s 3d

Stone ochre, 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 22lb, £1 1s 6d

English ochre, 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 18lb, £0 7s 8d

Prussian blue, 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 3½lb, £0 7s 0d

Saccharum saturni, 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 6lb, £0 1s 1½d

White lead, 14 hundredweight 3 quarters 0lb, £20 10s 0d

Olive colour, 2 hundredweight 3 quarters 18lb, £28 10s 6d

Grey blue, 0 hundredweight 3 quarters 14lb, £8 3s 4d

Stone colour, 6 hundredweight 0 quarters 0lb, £15 8s 0d

Mahogany, 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 26lb, £6 1s 6d

31 barrels of blacking, £1 8s 5d

Paint total, £131 6s 7d

6 half-gallon pots, £1 11s 0d

1 quart funnel, £0 2s 3d

4 dishes at 8s 4d, £1 13s 4d

18 dishes at 6s 6d, £5 17s 0d

1 colander, £0 6s 7½d

2 worm tubs and stills, £21 4s 8d

2 cranes, £1 17s 0d

Pewter total, £32 11s 3½d

Carried over, £2,645 7s 2½d

Interpretations

The store held an extensive range of pigments and colours, from the common white lead and ochres to the costly blue smalts, Prussian blue, Jamaica indigo and named mixed colours like olive, stone and mahogany. This wide palette shows painting carried on to a considerable standard on the island, the Company holding the full range a painter needed to colour and finish its buildings, the presence of prepared colours and fine pigments marking a care for appearance beyond mere protection of the woodwork.

Saccharum saturni was sugar of lead, a compound used both as a pigment drier in paint and in medicine, and its presence among the paints shows the store keeping the chemical materials of the painter's craft. Such prepared compounds could not be made on the island, so the store held them for their part in the mixing and drying of paint, the sugar of lead among the specialist materials that let the settlement's painting be done properly, carried in like every other supply.

The two worm tubs and stills held among the pewter were the apparatus of distillation, the still and its coiled worm through which vapour was condensed, valued at over twenty pounds. These marked the making or rectifying of spirits or the distilling of water on the island, so the Company held the means to distil, the stills among the more valuable items in the store, the apparatus serving whatever distillation the settlement required, whether of spirit or of water, a capability kept ready in the warehouse.

178

169

Brought Over

£ 2645 7 2½

Shoes Vizt

4 Pr Mens Pumps

£ 1 4 0

1 Pr Do Fine

0 5 6

1 Pr Do Channeld Pumps

0 7 0

5 Pr Womens Calimanco

2 2 0

1 Pr Do Spanish

0 4 3

3 Pr Do Calf

0 7 3

11 Pr Boys

1 16 8

5 Pr Girls

0 16 6

31 Pr Mens Ordinary Shoes

5 13 10

2 Pr Stretchers

0 5 2

13 4 4

Salt 74¼ Bushels

9 11 10

Shalloon 3 yards

0 5 3½

Shirts Vizt

222 Centinels Shirts

49 0 6

4 Pr Linen

6 0 8

55 1 2

Scales & Weights Vizt

3 Pr Scales, Store Use

1 Pr Do

15 18 7

3 Beams for Scales

1 Beam Store Use

28 12 0

1 Pr Scale Boards

4 Pr Do Store Use

4 19 0

49 9 7

Sailors Cloaths Vizt

3 Mens Jackets & Trouzers

3 17 7

4 Scotch Bonnets

0 3 1

14 Mens Shirts Checkd

2 10 2

6 10 10

Carried over

£ 2779 19 3

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755.

Brought over, £2,645 7s 2½d

4 pairs of men's pumps, £1 4s 0d

1 pair of men's fine pumps, £0 5s 6d

1 pair of men's channel pumps, £0 7s 0d

5 pairs of women's calimanco shoes, £2 2s 0d

1 pair of women's Spanish shoes, £0 4s 3d

3 pairs of women's calf shoes, £0 7s 3d

11 pairs of boys' shoes, £1 16s 8d

5 pairs of girls' shoes, £0 16s 6d

31 pairs of men's ordinary shoes, £5 15s 10d

2 pairs of stretchers, £0 5s 2d

Shoes total, £13 4s 4d

Salt, 74½ bushels, £9 11s 10d

Shalloon, 3 yards, £0 5s 3½d

222 sentinels' shirts, £49 0s 6d

4 pairs of linen shirts, £6 0s 8d

Shirts total, £55 1s 2d

3 pairs of scales for store use, and 1 pair of scales, £15 18s 7d

3 beams for scales, and 1 beam in use, £28 12s 0d

1 pair of scale boards, and 1 pair for store use, £4 19s 0d

Scales and weights total, £49 9s 7d

3 men's jackets and trousers, £3 17s 7d

4 Scotch bonnets, £0 3s 1d

14 men's checked shirts, £2 10s 2d

Sailors' clothes total, £6 10s 10d

Carried over, £2,779 19s 3d

Interpretations

The store held a distinct class of sailors' clothes, the jackets and trousers, Scotch bonnets and checked shirts that were the working dress of seamen, kept to supply the crews of the ships that called at the island. This shows the island provisioning the men of the shipping as well as its own people, the store holding the particular garments of the sailor, so a seaman could be re-clothed at St Helena as his own dress wore out on the long voyages the Company's vessels made.

The store held scales, beams and weights of substantial value for weighing out the goods it issued and sold, the apparatus by which the bulk provisions and materials were measured. Much of the store's trade turned on selling and issuing goods by weight, so accurate scales were essential, the Company holding them in number and keeping spares, the beams and weights underpinning the whole system of supply by which the store's account was kept true.

Calimanco was a glossy woollen cloth, often checked or striped, used here for women's shoes, showing the store stocking footwear made of this fashionable material. Calimanco shoes were a lighter and more decorative wear than plain leather, so their presence marks the store supplying not only stout working shoes but finer footwear for the women of the settlement, the range of shoes held reflecting the different needs and stations of those who wore them.

179

170

27th October

Brought over

£ 2779 19 3

Soldiers Cloaths Vizt

43 Centinels Coats & Breeches

£ 63 11 10

1 Matrosses Do & Do

2 2 4

65 14 2

Ticking Vizt

5 Prs Fine

7 0 0

1 Pr Coarse

1 0 8

8 0 8

Thread Vizt

4 Whited Brown

1 2 2

179 Coloured

29 16 8

8 ozs Nuns

0 14 2½

31 13 ½

Tin Ware Vizt

4 Small Screwtore

0 1 2

46 Lanthorn Leaves

4 17 3½

4 2 Patty Pans

0 4 0

1 Watering Pot

0 5 1

4 Horn Lanthorns

0 10 0

3 Glass Do

1 7 0

2 Fret Lamps

1 4 0

1 Puding Pot

0 1 7

10 Lamps

0 7 6

9 7 7½

Swine Vizt

156 Chains Houseline & Marline

1 14 5½

255 Twine

15 8 ½

17 2 6

Carried over

£ 2911 8 3

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The ticking and twine were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds where a weight is given.

Brought over, £2,779 19s 3d

43 sentinels' coats and breeches, £63 11s 10d

1 matrosses' coat and breeches, £2 2s 4d

Soldiers' clothes total, £65 14s 2d

5 pieces of fine ticking, £7 0s 0d

1 piece of coarse ticking, £1 8s 0d

Ticking total, £8 8s 0d

Whited brown thread, 4lb, £1 2s 2d

Coloured thread, 170lb, £29 16s 8d

Nuns thread, 8oz, £0 14s 2½d

Thread total, £31 13s 0½d

4 special tinderboxes, £0 1s 2d

467 lanthorn leaves, £4 17s 3½d

42 patty pans, £0 4s 0d

1 watering pot, £0 5s 1d

4 horn lanthorns, £0 10s 0d

3 glass lanthorns, £0 17s 0d

2 cruet lamps, £0 1s 4d

1 pudding pot, £0 1s 7d

10 lamps, £0 7s 6d

Tinware total, £9 7s 7½d

Houseline and marline, 150lb, £1 14s 5½d

255 twine, £15 8s 1½d

Twine total, £17 2s 6d

Carried over, £2,911 8s 3d

Interpretations

Houseline and marline were small cords used aboard ship for binding and serving the rigging, held here among the twine for the needs of the shipping. These light lines lashed and wrapped the ropes of a vessel's rigging, so the store kept them to supply the ships that called at the island, the houseline and marline among the many grades of cordage the settlement held ready to refit and maintain the Company's vessels.

Ticking was the strong closely-woven cloth used to make the cases of mattresses and pillows, held here in fine and coarse grades, showing the store supplying the material for bedding. This cloth had to hold feathers or flock without leaking, so the store kept it for the making of beds, the fine and coarse ticking serving the different qualities of bedding required across the settlement, the material for a proper bed drawn like all else from the Company's supply.

The store held lanterns of horn and glass together with hundreds of lanthorn leaves, the horn or glass panes that let their light through, showing the constant need for portable light about the island. Lanterns lit the way and the work after dark on the shore and aboard ship, so the store held them in kind and kept a great reserve of the leaves to repair them, the settlement's business after nightfall depending on this supply of light against the darkness.

180

171

Brought over

£ 2911 8 3

Turners Ware Vizt

20 Scrubing Brushes

£ 1 13 4

50 Platters

2 15 4

53 Bowls

2 9 8½

3 Ladles

0 0 6

5 Rozeneng Dishes

0 1 3

2 Trays

0 5 0

2 Tows

0 2 2

3 Cloth Brushes

0 3 3

67 Shoe Brushes

1 19 1

1 Butter Print

0 0 6½

146 Paint Brushes

0 3 10

18 Straineng Dishes

0 4 1½

20 Punch Ladles

0 11 8

20 Hair Brooms

2 1 8

2 Birch Do

0 0 8

1 Labourers Basket Damaged

0 0 6½

12 Submens Yoaches

0 18 0

8 Pr Yoahes for Oxen

14 4 8

1 Flasket

0 2 6

30 14 10

Europen Goods Amounting to

£ 2942 3 1

India Goods vizt

Arrack 337 Gr

£ 44 18 8

Challoes 73 Prs

37 14 4

Candles 40 2 18

558 8 5

Desootees 53 Prs

22 14 11

Pepper 3 lb

0 1 7

Cotton Stockings 9 Pr

0 2 4

Carried over

£ 3610 0 5

This continues the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755, closing the account of European goods and opening that of India goods. The candles and other bulk goods were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds where a weight is given.

Brought over, £2,911 8s 3d

20 scrubbing brushes, £1 13s 4d

50 platters, £2 15s 4d

53 bowls, £2 9s 8½d

3 ladles, £0 0s 6d

5 rosewin dishes, £0 1s 3d

2 trays, £0 5s 0d

2 cows, £0 2s 2d

3 cloth brushes, £0 3s 3d

67 shoe brushes, £1 19s 1d

1 butter print, £0 0s 6½d

146 paint brushes, £0 3s 10d

18 straining dishes, £0 4s 1½d

20 punch ladles, £0 11s 8d

20 hair brooms, £2 1s 8d

2 birch brooms, £0 0s 8d

1 labourer's basket, damaged, £0 0s 6½d

12 salmon spoaches, £0 1s 8d

8 pairs of yokes for oxen, £14 4s 8d

1 flasket, £0 2s 6d

Turnersware total, £30 14s 10d

European goods total, £3,042 3s 1d

Arrack, 337 gallons, £44 18s 8d

Chelloes, 73 pieces, £37 14s 4d

Candles, 40 hundredweight 2 quarters 18lb, £558 8s 5d

Dessouras, 53 pieces, £22 14s 11d

Pepper, 3¼lb, £0 1s 7d

Cotton stockings, 9 pairs, £2 14s 0d

Carried over, £3,610 0s 5d

Interpretations

The whole reserve of stores was divided in the account between European goods and India goods, the two great streams of the Company's trade kept distinct in the reckoning. This division shows the island supplied from both directions of the Company's commerce, the manufactures and provisions of Europe on one side and the arrack, cloth and spices of the East on the other, the settlement's whole supply drawn from the trade that passed through its road in both directions.

Candles made up a strikingly large holding among the India goods at £558 8s 5d, a value far above any other single item in this part of the account. This great reserve of candles reflects the constant consumption of light across the settlement and its ships, the Company holding them in bulk against the daily need, the size of the holding measuring how much artificial light the island's life and work required, the candles among the most valuable stores held.

The yokes for oxen held among the turnersware were the wooden frames by which the ox teams were harnessed to draw the carts and ploughs, valued at over fourteen pounds for eight. These yokes were essential to the haulage and cultivation the oxen performed, so the store held spares against their wear, the yokes among the working gear that kept the plantation's transport and tillage going, the ox teams depending on this equipment to do the heavy work of the land.

181

172

27th October

Brought Over

£ 3610 0 5

China Ware Vizt

125 Soup Plates

£ 2 1 8

5 Do Dishes

0 5 0

2 Bowls

0 1 8

32 Smehers

0 5 4

1 Jug & Bason Colonird & Gold

0 10 0

4 Sallad Dishes

0 3 0

15 Meat Do

60 Do Plates

2 2 0

31 Cups & 17 Saucers

0 6 0

1 Guglet & Bason

0 2 2

79 Coffee Cups

0 9 10½

13 Sauce Boats

0 10 10

7 17 6½

Sugar & Candy Vizt

58 Prs Sugar

108 3 4

45 1 7 Candy

72 10 0

180 13 4

Rice & Paddy Vizt

337 2 14 Rice

115 7 1

202 1 21 Paddy

44 14 1

160 1 2

Tea Vizt

367 Congo

37 16 0

585 Single

36 11 3

657 Bohea

27 7 6

101 14 9

European & India Goods rem 11th Octr 1755. Amount to

£ 4060 7 2½

This continues and closes the inventory of the stores remaining in the Honourable Company's warehouses on 11 October 1755. The sugar, candy, rice, paddy and tea were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £3,610 0s 5d

125 soup plates, £2 1s 8d

5 dishes, £0 1s 5d

2 bowls, £0 1s 8d

32 stackers, £0 5s 4d

1 jug and basin, coloured and gold, £0 10s 0d

4 salad dishes, £0 0s 3d

15 meat dishes, £2 2s 0d

60 plates, £2 2s 0d

31 cups and 17 saucers, £0 6s 0d

1 gugglet and basin, £0 2s 2d

79 coffee cups, £0 9s 10½d

13 sauce boats, £0 10s 10d

Chinaware total, £7 17s 6½d

Sugar, 58 hundredweight 2 quarters 0lb, £108 3s 4d

Candy, 45 hundredweight 1 quarter 7lb, £72 10s 0d

Sugar and candy total, £180 13s 4d

Rice, 337 hundredweight 2 quarters 14lb, £115 7s 1d

Paddy, 202 hundredweight 1 quarter 21lb, £44 14s 1d

Rice and paddy total, £160 1s 2d

Congou tea, 36 hundredweight 7lb, £37 16s 0d

Singlo tea, 585lb, £36 11s 3d

Bohea tea, 65 hundredweight 7lb, £27 7s 6d

Tea total, £101 14s 9d

The whole reserve of European and India goods remaining on 11 October 1755 came to £4,060 7s 2½d.

Interpretations

Rice and paddy together made up much the greatest of the food reserves at £160 1s 2d, hundreds of hundredweight held in store, marking rice as the mainstay both of the slaves' diet and of the provisioning the island supplied. This vast holding shows how far the settlement leaned on rice as its bulk foodstuff, the husked grain feeding the labour and the unmilled paddy the stock, the great reserve measuring the central place of rice in the island's subsistence and its trade.

The tea held ran to great weight across the three grades of congou, singlo and bohea, a reserve of the eastern leaf held both for the settlement's own use and for supply to servants, planters and ships. Tea was among the most sought commodities of the Company's trade, so the island held it in bulk, the three grades serving the different purses and purposes of those who bought it, the large holding reflecting how far tea-drinking had spread through the settlement as through England at the same date.

The final reckoning brought the whole reserve of the warehouses to £4,060 7s 2½d, the sum of every class of goods from the anchors and salt meat to the porcelain and tea. This grand total measures the full value of the Company's standing stock on the island at the close of the quarter, a great reserve held against the needs of the settlement and the shipping, the figure marking the scale of the investment the Company kept on St Helena to sustain its people and refit the vessels of its eastern trade.

182

173

Materials for the Barracks Vizt

Paint Vizt

2 White Lead

£ 4 8 0

2 Pearl Colour

4 8 0

1 Chocolate

3 3 10

11 19 10

Oil 21 Gallons

4 8 2

Turners Ware 12 Paint Brushes

0 7 8

Iron 5 2 2

5 10 5

Glass Vizt

540 Squares Glass 8 by 10

576 Do 6 by 8

26 14 0

Deals Vizt

252 Prs Fir Timber

30 0 0

7 Prs Oak Plank

9 7 0

39 7 0

Nails 4 3 14

Locks 79

Hinges 172 Pair

38 0 11

£ 46 8 0

Materials for the Hospital Vizt

Fir Timber 275 Prs

White Lead 1 Cask

Dry Colours 1 Box

Glass 288 Squares 8 by 10

Iron 2 2 22

Nails 3 16

Locks 11

Hinges 50 Pair Hl

Oil 6 Gallons

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the month ending the 11th instant which is

as follows Vizt

This account listed the materials remaining for the barracks in the Honourable Company's warehouses. The paint, iron and timber were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

White lead, 2 hundredweight 0 quarters 0lb, £4 8s 0d

Pearl colour, 2 hundredweight 0 quarters 0lb, £4 8s 0d

Chocolate, 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 0lb, £3 3s 10d

Paint total, £11 19s 10d

Oil, 21 gallons, £4 8s 2d

Turnersware, 12 paint brushes, £0 7s 8d

Iron, 5 hundredweight 0 quarters 2lb, £5 10s 5d

540 square feet of glass 8 by 10, and 576 square feet of glass 6 by 8, £26 14s 0d

252 pieces of fir timber, £30 0s 0d

7 pieces of oak plank, £9 7s 0d

Deals total, £39 7s 0d

Nails, 4 hundredweight 3 quarters 14lb, £38 11s 0d

79 locks, and 172 pairs of hinges, £38 11s 0d

Total, £146 8s 0d

The following materials remained for the hospital.

Fir timber, 275 pieces

White lead, 1 cask

Dry colours, 1 box

Glass, 288 square feet 8 by 10

Iron, 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 22lb

Nails, 3 hundredweight 16lb

Locks, 11

Hinges, 50 pairs

Oil, 6 gallons

The council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending 11 October, which was as follows.

Interpretations

The Company held materials set aside expressly for the barracks and the hospital, the timber, glass, paint, locks and hinges reserved for these particular buildings, showing two major works in hand or planned. Keeping the materials for each building separately reckoned shows the Company preparing for substantial construction or repair, the barracks to house the garrison and the hospital to care for the sick, the reserved stocks marking these as deliberate projects for which the means were being gathered.

Pearl colour and chocolate were named paints held for the barracks, prepared colours of a grey-white and a brown, showing the building was to be finished in particular shades rather than left plain. These ready-mixed colours point to a considered scheme for the barracks, so even a building to house common soldiers was to be properly painted and finished, the Company's care for the appearance of its structures reaching to the quarters of the garrison, the named colours marking a deliberate choice of finish.

The great reserve of fir timber for both the barracks and the hospital, hundreds of pieces set aside, shows imported wood gathered in quantity for these building works. A settlement without its own building timber had to lay in a large stock before undertaking major construction, so the Company assembled the fir and oak in advance, the reserved timber marking the scale of the works intended and the forethought required to build on an island where every stick of good wood came in by ship.

183

174

27th October

Cash Dr

1755

September 12th To Ballance remaining

£ 4299 0 8

October 10th To Rents

564 15 1½

11th To Licences for Public Houses

15 0 0

To Matthew Purling for Store Goods Sold in

the Quarter ending this Day

870 13 3

To Plantation for Provisions Sold

5 1 1½

£ 5754 12 2

This was the debit side of the cash account for 1755.

12 September, to balance remaining, £4,299 0s 8d

10 October, to rents, £564 15s 1½d

11 October, to licences for public houses, £15 0s 0d

11 October, to Matthew Purling for store goods sold in the quarter ending that day, £870 15s 3d

11 October, to plantation for provisions sold, £5 1s 1½d

Total, £5,754 12s 2d

Interpretations

The Company's cash was fed from several distinct sources in the quarter, the rents of the planters, the licences for public houses, the profit on the goods sold from the store and the provisions sold from the plantation. This shows the varied revenue by which the island's cash was replenished, so the settlement drew income not from any single source but from its land, its trade, its regulation of drink and its own produce, the several streams together making up the receipts against which its heavy costs were met.

The licences for public houses at £15 mark the Company's regulation of the sale of drink on the island, licensing the houses where liquor was sold and drawing a revenue from the privilege. This control set the lawful sale of drink apart from the unlicensed trading that drew such heavy punishment, so the same authority that flogged slaves for selling arrack without leave licensed and profited from its lawful sale, the licence fee both ordering the trade and yielding income to the Company.

The store's profit of £870 15s 3d for the quarter, paid in by the storekeeper Purling, was the largest single receipt after the opening balance, showing how much the Company earned by supplying the island. The markup charged to servants, planters and ships turned the store into a substantial source of revenue, so the body that provisioned the settlement also profited handsomely by it, the store's contribution to the cash marking the trade in goods as a mainstay of the Company's income on the island.

184

175

Per Contra Cr

1755

October 11th By Sundry Accounts advanced the Pay master in the

Quarter ending this Day

£ 2019 19 6½

By Ballance remaining in the following Species Vizt

1202 Venitians @ 10/

£ 601 0 0

700 Pagodas 8/

280 0 0

Gold Amounting to

£ 881 0 0

2131 Dollars @ 5/

£ 532 15 0

14000 Rupees 2/3

1575 0 0

12948 half Rials 3¾

202 6 3

441 French Ps 2/

3 13 6

Odd Mony

0 2 10½

Silver Amounting to

£ 2313 17 7½

146 Cash Notes @ 40/

£ 292 0 0

162 Do 20/

162 0 0

263 Do 5/

65 15 0

160 Do 2/6

20 0 0

Cash Notes Amounting to

£ 539 15 0

£ 5754 12 2

Mr Matthew Purling Executor of the last

Will and Testament of Simon Whaley Desired leave to resign a

Lease for one and an half Acres of Land lying in Prosperous Bay

Valley, belonging to the Orphans of the Deceased. it being of no

use to them.

Granted.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

This was the credit side of the cash account for 1755, setting out the sums advanced and the balance remaining in the several kinds of coin held.

11 October, by sundry accounts advanced to the paymaster in the quarter ending that day, £2,019 19s 6½d

1,202 Venetians at 10s, £601 0s 0d

700 pagodas at 8s, £280 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £881 0s 0d

2,131 dollars at 5s, £532 15s 0d

14,000 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,575 0s 0d

12,948 half rials at 1s 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 12s, £313 6s 0d

Odd money, £2 10s 6d

Silver amounting to, £2,313 17s 7½d

146 cash notes at 40s, £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s, £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s, £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d, £20 0s 0d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total, £5,754 12s 2d

Matthew Purling, executor of the will of the late Simon Whaley, asked leave to give up a lease for 1½ acres of land in Prosperous Bay Valley belonging to the orphans of the deceased, it being of no use to them. The council granted the request. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The cash balance was again held in a mixture of gold and silver coin from across the trading world, Venetian sequins and Indian pagodas in gold and dollars, rupees, half rials and French pieces in silver, each valued in sterling at a fixed rate. This confirms how the island's money rested on whatever specie the ships of many nations carried, the Company keeping its books in sterling while holding almost no English coin, the rupee again the largest single holding as the currency of the eastern trade the settlement served.

The executor sought leave to surrender a lease that was of no use to the orphans he acted for, showing that a holding could be given up as well as taken and that the council governed the release of land as it governed its grant. Rather than hold land that yielded nothing, the executor returned it to the Company, so the council's control of the island's land ran both ways, the surrender of an unwanted lease requiring the same official leave as its acquisition, the land reverting to the Company when it served the holder no longer.

The cash notes held in the reserve, valued from forty shillings down to half a crown, show a system of paper money circulating on the island alongside the coin. These notes served as a local currency issued by the Company, easing the shortage of coin in the settlement's dealings, so the island's money was partly paper as well as metal, the cash notes in their several denominations passing in trade and held in the reserve like the gold and silver, a device to supply the want of ready coin.

185

176

3rd November

At a Consultation held on Monday the 3rd Day of

November 1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved and signed

Dated the 27 October 1755.

The Accomptant this Day brought in

the Journal parcels for the Quarter ending the 11th of last month.

which were examined and approved. and ordered to be entered.

The Storekeeper brought in his Account

of Waste or New Goods which we examined and approved.

and is as follows Vizt

Profit & Loss Dr for Loss by

Leakage Wastage, Short Weight & Measure by Drawing

by the Gallon &ca and by weighing by the Pound &ca in the

Year ending 11 of October 1755 Vizt

Corks ½ Sheet Cork

£ 0 0 4½

Glassware Vizt

7 Sqr Glass 6 by 8

£ 0 1 11

7 Do 10½ by 12½

0 6 8½

6 Do 10 by 12

0 5 0

2 Beer Glasses

0 1 8

1 Wind Glass

0 0 5½

0 15 9

Carried over

£ 0 16 1½

At a consultation held on Monday 3 November 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 27 October 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The accountant brought in the journal parcels for the quarter ending 11 October, which were examined, approved and ordered to be entered.

The storekeeper brought in his account of waste or dead goods, which was examined and approved. This profit and loss account set out the losses by leakage, wastage, short weight and measure, by drawing spirits by the gallon and by weighing goods by the pound, in the year ending 11 October 1755. The glassware below was marked as broke.

Corks, ½ sheet cork, £0 0s 4d

7 square feet of glass 6 by 8, £0 1s 11d

7 square feet of glass 10½ by 12½, £0 6s 8½d

6 square feet of glass 10 by 12, £0 5s 0d

2 beer glasses, £0 1s 8d

1 wine glass, £0 0s 5½d

Glassware total, £0 15s 9d

Carried over, £0 16s 1d

Interpretations

The Company kept a formal account of waste and dead goods, reckoning the losses from leakage, breakage and short measure as a distinct charge against profit and loss. This shows the careful bookkeeping by which the store measured not only what it sold but what it lost, so the shrinkage of spirits drawn by the gallon and the breakage of glass were set down and accounted for, the waste account holding the store answerable for the goods that perished or fell short in the handling.

The losses on drawing spirits by the gallon and weighing goods by the pound mark the natural shrinkage of a store's stock in the ordinary course of issue. Liquids evaporated and spilled and dry goods fell short between the bulk and the retail measure, so the account recognised these as unavoidable losses to be written off, the difference between what was received in bulk and what was issued out measured and charged, a realistic reckoning of the wastage inherent in keeping and dispensing a store.

186

177

Brought over

£ 0 16 1½

Cordage 1 Prs lb ¼

1 6 10

Iron 9 lb

0 1 6

Lead 12½ Shut

0 0 2

Leather 3 lb

0 0 9

Nails 2 4 22¼

1 1 8

Paint Vizt

2⅞ Verdegrease

£ 0 7 5½

1 17 Whiting

0 0 10

1 27 White Lead

0 19 5½

2¾ Sky Blue

0 4 7

11 Stone Colour

0 5 ½

2 Mahogony

0 4 6

4 Olive

0 7 0

½ Prussian Blue

0 1 0

2 9 10½

Pitch &ca Vizt

2 3 Rozen

0 1 9

10 Turpentine

0 0 2

0 3 9

Soap 1 3 19

4 2 10

Starch 23½

0 11 9

Pease ¾ Bushel

0 4 ½

Vinegar 10½ Gr Spoilt

0 19 8

Arrack 18½ Gr

2 9 4

Brandy 22⅞ Gr

1 18 3½

Pepper 4 lb

0 2 0

Oil 9 Gr Linseed

1 10 0

Candles 10 lb

0 19 2

Salt 1 Bushel

0 2 7

Chinaware Vizt

1 Bowl

0 0 10

1 Coffee Cup

0 0 ½

1 Sallad Dish

0 0 9

0 1 8½

Carried over

£ 19 2 4½

This continues the profit and loss account of waste or dead goods in the year ending 11 October 1755. The cordage, iron, lead, paint and other bulk goods were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £0 16s 1d

Cordage, 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 14lb, £1 6s 10d

Iron, 5lb, £0 1s 6d

Lead, 12½ sheet, £0 0s 2d

Leather, 3lb, £0 0s 2d

Nails, 2 quarters 22¾lb, £1 0s 8d

Verdigrease, 2¾lb, £0 7s 5½d

Whiting, 17lb, £0 0s 10d

White lead, 27lb, £0 19s 5½d

Sky blue, 2½lb, £0 4s 7d

Stone colour, 11lb, £0 5s 1½d

Mahogany, 2lb, £0 4s 6d

Olive, 4lb, £0 7s 0d

Prussian blue, ½lb, £0 1s 0d

Paint total, £2 9s 10½d

Rosin, 20lb, £0 1s 9d

Turpentine, 10lb, £0 2s 0d

Pitch total, £0 3s 9d

Soap, 1 hundredweight 3 quarters 19lb, £4 2s 10d

Starch, 23½lb, £0 11s 9d

Pease, ¾ bushel, £0 4s 4½d

Vinegar, 10½ gallons spoilt, £0 19s 8d

Arrack, 18½ gallons, £2 9s 4d

Brandy, 22½ gallons, £1 18s 3½d

Pepper, 4lb, £1 10s 0d

Linseed oil, 9 gallons, £1 10s 0d

Candles, 10lb, £0 19s 2d

Salt, 1 bushel, £0 2s 7d

1 bowl, £0 0s 10d

1 coffee cup, £0 0s 1½d

1 straining dish, £0 0s 9d

Chinaware total, £0 1s 8½d

Carried over, £19 2s 4½d

Interpretations

The greatest losses in the waste account fell on the spirits, the arrack at £2 9s 4d and the brandy at £1 18s 3½d marking the heavy shrinkage of liquor in the store. Spirits evaporated and leaked from their casks and were lost in the drawing, so the store wrote off a considerable quantity as waste, the loss on arrack and brandy among the largest single charges, the very nature of liquid goods held in bulk making them the most prone to the wastage the account recorded.

The spoilt vinegar, ten and a half gallons written off as no longer fit, shows perishable goods lost to time and the conditions of storage as well as to leakage. Vinegar could turn or weaken in the cask, so the store recognised its spoilage as a loss, the account distinguishing goods spoilt and made useless from those merely lost in the handling, a realistic reckoning of the several ways in which a store's stock perished before it could be issued or sold.

The waste of paints and pigments across the whole range, the verdigrease, white lead, the named colours and Prussian blue, shows these materials too subject to loss in the keeping and handling. Pigments could be spilt, spoiled by damp or lost in the mixing, so the store wrote off a portion of even these valuable colours, the account reaching into every class of goods to measure the loss, no material however costly exempt from the shrinkage that the keeping of a great store entailed.

187

178

3 November

Brought over

£ 19 2 11½

Paddy 2 3 8

0 3 8

Sugar & Candy Vizt

3 1 5½ Sugar

£ 4 1 4

2 1 17 Candy

3 17 0

7 18 4½

£ 27 5 0

Errors Excepted

Signed

M. Purling Storekr

Executed two Leases one to the

Executers of Martin Harper Deceased for the use of the Widow

and Orphans Containing four Acres at five Shillings

pr Acre, and an another to Susanna Pledgerd for the use

of herself and the Orphans of Benjamin Pledgerd

Deceased Containing eleven Acres.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

This continues and closes the profit and loss account of waste or dead goods in the year ending 11 October 1755. The paddy, sugar and candy were reckoned in hundredweight, quarters and pounds.

Brought over, £19 2s 11½d

Paddy, 3 hundredweight 8lb, £0 3s 8d

Sugar, 3 hundredweight 1 quarter 5½lb, £4 1s 4d

Candy, 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 17lb, £3 17s 0d

Sugar and candy total, £7 18s 4½d

Total, £27 5s 0d

The account was signed by Matthew Purling, storekeeper, subject to errors.

The council executed two leases. One went to the executors of the late Martin Harper for the use of his widow and orphans, containing four acres at five shillings an acre. The other went to Susanna Pledger for the use of herself and the orphans of the late Benjamin Pledger, containing eleven acres. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The council granted land to the widows and orphans of dead planters, the leases to Martin Harper's family and to Susanna Pledger securing the ground for those the dead men had left. This shows the council using its control of the island's land to provide for the families of the deceased, so a widow and her children were settled on land held of the Company, the leases both continuing the family's tenure and making formal provision for its support after the head of the household had died.

The two leases were made to executors and a widow for the use of the orphans, the land held in trust for the children of the dead rather than granted to them outright. This arrangement shows the council recognising the orphans as the true beneficiaries while placing the land in the hands of those who could manage it on their behalf, so the interests of the fatherless children were protected through the form of the lease, the ground secured for their use until they came of age to hold it themselves.

The whole year's waste of goods came to £27 5s 0d, the sum of every loss from the spirits and provisions to the paints and porcelain. This total measures the cost of holding and handling the Company's great store over a year, the unavoidable shrinkage of a large and varied stock, so the account closed with a definite reckoning of what the store had lost, the figure set against profit and loss as the price of keeping the reserves on which the settlement and its shipping depended.

188

179

10th November

At a Consultation held on Monday the 10th Day of November

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 3 November 1755 Vizt

Mrs Sarah Reynolds presented the following

Petition Vizt

To Charles Hutchinson Esq and

Council.

The Humble Petition of Sarah Reynolds

Widow Sheweth, that a piece or parcel of Ground Situate between

the House of your said Petitioner and the House wherein Mr Nathan

Sample now dwelleth, being her property by Lease for Twenty one

years, Thirteen of which are to Come, is Desirous to Let the same

to Mr Thomas Levengs, for the said remainder part of Time and if

Granted Your Honors Humble Petitioner as in Duty Bound.

Will Ever Pray.

Granted

Corporal Humphry Pugh having

on Thursday last reported, that the Day before about three

O'Clock in the afternoon he missed Richard Godson a Man of

his Guard. That has not since been heard of. She said Pugh

being this Day examined before us Declares.

That on Saturday the 4 instant he mounted

Guard

At a consultation held on Monday 10 November 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 3 November 1755 was read, approved and signed.

Sarah Reynolds, widow, petitioned Charles Hutchinson and the council. A piece of ground lay between her house and the house where Nathan Sample then lived, held as her property by lease for twenty-one years, thirteen of which were still to come. She wished to let it to Thomas Levinz for the remaining part of the term. The council granted the request.

Corporal Humphrey Pugh had on the previous Thursday reported that the day before, about three o'clock in the afternoon, he had whipped Richard Godson, a man of his guard, who had not since been heard of. Pugh was examined before the council that day, and declared that on Saturday 8 November he mounted guard [...]

Interpretations

The petition turned on the subletting of leasehold ground, Sarah Reynolds seeking leave to pass her remaining thirteen years to Thomas Levinz for the rest of the term. This shows that a leaseholder could not freely dispose of even the unexpired portion of a lease but needed the council's leave to sublet, so the governing body kept control of who occupied the land at every remove, the widow's wish to let her ground requiring the same official consent as an original grant.

The disappearance of Richard Godson after a whipping by his own corporal opens a matter of some gravity, a soldier flogged by the guard and then vanished without trace. The examination of Corporal Pugh before the council shows the authorities taking the man's disappearance seriously enough to inquire formally into the circumstances, the connection between the punishment and the vanishing giving the matter a weight that required the corporal to answer for what had passed on his guard.

189

180

10th November

Guard at Lemon Valley with James Hendree, Thomas Heults

and the said Richard Godson. That on Sunday the 5th at

night Godson complained that he could not Sleep, and

seemd to him Pugh to talk a little wildly at Times,

but soon recollected himself. That on Wednesday

Morning he asked Godson how he did. who said he was

very well and was sorry for Disturbing him the night

before. That he Posted him Centry upon the Battery

at two that afternoon, about an hour after he called to

him to hand him a little Wood for the fire which he did

but he telling him it was rather too large Godson brought

him some that was smaller into the Guard Room which is

upon the Battery, and then went out again. That about

Ten minutes after he Pugh going upon the Battery and

Missing Godson went as far from his Guard to look for him

as he thought was consistent with his Duty, and not

finding him that Night, he sent James Hendree the next

Morning in search of him who walking along the Beach

Discovered in a hole pretty near the wash of the Sea a

Soldieres Hat, which they took to be Godsons. There is

therefore from these Circumstances great reason to believe

that Godson was Drownd. as he has not been Since heard

of. or seen.

James Hendry being called before us says

that he wassent by Corporal Pugh in serch of Godson and

found his Hat in a Hole as abovementioned.

Notwithstanding John Vale the

Honorable Companys Armourer has been several Times reprimanded

by the Governor for his Idllness he still continues to be such a

Drunken Worthless fellow that we ordered him to prepare himself

to leave the Island by the first Ship, that arrives bound for England

and told him that in the mean while every Day or half Day,

that he did not work should be taken an Account of, and a

proportional part of his Salary Stopt for such his neglect.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

Corporal Pugh mounted guard at Lemon Valley with James Hendry, Thomas Hayles and Richard Godson. On Saturday night Godson complained that he could not sleep, and seemed to Pugh to talk a little wildly at times, but soon recovered himself. On the Wednesday morning Pugh asked Godson how he did, and Godson said he was very well and was sorry for disturbing him the night before. Pugh posted him as sentry on the battery at two that afternoon. About an hour later he called to Godson to hand him a little wood for the fire, which Godson did, but Pugh telling him it was rather too large, Godson brought some smaller into the guard room on the battery and then went out again. About ten minutes after Pugh went onto the battery and, missing Godson, went as far from his guard to look for him as he thought consistent with his duty, but did not find him. That night he sent James Hendry the next morning in search of him. Hendry, walking along the beach, discovered in a hole close to the wash of the sea a soldier's hat, which they took to be Godson's. From these circumstances there was strong reason to believe Godson had drowned, as he had not since been heard of or seen. James Hendry was called before the council and confirmed that Pugh had sent him in search of Godson, and that he had found the hat in a hole as described.

John Vaile, the Honourable Company's armourer, had been reprimanded several times by the Governor for his idleness, but still continued so drunken and worthless a fellow that the council ordered him to prepare to leave the island by the first ship bound for England. He was told that in the meantime every day or half day he did not work would be charged against his account, and a proportional part of his salary stopped for such neglect. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The inquiry into Godson's disappearance rested wholly on circumstantial evidence, the disturbed night, the vanishing from the battery and the hat found by the sea together building the conclusion that he had drowned. Without a body or a witness, the council reasoned from the signs to a probable death, so the finding rested on the piecing together of small facts, the corporal's account and the discovered hat combining to make out what had most likely become of the missing man.

Godson's wild talk and sleeplessness the night before his disappearance hint at a disturbance of mind preceding his loss, a detail the corporal was careful to report. Whether the man wandered into the sea in some confusion or met his end by accident, the account of his strange behaviour bore on how his vanishing was to be understood, so the corporal's notice of Godson's troubled night formed part of the evidence from which the council judged the manner of his probable death.

The armourer Vaile was dealt with by a graduated pressure short of immediate expulsion, ordered to leave by the first ship but meanwhile docked pay for every day he failed to work. Rather than simply dismiss a skilled but idle man at once, the council applied a financial spur to get what work it could from him before he left, so the punishment was fitted to extract value from the remaining time, the loss of pay pressing the drunken armourer to labour even as he awaited his passage home.

Speculations

The council chose to send the idle armourer home rather than merely continue to reprimand or fine him, though his skill made him hard to replace on a remote island. The record shows the reason in the repeated failure of milder measures, Vaile having been reprimanded several times to no effect, so the council judged that a worthless drunkard was worse than the gap his departure would leave, preferring to lose a skilled hand outright than to keep a man whose idleness the Governor's warnings could not mend.

190

181

17th November

At a Consultation held on Monday the 17th Day of November

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

John Adamson Lieutenant

Governor absent being Lame

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 16 November 1755.

Mr Franis Wrangham Senr presented the

following Petition vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & Council

The humble Petition of Franis Wrangham Senr

Sheweth

That James Wrangham, one of the

Nomenees in two of your Petitioners Leases upon Lives being

Dead, your Petitioner therefore humbly, prays that your Worship

& Council will be pleased to admit the Name of Charles Steward

to stand in the said two Leases in the room of the Deceased

Nomenee.

And your Petitioner shall ever pray

(Signed)

Frans Wrangham

Margin Notes:

17th November 1755.

At a consultation held on Monday 17 November 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, was absent, being lame.

The previous consultation of 16 November 1755 was read, approved and signed.

Francis Wrangham senior petitioned Charles Hutchinson and the council. James Wrangham, one of the nominees in two of his leases upon lives, had died. Wrangham asked the council to admit the name of Charles Steward to stand in the two leases in the room of the dead nominee. The petition was dated 17 November 1755 and signed by Francis Wrangham.

Interpretations

The petition concerned leases held upon lives, a form of tenure whose duration was measured by the lifetimes of named persons rather than a fixed term of years. When one of the named lives died, the lease was shortened, so Wrangham sought to substitute a new life for the dead one to preserve the length of his tenure, the leases upon lives making the continuance of a holding depend on the survival of the persons named in it.

The substitution of a fresh nominee required the council's leave, showing that even the naming of the lives on which a lease depended lay under the governing body's control. Wrangham could not replace the dead nominee of his own will but had to seek the council's admission of Charles Steward in his place, so the Company kept its hand on the terms of tenure at every point, the very lives that measured a lease alterable only with official consent.

191

182

17th November

Granted on his paying the usual

Fine being half a years Rint for the Admittance, of

each Life or new Nominee. Amounting to the Sum of

four Pounds, twelve Shillings and Six Pence which

We received into the Honorable Companys Cash.

The Accomptant reports that

the Honorable Companys Books of Accounts are balanced

unto the 11 of October last. which we ordered to be

Copyed as fast as Possible.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Clark.

The council granted the request on Wrangham paying the usual fine, being half a year's rent for the admittance of each life or new nominee, amounting to £4 12s 6d, which was received into the Honourable Company's cash.

The accountant reported that the Honourable Company's books of accounts were balanced to 11 October, which the council ordered to be copied as fast as possible. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The council exacted a fine of half a year's rent for admitting each new life to a lease, turning the substitution of a nominee into a source of revenue. This charge shows the Company profiting from the very mechanism by which leaseholders preserved their tenure, so a holder who wished to replace a dead life had to pay for the privilege, the fine of £4 12s 6d marking the price of keeping a lease upon lives at its full length, the Company drawing income from the renewal of the tenure it granted.

The order to copy the balanced accounts as fast as possible points to the need to send duplicate books to the Company's masters in England. The accounts kept on the island had to be transmitted home for the Company's directors, so once balanced they were copied for despatch by the ships, the haste reflecting the dependence of the distant governance on these records, the island's whole administration answerable through its books to the Company in London.

192

183

24th November

At a Consultation held on Monday the 24th Day of November

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

John Adamson Lieutenant

Governor absent being Lame

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 17 November 1755.

The Gunners, Plantation, and Stewards

Accounts for the month ending the 11 instant were this Day

brought in. which were examined, and approved and are as

follows Vizt

Gunners Stores Expended from the 12th of October to the 11th of November

1755 vizt

Powder Expended

Consumed, 6 lb, 4 lb, 3 lb, Powder, Expended

Powder for Blowing of Rocks to make good Ladder

Hill Path

0 37 4

Novr 10th Fired for the Kings birth Day

Consumed 21, 6 lb 1, 4 lb 2, 3 lb 1, Powder 17, Expended 25 8

Powder for Priming

4

Do fired with Small Arms for Do

13

Do for Blowing of Lime Stone in Flagg Staff Bay

10

Do for the Funeral of Moses Menanto

2 4

Total

Consumed 21, 6 lb 1, 4 lb 2, 3 lb 1, Powder 17, Expended 92 7

Tallow for the Wood Carts

12 lb

Do for the Yawl

6 lb

Bitts broke at the Main Fort

2 qr

Paper for making Rockett Cases

2

Spunge Staves for the Gardiners Use

1

Flags wore out & Unserviceable at Bankss

(Signed)

Tho Hall

At a consultation held on Monday 24 November 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, was absent, being lame.

The previous consultation of 17 November 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The gunners, plantation and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 November were brought in that day, examined and approved. This account listed the gunner's stores used from 12 October to 11 November 1755, with powder measured in pounds and ounces.

Powder for blowing up the rocks to mend the Ladder Hill path, 37lb 2oz

10 November, powder fired for the King's birthday, 21lb 1oz to 2lb 1oz to 17lb, 25lb 8oz

Powder for priming, 4lb 0oz

Powder fired with small arms for priming, 13lb 0oz

Powder for blowing up the lime stone in Flagstaff Bay, 10lb 0oz

Powder for the funeral of Moses Menanto, 2lb 4oz

Total powder, 21lb 1oz to 2lb 1oz to 17lb, 92lb 2oz

Tallow for the wood carts, 12lb

Tallow for the yawl, 6lb

Bitts broke at the main fort, 2 quarters

Paper for making rocket cases, 2

Sponge staves for the gardener's use, 1

Flags worn out and unserviceable at Banks's, [...]

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

Interpretations

The powder fired for the King's birthday marks the observance of royal occasions by gun salute even on this remote island. The firing of salutes on the sovereign's birthday tied the distant settlement to the ceremonial life of the crown, so a portion of the garrison's powder was spent not on defence or works but on marking the King's day, the salute asserting the island's place within the realm and the Company's loyalty to it.

Most of the powder again went on the island's works rather than its defence, the largest charge spent blowing up rocks to mend the path on Ladder Hill and further quantities on winning lime at Flagstaff Bay. This continued use of gunpowder for engineering shows the constant labour of maintaining the island's roads and gathering its building materials, the ordnance stores drawn down to keep the steep paths passable and the lime supplied, the guns' powder serving the settlement's fabric as much as its guns.

The worn flags at Banks's, entered among the unserviceable stores, mark the constant renewal of the colours and signals at the island's outlying batteries. Flags exposed to the weather at the coastal posts wore out and had to be replaced, so their wear was accounted for like any other store, the colours at Banks's serving both to signal and to mark the Company's presence at the scattered points that guarded the island's landing places.

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184

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12th of October to the 11th of November 1755 Vizt

Neat Cattle: Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total. Sheep: Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total. Goats: Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total. Hogs: Sows, Shoats, Barrows, Pigs, Boars, Total. Poultry: Turkeys, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Total. Horses: Horses, Mares, Total. Asses: S. Asses, S. Asses, Total

Remaining the 12th: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 62, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 273, Ewes 338, Weathers 184, Lambs 72, Rams 8, Total 602, Ewes 188, Weathers 107, Kids 52, Rams 8, Total 355, Sows 10, Shoats 13, Barrows 5, Pigs 31, Boars 1, Total 60, Turkeys 26, Fowls 131, Ducks 35, Geese 16, Total 5, Horses 8, Mares 13, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 9, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 9, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 56, Rams 0, Total 56, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 22, Rams 0, Total 22, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 0, Pigs 2, Boars 0, Total 39, Turkeys 7, Fowls 5, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 1, Horses 0, Mares 1, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Total: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 71, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 282, Ewes 338, Weathers 184, Lambs 128, Rams 8, Total 658, Ewes 188, Weathers 107, Kids 74, Rams 8, Total 377, Sows 10, Shoats 13, Barrows 5, Pigs 31, Boars 1, Total 60, Turkeys 28, Fowls 170, Ducks 42, Geese 21, Total 6, Horses 8, Mares 14, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 1, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Lambs 5, Rams 0, Total 2, Ewes 7, Weathers 0, Kids 3, Rams 0, Total 3, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 5, Pigs 2, Boars 0, Total 14, Turkeys 3, Fowls 0, Ducks 1, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 2, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 3, Ewes 2, Weathers 0, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 2, Sows 1, Shoats 0, Barrows 1, Pigs 2, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 0, Fowls 1, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 0, Fowls 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Killed by Catts: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 0, Fowls 1, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Remaining the 11th: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 70, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 281, Ewes 336, Weathers 178, Lambs 126, Rams 8, Total 648, Ewes 186, Weathers 102, Kids 73, Rams 8, Total 369, Sows 10, Shoats 9, Barrows 3, Pigs 30, Boars 1, Total 53, Turkeys 25, Fowls 155, Ducks 39, Geese 20, Total 6, Horses 8, Mares 14, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Memorandum the two Barrows under the head Killed, were Sent to

Mr Clark. in return for a Sow of his destroyed by the Companys Dogs

Three Goats for the Sick Slaves.

One Do Sold to George Young. Overseer.

One Calf Killed.

Yams expended for the Slaves 15,040

Bad Do Do for the Stock 8,100

Errors Excepted

(Signed)

John Adamson

Margin Notes:

24th November

This account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock ran from 12 October to 11 November 1755. The columns for neat cattle were bulls, cows, calves, heifers, yearlings, steers, bullocks, oxen and total. The columns for sheep were ewes, wethers, lambs, rams and total. The columns for goats were ewes, wethers, kids, rams and total. The columns for hogs were sows, shoats, barrows, pigs, boars and total. Poultry was recorded as turkeys, fowls, ducks, geese and total. Horses were recorded as horses, mares and total, and asses as she-asses, he-asses and total.

Neat cattle remaining 12 October: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 62 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 273 total

Sheep remaining 12 October: 338 ewes, 184 wethers, 72 lambs, 8 rams, 602 total

Goats remaining 12 October: 188 ewes, 107 wethers, 52 kids, 8 rams, 355 total

Hogs remaining 12 October: 10 sows, 13 shoats, 5 barrows, 31 pigs, 1 boar, 60 total

Poultry remaining 12 October: 26 turkeys, 131 fowls, 35 ducks, 16 geese, 5 total

Horses remaining 12 October: 5 horses, 8 mares, 13 total

Asses remaining 12 October: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Increased: 9 calves, 9 neat cattle total; 56 lambs, 56 sheep total; 22 kids, 22 goat total; 2 barrows, 39 pigs, 7 boars, 5 hog total; 2 ducks, 39 geese, 7 poultry total, 5 poultry total; 1 mare, 1 horses total

Total: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 71 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 282 neat cattle total; 338 ewes, 184 wethers, 128 lambs, 8 rams, 658 sheep total; 188 ewes, 107 wethers, 74 kids, 8 rams, 377 goat total; 10 sows, 13 shoats, 5 barrows, 31 pigs, 1 boar, 60 hog total; 28 turkeys, 170 fowls, 42 ducks, 21 geese, 6 poultry total; 6 horses, 8 mares, 14 total; 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Killed: 1 calf; 1 sheep ewe, 5 sheep lambs, 2 sheep total; 7 goat kids, 1 goat total; 3 hog pigs, 2 hog total; 5 poultry ducks, 2 poultry geese, 14 poultry total, 3 poultry total; 1 mare

Died: 2 sheep lambs; 7 goat kids, 3 goat total, 2 goat total; 2 hog total, 1 hog total; 1 poultry duck, 2 poultry total, 1 poultry total

Sold: 1 goat kid, 1 goat total; 1 poultry total

Killed by cats: 1 poultry total

Neat cattle remaining 11 November: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 70 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 281 total

Sheep remaining 11 November: 336 ewes, 178 wethers, 126 lambs, 8 rams, 648 total

Goats remaining 11 November: 186 ewes, 102 wethers, 73 kids, 8 rams, 369 total

Hogs remaining 11 November: 10 sows, 9 shoats, 3 barrows, 30 pigs, 1 boar, 53 total

Poultry remaining 11 November: 25 turkeys, 155 fowls, 39 ducks, 20 geese, 6 total

Horses remaining 11 November: 6 horses, 8 mares, 14 total

Asses remaining 11 November: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Yams expended for the slaves, 15,040

Bad yams for the stock, 8,100

Two barrows entered under the head killed were sent to Clark in return for a sow of his destroyed by the Company's dogs. Three goats were taken for the sick slaves, one goat was sold to George Young, overseer, and one calf was killed. The account was signed by John Adamson, subject to errors.

Interpretations

The sharp rise in lambs, the flock gaining fifty-six in the month, marks the height of the lambing season on the island as the ewes dropped their young together. This great increase in one class of stock reflects the southern-hemisphere spring, the lambs coming in November in step with the island's temperate seasons, so the plantation's numbers swelled at this turn of the year as the breeding season reached its peak, the growth measuring the natural renewal of the Company's flocks.

The two barrows given to Clark in return for a sow of his destroyed by the Company's dogs show the Company making good a private loss its own animals had caused. The Company's dogs had killed a settler's pig, so the Company compensated him from its own stock, the exchange marking a recognition of liability for the damage its animals did, the settlement of the loss in kind showing a rough justice by which the Company answered for the harm done by the very dogs it kept.

The loss of poultry to cats, a bird entered as killed by cats, marks the toll that feral or domestic cats took on the island's fowls. Cats preyed on the poultry as the dogs preyed on the larger stock, so the account recorded this small predation among the month's losses, the note showing how the plantation's animals faced hazards from the very creatures kept about the settlement, the cats' depredations on the fowls a minor but real charge on the Company's stock.

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185

Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in

the Month ending the 11 of November 1755 Vizt

27 bottles Port Wine

£ 1 19 10½

27 Do Lisbon

1 19 11½

25 Do Mountain

1 16 11½

9 Do Madeira

1 1 4½

66 Do Arrack

2 4 0

63 Do Beer

0 13 1½

352 Flour

2 4 0

239 Mutton

4 19 7

70 Veale

1 15 0

2 Lambs

1 0 0

1 Kid

0 5 0

10 Goat

0 6 4

57¼ Pork

1 8 1½

6 ps Salt Pork

0 12 0

14 Fowls

1 1 0

3 Ducks

0 4 6

2 Turkeys

0 10 0

1 Goose

0 5 0

105 Candy

1 10 1½

34½ Butter

1 14 6

£ 27 11 6½

Chas: Hutchinson

John Clark.

This account listed the sundries used at the Honourable Company's table in the month ending 11 November 1755.

27 bottles of port wine, £1 19s 11½d

27 bottles of Lisbon, £1 19s 11½d

25 bottles of mountain, £1 16s 11½d

9 bottles of Madeira, £1 1s 4½d

66 bottles of arrack, £2 4s 0d

63 bottles of beer, £0 13s 1½d

352lb flour, £2 4s 0d

239lb mutton, £4 19s 7d

70lb veal, £1 15s 0d

2 lambs, £1 0s 0d

1 kid, £0 5s 0d

19lb goat, £0 6s 4d

57¼lb pork, £1 8s 1½d

6lb salt pork, £0 12s 0d

14 fowls, £1 1s 0d

3 ducks, £0 4s 6d

2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d

1 goose, £0 5s 0d

105lb candy, £1 10s 7½d

34½lb butter, £1 14s 6d

Total, £27 11s 6½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The table drew on a wider range of fresh meat this month, veal, lamb, kid and goat all appearing alongside the usual mutton, reflecting the abundance of young stock in the lambing and kidding season. The plantation's animals were dropping their young in the spring, so the table took the surplus of the season in veal and lamb, the fresh meats following the rhythm of the breeding as the flocks and herds increased, the variety measuring the plenty of young animals the season brought.

Arrack again headed the drink at the table, sixty-six bottles against the wine and beer, the imported spirit remaining the staple beverage of the Company's establishment. This constant prominence of arrack confirms how far the drink was woven into the daily life of the Company on the island, the same spirit controlled and sold as a commodity consumed in quantity at its own table, a fixed part of what the establishment required month by month whatever else the provisioning brought.

Mutton still dominated the meat bill despite the new variety, at £4 19s 7d far above every other single provision, the sheep remaining the readiest fresh meat from the Company's flocks. This weight given to mutton reflects the island's pastoral economy, where the great flocks made sheep the mainstay of the fresh meat supply, so the table leaned on what the plantation most plentifully yielded, the mutton bill measuring the central place of the sheep in feeding the Company's establishment.

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186

1st December

At a Consultation held on Monday the 1st Day of December

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

John Adamson Lieutenant

Governor absent being Lame

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed,

Dated the 24 November 1755

This Day Died Mary Wife of James Powell.

Counted and examined the

Honorable Companys Cash for the Month ending the

11 instant. which is as follows Vizt

At a consultation held on Monday 1 December 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, was absent, being lame.

The previous consultation of 24 November 1755 was read, approved and signed.

That day Mary, wife of James Powell, died.

The council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending 11 November, which was as follows.

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187

Cash Dr Per Contra Cr

1755

Oct 12th To Ballance remaining

£ 3734 12 7½

20th To Fines received of Derby Coils as

pr Consultation of this Day

1 0 0

£ 3735 12 7½

1755

Novr 11th By Ballance remaining in the following Species Vizt

1202 Venitians @ 10/

£ 601 0 0

700 Pagodas 8/

280 0 0

Gold Amounting to

£ 881 0 0

2135 Dollars 5/

£ 533 15 0

14000 Rupees 2/3

1575 0 0

12948 half Rials 3¾

202 6 3

441 French Ps 2/

3 13 6

Odd Money

2 10½

Silver Amounting to

£ 2314 17 7½

Cash Notes Amounting to

£ 539 15 0

£ 3735 12 7½

Chas: Hutchinson

John Clark.

Margin Notes:

1755

This cash account set the debit side against the credit side for 1755. On the debit side, the balance remaining on 12 October and the fine received later were entered. On the credit side, the balance remaining on 11 November was set out in the several kinds of coin held.

12 October, to balance remaining, £3,734 12s 7½d

20 October, to fine received of Derby Coils as per consultation of that day, £1 0s 0d

Total debit, £3,735 12s 7½d

The balance remaining on 11 November was held in the following species.

1,202 Venetians at 10s, £601 0s 0d

700 pagodas at 8s, £280 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £881 0s 0d

2,135 dollars at 5s, £533 15s 0d

14,000 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,575 0s 0d

12,948 half rials at 1s 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 12s, £313 6s 0d

Odd money, £2 10s 6d

Silver amounting to, £2,314 17s 7½d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total credit, £3,735 12s 7½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The fine of one pound received from Derby Coils, entered here on the debit side, was the penalty imposed for his false accusation against the tailor Baker weeks earlier. This entry closes the account of that affair, the money the council ordered him to pay now received into the Company's cash, so the punishment recorded in the consultations reappears in the ledger as a definite receipt, the fine both marking the offence and adding its small sum to the Company's revenue.

The rupee again formed by far the largest single holding at £1,575, the Indian coin dominating the island's silver reserve as the currency of the eastern trade. This continued weight of rupees confirms St Helena's place on the Company's route to and from India, the wealth passing through the island heavily in the money of the eastern commerce, so the settlement's cash leaned on the coin of the very trade it existed to serve, the rupee the mainstay of its silver as month by month the balance was struck.

The balance was again held almost wholly in foreign coin and paper, the Venetian sequins, pagodas, dollars, rupees, rials and French pieces together with the cash notes making up the whole, with next to no English money. This confirms how the island functioned on whatever specie the ships of many nations carried, the Company keeping its books in sterling while holding its wealth in the coin of the world, the fixed island rates converting each foreign piece into the pounds, shillings and pence in which the account was struck.

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188

8th December

At a Consultation held on Monday the 8th Day of December

1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 1 of December 1755.

Ordered the following Advertizements

to be Published Vizt

This is to give Notice to all Persons

upon the Island, who have any Cattle for Slaughter, that they

are hereby required to send into the Secretarys Office on or before

the 1 Day of January next an exact signed Account of the Number

they intend to Dispose of in the ensuing Year, And at

the same Time they are likewise hereby required to send to

the abovementioned Office. an Account of their Stocks of Sheep

and how many of them they purpose to sell

And whereas it being found that it

is too early in the Season to begin to Shoot Partridges on the

1 of January, they being then in General very Young. This

is therefore to forbid all Persons upon the Island to kill

any untill the 1 day of February, on the Penalty of paying

the fine of Forty Shillings mentioned in a former Advertizement.

And Notice is also hereby further given to all Persons upon

the Island that none of them are for the future to Shoot

any

At a consultation held on Monday 8 December 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 1 December 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The council ordered the following notices to be published.

A notice required all persons on the island who had any cattle for slaughter to send into the storekeeper's office, on or before 1 January, an exact signed account of the number they intended to dispose of in the coming year. They were also required to send to the same office an account of their stocks of sheep and how many of them they meant to sell.

Since it had been found too early in the season to begin shooting partridges on 1 January, the birds being then in general very young, all persons on the island were forbidden to kill any until 1 February, on penalty of the fine of forty shillings mentioned in a former notice. Notice was also given that none of them were in future to shoot any [...]

Interpretations

The requirement that planters declare in advance the cattle and sheep they meant to slaughter or sell shows the Company seeking to know and manage the island's meat supply for the year ahead. By gathering these returns the storekeeper could reckon what stock would come to market and plan the provisioning of the garrison and shipping, so the private disposal of livestock was brought under the Company's oversight, the settlement's food supply managed through the advance knowledge of what each holder intended.

The council pushed back the opening of the partridge season from January to February because the birds were still too young, protecting the stock through a close season. Killing the partridges while immature would have depleted the breeding population, so the authorities delayed the shooting to let the young birds grow, the close season and its forty-shilling penalty marking a deliberate conservation of the island's game, the timing of the season fitted to the birds' maturity rather than fixed without regard to it.

Speculations

The council chose to delay the shooting season rather than open it on the accustomed date of 1 January, though a fixed opening would have been the simpler course. The record shows the reason in the state of the birds, found too young in general at the turn of the year, so the council set aside the customary date in favour of the birds' condition, judging the protection of the young game and next season's stock worth the trouble of altering the settled time, the close season fitted to the particular lateness of the season rather than to the calendar.

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189

any Partridgs, or Game of any Sort in the Long Wood, as the

Wild Fowl that ranged there are of late greatly Diminished.

Executed a Lease to Onesiphorus

Beale, Contrining two Acres and an half at the yearly Rent

of five Shillings pr Acre.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

The notice forbade the shooting of any partridges or game of any sort in the Long Wood, since the wild fowl that ranged there had of late greatly diminished.

The council executed a lease to Onesiphorus Beale, containing 2½ acres at the yearly rent of five shillings an acre. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The Company closed the Long Wood to shooting entirely because the game there had greatly declined, a stronger measure than the mere delay of the season elsewhere. Where a whole district's wild fowl had fallen away, the authorities barred all shooting to let the stock recover, so the protection was fitted to the local depletion, the Long Wood set apart as a refuge where the diminished game might breed undisturbed, the ban marking a deliberate husbandry of the island's wildlife.

The lease to Onesiphorus Beale at five shillings an acre concludes the matter of the waste land he had petitioned for weeks earlier, the ground he sought now granted on a formal yearly rent. His request to take the waste beside Webleys had first to be viewed, and the land was now let to him on settled terms, so the process begun with his petition reached its end in this grant, the council's control of the island's land carrying a request through inspection to a formal lease at a fixed rent.

199

190

15th December

At a Consultation held on Monday the 15th Day of

December 1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 1 of December 1755.

There being a small piece of Land

lying in the Long wood hangengs. containing one Acre

and an half and one sixth of an Acre belonging to the

Orphans of Simon Whaley Deceased, which is very

convenient for the Honorable Company to have, in order

to make an easy way for their Cattle to go to the Water,

and the Executers being willing to sell the same for

the Sum of three Pounds. we therefore have bought it

for their Honors use. at that price as it was Free

Land.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a consultation held on Monday 15 December 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 1 December 1755 was read, approved and signed.

A small piece of land lay in the Longwood hangings, containing 1⅔ acres, belonging to the orphans of the late Simon Whaley. It was very convenient for the Honourable Company to have, in order to make an easy way for their cattle to go to the water. The executors were willing to sell it for three pounds, so the council bought it for the Company's use at that price, it being free land. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The Company bought the orphans' land to secure an easy passage for its cattle to the water, acquiring the ground not for its produce but for the access it gave. A convenient way for the stock to reach water was worth the purchase, so the Company extended its holdings for a practical purpose of husbandry, the small parcel bought to remove an obstacle to the watering of its cattle, the acquisition serving the management of the plantation rather than any gain from the land itself.

The land was described as free land, distinguishing it from the leasehold ground held of the Company and marking it as held outright rather than on lease. This distinction shows that some land on the island was owned free while most was held on Company leases, so the orphans' parcel could be sold outright to the Company, the note of its free tenure marking the different kinds of title that existed on the island and the Company's readiness to buy where purchase served its needs.

The council dealt with the executors of the dead man for the benefit of his orphans, the sale turning the children's unwanted land into three pounds for their use. Rather than hold ground that served them nothing, the executors sold it to the Company for a purpose that suited both, so the transaction converted an idle asset into money for the orphans while giving the Company the access it wanted, the sale settling the interests of the fatherless children through the disposal of land they could not use.

200

191

22d December

At a Consultation held on Monday the 22d day of December 1755

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the

15 of December 1755.

The Accomptant reports that the

Honorable Companys General Books of Accounts are Copyed

which we ordered to be examined, and ready to be transmitted

to England, by the first opportunity

The Plantation Gunners, and

Stewards Accounts, for the month ending the 11 instant, were

this Day brought in, which were examined, and approved and

are as follows Vizt

At a consultation held on Monday 22 December 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 15 December 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The accountant reported that the Honourable Company's general books of accounts were copied. The council ordered them to be examined and made ready to be sent to England by the first opportunity.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending 11 December were brought in that day, examined and approved, and were as follows.

Interpretations

The general books, once copied, were ordered examined and made ready for despatch to England by the first ship, showing the whole system of account answerable to the Company's masters at home. The records kept on the island had to be transmitted to the directors in London, so the copied books were checked and held for the next passage, the haste and care reflecting the dependence of the distant governance on these accounts, the island's administration rendering its whole reckoning across the ocean to the Company that governed it.

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192

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12th of November to the 11th of December 1755 Vizt

Neat Cattle: Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total. Sheep: Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total. Goats: Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total. Hogs: Sows, Shoats, Barrows, Pigs, Boars, Total. Poultry: Turkeys, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Total. Horses: Horses, Mares, Total. Asses: S. Asses, S. Asses, Total

Remaining the 12th: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 70, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 281, Ewes 336, Weathers 178, Lambs 126, Rams 8, Total 648, Ewes 186, Weathers 102, Kids 73, Rams 8, Total 369, Sows 10, Shoats 9, Barrows 3, Pigs 30, Boars 1, Total 53, Turkeys 25, Fowls 155, Ducks 39, Geese 20, Total 6, Horses 8, Mares 14, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 12, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 12, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 13, Rams 0, Total 13, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Turkeys 1, Fowls 59, Ducks 2, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 1, Total 1, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Total: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 82, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 293, Ewes 336, Weathers 178, Lambs 139, Rams 8, Total 661, Ewes 186, Weathers 102, Kids 73, Rams 8, Total 369, Sows 10, Shoats 9, Barrows 3, Pigs 30, Boars 1, Total 53, Turkeys 26, Fowls 214, Ducks 41, Geese 20, Total 6, Horses 9, Mares 15, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 7, Weathers 2, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 9, Ewes 6, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 6, Sows 0, Shoats 1, Barrows 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 1, Turkeys 0, Fowls 12, Ducks 2, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 3, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 3, Ewes 2, Weathers 0, Kids 2, Rams 0, Total 4, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Barrows 2, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 2, Turkeys 0, Fowls 7, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Bullocks 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 3, Shoats 5, Barrows 0, Pigs 5, Boars 0, Total 13, Turkeys 0, Fowls 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, S. Asses 0, S. Asses 0

Remaining the 11th: Bulls 7, Cows 82, Calves 82, Heifers 17, Yearlings 63, Steers 23, Bullocks 5, Oxen 14, Total 293, Ewes 333, Weathers 171, Lambs 137, Rams 8, Total 649, Ewes 184, Weathers 95, Kids 71, Rams 8, Total 358, Sows 7, Shoats 3, Barrows 3, Pigs 23, Boars 1, Total 37, Turkeys 26, Fowls 195, Ducks 39, Geese 20, Total 6, Horses 9, Mares 15, Total 1, S. Asses 3, S. Asses 4

One Goat Sold to Matthew Bazett Overseer Wt 16½

One Sow Sold to George Young Overseer Wt 84

Two Sows, five Shoats, and five Pigs Sold by

Samuel Alexander Overseer Wt 515

Four Goats to the Sick Slaves.

One Man Slave drowned named Old maggot.

Good Yam expended for the Slaves 24,275

Bad Do for Stock 9,810

Errors Excepted.

(Signed)

John Adamson

Margin Notes:

22d December

This account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock ran from 12 November to 11 December 1755. The columns for neat cattle were bulls, cows, calves, heifers, yearlings, steers, bullocks, oxen and total. The columns for sheep were ewes, wethers, lambs, rams and total. The columns for goats were ewes, wethers, kids, rams and total. The columns for hogs were sows, shoats, barrows, pigs, boars and total. Poultry was recorded as turkeys, fowls, ducks, geese and total. Horses were recorded as horses, mares and total, and asses as she-asses, he-asses and total.

Neat cattle remaining 12 November: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 70 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 281 total

Sheep remaining 12 November: 336 ewes, 178 wethers, 126 lambs, 8 rams, 648 total

Goats remaining 12 November: 186 ewes, 102 wethers, 73 kids, 8 rams, 369 total

Hogs remaining 12 November: 10 sows, 9 shoats, 3 barrows, 30 pigs, 1 boar, 53 total

Poultry remaining 12 November: 25 turkeys, 155 fowls, 39 ducks, 20 geese, 6 total

Horses remaining 12 November: 6 horses, 8 mares, 14 total

Asses remaining 12 November: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Increased: 12 calves, 12 neat cattle total; 13 lambs, 13 sheep total; 1 barrow, 59 pigs, 2 boars; 1 mare, 1 horses total

Total: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 82 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 293 neat cattle total; 336 ewes, 178 wethers, 139 lambs, 8 rams, 661 sheep total; 186 ewes, 102 wethers, 73 kids, 8 rams, 369 goat total; 10 sows, 9 shoats, 3 barrows, 30 pigs, 1 boar, 53 hog total; 26 turkeys, 214 fowls, 41 ducks, 20 geese, 6 poultry total; 6 horses, 9 mares, 15 total; 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Killed: 7 sheep lambs, 2 sheep total; 9 goat total, 6 goat total; 6 goat total; 1 hog total; 1 poultry duck, 12 poultry geese, 2 poultry total

Died: 3 sheep total; 3 goat total, 2 goat wethers, 2 goat total, 4 goat total; 2 hog total, 2 hog total; 7 poultry total

Sold: 1 goat total; 1 hog total, 3 hog total, 5 hog total, 5 hog total, 13 poultry total

Neat cattle remaining 11 December: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 82 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, 293 total

Sheep remaining 11 December: 333 ewes, 171 wethers, 137 lambs, 8 rams, 649 total

Goats remaining 11 December: 184 ewes, 95 wethers, 71 kids, 8 rams, 358 total

Hogs remaining 11 December: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 23 pigs, 1 boar, 37 total

Poultry remaining 11 December: 26 turkeys, 195 fowls, 39 ducks, 20 geese, 6 total

Horses remaining 11 December: 6 horses, 9 mares, 15 total

Asses remaining 11 December: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, 4 total

Good yams expended for the slaves, 24,275

Bad yams for the stock, 9,810

One goat was sold to Matthew Bazett, overseer. One sow was sold to George Young, overseer. Two sows, five shoats and five pigs were sold by Samuel Alexander, overseer. Four goats were taken for the sick slaves. One man slave named Old Maggot drowned. The account was signed by John Adamson, subject to errors.

Interpretations

The great sale of hogs this month, two sows, five shoats and five pigs sold off by one overseer besides the sow sold by another, marks a deliberate reduction of the pig stock as the herd fell from fifty-three to thirty-seven. Rather than keep the swine through the coming season, the Company sold a large part of them, so the pigs were turned to account while they had value, the concentrated selling showing a decision to draw down the herd, perhaps as the demand or the feed of the season prompted.

The drowning of the man slave called Old Maggot, entered plainly among the month's losses, marks the second such death by drowning in the recent record after the vanished soldier Godson. The sea that surrounded the island took its toll of those who worked and moved about its shores, so the slave's death by water was set down like any other loss to the establishment, the bare entry marking how the hazards of the island's rocky coast reached the labour on which the settlement depended.

The good yams issued to the slaves rose sharply this month to more than twenty-four thousand, well above the previous months, marking a greater draw on the staple that fed the slave labour. Whether from a fuller store after harvest or a greater number to feed, the increase shows the yam remaining the mainstay of the slaves' diet, the quantity issued measuring the constant charge of feeding the workforce, the sound yams for the slaves and the bad ones for the stock kept in their accustomed division.

202

193

Gunners Stores Expended from the 12th of November to the 11th of

December 1755 Vizt

Guns Fired, Shott Fired, 3 2 lb, 4 lb, Powder Expended

1755

Novr 18th Powder for Scaleing the Crew 32 Guns & for Priming

Guns Fired 6, Shott Fired 0, 3 2 lb 6, 4 lb 0, Powder 25 3

Do for Compleating the Cartridges at the main Guard

2 4

Decr 9th Fired at Ruports for Practice and for Priming

Guns Fired 8, Shott Fired 8, 3 2 lb 0, 4 lb 8, Powder 16 12

Do to Fright the Goats on Mundens Point Hill

8

11th Do at Ruports for Practice and for Priming

Guns Fired 8, Shott Fired 8, 3 2 lb 0, 4 lb 8, Powder 16 12

Total

Guns Fired 22, Shott Fired 16, 3 2 lb 6, 4 lb 16, Powder 61 4

Paper for makeing small Cartridges

1 qr

Do for Do great Gun Do

6 qr

Tallow for the use of the Gardener

1 lb

Do for the Yall

1 lb

Do for the Long Boat

2 lb

Needles Broke with sowing of Cartridges

4

Signed Tho Hall

Sundrys expended at the Table in the month ending 11th of

December 1755 Vizt

20 Bottles Port

£ 1 9 7

16 Lisbon

1 3 8

25 Mountain

1 16 11½

9 Madeira

1 1 4½

75 Arrack

2 10 0

63 Beer

0 13 1½

305 Flour

1 18 1½

12¼ Pork

0 6 1½

340 Mutton

7 1 8

2 Lambs

1 0 0

Carried over

£ 19 0 7¾

This account listed the gunner's stores used from 12 November to 11 December 1755. The columns were guns fired, musket shot, powder measured in pounds, and powder expended in pounds and ounces.

18 November, powder for scaling the crew's 32 guns and for priming, 6 guns fired, 6lb musket shot, 25lb 3oz powder expended

Powder for completing the cartridges at the main guard, 2lb 4oz powder expended

9 December, powder fired at Rupert's for practice and for priming, 8 guns fired, 8lb musket shot, 16lb 12oz powder expended

Powder fired to frighten the goats on Munden's Point Hill, 0lb 8oz powder expended

11 December, powder fired at Rupert's for practice and for priming, 8 guns fired, 8lb musket shot, 16lb 12oz powder expended

Total, 22 guns fired, 16lb musket shot, 6lb powder, 61lb 4oz powder expended

Paper for making small cartridges, 1 quire

Paper for making great gun cartridges, 6 quires

Tallow for the use of the gardener, 1lb

Tallow for the yawl, 1lb

Tallow for the longboat, 2lb

Needles broke with sewing of cartridges, 4

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

This account listed the sundries used at the table in the month ending 11 December 1755.

20 bottles of port, £1 9s 7d

16 bottles of Lisbon, £1 3s 8d

25 bottles of mountain, £1 16s 11½d

9 bottles of Madeira, £1 1s 4½d

75 bottles of arrack, £2 13s 1½d

63 bottles of beer, £1 18s 1½d

305lb flour, £0 6s 1½d

12¼lb pork, £0 7s 1d

340lb mutton, £1 8s 0d

2 lambs, £1 0s 0d

Carried over, £19 7s 3¼d

Interpretations

The powder spent scaling the guns was fired to clean the barrels, the charge discharged to clear the bore of rust and fouling before the guns could be relied on. This regular scaling shows the constant care the artillery required, the guns kept clear and serviceable against the day they might be needed, so a portion of the powder went not to salute or defence but to the upkeep of the pieces themselves, the scaling maintaining the guns that guarded the island's anchorage.

The powder fired at Rupert's for practice marks the training of the gunners in the working of the great guns, the charges spent in exercise to keep the men skilled. The defence of the island rested on gunners who could serve their pieces well, so powder was spent teaching and practising them, the regular firing at Rupert's maintaining the readiness of the artillery, the exercise as necessary a charge on the stores as the powder held against an actual attack.

Powder was again spent frightening the goats off Munden's Point, the recurring charge showing the feral goats a persistent trouble to the island's ground. The wild goats damaged the land and competed with the Company's stock, so the garrison continued to drive them from the heights with noise and blast, the small regular expenditure marking how constant a nuisance the goats remained, the ordnance stores drawn on month after month to keep them off the cultivated and grazing ground.

203

194

22d December

Brought over

£ 19 0 7¾

4½ Goat

0 14 0

10 ps Salt Pork

1 0 0

12 Fowls

0 18 0

2 Ducks

0 3 0

108 Candy

1 11 6

38¾ Butter

1 18 9

£ 25 5 10¼

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

At a Consultation held on Monday the 29th Day of

December 1755 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 22d of December 1755

Yesterday the 28 died William Cain Soldier.

Counted and examined the

Honorable Companys Cash for the month ending

the 11 instant. which is as follows Vizt

This continues and closes the account of sundries used at the table in the month ending 11 December 1755.

Brought over, £19 7s 3¼d

4½lb goat, £0 0s 14d

10lb salt pork, £1 0s 0d

12 fowls, £0 18s 0d

2 ducks, £0 3s 0d

108lb candy, £1 11s 6d

38¾lb butter, £1 18s 9d

Total, £25 5s 10½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 29 December 1755 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 22 December 1755 was read, approved and signed.

The previous day, 28 December, William Cain, a soldier, died.

The council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending 11 December, which was as follows.

Interpretations

The table's meat again leaned on mutton and the fresh meats of the plantation's own flocks, with only a little salt pork among the provisions. This continued reliance on fresh over salt meat reflects the island's pastoral plenty, the Company's sheep and other stock supplying the table so that the preserved provisions held for the shipping were little drawn on for the establishment's own use, the fresh meat following what the plantation yielded.

The death of William Cain, a soldier, entered plainly in the record, marks another loss from the garrison in the closing weeks of the year. The establishment noted each such death as it fell, the bare entry recording the man's passing as the muster and the pay rolls would have to reflect, so the garrison's strength was diminished by one more, the death set down among the ordinary business of the council as the year drew to its close.

204

195

Cash Dr Per Contra Cr

1755

Novr 12th To Ballance remaining

£ 3735 12 7½

17th To Fines received of Francis Wrangham

Senr for the Renewal of one Life in

two Leases as pr Consultation of

this Day

4 12 6

£ 3740 5 1½

1755

Decr 11th By Ballance remaining in the following Species Vizt

1210 Venitians @ 10/

£ 605 0 0

700 Pagodas 8/

280 0 0

Gold Amounting to

£ 885 0 0

2137 Dollars @ 5/

£ 534 5 0

14001 Rupees 2/3

1575 2 3

12948 half Rials 3¾

202 6 3

441 French Pieces 2/

3 13 6

Odd Mony

3 1½

Silver Amounting to

£ 2315 10 1½

Cash Notes Amounting to

539 15 0

£ 3740 5 1½

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

Margin Notes:

29 December

This cash account set the debit side against the credit side for 1755. On the debit side, the balance remaining on 12 November and the fine received later were entered. On the credit side, the balance remaining on 11 December was set out in the several kinds of coin held.

12 November, to balance remaining, £3,735 12s 7½d

17 November, to fine received of Francis Wrangham senior for the renewal of one life in two leases as per consultation of that day, £4 12s 6d

Total debit, £3,740 5s 1½d

The balance remaining on 11 December was held in the following species.

1,210 Venetians at 10s, £603 0s 0d

700 pagodas at 8s, £280 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £885 0s 0d

2,137 dollars at 5s, £534 5s 0d

14,001 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,575 2s 3d

12,948 half rials at 1s 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 12s, £313 6s 0d

Odd money, £3 1s 6d

Silver amounting to, £2,315 10s 1½d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total credit, £3,740 5s 1½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The fine of £4 12s 6d from Francis Wrangham senior, entered here on the debit side, was the half year's rent he paid for admitting a new life to his two leases weeks earlier. This entry closes the account of that renewal, the money the council exacted for substituting Charles Steward for the dead nominee now received into the Company's cash, so the transaction recorded in the consultation reappears in the ledger as a definite receipt, the fine both marking the renewal and adding to the Company's revenue.

The rupee again dominated the silver at £1,575 2s 3d, the Indian coin forming the mainstay of the reserve as the currency of the eastern trade. This continued weight of rupees confirms the island's place on the Company's route to and from India, the wealth passing through St Helena heavily in the money of the eastern commerce, so the settlement's cash leaned month after month on the coin of the very trade it existed to serve, the rupee the constant foundation of its silver holding.

The reserve was again held almost wholly in foreign coin and paper, the sequins, pagodas, dollars, rupees, rials and French pieces with the cash notes making up the whole, with next to no English money. This confirms how the island functioned on whatever specie the ships of many nations carried, the Company keeping its books in sterling while holding its wealth in the coin of the world, the fixed island rates converting each foreign piece into the pounds, shillings and pence in which the balance was struck at the close of the year.

205

196

5th January

At a Consultation held on Monday the 5th Day of

January 1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed

Dated the 29th December 1755

Tuesday the 30th December 1755 Died William Swaits Soldier.

Chas: Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 5 January 1756 at the Castle, those present were Charles Hutchinson, Governor, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the council.

The previous consultation of 29 December 1755 was read, approved and signed.

On Tuesday 30 December 1755, William Swaits, a soldier, died. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The death of William Swaits, a soldier, on 30 December marks the third loss from the garrison in the closing days of the year, following William Cain two days earlier. The establishment recorded each such death as it fell, the bare entry noting the man's passing for the muster and pay rolls to reflect, so the garrison's strength was reduced again as the year turned, the cluster of deaths in these weeks marking a hard season for the men who held the island.

206

197

12 January

At a Consultation held on Monday the 12th Day of January 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governer

Lieutenant John Clark Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 5th of January 1756

The Executor of William Cain presented

his last Will and Testament Desiring the same might be proved

which was accordingly done upon the Oath of the Witness thereto

the Will is as follows Vizt

Decr 7th 1755

In the name of God Amen

The Last Will and Testament of Wm Cain, William Cain

Born in Queens County in the Parish of Durra Ireland being

perfect in mind but weak in Body, and finding my self not for

this world, De Bequeath unto William Lindsey, all my Wearing

Apparel, Likewise every thing that Belongs to me All Debts

Dues, and Demands

Witness my hand Mark +

Wm Cain

Witness

Signed Wm Beckett

Relisted on the 5th and 10th instant

William Adams, and James Richardson to serve The Honorable

Company as Soldiers for five years at Ten Pounds Bounty Money and had

the Articles of War read to them by the Adjutant

At a consultation held on Monday 12 January 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 5 January 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The executors of William Cain brought his last will and testament before the council and asked that it be proved. This was done on the oath of the witness to it. The will ran as follows.

Dated 7 December 1755, it opened in the name of God. William Cain, born in Queen's County in Ireland and living in the parish of Deura, declared himself sound in mind though weak in body. Finding himself ready to leave this world, he left all his wearing apparel to William Lindsey, along with everything else belonging to him, including all debts, dues and demands. The will was marked with his own hand and witnessed by William Beckett, who signed it.

William Adams and James Richardson were enlisted on 5 and 10 January to serve the Honourable Company as soldiers for five years, each on a bounty of £10 0s 0d. The Adjutant read them the Articles of War.

Interpretations

Proving a will was the legal step that confirmed a testament as genuine and gave the executors authority to carry it out. On a small island the governor and council acted as the probate authority, and the sworn oath of a single witness was enough to admit a will where no formal court sat. William Cain owned little beyond his clothes, so the whole estate passed in a few lines to one beneficiary.

The bounty of £10 0s 0d was a cash inducement paid on enlistment, a standard device for drawing men into Company service where the garrison depended on a steady supply of recruits. Reading the Articles of War at the point of enlistment bound each new soldier to military discipline and the penalties for desertion, mutiny or neglect of duty from his first day.

207

198

12 January

The Governor acquainted the Gentlemen

of the Council, that several of the matrosses being by Infirmitys

rendered unfit to do the Duty that is required of them, in the

Artillery Company, although they might be able enough

to serve for a few years in any of the other Companys, he

had therefore directed the master Gunner to pitch upon some

stronger and better qualified men of those Companys, which

he would order to be exchanged for them

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on monday the 16th Day of

January 1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 12th of January 1756

The Plantation Gunners and Stewards

Accounts for the month ending the 14th instant were this

Day brought in which were examined and approved, and

are as follows Vizt

The Governor told the council that several of the matrosses had been left unfit by infirmity to do the work required of them in the Artillery Company, though they might still serve a few years in any of the other companies. He had therefore directed the master gunner to select stronger and better qualified men from those companies, whom he would order to be exchanged for them. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 19 January 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 12 January 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The plantation gunners and stewards brought in their accounts for the month ending 17 January, which were examined and approved. They ran as follows.

Interpretations

Matrosses were the lowest grade of artillery soldier, ranking below gunners and assisting them by hauling, loading and swabbing the guns. The Governor's difficulty was that artillery work demanded physical strength that ordinary garrison or infantry duty did not, so men worn down in body could be shifted to lighter companies while fitter replacements took their place at the guns. The exchange kept the artillery at full effective strength without discharging men who could still be useful elsewhere.

208

199

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 12th of December to the 11th of January 1756 Vizt

Neat Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Poultry, Horses, Asses

Bull, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Barrows, Pigs, Boars, Total, Turkeys, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, S Asses, S Asses, Total

Remaining the 11th: 7 Bull, 82 Cows, 82 Calves, 17 Heifers, 63 Yearlings, 23 Steers, 5 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 293 Total, 333 Ewes, 171 Weathers, 137 Lambs, 8 Rams, 649 Total, 184 Ewes, 95 Weathers, 71 Kids, 8 Rams, 358 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 37 Total, 26 Turkeys, 195 Fowls, 39 Ducks, 206 Geese, Total, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 1 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 4 Total

Encreased: 3 Calves, 3 Lambs, 15 Ducks, 22 Geese, 24 Total

Total: 7 Bull, 82 Cows, 85 Calves, 17 Heifers, 63 Yearlings, 23 Steers, 5 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 296 Total, 333 Ewes, 171 Weathers, 137 Lambs, 8 Rams, 649 Total, 184 Ewes, 95 Weathers, 71 Kids, 8 Rams, 358 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 37 Total, 41 Turkeys, 217 Fowls, 63 Ducks, 206 Geese, Total, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 1 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 4 Total

Killed: 1 Bull, 1 Yearlings, 1 Bullocks, 3 Lambs, 10 Ewes, 2 Weathers, 12 Total, 2 Ewes, 6 Weathers, 8 Total, 2 Turkeys, 10 Fowls, 9 Ducks, 1 Geese

Died: 4 Lambs, 4 Total, 2 Ewes, 2 Total, 3 Ducks

Sold: 1 Lambs, 1 Total, 1 Ewes, 1 Total

Remaining the 11th: 6 Bull, 82 Cows, 85 Calves, 17 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 23 Steers, 4 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 293 Total, 329 Ewes, 160 Weathers, 135 Lambs, 8 Rams, 632 Total, 180 Ewes, 88 Weathers, 71 Kids, 8 Rams, 347 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 37 Total, 39 Turkeys, 204 Fowls, 54 Ducks, 4 Geese, 10 Total, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 1 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 4 Total

One Bull killed at Christmas for the Slaves as usual

One beast for the Table

One Do for the markett

One Sheep sold to Mr Adamson

One Goat sold to Mr Bazett Overseer

Four Goats killed for the sick Slaves part

of which Mr Inglis had for the Hospital

N.B five Sheep missing

and seven Goats

Yams expended for the Slaves 13,110

Good Yams for Stock 4,355

Bad Do for Do 4.000

21,465

Errors Excepted

(Signed

John Adamson

This account set out the Honourable Company's stock of cattle and other animals from 12 December to 11 January 1756. The figures ran across the categories of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each divided into its several kinds.

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 82 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 293

Sheep: 333 ewes, 171 wethers, 137 lambs, 8 rams, total 649

Goats: 184 ewes, 95 wethers, 71 kids, 8 rams, total 358

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 37

Poultry: 26 turkeys, 195 fowls, 39 ducks, 206 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Increased:

Cattle: 3 calves

Sheep: 3 lambs

Poultry: 15 fowls, 22 ducks, 24 geese

Total:

Cattle: 7 bulls, 82 cows, 85 calves, 17 heifers, 63 yearlings, 23 steers, 5 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 296

Sheep: 333 ewes, 171 wethers, 137 lambs, 8 rams, total 649

Goats: 184 ewes, 95 wethers, 71 kids, 8 rams, total 358

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 37

Poultry: 41 turkeys, 217 fowls, 63 ducks, 206 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Killed:

Cattle: 1 bull, 1 yearling, 1 bullock

Sheep: 3 wethers, 10 lambs, 2 rams, total 12

Goats: 2 ewes, 6 kids, total 8

Poultry: 2 turkeys, 10 fowls, 9 ducks, 1 goose

Died:

Sheep: 4 wethers, total 4

Goats: 2 ewes, total 2

Poultry: 3 ducks

Sold:

Sheep: 1 lamb, total 1

Goats: 1 ewe, total 1

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 85 calves, 17 heifers, 62 yearlings, 23 steers, 4 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 293

Sheep: 329 ewes, 160 wethers, 135 lambs, 8 rams, total 632

Goats: 180 ewes, 88 wethers, 71 kids, 8 rams, total 347

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 37

Poultry: 39 turkeys, 204 fowls, 54 ducks, 206 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

The notes recorded that one bull was killed at Christmas for the slaves as usual, one beast for the table, one for the market, one sheep sold to Adamson, one goat sold to Bazett the overseer and four goats killed for the sick slaves, part of which Inglis took for the hospital. A further note recorded five sheep and seven goats missing.

Yams expended for the slaves: 13,110

Good yams for stock: 4,355

Bad yams for stock: 4,000

Total: 21,465

The account was signed by John Adamson, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The stock account was a monthly census of the Company's livestock, tracking every birth, death, slaughter and sale so that the plantation's animal capital could be audited against loss and theft. On a remote island wholly dependent on what it could raise, this herd was a strategic reserve as much as a food supply, since fresh meat had to be provided both to the garrison and to visiting Company ships whose crews arrived weakened by long voyages.

Yams were the staple carbohydrate grown on the island and the principal food issued to the slave workforce, which explains why more than 13,000 were expended on the slaves in a single month against a few thousand reserved as seed and fodder for the stock. The division of the yam crop into good and bad reflected sorting for storage and planting, since the sound roots were held back to raise the next crop while the poorer ones were consumed.

The killing of one bull at Christmas for the slaves was a customary annual issue of fresh beef, one of the few occasions on which the workforce received meat rather than yams. The separate provision of goats for the sick and for the hospital shows that animal protein was directed to those least able to work, a calculated allocation of a scarce resource rather than general charity.

209

200

16 January

Gunners Stores expended from the

12th December 1755 to the 11 January 1756 Vizt

Grand Shott, Musq Shott, 4lb, Powder Expended

1755 Decr 16th: Fired at Ruperts for Practise and for Priming, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

18th: Fired at Do for Do and Do, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

23th: Fired at Do for Do and Do, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

1756 January 30th: Fired at Do for Do and Do, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

6th: Fired at Do for Do and Do, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

8: Fired at Do for Do and Do, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

Powder for the Funeral of William Cane, Powder Expended 2.4

Do for the Do of William Twaits, Powder Expended 2.4

Total: Grand Shott 48, Musq Shott 48, 4lb 48, Powder Expended 118.4

Tallow for the Use of the Carts 1lb

Signed

Jno Hall

Sundrys expended at the Table in the month

ending 11 January 1756 Vizt

20 Bottles Port

£ 1 9 7

26 Lisbon

1 18 5½

10 Mountain

14 9½

13 Madeira

1 10 10½

77 Arrack

2 11 4

61 Beer

12 8½

240lb Mutton

5

2 Lambs

1

3.52lb Beef

4 8

88lb Goat

1 9 4

Carried over £ 20 15 3

This account recorded the gunner's stores expended from 12 December 1755 to 11 January 1756, measured in grand shot, musket shot, four-pound shot and powder in pounds and ounces.

16 December 1755: fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

18 December 1755: fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

23 December 1755: fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

30 December 1755: fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

6 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

8 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

Powder for the funeral of William Cane, 2lb 4oz

Powder for the funeral of William Twaits, 2lb 4oz

Total: 48 grand shot, 48 musket shot, 48 four-pound shot, 118lb 4oz powder

Tallow for the use of the carts, 1lb

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

This account recorded the sundries expended at the table in the month ending 11 January 1756.

20 bottles port, £1 9s 7d

26 Lisbon, £1 18s 5½d

10 mountain, £0 14s 9½d

13 Madeira, £1 10s 10½d

77 arrack, £2 11s 4d

61 beer, £0 12s 8½d

240lb mutton, £3 0s 0d

2 lambs, £1 0s 0d

352lb beef, £4 8s 0d

88lb goat, £1 9s 4d

Carried over, £20 15s 3d

Interpretations

The gunner's store account tracked the consumption of shot and gunpowder so that these costly and irreplaceable munitions could be audited to the ounce, since every pound had to be shipped from England and none could be made on the island. The regular weekly firing at Ruperts was gunnery practice combined with priming, which kept the guns serviceable and the gunners in training, while the small quantities of powder issued for two funerals mark the customary firing of a salute over the graves of Company servants.

Mountain was a sweet white wine from the hills behind Málaga in southern Spain, and Lisbon a Portuguese white, both cheaper alternatives to Madeira on a table already well supplied with fortified wines. Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in the East, usually from palm sap or rice, and shipped west by Company vessels, which explains why 77 measures of it appear alongside the European wines as a staple of the governor's table.

The table account was the record of provisions consumed at the governor's own table, distinct from the general garrison ration, and the mix of imported wines and spirits against locally raised mutton, beef and goat shows how far the senior establishment depended on shipping for its comforts while drawing its meat from the island's own herds.

210

201

1756

Brought over £ 20 15 3

4lb Salt Pork

8

10 Fowls

15

9 Ducks

13 6

1 Goose

5

2 Turkeys

10

3.52lb Flour

2 4

17lb Candy

1 12 8

4lb Butter

2 2

£ 29 5 6

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on monday the 26th Day of January

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and Signed Dated

the 16 January 1756

Yesterday arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Hardwicke

The Storekeeper brought in his Collections

and the Paymaster his Accounts for the Quarter ending the 11th

instant which were examined and approved and are as

follows Vizt

This account continued the sundries expended at the table, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £20 15s 3d

4lb salt pork, £0 8s 0d

10 fowls, £0 15s 0d

9 ducks, £0 13s 6d

1 goose, £0 5s 0d

2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d

352lb flour, £2 4s 0d

17lb candy, £1 12s 8d

42lb butter, £2 2s 0d

Total, £29 5s 5d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 26 January 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 19 January 1756, was read, approved and signed. The Honourable Company's ship Hardwicke had arrived the previous day.

The storekeeper brought in his collections and the paymaster his accounts for the quarter ending 11 January, which were examined and approved. They ran as follows.

Interpretations

The storekeeper's collections and the paymaster's quarterly accounts were the two halves of the island's public finance, the first recording sums gathered in and the second the disbursement of Company money, both audited by the council to keep a check on the officers who handled cash and goods. Bringing them before the full council each quarter was the standard mechanism by which a distant settlement guarded against embezzlement, since no single officer was left to certify his own honesty.

The arrival of the Hardwicke mattered to the settlement well beyond the cargo it carried, since a homeward or outward Company ship brought mail, orders from the directors in London, fresh supplies and a demand for provisions and water that the island's stock accounts had to meet. Its appearance in the record immediately before the quarterly audit reflects how the rhythm of Company shipping set the pace of business on the island.

211

202

26 January

Collection of Goods Sold, and Delivered out

of the Honorable Companys Stores from the 12 October

1755 to the 11 of January 1756 Viz

Sold to the Companys Servants at 40 pCent

Arrack 20½ Gallons

£ 7 6 3

Sugar & Candy viz

406lb Sugar

67 13 8

1770 Candy

29 10

97 3 8

Flour viz

3658lb Flour

23 2 3

Do pr lb Do Baked

155.1.4 Do Baked

135 17 6

158 19 9

Soap 571lb

16 13 1

Candles 121lb

46 19 8½

Tea viz

241 Congo

18 1 6

242 Single

17 2 10

121 Bohea

6 1

41 5 4

Cordage 100lb

1 11 9½

Rice & Paddy viz

88 qrs lb Rice

36 13 4

35 Paddy

8 15

45 8 4

Beef & Pork viz lb

310 Do Beef @ 2/

31

5 Do Double Do 2/

10

12 Do Do 3/1½

1 16 6

1708 Do Pork 2/

170 16

72 Do Do 2/7

9 6

249 8 6

Carried over £ 634 16 5

This account recorded the collection of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756, sold to the Company's servants at 40 per cent.

Arrack, 20½ gallons, £7 0s 3d

Sugar and candy:

406lb sugar, £6 13s 8d

1,770lb candy, £29 4s 0d

Sub-total, £27 3s 8d

Flour:

368lb flour, £2 3s 2d

1,551lb 4oz flour baked, £13 5s 7d

Sub-total, £158 19s 9d

Soap, 571lb, £16 13s 1d

Candles, 121lb, £46 19s 8½d

Tea:

241lb Congo, £18 1s 6d

242lb Singlo, £17 2s 10d

121lb Bohea, £6 1s 0d

Sub-total, £41 5s 4d

Cordage, 100lb, £1 11s 9½d

Rice and paddy:

885lb rice, £36 13s 4d

35lb paddy, £8 15s 0d

Sub-total, £45 8s 4d

Beef and pork:

310lb beef at 2s, £31 0s 0d

5lb double beef at 2s, £0 10s 0d

12lb beef at 3s 1½d, £1 16s 6d

1,708lb pork at 2s, £170 16s 0d

72lb pork at 2s 7d, £9 6s 0d

Sub-total, £249 8s 6d

Carried over, £634 10s 5d

Interpretations

The Company sold goods from its own stores to its servants at a fixed markup of 40 per cent above cost, running a monopoly shop that was both a convenience for a workforce with nowhere else to buy and a steady source of revenue that clawed back part of the wages it paid out. Setting a single controlled rate rather than letting prices float protected the servants from profiteering while guaranteeing the Company a predictable return on the provisions it shipped in.

The three teas named were the standard grades in the mid-eighteenth-century China trade, all carried west by Company ships. Bohea was the cheapest black tea, taking its name from the Wuyi hills in Fujian; Congo a somewhat better black leaf; and Singlo a green tea from Anhui. Their appearance here shows that even the ordinary Company servant on a remote island drank the same imported teas then spreading through households in England.

Paddy was rice still in the husk, distinguished in the account from the cleaned rice sold at a lower quantity but comparable value, both staples of the Asian trade shipped to feed a garrison and slave population that grew little grain of its own. Arrack, the palm or rice spirit of the East, headed the list as one of the most valuable single lines by unit, reflecting the strong demand for cheap liquor among the island's population.

212

203

1756

Brought over £ 634 16 5

Twine vizt

31 lb Twine

£ 1 8

2 lb Marline

6½

1 1 2½

Leather viz

41lb Leather

2 6½

9 Calf Skins

3 8 3

5 14 6½

Oil viz

21 Bottles Florence

2 13 4½

18 Gallons Linseed

3 6

18 Do Train

3

8 19 4½

Haberdashery ware viz

40 Skains Mohair

15

40 Do Silk

18 4

23½ Dozen Mens Coat Buttons

15 8

13 Do Do Breast Do

5

5½ Do Gilt Coat Do

1 4 3½

4 Do Do Breast Do

8 10

2 Pr Carnation Tape

1 6

1½ Dozen Silver Breast Buttons

3 3½

10 Pr Holland Tape

9 2

1 lb Whale Bone

5 3

5½ Dozen Tin Breast Buttons

7½

5 17½

Canvas viz

140 yards Osenbrigs

5 16 8

13½ Do English Canvas

15 2

6 11 10

Buckram 23½ yards

1 3 6

Salt 137½ Bushels

1 19 3

Carried over £ 665 13

This account continued the collection of goods sold from the Company's stores, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £634 16s 5d

Twine:

31lb twine, £1 0s 8d

2lb marline, £0 0s 6½d

Sub-total, £1 1s 2½d

Leather:

47lb leather, £2 6s 1½d

9 calf skins, £3 8s 3d

Sub-total, £5 14s 4½d

Oil:

21 bottles Florence, £2 13s 4½d

18 gallons linseed, £3 6s 0d

18 gallons train, £3 0s 0d

Sub-total, £8 19s 4½d

Haberdashery:

40 skeins mohair, £0 15s 0d

40 skeins silk, £0 18s 4d

23½ dozen men's coat buttons, £0 15s 8d

13 dozen men's breast buttons, £0 5s 0d

5½ dozen gilt coat buttons, £1 4s 3½d

4 dozen gilt breast buttons, £0 8s 10d

2 pieces carnation tape, £0 1s 6d

1½ dozen silver breast buttons, £0 3s 3½d

10 pieces Holland tape, £0 9s 2d

1lb whale bone, £0 5s 3d

5½ dozen tin breast buttons, £0 0s 7½d

Sub-total, £5 1s 7½d

Canvas:

140 yards osnaburgs, £5 16s 8d

13½ yards English canvas, £0 15s 2d

Sub-total, £6 11s 10d

Buckram, 23½ yards, £1 3s 6d

Salt, 15¾ bushels, £1 19s 3d

Carried over, £665 13s 0d

Interpretations

Marline was a light two-stranded cord and twine a general binding string, both essential ship's chandlery on an island whose whole traffic came by sea, where cordage of every gauge was needed to rig, splice and repair the boats that worked the road. Train oil was rendered from the blubber of whales or seals and burned in lamps or worked into leather, distinct from the linseed oil used in paint and the Florence oil, a fine olive oil from Tuscany, sold by the bottle for the table.

Osnaburg was a coarse unbleached linen, originally from Osnabrück in Germany, used for working clothes, sacking and slave clothing, which explains why it was sold by the hundred yards where the finer English canvas moved in small quantities. Buckram was a stiffened cloth used to line and shape garments, and the run of tapes, buttons and mohair braid alongside it shows that the store supplied not only cloth but the full range of trimmings a tailor needed to make up clothing on the island.

The button entries graded the same article by material and use, from cheap tin and the everyday men's coat and breast buttons up to gilt and silver, so that a servant could dress according to his means and station from a single store. This fine gradation of a small item reflects how closely dress marked rank in the period, even in a remote settlement.

213

204

26 January

Brought over £ 665 13

Pitch viz

22 lb Pitch

£ 3 8

1½ Gallons Tar

1 4½

2 lb Rozin

3

14 lb Turpentine

2 4

7 4½

Kersey 34 yards

2 11

Long Ells 117½ Do

1 6 7

Thread viz

1 lb White & Brown

6 1

15 lb Coloured

2 15

2 ozs Nuns

4 4

3 5 5

Lead viz

45 lb Sheet

8 5

36 lb Shot

7 6

15 11

Shoes viz

4 Pr Mens Ordinary

17

2 Pr Womens Calf

5 4

1 Pr Mens Pumps

6 8

1 Pr Channel Pumps

7 11

7 Pr Boys

1 5 8

4 Pr Girls

8 4

2 Pr Womens Calimanco

11 2

4 2 1

Ironmongers ware viz

6 Files

3 4½

2 Loping Axes

6 4

4 Frying pans

8 2

6 Pr Sheep Sheers

13 3

8 Stock Lock

16 8

8 Pr H Hinges

16 3

Ironmongers ware Do over £ 3 4 4½

Carried over £ 677 15 4

This account continued the collection of goods sold from the Company's stores, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £665 13s 0d

Pitch:

22lb pitch, £0 3s 8d

1½ gallons tar, £0 1s 4½d

2lb rosin, £0 0s 3d

14lb turpentine, £0 2s 4d

Sub-total, £0 7s 4½d

Kersey, 34 yards, £2 11s 0d

Long ells, 11¾ yards, £1 6s 7½d

Thread:

1lb white and brown, £0 6s 1d

15lb coloured, £2 15s 0d

2oz nuns, £0 4s 4d

Sub-total, £3 5s 5d

Lead:

4½lb sheet, £0 8s 5d

36lb shot, £0 7s 6d

Sub-total, £0 15s 11d

Shoes:

4 pairs men's ordinary, £0 17s 0d

2 pairs women's calf, £0 5s 4d

1 pair men's pumps, £0 6s 8d

1 pair channel pumps, £0 7s 11d

7 pairs boys', £1 5s 8d

4 pairs girls', £0 8s 4d

2 pairs women's calamanco, £0 11s 2d

Sub-total, £4 2s 1d

Ironmongery:

6 files, £0 0s 0d

2 loping axes, £0 3s 4½d

4 frying pans, £0 6s 4d

6 pairs sheep shears, £0 8s 2d

8 stock locks, £0 13s 3d

8 pairs H hinges, £0 16s 8d

Sub-total, £3 4s 7½d

Carried over, £677 15s 4d

Interpretations

Pitch, tar, rosin and turpentine were the naval stores that waterproofed and preserved a ship's hull and rigging, grouped together because all four came from pine resin and all four were spent keeping the island's boats seaworthy. Their small quantities against the larger cloth and provision lines mark them as maintenance supplies drawn as needed rather than trade goods moved in bulk.

Kersey and long ells were both woollen cloths shipped from England, kersey a coarse ribbed stuff for hard-wearing clothing and long ells a lighter worsted woven specifically for export, while calamanco was a glossy checked or striped worsted used here for women's shoes. The range of footwear graded by sex, age and material, from ordinary men's shoes to boys', girls' and women's calf and calamanco, shows the store clothing whole families and not simply the working men of the garrison.

The ironmongery line supplied the basic hardware of a working settlement, from files and axes for the trades to stock locks and H hinges for doors and frying pans for the kitchen, all iron goods that could not be made on an island without ore or forge of any scale. That such everyday fittings had to be imported and sold through the Company store underlines how completely the settlement depended on shipping for the ordinary tools of daily life.

214

205

1756

Brought over £ 677 15 4

Ironmongers ware Brought over £ 3 4 4½

6 Iron und Locks

1 18 4

6 Scyth Stones

9

3 Spades

10 3

9½ Dozen Wood Screws

3 6½

4 Pickaxes

9 8

14 Helves

9 4

2 Chest Locks

7 8

1 File Haft

½

1 Packing Needle

2

1 Rasp

7

4 Hand Hatchets

6

1 Claw Hammer

3½

1 Grafting Saw

1 10

1 Scyth

5 10

1 Chafing Dish

5 9½

1 Hand Spit

2 9

8 7 10½

Deals viz

11 Double

1 18 6½

105 Single

11 11 10½

3 Spars

6 10½

1 Wainscoat Board

5 6

14 3 2½

Pepper 12lb

6 9

Slates 3 mens

2 17 9

Nails viz

6 & 2 lb

3 10½

7 & 3

3 9½

3½ & 4

16 2

6 & 6

1 7 11

4 4 & 10

16 6

Nails Carried over £ 3 8 3

Carried over £ 703 10 11

This account continued the collection of goods sold from the Company's stores, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £677 15s 4d

Ironmongery:

Brought over, £3 4s 7½d

6 iron rimmed locks, £1 18s 4d

6 scythe stones, £0 0s 9d

3 spades, £0 10s 3d

9½ dozen wood screws, £0 3s 6½d

4 pickaxes, £0 9s 8d

14 helves, £0 9s 4d

2 chest locks, £0 7s 8d

1 file haft, £0 0s ½d

1 packing needle, £0 0s 2d

1 rasp, £0 0s 7d

4 hand hatchets, £0 6s 0d

1 claw hammer, £0 1s 3½d

1 grafting saw, £0 1s 10d

1 scythe, £0 5s 10d

1 chafing dish, £0 5s 9½d

1 hand spit, £0 2s 9d

Sub-total, £8 7s 10½d

Deals:

11 double, £1 18s 8½d

105 single, £11 11s 10½d

3 spars, £0 6s 10½d

1 wainscot board, £0 5s 6d

Sub-total, £14 3s 2½d

Pepper, 12lb, £0 6s 9d

Slates, 3 men's, £2 17s 9d

Nails:

6d, £0 3s 10½d

3d, £0 3s 0½d

3½ 4d, £0 16s 2d

6d, £1 7s 11d

4d 10, £0 16s 6d

Nails carried over, £3 8s 3d

Carried over, £703 10s 11d

Interpretations

The ironmongery here ran to the hand tools of building and the trades, from spades, pickaxes and hatchets to the helves that hafted them, alongside grafting saws for the orchards and locks of several patterns for doors and chests. That helves were sold separately from the tool heads reflects a practical economy, since a wooden handle broke far more often than the iron it carried and could be replaced on its own.

Deals were sawn softwood planks, graded here as single and double by thickness, and shipped to an island that grew almost no timber fit for building, which is why they were sold by the hundred alongside spars and a single wainscot board of finer panelling wood. The dependence on imported deal for every floor, door and roof marks timber as one of the settlement's most constant needs from home.

Nails were sold by the penny sizes of the period, the sixpenny, fourpenny and threepenny denoting length rather than price, a standard English trade classification that fixed the size of nail by an old measure of cost per hundred. Their appearance in quantity beside the deals reflects the steady demand of a settlement forever building and repairing in imported wood.

215

206

26 January

Brought over £ 703 10 11

Nails Brought over £ 3 8 3

10 & 20 lb

3 9

3 & 40

1

20 Flooring Brads

7 6

7 Glazing Brads

7 10½

4 8 4½

Paint viz

84 lb Blue Smalts

7 4

18 lb Whiting

3 9½

1 lb Red Lead

4

7½ lb Sky Blue

13 9

203 lb White Lead

4 4

6 lb Mahogony

15

12 lb Venet Red

2 6

3 Barrels Blacking

3 1½

1 lb White Copperas

1 5½

4 lb Olive Colour

7 8

6 lb Verdigrease

1 9

5 lb Stone Colour

1 10 4

7 lb Jamaica Indico

1 6

7 lb Umber

2½

16 14 9

Tinware viz

10 Linthorn Leaves

2 3½

8 Lamps

6 8

37 Patty Pans

13 1½

2 Lanthorns

5 6

Ticking 1 Piece

1 8 4

1 10 10

Corks 2 Gross

5 1

Desootees 22 Pieces

10 9

Challoes 19 Do

10 16 11

Shalloon 3 yards

6

Carried over £ 749 10 2½

This account continued the collection of goods sold from the Company's stores, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £703 10s 11d

Nails:

Brought over, £3 8s 3d

10 20d, £0 3s 9d

3 40d, £0 1s 0d

20 flooring brads, £0 7s 6d

1 glazing brads, £0 7s 10½d

Sub-total, £4 8s 4½d

Paint:

84lb blue smalts, £7 4s 0d

18lb whiting, £0 3s 9½d

1½lb red lead, £0 0s 4d

7½lb sky blue, £0 13s 9d

203lb white lead, £4 0s 4d

6lb mahogany, £0 15s 0d

12lb Venice red, £0 2s 6d

3 barrels blacking, £0 3s 1½d

1½lb white copperas, £0 1s 5½d

4lb olive colour, £0 7s 8d

6lb verdigris, £1 0s 9d

5lb stone colour, £1 10s 4d

7½lb Jamaica indigo, £0 1s 6d

7½lb umber, £0 0s 2½d

Sub-total, £16 14s 9d

Tinware:

10 lanthorn leaves, £0 2s 3½d

8 lamps, £0 6s 8d

37 patty pans, £0 13s 4½d

2 lanthorns, £0 5s 6d

Sub-total, £1 8s 4d

Ticking, 1 piece, £1 10s 10d

Corks, 2 gross, £0 5s 1d

Desootees, 22 pieces, £0 10s 9d

Chelloes, 19 pieces, £10 16s 11d

Shalloon, 3 yards, £0 6s 0d

Carried over, £749 10s 2½d

Interpretations

The paint line lists the pigments and driers of the trade separately, since colour was mixed on the spot from dry powder and oil rather than bought ready made. Blue smalts was a ground cobalt glass giving a strong blue, white lead the standard opaque base and priming, Venice red an iron oxide, verdigris a green copper salt and umber a brown earth, while copperas served as a drier and blacking blacked iron and leather. Together they let the settlement paint and protect its woodwork and metal against a damp sea climate that rotted anything left bare.

Desootees, chelloes and shalloon were all imported textiles, the first two Indian cottons carried on the Company's Asian trade and the last a light twilled worsted from England used chiefly for coat linings. Their appearance side by side captures the double reach of Company commerce, drawing cloth from both India and Europe to stock a single island store.

Lanthorn leaves were the thin translucent sheets of horn that glazed a lantern before cheap glass, and the tinware line of lamps, lanterns and patty pans supplied the light and the kitchen moulds of the household, all light metal goods pressed and soldered from imported tinplate that the island had no means to make.

216

207

1756

Brought over £ 749 10 2½

Chinaware viz

13 Sneekers

£ 3 3

10 Cups & Saucers

3 9

1 Guglet & Bason

2 6

1 Jug & Do

11

2 Sets Dishes & Plates

1 12

1 Bowl

1

8 Sauce Boats

8

36 Coffee Cups

6

3 7 6

Turners Ware viz

4 Punch Ladles

2 7

2 Scrubing Brushes

3 8

3 Platters

3 1½

3 Hairs Brooms

6 10½

3 Skiming Dishes

1 3

9 Paint Brushes

4 1½

2 Bowls

2 1

1 Flasket

2 9

13 Shoe Brushes

8 4½

2 Cloth Brushes

2 5

1 Wood Ladle

2½

1 Labourers Basket

1½

1 18 1

Hooks & Lines viz

525 Hooks No 1

1 9 4

575 Do 2

9 2

1000 Do 3

1

75 Do 4

1

1100 Blue Do

3 8

800 Do Pr Grantham

9

16½ Doz Lines No 2

3 6

14 Do Do 3

3 8

9 Do Do 4

2 5

12 8 4

Carried over £ 767 4 7½

This account continued the collection of goods sold from the Company's stores, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £749 10s 2½d

Chinaware:

13 sneakers, £0 3s 3d

10 cups and saucers, £0 3s 9d

1 guglet and basin, £0 2s 6d

1 jug and basin, £0 0s 11d

2 sets dishes and plates, £1 12s 0d

1 bowl, £0 1s 0d

8 sauce boats, £0 1s 8d

36 coffee cups, £0 6s 0d

Sub-total, £3 7s 6d

Turner's ware:

4 punch ladles, £0 2s 7d

2 scrubbing brushes, £0 3s 8d

3 platters, £0 3s 1½d

3 hair brooms, £0 6s 10½d

3 skimming dishes, £0 1s 3d

9 paint brushes, £0 4s 1½d

2 bowls, £0 2s 1d

1 flasket, £0 2s 9d

13 shoe brushes, £0 8s 4½d

2 cloth brushes, £0 2s 5d

1 wood ladle, £0 0s 2½d

1 labourer's basket, £0 0s 4½d

Sub-total, £1 18s 1d

Hooks and lines:

525 hooks No 1, £1 9s 4d

575 hooks No 2, £0 9s 2d

1,000 hooks No 3, £1 0s 0d

75 hooks No 4, £0 1s 0d

1,100 blue hooks, £0 3s 8d

800 hooks Grantham, £0 9s 0d

16½ dozen lines No 2, £0 3s 6d

14 dozen lines No 3, £0 3s 8d

9 dozen lines No 4, £0 2s 5d

Sub-total, £1 12s 8d

Carried over, £767 4s 1½d

Interpretations

The chinaware line was imported porcelain from the Company's China trade, listed by the vessels of the tea table and washstand, from cups, saucers and coffee cups to the guglet, a long-necked water jug, and its matching basin. That fine porcelain reached an island store at all shows how the same ships that carried tea also brought the wares to drink it from, spreading a genteel table service to a remote settlement.

Turner's ware was the trade of the wood turner and brush maker, the platters, ladles, bowls and the range of brooms and brushes that furnished a household, all shaped from wood that had to be worked at home and imported ready made. Their sale beside the finer goods reflects a store that supplied the whole household from scullery to parlour.

The hooks and lines were sold in graded sizes and by the thousand, marking the scale of the island's fishing, since the sea around it was a vital source of food to supplement the carefully husbanded livestock. Supplying tackle in such quantity was a deliberate encouragement of fishing, spreading the effort of feeding the settlement onto the ocean rather than the herd.

217

208

26 January

Brought over £ 767 4 7½

Cutlery ware viz

13 Horn Combs

£ 2 8½

15 Gross Horn Moulds

8 ½

6 Ivory Combs

6 3

17

Glassware viz

122 Sqr Glass 8 by 10

3 16 3

6 Do 6 by 8

1 10½

56 Do 10 by 12

2 11 4

6 Beer Glasses

5 6

9 Tumblers

5 3

1 Pr Cruets

2 9

3 Decanters

12

7 14 11½

Broad Cloth 16½ yards

13 8 1½

Braziersware 4 Tea Kettles

2 8 8

Serge 5 5½ yards

1 8 3

Fustian 24 Pr

5 11 10½

Camblet 39 yards

6 1 10

Bunting 7½ Do

3½

Starch 10½ lb

5 11

Hosiersware viz

1 Pr Girls Stockings

2 9

25 Pr Thread Do

3 10 10

5 Pr Cotton Do

1 13 4

5 6 11

Shirts 52 Soldiers

12 15 8

Beer 1 Hhd

2 10 10

Wine viz

1 Doz Port

2 18 6

25 Do Lisbon

£ 828 12 11½

This account continued the collection of goods sold from the Company's stores, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £767 4s 1½d

Cutlery:

13 horn combs, £0 2s 8½d

15 gross horn moulds, £0 8s ½d

6 ivory combs, £0 6s 3d

Sub-total, £0 17s 0d

Glassware:

122 square glass 8 by 10, £3 16s 3d

6 square glass 6 by 8, £0 1s 10½d

56 square glass 10 by 12, £2 11s 4d

6 beer glasses, £0 5s 6d

9 tumblers, £0 5s 5d

1 pair cruets, £0 2s 9d

3 decanters, £0 12s 0d

Sub-total, £7 14s 11½d

Broadcloth, 16¾ yards, £13 8s 1½d

Braziersware, 4 tea kettles, £2 8s 8d

Serge, 5½ yards, £1 8s 3d

Fustian, 2¼ pieces, £5 11s 10½d

Camblet, 39 yards, £6 1s 10d

Bunting, ½ piece, £0 0s 3½d

Starch, 10½lb, £0 5s 11d

Hosiery:

1 pair girls' stockings, £0 2s 0d

25 pairs thread stockings, £3 10s 10d

5 pairs cotton stockings, £1 13s 4d

Sub-total, £5 6s 11d

Shirts, 52 soldiers, £12 15s 8d

Beer, 1 hogshead, £2 10s 10d

Wine:

1 dozen port, [...]

25 Lisbon, £2 18s 6d

Total, £828 12s 11½d

Interpretations

Braziersware was the work of the brazier in brass and copper, here four tea kettles, hollow metal goods beaten and soldered from imported sheet that the island could not found for itself. Grouped with the cutlery and glassware, it completed the fittings of a tea table already stocked with porcelain and imported leaf.

The cloth line drew together woollens and mixed stuffs of every weight, from heavy broadcloth and serge to fustian, a cotton and linen blend, camblet, a worsted often mixed with hair or silk, and bunting, the light open weave used for flags. Broadcloth at over 13s the yard was by far the dearest textile on the whole account, a fine dense wool that marked the coat of a man of standing.

The square glass sold by dimension in inches was window glazing rather than tableware, cut in three sizes to fit the casements of the settlement's buildings, distinct from the beer glasses, tumblers and decanters of the table listed below it. That glazing glass was sold by the pane in set sizes reflects a building programme that had moved beyond horn and shutter to glazed windows, a mark of permanence in a place wholly reliant on imported material.

218

209

1756

Sold to the Planters at 25 pCent

Challoes 10 Do

£ 6 10

Shoes viz

2 Pr Girls

£ 4 8

1 Pr Womens Spanish

3 7

1 Pr Mens fine

6 10½

3 Pr Womens Calimanco

17 6

1 Pr Mens Pumps

7 6

2 2 1½

Buckram 3 yds

3 3

Desootees 8 Do

4 8

Fustian 14 Pr

3 16 3

Hats 1 mens

1 1 11

Kersey 34

5

Long Ells 10 Do

1

Camblet 6 Pr yds

1 1½

Serge 14 yds

7

Hosiersware viz

3 Pr Mens Knit Stockings

11 3

2 Pr Womens Do

8 2

19 5

Sold at 40 pCents

Arrack 16½ Gallons

4 10

Sugar & Candy viz

2113 lb Sugar

44 5

231 lb Candy

4 16 3

48 16 8

Flour 1006 lb

8 7 8

Soap 105 lb

4 3½

Candles 28 lb

3 19

Cordage 87

1 12 7½

Tea viz

185 lb Congo

18 10

116 Single

10 12 8

6 Bohea

8

29 10 8

Carried over £ 123 1 10

This account recorded goods sold to the planters, first at 25 per cent.

Chelloes, 10 pieces, £6 10s 0d

Shoes:

2 pairs girls', £0 4s 8d

1 pair women's Spanish, £0 3s 7d

1 pair men's fine, £0 6s 10½d

3 pairs women's calamanco, £0 17s 6d

1 pair men's pumps, £0 7s 6d

Sub-total, £2 2s 1½d

Buckram, 3 yards, £0 3s 3d

Desootees, 8 pieces, £4 8s 0d

Fustian, 1½ pieces, £3 16s 3d

Hats, 1 dozen, £1 1s 11d

Kersey, 3 yards, £0 5s 0d

Long ells, 10 yards, £1 0s 0d

Camblet, 6½ yards, £0 1s ½d

Serge, 1¼ yards, £0 7s 0d

Hosiery:

3 pairs men's knit stockings, £0 11s 3d

2 pairs women's stockings, £0 8s 2d

Sub-total, £0 19s 5d

The remaining goods were sold to the planters at 40 per cent.

Arrack, 16½ gallons, £4 10s 0d

Sugar and candy:

2,113lb sugar, £44 0s 0d

231lb candy, £4 16s 3d

Sub-total, £48 16s 3d

Flour, 1,006lb, £8 7s 8d

Soap, 105lb, £4 3s 1½d

Candles, 28lb, £3 10s 0d

Cordage, 87lb, £1 12s 7½d

Tea:

185lb Congo, £18 10s 0d

116lb Singlo, £10 12s 8d

6lb Bohea, £0 8s 0d

Sub-total, £29 10s 8d

Carried over, £123 1s 10d

Interpretations

The account drew a clear line between two classes of buyer, selling to the Company's own servants at 40 per cent above cost but to the free planters at rates split between 25 and 40 per cent, so that the settled inhabitants were charged a lower markup on some lines than the wage-earning staff. The reduced 25 per cent rate fell on cloth, shoes and haberdashery, the goods a planter household needed to clothe itself, while provisions such as sugar, tea, flour and arrack were sold to planters at the same 40 per cent as to servants.

That differential pricing was a deliberate instrument of settlement policy, easing the cost of establishing an independent household on the land while keeping the full margin on the consumable staples that every buyer wanted alike. The Company depended on a body of resident planters to hold and work the island, and a favourable rate on durable goods was one means of drawing and keeping them.

Spanish and calamanco shoes for women and the finer men's shoes among the planters' purchases mark a market with money to spend on quality, distinct from the plainer footwear elsewhere in the account, and suggest that the free inhabitants set some store by dress as a mark of their standing above the labouring population.

219

210

26 January

Brought over £ 123 1 10

Leather viz

11 lb Leather

£ 15 7

4 Calf Skins

1 18

2 13 7

Beef & Pork viz

1 Pr Beef

3 11

7 Pr Pork

1 3 4

1 7 3

Nails viz

3 & 2 lb

2 6

2 & 3

1 4

15 & 4

8 1½

28 & 6

15 2

13 & 10

5 11½

1 & 20

5½

6 Flooring Brads

2 9

1 16 3½

Hooks & Lines viz

100 Hooks No 1

6 4

225 Do 2

9 9

300 Do 3

12 6

100 Do 4

1 8

1000 Blue

4 2

300 Do Pr Grantham

4 3

3½ Doz Lines No 2

16 4

7½ Do Do 3

2 1 3

5½ Do Do 4

1 3 4

5 19 3½

Thread 4 lb Coloured

18 8

Salt 3 Bushels

8 6

Twine 9 Skains

7 6

Carried over £ 136 12 11

This account continued the goods sold to the planters, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £123 1s 10d

Leather:

11lb leather, £0 15s 7d

4 calf skins, £1 18s 0d

Sub-total, £2 13s 7d

Beef and pork:

1 piece beef, £0 3s 11d

7 pieces pork, £1 3s 4d

Sub-total, £1 7s 3d

Nails:

3d, £0 2s 6d

3d, £0 1s 4d

15 4d, £0 8s ½d

28 6d, £0 15s 2d

13 10d, £0 5s 11½d

1 20d, £0 0s 5½d

6 flooring brads, £0 2s 9d

Sub-total, £1 16s ½d

Hooks and lines:

100 hooks No 1, £0 6s 4d

225 hooks No 2, £0 9s 9d

300 hooks No 3, £0 12s 6d

100 hooks No 4, £0 1s 8d

1,000 blue hooks, £0 4s 2d

300 hooks Grantham, £0 4s 3d

3½ dozen lines No 2, £0 16s 4d

7½ dozen lines No 3, £0 2s 1d

5½ dozen lines No 4, £1 3s ½d

Sub-total, £5 19s 3½d

Thread, 4lb coloured, £0 18s 8d

Salt, 3 bushels, £0 8s 6d

Twine, 9 skeins, £0 7s 6d

Carried over, £136 12s 11d

Interpretations

The planters bought the same fishing tackle in the same graded sizes as the Company store issued to its own people, hooks by the hundred and lines by the dozen, which shows that the free inhabitants fished the surrounding sea on their own account as a regular part of feeding their households. Selling tackle to planter and servant alike spread the labour of drawing food from the ocean across the whole population.

The nails were sold by the penny sizes of the period, the fourpenny, sixpenny and tenpenny denoting length rather than price under the standard English trade measure, alongside flooring brads for laying board floors. Their sale to planters marks the ordinary work of building and repair carried on by the settled households in imported wood, the same constant need for fastenings that ran through the Company's own account.

220

211

1756

Brought over £ 136 12 11

Paint viz

7 lb Verdigrease

£ 2 2

8½ lb Blue Smalts

1 4 6

18 lb Whiting

5

24 lb White Lead

13

5 Olive

12 6

4 lb White Copperas

1 5

6 lb Yellow Oaker

1 9

11 ozs Jamn Indico

5 6

10 Venet Red

2 11

3 8 9

Oil viz

5 Go Linseed

1 3 4

2 Go Train

8 4

1 Bottle Florence

3 6½

1 15 2½

Glassware viz

61 Sqr Glass 8 by 10

2 8 3½

48 Sqr Do 10 by 12

2 16

5 4 3½

Ironmongersware viz

5 Pr Sheep Sheers

14 2

3 Stock Locks

7 9

1 Plaisterers Trowel

2 2

2 Frying pans

5 4

1 Claw Hammer

1 8

2 Files

1 5

1 12 6

Haberdashery ware viz

13 Sk Silk

7 7

7 Sk Mohair

3 6

7 Doz Mens Coat Buttons

3 10

5 Do Do Breast Do

1 3

18 2

1 1

Tinware 1 Lamp

2 10

Pepper 4 lb

Carried over £ 149 15 9

This account continued the goods sold to the planters, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £136 12s 11d

Paint:

7lb verdigris, £0 2s 2d

10½lb blue smalts, £1 4s 6d

10½lb whiting, £0 5s 0d

24lb white lead, £0 13s 0d

5lb olive, £0 12s 6d

1lb white copperas, £0 1s 5d

6lb yellow ochre, £0 1s 9d

11oz Jamaica indigo, £0 5s 6d

10lb Venice red, £0 2s 11d

Sub-total, £3 8s 9d

Oil:

5 gallons linseed, £1 3s 4d

2 gallons train, £0 8s 4d

1 bottle Florence, £0 3s 6½d

Sub-total, £1 15s 2½d

Glassware:

61 square glass 8 by 10, £2 8s 3½d

48 square glass 10 by 12, £2 16s 0d

Sub-total, £5 4s 3½d

Ironmongery:

5 pairs sheep shears, £0 14s 2d

3 stock locks, £0 7s 9d

1 plasterer's trowel, £0 2s 2d

2 frying pans, £0 5s 4d

1 claw hammer, £0 1s 8d

2 files, £0 1s 5d

Sub-total, £1 12s 6d

Haberdashery:

13 skeins silk, £0 7s 7d

7 skeins mohair, £0 3s 6d

7 dozen men's coat buttons, £0 3s 10d

3 dozen men's breast buttons, £0 1s 3d

Sub-total, £0 18s 2d

Tinware, 1 lamp, £0 1s 1d

Pepper, 4lb, £0 2s 10d

Carried over, £149 15s 9d

Interpretations

The planters bought paint pigments in the same dry ground form as the Company store, mixing their own colour from powder and oil to protect the woodwork of their houses against a damp sea air that rotted anything left bare. Yellow ochre appears among the planters' colours where it did not in the earlier list, a cheap iron earth for the plainer painting of a working household.

The sale of window glass to planters in the two standard casement sizes shows the settled households glazing their own dwellings, a mark of permanent building on land held for the long term rather than makeshift shelter. That the planters bought the same graded panes as the Company reflects a common stock of building material drawn from a single store.

A plasterer's trowel among the planters' ironmongery points to finished interior work in their houses, plastered walls rather than bare boards, and marks a standard of domestic building that went beyond mere weatherproofing. The tool had to be imported like all iron goods, since the island had neither ore nor forge to make it.

221

212

26 January

Brought over £ 149 15 9

Canvas viz

6 yds English Canvas

£ 8 6

6 yds Osenbrigs

6 6

16

Pitch viz

2 Gallons Tar

2

14 lb Turpentine

3 2½

5 2½

Turnersware viz

8 Paint Brushes

4 8

2 Straining Dishes

9

3 Wood Bowls

4

9 5

Deals 1 Baulk

7

Chinaware 6 Cups

1 4½

Rice & Paddy viz

20 qrs Rice

12 16 3

2 Paddy

3 4½

12 19 7½

£ 164 13 4½

The following Damaged Goods Sold at Public

Auction viz

Hosiersware viz

4 Pr Womens Stocking

4 9

10 Pr Girls

5 2

1 Pr Mens Woven

8

10 7

Ironware 1 Pr Bellows

2 7

£ 13 2

This account continued the goods sold to the planters, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £149 15s 9d

Canvas:

6 yards English canvas, £0 8s 6d

6 yards osnaburgs, £0 6s 6d

Sub-total, £0 16s 0d

Pitch:

2 gallons tar, £0 2s 0d

14lb turpentine, £0 3s 2½d

Sub-total, £0 5s 2½d

Turner's ware:

8 paint brushes, £0 4s 8d

2 straining dishes, £0 0s 9d

3 wood bowls, £0 4s 0d

Sub-total, £0 9s 5d

Deals, 1 baulk, £0 7s 0d

Chinaware, 6 cups, £0 1s 4½d

Rice and paddy:

2,000lb rice, £12 16s 3d

200lb paddy, £0 3s 4½d

Sub-total, £12 19s 7½d

Total, £164 13s 4½d

The following damaged goods were sold at public auction.

Hosiery:

4 pairs women's stockings, £0 4s 9d

10 pairs girls' stockings, £0 5s 2d

1 pair men's woven stockings, £0 0s 8d

Sub-total, £0 10s 7d

Ironware, 1 pair bellows, £0 2s 7d

Total, £1 3s 2d

Interpretations

Damaged stock was cleared through a public auction rather than sold over the store counter at the fixed markup, a separate mechanism that let the Company recover something on goods spoiled in the store or in transit while opening the bidding to the whole settlement. Selling by open auction protected the Company from the charge of favouring particular buyers with damaged goods at private rates, and set the price by competition rather than by the standing tariff.

A baulk of deal, a squared length of timber, sold to the planters alongside the sawn planks marks the settled households doing their own heavier building and framing, working imported wood into the structure of their houses. The island grew almost no timber fit for building, so every stick of frame and floor came by sea and was sold on through the store.

222

213

1756

Charges General Dro for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 October 1755 to the 11 of January 1756 Viz

Deals viz

1 Elm Plank for repairing Gun Carriages

18 11

11 Double Deals for repairs to James Gate, Secretarys

4 16 1

33 Single Do Office, Scout Gd House, and the

3 3 4

Casks

2 Baulks for a Curb for the Well Ruff in the Stores

11 10

1 four Inch Oak Plank for repairs to the

Well in the Lieutenant Governors yard

1 13 10

1 Pr Riga Timber, for rebuilding a Room

for the Servants in the Castle

1 14 2

10 1 2

Ironmongersware viz

1 Stone Saw for Sawing Stone

4 11½

2 Wood Hatchets for the Carpenters

2 8

11 Helves

6 8

15 Files

7 8

2 Rasps

1 1

2 Wood Vices for the

3 10

2 Screw Plates Armourers

7 2

2 Smiths Rubbers Use

6 1

2 Mawls for Breaking Rocks

18

2 Stock Locks for the Castle and one of

the Companys Houses

3 8

1 Pickax

2 2

5 Pr H Hinges for the Castle and

Secretarys Office

10 3

2

½ Doz Wood Screws

2 10

1 Loping Ax for the Castle

Ironware Carried over £ 3 12½

Carried over £ 10 1 2

This account recorded general charges for the following stores issued from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Deals:

1 elm plank for repairing gun carriages, £0 18s 11d

11 double deals for repairs to the sea gate, secretary's [...], £4 15s 1d

33 single deals for the store, store tent, guard house and the [...], £3 3s 4d

2 baulks for a curb for the well ropes in the stores, £0 11s 10d

1 four inch oak plank for repairs to the well in the lieutenant governor's yard, £1 15s 10d

1 piece Riga timber for rebuilding a room for the servants in the Castle, £1 14s 2d

Sub-total, £10 1s 2d

Ironmongery:

1 stone saw for sawing stone, £0 4s 11½d

2 hand hatchets for the carpenters, £0 2s 8d

11 helves, £0 6s 8d

15 files, £0 7s 8d

2 rasps, £0 1s 1d

2 hand vices, £0 3s 10d

2 screw plates, £0 7s 2d

2 smith's rubbers, £0 6s 1d

2 mauls for breaking rocks, £0 18s 0d

2 stock locks for the Castle and one of the Company's houses, £0 3s 8d

1 pickaxe, £0 2s 2d

5 pairs H hinges for the Castle and secretary's office, £0 10s 3d

1 file [...], £0 0s 2d

½ dozen wood screws, £0 2s 10d

1 loping axe for the Castle, £0 [...]

Ironware carried over, £3 19s 2½d

Carried over, £10 1s 2d

The hand vices, screw plates and smith's rubbers were all for the armourer's use.

Interpretations

General charges recorded stores issued for the settlement's own upkeep rather than sold, so that timber, tools and fittings spent on public buildings and works were booked as a charge against the Company instead of as revenue. Keeping this account separate from the sales let the council see at a glance what the maintenance of the establishment cost in materials over the quarter.

The entries tie each issue to a specific repair, from the elm plank for the gun carriages to the oak plank for the well in the lieutenant governor's yard and the Riga timber for rebuilding a servants' room in the Castle, which shows the timber sorted by grade to its use. Riga timber was fir shipped from the Baltic port of Riga, prized for straight sound lengths, and its reservation for structural rebuilding marks it as the best of the imported wood, kept for work where strength and durability mattered most.

The armourer's tools grouped under a single bracket, the hand vices, screw plates and smith's rubbers, equipped the man who kept the garrison's small arms in repair, a skilled post essential to a fortified island whose defence rested on serviceable muskets. That the store fitted out his workshop from imported tools underlines how even the maintenance of the island's weapons depended on supply from home.

223

214

26 January

Brought over £ 10 1 2

Ironmongersware Brought over £ 3 10 2½

3 Bricklayers Trowells

4 9

3 Plaisterers Do

4 6

1 Padlock for the Carpenters Shop

2 3

4 10 8½

Soap 80 lb

2 1 8

Iron 32 lb for the Armourers Use

9 2

Paint viz

40 lb White Lead

17 4½

7 lb Whiting for Priming

1 6

2 Barrels Blacking Gun Carriages

1 10

8½ Verdigrease Spouts for

1 5 11½

7 lb White Copperas the Great

3

5 Olive House

8 9

7 lb Venet Red & the Castle

2

12 Blue Smalts for Linen

1

3 15 10

Oil viz

6½ Go Linseed for Painting

1 10

4½ Go Train for the Great

13 1½

3 Bottles Florence House and

Armourers use

6 10½

2 10

Nails viz

25 & 10 lb

9 8

11 & 4

4 6½

15 & 6 for repairs

5 4

2½ Glazing Brads to the Scout

2 6

Gate the

3 & 3 Secretarys

1 2

2 & 40 Office the

1 5½

6 Straining Brads Great House

7

the Castle

2

1 7 1

Carried over £ 24 6 5½

This account continued the general charges for stores issued, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £10 1s 2d

Ironmongery:

Brought over, £3 19s 2½d

3 bricklayers' trowels, £0 4s 9d

3 plasterers' trowels, £0 4s 6d

1 padlock for the carpenter's shop, £0 2s 3d

Sub-total, £4 10s 8½d

Soap, 80lb, £2 1s 8d

Iron, 32lb for the armourer's use, £0 9s 2d

Paint:

40lb white lead, £0 17s 4½d

7lb whiting, £0 1s 6d

2 barrels blacking, £0 1s 10d

8½lb verdigris, £1 5s 11½d

1½lb white copperas, £0 0s 3d

5lb olive, £0 8s 9d

4lb Venice red, £0 0s 2d

12lb blue smalts, £1 0s 0d

Sub-total, £3 15s 10d

Oil:

6½ gallons linseed for painting, £1 0s 10d

4½ gallons train, £0 13s 1½d

3 bottles Florence, £0 6s 10½d

Sub-total, £2 0s 10d

Nails:

25 10d, £0 9s 8d

11 4d, £0 4s 6½d

15 6d, £0 5s 4d

2½ glazing brads, £0 2s 6d

glazing brads, £0 1s 2d

3 3d, £0 1s 5½d

2 40d, £0 0s 7d

6 straining brads, £0 2s 0d

Sub-total, £1 7s 1d

Carried over, £24 6s 5½d

The whiting was for painting, the blacking for the gun carriages, and the verdigris, copperas, olive, Venice red and other colours were for the spouts, the guard house and the Castle. The linseed oil was for painting and the train oil and Florence oil for the guard house and the armourer's use. The nails were for repairs to the soldiers' gate, the secretary's office and the guard house at the Castle.

Interpretations

The paint issued under general charges was tied line by line to the specific public works it served, the blacking to the gun carriages, the blue smalts to linen and the run of colours to the spouts, guard house and Castle, which shows the pigment drawn from store against named jobs rather than issued loosely. Blacking on the gun carriages was as much preservative as colour, a tar-based coat that guarded the timber and ironwork of the artillery mounts against the corrosive damp of the sea air.

Bricklayers' and plasterers' trowels issued together for the settlement's building works mark masonry and plastering carried on at the Castle and its outbuildings, finished construction in stone and lime rather than makeshift timber. The tools had to be imported like all worked iron, since the island had no forge of any scale to make them, and their issue from store shows the Company equipping its own building tradesmen directly.

224

215

1756

Brought over £ 24 6 5½

Turnersware viz

4 Punch Ladles

2 4

1 Hair Broom

2 1

1 Scrubing Brush for the Castle

1 8

3 Paint Brushes

1 3

7 4

Twine 3 Skains for making Cartridges & Rockets

2 11½

Arrack 3½ Galn given for bringing the Gun

Carriages from Lemon Valley, and

to the Hay makers

9 8

Pewter viz

1 Gallon Pot

5 2

1 Do Funnel Newlise

2 3

7 5

Kersey 1½ yards for the Castle

2

Candles viz

150 lb for the Castle

14 3 9½

94 for the Council

9 11 11

14 for the Officers of the Guard

1 2 5

24 18 2

Glassware viz

4 Sqr Glass 11 by 19 for repairs to the Church

6 6

8 Sqr Do 8 by 10 the Castle and the

4 6

1 Sqr Do 10 by 12 Great House

10

11 10

Iron Pots 1 for the Castle

13

Corks 2½ Gross for Do

5 0

Lead viz

22½ lb Sheet for repairs to the Great House

3 8

20 lb Shot for the Castle

3 4

7 10

Leather 2 lb Pump

Cordage 20 lb for a Well Rope, and for the

Port Cullis at Ruperts

5 1½

Carried over £ 32 10 6½

This account continued the general charges for stores issued, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £24 6s 5½d

Turner's ware:

4 punch ladles, £0 2s 4d

1 hair broom, £0 2s 1d

1 scrubbing brush, £0 1s 8d

3 paint brushes, £0 1s 3d

Sub-total, £0 7s 4d

Twine, 3 skeins for making cartridges and rockets, £0 2s 11½d

Arrack, 3⅞ gallons given for bringing the gun carriages from Lemon Valley and to the hay makers, £0 9s 8d

Pewter:

1½ gallon pot, £0 5s 2d

1 funnel, £0 2s 3d

Sub-total, £0 7s 5d

Kersey, 1½ yards for the Castle, £0 2s 0d

Candles:

156lb for the Castle, £14 3s 9½d

94lb for the council, £9 11s 11d

11lb for the officers of the guard, £1 2s 5d

Sub-total, £24 18s 2d

Glassware:

4 square glass 11 by 19 for repairs to the church, £0 6s 6d

8 square glass 8 by 10 for the Castle and the great house, £0 4s 6d

1 square glass 10 by 12, £0 0s 10d

Sub-total, £0 11s 10d

Iron pots, 1 for the Castle, £0 1s 3d

Corks, 2½ gross for the Castle, £0 5s 0d

Lead:

22¼lb sheet for repairs to the great house, £0 3s 8d

20lb shot for the Castle, £0 3s 4d

Sub-total, £0 7s 2d

Leather, 2lb pump leather, £0 [...]

Cordage, 20lb for a well rope and for the portcullis at Ruperts, £0 5s 1½d

Carried over, £32 10s 6½d

Interpretations

The arrack given for hauling the gun carriages up from Lemon Valley and to the hay makers was a customary issue of spirits as payment in kind for heavy labour, a recognised way of rewarding the men who did the hardest physical work on the island. Booking the liquor to the specific task shows drink used deliberately as an incentive for a job that could not easily be done otherwise.

The candles issued in bulk to the Castle, the council and the officers of the guard were a running charge on the establishment for light, the single largest line on this page, which marks how much artificial lighting the settlement's public business consumed. That the council alone took nearly a hundredweight of candles reflects the volume of paperwork and evening sitting that governing the island required.

Glass cut specially for repairs to the church, in a larger pane than the domestic sizes, shows the Company maintaining the settlement's place of worship out of public stores alongside its own buildings. Keeping the church glazed and in repair was part of upholding the religious observance that bound the community and marked the Company's presence as a settled and ordered one.

225

216

26 January

Brought over £ 52 10 6½

Cutleryware 1 Budding knife for the

Gardeners Use

1 9

Canvas 5½ yards English, for Repairs

to the Umbrelloes for the Castle

9 6

Lines 3 No 2 for the Carpenters use

10

Desootees 1 Do for Rubbers for the Castle

8 7

Pitch viz

18 lb Pitch for the Great House

7

3½ Gallons Tar for the Crane

2 4

3½ Rozin for the Castle

4

9 8

Haberdashery ware 10 lb Carnation Tape

for the Castle

8

£ 54 10 6½

Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores

Issued for the Table from the 12 October 1755 to the 11

January 1756 viz

Candy 3.25 lb

£ 4 12 10½

Beef & Pork viz

3 Pr Beef

8 3

26 Pr Pork

3 8

3 8 11

Oil 16 Bottles Florence

1 16 8

Pease ½ Bushel

2 9

Tea viz

7 lb Congo

9 4

1 Bohea

10

Arrack 62 Gallons

9 2

Rice 158 lb

8 5 4

9 8

Carried over £ 10 6 4½

This account continued the general charges for stores issued, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £52 10s 6½d

Cutlery, 1 budding knife for the gardener's use, £0 1s 9d

Canvas, 5½ yards English for repairs to the umbrelloes for the Castle, £0 9s 6d

Lines, 3 No 2 for the carpenter's use, £0 0s 10d

Desootees, 1 piece for rubbers for the Castle, £0 8s 7d

Pitch:

18lb pitch for the great house, £0 7s 0d

3½ gallons tar for the crane, £0 2s 4d

3½lb rosin for the Castle, £0 0s 4d

Sub-total, £0 9s 8d

Haberdashery, 10 pieces carnation tape for the Castle, £0 0s 8d

Total, £54 10s 6½d

This account recorded diet expenses for the following stores issued for the table from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Candy, 3lb, £4 12s 10½d

Beef and pork:

3 pieces beef, £0 8s 3d

26 pieces pork, £0 3s 8d

Sub-total, £4 12s 10½d

Oil, 16 bottles Florence, £3 8s 11d

Pease, ½ bushel, £1 16s 8d

Tea:

7lb Congo, £0 9s 4d

1lb Bohea, £0 0s 10d

Sub-total, £0 2s 9d

Arrack, 62 gallons, £4 8s 2d

Rice, 158lb, £0 8s 4d

Carried over, £10 6s 4½d

Interpretations

The diet expenses account recorded provisions drawn from store for the governor's table over the quarter, kept apart from both the general sales and the maintenance charges so that the cost of the senior establishment's board could be reckoned on its own. The mix of imported staples, oil, pease, tea, arrack and rice against the small quantities of local beef and pork shows how far the table depended on what the Company shipped rather than what the island raised.

The budding knife issued for the gardener marks the deliberate cultivation of trees and plants on the island, a curved blade used for grafting buds onto stock to propagate fruit. Its provision from public store reflects an effort to improve and extend the island's own produce, reducing over time the dependence on imported food that runs through the whole account.

The umbrelloes repaired with English canvas were most probably awnings or sunshades rigged over exposed parts of the Castle rather than hand-carried umbrellas, canvas screens against the strong sun of an open Atlantic station. Their upkeep from store shows the settlement maintaining shelter and shade as part of the ordinary fabric of its principal building.

226

217

1756

Brought over £ 19 6 4½

Flour 1094 lb

6 1 7½

Salt 3 Bushels

7 9

£ 25 15 9

Blacks Dro for the following Stores Issued for their Use

from the 12 of October 1755 to the 11 January 1756 Viz

Beef & Pork viz

54 Pr Pork

6 6

272 Pr Beef

37 8

43 4

Rice 89 qrs 3.14

30 14 2

Oil 4½ Go Train

15 1½

Tea 27 lb Bohea for the Sick

1 2 6

Sugar 65 lb

13 2

Arrack 16½ Gallons for Drams and their

Customary allowance at Christmas

2 4 8

Shoes 3 Pr Mens Ord

11 6

Desootees 1 Do

8 7

Twine 1 Skains

7½

Hooks & Lines viz

12 Lines No 4

4 5

18 Do 2

5 10

100 Hooks No 1 for Fishing

4 9

50 Do 2

10½

15 10½

Tinware 1 Lamp

9

Kersey 6 yards

8

Pitch ½ Gallon Tar

2

Carried over £ 81 9 1½

This account continued the diet expenses for stores issued for the table, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £19 6s 4½d

Flour, 1,094lb, £6 1s 7½d

Salt, 3 bushels, £0 7s 9d

Total, £25 15s 9d

This account recorded stores issued for the use of the slaves from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Beef and pork:

54 pieces pork, £6 6s 0d

272 pieces beef, £37 8s 0d

Sub-total, £43 14s 0d

Rice, 8,093lb 14oz, £30 14s 2d

Oil, 4½ gallons train, £0 15s 1½d

Tea, 27lb Bohea for the sick, £1 2s 6d

Sugar, 6lb, £0 13s 2d

Arrack, 16½ gallons for drams and their customary allowance at Christmas, £2 4s 8d

Shoes, 3 pairs men's ordinary, £0 11s 6d

Desootees, 1 piece, £0 8s 7d

Twine, 1 skein, £0 0s 7½d

Hooks and lines:

12 lines No 4, £0 4s 5d

18 lines No 2, £0 5s 10d

100 hooks No 1, £0 4s 9d

50 hooks No 2, £0 0s 10½d

Sub-total, £0 15s 10½d

Tinware, 1 lamp, £0 0s 9d

Kersey, 6 yards, £0 0s 2d

Pitch, ½ gallon tar, [...]

Carried over, £81 9s 1½d

Interpretations

The slaves' provisions were charged to a separate account from the servants' sales, the planters' sales and the governor's table, so that the cost of feeding and clothing the enslaved workforce could be reckoned on its own as a distinct charge on the Company. The two largest lines by far were beef, pork and rice, the staple ration of the slave population, which shows the workforce fed chiefly on imported salt meat and grain rather than on the island's fresh produce.

The arrack issued as daily drams and a customary Christmas allowance marks the regular distribution of spirits to the slaves, both as a routine issue and as a recognised festival portion at Christmas. This was a deliberate instrument of management, using drink to sustain and pacify a labouring population held in bondage, and the booking of it as a customary allowance shows it as an established practice rather than an occasional indulgence.

Bohea tea reserved specifically for the sick slaves shows a modest provision for those unable to work, a cheap warm drink issued to the infirm as the goats had been killed for the hospital in the earlier stock account. The Company kept its enslaved workers alive and fit enough to labour by such small allowances, a calculation of the least outlay needed to preserve a valuable workforce rather than any wider care.

227

218

26 January

Brought over £ 81 9 1½

Ironware viz

2 Stock Locks

£ 3 8

1 Hand Hatchet

1 4

5

£ 81 14 1½

Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued for their

use from the 12 of October 1755 to the 11 January 1756 viz

Nails viz

3½ & 2 lb

1 3

1 & 3 for Coffins

3½

1½ & 4

1

2 3½

Deals 6 Single for Do

11 10½

Tea 8 lb Bohea

3 14 7

Oil viz

110 lb Gallons Train for the several

16 2 3½

4 Bottles Florena Guards

9 2

10 11 5½

Candles 6 lb for the

12 3

Candy 6 lb Doctors

1 9

Rozin 6 lb Shop

2½

Paint viz

17 lb Yellow Oaker to clean the Accots

3 2½

5 Whiting

2

3 4½

Ironware 1 Small Frying Pan

1 10

£ 22 7½

This account continued the stores issued for the use of the slaves, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £81 9s 1½d

Ironware:

2 stock locks, £0 3s 8d

1 hand hatchet, £0 1s 4d

Sub-total, £0 5s 0d

Total, £81 14s 1½d

This account recorded stores issued for the use of the garrison from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Nails:

3½ 6d, £0 1s 3d

1 3d, £0 0s 3½d

1½ 4d for coffins, £0 0s 1d

Sub-total, £0 2s 3½d

Deals, 6 single for coffins, £0 11s 10½d

Tea, 8lb Bohea, £0 3s 14d

Oil:

110½ gallons train for the several guards, £16 2s 3½d

4 bottles Florence, £0 0s 9d

Sub-total, £10 11s 5½d

Candles, 6lb for the doctors, £0 12s 3d

Candy, 6lb for the doctors, £0 1s 9d

Rosin, 6lb for the doctors, £0 0s 2½d

Paint:

17lb yellow ochre to clean the account [...], £0 3s 2½d

9lb whiting, £0 0s 2d

Sub-total, £0 3s 4½d

Ironware, 1 small frying pan, £0 1s 10d

Total, £22 0s 7½d

Interpretations

The garrison account gathered the stores spent on the soldiers as a body, distinct from the slaves, the planters and the governor's table, so that the cost of maintaining the island's fighting strength could be reckoned on its own. The single largest line was more than a hundred gallons of train oil for the several guards, a quantity that marks the fuel burned in the guardhouse lamps that kept watch through the night at the island's defensive posts.

The nails and single deals booked specifically for coffins are a plain record of mortality in the garrison over the quarter, the timber and fastenings drawn from store to bury the dead. That the burial of soldiers was charged to the garrison account as a routine issue reflects how death was an ordinary and expected cost of keeping a garrison on a remote and unhealthy station.

The candles, candy and rosin issued to the doctors point to the medical care of the garrison, the small stores that supported the surgeons in tending the sick. Rosin had uses in dressing wounds and preparing plasters, and its issue alongside light and sugar for the doctors shows the Company provisioning its medical men from the same general store that supplied the rest of the establishment.

228

219

1756

Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued

from the 12 October 1755 to the 11 January 1756 Viz

Bunting viz

1 Pr Blue

£ 1 5 3

32 yards Red for a Flag for Bankses

1 4

19½ Do White

3 4½

2 19 1½

Lines 7 No 4

2 7

Twine 3 Skains for Do and

1 10

Thread 1 lb Coloured making

3 4

Canvas 24 yards English Cartridges

2 6

Paint viz

4 lb White Lead

1 5

1 Barrel Blacking for Painting

11

the Flagstaff

2 4

Oil ½ Gallon Linseed

1 8

Nails viz

4 & 10 lb for makeing an Arm

1 4

½ & 6 Chest for Bankses and

4½

½ & 3 Repairing the Flagstaff

3

1 & 4

4½

2 4

Cordage 5 lb for Halliards for the Flagstaff

7 0

Deals 1 5 Inch Oak Plank for the Port

Cullis at Ruperts

2 9 10

Lead 25 lb Sheet for the top of the Flagstaff

4 2

Arrack 14 Gallon given to the Workmen

3 4

£ 7 9½

This account recorded stores issued for fortification from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Bunting:

1 piece blue, £1 5s 3d

32 yards red for a flag for Bankses, £1 4s 0d

10¾ yards white, £0 [...]

Sub-total, £2 19s ½d

Lines, 7 No 4, £0 2s 7d

Twine, 3 skeins for making cartridges, £0 1s 10d

Thread, 1lb coloured for making cartridges, £0 3s 4d

Canvas, 2¼ yards English for making cartridges, £0 2s 6d

Paint:

4lb white lead for painting the flagstaff, £0 1s 5d

1 barrel blacking for painting the flagstaff, £0 0s 11d

Sub-total, £0 2s 4d

Oil, ½ gallon linseed, £0 1s 8d

Nails:

4 10d for making an arm chest for Bankses, £0 1s 4d

½ 6d for making an arm chest for Bankses, £0 0s ½d

½ 3d for repairing the flagstaff, £0 0s 3d

1 4d for repairing the flagstaff, £0 0s ½d

Sub-total, £0 2s 4d

Cordage, 3lb for halliards for the flagstaff, £0 7s 0d

Deals, 1 five inch oak plank for the portcullis at Ruperts, £2 9s 10d

Lead, 25lb sheet for the top of the flagstaff, £0 4s 2d

Arrack, 1¼ gallon given to the workmen, £0 3s 4d

Total, £7 0s 9½d

Interpretations

The fortification account gathered the stores spent on the island's defences, distinct from every other head, so that the cost of maintaining the batteries, flagstaffs and gates could be reckoned on its own. Much of the material went into a new flag for Bankses, one of the fortified coastal posts, made up from red, white and blue bunting, together with the paint, cordage and lead that kept its flagstaff standing and serviceable as a signal station.

The twine, thread and canvas booked for making cartridges show the garrison manufacturing its own powder charges from imported materials, cutting and sewing the paper or cloth cases that held the measured powder for the guns. Making cartridges on the island rather than shipping them ready filled was a practical necessity, since loose powder stored more safely and could be made up as needed to the sizes the guns required.

The five inch oak plank for the portcullis at Ruperts marks the upkeep of the heavy defensive gate at one of the island's landing places, oak being chosen for the strength and durability a portcullis demanded. Arrack given to the workmen who did the work was again a customary payment in kind for labour, spirits issued from store as a recognised reward for the men engaged on the fortifications.

229

220

26 January

Boats Dro for the following Stores

Issued for repairs &ca from the 12 October 1755

to the 11 January 1756 Vizt

Canvas 12 yards Osenbrigs

£ 8 9

Twine viz

1 Skain Twine

£ 7½

2 Do Marline

5½

1 1

Cordage 125 lb

1 11 3

Leather 3 lb

3 4½

Oars 4

15

Deals 1 Double

3 2½

Nails viz

6 & 40 lb

1 9

5 & 20

1 7

1 & 10

4

1 & 6

4½

1 & 3

5½

4 6

Pitch viz

40 lb Pitch

5 10

5 Galn Tar

3 4

Lead 5 lb Sheet

9 2

Oil 7 lb Gallon Linseed

1 3

Arrack 1 Gallon given for Launching

the Long Boat

4

£ 4 2

This account recorded stores issued for repairs to the boats from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Canvas, 12 yards osnaburgs, £0 8s 9d

Twine:

1 skein twine, £0 0s 1½d

2 skeins marline, £0 0s 5½d

Sub-total, £0 1s 1d

Cordage, 125lb, £1 11s 3d

Leather, 3lb, £0 3s 4½d

Oars, 4, £0 15s 0d

Deals, 1 double, £0 3s 2½d

Nails:

6 40d, £0 1s 9d

5 20d, £0 1s 7d

1 10d, £0 0s 4d

1 6d, £0 0s 4½d

1 3d, £0 0s 5½d

Sub-total, £0 4s 6d

Pitch:

40lb pitch, £0 5s 10d

5 gallons tar, £0 3s 4d

Sub-total, £0 9s 2d

Lead, ½lb sheet, £0 0s 5d

Oil, ⅞ gallon linseed, £0 1s 3d

Arrack, 1½ gallon given for launching the long boat, £0 4s 0d

Total, £4 2s 0d

Interpretations

The boats account gathered the stores spent on keeping the settlement's small craft in repair, distinct from every other head, since the boats were the essential link between the shore and the ships that anchored in the road. The pitch, tar, cordage, canvas and oars listed here were the standard materials of boat maintenance, spent on caulking, rigging and propelling the vessels that landed cargo, water and passengers where no ship could come alongside.

The arrack given for launching the long boat was a customary issue of spirits to mark and reward the heavy labour of getting a large boat back into the water, the same use of drink as payment in kind that ran through the works accounts. Launching a long boat was a considerable effort requiring many hands, and the issue of liquor recognised the work as the fortification and haulage tasks had been rewarded elsewhere.

230

221

1756

Hospital Dro for the following Stores Issued for

the use of the Sick in the Infirmary from the 12 of October

1755 to the 11 of January 1756 viz

Rice 4 lb

£ 1 7 4

Sugar 110 lb

1 4 2

Flour 84

9 6½

Oil 8 Gallons Train

1 3 4

Salt 4½ Bushels

3 10½

Chinaware 2 Sneekers

4

Turnersware viz

6 Bowls

5 7½

6 Platters

5 7½

1 Ladle

2

11 5

£ 4 19 10

11 January 1756

Errors Excepted

Signed

M Burling Storekpr

This account recorded stores issued for the use of the sick in the infirmary from 12 October 1755 to 11 January 1756.

Rice, 4lb, £1 7s 4d

Sugar, 110lb, £1 4s 2d

Flour, 84lb, £0 9s 6½d

Oil, 8 gallons train, £1 3s 4d

Salt, 4½ bushels, £0 3s 10½d

Chinaware, 2 sneakers, £0 0s 4d

Turner's ware:

6 bowls, £0 5s 7½d

6 platters, £0 5s 7½d

1 ladle, £0 0s 2d

Sub-total, £0 11s 5d

Total, £4 19s 10d

The account was dated 11 January 1756 and signed by M Burling, storekeeper, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The hospital account gathered the stores spent on the sick in the infirmary, distinct from the general slave, garrison and household heads, so that the cost of caring for the ill could be reckoned on its own. The provisions listed, rice, sugar, flour and the bowls and platters to serve them, were the plain invalid diet of the period, light and easily taken foods issued to those too unwell to eat the ordinary ration.

The considerable quantity of sugar issued to the infirmary against small amounts of the other foods marks its use as a medicine and restorative as much as a food, sweetening the thin diets and drinks given to weak patients. Sugar was valued in the period for building up the sick, and its prominence here shows the infirmary drawing on it as a staple of convalescent care rather than a mere indulgence.

231

222

26 January

List of the Honorable Companys Officers, and

Servants, upon the Island St Helena, with their

several Salaries Diet mony &ca for the Quarter

commencing 12 October 1755 and ending 11

January 1756 Viz

Charles Hutchinson Esq Govr Salary £ 125

Do Allowance for Servants as usual 31 14 9

156 14 9

John Adamson Lieut Govr Salary 62 10

Do Diet mony 25

87 10

John Clark of Council

15

John Goodwin Accountant Salary 17 10

Do Diet Money 15

Do House Rent 2 10

35

Matthew Burling Storekeeper Salary 17 10

Do Diet mony 15

32 10

Francis Wrangham Secretarys Salary 17 10

Do Diet Money 15

Do House Rent 2 10

35

William Lee Chaplain Salary 25

Do Diet mony 15

40

James Powell Factors Salary 7 10

Do Diet mony 10

Do Assistant Storekeeper 5

Do House Rent 2 10

25

Matthew Bazett Factors Salary 7 10

Do Diet mony 10

Do House Rent 2 10

20

William Wrangham Writers Salary 5

Do Diet Mony 10

Do House Rent 2 10

17 10

Charles Steward Writer Salary 5

Do Diet mony 10

15

John Inglis Surgeon Salary 9 15

Do Diet mony 10

Do House Rent 2 10

22 5

Carried over £ 501 9 9

This account listed the Honourable Company's officers and servants on the island of St Helena, with their several salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter commencing 12 October 1755 and ending 11 January 1756.

Charles Hutchinson, governor, salary £125 0s 0d, allowance for servants as usual £31 14s 9d, total £156 14s 9d

John Adamson, lieutenant governor, salary £62 10s 0d, diet money £25 0s 0d, total £87 10s 0d

John Clark of council, £15 0s 0d

John Goodwin, accountant, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

Matthew Burling, storekeeper, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, total £32 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham, secretary, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

William Lee, chaplain, salary £25 0s 0d, diet money £15 0s 0d, total £40 0s 0d

James Powell, factor, salary £7 10s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, assistant storekeeper £5 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £25 0s 0d

Matthew Bazett, factor, salary £7 10s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £20 0s 0d

William Wrangham, writer, salary £5 0s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £17 10s 0d

Charles Steward, writer, salary £5 0s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, total £15 0s 0d

John Inglis, surgeon, salary £9 15s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £22 5s 0d

Carried over, £501 9s 9d

Interpretations

The salary list set out the whole civil establishment of the island by rank and reward, from the governor at the head to the writers at the foot, and shows how the Company paid its servants in three separate parts: a basic salary, a diet money allowance in place of board and a house rent allowance for those not quartered in Company buildings. This structure let the Company adjust each man's total according to his post and circumstances without disturbing the basic scale of salaries.

The striking feature of the scale is how far the diet money and allowances narrowed the gap that salary alone would set, so that a writer on £5 of salary drew £10 of diet money and ended with a total not far below a factor's, while the surgeon's salary of £9 15s sat oddly among the round figures elsewhere. The junior servants were sustained less by salary than by the allowances that came with the post, which reflects how the Company kept nominal salaries low while making service bearable through board and lodging.

Diet money was a cash allowance paid in place of feeding a servant at the Company's table, letting each man provide his own board while the Company avoided the cost and trouble of a common mess. Its payment at a flat rate regardless of rank, £15 to the senior officers and £10 to the juniors, shows it reckoned as a subsistence allowance tied to the cost of living on the island rather than to status.

232

223

Brought over £ 501 9 9

Thomas Evans Surgeons Mate Salary £ 6 5

Do Diet mony 10

16 5

Samuel Alexander

7 10

Matthew Bazett Overseers

7 10

George Young

7 10

Richard Beale Schoolmaster Salary 3 8 3

Do as Clerk 5

8 8 3

John Bland Master Masons Salary 17 10

Do Diet Money 10

Do House Rent 1 10

29

Mark Howkins Masons Salary 12 10

Do Diet Mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 1

20 6 10½

Thomas Loving Carpenters Salary 12 10

Do House Rent 15

13 5

Thomas Kirkpatrick Master of Arms

6 5

James Sheridan Gardener

10

Thomas Eastwood Carpenters Mate

8 15

John Yeale Armourer

10 10

John Hughes Do Mate

9

James Torbett Cooper

8 10

William Moore Steward

6

Michael Frost Clock & Instrument Cleaner

1 5

Nicholas Scrafton Patron of the Long Boat

7 10

John Strange Groom

2

Thomas Harper Marshal

5 6 6½

First Company

John Clark 1st Lieutenant Salary £ 22 16 3

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do on account of instructing the Gunners 7 10

37 3 1½

Stephen Herbert 2nd Lieutenant Salary 18 5

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10

27 11 10½

Francis Mowatt Adjutant Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

29 13 1½

£ 780 19 5½

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £501 9s 9d

Thomas Evans, surgeon's mate, salary £6 5s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, total £16 5s 0d

Samuel Alexander, overseer, £7 10s 0d

Matthew Bazett, overseer, £7 10s 0d

George Young, overseer, £7 10s 0d

Richard Beale, schoolmaster, salary £3 8s 3d, as clerk £5 0s 0d, total £8 8s 3d

John Bland, master mason, salary £17 10s 0d, diet money £10 0s 0d, house rent £1 10s 0d, total £29 0s 0d

Mark Hawkins, mason, salary £12 10s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £1 0s 0d, total £20 6s 10½d

Thomas Loving, carpenter, salary £12 10s 0d, house rent £1 0s 0d, total £13 5s 0d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, master of arms, £6 5s 0d

James Sheridan, gardener, £10 0s 0d

Thomas Eastwood, carpenter's mate, £10 10s 0d

John Yeale, armourer, £9 0s 0d

John Hughes, armourer's mate, £8 10s 0d

James Torbett, cooper, £6 0s 0d

William Moore, steward, £1 5s 0d

Michael Frost, clock and instrument cleaner, £7 10s 0d

Nicholas Scrafton, patron of the long boat, £2 0s 0d

John Strange, groom, £5 6s 6½d

Thomas Harper, marshal, [...]

First Company:

John Clark, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, on account of instructing the gunners £7 10s 0d, total £37 3s 1½d

Stephen Herbert, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Francis Mowatt, adjutant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, total £29 13s 1½d

Total, £780 19s 5½d

Interpretations

The lower half of the establishment ran to the skilled tradesmen and specialist servants on whom the island's daily working depended, the masons, carpenters, armourers and coopers whose crafts kept the buildings, weapons and casks in repair. That these men were carried on the Company's payroll as salaried servants rather than hired as needed shows how a remote settlement had to retain its own body of tradesmen permanently, since no market of independent craftsmen existed to draw on.

Richard Beale drew two separate payments, one as schoolmaster and a larger one as clerk, which marks the small settlement doubling its educated men across several posts rather than employing a man for each. Combining offices in one person was a practical economy on an island where the pool of literate and skilled servants was too small to fill every place singly, and the schoolmaster's teaching was fitted around clerical work that paid better.

The first lieutenant John Clark drew an extra allowance specifically for instructing the gunners, over and above his salary and diet money, which marks gunnery training as a distinct and separately rewarded duty rather than an ordinary part of his command. On a fortified island whose defence rested on the guns, keeping the gunners trained was valued enough to pay for by name, an incentive attached to the particular task of maintaining the artillery's effectiveness.

233

224

Brought over £ 780 19 5½

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs

£ 7 12 1

John Howard

7 12 1

William Davis

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

Humphry Pugh

5 6 5½

Joseph Panton

5 6 5½

Edward Robinson

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Vaughan Drummer

5 6 5½

Centinels

George Bennett

£ 3 16 ½

John Burke

3 16 ½

John Bagley

3 16 ½

James Cartwright

3 16 ½

Philip Coll

3 16 ½

George Capelin

3 16 ½

William Cooksey

3 16 ½

Duncan Cameron

3 16 ½

James Casthope

3 16 ½

Thomas Farris

3 16 ½

George Green

3 16 ½

John Grainger

3 16 ½

John Gawler

3 16 ½

John Groves

3 16 ½

Richard Guilding

3 16 ½

Richard Godson from 12 October to

3 November inclusive Died

1 4 10

Thomas Hails

3 16 ½

James Hendree

3 16 ½

Jonathan Hitchens

3 16 ½

William Lambon

3 16 ½

Joseph Lowe

3 16 ½

Centinels Carried over £ 77 10 8

Carried over £ 825 1 6½

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £780 19s 5½d

Sergeants:

Solomon Jacobs, £7 12s 1d

John Howard, £7 12s 1d

William Davis, £7 12s 1d

Sub-total, £22 16s 3d

Corporals:

Humphry Pugh, £5 6s 5½d

Joseph Panton, £5 6s 5½d

Edward Robinson, £5 6s 5½d

Sub-total, £15 19s 4½d

John Vaughan, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Sentinels:

George Bennett, £3 16s 5½d

John Burke, £3 16s 5½d

John Bagley, £3 16s 5½d

James Cartwright, £3 16s 5½d

Philip Coll, £3 16s 5½d

George Capelin, £3 16s 5½d

William Cooksey, £3 16s 5½d

Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 5½d

James Casthorpe, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Farris, £3 16s 5½d

George Green, £3 16s 5½d

John Grainger, £3 16s 5½d

John Gawler, £3 16s 5½d

John Groves, £3 16s 5½d

Richard Guilding, £3 16s 5½d

Richard Godson, from 12 October to 3 November inclusive, died, £1 4s 10d

Thomas Hails, £3 16s 5½d

James Hendree, £3 16s 5½d

Jonathan Hitchens, £3 16s 5½d

William Lambon, £3 16s 5½d

Joseph Lowe, £3 16s 5½d

Sentinels carried over, £77 10s 8d

Carried over, £825 1s 6½d

Interpretations

The military establishment was set out by rank in descending order of pay, from sergeants through corporals and the drummer down to the private sentinels, each grade drawing a fixed quarterly sum so that the whole cost of the garrison's manpower could be totalled at a glance. The uniform rate within each rank, every sentinel on the same £3 16s 5½d, shows the pay fixed by grade alone and reflects the standard structure of a Company garrison company.

The entry for Richard Godson, paid only from 12 October to 3 November because he died within the quarter, shows the pay reckoned to the day of death and stopped there, a precise accounting that charged the Company only for service actually rendered. That a man's death was recorded in the pay list by the exact dates of his short service marks the careful bookkeeping by which the Company controlled its wage bill on a station where mortality was a constant.

234

225

Brought over £ 825 1 6½

Centinels Brought over £ 77 10 8

Thomas Litchfield

3 16 ½

John Marsh

3 16 ½

Nathanel Mitchell

3 16 ½

William Montgomery

3 16 ½

James Richardson

3 16 ½

John Scotcher

3 16 ½

John Shaw

3 16 ½

Charles Smith

3 16 ½

George Smith

3 16 ½

Thomas Suffnal

3 16 ½

John Turner

3 16 ½

Thomas Williams

3 16 ½

Edward Webber

3 16 ½

John Watson

3 16 ½

Jeremiah Whorrill

3 16 ½

Matthias Young

3 16 ½

137 18 4

Second Company

Thomas Casthope 1st Lt Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10

32 3 1½

Samuel Price 2nd Lt Salary 18 5

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10

27 11 10½

Sergeants

Charles Styles

7 12 1

William Langhorn

7 12 1

Richard Vaughan

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

John Bridgwater

5 6 5½

Gilbert Clough

5 6 5½

Benjamin Twaits

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Clough Drummer

5 6 5½

Carried over £ 1066 16 11½

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £825 1s 6½d

Sentinels brought over, £77 10s 8d

Thomas Litchfield, £3 16s 5½d

John Marsh, £3 16s 5½d

Nathanel Mitchell, £3 16s 5½d

William Montgomery, £3 16s 5½d

James Richardson, £3 16s 5½d

John Scotcher, £3 16s 5½d

John Shaw, £3 16s 5½d

Charles Smith, £3 16s 5½d

George Smith, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Suffnal, £3 16s 5½d

John Turner, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Williams, £3 16s 5½d

Edward Webber, £3 16s 5½d

John Watson, £3 16s 5½d

Jeremiah Whorrill, £3 16s 5½d

Matthias Young, £3 16s 5½d

Sub-total, £137 18s 4d

Second Company:

Thomas Casthope, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

Samuel Price, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Sergeants:

Charles Styles, £7 12s 1d

William Langhorn, £7 12s 1d

Richard Vaughan, £7 12s 1d

Sub-total, £22 16s 3d

Corporals:

John Bridgwater, £5 6s 5½d

Gilbert Clough, £5 6s 5½d

Benjamin Twitts, £5 6s 5½d

Sub-total, £15 19s 4½d

John Clough, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Carried over, £1,066 16s 11½d

Interpretations

The garrison was organised into two companies of matching structure, each with its own lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, drummer and body of sentinels, which shows the island's defensive force divided into two parallel units rather than held as a single command. This arrangement let the garrison mount two separate watches and share the round of duty between them, a practical division for keeping the coastal posts continuously manned.

The two companies were paid on identical scales rank for rank, the second company's lieutenants, sergeants and corporals drawing exactly the sums their counterparts in the first company received, which marks the pay structure as fixed by grade across the whole garrison. Setting a single uniform scale for both companies kept the wage bill orderly and removed any ground for grievance between men of equal rank in different units.

235

226

26 January

Brought over £ 1066 16 11½

Centinels

William Adams

3 16 ½

William Brown

3 16 ½

Robert Ballard

3 16 ½

Christian Brinks

3 16 ½

Onesiphorus Bagley

3 16 ½

James Carmichael

3 16 ½

John Cheviot

3 16 ½

John Cripps

3 16 ½

Baron Deloaf

3 16 ½

Thomas Fuller

3 16 ½

Edward Grant

3 16 ½

John Hyde

3 16 ½

William Hayes

3 16 ½

Thomas Kendrick

3 16 ½

John Horsey

3 16 ½

Richard Knight

3 16 ½

John Langbridge

3 16 ½

Thomas Lindsay

3 16 ½

Thomas Loveland

3 16 ½

Joseph Long

3 16 ½

Abram Major

3 16 ½

Thomas Morris

3 16 ½

Charles Montague

3 16 ½

John Postwater

3 16 ½

Thomas Pine

3 16 ½

Thomas Pearce

3 16 ½

William Robinson

3 16 ½

Robert Stack

3 16 ½

David Scott

3 16 ½

John Shirley

3 16 ½

Adam Scott

3 16 ½

Nicholas Scrafton

3 16 ½

Joseph Tompson

3 16 ½

William Tompson

3 16 ½

Christian Ryder

3 16 ½

Joseph Uffin

3 16 ½

Roger Whetman

3 16 ½

140 13 6½

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £1,066 16s 11½d

Sentinels:

William Adams, £3 16s 5½d

William Brown, £3 16s 5½d

Robert Ballard, £3 16s 5½d

Christian Brinks, £3 16s 5½d

Onesiphorus Bagley, £3 16s 5½d

James Carmichael, £3 16s 5½d

John Cheriot, £3 16s 5½d

John Cripps, £3 16s 5½d

Baron Deboaf, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Fuller, £3 16s 5½d

Edward Grant, £3 16s 5½d

John Hyde, £3 16s 5½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Kendrick, £3 16s 5½d

John Horsey, £3 16s 5½d

Richard Knight, £3 16s 5½d

John Langbridge, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Lindsay, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Loveland, £3 16s 5½d

Joseph Long, £3 16s 5½d

Abram Major, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Morris, £3 16s 5½d

Charles Montague, £3 16s 5½d

John Passwater, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Pane, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 5½d

William Robinson, £3 16s 5½d

Robert Stack, £3 16s 5½d

David Scott, £3 16s 5½d

John Shirley, £3 16s 5½d

Adam Scott, £3 16s 5½d

Nicholas Scrafton, £3 16s 5½d

Joseph Tompson, £3 16s 5½d

William Tompson, £3 16s 5½d

Christian Ryder, £3 16s 5½d

Joseph Uffin, £3 16s 5½d

Roger Wheatman, £3 16s 5½d

Sub-total, £140 13s 6½d

Interpretations

The muster of sentinels lists the rank and file of the garrison by name, each drawing the same fixed quarterly pay, which shows the ordinary soldiers as an interchangeable body distinguished only by their names rather than by any gradation of reward. The spread of names, from English and Scottish to what appear among them as men of more varied origin, reflects the mixed recruitment on which the Company drew to man a remote garrison that few would choose freely.

236

227

Brought over £ 1207 10 6

Third Company

Thomas Kirkpatrick 1st Lieutenant Salary £ 22 16 3

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10

32 3 1½

William Kennedy 2nd Lieutenant Salary 18 5

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10

27 11 10½

Sergeants

John Walker

7 12 1

William Bunting

7 12 1

Thomas Bazett

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

Samuel Desfountain

5 6 5½

William Lindsey

5 6 5½

David Scurry

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Gould Drummer

5 6 5½

Centinels

Edward Allis

3 16 ½

John Allis

3 16 ½

Thomas Beddow

3 16 ½

Thomas Boarer

3 16 ½

Isaac Buck

3 16 ½

William Cain from 12 October to 28 December

inclusive Died

3 5

William Cannam

3 16 ½

Edward Cocker

3 16 ½

Thomas Cobb

3 16 ½

William Coll

3 16 ½

Isaac Day

3 16 ½

Samuel Bates

3 16 ½

John Frazier

3 16 ½

Jonathan Godby

3 16 ½

Centinels Do over £ 52 13 6½

Carried over £ 1311 7 7

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £1,207 10s 6d

Third Company:

Thomas Kirkpatrick, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

William Kennedy, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Sergeants:

John Walker, £7 12s 1d

William Bunting, £7 12s 1d

Thomas Bazett, £7 12s 1d

Sub-total, £22 16s 3d

Corporals:

Samuel Desfountain, £5 6s 5½d

William Lindsey, £5 6s 5½d

David Scurvy, £5 6s 5½d

Sub-total, £15 19s 4½d

John Gould, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Sentinels:

Edward Allis, £3 16s 5½d

John Allis, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Beddow, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Boaver, £3 16s 5½d

Isaac Buck, £3 16s 5½d

William Cain, from 12 October to 28 December inclusive, died, £3 5s 0d

William Cannam, £3 16s 5½d

Edward Cocker, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Cobb, £3 16s 5½d

William Coll, £3 16s 5½d

Isaac Day, £3 16s 5½d

Samuel Oates, £3 16s 5½d

John Frazier, £3 16s 5½d

Jonathan Godby, £3 16s 5½d

Sentinels carried over, £52 13s 6½d

Carried over, £1,311 7s 7d

Interpretations

A third company appears here on the same fixed scale as the first two, each rank drawing the identical sum paid to its counterparts, which shows the garrison in fact divided into three parallel companies rather than the two set out earlier. Three matching units let the burden of watch and duty be shared across a wider rotation, keeping the coastal posts manned without exhausting any single body of men.

The entry for William Cain, paid from 12 October to 28 December because he died within the quarter, is the same day-reckoned accounting applied to Richard Godson in the first company, the pay stopped at the date of death. This second recorded death among the sentinels in a single quarter marks the steady mortality of the garrison, and William Cain appears to be the soldier whose will was proved before the council at the start of the same month.

237

228

26 January

Brought over £ 1311 7 7

Centinels Brought over £ 52 13 6½

Thomas Gauden

3 16 ½

James Green

3 16 ½

Job Harrison

3 16 ½

James Hall

3 16 ½

John Hayley

3 16 ½

Philip Hoffman

3 16 ½

George Hibbot

3 16 ½

Peter Lindsay

3 16 ½

John Langridge

3 16 ½

Moses Munanto from 1st to the 27th

October inclusive Died

13 4

Duncan McClaron

3 16 ½

William Hayes

3 16 ½

William Richards

3 16 ½

Edward Prichards

3 16 ½

Lewis Rowe

3 16 ½

Arnold Sassery

3 16 ½

Daniel Sergeant

3 16 ½

Timothy Sullivan

3 16 ½

Thomas Saylor

3 16 ½

Edward Terry

3 16 ½

John Thomason

3 16 ½

John Tull

3 16 ½

Benjamin Williams

3 16 ½

Edward Williams

3 16 ½

140 13 10

Fourth Company

Ones Beale 1st Lieutenant Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10

32 3 1½

George Hay 2nd Lieutenant Salary 18 5

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

25 1 10½

Carried over £ 1509 8 5

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £1,311 7s 7d

Sentinels brought over, £52 13s 6½d

Thomas Gauden, £3 16s 5½d

James Green, £3 16s 5½d

Abraham Harrison, £3 16s 5½d

James Hall, £3 16s 5½d

John Hayley, £3 16s 5½d

Philip Hoffman, £3 16s 5½d

George Hibbot, £3 16s 5½d

Peter Lindsay, £3 16s 5½d

John Langridge, £3 16s 5½d

Moses Minanto, from 12 to 27 October inclusive, died, £0 13s 4d

Duncan McClaron, £3 16s 5½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 5½d

William Richards, £3 16s 5½d

Edward Prichards, £3 16s 5½d

Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 5½d

Arnold Sassery, £3 16s 5½d

Daniel Sirjeant, £3 16s 5½d

Timothy Sullivan, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Saylor, £3 16s 5½d

Edward Terry, £3 16s 5½d

John Thomason, £3 16s 5½d

John Tull, £3 16s 5½d

Benjamin Williams, £3 16s 5½d

Edward Williams, £3 16s 5½d

Sub-total, £140 13s 10d

Fourth Company:

Ones Beale, first lieutenant, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, house rent £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

George Hay, second lieutenant, salary £18 5s 0d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, total £25 1s 10½d

Carried over, £1,509 8s 5d

Interpretations

A fourth company opens at the foot of this page, again on the same fixed scale rank for rank, which shows the garrison in fact composed of four parallel companies rather than the smaller number suggested earlier in the list. Four matching units gave the island a substantial defensive force spread across its coastal posts and allowed a full rotation of watch and duty without wearing down any single company.

The entry for Moses Minanto, paid only from 12 to 27 October before he died, is the same day-reckoned accounting applied to the other soldiers who died within the quarter, the pay stopped at the date of death. His name stands out from the English and Scottish names around him and suggests a recruit of different origin, a reminder that the Company manned its remote garrison from whatever men it could draw, and that the mortality recorded here fell across the whole mixed body alike.

238

229

1756

Brought over £ 1509 8 5

Sergeants

Robert Mason

£ 7 12 1

Michael Trott

7 12 1

William Watkins

7 12 1

22 16 3

Corporals

Thomas Leech

5 6 5½

Charles Gibson

5 6 5½

Robert Brown

5 6 5½

15 19 4½

John Caffin Drummer

5 6 5½

Centinels

Godfrey Armbrister

3 16 ½

Robert Baker

3 16 ½

Peter Baxter

3 16 ½

George Beale

3 16 ½

William Beckett

3 16 ½

Robert Berry

3 16 ½

John Burke

3 16 ½

William Brooks

3 16 ½

John Brown

3 16 ½

Daniel Cain

3 16 ½

Stephen Cleverly

3 16 ½

John Cosker

3 16 ½

John Deeline

3 16 ½

Peter Eglestone

3 16 ½

Peter Fincall

3 16 ½

Voltea Gauden

3 16 ½

William Harris

3 16 ½

William Harrison

3 16 ½

John Hayes

3 16 ½

James Hinde

3 16 ½

John Holloway

Centinels Carried over £ 79 16 10½

Carried over £ 1553 10 6½

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £1,509 8s 5d

Sergeants:

Robert Mason, £7 12s 1d

Michael Frost, £7 12s 1d

William Watkins, £7 12s 1d

Sub-total, £22 16s 3d

Corporals:

Thomas Leech, £5 6s 5½d

Charles Gibson, £5 6s 5½d

Robert Brown, £5 6s 5½d

Sub-total, £15 19s 4½d

John Caffin, drummer, £5 6s 5½d

Sentinels:

Godfrey Armbrister, £3 16s 5½d

Robert Baker, £3 16s 5½d

Peter Barker, £3 16s 5½d

George Beale, £3 16s 5½d

William Beckett, £3 16s 5½d

Robert Berry, £3 16s 5½d

John Burke, £3 16s 5½d

William Brooks, £3 16s 5½d

John Brown, £3 16s 5½d

Daniel Cain, £3 16s 5½d

Stephen Cleverly, £3 16s 5½d

John Cosley, £3 16s 5½d

John Declins, £3 16s 5½d

Peter Eglestone, £3 16s 5½d

Peter Ineall, £3 16s 5½d

Volear Gauden, £3 16s 5½d

William Harris, £3 16s 5½d

William Harrison, £3 16s 5½d

John Hayes, £3 16s 5½d

James Hinde, £3 16s 5½d

John Holloway, £3 16s 5½d

Sentinels carried over, £79 16s 5½d

Carried over, £1,553 10s 6½d

Interpretations

The fourth company follows the identical structure of the three before it, with three sergeants, three corporals, a drummer and its file of sentinels, every rank drawing the same fixed sum as its counterparts across the garrison. This exact repetition of establishment company after company shows the island's whole defensive force built to a single uniform pattern, which simplified both the command structure and the reckoning of the quarterly wage bill.

William Beckett appears among the sentinels of this company, the same man who witnessed and signed the will of the soldier William Cain proved before the council earlier in the month. His presence in the pay list ties the probate business at the start of the record to the ordinary muster of the garrison, showing the witness to the dead man's will as a fellow private soldier rather than an officer or outside party.

239

230

26 January

Brought over £ 1553 10 6

Centinels Brought over £ 79 16 10½

John Hudson

3 16 ½

Thomas Jackson

3 16 ½

Samuel Kelson

3 16 ½

William Lyon

3 16 ½

Richard McNolly

3 16 ½

Christian Moore

3 16 ½

Stephen Orr

3 16 ½

Archibald Bouge

3 16 ½

John Robinson

3 16 ½

John Simmons

3 16 ½

Joseph Smith

3 16 ½

John Strange

3 16 ½

Thomas Taylor

3 16 ½

William Taylor

3 16 ½

William Twaits from 12 October to

the 30 December inclusive Died

3 6 8

Richard Twaits

3 16 ½

James Thruston

3 16 ½

Thomas Wansell

3 16 ½

John Witham

3 16 ½

Stephen Willoughby

3 16 ½

Thomas Worthington

3 16 ½

Jeremiah Whyrell

3 16 ½

163 5

Artillery Company

Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet Mony 6 16 10½

29 13 1½

Gunners Mates

Nathan Sample

11 8 1½

Isaac Leech

9 2 6

William Turner

9 2 6

John Whitchurch

9 2 6

Henry Carter

9 2 6

Charles McNeily

9 2 6

Rowland Davis

9 2 6

Richard Billington

9 2 6

75 5 7½

Carried over £ 1821 9 8

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £1,553 10s 6d

Sentinels brought over, £79 16s 5½d

John Hudson, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Jackson, £3 16s 5½d

Samuel Kelson, £3 16s 5½d

William Lyon, £3 16s 5½d

Richard McNolly, £3 16s 5½d

Christian Moore, £3 16s 5½d

Stephen Orr, £3 16s 5½d

Archibald Bouge, £3 16s 5½d

John Robinson, £3 16s 5½d

John Simmons, £3 16s 5½d

Joseph Smith, £3 16s 5½d

John Strange, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Taylor, £3 16s 5½d

William Taylor, £3 16s 5½d

William Twaits, from 12 October to 30 December inclusive, died, £3 6s 8d

Richard Twaits, £3 16s 5½d

James Thruston, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Wansell, £3 16s 5½d

John William, £3 16s 5½d

Stephen Willoughby, £3 16s 5½d

Thomas Wofferlgton, £3 16s 5½d

Jeremiah Whyrell, £3 16s 5½d

Sub-total, £163 0s 5d

Artillery Company:

Thomas Hall, master gunner, salary £22 16s 3d, diet money £6 16s 10½d, total £29 13s 1½d

Gunners' mates:

Nathan Sample, £11 8s 1½d

Isaac Leech, £9 2s 6d

William Turner, £9 2s 6d

John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d

Henry Carter, £9 2s 6d

Charles McNeily, £9 2s 6d

Rowland Davis, £9 2s 6d

Richard Billington, £9 2s 6d

Sub-total, £75 5s 7½d

Carried over, £1,821 9s 8d

Interpretations

The artillery company stood apart from the four infantry companies, headed not by lieutenants but by a master gunner and manned by gunners' mates rather than sentinels, which marks the specialist force that worked the island's heavy guns as distinct from the general garrison. Its separate establishment reflects the skill that laying and firing cannon demanded, and explains why an allowance for instructing the gunners was paid to keep these men trained.

The gunners' mates were paid above the flat rate of the ordinary sentinel, most at £9 2s 6d against the sentinel's £3 16s 5½d, with the senior mate Nathan Sample higher still, which shows the premium the Company set on artillery skill. This gradation of pay within the artillery, absent among the infantry sentinels who all drew alike, reflects how the gunner's trade was reckoned a craft to be rewarded by proficiency rather than mere service.

William Twaits, paid to 30 December before he died, is the same soldier for whose funeral powder was issued from the gunner's stores in the earlier account, the two entries recording the single event from opposite sides. His death, like the others charged to the day in these companies, adds to the quarter's steady toll and shows the pay reckoning and the store issues tracking the same men through to their burials.

240

231

1756

Brought over £ 1821 9 8

Quarter Gunners

Adam Watson

£ 6 16 10½

John Spencer

6 16 10½

John Sachs

6 16 10½

James Lee

6 16 10½

James Long

6 16 10½

Derby Coile from 12 October to the 3rd

January as Quarter Gunner

6 6

Do from 4 January as matross 8

6 14

John Hellings

6 16 10½

Thomas Mason

6 16 10½

54 12 1½

Matrosses

John Actonstall

4 11 3

Samuel Anderson

4 11 3

Joseph Boxwell

4 11 3

Andrew Barton

4 11 3

John Cawdry

4 11 3

William Campbell

4 11 3

James Cooper

4 11 3

Anthony Day

4 11 3

William Fletcher

4 11 3

Philip Hilliard

4 11 3

Richard Moyce

4 11 3

Adam Milbourn

4 11 3

Thomas Mudge

4 11 3

Roger Nevinson

4 11 3

George Nelson

4 11 3

William Perry

4 11 3

Joseph Pritchard

4 11 3

Abraham Ratcliff

4 11 3

Thomas Watts

86 13 9

Superannuated

William Burnham Sergeant

3 8 3

£ 1966 3 9½

This account continued the list of the Company's officers and servants, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £1,821 9s 8d

Quarter gunners:

Adam Watson, £6 16s 10½d

John Spencer, £6 16s 10½d

John Sachs, £6 16s 10½d

James Lee, £6 16s 10½d

James Long, £6 16s 10½d

Derby Coile, from 12 October to 3 January as quarter gunner, £6 6s 0d, and from 3 January as matross, £0 8s 0d, total £6 14s 0d

John Hellings, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Mason, £6 16s 10½d

Sub-total, £54 12s 1½d

Matrosses:

John Artinstall, £4 11s 3d

Samuel Anderson, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Boxwell, £4 11s 3d

Andrew Barton, £4 11s 3d

John Cawdry, £4 11s 3d

William Campbell, £4 11s 3d

James Cooper, £4 11s 3d

Anthony Day, £4 11s 3d

William Fletcher, £4 11s 3d

Philip Helliard, £4 11s 3d

Richard Moyce, £4 11s 3d

Adam Milbourn, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Mudge, £4 11s 3d

Roger Nevinson, £4 11s 3d

George Nelson, £4 11s 3d

William Berry, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Pritchard, £4 11s 3d

Abraham Ratcliff, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d

Sub-total, £86 13s 9d

Superannuated:

William Burnham, sergeant, £3 8s 3d

Total, £1,966 3s 9½d

Interpretations

The artillery force was graded in three descending ranks below its master gunner, the gunners' mates on the previous page, then the quarter gunners at £6 16s 10½d and the matrosses at £4 11s 3d, each rank fixed at its own rate. This careful gradation within a single specialist company shows the gunner's skill valued by degree, the whole structure built to reward proficiency in laying and serving the guns rather than the flat pay of the ordinary sentinel.

Derby Coile's entry records a man moved down from quarter gunner to matross partway through the quarter, his pay reckoned at the higher rate to 3 January and the lower rate thereafter, which shows a demotion charged to the day as precisely as the deaths recorded elsewhere. This is the reverse of the exchanges the Governor ordered for the artillery, a man shifted to a lower grade rather than a fitter man brought in, and the exact splitting of his pay marks how closely the Company tracked each change of rank against its wage bill.

William Burnham the superannuated sergeant, still drawing a reduced quarterly sum after his service, marks the Company's provision for a worn-out soldier kept on at a pension rather than discharged destitute. This standing allowance for an old servant no longer fit for duty shows a rudimentary system of retirement support, a recognition that long service earned some continuing maintenance even when the man could no longer work.

241

232

26 January

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1756

January 11 To Cash received from the Honorable Companys

Cash Chest

£ 2031 12 5½

Carried over £ 2031 12 5½

This account recorded the debtor side of John Clark, paymaster.

11 January 1756: to cash received from the Honourable Company's cash chest, £2,031 12s 5½d

Carried over, £2,031 12s 5½d

Interpretations

The paymaster's account was cast in the double-entry form of debtor and creditor, this side recording the cash he received from the Company's chest to set against the salaries and allowances he paid out on the other. Drawing the whole quarter's wage fund in a single sum from the cash chest and charging himself with it as debtor was the mechanism by which the Company held the paymaster personally accountable for every pound entrusted to him, so that his disbursements had to balance exactly against the money received.

242

233

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

January 5 By Cash paid William Adams, for relisting, to

serve the Honorable Company, as a Soldier for

five years, to commence from this Day

£ 10

10 By Cash paid James Richardson for Do Do

10

11 By Cash paid Jonathan Hitchins for Carpenters

work done for the Honorable Company this Quarter

5

By Cash paid James Carmichael, and Stephen

Willoughby, for baking 52 batches of Bread at

1/8 pr Batch for the use of the Garrison this Quarter

4 6 8

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for Working at Armss

Fort, Ruperts Fort, and at other Places of

the Honorable Companys Fortifications this Quarter

20 9

By Cash paid Samuel Alexander, for 24 Rafters,

3 Loads of Laths and 3 Loads of tinders, for to repair

some of the Honorable Companys out Houses this

Quarter

1

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for 68½ Days

Work at 1/ pr Day, for fetching Rushes, to thatch

some of the Honorable Companys Houses this Quarter

3 8 9

By Cash paid Roger Nevinson, for making a flag

for Bankses, and mending of other Flags this

Quarter

15 6

By Cash paid William Young, and Elizabeth

Curling, for 8 Loads of Bamboos, at 2/6 pr Load

for tinders, for the use of the Honorable

Company this Quarter

1

By Cash paid John Doveton for 600 Lemons

at 2/ pr hundred for the use of the Honorable

Companys Table this Quarter

12

By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 750 Lemons

at 2/ pr hundred and 2½ Bushels Patatoes at

5/ pr Bushel for the use of the Honorable

Companys Table this Quarter

1 7 6

Carried over £ 57 11 2

This account recorded the creditor side of the paymaster's account, setting out the sums he paid out during the quarter.

5 January 1756: paid William Adams for enlisting to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier for five years, to commence from this day, £10 0s 0d

10 January 1756: paid James Richardson for the same, £10 0s 0d

11 January 1756: paid Jonathan Hitchens for carpenter's work done for the Honourable Company this quarter, £5 0s 0d

11 January 1756: paid James Carmichael and Stephen Willoughby for baking 52 batches of bread at 1s 8d a batch for the use of the garrison this quarter, £4 6s 8d

11 January 1756: paid sundry soldiers for working at Bankses fort, Ruperts fort and at other places of the Honourable Company's fortifications this quarter, £20 0s 9d

11 January 1756: paid Samuel Alexander for 24 rafters, 3 loads of laths and 3 loads of binders to repair some of the Honourable Company's outhouses this quarter, £1 0s 0d

11 January 1756: paid sundry soldiers for 68½ days work at 1s a day for fetching rushes to thatch some of the Honourable Company's houses this quarter, £3 8s 9d

11 January 1756: paid Roger Nevinson for making a flag for Bankses and mending other flags this quarter, £0 15s 6d

11 January 1756: paid William Young and Elizabeth Gurling for 8 loads of bamboos at 2s 6d a load for binders for the use of the Honourable Company this quarter, £1 0s 0d

11 January 1756: paid John Doveton for 600 lemons at 2s a hundred for the use of the Honourable Company's table this quarter, £0 12s 0d

11 January 1756: paid Richard Bagley for 750 lemons at 2s a hundred and 2½ bushels of potatoes at 5s a bushel for the use of the Honourable Company's table this quarter, £1 7s 6d

Carried over, £57 11s 2d

Interpretations

The creditor side records the paymaster spending Company money not only on the garrison's wages but on a scatter of local labour and produce, paying soldiers extra for building work and thatching, and buying rafters, bamboos, lemons and potatoes from named inhabitants. This shows the settlement drawing materials and food from its own people and rewarding its soldiers for work beyond their military duty, so that the garrison doubled as a labour force for the Company's building and repair.

The purchase of lemons in quantity for the governor's table was a deliberate provision against scurvy, the citrus valued for keeping the disease at bay on a station where ships arrived with crews weakened by long voyages. That the island grew and sold its own lemons made it a valuable place of refreshment for Company shipping, and the regular buying of them for the table reflects an established awareness of their worth to health.

Payment to sundry soldiers for fetching rushes to thatch the Company's houses shows the settlement roofing its buildings with local material gathered by hand, a cheap and available covering where imported slate and tile were costly and scarce. The use of soldiers for such work, paid by the day above their wage, marks again how the garrison's manpower was turned to the ordinary building and upkeep of the island whenever a task required more hands than the tradesmen could supply.

243

234

26 January

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1756

January 11 Brought over £ 2031 12 5½

£ 2031 12 5½

Island St

This account continued the debtor side of John Clark, paymaster, carrying over the running total.

11 January 1756: brought over, £2,031 12s 5½d

Total, £2,031 12s 5½d

244

235

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

January 11 Brought over £ 57 11 2

By Cash paid Robert Ballard for six White Washing

Brushes at 1/6 each for the use of the Honorable

Company this Quarter

9

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for 138 Days work at

1/ pr Day in mowing and making of Hay for the

Honorable Company this Quarter

6 18

By Cash paid Samuel Bates for 1½ Days work at

2/ pr Day in Glazing the Church this Quarter

3

By Cash paid James Sheridan, for 12 Brush Knives,

for the use of the Honorable Company, their being

none in their Stores

7 6

By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers

and Servants their Salarys Diet mony &c for the

Quarter Commencing 12 October 1755 and

Ending 11 January 1756

1966 3 9½

£ 2031 12 5½

Helena

11 January 1756

Errors Excepted

Signed

John Clark Paymaster

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the month ending the 11 instant which

is as follows viz

This account continued the creditor side of the paymaster's account, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £57 11s 2d

11 January 1756: paid Robert Ballard for 6 whitewashing brushes at 1s 6d each for the use of the Honourable Company this quarter, £0 9s 0d

11 January 1756: paid sundry soldiers for 138 days work at 1s a day in mowing and making hay for the Honourable Company this quarter, £6 18s 0d

11 January 1756: paid Samuel Oates for 12 days work at 1s a day in glazing the church this quarter, £0 12s 0d

11 January 1756: paid James Sheridan for 12 brush knives for the use of the Honourable Company, there being none in their stores, £0 7s 6d

11 January 1756: paid the Honourable Company's officers and servants their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter commencing 12 October 1755 and ending 11 January 1756, £1,966 3s 9½d

Total, £2,031 12s 5½d

The account was dated at St Helena on 11 January 1756 and signed by John Clark, paymaster, errors excepted.

The council then counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending 11 January, which ran as follows.

Interpretations

The single overwhelming line of the whole account was the £1,966 3s 9½d paid out in salaries, diet money and allowances to the establishment, dwarfing every other charge and showing that the maintenance of the officers, servants and garrison was by far the greatest call on the Company's cash on the island. The scatter of small payments for haymaking, glazing and brushes around this one great sum captures the true balance of the settlement's spending, a large fixed wage bill with minor works and provisions at the margin.

James Sheridan the gardener was paid for supplying 12 brush knives because the stores held none, which shows the settlement occasionally buying from its own servants the very tools the Company store was meant to provide. That a gap in the imported stock had to be filled by a private purchase marks how dependence on shipping left the island short of ordinary goods between supplies, so that a man who happened to hold a needed article could sell it back to the Company at need.

245

236

26 January

Cash Dr

1755

December 12 To Ballance remaining

£ 3740 5 1½

1756

January 11 To Matthew Burling received for Store

Goods Sold in the Quarter ending this

Day

993 19 6

To Plantation for Provisions Sold

22 17 10½

To Licences for Publick Houses

15

£ 4772 2 6

This account recorded the debtor side of the Company's cash.

12 December 1755: to balance remaining, £3,740 5s 1½d

11 January 1756: to Matthew Burling, received for store goods sold in the quarter ending this day, £993 19s 6d

11 January 1756: to plantation, for provisions sold, £22 17s 10½d

11 January 1756: to licences for public houses, £15 0s 0d

Total, £4,772 2s 6d

Interpretations

The cash account gathered on its debtor side the whole income of the settlement over the quarter, the opening balance together with the receipts from store sales, provisions and licence fees, set against which the disbursements would be entered on the other side. The store goods sold brought in nearly a thousand pounds, by far the largest receipt, which confirms how much the Company store functioned as a source of revenue clawing back the wages it paid out to its own servants and inhabitants.

The licences for public houses were a form of taxation and regulation combined, a fee charged for the right to sell drink that both raised revenue and gave the Company control over who traded in liquor on the island. Licensing the drink trade let the settlement profit from the strong demand for spirits and beer while holding the number of drinking houses and their keepers under official sanction, a small but deliberate instrument of both income and order.

246

237

1756

Per Contra Cr

1755

Decr 15 By Plantation paid the Executor of Simon Whaley

Deceased for the Purchase of 1 Acre 14 and 16 of

Land in the Long Wood Hangings

£ 3

1756

January 11 By Sundry Accounts advanced the Paymaster

this Quarter

2031 12 5½

By Ballance remaining in the following Specie viz

1000 Venehans at 10/

500

200 Pagodas 8/

80

Gold Amounting to £ 580

1147 Dollars @ 5/

286 15

10.000 Rupias 2/3

1125

12.948 Half Rials 3½

202 6 3

441 French Pieces 1/2

313 6

Old mony 5½

Silver Amounting to 1617 15 7½

146 Cash Notes @ 40/

292

162 Do 20/

162

263 Do 5/

65 15

160 Do 2/6

20

Cash Notes Amounting to 539 15

£ 4772 2 6

The Ship Hardwicke brought

us the following Supply Viz

This account recorded the creditor side of the Company's cash, setting out the payments made and the balance remaining.

15 December 1755: paid the executor of Simon Whaley, deceased, for the purchase of 1 acre, 1 rood and 16 perches of land in the Long Wood hangings, £3 0s 0d

11 January 1756: sundry accounts advanced the paymaster this quarter, £2,031 12s 5½d

The balance remaining was held in the following specie.

Gold:

1,000 venetians at 10s, £500 0s 0d

200 pagodas at 8s, £80 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £580 0s 0d

Silver:

1,157 dollars at 5s, £286 15s 0d

10,000 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,125 0s 0d

12,948 half reals at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 1s 2d, £31 3s 6d

Old money, £0 0s 5½d

Silver amounting to, £1,617 15s 2½d

Cash notes:

146 cash notes at 40s, £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s, £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s, £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d, £20 0s 0d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total, £4,772 2s 6d

The ship Hardwicke brought the following supply.

Interpretations

The balance in hand was held in a remarkable mixture of coin drawn from across the trading world, gold venetians and pagodas, Spanish dollars, Indian rupees, half reals and French pieces, which shows the island functioning as a crossroads of maritime commerce where the currencies of Europe and Asia met. This diversity of specie reflects an economy fed by ships from many nations calling for refreshment, so that no single coinage prevailed and the Company kept its reserve in whatever the trade brought.

The cash notes counted alongside the coin were the Company's own paper money issued on the island, promissory notes in fixed denominations that circulated as currency where metal coin was scarce and unreliable in supply. Issuing its own notes let the settlement conduct daily business without depending wholly on the fluctuating stock of imported specie, a practical response to the difficulty of keeping enough coin on a remote island.

The purchase of a small parcel of land in the Long Wood hangings from a dead man's executor shows the Company acquiring ground piece by piece, buying up land as it fell available rather than holding the whole island in single ownership. The exact measurement in acres, roods and perches marks a settled system of landholding and conveyance, in which even a small plot passed by formal sale and was recorded with the precision of an established property regime.

247

238

26 January

Invoice of Ship Hardwicke

BA Batavia Arrack

No 1 4 4 Half Leaguers @ 155 pr Leaguer

312

Batta 8 pr Cent 24 15 6

336 15 6

WC Wax Candles

No 1 2 2 Chests qr Mds 1 @ 75 pr Maund

300

SF Sugar fine

No 1 10 10 Bags qr Mds 20 @ 1 10 pr Maund 152 8

Batta 8 pr Ct 12 3 3

164 11 3

RF Rice fine

No 1 43 43 Bags qr Mds 8 @ 20 Sur 2 pr Md 172

Batta 8 pr Cent 13 12

185 12

Charges Merchandize

96 Gunny Bags & Sewing

13 7 6

2 Chests and Package

4

4 Half Leaguers

35 3 3

Coolies

4 14 6

Boat Hire

1 10

Sloop Hire

20 14

80 1 3

Current Rupees 1076 8

Errors Excepted

Signed

Richard Becher Accountant

This account recorded the invoice of goods brought by the ship Hardwicke, with values expressed in rupees.

The invoice was headed by the ship Hardwicke, the goods marked and numbered by lot.

Batavia arrack, marked BA, No 1 to 4: 4 half leaguers at 155 rupees a leaguer, 312 rupees, batta at 8 per cent 24 rupees 15 mace 6 [...], 336 rupees 15 mace 6 [...]

Wax candles, marked WC, No 1 to 2: 2 chests of mats at 75 rupees a maund, 300 rupees

Sugar fine, marked SF, No 1 to 10: 10 bags of Bengal mats at 20 maunds and 1 at 10 per maund, 152 rupees 8 mace, batta at 8 per cent 12 rupees 3 mace 3 [...], 164 rupees 11 mace 3 [...]

Rice fine, marked RF, No 1 to 43: 43 bags of Bengal mats at 8 at 20 seer at 2 rupees 8 mace, 172 rupees, batta at 8 per cent 13 rupees 12 mace, 185 rupees 12 mace

Charges merchandise:

96 gunny bags and sewing, 13 rupees 1 mace 6 [...]

2 chests and package, 4 rupees

4 half leaguers, 35 rupees 3 mace 3 [...]

mootiahs, 4 rupees 14 mace 6 [...]

boat hire, 1 rupee 10 mace

sloop hire, 20 rupees 14 mace

Total, 80 rupees 1 mace 3 [...]

Current rupees, 1,076 rupees 8 mace

The account was signed by Richard Becher, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The invoice records the cargo the Hardwicke landed from the East, arrack from Batavia, wax candles, fine sugar and fine rice, all shipped by way of Bengal and reckoned in Indian currency with the exchange premium added, which shows the island supplied directly from the Company's Asian trade rather than only from England. That the account was cast in rupees with batta added marks the goods as coming through the Indian settlements, priced and invoiced in the money of the East before conversion on arrival.

Batta was the premium or allowance added on exchange between currencies, here charged at 8 per cent on the invoiced value, a standard adjustment in Company accounting for the difference between the money of account and the coin actually paid. Its appearance on each line shows the careful reckoning by which goods valued in one currency were settled in another, the exchange cost carried as a distinct charge rather than buried in the price.

The charges for gunny bags, packaging, boat hire and sloop hire capture the cost of moving the goods from ship to shore, the freight and handling that fell on the cargo beyond its first value. On an island where no ship could come alongside, the hire of boats and a sloop to land the cargo was a necessary and recurring expense, and its separate entry here shows the true landed cost of imported goods reckoned to the last charge of carriage.

248

239

James Hindes this Day paid

Daniel Hayes his Demand upon him which is mentioned in

Consultation of the 22 September, and brought in an Account

against James Hayes who is off the Island which he took his

Oath to the truth of and as Mrs Reynolds and Mr Jarvis are

alive upon the Island he settles Accounts with them Personally

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

James Hindes paid Daniel Hayes the sum he owed him, which was recorded in the consultation of 22 September. Hindes had also brought in an account against James Hayes, who was off the island, and he swore an oath to the truth of it. Since Reynolds and Jarvis were both alive on the island, he settled his accounts with them in person. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The distinction drawn between the absent James Hayes and the resident Reynolds and Jarvis shows the council adapting its procedure to whether a party could appear in person, requiring a sworn oath to prove a claim against a man who had left the island but expecting direct settlement between men both present. This reflects how a small remote community handled debt when a debtor was beyond reach, substituting a formal oath before the council for the personal reckoning that was possible while both parties remained on the island.

249

240

31 January

At a Consultation held on Saturday the 31 Day

of January 1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and

Signed Dated the 26 January 1756

This Day arrived the Honorable

Companys Ship the Griffin Captain Thomas Dethick

from England by whom we received a Packet from their

Honors, and read their orders to us, and sent for Messrs

William Wrangham, and Charles Steward, and had the

Paragraphs read by the Secretary relating to each of

them

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a consultation held on Saturday 31 January 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 26 January 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The Honourable Company's ship Griffin, commanded by Captain Thomas Dethick, arrived from England that day. She carried a packet from the directors, whose orders were read to the council. William Wrangham and Charles Steward were sent for, and the secretary read to each of them the paragraph that concerned him. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The directors in London governed the island through written orders carried by their ships, and the arrival of the Griffin with a packet from home set the council to reading and acting on instructions that might have been months in the sending. This dependence on the packet marks how a remote settlement was steered from a great distance, its policy shaped by directions that reached it only when a Company ship completed the long voyage from England.

That particular paragraphs of the directors' orders were read separately to William Wrangham and Charles Steward shows the instructions dealing with named servants individually, most probably touching their conduct, appointment or terms of service. The formal reading of each man's paragraph to his face before the council gave the directors' word the force of an official act, and marks how the distant authority reached down even to the standing of individual servants on the island.

250

241

2 February

At a Consultation held on Monday the 2nd Day of February

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed Dated

the 31 of January 1756

The Storekeeper brought in the following

Account of Goods short received from Ship Hardwicke Vizt

Account of Stores short received from

Ship Hardwicke Vizt

qrs Mds

5 & 12 Rice

1 & 24 Sugar short Weight

4 Coolies

No 1 half League Arrack Gage 75 wants to fill 57½ Gallons

2 Do 77½ Do 8 Do

3 Do 76½ Do 6½ Do

4 Do 77 Do 8 Do

306 28

28

Received 278 Gallons

2 February 1756

Signed

M Burling Storekpr

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a consultation held on Monday 2 February 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 31 January 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods received short from the ship Hardwicke.

The account set out the stores that fell short of their invoiced quantity on delivery from the ship Hardwicke.

5 bags rice at 12lb short weight, 60lb

1 bag sugar at 24lb short weight, 24lb, and 4 candareens

No 1 half leaguer arrack, gaged 75, wanting to fill 5¾ gallons

No 2 half leaguer arrack, gaged 77½, wanting 8 gallons

No 3 half leaguer arrack, gaged 76½, wanting 6¾ gallons

No 4 half leaguer arrack, gaged 77, wanting 8 gallons

Total gaged, 306

Total wanting, 28

Received, 278 gallons

The account was dated 2 February 1756 and signed by M Burling, storekeeper.

Interpretations

The storekeeper measured every cask and bag against its invoiced quantity on landing and recorded the shortfall in each, which shows the deliberate checking by which the island guarded against loss and pilferage between the ship and the store. Gauging the arrack casks and weighing the rice and sugar caught a deficiency of some 28 gallons of spirit and 84lb of provisions, and the formal account of the shortage before the council created a record on which the loss could be charged rather than quietly absorbed.

Arrack was shipped in leaguers, large casks of a set nominal capacity, but the gauged contents fell short of the mark on every one, a discrepancy that arose from leakage on the long voyage, evaporation or short filling at the port of lading. That each cask was gauged individually and its want set down shows the settlement treating the spirit as a valuable commodity to be accounted for to the gallon, the loss on arrival documented as carefully as the goods themselves.

251

242

9 February

At a Consultation held on monday the 9th Day of February

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 2nd February 1756

We this Day sent for Mr Richard

Beale, and told him we had appointed him a Salary

of forty Pounds pr Annum for doing the Duty of

Judge Advocate which he accepted of

At a consultation held on Monday 9 February 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 2 February 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The council sent for Richard Beale and told him they had appointed him a salary of £40 0s 0d a year for acting as judge advocate, which he accepted.

Interpretations

The appointment of a judge advocate at a fixed yearly salary shows the council providing for the legal side of military discipline, the officer who prosecuted and advised at courts martial where soldiers were tried for offences against the Articles of War. On a fortified island governed by a Company garrison, keeping a trained man to conduct such trials was part of maintaining order among the troops, and the salary marked the office as a standing appointment rather than an occasional duty.

Richard Beale, already carried on the establishment as schoolmaster and clerk, now took on a third paid office as judge advocate, which shows again the small settlement heaping several functions on its few educated men rather than employing a separate person for each. The £40 salary attached to this single duty far exceeded his combined pay as schoolmaster and clerk, marking the legal office as the more valued and the man himself as one of the island's most useful servants across its civil and military business.

252

243

1756

Bought of Captain Dethick the

following Articles for the use of the Honorable Companys Table

Vizt

2 Half Firkins Butter

£ 3 12

1 Case Pickles

1 10 6

56 Cheese

1 10

£ 6 12 6

Mr James Naismyth Surgeon of the

Ship Griffin, applied to us for Payment, for his care of

Forty Recruits in their Passage from England, we accordingly

Ordered him to be paid five Shillings for each Man, the

Customary allowance, amounting to Ten Pounds

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The following articles were bought from Captain Dethick for the use of the Honourable Company's table.

2 half firkins butter, £3 12s 0d

1 case pickles, £1 10s 6d

5lb cheese, £1 10s 0d

Total, £6 12s 6d

James Naismyth, surgeon of the ship Griffin, applied to the council for payment for his care of 40 recruits during their passage from England. The council ordered him to be paid 5s for each man, the customary allowance, amounting to £10 0s 0d.

Interpretations

The payment of a fixed rate to the ship's surgeon for tending recruits on the voyage out shows the Company treating the health of its incoming soldiers as a charge worth meeting, since men shipped across the world were a costly investment to be delivered fit for service. The customary allowance of 5s a head marks this as an established practice rather than a special reward, a standing arrangement by which the surgeon who kept the recruits alive on the passage was paid on their safe arrival.

The 40 recruits whose care was paid for here were the same body of men brought by the Griffin, of whom William Adams and James Richardson had already been enlisted at the start of the record, which ties the surgeon's claim to the fresh drafts filling the garrison's ranks. That the Company paid separately for their medical care on the voyage and their bounty on enlistment shows the several distinct costs of manning a remote garrison from England, each reckoned and met in turn.

253

244

16 February

At a Consultation held on monday the 16 Day of

February 1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 9 February 1756

The Storekeeper brought in the following

Account of goods short Delivered from the Ship Griffin

Vizt

Account of Stores short Received

from Ship Griffin Vizt

13 Single Deals

1 Double Do short delivered

1 Iron Pot 4 Gallons

5 Scyth Stones found broke upon

5 Earthen Milk Pans opening the Packages

4 Ram Rods, found short upon opening the Package

9 Tin Lamps Bruised and Broke to pieces

occasioned by bad Package

qr Md 18 Stone Colour

1 21 Whiting short Weight the Casks being very bad

1 7 Soap short Weight

No 1 White Port Wine Gage 60 wants to fill ½ Galt

2 Do 57½ Do 1½

3 Do 60 Do 1½

4 Do 58 Do 2½

235½ 6½

6½

Received 229 Gallons

At a consultation held on Monday 16 February 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 9 February 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of goods delivered short from the ship Griffin.

The account set out the stores that fell short or arrived damaged on delivery from the ship Griffin.

13 single deals short delivered

1 double deal short delivered

1 iron pot of 4 gallons found broke on opening the package

5 scythe stones found broke on opening the package

5 earthen milk pans found broke on opening the package

4 ram rods found short on opening the package

9 tin lamps bruised and broke to pieces through bad packaging

18lb stone colour short weight, the casks being very bad

21lb whiting short weight, the casks being very bad

7lb soap short weight

No 1 white port wine, gaged 60, wanting to fill ½ gallon

No 2 white port wine, gaged 57½, wanting 1½ gallon

No 3 white port wine, gaged 60, wanting 1½ gallon

No 4 white port wine, gaged 58, wanting 2½ gallon

Total gaged, 235½

Total wanting, 6½

Received, 229 gallons

Interpretations

The storekeeper checked the cargo from the Griffin as closely as he had the Hardwicke two weeks earlier, recording every plank missing, every vessel broken and every cask short, which shows the routine scrutiny applied to each ship's delivery in turn. The larger tally of breakages here, iron pots, milk pans, scythe stones and tin lamps smashed through bad packaging, points to careless stowage on this particular voyage and created a record on which the damage could be charged rather than borne in silence.

The frequent complaint that goods came short because the casks were very bad or the packaging poor shows the island at the mercy of how carefully its supplies were packed and stowed at the far end of a long voyage. That the storekeeper set down the cause of each loss, bad casks for the dry goods and breakage for the brittle wares, marks an effort to fix responsibility for the damage on the packing rather than the carriage, distinguishing loss that arose before shipment from loss that occurred at sea.

254

245

1756

No 5 Hhd Lisbon Gage 61 Gallons wants to fill 1 Gallon

6 Do 56 Do 1½ Do

7 Do 60 Do 1½ Do

8 Do 61½ Do 1½ Do

238½ 5½

5½

Received 233 Gallons

No 9 Hhd Mountain Gage 58 Gallons wants to fill 1 Gallon

10 Do 60 Do 1 Do

11 Do 60 Do 1 Do

178 3

3

Received 175 Gallons

No 45 Hhd Beer Gage 63 Gallons wants to fill 8 Gallons

46 Do 60 Do 28½ Do

47 Do 64 Do 19 Do

48 Do 60 Do 5 Do

49 Do 60 Do 4½ Do

50 Do 60 Do 7 Do

367 72

72

Received 295 Gallons

16 February 1756

Signed

M Burling Storekeeper

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This account continued the stores received short from the ship Griffin, gauging the wine and beer casks against their marks.

No 5 hogshead Lisbon, gaged 61 gallons, wanting to fill 1 gallon

No 6 hogshead Lisbon, gaged 56 gallons, wanting 1½ gallon

No 7 hogshead Lisbon, gaged 60 gallons, wanting 1½ gallon

No 8 hogshead Lisbon, gaged 61½ gallons, wanting 1½ gallon

Total gaged, 238½

Total wanting, 5½

Received, 233 gallons

No 9 hogshead mountain, gaged 58 gallons, wanting to fill 1 gallon

No 10 hogshead mountain, gaged 60 gallons, wanting 1 gallon

No 11 hogshead mountain, gaged 60 gallons, wanting 1 gallon

Total gaged, 178

Total wanting, 3

Received, 175 gallons

No 45 hogshead beer, gaged 63 gallons, wanting to fill 8 gallons

No 46 hogshead beer, gaged 66 gallons, wanting 28½ gallons

No 47 hogshead beer, gaged 64 gallons, wanting 19 gallons

No 48 hogshead beer, gaged 60 gallons, wanting 5 gallons

No 49 hogshead beer, gaged 60 gallons, wanting 4½ gallons

No 50 hogshead beer, gaged 60 gallons, wanting 7 gallons

Total gaged, 367

Total wanting, 72

Received, 295 gallons

The account was dated 16 February 1756 and signed by M Burling, storekeeper, and by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The shortfall in the beer casks was far heavier than in the wine, 72 gallons wanting out of 367 against only a few gallons short in the Lisbon and mountain, which points to leakage from casks less soundly made or worse used than those holding the fortified wine. Beer was the common drink shipped in bulk for the garrison, and its greater loss on the voyage reflects both the weaker cooperage of the ordinary cask and the tendency of beer to work and seep where the stronger wines held better.

The gauging of every individual cask and the recording of its precise want shows the settlement treating even the ordinary beer as a commodity to be accounted for to the gallon, the same scrutiny applied to the valuable arrack and wine. That the storekeeper set down the deficiency of each of the six beer hogsheads separately, rather than a single lumped shortage, marks the deliberate thoroughness by which the island fixed the exact loss on each vessel landed and held the record against which the supplier or carrier might be answerable.

255

246

23 February

At a Consultation held on Monday the 23 Day of

February 1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 16 February 1756

Thursday the 19 sailed the Honorable Companys Ship the Griffin

on her Voyage

The Plantation, Gunners, and

Stewards Accounts for the Month ending the 11 instant

were this Day brought in which were examined and

approved and are as follows Vizt

At a consultation held on Monday 23 February 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 16 February 1756, was read, approved and signed. The Honourable Company's ship Griffin had sailed on her voyage the previous Thursday, 19 February.

The plantation gunners and stewards brought in their accounts for the month ending 11 February, which were examined and approved. They ran as follows.

Interpretations

The Griffin stayed at the island only from her arrival on 31 January to her sailing on 19 February, a little under three weeks in which her cargo was landed and checked, her recruits and their surgeon paid, and her provisions bought for the table before she went on her way. This brief turnaround shows how a Company ship touched at the island as one stage of a longer voyage, pausing to refresh and unload before continuing, and how much business the settlement compressed into the short span of her stay.

256

247

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 11 of January to the 11 of February 1756 Vizt

Neat Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Poultry, Horses, Asses

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Barrows, Pigs, Boars, Total, Turkeys, Fowls, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, S Asses, S Asses, Total

Remaining the 11th: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 85 Calves, 17 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 23 Steers, 4 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 293 Total, 329 Ewes, 160 Weathers, 135 Lambs, 8 Rams, 632 Total, 180 Ewes, 88 Weathers, 71 Kids, 8 Rams, 347 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 37 Total, 39 Turkeys, 204 Fowls, 54 Ducks, 19 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 1 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 4 Total

Encreased: 1 Calves, 1 Total, 21 Kids, 21 Total, 5 Pigs, 5 Total, 18 Turkeys, 41 Fowls, 11 Ducks, 1 S Asses, 1 Total

Total: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 86 Calves, 17 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 23 Steers, 4 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 294 Total, 329 Ewes, 160 Weathers, 135 Lambs, 8 Rams, 632 Total, 180 Ewes, 88 Weathers, 92 Kids, 8 Rams, 368 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 28 Pigs, 1 Boars, 42 Total, 57 Turkeys, 245 Fowls, 65 Ducks, 19 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Killed: 2 Steers, 1 Bullocks, 3 Lambs, 8 Ewes, 8 Total, 10 Ewes, 2 Weathers, 12 Total, 3 Turkeys, 16 Fowls, 5 Ducks, 1 Geese

Died: 1 Calves, 1 Lambs, 3 Ewes, 3 Total, 3 Pigs, 3 Total

Remaining the 11th: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 86 Calves, 16 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 21 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 290 Total, 326 Ewes, 152 Weathers, 136 Lambs, 8 Rams, 621 Total, 180 Ewes, 78 Weathers, 90 Kids, 8 Rams, 356 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 39 Total, 54 Turkeys, 229 Fowls, 60 Ducks, 18 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Beef to the Ship Hardwicke 560

Do to the Do Griffin 560

one Goat Sold to Mr Bazett wt 23 lb

one Kid Sold to Mr Adamson

Six Goats killed for the Sick Slaves part

of which Mr Inglis had for the Hospital

N B five Sheep Missing

Yams Expended for the Slaves 13240

Good Do for Stock 8000

Bad Do for Do 2580

23820

Errors Excepted

Signed

John Adamson

This account set out the Honourable Company's stock of cattle and other animals from 11 January to 11 February 1756. The figures ran across the categories of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each divided into its several kinds.

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 85 calves, 17 heifers, 62 yearlings, 23 steers, 4 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 293

Sheep: 329 ewes, 160 wethers, 135 lambs, 8 rams, total 632

Goats: 180 ewes, 88 wethers, 71 kids, 8 rams, total 347

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 37

Poultry: 39 turkeys, 204 fowls, 34 ducks, 196 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 1 she-ass, 3 he-asses, total 4

Increased:

Cattle: 1 calf, total 1

Goats: 21 kids, total 21

Hogs: 5 pigs, total 5

Poultry: 18 turkeys, 41 fowls, 11 ducks

Asses: 1 she-ass, total 1

Total:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 86 calves, 17 heifers, 62 yearlings, 23 steers, 4 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 294

Sheep: 329 ewes, 160 wethers, 135 lambs, 8 rams, total 632

Goats: 180 ewes, 88 wethers, 92 kids, 8 rams, total 368

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 28 pigs, 1 boar, total 42

Poultry: 57 turkeys, 245 fowls, 65 ducks, 196 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

Killed:

Cattle: 2 steers, 1 bullock

Sheep: 3 wethers, total 8

Goats: 8 ewes, total 8

Poultry: 3 turkeys, 16 fowls, 5 ducks, 1 goose

Died:

Cattle: 1 calf

Sheep: 1 wether, 3 lambs, total 3

Poultry: 3 ducks, total 3

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 86 calves, 16 heifers, 62 yearlings, 21 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 290

Sheep: 326 ewes, 152 wethers, 136 lambs, 8 rams, total 621

Goats: 180 ewes, 78 wethers, 90 kids, 8 rams, total 356

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 39

Poultry: 54 turkeys, 229 fowls, 60 ducks, 196 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

The notes recorded that 560lb of beef went to the ship Hardwicke and 560lb to the ship Griffin, one goat weighing 23lb was sold to Bazett, one kid was sold to Adamson, and six goats were killed for the sick slaves, part of which Inglis took for the hospital. A further note recorded five sheep missing.

Yams expended for the slaves: 13,240

Good yams for stock: 8,000

Bad yams for stock: 2,580

Total: 23,820

The account was signed by John Adamson, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The two ships in the road drew a heavy call on the herd this month, 560lb of fresh beef issued to the Hardwicke and the same again to the Griffin, a demand absent from the previous account when no homeward ship was provisioning. This is the mechanism by which the island's stock served the Company's shipping, the herd drawn down to victual crews for the next leg of their voyage, and it explains the slaughter of cattle here where the December account had killed only for the slaves and the table.

The goats increased sharply this month, 21 kids born against none in the previous account, which reflects the seasonal breeding of the flock as the southern summer advanced. Set against the steady killing of goats for the sick and the small sales to Bazett and Adamson, the birth of the kids kept the goat stock rising where the cattle and sheep held level or fell, a natural increase that the plantation counted as carefully as its losses.

The proportion of good to bad yams shifted markedly from the previous month, 8,000 sound against 2,580 spoiled where December had recorded roughly equal quantities, which shows a better-conditioned crop coming into store as the season turned. Since the sound roots were held back for seed and fodder while the poorer went for consumption, the larger share of good yams marked a stronger position for planting the next crop and feeding the stock through the coming months.

257

248

Gunners Stores expended from the 12 of January to

the 11 of February 1756 Vizt

Gun Shott, Musq Shott, 4lb, 3lb, 2lb, 1lb, Powder Expended

1756

January 13th: Fired at Ruperts for Practise & Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

14th: Powder for scaling Guns at Sandy Bay, Powder Expended 30.8

15th: Fired at Ruperts for Practice & Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

20th: Do at Do for Do & Do, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

22nd: Do at Do for Do & Do, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

23rd: An Alarm, Gun Shott 6, 4lb 2, 3lb 2, 1lb 2, Powder Expended 12

Arrived the Hardwicke, returned the Salute, Gun Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

27th: Fired at Ruperts for Practise & Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

29th: Do at Do for Do & Do, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 16.12

31st: An Alarm, Gun Shott 6, 4lb 2, 3lb 2, 1lb 2, Powder Expended 12

Arrived the Griffin, returned the Salute, Gun Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

Do for Do at the Alarm House from

the 6 of May 1755, Powder Expended 3

Powder to fright the Goats, Powder Expended 8

Total: Gun Shott 78, Musq Shott 48, 4lb 52, 3lb 4, 2lb 18, 1lb 4, Powder Expended 179.8

Paper for the use of the Castle 1 Qr

Do for making Great Gun Cartridges 2 Qr

Copper Revits for the use of the Armourer 30

Match burnt at the Main Fort 6 Qr

Tallow for the use of the Carts 3 lb

Do for Greasing the Gun Carriages at the Main & out Forts 25 lb

Handspikes broke at the Main and out Forts 7

Rammer heads broke at Sandy Bay 1

Do at the Alarm House 1

Copper Bands for the Ammunition Boxes of the

Flying Party 260

Copper Ladles wore out and Unserviceable 3

Signed

Tho Hall

This account recorded the gunner's stores expended from 12 January to 11 February 1756, measured in grand shot, musket shot, four-pound shot, three-pound shot, two-pound shot, one-pound shot and powder in pounds and ounces.

13 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

14 January 1756: powder for scaling guns at Sandy Bay, 30lb 8oz powder

15 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

20 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

22 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

23 January 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 three-pound shot, 2 one-pound shot, 12lb powder

23 January 1756: arrived the Hardwicke, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

23 January 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

27 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

29 January 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

31 January 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 three-pound shot, 2 one-pound shot, 12lb powder

31 January 1756: arrived the Griffin, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

31 January 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

31 January 1756: powder for the guns at the alarm house from 6 May 1755, 3lb powder

31 January 1756: powder to fright the goats, 0lb 8oz powder

Total: 78 grand shot, 48 musket shot, 52 four-pound shot, 4 three-pound shot, 18 two-pound shot, 4 one-pound shot, 179lb 8oz powder

The account also recorded stores expended without shot.

Paper for the use of the Castle, 1 quire

Paper for making great gun cartridges, 2 quires

Copper rivets for the use of the armourer, 30

Match burnt at the main fort, 6 quire

Tallow for the use of the carts, 3lb

Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at the main and out forts, 25lb

Handspikes broke at the main and out forts, 7

Rammer heads broke at Sandy Bay, 1

Rammer heads broke at the alarm house, 1

Copper bands for the ammunition boxes of the flying party, 260

Copper ladles worn out and unserviceable, 3

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

Interpretations

The month saw two alarms and two salutes fired that the quiet December account had lacked, the alarms on 23 and 31 January consuming shot of several weights and the salutes greeting the Hardwicke and the Griffin as each came into the road. The salute of nine guns returned to each ship was the customary courtesy exchanged between a Company vessel and the shore, and its appearance here marks the arrival of the two ships whose provisioning and unloading dominated the settlement's business through these weeks.

The large charge of powder for scaling the guns at Sandy Bay was the deliberate firing of the cannon with powder alone to clear their bores of rust and fouling, a maintenance operation that kept the coastal batteries fit to fire when needed. That more than 30lb was spent on this single task shows the effort required to keep guns serviceable in the damp sea air, the same concern for maintaining the artillery's readiness that ran through the exchange of unfit matrosses and the payment for instructing the gunners.

The powder issued to fright the goats was a curious but practical use of the gunner's stores, firing to drive the animals from ground where they were not wanted, most probably the cultivated land or the steep hangings where they strayed. This small entry captures the everyday management of the island's half-wild goat stock, the same flock whose births and killings the plantation account tracked, here controlled by the noise of the guns.

258

249

1756

Sundrys expended at the Honorable Companys Table

in the Month ending the 11 of February 1756 Vizt

16 Bottles Port Wine

£ 1 3 8

32 Lisbon

2 7 4

10 Mountain

14 9½

8 Madeira

19

71 Arrack

2 7 4

58 Beer

12 1

345 lb Flour

2 9 1½

304 lb Mutton

6 6 8

2½ lb Beef

6

78 lb Goat

1 6

4 Pr Pork

8

16 Fowls

1 4

5 Ducks

7 6

3 Turkeys

15

54 lb Butter

1 14

117 lb Candy

1 14 1½

1 Goose

5

1 Kidd

5

£ 25 4 7½

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This account recorded the sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month ending 11 February 1756.

16 bottles port wine, £1 3s 8d

32 Lisbon, £2 7s 4d

10 mountain, £0 14s 9½d

8 Madeira, £0 19s 0d

71 arrack, £2 7s 4d

58 beer, £0 12s 1d

345lb flour, £2 9s 1½d

304lb mutton, £6 6s 0d

2½ beef, £0 6s 0d

78lb goat, £1 6s 0d

4 pieces pork, £0 8s 0d

16 fowls, £1 4s 0d

5 ducks, £0 7s 6d

3 turkeys, £0 15s 0d

34lb butter, £1 14s 0d

117lb candy, £1 14s 7½d

1 goose, £0 5s 0d

1 kid, £0 5s 0d

Total, £25 4s 7½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The mutton served at the table this month rose sharply to more than 300lb against the 240lb of the previous account, the single largest line by value, which reflects the killing of sheep recorded in the stock account for the same period. This shift toward mutton over beef marks the table drawing on whichever meat the herd and flock could best spare, the fresh provisions of the governor's board tracking the culling decisions made on the plantation.

The kid bought for the table was the same young goat noted in the stock account as sold to Adamson, which ties the household's provisions directly to the plantation's small sales and shows the senior servants buying their meat from the Company's own stock. This close connection between the stock account and the table account marks the settlement as a largely closed economy in fresh food, the governor's board supplied from the same herd the plantation husbanded rather than from any outside market.

259

250

1 March

At a Consultation held on Monday the 1 of March 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed

Dated the 23 of February 1756

Lieutenant John Clark reports

that he has been on board the Ship Hardwicke, to Muster

her Company and enquire for Deserters but found none

her Muster Roll is as follows Vizt

Muster Roll of Ship Hardwicke

John Samson Command

Brooke Samson 1st mate

David Price 2 Do

Thomas Read 3 Do

John Waddle 4 Do

Thomas Cornish 5 Do

John Harding Gunner

John Pritchard Surgeon

Arthur Judd Carpenter

Fran Anthony Boatswain

John Lockwood Cooper

Joseph Lowe Sailmaker

Joseph Pettit Caulker

Rob Carr Caps 1 mate

John Harding Do 2 Do

Will Porto Gunners Mate

Joseph Ruston Ropers Mate

Major Jackson Caps Steward

Cornelius Berg Ships Do

John Mortimore Caps Cook

Rob Buchanson Ships Do

Will Holt Quarter master

John Long Do

Sam Butler Midshipman

Tho Wilkinson Do

John Biddlecon Do

William Jarvis Do

Nich Lides Do & Coxswain

Tho Radford Joyner

Thos Mow Poulterer

John Hackles Caps Cook

Amb Hall Seaman

John Freebridge Caps Footman

Thomas Hambly Seaman

Will Beans Do

James Kirk Do

Rich Thompson Do

John Thompson Do

David Morrison Do

Thomas Harris Do

Amos Clark Do

Francis Meritt Do

James Robinson Do

Thomas Heeth Do

John Sale Do

John Sped Do

William Norton Do

Thomas Gallops Do

At a consultation held on Monday 1 March 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 23 February 1756, was read, approved and signed.

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship Hardwicke to muster her company and enquire for deserters, but found none. Her muster roll ran as follows.

The muster roll of the ship Hardwicke listed her company by name and rating.

John Samson, commander

Brooke Samson, first mate

David Price, second mate

Thomas Read, third mate

John Waddle, fourth mate

Thomas Cornish, fifth mate

John Harding, gunner

John Pritchard, surgeon

Arthur Judd, carpenter

Francis Anthony, boatswain

John Lockwood, cooper

Joseph Lowe, sailmaker

Joseph Pettit, caulker

Robert Carr, caulker's first mate

John Spalding, caulker's second mate

William Parke, gunner's mate

Joseph Ruston, cooper's mate

Major Jackson, captain's steward

Cornelius Berg, ship's steward

John Northmore, captain's cook

Robert Buchanan, ship's cook

William Holt, quartermaster

John Song, quartermaster

Samuel Butler, midshipman

Thomas Wilkinson, midshipman

John Biddlecon, midshipman

William Jarvis, midshipman

Nicholas Lidet, midshipman and coxswain

Thomas Radford, joiner

Thomas Moss, poulterer

John Hackles, captain's cook

Samuel Hall, seaman

John Freebridge, captain's footman

Thomas Hambly, seaman

William Beans, seaman

James Kirk, seaman

Richard Thompson, seaman

John Thompson, seaman

David Morrison, seaman

Thomas Harris, seaman

Amos Clark, seaman

Francis Merritt, seaman

James Robinson, seaman

Thomas Heath, seaman

John Sale, seaman

John Sped, seaman

William Norton, seaman

Thomas Gallops, seaman

Interpretations

The mustering of the ship's company and the search for deserters was a standing duty performed whenever a Company vessel lay in the road, the council checking her crew against her roll to catch any man who might slip ashore and abscond on a remote island where a deserter could vanish among the settled population. That an officer went aboard each ship for this purpose shows the settlement guarding both against losing men from the ships and against gaining unwanted vagrants, a control on the movement of men that a small isolated community had good reason to maintain.

The muster roll sets out the full working establishment of an East Indiaman, from the commander and his mates down through the specialist tradesmen and the body of seamen, which shows the elaborate manning such a ship required for its long voyage. The range of ratings, gunner, surgeon, carpenter, caulker, cooper, sailmaker and the rest, reflects how a large merchantman had to carry every trade needed to keep herself in repair and defend herself at sea, a self-contained community as dependent on its own tradesmen as the island itself.

260

251

1756

Jacob Johnson Seaman

Daniel Owens Do

James Johnson Do

Chris Walker Do

Matthew Bell Do

William Bryan Do

Robert Oliver Do

Robert Wilson Do

Nich Ferwood Do

Peter Johnson Do

Robert Thompson Do

Nich William Do

Richard How Do

Thomas Gordon Do

John Treet Do

James Dow Do

William Calvert Do

John Wood Do

Anthony Joseph Seaman

Joseph Machada Do

Simon Ferdenardo Do

John Pedro Do

George Vanlesen Do

Robert Dean Do

Neward Chapman Do

John Huengard Do

Peter Silliss Do

Charles Davie Do

George Finlaysouth Do

Greenwich Do

Hen Johnson Ships Makers Servant

Wm Ramsey 2 Do Do

Edward Sams Gunners Do

Jacob Fetch Surgeons Do

Wm Freebridge Caps Do

John Henk Tailors Seaman

Mannow Serang Lascar

Sabdo Tendall Do

Mohdo Do

Nashermoormood Do

Mongav Do

Berilb Do

Somoa Do

Beecho Do

Olee Do

Bromdo Do

Patten Do

Lacheoo Do

Gullo Do

Passengers

Lawrence Meveriman

Edmund Newland

Conrad D Peijer

George Reynolds

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the Month ending the 11 of February last which

is as follows Vizt

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Hardwicke, listing the remainder of her company, the lascars and her passengers.

Jacob Johnson, seaman

Daniel Owens, seaman

James Johnson, seaman

Christopher Walker, seaman

Matthew Bell, seaman

William Bryan, seaman

Robert Oliver, seaman

Robert Wilson, seaman

Nicholas Serwood, seaman

Peter Johnson, seaman

Robert Thompson, seaman

Nicholas William, seaman

Richard How, seaman

Thomas Gordon, seaman

John Freet, seaman

James Dow, seaman

William Calvert, seaman

John Wood, seaman

Anthony Joseph, seaman

Joseph Machado, seaman

Simon Ferdenardo, seaman

John Pedro, seaman

George Vanlewen, seaman

Robert Dean, seaman

Newland Chapman, seaman

John Huengard, seaman

Peter Silliss, seaman

Charles Davie, seaman

George Finlaysouth, seaman

Greenwich, seaman

Henry Johnson, first mate's servant

William Ramsey, second mate's servant

Edward James, gunner's servant

Jacob Fitch, surgeon's servant

John Freebridge, captain's servant

John Honk, tailor and seaman

Mannow, serang of the lascars

Sabdo, tindal

Mondo, lascar

Nashermoormood, lascar

Mongav, lascar

Berill, lascar

Somda, lascar

Beecho, lascar

Olee, lascar

Bromdo, lascar

Patten, lascar

Lacheoo, lascar

Gullo, lascar

Passengers:

Lawrence Merviman

Edmund Newland

Conrad D'Peijer

George Reynolds

The council then counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending 11 February, which ran as follows.

Interpretations

The muster roll shows the ship manned by a strikingly mixed company, English and European seamen alongside Portuguese-named men and a body of Indian lascars under their own serang and tindal, which reflects how an East Indiaman drew its crew from every port and people along its route. The lascars, South Asian sailors shipped for the eastern voyages, were mustered under their own petty officers, the serang who commanded them and the tindal who served as his mate, marking them as a distinct division within the ship's company organised in their own fashion.

That the passengers were listed by name alongside the crew shows the council's muster reaching every soul aboard, since any of them might come ashore and remain on the island. Recording the passengers as carefully as the seamen reflects the same concern with the movement of people to and from a remote settlement that drove the search for deserters, the council keeping account of who arrived on each ship as much as of the goods she carried.

261

252

1 March

Cash Dr

1756

January 12 To Balance remaining

£ 2787 10 ½

£ 2787 10 ½

This account recorded the debtor side of the Company's cash.

12 January 1756: to balance remaining, £2,787 10s 0½d

Total, £2,787 10s 0½d

Interpretations

The balance carried forward as the opening entry of the new month's cash account was the closing figure of the previous reckoning, the mechanism by which the running record of the Company's money was tied unbroken from one period to the next. Starting each account with the balance in hand let the council trace the whole movement of cash continuously, so that no sum entered or left the chest without appearing in a chain of accounts that always balanced back to the money actually held.

262

253

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

Feb 11 By Balance remaining in the following Specie Viz

1000 Venehans @ 10/

£ 500

200 Pagodas 8/

80

Gold amounting to £ 580

1147 Dollars @ 5/

£ 286 15

10000 Rupees @ 2/3

1125

12948 half Reals 3½

202 6 3

441 French Pieces 1/2

3 13 6

Old Mony 3½

Silver Amounting to £ 1617 15 ½

146 Cash Notes @ 40/

£ 292

162 Do 20/

162

263 Do 5/

65 15

160 Do 2/6

20

Cash Notes Amounting to £ 539 15

£ 2737 10 ½

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This account recorded the creditor side of the Company's cash, setting out the balance remaining in the following specie.

Gold:

1,000 venetians at 10s, £500 0s 0d

200 pagodas at 8s, £80 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £580 0s 0d

Silver:

1,147 dollars at 5s, £286 15s 0d

10,000 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,125 0s 0d

12,948 half reals at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 1s 2d, £31 3s 6d

Old money, £0 0s 3½d

Silver amounting to, £1,617 15s 0½d

Cash notes:

146 cash notes at 40s, £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s, £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s, £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d, £20 0s 0d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total, £2,787 10s 0½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The reserve had fallen by nearly two thousand pounds since the previous count, the drop falling almost wholly on the coin while the cash notes stood unchanged, which shows the quarter's great disbursement of wages paid out in metal rather than paper. The dollars, rupees and other silver were the working currency spent on the establishment, while the Company's own notes were held steady as a fixed circulating stock, so that the outflow of the wage bill drained the coin and left the paper untouched.

The composition of the specie stood otherwise identical to the previous count, the same venetians, pagodas, dollars, rupees, half reals and French pieces held in unchanged number, which shows that no fresh coin of these kinds had come in or gone out except as the wage payment reduced the whole. This mixture of gold and silver from Europe and Asia held as the island's reserve marks again its place as a crossroads of maritime trade, where the coin of many nations gathered and was kept together as a single fund.

263

254

8 March

At a Consultation held on Monday the 8 Day of March

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

John Adamson Lieutenant

Governor absent being sick

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 1 March 1756

Thursday the 4 March Died Nathanel Michel Soldier

This Day arrived a Swedish Ship from China called the Prince Charles

Captain George Elphenston Burthen Nine hundred and

fifty Tons, carrys one hundred and forty Men, and thirty four

Guns, Loaden with Teas, China Ware and Silks, Bound to

Gothenburgh

Complaint having been made by

Mr Richard Bagley who commands the West Flying Party

that James Hayes who was quartered there, attended upon

a Double Alarm, with his Carbin in a bad condition, and

no Ammunition, nor Flints and having nothing but

frivolous excuses to make, we therefore reprimanded the

said Hayes and fined him only ten Shillings as it was his

first offence

Chas Hutchinson

John Clark

At a consultation held on Monday 8 March 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with Lieutenant John Clark of the council, the lieutenant governor John Adamson being absent through sickness. The record of the previous consultation, dated 1 March 1756, was read, approved and signed. Nathanel Muckel, a soldier, had died on Thursday 4 March.

A Swedish ship from China called the Prince Charles, commanded by Captain George Elphenston, arrived that day. She was of 950 tons burthen, carried 140 men and 34 guns, and was loaded with tea, chinaware and silks bound for Gothenburg.

Richard Bagley, who commanded the west flying party, complained that Joseph Hayes, who was quartered there, had attended a double alarm with his carbine in bad condition and without ammunition or flints, and had nothing but frivolous excuses to offer. The council reprimanded Hayes and fined him only 10s, as it was his first offence.

Interpretations

The arrival of a Swedish East Indiaman bound from China to Gothenburg shows the island serving as a place of refreshment for the shipping of nations other than the English Company, a mid-ocean call where any vessel on the long haul between Europe and Asia might touch for water and provisions. That a ship of the Swedish company laden with the same tea, porcelain and silk the English Company traded put in here marks St Helena's position on the common sea road, valuable to all who sailed it regardless of flag.

The fine imposed on Joseph Hayes for turning out to an alarm with an unserviceable carbine and no ammunition shows the council enforcing the readiness of the garrison through the penalty of the purse, treating a soldier's failure to keep his arms fit as a punishable neglect. That the fine was set low at 10s because it was a first offence marks a graduated discipline, the council tempering the penalty to the circumstance while still recording the fault, an instrument for maintaining the defensive vigilance on which a fortified island depended.

Its Bagley's complaint against Hayes at the west flying party reveals the alarm posts as the point where the garrison's fitness was tested in earnest, the double alarm exposing which men had let their weapons fall into disrepair. The flying party was a mobile detachment kept ready to move to a threatened point, and its commander's readiness to bring a subordinate before the council shows the seriousness attached to keeping such a force armed and prepared at a moment's call.

264

255

15 March

At a Consultation held on Monday the 15 Day of March 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed Dated

the 8 March 1756

Wednesday 10 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the London from Bengall

Thursday 11 Sailed the Swedish Ship called the Prince Charles

John Yeale the Armourer being very

Drunk on Saterday last when Lieutenant John Clark was upon

Guard, who several times Admonished him, and advised him to go to

Sleep, but all to no effect, Mr Clark therefore confined him to the Guard

House where when the said Yeale was he abused Mr Clark in a very

Scurrilous manner, which was grounded upon the Declaration of

Sergeant Langhorn, and James Casthope who where then upon Guard

and the said Yeale being a very troublesome Idle fellow and having

been frequently reprimanded for the same offences before, and told in

Consultation the 10 of November 1755 that he was to hold himself

in readiness to go to England by the first opportunity we therefore

now Dismissed him the Honorable Companys Service

The Ship London brought us the

following supply Viz

At a consultation held on Monday 8 March 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with Lieutenant John Clark of the council, the lieutenant governor John Adamson being absent through sickness. The record of the previous consultation, dated 1 March 1756, was read, approved and signed. Nathanel Muckel, a soldier, had died on Thursday 4 March.

A Swedish ship from China called the Prince Charles, commanded by Captain George Elphenston, arrived that day. She was of 950 tons burthen, carried 140 men and 34 guns, and was loaded with tea, chinaware and silks bound for Gothenburg.

Richard Bagley, who commanded the west flying party, complained that Joseph Hayes, who was quartered there, had attended a double alarm with his carbine in bad condition and without ammunition or flints, and had nothing but frivolous excuses to offer. The council reprimanded Hayes and fined him only 10s, as it was his first offence.

Interpretations

The arrival of a Swedish East Indiaman bound from China to Gothenburg shows the island serving as a place of refreshment for the shipping of nations other than the English Company, a mid-ocean call where any vessel on the long haul between Europe and Asia might touch for water and provisions. That a ship of the Swedish company laden with the same tea, porcelain and silk the English Company traded put in here marks St Helena's position on the common sea road, valuable to all who sailed it regardless of flag.

The fine imposed on Joseph Hayes for turning out to an alarm with an unserviceable carbine and no ammunition shows the council enforcing the readiness of the garrison through the penalty of the purse, treating a soldier's failure to keep his arms fit as a punishable neglect. That the fine was set low at 10s because it was a first offence marks a graduated discipline, the council tempering the penalty to the circumstance while still recording the fault, an instrument for maintaining the defensive vigilance on which a fortified island depended.

Its Bagley's complaint against Hayes at the west flying party reveals the alarm posts as the point where the garrison's fitness was tested in earnest, the double alarm exposing which men had let their weapons fall into disrepair. The flying party was a mobile detachment kept ready to move to a threatened point, and its commander's readiness to bring a subordinate before the council shows the seriousness attached to keeping such a force armed and prepared at a moment's call.

265

256

15 March

Invoice of Ship London

FR Fine Rice

No 1 @ 50 50 Bags qr 100 Bud Md 36 8 @ 1 Rupea

109 9

Batta 8 pr Cent 8 12 3

118 5 3

P Paddy

No 1 @ 10 10 Bags qr Md 15 27 or 400 15 @ 1 Rupea

10 10 9

Batta 8 pr Cent 13 6

11 8 3

WC Wax Candles

No 1 @ 2 2 Chests qr 4 Md @ 72 Maund

288

BA Batavia Arrack

No 1 4 4 Half Leaguers @ 130 Rupees pr Leag

260

Batta 8 pr Cent 20 12 9

280 12 9

Cott Cotton

No 1 1 Bagg qr 10 @ 10 pr Seer

6 4

Doos Doosetties

No 4 1 Baleg 40 Ps @ 60 pr Rupees pr Gage

210

Batta 8 pr Cent 16 12 9

226 12 9

Charges Merchandize

931 11

for Embaling the Doosetties

23 12 3

111 Gunny Bags & Sewing

19 9 6

2 Chests & Package

3 14

Boat hire

1 13

Cooly hire

2 1

Sloop hire

36 6

86 12

Current Rupees 1018 7

Errors Excepted

Signed

Paul Richa D Baxter

Acct

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This account recorded the invoice of goods brought by the ship London, with values expressed in rupees.

The invoice was headed by the ship London, the goods marked and numbered by lot.

Fine rice, marked FR, No 1 at 50: 50 bags of 100 Bengal at 36 rupees 8 mace a maund at 1 rupee a bag, 109 rupees 9 mace, batta at 8 per cent 8 rupees 12 mace 3 candareens, 118 rupees 5 mace 3 candareens

Paddy, marked P, No 1 at 10: 10 bags of 15 Bengal maunds at 400 at 15 rupees a bag, 10 rupees 10 mace 9 candareens, batta at 8 per cent 13 mace 6 candareens, 11 rupees 8 mace 3 candareens

Wax candles, marked WC, No 1 at 2: 2 chests of 4 maunds at 72 a maund, 288 rupees

Batavia arrack, marked BA, No 1 to 4: 4 half leaguers at 130 rupees a leaguer, 260 rupees, batta at 8 per cent 20 rupees 12 mace 9 candareens, 280 rupees 12 mace 9 candareens

Cotton, marked Cott, No 1: 1 bag of 10 at 10 rupees a seer, 6 rupees 4 mace

Doosettees, marked Doos, No 4: 1 bale of 70 pieces at 60 rupees a piece, gaged 210, batta at 8 per cent 16 rupees 12 mace 9 candareens, 226 rupees 12 mace 9 candareens

Charges merchandise:

for embaling the doosettees, 23 rupees 12 mace 3 candareens

111 gunny bags and sewing, 19 rupees 9 mace 6 candareens

2 chests and package, 3 rupees 14 mace

boat hire, 1 rupee 3 mace

cooly hire, 2 rupees 1 mace

sloop hire, 36 rupees 6 mace

Total, 86 rupees 12 mace

Current rupees, 1,018 rupees 7 mace

The account was signed by Paul Richer and Baxter, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The London landed a cargo close in kind to the Hardwicke six weeks earlier, rice, paddy, wax candles, arrack and Indian cotton cloth all shipped by way of Bengal and reckoned in rupees with batta added, which shows the steady stream of eastern goods on which the island drew for its staples. That the arrack came at 130 rupees the leaguer against the 155 charged on the Hardwicke marks the variation in price between one shipment and the next, the same commodity costing differently as the market and the source shifted.

The charges for embaling the doosettees, the wrapping and baling of the cotton cloth for shipment, together with the gunny bags, packing, boat, cooly and sloop hire, capture the full cost of handling and landing the cargo beyond its first value. Cooly hire for the labour of carrying and a sloop to bring the goods ashore mark the particular expense of a place where no ship could come alongside, every item landed by hired boat and hand, the true cost of imported goods reckoned to the last charge of carriage.

266

257

16 March

At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 16 March 1756 at the

Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 15 of March 1756

Mr Price the second Mate of the Ship

Hardwicke maketh complaint that William Paddom, who keeps a

Publick House, had insulted him on board the Ship, who thereupon

forbid the said Paddom coming on board again, but notwithstanding

he did go, and insulted him a second time, And had got three of the

Ships Company in a Boat along side and upon his Mr Prices's

seeing those Men in the Boat, he went and asked the Chief Mate

if they had his liberty to go with Paddom, upon his saying he had

not given them liberty, he Mr Price ordered the Men on board again

Paddom upon that said you are strutting about the Deck but I am

as good a Man as you are and I will let you know it, when you

come on Shore, and yesterday when Mr Price was on Shore, and

walking towards the Maldavie Garden, Paddom crossed him on

the Road, and Demanded satisfaction, and offered to fight him

and followed him a considerable way up the Valley, The said

Paddom has also encouraged several of the Seamen belonging to

the Hardwicke to Drink to excess, And when Mr Waddle the

fourth Mate came to fetch them he likewise abused him

At a consultation held on Tuesday 16 March 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 15 March 1756, was read, approved and signed.

David Price, second mate of the ship Hardwicke, complained that William Paddom, who kept a public house, had insulted him aboard the ship. Price had then forbidden Paddom from coming aboard again, but Paddom went aboard nonetheless and insulted him a second time. Paddom had brought three of the ship's company alongside in a boat, and when Price saw them there he asked the chief mate whether the men had leave to go ashore with Paddom. They had not, and so Price ordered the men back aboard. Paddom then told him that he was strutting about the deck, that he was as good a man as Price, and that he would let him know it when he came ashore. The next day, when Price was ashore and walking towards the Maldivia garden, Paddom crossed him on the road, demanded satisfaction and offered to fight him, following him a considerable way up the valley. Paddom had also encouraged several of the Hardwicke's seamen to drink to excess, and when Waddle, the fourth mate, came to fetch them, he used him in the same way.

Interpretations

Its Price's complaint reveals the friction between a ship's officers and the island's publicans, whose trade depended on drawing the seamen ashore to drink and whose interest thus ran directly against the discipline the mates were bound to keep. Paddom's enticing of the crew to excess and his open defiance of the officers show how a licensed drink-seller could become a threat to good order aboard, undermining the authority of the ship's command in pursuit of custom.

The keeper of a public house challenging a ship's officer to a duel on the road and following him up the valley marks a striking inversion of rank, a tradesman demanding satisfaction as though a gentleman and asserting himself the equal of the mate. That Paddom pressed his quarrel ashore where the ship's discipline could not reach him shows the limits of a mate's authority off his own deck, and the bringing of the whole affair before the council reflects the settlement's concern to uphold the standing of the officers on whom the Company's shipping relied.

267

258

16 March

Lieutenants Onesiphorus Beale

William Kennedy, and Samuel Price say they were

with Mr Price when Paddom crossed them, and went to

Mr Price, who was on the left in a very abrupt insolent

manner and Chanlenged him several times, and said

he would fight him for five Pounds, and Mr Price says

that upon his reprimanding Paddom for stoping a

Gentleman on the high road, he Paddom said Here is a

knot of you, and I will find a Man that will fight you

for five Guineas

Mr Waddle fourth mate of the Ship

Hardwicke says, that when Mr Price the second Mate ordered

the men out of Paddoms Boat, Paddom said that if any

Officer of a Ship, came to take any men out of his House, that

he would break his head, and Likewise challenged the said

Mr Waddle to fight him for doing it, when he was on Shore

or the Crane on the Ships Duty

John Todd says that Mr Price did

call Paddom Villain and made use of some other scurrilous

Language to him

Mr Price says that he Likewise saw

the said Paddom on board the Swedish Ship the Prince

Charles, on the afternoon of the Day that Ship sailed, and

brought from her several Goods, which Paddom absolutely

Denyed, and reflected upon Mr Price by saying that he

would say any thing, but upon further examination

Paddom at last owned he was on board the said Ship

Ship, but no further than the Ganway, and that he did

not bring any thing from her for himself, Mr Price

The lieutenants Onesiphorus Beale, William Kennedy and Samuel Price stated that they were with Price when Paddom crossed them and went up to Price, who was on the left, in a very abrupt and insolent manner. Paddom challenged him several times and said he would fight him for £5. Price stated that when he reprimanded Paddom for stopping a gentleman on the high road, Paddom said there was a knot of them and that he would find a man to fight Price for five guineas.

Waddle, fourth mate of the ship Hardwicke, stated that when Price the second mate ordered the men out of Paddom's boat, Paddom said that if any officer of a ship came to take any men out of his house he would break his head, and that he likewise challenged Waddle to fight him for doing it while he was ashore or on the crane on the ship's duty.

John Todd stated that Price did call Paddom a villain and used some other scurrilous language to him.

Price stated that he had also seen Paddom aboard the Swedish ship the Prince Charles on the afternoon of the day that ship sailed, and that he had brought several goods from her, which Paddom absolutely denied. Paddom reflected upon Price by saying that he would say anything, but on further examination Paddom at last owned that he had been aboard the Swedish ship, though no further than the gangway, and that he had brought nothing from her for himself.

Interpretations

The taking of separate statements from several witnesses, the three lieutenants, the fourth mate and John Todd, shows the council conducting a careful examination in which each man's account was set down in turn, building a record from independent testimony rather than a single complaint. That the evidence included John Todd's admission that Price himself had called Paddom a villain marks the council recording the fault on both sides, gathering the whole exchange rather than only the case against the accused.

Paddom's threat to break the head of any officer who came to take men out of his house reveals the publican defending his trade as a kind of territory, asserting a right to hold his drinking customers against the ship's discipline that would reclaim them. This claim of the alehouse as ground where a ship's officer had no writ shows the clash between the licensed drink-seller's interest and the command of the ships, the public house standing as a refuge from the authority that governed the crew aboard.

The suspicion that Paddom had carried goods off the Swedish Prince Charles on the day she sailed points to the council's watchfulness over unauthorised trade with foreign ships, a concern that private dealing might evade the Company's control of commerce on the island. That Paddom first denied going aboard and then admitted reaching the gangway shows the examination pressing him until the account shifted, the council probing not only the quarrel with the officers but the separate question of what he might have brought ashore from the departing vessel.

268

259

1756

then further said that he believed the Ships Steward could likewise

prove that the said Paddom was on board the said Swedish Ship

and between Decks, As the Ships Steward was not on Shore we

therefore postponed a further enquiry into this affair untill our

next Consultation

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on Monday the 22 Day of March 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governer

John Adamson Lieutenant Governer

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 16 of March 1756

The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards

Accounts for the month ending the 11 instant were this day

brought in which were examined and approved and are as

follows Viz

Price further stated that he believed the ship's steward could also prove that Paddom had been aboard the Swedish ship and between decks. Since the ship's steward was not ashore, the council postponed further enquiry into the affair until the next consultation. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 22 March 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 16 March 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The plantation gunners and stewards brought in their accounts for the month ending 11 March, which were examined and approved. They ran as follows.

Interpretations

The council's decision to postpone the enquiry because a key witness was not ashore shows the deliberate way it weighed evidence, holding the matter open rather than concluding it on incomplete testimony when a man who might settle the question of Paddom's conduct aboard the Swedish ship was still at sea. This willingness to adjourn until the ship's steward could be heard marks a concern for a full hearing, the council preferring delay to a judgement reached before all the available evidence had been gathered.

269

260

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 11 of February to the 12 of March 1756 Vizt

Neat Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Poultry, Horses, Asses

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Barrows, Pigs, Boars, Total, Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, S Asses, S Asses, Total

Remaining the 11: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 86 Calves, 16 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 21 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 290 Total, 326 Ewes, 152 Weathers, 135 Lambs, 8 Rams, 621 Total, 180 Ewes, 78 Weathers, 90 Kids, 8 Rams, 356 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 25 Pigs, 1 Boars, 39 Fowls, 22 Turkeys, 54 Ducks, 60 Geese, 18 Total, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Encreased: 1 Calves, 1 Total, 14 Kids, 14 Total

Total: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 87 Calves, 16 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 21 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 291 Total, 326 Ewes, 152 Weathers, 149 Lambs, 8 Rams, 635 Total, 180 Ewes, 78 Weathers, 90 Kids, 8 Rams, 356 Total, 7 Sows, 3 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 25 Pigs, 1 Boars, 39 Fowls, 22 Turkeys, 54 Ducks, 60 Geese, 18 Total, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Killed: 1 Calves, 1 Lambs, 9 Ewes, 9 Total, 3 Ewes, 3 Total, 2 Shoats, 3 Barrows, 5 Fowls, 26 Turkeys, 4 Ducks, 10 Geese

Died: 1 Lambs, 1 Ewes, 3 Weathers, 3 Total, 3 Kids, 3 Total, 2 Turkeys, 2 Ducks, 1 Geese

Sold: 1 Lambs, 1 Ewes, 1 Weathers, 1 Kids, 2 Total

Remaining the 11: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 87 Calves, 15 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 21 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 290 Total, 324 Ewes, 143 Weathers, 149 Lambs, 8 Rams, 624 Total, 176 Ewes, 74 Weathers, 90 Kids, 8 Rams, 348 Total, 7 Sows, 1 Shoats, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 32 Fowls, 203 Turkeys, 50 Ducks, 50 Geese, 17 Total, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

1 Beast killed for the Table

1 Goat sold to Mr Adamson

1 Do Do to Mr Inglis

1 Sheep Do at the market

5 Shoats killed for the Slaves

at the lime Kiln

NB 3 Turkeys

1 Fowl Missing

Yam expended for the Slaves 16415

Good Yam for Stock 2000

Bad Do for Do 6460

24875

Errors Excepted

Signed

John Adamson

This account set out the Honourable Company's stock of cattle and other animals from 11 February to 12 March 1756. The figures ran across the categories of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each divided into its several kinds.

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 86 calves, 16 heifers, 62 yearlings, 21 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 290

Sheep: 326 ewes, 152 wethers, 135 lambs, 8 rams, total 621

Goats: 180 ewes, 78 wethers, 90 kids, 8 rams, total 356

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 25 pigs, 1 boar, total 39

Poultry: 229 fowls, 54 turkeys, 60 ducks, 18 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

Increased:

Cattle: 1 calf

Sheep: 1 lamb

Goats: 14 kids, total 14

Total:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 87 calves, 16 heifers, 62 yearlings, 21 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 291

Sheep: 326 ewes, 152 wethers, 149 lambs, 8 rams, total 635

Goats: 180 ewes, 78 wethers, 90 kids, 8 rams, total 356

Hogs: 7 sows, 3 shoats, 3 barrows, 25 pigs, 1 boar, total 39

Poultry: 229 fowls, 54 turkeys, 60 ducks, 18 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

Killed:

Cattle: 1 calf

Sheep: 9 lambs, total 9

Goats: 3 ewes, total 3

Hogs: 2 shoats, 3 barrows

Poultry: 5 fowls, 26 turkeys, 4 ducks, 10 geese

Died:

Sheep: 1 wether, total 1

Goats: 3 ewes, total 3

Hogs: 3 barrows

Poultry: 2 turkeys

Sold:

Sheep: 1 lamb, total 1

Goats: 1 ewe, total 1

Hogs: 2 shoats, total 2

Poultry: 1 duck

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 87 calves, 15 heifers, 62 yearlings, 21 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 290

Sheep: 324 ewes, 143 wethers, 149 lambs, 8 rams, total 624

Goats: 176 ewes, 74 wethers, 90 kids, 8 rams, total 348

Hogs: 7 sows, 1 shoat, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 32

Poultry: 203 fowls, 50 turkeys, 50 ducks, 17 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

The notes recorded that one beast was killed for the table, one goat was sold to Adamson, one goat to Inglis, one sheep sold at the market, and five shoats killed for the slaves at the lime kiln. A further note recorded three turkeys and one fowl missing.

Yams expended for the slaves: 16,415

Good yams for stock: 2,000

Bad yams for stock: 6,460

Total: 24,875

Interpretations

The heavy killing of poultry this month, 26 turkeys and 10 geese slaughtered where the previous accounts had taken only a handful, points to a particular occasion drawing on the yard, most probably the entertainment of the ships' officers then in the road or a feast in the settlement. This concentrated cull, set against the steady small killings of ordinary months, marks a moment when the table required far more than its usual provision, the poultry stock drawn down sharply to meet it.

The proportion of good to bad yams reversed sharply from the previous month, only 2,000 sound against 6,460 spoiled where February had recorded 8,000 good, which shows a poorer crop coming into store or the sound roots of the earlier month already drawn down for planting. Since the good yams were held for seed and fodder while the bad went for consumption, this shift left the plantation with far less fit to reserve, and the sharp rise in yams expended on the slaves to more than 16,000 suggests the poorer roots being consumed faster as the better stock dwindled.

The five shoats killed for the slaves at the lime kiln ties the workforce's provision to a particular labour, the burning of lime for mortar and plaster that the settlement's building required. That the young hogs were killed at the kiln itself marks the feeding of the slaves at their place of work, the fresh pork issued where the hard and hot labour of lime-burning was carried on rather than drawn from a central store.

270

261

1756

Gunners Stores expended from the 12 of February to the 11 of

March 1756 Viz

Gun Shott, Musq Shott, 4lb, 3lb, 2lb, 1lb, Powder expended

1756

Feb 17th: Fired at Ruperts for Practice & for Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

19th: Departed the Griffin, returned the Salute, Gun Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder expended 1.8

23rd: A Double Alarm, Gun Shott 9, 4lb 3, 3lb 3, 1lb 3, Powder expended 18

Powder for Priming at Prosperous Bay from

the 24 of May 1755, Powder expended 3

24th: Fired at Ruperts for Practice and for Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

26th: Do, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

March 2nd: Do, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

4th: Do, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

7th: An Alarm, Gun Shott 6, 4lb 2, 3lb 2, 1lb 2, Powder expended 12

8th: Arrived a Swede Ship returned the Salute, Gun Shott 14, 2lb 14, Powder expended 14

Powder for Priming, Powder expended 1.12

Do for Do at Bankses from 19 March 1755, Powder expended 3

9th: Fired at Ruperts for Practice & for Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

10th: An Alarm, Gun Shott 6, 4lb 2, 3lb 2, 1lb 2, Powder expended 12

11th: Arrived the London, returned the Salute, Gun Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder expended 1.8

Fired at Ruperts for Practice & for Priming, Gun Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder expended 16.12

Departed the Swede Ship, returned the Salute, Gun Shott 16, 2lb 16, Powder expended 16

Powder for Priming, Powder expended 2.8

Do for the Funeral of John Mitchel, Powder expended 2.4

Do Delivered for the use of the Flying Party, Powder expended 229.11

Do for Signals, Powder expended 1

Total: Gun Shott 125, Musq Shott 56, 4lb 63, 3lb 7, 2lb 48, 1lb 7, Powder expended 453.7

The Flaggs at Sarts Cape, Sugar Loaf, and the Fort Hill wore

out and Unserviceable

3

Copper

This account recorded the gunner's stores expended from 12 February to 11 March 1756, measured in grand shot, musket shot, four-pound shot, three-pound shot, two-pound shot, one-pound shot and powder in pounds and ounces.

17 February 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

19 February 1756: departed the Griffin, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

19 February 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

23 February 1756: a double alarm, 9 grand shot, 3 four-pound shot, 3 two-pound shot, 3 one-pound shot, 18lb powder

23 February 1756: powder for priming at Prosperous Bay from 24 May 1755, 3lb powder

24 February 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

26 February 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

2 March 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

4 March 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

7 March 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 two-pound shot, 2 one-pound shot, 12lb powder

8 March 1756: arrived a Swedish ship, returned the salute, 14 grand shot, 14 two-pound shot, 14lb powder

8 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 12oz powder

8 March 1756: powder for the guns at Bankses from 16 March 1755, 3lb powder

9 March 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

10 March 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 two-pound shot, 2 one-pound shot, 12lb powder

11 March 1756: arrived the London, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

11 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

11 March 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

11 March 1756: departed the Swedish ship, returned the salute, 16 grand shot, 16 two-pound shot, 16lb powder

11 March 1756: powder for priming, 2lb 8oz powder

11 March 1756: powder for the funeral of John Muckel, 2lb 4oz powder

11 March 1756: powder delivered for the use of the flying party, 229lb 11oz powder

11 March 1756: powder for signals, 1lb powder

Total: 125 grand shot, 56 musket shot, 63 four-pound shot, 7 three-pound shot, 48 two-pound shot, 7 one-pound shot, 453lb 7oz powder

The account also recorded that the flags at Sarts Cape, Sugar Loaf and the Fort Hill were worn out and unserviceable, and 3 copper items.

Interpretations

The Swedish ship was saluted with fourteen guns on her arrival and sixteen on her departure, more than the nine returned to the Company's own vessels, which reflects the greater ceremony extended to a foreign ship of war carrying her nation's colours. This heavier salute to the Prince Charles shows the courtesies of the sea graded by the standing of the visitor, a foreign East Indiaman honoured above the familiar Company traders that came and went on ordinary business.

The very large issue of nearly 230lb of powder to the flying party dominated the month's expenditure, dwarfing the routine practice firing and salutes, which shows the mobile detachment being stocked with a substantial reserve for its own use. This provisioning of the flying party with its own ammunition, set against Joseph Hayes's recent punishment for turning out to an alarm without any, marks a deliberate effort to keep the ready detachment properly supplied and armed against a sudden call.

The three coastal flags reported worn out at Sarts Cape, Sugar Loaf and the Fort Hill mark the signal stations by which the island watched the sea and passed word of approaching ships from point to point. That the flags had failed through weather and use shows the constant exposure of these lookout posts, and their replacement was part of maintaining the chain of signals on which the island's early warning of any arrival depended.

271

262

22 March

Copper Brads for the Flying Parties Ammunition Boxes 4760

Tallow for the Use of the Carpenters 4 lb

Do for the Use of the Carts 1 lb

Spunge Staves to the Armourer for Hammer Helves 1

Do to the Bakers for Peel helves 3

Paper for making small Cartridges 12 Qr

Do for Do false fires 2 Qr

Iron Crows broke at the Main Fort 4

Handspikes Do at Do 2

Long Dirk hoops for the use of the Hardwicke 130

Lead Shot delivered for the use of the Flying Partys 245 lb

Signed

Thomas Hall

Sundrys expended at the Table in the Month

ending the 11 March 1756 viz

10 Bottles Port Wine

£ 14 9½

26 Lisbon

1 18 5½

14 Mountain

8½

14 Madeira

1 13 3

62 Arrack

2 5 4

81 Beer

16 10½

340 lb Flour

2 2 6

244 lb Mutton

5 1 8

240 lb Beef

3

70 lb Goat

1 3 4

7 Pr Salt Pork

14

26 Fowls

1 19

10 Ducks

15

4 Turkeys

1

101 lb Candy

1 9 3½

29 lb Butter

1 9

£ 27 3 4½

This account continued the gunner's stores expended, recording the items spent without shot.

Copper bands for the flying party's ammunition boxes, 4,760

Tallow for the use of the carpenters, 4lb

Tallow for the use of the carts, 1lb

Spunge staves to the armourer for hammer helves, 1

Spunge staves to the bakers for peel helves, 3

Paper for making small cartridges, 12 quires

Paper for false fires, 2 quires

Sponsons broke at the main fort, 4

Handspikes broke at the main fort, 2

Long dink hooks for the use of the Hardwicke, 130

Lead shot delivered for the use of the flying party, 245lb

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

This account recorded the sundries expended at the table in the month ending 11 March 1756.

10 bottles port wine, £0 14s 9½d

26 Lisbon, £1 18s 5½d

14 mountain, £0 0s 8½d

14 Madeira, £1 13s 3d

62 arrack, £2 5s 4d

84 beer, £0 16s 10½d

340lb flour, £2 2s 6d

264lb mutton, £5 1s 8d

240 beef, £3 0s 0d

70 goat, £1 3s 4d

7 pieces salt pork, £0 12s 0d

26 fowls, £1 19s 0d

10 ducks, £0 15s 0d

4 turkeys, £0 0s 0d

101lb candy, £1 9s 5½d

29lb butter, £1 9s 0d

Total, £27 3s 1½d

Interpretations

The gunner's stores again supplied helves to trades outside the artillery, spunge staves given to the armourer for his hammer handles and to the bakers for the handles of their peels, which shows the gunner's store of ready wood serving as a common source of tool handles for the settlement's craftsmen. The peel was the long-handled shovel by which the bakers set loaves into and drew them from the oven, and its repair from the gunner's stock marks the sharing of materials across the island's trades.

The lead shot and copper bands issued in quantity to the flying party continued the stocking of that detachment recorded in the powder account, the mobile force built up with a full supply of ammunition and the fittings for its ammunition boxes. This steady provisioning of the flying party across the month marks a sustained effort to bring the ready detachment to full readiness, the same concern for its arms that lay behind the punishment of the soldier who had turned out to an alarm unprepared.

The false fires made up from paper were a pyrotechnic signal burned to communicate at night or over distance, distinct from the firing of guns, which shows the island's system of signals reaching beyond the coastal flags to night-time communication. Their manufacture from the gunner's paper alongside the cartridge paper marks the store as the source of the settlement's signalling materials as well as its gunnery, the means of passing word by light as well as by flag and gun.

272

263

1756

The Storekeeper brought in the following

Account of Stores short received from Ship London viz

Account of Stores short Received from

Ship London viz

14 Bags Rice damaged short delivered

qr Md 2½ lb Paddy short Weight

2½ Cotton

No 1 half Leag Arrack Gage 79 wants to fill 57½ Gallons

2 Do 77½ Do 3½

3 Do 79½ Do 5½

4 Do 80 Do 3½

316 18

18

22 March 1756

Received 298 Gallons

Signed

M Burling Storekpr

Relisted Jonathan Hitchens to serve

the Honorable Company as a Soldier, for five years at Ten Pounds

Bounty money, and had the Articles of War read to him by the

Adjutant

The storekeeper brought in the following account of stores received short from the ship London.

The account set out the stores that fell short or arrived damaged on delivery from the ship London.

14 bags rice damaged, short delivered

Paddy short weight

2½lb cotton short weight

No 1 half leaguer arrack, gaged 79, wanting to fill 5½ gallons

No 2 half leaguer arrack, gaged 77½, wanting 5½ gallons

No 3 half leaguer arrack, gaged 79½, wanting 5½ gallons

No 4 half leaguer arrack, gaged 80, wanting 3½ gallons

Total gaged, 316

Total wanting, 18

Received, 298 gallons

The account was dated 22 March 1756 and signed by M Burling, storekeeper.

Jonathan Hitchens was re-enlisted to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier for five years on a bounty of £10 0s 0d. The Adjutant read him the Articles of War.

Interpretations

The storekeeper checked the London's cargo against its invoice as he had every ship's delivery, recording the damaged rice, the short paddy and cotton, and the deficiency in each arrack cask, which shows the same routine scrutiny applied unbroken to each vessel in turn. The 18 gallons of spirit wanting out of 316 arose from leakage or short filling on the voyage, and the formal account of the shortfall before the council created the record on which the loss could be charged rather than absorbed.

Jonathan Hitchens, re-enlisting here for a further five years on the same £10 bounty, had already been paid earlier in the record for carpenter's work done for the Company, which shows a skilled tradesman continuing in the garrison as a soldier while also plying his craft. That the bounty and the reading of the Articles of War attended his re-enlistment exactly as they had the fresh recruits marks the renewal of service as a formal act, binding an existing soldier anew to military discipline for a fixed further term.

273

264

22 March

Thomas Lovinz the Honorable

Companys Carpenter presented the following Petition Viz

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson

Esq Governor & Council of St Helena

The humble Petition of Thomas Lovinz

Sheweth

That your Petitioner being desirous

to Assign to Mr John Clark his right for the remainder part

of the Time in a Lease, for a parcel of Ground, with a House

thereon, Situate between the House of Nathan Sample, and

the House belonging to the Parish, humbly begs that your

Worship and Council will grant him liberty so to do, And

your Petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray

Signed

Thomas Lovinz

22 March 1756

Granted

Cornelius Berg Steward of the Ship

Hardwicke this Day appearing, and asked what he knew of

William Paddoms being on board the Swedish Ship the Prince

Charles, Delares that he saw the said William Paddom on board

the said Swedish Ship the Prince Charles between her Decks

and Likewise saw him bring some things from her, but does not

know what they were or who they belonged to

William Paddom being now asked whether

he

Thomas Loving, the Honourable Company's carpenter, presented a petition to Governor Hutchinson and the council of St Helena. He wished to assign to John Clark his right for the remaining term of a lease on a parcel of ground with a house on it, lying between the house of Nathan Sample and the house belonging to the parish, and he asked the council to grant him leave to do so. The petition was dated 22 March 1756 and signed by Thomas Loving. The council granted it.

Cornelius Berg, steward of the ship Hardwicke, appeared that day and was asked what he knew of William Paddom being aboard the Swedish ship the Prince Charles. He stated that he had seen Paddom aboard the Prince Charles between her decks and had likewise seen him bring some things from her, but did not know what they were or whom they belonged to.

Interpretations

The petition to assign the remainder of a lease shows the island's land held on fixed terms that could be transferred with the council's consent, a leaseholder passing his interest to another only by formal leave rather than freely. That the council's permission was required to assign the lease marks its control over who held and occupied ground on the island, the transfer of even a private tenancy subject to the sanction of the governing body.

The steward's testimony that he had seen Paddom between the decks of the Swedish ship and carrying goods from her supplied the corroboration the council had waited for, the very evidence for which the enquiry had been adjourned when the steward was still at sea. That his account confirmed Paddom aboard and bearing things ashore, where Paddom had first denied going further than the gangway, shows the council's patience in holding the matter open rewarded, the witness returning to settle the disputed question of the unauthorised dealing with the foreign vessel.

274

265

1756

he was on board the abovementioned Ship, owned he was, and that he

brought from her, for himself five China Bowls, and three China Muggs

which he got for a pair of Buckles, that he let one of the Swedish

Men have

It being plainly proved that William

Paddom has behaved very rudely and insolently not only to the

second and fourth Mates of the Ship Hardwicke, but Likewise to some

of the Officers of the Garrison, and that he did go on board the Swedish

Ship the Prince Charles in manifest Breach of an Order of Council

Published the 19 of May 1755 forbiding all Persons to go on board

any foreign Ship whatsoever, We therefore for these his Misdeameanors

fined him in the Sum of five Pounds, and took his Licence for retailing

Spirituous Liquors from him, acquainting him at the same time if

he should hereafter be guilty of any irregularitys he should then be

sent of the Island

It being proved that Archibald Bouge had

detained a Woman Slave of Mr John Desfountains several days from

her Masters Service, which the said Bouge himself Confessed we therefore

ordered him to pay Mr Desfountain Twenty Shillings for the loss of

the said Slaves time, And it being his first offence and he Poor we

fined him only five Shilling to the Honorable Companys Cash

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

William Paddom, now asked whether he had been aboard the ship, admitted that he had, and that he had brought from her for himself five china bowls and three china mugs, which he got for a pair of buckles that he let one of the Swedish men have.

Since it was plainly proved that William Paddom had behaved very rudely and insolently not only to the second and fourth mates of the ship Hardwicke but also to some of the officers of the garrison, and that he had gone aboard the Swedish ship the Prince Charles in clear breach of an order of council published on 19 May 1755 forbidding all persons from going aboard any foreign ship whatever, the council fined him £5 for these offences and took away his licence for selling spirituous liquors. They warned him at the same time that if he were guilty of any further irregularity he would then be sent off the island.

Since it was proved that Archibald Bouge had detained a woman slave belonging to John Desfountain for several days from her master's service, which Bouge himself confessed, the council ordered him to pay Desfountain 20s for the loss of the slave's labour. As it was his first offence and he was poor, they fined him only 5s to the Honourable Company's cash.

Interpretations

The order of council forbidding all persons from going aboard any foreign ship, cited here from 19 May 1755, reveals the standing restriction by which the Company controlled contact between the island and vessels of other nations, guarding against unauthorised trade, the carrying of intelligence and the loss of men. That Paddom's small barter of a pair of buckles for china bowls and mugs was treated as a breach worth a heavy fine and the loss of his licence shows how seriously the council held the rule, the penalty falling not on the value of the goods but on the defiance of the prohibition.

The revocation of Paddom's licence to sell liquor struck at his livelihood rather than merely his purse, which shows the council using its power over the drink trade as an instrument of discipline, withdrawing the privilege it had granted from a man who had abused it. Coupled with the threat to send him off the island entirely, this marks a graduated escalation of punishment, the council reaching first for his trade and holding banishment in reserve against any further offence.

The reckoning of a distinct payment to John Desfountain for the labour lost while his slave was detained shows the enslaved treated in law as a source of value whose work belonged to the master, the wrong measured as an injury to his property rather than to the woman herself. That the fine to the Company was set low because Bouge was poor and a first offender, while the compensation to the master was fixed separately at the higher sum, marks the council distinguishing the public penalty from the private loss, the one tempered to the man's means and the other measured by the value of the labour taken.

275

266

29 March

At a Consultation held on monday the 29 Day of March

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated

the 22 March 1756

Thomas Tufnell, John Grove, John

Kensey, John Tull and Thomas Jackson Soldiers on Tuesday

last petitioned for their Discharges from the Garrison, having

served the Honorable Company their Contracted times

Granted

Wednesday the 24 Passed by eight Dutch Ships and the same Day came

into the road one Dutch Ship, which sent her boat on Shore to

Desire they might fill a few Casks of Water which she accordingly

did, and joyned the fleet that evening, the Dutch Officer that

came in the Boat enformed us that they left the Cape the 2

instant, where was the Honorable Companys Ship the Delaware

outward bound

Friday the 26 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Drake Capt Foster from China

Passed by a Danish Ship, Tranquebar, but Last from the Cape a

Boat Likewise came on Shore from her

Yesterday Died Margaret Wife of William Turner

This Day arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Britannia Captain

Norway from China

At a consultation held on Monday 29 March 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 22 March 1756, was read, approved and signed.

Thomas Tusnell, John Grove, John Kensey, John Tull and Thomas Jackson, soldiers, had petitioned the previous Tuesday for their discharges from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company their contracted terms. The council granted the discharges.

On Wednesday 24 March eight Dutch ships passed by, and the same day a Dutch ship came into the road. She sent her boat ashore to ask whether she might fill a few casks of water, which she did, and joined the fleet that evening. The Dutch officer who came in the boat reported that they had left the Cape on an earlier day of the month, where the Honourable Company's ship Delaware lay outward bound.

On Friday 26 March the Honourable Company's ship Drake, commanded by Captain Foster, arrived from China. A Danish ship passed by, bound for Tranquebar, but a boat came ashore from her. Margaret, wife of William Turner, died the previous day.

The Honourable Company's ship Britannia, commanded by Captain Norway, arrived from China that day.

Interpretations

The discharge of five soldiers who had served out their contracted terms shows the garrison manned on fixed engagements that entitled a man to his release when his time expired, the same five-year contracts under which the recruits were enlisted with their bounty and the reading of the Articles of War. That the men had to petition for their discharge and receive the council's grant marks the formal close of service, the soldier freed from his obligation only by the governing body's acknowledgement that his term was complete.

The passing of eight Dutch ships and a Danish vessel bound for Tranquebar, together with the news of the Company's Delaware at the Cape, shows the island set on the great sea road between Europe and the East where the shipping of every nation converged. The Dutch ship's stop for water and the intelligence her officer carried of ships at the Cape mark St Helena's double value as a watering place and a point where news of distant shipping was gathered and exchanged, the traffic of many flags passing within sight of the road.

The Dutch ship taking on only a few casks of water before rejoining her fleet the same evening shows the island serving even the briefest need of passing shipping, a vessel pausing merely to replenish water without a full call. That a foreign fleet sailed in company and one of its ships broke off only long enough to water reflects the wartime caution of ships keeping together on the long passage, the island offering a quick refreshment to vessels that would not linger.

276

267

1756

Relisted the following Men to serve the

Honorable Company as Soldiers for five Years at Ten Pounds Bounty

Money, their Times to commence the 23 instant and had the Articles

of War read to them

John Hyde

Thomas Morress

William Thomson

George Capelin

Isaac Day

Thomas Saylor

Thomas Lindsay

Adam Scott

George Ribbot

Thomas Mason

Roger Wetman

Phillip Hoffman

John Cosler

John Grainger

Joseph Smith

Richard Goulding

Thomas Williams

+ + + + + + + + + + +

The Widow and Executors of the last John

Twaits this Day presented his Last Will and

Testament Desiring the same might be proved which was accordingly

done upon the Oaths of the Witnesses thereto the Will is as follows viz

In the Name of God Amen this 19 Day of April 1755, I John

Twaites of the Isd of St Helena being Sick and Weak in Body, but of

Sound and perfect Mind and memory, Do make and Appoint this to

be my last Will and Testament, that is to say first and principally I

give and Recommend my Soul, into the hands of Almighty God my

Creator, my Body I commit to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian

like and Decent manner, At the Discretion of my Executors hereafter

Named, My Worldly Goods wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless

me with I give Devise and Dispose of in manner and form as

followeth

Imprimis I give to my well beloved Wife the half of my Freehold Lands as also

the half of my Dwelling house or Houses during her Natural Life and

the thirds of my Personal Estate to be at her Disposal

Item

The following men were re-enlisted to serve the Honourable Company as soldiers for five years on a bounty of £10 0s 0d, their terms to commence 23 March. The Adjutant read them the Articles of War.

John Hyde

Thomas Morress

William Thomson

George Capelin

Isaac Day

Thomas Saylor

Thomas Lindsay

Adam Scott

George Kibbot

Thomas Mason

Roger Wetman

Phillip Hochman

John Cosley

John Grainger

Joseph Smith

Richard Goulding

Thomas Williams

The widow and executor of John Twaits presented his last will and testament that day and asked that it be proved, which was done on the oaths of the witnesses to it. The will ran as follows.

Dated 19 April 1755, it opened in the name of God. John Twaits of St Helena, sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory, declared this his last will and testament. He committed his soul into the hands of Almighty God his creator, and his body to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner at the discretion of his executors. He then disposed of his worldly goods as follows.

First, he gave to his well beloved wife half of his freehold lands, together with half of his dwelling house or houses during her natural life, and a third of his personal estate to be at her disposal.

Interpretations

The seventeen men re-enlisting together on the same day and terms shows the garrison renewing a large body of its soldiers at once, their five-year contracts falling due and their service continued by fresh engagement rather than discharge. That the same bounty and reading of the Articles of War attended this mass re-enlistment as attended each new recruit marks the renewal of service as a formal act binding the men anew, and the number renewing together suggests a cohort enlisted at one time now bound for a further term.

The will disposes of freehold land and a dwelling house, which shows John Twaits as a man of some settled property on the island rather than a mere servant, holding land in freehold that passed by his own testament. That he devised only half his land and house to his widow for her life, with a third of his personal estate, reflects the customary division of an estate that reserved the remainder for children or other heirs, the widow provided for during her life while the substance of the property passed on.

This John Twaits was most probably kin to the soldier William Twaits whose death and funeral were recorded earlier in the record, the shared and uncommon surname suggesting a family established on the island across more than one member. The proving of his will before the council on the oaths of the witnesses follows the same procedure applied to the soldier William Cain's will at the start of the record, the governing body serving as the probate authority where no separate court sat.

277

268

29 March

Item To my well beloved Children which are one Son and Five

Daughters I give an Equal share and proportion in my Estate

but as my said Children are all Young and my Lands when

Divided not sufficient to bring them up, it is my Will and

Desire, that my Lands and other Goods & Chattles be kept

intirely together for the good & Benefit of my Wife and

Children Untill the Youngest Child that shall be Surviving

shall Attain to the Age of Fifteen years or Marriage and then

all that are of Twenty one Years of Age to receive their parts

or Shares, to these Conditions my said Wife hath promised

and hope she will abide by and be agreeable to her

Item As to the Division of my Lands, there not being Enough for them

all I leave the same to Three of my said Children they to be

Accountable to the other Children in their Equal Shares as above

mentioned as also when the whole shall fall to them at their

mothers Decease (Vez) John my Son, and Temperance, and

Mary my Daughters, that is to say To my Son John I give the

Cabbagetree Lands being Nine Acres of Freehold and Seventeen

Leased

To my Daughter Temperance I give the Lands Called Casthopes

being Thirteen, and an half Acres Leased

To Mary my other Daughter I give the Land my dwelling House

stands upon being Four Acres and also Four Acres called

Highams the whole containing Eight Acres all Leased

Item I give to Mary Griffith my Daughter in Law, One Black Girl

named Rate to be delivered even after my Decease

Item I Constitute Nominate and appoint my Beloved Wife to be Executrix

and my Good friends James Guentee & John Worrall Executors to

this my Will Revoking and making Void all former Will or Wills

by me made, Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be

my Last Will and Testament

Signed Sealed, and Declared to be the

Last Will of him the said John Twaites in

the presence of Us

Signed Benjn Teale

Owen Griffith

Rich Beale

Signed

John Twaits

The will of John Twaits continued with the disposal of the remainder of his estate to his children.

To his children, one son and five daughters, he gave an equal share and proportion of his estate. Since they were all young and his lands when divided would not be enough to bring them up, he directed that his lands and other goods be kept together entirely for the good and benefit of his wife and children until the youngest surviving child reached the age of fifteen or married, and then that all who were of twenty-one years of age should receive their parts or shares. His wife had promised to abide by these conditions, and he hoped she would keep to them.

As to the division of his lands, there not being enough for them all, he left the same to three of his children, they to be accountable to the other children for their equal shares as set out, and likewise when the whole should fall to them at their mother's death. To his son John he gave the Cabbage Tree lands, being nine acres of freehold and seventeen acres of leasehold. To his daughter Temperance he gave the lands called Easthopes, being thirteen and a half acres of leasehold. To his daughter Mary he gave the land his dwelling house stood upon, being four acres, and also four acres called Highams, the whole being eight acres, all leasehold.

He gave to Mary Griffith, his daughter in law, one black girl named Bett, to be delivered even after his death.

He nominated his wife executrix and his friends James Guentee and John Worrall executors to his will, revoking all former wills and confirming this as his last. The will was signed by John Twaits and sealed, published and declared in the presence of the witnesses Benjamin Seale, Owen Griffith and Richard Beale.

Interpretations

The will's direction to keep the whole estate together until the youngest child came of age reveals a deliberate strategy against the fragmentation of a modest landholding, the testator judging that his lands divided at once would be too small to raise his children but held whole could support them all. This device of postponing the division and binding the widow to maintain the family on the undivided property shows a man of small means using his will to preserve the estate's viability across a generation rather than splitting it into unworkable portions.

The careful naming of each parcel of land, the Cabbage Tree lands, Easthopes, Highams and the ground beneath the dwelling house, with its exact acreage divided between freehold and leasehold, marks the settled and particular system of landholding on the island where every plot bore its name and its tenure. That most of the land was held on lease and only a portion in freehold reflects how the Company retained ultimate ownership of much of the island, its inhabitants holding their ground on terms rather than in absolute possession.

The bequest of a named enslaved girl among the household goods shows the enslaved passing by will as property like the land and chattels, a human being disposed of by testament to a family member. That Bett was given to the daughter in law alongside the division of lands and estate marks the ordinary place of slaves within the inheritable wealth of even a modest island household, the girl reckoned an asset to be handed on with the rest of the personal estate.

278

269

1756

The Ships Brittannia and Drake

brought us the following supply from China Viz

Invoice of Ship Brittannia Viz

Sugar 15 No 1 to 15 qr nett 33 62 @

Sur 4 Md 6 Ce Sur 163 Md 8 Ce 3 2

Sugar

Candy 15 16 30 31 2

Sur 6 186 1 2

30 Chests @

Sur 3 9

Sales Sur 358 Md 9 Ce 7 2

Errors Excepted

Signed

Fredk Pigou

Thos Lockwood

Rich Paisley

Fras Kennersley

Invoice of Ship Drake Viz

B No 1 to 4 Bohea Tea 4 Chests qr Latters

Containing Nett 5 3

Sur 17 Md qr Ce Sur 85 Md 5 Ce 1

S No 5 to 12 Single Tea 8 Tubs @

containing Nett 4 16

Sur 22 5 93 6

Carried over Sales 179 1 1

The ships Britannia and Drake brought the following supply from China. Values were expressed in taels, mace and candareens.

The invoice was headed by the ship Britannia.

Sugar, No 1 to 15, of 15 chests, nett 33 at 62 candareens, 4 taels 6 mace, 163 taels 8 mace 3 candareens 2

Sugar candy, 15 chests at 16 at 30, 31 taels 2 mace, 6 taels, 186 taels 1 mace 2

30 chests, 3 taels, 9 taels

Sales, 358 taels 9 mace 7 candareens 2

The account was signed by Frederick Pigou, Thomas Lockwood, Richard Paisley and Francis Kennersley, errors excepted.

The invoice was headed by the ship Drake.

Bohea tea, marked B, No 1 to 4, 4 chests of 4 caddies, containing nett 5 at 3, 17 taels at rate, 85 taels 5 mace 1

Singlo tea, marked S, No 1 to 2, 8 tubs, containing nett 4 at 16, 22 taels 5 mace, 93 taels 6 mace

Carried over, sales 179 taels 1 mace 1

Interpretations

The two ships fresh from China landed sugar, sugar candy and tea reckoned directly in Chinese money, taels, mace and candareens, which shows the goods invoiced in the currency of Canton before conversion on the island, the direct product of the Company's China trade brought to the settlement without passing through an Indian reckoning. That these cargoes were valued in taels where the earlier ships from Bengal were reckoned in rupees marks the two distinct arms of the eastern trade, the Chinese and the Indian, each carrying its own currency to the island.

The tea came graded and packed in the manner of the China trade, the black Bohea in chests lined with caddies and the green Singlo in tubs, each measured to its net weight, which shows the careful packing by which the leaf was carried across the world to reach the market sound. The caddies within the chests were the inner containers that held and protected the tea, and their mention marks the standard method of shipping a delicate commodity that spoiled if carelessly stowed on the long voyage from Canton.

279

270

29 March

Brought over Sales Sur 179 Md 1 Ce 1

C No 13 to 19 Congo Tea 7 Chests

containing Nett 4 20

Sur 26 Md qr Ce 109 2

No 1 to 2 China Ware 2 Chests Containing

12 Sets of Dishes & Plates

Dishes Plates 21 first

5 20 in a Set

25 2

5 Soop Dishes 8 each

4

30 Do Plates 4

2

100 Basons 2 4

2 4

30 Salade Dishes 1

3

12 Chamber Pots 2

2 4

12 Guglets & Basons 4

4 8

56 Cups & Saucers 6

3

30 Do & Do smaller 4

2

12 Sauce boats 4

4 8

50 Bowls 9

4 5

10 Patting Pans 1.3

1 5

55 2 8

Deduct 2 pr Ct for breakage 1 1

54 1 8

S No 1 to 10 Sugar 10 Chests

Containing nett 21 66 @

Sur 4 Md 6 Ce 99 6 3 6

SC No 11 to 33 Sugar Candy 20 Chests

containing Nett 20 40

Sur 6 122 4

Do Tubs 2 69

Sur 7 6 20 4 4 4

30 Chests

Sur 3 9

Sales Sur 505 9 7

Errors Excepted

Signed

Fredh Pigou

Thos Lockwood

Rich Paisley

Francis Wood

Thos Smith

This account continued the invoice of the ship Drake, carrying over the running total, with values in taels, mace and candareens.

Brought over, sales 179 taels 1 mace 1

Congo tea, marked C, No 13 to 19, 7 chests, containing nett 4 at 20, 26 taels, 109 taels 2 mace

China ware, No 1 to 2, 2 chests containing:

12 sets of dishes and plates, 3 at 20 in a set, 25 taels 2 mace

5 soup dishes at 8 each, 4 taels

30 dishes and plates at 4, 2 taels

100 basins at 2 mace 4, 2 taels 4 mace

30 salad dishes at 1, 3 taels

12 chamber pots at 2, 2 taels 4 mace

12 guglets and basins at 4, 4 taels 8 mace

36 cups and saucers at 6, 3 taels

30 cups and saucers smaller at 4, 2 taels

12 sauce boats at 4, 4 mace 8

50 bowls at 9, 4 taels 5 mace

10 patty pans at 1 at 3, 1 tael 5 mace

Deduct 2 per cent for breakage, 1 tael 1 mace

Total, 54 taels 1 mace 8

Sugar, marked S, No 1 to 10, 10 chests, containing nett 21 at 66, 4 taels 6 mace, 99 taels 6 mace 3 candareens 6

Sugar candy, marked SC, No 11 to 33, 20 chests, containing nett 20 at 40, 6 taels, 122 taels 4 mace

Sugar candy in tubs, 2 at 69, 7 taels 6 mace, 20 taels 4 mace 4 candareens 4

30 chests, 3 taels, 9 taels

Sales, 503 taels 9 mace 7

The account was signed by Frederick Pigou, Thomas Lockwood, Richard Paisley, Francis Wood and Thomas Smith, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The porcelain shipped from China came in a full range of the table and household, from dishes and plates in sets to soup dishes, salad dishes, chamber pots, guglets and patty pans, all reckoned in Chinese money and packed two chests to the consignment. This variety of fine china carried direct from Canton shows the island supplied with the same wares then filling genteel households in England, the Company's China trade bringing porcelain to a remote Atlantic settlement as readily as to the home market.

The deduction of two per cent from the value of the china for breakage was a standing allowance built into the invoice against the inevitable loss of so brittle a cargo on the long voyage, which shows the trade reckoning breakage as a normal cost to be discounted at the outset rather than a shortfall to be disputed on arrival. This routine abatement marks the accumulated experience of shipping porcelain across the world, the merchants pricing in the certainty that some portion would arrive broken.

The chamber pots and patty pans listed among the fine dishes and cups show the porcelain serving the whole range of domestic use, from the dining table to the bedchamber and the kitchen, a single cargo furnishing every room of a household. That such ordinary vessels came in Chinese porcelain rather than plain earthenware reflects both the cheapness of the China trade's wares by this date and the reach of a commerce that clothed even the humbler offices of the house in imported china.

280

271

1756

Lieutenant John Clark reports that

he has been on board the Ship London to muster her Company

and enquire for Deserters but found none her muster Roll is as

follows Viz

Muster Roll of Ship London

Rich Allwright Command

Corn Ingles 1 mate

James Sateham 2 Do

William Mercer 3 Do

Thomas Mitchell 4 Do

William Evers 5 Do

James Booth Surgeon

Joseph Frankler Carpenter

Jonathan Webb Boatswain

Edward Nickalls Gunner

Samuel Clements Caulker

Samuel Eve Cooper

Ralph Archbold Armourer

Rob Gardiner Caps Steward

Mich Routledge Ships Do

William Davis Butcher

Wm Gordon Caps Cook

Nath Wadsworth Ships Do

John Turner Poulter

John Inson Sailmaker

Wm Clarkson Surgeons Mate

Wm Cooke Carpenters 1 Do

Archd Dempster Do 2 Do

Alex McFarlane Boatswn 1 Do

Tho Purle Do 2 Do

Francis Nicolo Gunn mate

John Bunyan Caulkers Do

John Johnson Coopers Do

Roderick Merchand Taylor

Wm McCullough Barber

Rob Callender midsh & Coxswain

Wm Ossley Midshupman

George Dove Do

John Saunder Do

Samuel Woodhead Do

George Man Qr Master

Richard Phillips Do

Richard Dorset Do

Alex Meverhead Do

John Moffat Seaman

Edward Street Do

Robert Norton Do

Robert Callender Do

John Cleigh Do

David Jones Do

Samuel Richards Do

Wm Gilbert Do

Joseph Cresswell Do

William Wilkins Do

James Green Do

William Hudson Seaman

George Ridgewell Do

Charles Baddi Do

William Turner Do

Peter Johnson Do

Edward Cooke Do

Peter Blate Do

Samuel Ironhead Do

Jace Conner Do

John Mavey Do

Thomas Hawkins Do

James Asson Do

Joseph DeSosta Do

Nick Hochsworth Do

John Mills Do

Michel Dove Do

Emanuel Josee Do

Peter Bateman Do

Joseph Young Do

Emanuel Anthony Do

John McKeir Makers Servt

Daniel Ardour 2 Do Do

Charles Devon Surgs Do

Edward Lefort Caps Do

James Quincey Boat

Sebast

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship London to muster her company and enquire for deserters, but found none. Her muster roll ran as follows.

The muster roll of the ship London listed her company by name and rating.

Richard Allwright, commander

Cornelius Ingles, first mate

James Sateham, second mate

William Mercer, third mate

Thomas Mitchell, fourth mate

William Evers, fifth mate

James Booth, surgeon

Joseph Frankler, carpenter

Jonathan Webb, boatswain

Edward Nickalls, gunner

Samuel Clements, caulker

Samuel Eve, cooper

Ralph Archbold, armourer

Robert Gardiner, captain's steward

Michael Routledge, ship's steward

William Davis, butcher

William Gordon, captain's cook

Nathanel Wadsworth, ship's cook

John Tyner, poulterer

John Inson, sailmaker

William Clarkson, surgeon's mate

William Cooke, carpenter's first mate

Archibald Dempster, carpenter's second mate

Alexander McFarlane, boatswain's first mate

Thomas Peirle, boatswain's second mate

Francis Necolo Gunn, gunner's mate

John Bunyan, caulker's mate

John Johnson, cooper's mate

Roderick Merchand, tailor

William McCullough, barber

Robert Callend, midshipman and coxswain

William Offeley, midshipman

George Dove, midshipman

John Saunder, midshipman

Lemuel Woodhead, midshipman

George Man, second master

Richard Phillips, midshipman

Richard Dorset, midshipman

Alexander Merchand, midshipman

John Moffat, seaman

Edward Street, seaman

Robert Norton, seaman

Robert Callender, seaman

John Cleigh, seaman

David Jones, seaman

Samuel Richards, seaman

William Gilbert, seaman

Joseph Cresswell, seaman

William Wilkins, seaman

James Green, seaman

William Hudson, seaman

George Ridgewell, seaman

Charles Baddie, seaman

William Turner, seaman

Peter Johnson, seaman

Edward Cooke, seaman

Peter Blate, seaman

Samuel Ironshead, seaman

Jace Connor, seaman

John Mavey, seaman

Thomas Hawkins, seaman

James Aspen, seaman

Joseph Delofsta, seaman

Nicholas Hochsworth, seaman

John Mills, seaman

Michael Dove, seaman

Emanuel Josse, seaman

Peter Bateman, seaman

Joseph Young, seaman

Emanuel Anthony, seaman

John McKeer, matross

Daniel Ardour, second matross

Charles Devon, surgeon's second mate

Edward Lefort, captain's servant

James Quincey, boatswain's servant

Interpretations

The mustering of the London and the search for deserters aboard her was the same standing duty performed on every ship in the road, the council checking each vessel's crew against her roll to catch any man who might slip ashore and vanish on the island. That an officer went aboard each ship in turn, the Hardwicke and now the London, shows the regularity of the check, applied without exception to every Company vessel that anchored to guard against both the loss of seamen and the gain of unwanted stragglers.

The muster roll again sets out the full manning of an East Indiaman, from the commander and his five mates through every specialist trade to the body of seamen and the servants of the officers, which shows the elaborate establishment such a ship carried for her long voyage. The presence of a butcher, poulterer, barber and tailor alongside the gunner, surgeon and carpenter marks how a great merchantman had to be a self-contained community, carrying every trade needed to feed, tend and repair itself across months at sea.

281

272

29 March

Sebast Rosaru Caps Serv

Anthony Worcester Seaman

John De Rouse Do

John Brown Do

Richard Dent Do

James Creath Do

Lascars

Soad Seprang

Sordy Tendall

Lavage Lascar

Banehou Do

Burnou Laal Do

Choota Laal Do

Bodara Do

Saadaat Do

Cadew Do

Adamjee Do

Paunohoo Do

Rueffish Lascar

Hassamjee Do

Ranychiney Do

Calomuy Do

Ameen Do

Nassen Do

Brawn Do

Anthony Do

Rich Scarr Purser

This account continued the muster roll of the ship London, listing the remainder of her company and her lascars.

Sebastian Rosaw, captain's servant

Anthony Worcester, seaman

John De Rouge, seaman

John Brown, seaman

Richard Dent, seaman

James Creath, seaman

Lascars:

Soad, serang

Sordy, tindal

Lavage, lascar

Banehow, lascar

Burrow Laal, lascar

Choota Laal, lascar

Bodara, lascar

Saadaat, lascar

Cadew, lascar

Adamjee, lascar

Paunohoo, lascar

Rufseck, lascar

Hassamjee, lascar

Ranychinny, lascar

Calomey, lascar

Ameen, lascar

Nafseer, lascar

Brawn, lascar

Anthony, lascar

Richard Scarr, purser

The council then counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash. It ran as follows.

Interpretations

The London carried a substantial body of Indian lascars under their own serang and tindal, the same manner of organisation seen aboard the Hardwicke, which shows how the East Indiamen depended on South Asian seamen shipped from the Indian ports to make up their crews for the eastern voyages. That the lascars were mustered as a distinct division under their own petty officers marks them as a separate community within the ship, recruited and led in their own fashion rather than dispersed among the European seamen.

The council's muster reaching the lascars by name as carefully as the European crew shows the check applied to every soul aboard regardless of origin, the same concern with who might come ashore on the island extending to the Indian seamen. That even these men, far from their own country and unlikely to remain, were named in the roll reflects the thoroughness of the settlement's account of all who arrived on each ship, the muster serving as a complete record of every person the vessel brought within reach of the shore.

282

273

Cash Dr

1756

Feb 12 To Balance remaining

£ 2737 10 ½

March 8 To Fines received of Joseph Hayes as pr

Consultation of this Day

10

£ 2738 ½

Per Contra Cr

1756

March 11 By Balance remaining in the following Species Viz

1000 Venetians @ 10/

£ 500

200 Pagodas 8/

80

Gold Amounting to £ 580

1149 Dollars @ 5/

£ 287 5

10.000 Rupees 2/3

1125

12948 Half Rials 3¾

202 6 3

441 French Pieces 1/2

3 13 6

Odd Money 3½

Silver Amounting to £ 1618 5 ½

Cash Notes Amounting to £ 539 15

£ 2738 ½

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This account recorded the Company's cash, setting the debtor side against the balance remaining in specie.

12 February 1756: to balance remaining, £2,737 10s 0½d

8 March 1756: to fines received of Joseph Hayes as per consultation of this day, £0 10s 0d

Total, £2,738 0s 0½d

The balance remaining was held in the following specie.

Gold:

1,000 venetians at 10s, £500 0s 0d

200 pagodas at 8s, £80 0s 0d

Gold amounting to, £580 0s 0d

Silver:

1,149 dollars at 5s, £287 5s 0d

10,000 rupees at 2s 3d, £1,125 0s 0d

12,948 half reals at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 1s 2d, £31 3s 6d

Old money, £0 0s 3½d

Silver amounting to, £1,618 5s 0½d

Cash notes amounting to, £539 15s 0d

Total, £2,738 0s 0½d

The account was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The only movement in the cash this month was the 10s fine received from Joseph Hayes for turning out to an alarm with an unserviceable carbine, added to the standing balance, which shows how a small disciplinary penalty flowed straight into the Company's cash and was recorded in the running account. That the fine appears here on the debtor side ties the council's punishment of a negligent soldier directly to the settlement's finances, the penalty of the purse becoming a receipt in the cash book.

The two additional dollars in the reserve, raising the silver by 10s against the previous count, account exactly for the fine received, which shows the coin paid by Hayes entering the chest and swelling the balance by the precise sum of his penalty. This close correspondence between the recorded fine and the increase in the specie marks the tight integration of the cash account, every receipt traceable to its source and reflected to the shilling in the money actually held.

283

274

5 April

At a Consultation held on Monday the 5 Day of April 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and signed

Dated the 29 March 1756

Thursday the 1 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ships the Alderd Prince of Wales and

Kent from China

Saturday the 3 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Prince George from China

The Storekeeper brought in the

following Account of Stores short received from Ship

Drake Viz

Account of Stores Short Received from

Ship Drake Viz

2 Sugar

12 Candy short Weight

1 Guglet

1 Patting Pot

1 Bowl

1 Meat Dish

1 Salad Do

11 Meat Plates

3 Soop Do

2 Sneekers

4 ½ pint Cups

8 Saucers

Broke

5 April 1756

Signed

M Burling Storekpr

At a consultation held on Monday 5 April 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 29 March 1756, was read, approved and signed.

On Thursday 1 April the Honourable Company's ships Alnwick, Prince of Wales and Kent arrived from China. On Saturday 3 April the Honourable Company's ship Prince George arrived from China.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of stores received short from the ship Drake.

The account set out the stores that fell short or arrived broken on delivery from the ship Drake.

2 sugar short weight

12 candy short weight

1 guglet broke

1 patty pan broke

1 bowl broke

1 meat dish broke

1 salad dish broke

11 meat plates broke

3 dishes broke

2 sneakers broke

4 half pint cups broke

8 saucers broke

The account was dated 5 April 1756 and signed by M Burling, storekeeper.

Interpretations

The storekeeper's check of the Drake's cargo caught chiefly broken china, a guglet, bowls, dishes, plates and cups smashed on the voyage, which shows the particular vulnerability of the porcelain that the China ships carried in quantity. That the breakage ran well beyond the two per cent already discounted on the invoice marks a loss to be recorded against the delivery, the fragile ware suffering more than the standing allowance had provided for on this passage.

The arrival of four China ships within three days, the Alnwick, Prince of Wales, Kent and Prince George, shows the island suddenly crowded with homeward shipping as the season brought the China fleet past the road together. This concentration of vessels put a heavy and sudden demand on the settlement for water, provisions and refreshment, the same pressure on the herd and stores that the mounting slaughter in the plantation accounts reflected, and marks the spring as the busy season when the returning trade converged on the island.

284

275

1756

Lieutenant John Clark reports that

he has been on board the Ships, Drake, Rhoda, Prince George, Prince

of Wales, Kent, and Britannia to muster their Companys and

enquire for Deserters but found none, their muster Rolls are as

follows Viz

Muster Roll of Ship Drake

Benj Fisher Commander

William Gibson 1 mate

Rich Blount 2 Do

John Webb 3 Do

John Smith 4 Do

Joseph Richardson 5 Do

Sam Hinton Boatswain

John Bennett Carpenter

Nathanel Tanner Gunner

Geo Ludewig Purser

James Ychol Surgeon

Fred Graves

Walr Wimps

David Reed

Hen Gardnor

Alexander Steward

Henry Friday

John Walters

Joseph Slaughter

George Gibson

Simon Fraiser

Bain Haseby

George Walther

Joseph Maithin

James Reynolds

Aug Carr

Ben Rolls

John Noys

James Gray

James Beware

Samuel Cosser

Richard Brah

Well Bedlington

Henry Hervey

George Sherne

Thomas Lowis

Laz Pepperul

Peter Simms

Law Anderson

Thomas Tilder

Andrew Stedman

Benjamin Dick

James Blackburn

James Nicholason

George Row

Mich Course

Charles Henderson

John Tomlin

James Clark

Stephen North

Thomas Witral

John Bentin

Mr Cromarte

James Lambert

Samuel McBean

Henry Strong

George Simpson

Daniel Sharpe

George Heir

Alexander Tuffe

James Bread

John Bett

Joseph Harringston

William Casey

James Stevenson

Abm Boon

James Gray

John Barnes

Allen Mead

Mark Roberts

William Palmer

Robert Morgan

Amb Twiny

Baz Bryant

John Ware

Noah

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ships Drake, Rhoda, Prince George, Prince of Wales and Britannia to muster their companies and enquire for deserters, but found none. Their muster rolls ran as follows.

The muster roll of the ship Drake listed her company by name and rating.

Benjamin Fisher, commander

William Gibson, first mate

Richard Blount, second mate

John Webb, third mate

John Smith, fourth mate

Joseph Richardson, fifth mate

Samuel Hinton, boatswain

John Bennett, carpenter

Nathanel Tanner, gunner

George Ludewig, purser

James Ychol, surgeon

Frederick Grave

Walter Weing

David Reed

Henry Gardnor

Alexander Steward

Henry Friday

John Walters

Joseph Slaughter

George Gibson

Simon Fraiser

Bain Haseby

George Walther

Joseph Maithin

James Reynolds

Augustus Carr

Benjamin Rolls

John Noys

James Gray

James Beware

Samuel Coffeer

Richard Brah

William Bedlington

Henry Hervey

George Sherle

Thomas Lowis

Lazarus Pepperil

Peter Simms

Law Anderson

Thomas Tilder

Andrew Stedman

Benjamin Dick

James Blackburn

James Nicholason

George Noa

Micah Course

Charles Henderson

John Tomlin

James Clark

Stephen North

Thomas Witral

John Bentin

McCromartie

James Lambert

Samuel McBean

Henry Strong

George Simpson

Daniel Sharpe

George Heir

Alexander Taffie

James Bread

John Bett

Joseph Harvington

William Cosey

James Stevenson

Abraham Boon

James Gray

John Barnes

Allen Mead

Mark Roberts

William Palmer

Robert Morgan

Amos Swing

Barnaby Bryant

John Ware

Interpretations

The single mustering of five ships at once, the Drake, Rhoda, Prince George, Prince of Wales and Britannia, shows the sudden press of shipping in the road as the China fleet gathered, the council checking each crew against her roll in a single round of duty. That so many vessels lay together to be mustered marks the busy season when the returning trade converged on the island, the search for deserters extended across a whole fleet at one time rather than to a single ship as in the quieter months.

The muster roll again sets out the full working establishment of an East Indiaman, from the commander and his mates through the specialist tradesmen to the body of seamen, which shows each ship of the fleet manned to the same elaborate pattern for her long voyage. The care taken to check every such crew for deserters reflects the standing concern that men might slip ashore where the island offered a refuge, the loss of a trained seaman from a homeward ship a matter the council guarded against on every vessel alike.

285

276

5 April

Noah Neal Caps Servants

Rich Barnall

Hugh Bakie Footman

John Bevan 2 Do Do

John Saneford Surg Do

Isaac Parker Boat Do

James Butler Carp Do

John Beechen Gunr Do

William Hall

Maidy Gugger

Richard Davis

Nich Cooper

Daniel Williams

Matt Coward

Tho Connoley

Fra Lopus

Domingo Fernando

Mino Bernardo

John Cornar

John Derrick

Joseph Hardey

James Brooks

Will Basil

Tho Forbes

William Downes

Muster Roll of Ship Rhoda

John Macnemara Comn

George Hunt 1 mate

Thomas Howie 2 Do

James Tubb 3 Do

John Parslow 4 Do

James Young 5 Do

Nich Owen 5 Do

Authur Ahmuty 6 Do

Andrew Johnson Surgeon

Will Snira Praiser

Fran Coppleston Carps

Fran Elias Gunner

Hercules Read Boats

Rob Fishin Sing mate

John Haideaith Coxswain

Tho Garey Midshipman

Roger Harrison Do

John Murphey Do

Andrew Scott Do

Richard Mathur Do

Peter Bourter 1 master

Tho James Do

Robert Webb Do

James Wilson Do

Rob McNey Caps 1 mate

Wm Powell Do 2 Do

Jams Hawded Caulther

Mathew Watson Joyner

Tho Bull Gun Mate

Sam Hart Boat 1 Do

Silvester Turner Do 2 Do

Dyning de veu au April Do

David Mathew Cooper

Rob Busby Do mate

Rob Garvey Sailmaker

Alex Enten Armourer

David Price Caps Cook

Tho Shaw Ships Do

John Ogilvie Bakers

John Doyle Caps Steward

Rob Warwell Butcher

Wm Snelow Poulterer

Thomas Handcock Seaman

John Waite

John Wicher

Sampson Ford

James Furey

David Simpson

Andrew Thomas

Nick Henley

William Booley

John Clarke

Abraham Levin

Edward Farnell

Hubbard Guenthorp

Nob Heurd

James Forbes

John Kelsey

Patrick Pringle

Alex Summerell

John Collens

Lawrence Brown

Tho Sergeant

Henry Redman

Tho Tuthle

Tho Porter

Wm Brounst

John Morgan

James Slay

Joseph Reed

Tho Bowman

Isaac Brown

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Drake, listing the remainder of her company, and then set out the muster roll of the ship Rhoda.

Noah Neal, captain's servant

Richard Barnott, captain's servant

Hugh Bakie, tinman

John Bevan, second surgeon's mate

John Saneford, third surgeon's mate

Isaac Parker, boatswain's mate

James Butler, carpenter's third mate

John Beechen, gunner's mate

William Hall

Maidy Gugger

Richard Davis

Nicholas Cooper

Daniel Williams

Matthew Croward

Thomas Connoley

Francis Lopay

Domingo Fernando

Mino Bernardo

John Croman

John Derrick

Joseph Hartrey

James Brooks

William Basil

Thomas Forbes

William Downes

The muster roll of the ship Rhoda listed her company by name and rating.

John Macnemara, commander

George Hunt, first mate

Thomas Howie, second mate

James Tubb, third mate

John Parslow, fourth mate

James Young, fifth mate

Nicholas Owen, sixth mate

Arthur Ahmuty, seventh mate

Andrew Johnson, surgeon

William Snew, purser

Francis Coppleston, carpenter

Isaac Ellis, gunner

Hercules Read, boatswain

Robert Fisher, surgeon's mate

John Haideatth, coxswain

Thomas Garey, midshipman

Roger Harrison, midshipman

John Humphrey, midshipman

Andrew Scott, midshipman

Richard Mathur, midshipman

Peter Bourte, first master

Thomas James, master

Robert Webb, master

James Wilson, master

Robert McNey, captain's first mate

William Ewell, second mate

James Hawodd, caulker

Matthew Watson, joiner

Thomas Bull, gunner's mate

Samuel Hart, boatswain's first mate

Silvester Turner, second mate

Byrne, armourer

David Mathew, cooper

Robert Busby, cooper's mate

Robert Gairdy, sailmaker

Alexander Enton, armourer

David Price, captain's cook

Thomas Shaw, ship's cook

John Ogilvie, baker

John Doyle, captain's steward

Robert Warwell, butcher

William Snelow, poulterer

Thomas Hendcock, seaman

John Waish

John Wicker

Sampson Ford

James Sherry

David Simpson

Andrew Thomas

Nicholas Henley

William Booley

John Clarke

Abraham Levin

Edward Farnell

Hubbard, gunsmith

Thomas Howard

James Forbes

John Helsey

Patrick Pringle

Alexander Summerell

John Collins

Lawrence Brown

Thomas Sergeant

Henry Redman

Thomas Tuttle

Thomas Porter

William Brough

John Morgan

James Flay

Joseph Reed

Thomas Bowman

Isaac Drown

Interpretations

The Rhoda carried an unusually large body of mates, seven ranking below the commander before the surgeon and purser, which marks her as a substantial ship requiring many officers to work her through the long voyage. This depth of command reflects the scale of a great East Indiaman, where the number of watches to be kept and the size of the crew to be directed called for a broad establishment of mates ranked in careful order.

The muster roll again shows the ship carrying every trade needed to sustain herself at sea, from the gunsmith and armourer to the baker, butcher and poulterer, which marks the East Indiaman as a floating community complete in itself. That a single ship shipped two armourers and a separate gunsmith reflects the constant care her armament required, the same concern for serviceable weapons that ran through the island's own management of its guns and small arms.

286

277

1756

Chas Richmond

Tho Asberry

John Best

Andrew Wilson

Joseph Lang

Tho Mowavere

Chris Downing Caps Servant

Fred Dreadnought Servant

George Cave Boats Servant

William Whitehead

John Miller

William Wilkinson

Cha Wm Prichard

Henry Ashurst

Paul Cornelius

John Smith 1 Makes Servant

Tho Gordall 2 Do

Robert John Harrison

James Holmes

James Francis

Matthias Hallan

Hendrick Hendrickson

Martin Strife

Wm Spotswood Caulkers Mate

Haddon Smith Serg Sou

Tho Handman Carp Do Do

Supracargoe

Muster Roll of Ship Prince George

Philip Todrell Command

Wm Baker 1 mate

Wm Best 2 Do

Wm Eglinton 3 Do

Wm Wood 4 Do

Wm Pettitt 5 Do

Wm Bailey 6 Do

Wm Palmer 6 Do

Wm Harriburn Surgeon

Wm Orne Ds mate

Wm How Purser

Ambrose Quinten Gunner

Henry Hankey Boatswain

Thomas Whick Carpenter

Wm Kennedy Midshipman

Samuel Johnson Do

Archibal Stewart Do

Samuel Langley Do

James Reeng Do

Andrew Logan 1 master

Alex Straunger Do

Alex Suter Do

Rich Bell Do

Philip Howell Boat mate

Ben Reynolds Caps 1 Do

Wm Saldoon Do 2 Do

George Crew Cooper

Samuel Wakefield Caulker

John Hall Do mate

Alex Sutherland Armourer

Rich Todd Sailmaker

Edward Hockeby Gun mate

John Foot Ships Cook

Wm Kirk Caps

Robert West Caps Steward

Wm Scott Ships

James Furguson Barbor

Erin Lewis Taylor

Joseph Candy Butcher

Thomas Daisley Poulterer

Wm Ryley Seaman

Tho Woodhouse Do

Wm Aueslin

Joseph Avery Do

John Sotherman Do

Surpen Serris Do

Wm Smallwood Seaman

James Ruskin Do

James Griffis Do

George Frawn Do

Darby Murphew Do

William Robie Do

Wm Hensey Do

Andrew Whitfield Do

Edward Prescount Do

Philip Prosland Do

Edward Dundridge Do

Benjamin Cooper Do

Josiah Jones Do

Wm Whitford Do

Wm Thomas Do

Thomas Cox Do

David Wilkinson Do

John Sarmon Do

Thomas Rice Do

John Swain Do

Timothy Gray Do

James Fairley Do

Wm Ecley Do

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Rhoda, listing the remainder of her company, and then set out the muster roll of the ship Prince George.

Charles Richmond

Thomas Asberry

John Best

Andrew Wilson

Joseph Lang

Thomas Mowavere

Christopher Downing, captain's servant

Frederick Dreadnought, captain's servant

George Cave, boatswain's servant

William Whitehead

John Miller

William Wilkinson

Charles William Prichard

Henry Ashurst

Paul Cornelius

John Smith, first mate's servant

Thomas Gordall, second mate's servant

Robert John Harrison

James Holmes

James Francis

Matthias Hallan

Hendrick Hendrichson

Martin Strife

William Spotswood, caulker's mate

Haddon Smith, serang's servant

Thomas Handman, carpenter's servant

supercargo

The muster roll of the ship Prince George listed her company by name and rating.

Philip Todrell, commander

William Baker, first mate

William Best, second mate

William Eglinton, third mate

William Wood, fourth mate

William Pettit, fifth mate

William Bailey, sixth mate

William Palmer, seventh mate

William Harriburn, surgeon

William Orne, surgeon's mate

William How, purser

Ambrose Quinten, gunner

Henry Hankey, boatswain

Thomas Whitt, carpenter

William Kennedy, midshipman

Samuel Johnson, midshipman

Archibald Stewart, midshipman

Samuel Langby, midshipman

James Peing, midshipman

Andrew Logan, second master

Alexander Stranger, master

Alexander Suter, master

Richard Bell, master

Philip Howell, boatswain's mate

Best Reynolds, captain's second mate

William Shaldoon, second mate

George Evers, cooper

Samuel Wakefield, caulker

John Hall, caulker's mate

Alexander Sutherland, armourer

Richard Todd, sailmaker

Edward Hochby, gunner's mate

John Foot, ship's cook

William Kirk, captain's cook

Robert Nest, captain's steward

William Scott, ship's steward

James Ferguson, barber

Erin Lewis, tailor

Joseph Candy, butcher

Thomas Daisley, poulterer

William Rigby, seaman

Thomas Woodhouse, seaman

William Anslein, seaman

Joseph Avery, seaman

John Sotherman, seaman

Turpen Sevris, seaman

William Smallwood, seaman

James Rushin, seaman

James Griffis, seaman

George Trawn, seaman

Darby Murphew, seaman

William Robie, seaman

William Hensey, seaman

Andrew Whitfield, seaman

Edward Truscourt, seaman

Philip Freeland, seaman

Edward Dundridge, seaman

Benjamin Cooper, seaman

Josiah Jones, seaman

William Whitford, seaman

William Thomas, seaman

Thomas Cox, seaman

David Wilkinson, seaman

John Sarmon, seaman

Thomas Rice, seaman

John Swair, seaman

Timothy Gray, seaman

James Yearley, seaman

William Ecley, seaman

Interpretations

The Prince George, like the Rhoda, carried a deep establishment of seven mates below her commander, which marks her too as a great ship of the fleet needing many officers to keep her watches through the voyage. This recurring pattern of numerous ranked mates across the larger vessels shows the standard manning of the principal East Indiamen, each a substantial command requiring a broad body of officers under the commander.

The muster roll again shows each ship self-sufficient in every trade, carrying her own barber, tailor, butcher, poulterer, armourer and sailmaker, which marks the East Indiaman as a complete working community for the months at sea. The care with which the council mustered every such crew, down to the servants of the officers and the supercargo who managed the ship's trade, reflects the same thoroughness applied to every vessel, the settlement keeping a full account of all who arrived on each ship of the crowded fleet.

287

278

5 April

James Scotland Seaman

James Linton Do

Thomas Clarke Do

John Adler Do

Wm Kingston Do

John Lewism Do

Edward McCavill Do

Peter Silva Do

Charles Linderloom Do

John Sargeson Do

Andw Johnston Do

Matt Swain Sups Serv

Abraham Stewart Seaman

Charles Coopy Do

John Mavey Do

Henry Tesse Do

Christr Melder Do

John Pathis Do

George Brimer Do

Peter Bremer Do

Wm Johnson Do

Francis Fisher Do

Johannes Johnston Do

Wm Twist Caps Servant

John Mills Caps Servant

Wm Hemnitt Do Do

Wm Brown 1 makes Do

Wm Burchell 2 Do Do

Rich Rose Surgeons Do

Sam Parker Boat Do

Edward Blake Gun Do

Thomas Harris Carp Do

Supracargoes

Henry Palmer Esqr

George Mandevil Do

Muster Roll of Ship Prince of Wales

Wm Peck Commander

Wm Roberts 1 mate

Mathew Partington 2 Do

John Cotton 3 Do

Philip Buslem 4 Do

John Lauder 5 Do

James McNamara 6 Do

James Rutleford Surgeon

Wm Coward Purser

Roderick Macra Gunner

Rob Bond Carpenter

John Hawkins Boatswain

Francis Knight Cooper

Mordeai Scatt Caulker

Rob Mason Cap Stew

Matthias Mathews Sailor

Rob Mixer Armourer

Samuel Head Joiner

Berkley Lambert midshp

George Lawson Midshp

Charles Sparw Do

Robert Iley Do

George Young Do

Daniel Bortwell Do

Lochlin Henry 1 mate

Tho Parrott Do

Tho Terling Do

Robert Anderson Do

James Reirde Do

Joseph Curtie Caps Cook

John Durham Ships Do

Wm Arnitt Surgeons Mate

Edward Meedows Caps Do

Wm Firse Gunners Do

Walter Wells Boat 1 mate

John State 2 Do

Francis Tavener Cooper Do

Edward Cram Caulker Do

James Benson Seaman

Rob Wilson Do

James Webb Do

Wm Short Do

John Teair Do

George Monro Do

Mark Bagwell Do

Joseph Ford Do

James Hall Do

Christopher Miller Do

David Bourke Do

Andrew Ure Do

William Castor Do

William Minne Do

John Ruff Do

Tho Butcher Do

Tho Thomas Mills Do

John Dixon Do

Tho Harrison Do

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Prince George, listing the remainder of her company, and then set out the muster roll of the ship Prince of Wales.

James Scotland, seaman

James Lipton, seaman

Thomas Clarke, seaman

John Adler, seaman

William Kingston, seaman

John Lewson, seaman

Edward McCavill, seaman

Peter Silve, seaman

Charles Lindercoom, seaman

John Sargeson, seaman

Andrew Johnston, seaman

Matthew Swain, supercargo's servant

Abraham Stewart, seaman

Charles Coopy, seaman

John Morey, seaman

Henry Josse, seaman

Christopher Melder, seaman

John Paths, seaman

George Brimer, seaman

Peter Bremer, seaman

William Johnson, seaman

Francis Fisher, seaman

Johones Johnston, seaman

William Thust, captain's servant

John Mills, captain's servant

William Hemnett, seaman

William Brown, writer

William Burchell, seaman

Richard Rose, surgeon's mate

Samuel Parker, boatswain's mate

Edward Blake, gunner's mate

Thomas Harvin, carpenter's mate

Supercargoes:

Henry Palmer

George Mandeul

The muster roll of the ship Prince of Wales listed her company by name and rating.

William Peck, commander

William Roberts, first mate

Nathanel Partington, second mate

John Cotton, third mate

Philip Burslem, fourth mate

John Lucier, fifth mate

James McNamara, sixth mate

James Rutheford, surgeon

William Coward, purser

Roderick Macra, gunner

Robert Bond, carpenter

John Hawshun, boatswain

Francis Knight, cooper

Mordeau Scott, caulker

Robert Mason, captain's servant

Matthias Matthews, sailmaker

Robert Mixer, armourer

Samuel Head, joiner

Berkley Lambert, midshipman

George Lawson, midshipman

Charles Sparro, midshipman

Robert Foly, midshipman

George Young, midshipman

Daniel Bortwell, midshipman

Lachlin Henry, second mate

Thomas Parrott, midshipman

Thomas Firling, midshipman

Robert Anderson, midshipman

James Reode, midshipman

Joseph Curtis, captain's cook

John Durham, ship's cook

William Arnitt, surgeon's mate

Edward Meadows, captain's steward

William First, gunner's mate

Walter Mills, boatswain's first mate

John Stute, second mate

Francis Tavener, cooper's mate

Edward Oram, caulker's mate

James Benson, seaman

Robert Wilson, seaman

James Webb, seaman

William Short, seaman

John Sean, seaman

George Monro, seaman

Mark Bagwell, seaman

Joseph Ford, seaman

James Hall, seaman

Christopher Miller, seaman

David Bourke, seaman

Andrew Ure, seaman

William Castor, seaman

William Minns, seaman

John Ruff, seaman

Thomas Butcher, seaman

Thomas Mills, seaman

John Dixon, seaman

Thomas Harrison, seaman

Interpretations

The Prince of Wales carried the same deep establishment of officers and every specialist trade as the other great ships of the fleet, which shows the standard manning of the principal East Indiamen repeated vessel after vessel. That each of these large ships shipped its own armourer, caulker, cooper and sailmaker reflects how every one had to be a self-repairing community, carrying the trades to keep herself sound across the long haul between England and China.

The consistent presence of supercargoes on these ships, the officers charged with managing the cargo and the ship's trade rather than her navigation, marks the commercial purpose that drove the whole fleet. That the council mustered these men by name alongside the crew shows its account reaching the merchants who directed the trade as fully as the seamen who worked the ship, the settlement keeping a complete record of every person of standing the fleet brought to the road.

288

279

1756

Matthew Revese Seaman

Germano Rave Do

Thomas Seaton Do

Wm Brewning Do

John Wisman Do

Wm Davis Do

Matthew Cornsey Do

John Hardland Do

John Wadd Do

Edward Caves Do

William Beson Do

Thomas Cragg Do

James Ranter Do

John Tay Seaman

Thomas Allen Do

Joseph Davis Do

Richard Toms Do

William Burter Do

William Bean Do

John Williams Do

John Osberna Do

Daniel Worthey Do

Amos Hell Do

Robert Reynolds Do

Nicholas Hemmie Do

Edward Bewolen Caps Serv

John Wilmot 1 makes Do

Nath Shaw 2 Do

Charles Barrile Surgeons Do

Tho Sells Carpenters Do

George Curtis Do

Anthony Hyer Do

Hendrick Hambourg Do

Supracargoe

Nathanel Garland

Supracargoes Servant

Benjamin Doole

Muster Roll of Ship Kent

George Wilson Commander

Charles Allgar 1 mate

Tho Darby 2 Do

Rob Hall 3 Do

Edward Hoult 4 Do

John Tyrwhitt 5 Do

George Thomson 6 Do

Matthew Cole Carpenter

John Ellerock Purser

Wm Thomson Surgeon

Matthew Taylor Gunner

James Katt Boatswain

Rob Nolley Caulker

Samuel Woolens Cooper

Wm Houldin Ships Steward

James Bassell Caps

Nath Paul Coxswain

Ronald Adams Midshipman

Tho Brooke Midshipman

Wesley Masterson Do

William Lindsey Do

Alex Taylor Do

Gerland Napper Do

John Ogleroy Do

David Wills 1 master

Andrew Grossmeth Do

Wm Simson Do

William More Do

Wm Floogby Caps mate

Lantin Thomson Sergeon Do

Peter Forbes Boatswain Do

George Baxter Gun Do

Gawler Paterson Coopers Do

Rob Smyth Calkers Do

Tho Fridge Bunker

James Anthony Ships Cooke

Geo Christopher Sailmaker

John Neppard Armourer

Anthony Nicholson Taylor

John Stanley Caps Cooke

John Wm Alden 1 mate

Tho Moll Poulterer

James Giletriss Seaman

Tho Randall Do

John Johnson Do

Tho Handcoke Do

Alex Johnson Do

Tho Burnell Do

Tho Fenwerk Do

Rob Maidey Do

John Cardin Do

Tho Hage Do

John Anderson Do

James Knox Do

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Prince of Wales, listing the remainder of her company, and then set out the muster roll of the ship Kent.

Matthew Revee, seaman

Germano Rave, seaman

Thomas Seaton, seaman

William Browning, seaman

John Wisman, seaman

William Davis, seaman

Matthew Cornsey, seaman

John Hardland, seaman

John Wood, seaman

Edward Caves, seaman

William Beson, seaman

Thomas Cragg, seaman

James Ranter, seaman

John Jay, seaman

Thomas Allen, seaman

Joseph Davis, seaman

Richard Toms, seaman

William Burton, seaman

William Bean, seaman

John Williams, seaman

John Osberne, seaman

Daniel Worthey, seaman

Amos Hill, seaman

Robert Reynolds, seaman

Nicholas Hemmie, seaman

Edward Bewolen, captain's servant

John Wilmot, first mate's servant

Nathanel Shaw, second mate's servant

Charles Barvile, surgeon's servant

Thomas Fells, carpenter's servant

George Curtis, seaman

Anthony Hyer, seaman

Hendrick Hambourg, seaman

supercargo

Nathanel Garland, supercargo's servant

Benjamin Little, supercargo's servant

The muster roll of the ship Kent listed her company by name and rating.

George Wilson, commander

Charles Allgan, first mate

Thomas Darby, second mate

Robert Hall, third mate

Edward Hoult, fourth mate

John Lynchill, fifth mate

George Thomson, sixth mate

Matthew Cole, carpenter

John Ellcock, purser

William Thomson, surgeon

Matthew Taylor, gunner

James Katt, boatswain

Robert Nolley, caulker

Samuel Woolens, cooper

William Houldin, ship's steward

James Bassell, captain's servant

Nathanel Paul, coxswain

Ronald Adams, midshipman

Thomas Brooke, midshipman

Wesley Masterson, midshipman

William Lindsey, midshipman

Alexander Saylor, midshipman

Gerland Napper, midshipman

John Ogleroy, midshipman

David Wills, second master

Andrew Grossmith, midshipman

William Simson, midshipman

William More, midshipman

William Hoogly, boatswain's mate

Lachlin Thomson, sergeant

Peter Sorbes, boatswain's mate

George Baxter, gunner's mate

Gawler Palerson, cooper's mate

Robert Smyth, caulker's mate

Thomas Fidge, painter

James Anthony, ship's cook

George Christopher, sailmaker

John Sheppard, armourer

Anthony Nicholson, tailor

John Stanley, captain's cook

John William Alden, first mate

Thomas Moll, poulterer

James Giletriss, seaman

Thomas Randall, seaman

John Johnson, seaman

Thomas Hendcoke, seaman

Alexander Johnson, seaman

Thomas Burnell, seaman

Thomas Tenerell, seaman

Robert Maudey, seaman

John Carden, seaman

Thomas Hage, seaman

John Anderson, seaman

James Knox, seaman

Interpretations

The Kent carried a painter among her tradesmen, an addition not seen on the other ships of the fleet, whose task was the constant work of preserving the ship's timber and ironwork against the corrosion of the sea. This specialist post reflects the same concern with maintenance that ran through the whole fleet and the island's own stores, the painting of a hull as necessary to a ship's soundness as the caulker's and cooper's work.

The muster roll again shows the East Indiaman complete in every trade needed for her voyage, from the armourer and sailmaker to the tailor, poulterer and cook, which marks each ship a self-contained community for the long passage. That the council mustered every such crew in turn through the crowded fleet, reaching the servants and the supercargo on each, reflects the thoroughness of a settlement determined to keep account of all who arrived and to catch any man who might desert to the shore.

289

280

5 April

Andrew Graham Seaman

Alex Watson Do

John London Do

William Lace Do

Alex Graham Do

Simeon Galden Do

Gill Leard Do

William Scotland Do

Nicholas Berguid Do

Peter Andrew Do

Thomas Trader Do

William Harpley Do

Tho Rogers Sug Servant

Wm Feng Caps Do

James Foster Seaman

Comfy Thomson

John Vay Seaman

James Lawrice Do

Thomas Davis Do

Sherwin Morgan Do

Charles Allger Do

David Crow Do

James Price Do

Charles Hoblin Do

Tho Willbanks Do

Rob Williams Do

John Smith Do

John Nicholson Do

Rob Fabo Boat Servant

Dinnie Doyle Gun Do

David Gray Seaman

× × × × × × × × ×

Clois Brewers Seaman

John Langey Do

Jeremiah Obryan Do

John Whitmack Do

John Frederick Do

Francis Bouhhole Do

Nichols Sherreda Do

Lambert Twajer Do

James Williamson Caps Serv

Edward John Do

Wm Fair 1 mates Do

Rob Gayze 2 Do Do

Wm Windman Seaman

Wm Jarrott Do

John Kent Do

× × × × × × ×

Muster Roll of Ship Britannia

Newell Norway Commander

John Blunt 1 mate

Charlie Barkly 2 Do

James Stuart 3 Do

Andrew Ross 4 Do

William Thorwood 5 Do

John McQueen Surgeon

Wm Saunders Boatswain

Roger Crips Gunner

Wm Nicholas Carpenter

Walter Watt Purser

Rich Michell Caulker

Bernard Slater Ships Do

Henry Emerson Sailmaker

Samuel Casell Cooper

Rich Dawson Boats Mate

Will Wright Caps 1 mate

Wm Smith Do 2 Do

John Pinkny Coopers Do

Tho Morrison

James Robertson Quaster

John Vickary Quasters

And Harrist

Wm Robinson

Wm Ker midshipmen

John Yeaman

Abraham Pond

Vincet Oakley

Bery Lucas Caps Cook

Richard Fike

Edward Dickerson

John Heny

Aet Isham Watts

William Deer

Richard Hall

William Park

William Nicholls

William Longston

John Jaggris

John Thomas

Thomas Doe

Charles Benham

Joseph Lucas

Richard Rodrick

John Beer

Hance Borge

Peter Anderson

David Nicholson

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Kent, listing the remainder of her company, and then set out the muster roll of the ship Britannia.

Andrew Graham, seaman

Alexander Watson, seaman

John London, seaman

William Lave, seaman

Alexander Graham, seaman

Simeon Galden, seaman

Gill Leard, seaman

William Scotland, seaman

Nicholas Bergnud, seaman

Peter Andrew, seaman

Thomas Trower, seaman

William Harpley, seaman

Thomas Rogers, boy servant

William Peing, captain's servant

James Fowler, seaman

Tomsy Thomson

John Way, seaman

James Lawrice, seaman

Thomas Davis, seaman

Sherwin Morgan, seaman

Charles Allgan, seaman

David Crow, seaman

James Price, seaman

Charles Hoblin, seaman

Thomas Willbanks, seaman

Robert Williams, seaman

John Smith, seaman

John Nicholson, seaman

Robert Fabo, boatswain's servant

Dinnis Doyle, gunner's servant

David Gray, seaman

Clois Brewers, seaman

John Langey, seaman

Jeremiah Obryan, seaman

John Whitnack, seaman

John Frederick, seaman

Francis Bouhhole, seaman

Nicholas Sherrede, seaman

Lambert Swajer, seaman

James Williamson, captain's servant

Edward John, seaman

William Peing, first mate's servant

Robert Yaqua, second mate's servant

William Windman, seaman

William Jarrott, seaman

John Kent, seaman

The muster roll of the ship Britannia listed her company by name and rating.

Newell Norway, commander

John Blount, first mate

Charlie Barble, second mate

James Suart, third mate

Andrew Ross, fourth mate

William Sherwood, fifth mate

John McQueen, surgeon

William Saunders, boatswain

Roger Crips, gunner

William Nicholas, carpenter

Walter Watt, purser

Richard Stichell, caulker

Bernard Slate, surgeon's mate

Henry Emerson, sailmaker

Samuel Casell, cooper

Richard Dawson, boatswain's mate

William Wright, carpenter's first mate

William Smith, carpenter's second mate

John Pinkny, cooper's mate

Thomas Morrison

James Robertson, quartermaster

John Vickary, quartermaster

Andrew Harriot, quartermaster

William Robinson, midshipman

William Ker, midshipman

John Yeamans, midshipman

Abraham Pond, midshipman

Vincit Oakley

Barnaby Lucas, captain's cook

Richard Fike

Edward Dickerson

John Heng

Stephen Watts

William Dver

Richard Hall

William Park

William Nicholls

William Longston

John Jaggars

John Thomas

Thomas Doe

Charles Benham

Joseph Lucas

Richard Rodrick

John Beer

Hause Berge

Peter Anderson

David Nicholson

Interpretations

The Britannia, commanded by Newell Norway who had brought her from China at the end of March, carried the same full establishment of officers and tradesmen as the rest of the fleet, which shows her manned to the standard pattern of the principal East Indiamen. The mustering of her company completed the council's round of the whole gathered fleet, every ship in the road checked in turn against her roll for deserters and her people named to the last servant.

The great labour of mustering so many ships one after another, each with a company running to well over a hundred souls, shows the scale of the task the crowded season imposed on the council. That an officer went aboard every vessel to name and check her entire crew reflects the settlement's steady concern to account for all who arrived and to guard against the loss of men to the shore, a duty discharged without exception however many ships lay together in the road.

290

281

1756

Corneleus Hindman

David Rogers

James Smith

Novell Norway

Thomas Fleming

Thomas Boulton

Henry Baker

Emanuel Author

Adam Williams

Thomas Long

John Braukhurt

John Screander

Sebastian D Posar

John Sheers

Joseph Silvester

William Ees

John Wood

Thomas Barlow

William Samvell

Robert Hutchings

James Hammilton

John Chandler

John Williams

John Kildar

James Nelson

John Morrell

Francis Allarms

Crispin Joze

Joze D Sylvia

Walter Madocks

William Parsons

John Gooden Esqr

John Hill

Edward Murphy

Philip Rryley

James Swain

William Linsley

Andrew Stow

John Hackfort

George De Brount

Jacob D Will

Rob Rockingham

Andrew Dunn

Richard Fitzgerald

James Boulton

Hinde marshall

Albert Nickolas

Thomas Williams

The Ships Rhoda, and Prince George

brought us the following Supplys Viz

Invoice of Ship Rhoda

B No 1 2 2 Chests Tea Bohea cont No 2 22 @ 16 pr Sales pr Real

Sur 36 Md 3 Ce 2

C No 3 2 2 Do Tea Congoe 1 92 @ 25

Sur 48 2 3

S No 5 2 2 Do Tea Singloe 2 6 which at 21 3

and charges repacking Comes to

Sur 43 8 9

Sales Sur 120 6 6

Errors Excepted

Signed

Hen Palmer

G Mandevile

Fras Kinnersley

John Goodere

Rob John Harrison

This account continued the muster roll of the ship Britannia, listing the remainder of her company. Values in the invoice that followed were expressed in taels, mace and candareens.

Cornelius Hindman

David Rogers

James Smith

Newell Norway

Thomas Fleming

Thomas Boulton

Henry Baker

Emanuel Author

Adam Williams

Thomas Long

John Brauhhurt

John Screander

Sebastian D'Rosar

John Sheers

Joseph Silvester

William Ives

John Wood

Thomas Barlow

William Samvell

Robert Hutchings

James Hammilton

John Chandler

John Williams

John Kildar

James Nelson

John Morrell

Francis Allarme

Crispin Joze

Joze D'Sylvia

Walter Madocks

William Parsons

John Gooden, supercargo

John Hill

Edward Murphy

Philip Rigby

James Swan

William Linsley

Andrew Ston

John Hackfort

George De Brount

Jacob D'Will

Robert Rockingham

Andrew Dunn

Richard Fitzgerald

James Boulton

Hinde Marshall

Albert Nickolus

Thomas Williams

The ships Rhoda and Prince George brought the following supply.

The invoice was headed by the ship Rhoda.

Bohea tea, marked B, No 1 to 2, 2 chests, containing No 2 at 22 at 16 taels a picul, 36 taels 3 mace 2 candareens 7

Congo tea, marked C, No 1 to 2, 2 chests, 1 at 92 at 23, 48 taels 2 mace 3

Singlo tea, marked S, No 1 to 2, 2 chests, 2 at 6 which at 21 taels 3 mace, and charges repacking, comes to 43 taels 8 mace 9

Sales, 120 taels 6 mace 6

The account was signed by Henry Palmer, G Mandevile, Isaac Hinnersley, John Gooden and Robert John Harrison, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The Rhoda landed a cargo wholly of tea reckoned in Chinese money, the black Bohea and Congo and the green Singlo each measured and valued in taels, which shows the ship supplying the island directly from the China trade with the same graded leaf that filled the home market. That the invoice included a charge for repacking marks the care the tea required, the leaf resorted and made secure for the onward voyage after the long passage from Canton had loosened or damaged its packing.

The tea valued by the picul, the Chinese measure of about 133lb, shows the trade reckoned in the weights of its source as well as its currency, the leaf bought and sold in the units of Canton before conversion on the island. This carrying of the whole apparatus of the China trade, its money and its measures alike, to a remote Atlantic settlement marks how completely the island was drawn into the eastern commerce, a waypoint on the route where the goods of Canton passed reckoned still in the terms of their origin.

291

282

5 April

Invoice of Ship Prince George

R No 1 & 2 2 Chests containing as follows Viz

Sur Md Ce Ce Sur Md Ce Ce

6 Setts Dishes & Plates 13 & 14

12 6

3 Soup Dishes

2 4

25 Do Plates

1 1 2 5

50 Pint Basons

1 2 5

15 Sallad Dishes

1 5

6 Chamber Pots

1 2

6 Guglets & Basons

2 4

25 Bowls

3 2 5

6 Sauce Boats

2 4

25 9 6 5

Allowed for breakage 2 pr Cent

51 9

25 4 4 6

PC No 1 to 3 3 Chests containing as follows Viz

6 Setts Dishes & Plates

12 6

2 Soup Do

1 6

25 Do Plates

1 1 2 5

50 Pint Basons

1 2 5

15 Sallad Dishes

1 5

6 Chamber Poths

1 2

6 Guglets & Basons

2 4

56 half Pint Basons & Saucers

2 5

30 Quarter pint Do & Do

2

25 Bowls

3 2 5

6 Sauce Boats

2 4

29 6 6 5

Allowed for Breakage at 2 pr Ct

59 3

29 7 2

B Tea Bohea 2 Chests Viz

PC No 1 & 2 2 Chests Cont No Bud Real 2 23 at 16 pr Sales pr Real

35 8

Carried over Sales 90 1 9 8

This account recorded the invoice of goods brought by the ship Prince George, with values in taels, mace and candareens.

The invoice was headed by the ship Prince George.

Chinaware, marked R, No 1 to 2, 2 chests containing:

6 sets dishes and plates, 3 at 20, 12 taels 6 mace

3 soup dishes, 2 taels 4 mace

25 dishes and plates, 1 tael 1 mace 2 candareens 5

30 pint basins, 1 tael 2 mace 5

15 salad dishes, 1 tael 5 mace

6 chamber pots, 1 tael 2 mace

6 guglets and basins, 2 taels 4 mace

25 bowls, 3 taels 2 mace 5

6 sauce boats, 2 mace 4

Total, 25 taels 9 mace 6 candareens 5

Allowed for breakage 2 per cent, 5 mace 1 candareen 9

Net, 25 taels 4 mace 4 candareens 6

Chinaware, marked PC, No 1 to 3, 3 chests containing:

6 sets dishes and plates, 3 at 20, 12 taels 6 mace

2 soup dishes, 1 tael 6 mace

25 dishes and plates, 1 tael 1 mace 2 candareens 5

30 pint basins, 1 tael 2 mace 5

15 salad dishes, 1 tael 5 mace

6 chamber pots, 1 tael 2 mace

6 guglets and basins, 2 taels 4 mace

36 half pint basins and saucers, 2 taels 5 mace

30 quarter pint basins and saucers, 2 taels

25 bowls, 3 taels 2 mace 5

6 sauce boats, 2 mace 4

Total, 29 taels 6 mace 5

Allowed for breakage at 2 per cent, 5 mace 9 candareens 3

Net, 29 taels 0 mace 7 candareens 2

Bohea tea, marked B PC, No 1 to 2, 2 chests, containing No 2 at picul 2 at 25 at 16 taels a picul, 35 taels 8 mace

Carried over, sales 90 taels 1 mace 9 candareens 8

Interpretations

The porcelain from the Prince George came in the same standard consignments of matched dishes, plates, basins, bowls and chamber pots as the earlier China ships, each invoiced in taels with the customary two per cent deducted for breakage, which shows the uniform pattern in which the China trade shipped its household ware. That the same allowance for breakage was written into each consignment marks the settled expectation of loss on so brittle a cargo, the discount applied as a matter of course to every chest of china crossing from Canton.

The graded basins and saucers by the pint, half pint and quarter pint show the porcelain supplied in a full range of sizes for every use of the table and washstand, the same fine ware serving the whole household from the largest bowl to the smallest cup. This variety within a single consignment reflects the maturity of the China trade by this date, the potteries of Canton producing a complete and graded service to meet the ordinary domestic demand of the European market the ships supplied.

292

283

1756

Brought over Sales Sur 90 Md 1 Ce 9 8

C Tea Congoe 2 Chests Viz

PC No 3 2 Chests cont No 1 93 at 25 Sales pr Real

Sur 48 7 5

S Tea Singlo 2 Chests Viz

PC No 5 2 Chests cont No 2 15 at 21 3 pr Real

Sur 46 Md 2 Ce 2 5

Sur Md Ce Ce

Repacking 2 Chests

16 1

47 8 2 5

Sales Sur 186 Md 7 Ce 7 5

Errors Excepted

Signed

Hen Palmer

G Mandevile

Fras Kinersley

Ordered an Advertisement to be

published requiring the Planters to Assemble at the Chapel in this

Valley on Monday the 19 of this Month, at the hour of Ten in the

morning to choose Parish Officers for the ensuing year

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

This account continued the invoice of the ship Prince George, carrying over the running total, with values in taels, mace and candareens.

Brought over, sales 90 taels 1 mace 9 candareens 8

Congo tea, marked C PC, No 1 to 2, 2 chests, containing No 1 at 92 at 25 taels a picul, 48 taels 7 mace 5

Singlo tea, marked S PC, No 1 to 2, 2 chests, containing No 2 at 15 at 21 taels 5 mace a picul, 46 taels 2 mace 2 candareens 5

Repacking 2 chests, 1 tael 6 mace

Total, 47 taels 8 mace 2 candareens 5

Sales, 186 taels 7 mace 5

The account was signed by Henry Palmer, G Mandevile and Francis Hinnersley, errors excepted.

The council ordered an advertisement to be published requiring the planters to assemble at the chapel in this valley on Monday 19 April at ten in the morning to choose parish officers for the coming year.

Interpretations

The order for the planters to gather at the chapel to choose parish officers shows the settlement possessing a form of local self-government modelled on the English parish, its free inhabitants meeting yearly to fill the offices that managed local affairs. That the choosing was fixed by public advertisement and held at the chapel marks the parish as the framework of civil life for the settled population, a structure of local administration transplanted from England and set alongside the Company's own authority.

The holding of a parish election among the planters reveals a distinction between the free settled community, who chose their own officers, and the Company's servants and garrison, who fell under its direct command. This parochial self-government gave the planters a voice in the ordering of their own local concerns, a measure of civil participation that set them apart as a body of settled inhabitants with an interest in the island beyond mere service to the Company.

293

284

9 April

At a Consultation held on Friday the 9 Day of April 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed Dated

the 5 of April 1756

Captain Benjamin Fisher presented

the following Letter Viz

To Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor & Council

of the Island St Helena

Gentlemen

Having been at a great expence of Gun

Powder, and not having a sufficient quantity to go to Sea with

considering the present situation of affairs in Europe, I humbly

beg that you will be pleased to spare me four Barrells out of

the Honorable Companys Stores, I am

Gentlemen

Your most obedient humble Servant

Signed

Ben Fisher

St Helena

9 April 1756

Granted

At a consultation held on Friday 9 April 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 5 April 1756, was read, approved and signed.

Captain Benjamin Fisher presented a letter to Governor Hutchinson and the council of St Helena. He had been at great expense for gunpowder and did not have a sufficient quantity to go to sea, and considering the present state of affairs in Europe, he asked the council to spare him four barrels out of the Honourable Company's stores. The letter was dated at St Helena on 9 April 1756 and signed by Benjamin Fisher. The council granted it.

Interpretations

Captain Fisher's appeal to the present state of affairs in Europe reveals the shadow of war hanging over the shipping of 1756, the ships going armed and needing full magazines against the danger of enemy privateers and men of war on the long voyage home. That a homeward East Indiaman found herself short of powder and turned to the island's stores to make up her defence shows the settlement serving as an arsenal of last resort for the fleet, supplying the means of self-defence to ships that would otherwise sail dangerously under-provided.

The granting of four barrels of powder from the Company's own stores to a private ship shows the island's magazine treated as a common resource for the Company's shipping in time of need, the settlement's defensive supply lent to strengthen a vessel of the same service. That the council parted with so much powder, a commodity it husbanded carefully and could replace only from England, marks the seriousness with which it regarded the wartime peril to the fleet, weighing the ship's safety above the security of its own reserve.

294

285

1756

Being in want of a Tent to pitch upon the

Line to Shelter the Officer in case of bad Weather who are obliged to

be under Arms all night upon Double Alarms, and Captain

Fisher having one to dispose of at a very reasonable rate, we therefore

have bought it of him for six Pounds, six Shillings

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on Monday the 12 Day of April 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated the

9 April 1756

Saturday the 10 Sailed the Honorable Company Ships, Drake, Rhoda, and

Britannia for England

Do Died Joshua Worrall Planter

Yesterday Died Mary Daughter of Stephen Willoughby Soldier

John Gawler Soldier this Day petitioned

for his Discharged from the Garrison having served the Honorable

Company his Contracted time

Granted

The council needed a tent to pitch on the line to shelter the officers in bad weather, who had to be under arms all night during double alarms. Since Captain Fisher had one to dispose of at a very reasonable rate, they bought it from him for £6 6s 0d. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 12 April 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 9 April 1756, was read, approved and signed.

On Saturday 10 April the Honourable Company's ships Drake, Rhoda and Britannia sailed for England. Joshua Worrall, a planter, died the same day. Mary, daughter of Stephen Willoughby, a soldier, died the previous day.

John Gawler, a soldier, petitioned that day for his discharge from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company his contracted term. The council granted it.

Interpretations

The purchase of a tent to shelter the officers standing under arms through the night during double alarms shows the practical hardship of the island's defensive watches, the men kept out in all weathers when the alarm was raised and needing cover against the exposure. That the council bought the tent from a departing captain who happened to have one to sell marks the opportunism of a remote settlement, seizing a needed article from passing shipping when the chance offered rather than waiting for supply from England.

The transaction with Captain Fisher, who had just been granted powder from the Company's stores and now sold the council a tent, shows the two-way traffic between the island and the ships in the road, each supplying the other's wants as occasion arose. This mutual provisioning, the settlement lending powder to the ship and buying a tent in return, reflects the practical interdependence of the island and the fleet, the road a place of exchange where each made good the other's shortfalls.

295

286

12 April

The Widow, and Executors of the late

John Twaits this day brought in an Inventory of his

Effects, appraised by Messrs Richard Bagley, and Benjamin

Mason, who were Sworn that they Valued the same to the

best of their Judgment, and the Widow that she produced every

Article of her Deceased Husbands Effects it was ordered to be

Entered in the Book for that Purpose

We finding Mark Howkins Mason not

capable of Discharging the Duty that is expected from him

we therefore told him to prepare himself to go for England

by some of the latter Ships this Season, he being of little or

no Service to the Honorable Company

John Dehlyn Soldier this

Day applyed to us for his Discharge from the Garrison

although his contracted time, will not expire these three

years, but having procured James Dewaal to serve the

Honorable Company for five years, We for these reasons

have agreed to Discharge Dehlyn, and enlist the said

James Dewaal

The widow and executor of the late John Twaits brought in an inventory of his effects that day, appraised by Richard Bagley and Benjamin Mason. They were sworn that they had valued the effects to the best of their judgement, and the widow that she had produced every article of her deceased husband's effects. The council ordered the inventory to be entered in the book kept for that purpose.

The council found that Mark Hawkins, a mason, was not capable of doing the work expected of him. They told him to prepare himself to go to England by one of the later ships that season, since he was of little or no service to the Honourable Company.

John Dehlyn, a soldier, applied that day for his discharge from the garrison, although his contracted term would not expire for three years. Since he had procured James Dewaal to serve the Honourable Company for five years, the council agreed to discharge Dehlyn and enlist Dewaal.

Interpretations

The requirement that the appraisers swear to the value of the estate and the widow to the completeness of the inventory shows the probate process guarding against concealment and undervaluation, the oaths binding both those who assessed the goods and the executrix who produced them. This formal valuation on oath, entered in a book kept for the purpose, marks the settlement's care to record and protect the estates of the dead, a safeguard against fraud in the settling of a deceased inhabitant's property.

The dismissal of Mark Hawkins the mason for incapacity shows the Company unwilling to carry a servant who could not perform his trade, sending an unproductive man home rather than keeping him on the establishment at a distance from England. That his passage would be by one of the later ships of the season reflects how the movement of servants to and from the island was governed wholly by the shipping, a man discharged as useless still bound to wait for a homeward vessel to carry him away.

The discharge of John Dehlyn three years before his term expired, allowed only because he found a substitute to serve five years in his place, shows the garrison holding its soldiers to their contracts while permitting release where the strength was made good. This arrangement of substitution let a man buy his freedom from service by procuring another to take his term, a practical accommodation that freed the individual without weakening the garrison, the council's consent turning on the replacement rather than any claim of right.

296

287

1756

Mr Richard Beale one of the Attorneys to

Captain Thomas Parker Deceased applyed to us to pay five hundred

and thirty Pounds, five Shillings into the Honorable Companys Cash

to be Remitted to the Administrators of the said Captain Parker Deceased

which we have received and given him Bills of Exchange drawn

on the Honorable the Court of Directors payable to himself, or order

ninety Days after sight Dated this Day

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Richard Beale, one of the attorneys to the late Captain Thomas Parker, applied to the council to pay £530 5s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash, to be remitted to the administrators of Captain Parker. The council received the money and gave Beale bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The remittance of a dead man's estate to England by paying cash into the Company's chest against bills of exchange drawn on the directors reveals the mechanism by which money was moved across the world without shipping the coin itself. Handing the metal to the Company on the island and receiving a paper order payable in London let the estate be transferred safely to the administrators at home, the Company acting as banker and the bill of exchange carrying the value where the coin could not safely go, especially in a year of war at sea.

The bill drawn payable ninety days after sight shows the standard credit term of such an instrument, the delay allowing the directors time to verify the order before payment fell due. This use of the bill of exchange marks the settlement's integration into the wider financial system of the Company, a remote island able to remit a substantial sum to England by paper alone, the coin retained in the island's reserve while the obligation travelled home in a servant's pocket.

297

288

19 April

At a Consultation held on Monday the 19 Day of April 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved and signed

Dated the 12 of April 1756

Tuesday the 13 Died William Burnham Superannuated Sergeant

Thursday the 15 Died Thomas Rawling Soldier

Do Do Sailed the Honorable Company Ships, the Prince George

Prince of Wales, and Kent for England

Isaac Leech Gunners Mate

having served the Honorable Company upwards of fifty

years, and being now quite worn out and unfit for further

service we agreed to Superannuate him, and allow him

half Pay as usual

The Plantation, Gunners, and

Stewards Accounts for the Month ending the 11 instant

were this day brought in, which were examined and approved

and are as follows Viz

At a consultation held on Monday 19 April 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 12 April 1756, was read, approved and signed.

On Tuesday 13 April William Burnham, a superannuated sergeant, died. On Thursday 15 April Thomas Rawling, a soldier, died. The same day the Honourable Company's ships Prince George, Prince of Wales and Kent sailed for England.

Isaac Leech, a gunner's mate, had served the Honourable Company more than fifty years and was now quite worn out and unfit for further service. The council agreed to superannuate him and allow him half pay as usual.

The plantation gunners and stewards brought in their accounts for the month ending 11 April, which were examined and approved. They ran as follows.

Interpretations

The superannuation of Isaac Leech after more than fifty years of service on half pay shows the Company's provision for its long-serving men, granting a worn-out servant a pension rather than casting him off destitute. This standing arrangement, the same half pay allowed to William Burnham the superannuated sergeant who died this very month, marks a settled system of retirement for the aged and infirm, a recognition that long service earned continuing maintenance when the man could no longer work.

The death of William Burnham within days of the record shows the fate that awaited many who reached the island's superannuated list, the pension a brief provision for men already near the end of their lives. That the establishment carried such veterans on half pay until death reflects both the Company's acknowledgement of long service and the reality that few who served fifty years on a distant station survived long to enjoy their release, the pension as much a dignity in their last months as a maintenance for years.

298

289

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from the 11 of March to the 11 of April 1756 Viz

Neat Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Poultry, Horses, Asses

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Bullocks, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Pigs, Boars, Total, Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, S Asses, S Asses, Total

Remaining the 11: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 87 Calves, 15 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 21 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 290 Total, 324 Ewes, 143 Weathers, 149 Lambs, 8 Rams, 624 Total, 176 Ewes, 74 Weathers, 90 Kids, 8 Rams, 348 Total, 7 Sows, 1 Shoats, 23 Pigs, 1 Boars, 32 Total, 203 Fowls, 50 Turkeys, 50 Ducks, 17 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Encreased: 7 Lambs, 7 Total, 7 Kids, 7 Total, 1 Pigs, 1 Total, 19 Turkeys, 22 Ducks

Total: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 87 Calves, 15 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 21 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 290 Total, 324 Ewes, 143 Weathers, 156 Lambs, 8 Rams, 631 Total, 176 Ewes, 74 Weathers, 97 Kids, 8 Rams, 355 Total, 7 Sows, 1 Shoats, 24 Pigs, 1 Boars, 33 Total, 222 Fowls, 50 Turkeys, 72 Ducks, 17 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Killed: 4 Calves, 10 Yearlings, 14 Lambs, 11 Ewes, 11 Total, 3 Ewes, 1 Weathers, 2 Kids, 3 Total, 27 Fowls, 4 Turkeys, 8 Ducks, 2 Geese

Died: 4 Lambs, 4 Total, 2 Pigs, 2 Total, 3 Fowls

Sold: 12 Lambs, 12 Total

Remaining the 11: 6 Bulls, 82 Cows, 87 Calves, 11 Heifers, 62 Yearlings, 11 Steers, 3 Bullocks, 14 Oxen, 276 Total, 308 Ewes, 132 Weathers, 156 Lambs, 8 Rams, 604 Total, 176 Ewes, 71 Weathers, 97 Kids, 8 Rams, 352 Total, 7 Sows, 20 Pigs, 1 Boars, 28 Total, 192 Fowls, 46 Turkeys, 64 Ducks, 15 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Species Changed: 4 Bulls, 90 Cows, 45 Calves, 29 Heifers, 67 Yearlings, 27 Steers, 14 Oxen, 276 Total, 389 Ewes, 177 Weathers, 31 Lambs, 7 Rams, 604 Total, 195 Ewes, 131 Weathers, 19 Kids, 7 Rams, 352 Total, 8 Sows, 13 Shoats, 6 Pigs, 1 Boars, 28 Total, 192 Fowls, 46 Turkeys, 64 Ducks, 15 Geese, 6 Horses, 9 Mares, 15 Total, 2 S Asses, 3 S Asses, 5 Total

Beef to the Ship London 560

Do Drake 560

Do Britannia 560

Do Rhoda 560

Do Kent 560

Do Prince of Wales 560

Do Prince George 560

12 Sheep sold to the markett

one Goat killed for the Sick Slaves

one Shoat & 2 Pigs killed for the Slaves at Sandy Bay

N3 3 Turkeys missing

Yam Expended for the Slaves 17375

Good Do for Stock 1785

Bad Do for Do 4970

24130

Errors Excepted

Signed John Adamson

This account set out the Honourable Company's stock of cattle and other animals from 11 March to 11 April 1756. The figures ran across the categories of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each divided into its several kinds.

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 87 calves, 15 heifers, 62 yearlings, 21 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 290

Sheep: 324 ewes, 143 wethers, 149 lambs, 8 rams, total 624

Goats: 176 ewes, 74 wethers, 90 kids, 8 rams, total 348

Hogs: 7 sows, 1 shoat, 23 pigs, 1 boar, total 32

Poultry: 203 fowls, 50 turkeys, 50 ducks, 17 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

Increased:

Sheep: 7 lambs, total 7

Goats: 7 kids, total 7

Hogs: 1 pig, total 1

Poultry: 19 fowls, 22 ducks

Total:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 87 calves, 15 heifers, 62 yearlings, 21 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 290

Sheep: 324 ewes, 143 wethers, 156 lambs, 8 rams, total 631

Goats: 176 ewes, 74 wethers, 97 kids, 8 rams, total 355

Hogs: 7 sows, 1 shoat, 24 pigs, 1 boar, total 33

Poultry: 222 fowls, 50 turkeys, 72 ducks, 17 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

Killed:

Cattle: 4 calves, 10 yearlings

Sheep: 14 lambs, total 14

Goats: 11 ewes, total 11

Hogs: 3 pigs

Poultry: 27 fowls, 4 turkeys, 8 ducks, 2 geese

Died:

Sheep: 4 wethers, total 4

Hogs: 2 pigs

Poultry: 2 ducks, 3 geese

Sold:

Sheep: 12 lambs, total 12

Remaining the 11th:

Cattle: 6 bulls, 82 cows, 87 calves, 11 heifers, 62 yearlings, 11 steers, 3 bullocks, 14 oxen, total 276

Sheep: 308 ewes, 132 wethers, 156 lambs, 8 rams, total 604

Goats: 176 ewes, 71 wethers, 97 kids, 8 rams, total 352

Hogs: 7 sows, 20 pigs, 1 boar, total 28

Poultry: 192 fowls, 46 turkeys, 64 ducks, 15 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

Species changed:

Cattle: 4 bulls, 90 cows, 45 calves, 29 heifers, 67 yearlings, 27 steers, 14 oxen, total 276

Sheep: 389 ewes, 177 wethers, 31 lambs, 7 rams, total 604

Goats: 195 ewes, 131 wethers, 19 kids, 7 rams, total 352

Hogs: 8 sows, 13 shoats, 6 pigs, 1 boar, total 28

Poultry: 192 fowls, 46 turkeys, 64 ducks, 15 geese

Horses: 6 horses, 9 mares, total 15

Asses: 2 she-asses, 3 he-asses, total 5

The notes recorded that 560lb of beef went to each of the ships London, Drake, Britannia, Rhoda, Kent, Prince of Wales and Prince George, twelve sheep were sold at the market, one goat was killed for the sick slaves, and one shoat and two pigs were killed for the slaves at Sandy Bay. A further note recorded three turkeys missing.

Yams expended for the slaves: 17,375

Good yams for stock: 1,785

Bad yams for stock: 4,970

Total: 24,130

The account was signed by John Adamson, errors excepted.

Interpretations

The crowded fleet drew an enormous call on the herd this month, 560lb of fresh beef issued to each of seven ships, nearly two tons of meat in all, which shows the island's stock strained to victual the whole China fleet as it passed. This heavy draught explains the sharp slaughter of cattle in the account, the fourteen head killed to meet a demand that fell all at once as the ships gathered in the road, the herd serving as the fleet's larder for the long voyage home.

The reappearance of a species-changed line, restating the whole stock under a different reckoning of its several kinds, shows the plantation periodically reclassifying its animals as the young came of age and the categories shifted. This recasting of the herd, moving calves to yearlings and lambs to ewes and wethers as they matured, was the mechanism by which the account kept its classes current, the same total distributed afresh among the ranks of age and sex as the season advanced.

The steep fall in good yams reserved for stock, only 1,785 sound against nearly 5,000 spoiled, continued the decline of the previous month and marks the store running low on sound roots as the season wore on and the reserves were consumed for seed and fodder. That yams expended on the slaves rose again to more than 17,000 shows the poorer roots being eaten faster as the good stock dwindled, the plantation drawing down its store toward the leaner months before the next crop could relieve it.

299

290

19 April

Gunners Stores expended from the 12

of March to the 11 April 1756 Viz

Grand Shott, Musq Shott, 4lb, 3lb, 2lb, Powder Expended

1756

March the 18th: Fired at Ruperts for Practise & Priming, Grand Shott 8, Musq Shott 8, 4lb 8, Powder Expended 17.8

22nd: A Double Alarm for 9 Ships that went by, Grand Shott 15, 3lb 6, 2lb 6, Powder Expended 3 33

23rd: Fired at Bankses to bring a Dutch Ship too, Grand Shott 2, Musq Shott 2, 4lb 2, Powder Expended 9

Arrived a Dutch Ship, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 11, 2lb 11, Powder Expended 11

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

Fired to return the Salute of the Dutch Commodore, Grand Shott 13, 2lb 13, Powder Expended 13

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.12

Departed the Dutch Ship, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 13, 2lb 13, Powder Expended 13

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.12

26th: An Alarm, Grand Shott 6, 3lb 2, 2lb 2, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Ship Drake, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

An Alarm for a Ship that went by, Grand Shott 6, 3lb 2, 2lb 2, Powder Expended 2 12

returned the Salute of the said Ship, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

28th: An Alarm, Grand Shott 6, 3lb 2, 2lb 2, Powder Expended 2 12

29th: Arrived the Ship Britannea returned Salute, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

April the 1st: A Double Alarm, Grand Shott 11, 3lb 4, 2lb 4, Powder Expended 3 23

Arrived the Ship Rhoda, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

Arrived the Kent, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

Arrived the Prince of Wales, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

Do for Do at Prosperous Bay, Powder Expended 3

2nd: An Alarm, Grand Shott 6, 3lb 2, 2lb 2, Powder Expended 2 12

3rd: Arrived the Prince George, returned the Salute, Grand Shott 9, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 1.8

10th: Departed the Drake, Rhoda, & Britannea

returned their Salutes, Grand Shott 27, 2lb 27, Powder Expended 27

Powder for Priming, Powder Expended 4.8

Do for Do at Mundens Point, Powder Expended 3

Do for Signals, Powder Expended 3.8

Do Sold to Captain Benjamin Fisher, Powder Expended 400

Total: Grand Shott 187, Musq Shott 10, 4lb 2, 3lb 26, 2lb 187, Powder Expended 4 68.7

This account recorded the gunner's stores expended from 12 March to 11 April 1756, measured in grand shot, musket shot, four-pound shot, three-pound shot, two-pound shot, one-pound shot and powder in pounds and ounces.

18 March 1756: fired at Ruperts for practice and priming, 8 grand shot, 8 musket shot, 8 four-pound shot, 16lb 12oz powder

22 March 1756: a double alarm for 9 ships that went by, 13 grand shot, 6 four-pound shot, 6 two-pound shot, 33lb powder

23 March 1756: fired at Bankses to bring a Dutch ship to, 2 grand shot, 2 musket shot, 2 four-pound shot, 9lb powder

23 March 1756: arrived a Dutch ship, returned the salute, 11 grand shot, 11 two-pound shot, 11lb powder

23 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

23 March 1756: fired to return the salute of the Dutch commodore, 13 grand shot, 13 two-pound shot, 13lb powder

23 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 12oz powder

23 March 1756: departed the Dutch ship, returned the salute, 13 grand shot, 13 two-pound shot, 13lb powder

23 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 12oz powder

26 March 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 two-pound shot, 12lb powder

26 March 1756: arrived the ship Drake, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

26 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

26 March 1756: an alarm for a ship that went by, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 two-pound shot, 12lb powder

26 March 1756: returned the salute of the ship, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

26 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

28 March 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 two-pound shot, 12lb powder

29 March 1756: arrived the ship Britannia, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

29 March 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

1 April 1756: a double alarm, 11 grand shot, 4 four-pound shot, 4 two-pound shot, 33lb powder

1 April 1756: arrived the ship Rhoda, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

1 April 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

1 April 1756: arrived the Kent, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

1 April 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

1 April 1756: arrived the Prince of Wales, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

1 April 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

1 April 1756: powder for priming at Prosperous Bay, 3lb powder

2 April 1756: an alarm, 6 grand shot, 2 four-pound shot, 2 two-pound shot, 12lb powder

3 April 1756: arrived the Prince George, returned the salute, 9 grand shot, 9 two-pound shot, 9lb powder

3 April 1756: powder for priming, 1lb 8oz powder

10 April 1756: departed the Drake, Rhoda and Britannia, returned their salutes, 27 grand shot, 27 two-pound shot, 27lb powder

10 April 1756: powder for priming, 4lb 8oz powder

10 April 1756: powder for priming at Munden's Point, 3lb powder

10 April 1756: powder for signals, 3lb 8oz powder

10 April 1756: powder sold to Captain Benjamin Fisher, 4 barrels

Total: 187 grand shot, 10 musket shot, 26 four-pound shot, 18 two-pound shot, 4 one-pound shot, 687lb 1oz powder

Interpretations

The month's expenditure of powder soared far above any earlier account, more than 687lb spent where quiet months had used a fifth of that, driven by the ceaseless firing of salutes as the China fleet arrived and departed and by repeated alarms as strange ships passed the road. This great consumption marks the busy and anxious season, the guns answering every arrival and every unknown sail in a year when the state of the war in Europe made each strange ship a possible enemy.

The heavier salute of thirteen guns returned to the Dutch commodore, above the eleven given to the ordinary Dutch ship, shows the courtesies of the sea graded by rank even among foreign vessels, the commanding officer of a squadron honoured above his consorts. That the island fired to bring a Dutch ship to before saluting her marks the double character of the exchange, the guns first asserting the settlement's authority over vessels approaching the road and then extending the ceremony due to a friendly flag.

The four barrels of powder sold to Captain Fisher appear here as the largest single issue, the sale that the council had granted at the previous consultation now entered in the gunner's account against the stores. This booking of the sale into the powder record ties the council's decision to strengthen a homeward ship's defence directly to the magazine it drew on, the transaction traced from the captain's petition through the council's grant to the actual delivery from store.

300

291

1756

Gun Carriages at the Main & out Forts wore out & Unserviceable 25

Axeltrees broke at the main Forts 1

Spunge Staves broke at Ruperts 1

Ramer heads broke at Sandy Bay 1

Tallow for greasing the Long Boat 64 lb

Do for Do the Carts 14 lb

Match burnt at Mundens 64 lb

Handspikes broke at Do 4

Beeds wore out and Unserviceable at Mundens 2

Quoins Do at Do 3

Moscove Lights Do at Do 1

Match burnt at the Main Fort, Bankses, Ruperts, and the Alarm House 27 lb

Moscove Lights were out & unserviceable at Ruperts 1

Do Do at Bankses 1

Do Do at Sandy Bay 1

Tompeons broke at Bankses 1

Cooper Brads for covering the Hinges of the Magazin at Mundens Point 80

Lint Stocks broke at the Main Fort 1 Qr

Paper for making Great Gun Cartridges 44

Needles broke with sewing of Do 15

Ginn Falls wore out & unserviceable 1

Handspikes broke at the Main Fort 3

Signed

Tho Hall Master Gunner

Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys General Table

in the Month ending the 11 April 1756 Viz

17 Bottles Port

£ 1 5 1½

33 Lisbon

2 6 ½

16 Mountain

1 3 8

12 Madeira

1 8 6

80 Arrack

2 13 4

98 Beer

1 5

385 lb Flour

2 8 1½

425 ¾ lb Mutton

8 17 5½

Carried over £ 20 14 8½

This account continued the gunner's stores expended, recording the items spent without shot.

Gun carriages at the main and out forts worn out and unserviceable, 25

Axletrees broke at the main forts, 1

Spunge staves broke at Ruperts, 1

Rammer heads broke at Sandy Bay, 1

Tallow for greasing the long boat, 64lb

Tallow for greasing the carts, 14lb

Match burnt at Munden's, 64lb

Handspikes broke at Munden's, 4

Beds worn out and unserviceable at Munden's, 2

Quoins worn out at Munden's, 3

Moscove lights worn out at Munden's, 1

Match burnt at the main fort, Bankses, Ruperts and the alarm house, 27lb

Moscove lights worn out and unserviceable at Ruperts, 1

Moscove lights worn out at Bankses, 1

Moscove lights worn out at Sandy Bay, 1

Tompeons broke at Bankses, 1

Copper bands for covering the hinges of the magazine at Munden's Point, 80

Lint stocks broke at the main fort, 1 quire

Paper for making great gun cartridges, 4 quires

Needles broke with sewing of great gun cartridges, 15

Tin fells worn out and unserviceable, 1

Handspikes broke at the main fort, 3

The account was signed by Thomas Hall, master gunner.

This account recorded the sundries expended at the Honourable Company's general table in the month ending 11 April 1756.

17 bottles port, £1 5s 1½d

33 Lisbon, £2 6s 3½d

16 mountain, £1 3s 8d

12 Madeira, £2 13s 4d

80 arrack, £1 0s 5d

98 beer, £2 8s 1½d

385lb flour, £8 17s 5½d

425¾lb mutton, £20 14s 8¾d

Carried over, £20 14s 8¾d

Interpretations

The wearing out of twenty-five gun carriages at once, together with the broken axletrees, quoins, beds and handspikes, shows the heavy toll the crowded season took on the artillery, the repeated firing of salutes and alarms straining the mountings and gear of the guns to the point of failure. The quoin was the wedge that adjusted a gun's elevation and the bed the frame beneath it, and their wholesale wearing out marks the intensity of a month in which the batteries fired almost daily to greet and challenge the passing fleet.

Moscove lights, worn out at post after post across the island's batteries, were lanterns glazed with the thin transparent mica once imported from Muscovy, used to light the gun positions and magazines through the night. Their failure at Ruperts, Bankses, Sandy Bay and Munden's shows the constant nocturnal watch kept at the coastal defences, the lights burning at every post through the anxious nights of a wartime season when a strange sail might appear at any hour.

The greasing of the long boat with a large quantity of tallow points to the heavy use of the settlement's principal craft through the busy season, the boat worked hard in landing and carrying to and from the crowded fleet. That the same tallow served both the boat and the gun carriages marks the store as the common source of the settlement's lubricants, the single material maintaining both the artillery and the boats on which the island's traffic with the ships depended.

301

292

19 April

Brought over £ 20 14 8½

302 lb Beef

3 15 6

38 lb Goat

12 8

5 Pr Salt Pork

10

27 Fowls

2 6

8 Ducks

12

2 Geese

10

4 Turkeys

1

23 lb Butter

1 3

110 Candy

1 12 1

12 Sugar

3

£ 33 1 5½

The Executors of Joshua Worrall Deceased

this day presented his last Will and Testament, desiring the

same might be proved which was accordingly done upon the

Oaths of the Witnesses thereto, the Will is as follows Viz

St Helena

In the Name of God Amen, I

Joshua Worrall of St Helena Planter, being Sick of Body, but

of sound mind and understanding, thanks be to Almighty God for

the same, I Do make this my last Will and Testament in

manner and form following

Imprimis I commit my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator

hoping for Salvation from him through Jesus Christ, and my

Body I commit to the Ground to be decently, Buried at the

discretion of my Executors hereafter named, And as to my Worldly

Goods, wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I give and

dispose of the same as follows

Item I give and Bequeath to my Son in Law James Torbet the expence

of my House in the Fort Valley at Valuation, which House

I lately purchased of John Bland, and is adjoyning to the

This account continued the sundries expended at the general table, carrying over the running total.

Brought over, £20 14s 8¾d

302lb beef, £3 15s 6d

38lb goat, £0 12s 8d

5 pieces salt pork, £0 10s 0d

27 fowls, £2 0s 6d

8 ducks, £0 12s 0d

2 geese, £0 10s 0d

4 turkeys, £1 0s 0d

23lb butter, £1 3s 0d

110lb candy, £1 12s 1d

12lb sugar, £0 3s 0d

Total, £33 1s 5¼d

The executors of the late Joshua Worrall presented his last will and testament that day and asked that it be proved, which was done on the oaths of the witnesses to it. The will ran as follows.

It opened in the name of God. Joshua Worrall of St Helena, planter, sick of body but of sound mind and understanding, declared this his last will and testament. He committed his soul into the hands of Almighty God his creator, hoping for salvation through Jesus Christ, and his body to the ground to be decently buried at the discretion of his executors. He then disposed of his worldly goods as follows.

First, he gave to his son in law James Torbet the reversal of his house in the Fort Valley at valuation, which house he had lately purchased of John Bland and which adjoined the house.

Interpretations

Joshua Worrall the planter, whose death was recorded a week earlier in the record, left a will disposing of a house he had recently bought, which shows a settled inhabitant of some property dealing in the island's houses and land. That he gave his son in law the reversal of a house at valuation rather than outright marks a careful provision, the property to pass at an assessed price so that its value might be reckoned fairly against the rest of the estate and the other heirs.

The proving of Worrall's will on the oaths of the witnesses follows the same procedure applied to the wills of the soldiers William Cain and John Twaits earlier in the record, the council serving throughout as the probate authority for the island's dead. That planters and soldiers alike brought their wills before the governing body for proof shows the settlement's single system for settling the estates of all its inhabitants, the council standing in the place of the ecclesiastical and civil courts that proved wills at home.

302

293

1756

House now in the Possession of Samuel Desfountain, upon condition that

my said Son in Law James Torbet pays the rest of my Children what the said

House is Valued at above an equal Dividend, of my Estate amongst them

and also that he is not to dispose of the House hereby bequeathed without

the Consent of my Daughter Margaret his Wife

Item I give and Bequeath to my beloved Sons John and William when they

arrive at Age, or Marriage the refusal of my House and all my Lands in

the Country at Valuation, they being accountable to the rest of my

Children for their proportions of my Estate, and my further Will is that

my Son John shall have his choice of the Land as it is now divided

and in case of the Death of either of my said Sons John or William I then

give the refusal of the whole to the Surviver, and in case of both their

Deaths I then give the refusal thereof to my Son Joshua, under the

same conditions as are above mentioned, that is, to pay his Sisters an

equal dividend according to the Valuation of my Estate as aforesaid

Item After paying my just Debts, I give and Bequeath all the rest residue

and remainder of my Estate it in what kind soever or wheresoever to be equally

divided amongst my beloved Children namely John, William, Joshua

Margaret, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Penelope, and Mary as they shall severally

arrive at the Age of Twenty one Years or Marriage, and in case of the

Death of any of my said Children before they arrive at Age, or Marriage

my intention is that the deceaseds part of my Estate shall be equally

divided among the Survivors

Lastly I Nominate and appoint my good Friends, Richard Bagley, John

Desfountain, John Doveton, James Torbett my Son in Law, and my

Son John (at the Age of Eighteen years) Executors of this my Will and do

hereby revoke, and disanull all Will or Wills by me heretofore made, and

to declare only this to be my last Will and Testament signed with my

hand and Sealed with my Seal this thirteenth day of May in the

Twenty eighth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the

second by the Grace of God of great Brittain France and Ireland King

Defender of the Faith and so fourth and in the Year of our Lord 1755

Signed and Sealed in the presence

of the Testator before us

(the word Estate being first interlined)

Signed Thomas Evans

Benjamin Fludgird

F Wrangham Junr

Signed Jos Worrall

The will of Joshua Worrall continued with the disposal of the remainder of his estate to his children.

The house then in the possession of Samuel Desfountain passed on condition that his son in law James Torbet paid the rest of his children whatever the house was valued at above an equal share of his estate, and also that he was not to dispose of the house without the consent of his daughter Margaret, Torbet's wife.

He gave to his beloved sons John and William, when they came of age or married, the refusal of his house and all his lands in the country at valuation, they to be accountable to the rest of his children for their proportions of the estate. He further directed that his son John should have the first choice of the land as then divided, and that if either John or William died, the refusal of the whole should pass to the survivor, and if both died, then to his son Joshua on the same condition, that is, to pay his sisters an equal share according to the valuation of the estate.

After paying his debts, he gave the rest and remainder of his estate, of whatever kind, to be divided equally among his beloved children, namely John, William, Joshua, Margaret, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Penelope and Mary, as they should severally come of age or marry. If any of the children died before coming of age or marrying, he intended that the deceased child's part should be equally divided among the survivors.

He nominated his friends Richard Bagley, John Desfountain and John Doveton, together with his son in law James Torbet and his son John at the age of eighteen, as executors of his will, revoking all former wills. The will was signed and sealed by Joshua Worrall on 13 May 1755 and witnessed by Thomas Evans, Benjamin Hedgird and Francis Wrangham junior, the word estate being first interlined.

Interpretations

Worrall's will, like John Twaits' before it, bound each son who took land to account to the other children for its value, which shows a common device among the island's planters for passing a modest estate whole while treating all the children fairly. This arrangement let the land descend undivided to the sons who would work it, the daughters and other heirs compensated in money reckoned against the valuation, so that the property was kept viable without disinheriting those who did not receive it.

The condition that James Torbet could not sell the house without his wife Margaret's consent shows the testator protecting his daughter's interest in the property passing through her husband, reserving her a voice in its disposal. This safeguard against a son in law alienating the house over his wife's head marks a deliberate care for the daughter's security, ensuring that the property meant to provide for her could not be sold away without her agreement.

The provision of eight children by name, with the elaborate scheme of survivorship passing the land from son to son and the residue among all alike, reveals a substantial and settled planter family whose estate in land and houses was worth the careful ordering of a detailed will. That the property was distributed among so many heirs with such attention to contingency shows the maturity of the island's landholding society by this date, the planters' estates grown large and complex enough to require the same careful testamentary provision as families of property at home.

303

294

19 April

Godfrey Armbrester Soldier applyed

to us for his discharge from the Garrison having served

the Honorable Company about three Years, but having

procured John Hendrick Fuller to serve five years, We for

these reasons have agreed to Discharge the said Godfrey

Armbrester, and enlist John Hendrick Fuller without any

Bounty Money

According to the Advertisement

published on the 5 instant the Planters this Day Assembled

in Vestry, to chuse Parish officers for the ensuing Year

and returned the following persons Viz

Messrs Thomas Cotgrave

William Young

Matthew Burling Church Wardens

John Doveton

Daniel Fowkes

Elisha Isaach Overseers for the East Division

John Seale

Thomas Harper Do for the South Do

Isaac Knipe

Jonathan Doveton Do for the West Do

Whereupon we Ordered Warrants to be

made for Messrs Thomas Cotgrave and William Young Church

Wardens, and Messrs Daniel Fowkes John Seale, & Isaac Knipe

Overseers

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Godfrey Armbrister, a soldier, applied to the council for his discharge from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company about three years. Since he had procured John Hendrick Fuller to serve five years, the council agreed to discharge Armbrister and enlist Fuller without any bounty money.

Following the advertisement published on 5 April, the planters assembled that day in vestry to choose parish officers for the coming year and returned the following persons.

Thomas Cotgrave, churchwarden

William Young, churchwarden

Matthew Burling, churchwarden

John Doveton, churchwarden

Daniel Sowkes, overseer for the east division

Elisha Isaack, overseer for the east division

John Seale, overseer for the south division

Thomas Harper, overseer for the south division

Isaac Knipe, overseer for the west division

Jonathan Doveton, overseer for the west division

The council then ordered warrants to be made out for Thomas Cotgrave and William Young as churchwardens, and for Daniel Sowkes, John Seale and Isaac Knipe as overseers. The record was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The parish meeting divided the island into east, south and west divisions each with its own overseers, which shows a developed system of local administration parcelling the settlement into districts for the management of its affairs. This geographical division of parochial duty marks the maturity of the island's civil government, the parish organised on the English model with officers assigned to particular quarters to oversee the poor, the roads and the local business of each division.

That the planters chose more officers than the council then commissioned, the vestry returning four churchwardens and six overseers but the council issuing warrants to only two and three, reveals the balance between popular election and Company sanction in the island's government. The inhabitants nominated their officers freely, but the governing authority confirmed only a portion, which shows the parish self-government operating under the council's oversight, the free choice of the planters tempered by the Company's final approval of who actually held office.

The enlistment of a substitute soldier without any bounty money, where the fresh recruits and re-enlisting men had all received their £10, shows the saving to the Company when a discharged soldier found his own replacement. The man taking another's place served on the strength of the arrangement between the two soldiers rather than on the Company's inducement, sparing the bounty that would otherwise have drawn a recruit, a quiet economy in the manning of the garrison through the system of substitution.

304

295

26 April

At a Consultation held on Monday the 26 Day of April 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esq Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed, Dated the

19 of April 1756

The Paymaster brought in his Accounts

and the Storekeeper his Collections for the Quarter Ending the 11

instant which were examined, approved, and are as follows Viz

At a consultation held on Monday 26 April 1756 at the Castle, Governor Hutchinson sat with the lieutenant governor John Adamson and Lieutenant John Clark of the council. The record of the previous consultation, dated 19 April 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The paymaster brought in his accounts and the storekeeper his collections for the quarter ending 11 April, which were examined and approved. They ran as follows.

Interpretations

The paymaster's accounts and the storekeeper's collections were the two halves of the island's public finance brought before the council each quarter, the one recording the money paid out and the other the sums gathered in, both audited by the governing body to keep a check on the officers who handled cash and goods. This quarterly reckoning was the standing mechanism by which a distant settlement guarded against the misuse of Company money, no officer left to certify his own honesty and the whole examined together before the council.

305

296

26th April.

List of the Honorable Company's Officers and Servants

upon the Island St Helena with their several Salarys Diet

Mony &c for the Quarter Commencing the 12 January and

Ending the 11 of April 1756. Viz

Charles Hutchinson Esqr Govr Salary

L 125

Do Allowance for Servants as usual

31 14 9 156 14 9

John Adamson Lieut Gynor no Salary

62 10

Do Diet Mony

25 87 10

John Clark of Council Salary

45

John Goodwin Accomptant Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

15

Do House Rent

2 10 35

Matthew Curling Store keeper Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

15 32 10

Francis Wrangham Secretary Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

15

Do House Rent

2 10 35

William Lee Chaplain Salary

25

Do Diet Mony

15 40

James Powell Factor Salary

7 10

Do Diet Mony

10

Do Assistant Store keeper

5

Do House Rent

2 10 25

Matthew Bazett Factor Salary

7 10

Do Diet Mony

10

Do House Rent

2 10 20

William Wrangham Writer Salary

5

Do Diet Mony

10

Do House Rent

2 10 17 10

Charles Seward Writer Salary

5

Do Diet Mony

10 15

John Ingles Surgion Salary

9 15

Do Diet Mony

10

Do House Rent

2 10 22 5

Carried over

L 561 9 9

26 April.

The following list set out the Honourable Company's officers and servants on the island of St Helena, with their several salaries, diet money and other allowances, for the quarter running from 12 January to 11 April 1756.

Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, salary, £125 0s 0d

Ditto, allowance for servants as usual, £31 14s 9d, total £156 14s 9d

John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, salary, £62 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £25 0s 0d, total £87 10s 0d

John Clark of Council, salary, £15 0s 0d

John Goodwin, Accountant, salary, £17 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £15 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

Matthew Gurling, Storekeeper, salary, £17 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £15 0s 0d, total £32 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham, Secretary, salary, £17 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £15 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

William Lee, Chaplain, salary, £25 0s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £15 0s 0d, total £40 0s 0d

James Powell, Factor, salary, £7 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Ditto, Assistant Storekeeper, £5 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £25 0s 0d

Matthew Bazett, Factor, salary, £7 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £20 0s 0d

William Wrangham, Writer, salary, £5 0s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £17 10s 0d

Charles Seward, Writer, salary, £5 0s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d, total £15 0s 0d

John Ingles, Surgeon, salary, £9 15s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £22 5s 0d

Carried over, £561 9s 9d

Interpretations

Diet money was a cash allowance paid in place of provisions from the Company's stores, letting an officer buy his own food rather than draw a ration. That several men received it on top of salary shows the Company had largely converted an older system of feeding its staff directly into fixed money payments, simpler to administer on a remote island where the store's stock rose and fell with each ship.

The pay ladder maps the settlement's chain of command precisely. The Governor's £125 dwarfed every other figure, the Lieutenant Governor stood well clear of the rest at £62 10s 0d and the working officers, accountant, storekeeper, secretary and chaplain, clustered around £17 10s 0d in base salary. The writers, the most junior clerical grade, drew only £5 0s 0d, so that a man's salary alone fixed his rank in the establishment.

House rent appears as a separate line for most officers but not for the Governor or Lieutenant Governor, who occupied Company quarters, nor for the two most junior writers in one case. The allowance marks the men expected to keep their own lodging in the town rather than live in Company buildings, a distinction of status as much as of housing.

306

297

1756

Brought over

L 561 9 9

Thomas Evans Surgeon's Mate Salary

L 6 5

Do Diet Mony

10 16 5

Samuel Alexander

7 10

Matthew Bazett Overseers Salary

7 10

George Young

7 10

Richard Beale Schoolmaster's Salary

3 8 3

Do as Clerk

5 8 8 3

John Bland master Mason Salary

17 10

Do Diet Mony

10

Do House Rent

1 10 29

Mark Hawkins Mason Salary

12 10

Do Diet Mony

6 16 6 1/2

Do House Rent

1 20 6 16 1/2

Thomas Loving Carpenters Salary

12 10

Do House Rent

15 13 5

Thomas Kirkpatrick Master of Arms Salary

6 5

James Sheridan Gardeneris Salary

10

Thomas Eastwood Carpenters Mate Salary

8 15

John Veale Armourer Salary from 12 January to 15

marsh inclusive the day he was discharged

7 7 4

John Hughes Amourers Mate Salary

9 41 7 4

James Corbett Cooper Salary

8 15

William Moore Steward Salary

6

Michael Frost Clock & Instrument Cleaner Salary

1 5

Nicholas Scrafston Patron of the Long Boat

7 10

John Strange broom Salary

2

Thomas Harper Marshall Salary

5 6 32 30 16 5 4

First Company

John Clark 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do on account of Instructing the Gunners

7 10 37 3 1/4

Stephen Herbert 2d Lieutenant Salary

18 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do House Rent

2 10 27 11 10 1/2

Carried over

L 748 3 10

1756

The list of the Company's officers and servants continued, with their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the same quarter.

Brought over, £501 9s 9d

Thomas Evans, Surgeon's Mate, salary, £6 5s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d, total £16 5s 0d

Samuel Alexander, £7 10s 0d

Matthew Bazett, Overseers salary, £7 10s 0d

George Young, £7 10s 0d

Richard Beale, Schoolmaster's salary, £3 8s 3d

Ditto, as Clerk, £5 0s 0d, total £8 8s 3d

John Bland, Master Mason, salary, £17 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £1 10s 0d, total £29 0s 0d

Mark Hawkins, Mason, salary, £12 10s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 4½d

Ditto, house rent, £1 0s 0d, total £20 6s 4½d

Thomas Loving, Carpenter, salary, £12 10s 0d

Ditto, house rent, £0 15s 0d, total £13 5s 0d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, Master of Arms, salary, £6 5s 0d

James Sheridan, Gardener's salary, £10 0s 0d

Thomas Eastwood, Carpenter's Mate, salary, £8 15s 0d

John Veale, Armourer, salary from 12 January to 15 March inclusive of the day he was discharged, £7 7s 4d

John Hughes, Armourer's Mate, salary, £9 0s 0d, total £41 7s 4d

James Corbett, Cooper, salary, £8 15s 0d

William Moore, Steward, salary, £6 0s 0d

Michael Frost, Clock and Instrument Cleaner, salary, £1 5s 0d

Nicholas Scrafton, Patron of the Long Boat, £7 10s 0d

John Strange, Groom, salary, £2 0s 0d

Thomas Harper, Marshall, salary, £5 6s 3½d, total £30 16s 3½d

First Company

John Clark, First Lieutenant, salary, £22 16s 3d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, on account of instructing the gunners, £7 10s 0d, total £37 3s 1½d

Stephen Herbert, Second Lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Carried over, £748 3s 10½d

Interpretations

The establishment ran on a mix of skilled tradesmen and garrison staff, each carried at his own rate. A master mason at £17 10s 0d earned more than his working mason at £12 10s 0d, and both stood above a carpenter's mate at £8 15s 0d, so the pay scale tracked craft seniority as closely as it tracked civil rank. Building and maintaining the island's fortifications and stores demanded masons and carpenters on permanent wages, and the Company kept them on the books alongside its clerks and soldiers.

John Veale's armourer's pay stopped on 15 March, the day of his discharge, and was struck at an exact part-quarter of £7 7s 4d rather than the full sum. The precise dating shows the Company paid strictly for service rendered, cutting a man's wage to the day he left rather than rounding to the quarter, a discipline that kept the garrison accounts honest against a shifting roll of names.

The armed establishment opened here under the heading First Company, the first of the trained bands into which the garrison was divided. Its lieutenants drew markedly more than the tradesmen, and the first lieutenant took a further £7 10s 0d for instructing the gunners, the extra payment marking gunnery as a specialist skill the Company paid to keep sharp on a fortified island whose defence rested on its batteries.

The patron of the long boat was the man in charge of the settlement's principal boat, the heavy craft used to work cargo and passengers between ship and shore across the open roadstead. St Helena had no harbour, so every landing was made by boat through the surf at the run, and the patron who commanded that boat held a post of real responsibility, reflected in his £7 10s 0d wage.

307

298

26th April

Brought over

L 748 3 10

Francis Mowatt Adjutant Salary

L 22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10 1/2 29 13 1 1/2

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs

7 12 1

John Howard

7 12 1

William Davis

7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Humphry Pugh

5 6 5 1/2

Joseph Renton

5 6 5 1/2

Edward Robinson

5 6 5 1/2 15 19 4 1/2

Drummers

Charles Smith from the 12 to the 31

of January Inclusive as Centinel

2 16 8

Do from the 9 Feb Inclusive

as Drummer

4 2 10 4 19 6

John Vaughan

5 6 3 1/2 10 5 11 1/2

Centinels

Philip Ardran from 31 January

Inclusive Entertained

3

George Bennett

3 16 1/2

John Bagley

3 16 1/2

John Burke

3 16 1/2

Joseph Boswell

3 16 1/2

Peter Belling from 31 January Inclusive

Entertained

3

James Cartwright

3 16 1/2

Philip Cole

3 16 1/2

George Copeling

3 16 1/2

William Cocksey

3 16 1/2

Duncan Cameron

3 16 1/2

Centinels Carried over

L 40 4 6 1/2

Carried over

L 826 15 4 1/2

26 April.

The muster of the garrison continued, listing the adjutant, sergeants, corporals, drummers and sentinels with their pay for the quarter.

Brought over, £748 3s 10d

Francis Mowatt, Adjutant, salary, £22 16s 3d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £29 13s 1½d

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs, £7 12s 1d

John Howard, £7 12s 1d

William Davis, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

Humphry Pugh, £5 6s 5½d

Joseph Renton, £5 6s 5½d

Edward Robinson, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 4½d

Drummers

Charles Smith, from the 12 to the 31 of January inclusive as Sentinel, £2 16s 8d

Ditto, from the 1 February inclusive as Drummer, £4 2s 10d, total £4 19s 6d

John Vaughan, £5 6s 3½d, total £10 5s 11½d

Sentinels

Philip Ardran, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

George Bennett, £3 16s 1½d

John Bagley, £3 16s 1½d

John Burke, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Boswell, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Belling, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

James Cartwright, £3 16s 1½d

Philip Cole, £3 16s 1½d

George Capeling, £3 16s 1½d

William Cocksey, £3 16s 1½d

Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 1½d

Sentinels carried over, £40 4s 6½d

Carried over, £826 15s 4½d

Interpretations

The garrison was set out in strict order of rank, each grade paid at a single flat rate. Every sergeant drew £7 12s 1d, every corporal £5 6s 5½d and most sentinels £3 16s 1½d, so a man's pay followed his rank exactly with no allowance for the individual. This uniform scale made the muster roll self-checking, since any figure out of step with its heading would stand out at once against the accounts.

Charles Smith's line records a promotion within the quarter, his pay split between service as a sentinel to 31 January and as a drummer from 1 February. The drummer's rate stood above the sentinel's, and the change was dated to the day and priced as two separate stretches, the same to-the-day accounting applied throughout the roll. Drummers were not musicians for show but signallers, beating the calls that ordered the garrison's daily routine and its movements under arms, a function that earned them more than the men they signalled to.

The two sentinels entertained from 31 January, Philip Ardran and Peter Belling, each drew a flat £3 0s 0d rather than the standard £3 16s 1½d, marking men taken onto the strength part way through the quarter. To entertain a soldier was to enlist him and place him on the paybook, and the reduced sum reflects the short span of service between enlistment and the quarter's end.

308

299

1756.

Brought over

L 826 18 4 1/2

Centinels Brought over

L 40 4 4 1/2

Thomas Dunn

3

Edward Derrart

3

Robert Evans from 31 January Inclusive entertained

3

James Edwards

3

James Easthope

3 16 1/2

Thomas Farris

3 16 1/2

John Groves from 12 January to 23 March

Inclusive the Day he was discharged

3

George Green

3 16 1/2

John Grainger

3 16 1/2

John Gawler

3 16 1/2

Richard Goulding

3 16 1/2

Thomas Halie

3 16 1/2

James Hendrew

3 16 1/2

Jonathan Hitchins

3 16 1/2

Thomas Holliwell

3

Daniel Hill from 31 Jan Inclusive Entertaind

3

George Ice

3

William Lantrum

3 16 1/2

Joseph Lowe

3 16 1/2

Thomas Litchfield

3 16 1/2

Nathaniel Mitchell from 12 January to the 4

March Inclusive the Day he died

2 4 2

John Marsh

3 16 1/2

William Montgomery

3 16 1/2

William McDonald from 31 Jan 2d Inclusive entertaind

3

Thomas Pilkington

3 16 1/2

James Richardson

3 16 1/2

Abraham Ratcliff

3 16 1/2

John Scotcher

3 16 1/2

John Shaw

3 16 1/2

George Smith

3 16 1/2

Centinels Carried over

L 144 13 4

Carried over

L 826 18 4 1/2

The roll of sentinels continued, each carried with his pay for the quarter.

Brought over, £826 18s 6½d

Sentinels brought over, £40 4s 6½d

Thomas Dunn, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Edward Durrant, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Robert Evans, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

James Edwards, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

James Easthope, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Farris, £3 16s 1½d

John Groves, from 12 January to 23 March inclusive the day he was discharged, £3 0s 0d

George Green, £3 16s 1½d

John Grainger, £3 16s 1½d

John Gawler, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Goulding, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Halie, £3 16s 1½d

James Hendrew, £3 16s 1½d

Jonathan Hitchins, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Holliwell, £3 0s 0d

Daniel Hill, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

George Ice, £3 0s 0d

William Lantrum, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Lowe, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Litchfield, £3 16s 1½d

Nathaniel Mitchell, from 12 January to the 4 March inclusive the day he died, £2 4s 2d

John Marsh, £3 16s 1½d

William Montgomery, £3 16s 1½d

William McDonald, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Pilkington, £3 16s 1½d

James Richardson, £3 16s 1½d

Abraham Ratcliff, £3 16s 1½d

John Scotcher, £3 16s 1½d

John Shaw, £3 16s 1½d

George Smith, sentinels carried over, £144 13s 1½d

Carried over, £826 18s 6½d

Interpretations

The roll again distinguishes the full-quarter men from those entertained on 31 January, the latter each paid a flat £3 0s 0d against the standard £3 16s 1½d for a complete quarter. A single date drew a block of new recruits onto the strength at once, Dunn, Durrant, Evans, Edwards, Hill, McDonald and others, suggesting a deliberate intake to bring the garrison up to number rather than piecemeal enlistment.

Two lines record men lost during the quarter and paid to the day. John Groves was discharged on 23 March and Nathaniel Mitchell died on 4 March, each wage cut at the exact date and struck as a part-quarter sum, Mitchell's £2 4s 2d covering barely half the period. The same to-the-day discipline that governed enlistment governed death and discharge, so the paybook always matched the living strength of the garrison.

309

300

26 April

Brought over

L 826 18 4 1/2

Centinels Brought over

L 144 13 4

William Sortman from 31 Jan 2d Inclusive entert

3

Thomas Tuffnall from 12 January to 23

March Inclusive the Day he was discharg'd

3

Edward Webber

3 16 1/2

John Watson

3 16 1/2

Jeremiah Worrall

3 16 1/2

Matthias Young from the 12 January to 26

March Inclusive the Day he was discharg'd

1 18 4 163 19 9 1/2

Second Company

Thomas Easthope 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do House Rent

2 10 32 3 1/2

Samuel Greer Second Lieutenant Salary

18 5

Do Diet mony

6 16 10 1/2 25 1 10 1/2

Sergeants

Charles Style

7 12 1

William Langhorne

7 12 1

Richard Vaughan

7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

John Bridgwater

5 6 5 1/2

Gilbert Clough

5 6 5 1/2

Benjamin Twite

5 6 5 1/2 15 19 4 1/2

Drummers

John Clough

5 6 5 1/2

Edward Thomas from 31 January Inclusive

Entertained

4 4 9 10 5 1/2

Centinels

William Adams

3 16 1/2

William Brown

3 16 1/2

Centinels Carried over

L 7 13

Carried over

L 1096 9 3

26 April

The roll of sentinels closed and the muster of the Second Company opened, with its officers, sergeants, corporals, drummers and sentinels.

Brought over, £826 18s 4½d

Sentinels brought over, £144 13s 4d

William Scotman, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Tuffnall, from 12 January to 23 March inclusive the day he was discharged, £3 0s 0d

Edward Webber, £3 16s 1½d

John Watson, £3 16s 1½d

Jeremiah Worrall, £3 16s 1½d

Matthias Young, from the 12 January to 26 March inclusive the day he was discharged, £1 18s 4d, total £163 19s 9½d

Second Company

Thomas Easthope, First Lieutenant, salary, £22 16s 3d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

Samuel Greer, Second Lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £25 1s 10½d

Sergeants

Charles Styles, £7 12s 1d

William Langhorne, £7 12s 1d

Richard Vaughan, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

John Bridgwater, £5 6s 5½d

Gilbert Clough, £5 6s 5½d

Benjamin Sands, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 4½d

Drummers

John Clough, £5 6s 3½d

Edward Thomas, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £4 4s 0d, total £9 10s 3½d

Sentinels

William Adams, £3 16s 1½d

William Brown, £3 16s 1½d

Sentinels carried over, £7 13s 0d

Carried over, £1,096 9s 3d

Interpretations

The garrison was organised into two companies of equal shape, each with its own two lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, drummers and body of sentinels. The Second Company here mirrors the First set out earlier, the same ranks at the same flat rates, so the island's defence rested on a deliberately symmetrical structure rather than one large undivided body of men. Splitting the garrison into matched companies allowed the watches and the guard on the batteries to be shared in rotation, each company standing duty in turn.

Thomas Tuffnall and Matthias Young were both discharged during the quarter and paid to the day, yet their part-quarter sums differ sharply, Tuffnall at £3 0s 0d and Young at only £1 18s 4d. Young had been entertained only within the quarter and served the shorter span, so his wage covered the fewer days, the accounting cutting each man's pay to the precise stretch he stood on the strength.

310

301

1756

Brought over

L 1096 9 3

Centinels Brought over

L 7 13

Robert Ballard

3 16 1/2

Christian Brinks

3 16 1/2

Onesiphorus Bagley

3 16 1/2

Jaque Birch

3

John Box from 31 January Inclusive Entertaind

3

James Carmichael

3 16 1/2

John Chenet

3 16 1/2

John Crupps

3 16 1/2

Baron Deloffe

3 16 1/2

James Day from 31 January Inclusive Entertaind

3

Thomas Fuller

3 16 1/2

Edward Grant

3 16 1/2

John Hyde

3 16 1/2

William Hayes

3 16 1/2

Thomas Hendrick

3 16 1/2

Richard Knight

3 16 1/2

John Hewes from 12 January to 23 March Inclusive

the Day he was discharg'd

3

John Kempe from 31 January Inclusive Entertaind

3

John Langbridge

3 16 1/2

Thomas Lindsay

3 16 1/2

Thomas Loveland

3 16 1/2

Joseph Long

3 16 1/2

Abraham Major

3 16 1/2

Charles Montague

3 16 1/2

Thomas Morris

3 16 1/2

Adam Milbourne

3 16 1/2

Richard Moyses

3

Thomas Nimble from 31 January Inclusive entertain'd

3 16 1/2

Thomas Payne

3 16 1/2

John Basneter

3 16 1/2

Thomas Pearce

3 16 1/2

William Robinson

3 16 1/2

Centinels Carried over

L 124 9 2

Carried over

L 1096 9 3

1756

The roll of sentinels of the Second Company continued, each carried with his pay for the quarter.

Brought over, £1,096 9s 3d

Sentinels brought over, £7 13s 0d

Robert Ballard, £3 16s 1½d

Christian Brenks, £3 16s 1½d

Onesiphorus Bagley, £3 16s 1½d

Jaque Birch, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

John Box, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

James Carmichael, £3 16s 1½d

John Cheret, £3 16s 1½d

John Cripps, £3 16s 1½d

Baron Deloffe, £3 16s 1½d

James Day, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Fuller, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Grant, £3 16s 1½d

John Hyde, £3 16s 1½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Hendrick, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Knight, £3 16s 1½d

John Hersey, from 12 January to 23 March inclusive the day he was discharged, £3 0s 0d

John Kempe, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

John Langbridge, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Lindsay, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Loveland, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Long, £3 16s 1½d

Abraham Major, £3 16s 1½d

Charles Montague, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Morris, £3 16s 1½d

Adam Milbourne, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Moyes, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Nimble, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Payne, £3 16s 1½d

John Banester, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 1½d

William Robinson, £3 16s 1½d

Sentinels carried over, £124 9s 2d

Carried over, £1,096 9s 3d

Interpretations

The bulk of the Second Company's sentinels drew the full-quarter rate of £3 16s 1½d, with only a handful marked as entertained on 31 January at the reduced £3 0s 0d. The company was therefore largely composed of men who had served the whole period, the new intake forming a small fraction of the whole, so the garrison was stable in number rather than freshly raised.

John Hersey's line records a discharge on 23 March, his pay cut to £3 0s 0d for the part-quarter served, the same to-the-day accounting applied across both companies. The single departure against a long roll of full-quarter men shows the turnover in the ranks was slight, the garrison holding its strength through the quarter with few losses.

311

302

26th April

Brought over

L 1096 9 3

Centinels broug over

L 124 9 2

John Robinson

3

William Pippion from the 31 January

3

Thomas Rawlins Inclusive entertaind

3

Robert Sack

3 16 1/2

David Scott

3 16 1/2

Adam Scott

3 16 1/2

Nicholas Scrafton

3 16 1/2

Thomas Turner

3

Richard Spencer from 31 Jan Inclusive entertaind

3

Joseph Thompson

3 16 1/2

Christopher Tyler

3 16 1/2

Joseph Tassin

3 16 1/2

Roger Wewan

3 16 1/2 161 17 6

Third Company

Thomas Kirkpatrick 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do House Rent

2 10 32 3 1/2

William Kennedy 2d Lieutenant Salary

18 5

Do Diet mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do House Rent

2 10 27 11 10 1/2

Sergeants

John Walker

7 12 1

William Bunting

7 12 1

Thomas Bazett

7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Samuel Desfountain

5 6 3 1/2

William Lindsey

5 6 3 1/2

William Cennam

5 6 3 1/2 15 19 4 1/2

Drummers

John Gould

5 6 3 1/2

George Brown from 31 Jan Inclusive entertaind

4 4 9 10 3 1/2

Carried over

L 1374 7 10

26 April

The roll of sentinels of the Second Company closed and the muster of the Third Company opened, with its officers, sergeants, corporals and drummers.

Brought over, £1,096 9s 3d

Sentinels brought over, £124 9s 2d

John Robinson, from the 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

William Pippon, from the 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Rawlins, from the 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Robert Jack, £3 16s 1½d

David Scott, £3 16s 1½d

Adam Scott, £3 16s 1½d

Nicholas Scrafton, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Turner, £3 0s 0d

Richard Spencer, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Joseph Thompson, £3 16s 1½d

Christopher Tyder, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Tuffin, £3 16s 1½d

Roger Wetnan, £3 16s 1½d, total £163 17s 6d

Third Company

Thomas Kirkpatrick, First Lieutenant, salary, £22 16s 3d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

William Kennedy, Second Lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Sergeants

John Walther, £7 12s 1d

William Bunting, £7 12s 1d

Thomas Bazett, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

Samuel Desfountain, £5 6s 5½d

William Lindsey, £5 6s 5½d

William Connan, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 4½d

Drummers

John Gould, £5 6s 5½d

George Brown, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £4 4s 0d, total £9 10s 3½d

Carried over, £1,374 7s 10d

Interpretations

The garrison ran to three matched companies, not two, the Third opening here on the same establishment as the First and Second. Each company carried its own first and second lieutenant, three sergeants, three corporals, drummers and sentinels at the identical flat rates, so the whole armed force was built from three interchangeable units of the same size and shape. This symmetry let the three companies rotate the guard and the watches evenly between them, no one body of men carrying more of the burden than the others.

The Third Company's second lieutenant William Kennedy drew house rent of £2 10s 0d, where the Second Company's second lieutenant Samuel Greer, listed earlier, drew none. The allowance turned on whether the officer kept his own lodging in the town rather than on his rank, since two men of the same grade were treated differently on this single line, marking Kennedy as housed outside the Company's quarters.

312

303

1756.

Centinels Brought over

L 1374 7 10

John Alles

L 3 16 1/2

Edward Alles

3 16 1/2

John Ashingstall

3 16 1/2

Samuel Anderson

3 16 1/2

Thomas Beddow

3 16 1/2

Thomas Bearer

3 16 1/2

Isaac Buck

3 16 1/2

John Bassett from 31 Janu inclusive Entertaind

3

Edward Cocker

3 16 1/2

William Cobb

3 16 1/2

Thomas Cobb

3 16 1/2

Isaac Day

3 16 1/2

William Dyson from 31 January Inclusive Entertaind

3

Samuel Estes

3 16 1/2

John Frazier

3 16 1/2

Jonathan Godly

3 16 1/2

Thomas Goden

3 16 1/2

James Green

3 16 1/2

Job Harrison

3 16 1/2

James Hall

3 16 1/2

John Haley

3 16 1/2

William Hayes

3 16 1/2

Philip Hichman

3 16 1/2

George Hill from 31 January Inclusive entertaind

3

George Hibbett

3 16 1/2

Peter Lindsay

3 16 1/2

John Langridge

3 16 1/2

Dunky McClaion

3 16 1/2

William Nibbett

3

John Price from 31 Jan Inclusive entertaind

3

John Prosser

3

Edward Preston

3

Centinels Carried over

L 91 5

Carried over

L 1374 7 10

1756

The roll of sentinels of the Third Company opened, each carried with his pay for the quarter.

Brought over, £1,374 7s 10d

John Alles, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Alles, £3 16s 1½d

John Aikingstall, £3 16s 1½d

Samuel Anderson, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Beddow, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Bearer, £3 16s 1½d

Isaac Buck, £3 16s 1½d

John Barrett, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Edward Cocker, £3 16s 1½d

William Cobb, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Cobb, £3 16s 1½d

Isaac Day, £3 16s 1½d

William Dyson, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Samuel Coles, £3 16s 1½d

John Frazier, £3 16s 1½d

Jonathan Godly, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Goden, £3 16s 1½d

James Green, £3 16s 1½d

Job Harrison, £3 16s 1½d

James Hall, £3 16s 1½d

John Haley, £3 16s 1½d

William Hayes, £3 16s 1½d

Philip Hickman, £3 16s 1½d

George Hill, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

George Hibbett, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Lindsay, £3 16s 1½d

John Langridge, £3 16s 1½d

Dunky McClaion, £3 16s 1½d

William Nibbett, £3 0s 0d

John Price, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

John Prosser, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Edward Preston, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Sentinels carried over, £91 5s 0d

Carried over, £1,374 7s 10d

Interpretations

The Third Company's sentinels followed the same pattern as the first two, most drawing the full-quarter £3 16s 1½d and a smaller group entertained on 31 January at £3 0s 0d. The recurrence of that single enlistment date across all three companies confirms it as a general intake, the garrison topped up on one day rather than through each company recruiting separately.

The roll carries several pairs and clusters of shared surnames, John and Edward Alles, William and Thomas Cobb, and others across the wider muster. Family connection ran through the garrison, brothers or kin serving side by side in the ranks, which points to soldiering on the island being handed down within households and drawn from a settled local population rather than filled wholly by men shipped out from England.

313

304

26th April.

Brought over

L 1374 7 10

Centinels Brought over

L 91 5

Edward Puchards

3 16 1/2

William Prichards

3 16 1/2

Lewis Rowe

3 16 1/2

Arnold Asbery

3 16 1/2

Daniel Serjeant

3 16 1/2

Timothy Sullivan

3 16 1/2

William Smith

3

Henry Simmons from 31 January inclusive ent

3

John Steward

3

Thomas Taylor

3 16 1/2

Edward Terry

3 16 1/2

John Tutt from 12 January to 23

March the day he was Discharged

3

Benjamin Williams

3 16 1/2

Edward Williams

3 16 1/2 166 1 5 1/2

Fourth Company

Onesiphorus Beale 1st Lieutenant Salary

22 16 3

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do House Rent

2 10 32 3 1/2

George Kay 2d Lieutenant Salary

18 5

Do Diet Mony

6 16 10 1/2

Do House Rent

2 10 27 11 10 1/2

Sergeants

Robert Mason

7 12 1

Michael Frost

7 12 1

William Watkins

7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Thomas Leech

5 6 3 1/2

Charles Gibson

5 6 3 1/2

Robert Brown

5 6 3 1/2 15 19 4 1/2

Carried over

L 1638 10 11

26 April.

The roll of sentinels of the Third Company closed and the muster of the Fourth Company opened, with its officers, sergeants and corporals.

Brought over, £1,374 7s 10d

Sentinels brought over, £91 5s 0d

Edward Richards, £3 16s 1½d

William Richards, £3 16s 1½d

Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 1½d

Arnold Asbery, £3 16s 1½d

Daniel Sergeant, £3 16s 1½d

Timothy Sullivan, £3 16s 1½d

William Smith, £3 0s 0d

Henry Simmons, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

John Steward, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Taylor, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Terry, £3 16s 1½d

John Tull, from 12 January to 23 March the day he was discharged, £3 0s 0d

Benjamin Williams, £3 16s 1½d

Edward Williams, £3 16s 1½d, total £166 1s 5½d

Fourth Company

Onesiphorus Beale, First Lieutenant, salary, £22 16s 3d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

George Kay, Second Lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Ditto, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

Sergeants

Robert Mason, £7 12s 1d

Michael Frost, £7 12s 1d

William Watkins, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

Corporals

Thomas Leech, £5 6s 5½d

Charles Gibson, £5 6s 5½d

Robert Brown, £5 6s 5½d, total £15 19s 4½d

Carried over, £1,658 10s 11d

Interpretations

The garrison ran to four companies in all, the Fourth opening here on the same establishment as the three before it. Each of the four carried two lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, drummers and sentinels at the same flat rates, so the island's whole defence rested on four interchangeable units of identical size. Four matched companies let the guard on the batteries and the town be shared in a longer rotation, each company standing duty less often than it would in a garrison of two or three.

Every sergeant across all four companies drew the same £7 12s 1d and every corporal the same £5 6s 5½d, the rates holding exactly from company to company. This uniformity made the whole muster roll self-checking, since a figure out of step with its rank would stand out against the pattern, and it meant a man's pay was fixed by his grade alone with nothing turning on which company he served in.

314

305

1756

Brought over

L 1638 10 11

Drummers

John Coffin

L 5 6 3 1/2

John Gould from 31 January Inclusive entertained

4 4 9 10 6 1/2

Centinels

Godfrey Ambriston

3 16 1/2

Robert Baker

3 16 1/2

Peter Barker

3 16 1/2

George Beale

3 16 1/2

William Beckett

3 16 1/2

Robert Berry

3 16 1/2

William Birch from 31 January inclusive entertain'd

3

John Burke

3 16 1/2

William Brooks

3 16 1/2

John Brion

3 16 1/2

William Campbell

3 16 1/2

Daniel Cain

3 16 1/2

Stephen Cleverley

3 16 1/2

John Coolee

3 16 1/2

John Deslins

3 16 1/2

Peter Egleston

3 16 1/2

Peter Small

3 16 1/2

Isaac Gauden

3 16 1/2

William Harris

3 16 1/2

William Harrison

3 16 1/2

John Hayes

3 16 1/2

Phillip Hilliard

3 16 1/2

James Hinde

3

William Holbrook from 31 Jan inclusive entertaind

3 16 1/2

John Holloway

3 16 1/2

John Hudson

3

Thomas Jackson from 12 January to 23 March

the Day he was Discharged

3

Centinels Carried over

L 100 5

Carried over

L 1648 10 4 1/2

1756

The drummers of the Fourth Company were listed and the roll of its sentinels opened, each carried with his pay for the quarter.

Brought over, £1,638 19s 11d

Drummers

John Coffin, £5 6s 5½d

John Gould, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £4 4s 0d, total £9 10s 5½d

Sentinels

Godfrey Ambriston, £3 16s 1½d

Robert Baker, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Barker, £3 16s 1½d

George Beale, £3 16s 1½d

William Beckett, £3 16s 1½d

Robert Berry, £3 16s 1½d

William Burch, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

John Burke, £3 16s 1½d

William Brooks, £3 16s 1½d

John Brown, £3 16s 1½d

William Campbell, £3 16s 1½d

Daniel Cain, £3 16s 1½d

Stephen Cleverley, £3 16s 1½d

John Coolee, £3 16s 1½d

John Deakins, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Egleston, £3 16s 1½d

Peter Small, £3 16s 1½d

Isaac Gauden, £3 16s 1½d

William Harris, £3 16s 1½d

William Harrison, £3 16s 1½d

John Hayes, £3 16s 1½d

Phillip Hillard, £3 16s 1½d

James Hende, £3 16s 1½d

William Holbrook, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 16s 1½d

John Holloway, £3 16s 1½d

John Hudson, £3 0s 0d

Thomas Jackson, from 12 January to 23 March the day he was discharged, £3 0s 0d

Sentinels carried over, £100 5s 0d

Carried over, £1,648 10s 4½d

Interpretations

The Fourth Company's sentinels followed the established shape, the great majority at the full-quarter £3 16s 1½d with a few marked as entertained on 31 January. Across the whole garrison the same enlistment date recurs company by company, confirming a single general intake on that day rather than scattered recruiting, the four companies brought up to strength together.

Thomas Jackson was discharged on 23 March and paid £3 0s 0d for the part-quarter served, the same to-the-day accounting seen throughout the muster. The name repeats a discharge date, 23 March, that falls on several other lines across the four companies, which suggests a batch of men left the garrison together on that day, perhaps at the end of a fixed term rather than through separate individual departures.

315

306

26th April

Brought over

L 1648 10 4 1/2

Centinels Brought over

L 100 5

Samuel Kitson

3 16 1/2

William Lyon

3 16 1/2

Richard McNaly

3 16 1/2

William Martin from 31 January inclusive ent

3

Christian Moss

3 16 1/2

Stephen Orr

3 16 1/2

Roger Phelps from 31 Jan inclusive entertaind

3

Archibald Fouge

3 16 1/2

John Simmons

3 16 1/2

Joseph Smith

3 16 1/2

John Strange

3 16 1/2

William Taylor

3 16 1/2

James Suisson

3 16 1/2

Richard Swats

3 16 1/2

Thomas Cansell

3 16 1/2

John Williams

3 16 1/2

Stephen Willoughby

3 16 1/2

Thomas Wessington

3 16 1/2

Jeremiah Wyrill

3 16 1/2 170 17 8 1/2

Artillery Company

Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary

L 22 16 3

Do Diet mony

6 16 10 1/2 29 13 1 1/2

Gunners Mates

Nathan Sample Chief mate

11 8 1/2

Isaac Leech

9 2 6

William Turner

9 2 6

John Wetchurch

9 2 6

Henry Carter

9 2 6

Charles McNeily

9 2 6

Rowland Davis

9 2 6

Richard Billington

9 2 6 75 5 7 1/2

Carried over

L 1924 6 10

26 April.

The roll of sentinels of the Fourth Company closed and the muster of the Artillery Company opened, with its master gunner and gunners' mates.

Brought over, £1,648 10s 4½d

Sentinels brought over, £100 5s 0d

Samuel Kitson, £3 16s 1½d

William Lyon, £3 16s 1½d

Richard McNaly, £3 16s 1½d

William Martin, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Christian Moss, £3 16s 1½d

Stephen Orr, £3 16s 1½d

Roger Phelps, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 0s 0d

Archibald Fouge, £3 16s 1½d

John Simmons, £3 16s 1½d

Joseph Smith, £3 16s 1½d

John Strange, £3 16s 1½d

William Taylor, £3 16s 1½d

James Watson, £3 16s 1½d

Richard Swats, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Cansell, £3 16s 1½d

John Williams, £3 16s 1½d

Stephen Willoughby, £3 16s 1½d

Thomas Wessington, £3 16s 1½d

Jeremiah Wyrill, £3 16s 1½d, total £170 17s 8½d

Artillery Company

Thomas Hall, Master Gunner, salary, £22 16s 3d

Ditto, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £29 13s 1½d

Gunners Mates

Nathan Sample, Chief Mate, £11 8s 1½d

Isaac Leech, £9 2s 6d

William Turner, £9 2s 6d

John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d

Henry Carter, £9 2s 6d

Charles McNeily, £9 2s 6d

Rowland Davis, £9 2s 6d

Richard Billington, £9 2s 6d, total £75 5s 7½d

Carried over, £1,924 6s 10d

Interpretations

The Artillery Company stood apart from the four foot companies, built around a master gunner and a body of gunners' mates rather than lieutenants, sergeants and sentinels. Its master gunner drew £22 16s 3d, the same salary as a company lieutenant, marking the post as one of equivalent standing, while the mates were paid at £9 2s 6d, well above a sentinel's rate. Gunnery was the specialist arm on which the island's defence chiefly rested, its batteries commanding the anchorage, so the Company kept trained gunners on higher wages than the ordinary foot soldier.

Nathan Sample, the chief mate, drew £11 8s 1½d against the £9 2s 6d paid to every other mate, a clear step above his fellows. The single raised figure marks him as the senior man under the master gunner, set over the rest of the mates, so the artillery had its own internal ladder of command distinct from the flat rates that governed the ordinary gunners.

316

307

1756.

Brought over

L 1924 6 10

Quarter Gunners

Adam Watson

L 6 16 10 1/2

John Spencer

6 16 10 1/2

John Jacks

6 16 10 1/2

James Lee

6 16 10 1/2

James Long

6 16 10 1/2

John Hellings

6 16 10 1/2

Thomas Mason

6 16 10 1/2

David Seurray

6 16 10 1/2 54 15

Mattrosses

Andrew Barton

4 11 3

John Cawdery

4 11 3

James Cooper

4 11 3

Derby Coyles

4 11 3

Anthony Day

4 11 3

Thomas Davis from 31 Jan inclusive Entertained

3 12

William Fletcher

4 11 3

Thomas Mudge

4 11 3

Roger Newman

4 11 3

George Nelson

4 11 3

William Perry

4 11 3

Joseph Pritchard

4 11 3

John Robinson

4 11 3

John Shirtley

4 11 3

John Turner

4 11 3

William Thompson

4 11 3

Thomas Taylor

4 11 3

John Thomason

4 11 3

Thomas Watts

4 11 3

Thomas Williams

4 11 3 90 5 9

Superannuated

William Burnham Serjeant

3 8 3

L 2072 15 10

The quarter gunners and mattrosses of the Artillery Company were listed, together with a superannuated sergeant, each carried with his pay for the quarter.

Brought over, £1,924 6s 10d

Quarter Gunners

Adam Watson, £6 16s 10½d

John Spencer, £6 16s 10½d

John Jacks, £6 16s 10½d

James Lee, £6 16s 10½d

James Long, £6 16s 10½d

John Hellings, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Mason, £6 16s 10½d

David Seuvray, £6 16s 10½d, total £54 15s 0d

Mattrosses

Andrew Barton, £4 11s 3d

John Cawdery, £4 11s 3d

James Cooper, £4 11s 3d

Derby Coyles, £4 11s 3d

Anthony Day, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Davis, from 31 January inclusive entertained, £3 12s 0d

William Silvester, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Mudge, £4 11s 3d

Roger Newman, £4 11s 3d

George Nelson, £4 11s 3d

William Perry, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Pritchard, £4 11s 3d

John Robinson, £4 11s 3d

John Shirtley, £4 11s 3d

John Turner, £4 11s 3d

William Thompson, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Taylor, £4 11s 3d

John Thomason, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Williams, £4 11s 3d, total £90 5s 9d

Superannuated

William Burnham, Sergeant, £3 8s 3d

Total, £2,072 15s 10d

Interpretations

The artillery arm ran to three descending grades below its master gunner and mates: quarter gunners at £6 16s 10½d, then mattrosses at £4 11s 3d. A mattross was the gunner's assistant, the man who helped load, sponge and run out the gun and fetched and carried the powder and shot, ranking just below the trained gunner and paid accordingly. The layered scale, from chief mate down through quarter gunners to mattrosses, gave the batteries a full crew for each piece, every man's wage fixed to his place in the gun's team.

The list closes with William Burnham, a superannuated sergeant, carried at a reduced £3 8s 3d. To superannuate a man was to pension him off for age or infirmity while keeping him on the books, so the Company continued to pay a worn-out sergeant a diminished wage rather than strike him from the roll altogether. This standing charge shows the settlement carrying its old servants at a distance, a rudimentary form of provision for those no longer fit to serve.

317

308

26th April.

John Clark Paymaster

Dr

L s d

1756

April the 11 To Cash received from the Honorable

Companys Cash Chest

2451 19 3 1/2

Carried over

L 2451 19 3 1/2

26 April.

The account of John Clark, paymaster, was opened on the debtor side, charging him with the cash he received to meet the quarter's pay.

John Clark, Paymaster, Debtor

11 April 1756, to cash received from the Honourable Company's cash chest, £2,451 19s 3½d

Carried over, £2,451 19s 3½d

Interpretations

The pay of the whole establishment was routed through a single officer, John Clark, charged as debtor with the lump sum drawn from the Company's cash chest to cover the quarter. Setting the paymaster up as a debtor for the money he received, against which his disbursements to each man would later be credited, held one named individual personally answerable for every pound issued. This double-entry method made the accounts self-balancing and pinned responsibility for the cash on the officer who handled it, a standard check against loss or misapplication of Company funds.

The cash chest was the strongbox in which the settlement's coin was locked, opened only under the authority of the council and its keyholders. Drawing £2,451 19s 3½d from it in one sum for the quarter's wages shows the garrison and civil staff paid from a central reserve of specie held on the island, the coin having been shipped out and husbanded, since St Helena produced no money of its own and depended on what the Company sent.

318

309

1756.

Per Contra

Cr

L s d

1756

Feb the 12 By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for 20 1 and 1/2 Days work

at 1/ p Day in unloading the Ship Griffin

10 4 6

17 By Cash paid Cap Detheck for the following particulars for

the use of the Honorable Companys Table Vizt

2 half Firkins Butter

L 3 12

30 Cheese

1 10

1 Cask Pickles

1 10 6 6 12 6

18 By Cash paid Mr James Nazmyth Surgeon of the Griffin for

his Care of 40 of the Recruits in their passage here

10

March 16 By Cash paid Arthur Judd Carpenter of the Hardwicke for 12

Days work at 5/ p Day in repairing one of the Honorable

Companys Long Boats

3

20 By Cash paid John Sparling & Joseph Lowe Sailmakers

for 20 days work at 3/6 p Day in making a Tent for the

Soldiers to lie under in the Night Time in double Harms

3 10

By Cash paid Joseph Petite Caulker of the Hardwicke for

4 days work at 5/ p Day in Caulking one of the Honorable

Companys Long Boat

1

24 By Cash paid Thomas Morris for Inlisting to serve the

Honorable Company as a Soldier for five years to

Commence from this Day

10

By Cash paid John Hyde for Do

10

By Do paid Isaac Day for Do

10

By Do paid Thomas Taylor for Do

10

By Do paid Thomas Lindsay for Do

10

By Do paid Adam Scott for Do

10

By Do paid George Hibbott for Do

10

By Do paid Thomas Mason for Do

10

By Do paid William Thompson for Do

10

By Do paid George Capelin for Do

10

By Do paid Roger Welwan for Do

10

Carried over

L 144 7

The other side of the paymaster's account set out the sums he paid out, credited against the cash he had received.

Per Contra, Creditor

12 February 1756, by cash paid sundry soldiers for 20¼ and ½ days work at 1s per day in unloading the ship

The ship named on this line was the Griffin, and the payment came to £10 4s 6d.

17 February, by cash paid Captain Detlech for the following particulars for the use of the Honourable Company's table

2 half firkins butter, £3 12s 0d

30 cheese, £1 10s 0d

1 case pickles, £1 10s 6d, total £6 12s 6d

The sum of 18 February was paid to Mr James Nasmyth, surgeon of the Griffin, for the care of 40 of the recruits in their passage out, £10 0s 0d.

16 March, by cash paid Arthur Judd, carpenter of the Hardwick, for 12 days work at 5s per day in repairing one of the Honourable Company's long boats, £3 0s 0d

20 March, by cash paid John Sparling and Joseph Lowe, sailmakers, for 20 days work at 6s per day in making a tent for the soldiers to lie under in the night time on double alarms, £3 10s 0d

by cash paid Joseph Petite, caulker of the Hardwick, for 4 days work at 5s per day in caulking one of the Honourable Company's long boats, £1 0s 0d

24 March, by cash paid Thomas Morris for enlisting to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier for five years to commence from this day, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid John Hyde for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Isaac Day for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Thomas Taylor for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Thomas Lindsay for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Adam Scott for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid George Hibbott for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Thomas Mason for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid William Thompson for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid George Capelin for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Roger Wetnan for the same, £10 0s 0d

Carried over, £144 7s 0d

Interpretations

The Griffin and the Hardwick were East Indiamen calling at St Helena on their passage, their crews and tradesmen hired by the day to do work the settlement could not manage from its own hands. Sailmakers, carpenters and caulkers off the ships were paid to repair the Company's long boats and to run up a tent for the soldiers, so the island drew on the passing shipping as a floating pool of skilled labour, taking on ships' craftsmen for particular jobs rather than keeping every trade permanently on the establishment.

A run of eleven soldiers each received a bounty of £10 0s 0d for enlisting to serve five years from 24 March, the payment made to the man himself on signing. This was the enlistment bounty, a cash inducement to take up arms, and its uniform size and single date show a deliberate recruiting drive to fill the ranks, the £10 marking the price the Company set on five years of a soldier's service. Several of these names, Isaac Day, Thomas Mason, George Capelin and others, appear on the quarter's pay roll among the sentinels entertained on 31 January, so the bounty formalised into a fixed term men who had already been taken onto the strength.

The tent was made for the soldiers to lie under at night on double alarms, when the whole garrison stood to arms against a feared attack. This detail shows the island keeping its defences at a pitch of readiness, the men held out of doors through the night when the alarm was raised, and the Company paying ships' sailmakers to provide even the canvas the garrison slept under while under arms.

319

310

26th April.

John Clark Paymaster

Dr

To Cash Brought over

L 2451 19 3 1/2

Carried over

L 2451 19 3 1/2

26 April.

The debtor side of John Clark's account was carried forward, the same balance of cash brought over from the previous page.

John Clark, Paymaster, Debtor

To cash brought over, £2,451 19s 3½d

Carried over, £2,451 19s 3½d

320

311

1756

Per Contra

Cr

Brought over

L 144 7

March 24 By Cash paid Philip Hickman for Relisting to serve the

Honorable Company as a Soldier for five years to Commence

from this Day

10

By Cash paid John Coslee for Do

10

By Do paid John Grainger for Do

10

By Do paid Joseph Smith for Do

10

By Do paid Richard Goulding for Do

10

By Do paid Thomas Williams for Do

10

By Do paid Jonathan Hitchins for Do

10

April 10 By Do paid Captain Fisher for a Tent and marka for

the use of the Honorable Companys Officers on the Line in

the night on Double Harms

6 6

April 11 By Cash paid Mr Richard Beale Senr for his Salary as Judge

Advocate from the 5 of May 1755 to the 11 of April 1756

inclusive at the rate of L40 p Annum

37 9 7

By Cash paid Mr John Ingles Surgion for Mony laid out

by him for the use of the Hospital more than the mens

Stoppages aff 6 p Day amounting to, in the Year ending

the 11 April 1756

12 16

By Cash paid Do for his trouble in getting fresh provisions

for the Hospital in the Year ending the 11 April 1756

8

By Cash paid Stephen Willoughby and James Carmichael

for Baking 96 Batches of Bread at 9d p Batch for the

use of the Garrison this Quarter

3 16 8

By Cash paid Jonathan Hitchins for Carpenters Work

done for the Honorable Company this Quarter

5

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for coming Express

with Account of Ships to Windward this Quarter

3

By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 38 1/2 Bushels of Potatoes

for the use of the Honorable Companys Table

17 6

Carried over

L 291 12 9

The credit side of the paymaster's account continued, setting out further sums paid out against the cash he had received.

Per Contra, Creditor

Brought over, £144 7s 0d

24 March, by cash paid Philip Hickman for enlisting to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier for five years to commence from this day, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid John Coolee for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid John Grainger for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Joseph Smith for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Richard Goulding for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Thomas Williams for the same, £10 0s 0d

by cash paid Jonathan Hitchins for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 April, by cash paid Captain Fisher for a tent and marka for the use of the Honourable Company's officers on the line in the night on double alarms, £6 6s 0d

11 April, by cash paid Mr Richard Beale senior for his salary as budget advocate from 5 May 1755 to 11 April 1756 inclusive at the rate of £40 per annum, £37 9s 7d

by cash paid Mr John Ingles, surgeon, for money laid out by him for the use of the hospital more than the men's stoppages at 6d per day amounting to, in the year ending 11 April 1756, £12 10s 0d

by cash paid ditto for his trouble in getting fresh provisions for the hospital in the year ending 11 April 1756, £8 0s 0d

by cash paid Stephen Willoughby and James Carmichael for baking 96 batches of bread at 9d per batch for the use of the garrison this quarter, £3 12s 0d

by cash paid Jonathan Hitchins for carpenters work done for the Honourable Company this quarter, £5 0s 0d

by cash paid sundry soldiers for carrying express with account of ships to windward this quarter, £3 0s 0d

by cash paid Richard Bagley for 38½ bushels of potatoes for the use of the Honourable Company's table, £0 17s 6d

Carried over, £291 12s 9d

Interpretations

The run of enlistment bounties continued from the previous page, seven more soldiers each taking £10 0s 0d to serve five years from 24 March, several of them, John Coolee, John Grainger, Joseph Smith and others, men already carried among the sentinels on the quarter's pay roll. The bounty converted men already on the strength into contracted five-year soldiers, so the drive of 24 March fixed the garrison's numbers for years ahead at a set price a head, the Company buying settled service rather than relying on men who might leave at will.

Richard Beale senior was paid as budget advocate at £40 a year, an office concerned with the settlement's legal and financial business before the council. The back payment covering nearly a full year, from 5 May 1755 to 11 April 1756, shows the post was a standing salaried one, the island keeping a paid officer to handle its formal pleadings and accounts rather than dealing with such matters as they arose. A marka, paid for alongside a tent for the officers on double alarms, was a canopy or awning of the kind used in the East, its foreign name marking it as a piece of Indian or eastern equipment brought in through the Company's trade.

The surgeon John Ingles was reimbursed £12 10s 0d for money he had laid out on the hospital beyond what the men's stoppages covered, the sick paying 6d a day docked from their wages towards their own keep. This shows how the settlement funded its hospital, the patients contributing through a daily deduction while the surgeon advanced the shortfall from his own pocket and was repaid by the Company, a mixed arrangement resting partly on the men themselves and partly on the Company's purse.

321

312

26th April

John Clark Paymaster

Dr

To Cash Brought over

L 2451 19 3 1/2

Carried over

L 2451 19 3 1/2

26 April.

The debtor side of John Clark's account was again carried forward, the same balance of cash brought over from the previous page.

John Clark, Paymaster, Debtor

To cash brought over, £2,451 19s 3½d

Carried over, £2,451 19s 3½d

322

313

1756

Per Contra

Cr

Brought over

L 291 12 9

1756

April 11 By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for going to Sandy Bay in

the Long Boat to fetch Lime, & rowing in the Honorable

Companys Yaul this Quarter

4 9

By Cash paid Mr John Bland for 175 Apples and one

Pompion for the use of the Honorable Companys Table

13 6

By Cash paid William Teale for 400 Lemons at 2/ p

hundred for the use of the Honorable Companys Table

8

By Cash paid Samuel Estes for Glaziers work done

for the Honorable Company this Quarter

4 16 1/2

By Cash paid Roger Newman for making 5 Flags

for Sundry of the Out Forts this Quarter

1 19

By Cash paid Baron Delough for two days work in

repairing the Tails of the Companys Long Boat

5

By Cash paid John Veale the late Armourer for 21 Days

Subsistance at 1/ p Day after he was dismissd the Companys Service

1 1

By Cash paid John Desfountain for 30 Days work at 1/3

p Day and 10 Solids of Rawhee at 3/ p Solid in repairing

the East Flying Partys Guard House

2 13

By Cash paid Thomas Mason and William Nibett for

Painting in the Castle, some Gun Carriages, and the

Companys Long Boat this Quarter

1 4

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for work done for the

Honorable Company in clearing, and making their

Than of the new Burial Ground

19 3 9

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for work done at Ruperts

Mundens Point Sandy Bay and the main Fort, in

repairing those several Fortifications this Quarter

22 6 9

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for Work in levelling

the Ground where thenew Barracks are to be built

26 5

Carried over

L 372 9 7 1/2

1756

The credit side of the paymaster's account continued, setting out further sums paid out against the cash he had received.

Per Contra, Creditor

Brought over, £291 12s 9d

11 April 1756, by cash paid sundry soldiers for going to Sandy Bay in the long boat to fetch lime and rowing in the Honourable Company's yawl this quarter, £4 9s 0d

by cash paid Mr John Bland for 175 apples and one pompion for the use of the Honourable Company's table, £0 13s 6d

by cash paid William Teale for 400 lemons at 2s per hundred for the use of the Honourable Company's table, £0 8s 0d

by cash paid Samuel Coles for glaziers work done for the Honourable Company this quarter, £0 4s 10½d

by cash paid Roger Newman for making 5 flags for sundry of the outforts this quarter, £1 10s 0d

by cash paid Baron Delough for two days work in repairing the sails of the Company's long boat, £0 5s 0d

by cash paid John Teale the late armourer for 24 days subsistence at 1s per day after he was dismissed the Company's service, £1 4s 0d

by cash paid John Desfountain for 30 days work at 1s 6d per day and 10 solids of rushes at 5s per solid used in repairing the East Flying Party's guard house, £2 15s 0d

by cash paid Thomas Mason and William Nibbett for painting in the castle, some gun carriages and the Company's long boat this quarter, £1 4s 0d

by cash paid sundry soldiers for work done for the Honourable Company in clearing and making their share of the new burial ground, £19 3s 9d

by cash paid sundry soldiers for work done at Ruperts, Mundens Point, Sandy Bay and the main fort in repairing those several fortifications this quarter, £22 6s 9d

by cash paid sundry soldiers for work in levelling the ground where the new barracks are to be built, £26 5s 0d

Carried over, £372 9s 7½d

Interpretations

The garrison did far more than stand guard, its soldiers hired out by the day for heavy labour on the island's fortifications and public works. Large sums went on repairing the several forts at Ruperts, Mundens Point, Sandy Bay and the main fort, on clearing a new burial ground and on levelling the site for new barracks, the men paid piece by piece for work that in England would have fallen to hired labourers. The Company used its own soldiers as its workforce, so the same wages that bought defence also bought construction, and the £26 5s 0d spent merely levelling ground for barracks shows how much of the settlement's cash went into building up the place.

John Teale, dismissed as armourer earlier in the quarter, was still paid 24 days subsistence at 1s a day after his discharge. This continued a bare allowance to a man put off the establishment, bridging the gap until he could find other means or take passage, so the Company did not simply cast off a dismissed servant destitute but carried him at a reduced rate for a short spell. The East Flying Party's guard house, repaired with rushes and labour, points to a mobile detachment kept ready to move quickly to a threatened point, the flying party being a body held in reserve to reinforce wherever an alarm called it.

A pompion was a pumpkin or large gourd, and the lemons, apples and potatoes bought for the Company's table show the settlement provisioning its senior officers from local growers and passing supply. The purchase of 400 lemons at 2s a hundred is notable, since citrus fruit was valued against the scurvy that plagued long voyages, and an island able to furnish lemons in quantity was of real worth to the Company's ships, whose crews arrived after months at sea in want of exactly such fresh fruit.

323

314

26th April

John Clark Paymaster

Dr

To Cash Brought over

L 2451 19 3 1/2

L 2451 19 3 1/2

Island St

26 April

The debtor side of John Clark's account was again carried forward, the same balance of cash brought over from the previous page.

John Clark, Paymaster, Debtor

To cash brought over, £2,451 19s 3½d

Total, £2,451 19s 3½d

324

315

1756

Per Contra

Cr

Brought over

L 372 9 7 1/2

1756

April 11 By Cash paid Jonathan Deveton for 4 Loads of

Bamboos at 2/6 p Load to Convey the Water for the

Cattle in the Pastures

10

By Cash paid Joseph Bates for Cutting 26 Loads of

Rushes at 6d p Load for the use of the Honorable Company

13

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for assisting in getting the

Companys Stores, on shore from the Ships Hardwick

London Drake, Britannia and Rhoda

1 5 6

By Cash paid Captain Samson for 17 1/4 yards of old Canvas

at 6d p yard to make a Tent to Shelter the Soldiers in

the night upon the Line on Double Alarms

4 5 6

By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers and

Servants their Salarys, Diet Mony &c for the Quarter

commencing 12 January and ending 11 April 1756

2072 15 10

L 2451 19 3 1/2

Helena

11 April 1756

Errors Excepted

Signed

John Clark Paymaster

1756

The credit side of the paymaster's account closed with the final payments and the total, balanced against the cash he had received and signed off by the paymaster.

Per Contra, Creditor

Brought over, £372 9s 7½d

11 April 1756, by cash paid Jonathan Dowton for 4 loads of bamboos at 2s 6d per load to convey the water for the cattle in the pastures, £0 10s 0d

by cash paid Joseph Bates for cutting 26 solids of rushes at 6d per load for the use of the Honourable Company, £0 13s 0d

by cash paid sundry soldiers for assisting in getting the Company's stores on shore from the ships

The ships from which the stores were landed were the Hardwick, London, Drake, Britannia and Rhoda, and the payment came to £1 5s 6d.

by cash paid Captain Samson for 174 yards of old canvas at 6d per yard to make a tent to shelter the soldiers in the night upon the line on double alarms, £4 5s 6d

by cash paid the Honourable Company's officers and servants their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter commencing 12 January and ending 11 April 1756, £2,072 15s 10d

Total, £2,451 19s 3½d

The account was signed off at St Helena on 11 April 1756, errors excepted, and agreed by John Clark, paymaster.

Interpretations

The whole of the quarter's pay, £2,072 15s 10d, was entered as a single credit against the paymaster's charge, the sum of every salary, diet money and allowance set out in the earlier rolls. Balancing this one figure against the £2,451 19s 3½d he had drawn from the cash chest closed Clark's account for the quarter, the difference made up by the many smaller payments for provisions, labour and works. The method held the paymaster answerable for the full sum received, discharged only when his payments matched it to the penny, so the account itself was the proof that the Company's money had gone where it was meant to.

Bamboos were bought to convey water to the cattle in the pastures, the hollow canes split and laid as piping or channels to carry water across the ground. This shows the island putting an eastern material, brought in through the Company's trade with the Indies, to a practical local use in watering its stock, the bamboo serving as cheap conduit where lead or timber piping would have had to be shipped out at far greater cost.

Old canvas was bought twice over in the quarter to make tents sheltering the soldiers on the line at night during double alarms, once from the ships' stores and once from Captain Samson at 6d a yard. The repeated purchase of worn sailcloth for this purpose shows the garrison standing to arms through the night whenever attack was feared, the men kept out on the defensive line under makeshift canvas, and the Company meeting even this need cheaply by buying up the ships' cast-off sailcloth rather than fresh material.

325

316

26th April

Collection of Goods Sold and Delivered out of the

Honorable Companys Stores from the 12 of January to

the 11 of April 1756 Vizt

Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 p Cent

Sugar & Candy vizt

2870 Sugar

L 47 19 8

1373 Candy

22 17 8 70 17 4

Salt 12 Bushels

1 16

Soap 4541

45 14 10

Tea vizt

92 Bandy

6 16 6

175 Single

12 5 1

200 Bohea

10 9

29 10 7

Candles 1539

60 12 9

Rice & Paddy vizt

741 Rice

30 16 8

38 Paddy

9 10 40 6 8

Beef & Pork vizt

179 P Beef 2/

17 18

8 P Do 3/ 1/2

1 4 4

1850 P Pork 2/

185

86 P Do 2/7

10 6 8 214 9

Flour vizt

2870 Flour

17 12 6

125 2 8 Do Baked

109 17 6 127 10

Twine 21 Skains

4

Carried over

L 561 11 2

26 April.

The account set out the goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores between 12 January and 11 April 1756, those sold to the Company's servants being charged at 10 per cent above cost.

Goods sold to the Company's servants at 10 per cent

Sugar and candy

2,870 lb sugar, £47 19s 8d

1,373 lb candy, £22 17s 8d, total £70 17s 4d

Salt, 12 bushels, £1 16s 0d

Soap, 454 lb, £45 14s 10d

Tea

92 lb bandy, £6 16s 6d

173 lb single, £12 5s 1d

200 lb bohea, £10 9s 0d, total £29 10s 7d

Candles, 539 lb, £60 12s 9d

Rice and paddy

7½ lb rice, £30 16s 8d

38 lb paddy, £9 10s 0d, total £40 6s 8d

Beef and pork

1,719 lb beef at 2d, £17 18s 0d

8 lb beef at 3½d, £1 4s 4d

1,850 lb pork at 2d, £18 5s 0d

86 lb pork at 2¾d, £10 6s 8d, total £214 9s 0d

Flour

2,840 lb flour, £17 12s 6d

125 lb flour baked, £109 17s 6d, total £127 10s 0d

Twine, 21 skeins, £4 0s 0d

Carried over, £561 11s 2d

Interpretations

The Company ran a monopoly store, selling provisions and goods to its own servants at a fixed markup of 10 per cent above cost. This was both a convenience and a control, the settlement having no open market, so the men bought their sugar, tea, soap, meat and flour from the Company at a set margin that returned a modest profit while keeping the island supplied. The narrow markup shows the store was run to provision the establishment rather than to squeeze it, the 10 per cent covering the cost and risk of carriage rather than extracting a heavy gain from a captive body of buyers.

Tea appears in three grades, bohea the cheapest, single a middling sort and bandy the dearest, the differences in price marking the range of qualities the Company shipped from China. Tea was among the staples of the East India trade, and its presence in quantity on the store's list, sold down to the ordinary servant, shows how far the China trade had reached into everyday consumption even at a remote garrison, the men on St Helena drinking the same tea the Company carried home to England.

Paddy was rice still in the husk, as distinct from the cleaned rice sold alongside it, the two listed separately because paddy kept better in store and store and could be husked as needed. The candy sold with the sugar was sugar candy, crystallised sugar, a refined form valued above the raw sugar and priced accordingly. These eastern staples, rice, sugar, tea, all carried in on the Company's ships, formed the bulk of the store's high-value goods, the settlement drawing its provisions from the whole span of the Company's trade from India to China.

326

317

1756.

Brought over

L 561 11 2

Leather vizt

47 Leather

L 2 12 10 1/2

3 Calf Skins

1 2 9 3 15 7 1/2

Arrack 104 Gallons

27

Thread vizt

24 lb Brown

8 13 6

14 Coloured

2 11 4

11 4 10

Hooks & Lines vizt

200 Hooks No 1

10 8

600 Do 2

1

400 Do 3

8

750 Do 4

10

700 Do Blew

2 4

100 Do Do p Grantham

1 1 1/2

10 Doz 1 Lines No 2

1 16 11

6 Do 6 Do 3

1 8 2

5 Do 9 Do 4

1 8 9

7 Hambro

11 1

7 17 1/2

Nails vizt

4 2

2 7

15 3

8 1/2

31 4

13 7

41 6

17 1

37 10

13 10 1/2

2 20

9

1 10

4

4 Flooring Brads

1 6

3 Glazing Do

3 4 1/2

3 1 2 1/2

Carried over

L 614 9 10 1/2

The account of goods sold out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, listing further items delivered to the Company's servants.

Brought over, £561 11s 2d

Leather

47 lb leather, £2 12s 10½d

3 calf skins, £1 2s 9d, total £3 15s 7½d

Arrack, 104 gallons, £27 0s 0d

Thread

24 lb brown, £8 13s 6d

14 lb coloured, £2 11s 4d, total £11 4s 10d

Hooks and lines

200 hooks No 1, £0 10s 8d

600 hooks No 2, £1 0s 0d

400 hooks No 3, £0 8s 0d

750 hooks No 4, £0 10s 0d

700 hooks blue, £0 2s 4d

100 hooks fine Grantham, £0 1s 1½d

10 dozen 1 lines No 2, £1 16s 11d

6 dozen 6 lines No 3, £1 8s 2d

5 dozen 9 lines No 4, £0 11s 1d

7 Hambro, £0 0s 0d, total £7 17s 7½d

Nails

4 lb nails No 2, £0 2s 7d

15 lb nails No 3, £0 8s 1½d

31 lb nails No 4, £0 13s 7d

41 lb nails No 6, £0 17s 1d

37 lb nails No 10, £0 13s 0½d

2 lb nails No 20, £0 0s 9d

1 lb nails No 10, £0 0s 4d

1 lb nails No 10, £0 1s 6d

4 lb flooring brads, £0 3s 4½d

3 lb glazing brads, £0 0s 0d, total £3 1s 2½d

Carried over, £614 9s 10½d

Interpretations

Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in the East, chiefly from palm sap or fermented rice and molasses, shipped in quantity by the Company and here sold to its servants by the gallon. At £27 0s 0d for 104 gallons it was one of the larger single entries on the list, and its presence in bulk points to the place spirits held in garrison life, the men buying arrack from the store as their common strong drink. Arrack was also the base of punch, the mixed drink of the eastern trade, so the store furnished the raw spirit from which the settlement made its liquor.

The fishing tackle sold in quantity, hundreds of hooks in graded sizes and dozens of lines, shows how far the settlement depended on the sea for its food. St Helena's waters were rich in fish, and the Company stocked its store with hooks and lines down to the ordinary servant, so that fishing supplemented the salt beef and pork and the provisions shipped in, a local resource the men were equipped to draw on for themselves.

The nails and brads were sold by the pound in graded sizes, the numbering marking the length and gauge of each sort, from the finer flooring and glazing brads used in joinery and window work to the heavier sizes for framing and construction. Their sale from the store shows the settlement's constant building and repair drawing on a stock of ironmongery shipped out for the purpose, every size kept on hand because nails could not be made on the island and had to be carried from England against the needs of its works.

327

318

26th April.

Brought over

L 614 9 10 1/2

Paint vizt

50 1/2 Blue Smalts

L 8 5 11

113 White Lead

2 4 8 1/2

2 ozs Jamacia Indico

9

40 2 Whiting

8 1/2

2 Olive

3 10

8 Vener Red

1 8

1/4 White Copperas

3 1/2

63 Stone Colour

1 14 1/2

10 Barrels Blacking

10 5

10 Yellow Oaker

2 1

1 Mahogony

2 6

1/4 P 2 Tea

1/2

13 14 9 1/2

Haberdashery ware vizt

40 lb Mohair

15

80 St Silk

1 16 8

21 Doz Mohair Coat Buttons

4

14 Doz Do Breast Do

4 8

12 Doz White Waisr Do

9 4

30 Do Shirt Buttons

6 3

3 1/2 Doz Silver Breast Do

7 9

3 Doz Gilt Coat Do

13 3

1 Doz Do Breast Do

2 2 1/2

1 1/4 Doz Tin Do Do

2 1/2

5 9 4

Oil vizt

8 G Train

1 6 8

12 G Linseed

2 4

12 Bottles Florence

1 12 6

5 3 2

Pepper 40

5 11 1/2

Carried over

L 639 2 9 1/2

26 April.

The account of goods sold out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, listing paints, haberdashery, oils and pepper delivered to the Company's servants.

Brought over, £614 9s 10½d

Paints

50½ lb blue smalts, £8 5s 11d

113 lb white lead, £2 4s 8½d

2 oz Jamaica indigo, £0 0s 9d

40 lb whiting, £0 8s 4½d

2 lb olive, £0 3s 10d

5 lb Venice red, £0 1s 8d

7 lb white copperas, £0 0s 3½d

63 lb stone colour, £1 14s 1½d

10 barrels blacking, £0 10s 5d

10 lb yellow ochre, £0 2s 1d

1 lb mahogany, £0 2s 6d

½ lb pea green, £0 0s 4½d, total £13 14s 9½d

Haberdashery ware

40 lb mohair, £0 15s 0d

80 lb silk, £1 16s 8d

21 dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 14s 0d

14 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 4s 8d

12 dozen white waistcoat buttons, £0 9s 4d

30 dozen shirt buttons, £0 6s 3d

3½ dozen silver breast buttons, £0 7s 9d

3 dozen gilt coat buttons, £0 13s 3d

1 dozen gilt breast buttons, £0 2s 2½d

1½ dozen tin buttons, £0 0s 2½d, total £5 9s 4d

Oil

8 gallons train, £1 6s 8d

12 gallons linseed, £2 4s 0d

12 bottles Florence, £1 12s 6d, total £5 3s 2d

Pepper, £0 5s 11½d

Carried over, £639 2s 9½d

Interpretations

The store carried a full range of painters' materials, the coloured earths and mineral pigments from which paint was mixed on the spot. Blue smalts was a pigment of ground blue glass, white lead the base of most paintwork, Venice red an iron-oxide red and stone colour a neutral grey-brown for general work, each sold by the pound to be ground and mixed with the oils listed lower on the page. This shows the settlement doing its own painting from raw ingredients, the fortifications, gun carriages and boats kept coated against the weather, the pigments and oils shipped out separately and combined as needed rather than bought ready-made.

The haberdashery reflects the making and mending of clothes on the island, the servants buying silk, mohair and buttons of every grade to keep themselves in coats, waistcoats and shirts. The range of buttons, from plain tin and shirt buttons up through mohair to gilt and silver, marks the gradations of dress among the establishment, the finer buttons for those who dressed to their rank and the plainer for the common men. The store thus clothed the settlement as well as fed it, standing in for the tailors and mercers a man in England would have had at hand.

Train oil was rendered from the blubber of whales or seals, a cheap oil used in paint, for lamps and for dressing leather, while the linseed oil was the drying oil that bound the painters' pigments and the Florence oil, a fine olive oil from Italy, served for the table. The three oils together, one for light and rough work, one for painting and one for eating, show the store meeting the settlement's varied wants from a small stock, the coarse and the fine kept side by side for uses that ran from greasing tackle to dressing food.

328

319

1756.

Brought over

L 639 2 9 1/2

Tinware vizt

5 Patty Pans

L 1 10 1/2

7 Lanthorn Leaves

1 7

13 Quart Saucepans

8 5

10 Pint Do

4 7

1 Lamp

1 8

7 Puding Pans

1 1 8

1 Glass Lanthorn

10

5 Driping Pans

13 9

6 Solder

6 9

3 3 1/2

Broad Cloth 23 3/8 Yards

20 10 8 1/2

Canvas vizt

1 P 21 Yards English

3 7 6

120 Yd Osenbrigs

5

8 7 6

Cutleryware vizt

16 Horn Combs

2 8

19 Ivory Do

19 9 1/2

1 Botchers Knife

4

6 Gross Horn Moulds

3 3

12 P Knee Buckles

5 6

24 P Shoe Do

13

1 Case Steams

4 1/2

2 9 6

Turneryware vizt

27 Shoe Brushes

17 5

9 Paint Do

4 1/2

9 Hair Brooms

7 1/2

6 Scrubing Brushes

2 1

2 Bowls

1 1/2

1 Platter

6 8

8 Labourers Baskets

2 3

3 Hair Sieves

1 11

3 Punch Ladles

7 1/2

3 7 1/2

Carried over

L 686 17 11

The account of goods sold out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, listing tinware, cloth, cutlery ware and turners ware delivered to the Company's servants.

Brought over, £639 2s 9½d

Tinware

5 patty pans, £0 1s 10½d

7 lanthorn leaves, £0 1s 7d

13 quart saucepans, £0 8s 5d

10 pint saucepans, £0 4s 7d

1 lamp, £0 1s 8d

7 pudding pans, £0 11s 8d

1 glass lanthorn, £0 10s 0d

5 dripping pans, £0 13s 9d

6 solder, £0 6s 9d, total £3 0s 3½d

Broad cloth, 23⅞ yards, £20 10s 8½d

Canvas

1 piece 28 yards English, £3 7s 6d

120 yards Osnabrigs, £5 0s 0d, total £8 7s 6d

Cutlery ware

16 horn combs, £0 2s 8d

19 ivory combs, £0 19s 9½d

1 butchers knife, £0 0s 4d

6 gross horn moulds, £0 3s 3d

12 pair knee buckles, £0 5s 6d

24 pair shoe buckles, £0 1s 3d

1 case flums, £0 4s 11½d, total £2 9s 6d

Turners ware

27 shoe brushes, £0 17s 5d

9 paint brushes, £0 4s 1½d

9 hair brooms, £1 0s 7½d

6 scrubbing brushes, £0 2s 1d

2 bowls, £0 1s 7½d

1 platter, £0 6s 8d

8 labourers baskets, £0 2s 3d

3 hair sieves, £0 1s 11d

3 punch ladles, £0 0s 0d, total £3 7s 1½d

Carried over, £686 17s 11d

Interpretations

Broad cloth was a fine woollen cloth woven wide on the loom, the standard material for good coats, sold here by the yard at a high price against the coarser stuffs. It came from England, wool being the staple English manufacture, and its sale to the servants shows the better sort on the island clothing themselves in the same quality of cloth worn at home. The two canvases, fine English sailcloth and coarse Osnabrigs, marked the range of rougher fabric, Osnabrigs being a cheap unbleached linen from Germany used for working clothes, sacking and slaves' garments, so the cloth on the list ran from the fine wool of a gentleman's coat down to the coarsest labouring stuff.

The tinware and turners ware equipped the settlement's kitchens and households, the pans, moulds, bowls and brushes a man needed to cook, clean and keep house. A lanthorn was a lantern, its leaves the thin panes of horn that let the light through while shielding the flame from wind, horn being used in place of the dearer glass. This range of common domestic goods shows the store furnishing the ordinary stuff of daily life, the settlement depending on the Company to ship out even the pots, combs and brushes that no one on the island could make.

The labourers baskets and hair sieves point to the working side of the settlement, the baskets for carrying earth and stone on the fortifications and the sieves for sifting lime or meal. Set among the household goods, they show the same store serving both the domestic and the working needs of the place, the men drawing from it alike for their kitchens and for the heavy labour on the Company's works, everything from a punch ladle to a labourer's basket carried out in the ships and sold across the counter.

329

320

26th April.

Brought over

L 686 17 11

Dosooties 9 Pr

3 6 6

Challoes 9 Pr

5 2 9

Cordage 29 6 lb

4 6 4

Kersey 17 Yards

1 5 6

Buckram 17 Yards

17

Lead vizt

23 Sheet

4 4

175 Shot

17 2

1 1 6

Glassware vizt

22 Sqre Glass 8 by 10

13 9

70 Sqre Do 10 by 12

3 4 2

29 Sqre Do 6 by 8

9 1/2

5 Beer Glasses

4 7

7 Tumblers

4 1

2 Pint Decanters

6 4

1 Quart Do

4 5

2 Pr Cruets

10 1

5 16 3 1/2

Ironmongersware vizt

6 Frying Pans

12 3

4 Scyth Stones

5

3 Ironund Locks

1 1 11

5 Ti Hinges

18 2

9 Helves

6

6 ozs Brasswire

1 3

14 Doz Wood Screws

5 3

18 Stock Locks

1 17 6

1 Chest Lock

3 10

1 Pickax

2 5

24 Gimblets

5

1 Claw Hammer

1 3 1/2

1 Iproers Rubstone

3 8

4 Files

2 3

Ironware Do over

L 6 13 1/2

Carried over

L 698 13 11 1/2

26 April.

The account of goods sold out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, listing cloths, cordage, lead, glassware and ironmongery delivered to the Company's servants.

Brought over, £686 17s 11d

Dosooties, 9 pieces, £3 6s 6d

Challoes, 9 pieces, £5 2s 9d

Cordage, 296 lb, £4 6s 4d

Kersey, 17 yards, £1 5s 6d

Buckram, 17 yards, £0 17s 0d

Lead

23 lb sheet, £0 4s 4d

75 lb shot, £0 17s 2d, total £1 1s 6d

Glassware

22 squares glass 8 by 10, £0 13s 9d

90 squares glass 10 by 12, £3 4s 2d

29 squares glass 6 by 8, £0 9s 1½d

5 beer glasses, £0 4s 7d

7 tumblers, £0 4s 1d

2 pint decanters, £0 6s 4d

1 quart decanter, £0 4s 5d

2 pair cruets, £0 10s 1d, total £5 16s 5½d

Ironmongery ware

6 frying pans, £0 12s 3d

4 scythe stones, £0 0s 5d

3 iron rimmed locks, £1 1s 11d

5 tee hinges, £0 18s 2d

9 helves, £0 0s 6d

6 oz brass wire, £0 1s 3d

1½ dozen wood screws, £0 5s 3d

18 stock locks, £1 17s 6d

1 chest lock, £0 3s 10d

1 pickaxe, £0 2s 5d

24 gimlets, £0 5s 0d

1 claw hammer, £0 1s 3½d

1 japanese rubstone, £0 3s 8d

4 files, £0 2s 3d, total £6 13s 7½d

Carried over, £698 13s 11½d

Interpretations

The Indian piece goods on the list, dosooties and challoes, were cotton cloths woven in India and carried west by the Company, dosooties a plain calico of ordinary weight and challoes a coloured or checked cotton. Kersey was a coarse ribbed English wool and buckram a stiffened linen used to line and shape garments, so the cloths sold here spanned both ends of the Company's trade, the Indian cottons brought one way and the English woollens the other, meeting on the counter of a store halfway between them. This mingling of Eastern and English textiles at St Helena marks the island's place on the sea road, provisioned from both directions by the ships that broke their voyage there.

The window glass sold in three cut sizes, 8 by 10, 10 by 12 and 6 by 8 inches, shows the settlement glazing its buildings from a store of pre-cut panes shipped out for the purpose. Glass could not be made on the island and every square had to be carried from England, so the Company kept a stock of the common sizes ready for the glaziers, the settlement's windows depending wholly on what the ships brought. The drinking glasses, decanters and cruets alongside them furnished the officers' tables, the finer glassware marking the domestic comfort kept up by the establishment's senior men.

The ironmongery was the settlement's stock of hardware for building, joinery and daily work, from the stock locks and iron-rimmed locks that secured doors and stores to the gimlets, files and hammers of the workshop. A japanese rubstone was a fine sharpening stone from the East, and scythe stones served to whet the blades used in cutting the island's grass and crops. Every one of these tools and fittings had to be shipped out, iron being neither mined nor worked on the island, so the store's hardware shelf stood in for the whole trade of the smith and ironmonger that a settlement in England would have had close at hand.

330

321

1756

Brought over

L 698 13 11 1/2

Ironware Brought over

L 6 13 1/2

1 Box Iron

8 7

1 Ditching Shovel

4 11 1/2

1 Hoe

1 11

1 Spade

3 5

1 Cupboard Lock

4

3 Pr Dovetail Hinges

1 8 1/2

7 5 9 1/2

Fustain 2 Pr

4 9 6

Hats 1

19 3

Camblet 14 Yards

1 18 6

Deals vizt

11 Double

1 18 11 1/2

126 Single

13 18 3

2 Baulks

13

2 Wainst Boards

11

1 Cuffer

3 1/2

17 4 10

Ticking 2 Pc

3 1 8

Pitch vizt

31 Pitch

5 2

2 G Tar

1 6

15 Rozin

1 10 1/2

22 Turpentine

3 8

12 2 1/2

Shoes vizt

7 P Mens Pumps

2 6 3

6 P Channel Do

2 7 6

2 P Mens Fine Shoes

12 1

187 P Do Ordinary Do

41 5 11

8 P Womens Calf

1 1 4

9 P Do Calimanco

2 6 6

9 P Spanish

2 3 10 1/2

7 P Boys

1 6 3

4 P Girls

8 4

53 18 5 1/2

Carried over

L 788 4 2

1756

The account of goods sold out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, listing further ironmongery, cloths, deals, pitch and shoes delivered to the Company's servants.

Brought over, £698 13s 11½d

Ironmongery ware brought over, £6 13s 7½d

1 box iron, £0 8s 7d

1 ditching shovel, £0 4s 11½d

1 hoe, £0 1s 11d

1 spade, £0 3s 5d

1 cupboard lock, £0 4s 0d

3 pair dovetail hinges, £0 1s 8½d, total £7 5s 9½d

Fustian, 2 pieces, £4 9s 6d

Hats, 1, £0 19s 3d

Camblet, 14½ yards, £1 18s 6d

Deals

11 double, £1 18s 11½d

126 single, £13 18s 0d

2 baulks, £0 13s 0d

2 wainscot boards, £0 11s 0d

1 clapper, £0 3s 1½d, total £17 4s 10d

Ticking, 2 pieces, £3 1s 8d

Pitch

31 lb pitch, £0 5s 2d

2 gallons tar, £0 1s 6d

15 lb rosin, £0 1s 10½d

22 lb turpentine, £0 3s 8d, total £0 12s 2½d

Shoes

7 pair mens pumps, £2 6s 8d

6 pair channel pumps, £2 7s 6d

2 pair mens fine shoes, £0 12s 1d

187 pair mens ordinary shoes, £41 5s 11d

8 pair womens calf, £1 1s 4d

9 pair womens calamanco, £2 6s 6d

9 pair womens Spanish, £2 3s 10½d

9 pair Spanish, £1 6s 3d

7 pair boys, £0 8s 4d

4 pair girls, £0 0s 0d, total £53 18s 5½d

Carried over, £788 4s 2d

Interpretations

Deals were sawn softwood planks of fir or pine, the standard building timber of northern Europe, imported by the load because St Helena grew no timber fit for construction. The large quantity here, 126 single deals besides the doubles, baulks and wainscot boards, shows the settlement's constant building and repair swallowing shipped timber at a great rate, every plank carried out from England or the Baltic. The wainscot boards were fine oak for panelling and joinery and the baulks squared beams for framing, so the timber ran from rough structural stuff down to the finished boards of the better rooms, all of it landed from the ships because the island could furnish none of its own.

The shoes formed one of the largest single entries in the whole store, 187 pairs of men's ordinary shoes alone at over £41, besides pumps, fine shoes and shoes for women, boys and girls. This quantity marks footwear as a heavy and constant want, worn out fast by men labouring on rough ground and stone, and the presence of women's and children's shoes shows the store clothing whole families, not soldiers alone. Calamanco was a glossy woollen cloth used for the uppers of women's shoes and Spanish leather a fine tanned hide, the grades of shoe marking the same gradations of rank and means seen throughout the store's goods.

Fustian was a stout cotton or cotton-linen cloth with a slight nap, camblet a light mixed stuff of wool with silk or hair and ticking the strong striped linen used to case mattresses and pillows. Set beside the deals, pitch and shoes, these furnishing cloths show the store meeting the settlement's bedding and clothing needs alongside its building and labouring wants, the ticking in particular pointing to the making up of beds for the barracks and households, every yard of it shipped out with the rest.

331

322

26th April.

Brought over

L 788 4 2

Hosiersware vizt

16 P Mns Wove Stockings

L 3 8

4 Pr Mns Knit Do

13 4

108 Pr Thread Do

15 6

19 7 4

Shirts vizt

143 Soldiers Shirts

L 35 12 11

2/4 Pr Linnen

4 6 7 1/2

39 19 6 1/2

China Ware vizt

4 Teachers

1

8 Guglets & Basons

1 4

30 half P Cups & Saucers

13 9

2 Bowls

1 8

3 Sets Dishes & Plates

2 8

4 Soup Dishes

1 16

3 Sauce Boats

3 1/2

6 Chamberpots

9

2 Potting Pots

2 4

1 Sallet Dish

9

12 Coffee Cups

2

30 Soup Plates

11 3

7 2 9

Braziersware vizt

4 Brass Cock

4 2 1/2

1 Tea Kettle

12 2

1 Pr Candlesticks

6 8

1 Hash Pan

1 15 10

2 Flat Candlesticks

4 6

3 Pr Snuffers

7 3

1 Skimmer

2 9

1 Ladle

2 5

3 15 9 1/2

Carried over

L 858 9 7

26 April.

The account of goods sold out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, listing hosiery, shirts, chinaware and braziers ware delivered to the Company's servants.

Brought over, £788 4s 2d

Hosiery ware

16 pair mens woven stockings, £0 3s 8d

4 pair mens knit stockings, £0 13s 4d

108 pair thread stockings, £15 6s 0d, total £19 7s 4d

Shirts

143 soldiers shirts, £35 12s 11d

2¼ pieces linen, £4 6s 7½d, total £39 19s 6½d

Chinaware

4 teachers, £0 0s 1d

8 guglets and basons, £1 4s 0d

30 half pint cups and saucers, £0 13s 9d

2 bowls, £0 1s 8d

3 sets dishes and plates, £2 8s 0d

4 soup dishes, £1 16s 0d

3 sauce boats, £0 3s 0d

6 chamberpots, £0 9s 0d

2 potting pots, £0 2s 4d

1 salad dish, £0 0s 9d

12 coffee cups, £0 2s 0d

30 soup plates, £0 11s 3d, total £7 2s 9d

Braziers ware

9 brass cocks, £0 4s 2½d

1 tea kettle, £0 12s 2d

1 pair candlesticks, £0 6s 8d

1 hash pan, £1 15s 10d

2 flat candlesticks, £0 4s 6d

3 pair snuffers, £0 7s 3d

1 skimmer, £0 2s 0d

1 ladle, £0 2s 5d, total £3 15s 9½d

Carried over, £858 9s 7d

Interpretations

The shirts formed one of the store's heaviest single entries, 143 soldiers shirts at over £35 besides the pieces of linen sold to be made up. Ready-made shirts issued in bulk to the garrison show the Company clothing its soldiers as well as arming and feeding them, the cost recovered through sale, so a man's basic dress came from the same store that furnished his food. The linen sold alongside the finished shirts let those who chose have their own made up, the two together covering both the issue of standard clothing and the private tailoring of the better sort.

The chinaware was porcelain shipped from China, the guglets, cups, bowls and plates carried west as a staple of the eastern trade and sold down to the settlement's households. A guglet was a long-necked earthen or porcelain vessel for cooling and pouring water, well suited to a warm climate, and the range of table china from soup plates to sauce boats shows the establishment setting a proper table with the same porcelain the Company sold in England. That such quantities of China ware reached a remote garrison marks how thoroughly the eastern trade furnished even the far edges of the Company's world with its wares.

Braziers ware was the settlement's brass and copper hardware, the cocks, candlesticks, snuffers, skimmers and pans of the kitchen and household. Brass cocks were the taps fitted to casks and cisterns, and the candlesticks and snuffers served the daily business of lighting, every piece cast in metal that had to be shipped out ready-made. Set beside the china and linen, the brasswork shows the store furnishing the whole apparatus of a settled household, from the plates on the table to the taps on the water butt, the men on the island depending on the Company for goods of every material that no local craft could supply.

332

323

1756.

Brought over

L 858 9 7

Shalloon 10 Yards

1 5 10

Serge 38 Yards

9 6

Earthenware 6 Milk Pans

3 10 1/2

Corks 7/4 Gross

18 5

Blankets 5

1 6 8

Iron 14 lb

2 7

Starch 9 lb

5 1/2

Iron Pots 2

17 8

Coals 4 Bushels

4

Wine vizt

18 G Port

L 54 6

6 Bottles Do

10

123 G Mountain

36 18

24 Bottles Do

2

123 G Lisbon

36 18

130 12

L 1003 6 2

Sold to the Planters at 25 p Cent

Broad Cloth p yard

L 9 4 1/2

Shoes vizt

2 P Mens Pumps

L 16

3 Pr Do Ord Shoes

15

3 P Do Fine Do

1 1/2

4 P Womens Calamanco

1 3 4

1 P Spanish

5 7

8 P Calf

1 4 8

3 P Girls

7

5 11 2 1/2

Camblet 7 Yards

1 1 7

Buckram 3 1/2 Yards

3 9 1/2

Hosiersware vizt

1 P Womens Stock Do

4 1

1 P Mns Wove Do

4 10

2 P Mns Knit Do

7 6 16 5

Carried over

L 8 2 4

The account of goods sold to the Company's servants closed with cloths, earthenware, wine and sundry wares, and a fresh account then opened of goods sold to the planters at 25 per cent above cost.

Brought over, £858 9s 7d

Shalloon, 10 yards, £1 5s 10d

Serge, 38 yards, £9 0s 6d

Earthenware, 6 milk pans, £0 3s 10½d

Corks, 7¼ gross, £0 18s 5d

Blankets, 5, £1 6s 8d

Iron, 14 lb, £0 2s 7d

Starch, 9 lb, £0 5s 0½d

Iron pots, 2, £0 17s 8d

Coals, 4 bushels, £0 4s 0d

Wine

18 gallons port, £5 4s 6d

6 bottles port, £0 0s 10d

123 gallons mountain, £36 18s 0d

24 bottles mountain, £2 0s 0d

123 gallons Lisbon, £36 18s 0d, total £130 12s 0d

Total, £1,003 6s 2d

Goods sold to the planters at 25 per cent

Broad cloth, ½ yard, £0 9s 4½d

Shoes

2 pair mens pumps, £0 16s 0d

3 pair mens ordinary shoes, £0 15s 0d

3 pair mens fine shoes, £1 0s 7½d

4 pair womens calamanco, £1 3s 4d

1 pair Spanish, £0 5s 7d

8 pair calf, £1 4s 8d

3 pair girls, £0 0s 7d, total £5 11s 2½d

Camblet, 7 yards, £1 1s 7d

Buckram, 3½ yards, £0 3s 9½d

Hosiery ware

1 pair womens stockings, £0 4s 1d

1 pair womens woven stockings, £0 4s 10d

1 pair mens woven stockings, £0 7s 6d

2 pair mens knit stockings, £0 16s 5d

Carried over, £8 2s 0d

Interpretations

The wine formed by far the largest single class of goods on the servants side, £130 12s 0d in port, mountain and Lisbon, dwarfing every other entry. Mountain was a sweet Spanish wine from Malaga and Lisbon a Portuguese white, both shipped out in quantity alongside the port, so wine was a staple the establishment consumed in bulk rather than a luxury of the few. That so much of the store's value ran into wine marks its central place in the settlement's life, the ships calling with the wines of Spain and Portugal that the island could no more produce than it could its cloth or iron.

The account here shifts from the servants to the planters, the free settlers who farmed the island's land, charged a higher markup of 25 per cent against the servants 10. The Company thus drew a wider margin from the independent planters than from its own people, the free settler paying more for the same goods because he stood outside the establishment and was not a charge upon it. This two-tier pricing shows the Company using its store both to provision its servants near cost and to turn a keener profit on the wider island population, the same shelves serving two classes of buyer at two rates.

Shalloon was a light twilled woollen used chiefly for linings and serge a stronger twilled wool for coats and hard wear, both English cloths sold by the yard. Their presence with the other woollens shows the range of English textile manufacture reaching the island, from the fine broad cloth down through serge and shalloon to the coarsest stuffs, every grade shipped out to clothe a settlement that grew no wool and wove no cloth of its own.

333

324

26th April.

Brought over

L 8 2 4 1/2

Kersey 2 Yards

3 4

Long Clls 5 Yards

10

Dosooties 1 Pr

11

Sold at 40 p Cent

Arrack 14 Gallons

4 4

Sugar & Candy vizt

157 1/4 Sugar

L 28 12 6

15 1/4 Candy

3 2 11

31 15 5

Flour 687

5 4 6

Soap 123

5 17 6 1/2

Tea vizt

20 Congo

2

61 Single

5 11 10

102 Bohea

6 19 4

14 11 2

Candles 79

11 7 1/2

Rice & Paddy vizt

8 Rice

5

2 Paddy

13 2

5 13 2

Hooks & Lines vizt

100 Hooks No 1

6 4

100 Do 2

4 4

225 Do 3

5 1/2

925 Do 4

15 5

300 Blew Do

1 3

5 1/2 Doz Lines No 2

1 5 8

1 1/2 Doz Do 3

8 3

1 1/2 Doz Do 4

9 10 1/2

2 Hambro

4

4 2 9

Carried over

L 92 10 4 1/2

26 April.

The account of goods sold to the planters closed with a few remaining cloths, and a fresh account then opened of goods sold at 40 per cent above cost.

Brought over, £8 2s 4½d

Kersey, 2 yards, £0 3s 4d

Long ells, 5 yards, £0 10s 0d

Dosooties, 1 piece, £0 11s 0d

Goods sold at 40 per cent

Arrack, 14 gallons, £4 4s 0d

Sugar and candy

137 lb sugar, £28 12s 6d

15 lb candy, £3 2s 11d, total £31 15s 5d

Flour, 687 lb, £5 4s 6d

Soap, 123 lb, £5 17s 6½d

Tea

20 lb congo, £2 0s 0d

61 lb single, £5 11s 10d

102 lb bohea, £6 19s 4d, total £14 11s 2d

Candles, 79 lb, £11 7s 1½d

Rice and paddy

8 lb rice, £5 0s 0d

2 lb paddy, £0 13s 2d, total £5 13s 2d

Hooks and lines

100 hooks No 1, £0 6s 4d

100 hooks No 2, £0 4s 4d

225 hooks No 3, £0 5s 1½d

925 hooks No 4, £0 15s 5d

300 blue hooks, £0 1s 3d

5½ dozen lines No 2, £1 5s 8d

1½ dozen lines No 3, £0 8s 3d

1½ dozen lines No 4, £0 9s 10½d

2 Hambro, £0 0s 4d, total £4 2s 9d

Carried over, £92 10s 4½d

Interpretations

A third rate of markup appears here, 40 per cent, above both the servants 10 and the planters 25. The store thus sold the same provisions, arrack, sugar, tea, flour and the rest, at three different margins according to who was buying, the highest rate falling on a class not named on this page. This graduated pricing shows the Company treating its store as an instrument of policy as much as of supply, the margin rising with the buyer's distance from the establishment, so that those least entitled to the Company's provision paid most dearly for it.

Long ells were a length of coarse woollen cloth, an English manufacture made expressly for the export trade to the East, so named for the extended measure in which they were woven. Their sale here among the Indian dosooties and the English kerseys shows the same crossing of textile streams seen throughout the store, the cloths made in England for the eastern market meeting the cottons brought back from India on the shelves of an island midway along the route.

Congo joins the tea list here beside single and bohea, a black China tea of middling grade above the common bohea. The recurrence of tea at every rate of sale, sold by the pound to servant and planter alike and now at the highest markup, underlines how deeply the China trade had woven tea into the settlement's ordinary consumption, a leaf grown half a world away yet a daily article on a remote Atlantic island, carried there by the same ships that bore it home to England.

334

325

1756.

Brought over

L 92 10 4 1/2

Glassware vizt

20 Sqre Glass 10 by 12

L 1 3 4

2 Do Do 10 by 11

4 7

2 Beer Glasses

2 4

2 Sqre Glass 8 by 10

1 7

1 11 10

Nails vizt

2 2

1 8

2 3

1 4

5 6

2 8 1/2

8 10

3 8

3 20

1 4 1/2

8 Flooring Brads

3 8

2 4

1 2

15 7

Beef & Pork vizt

2 P Beef

7 10

3 P Pork

10

17 10

Twine 10 Skeins

8 4

Thread vizt

14 White & Brown

1 17 4

3 Colourd

14

1 ozs Nuns

3 2

2 14 6

Paint vizt

36 Whiting

1 1/2

22 1/2 B Smalts

2 12 6

1 Venet Red

3 1/2

2 13 10

Haberdashryware vizt

5 lb Mohair

2 6

7 lb Silk

4 1

4 1/2 doz Mns Ct Buttons

3 0

1 doz Mns B Do

5

10 9

Carried over

L 102 3 7 1/2

The account of goods sold at 40 per cent above cost continued, listing glassware, nails, meat, thread, paints and haberdashery delivered to the buyers.

Brought over, £92 10s 6½d

Glassware

20 squares glass 10 by 12, £1 3s 4d

2 squares glass 10 by 11, £0 4s 7d

2 beer glasses, £0 2s 4d

2 squares glass 8 by 10, £0 1s 7d, total £1 11s 10d

Nails

2 lb nails No 2, £0 1s 8d

2 lb nails No 3, £0 1s 4d

5 lb nails No 6, £0 2s 8½d

8 lb nails No 10, £0 3s 8d

3 lb nails No 20, £0 1s 4½d

8 flooring brads, £0 3s 8d

2 lb nails No 4, £0 1s 2d, total £0 15s 7d

Beef and pork

2 lb beef, £0 7s 10d

3 lb pork, £0 10s 0d, total £0 17s 10d

Twine, 10 skeins, £0 8s 4d

Thread

4 lb whited brown, £1 17s 4d

3 lb coloured, £0 14s 0d

1 oz nuns, £0 3s 2d, total £2 14s 6d

Paints

36 lb whiting, £0 1s 1½d

22½ lb blue smalts, £2 12s 6d

1 lb Venice red, £0 0s 3½d, total £2 13s 10d

Haberdashery ware

5 lb mohair, £0 2s 6d

7 lb silk, £0 4s 1d

4½ dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 3s 0d

1 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 0s 5d

Carried over, £102 3s 7½d

Interpretations

Nuns thread was a fine white sewing thread of high quality, so called from its early manufacture in convents, sold here by the ounce against the coarser browns and coloureds by the pound. The gradation from whited brown down through coloured to the fine nuns marks the range of sewing thread the store carried, from the stout thread for heavy work to the fine white for delicate sewing, the settlement's mending and making up drawing on every grade shipped out for the purpose.

The same classes of goods recur across all three rates of sale, glassware, nails, meat, thread, paints and buttons appearing on the servants list, the planters list and this highest-rate list alike. The store sold from one common stock to every class of buyer, the goods identical and only the margin differing, so a pound of the same nails or a square of the same window glass cost more or less according to who carried it out. This shows the whole trade of the island funnelled through a single Company store, one shelf of goods serving the entire population at rates set by standing.

The small quantities on this list, a few pounds of nails, an ounce of thread, a yard or two of glass, contrast with the bulk entries of the servants account, where goods ran into hundreds of pounds weight. The buyers at 40 per cent took modest amounts for immediate need rather than laying in stores, which fits a class buying at the dearest rate and so sparingly, the high margin itself discouraging any purchase beyond what was wanted at once.

335

326

26th April

Brought over

L 102 3 7 1/2

Canvas vizt

14 Yards English

L 19 10

13 Yards Osenbrigs

14 1

1 13 11

Oil vizt

2 G Train

8 4

1/2 G Linseed

1 2

1 Bottle Florence

3 5 1/2

12 11 1/2

Salt 2 1/2 Bushels

10 6 1/2

Lead vizt

7 Sheet

1 7

10 Shot

2 11

4 6

Cordage 106

2 3 6 1/2

Pepper 9

8 1/2

Starch 3

3 6

Tinware vizt

1 Puding Pan

2 2

3 Pint Saucepans

1 9

3 11

Deals 2 Single

5 8

Ironmongersware vizt

1 Ironund Lock

7 9

1 Claw Hammer

1 8

8 Gimblets

2 4

3 Stock Locks

7 9

5 Helves

4 7

3 Pickaxes

9 6

1 Spade

4 5

1 Bread Hoe

2 5

2 5

Chinaware vizt

3 Teachers

1

1 Bowl

1

2

Carried over

L 110 4 8 1/2

26 April.

The account of goods sold at 40 per cent above cost continued, listing canvas, oils, salt, lead, cordage, tinware, deals, ironmongery and chinaware delivered to the buyers.

Brought over, £102 3s 7½d

Canvas

14 yards English, £0 19s 10d

13 yards Osnabrigs, £0 14s 1d, total £1 13s 11d

Oil

2 gallons train, £0 8s 4d

½ gallon linseed, £0 1s 2d

1 bottle Florence, £0 3s 5½d, total £0 12s 11½d

Salt, 2½ bushels, £0 10s 6½d

Lead

7 lb sheet, £0 1s 7d

10 lb shot, £0 2s 11d, total £0 4s 6d

Cordage, 106 lb, £2 3s 6½d

Pepper, 1 lb, £0 0s 8½d

Starch, 3 lb, £0 3s 6d

Tinware

1 pudding pan, £0 2s 2d

3 pint saucepans, £0 1s 9d, total £0 3s 11d

Deals, 2 single, £0 5s 8d

Ironmongery ware

1 iron rimmed lock, £0 7s 9d

1 claw hammer, £0 1s 8d

8 gimlets, £0 2s 4d

3 stock locks, £0 7s 9d

5 helves, £0 4s 7d

3 pickaxes, £0 9s 6d

1 spade, £0 4s 5d

1 broad hoe, £0 2s 5d, total £0 2s 5d

Chinaware

3 teachers, £0 1s 0d

1 bowl, £0 1s 0d, total £0 2s 0d

Carried over, £110 4s 8½d

Interpretations

The ironmongery sold at this rate ran to the heavier tools of digging and building, pickaxes, spades, a broad hoe and helves for hafting them, besides the locks and hammer of the workshop. This points to the buyers at 40 per cent needing tools for ground work and construction, the picks and spades for breaking and moving earth on their own plots or holdings. The helves sold separately from the tool heads reflect the common practice of shipping heads and handles apart, the wooden helves fitted on the island as the iron heads wore out or broke, so a stock of spare handles was kept against the heavy use these tools took.

The tools and materials here, canvas, cordage, lead, deals, spades and picks, are the stuff of independent work and building rather than of the table or wardrobe. Whoever bought at this dearest rate was equipping himself for labour and construction, taking canvas and cordage for rough use and timber and tools for building, so even at the highest markup the store furnished the practical means of work. The settlement's whole material base, from the nails in a wall to the rope on a boat, passed through these shelves at one rate or another, the island wholly dependent on the Company's imported stock for every tool and every yard of cloth or timber it used.

336

327

1756.

Brought over

L 110 4 8 1/2

Ticking 2 Pieces

3 18 6

Tar 3 Gallons

3

Turneryware vizt

1 Scrubing Brush

L 2 4

1 Hair Broom

2 1

5 3

Braziersware 1 Ladle

3 1/2

Iron Pots 1

8 6

L 115 3 1

Sold to the Companys Ships

Bunting vizt

45 Yards Red

L 2 8 9

9 Yards White

12 4 1/2

3 1 1/2

Hooks & Lines vizt

8 Doz Lines No 4

2 12 8

6 Lines 2

2 4

425 Hooks No 4

7 1

3 2 1

Cordage 931

19 7 11

Glassware vizt

2 Tumblers

1 6

2 Half minute Glasses

1 7

3 1

Oil 14 G Linseed

3 5 4

Tinware 24 Lanthorn Leaves

7

Turneryware 6 P Brushes

3 6

Pitch vizt

1 Barrel Pitch

1 15

1 Do Tar

2 3

3 18

Nails 40 Sorted

1 1 11

Carried over

L 34 9 11 1/2

The account of goods sold at 40 per cent above cost closed with a few remaining wares, and a fresh account then opened of goods sold to the Company's ships.

Brought over, £110 4s 8½d

Ticking, 2 pieces, £3 18s 6d

Tar, 3 gallons, £0 0s 3d

Turners ware

1 scrubbing brush, £0 0s 2d

1 hair broom, £0 2s 11d, total £0 5s 3d

Braziers ware, 1 ladle, £0 3s 1½d

Iron pots, 1, £0 8s 6d

Total, £115 3s 3d

Goods sold to the Company's ships

Bunting

45 yards red, £2 8s 9d

9 yards white, £0 12s 4½d, total £3 1s 1½d

Hooks and lines

8 dozen lines No 4, £2 12s 8d

6 lines No 2, £0 2s 4d

425 hooks No 4, £0 7s 1d, total £3 2s 1d

Cordage, 931 lb, £19 7s 11d

Glassware

2 tumblers, £0 1s 6d

2 half minute glasses, £0 1s 7d, total £0 3s 1d

Oil, 14 gallons linseed, £3 5s 4d

Tinware, 24 lanthorn leaves, £0 0s 7d

Turners ware, 6 pair brushes, £0 3s 6d

Pitch

1 barrel pitch, £1 15s 0d

1 barrel tar, £2 3s 0d, total £3 18s 0d

Nails, 40 lb sorted, £1 1s 11d

Carried over, £34 9s 11½d

Interpretations

A fourth account opens here, goods sold to the Company's ships, distinct from the sales to servants, planters and the highest-rate buyers. The store thus supplied the passing Indiamen as well as the island's people, the ships taking on cordage, canvas, pitch, tar and nails to refit and repair themselves at St Helena. This marks the island's function as a victualling and refitting station on the long sea route, the store restocking the ships that called from the same shelves that provisioned the settlement, so the Company's own vessels drew their sea stores from its Atlantic depot.

The goods sold to the ships are almost wholly the materials of the sea, cordage in bulk at nearly £20, bunting for flags, pitch and tar for paying the seams, linseed oil, sorted nails and lines and hooks. This is the stock of the boatswain and the ship's carpenter, laid in to keep a vessel sound through the next leg of her voyage. The heavy weight of cordage in particular, 931 lb in one entry, shows how much running and standing rigging a ship consumed, the rope renewed at every opportunity, and St Helena was one of the few places on the outward or homeward run where such stores could be had.

Bunting was the loosely woven worsted cloth from which signal flags and ensigns were made, sold here in red and white for the ships to make up their colours. Half minute glasses were small sand glasses running for thirty seconds, used with the log line to measure a ship's speed through the water, the sand timing the run of the line as the vessel moved. These two items, the flag cloth and the speed glasses, were particular wants of the ships rather than the shore, and their sale from the store shows how closely the island's supply was fitted to the needs of the navigation that passed it.

337

328

26th April

Brought over

L 34 9 11 1/2

Sugar 100

2 1 8

Canvas 1 Pr English

2 16 8

Twine 5 Skains

2 6 8

Flour 337

2 16 2

Paint vizt

12 B Blacking

L 16

25 White Lead

13 6 1/2

33 Red Do

10 2 1/2

1 19 9

L 46 10 10 1/2

Charges general Dr for the following Stores Issued

from 12 January to the 11 April 1756 Vizt

Candles vizt

127 for the Castle

L 12 9 1

80 for the Council

8 3 4

20 12 5

Lines 18 No 4 to Slign Powder Horns

6 7 1/2

Paint vizt

1 Olive

1 9

8 Mahogany

18

8 Verdigrease for Painting

1 5 2

8 7 White Lead in the Castle

1 10 10

9 2 Turskolum &ca

10 1

106 Whiting

1 11

4 Bun Black

3 8

12 Blue Smalts for Linnen

1

5 11 5

Oil vizt

12 1/2 G Linseed for Painting

2 1 8

9 3/4 G Train for the House & Bake House

1 8 5

2 Bottles Florence for the Storm used

4 11

3 15

Carried over

L 30 5 6 1/2

26 April.

The account of goods sold to the Company's ships closed with a few remaining items, and a fresh account then opened charging general charges with goods issued out of the stores between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £34 9s 11½d

Sugar, 100 lb, £2 1s 8d

Canvas, 1 piece English, £2 16s 8d

Swine, 5 skeins, £2 6s 8d

Flour, 337 lb, £2 16s 2d

Paints

12 lb blacking, £0 1s 6d

25 lb white lead, £0 13s 6½d

33 lb red lead, £0 10s 2½d, total £1 19s 9d

Total, £46 10s 10½d

Charges general, Debtor, for the following goods issued from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Candles

12½ dozen for the castle, £12 9s 1d

8 dozen for the council, £8 3s 4d, total £20 12s 5d

Lines, 18 No 4 to sling powder horns, £0 6s 7½d

Paints

1 lb olive, £0 1s 9d

8 lb mahogany, £0 18s 0d

8 lb verdigrease for painting in the castle, £1 5s 2d

8¾ lb white lead for painting in the castle, £1 10s 10d

9½ lb Prussian blue, £0 10s 1d

106 lb whiting, £0 1s 11d

4 lb ivory black, £0 3s 8d

12 lb blue smalts for linen, £1 0s 0d, total £5 11s 5d

Oil

12½ gallons linseed for painting, £2 1s 8d

9¾ gallons train for the house and bake house, £1 8s 5d

2 bottles Florence for the storeroom use, £0 4s 11d, total £3 15s 0d

Carried over, £30 5s 6½d

Interpretations

The account turns here from sales to charges general, the goods issued out of the store not for sale but for the Company's own use about the settlement. These were charged against a general account rather than to any buyer, the paints, oils and candles consumed in maintaining and running the castle, council and other establishments. This shows the store keeping its own consumption distinct from its trade, the material used on the Company's business set down as a charge on the Company itself, so that the true cost of running the place could be told apart from the goods sold across the counter.

Verdigris was a green pigment made from the corrosion of copper, prized for a bright and durable green, here issued with white lead and other colours for painting in the castle. Prussian blue was a deep blue pigment newly come into use in the earlier part of the century, and ivory black a fine black burnt from ivory or bone. The range of pigments drawn for the castle, greens, blues, blacks and whites, shows the Company keeping its principal building properly painted and finished, the seat of government maintained to a standard above the plain coats given to gun carriages and boats.

The candles issued for the castle and council came to over £20, by far the largest charge on this account, the light consumed in the settlement's business swallowing a great quantity of wax and tallow. This heavy expenditure on candles marks how much of the Company's work went on after dark, the council and offices lit for meetings and writing through the evening, so that lighting the seat of government was itself a standing cost of some weight. The blue smalts issued for linen points to the laundry, the blue used to counter the yellowing of white cloth in washing, a domestic use of the pigment quite apart from its place in the painter's stock.

338

329

1756

Brought over

L 30 5 3 1/2

Deals vizt

19 Double

L 3 7

41 Single for Repairing the

4 2

1 Baulk Castle Gates to the Church

5 11

1 5 Inch Oak Plank Yard Bones for the Coff

2 9 10

3 Cuffers for making Ammunition

9 10 1/2

1 Wains Board Chests for the at Forts &

5

10 13 2 1/2

Nails vizt

7 6

2 6

1 4

4 1/2

3 3

1 5 1/2

1 1/2 Glaz Brads for Do

1 6 1/2

9 10

1 3

4 20

3

1 2

7

5 Coopers Rivets for the Coopersware

4 1/2

14 10

Pitch vizt

14 Pitch

2 1/2

6 Rozin for Repairs in the Castle

7 1/2

1 Gall Tar

8

3 4

Ironmongersware vizt

1 Ironund Lock for the Castle

5 6

8 Helves

4 10

2 Pr H Hinges for the Church yard

15 3

6 Files

3 1

2 Hand Hammers

3 4

1 Smiths Rubber

3 1/2

1 Do Forge for the Armourersware

12 1 1

1 Do Bellows

3 6

1/4 Wire

4 1/2

4 Stock Lock for the Gates of the Church Yard &

1 10

4 Padlocks for the Flying Party

9

Ironware Carried over

L 17 8

Carried over

L 41 16 10

1756

The account charging general charges with goods issued out of the stores continued, listing deals, nails, pitch and ironmongery drawn for repairs about the settlement.

Brought over, £30 5s 3½d

Deals for repairing the castle, gates to the church yard, yard bones for the coopers, for making ammunition chests, the wait gate and slyning gates and repairs to their houses

19 double, £3 0s 7d

41 single, £4 2s 0d

1 baulk, £0 5s 11d

1 5 inch oak plank, £2 9s 10d

3 clappers, £0 9s 10½d

1 wainscot board, £0 5s 0d, total £10 13s 2½d

Nails

7 lb nails No 6, £0 2s 6d

1 lb nails No 4, £0 0s 4½d

3 lb nails No 3, £0 1s 5½d

1½ lb glazing brads for the same, £0 1s 6½d

9 lb nails No 10, £0 1s 3d

4 lb nails No 20, £0 1s 3d

1 lb nails No 2, £0 0s 7d

5 lb coopers rivets for the coopers use, £0 4s 1½d, total £0 14s 10d

Pitch

14 lb pitch, £0 2s 1½d

6 lb rosin for repairs in the castle, £0 0s 7½d

1 gallon tar, £0 0s 8d, total £0 3s 4d

Ironmongery ware

1 iron rimmed lock for the castle, £0 5s 6d

8 helves, £0 4s 10d

2 pair H hinges for the church yard, £0 15s 3d

6 files, £0 3s 1d

2 hand hammers, £0 3s 4d

1 smiths rubber, £0 0s 3½d

1 forge, £12 1s 1d

1 pair bellows, £3 0s 6d

½ lb wire, £0 0s 4½d

1 stock lock for the gates of the church yard, £0 1s 10d

4 padlocks for the flying party, £0 9s 0d, total £17 8s 0d

Carried over, £41 16s 10d

Interpretations

The largest item on this account was a forge at £12 1s 1d, with a pair of bellows at £3 0s 6d, issued for the armourers use. A forge was the smith's hearth for heating and working iron, and its bellows the means of raising the fire to welding heat, so the two together set up the armourer to work metal on the spot. This heavy outlay on a complete smith's plant shows the settlement equipping itself to make and mend its own ironwork, the armourer able to forge and repair the garrison's arms and fittings rather than sending every broken piece home, a real measure of self-sufficiency on so remote an island.

The goods on this account were drawn for a long string of particular repairs about the settlement, the castle, the churchyard gates, the coopers yard, ammunition chests and the men's houses, each charge tied to a named piece of work. This detailed apportioning shows the store keeping close track of what was consumed on each job, the timber, nails and hardware set down against the specific repair they served. The Company thus knew not merely what it spent but on what, the account standing as a record of the settlement's constant upkeep, the buildings and works needing continual patching against the weather and use.

The four padlocks issued for the flying party point again to that mobile detachment, kept ready to move at an alarm, its guard house and stores secured with locks drawn from the general account. The recurrence of the flying party across the quarter's accounts, its guard house repaired earlier and now its stores locked, shows it as a standing feature of the island's defence, a body held apart and equipped to reinforce any threatened point quickly, its own fittings maintained at the Company's charge like those of the fixed forts.

339

330

26th April

Brought over

L 41 16 10

Ironmongersware Brought over

L 17 8

27 Gimblets

2 10 1/2

2 Augers for the Carpenters

11

1 Fish Skin used

3 10

1 Setting Hammer

6 9

1 Scyth Stone

1

3 Pickaxes

6 6

2 Spades

6 2

18 15 1 1/2

Cartwheels 2 Wheel Barrows

1 8 8

Glassware vizt

1 Pint Decanter for the Castle

2 10

9 Sqre Glass 10 by 12 for Repairs to the

7 6

1 Sqre Do 8 by 10 Yard & one of the Companys Houses

6 1/2

10 10 1/2

Iron 20 to make Hammers for the Sena Blaster

4 7 1/2

Iron Pots 2 for the Castle

16 2 1/2

Arrack 34 1/8 G for Drams for the Men

Employed in getting the Goods on Shore from

the Ships & those employd at the Fortifications

4 11

Cordage 143 for a brase Rope

2 1 8 1/2

Chinaware vizt

2 Sallet Dishes

1 4

6 Potting Pans for

6

18 Half P Cups & Saucers the

6 9

2 Sets Dishes & Plates Castle

1 8

2 2 1

Turneryware vizt

9 Paint Brushes

3 9

3 Sieves

2

1 Wood Bowl for the Castle

11 1/2

1 Brick Broom

4

7 7 1/2

Soap 40

2

Twine 6 Skains for the Doctors Shop & Rope to the Sento

3 7 1/2

Carried over

L 74 17 9 1/2

26 April.

The account charging general charges with goods issued out of the stores continued, listing ironmongery, cartwheels, glassware, iron, arrack, cordage, chinaware, turners ware and other goods drawn for the settlement's use.

Brought over, £41 16s 10d

Ironmongery ware brought over, £17 8s 0d

27 gimlets, £0 2s 10½d

2 augers for the carpenters use, £0 1s 1d

1 fish skin for the carpenters use, £0 3s 10d

1 setting hammer, £0 6s 9d

1 scythe stone, £0 0s 1d

3 pickaxes, £0 6s 6d

2 spades, £0 6s 2d, total £18 15s 1½d

Cartwheels, 2 wheelbarrows, £1 8s 8d

Glassware

1 pint decanter for the castle, £0 2s 10d

9 squares glass 10 by 12, £0 7s 6d

1 square glass 8 by 10, £0 0s 6½d, total £0 10s 10½d

The glass squares were bought for repairs to the yard and one of the Company's houses.

Iron, 20 lb to make hammers for the stone blaster, £0 4s 7½d

Iron pots, 2 for the castle, £0 16s 2½d

Arrack, 3½ gallons for drams for the men employed in getting the goods on shore from the ship

The ship from which the goods were landed was the Griffin, and the arrack for the men employed there and at the fortifications came to £4 11s 0d.

Cordage, 143 lb for a brass rope, £2 1s 8½d

Chinaware

2 salad dishes, £0 1s 4d

6 potting pans, £0 0s 6d

18 half pint cups and saucers, £0 6s 9d

2 sets dishes and plates, £1 8s 0d, total £2 2s 1d

The chinaware was drawn for the castle.

Turners ware

9 paint brushes, £0 3s 9d

3 sieves, £0 2s 0d

1 wood bowl, £0 0s 11½d

1 birch broom, £0 0s 6d, total £0 7s 7½d

The turners ware was drawn for the castle.

Soap, 20 lb, £2 0s 0d

Swine, 6 skeins for the doctors shop and rope to the sentries, £0 3s 7½d

Carried over, £74 17s 9½d

Interpretations

Iron was issued to make hammers for the stone blaster, the man who broke and dressed the island's rock for building and for making the fortifications. St Helena was a place of hard volcanic stone, and blasting and cutting it was heavy constant work, so the settlement kept a stone blaster supplied with the tools of his trade, the raw iron drawn from the store to be forged into the hammers he wore out against the rock. This points to the scale of stonework on the island, its forts and buildings raised from quarried stone that had first to be blasted loose and shaped by hand.

Arrack was issued to give the men drams while they worked at landing goods from the Griffin and labouring on the fortifications, the spirit served out as an inducement and a reward for heavy or wet work. This shows the customary use of liquor to drive labour, a measure of arrack dealt to the men hauling stores up from the boats or toiling on the defences, the drink charged to the general account as a cost of the work itself. The practice marks how the day's labour was oiled with spirits, the dram a recognised part of the wages of hard physical work about the settlement.

Swine, meaning twine or coarse cord, was drawn for the doctors shop and to make ropes for the sentries, small practical issues for particular posts. The twine for the doctor's shop served for tying and binding about the dispensary, and the rope for the sentries perhaps for their alarm bells or the securing of their posts. These minor charges, set among the heavier issues of iron and timber, show the store meeting even the smallest wants of each office and station, every scrap of cord and every tool accounted for against the use it served.

340

331

1756

Brought over

L 74 17 9 1/2

Tinware vizt

1 Lanthorn Leaf

2 1/2

3 Puding Pans

4 6

1 Driping Pan

4 2

4 Quart Saucepans for the Castle

2 4

2 Pint Do

10

6 Solder

6 1 1/2

18 2

Challoes 2 Pr for Rubbers for the Castle

1 8

Canvas vizt

10 Yards English to cover Ammunition

Boxes for the Flying Partys

10

5 Yards Osenbrigs to cover Baskets

3 8

13 8

Corks 2 1/2 Gross for the Castle

2 9 3 1/2

Braziersware vizt

1 Chocolate Pot

10

1 Coffee Do for the Castle

10

1 Pestle & Mortar

10 6

1 16 6

Lead 1/2 Shot for the Castle

3 1/2

Coals 70 Bushels for the Armourers Use

3 2 3

L 84 18 6 1/2

Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued for the Use

of the Table from the 12 January to the 11 April 1756 Vizt

Rice 2 3 4

L 19 1/2

Corks 16 Pieces

1 17 4

Arrack 57 Gallons

7 12

Tea vizt

4 Congo

L 3 4

2 Single

2 6

7 10

Carried over

L 40 16 2 1/2

The account charging general charges with goods issued out of the stores closed with tinware, cloths, corks, braziers ware and lead, and a fresh account then opened charging diet expenses with goods issued for the use of the table between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £74 17s 9½d

Tinware for the castle

1 lanthorn leaf, £0 0s 2½d

3 pudding pans, £0 4s 6d

1 dripping pan, £0 4s 2d

4 quart saucepans, £0 2s 4d

2 pint saucepans, £0 0s 10d

6 solder, £0 6s 1½d, total £0 18s 2d

Challoes, 2 pieces for rubbers for the castle, £1 0s 8d

Canvas

10 yards English, to cover ammunition boxes for the flying party, £0 0s 10d

5 yards Osnabrigs to cover baskets, £0 3s 8d, total £0 13s 5d

Corks, 2½ gross for the castle, £0 9s 3½d

Braziers ware for the castle

1 chocolate pot, £0 0s 10d

1 coffee pot, £0 0s 10d

1 pestle and mortar, £0 10s 6d, total £1 16s 6d

Lead, 7 lb shot for the castle, £0 3s 2½d

Coals, 70 bushels for the armourers use, £3 2s 3d

Total, £84 18s 6½d

Diet expenses, Debtor, for the following goods issued for the use of the table from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Rice, 2 lb 3 oz, £0 0s 19½d

Pork, 16 pieces, £1 17s 4d

Arrack, 57 gallons, £7 12s 0d

Tea

4 lb congo, £0 3s 4d

2 lb single, £0 2s 6d, total £0 7s 10d

Carried over, £10 16s 2½d

Interpretations

The account turns here to diet expenses, the provisions issued for the table of the governor and senior officers, kept as a charge distinct from the general charges of the settlement. This separate reckoning shows the Company treating the maintenance of its principal table as its own head of expenditure, the wine, meat, rice and tea consumed by those who dined at the Company's cost set apart from the goods used about the works and buildings. Feeding the establishment's leaders was thus a recognised charge on the Company, the table of the governor and council provisioned from the store and accounted for on its own.

The coals issued for the armourers use, 70 bushels at over £3, were the fuel for the smith's forge set up earlier in the quarter, the fire that heated the iron he worked. This confirms the armourer at his labour, consuming coal in quantity to keep his hearth at working heat, the fuel drawn from a store of coal that had itself to be shipped out since the island had none of its own. The heavy consumption of imported coal marks the real cost of working iron on St Helena, every bushel carried across the sea to feed a fire that in England would have burned coal dug close at hand.

Challoes, the Indian cotton cloth, were issued to make rubbers for the castle, cloths used for rubbing down and cleaning, so a length of eastern cotton served the plainest domestic purpose in the seat of government. The chocolate pot and coffee pot drawn for the castle point to the taking of chocolate and coffee at the governor's table, both fashionable drinks of the age brought in through trade, so the establishment's leaders enjoyed the same beverages as the polite world at home. These small comforts, set among the harder issues of the account, show the degree of settled domestic life kept up at the castle even on so remote a station.

341

332

26th April

Brought over

L 40 16 2 1/2

Flour 12 3 2

7 19 1

Salt 2 Bushels

5 2

Sugar & Candy vizt

39 5 Candy

L 5 12 10 1/2

12 Sugar

2 9

5 15 7 1/2

L 54 16 1

Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued for

their use from 12 January to the 11 of April vizt

Tea vizt

30 Bhea

L 1 5

9 Congo

1 4

1 6 4

Sugar 67

14 9 1/2

Beef & Pork vizt

36 P Pork

4 4

214 P Beef

29 8 6

33 12 6

Hooks & Lines vizt

50 Hooks No 1

50 Do 2

25 Do 4

4 2

30 Lines No 2

8 4

18 Do 4

6 7 1/2

Lead 7 Shot

19 1/2

Rice 34 1 12

1 2

Ironware 2 Stock Locks

8 14 9 1/2

3 8

Carried over

L 45 12 4 1/2

26 April.

The account charging diet expenses with goods issued for the use of the table closed with flour, salt and sugar, and a fresh account then opened charging the slaves with stores issued for their use between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £10 16s 2½d

Flour, 12 cwt 3 qr 2 lb, £7 19s 1d

Salt, 2 bushels, £0 5s 2d

Sugar and candy

39½ lb candy, £5 12s 10½d

12 lb sugar, £0 2s 9d, total £5 15s 7½d

Total, £24 16s 7d

Slaves, Debtor, for the following stores issued for their use from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Tea

30 lb bohea, £1 5s 0d

9 lb congo, £0 1s 4d, total £1 6s 4d

Sugar, 67 lb, £0 14s 9½d

Beef and pork

36 lb pork, £4 4s 0d

214 lb beef, £29 8s 6d, total £33 12s 6d

Hooks and lines

50 hooks No 1, £0 4s 2d

50 hooks No 2, £0 4s 2d

25 hooks No 4, £0 4s 2d

30 lines No 2, £0 8s 4d

18 lines No 4, £0 6s 7½d, total £0 19s 1½d

Lead, 7 lb shot, £0 1s 2d

Rice, 34 cwt 1 qr 12 lb, £8 14s 9½d

Ironmongery ware, 2 stock locks, £0 3s 8d

Carried over, £45 12s 4½d

Interpretations

The account opens here a distinct head for the slaves, the stores issued for the maintenance of the Company's slaves charged against their own account. This separate reckoning shows the Company keeping the cost of feeding and supplying its slaves apart from every other charge, the rice, meat, tea and sugar issued for their keep set down as a particular expense. The slaves were the settlement's labour force, held by the Company and maintained at its charge, and this account measures what it cost to keep them, a cost the Company tracked as closely as it tracked the pay of its soldiers or the provisioning of its table.

Rice was by far the largest provision issued to the slaves, over 34 hundredweight against 214 lb of beef and smaller quantities of other goods, the rice forming the staple of their diet. This heavy reliance on rice, the cheap bulk grain of the eastern trade, shows how the Company fed its slaves on the plainest and most plentiful food it could ship, the grain issued by the hundredweight where the servants and the table drew meat, wine and finer stores. The contrast between the slaves rice and the wine and chocolate of the castle marks the gulf between the classes the store supplied, the same shelves feeding both at opposite extremes of plenty.

The hooks and lines issued to the slaves show them set to fish for part of their own food, equipped with tackle to take fish from the island's waters. This points to the slaves supplementing the rice and meat issued to them by fishing, the Company providing the means for them to add to their own diet from the sea. Furnishing the slaves with hooks and lines was both a saving to the Company and a use of the island's natural plenty, the labour force fed partly from the store and partly from what they could catch, the tackle a small outlay against the food it might bring in.

342

333

1756

Brought over

L 45 12 4 1/2

Oil 3 1/2 Gallons Train

16 1/2

Arrack 3 1/2 Gallons

8 8

Shoes vizt

31 P Mens ordinary

6 4

2 P Womens Calf

4 10

6 8 10

Hosiersware 2 Pr Womens Stockings

6 6

Blankets 2

9 8

L 54 2 1

Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued for their Use

from the 12 January to the 11 April vizt

Tea 79 1/2 Bohea

L 3 6 3

Oil 8 1/2 Gallons Train

12 6 3 1/2

Deals vizt

2 Single

L 4

2 Double for Cots & Coffins

6 1/2

10 4 1/2

Nails vizt

2 6

8 1/2

9 4

3 7

9 3 for Cots & Coffins

4 4

1 20

3 1/2

1 10

4

9 3

Canvas 87 Yards English for Repairs to Cots

4 7

Twine 2 Skains

1 2 1/2

Pork 10 P given to the Recruits of Griffin

1 3 4

Paint vizt

17 Yellow Oaker to clean their accoutrements

3 3 1/2

9 Whiting

2

3 4 1/2

Carried over

L 22 7 3

The account charging the slaves with stores issued for their use closed with oil, arrack, shoes, hosiery and blankets, and a fresh account then opened charging the garrison with stores issued for its use between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £45 12s 4½d

Oil, 3½ gallons train, £0 16s 1½d

Arrack, 3½ gallons, £0 8s 8d

Shoes

31 pair mens ordinary, £6 4s 0d

2 pair womens calf, £0 4s 10d, total £6 8s 10d

Hosiery ware, 2 pair womens stockings, £0 6s 6d

Blankets, 2, £0 9s 8d

Total, £54 2s 1d

Garrison, Debtor, for the following stores issued for their use from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Tea, 79½ lb bohea, £3 6s 3d

Oil, 84½ gallons train, £12 6s 5½d

Deals for cots and coffins

2 single, £0 4s 0d

2 double, £0 6s 5½d, total £0 10s 4½d

Nails for cots and coffins

2 lb nails No 6, £0 0s 8½d

9 lb nails No 4, £0 3s 7d

9 lb nails No 3, £0 4s 4d

1 lb nails No 20, £0 0s 3½d

1 lb nails No 10, £0 0s 4d, total £0 9s 3d

Canvas, 87 yards English for repairs to cots, £4 7s 0d

Swine, 2 skeins, £0 1s 2½d

Pork, 10 pieces given to the recruits of the Griffin, £1 3s 4d

Paint to clean their accoutrements

1½ gallons oakum, £0 0s 3½d

9 lb whiting, £0 0s 2d, total £0 3s 4½d

Carried over, £22 7s 3d

The pork was given to the recruits landed from the Griffin.

Interpretations

The account opens a further head for the garrison, the stores issued for the soldiers use charged against their own account, distinct from the general charges, the diet expenses and the slaves. This shows the Company keeping the cost of maintaining its soldiers, beyond their pay, as a separate reckoning, the tea, oil, timber and canvas issued for their beds and their kit set down as a particular charge. The garrison thus cost the Company not only the wages set out in the pay rolls but a further sum in stores, the two together giving the true price of keeping the island's defence.

The deals and nails issued for cots and coffins set the soldier's bed beside his grave in a single charge, the same timber serving to make the frames the men slept on and the boxes they were buried in. This plain conjunction marks the hard facts of garrison life on a remote and unhealthy station, the store furnishing both the cot for the living soldier and the coffin for the dead from one stock of planks. The provision of coffins as a routine charge shows death a regular incident of the service, the timber for burial laid in as steadily as the timber for beds.

Pork was given to the recruits landed from the Griffin, a special issue to the newly arrived men over and above the ordinary provision. This shows the Company feeding its fresh recruits on their arrival, the men come off a long voyage given meat to set them up as they joined the garrison. The particular mention of the Griffin, the ship that had carried the recruits out and whose surgeon had tended them in the passage, ties this issue to the intake of new soldiers that ran through the quarter's accounts, the recruits provisioned from their first landing as they were taken onto the strength.

343

334

26th April

Brought over

L 22 7 3

Blankets 183

44 14 2

Lines 6 No 2 for whips

1 8

Iron 45 to make Sivets for the out Forts

7 11

Arrack 25 1/4 G for Drams on Mustering

last Quarter it being Omitted

3 8

Candles 17

14 3 1/2

Candy 6 for the Doctors Shop

1 9

Rozin 6

7 1/2

L 71 15 8

Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued

from the 12 January to the 11 April 1756 Vizt

Rice & Paddy vizt

40 8 17 Paddy

L 9 8

2 19 Rice for Poultry & Horses

4 7

9 3 3

Ironware vizt

2 Scyth Stones

2 1/2

3 Hand Hatchets for the Garden and

3 6 1/2

8 Helves Plantation

4 10

2 Pickaxes

4 4

2 Plaint Trowels

3

2 Brick Do for the mains

3 2

10 5

Iron 60 to make Grubing Axes & for the Carts

6 1/2

Nails vizt

9 40

3 1/2

1 6

2 1/2

4 10 for Repairs to one of

1 4

4 20 the Fowl Houses

1 3

4 1 3

4 6

Carried over

L 10 15 3 1/2

26 April.

The account charging the garrison with stores issued for its use closed with blankets, lines, iron, arrack, candles, candy and rosin, and a fresh account then opened charging the plantation with stores issued for its use between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £22 7s 3d

Blankets, 185, £44 14s 2d

Lines, 6 No 2 for whips, £0 1s 8d

Iron, 45 lb to make rivets for the outforts, £0 7s 11d

Arrack, 25½ gallons for drams on mustering last quarter, it being omitted, £3 8s 0d

Candles, 17 lb, £0 14s 3½d

Candy, 6 lb for the doctors shop, £0 1s 9d

Rosin, 6 lb for the doctors shop, £0 0s 7½d

Total, £71 15s 8d

Plantation, Debtor, for the following stores issued from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Rice and paddy for the poultry and horses

40 cwt 3 qr 17 lb paddy, £9 0s 8d

2 qr 19 lb rice, £0 4s 7d, total £9 5s 3d

Ironmongery ware for the garden and plantation

2 scythe stones, £0 0s 2½d

3 hand hatchets, £0 3s 6½d

8 helves, £0 4s 10d

2 pickaxes, £0 4s 4d

2 plain trowels for the masons, £0 3s 0d

2 brick trowels for the masons, £0 3s 2d, total £0 19s 1½d

Iron, 60 lb to make grubbing axes and for the carts, £0 10s 5d

Nails for repairs to one of the fowl houses

20 lb nails No 40, £0 3s 6½d

4 lb nails No 6, £0 0s 2½d

4 lb nails No 10, £0 1s 4d

4 lb nails No 20, £0 1s 3d

4 lb nails No 10, £0 1s 3d, total £0 4s 6d

Carried over, £10 15s 3½d

Interpretations

The blankets issued to the garrison came to 185 at nearly £45, by far the largest single charge on the account, a great quantity distributed to the soldiers for their beds. This heavy issue of bedding to the whole garrison at once shows the Company clothing its men against the cold of the island's nights, St Helena lying in the cooler southern latitudes where the higher ground turned chill. The scale of the issue, a blanket or two to every man on the strength, marks a general provision of bedding across the garrison rather than a piecemeal replacement, the soldiers kept warm at the Company's charge as part of the cost of their maintenance.

A note attaches to the arrack that it was for the drams served out on mustering the previous quarter, the charge omitted then and now carried forward. This shows the accounts corrected across quarters, a sum left off the last reckoning entered in this one so that nothing was lost, the drams dealt to the men at the earlier muster paid for at last. The care to bring forward an omitted charge marks the exactness of the Company's accounting, the books squared even for a small sum overlooked, the arrack of one quarter's muster charged in the next rather than quietly dropped.

The account opens here a head for the plantation, the stores issued for the Company's own farm and garden charged against their own account, distinct from the garrison, the slaves and the rest. This shows the Company working a plantation on the island, keeping poultry and horses and raising crops, the paddy issued to feed the fowls and the tools drawn for the garden and the fields. The grubbing axes made from the issued iron were for clearing ground of roots and scrub, so the plantation was still being extended and worked, the Company farming the island's land as one more of its concerns alongside its trade and its defence.

344

335

1756.

Brought over

L 10 15 3 1/2

Deals vizt

2 Baulks

L 11 10

1 Single Deal for Repairs to one of the Fowl

2

1 Cuffer for the Carts

3 3 1/2

17 1 1/2

Pitch vizt

1 Pitch

1 1/2

8 G Tar for the Carts

5 4

5 5 1/2

Lines vizt

12 Lines No 4

4 5

1 Hambro for the Mason & Gardiners use

1 5

5 10

Cordage 74 for Horse Ropes, Cow Ropes, and

for the Slaughter House

1 1 7

Cutleryware 2 Butchers Knives for the Slaughter House

7

Oil 1/2 Gallon Train

1 3 1/2

Turneryware 2 Yoakes for Oxen

1 15 7

L 15 2 11

Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 12

of January to the 11 of April 1756 Vizt

Twine 16 Sk for Repairs to Tents & for the Gunners Use

9 8

Bunting vizt

1 Pr Red

1 11 2

1 Pr Blue for a Flags to Sarhacapt Sugar

1 6 9

1 Pr White Loaf and the Fort Hill

1 3 4

4 1 3

Canvas 9 Yards Ounts for Do & for a Target

6 7

Lines 9 No 4 for the Flags & for the Gunners use

3 4

Thread 4 Coloured for Do & for making Cartridges

10

Carried over

L 5 10 10

The account charging the plantation with stores issued for its use closed with deals, pitch, lines, cordage, cutlery ware, oil and turners ware, and a fresh account then opened charging the fortifications with stores issued for their use between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £10 15s 3½d

Deals

2 baulks for repairs to one of the fowl houses, £0 11s 10d

1 single deal for repairs to one of the fowl houses, £0 2s 0d

1 clapper for the carts, £0 3s 0½d, total £0 17s 1½d

Pitch

7 lb pitch for the carts, £0 0s 1½d

8 gallons tar for the carts, £0 5s 4d, total £0 5s 5½d

Lines

12 lines No 4 for the mason and gardiners use, £0 4s 5d

1 Hambro for the mason and gardiners use, £0 1s 5d, total £0 5s 10d

Cordage, 7 lb for horse ropes, cow ropes and for the slaughter house, £0 1s 7d

Cutlery ware, 2 butchers knives for the slaughter house, £0 0s 7d

Oil, ½ gallon train, £0 1s 3½d

Turners ware, 2 yokes for oxen, £0 1s 3d, total £15 2s 11d

Fortification, Debtor, for the following stores issued from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Swine, 16 lb for tents and for the gunners use, £0 9s 8d

Bunting for a flag to Sugar Loaf, Sugar Loaf and the Fort Hill

1 pair red, £1 11s 2d

1 pair blue, £1 6s 9d

1 pair white, £1 3s 4d, total £4 1s 3d

Canvas, 9 yards Osnabrigs for tents and for a target, £0 6s 7d

Lines, 9 No 4 for the flags and for the gunners use, £0 3s 4d

Thread, 4 lb coloured for the flags and for making cartridges, £0 10s 0d

Carried over, £5 10s 10d

Interpretations

The slaughter house appears here as a working part of the plantation, supplied with butchers knives and ropes for killing and dressing the settlement's stock. This shows the Company slaughtering its own cattle and other beasts on the island, the meat that fed the establishment butchered on the spot rather than shipped in salted, the fresh beef of the earlier accounts coming from animals killed at this house. The yokes for oxen drawn alongside mark the plantation working its beasts in the fields and carts as well as raising them for meat, the same stock serving for labour and for the table.

The account opens a head for the fortification, the stores issued for the island's defences charged against their own account, the bunting, canvas, thread and lines for flags, tents and cartridges set down as a particular charge. This shows the upkeep of the fortifications kept as a distinct reckoning, the material of signals and gunnery accounted for apart from the general charges and the garrison's own stores. The defence of the island thus had its own head in the books, the flags flown over its forts and the cartridges made for its guns charged to the works they served.

The flags made for Sugar Loaf and the Fort Hill were signal flags flown from the island's high points, the coloured bunting run up to pass word of ships sighted or alarms raised across the settlement. St Helena's defence rested on early warning of approaching vessels, and the signal stations on its heights, flying flags by day, were the means by which the sighting of a sail was carried quickly to the forts and the town. The thread issued both for the flags and for making cartridges ties the same small material to both the signalling and the firing of the guns, the two arms of the island's defence supplied from one charge.

345

336

26th April.

Brought over

L 5 10 10

Paint vizt

8 White Lead

L 1 5 6

6 B Blacking for Painting

5 6

15 Whiting Gun Carriages

3

2 Timber

2

1 11 5

Oil 5/8 G Linseed

1 5

Turneryware 2 P Brushes to Do

10

Deals vizt

3 Baulks

17 3

3 Double Deals for Repairs to

9 7

5 Single Do

10

1/3 Pr Roger Timber the Magazine at

11 5

2 8 3

Nails vizt

3 40 Mundens and

10 1/2

3 10 the Guard House

1

14 6 at Sandy Bay

4 11 1/2

1 4

4 1/2

7 2 1/4

Ironware vizt

6 Claw Hammers

6 7 1/2

1 Pr H Hinges for the Magazine

7 8 1/2

1 Stock Lock at Mundens

1 10

16 2

Cordage 28 for the Gunners use

8 2

L 12 3 3 1/2

Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued for the

Sick in the Infirmary from 12 January to the 11 April vizt

Sugar 81

L 18 3

Flour 74

7 9

Oil 6 1/2 G Train

10 11 1/2

Rice 4 2 2

1 10 10 1/2

Carried over

L 3 16 10

26 April.

The account charging the fortifications with stores issued for their use closed with paints, oil, turners ware, deals, nails, ironmongery and cordage, and a fresh account then opened charging the hospital with stores issued for the sick in the infirmary between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £5 10s 10d

Paints

8 lb white lead, £1 5s 6d

6 lb blacking for painting gun carriages, £0 5s 6d

15 lb whiting for painting gun carriages, £0 0s 3d

lb timber for painting gun carriages, £0 0s 2d, total £1 11s 5d

Oil, 6½ gallons linseed, £1 0s 5d

Turners ware, 2 pair brushes, £0 0s 10d

Deals for repairs to the magazine

3 baulks, £0 17s 3d

3 double deals, £0 9s 7d

5 single deals, £0 10s 0d

½ piece Bugar timber, £0 11s 5d, total £2 8s 3d

Nails for Mundens and the guard house at Sandy Bay

3 lb nails No 40, £0 0s 10½d

3 lb nails No 10, £0 0s 1½d

14 lb nails No 6, £0 4s 11½d

1 lb nails No 4, £0 0s 4½d, total £0 7s 2¼d

Ironmongery ware

6 claw hammers, £0 6s 7½d

1 pair H hinges for the magazine, £0 7s 8½d

1 stock lock at Mundens, £0 1s 10d, total £0 16s 2d

Cordage, 28 lb for the gunners use, £0 8s 2d, total £12 3s 3½d

Hospital, Debtor, for the following stores issued for the sick in the infirmary from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Sugar, 8 lb, £0 18s 3d

Flour, 7 lb, £0 7s 9d

Oil, 6½ gallons train, £0 19s 11½d

Rice, 4 cwt 2 qr 2 lb, £1 10s 10½d

Carried over, £3 16s 10d

Interpretations

The deals issued for repairs to the magazine, the building where the settlement's powder was stored, show the constant upkeep the fortifications demanded, the timber drawn to keep the powder store sound and dry. A magazine had to be kept weathertight above all, damp being the ruin of gunpowder, so the repairs to it were a charge of some moment, the safety of the whole defence resting on the powder within being kept fit to fire. The H hinges and stock lock issued with the timber mark the securing of the magazine, the powder locked and guarded as the most dangerous and vital store on the island.

The account opens a head for the hospital, the stores issued for the sick in the infirmary charged against their own account, the sugar, flour, oil and rice for the patients set down as a particular charge. This shows the settlement keeping an infirmary for its sick and accounting for its cost apart from every other charge, the provisions for the ill distinct from those of the garrison, the table or the slaves. The hospital thus had its own head in the books, the food and necessaries for the sick reckoned as a standing charge on the Company, the care of its people in sickness a recognised cost of the establishment.

The provisions issued to the hospital were the plain and easily taken foods thought fit for the sick, sugar, flour, rice and oil rather than the salt meat and strong drink of the garrison. This choice of light and simple provision reflects the diet held proper for invalids, the rice and flour made into soft and digestible dishes for men too ill for coarser fare. The infirmary drew from the same store as the rest of the settlement but took the milder goods, the sick fed on what was thought to restore them, the Company providing the particular diet of the hospital as part of its care for its people in their illness.

346

337

1756

Brought over

L 3 16 10

Salt 1/4 Bushels

3 3

Kersey 2 Yards

2 8

Chinaware 6 Teachers

1

L 4 3 9

Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued for Repairs and

for the use of the Long Boat & Yawl from the 12 of January to the 11

of April 1756 Vizt

Pitch & Tar vizt

10 1/2 G Tar

7

5 Rozin

10

10 Turpentine

1 3 1/2

1 Barrel & 23 Pitch

1 8 2

1 17 5 1/2

Oil vizt

2 1/8 G Linseed

7 1

1 3/8 G Train

4 9

11 10

Paint vizt

4 White Lead

1 5

30 Brimstone

6 3

4 Venet Red

9

2 Blacking

1 10

1 Yellow Oaker

2

10 5

Nails vizt

3 6

1 1

8 20

2 6

4 10

1 2

17 10

5 8

2 4

5 1/2

11 2 1/2

Leather 1/2 Pump

8 1/2

Carried over

L 3 11 7 1/2

The account charging the hospital with stores issued for the sick closed with salt, kersey and chinaware, and a fresh account then opened charging the boats with stores issued for repairs and for the use of the long boat and yawl between 12 January and 11 April 1756.

Brought over, £3 16s 10d

Salt, 1¼ bushels, £0 3s 3d

Kersey, 2 yards, £0 2s 8d

Chinaware, 6 teachers, £0 1s 0d

Total, £4 3s 9d

Boats, Debtor, for the following stores issued for repairs and for the use of the long boat and yawl from 12 January to 11 April 1756

Pitch and tar

10½ gallons tar, £0 0s 7d

5 lb rosin, £0 0s 10d

10 lb turpentine, £0 1s 5½d

1 barrel and 25 lb pitch, £1 8s 2d, total £1 17s 5½d

Oil

2⅛ gallons linseed, £0 7s 1d

1⅞ gallons train, £0 4s 9d, total £0 11s 10d

Paints

4 lb white lead, £0 1s 5d

30 lb brimstone, £0 6s 3d

4 lb Venice red, £0 1s 10d

2 lb blacking, £0 0s 2d

1 lb yellow ochre, £0 0s 0d, total £0 10s 5d

Nails

3 lb nails No 6, £0 1s 1d

8 lb nails No 20, £0 2s 6d

4 lb nails No 10, £0 1s 2d

17 lb nails No 10, £0 5s 8d

2 lb nails No 4, £0 0s 0d, total £0 11s 2½d

Leather, ½ lb pump, £0 0s 8½d

Carried over, £3 11s 7½d

Interpretations

The account opens a head for the boats, the stores issued for the long boat and yawl charged against their own account, the pitch, tar, paint and nails for their repair and upkeep set down as a particular charge. This shows the settlement's boats kept as a distinct concern in the books, their maintenance reckoned apart from the ships that called and from the works ashore. The boats were the settlement's own small craft, the long boat for heavy work between ship and shore and the yawl a lighter vessel, and their constant repair was a charge the Company met from its stores, the island's whole traffic with the passing ships resting on these few boats being kept sound.

The pitch, tar, turpentine and rosin issued for the boats were the materials of paying and caulking, the melted pitch and tar worked into the seams to keep the water out and the timbers sound. A boat in constant use through the surf needed frequent recaulking, the pitch renewed as it cracked and washed out, so these stores were the regular upkeep of a working hull. The brimstone issued among the paints was perhaps for the boats bottoms, sulphur being used against the worm and weed that fouled and ate timber in warm water, the craft treated to keep them swift and whole.

The half pound of leather issued for a pump points to the boats being fitted with pumps to clear the water they shipped, the leather cut to make or mend the valves and seals that made a pump draw. A boat working through the surf took in water constantly, and a sound pump was needful to keep her afloat, so even this small scrap of leather served a real purpose in the craft's daily use. The mention of it shows the store meeting the least want of the boats as of every other concern, the pump kept in order by a pennyworth of leather drawn from the same shelves that furnished the whole settlement.

347

338

26th April.

Brought over

L 3 11 7 1/2

Deals vizt

13 Wains Boards

L 3 16 11

2 Elm Do

6 2

7 Single Deals

14

4 17 1

Cordage 9 1 11

15 18 8 1/2

Canvas 10 Yards English

10

Twine 3 Skains

1 10

Oars 1

3 9

Iron pots 1

6

Ironware vizt

1 Frying Pan

1 10

1 Diggers Hatchet

2

3 10

Arrack 1 1/2 G given for Launching the Long Boat

3 4

L 25 16 2

Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 October 1755 to the 11 of January 1756 & Omitted to be

brought to Account in the last Collections by a mistake in

Copying vizt

Ironmongersware vizt

1 Maul

9

1 Helve for the use of

7

4 Files

1 6 1/2

3 Bill Hooks the Several

6 9

2 Hand Hatchets Plantations

2 8

8 Scyth Stones

8

2 Scythe and Garden

10 6

3 P Sheep Shears and

6

2 Spades Turning Plup

6 2

2 3 10 1/2

Cartwheels 2 Pr for Carts

7 3

Turneryware 3 Skim Dishes for the Dairy

1 2

Carried over

L 9 8 1/2

26 April.

The account charging the boats with stores issued for the long boat and yawl closed with deals, cordage, canvas, twine, oars, iron pots, ironmongery and arrack, and a fresh account then opened charging the plantation with stores issued between 13 October 1755 and 11 January 1756 that had been left out of the last collection by a mistake in copying.

Brought over, £3 11s 7½d

Deals

13 wainscot boards, £3 16s 11d

2 elm boards, £0 6s 2d

7 single deals, £0 14s 0d, total £4 17s 1d

Cordage, 9 cwt 1 qr 11 lb, £15 18s 8½d

Canvas, 10 yards English, £0 10s 0d

Swine, 3 skeins, £0 1s 10d

Oars, 1, £0 3s 9d

Iron pots, 1, £0 6s 0d

Ironmongery ware

1 frying pan, £0 1s 10d

1 fishers hatchet, £0 0s 2d, total £0 3s 10d

Arrack, 1½ gallons given for launching the long boat, £0 3s 4d

Total, £25 16s 2d

Plantation, Debtor, for the following stores issued from 13 October 1755 to 11 January 1756, omitted to be brought to account in the last collection by a mistake in copying

Ironmongery ware for the use of the several plantations and garden and running plough

1 maul, £0 0s 9d

1 helve, £0 0s 7d

4 files, £0 1s 6½d

3 bill hooks, £0 6s 9d

2 hand hatchets, £0 2s 8d

8 scythe stones, £0 0s 8d

2 scythes, £0 10s 6d

3 pair sheep shears, £0 0s 0d

2 spades, £0 6s 2d, total £2 3s 10½d

Cartwheels, 2 pair for carts, £0 7s 3d

Turners ware, 3 skim dishes for the dairy, £0 1s 2d

Carried over, £9 8s 0½d

Interpretations

Arrack was given for the launching of the long boat, a measure of spirit served out to the men who ran her down into the water, the drink marking the occasion as much as rewarding the labour. This shows the customary dram at a launching, the men who hauled and heaved the boat afloat given liquor to mark the moment, a small ceremony of the working life set down plainly in the account. The launching of the long boat, perhaps after her repair and recaulking, was work enough to warrant the drams, the spirit a recognised due of such a task.

This account carries a plain confession of error, the stores charged having been left out of the previous quarter's collection through a mistake in copying and now entered to set the matter right. This shows the accounts corrected when a fault was found, a whole set of charges omitted at the last reckoning brought forward and entered in the next, the books made good rather than the error let stand. The candour of the note, naming the mistake and its cause, marks the discipline of the Company's accounting, the clerks answerable to set right what had been missed and to say plainly why the charge appeared out of its quarter.

The stores here were for the several plantations, the garden, the running plough and the dairy, showing the Company's farming spread across more than one holding on the island and carried on in some variety. The sheep shears mark the keeping of sheep for wool or mutton, the skim dishes the making of butter and cream in the dairy, and the running plough the tilling of ground for crops, so the plantation was a mixed farm of stock, dairy and tillage. This breadth of husbandry shows the Company working the island's land seriously, raising its own meat, milk and grain to feed the settlement and lessen its dependence on what the ships could bring.

348

339

1756.

Brought over

L 9 8 1/2

Nails vizt

9 20

L 2 10

3 4 for Repairs to the

1 2

10 6 Wash House, and to the

3 6 1/2

1/2 3 Carts &c in the Wood

3

6 10

2

9 9 1/2

Deals 1 Single for Repairs in the G Wood

2

Rice & Paddy vizt

44 Paddy

L 9 14 4

1 2 9 Rice for Horses & Poultry

10 8

10 5

Oil 1/4 G Train for the G Wood and Sandy Bay

3 8

Tar 4 1/2 G for the Carts

3

Iron 42 for making Pickaxes

7 4 1/2

L 20 18 10 1/2

11 April 1756

Errors Excepted

Signed

Mr Curling Storekeeper

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the Month ending the 11 instant which is

as follows Vizt

Cash

The account charging the plantation with stores omitted from the last collection closed with nails, deals, rice, paddy, oil, tar and iron, and was signed off by the storekeeper, after which a fresh account opened counting the Honourable Company's cash for the month.

Brought over, £9 8s 0½d

Nails for repairs to the wash house and to the carts in the wood

9 lb nails No 20, £0 2s 10d

3 lb nails No 4, £0 1s 2d

10 lb nails No 6, £0 3s 6½d

½ lb nails No 3, £0 0s 3d

6 lb nails No 10, £0 2s 0d, total £0 9s 9½d

Deals, 1 single for repairs in the wood, £0 0s 2d

Rice and paddy for horses and poultry

44 cwt paddy, £9 14s 4d

1 cwt 2 qr 9 lb rice, £0 10s 8d, total £10 5s 0d

Oil, 1¼ gallons train for the wood and Sandy Bay, £0 3s 8d

Tar, 4½ gallons for the carts, £0 3s 0d

Iron, 42 lb for making pickaxes, £0 7s 4½d

Total, £20 18s 10½d

The plantation account was signed off at St Helena on 11 April 1756, errors excepted, and agreed by Mr Gurling, storekeeper.

Counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending the 11 instant, which is as follows

Cash

Interpretations

The paddy issued for the horses and poultry, over 44 hundredweight, was by far the largest charge on this account, the unhusked rice fed in bulk to the plantation's stock. This heavy use of paddy as animal feed shows the Company keeping its horses and fowls on the cheap grain of the eastern trade, the rice in the husk serving to fatten poultry and sustain the working horses. That the plantation consumed grain by the hundredweight to feed its beasts marks the scale of the stock kept, the Company maintaining horses for draught and riding and poultry for the table, all fed from the store of paddy shipped in with the rest.

The account was signed off by the storekeeper, Mr Gurling, whose salary appeared in the pay rolls at the head of these accounts, the same officer who kept the store now setting his hand to its reckoning. This shows the storekeeper answerable for the whole account of goods issued and sold, his signature the warrant that the charges were true, errors excepted, the man who held the stores accounting for their disposal. The office of storekeeper was thus one of real trust and responsibility, the whole material wealth of the settlement passing through his hands and charged to his account, his name the guarantee of the record.

The account of stores gives way here to a counting of the Company's cash, the coin in the chest examined and set down for the month, the audit turning from goods to money. This shows the settlement's whole substance reckoned in turn, the stores first and then the cash, the two together making up the account the Company kept of what it held on the island. The counting of the cash for the month marks the regular audit of the treasure in hand, the coin told over and checked against the books so that the Company might know its exact holding of money as of its holding of goods.

349

340

26th April.

Cash

Dr

1756

March 12 To Balance remaining

L 2738 1/2

13 To Balance of Ship Griffins Account

9 9 10 1/2

22 To Fines received of William Peddam, and

Archibald Fouge, as p Consultation of this

Day

5 5

April 9 To Balance of Ship Britannias Account

28 14 3

To Do of Ship Rhodas Do

20 15 6

To Do of Ship Drakes Do

48 16 7

11 To Matthew Curling received for Sere Goods

Sold in the Quarter ending this Day

1118 9 3

To Plantation for Provisions Sold

13 10 9 1/2

To Licences for Public Houses

13

L 3998 6 11 1/2

26 April.

The cash account was set out on the debtor side, charging the treasury with the balances and sums it had received during the quarter.

Cash, Debtor

12 March 1756, to balance remaining, £2,738 0s 7½d

13 March, to balance of the Griffin's account, £9 9s 10½d

22 March, to fines received of William Peddam and Archibald Fouge, as per consultation of this day, £5 5s 0d

9 April, to balance of the Britannia's account, £28 14s 3d

to balance of the Rhoda's account, £20 15s 6d

to balance of the Drake's account, £48 16s 7d

11 April, to Matthew Gurling received for goods sold in the quarter ending this day, £1,118 9s 3d

to plantation for provisions sold, £13 10s 0½d

to fines for public houses, £15 0s 0d

Total, £3,998 6s 11½d

Interpretations

The cash account draws together the whole inflow of money to the treasury for the quarter, opening with the great balance of £2,738 0s 7½d carried over and adding to it the sums received from every source. This shows the Company's cash on the island reckoned as a single fund, the balances of the ships accounts, the takings of the store, the fines and the plantation's sales all gathered into one charge against the treasury. The counting of the cash thus completed the quarter's accounting, the money told over and its every source set down, the whole holding of coin on the island brought to account in one place.

The fines received of William Peddam and Archibald Fouge, and the further fines for public houses, show the council raising money by penalty as well as by trade, the settlement's magistracy turning offences into revenue. The licensing of public houses, where drink was sold, was a common source of such fines, the keepers penalised for breaches of their terms or trading without licence, and the money charged to the Company's cash. This shows the civil government of the island funded partly by its own enforcement, the fines levied on offenders and unlicensed sellers flowing into the same chest as the profits of the store.

The balances of the several ships accounts, the Griffin, the Britannia, the Rhoda and the Drake, were paid into the Company's cash as the vessels settled their reckonings at the island, the sums left owing from their dealings gathered in. This shows the settlement squaring accounts with each ship that called, the balance of what she owed for stores, provisions or services rendered paid over into the treasury before she sailed. The island thus recovered from the passing ships what they owed, the balances of their accounts a regular addition to its cash, the traffic of the port yielding money to the chest as well as the trade of the store.

350

341

1756.

Per Contra

Cr

1756

April 11 By Sundry Accounts, advanced the Paymaster this Quarter

L 2451 19 3 1/2

By Balance remaining, in the following Species Vizt

500 Venetians

10/

L 250

500 Pagodas

8/

200

Gold Amounting to

L 450

727 Dollars

5/

L 181 15

1501 Rupees

2/3

168 6 3

12048 half Rials

4 3/4

202 6 3

441 French Pieces

1 6

3 13 6

Odd mony

6

Silver Amounting to

L 556 12 6

146 Cash Notes

40/

L 292

162 Do

20/

162

263 Do

5/

65 15

160 Do

2/6

20

Cash Notes Amounting to

L 539 15

L 2008 6 11 1/2

Thomas Harper Marshall

maketh complaint, that Thomas Loving the Honorable Companys

Carpenter, on Wednesday the 21 instant, abused him in a very

gross, and scurrilous manner, without any provocation, Thomas

Loving appearing, denied what Thomas Harper had asserted, and

says that Thomas Harper, was the Agressor. Upon which Thomas

Harper desired that the following persons might declare what they

knew of the matter.

Samuel Desfountain being sent for, says

that he saw, and heard, Thomas Loving have some Words with Thomas

Harper, and at the same Time, made a blow at him, and called the

said

The credit side of the cash account set out how the balance was made up, in gold, silver and cash notes, and a fresh document then opened recording a complaint of assault brought before the council.

Per Contra, Creditor

11 April 1756, by sundry accounts advanced the paymaster this quarter, £2,451 19s 3½d

by balance remaining in the following species

Gold

500 venetians at 10s, £250 0s 0d

500 pagodas at 8s, £200 0s 0d, gold amounting to £450 0s 0d

727 dollars at 5s, £181 15s 0d

1,501 rupees at 2s 3d, £168 6s 3d

12,948 half rials at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 1s 6d, £33 1s 6d

odd money, £6 0s 0d, silver amounting to £556 12s 6d

146 cash notes at 40s, £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s, £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s, £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d, £20 0s 0d, cash notes amounting to £539 15s 0d

Total, £3,998 6s 11½d

Thomas Harper, marshall, brought a complaint that Thomas Loving, the Honourable Company's carpenter, on Wednesday 21 April had abused him in a very gross and scurrilous manner without any provocation. Loving, appearing, denied what Harper had asserted and said that Harper was the aggressor. Harper then asked that the following persons might declare what they knew of the matter. Samuel Desfountain, sent for, said that he saw and heard Loving have some words with Harper, and at the same time make a blow at him and call him.

Interpretations

The cash balance was held in a remarkable variety of coin, gold venetians and pagodas, silver dollars, rupees, half rials and French pieces, besides the Company's own cash notes. This medley of currencies shows the island a crossroads of the world's trade, taking in the coin of Venice, India, Spain and France from the ships of every nation that touched there, no single money prevailing but all reckoned together into sterling. The settlement had no coin of its own and used whatever the ships brought, the treasury a hoard of foreign specie valued at fixed rates, the pagoda of India and the rial of Spain lying side by side in the Company's chest.

The cash notes forming part of the balance were the Company's own paper money issued on the island, promises to pay redeemable at the treasury, standing in for coin where specie was short. This shows the settlement supplementing its scarce and mixed coin with paper of its own making, the cash notes passing as money among the people and reckoned into the balance at their face value. The issue of such notes was a practical answer to the shortage of coin on a remote island, the Company's credit serving where metal money failed, the paper as good as the specie it represented so long as the treasury stood behind it.

The complaint of Thomas Harper against Thomas Loving brought a common quarrel before the council, the marshall charging the carpenter with abusing him grossly and without cause, the carpenter answering that the marshall began it. This shows the council sitting as a court to hear even a dispute of words between two of the Company's servants, the matter taken seriously enough to summon witnesses and record their evidence. The government of the island reached into the daily quarrels of its people, the council the forum where such disputes were aired and judged, the good order of the small community maintained by hearing and settling even a falling-out between the carpenter and the marshall.

Speculations

Rather than dismiss a mere exchange of hot words as beneath notice, the council chose to hear it formally and take sworn evidence from witnesses like Samuel Desfountain. The obvious course with so slight a matter, two men trading insults, would have been to let it pass or settle it with a word, yet the council instead set the full machinery of inquiry in motion, sending for witnesses to declare what they knew. On a small and isolated station, where the same few men lived and worked together year on year, even a petty quarrel between the carpenter and the marshall could fester and breed faction if left unresolved, so the council judged it worth the formal hearing to check discord before it spread, the good order of the whole depending on such small disputes being settled openly and on the record.

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26th April

said Thomas Harper, a black flogging Son of a Bitch, and

told him if he would come out of his House, he would flogg him the

same as he did the Blacks, and at the same Time called him a Yam

Stock Dogg, and said he would beat him, as he would a Stock

Fish.

William Paddom declares, that he saw

Thomas Loving take up a Black Slave Boy belonging to

Thomas Harper by the Arms, and carrying him a cross the Street

and likewise saw Thomas Harper take the said Boy from him

and bid the said Loving go about his business, and pushed him

away, that Thomas Loving then drew back, and said, Curse Boy

be it so, I will have at you, and struck at him, and thereupon

blows passed between them. The next Morning as he saw Walking

by the Windows of the House belonging to Mr Sarah Reynolds

he heard Thomas Loving say Damn my precious Eyes if I have

not revenge out of this Stock Hitchins Eyes, or else I will go to

the Devil, he then heard Thomas Harper say, that if Thomas

Loving would not go from his Door, he would send for a

Guard for him.

Richard Harper says, he heard Thomas

Loving when in discourse with him, make mention that he

did not value any complaint made against him, no more than

he valued the Tomb in the Church Yard, for it could not hurt

him.

John Thomas Mattox declares, that on

Wednesday the 21 instant, he saw Thomas Loving, come up the

Street much in Liquor, and meeting with a Black fellow

with a Bundle upon his Head, he knocked it off and then

seeing a Little Black Boy belonging to Thomas Harper he

took him hold by the Belly, and held him up at Arms length

upon which, Thomas Harper Marshall came out of his House

and took the Child from him, and shoved him a way; Thomas

Loving then made a Blow at him, but did not hit him and

then made a second and struck him, and Damnd him for

a Yam Stock, and his Yam Stock Country.

26 April.

The witnesses continued to give their evidence of the quarrel between Thomas Loving and Thomas Harper before the council.

Desfountain finished his account, saying that Loving had called Harper a black, flogging son of a bitch, and had told him that if he would come out of his house he would flog him the same as he did the slaves. At the same time Loving called him a Yamstock dog and said he would beat him as he would a stockfish.

William Paddom declared that he saw Loving take up a slave boy belonging to Harper by the arms and carry him across the street. He then saw Harper take the boy from Loving and tell Loving to go about his business, pushing him away. Loving drew back and said that if his boy did so he would have at Harper, and struck at him, whereupon blows passed between them. The next morning, walking by the window of the house belonging to Mrs Sarah Reynolds, Paddom heard Loving say that damn his precious eyes if he had not revenge out of this Jack Hitchins eyes, or else he would go to the devil. He then heard Harper say that if Loving would not go from his door he would send for a guard for him.

Richard Harper said that he heard Loving, in discourse with him, mention that he did not value any complaint made against him any more than he valued the tomb in the church yard, for it could not hurt him.

John Thomas Matson declared that on Wednesday 21 April he saw Loving come up the street much in liquor, and meeting with a black fellow with a bundle upon his head, he knocked it off. Then, seeing a little black boy belonging to Harper, he took him up by the belly and held him up at arms length. Harper, the marshall, came out of his house, took the child from Loving and shoved him away. Loving then made a blow at Harper but did not hit him, and made a second and struck him, damning him for a Yamstock and his Yamstock country.

Interpretations

The witnesses agreed that Loving was much in liquor when the quarrel broke out, coming up the street drunk before he knocked the bundle from one black man's head and seized Harper's slave boy. This shows drink at the root of the disorder, the carpenter's violence flowing from his intoxication, the whole affray beginning in his drunken state. The prominence of liquor in the evidence marks how strong drink, so freely sold from the store and the public houses, bred the very disorders the council was left to judge, the arrack and wine that oiled the settlement's labour also loosing its quarrels.

The term Yamstock, flung at Harper as an insult by Loving, was a byname for those born on St Helena, taken from the yams that were a staple of the island's diet. Loving's damning of Harper for a Yamstock and his Yamstock country marks a division within the settlement between the island-born and those come out from England, the insult carrying a contempt for the native population. This shows a real social fault line on the island, the incomers looking down on those bred there, the quarrel between the two men sharpened by a scorn that ran deeper than their personal falling-out, a prejudice of origin dividing the small community.

Loving's boast that he did not value any complaint made against him more than he valued a tomb in the church yard shows a settler openly contemptuous of the council's authority, careless of being brought before it. This defiance, uttered to a witness and now reported to the council itself, marks the challenge such a man posed to the government of the island, flouting the very body that judged him. The council's care to record these words, evidence of Loving's scorn for its authority, shows the matter turning from a mere quarrel into a question of whether the Company's discipline would be upheld against a man who thought himself beyond its reach.

Speculations

Loving's seizing of Harper's slave boy, lifting the child up by the belly at arms length in the street, was the act that drew the marshall out of his house and turned words into blows. The provocation might have been offered directly to Harper himself, man against man, yet Loving instead laid hands on the slave child in Harper's charge, striking at the marshall through his dependent. On an island where a man's slaves were his property and his household, an assault on the boy was an affront to the master, and Loving, drunk and seeking to wound Harper, chose the child as the readiest means to enrage him, the attack on the slave a calculated insult to the owner that no marshall could ignore.

352

343

1756.

Joseph Long Soldier likewise, declares, that in the

evening of the Day abovementioned, he saw Thomas Loving the Carpenter

go up to Thomas Harpers Door, and heard him say Damn your Jack

Kitching Eyes, upon which Thomas Harper bid him go about his

business, but Thomas Loving said he would not go away, Thomas Harper

then called for a Cane, and told him, he would knock him down or any

Man else that should offer to come into his House. The next

morning being at Mr Sarah Reynolds House, he saw Thomas Loving

there who said he would go, and call Thomas Harper out, Charles Smith

Drummer being likewise in the House, said Damn his Jack Kitching

Eyes, let him alone until we catch him out, and than we will take our

own Satisfaction.

Thomas Loving being asked what he had to say in

his Defence; desired the following Persons might be examined, and

asked what they knew of the Affair.

George Hill Soldier, being called in declares, that he

saw Thomas Harper, and Thomas Loving fighting, and likewise saw

Thomas Harper with a blow, knock the said Thomas Loving down and

struck him several Times while he was upon the Ground, he the said Thomas Loving

George Hill seeing this, went to the assistance of the said Thomas Loving

and took him up, and perceived one of Thomas Lovings Eyes very black

and almost beat out of his Head, he then saw William Paddom come

and take Thomas Harper to his House, after the said Thomas Harper

had been at Home for a Time, he came to his Door with a great Cane

in his Hand, and threatened to knock Thomas Loving down, he then

said George Hill then went, and took the said Thomas Loving, and

led him to Nathan Samples House, where he left him very much in

Liquor.

Charles Smith Drummer being called in,

declares that as he was coming out of Sarah Reynolds House, he saw

Thomas Loving the Honorable Company Carpenter, bloody, and

without a Hat or Wigg on and one of his Eyes swelled, he asked him

how he came to be in that Condition, that Thomas Loving made

him

The examination of witnesses in the quarrel between Thomas Loving and Thomas Harper continued before the council.

Joseph Long, soldier, likewise declared that in the evening of the day mentioned he saw Loving, the carpenter, go up to Harper's door and heard him say damn your Jack Hitchins eyes. Harper bid him go about his business, but Loving said he would not go away. Harper then called for a cane and told him he would knock down him or any man else that should offer to come into his house. The next morning, being at Mrs Sarah Reynolds house, Long saw Loving there, who said he would go and call Harper out. Charles Smith, drummer, likewise in the house, said damn his Jack Hitchins eyes, let him alone until they caught him out, and then they would take their own satisfaction.

Loving, asked what he had to say in his defence, desired that the following persons might be examined and asked what they knew of the affair.

George Hill, soldier, called in, declared that he saw Harper and Loving fighting, and likewise saw Harper with a blow knock Loving down and strike him several times while he was upon the ground. Hill, seeing this, went to the assistance of Loving and took him up, and perceived one of Loving's eyes very black and almost beaten out of his head. He also saw William Paddom come and take Harper to his house, after Harper had been at home for a time. Harper came to his door with a great cane in his hand and threatened to knock Loving down, whereupon Hill then went and took Loving and led him to Nathan Sample's house, where he left him very much in liquor.

Charles Smith, drummer, called in, declared that as he was coming out of Sarah Reynolds house he saw Loving, the Honourable Company's carpenter, bloody, and without a hat or wig on, and one of his eyes swelled. He asked him how he came to be in that condition. Loving then made.

Interpretations

The evidence of Loving's own witnesses turned against the case he meant them to make, George Hill and Charles Smith describing him bloody, beaten and much in liquor rather than clearing him of blame. This shows the double edge of calling witnesses in such a hearing, the men summoned to speak for the carpenter instead confirming his drunkenness and the battering he took, their testimony as damaging as the marshall's. The council heard both sides through the same parade of witnesses, the truth of the affray emerging from the accounts of men called by each party, the record fuller for being drawn from all who saw it.

Charles Smith the drummer, one of Loving's chosen witnesses, was himself shown to have egged on the quarrel, urging that Harper be left until they caught him out and then they would take their own satisfaction. This shows the affray widening beyond the two principals to draw in others who took Loving's part, the drummer's words marking a faction ready to pursue the marshall. The council's recording of Smith's incitement shows the matter touching more than the carpenter alone, a knot of men disposed to violence against the marshall, the disorder a threat to the peace of the whole settlement rather than a private quarrel between two.

The gathering at Mrs Sarah Reynolds house, where Loving and Smith spoke of calling Harper out and taking their satisfaction, points to a place where the discontented met and their grievances hardened into threats. Named twice in the evidence as the scene of these mutinous words, the house served as a resort where the quarrel was nursed and the plan to waylay the marshall formed. This shows how such disorders bred in the settlement, a house where men gathered and drank becoming the forge of a conspiracy against an officer, the council's attention drawn to the place as much as to the men.

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26th April

him no reply, and appeared to be very much in Liquor and

seeing Thomas Harper the Marshall standing, at his Door

and threatening to knock any Person down that came near to it,

he the said Charles Smith told him the Cane he had in his hand

was an unlawfull Weapon to strike any Man with, but does not

know, nor did he hear, that the said Thomas Harper did strike

the said Thomas Loving with a Cane.

It appears to us that, that part of George Hills

Declaration, relating to Thomas Lovings Eye, being very black

and almost out of his Head, was false, for when the said Thomas

Loving, was before us the Day following his Cheek was swelld

but his Eye not hurt, And by the foregoing Evidences, it

plainly appears, that Thomas Loving was the Agressor

We therefore fined him in the Sum of Ten Shillings to the

Honorable Companys Cash.

Mr John Ingles sent us the following

Letter Vizt

To the Worshipfull Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & Council

Gentlemen

As menances against me, have been at

different Times made use of since this late unhappy Affair

(which must be recent in your minds) by Mr Richard Goodwin

and Francis Wrangham Junr Secretary, must beg your Protection

to

26 April.

The council concluded its hearing of the quarrel between Thomas Loving and Thomas Harper and gave its finding, after which a letter from Mr John Ingles was entered.

Smith made him no reply and appeared to be very much in liquor. Seeing Harper, the marshall, standing at his door and threatening to knock down any person that came near it, Smith told him the cane he held in his hand was an unlawful weapon to strike any man with, but he did not know, nor did he hear, that Harper did strike Loving with a cane.

The council held that the part of George Hill's declaration relating to Loving's eye being very black and almost out of his head was false, for when Loving appeared before them the day following his cheek was swelled but his eye not hurt. By the evidence, it plainly appeared to the council that Loving was the aggressor. The council therefore fined him 10s to the Honourable Company's cash.

Mr John Ingles sent the council the following letter, addressed to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council. As menaces against him had been at present serious made use of since this late unhappy affair, which must be recent in their minds, by Mr Richard Goodwin and Francis Wrangham senior, secretary, Ingles begged their protection.

Interpretations

The council weighed the conflicting evidence and rejected the part it found false, George Hill's claim that Loving's eye was almost beaten out being disproved by the carpenter's own appearance the next day, his cheek swelled but his eye unhurt. This shows the council testing the witnesses accounts against the visible facts, not taking every declaration as true but checking it against what could be seen, the exaggeration exposed and set aside. The care to correct the record where a witness had overstated marks the council judging as a court should, sifting the evidence for truth rather than accepting the loudest account, its finding resting on what it could verify.

Despite the evidence that Harper had beaten Loving badly, striking him while he was down, the council found Loving the aggressor and fined him alone, judging that his drunken assault began the affray. This shows the council fixing blame on the man who provoked the quarrel rather than the one who struck the heavier blows, the marshall's violence excused as answering an attack he did not start. The modest fine of 10s marks the council treating the matter as disorder to be checked rather than crime to be heavily punished, a penalty to mark its displeasure and deter the like without ruining the offender.

The letter of John Ingles, come straight upon the heels of the affray, shows the disorder spreading fear beyond the original parties, the surgeon begging the council's protection against menaces made to him since. This marks how such a quarrel unsettled the wider community, threats now flying against others, the surgeon fearing for his safety and turning to the council for shelter. The council's government of the island thus extended to protecting its people from intimidation, the same body that judged the affray now asked to guard a man threatened in its wake, the peace of the settlement its constant charge.

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1756

to secure me from any Injury that may be offerd by these Gentlemen, or

through their means, as by being confined at Home, I am rendered incapable

of executing my business in any capacity, and by going abroad, I run

the risque of continual insults.

Gentlemen

I am with the utmost respect

St Helena

26 April 1756

Your most Obedient & most humble Servant

Signed

John Ingles

Upon which we sent for Messieurs Francis

Wrangham, and Richard Goodwin, and had Mr Ingles's Letter read to

them, and acquainted them at the same Time of the fatal consequences

of their taking their satisfaction; and that if Mr Ingles should dye

within a twelve Month, and a Day, if any violence had been done

him, that they would be liable, to the Law upon which, Mr Goodwin

declared that he would have nothing more to say to him, and that he

should never come near his House. But Mr Francis Wrangham

Junr who is the Person Injured, said that he could not possibly

do his Duty, if Mr Ingles was allowed to go about his business

and beged leave to absent himself for a Time, as they might

frequently meet.

The letter of John Ingles concluded and the council recorded how it dealt with the matter he had raised.

Ingles asked the council to secure him from any injury that might be offered by these gentlemen, or through their means. By being confined at home he was rendered incapable of carrying on his business in any capacity, and by going abroad he ran the risk of continual insults. He closed with the utmost respect as their most obedient and most humble servant, signing at St Helena on 26 April 1756.

The council then sent for Francis Wrangham and Richard Goodwin, had Ingles's letter read to them and warned them at the same time of the fatal consequences of taking their satisfaction. If Ingles should die within a twelvemonth and a day after any violence had been done him, they would be liable to the law. Goodwin declared that he would have nothing more to say to Ingles and that he should never come near his house. Francis Wrangham senior, the person injured, said that he could not possibly do his duty if Ingles was allowed to go about his business, and begged leave to absent himself for a time, as they might frequently meet.

Interpretations

The council warned Wrangham and Goodwin of the year and a day rule, that if Ingles died within a twelvemonth and a day of any violence done him they would answer to the law for his death. This ancient rule of the common law held a man responsible for a killing where the victim died within that span of the injury, and the council's citing of it shows the English law reaching to the island, the settlement governed by the same principles as the courts at home. The warning was a plain deterrent, the council reminding the two men that violence carrying a distant death would still be laid at their door, the law's long reach held over them to keep the peace.

Wrangham's plea that he could not do his duty if Ingles went about his business, and his begging leave to absent himself lest they meet, shows the quarrel disabling the settlement's work, two officers unable to serve while at enmity. This marks the practical cost of such feuds on a small station, where the same few men filled the offices and could not avoid each other, a private hatred threatening the public business. The council faced the awkward choice of how to keep its servants at their duties while they were at daggers drawn, the smallness of the place turning a personal quarrel into an obstacle to government.

The matter here was distinct from the affray of Loving and Harper, a separate enmity between Ingles on the one side and Wrangham and Goodwin on the other, though the council heard both in the same sitting. This shows the settlement beset by more than one quarrel at once, its small society riven by feuds among its principal men, the surgeon at odds with the secretary and another. The council's day was taken up with composing these disputes, the government of the island as much a matter of keeping peace among its own officers as of ruling its people, the discord within the establishment a constant call upon its authority.

Speculations

The council chose to head off the feud by warning of future consequences and separating the men, rather than punishing the menaces already made against Ingles. The obvious course, faced with threats serious enough that the surgeon feared to leave his house, would have been to fine or bind over those who uttered them, as Loving had just been fined for his assault. Instead the council took the threats as not yet acted upon and looked to prevent the violence before it came, reading Ingles's letter to the two men, invoking the law of the year and a day and allowing Wrangham to withdraw for a time. The council judged that keeping the two sides apart and holding the law's penalty over them would serve better than punishment to cool a quarrel not yet come to blows, choosing prevention over penalty where the harm still lay in the future.

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346

26th April.

Mr Francis Wrangham, then desired that

Mr Charles Steward, might be allowed to take his Oath to

what he had heard Mr Ingles say, about his having, had the

Veneral disorder, since he had been upon the Island, who being

sent for and sworn, declared

That some Time after Christmass last at

Mr John Goodwins in the Country; where they both lay a

Night, that when they were getting up in the Morning following

they were joking one with another about the Veneral disorder,

this Deponent told Mr Ingles, that he had heard he Mr Ingles

then had the Veneral disorder, Mr Ingles replyed that though

I have had it, since I have been here, that is no reason that

I should have it at present.

Mr Francis Wrangham likewise requested

that Mr John Goodwin might be sent for to declare what

he knew of the matter, which, he did as follows vizt

That Mr Francis Wrangham Junr on Monday

the 12 instant, called him into his House, and told him that

he had something to tell him, which, he believed would give

him great concern, and that was no less than the Veneral

disorder, which he had got from his Wife, and that She told

him she had got it from Mr Ingles for she knew no other Man.

About an Hour after he Mr Goodwin, went to see Mrs Wrangham,

and when he saw her, She cryed, and said She was ruined, and askd

him what she must do, he answered he could not advise herwhat

to do, but she must wait the event, and askd her if it were true

that Mr Ingles had lied with her, She answered yes, About

three Quarters of an Hour after this had passed, Mr Wrangham

sent

26 April.

Further witnesses were examined touching the dispute between Francis Wrangham and John Ingles before the council.

Francis Wrangham then asked that Charles Steward might be allowed to take his oath to what he had heard Ingles say about his having had the venereal disorder since he had been upon the island. Steward, sent for and sworn, declared that some time after Christmas last, at John Goodwin's in the country, where they both lay a night, when they were getting up the following morning they were joking with one another about the venereal disorder. Steward told Ingles that he had heard he had it, whereupon Ingles replied that though he had had it since he had been on the island, that was no reason he should have it at present.

Francis Wrangham likewise asked that John Goodwin might be sent for to declare what he knew of the matter, which he did as follows. On Monday 12 April, Wrangham senior called Goodwin into his house and told him he had something to tell him which he believed would give him great concern, and that was no less than the venereal disorder, which he had from his wife, and that she told him she got it from Ingles, for she knew no other man. About an hour after, Goodwin went to see Mrs Wrangham, and when he saw her she cried and said she was ruined, and asked him what she must do. He answered that he could not advise her what to do, but she must wait the event, and asked her if it were true that Ingles had lain with her. She answered yes. About three quarters of an hour after this had passed, Wrangham.

Interpretations

The quarrel between Wrangham and Ingles rested on a charge of adultery, Wrangham accusing the surgeon of lying with his wife and infecting her with the venereal disorder, which she owned. This shows the feud sprang from the deepest of personal injuries, a husband's charge that another man had corrupted his wife and passed disease through her to him, the enmity no mere professional falling-out but a matter of marriage betrayed. The council heard this most intimate of grievances aired before it, the wife's confession and the husband's shame set down in the record, the government of the island reaching into the private disorders of its households.

The evidence of Charles Steward, that Ingles had admitted having had the venereal disorder since coming to the island, was brought to support the charge against the surgeon by showing him a carrier of the disease. This shows the council building the case through such admissions, the surgeon's own words at a jesting exchange used to lend colour to the wife's accusation. The gathering of such testimony, a remark made in joke now sworn to on oath, marks the seriousness with which the matter was pursued, every scrap that touched the charge collected and weighed, the surgeon's loose words returning to bear against him.

Mrs Wrangham's part in the affair, her confession to Goodwin that she was ruined and that Ingles had lain with her, shows the wife caught at the centre of the scandal, her admission the pivot of the whole charge. This marks the exposure such a woman faced, her fall made public before the council through the testimony of others, her cry that she was ruined the plain measure of her plight. The recording of her words shows how completely the private was made public in so small a place, the wife's shame laid open in the settlement's official record, no part of the affair too intimate to be entered and judged.

Speculations

Wrangham, on learning of his wife's infidelity and infection, chose to bring the matter before the council rather than settle it privately or seek his own revenge on Ingles. The obvious course for a wronged husband, in an age that left such injuries largely to private redress, would have been to conceal his shame or to challenge the surgeon directly, yet Wrangham instead laid the whole affair open before the governor and council, summoning witnesses and having his wife's confession recorded. On so small and close a station, where a private revenge might have brought the very violence the council feared and where the surgeon's continued presence touched the public service, Wrangham perhaps judged that only the council's authority could give him redress and remove the man who had wronged him, choosing the formal and public path over the private one that custom allowed.

356

347

1756

sent for him, and when he went in there was her Brother Mr Richard

Goodwin sitting on the Bedside by her, and she crying, Mr Richard

Goodwin desired to know of him what was the matter, he told him, that he

supposed his Sister had acquainted him, he said no, upon which, Mrs

Wrangham desired he would tell her Brother what was the matter

and then he told him that Mr Francis Wrangham Junr had acquainted

him that he had got the Venereal disorder from his Wife, and that she

said she had got it from Mr Ingles. About half an Hour after this, he

Mr Goodwin, was standing in the Street with Mr Curling when Mr

Ingles's Boy Harry, came to him, and told him his Master wanted to

speak with him, he told him to tell his Master, he could not come, but

afterwards went, and when he came up Stairs, found, Mr Ingles lying on

the Floor, weltering in Blood, he Mr Ingles said O Mr Goodwin, I

have just an end to an infamous life, upon which, he left the Room

but afterwards he Mr Ingles sent for him, and told him in the presence

of Mr William Wrangham, that the first part of his accusation was

true, but the latter part was utterly false, and the Day afterwards

told him, that he had lain with Mrs Wrangham more than once.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The council concluded its examination of the dispute between Francis Wrangham and John Ingles, and the record was subscribed.

Wrangham sent for Goodwin, and when he went in there was her brother, Mr Richard Goodwin, sitting on the bedside by her, and she crying. Richard Goodwin desired to know from him what the matter was. He told him that he supposed his sister had acquainted him. Goodwin said no, whereupon Wrangham said he would tell her brother what the matter was, and then told him that Wrangham senior had acquainted him that he had got the venereal disorder from his wife, and that she said she had got it from Ingles. About half an hour after this, Goodwin was standing in the street with Mr Gurling when Ingles's boy Harry came to him and told him his master wanted to speak with him. He told the boy to tell his master he could not come, but afterwards went, and when he came up the stairs he found Ingles lying on the floor, weltering in blood. Ingles said damn Goodwin, that he would put an end to an infamous life, whereupon Goodwin left the room. Afterwards Ingles sent for him and told him, in the presence of William Wrangham, that the first part of his accusation was true but the latter part was utterly false, and the day afterwards told him that he had lain with Mrs Wrangham more than once.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

Ingles, found weltering in his own blood and crying that he would put an end to an infamous life, had turned his despair upon himself, the scandal driving the surgeon to attempt his own destruction. This shows the terrible weight the exposure bore upon him, the accusation and shame bringing him to bloodshed against his own person, the affair no longer a matter of quarrel but of a man broken by it. The council recorded this desperate act plainly, the surgeon's self-violence set down among the evidence, the ruin of the man laid open with the rest of the sorry business.

Ingles's own words drew a fine but damning line, admitting the first part of the accusation true while denying the latter, then the next day owning that he had lain with Mrs Wrangham more than once. This shows the surgeon's admission arriving in stages, a partial confession followed by a fuller one, the truth wrung from him piece by piece as the matter pressed on him. The council's setting down of these shifting admissions marks the care to record exactly what the accused allowed and when, the surgeon's guilt established not by others alone but by his own faltering words, the confession the surer for coming from himself.

The affair drew in a whole web of the settlement's people, the Wranghams, the Goodwins, the storekeeper Gurling and the surgeon's servant boy, the scandal touching household after household. This shows how a single fall spread through the small society, no man able to keep clear of it, the quarrel and its shame binding together families and offices across the settlement. The council's record, naming all who played a part, marks the reach of such a scandal in so confined a place, the private sin of two persons entangling the whole community, the government left to sort the truth from a tangle of witnesses each caught in the affair.

Speculations

Ingles, brought to the point of taking his own life, chose instead to send for Goodwin and make his admission before a witness rather than complete the act or deny the charge to the last. The obvious course for a man weltering in his own blood and crying against an infamous life would have been to finish what he had begun, or having lived, to deny all and save his name, yet Ingles instead summoned Goodwin, owned the truth of part of the accusation and the next day confessed the whole. Perhaps the surgeon, having failed to end his life and facing the certainty of exposure, judged that a confession freely made might weigh better for him than a denial the evidence would overturn, or sought in the owning of his guilt some relief from the shame that had driven him to bloodshed, choosing to confess where concealment and death had both lain open to him.

357

348

3d May

At a Consultation held on Monday the 3d Day of May

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated

the 26 April 1756

Lieutenant John Clark, representing

that he has a Lease for a piece of Ground in James Valley that

was assigned to him, which Lease having been by accident

greatly defaced, he therefore desires to have a Copy of the

Original from the Lease Book, which we thought proper

to Grant

William Seale Planter, was this

Day Summoned before us, by Mr John Goodwin, who was

Church Warden the last year, for not paying his proportion of the

Assessment, amounting to five Shillings, and three Pence, to

defray the charges of the Parish for that year, we therefore

ordered the said Seale to pay it, which he accordingly did.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

3 May.

The council met in consultation on Monday 3 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 26 April 1756, was read, approved and signed.

Lieutenant John Clark represented that he held a lease for a piece of ground in James Valley assigned to him, which lease had been greatly defaced by accident. He therefore asked to have a copy of the original from the lease book, which the council thought proper to grant.

William Teale, planter, was summoned before the council by Mr Richard Goodwin, who had been churchwarden the previous year, for not paying his proportion of the assessment, amounting to 5s 3d, to defray the charges of the parish for that year. The council therefore ordered Teale to pay it, which he accordingly did.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The lease book, from which Clark asked a copy of his defaced lease, was the settlement's register of the grants of land it made, the official record of who held what ground and on what terms. This shows the Company keeping a formal record of its land grants, the leases entered in a book against loss or dispute, the copy Clark sought as good as his ruined original because the register preserved the terms. The keeping of such a book marks the orderly administration of the island's land, every holding recorded so that a lost or damaged lease could be replaced from the settlement's own archive, the title secure in the register though the paper perished.

The parish assessment levied on William Teale, and the churchwarden's summoning of him for non-payment, show the settlement maintaining a parish with its own charges and its own officer to collect them. The churchwarden was the lay officer of the parish, charged among other duties with gathering the assessment that met its costs, and Goodwin's pursuit of Teale for his 5s 3d marks the parish rate enforced through the council. This shows the ordinary machinery of an English parish transplanted to the island, the assessment levied on the inhabitants to defray the parish charges and the defaulter brought before the council to pay, the church supported by the same rates as at home.

The two matters heard, a lost lease and an unpaid parish rate, show the council turning from the grave scandals of the previous sitting to the plain routine of administration, the ordinary business of land and parish. This shows the breadth of the council's work, the same body that judged assault and adultery now settling a defaced lease and a small unpaid rate, its authority reaching across every part of the settlement's life. The record marks the return to quiet governance after the turmoil of the feuds, the council's regular business of land, revenue and parish resumed, the ordinary administration of the island going forward whatever storms had lately shaken it.

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349

4th May

At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 4 Day of May 1756 at the

Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of

Council absent happening to be

in the Country

The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed dated the 3d

May 1756

Yesterday Arrived, a Swedish Ship from China, called the Princess Sophia

Albertina, Captain Lehman, Burthen about nine hundred Tons, carrys

twenty six Guns, and one hundred and forty Men, Loaden with Tea

China Ware and Silk, bounded to Gothenburgh

Mr Plaisted a Passenger on board the London

waited upon the Governor this Morning, and applyed to him for

liberty, to take his Passage for England on the Swedish Ship that

arrived Yesterday, the Governor desired he would take the trouble to

come again in the afternoon, and then he would give him an answer,

he then sent to the Gentlemen of the Council, and desired that they would

be with him about four O Clock in the afternoon and Mr Plaisted

likewise attended.

The following Paragraph in a Letter from

the Honorable the Court of Directors, dated the 13 October 1740

was read to him.

4 May.

The council met in consultation on Tuesday 4 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council, one member being absent in the country. The previous consultation, dated 3 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The day before, a Swedish ship from China arrived, called the Princess Sophia Albertina, Captain Lehman, of about 900 tons burthen, carrying 26 guns and 140 men, laden with tea, chinaware and silk, and bound for Gothenburg.

Mr Plaisted, a passenger on board the London, waited upon the Governor that morning and applied to him for liberty to take his passage for England on the Swedish ship that had arrived the day before. The Governor asked him to take the trouble to come again in the afternoon, and said he would then give him an answer. He then sent to the gentlemen of the council and asked that they would be with him about four o'clock in the afternoon, and Mr Plaisted likewise attended.

The following paragraph in a letter from the Honourable Court of Directors, dated 13 October 1740, was read to him.

Interpretations

The arrival of the Swedish East Indiaman Princess Sophia Albertina, homeward from China with tea, chinaware and silk for Gothenburg, marks St Helena a port of call for the ships of other nations as well as the English Company. This shows the island lying on the sea road used by all the East India trades, the Swedish ship breaking her long voyage there as the English ships did, the same waters carrying the commerce of many countries past the Company's Atlantic station. The detailed noting of her tonnage, guns, men and cargo shows the council keeping watch on every vessel that touched, the character and strength of each ship recorded as a matter of course.

Mr Plaisted's application to leave the English ship and take passage home on the Swedish vessel shows a passenger seeking to change his conveyance at the island, and the Governor's referring the matter to the council marks it as no light thing. This shows the movement of passengers between ships subject to the Company's leave, a man not free to transfer from an English to a foreign vessel without the Governor's sanction. The care taken, the Governor deferring his answer and summoning the council, suggests the request touched some rule or interest of the Company, the leaving of an English ship for a foreign one raising a question the Governor would not decide alone.

The reading to Plaisted of a paragraph from a letter of the Court of Directors sixteen years old, dated 1740, shows the Governor grounding his answer in the Company's standing instructions rather than his own judgement. This marks the government of the island bound by the directions sent from home, the Court's orders kept and consulted years after their date, the Governor turning to them to settle a present question. The keeping of such correspondence and its use to decide a passenger's request shows the long reach of the Company's authority from London, the Governor answerable to instructions laid down long before and applied to cases as they arose.

Speculations

The Governor, faced with Plaisted's request, chose not to answer it himself at once but to summon the full council and ground the decision in the Court's old instructions. The obvious course for a Governor, asked leave for a passenger to change ships, would have been to grant or refuse it on his own authority as a matter of daily administration, yet Hutchinson instead deferred his answer, called the council together and had a sixteen-year-old directive read out. The wish of an English passenger to quit an English ship for a foreign one perhaps touched some Company interest or prohibition that the Governor dared not waive alone, so he sought the shelter of the council's shared judgement and the warrant of the Court's own words, choosing the caution of collective decision over the speed of a personal answer where the Company's rules might be engaged.

359

350

4th May.

We are much dissatisfied with our

Supra Cargoes, and Servants taking passage on

French, and other Foreign Ships, and to prevent it in

future, We direct that you serve each Supra Cargoe,

and Passenger with an Order in our Names, positively,

forbiding their coming to Europe on any Foreign Ship

whatever, under the penalty of incuring our highest

displeasure, and Dismission from our Service.

Upon which Mr Plaisted said he

did not see how that Paragraph applyed him, for he was not

in the Companys Service, and said he applyed to the Governor

as a Subject of Great Britain, and that he would run the

risque of incuring the Companys displeasure, We thereupon

acquainted him, that we thought it incumbent on us, to

have that Paragraph read to him, And told him, he might

act as he thought proper.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

4 May.

The paragraph from the Court of Directors was set out, and the council recorded Mr Plaisted's answer to it.

The Court declared itself much dissatisfied with its supercargoes and servants taking passage on French and other foreign ships. To prevent it in future, the Court directed that each supercargo and passenger be served with an order in its name, positively forbidding their coming to Europe on any foreign ship whatever, under the penalty of incurring its highest displeasure and dismissal from its service.

Upon this, Mr Plaisted said he did not see how that paragraph applied to him, for he was not in the Company's service, and said he applied to the Governor as a subject of Great Britain and that he would run the risk of incurring the Company's displeasure. The council thereupon acquainted him that it thought it incumbent upon it to have that paragraph read to him, and told him he might act as he thought proper.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson and John Adamson.

Interpretations

The Court's order forbidding its people to travel home on foreign ships shows the Company jealous of its passengers and servants using rival vessels, guarding its interest against the ships of France and other nations. This prohibition, backed by the threat of dismissal and the Court's highest displeasure, marks the Company's wish to keep the carriage of its own people to its own ships, denying the foreign trades the custom and the intelligence such passengers might bring. The rule shows the commercial rivalry of the East India trades reaching even to the movement of individual travellers, the Company barring its servants from the decks of its competitors.

Plaisted's answer, that he was no Company servant but a subject of Great Britain applying to the Governor as such, drew the line between the Company's authority over its own people and its want of authority over free subjects. This shows the limit of the Company's power, its orders binding its servants but not every Englishman who came to the island, Plaisted standing on his freedom as a subject to travel as he chose. The exchange marks a real question of jurisdiction, the Company's writ running to its own service but stopping at the free subject, Plaisted asserting a liberty the Company could not deny him though it might disapprove.

The council's course, having read Plaisted the paragraph and then telling him he might act as he thought proper, shows it discharging its duty to the Court while acknowledging it could not compel a free man. This marks the council caught between its obligation to the Company's orders and the plain fact of Plaisted's freedom, choosing to lay the prohibition before him and leave the choice to him. The council thus satisfied the Court that its instruction had been delivered while leaving Plaisted at liberty, the record showing the order given and the man left free, the settlement's government observing the form of the Company's rule where it could not enforce its substance.

Speculations

The council, unable to bind Plaisted as a free subject, chose neither to grant nor to refuse his request outright but to read him the Court's order and leave the decision to him. The obvious courses were to forbid the passage, upholding the Court's plain wish, or to allow it, acknowledging Plaisted's freedom, yet the council took neither, instead delivering the prohibition and then telling him he might act as he thought proper. Knowing its authority did not reach a free subject yet bound to observe the Court's directive, the council perhaps sought to protect itself both ways, having formally conveyed the order so that no blame could attach to it from London while leaving Plaisted to bear the risk of the Company's displeasure himself, choosing the middle path of formal delivery over a decision either way that might have exposed it to the Court or infringed the man's liberty.

360

351

3d May

At a Consultation held on Monday the 3d Day of May

1756 at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated

the 26 April 1756

Lieutenant John Clark, representing

that he has a Lease for a piece of Ground in James Valley that

was assigned to him, which Lease having been by accident

greatly defaced, he therefore desires to have a Copy of the

Original from the Lease Book, which we thought proper

to Grant

William Seale Planter, was this

Day Summoned before us, by Mr John Goodwin, who was

Church Warden the last year, for not paying his proportion of the

Assessment, amounting to five Shillings, and three Pence, to

defray the charges of the Parish for that year, we therefore

ordered the said Seale to pay it, which he accordingly did.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

10 May.

The council met in consultation on Monday 10 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 4 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The previous Thursday, six Dutch ships passed. On Friday 7 May, the Honourable Company's ship Warren, Captain Glover, arrived from China. On Saturday 8 May, the Swedish ship Princess Sophia Albertina sailed for Gothenburg. The day before, a Danish ship arrived from China, called the Queen Juliana Maria, Captain Tinger, of about 700 tons burthen, carrying 26 guns and 140 men, laden with tea, chinaware and silk and bound for Copenhagen.

The council ordered the following advertisement to be published. The swivel gun upon Sandy Bay Ridge was, the previous Thursday, found to be stopped with a stone near the muzzle, so that it was with great difficulty got out by the man who went to alarm that part of the country. On the Monday following, when another alarm was to be made, the same gun had stones and rags rammed home to the breech of it and could not then be fired. This was therefore to give notice that whoever would discover the person or persons who committed either of these acts should receive a reward of 20 dollars, and if an accomplice, should be pardoned and paid the mentioned sum of money.

Interpretations

The deliberate disabling of the swivel gun on Sandy Bay Ridge, first stopped with a stone and then rammed with stones and rags to the breech, was a grave act of sabotage against the island's defences. The alarm guns were the means by which warning of an enemy was carried across the country, and to spike one so that it could not be fired was to strike at the very system of early warning on which the settlement's safety rested. This shows a hidden hand working against the island's defence from within, the tampering no mere mischief but a threat to the whole apparatus of alarm, the council rightly alarmed that its signal guns had been silenced by an unknown enemy.

The council's advertisement offering 20 dollars for discovery of the offender, and a pardon and the same sum to any accomplice who would inform, shows the common method of breaking such secret crimes by turning one guilty party against another. The promise of pardon to an accomplice was a standing device to pierce a conspiracy, tempting a lesser offender to betray the greater with immunity and reward. This shows the council reaching for the accomplice as the readiest way to the truth, unable to find the hidden hand by open means and so offering money and forgiveness to loosen a tongue, the informer bought with pardon where evidence could not otherwise be had.

The swivel gun stopped near the muzzle, got out only with great difficulty by the man who went to raise the alarm, shows the sabotage discovered at the very moment the gun was wanted, the warning nearly failing when it was most needed. This marks the danger of the tampering, the disabling found not at leisure but in the crisis of an alarm, the gun barely cleared in time and then, at the next alarm, silenced altogether. The council's concern was the sharper for this, the defence having twice nearly failed at the crucial moment, the hidden enemy striking precisely at the settlement's power to warn itself of danger.

Speculations

The council chose to break the sabotage by public advertisement and the offer of reward and pardon, rather than by quiet inquiry or the questioning of suspected persons. The obvious course, faced with a hidden crime, might have been to pursue it through the settlement's own officers, watching and examining those thought likely, yet the council instead published the matter abroad and appealed to an accomplice to come forward for money and forgiveness. The offender being wholly unknown and the crime committed in secret on a lonely ridge, the council perhaps judged that no watching would find him and that only betrayal from within his own confederacy could bring him to light, choosing the open appeal and the tempting of an accomplice over a private investigation that had no thread to follow, the reward and pardon its best hope of piercing a secret it could not otherwise reach.

361

352

10th May

Some Soldiers of the Garrison having

taken on the 6 instant, the Honorable Companys Yawl from

her Moorings to Banks's without leave, and Staving her there

by which means She was lost, they were therefore tryed for it

by a Court Marthal, and Sentenced to pay five pounds among

them, in equal proportion.

Mr Francis Wrangham this day

desired that Mr John Goodwin might be Sworn to the

Declaration that he had made in Consultation of the 26 of

last Month, Mr Goodwin being sent for, and acquainted with

it, said upon recollection, that he might be mistaken in one or

two circumstances, and therefore desired he might have that

declaration to peruse, and that he would give what he had to

say in Writing, and Swear to it.

The Governor spoke to the Gentlemen of the

Council as follows Vizt

Gentlemen

I have ordered Mr Mowatt, the Adjutant

to attend here to Day, that you might hear Whether he has

any thing material to say, in excuse of himself, for disobeying

my Order, as the Lieutenant Governor Mr Adamson, acquaints

me he has, in not waiting on him, for some Days past with

the Parole as he used, and ought to do, and for refusing to send

the orderly Book to him, when he sent for it

10 May.

The council recorded a sentence against some soldiers, heard a request from Francis Wrangham, and then set down an address by the Governor concerning the adjutant.

Some soldiers of the garrison, having taken the Honourable Company's yawl from her moorings to Banks's on 6 May without leave and staved her there, by which means she was lost, were tried for it by a court martial and sentenced to pay £5 0s 0d among them in equal proportion.

Francis Wrangham that day asked that John Goodwin might be sworn to the declaration he had made in the consultation of 26 April. Goodwin, sent for and acquainted with it, said upon recollection that he might be mistaken in one or two circumstances, and therefore asked that he might have that declaration to peruse, and that he would give what he had to say in writing and swear to it.

The Governor spoke to the gentlemen of the council as follows. He had ordered Mr Mowatt, the adjutant, to attend that day so that they might hear whether he had anything material to say in defence of himself for disobeying the Governor's orders. The Lieutenant Governor, Mr Adamson, had acquainted the Governor that Mowatt had not waited on him for some days past with the parole as he used and ought to do, and had refused to send the orderly book to him when he sent for it.

Interpretations

The soldiers who took the yawl without leave and staved her, losing the boat, were tried by court martial and made to pay £5 among them, the loss of a Company boat charged to the men who caused it. This shows the settlement holding its soldiers answerable for the property they destroyed, the military tribunal not only punishing the unauthorised taking but recovering the value of the boat from the offenders. The equal division of the fine among them marks a collective responsibility for a collective act, the men who took the yawl together bearing the cost together, the discipline both punishing the fault and repairing the loss.

The parole and the orderly book, which Mowatt had failed to bring and refused to send, were the daily instruments of military command, the parole the watchword issued each day and the orderly book the record of standing orders. The adjutant's duty was to carry these to his superiors, and his neglect of it marks a breakdown in the chain of command, the officer charged with transmitting orders himself withholding them. This shows the importance of these routine observances to the garrison's discipline, the adjutant's refusal to render them a challenge to authority that the Governor could not overlook, the smooth working of command depending on such daily duties being kept.

The Governor's bringing of Mowatt's disobedience before the council shows even a dispute of military discipline referred to the settlement's governing body, the adjutant's defiance of orders made a matter for the council to hear. This marks the union of civil and military authority in the council, the same body that judged assaults and adultery now hearing an officer's insubordination, the Governor laying the matter before his colleagues rather than dealing with it by military means alone. The council thus sat over the garrison's discipline as over the island's civil affairs, its authority embracing the whole government of the settlement, martial and civil together.

Speculations

The Governor, faced with the adjutant's disobedience, chose to summon him before the full council to answer rather than to discipline him directly by his own military authority. The obvious course for a Governor whose orders had been flouted would have been to deal with the offending officer himself through the ordinary channels of command, yet Hutchinson instead brought the matter before the council, ordering Mowatt to attend and account for himself before them all. The adjutant's refusal touched the Governor's own authority directly, and perhaps Hutchinson judged that a public hearing before the council would carry more weight than a private reprimand, or wished the council to share in a judgement against an officer lest it seem a merely personal quarrel, choosing the formal and collective hearing over the direct exercise of his own command where his authority itself was at stake.

362

353

1756.

Mr Mowatt the Adjutant being called in, the

Lieutenant Governor declared. That on the 18 of April 1756, having

received no Orders but the Parole, and wanting to know if a Court

Martial was to be held the next Day, he sent to Solomon Jacobs, who

acts as Sergeant Major, for the orderly Book, who informed him by the

Messenger, that the Adjutant had it, he then sent for Jacobs, and directed

him to go to Mr Mowatt the Adjutant with his Complements, desiring

he would sent him the Orderly Book, by whom Mr Mowatt returned for

Answer that he could not come at it

Late on the Evening of the 20 of April Mr Mowatt

the Adjutant, as usual brought him the Parole, and told him a matter

which was very uncommon, that Leech one of the Gunners Mates, was

put upon the Superannuated List in place of Burnham Deceased, he

then mentioned his sending for the Orderly Book by Jacobs, and not

receiving it, to which he made some triffling excuse, that it was not filled

up, &ca at the same time said, that he knew of, no Orderly Book for the

Garrison, Indeed he had one for his own private use, which he would

keep, for no person had a right to it, but himself This he looked

upon as a positive refusal, and as such, thought it necessary on the

23 to acquaint the Governor, of it

The 4 of May imagining that Mr Mowatt

the Adjutant, might be of a better way of thinking he sent his

Complements to him, and desired he would send him the Orderly Book

of the Garrison of St Helena To which he said he had none, nor did he

keep any for the Garrison of St Helena he sent a second Time in a

respectful manner, and desired to know who did keep it Mr Mowatt

returned Him for answer, he did not know, if he did, he would

not tell, nor would he send it, for that he was no Clerk to the Garrison

since which he has neither had Parole, nor Orders.

The Lieutenant Governor set out his account of the adjutant's conduct before the council.

Mr Mowatt, the adjutant, being called in, the Lieutenant Governor declared that on 18 April 1756, having received no orders but the parole and wanting to know if a court martial was to be held the next day, he sent to Solomon Jacobs, who acted as sergeant major, for the orderly book. Jacobs informed him by the messenger that the adjutant had it. He then sent for Jacobs and directed him to go to Mowatt with his compliments, asking that he would send him the orderly book, by whom Mowatt returned for answer that he could not come at it.

Late on the evening of 20 April, Mowatt, as usual, brought him the parole and told him, which was very uncommon, that Leech, one of the gunners mates, was put upon the superannuated list in place of Burnham, deceased. He then mentioned his sending for the orderly book by Jacobs and not receiving it, to which Mowatt made some trifling excuse, that it was not filled up, and at the same time said that he knew of no orderly book for the garrison. Indeed he had one for his own private use, which he would keep, for no person had a right to it but himself. This the Lieutenant Governor looked upon as a positive refusal, and as such thought it necessary on 23 April to acquaint the Governor of it.

On 4 May, imagining that Mowatt might be of a better way of thinking, the Lieutenant Governor sent his compliments to him and asked that he would send him the orderly book of the garrison of St Helena. To this Mowatt said he had none, nor did he keep any for the garrison of St Helena. He sent a second time in a respectful manner and asked to know who did keep it. Mowatt returned for answer that he did not know, and if he did he would not tell, nor would he send it, for there was no clerk to the garrison since, on which he had neither had parole nor orders.

Interpretations

Mowatt's shifting answers, first that he could not come at the orderly book, then that it was not filled up, then that he knew of none for the garrison but kept one for his own private use, show an officer evading his duty through a succession of excuses. This shows the adjutant resisting his superior's plain request by every turn of words, denying now the book's availability, now its existence, now any right to it but his own. The Lieutenant Governor's reading of this as a positive refusal marks the pattern of evasion for what it was, an obstinate withholding dressed in changing pretexts, the officer's defiance the clearer for the very shifts he used to cloak it.

Mowatt's claim that there was no orderly book for the garrison of St Helena, only one he kept for his own private use, struck at the very nature of the office, the orderly book being the garrison's own record of orders and not the adjutant's private property. This shows a fundamental dispute over the ownership of the instruments of command, Mowatt asserting a personal right to what was the settlement's own, the record of its military orders. The Lieutenant Governor's insistence marks the orderly book as belonging to the garrison and its command, not to the man who kept it, Mowatt's contrary claim a usurpation that would put the garrison's orders in one officer's private hand.

Mowatt's final excuse, that there was no clerk to the garrison and so he had neither had parole nor orders, sought to justify his conduct by a defect in the establishment, the want of a clerk. This shows the adjutant grounding his refusal in a claimed breakdown of the proper arrangements, as though the absence of a clerk relieved him of his duty to render the book. The Lieutenant Governor's account exposes this too as a pretext, the missing clerk no warrant for withholding the garrison's record from its own command, Mowatt reaching for any ground, real or affected, to cover a refusal the council was left to judge as insubordination.

363

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10th May

This surprized him a good deal, as he

believes there never was an istance of an Adjutants not keeping

an Orderly, Book, and behaving in such a manner, by refusing

any lawfull demands of a Lieutenant Governor, or Superior,

which he apprehends every Officer in the Garrison to be, more

especially as it was the Governors particular Commands,

which Mr Mowatt positively refused to comply with These

circumstances he must beg leave to observe, amount to no

less than absolute disobedience of Orders, and as such a

breach of the first Section of the Act of Parliament, and

Articles of War, for punishing Mutiny and Desertion.

The Lieutenant Governor then asked Mr

Mowatt, of what had been read against the State of the Case, to

which he answered yes, and said that he would not keep an

Orderly Book, or carry Orders to any Body.

Mr Mowatt was then desired to withdraw,

the Governor, then observed to the Gentlemen of the Council as

follows vizt

Gentlemen

I could not have imagined, it was possible

for a Man, who had served several Campaigns and stayed several years

in his Majestys Forces, as Mr Mowatt did, to be so much a

Stranger to the Rules of Military Discipline and the

Martial Law, as he has shewn himself to be, by what he

just now said, For, during the whole Time of my being an

Officer in the Service of the Crown, which was many Years

it was, and still is, as I am told the immediate Duty of the

Adjutant of every Regiment to keep an Orderly Book.

10 May.

The Lieutenant Governor concluded his account and the Governor began his address to the council on the adjutant's conduct.

This surprised the Lieutenant Governor a good deal, as he believed there never was an instance of an adjutant not keeping an orderly book and behaving in such a manner, refusing any lawful demands of a Lieutenant Governor or superior, which he apprehended every officer in the garrison to be bound to obey, more especially as it was the Governor's particular commands, which Mowatt positively refused to comply with. These circumstances, he must beg leave to observe, amounted to no less than absolute disobedience of orders, and as such a breach of the first section of the Act of Parliament and Articles of War for punishing mutiny and desertion.

The Lieutenant Governor then asked Mowatt whether what had been read was the state of the case, to which he answered yes, and said that he would not keep an orderly book or carry orders to anybody.

Mowatt was then desired to withdraw. The Governor then addressed the gentlemen of the council as follows. He could not have imagined it was possible for a man who had served several campaigns as Mowatt had done in His Majesty's forces to be so much a stranger to the rules of military discipline and the martial law as he had shown himself to be by what he had just now said. During the whole time of the Governor's being an officer in the service of the Crown, which was many years, it was, and still was, as he was told, the immediate duty of the adjutant of every regiment to keep an orderly book.

Interpretations

Mowatt's open avowal before the council, that he would not keep an orderly book or carry orders to anybody, turned his evasions into a plain and defiant refusal, the adjutant confessing his disobedience to the council's face. This shows the officer abandoning even the pretexts he had used, declaring outright that he would not do the duty of his office, the refusal now beyond dispute. The council heard from his own mouth what the Lieutenant Governor had charged, Mowatt's admission removing any doubt of the matter, his defiance the more serious for being uttered openly before the settlement's governing body.

The Lieutenant Governor's charge that Mowatt's conduct breached the Act of Parliament and Articles of War for punishing mutiny and desertion shows the disobedience cast as a military crime of the gravest kind, not mere insubordination but a matter touching the mutiny laws. This marks the application of the whole weight of martial law to the adjutant's refusal, the Articles of War that governed the King's forces reaching to the Company's garrison on its distant island. The framing of the offence under these laws shows the settlement's military discipline resting on the same statutory foundation as the army at home, the adjutant's defiance a breach not of local rule alone but of the parliamentary law that bound every soldier.

The Governor's own testimony, drawn from his many years as an officer in the Crown's service, that keeping the orderly book was the immediate duty of every regiment's adjutant, brought his personal military experience to bear against Mowatt. This shows the Governor grounding the judgement in his own long knowledge of the service, his authority as a former royal officer lending weight to the finding against the adjutant. The Governor's astonishment that a man who had served several campaigns could plead ignorance of so plain a duty marks Mowatt's defence as beyond belief, the adjutant's claimed unfamiliarity with the orderly book contradicted by the Governor's own experience of what every adjutant knew and did.

364

355

1756

which is looked upon as a Kind of Record to refer to, for Orders that have

been given by the Governor or Officer commanding the Garrison where a

Regiment has, at any Time Lain as well as for those that were issued

by whoever commanded such Regiment. And as the former Adjutants

here have done so, and have likewise given the Parole constantly to the

Lieutenant Governor, as Mr Mowatt himself likewise did until

lately, it astonishes me greatly, to find that he should now object to

this Part of his Duty, For even upon a Supposition, that it was

otherwise, and as Mr Mowatt, has urged, a Governor surely has a power

to change Things of this Nature, when he finds such Alteration, is

necessary, and for the Good of the Service, and has likewise a Right

to expect his Orders should be obeyed, If not, I believe I may venture to

affirm, that military Discipline cannot be kept up. Besides by the

established Rules, and Customs of the Army, an Officer who thinks

himself aggrieved, is however to obey, and not to dispute any lawfull

Order he receives, but is to apply in a regular Manner for Redress,

after he has executed those Orders. But as Mr Mowatt has not only

refused to obey my Orders in the Circumstance abovementioned, but

persists in that Refusal I therefore desire to have your Opinion upon

it,

The Lieutenant Governor, and Mr Clark thereupon

declared it was their opinion that Mr Mowatt the Adjutant should

be suspended for such his Disobedience and Contempt of Orders

He was then called in and acquainted with this Determination.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The Governor concluded his address and the council gave its determination on the adjutant, and the record was subscribed.

The orderly book was looked upon as a kind of record to refer to for orders that had been given by the Governor or the officer commanding the garrison, at any time since as well as for those issued by whoever commanded the regiment. The former adjutants here had done so, and had likewise given the parole constantly to the Lieutenant Governor, as Mowatt himself had done until lately, so that it astonished the Governor greatly to find that he should now object to this part of his duty. Even upon a supposition that it was otherwise, and as Mowatt had urged, a Governor surely had a power to change things of this nature when he found such alteration necessary and for the good of the service, and had likewise a right to expect his orders should be obeyed. If not, the Governor believed he might venture to assert that military discipline could not be kept up. By the established rules and customs of the army, an officer who thought himself aggrieved was still to obey and not to dispute any lawful order he received, but was to apply in a regular manner for redress after he had executed those orders. As Mowatt had not only refused to obey the Governor's orders in the circumstance mentioned but persisted in that refusal, the Governor therefore desired to have the council's opinion upon it.

The Lieutenant Governor and Mr Clark thereupon declared it was their opinion that Mowatt, the adjutant, should be suspended for his disobedience and contempt of orders. He was then called in and acquainted with this determination.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The Governor set out the cardinal principle of military discipline, that an aggrieved officer must first obey a lawful order and seek redress afterwards in a regular manner, never dispute or refuse it. This shows the settlement upholding the fundamental rule of the service, that obedience comes first and complaint after, the soldier bound to execute even an order he thinks wrong and to seek remedy only when he has obeyed. Mowatt's fault lay precisely here, in refusing rather than obeying and then complaining, his defiance a breach of the very principle on which all discipline rested, the Governor's exposition marking the line the adjutant had crossed.

The Governor's assertion that a Governor had power to change such arrangements when he judged it necessary for the good of the service shows the claim of command to alter its own practices, the settled ways of the garrison subject to the commander's authority. This marks the Governor answering Mowatt's appeal to custom with the higher principle of command, that even where usage differed the Governor might change it and expect obedience. The argument shows the settlement's discipline resting not merely on fixed custom but on the living authority of the commander, whose lawful orders bound his officers whether they accorded with past practice or altered it, obedience owed to the office and not only to the usage.

The council's determination to suspend Mowatt marks the settlement's ultimate sanction against an officer's defiance, the adjutant removed from his duties for his contempt of orders. This shows the council enforcing its authority against insubordination by the plain remedy of suspension, taking the officer from his post rather than merely reprimanding him. The unanimity of the Lieutenant Governor and Mr Clark with the Governor shows the council speaking with one voice against the adjutant, the judgement a collective act of the settlement's whole government, Mowatt's persistence in refusal leaving no course but his removal, the discipline of the garrison vindicated by the sternest penalty short of trial.

365

356

17th May

At a Consultation held on Monday the 17 Day of

May 1756 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved and signed

Dated the 10 May 1756.

Saturday the 15 arrived the Anson Captain Dibuke from Bengall but

last from Bencoolen

Do Sailed the Dane Ship Queen Juliana Maria for Copenhagen

Relisted the following Men to serve

the Honorable Company as Soldiers for five years, at Ten

Pounds Bounty Mony, their Times to commence the 12 instant

and had the Articles of War read to them vizt

Joseph Thompson

Edward Grant

David Scott

John Simmons

George Green

Edward Terry

Richard Moyes

The Anson brought us the following

Supply, from Bengall and Bencoolen Vizt

17 May.

The council met in consultation on Monday 17 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 10 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

On Saturday 15 May, the Anson, Captain Dibuke, arrived from Bengal but last from Bencoolen. The same day, the Danish ship Queen Juliana Maria sailed for Copenhagen.

The council enlisted the following men to serve the Honourable Company as soldiers for five years at £10 0s 0d bounty money, their time to commence 12 May, and had the Articles of War read to them.

Joseph Thompson

David Scott

George Green

Richard Moyes

Edward Grant

John Simmons

Edward Terry

The Anson brought the council the following supply from Bengal and Bencoolen.

Interpretations

The seven men enlisted for five years at £10 bounty, with the Articles of War read to them on entry, show the same recruiting drive continuing that had run through the quarter's accounts, the garrison built up by fixed-term engagements. This shows the settled method of raising soldiers, the bounty of £10 the price of five years service and the reading of the Articles of War the formal binding of each man to military law. The reading of the Articles at enlistment marks the moment a man passed under the discipline just seen enforced against Mowatt, the same martial law that governed the adjutant laid before each recruit as he took the Company's bounty and entered its service.

The Anson, arrived from Bengal but last from Bencoolen, bringing a supply for the settlement, shows the island provisioned from the Company's eastern settlements as well as from England. Bencoolen was the Company's post on the west coast of Sumatra and Bengal its great possession in India, and the goods carried from these to St Helena mark the island drawing on the whole span of the Company's Asian empire. This shows the Atlantic station supplied along the same routes that carried the Company's trade, the ships homeward from the East breaking their voyage to land stores at the island, St Helena sustained by the traffic of the Indies passing its shore.

The careful noting of the Anson's origin, from Bengal but last from Bencoolen, shows the council recording the precise course of each ship that called, the vessel's last port as well as her first. This marks the settlement's watch on the movements of the Company's shipping, the exact track of each ship set down as she arrived. The distinction between where a ship came from and where she last touched shows the council's interest in the ships passages, perhaps for intelligence of the eastern settlements or for the reckoning of what news and goods each vessel carried, the traffic of the port logged with care as the ships came and went.

366

357

1756.

Invoice of Ship Anson

BA Batavia Arrack

No 6 6 Thirds Leaguers

Mds

180 p Leaguer

260

Batta 8 p Cent

20 12 9 280 12 9

WC Wax Candles

1 & 2 2 Chests Do 4 Maunds

Mds

72 p Maund

288

FR Fine Rice

1 to 35 35 Bags Do 10 Maunds

Mds

31 4 8 12

90 5 3

Batta 8 p C

7 3 6 97 8 9

P Paddy

1 to 8 8 Bags Do 12 Maunds

Baskets Bush

100 16 8 12

9 6

12 10 2

Batta 8 p C

Charges Merchandize

676 7 6

Sloop Hire

28 2

Boat Hire

1 13

143 Gunny Bags & Packing

7 11 9

2 Chests & Package

3 9 6

Mustees

1 15 42 7 6

Current Rupees

718 15

Errors Excepted

p Richard Becher Accountant

Invoice of Ship Anson

No 1 to 32 Sugar 32 Baskets Weight Neat 100 7/1 lb

p 343 1 32

Charges Merchandize

Shiping the above

10

353 1 32

Errors Excepted

p Joseph Gunn Accountant

Two invoices of goods brought by the Anson were entered, with their charges and the sums owing, each signed off by its accountant. All the sums are stated in current rupees.

The first invoice of the Anson set out the following goods.

BA No 6, Batavia arrack, 6 third leaguers at 180 per leaguer, 260 rupees 0 annas

Batta at 8 per cent, 20 rupees 12 annas 9 pies, total 280 rupees 12 annas 9 pies

WC 1 and 2, wax candles, 2 chests, 4 maunds at 72 per maund, 288 rupees 0 annas

FR 1 to 35, fine rice, 35 bags, 40 maunds at 70 per maund, 31 rupees 4 annas 8 pies 4 [...], 90 rupees 5 annas 3 pies

Batta at 8 per cent, 7 rupees 3 annas 6 pies, total 97 rupees 8 annas 9 pies

P 1 to 8, paddy, 8 bags, 12 maunds at 100 baskets, 16 pies 4 annas 4 [...], 9 rupees 6 annas

Batta at 8 per cent, 12 annas, total 10 rupees 2 annas

Charges merchandise, 676 rupees 7 annas 6 pies

Sloop hire, 28 rupees 2 annas

Boat hire, 1 rupee 3 annas

143 gunny bags and packing, 7 rupees 11 annas 9 pies

2 chests and package, 3 rupees 9 annas 6 pies

Mootea, 1 rupee 15 annas, total 42 rupees 7 annas 6 pies

Current rupees, 718 rupees 15 annas

The first invoice was signed off, errors excepted, by Richard Becher, accountant.

The second invoice of the Anson set out the following.

No 1 to 32, sugar, 32 baskets, weight neat 100 [...] 1 quarter 16 lb, 343 rupees 1 anna 32 [...]

Charges merchandise

Shipping the above, 10 rupees 0 annas

Total, 353 rupees 1 anna 32 [...]

The second invoice was signed off, errors excepted, by Joseph Gunn, accountant.

Interpretations

The goods on these invoices, Batavia arrack, wax candles, rice, paddy and sugar, were valued and charged throughout in rupees, the Indian currency of the Company's Bengal trade, rather than in sterling. This shows the settlement's dealings with the eastern settlements conducted in the money of India, the invoices drawn up in rupees and annas as they came from Bengal, the sterling reckoning applied only when the goods entered the island's own accounts. The use of the rupee marks the island's place within the Company's Asian trading system, its supplies from the East priced and invoiced in the eastern currency before being converted for the settlement's books.

Batavia arrack, the first item on the invoice, was the spirit distilled at Batavia, the Dutch settlement on Java, and shipped by the leaguer, a large cask of the eastern trade. This shows the arrack so freely issued and sold at the island coming from the Dutch East Indies, the spirit that oiled the settlement's labour and bred its quarrels carried from Java through the Company's trade. The naming of its origin marks the far reach of the sources that supplied the island, the arrack drunk on St Helena distilled at Batavia and shipped by way of Bengal, the whole eastern archipelago feeding the settlement's constant thirst.

The charge for batta, added at 8 per cent to several items, was an allowance or premium in the Indian currency system, an addition to the nominal price to account for the difference between coins or the cost of exchange. This shows the intricacy of the eastern money dealings, the invoices carrying not merely the price of the goods but the batta upon them, a charge peculiar to the Indian trade that the settlement's accounts had to absorb. The presence of batta on the invoices marks the settlement engaging with the full complexity of the Company's Indian currency, the goods from Bengal priced with all the allowances and premiums of that system before their cost was carried into the island's own reckoning.

367

358

17th May

The Widow, and Executors of the late

William Burnham Deceased, this Day presented his

last Will and Testament desiring the same might be

proved, which was accordingly done upon the Oaths, of the

Witnesses there to the Will is as follows vizt

In the Name of God Amen, I William

Burnham of the Island St Helena in the Service of the Honble

Company at present an Invalid and knowing, it is appointed for

all Men once to Dye, but the Time very uncertain, and being of

sound Mind & Memory, do hereby, make & appoint this my last

Will and Testament, and first and principally, I give and recommend

my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator, my Body to

the Earth to be buried in a Christian like and Decent manner my

Worldly Goods wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with

I give, Devise, and Dispose of in manner and from following

Imprimis I give to my Well beloved Wife one half of my Real Estate

both House and Lands during her natural Life, and the one

Third of my Personal Estate to be at her Disposal, but as our

family of Children some of them very young and unable to get

their living, I recommend it to her that the whole Estate may

be kept together for the benefit of herself and Children as long

as possible, and at her Decease the Real Estate She possesseth

is to be equally divided among our then Surviving Children

and I also appoint her Executrix to this my Will so long as

she remains my Widow.

Item I give to my Son John one small Feather Bed and Quilt

with the Bedstead over and above his equal share with

the other Children, and not to be recined.

Item I give to my Son Thomas a Goat Range called Stone

Top, and also the Goats on the said Range, to be delivered to him

when he shall come to fifteen years of Age, but not to be

reckoned in his part of my Estate.

Item

17 May.

The widow and executors of the late William Burnham, deceased, presented his last will and testament, asking that it might be proved, which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the witnesses. The will was as follows.

William Burnham of the island of St Helena, in the service of the Honourable Company at present as an invalid, being of sound mind and memory, made his last will. He recommended his soul to Almighty God his creator and his body to the earth, to be buried in a Christian, decent manner, and disposed of his worldly goods as follows.

First, he gave to his beloved wife one half of his real estate, both the house and lands, during her natural life, and one third of his personal estate, to be at her disposal. As their family of children were some of them very young and unable to get their living, he recommended that the whole estate be kept together for the benefit of herself and the children as long as possible. At her death, the real estate she possessed was to be equally divided among their surviving children. He appointed her his executrix, to see his will kept so long as she remained his widow.

He gave to his son John one small feather bed and quilt with the bedstead, over and above his equal share with the other children, and not to be reckoned in that share.

He gave to his son Thomas a goat range called Stone Top, and also the goats on the range, to be delivered to him when he came to fifteen years of age, but not to be reckoned in his part of the estate.

Interpretations

William Burnham, described in his will as in the Company's service at present as an invalid, was the superannuated sergeant whose reduced pension appeared in the pay rolls at the head of these accounts, and whose death was noted when Leech was put in his place. This ties the will to the man carried on the books at a diminished wage for age or infirmity, the invalid sergeant now dead and his estate to be settled. The appearance of his will shows the settlement administering the property of even its humblest and most worn-out servants, the old sergeant leaving house, land and goats to be divided among his family, a man of small means yet with an estate to bequeath.

The goat range called Stone Top, left to the son Thomas with its goats, shows the keeping of goats on the island's rough ground as a form of property and livelihood. Goats thrived on the steep and barren parts of St Helena where other stock could not, and a defined range where a man kept his herd was a real asset to be bequeathed, the goats themselves a valued property. This shows the island's economy resting partly on such humble husbandry, the goat range and its herd an inheritance worth setting down in a will, the son to receive it at fifteen as a foundation for his own living on the island.

Burnham's care to keep his estate together for the benefit of his widow and young children, some too young to earn their living, shows a father providing against the vulnerability of his family after his death. This marks the plight of a poor man's dependents on a remote island, the young children unable to fend for themselves and the estate their only security, the father directing that it be held whole for their support. The provision shows the making of a will as a shield for the weak, the small property gathered and preserved for those who could not yet provide for themselves, the widow charged to hold it together as long as she remained unmarried.

Speculations

Burnham chose to leave the bulk of his estate undivided in his widow's hands for her life, rather than parcel it out among his children at his death. The obvious course for a man with several children would have been to divide his property among them directly, giving each a share to hold at once, yet Burnham instead directed that the whole be kept together under his widow for the benefit of all, the division deferred until her death. With some of the children very young and unable to get their living, an immediate division would have scattered the small estate and left the little ones without support, so Burnham judged that a single undivided property in his widow's charge would sustain the whole family better than fragments in each child's hand, choosing to keep the estate whole for the weak against the natural course of dividing it among his heirs.

368

359

1756

Item I give to my youngest Daughter Mary one Heifer Calf which is

now put into a distinct Mark, and the increase to be for her benefit,

but not to be reckoned to her as any part of my Estate.

Item I give to my two youngest Daughters at my Decease each of them

a Gold Ring to the value of a Guinea each Ring but not to be valued

to them.

Item All the rest and residue of my Estate, be it in what kind soever, I

give to be equally divided among my Children that shall be surviving

at the Age of twenty one Years of Marriage, Namely Sarah, Martha, John

Thomas, Margaret and Mary, that is two Sons and four Daughters,

And I give my Son John the Refusal of my Lands and Dwelling House

he paying the other Children, their Shares or Dividends at the

Appraisement of two indifferent Men but as two of my Daughters are

Elder than my Son John, I recommend it to my Executors to pay them

their Shares out of the Personal Estate, if it can be conveniently done for

if their Mother be living, when they come to Age they can have no

Demand on the half of the Freehold Estate, until her Decease I also

desire my Executors hereafter Mentioned to take an Inventory of my Estate

a convenient Time as may be after my Decease.

Lastly I Nominate Constitute, and Appoint my Wife Executor and my

Goods friends, Messrs John Desfountain, Thomas Colgrave, Stephen

Young Executor, I also desire that my two Sons shall be Executors when they

attain to the Years or Ages of Eighteen, hereby Revoking and

Disannulling all former Will or Wills by me made Ratifying and

Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament this 11

Day of August 1755

his Mark

William Burnham

NB the two words Interlined Estate, and Sons

were Interlined before the Signing and Sealing

Signed, Sealed and Declared to be the last

Will of him the said William Burnham

in the presence of us

Signed Thos Bazett

James Corbett

Rich Beale Senr

The will of William Burnham continued with further bequests and its closing provisions, and was witnessed and subscribed.

He gave to his youngest daughter Mary one heifer calf, now put into a distinct mark, the increase to be for her benefit, but not to be reckoned to her as any part of his estate.

He gave to his two youngest daughters, at his death, each of them a gold ring to the value of a guinea each, the rings not to be valued to them.

All the rest and residue of his estate, of whatever kind, he gave to be equally divided among his children surviving at the age of twenty one years or marriage, namely Sarah, Martha, John, Thomas, Margaret and Mary, that is two sons and four daughters. He gave his son John the refusal of his lands and dwelling house, he paying the other children their shares or dividends at the appraisement of two indifferent men. As two of his daughters were older than his son, he recommended it to his executrix to pay them their shares out of the personal estate if it could be conveniently done, for if their mother were living, when they came to age they could have no demand on the half of the freehold estate until her death. He also desired his executors to take an inventory of his estate at a convenient time after his death.

Lastly, he nominated his wife executrix and, along with her, his good friends Mr John Desfountain, Thomas Cosgrave and Stephen Young as executors. He also directed that his two sons should be executors when they came to the age of eighteen, revoking all former wills and confirming this as his last will and testament. The will was dated 11 August 1755.

A note recorded that the two words interlined, estate and sons, were interlined before the signing and sealing. The will was signed with the mark of William Burnham, and signed, sealed and declared to be his last will in the presence of the witnesses Thomas Bazett, James Corbett and Richard Beale senior.

Interpretations

Burnham's leaving his son John the refusal of the lands and dwelling house, on paying the other children their shares at the valuation of two indifferent men, shows a careful device to keep the family land whole while giving each child their due. This gave the son the first right to take the property entire, buying out his siblings at a fair price set by disinterested valuers, so the land need not be broken up among all the heirs. This shows the concern to preserve the holding intact through one heir while doing justice to the rest, the refusal a means to keep the family seat together, the valuation by indifferent men ensuring the others were not cheated of their portions.

The heifer calf put into a distinct mark for the daughter Mary shows the marking of individual beasts to denote ownership, each animal branded or notched to its owner's particular mark. This practice let the stock of many owners graze the island's common ground while keeping each person's beasts distinguishable, the mark the proof of title to the animal. The putting of the calf into a distinct mark for the daughter shows her ownership established from the first, the beast and its increase set apart as hers, the mark the plain sign of her separate property in the growing herd.

Burnham's provision that his sons should become executors when they reached eighteen shows a father looking to his children's future capacity, arranging that they should take up the management of his estate as they came of age. This marks the will providing not only for the immediate settlement but for the longer administration of the property, the sons to join the executors as they matured. The care shows a man thinking beyond his death to the years of his children's growing up, the estate to pass gradually into their own hands as they became fit to manage it, the will a provision for the whole course of the family's future on the island.

369

360

17th May

The Executors of Joshua Worrall Deceased

this Day, brought in an Inventory of his Estate, appraised by

Messieurs William Young, and Thomas Colgrave, who were Sworn

that they valued the same to the best of their Judgment, it was

ordered to be entered in the Book for that purpose.

Mr John Desfountain who commands the

East Flying Party, maketh complaint that Daniel Fowks Planter

who was Quarters there, did not come to the last Double Alarm

He was ordered to attend the Council who this Day appearing, and

having nothing but frivolous excuses to make, we fine him only

ten Shillings it being his first Offence.

Mr Thomas Colgrave presented the following petition Vizt

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

& Council

Sheweth

The humble Petition of Thomas Colgrave

That there is about nine Acres of the Honorable

Companys Waste Land, adjoining to some of your Petitioners Land

in Deep Valley, in the East Division of this Island, lately

resigned by John Leech Senr, which your Petitioner is desirous to

hire upon the same Terms that he Leased it, which was at 1/6

p Acre your Worship, and Councils Granting this

St Helena

17 May 1756

Your Petitioner will ever pray

Signed

Thomas Colgrave

Ordered the said Land to be viewed

17 May.

The council heard several matters concerning estates, a defaulting planter and a petition for land.

The executors of Joshua Worrall, deceased, that day brought in an inventory of his estate, appraised by William Young and Thomas Cosgrave, who were sworn that they valued it to the best of their judgement. The council ordered it to be entered in the book for that purpose.

Mr John Desfountain, who commanded the East Flying Party, brought a complaint that Daniel Fowler, planter, who was a quarter gunner there, did not come to the last double alarm. He was ordered to attend the council, and that day appearing and having nothing but frivolous excuses to make, the council fined him only 10s, it being his first offence.

Mr Thomas Cosgrave presented a petition to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council. Cosgrave set out that there were about nine acres of the Honourable Company's waste land adjoining some of his land in Deep Valley, in the East Division of the island, lately resigned by John Leech senior, which he wished to hold on the same terms that Leech had leased it, which was 1s 6d. He asked the Governor and Council to grant this, and signed the petition at St Helena on 17 May 1756. The council ordered the land to be viewed.

Interpretations

The inventory of Joshua Worrall's estate, appraised by two sworn men and ordered to be entered in the book, shows the settlement's regular machinery for settling the property of the dead, the valuation made on oath and recorded in the register. This shows the administration of estates following a fixed and careful form, disinterested appraisers sworn to value the property truly and their inventory preserved in the settlement's books. The keeping of such a book of inventories marks the orderly settlement of every deceased person's affairs, the property told over and recorded so that the estate might be justly divided and no part concealed or lost.

Daniel Fowler's failure to attend the double alarm, and his fine for it, show the enforcement of the duty to muster when the garrison stood to arms, even a quarter gunner of the flying party answerable for his absence. This shows the settlement holding every man to his post in the crisis of an alarm, the failure to appear a punishable offence, the discipline of the defence reaching to the planters who served in its ranks. The lightness of the fine, 10s for a first offence, marks the council tempering discipline with leniency for a first fault, punishing the absence to mark the duty while not bearing hard on a man who had not offended before.

Cosgrave's petition for the nine acres of waste land, lately resigned by another and adjoining his own, shows the granting of the Company's unimproved land to planters who would take and work it, the land let at a small yearly rent. Waste land was ground not yet brought into cultivation, and the Company's leasing of it to planters served to extend the island's tillage and settlement, the rent of 1s 6d a token charge for the use of ground otherwise idle. This shows the Company's policy of putting its waste land to use through such grants, the planters taking up parcels as they fell vacant, the island's cultivated area growing as its people leased and worked the unimproved ground.

370

361

1756

Mr James Corbett presented the following

Petition vizt

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &c

Council

Sheweth

The humble Petition of James Corbett

That on looking over the Papers of late Mrs

Joshua Worrall, has found a Lease of a parcel of Land Assigned by

your Honors and Council to the late Mr John Breton Deceased, the

said Land is Adjoining to the House your humble Petitioner now

Dwelleth in, and as it is of no use to your Honors Petitioner, and being

very poor, humbly requests, that he may have leave to deliver up the

same

And your Honors Petitioner as in duty

17 May 1756

bound will ever pray

Signed

James Corbett

Granted

Captain Thomas Dibuke, having applyed

to us, for Sundry Stores &c to repair the Damage he sustained in a

Gale of Wind in which he lost his Main Mast, we agreed to supply

him with such as could possibly be spared

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The council heard a petition from James Corbett and an application from the commander of the Anson, and the record was subscribed.

Mr James Corbett presented a petition to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council. Corbett set out that on looking over the papers of the late Mr Joshua Worrall, he had found a lease of a parcel of land assigned by the Governor and Council to the late Mr John Breton, deceased. The land adjoined the house Corbett now dwelt in, and as it was of no use to the Governor and Council, and being very poor, he humbly asked that he might have leave to deliver up the lease. He signed the petition at St Helena on 17 May 1756. The council granted it.

Captain Thomas Dibuke, commander of the Anson, having applied to the council for sundry stores to repair the damage he sustained in a gale of wind in which he lost his mainmast, the council agreed to supply him with such as could possibly be spared.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

Corbett's petition to deliver up the lease he found among the dead man's papers shows the surrender of a holding a man no longer wanted, the tenant returning the land to the Company rather than continuing to hold and pay for it. This shows the leasing arrangement working both ways, a planter free to resign land he found poor and of no use, giving up the lease and its rent. The surrender marks the flexibility of the Company's land dealings, a holder able to relinquish ground that did not repay the keeping, the Company taking back its waste land when a tenant found it not worth the holding, the land returning to the pool from which it might be granted anew.

Captain Dibuke's application for stores to repair the Anson, dismasted in a gale, shows the island serving as a place of refuge and repair for the Company's storm-damaged ships. This shows St Helena's function as a haven where a crippled vessel might refit, the settlement supplying from its stores the materials to repair the damage of the passage. The council's agreement to furnish such stores as could be spared marks the island's role in sustaining the Company's shipping through the perils of the long voyage, a ship that lost her mast at sea able to make the island and there find the means to repair, the settlement a vital point of succour on the ocean route.

The council's supplying the Anson with such stores as could possibly be spared shows the settlement balancing the ship's need against its own limited resources, giving what it could without stripping itself. This marks the care with which the island managed its stores, aiding a distressed ship yet mindful that its own supplies must serve its needs, the help given within the limit of what could be spared. The qualification shows the settlement neither refusing the ship nor beggaring itself for her, the council weighing the demands of the passing shipping against the island's own wants, the stores shared so far as prudence allowed but no further.

371

362

18th May

At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 18 Day of May 1756

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed,

dated the 17 May 1756.

Yesterday Arrived a Dane Ship from Tranquebar, called the Three

Princesses, Capt Smidt, Burthen about 500 Tons, carrys 12 Guns

and 48 Men, loaden with 500 Bales of Bengall Goods, 1000 Bags

of Salt Petre, and 200 Maunds of Red Wood

This Day Arrived the Honorable Ship the Bombay Castle from Chena

Mr John Goodwin this Day gave in the

following Declaration upon Oath Vizt

That Mr Francis Wrangham Junr on Monday

the 12 instant, called him into his House, and said, he had

something to tell him, which he believed would give him

great concern, and that it was no less than the Veneral

disorder, which he said, his Wife had given him, and that

she told him she had got it from Mr Ingles, for that She knew

no other Man.

About an Hour after, he went up Stairs to see

Mrs Wrangham, where he found her in a Melancholly

Situation, and crying told him, she was ruined, and askd

him what she must do, he answered he could not advise

her what step to take, but that she must wait the event,

some little time, after this Mr Wrangham sent for him

up Stairs, when he went into the Room, where he had

left her just before, he saw her Brother Mr Richard Goodwin

18 May.

The council met in consultation on Tuesday 18 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 17 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The day before, a Danish ship arrived from Tranquebar, called the Three Princesses, Captain Smidt, of about 500 tons burthen, carrying 12 guns and 148 men, laden with 500 bales of Bengal goods, 1,000 bags of saltpetre and 200 maunds of red wood. The same day, the Honourable Company's ship Bombay Castle arrived from China.

Mr John Goodwin that day gave in the following declaration upon oath. Francis Wrangham senior, on Monday 12 May, called him into his house and said he had something to tell him which he believed would give him great concern, and that was no less than the venereal disorder, which he said his wife had given him, and that she told him she had got it from Mr Ingles, for she knew no other man.

About an hour after, Goodwin went up the stairs to see Mrs Wrangham, where he found her in a melancholy situation, and crying she told him she was ruined and asked him what she must do. He answered that he could not advise her what step to take, but that she must wait the event. Some little time after this, Mrs Wrangham sent for him up the stairs, and when he went into the room where he had left her just before, he saw her brother, Mr Richard Goodwin, sitting.

Interpretations

John Goodwin's declaration, now given formally upon oath, was the sworn version of the account he had asked leave to reconsider and put in writing at the earlier sitting, when he said he might have been mistaken in one or two circumstances. This shows the deliberate care with which the settlement took such grave evidence, a witness allowed to review his first account, correct it and swear to a considered version. The reappearance of the declaration in sworn and written form marks the seriousness of the charge against Ingles, the evidence not taken hastily but weighed, revised and confirmed on oath, the record built with a care befitting so grave a matter.

The Danish ship from Tranquebar, laden with saltpetre, red wood and Bengal goods, shows the varied cargoes of the eastern trade passing the island, the ships of every nation carrying the produce of India westward. Saltpetre was a chief commodity of the Bengal trade, essential to the making of gunpowder, and red wood a dyewood valued in Europe, both staples of the Company's Indian commerce here borne in a Danish bottom. This shows the island witnessing the whole traffic of the East India trades, the same goods the English Company carried home passing in the ships of Denmark, the settlement a vantage from which the commerce of all nations to the Indies could be observed.

The date of the Bombay Castle's arrival from China, noted with the Danish ship's cargo, shows the council's continued logging of every vessel that touched, the English Company's ships and the foreign traders alike recorded as they came. This marks the settlement's careful watch on the shipping that passed, each arrival set down with its origin and lading. The keeping of such a record shows the island's function as an observation point on the sea road, the movements of the whole East India traffic noted as the ships called, the council's book a register of the commerce that flowed past the Company's Atlantic station.

372

363

1756

sitting on the Bedside by her, and she in Tears, Mr Goodwin desired

to know of him what was the matter he said he supposed his

Sister had already acquainted him, he said no, upon which she Mrs

Wrangham desired he would tell her Brother what was the matter,

Therefore at her request he told him, that Mr Francis Wrangham

Junr had told him, he had got the Venereal Disorder from his

Wife, and that she had said Mr Ingles gave it to her

About half an Hour after this he was

Standing, in the Street with Mr Curling, when Mr Ingles sent

his Servant to him, and desired to Speak to him, accordingly

soon after he went in, and up Stairs where he found Mr Ingles

laying on the Floor, and weltering, in Blood, Mr Ingles said O

Mr Goodwin, I have put an end to an Infamous Life upon which

he immediately, left the Room, in order to get somebody into his

Assistance, about a Quarter of an Hour after this had happined,

he Mr Ingles told him in the presence of Mr William Wrangham

that the first part of his accusation was true, but that the latter

part was utterly false, the Day after this he went to Mr Ingles,

and asked him whether or not he had had knowledge of this unhappy

Woman more than once, his Answer to him, was yes, more than once.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

John Goodwin's sworn declaration concluded, and the record was subscribed.

Her brother was sitting on the bedside by her, and she in tears. Goodwin desired to know from him what the matter was. He said he supposed his sister had already acquainted him. Goodwin said no, whereupon Mrs Wrangham asked him to tell her brother what the matter was. Goodwin therefore, at her request, told him that Wrangham senior had told him he had got the venereal disorder from his wife, and that she had said Mr Ingles gave it to her.

About half an hour after this, Goodwin was standing in the street with Mr Gurling when Ingles sent his servant to him and desired to speak with him. Accordingly, soon after he went in and up the stairs, where he found Ingles lying on the floor and weltering in blood. Ingles said damn Goodwin, that he had put an end to an infamous life, whereupon he immediately left the room in order to get somebody to his assistance. About a quarter of an hour after this had happened, Ingles told him, in the presence of William Wrangham, that the first part of his accusation was true but the latter part was utterly false. The day after this, Goodwin went to Ingles and asked him whether or not he had had knowledge of the unhappy woman more than once, and his answer to him was yes, more than once.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

This sworn declaration substantially repeats the account Goodwin had given at the sitting of 26 April, now confirmed on oath after his request to review and correct it, the settlement thus building the case against Ingles on a witness's considered and sworn testimony. This shows the deliberate method of proceeding in so grave a matter, the same account taken twice, first informally and then on oath, so that the evidence should rest on a firm and tested foundation. The care to have Goodwin swear a reviewed version marks the seriousness of a charge that had driven a man to attempt his own life, the record made secure against any later doubt of what the witness had truly said.

Ingles's admission, given first partly and then fully, that he had known Mrs Wrangham more than once, was the surgeon's own confession of the adultery, wrung from him in stages and confirmed the day after his attempt upon his life. This shows the guilt established beyond question by the accused's own words, the confession the surer for coming from Ingles himself rather than from his accusers alone. The setting down of this admission, made in the presence of a witness and repeated the following day, marks the evidence complete against the surgeon, his own mouth confirming what the wife had confessed and the husband charged, the affair proved from every side.

The finding of Ingles weltering in his own blood, crying that he had put an end to an infamous life, shows again the terrible effect of the exposure upon him, the surgeon brought to bloodshed against his own person by the weight of the scandal. This confirms the desperate act recorded at the earlier sitting, the man's attempt upon his own life set down once more in Goodwin's sworn account. The repetition in the formal declaration marks the gravity of what the affair had wrought, the surgeon's self-violence a fact the settlement recorded with care, the ruin of the man laid open in the sworn evidence as in the earlier account.

373

364

19th May

At a Consultation held on Wednesday the 19 day of May

1756 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and Signed dated

the 18 May 1756

This Day arrived the Honorable

Companys Ship the Oxford Captain Thomas Stevens from

England, and brought us a Packet, from the Honorable the

Court of Directors, which we opened, and read their Honors

Orders to us.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

19 May.

The council met in consultation on Wednesday 19 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 18 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

That day the Honourable Company's ship Oxford, Captain Thomas Stevens, arrived from England and brought a packet from the Honourable Court of Directors, which the council opened, reading their orders.

Interpretations

The arrival of the Oxford from England with a packet from the Court of Directors shows the settlement's dependence on the ships from home for its instructions, the Company's orders carried across the sea in the vessels that called. This shows the island governed at a great remove, its directions arriving only as the ships brought them, the packet from the Court the channel through which London ruled its distant station. The opening and reading of these orders as soon as the ship arrived marks the council's attention to the Company's commands, the government of the island waiting upon the correspondence from home and taking up its instructions the moment they came to hand.

The distinction of the Oxford as arrived from England, against the ships lately noted from China, Bengal and the Danish and Swedish ports, shows the two directions of the traffic that passed the island, the outward ships from home and the homeward ships from the East. This marks St Helena's place at the meeting of the routes, the vessels from England bearing orders and supplies outward while those from the Indies carried trade homeward, the island touched by both streams. The Oxford's coming from home, bringing the Court's packet, shows the particular value of the ships from England, which carried not merely goods but the authority and instructions by which the settlement was ruled.

374

365

20th May

At a Consultation held on Thursday the 20 Day of May 1756

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated the

19 May 1756

John Cawdry, and Peter Barker Soldiers

this Day Petitioned for their Discharges from the Garrison having

served the Honorable Company their contracted Times.

Granted

Joseph Lowe, and George Smith Soldiers

in the Company commanded by Lieutenant John Clark being by

their Infermitys, rendered incapable, of doing their Duty, we agried

to Discharge them the Honorable Companys Service.

Some little difference, arising, between Messrs

Benjamin Mason, and Thomas Harper, about paying a Bill to

Mr John Ingles the Surgeon, of two Pounds, fifteen Shillings, and

six pence, for Medicines given to the Orphans of Joseph Harding Deed

who were by an agreement to be maintained in Diet and Cloaths

by the said Mason, until they come to Age or Marriage in consideration

of his having the use of their Fortunes, and no notice having been

taken, whether he, or the Children were to be charged, or not, with such expences

the said Mason and Harper applyed to us to determine by whom that

Mony was to be paid Upon considering the case, we thought it equitable, that

the Bill should be equally divided between them, which they consented to

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

20 May.

The council met in consultation on Thursday 20 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 19 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

John Cawdery and Peter Barker, soldiers, that day petitioned for their discharges from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company their contracted times. The council granted it.

Joseph Lowe and George Smith, soldiers in the company commanded by Lieutenant John Clark, being by their infirmities rendered incapable of doing their duty, the council agreed to discharge them from the Honourable Company's service.

Some little difference arising between Benjamin Mason and Thomas Harper about paying a bill to Mr John Ingles, the surgeon, of £2 15s 6d for medicines given to the orphans of Joseph Harding, deceased, who were by an agreement to be maintained in diet and clothes by Mason until they came to age or marriage, in consideration of his having the use of their fortunes, and no notice having been taken whether he or the children were to be charged or not, the parties applied to the council to determine by whom the bill was to be paid. On considering the case, the council thought it equitable that the bill should be equally divided between them, which they consented to.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The discharge of Cawdery and Barker on completing their contracted times, alongside Lowe and Smith discharged for infirmity, shows the two ways a soldier left the garrison, by serving out his term or by becoming unfit. This shows the garrison's roll constantly turning over, men leaving as their five years ended or as age and sickness disabled them, the establishment renewed by discharge as by enlistment. The granting of these discharges marks the Company keeping faith with the terms of service, releasing men who had served their time and letting go those no longer able, the roll adjusted to the fitness and the contracts of the men upon it.

The agreement by which Benjamin Mason maintained the orphans of Joseph Harding in return for the use of their fortunes shows a common arrangement for the care of parentless children, a guardian taking their property and undertaking their keep. This shows the settlement providing for its orphans through such compacts, a man given the management of a child's inheritance on condition he fed and clothed the child until age or marriage. The arrangement marks a practical answer to the plight of children left without parents, their fortunes put to use by a guardian who in return bore the charge of their upbringing, the property and the care bound together in a single bargain.

The council's division of the disputed bill equally between the parties shows its resort to equity where the original agreement was silent, deciding by fairness what the contract had not provided. This shows the council acting as a court of equity as well as of law, filling the gap in a bargain by what seemed just rather than by any strict rule. The question being whether the guardian or the children's estate should bear the surgeon's bill, and the agreement giving no answer, the council split the charge between them as the equitable course, the parties consenting, the settlement's justice reaching to supply by fairness what the parties had left unsettled.

Speculations

The council, faced with a bill the guardianship agreement had not provided for, chose to divide it equally between the parties rather than charge it wholly to one side. The obvious courses were to lay the cost on Mason, who held the children's fortunes and had undertaken their keep, or on the children's estate, as a charge upon their own maintenance, yet the council took neither but split the bill between them. The agreement being genuinely silent on who should bear such a charge, and neither party having clearly assumed it, the council perhaps judged that strict justice could not fix the whole on either and that an equal division was the fairest resolution of a matter the parties themselves had left open, choosing the compromise of equity over a strict allocation to one side where the bargain gave no clear answer.

375

366

21st May

At a Consultation held on Friday the 21 Day of May

1756 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark

of Council absent being lame.

The last Consultation was read approved, and Signed

Dated the 20 May 1756

We this Day sent for Lieutenant Thomas

Easthope, and acquainted him with the Honorable Companys

Orders relating to him, Who desired us to return them, his

humble and hearty thanks, for the great favour, and indulgence

of allowing him two Shillings, and six pence p Day for the

remainder of his Life.

We likewise appointed Mr Kennedy

who is the eldest Second Lieutenant, to succeed Mr Easthope

as first Lieutenant, and Mr Henry Bazett Cadet, to succeed

Mr Kennedy as Second

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

21 May.

The council met in consultation on Friday 21 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson and John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant John Clark of Council being absent, lame. The previous consultation, dated 20 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

The council that day sent for Lieutenant Thomas Easthope and acquainted him with the Honourable Company's orders relating to him. He asked the council to return his humble and hearty thanks for the great favour and indulgence of allowing him 2s 6d a day for the remainder of his life.

The council likewise appointed Mr Kennedy, who was the eldest second lieutenant, to succeed Mr Easthope as first lieutenant, and Mr Henry Bazett, cadet, to succeed Mr Kennedy as second.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson and John Adamson.

Interpretations

The Company's grant to Lieutenant Easthope of 2s 6d a day for the remainder of his life shows the rewarding of a long-serving officer with a pension for his old age, the daily allowance a provision for his retirement. This shows the Company caring for its senior officers as they left active service, the pension a recognition of years given to the Company and a support for the man's remaining life. Easthope's grateful thanks mark the value such a provision held, the officer secured against want in his old age, the Company binding its servants by the prospect of such indulgence at the end of their service, a reward that made long fidelity worth the giving.

The appointments following Easthope's retirement, Kennedy the eldest second lieutenant rising to first and Bazett the cadet stepping up to second, show promotion by seniority filling the vacancy from below. This shows the settled order of advancement in the garrison, each officer moving up as those above him left, the eldest in each rank taking the place that fell vacant. The orderly succession marks the garrison's command renewing itself by a fixed principle, seniority the rule of advancement, the departure of one officer drawing up the whole line beneath him, the cadet rising to commissioned rank as the ladder of promotion moved.

The absence of Lieutenant Clark, noted as lame, shows the council recording the reason for a member's absence, the third seat empty through the officer's infirmity. This marks the smallness of the council and the care to note why a member did not attend, the business proceeding with only two present when the third was disabled. The recording of Clark's lameness shows the settlement's exact account of its governing body, every absence and its cause set down, the council transacting its affairs with the members it had while noting who was wanting and why, the record complete as to the presence and the reasons for absence of each.

376

367

24th May

At a Consultation holden Monday the 24 day of May 1756 at

the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed Dated the

21 May 1756

This Morning, Sailed the Dane Ship, the Three Princesses for Copenhagen

Joseph Boswell Soldier this Day petitioned

for his Discharge from the Garrison, having served the Honorable

Company his contracted Time

Granted

Mr Francis Mowatt late Adjutant, having

applyed to us for liberty to leave the Island, and go for England by the

first opportunity.

Granted

Thomas Pledger Native, likewise applyed

for liberty to us to leave the Island

Granted

The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards Accounts

for the Month ending the 11 instant, were this day brought in which

were examined, and approved, and are as follows Vizt

24 May.

The council met in consultation on Monday 24 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 21 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

That morning, the Danish ship Three Princesses sailed for Copenhagen.

Joseph Boswell, soldier, that day petitioned for his discharge from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company his contracted time. The council granted it.

Mr Francis Mowatt, late adjutant, having applied to the council for liberty to leave the island and go for England by the first opportunity, the council granted it.

Thomas Pledger, native, likewise applied to the council for liberty to leave the island. The council granted it.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending the 11 instant that day were brought in, which were examined and approved, and were as follows.

Interpretations

Mowatt, the adjutant suspended for his defiance, now sought leave to quit the island for England, the disgraced officer choosing to depart after his suspension. This shows the aftermath of the discipline enforced against him, the officer removed from his post now leaving the settlement altogether, his career there ended by his own obstinacy. The council's granting of his request marks the close of the affair, the man who had defied its authority permitted to go, his suspension having made his position untenable, the settlement rid of a troublesome officer who chose to remove himself rather than remain under the cloud of his refusal.

The requirement that Thomas Pledger, a native of the island, seek the council's leave to depart shows the control the settlement kept over the movement of its own people, even the island-born not free to leave without permission. This shows the Company's authority extending to the coming and going of the inhabitants, a native needing leave to quit the island as a passenger needed leave to change his ship. The requiring of such permission marks the settlement a closed community whose people could not freely depart, the council's sanction needed before any left, the island's population held under a discipline that reached to their very freedom to go.

The bringing in of the plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for examination and approval shows the regular monthly audit of the settlement's affairs, the accounts of each department presented and checked in turn. This shows the orderly reckoning of the island's business, the several accounts brought before the council each month to be examined and passed, the whole administration held to a regular account. The examination and approval of these accounts marks the discipline of the settlement's finances, every department answerable for its spending, the council overseeing the whole through the monthly presentation and audit of the accounts of each part of its establishment.

377

368

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca from 12 April to the 11 May 1756 Vizt

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Pigs, Boars, Total, Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Horses, Mares, Total, 9 Hoes, Asses, Total

Remaining the 12: Bulls 4, Cows 90, Calves 45, Heifers 29, Yearlings 67, Steers 27, Oxen 14, Total 276, Ewes 389, Wethers 177, Lambs 31, Rams 7, Total 604, Ewes 195, Wethers 131, Kids 19, Rams 7, Total 352, Sows 8, Shoats 13, Pigs 6, Boars 1, Total 28, Fowls 192, Turkeys 46, Ducks 64, Geese 15, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, 9 Hoes 2, Asses 3, Total 5

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 4, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 4, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 126, Rams 0, Total 126, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 6, Rams 0, Total 6, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Fowls 85, Turkeys 0, Ducks 0, Geese 4, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, 9 Hoes 0, Asses 0, Total 0

Total: Bulls 4, Cows 90, Calves 49, Heifers 29, Yearlings 67, Steers 27, Oxen 14, Total 280, Ewes 389, Wethers 177, Lambs 157, Rams 7, Total 730, Ewes 195, Wethers 131, Kids 25, Rams 7, Total 358, Sows 8, Shoats 13, Pigs 6, Boars 1, Total 28, Fowls 277, Turkeys 46, Ducks 64, Geese 19, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, 9 Hoes 2, Asses 3, Total 5

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 1, Heifers 0, Yearlings 2, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 3, Ewes 0, Wethers 10, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 10, Ewes 1, Wethers 5, Kids 2, Rams 0, Total 8, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Fowls 32, Turkeys 3, Ducks 3, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, 9 Hoes 0, Asses 0, Total 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 1, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 2, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Pigs 0, Boars 0, Total 0, Fowls 3, Turkeys 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, 9 Hoes 0, Asses 0, Total 0

Remaining the 11: Bulls 4, Cows 89, Calves 49, Heifers 28, Yearlings 67, Steers 24, Oxen 14, Total 275, Ewes 389, Wethers 167, Lambs 157, Rams 7, Total 720, Ewes 194, Wethers 126, Kids 23, Rams 7, Total 350, Sows 8, Shoats 13, Pigs 6, Boars 1, Total 28, Fowls 245, Turkeys 40, Ducks 61, Geese 19, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, 9 Hoes 2, Asses 3, Total 5

One Steer for the Table

Beef to the Ship Warren 560

One Goat to the Sick Slaves

Yam expended for the Slaves

13,515

Good Yam for Stock

5,470

Bad Do for Do

2,000

20,985

Signed

John Adamson

This account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other animals ran from 12 April to 11 May 1756, set out under the headings neat cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each divided into its several kinds. The neat cattle were counted as bulls, cows, calves, heifers, yearlings, steers, oxen and total. The sheep were counted as ewes, wethers, lambs, rams and total. The goats were counted as ewes, wethers, kids, rams and total. The hogs were counted as sows, shoats, pigs, boars and total. The poultry were counted as fowls, turkeys, ducks, geese and total. The horses were counted as horses, mares and total. The asses were counted as she asses, he asses and total. One steer was noted for the table, beef sent to the Warren is entered below at 560, and one goat given to the sick slaves.

Remaining the 12: bulls 4, cows 90, calves 45, heifers 29, yearlings 67, steers 27, oxen 14, total neat cattle 276; ewes 389, wethers 177, lambs 31, rams 7, total sheep 604; goat ewes 195, goat wethers 131, kids 19, goat rams 7, total goats 352; sows 8, shoats 13, pigs 6, boars 1, total hogs 28; fowls 192, turkeys 46, ducks 64, geese 15, total poultry 317; horses 6, mares 9, total horses 15; she asses 2, he asses 3, total asses 5

Increased: calves 4, total neat cattle 4; lambs 126, total sheep 126; kids 6, total goats 6; fowls 85, geese 4, total poultry 89

Total: bulls 4, cows 90, calves 49, heifers 29, yearlings 67, steers 27, oxen 14, total neat cattle 280; ewes 389, wethers 177, lambs 157, rams 7, total sheep 730; goat ewes 195, goat wethers 131, kids 25, goat rams 7, total goats 358; sows 8, shoats 13, pigs 6, boars 1, total hogs 28; fowls 277, turkeys 46, ducks 64, geese 19, total poultry 406; horses 6, mares 9, total horses 15; she asses 2, he asses 3, total asses 5

Killed: calves 1, steers 2, total neat cattle 3; wethers 10, total sheep 10; goat ewes 1, goat wethers 5, kids 2, total goats 8; fowls 32, turkeys 3, ducks 3, total poultry 38

Died: cows 1, steers 1, total neat cattle 2; ducks 3, total poultry 3

Remaining the 11: bulls 4, cows 89, calves 49, heifers 28, yearlings 67, steers 24, oxen 14, total neat cattle 275; ewes 389, wethers 167, lambs 157, rams 7, total sheep 720; goat ewes 194, goat wethers 126, kids 23, goat rams 7, total goats 350; sows 8, shoats 13, pigs 6, boars 1, total hogs 28; fowls 245, turkeys 40, ducks 61, geese 19, total poultry 406; horses 6, mares 9, total horses 15; she asses 2, he asses 3, total asses 5

Yam expended for the slaves, 13,515

Good yam for stock, 5,470

Bad yam for stock, 2,000

Total, 20,983

The account was signed by John Adamson.

Interpretations

This stock account gives a full census of the Company's animals on the island, taken monthly and set out by kind, showing the settlement's husbandry reckoned as carefully as its money and stores. The counting of every beast by its sort, the increase by birth and the losses by killing and death, marks the plantation managed as a serious concern, the herds and flocks told over each month so the Company might know its exact holding. This shows the island's farming a substantial part of its economy, hundreds of sheep and goats and scores of cattle kept and bred, the stock a standing asset accounted for with the same rigour as the cash in the chest.

The great disparity in the yams, 13,515 expended for the slaves against 7,470 kept for the stock, shows the yam the staple food of the slaves as much as the feed of the animals, the root sustaining both the labour force and the herds. Yams grew readily on the island and formed the cheap bulk food on which the slaves were largely fed, the huge quantity consumed by them marking their number and their dependence on this single crop. This shows the yam central to the island's subsistence, the same root that fed the beasts feeding the slaves in far greater measure, the settlement's whole lower economy resting on a harvest of yams shared between the workers and the stock.

The distinction between good yams for the stock and bad, 5,470 against 2,000, shows the sorting of the crop by quality, the sounder roots and the spoiled kept and reckoned apart. This marks the care in managing even this humble provision, the yams graded so that the good might be used to best advantage and the bad accounted for separately, perhaps for the meaner uses or as waste. The separate counting of the bad yams shows the settlement tracking not merely the quantity of its provision but its condition, the harvest reckoned by its soundness as well as its bulk, the management of the island's food attentive to quality as to amount.

Speculations

The killing figures show the Company drawing on its sheep and goats for the table and the ships far more readily than on its cattle, only three neat beasts slaughtered against ten sheep and eight goats in the month. The obvious course for feeding the settlement and provisioning a ship like the Warren might have been to kill the larger cattle, which yielded far more meat per beast, yet the Company took chiefly the smaller stock and spared all but a few of its cattle. The neat cattle, slow to breed and valuable for draught and for milk, were perhaps too few and too useful to kill freely, their increase but four calves in the month against sixscore lambs, so the Company preserved its cattle as a breeding and working stock and met its need for meat from the fast-multiplying sheep and goats, choosing to spend the plentiful small stock rather than deplete the precious herd of cattle.

378

369

1756

Gunners Stores expended from 12 April

to the 11 May 1756 Vizt

Gunpowder, 6 pr Do, 6 pr, 4 pr, 3 pr, 2 pr, 1 pr, Powder Expended

1756

April 13 Departed the Prince George, Prince of Wales

and Kent

Gunpowder 27, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 27, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 27 3

Powder for Priming

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

22 Fired at Ruperts, for practice & for Priming

Gunpowder 8, 6 pr Do 8, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 8, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 17 8

May 2 Alarm

Gunpowder 6, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

3 Arrived a Sweed Ship, returned the Salute

Gunpowder 8, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 8, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 8

Powder for Priming

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

5 A double Alarm for six Ships, that went by

Gunpowder 15, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 6, 3 pr 6, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3 33

Fired at Banks's to bring a Dutch Ship to

Gunpowder 1, 6 pr Do 1, 6 pr 1, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

6 Alarm

Gunpowder 6, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Warren, returned the Salute

Gunpowder 9, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

Do for Do at Prosperous Bay

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3

8 Departed the Sweed Ship, returned the Salute

Gunpowder 8, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 8, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 8

Powder for Priming

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

9 Alarm

Gunpowder 6, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived a Dane Ship, returned the Salute

Gunpowder 9, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

11 Alarm

Gunpowder 6, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Powder for the Funeral of Thos Rawlings

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 4

Do for priming the Guns at the Main & out Forts

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 6

Do for Signals

Gunpowder 0, 6 pr Do 0, 6 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

Total

Gunpowder 109 9, 6 pr Do 1, 6 pr 1, 4 pr 22 14, 3 pr 6, 2 pr 1 11, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 190 4

Paper for the use of the Secretarys Office

1 qr

Do for the use of the Castle

1 qr

Do for making small Cartridges

14 qr

Tallow for the use of the Carts

4 lb

Do for the Pump

1 lb

Flags at the Main Fort, worn out & unserviceable

This account of gunners stores expended ran from 12 April to 11 May 1756, set out under the several natures of gun fired and the powder expended. The columns recorded the guns fired and, against each occasion, the number fired of 9 pounders, 6 pounders, 4 pounders, 3 pounders, 2 pounders and 1 pounders, with the powder expended in pounds. The occasions and the powder they consumed were the following, all named vessels being ships that departed, arrived or passed. The saluting guns were fired chiefly at Prosperous Bay, the alarm guns at the forts, and the whole is entered in guns fired and powder in pounds.

13 April, departed the Prince George, Prince of Wales and Kent, 27 nine pounders, 27 guns fired, 41 lb 3 oz powder

Powder for priming, 4 lb 8 oz

22 April, fired at Ruperts for practice and for priming, 8 nine pounders 8 four pounders, 17 lb 8 oz powder

2 May, alarm, 6 nine pounders 2 three pounders 2 two pounders, 2 lb 12 oz powder

3 May, arrived a Swedish ship, returned the salute, 8 nine pounders, 8 guns fired, 8 lb powder

Powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz

5 May, a double alarm for six ships that went by, 15 nine pounders 6 three pounders 6 two pounders, 3 lb 33 oz powder

Fired at Banks's to bring a Dutch ship to, 1 nine pounder 1 six pounder 1 four pounder, 4 lb 8 oz powder

6 May, alarm, 6 nine pounders 2 three pounders 2 two pounders, 2 lb 12 oz powder

Arrived the Warren, returned the salute, 9 nine pounders, 9 guns fired, 9 lb powder

Powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz

Ditto for ditto at Prosperous Bay, 3 lb

8 May, departed the Swedish ship, returned the salute, 8 nine pounders, 8 guns fired, 8 lb powder

Powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz

9 May, alarm, 6 nine pounders 2 three pounders 2 two pounders, 2 lb 12 oz powder

Arrived a Danish ship, returned the salute, 9 nine pounders, 9 guns fired, 9 lb powder

Powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz

11 May, alarm, 6 nine pounders 2 three pounders 2 two pounders, 2 lb 12 oz powder

Powder for the funeral of Thomas Rawlings, 2 lb 4 oz

Ditto for priming the guns at the main and out forts, 6 lb

Ditto for signals, 4 lb 8 oz

Total, 109 nine pounders, 9 six pounders, 1 four pounder, 22 three pounders, 14 two pounders, 6 one pounders, 111 guns fired, 190 lb 4 oz powder

Paper for the use of the secretary's office, 1 quire

Ditto for the use of the castle, 1 quire

Ditto for making small cartridges, 14 quires

Tallow for the use of the carts, 17 lb

Ditto for the pump, 1 lb

Flags at the main fort, worn out and unserviceable

The Prince George, Prince of Wales, Kent, Warren and the Swedish and Danish ships were the vessels saluted or signalled.

Interpretations

This account of powder and shot fired shows the constant work of the island's guns, saluting the ships that came and went, sounding the alarm when strange sails appeared and firing at vessels to bring them to. The saluting of arriving and departing ships with a set number of guns was a courtesy of the sea, the honour returned gun for gun, while the alarm guns carried warning across the country and the shots at Banks's compelled a Dutch ship to stop. This shows the guns central to the settlement's daily intercourse with the shipping, their firing a language of courtesy, warning and command, the powder expended the price of the island's constant communication with the sea.

The double alarm fired for six ships that went by, and the shot to bring a Dutch ship to, show the guns used to challenge and control the vessels that passed, the settlement asserting its watch over the shipping in its waters. The bringing to of a ship by a shot across her course was the means of compelling a stranger to identify herself or come to anchor, the island exercising a right to stop and question the vessels that approached. This shows the settlement's guns serving not merely for salute and alarm but for the active control of the sea about it, the passing ships made to answer to the island's batteries, the powder spent in enforcing its authority over the traffic that came within reach.

The powder issued for the funeral of Thomas Rawlings shows the guns fired also for the rites of the dead, a measure of powder spent to honour a burial with the sound of the cannon. This marks the use of the guns in the ceremonies of the settlement's life as well as its defence and intercourse, the dead saluted with powder as the ships were saluted. The firing at a funeral shows the reach of these observances, the same guns that warned of enemies and greeted ships marking the passing of a man of the settlement, the powder spent on his burial a mark of respect rendered in the only ceremony the island's arms could offer.

379

370

24th May

Formers worn out & unserviceable

13

Lead Aprons Stole from off the Guns at the Main Fort

1

Lead Shot for the use of the Long Boat

14 lb

Pink Hoops for repairing the Powder Barrels

100

Betts broke at the Main & out Forts

7

Handspikes broke at Do

4

Match burnt at Do

10 lb

Signed

Thomas Hall

Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys

Table in the Month ending the 11 May 1756 vizt

18 Bottles Port Wine

L 1 6 7 1/2

22 Do Mountain

1 12 6 1/2

30 Do Lisbon

2 1/2

17 Do Madera

2 4 1/2

72 Do Arack

2 8

75 Do Beer

15 7 1/2

36 1/4 Flour

2 9 3

246 Mutton

6 2 6

323 Beef

4 3

82 Goat

1 7 4

2 Kids

10

9 P Salt Pork

18

3 Ducks

4 6

32 Fowls

2 8

3 Turkeys

15

12 Candy

1 15

15 Butter

15

L 30 9 1 1/2

24 May.

The gunners account of stores worn out and expended closed with several further items, and was signed by the master gunner. A fresh account then set out the sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month ending 11 May 1756.

Sponges worn out and unserviceable, 13

Lead aprons stolen from off the guns at the main fort, 1

Lead shot for the use of the long boat, 1 lb

Pink hoops for repairing the powder barrels, 100

Bolts broke at the main and out forts, 7

Handspikes broke at ditto, 4

Match burnt at ditto, 10 lb

The gunners account was signed by Thomas Hall.

18 bottles port wine, £1 6s 7½d

22 bottles mountain, £1 12s 6½d

30 bottles Lisbon, £2 1s 7½d

17 bottles Madeira, £2 0s 4½d

72 bottles arrack, £2 8s 0d

75 bottles beer, £0 15s 7½d

364 lb flour, £2 9s 3d

246 lb mutton, £6 2s 6d

323 lb beef, £4 0s 4d

82 lb goat, £1 7s 4d

2 kids, £0 10s 0d

9 lb salt pork, £0 18s 0d

3 ducks, £0 4s 6d

33 fowls, £2 3s 0d

3 turkeys, £0 15s 0d

120 lb candy, £1 15s 0d

15 lb butter, £0 15s 0d

Total, £30 9s 1½d

Interpretations

The lead aprons stolen from off the guns at the main fort appear here among the gunners losses, a small but telling theft from the very batteries that defended the island. Lead aprons were covers laid over the touchholes and locks of the guns to keep the rain and damp from spoiling the vent and the priming, so their theft left the guns exposed to the weather and their firing endangered. This shows petty pilfering reaching even to the settlement's defences, the lead valued for its metal and stolen from the guns themselves, the same disregard for the fortifications seen in the sabotage of the alarm gun now showing in the theft of the guns fittings.

The provisions of the Company's table, set out here in detail, show the ample and varied fare of the governor and senior officers, a month's consumption running to four kinds of wine besides arrack and beer, and meat of every sort. The port, mountain, Lisbon and Madeira wines, the mutton, beef, goat and poultry, and the candy and butter mark a table kept in real plenty and refinement, the leaders of the settlement dining on the best the island and the ships could furnish. This shows the degree of comfort maintained at the castle, the Company's principal table provisioned like a gentleman's house at home, the wines of Spain, Portugal and Madeira gracing a board on a remote Atlantic island.

The heavy consumption of mutton and beef, 246 lb and 323 lb in the month, shows the table drawing freely on the fresh meat of the island's own stock, the sheep and cattle of the plantation slaughtered for the officers fare. This ties the table account to the stock account of the same month, the beasts killed there now appearing as the meat consumed here, the plantation feeding the castle from its herds and flocks. This shows the settlement's husbandry serving its table directly, the fresh mutton and beef of the island's own raising set before the officers, the plantation and the table two ends of a single economy, the stock bred and killed to furnish the Company's board with fresh meat that no ship could have kept.

380

371

1756.

Relisted the following Men to serve the

Honorable Company as Soldiers for five years, at Ten Pounds Bounty

Mony their Times to commence the 20 instant, and had the Articles of

War read to them vizt

Richard Knight

Thomas Fuller

William Brown

John Holloway

John Scotcher

As we have reason to believe that there

will not be a sufficient quantity of fresh Beef remaining upon the

Island to supply the Ships, that are expected. We sent for the

Commanders, and acquainted them, that they could not have as much,

as they have had, upon which they agried not to take more than four

hundred weight Weekly for each Ship.

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The council enlisted a further body of soldiers and dealt with the supply of fresh beef to the ships, and the record was subscribed.

The council enlisted the following men to serve the Honourable Company as soldiers for five years at £10 0s 0d bounty money, their time to commence 20 May, and had the Articles of War read to them.

Richard Knights

William Brown

John Scotcher

Thomas Fuller

John Holloway

As the council had reason to believe that there would not be a sufficient quantity of fresh beef remaining upon the island to supply the ships that were expected, it sent for the commanders and acquainted them that they could not have as much as they had had. The commanders thereupon agreed not to take more than 400 lb weight weekly for each ship.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The council's rationing of fresh beef to the ships, limiting each to 400 lb weekly, shows the settlement managing a scarce resource against a heavy demand, the island's stock of cattle insufficient to supply freely the ships that called. This shows the tension between the island's own limited husbandry and the wants of the passing shipping, the fresh beef the ships prized dwindling as more vessels came. The council's foresight in restraining the supply before it failed marks a careful management of the island's meat, the ships rationed so that the stock might not be exhausted, the settlement balancing its duty to provision the shipping against the limit of what its herds could yield.

The commanders agreement to take no more than the rationed amount shows the ships masters accepting the council's limit, the demand of the shipping bending to the island's capacity. This shows the council's authority over the supply of provisions, the ships not free to take what they would but held to what the settlement could spare, the commanders consenting to the restriction. The agreement marks the orderly sharing of a scarce provision, the ships accepting a reduced allowance rather than straining the island's stock, the council and the commanders together arranging that the beef should go round, the settlement's meat husbanded against the needs of all the vessels expected.

The reason given, that not enough fresh beef would remain to supply the ships expected, shows the council anticipating a coming demand and acting before the shortage struck. This marks the foresight in the settlement's management, the supply restrained not after it failed but in expectation of the ships to come, the council reckoning the island's stock against the vessels it knew were on their way. This shows the settlement planning its provisioning ahead, the fresh beef conserved against a foreseen demand, the council's care extending to the future wants of the shipping as well as the present, the island's meat managed with an eye to the ships not yet arrived.

Speculations

The council chose to ration the fresh beef equally among the expected ships, rather than supply the earliest comers fully and let the later ships take their chance. The obvious course, with a dwindling stock, might have been to serve each ship as it came until the beef ran out, leaving the last arrivals to go without, yet the council instead fixed a weekly limit for every ship so that all should share the scarcity alike. Foreseeing that the stock would not stretch to supply every vessel as freely as before, the council perhaps judged it fairer and more prudent that all the ships should have a reduced but certain allowance than that some should be fully provisioned and others left short, choosing an equal rationing among all the expected vessels over a first-come supply that would have favoured the early ships and failed the late.

381

372

31st May

At a Consultation held on Monday the 31 Day of May

1756 at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved, and Signed

Dated the 24 May 1756

Mr Francis Mowatt presented the following

Petition vizt

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & Council

Sheweth

The humble Petition of Francis Mowatt

That your Petitioner is possessed of a Lease

for twenty one and an half Acres of Land, lying in Sandy Bay.

Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that

your Worship & Council will Grant him liberty to Assign

his Right for the remainder of the Time in the abovesaid Lease

for twenty one years

And your Petitioner will ever pray

St Helena

31 May 1756

Signed

Francis Mowatt

Granted

31 May.

The council met in consultation on Monday 31 May 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 24 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

Mr Francis Mowatt presented a petition to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council. Mowatt set out that he was possessed of a lease for twenty one and a half acres of land lying in Sandy Bay. He therefore humbly asked that the Governor and Council would grant him liberty to assign his right for the remainder of the time in the lease, for twenty one years. He signed the petition at St Helena on 31 May 1756. The council granted it.

Interpretations

Mowatt, the suspended adjutant now bound for England, sought leave to assign his lease of land in Sandy Bay before departing, disposing of his island property as he prepared to leave. This shows the officer settling his affairs on the island ahead of his departure, the man who had defied the council now applying to it for leave to transfer his holding. The council's granting of the request marks the ordinary administration of land proceeding regardless of the earlier dispute, Mowatt permitted to assign his lease as any departing holder might, his property dealt with on its own terms though his conduct had cost him his post.

The requirement that Mowatt seek the council's leave to assign his lease shows the control the Company kept over the transfer of its land, a leaseholder not free to make over his holding without permission. This shows the land held on terms that bound the tenant, the assignment of a lease subject to the Company's sanction as its original grant had been. The requiring of such leave marks the Company's continuing interest in its land even after leasing it, the holder able to transfer his right only with the council's consent, the settlement keeping its hand on the disposal of the land it granted, the tenant's dealings with his lease answerable to the Company that owned the ground.

The lease of twenty one years, which Mowatt sought to assign for its remainder, shows the term on which the Company let its land, a substantial period giving the holder a long and secure tenure. This marks the leasing arrangement as one of real stability, the land held for a term of years that made improvement worth the tenant's while, the lease a valuable right that could be assigned to another. The length of the term shows the Company encouraging settled cultivation through long leases, the holder secure enough in his tenure to work and improve the ground, the twenty one years a period that gave the land real value as a property to be held, worked and passed on.

382

373

1756

Mr Francis Wrangham Junr this Day presented

a Lease, which was read, and being asked what he intended by it, as Mr

Ingles was going off the Island, he thereupon replyed, that if it was so

he would withdraw it, for that was all he wanted, and desired he

might have the Lease returned him, which was done accordingly.

Mr John Ingles desired that the two following

Depositions might be entered in Consultation of this Day.

Granted

Island St Helena 24 May 1756

Thomas Evans Surgeons Assistant upon the

Island, maketh Oath, that he has at different Times before, and since

the 12 of April 1756 heard Mr John Ingles Surgeon of the said Island,

in conversation declare, that he never had the Veneral Disorder, nor

does the said Thomas Evans, know, that the said John Ingles has

ever since he Thomas Evans been upon the Island taken any

Medicines for any such disorder

Signed

Thomas Evans

Sworn this 24 Day of May 1756

before me Signed

Chas Hutchinson

The council heard a further matter from Francis Wrangham and received depositions in the surgeon's defence.

Mr Francis Wrangham senior that day presented a lease, which was defaced, and being asked what he intended by it, as Mr Ingles was going off the island, thereupon replied that if it was so he would withdraw it, for that was all he wanted, and asked that he might have the lease returned him, which was done accordingly.

Mr John Ingles asked that the two following depositions might be entered in the consultation of that day. The council granted it.

At the island of St Helena, 24 May 1756, Thomas Evans, surgeon's assistant upon the island, made oath that he had at different times before, and since 12 April 1756, heard John Ingles, surgeon of the island, declare in conversation that he never had the venereal disorder. Nor did Evans know that Ingles had, ever since Evans had been upon the island, taken any medicines for any such disorder. Evans swore this on 24 May 1756 before Charles Hutchinson, who signed, as did Evans.

Interpretations

Wrangham's declaration that his purpose was served now Ingles was leaving the island, and his withdrawal of the matter, shows the departure of the surgeon as the true object of the whole proceeding against him. This reveals the aim behind Wrangham's pursuit of the charge, not punishment for its own sake but the removal of the man who had wronged him, satisfied once Ingles was to go. The withdrawal marks the resolution of the feud through the surgeon's departure, Wrangham content to let the matter drop when its end was achieved, the whole grave affair of accusation and confession subsiding once the offending party agreed to leave the settlement.

The depositions Ingles asked to be entered, swearing he never had the venereal disorder and took no medicines for it, show the surgeon seeking to defend his reputation even as he prepared to depart, gathering sworn testimony against the charge. This shows Ingles fighting to clear his name of at least part of the accusation, the medical evidence of his own assistant brought to deny that he suffered or treated the disease. The entering of these depositions marks the surgeon's care for his standing, contradicting the claim that he had infected Mrs Wrangham by denying he ever had the disorder to give, the record allowed to hold his defence alongside the evidence against him.

The conflict between these depositions and Ingles's own earlier admissions shows the tangled state of the evidence, the surgeon at one point confessing the adultery and at another swearing he never had the disease attributed to him. This marks the difficulty of arriving at the truth in so contested a matter, the accused's own words pointing both ways, his confession of the act set against his denial of the infection. The council's allowing both the confession and these contrary depositions to stand in the record shows it preserving the whole conflicting evidence rather than resolving it, the matter left as the departure of the parties closed it, the truth of the infection unsettled though the adultery was owned.

383

374

31st May

Island St Helena.

George Hay, a Lieutenant in the Honorable

East India Companys Service upon the said Island, maketh

Oath, that Mr Francis Wrangham Junr on or about the 13

Day of April 1756 informed him, that upon his suspecting,

he was affected with the Venereal Disease, acquainted Mrs

Wrangham his Wife of it, and accused her of communicating

the same to him, which she said could not be the case, as She

never had any criminal knowledge of any Man, upon which

Mrs Wrangham asked her, if she would declare the same upon

Oath, which she readily agreed to. Mr Wrangham then told

her, that he supposed she knew the Nature of an Oath, and

the dreadful consequences of taking a false Oath, She Mrs

Wrangham answered, she did, and then made Oath upon the

Bible to what she had before declared to Mr Wrangham.

George Hay further makes Oath, that he has

at different Times, before, and since, the 12 of April 1756

heard Mr John Ingles Surgeon to the Honorable East India

Company upon said Island declare, that he the said

John Ingles never had the Venereal Disease.

Signed

George Hay

Sworn this 25 Day of May 1756

before me Signed

Chas Hutchinson

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash, for the Month ending the 11 instant

which is as follows Vizt

31 May.

The second deposition in the surgeon's defence was entered, and a fresh account then opened counting the Honourable Company's cash for the month.

At the island of St Helena, George Hay, a lieutenant in the Honourable East India Company's service upon the island, made oath that Francis Wrangham senior, on or about 13 April 1756, informed him that upon his suspecting he was affected with the venereal disease, he acquainted his wife of it and accused her of communicating it to him. She said that could not be the case, as she never had any criminal knowledge of any man, whereupon Wrangham asked her if she would declare the same upon oath, which she readily agreed to. Wrangham then told her that he supposed she knew the nature of an oath and the dreadful consequences of taking a false oath. She answered she did, and then made oath upon the Bible to what she had before declared to Wrangham.

George Hay further made oath that he had at different times, before and since 12 April 1756, heard John Ingles, surgeon to the Honourable East India Company upon the island, declare that he never had the venereal disease. Hay swore this on 25 May 1756 before Charles Hutchinson, who signed, as did Hay.

A fresh account then opened, counting and examining the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending the 11 instant, which was as follows.

Interpretations

This deposition reveals a startling reversal, Mrs Wrangham having sworn upon the Bible that she never had criminal knowledge of any man, directly contradicting the confession of adultery with Ingles recorded in the earlier evidence. This shows the wife swearing her innocence on oath to her husband before the whole matter came before the council, her sworn denial set against the later confession that she was ruined and that Ingles had lain with her. The entering of this deposition marks the evidence pulling violently in opposite directions, the wife's solemn oath of innocence and her subsequent admission of guilt both preserved, the truth of her conduct left in the deepest doubt.

Wrangham's solemn warning to his wife of the nature of an oath and the dreadful consequences of swearing falsely, before she took the oath, shows the gravity attached to sworn testimony and the fear of perjury's consequences. This marks the weight the age gave to an oath upon the Bible, the taking of a false one held a dreadful sin with dire results, Wrangham pressing this upon his wife before she swore. The recording of this warning shows the seriousness of the oath she then took, her sworn denial made with full knowledge of what a false oath meant, which renders her later confession the more troubling, for one of her two contrary statements must have been false.

The two depositions of Evans and Hay, both swearing they heard Ingles deny he ever had the venereal disease, show a concerted effort to establish the surgeon's freedom from the infection through multiple sworn witnesses. This shows Ingles marshalling more than one deposition to the same effect, building a body of sworn testimony that he never had the disorder he was accused of passing on. The gathering of these corroborating oaths marks the surgeon's determined defence of at least this part of the charge, several witnesses swearing to his denials, the record weighted with evidence that the infection at least could not be laid at his door whatever the truth of the adultery.

384

375

Cash

Dr

Per Contra

Cr

1756

April 12 To Balance remaining

L 1546 7 6

To Exchange for one Sett of Bill, drawn on the

Honorable Company, payable to Richard Beale

or Order 90 days after sight dated this day

530 5

14 To Ship Prince George the Balance of

her Account

12 18 11 1/2

To Ship Prince of Wales the Balance of

her Account

22 9 3

To Ship Kent, the Balance of her Account

22 3 10

26 To Fines received of Thomas Loving as p

Consultation of this Day

10

L 2134 14 6 1/2

1756

May 11 By Balance remaining in the following Species vizt

900 Venetians

10/

L 450

1000 Pagodas

8/

400

Gold Amounting to

L 850

1480 Dollars

5/

L 370

1501 Rupees

2/3

168 17 3

12948 half Rials

4 3/4

202 6 3

1441 French Pieces

2

3 13 6

Odd Mony

2 6 1/2

Silver Amounting to

L 744 19 6 1/2

Cash Notes Amounting to

539 15

L 2134 14 6 1/2

The cash account for the month was set out, the debtor side charging the treasury with its receipts and the credit side showing the balance remaining in gold, silver and cash notes. All the sums are stated in sterling.

Cash, Debtor

12 April 1756, to balance remaining, £1,546 7s 6d

to exchange for one set of bills drawn on the Honourable Company, payable to Richard Beale or order 90 days after sight, dated this day, £530 5s 0d

14 April, to the Prince George, the balance of her account, £12 18s 11½d

to the Prince of Wales, the balance of her account, £22 9s 3d

to the Kent, the balance of her account, £22 3s 10d

26 April, to fines received of Thomas Loving as per consultation of this day, £0 10s 0d

Total, £2,134 14s 6½d

Per Contra, Creditor

11 May 1756, by balance remaining in the following species

900 venetians at 10s, £450 0s 0d

1,000 pagodas at 8s, £400 0s 0d, gold amounting to £850 0s 0d

1,480 dollars at 5s, £370 0s 0d

1,501 rupees at 2s 3d, £168 17s 3d

12,948 half rials at 3¾d, £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 1s 6d, £33 13s 6d

odd money, £0 2s 6½d, silver amounting to £744 19s 6½d

cash notes amounting to £539 15s 0d

Total, £2,134 14s 6½d

Interpretations

The cash balance was again held in the same medley of foreign coin and the Company's own paper, the venetians, pagodas, dollars, rupees, rials and French pieces gathered from the trade of many nations. This shows the settlement's treasury a standing hoard of the world's currencies, the same variety of specie seen in the earlier count still filling the chest, no coin of the island's own but all the money of the eastern and European trades reckoned together into sterling. The persistence of this mixed store marks the island's constant dependence on the coin the ships brought, its wealth held in the money of Venice, India, Spain and France valued at fixed rates.

The bill of exchange drawn on the Company, payable to Richard Beale 90 days after sight, shows the settlement using such instruments to move money without shipping coin, a paper order redeemable in England replacing the carriage of specie. This shows the mechanism of long-distance finance, the Company's servants able to draw bills payable at home rather than transport the metal, the credit of the Company standing behind the paper. The bill payable to Beale, the budget advocate of the earlier accounts, at 90 days after sight, marks the settlement's participation in the wider system of commercial credit, money remitted by paper across the ocean, the bill as good as coin once accepted, the Company's name its security.

The fine of 10s received of Thomas Loving, entered here in the cash account, ties this reckoning back to the affray heard at the sitting of 26 April, the carpenter's penalty for his drunken assault now appearing among the treasury's receipts. This shows the fines levied by the council flowing into the Company's cash, the penalty imposed on Loving for provoking the fight with Harper recorded as money received. The appearance of this small sum in the cash account marks the union of the council's judicial and financial functions, the fine it imposed as a court now entered as revenue in its books, the discipline of the settlement yielding money to the chest, the penalties of justice a part of the treasury's income.

385

376

31st May

Matthew Alles Native, applyed to us

for liberty, to leave the Island, but at the same Time said,

That if he could have the Bounty Money, he was willing to

serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier, As the situation

of Affairs is, we offered him the half of the usual Bounty

Mony, which he agried to take, And had the Articles of War

read to him

Gilbert Clew Corporal, and Native

Petitioned for his Discharge from the Garrison, having served

the Honorable Company his contracted Time. Upon which

we offered him the half of the Bounty Mony, as we did

to Alles, but he not inclining to Relist, we Granted him his

Discharge, but told him at the same Time, that he could

not be allowed to go off the Island, in the present situation

of Affairs, as his further service might be wanted for the

Defence of it. He then came the second Time and desired to

remain in the Honorable Companys Service, but did not

incline to take the Bounty Mony.

David Seurry, Charles Style,

and Isaac Gauden Soldiers, Petitioned for their Discharges

from the Garrison, having served the Honorable Company

their contracted Times

31 May.

The council heard applications concerning enlistment and discharge from several native soldiers.

Matthew Alles, native, applied to the council for liberty to leave the island, but at the same time said that if he could have the bounty money he was willing to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier. As the situation of affairs was, the council offered him half of the usual bounty money, which he agreed to take, and had the Articles of War read to him.

Gilbert Clew, corporal and native, petitioned for his discharge from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company his contracted time. Upon which the council offered him half of the bounty money, as it did to Alles, but he not inclining to enlist, the council granted him his discharge. It told him at the same time that he could not be allowed to go off the island in the present situation of affairs, as his further service might be wanted for the defence of it. He then came the second time and asked to remain in the Honourable Company's service, but did not incline to take the bounty money.

David Scurry, Charles Ayles and four garden soldiers petitioned for their discharges from the garrison, having served the Honourable Company their contracted times.

Interpretations

The council's repeated reference to the present situation of affairs, and its offering of bounties to retain even discharged men, points to some gathering crisis that made the defence of the island a pressing concern. This shows the settlement bracing against a foreseen danger, the council eager to keep men in service and reluctant to let them leave, the situation of affairs urgent enough to override the ordinary course of discharge. The context of 1756, when war with France was breaking out, suggests the threat of a French attack drove this anxious retention of soldiers, the island preparing against an enemy that might descend upon it, its defence suddenly a matter of the first importance.

The offering of only half the usual bounty to these native men, against the full £10 given to the recruits enlisted earlier in the month, shows a distinction in the terms offered to different classes of soldier. This shows the council driving a harder bargain with the island-born, perhaps because they had nowhere else to go and might be had more cheaply, or because the reduced sum reflected some difference in their engagement. The half bounty marks a graduated scale of inducement, the native men offered less than the newly arrived recruits, the council calculating what each class of soldier would take and offering no more than it must to keep them in the ranks.

The council's refusal to let Gilbert Clew leave the island despite granting his discharge shows the settlement's power to detain even a discharged man when its defence required, the freedom to depart overridden by military necessity. This shows the limit of a soldier's release in a time of danger, Clew discharged from his contract yet not permitted to go, his further service perhaps wanted for the island's defence. The detention marks the priority of the settlement's safety over the individual's freedom, a man released from service still held on the island against a possible attack, his liberty to leave suspended while the danger lasted, the defence of the whole overriding the discharge of the one.

Speculations

Clew, offered half the bounty to re-enlist and refusing it, then found he could not leave the island and returned to offer his service without taking the bounty at all. The obvious course for the council, wanting his service, would have been to hold him to the bounty as the price of remaining, or for Clew, forced to stay, to take the money now that he must serve anyway, yet neither happened, Clew offering to serve for nothing rather than accept the reduced bounty. Perhaps Clew, denied his freedom to depart, would not take a bounty he felt was forced upon him or was less than his due, choosing to serve unpaid rather than accept terms he thought unfair, while the council, having detained him, gained his service without the bounty it had offered, the man's pride in refusing the money leaving him bound to serve on worse terms than he might have had.

386

377

1756.

Mr Scott Surgeon of the Ship Oxford applyed

to us for payment, for his care of thirty Recruits in their Passage from

England, we accordingly ordered him to be paid five Shillings, for each

Man, the customary allowance amounting, to seven Pounds, ten

Shillings.

Mr Thomas Evans presented the following Petition

vizt

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

& Council of St Helena

Sheweth

The humble Petition of Thomas Evans

That your Petitioners Salary from the Honorable

Company, not being sufficient for his Maintainance here, whore one

in his employ cannot have an opportunity of getting any thing by

practice.

Your Petitioner therefore humbly requests that

he may be now permitted to quit their Honors Service, and to

proceed to England with his Wife, by the first convenient

opportunity, where he is in hopes of doing better for his Family.

And your Petitioner shall ever pray

31 May 1756

Signed

Thomas Evans

Granted

The council ordered payment to a ship's surgeon and heard a petition from Thomas Evans to leave the island.

Mr Scott, surgeon of the ship Oxford, applied to the council for payment for his care of thirty recruits in their passage from England. The council accordingly ordered him to be paid 5s for each man, the customary allowance, amounting to £7 10s 0d.

Mr Thomas Evans presented a petition to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council of St Helena. Evans set out that his salary from the Honourable Company was not sufficient for his maintenance on the island, where, being in their employ, he could not have an opportunity of getting anything by practice. He therefore humbly asked that he might now be permitted to quit their service and proceed to England with his wife by the first convenient opportunity, where he was in hopes of doing better for his family. He signed the petition at St Helena on 31 May 1756. The council granted it.

Interpretations

The payment to the Oxford's surgeon of 5s a head for tending thirty recruits on the voyage out, the same customary allowance paid earlier for the Griffin's recruits, shows a settled rate for the medical care of soldiers in passage. This shows the Company providing for the health of its recruits on the long voyage through a fixed payment to the ship's surgeon, the sum calculated by the number of men in his charge. The recurrence of this customary 5s a head marks a standing arrangement for the care of soldiers at sea, the surgeon of each ship paid to tend the recruits she carried, the Company meeting the cost of keeping its men alive through a voyage that might otherwise carry off many before they reached the island.

Thomas Evans's plea that his salary was insufficient and that Company employ barred him from private practice shows the constraint under which the Company's medical men laboured, unable to supplement their pay by treating others. This shows the surgeon's assistant caught between an inadequate salary and a bar on the private practice by which he might have made up the difference, his employment leaving him worse off than a free practitioner. The petition marks the limitation of the Company's service for such men, the fixed salary all they could earn where a man in private practice might have prospered, Evans seeking his release to do better for his family in England where he could practise freely.

Evans's wish to proceed to England with his wife, hoping to do better for his family, shows the surgeon looking homeward for the opportunity his island service denied him. This marks the settlement as a place some served only until they could better themselves elsewhere, Evans seeing no future for his family on the island under the Company's restricted terms. The council's granting of his release shows it letting go a man who could not thrive in its service, Evans free to seek his fortune at home, the island losing a surgeon it could not adequately reward, the man's departure a measure of the limits of what the Company's employ offered those who wanted more than a bare salary.

387

378

31st May

We this Day gave Captain Stevens an

Order, to send us on Shore one Chest of the Honorable

Company Treasure which we accordingly received

The ten Working Days allowed by

Charter Party, for unloading the Oxford, being expired, we

gave Captain Stevens Sailing Orders in Writing, to make

the best of his way to Fort Marlborough, on the West Coast

of the Island Sumatra, according to the Directions he

received from the Honorable the Court of Directors to

whom we likewise gave the following Letters to the

several Settlements in India, enclosed in our Packet to

Bencoolen vizt

To the Honorable George Pigot Esqr President

and Governor & Council of Fort St George.

Honorable Sir & Sirs

We wrote to you last by the Oxter, under

date of the 9 April 1755, and have since received your

Letters dated the 16 March 1755, by the Winchelsea, and the

27 October 1755 by the Hardwicke

We desire you will send us for the use

of this place fifty pair of Cotton Stockings, of different

sizes to cost about six Shillings p pair, twelve pieces of

Long Cloth, about thirteen Pagodas, p piece, six Table

Cloths seven Yards long, and two and an half Yards wide

fourteen Table Cloths, four Yards long, and two Yards,

an half wide, ten Dozen of Napkins, of the common size,

31 May.

The council ordered treasure to be landed from the Oxford, gave her commander his sailing orders, and entered a letter to the Council at Fort St George requesting goods from India.

The council that day gave Captain Stevens an order to send on shore one chest of the Honourable Company's treasure, which it accordingly received.

The ten working days allowed by the charter party for unloading the Oxford being expired, the council gave Captain Stevens his sailing orders in writing to make the best of his way to Fort Marlborough on the west coast of the island of Sumatra, according to the directions he received from the Honourable Court of Directors. The council likewise gave him the following letters to the several settlements in India, enclosed in its packet to Bencoolen.

The council wrote to the Honourable George Pigot Esq, President and Governor, and Council of Fort St George. It had written last by the Exeter, dated 9 April 1755, and had since received their letters dated 18 March 1755 by the Winchelsea and 27 October 1755 by the Hardwick.

The council desired that they would send, for the use of the place, 50 pairs of cotton stockings of different sizes to cost about 6s a pair, 12 pieces of long cloth about 13 pagodas a piece, tablecloths seven yards long and two and a half yards wide, 14 tablecloths four yards long and two and a half yards wide, and 10 dozen of napkins of the common size.

Interpretations

The landing of a chest of the Company's treasure from the Oxford shows the island a place where the specie carried on the ships was deposited, the treasure shipped from England set on shore to replenish the settlement's cash. This shows the mechanism by which the island's chest was supplied, the coin brought out in the Company's ships and landed as needed, the treasure that filled the treasury arriving in such consignments. The receiving of this chest marks the settlement's dependence on the ships from home for its money, the specie that no local mint produced carried across the sea and landed at the island to sustain its cash.

The charter party's allowance of ten working days for unloading the Oxford, and the giving of sailing orders once it expired, shows the strict terms on which the Company's ships were engaged, the time for lading and unlading fixed by contract. This shows the ships hired under charter parties that governed their movements and the time they might spend in port, the settlement bound to load and unload within the allotted days. The expiry of the ten days triggering the ship's departure marks the discipline of the Company's shipping, each vessel held to a schedule and dispatched on her way when her time was up, the trade run on fixed terms that kept the ships moving through their long circuits.

The council's ordering of goods from Fort St George, the Company's settlement at Madras, shows the island supplied with Indian manufactures ordered directly from the eastern settlements, the cotton stockings, long cloth, tablecloths and napkins sought from India. This shows the settlement provisioning itself from the whole Company network, writing to Madras for the cotton goods of India as it drew other supplies from Bengal and Bencoolen. The ordering of such household stuff from Fort St George marks the island's place within the Company's Asian system, its wants met not only from England but from the eastern settlements, the Indian cottons ordered by the piece from Madras to furnish the tables and clothe the people of a remote Atlantic island.

388

379

1756.

and one Dozen of Napkins, of a larger size, to lay upon the Table Cloths.

All these to be of a strong middling Draper, for the use of the Honorable

Company

If you have not already sent the thirty Men Slaves

that we have expected for some time past, we hope you will not fail to

send them by the very first opportunity, that offers, after your receive this

as we are greatly in want of them to carry on their Honors business here

Enclosed we send you, the annual List of Ships

Arrival, and Departure to and from this place.

We are

St Helena

31 May 1756.

Honorable Sir & Sirs

Your most humble Servants

Signed

Charles Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

To the Honorable Richard Bourchier Esqr President

Governor & Council of Bombay

Honorable Sirs & Sirs

Our last Letter to you, was dated the 9 April

1755, we have since received both yours by the Shaftesbury, and

Prince Henry, under Date of the 21 February, 1755 and likewise

your Consignments for the use of this Island

We now desire you will please to send us one

hundred pieces of Surat Challoes, two thirds of the remainder of the

sum Rent in Paddy, and the rest in Rice.

You will receive enclosed the Arrival and

Departure

The letter to Fort St George concluded and was subscribed, and a further letter to the Council at Bombay was entered requesting goods.

The council closed its order with one dozen napkins of a larger size to lay upon the tablecloths, all these to be of a strong middling drapery for the use of the Honourable Company. If Fort St George had not already sent the thirty men slaves the council had expected for some time past, it hoped they would not fail to send them by the very first opportunity that offered, after receiving this, as the council was greatly in want of them to carry on the Company's business there. Enclosed the council sent them the annual list of ships arrival and departure to and from the island. The letter was signed at St Helena on 31 May 1756 by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

The council wrote to the Honourable Richard Bourchier Esq, President and Governor, and Council of Bombay. Its last letter to them was dated 9 April 1755, and it had since received both of theirs by the Shaftesbury and Prince Henry, under date of 21 February 1755, and likewise their consignments for the use of the island. The council now desired that they would send one hundred pieces of Surat challoes, two thirds of the remainder of the sum in paddy and the rest in rice. Enclosed they would receive the arrival and departure of ships.

Interpretations

The council's request to Fort St George for thirty men slaves, of whom it was greatly in want to carry on the Company's business, shows the settlement drawing its labour force from India, the slaves it needed ordered from the eastern settlements. This shows the island's dependence on India for the very hands that did its heavy work, the slaves shipped from Madras like any other supply, the Company's business on St Helena resting on labour brought from its Asian possessions. The ordering of slaves by the number, enclosed among requests for cloth and napkins, marks the trafficking in human beings as one branch of the Company's supply, the workers for the island procured from India as its provisions and manufactures were.

The council's ordering of Surat challoes from Bombay shows the island supplied with the particular cottons of each Indian settlement, the challoes of Surat sought from Bombay as the long cloth was sought from Madras. Surat was a great centre of the Indian cotton trade near Bombay, and its challoes a distinct manufacture ordered by the hundred pieces, the settlement drawing the specialities of each region from the Company's several presidencies. This shows the island provisioned from the whole span of the Company's Indian trade, each settlement furnishing its own goods, the cottons of Surat and the cloth of Madras alike carried to St Helena to clothe and furnish its people.

The council's instruction that two thirds of the remaining sum be sent in paddy and the rest in rice shows the settlement ordering its staple grain from India in fixed proportions, the paddy and rice that fed its slaves and stock procured from Bombay. This shows the island's food as well as its cloth and labour drawn from India, the grain that sustained the lower economy ordered by the shipload from the eastern settlements. The careful proportioning of paddy to rice marks the settlement's knowledge of its own needs, the paddy that kept better and the rice ready for use ordered in the measure each was wanted, the island's subsistence planned and supplied from the Company's Indian possessions across the ocean.

389

380

31st May

Departure of Ships, to and from this Island.

We are

St Helena

31 May 1756

Honorable Sir & Sirs

Your most humble Servants

Signed

Charles Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

To the Honorable Roger Drake Esqr President

and Governor & Council of Bengall

Honorable Sir & Sirs

Our last advices to you went by the Oxter

dated the 9 April 1755

We have received since your several

Letters of the 6 January, 3 February, 7 March, 12 September

24 November and the 8 December 1755 with your Consignments

for this place.

We request you will send us for the

use of this Island, one hundred pieces Dosooties, two Maunds

of Wax Candles by each Ship, and the rest of the one p

Cent in Arrack, Rice, and Paddy.

We transmit you by this opportunity

the List of Ships Arrival, and Departure to and from

St Helena

31 May.

The letter to Bombay concluded and was subscribed, and a further letter to the Council at Bengal was entered requesting goods.

The council closed its letter to Bombay, enclosing the departure of ships to and from the island. The letter was signed at St Helena on 31 May 1756 by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

The council wrote to the Honourable Roger Drake Esq, President and Governor, and Council of Bengal. Its last advice to them went by the Exeter, dated 9 April 1755. It had received since their several letters of 6 January, 3 February, 7 March, 12 September, 24 November and 8 December 1755, with their consignments for the island.

The council requested that they would send, for the use of the island, one hundred pieces of dosooties, two maunds of wax candles by each ship, and the rest of the sum in arrack, rice and paddy. It transmitted to them by this opportunity the list of ships arrival and departure to and from the island.

Interpretations

The council's writing to Bengal, Bombay and Madras together shows the settlement corresponding with all three of the Company's Indian presidencies at once, ordering from each the goods it best supplied. This shows the island's supply system reaching across the whole of British India, the council maintaining a regular correspondence with every seat of the Company's power in the East. The dispatching of letters to all three presidencies by the same ship marks the settlement's central place in the Company's communications, the vessels that called carrying its orders to every quarter of India, the island tied by correspondence to the whole eastern empire on which it drew.

The council's request to Bengal for dosooties, wax candles, arrack, rice and paddy shows the settlement ordering from each presidency the commodities of its region, the dosooties and arrack of the Bengal trade sought from Calcutta. This shows the island drawing the particular produce of each Indian settlement, the cottons and spirits of Bengal ordered from Bengal as the challoes of Surat were ordered from Bombay. The specifying of these goods marks the settlement's knowledge of what each presidency furnished, the orders directed to the source of each commodity, the island provisioned from the whole range of India's trade by orders placed with the settlement that best supplied each want.

The enclosing of the annual list of ships arrival and departure with each of these letters shows the settlement rendering to the Indian presidencies a regular account of the shipping that passed the island. This shows the council's function as a reporter of the traffic on the sea road, the movements of the ships logged and transmitted to the Company's settlements in India. The sending of this list to each presidency marks the island's role in the Company's intelligence, the record of the ships that called kept and shared with the eastern settlements, the traffic of the port reported to India as a matter of course, the island a watching station whose observations served the whole Company network.

390

381

1756.

St Helena, since the 9 April 1755

We are

St Helena

31 May 1756

Honorable Sir & Sirs

Your most humble Servants

Signed

Charles Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

To the Worshipful the Supravisor or Deputy

Governor for the Time being of Fort Marlborough

Worshipful Sir & Sirs

We wrote to you by the Oxter, that sailed

from hence on the 3 May 1755 and have by the Anson received

your Letter dated the 31 January 1756, with the Sugar you

consigned to us, we desire you will send us ten thousand Pounds

weight more by the first opportunity, and we shall for the future

be glad to have five thousand pounds weight, added to it

quantity Annually, provided you can supply us with it

We have taken out of the Ship Oxford one

Chest of the Honorable Companys Treasure No 346 for the use

of this Island, and have given the Captain a Receipt for the same

Enclosed you will receive the Oxfords

Charter Party, Victualling Bill, and Manifest of Goods with the

Arrival, and Departure of Ships to and from this place

The letter to Bengal concluded and was subscribed, and a further letter to the Deputy Governor of Fort Marlborough was entered concerning sugar and the treasure landed from the Oxford.

The council closed its letter to Bengal, having written to them since 9 April 1755. The letter was signed at St Helena on 31 May 1756 by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

The council wrote to the Worshipful the Supervisor or Deputy Governor for the time being of Fort Marlborough. It had written to them by the Exeter that sailed from the island on 3 May 1755, and had by the Anson received their letter dated 31 January 1756, with the sugar they consigned to the council. The council desired that they would send ten thousand pounds weight more by the first opportunity, and it would for the future be glad to have five thousand pounds weight added to that quantity annually, if they could supply it.

The council had taken out of the ship Oxford one chest of the Honourable Company's treasure, numbered 346, for the use of the island, and had given the captain a receipt for it. Enclosed they would receive the Oxford's charter party, victualling bill and manifest of goods, with the arrival and departure of ships to and from the island.

Interpretations

The council's request to Fort Marlborough for ten thousand pounds of sugar, with a standing addition of five thousand pounds annually, shows the settlement placing a large and continuing order for a staple commodity from a single source. This shows the island's demand for sugar met by regular bulk consignments from the Company's settlement at Bencoolen, the annual increase marking a growing or steady need. The placing of such a standing order shows the settlement planning its supply for years ahead, the sugar it consumed in quantity secured by a continuing arrangement with the eastern settlement that furnished it, the island's provisioning organised on a regular and forward-looking basis.

The numbering of the treasure chest, 346, and the giving of a receipt for it, shows the careful accounting of the specie landed from the ships, each chest identified and its receipt acknowledged. This shows the strict control kept over the Company's treasure, the chests numbered and receipted as they passed from ship to shore, the movement of the money tracked with exactness. The recording of the chest's number and the receipt given marks the discipline of handling the Company's specie, every consignment of treasure accounted for by number and acknowledgement, the coin that filled the treasury moved under a system that left a clear record of each chest landed and who had charge of it.

The enclosing of the Oxford's charter party, victualling bill and manifest with the letter shows the settlement transmitting the full documentation of each ship to the Company's settlements, the papers that recorded her hire, her provisioning and her cargo. This shows the thoroughness of the Company's record-keeping, the documents of each vessel forwarded to the relevant settlement so that her dealings might be known and checked. The sending of these papers marks the settlement's part in the Company's system of account and control, the record of each ship's charter, victuals and lading passed on so that the whole of her business was documented, the island a link in a chain of paper that tracked every ship through the Company's world.

391

382

31st May

We desire you will forward the several enclosed

Packets as Directed

We are

Worshipful Sir & Sirs

St Helena

31 May 1756

Your most humble Servants

Signed

Charles Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Bought of Captain Thomas Stevens

the following Articles, for the use of the Honorable Companys

Table vizt

3 Firkins Butter

L 10 10

1 Jar Raisons

2 2

72 lb Chees

3 12 6

3 Dozen Wine Glasses

2 3

Wine & Water Glasses

9

4 Quart Decanters

1 10

9 Gallons Vinegar

1 7

38 lb Currants

1 10

6 Beer Glasses

15

L 24

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

31 May.

The letter to Fort Marlborough concluded and was subscribed, and an account was entered of articles bought from the commander of the Oxford for the Company's table.

The council closed its letter, asking that they would forward the several enclosed packets as directed. The letter was signed at St Helena on 31 May 1756 by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

The council bought of Captain Thomas Stevens the following articles for the use of the Honourable Company's table.

3 firkins butter, £10 10s 0d

1 jar raisins, £2 2s 0d

72½ lb cheese, £3 12s 6d

3 dozen wine glasses, £2 3s 0d

wine and water glasses, £0 9s 0d

4 quart decanters, £1 10s 0d

9 gallons vinegar, £1 7s 0d

38 lb currants, £1 10s 0d

6 beer glasses, £0 15s 0d

Total, £24 0s 0d

The account was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The buying of butter, raisins, cheese, currants and glassware from the Oxford's captain shows the settlement provisioning its table directly from the ships that called, purchasing from a commander the goods he carried. This shows the ships a source of supply for the island beyond the Company's formal consignments, the captains selling from their own stores or private ventures the provisions and wares the settlement wanted. The purchase of these table goods from Captain Stevens marks the informal trade between the island and the ships, the settlement buying what it needed from the vessels in the road, the officers table furnished from the passing shipping as well as from the store and the plantation.

The dried fruits bought here, raisins and currants, were goods the island could not produce and that came from the Mediterranean through England, carried out in the ships for the enrichment of the table. This shows the settlement's table supplied with the finer imported provisions, the dried fruits used in the puddings and cakes of a well-kept household, bought from the ship that brought them. The presence of these goods marks the degree of refinement in the Company's table, the currants and raisins that no island crop could furnish carried across the world to grace the officers fare, the settlement's leaders eating the same enriched dishes as a comfortable house at home.

The recurrence of glassware, decanters and drinking glasses among the table purchases shows the constant renewal of such fragile goods, the wine and beer glasses and decanters replaced as they broke. This shows the settlement's table dependent on a steady supply of glass that no local craft could make, the vessels for drinking wine and beer bought from the ships as they were needed. The frequent buying of glassware marks the wear of such goods in daily use, the decanters and glasses of the officers table renewed from the shipping, the settlement drawing even these breakable wares from the vessels that called, the table kept furnished with glass carried out across the ocean.

392

383

7th June

At a Consultation held on Monday the 7 Day of June 1756 at

the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated

the 31 May 1756

Mr John Goodwin presented the following

Petition Vizt

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

& Council of St Helena

Sheweth

The humble Petition of John Goodwin

That your Petitioner, having a desire to leave the

Island, begs your Worship and Council will permit him so to do,

and to proceed to England upon the Ship Warren with his Family

St Helena

7 June 1756

And your Petitioner will ever pray.

Signed

John Goodwin

Granted

Lieutenant John Clark reports, that

he has been on board the Ships Bombay Castle, Warren, and

Anson, to Muster their Company and enquire for Deserters, but

found none their Muster Rolls are as follows Vizt

7 June.

The council met in consultation on Monday 7 June 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 31 May 1756, was read, approved and signed.

Mr John Goodwin presented a petition to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council of St Helena. Goodwin set out that, having a desire to leave the island, he begged the Governor and Council would permit him to do so and proceed to England upon the ship Warren with his family. He signed the petition at St Helena on 7 June 1756. The council granted it.

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had been on board the ships Bombay Castle, Warren and Anson to muster their companies and enquire for deserters, but found none. Their muster rolls were as follows.

Interpretations

John Goodwin's petition to leave the island for England with his family, coming so soon after his central part in the Ingles scandal, suggests the affair unsettled him as it did others and hastened his departure. This shows the aftershock of the great scandal driving its participants from the settlement, Goodwin following Ingles and the others in seeking to quit the island. The granting of his request marks the dispersal of those caught up in the affair, the small society shedding the men whom the scandal had touched, Goodwin choosing to remove himself and his family from a place where he had been so publicly entangled in another's ruin.

The mustering of the ships companies to search for deserters shows the settlement's vigilance against men slipping away from the vessels, the crews checked against their rolls to catch any who had fled. This shows the island a place where sailors might desert their ships, tempted to leave the hard life of the sea, the muster a means of detecting and preventing such flight. The examination of the Bombay Castle, Warren and Anson marks the council's cooperation with the ships masters in holding their crews, the settlement helping to guard against desertion, the mustering a check that the men who came in a ship left in her, the island not a refuge for those who would abandon their vessels.

The finding of no deserters among the three ships mustered shows the crews intact and the ships companies complete, no man having fled at the island on this occasion. This marks a quiet result to the search, the vessels holding their full complements, the discipline of the ships maintained. The recording of the clean muster shows the settlement's care to document even a negative result, the absence of desertion set down as carefully as its presence would have been, the ships companies certified whole, the council's watch against desertion satisfied that the crews were entire before the ships continued on their way.

393

384

7th June

Muster Roll of Ship Bombay Castle.

Thos Browne Commander

Geo Adams Caith Mate

Wm Freeman Seaman

Jos Bustall 1st Mate

Grey Adams Cap Steward

Jos Tring Do

Thos Styles 2d Do

James Ashworth Ships Do

Davd Young Do

Rich Melss 3d Do

Leut Abna Cap Cook

Charles Newcombe Do

Mart Biggleston 4 Do

Robt Hay Ships Do

John Chiswick Do

Chas Dean 5 Do

George Hann Armourer

Thos Lynes Do

James Bostoric 6 Do

Jos Smith Taylor

Thos Bruce Do

Robt Langland Surgeon

Peter Peterland Joyner

Jonn Gurnes Do

Wm Lansdowne Purser

Sam Hutcheson Seaman

James Joy Do

Marcus Office Supravisor

John Banford Boat Mate

James Rowland Do

John Schwoon Junor

John Davies Cooper

Sam Dyer Do

Rd Dann Caulker

Sam Mough Sailmaker

James Smithers Do

John Hayle Boatswain

Thos Knightly Butcher

John Delvay Do

Rd Sarhes Midshipman

Man Morris Poulterer

Charles Ranfield Do

William Ross Do

John Ansell Boatswains Mate

John Gilbran Do

John Hazell Do

Nairn Blenston Seaman

John Bridge Do

John Melford Do

Wm Clements Do

Jos Wson Do

Lewis Dunster Do

Rob Meass Do

John Sbert Do

Pett Barbasoe Do

Bendon Huff Do

Hugo Taldray Do

Davd Grigg 2d Master

Theo Yones Do

Rd Peavis Do

Wm Clatho Do

George Thatcher Do

John Wible Do

Thos Maclear Do

Mich Mumford Do

Caspe Taldray Do

Charles Echiclarin Do

Edward Murphey Do

Fra Killdon Do

Well Scott Serj Mate

John Simms Do

Thos Iso Do

John Suain Ships 7 Do

Wm Short Do

Wm Egn Do

Thos Wells Do 8 Do

P Guelluon Coks mate

Mark Sylvie Do

John Hawkins Gunr Do

Rob Ebrium Seaman

Sneek Do

Jordan Rosrio Seaman

And Fatherston Do

Azero Do

Wm Chattos Do

Gregory Do

Aug Farrero Do

Andrew Guegus Do

Besent Farrero Do

Mark Rosser Do

7 June.

This muster roll of the ship Bombay Castle listed her company, each man with his station.

Thomas Browne, commander

Joseph Bustell, first mate

Thomas Styles, second mate

Richard Melis, third mate

Matthew Biggleston, fourth mate

Charles Dean, fifth mate

James Boston, sixth mate

Robert Langland, surgeon

William Lansdowne, purser

Marcus Office, supervisor

John Schoonhamer, ditto

Robert Dann, caulker

John Hayles, boatswain

Robert Parkes, midshipman

William Ross, midshipman

John Hazell, midshipman

John Melford, midshipman

Lewis Dunster, midshipman

Peter Barbasoe, midshipman

David Grigg, third mate's master

William Clatho, ditto

Thomas Maclear, ditto

Charles Ebiclorio, ditto

William Scott, sergeant's mate

John Suain, ship's ditto

Thomas Wells, ditto

John Hawkins, gunner

Jordan Rosivo, seaman

William Clatton, ditto

Andrew Gorgius, ditto

George Adams, caulker's mate

Gregory Adams, captain's steward

James Ashworth, ship's steward

Lewis Abna, captain's cook

Robert Hay, ship's cook

George Marr, armourer

Joseph Smith, tailor

Peter Peterland, joiner

Samuel Hutcheson, seaman

John Danford, boatswain's mate

John Davies, cooper

Samuel Mough, sailmaker

Thomas Knightly, butcher

Man Morris, poulterer

John Ansell, cooper's mate

Nairn Blinston, seaman

William Clements, ditto

Robert Meaus, ditto

Bendor Huff, ditto

Theodore Yones, ditto

George Thatcher, ditto

Michael Mumford, ditto

Edward Murphey, ditto

John Simms, ditto

William Short, ditto

P Guelliam, cook's mate

Robert Ebrium, seaman

Andrew Fatherston, ditto

Gregory, ditto

Besent Servera, ditto

William Freeman, seaman

Joseph Fring, ditto

David Young, ditto

Charles Newcombe, ditto

John Chiswick, ditto

Thomas Lynes, ditto

Thomas Bruce, ditto

Ivan Yarnes, ditto

James Joy, ditto

James Rowland, ditto

Samuel Dyer, ditto

James Smithers, ditto

John Delroy, ditto

Charles Ranfield, ditto

John Gilbram, ditto

John Bridge, ditto

Joseph Wroon, ditto

John Sbort, ditto

Hugo Falding, ditto

Robert Pearce, ditto

John Webb, ditto

Caspar Vildoy, ditto

Ivan Killeon, ditto

Thomas Isso, ditto

William Egit, ditto

Mark Sylvie, ditto

Joseph, ditto

Azero, ditto

August Ferrero, ditto

Mark Mosser, ditto

Interpretations

The muster roll of the Bombay Castle shows the full complement and elaborate organisation of a great East Indiaman, her company running to some ninety men in a strict hierarchy of officers, tradesmen and seamen. The ship carried not only her navigating officers and mates but a whole establishment of craftsmen, a surgeon, purser, caulker, armourer, cooper, sailmaker, joiner, butcher and poulterer, each with his mate, so that she was a self-contained community able to maintain and provision herself through the long voyage. This shows the East Indiaman a floating settlement in miniature, manned to work, repair, feed and doctor herself across the world, her crew a society as ordered as the island's own.

The presence aboard of a butcher and a poulterer, with a cook for the captain and another for the ship, shows the care taken to feed the company on so long a voyage, fresh meat kept and killed at sea and the officers table served apart. This shows the provisioning of the ship organised like a household, live animals carried and slaughtered as needed, the butcher and poulterer tending the ship's stock of beasts and fowls. The keeping of such tradesmen marks the length and hardship of the passage, the ship victualled to sustain her people through months at sea, her own butcher and cooks furnishing fresh food where salt provisions alone would have bred sickness.

The many foreign names among the seamen, the Serveras, Ferreros, Killeons and others, show the mixed and international character of an East Indiaman's crew, men of many nations serving under an English commander. This shows the Company's ships manned from a wide pool of seafarers, drawn from the ports of Europe and beyond, the hard and dangerous work of the eastern voyage filled by whatever hands could be got. The variety of origins among the crew marks the cosmopolitan nature of the maritime world the Company drew on, its ships crewed by men of every nation, the English East Indiaman a vessel of many tongues bound together in the common labour of the sea.

394

385

1756.

Lawrence Seaman

Paul Black Cap Servants

Davd Wood Gunners Servant

Isaac Nichlo Do

George Backus Cap Servants

George Mason Boats Do

John Sarton Do

John Wilson 1 Mates Do

Passengers

Man Rosaro Do

Thos Smithett 2 Do

John Mesano Esqr

Salloo Do

Wm Scott Surgeon Do

Alexander Huna Esqr

Aug Dorego Do

John Crips Cap Do

I Buchanon

George Barton Servants

Muster Roll of Ship Warren

Alphon Glover Commander

John Young Cooper

Benj Beavins Seaman

Wm Fryon 1 Mate

James Thomas Ships Cook

Rd Henry Do

Rich Perry 2 Do

James Turner Cap Do

James Andrews Do

Wm Scott 3 Do

John Cowell 2 Steward

John Adams Do

Alex Cruso 4 Do

Paul Heritage Armourer

Henry Marsham Do

Starh Middleton 5 Do

John Dickens Butcher

Benj Peterson Do

Arthur French 6 Do

George Wharton Cap mate

Bras Bowman Do

Row Purnell Purser

John Mills Poulterer

Alex McAlester Do

Rob Barclay Surgeon

Thos Green Cooks mate

Wm Cassy Do

Robt Skeen Boatswain

Mich Pendry Cap Taylor

Sam Cornwch Do

Rd Peircey Carpenter

Wm Stannaway Do Barber

John Adry Do

John Jeffries Gunner

John Pollard Boats mate

Martin Stopman Do

Davd Welch Midshipman

John Haxvin Seaman

James McDuff Do

James Martin Do

James Radishall Do

James Frazier Do

Thos Cooper Do

James Barn Do

John Rayner Do

James Crook Do

John Weeks Do

John Oakes Do

Wm Hill Quart Master

Jos Suilby Do

James Braundt Do

Thos Reed Do

James Waddell Do

Rob Davidson Do

John Machewon Do

John Ellis Do

Edw Stevenson Do

William Sneman Do

Wm Harmer Do

John Shreve Do

Wm Hastings Caulker

Thos Fowler Do

Alex Phillips Do

Jno Bagley Carpr mate

Jos Norton Do

Edward Suarje Do

James Achemin Junr Do

Wm Suyland Do

Wm Scott Do

Rd Bowly Caulkers Do

Wm Sneddy Do

Wm Willbems Do

Thomas

The muster roll of the Bombay Castle concluded, and the muster roll of the ship Warren opened, each man with his station.

Lawrence, seaman

Isaac Nichol, ditto

John Sarton, ditto

Man Rosaro, ditto

Salloo, ditto

August Doroge, ditto

Paul Black, captain's servant

George Backus, captain's servant

John Wilson, first mate's servant

Thomas Smithett, second mate's servant

William Scott, surgeon's servant

John Crips, captain's servant

David Wood, gunner's servant

George Mason, boatswain's servant

John Meares Esq, passenger

Alexander Hume Esq, passenger

J Buchanan, servant

George Barton, servant

This muster roll of the ship Warren listed her company.

Stephen Glover, commander

William Tryon, first mate

Richard Pavry, second mate

William Scott, third mate

Alexander Crie, fourth mate

Starkey Middleton, fifth mate

Arthur French, sixth mate

Rowe Purnell, surgeon

Robert Barclay, ditto

Robert Shrow, boatswain

Richard Piercey, carpenter

John Jeffries, gunner

David Wilch, midshipman

James Martin, ditto

Thomas Cooper, ditto

James Crook, ditto

William Hill, quarter master

Thomas Reed, ditto

John Machewon, ditto

William Inman, ditto

William Hastings, caulker

John Bagley, captain's first mate

James Achemon, gunner's ditto

Robert Bewly, caulker's ditto

John Young, cooper

James Thomas, ship's cook

James Turner, captain's ditto

John Cowell, ditto, steward

Paul Heritage, armourer

John Dickens, butcher

George Wharton, captain's mate

John Mills, victualler

Thomas Green, cook's mate

Michael Pindey, captain's tailor

William Stannaway, ditto, barber

John Bollard, boatswain's mate

John Haxton, seaman

James Radishall, ditto

James Barn, ditto

John Weeks, ditto

Joseph Scilby, ditto

James Waddell, ditto

John Ellis, ditto

Andrew Harmer, ditto

Thomas Fowler, ditto

Joseph Morton, ditto

William Freyland, ditto

William Snoddy, ditto

Benjamin Beavins, seaman

Robert Henry, ditto

James Andrews, ditto

John Adams, ditto

Henry Marsham, ditto

Benjamin Peterson, ditto

Brad Bowman, ditto

Alexander McAlister, ditto

William Coffy, ditto

Samuel Cornish, ditto

John Avery, ditto

Martin Stapman, ditto

James McDuff, ditto

James Frazier, ditto

John Rayner, ditto

John Oakes, ditto

James Brewster, ditto

Robert Davidson, ditto

Edward Stevenson, ditto

John Shreve, ditto

Alexander Phillips, ditto

Edward Suage, ditto

William Scott, ditto

William Wilthens, ditto

Interpretations

The listing of numerous servants attached to the Bombay Castle's officers, each mate, the surgeon, the gunner and boatswain having his own man, shows the retinue of personal attendants carried aboard a great Indiaman. This shows the officers of such a ship served by their own servants as gentlemen were on land, the vessel carrying not only her working crew but the personal followers of her principal men. The presence of these servants marks the status of the ship's officers, each entitled to his attendant, the Indiaman reproducing at sea the establishment of servants that marked rank ashore, the officers waited on through the voyage as they would be in a household.

The passengers named among the Bombay Castle's company, John Meares and Alexander Hume, described as esquires and carried with their own servants, show the East Indiaman a conveyance for gentlemen travellers as well as a trading and fighting ship. This shows the vessels carrying passengers of quality on the long voyage between England and the East, men of standing taking their passage with their attendants. The listing of these passengers and their servants marks the ship's function as a carrier of people as well as goods, the Indiaman bearing the Company's servants, merchants and travellers across the world, the gentlemen aboard attended by their own men as they journeyed.

The Warren, like the Bombay Castle, carried a full establishment of officers, tradesmen and servants, her muster showing the same elaborate organisation of a great Indiaman with two surgeons, a carpenter, armourer, butcher, victualler and the rest. This shows the uniformity of the Company's ships, each manned on the same ample scale with the same range of officers and craftsmen, the Warren mirroring the Bombay Castle in her complement. The repetition of this pattern across the ships marks the settled organisation of the Company's fleet, every Indiaman a self-sufficient community manned to the same establishment, the ships built and crewed alike to carry the Company's trade and passengers through the perils of the eastern voyage.

395

386

7th June

Thos Palmer Cap Servant

Thomas Anglie Seaman

James Newport Seaman

Thos Baxton Do

Brass Deas Do

John Scott Do

Isaac Sharp 1 Mates Do

Anton Francisco Do

Gabriel Hooper Do

Thos Hebbler Surg Do

Lewe Caman Do

John Cawrey Do

Wm Plant Boat Do

Robt Wright Do

Benj Tooler Do

Rob Bruce Corp Do

Wm Estman Do

Thomas Atkins Do

Thomas Mundy Gunr Do

Robt Perry Do

Joseph Powell Do

Ram Sommer Seaman

Wm Chabwood Do

Henry Collington Do

John Lewis Do

Jos Littleton Do

Fra Wheeler Passenger

Thomas Steward Do

Thos Kent Do

David Baldock Passr Servt

Muster Roll of Ship Anson.

Thomas Dibuke Commander

Arthur Butle Sailmaker

Robt Preston Cap Servant

James Munro 1 Mate

William Turrer Ships Steward

Thos Toall Do

John Saly 2 Do

John Hope Bower Midshipman

John Cooley Do

Edmund Wendell 3 Do

Patrick Jameson Do

George Young Surg Do

Cornah 4 Do

Charles Intobart Do

Rob Richardson Do

Thomas Anderson Purser

Henry Bovemy Do

Wm Innergrimm Do

Wm Macbede Surgeon

John Stewart Seaman

John Welch Fact Do

Wm Townsend Boatswain

Maro Swifs Do

Fran Seward Seaman

John Millson Carpenter

John Ross Do

John Parks Do

John Clark Gunner

Rich Broahland Do

John Johnson Do

Robt Stevens Caulker

James Sears Do

Fred Suindeson Do

John Soater 2d Master

Wm Mackay Do

James Hunter Do

John Gowen Do

George Honslow Do

Peter Mandry Do

George Wicks Do

Alec Morris Do

Sheval Lepin Do

Matthew Hall Do

Wm Waters Do

Homs Hidoff Do

David Matteoslap Cook

James Eatton Do

John August Do

Rich Clark Cooper

John Ramsay Do

Frederick Williams Do

Alex Ramsay Armourer

Christian Bush Do

Antonio Hors Do

Sam Rowan Cap 1 Mate

Robt Robertson Do

Antonio Caslar Do

Sam Sixley Sailmar Do

Marten Suenarstin Do

Rich Mattocks Do

John West Coopers Do

John Wilkenson Do

Ernst Blacke Do

Wm Robbins Ships Cook

Robt Maynard Do

John Augustino Do

7 June.

The muster roll of the Warren concluded, and the muster roll of the ship Anson opened, each man with his station.

Thomas Palmer, captain's servant

Thomas Baxton, ditto

Isaac Sharp, first mate's ditto

Thomas Hebbler, surgeon's ditto

William Plant, boatswain's ditto

Robert Bruce, captain's ditto

Thomas Mundy, gunner's ditto

Ramsey Sommer, seaman

John Lewis, ditto

Thomas Steward, ditto

Thomas Anglie, seaman

Brass Deau, ditto

Anton Francisco, ditto

Lewis Caman, ditto

Robert Wright, ditto

William Estman, ditto

Robert Perry, ditto

William Chabwood, ditto

Joseph Littleton, ditto

Thomas Hunt, ditto

James Newport, seaman

John Scott, ditto

Gabriel Harper, ditto

John Cawdery, ditto

Benjamin Sooler, ditto

Thomas Atkins, ditto

Joseph Powell, ditto

Henry Collington, ditto

Ivan Wheeler, passenger

David Baldock, passenger's servant

This muster roll of the ship Anson listed her company.

Thomas Dibuke, commander

James Munro, first mate

John Saly, second mate

Edmund Wendell, third mate

Cornish, fourth mate

Thomas Anderson, purser

William Macfede, surgeon

William Townsend, boatswain

John Million, carpenter

John Clark, gunner

Robert Stevens, caulker

John Foster, quarter master

John Gowan, ditto

George Wicks, ditto

Matthew Hall, ditto

David Matthewslap, cook

Richard Clark, cooper

Alexander Ramsay, armourer

Samuel Rowen, captain's mate

Samuel Sixby, caulker's ditto

John West, cooper's ditto

William Robbins, ship's cook

Arthur Butler, sailmaker

William Turner, ship's steward

John Hope, cooper's midshipman

Patrick Jamson, ditto

Charles Intobart, ditto

Henry Bovemy, ditto

John Stewart, seaman

Maus Swifo, ditto

John Ross, ditto

Richard Brockland, ditto

James Sears, ditto

William Mackay, ditto

George Henslow, ditto

Alexander Morris, ditto

William Waters, ditto

James Eaton, ditto

John Ramsay, ditto

Christian Bush, ditto

Robert Robertson, ditto

Martin Cornarshin, ditto

John Wilkinson, ditto

Robert Maynard, ditto

Robert Preston, captain's servant

Thomas Foall, ditto

John Cowley, ditto

George Young, surgeon's ditto

Robert Richardson, ditto

John Innes, gunner's ditto

John Welch, first mate's ditto

Ivan Servaid, seaman

John Parks, ditto

John Johnson, ditto

Fred Saunderson, ditto

James Hunter, ditto

Peter Mandey, ditto

Sheval Lepia, ditto

Homs Hicloff, ditto

John August, ditto

Frederick Williams, ditto

Antonio Hori's, ditto

Antonio Coslor, ditto

Rich Matthews, ditto

Ernest Blacke, ditto

John Augustine, ditto

Interpretations

The three muster rolls together, of the Bombay Castle, the Warren and the Anson, show three great Indiamen in the road at once, each with her full complement, a considerable body of shipping gathered at the island. This shows the concentration of the Company's fleet at St Helena, the ships collecting at the island on their homeward passage to sail together for the protection of numbers. The presence of three such ships at one time marks the island's function as a rendezvous where the homeward vessels assembled, the fleet gathering under the guns of the island before the final leg to England, the more so in a time of war when ships sailed in company against the enemy.

The gathering of these ships in June 1756, with the war against France newly begun, points to the island as the place where the homeward Indiamen collected to sail in convoy against French privateers and warships. This shows the settlement's strategic value heightened by the war, the ships assembling at St Helena to make the dangerous passage home together rather than singly. The concentration of shipping at the island in this season marks its role as a wartime rendezvous, the homeward fleet mustering under the island's protection before running the gauntlet of the enemy's cruisers, the island a vital point of assembly for the trade in time of danger.

The appearance of John Cawdery among the Anson's seamen, lately discharged from the garrison, suggests some of the island's discharged soldiers took service aboard the ships, moving from the land to the sea. This shows a flow of men between the garrison and the shipping, a discharged soldier finding a berth on a homeward Indiaman, perhaps working his passage back to England. The presence of such a man on the ship's roll marks the island a point where men passed from one service to another, the discharged soldier becoming a seaman, the garrison and the ships exchanging men as the island's people moved between the Company's several employments and homeward across the sea.

396

387

1756

Christ Sedman Seaman

John Compong

Thomas Combs Esqr Passenger

Solomen Lucus

Rich Kiong

Mr Griffen Do

Thomas Pesaro

Thomas Eastwood Carpenters Mate

refusing, to Work as the Carpenter informed us, we this Day sent for him,

and asked him his reason for it, he said he would not Work under the

Carpenter, and being last night ordered by the Governor to go to Work

this Morning, he neglected to do it, We therefore discharged him the

Honorable Companys Service

The Storekeeper this Day brought in the

following Account of Goods short delivered from Ship Anson vizt

Account of Stores short received from Ship

Anson vizt

35 Bags Rice

short delivered

8 Bags Paddy

77 26 Sugar short Weight

Gallons

No 1 Third of a Leaguer Arrack Gage 44 wants to fill 2/ Gallons

2 Do 43 Do 4 Do

3 Do 43 Do 3 3/4 Do

4 Do 45 Do 8 3/4 Do

5 Do 44 Do 12 Do

6 Do 44 Do 4 Do

263

37

Received 226 Gallons

Signed M Curling Storekeeper

7 June 1756

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The muster roll of the Anson concluded, the council discharged a carpenter's mate for refusing his duty, and the storekeeper brought in an account of goods short delivered from the ship. The arrack quantities in the account are stated in gallons.

The muster roll of the Anson closed with the following.

Christ Sedman, seaman

Solomon Lucas, ditto

John Compong, ditto

Richard Kiong, ditto

Thomas Pesaro, ditto

Thomas Combs Esq, passenger

Mr Griffen, ditto

Thomas Eastwood, carpenter's mate, refusing to work, the carpenter informed the council. It that day sent for him and asked him his reason for it. He said he would not work under the carpenter, and being the previous night ordered by the Governor to go to work that morning, he neglected to do it. The council therefore discharged him from the Honourable Company's service.

The storekeeper that day brought in the following account of goods short delivered from the ship Anson.

35 bags rice, short delivered

8 bags paddy, short delivered

No 1, one third of a leaguer arrack, gauge 44, wants to fill 2½ gallons

No 2, ditto, 43, wants to fill 5 gallons

No 3, ditto, 43, wants to fill 3¾ gallons

No 4, ditto, 45, wants to fill 8¾ gallons

No 5, ditto, 44, wants to fill 12 gallons

No 6, ditto, 44, wants to fill 4 gallons

Total gauge, 263 gallons

Total wanting, 37 gallons

Received, 226 gallons

The account was signed by Mr Gurling, storekeeper.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

Thomas Eastwood's discharge for refusing to work under the carpenter shows the settlement enforcing obedience among its tradesmen as among its soldiers, a man who would not do his duty put out of the Company's service. This shows the same discipline applied to the workmen as to the garrison, Eastwood dismissed for his refusal as a soldier might be for insubordination, the Governor's order disobeyed and the man discharged. The prompt dismissal marks the settlement's insistence on the performance of duty, a tradesman no more free to refuse his work than a soldier his post, the Company's service resting on obedience whether in the ranks or in the workshop.

The account of goods short delivered from the Anson, the missing bags of rice and paddy and the arrack casks found short of their gauge, shows the careful checking of every cargo landed against what was consigned. This shows the settlement measuring and weighing the goods received to catch any deficiency, the arrack casks gauged to find how far each fell short of full and the bags counted against the invoice. The recording of the shortfall marks the discipline of receiving the Company's goods, every consignment checked for what was wanting, the settlement holding the ships to account for what they carried, the deficiencies noted so that the Company might know its true loss on each cargo.

The gauging of the arrack casks, each found wanting a measured quantity to fill it, shows the practice of checking liquid cargo by gauge to detect leakage, evaporation or short filling. The leaguer of arrack was a large cask, and the finding that each of the six wanted some gallons of its full measure marks the losses such liquid goods suffered in the long carriage, the arrack leaking or evaporating on the voyage. This shows the settlement's exactness in receiving even liquid stores, the casks gauged to the gallon so the shortfall could be reckoned, the Company informed of the wastage its arrack suffered in passage, the 37 gallons short from 263 a measure of what was lost in bringing the spirit across the sea.

397

388

8th June

At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 8 Day of June 1756

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark Steward

The last Consultation was read approved, and signed, Dated

the 7 June 1756

This Day Mr John Ingles Surgeon

applyed to us for liberty to leave the Island, and proceed to

England upon the Ship Warren

Granted

As the Island will be very much in

want of a Surgeon, upon Mr Ingles's leaving it, and Mr Robert

Barclay Surgeon of the Ship Warren, being inclined to stay in

Mr Ingles's room, at the usual Salary, and Allowance, if he

could be Assured to be continued in the Honorable Companys

Service here, as it would be very detrimental to him, if he was

not confirmed. We told him, that we could not positively promise

him that, but that we would recommend it to the Honorable

the Court of Directors, in the strongest manner we possibly

could, as he remained merely for the Service of their Island,

and that we hoped, we should succeed in our Recommendation.

Mr Thomas Evans presented the

following Petition Vizt

8 June.

The council met in consultation on Tuesday 8 June 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of Council. The previous consultation, dated 7 June 1756, was read, approved and signed.

That day Mr John Ingles, surgeon, applied to the council for liberty to leave the island and proceed to England upon the ship Warren. The council granted it.

As the island would be very much in want of a surgeon upon Ingles leaving it, and Mr Robert Barclay, surgeon of the ship Warren, being inclined to stay in Ingles's room at the usual salary and allowance if he could be assured of being continued in the Honourable Company's service, as it would be very detrimental to him if he was not confirmed, the council told him that it could not positively promise him that, but that it would recommend it to the Honourable Court of Directors in the strongest manner it possibly could, as he remained merely for the service of their island, and that it hoped it should succeed in its recommendation.

Mr Thomas Evans presented the following petition.

Interpretations

The departure of Ingles, the surgeon at the centre of the great scandal, on the ship Warren marks the final removal of the man whose affair had so troubled the settlement, his going the resolution Wrangham had sought. This shows the scandal closed by the surgeon's departure, the man who had confessed the adultery and attempted his own life now leaving the island for England. The granting of his passage marks the settlement rid of the figure at the heart of its recent turmoil, Ingles quitting the place where he had been so ruined, the affair ending as the ship bore him away, the small society purged of the scandal that had shaken it.

The offer of Robert Barclay, the Warren's surgeon, to stay and fill Ingles's place shows the settlement's want of a surgeon met by a ship's medical officer willing to leave his vessel for the island's service. This shows the ships a source of skilled men for the settlement, a surgeon off a passing Indiaman ready to take up the island post left vacant, the settlement's need supplied from the shipping in the road. Barclay's willingness to stay, conditional on his being confirmed in the service, marks the settlement drawing its professional men from the ships as it drew its goods and provisions, a surgeon exchanging the sea for the island as the island lost its own to England.

The council's inability to promise Barclay confirmation, and its undertaking to recommend him strongly to the Court of Directors, shows the limit of the council's authority over permanent appointments, such matters reserved to the Company at home. This shows the settlement's officers able to fill a post provisionally but not to guarantee it, the confirmation of a surgeon in the Company's service lying with the Court in London. The council's promise to recommend Barclay marks the division of authority between the island and the home Company, the council supplying the immediate need while the lasting appointment awaited the Court's decision, Barclay staying on the strength of a recommendation the council could make but not enforce.

398

389

1756

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &c

Council

Sheweth

The humble Petition of Thomas Evans

That your Petitioner in a former Petition setting forth

that it would be convenient for him and Family to leave the Island, and

finding at Present a proper opportunity begs leave that he may take

his Passage on board the Ship Hardwicke.

And your Petitioner will ever pray

St Helena

8 June 1756

Signed

Thomas Evans

Granted

Mr John Clark, applyed to us to pay three

hundred, and one Pounds, one Shilling, into the Honorable Companys

Cash, which Sum we have received, and given him two Sets of Bills

of Exchange, drawn on the Honorable, the Court of Directors, one of them

for the Sum of two hundred Pounds, and the other, for one hundred and

one Pounds one Shilling, both payable to himself or Order, ninety

Days after sight, dated this Day.

Mr Richard Beale Senr likewise applyed

to us to pay one hundred and fifty Pounds, into the Honorable

Companys Cash, which Sum we have received and given him Bills

of Exchange, drawn on the Honorable, the Court of Directors, payable

to himself or Order, ninety Days after sight dated this Day

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

The petition of Thomas Evans was set out, and the council recorded two applications for bills of exchange drawn on the Company.

Mr Thomas Evans presented a petition to the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esq, Governor, and Council. Evans set out that in a former petition he had shown it would be convenient for him and his family to leave the island, and finding at present a proper opportunity, he begged leave that he might take his passage on board the ship Hardwick. He signed the petition at St Helena on 8 June 1756. The council granted it.

Mr John Clark applied to the council to pay £301 1s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The council received the sum and gave him two sets of bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors, one for the sum of £200 0s 0d and the other for £101 1s 0d, both payable to himself or order 90 days after sight, dated that day.

Mr Richard Beale senior likewise applied to the council to pay £150 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors, payable to himself or order 90 days after sight, dated that day.

The record was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The payment of money into the Company's cash in return for bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors shows the mechanism by which men on the island remitted their wealth to England without carrying coin. This shows the settlement serving as a place where a man might convert his cash into a paper bill payable in London, the Company taking his money on the island and undertaking to pay it at home. This arrangement let officers and others transfer their savings safely across the ocean, the coin surrendered on the island and the equivalent drawn in England, the Company's credit standing behind the bill, the specie kept on the island where it was wanted while the man's money followed him home on paper.

The dating of both bills at 90 days after sight shows the standard term of such instruments, the delay between the bill's presentation in London and its payment giving the Company time to honour it. This shows the settled form of these bills of exchange, the 90 days a customary interval that governed when the money fell due. The uniformity of the term across the bills marks the regular working of the Company's system of remittance, the delay allowing the drawee in London to prepare for payment, the bills a reliable means of moving money that the whole commercial world understood, the 90 days a fixed feature of the instrument.

The appearance of Richard Beale and John Clark remitting money home by such bills shows the officers of the settlement accumulating wealth on the island and sending it to England, their savings converted to paper for safe carriage. This shows the men in the Company's service laying up money in their years on the island and remitting it home, the bills the means of securing their earnings against the perils of carrying coin. The remittance of these sums marks the settlement a place where fortunes were made and sent home, the officers converting their island earnings into bills payable in England, their wealth following them or awaiting them at home, the Company's paper the vehicle by which the profits of eastern service were carried back across the sea.

399

390

14th June

At a Consultation held on Monday the 14 Day of June 1756

at the Castle.

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieut Govr Lieutenant John Clark of Council

absent being Ill

The last Consultation was read approved, and Signed dated

the 8 June 1756.

Thursday the 10 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Eastcourt, from Madrass

and brought us the following Supply vizt

Invoice of Ship Eastcourt

BA Batavia Arrack

No 1 to 6 6 Thirds of Leaguers 130 Mds p Leaguer

260

Batta 8 p Cent

20 12 9 280 12 9

WC Wax Candles

No 1 to 2 2 Chests of 4 Mds fact 6 72 Cent 4 p Maund

288

RF Rice Fine

No 1 to 50 50 Bags of 900 Mds Bag 36 p Rupee

111 1 9

Batta 8 p Cent

8 14 3 120

P Paddy

No 1 to 10 10 Bags of 14 22 or 100 Baskets Bush 20 p Rupee

8

Batta 8 p Cent

10 3 8 10 3

Charges Merchandize

100 Gunny Bags at 13 Mds p 100

10 8

Packing

7 6

Batta 8 p

1 3 9 18 1 3

2 Chests & Package

3 4

Boat Hire 13 Mustees 21

3 2 3

Sloop Hire

31 8 56 9 6

Current Rupees 754 6

Errors Excepted

p Paul Richard Bearhes Accountant

14 June.

The council met in consultation on Monday 14 June 1756 at the castle. Present were Governor Charles Hutchinson and Lieutenant John Clark of Council, John Adamson, Lieutenant Governor, being absent, ill. The previous consultation, dated 8 June 1756, was read, approved and signed.

On Thursday 10 June, the Honourable Company's ship Eastcourt arrived from Madras and brought the following supply. The invoice is stated throughout in current rupees.

The invoice of the ship Eastcourt set out the following goods.

BA No 1 to 6, Batavia arrack, 6 third leaguers at 130 per leaguer, 260 rupees 0 annas

Batta at 8 per cent, 20 rupees 12 annas 9 pies, total 280 rupees 12 annas 9 pies

WC No 1 and 2, wax candles, 2 chests, 4 maunds at 72 per candy at 4 maunds per maund, 288 rupees 0 annas

RF No 1 to 50, fine rice, 50 bags at 900 lb, 40 maunds at 36 per rupee, 111 rupees 1 anna 9 pies

Batta at 8 per cent, 8 rupees 14 annas 3 pies, total 120 rupees 0 annas

P No 1 to 10, paddy, 10 bags at 14 maunds, 22 or 100 baskets at 20 per rupee, 8 rupees 0 annas

Batta at 8 per cent, 10 annas 3 pies, total 8 rupees 10 annas 3 pies

Charges merchandise

100 gunny bags at 13 per hundred per rice, 10s 8d

Packing, 7s 6d

Batta at 8 per cent, 1 rupee 5 annas 9 pies, total 18 rupees 1 anna 3 pies

2 chests and package, 3 rupees 4 annas

Boat hire, 13 mootea 2 annas 1 pie, 3 rupees 2 annas 3 pies

Sloop hire, 31 rupees 8 annas, total 56 rupees 0 annas 6 pies

Current rupees, 754 rupees 0 annas 6 pies

The invoice was signed off, errors excepted, by Paul Richard Pearkes, accountant.

Interpretations

The Eastcourt's invoice, like the Anson's before it, was drawn up in current rupees and carried the same eastern goods, Batavia arrack, wax candles, rice and paddy, the settlement's staple supplies from India. This shows the regular flow of provisions from the eastern settlements to the island, each ship bringing much the same cargo of the Company's staple imports, the arrack, candles and grain that the settlement consumed in quantity. The recurrence of these goods and their reckoning in rupees marks the settled pattern of the island's supply from India, the same commodities carried by ship after ship, the settlement's provisioning a constant traffic in the produce of the East.

The batta added throughout this invoice, as in the Anson's, shows the Indian currency premium a regular feature of the settlement's dealings with Madras, the allowance charged on each item as the goods came from India. This shows the intricacy of the eastern accounting reaching every consignment, the batta a standing addition the settlement's books absorbed on all its Indian supplies. The uniform application of the 8 per cent marks the settled working of the Indian currency system, the premium charged as a matter of course on the goods from Madras, the settlement engaging with the full complexity of the Indian money on every cargo it received from the eastern settlements.

The detailed charges for gunny bags, packing, chests, boat and sloop hire show the full cost of getting the goods from the Indian settlement to the ship and thence toward the island, every incidental expense reckoned into the invoice. This shows the careful accounting of the whole cost of supply, not merely the price of the goods but the charges of packing and carrying them, the gunny bags that held the rice and the boat and sloop hire that moved the cargo. The itemising of these charges marks the thoroughness of the Company's reckoning, the settlement charged with the full expense of its supplies down to the bags and the boat hire, the true cost of each cargo told to the last anna before it entered the island's own accounts.

400

391

1756.

The Store keeper brought in the following Account

of Goods short Delivered from Ship Oxford vizt

Account of Stores short received from Ship Oxford vizt

41 Deals

short Delivered

4 Handspikes

30 Deals short Delivered, sent on board for the

6 Cuffers Cole Hole & cut up for that purpose

2 Pr Mens Ordinary Stores found short upon, opening the Packages

1 Box Copper Funnels short delivered, the Box having Bencoolen

Marked upon the outside, and no Copper Funnels being Indented for

from this place, its supposed they are Intended for that Settlement,

and are therefore forwarded thither

No 1 Third Beer Gage 60 Gallons wants to fill 3 Gallons

2 Do 61 Do 3 Do

3 Do 60 Do 3 Do

4 Do 65 Do 3 Do

5 Do 65 Do 3 Do

6 Do 65 Do 3 Do

376

20

Received 356 Gallons

Signed

M Curling Storekeeper

14 June 1756

Mr Francis Wrangham Junr applyed to us

for liberty for his Wife to leave the Island, and proceed to England

upon the Ship Hardwicke

Granted

The storekeeper brought in an account of goods short delivered from the ship Oxford, and the council granted leave for Mrs Wrangham to leave the island. The beer quantities in the account are stated in gallons.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of stores short received from the ship Oxford.

41 deals, short delivered

4 handspikes, short delivered

30 deals, short delivered, sent on board for the coal hole and cut up for that purpose

6 clappers, sent on board for the coal hole and cut up for that purpose

2 pair iron ordinary stores, found short upon opening the packages

1 box copper funnels, short delivered

The box of copper funnels having Bencoolen marked upon the outside, and no copper funnels being ordered from the island, it was supposed they were intended for that settlement, and were therefore forwarded there.

No 1, one hogshead beer, gauge 60, wants to fill 3 gallons

No 2, ditto, 61, wants to fill 3 gallons

No 3, ditto, 60, wants to fill 3 gallons

No 4, ditto, 65, wants to fill 3 gallons

No 5, ditto, 65, wants to fill 3 gallons

No 6, ditto, 65, wants to fill 3 gallons

Total gauge, 376 gallons

Total wanting, 20 gallons

Received, 356 gallons

The account was signed by Mr Gurling, storekeeper, and dated 14 June 1756.

Mr Francis Wrangham senior applied to the council for liberty for his wife to leave the island and proceed to England upon the ship Hardwick. The council granted it.

Interpretations

The box of copper funnels marked for Bencoolen and forwarded there shows the settlement acting as a transit point for goods bound to other settlements, cargo misdelivered to the island sent on to its right destination. This shows the island a waystation in the Company's distribution, goods intended for one settlement but landed at another identified by their markings and forwarded. The care to read the box's marking, recognise it was not ordered for the island and send it on to Bencoolen marks the settlement's honesty and diligence in handling the Company's goods, not keeping what was not meant for it but passing on the misdirected cargo to the settlement it was intended for.

The application of Francis Wrangham for his wife to leave the island, following the departures of Ingles and Goodwin, shows the dispersal of the whole circle caught up in the great scandal, Mrs Wrangham now to go as the others had gone. This shows the affair emptying the settlement of its participants, the wronged wife herself leaving after the surgeon who had ruined her, the small society shedding those the scandal had touched. The granting of her passage marks the final scattering of the figures in the affair, Mrs Wrangham sent to England as Ingles had been, the scandal's principals all removed from the island, the community rid of the parties whose entanglement had so occupied the council.

Wrangham's arranging his wife's passage to England on the Hardwick shows the husband disposing of his ruined wife by sending her home, removing her from the island where her fall had been so publicly exposed. This shows the practical consequence of the scandal for the woman at its centre, sent away from the scene of her disgrace, her marriage and her standing in the settlement destroyed. The recording of her departure marks the end of her part in the affair, the wife whose confession and contrary oath had so troubled the record now leaving the island, her passage home the close of a scandal that had ruined her, the settlement watching the last of its principals depart.

401

392

14 June

Mr James Powell presented the following

Petition viz

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & in Council

The humble Petition of James Powell

Sheweth

That your Petitioner having an opportunity of sending

one of his Sons to England upon the Ship Warren and likewise an

Orphan of the late Gabriel Harpur, to whom he is a Guardian,

upon the said Ship begs that he may have liberty for so doing,

And your Petitioner will ever pray

Signed

James Powell

St Helena

14 June 1756

Granted

Relisted the following Men to serve the

Honorable Company as Soldiers for five Years, at ten Pounds Bounty

Money, their Times to commence the 10 instant, and had the Articles

of War read to them viz

Job Harrison Peter Lindsay

John Papwater Jeremiah Whisell

Timothy Sullivan John Brown

As we are much in want of an Armourer,

and Captain Glover being willing to spare his, we have

entertained him at the usual Salary

On 14 June James Powell brought forward a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the Council. Powell explained that he had a chance to send one of his sons to England aboard the Warren, together with an orphan of the late Gabriel Harper for whom he acted as guardian, and he asked leave to send them both on that ship. The petition was signed by James Powell at St Helena on 14 June 1756, and the Council granted it.

The Council then enlisted the following men to serve the Honourable Company as soldiers for five years, at £10 0s 0d bounty money, their terms to begin on the 10th of the month, and read them the Articles of War.

Job Harrison

Peter Lindsay

John Papwater

Jeremiah Whistell

Timothy Sullivan

John Brown

Because the island badly needed an armourer, and Captain Glover was willing to spare his, the Council took the man on at the usual salary.

Interpretations

The bounty of £10 0s 0d was a lump sum paid on enlistment to induce men to sign on for a fixed term, here five years as garrison soldiers. Reading the Articles of War formally placed the recruits under military discipline, binding them to its code of offences and punishments from the moment they entered service.

An armourer maintained and repaired the garrison's firearms and edged weapons, a specialist trade the small island could rarely fill from its own population. Captain Glover was the commander of a ship then in the road, and an armourer carried aboard a vessel could be released to the settlement only by his captain's consent.

402

393

1756

Mr John Inglis applyed to us to pay two

hundred and thirty Pounds into the Honorable Companys Cash

which Sum we have received, and given him Bills of Exchange

drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors, payable to himself

or Order ninety Days after sight dated this Day

Mr Thomas Evans likewise applyed to us to

pay one hundred and fifty Pounds into the Honorable Companys Cash

which Sum we have received, and given him Bills of Exchange

drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors, payable to himself

or Order ninety Days after sight dated this Day

Chas Hutchinson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on Monday the 21 Day of June 1756

at the Castle

John Adamson Lieut Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

Govr absent being Ill Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read approved and Signed Dated the

14 June 1756

Tuesday the 15 Sailed the Honorable Companys Ships Hardwicke, Warren, and

Anson for England

Thursday the 17 Died William Davis Sergeant

Friday the 18 Was Drowned by Accident Benjamin Pledger Senr

Saturday this 19 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship St George from

Bengall, and brought us the following Supply viz

John Inglis asked the Council to pay £230 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day.

Thomas Evans likewise asked the Council to pay £150 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day. The entry was signed by Charles Hutchinson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 21 June 1756 at the Castle, the members present were Governor Charles Hutchinson and Lieutenant John Clark of the Council. Lieutenant John Adamson, the deputy governor, was absent through illness. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved and signed, dated 14 June 1756.

On Tuesday the 15th the Honourable Company's ships Hardwicke, Warren and Anson sailed for England.

On Thursday the 17th Sergeant William Davis died.

On Friday the 18th Benjamin Pledger senior was drowned by accident.

On Saturday the 19th the Honourable Company's ship St George arrived from Bengal and brought the following supply.

Interpretations

Bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors let private individuals move money to England without shipping coin. A man paid cash into the Company's treasury at St Helena and received a written order for the same amount, redeemable in London from the Directors ninety days after the bill was presented. The ninety-day delay after sight gave the Company use of the funds in the interval and set a fixed point from which repayment was reckoned.

403

394

21 June

Invoice of Ship St George

FR Fine Rice

1 @ 66 66 Bags Qr 131 Mds Bur Wt @ 30 p R 174 10 9

Batta 8 p Cent 13 15 9 188 10 6

P Paddy

1 @ 11 11 Bags Qr 15 Mds Fact Wt 1 20 p R

10

WC Wax Candles

1 @ 2 2 Chests Qr 4 Mds Fact Wt @ 60 Maund

240

438 10 6

Charges Merchandize

143 Gunny Bags @ 13 p % Cht 21 2 6

Packers and Twine 6 6

2 Chests and Package 7

Cooley Hire 3 4 6

Boat Hire 10

Hoop Hire 31 4 64 5 6

Current Rupees 503

Errors Excepted

p J R Pearkes Senr

The Storekeeper this Day brought

in the following Account of Goods short delivered from

Ship Eastcourt viz

The invoice of the ship St George, dated 21 June, was made up as follows. The headings are given in the manuscript in an abbreviated form and the sums are recorded in rupees.

Fine rice, marked FR, 1 to 66: 66 bags, contents 131 maunds, bought from William [...] and company at 30 [...] per [...], 174 rupees 10 annas 9 pies

Batta at 8 per cent: 13 rupees 15 annas 9 pies

Total for fine rice: 188 rupees 10 annas 6 pies

Paddy, marked P, 1 to 11: 11 bags, contents 15 maunds, from the factory of William [...], 1 rupee 20 [...], 10 rupees

Wax candles, marked WC, 1 to 2: 2 chests, contents 4 maunds, from the factory of William [...] at 60 maunds, 240 rupees

Total: 438 rupees 10 annas 6 pies

The charges of merchandise were as follows, again in rupees.

143 gunny bags at 13 rupees per hundred, charges: 24 rupees 2 annas 6 pies

Packers and twine: 0 rupees 6 annas 0 pies

2 chests and package: 7 rupees 0 annas 0 pies

Coolie hire: 3 rupees 4 annas 0 pies

Boat hire: 0 rupees 10 annas 0 pies

Hoop hire: 31 rupees 4 annas 0 pies

Total charges: 64 rupees 5 annas 6 pies

Current rupees: 503 rupees

The invoice was subscribed as errors excepted, per J R Pearkes senior.

The storekeeper then brought in the following account of goods short delivered from the ship Eastcourt.

Interpretations

Paddy is rice still in the husk, as harvested, distinct from the fine rice which had been milled and cleaned; the two appear as separate lines because they were graded and priced apart. A maund was the standard South Asian unit of weight for bulk goods, varying by region but broadly in the range of twenty-five to forty kilograms, so a consignment measured in maunds represented a substantial tonnage of grain.

Batta here was a percentage premium added to the invoice, an exchange or agio charge reflecting the difference between the currency of account and the coin actually tendered. The charges of merchandise cover the incidental costs of packing and moving the cargo to the ship: gunny sacking to hold the grain, twine and labour to fill and close the bags, coolie hire for the porters, boat hire to carry the goods out to the vessel in the road, and hoop hire for binding the chests.

Rupees, annas and pies were the divisions of the Indian money of account, twelve pies to the anna and sixteen annas to the rupee, which is why the totals are struck in that currency rather than in sterling. The distinction between the invoice value and the current rupees at the foot reflects the gap between the nominal sum and the sum reckoned in the coin then passing in trade.

404

395

1756

Account of Stores short received from Ship

Eastcourt viz

3 10 Paddy short Weight

No 1 Third of a Leaguer Arrack Gage 47 p wants to fill 4

2 Do 44 Do 3

3 Do 44 Do 3

4 Do 43 Do 3

5 Do 44 Do 3

6 Do 45 Do 4

267½ 20

26

21 June 1756

Received 247 p Gallons

Signed

Mr Feilding Assist

Mr Joseph Bates presented the following

Petition viz

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governer

& in Council

The humble Petition of Joseph Bates

Sheweth

That your Petitioner is desirous to leave the

Island, and to proceed to Bencoolen on the Ship Oxford humbly

prays that he may have leave so to do

And your Petitioner will ever pray

Signed Joseph Bates

St Helena

14 June 1756

Granted

Since we despatched the Oxford, we have

received a Letter from the President & Council of Mairas

acquainting us, that they had not received any from us the last

year, upon which we wrote the two following Letters viz

To

The account of stores short received from the ship Eastcourt was as follows, dated 21 June 1756. The first item was paddy short in weight, marked 3 [...] 10, followed by six thirds of arrack, gauged in gallons, with the shortfall on each shown as the amount wanting to fill it.

3 [...] 10: paddy short in weight

No 1, third of arrack, gauged 47½ gallons, wanting to fill 5 gallons

No 2, third of arrack, gauged 44 gallons, wanting to fill 3 gallons

No 3, third of arrack, gauged 44 gallons, wanting to fill 3 gallons

No 4, third of arrack, gauged 43 gallons, wanting to fill 3 gallons

No 5, third of arrack, gauged 44 gallons, wanting to fill 3 gallons

No 6, third of arrack, gauged 45 gallons, wanting to fill 4 gallons

Total gauged: 267½ gallons

Less: 20 gallons

Received: 247½ gallons

The account was signed by M Peeding, storekeeper.

Joseph Bates then brought forward a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the Council. Bates stated that he wished to leave the island and to go to Bencoolen aboard the ship Oxford, and he asked leave to do so. The petition was signed by Joseph Bates at St Helena on 14 June 1756, and the Council granted it.

After the Oxford had been dispatched, the Council received a letter from the President and Council of Madras informing them that no letters had reached Madras from St Helena in the previous year. In answer the Council wrote the two letters that followed.

Interpretations

Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in the East, commonly from fermented palm sap, molasses or rice, and shipped in bulk as a staple of the garrison's liquor supply. A third here was a cask holding roughly a third of a larger standard measure, and gauging was the excise practice of measuring a cask's actual liquid content to establish how much it held against its nominal capacity. The column of shortfalls records how far each cask fell below a full charge, the settlement checking delivered quantity against what the invoice claimed.

Bencoolen was the East India Company's pepper settlement on the west coast of Sumatra, a station on the eastern trading network to which men and stores moved by Company shipping. Madras, the Company's principal presidency on the Coromandel coast, stood above St Helena in the correspondence chain, and the complaint that a whole year's letters had failed to arrive points to how fragile communication was when it depended on the irregular passage of ships.

405

396

21 June

To the Honorable George Pigot Esqr President

and Governor & in Council of Fort St George

Honorable Sir & Sirs

We wrote to you by the Oxford under date

of the 7 June 1756, and have since received yours of the 2 March

last, by the Eastcourt, wherein you acquaint us, that you had

not heard from us the last Season which surprises us very

much, neither can we learn, what that miscarriage was

owing to, as we wrote to you by the Exeter, and sent it

enclosed to the Gentlemen of Fort Marlborough as usual

As we intended very largely, for

long Cloth &c in our Letter by the Grantham, dated the

12 April 1754, we did not write for any the last Year

expecting you would have sent them by the first opportunity,

but your failing to do it has been a great disappointment

to us, as is likewise the want of the thirty New Slaves

which we flattered ourselves we should have received this

Year We desire you will be pleased to comply with

our Requests as soon as you possibly can, for we shall

otherwise be much distressed

We are

Honorable Sir & Sirs

Your most humble Servants

Signed

Charles Hutchinson

St Helena

21 June 1756

John Clark

The Council at St Helena addressed a letter to George Pigot, President and Governor, and the Council of Fort St George, dated 21 June. They recalled having written by the Oxford on 7 June 1756, and since then had received the Madras letter of 2 March last by the Eastcourt, in which Madras reported hearing nothing from St Helena during the previous year. The Council found this very surprising and could not account for how the loss had happened, since they had written by the Exeter and sent that letter enclosed to the gentlemen of Fort Marlborough as usual.

Having placed a large order for long cloth and other goods in their letter by the Grantham of 12 April 1754, the Council had not written again for any of it in the past year, expecting the goods to come by the first opportunity. The failure to send them had greatly disappointed the Council, as had the want of the thirty new slaves they had counted on receiving that year. The Council pressed Madras to meet their requests as soon as possible, warning that they would otherwise be much distressed.

The letter closed with the subscription of Charles Hutchinson and John Clark, at St Helena on 21 June 1756.

Interpretations

Long cloth was a plain cotton calico woven in long pieces on the Coromandel coast, a staple Indian textile the island depended on Madras to supply. Fort Marlborough was the East India Company's fortified centre at Bencoolen, used here as a relay through which St Helena's correspondence was forwarded, which explains why a letter routed that way could go astray without either end knowing.

The island produced almost none of its own manufactured goods or labour and relied on the presidencies to send both, so a failed order left it genuinely short. The reference to thirty new slaves shows that Madras supplied St Helena's forced labour as a matter of routine allocation, the demand entered alongside cloth and provisions as one more line in the annual requisition.

406

397

1756

To the Worshipful the Supravisor or Deputy

Governor for the Time being of Fort Marlborough

Worshipful Sir & Sirs

Since writing to you under date of the 7 June 1756 by

the Oxford, we have received a Letter from the President & Council of

Madrass dated the 2 March last, wherein they inform us, that they

had not received ours of the 9 April 1755 that went enclosed to you by

the Exeter, what this miscarriage is owing to, we are at a loss to know

and have been much disappointed by it

Captain Debuke left with us a Mallay Man,

which surprized us a good Deal, as you did not mention him in

your Letter by the Anson

We desire you will forward the enclosed with our

other Letters by the Oxford as Directed

We are

Worshipful Sir & Sirs

St Helena

Your most humble Servants

Signed

21 June 1756

Charles Hutchinson

John Clark

Lieutenant John Clark reports that

he Has been on board the Ship Eastcourt, to muster her Company

and enquire for Deserters, but found none, the Muster Roll is as

follows viz

The Council at St Helena addressed a letter to the Supervisor or Deputy Governor for the time being of Fort Marlborough. They recalled having written on 7 June 1756 by the Oxford, and since then had received a letter from the President and Council of Madras dated 2 March last, in which Madras reported not having received the St Helena letter of 9 April 1755 sent enclosed to them by the Exeter. The Council could not account for how the loss had happened and had been much disappointed by it.

Captain Debuke had left a Malay man with the settlement, which surprised the Council a good deal, since he had made no mention of the man in his letter by the Anson. The Council asked Fort Marlborough to forward the enclosed letter along with their other letters by the Oxford as directed. The letter closed with the subscription of Charles Hutchinson and John Clark, at St Helena on 21 June 1756.

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship Eastcourt to muster her company and enquire after deserters, but found none. The muster roll was as follows.

Interpretations

Fort Marlborough at Bencoolen acted as the forwarding hub for St Helena's Indian correspondence, so a letter enclosed there for onward carriage could fail to reach Madras without either the sender or the intended recipient learning of it, which is the breakdown this exchange traces.

Mustering a ship's company meant calling the crew over against the roll to confirm every man was present and accounted for, the standard check for desertion whenever a vessel touched at the island. A Malay man set ashore from Bencoolen without notice would have posed a question of who was now responsible for his keep and status, which is why the Council recorded the captain's silence as a grievance rather than a trivial oversight.

407

398

21 June

Muster Roll of Ship Eastcourt

Arthur Evans Commander Tender Allom Joyner Matthew Perry Seaman

Rich Hall 1 Mate Tho Wells Serg Mate David Dunbar Do

Sam Bull 2 Do Wm Clark Gunn Do Alex Hunter Do

Thos Hurd 3 Do Wm Green karst 4 Do Job Davis Do

Nathl Mallack 4 Do Tho Paul 5 Do Jos Thompson Do

Allen Hutton Surgeon John Roberts Ship Cook John Farmer Do

Hugh Morgan Purser Wm Beverley 2 Mate John Christian Do

John Shepard Boatswain Stephen Sanders Butteries John Calderwood Do

Tho Hell Carpenter James Wren Barber Wm Flairis Do

Jos Creed Gunner Aysson Griffith Taylor Arthur Leach Do

John Durant Coxswain James Newton Capts Servant George Nicholson Do

Wm Thompson Midshipman James Lamb Do Tho Gale 2 Servant

Charles Faulkner Do Charles Hall Coxts Servant James Rule Seaman

Knype Gobbet Do Blake Robinson Ship Do James Hines Do

Rd Thoresby Do John Pledey Gunn Do James Ever Do

John Cook Cton Do Wm Smith Seaman John Thompson Do

Benj Williams Do Wm Bartlman Do Jos Cornida Do

James Muscatt Do Dav Nichols Do Jos Morgan Midshp

Robt Wood Do John Smith Do September Malorer Do

Evans Williams Do Edm Page Do Rd Cook Seaman

Alex Chiplin Dr Master John Grehen Do John Dally Do

Wm Rose Cr Do John Sutherland Do John Leiwench Do

Tho Harrington Do Rd Barretor Do James Newberry Do

Wm Ashley Do Edward Davis Do Rd Daily Do

Tho Curdon Capts Steward John Mitchell Do Semp Chanory Lascang

Tho Allenby Ships Do Alex Gellen Do James Bowles Do

John Nance Cooper Wm Kirk Do James Eaton Do

John Campbill Caulker Tho Landless Do Sucore Kendall

John Gee Saltwater James Glass Do Sum Johnso Lascar

Sam Harwood Armourer James Brown Do Gavul Do

Sofulla Lascar Iattee Lascar Lickb Do

Chowtaruina Johnne Do Ruma Do Balla Ruma Do

The muster roll of the ship Eastcourt, dated 21 June, listed her company as follows.

Arthur Evans, commander

Richard Hall, first mate

Samuel Bull, second mate

Robert Hunt, third mate

Nathaniel Mallack, fourth mate

Allen Hutton, surgeon

Hugh Morgan, purser

John Shepard, boatswain

Thomas Hall, carpenter

Joseph Creed, gunner

John Durant Cresswan, [...]

William Thompson, midshipman

Charles Faulkner, midshipman

Knipe Gobbet, midshipman

Robert Thorsby, midshipman

John Cook, [...]

Benjamin Williams, [...]

James Muscatt, [...]

Robert Wood, [...]

Evans Williams, [...]

Alexander Chaplin, doctor's mate

William Rose, [...]

Thomas Harrington, [...]

William Ashley, [...]

Thomas Curden, captain's steward

Thomas Allenby, ship's [...]

John Nance, cooper

John Campbell, caulker

John Eye, salt water [...]

Samuel Harwood, armourer

Sefulla, lascar

Chowtaruna Johnne, [...]

Tender Allom, joiner

Thomas Wells, swing mate

William Clark, gunner

William Green, [...]

Thomas Green, first quartermaster

Thomas Paul, second quartermaster

John Roberts, ship's cook

William Beverley, cook's mate

Stephen Saunders, butler

James Wan, barber

Aryson Griffith, tailor

James Newton, captain's servant

James Lamb, [...]

Charles Hall, [...] servant

Blake Robinson, [...]

John Pasdey, gunner

William Smith, seaman

Thomas [...], seaman

David Nichols, [...]

John Smith, [...]

Edmund Edge, [...]

Mister John Grehen, [...]

John Sutherland, [...]

Richard Bareton, [...]

Edward Davis, [...]

John Mitchell, [...]

Alexander Gillen, [...]

Thomas Kirk, [...]

Thomas Landless, [...]

James Glass, [...]

James Brown, [...]

Ruma, [...]

Matthew Perry, seaman

David Dunbar, seaman

Peter Hunter, seaman

Job Davis, seaman

Joseph Thompson, seaman

John Farmer, seaman

John Christian, seaman

John Calderwood, seaman

William Flavin, seaman

Arthur Leach, seaman

George Newton, seaman

Thomas Gale, second servant

James Rule, seaman

James Hines, seaman

James Eve, seaman

John Thompson, seaman

Joseph Comida, seaman

Joseph Morgan, midshipman

September's mate, [...]

Robert Cook, seaman

John Dally, seaman

John Leiwench, seaman

James [...] berry, seaman

Robert Daily, seaman

Samuel Chancey, [...]

James Cowles, seaman

James Eaton, seaman

Succow Kendall, [...]

Rum Johnse, lascar

Gavul, [...]

Latub, [...]

Balla Ruma, [...]

Interpretations

A lascar was a sailor of South Asian or Southeast Asian origin employed on European ships, and several of the names lower in the roll mark men taken on through the Indian trade rather than recruited in England. Their placement at the foot of each column, largely among the ratings and servants, reflects the hierarchy of a Company vessel, where the officers, tradesmen and English seamen stood above the locally engaged hands.

The roll distinguishes a series of specialist tradesmen carried aboard a large East Indiaman: the boatswain over the rigging and deck work, the carpenter and caulker maintaining the hull, the armourer tending the small arms, the cooper making and repairing casks, and the gunner responsible for the ordnance. A vessel of this size functioned as a self-contained working community, and the muster records the full spread of trades needed to keep her at sea on a voyage of many months.

408

399

1756

Mahomet Jaffe Lascar Passengers Passengers

Anthony Do Mrs Ann Wistcoat Master Charls Wistcoat

Bastina Do Mrs Sarah Morgan Ursella

Joseph Cantades Do Mrs Sora Morell Eliz Zualler Servants

The Stewards, Plantation and Gunners

Accounts for the Month ending the 21 instant, was this Day

brought in, which were examined, and approved, and are as follows

viz

Sundrys expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the

Month ending the 21 Instant viz

14 Bottles Port Wine

18 11½

33 Do Lisbon

2 4 8½

23 Do Mountain

1 11 1¼

19 Do Madera

2 5 1½

85 Do Arrack

2 16 8

9 ½ Do Beer

5 2½

340 Flower

2 3 7½

358 Mutton

7 9 2

197 Beef

2 9 3

48 Goat

16

8 Lambs

4

1 Hog

5

3 pr Salt Pork

2 6 6

31 Fowls

10 6

7 Ducks

10

2 Turkeys

10

2 Geese

18 6

18 ½ Butter

3

12 Sugar

1 16 ½

10 Candy

35 4½

The muster roll of the ship Eastcourt continued with the following lascars and passengers.

Mahomet Jaffe, lascar

Anthony, lascar

Bastina, lascar

Joseph Cantades, lascar

Mrs Ann Wistcoat, passenger

Mrs Sarah Morgan, passenger

Mrs Sarah Morell, passenger

Master Charles Wistcoat, passenger

Ursella, servant

Elizabeth Zualler, servant

The stewards, plantation and gunners accounts for the month ending the 21st were brought in that day, examined and approved, and ran as follows.

The sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month ending the 21st were as follows.

14 bottles of port wine, £0 18s 11½d

33 bottles of Lisbon, £2 4s 8½d

23 bottles of Mountain, £1 11s 1¾d

19 bottles of Madeira, £2 5s 1½d

85 bottles of arrack, £4 16s 8d

9½ [...] of beer, £1 0s 2½d

340 [...] of flour, £2 3s 7½d

358 [...] of mutton, £7 9s 2d

197 [...] of beef, £2 9s 3d

48 goats, £0 16s 0d

8 lambs, £4 0s 0d

1 [...], £0 5s 0d

3 [...] of salt pork, £2 6s 6d

31 fowls, £0 10s 6d

7 ducks, £0 10s 0d

2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d

2 geese, £0 18s 6d

18½ [...] of butter, £0 3s 0d

12 [...] of sugar, £1 16s 7½d

10 [...] of candy, [no figure]

Total: £35 0s 4½d

Interpretations

Lisbon, Mountain and Madeira were wines named for their source or type, Mountain being the sweet malaga wine of the Spanish hills, all imported for the Company's table alongside the port and the arrack spirit. The provisioning list shows how far the governor's table depended on shipped supplies rather than local produce, the wines and spirits in particular arriving entirely from Europe and the East.

The account measures out the establishment's monthly consumption of meat, drink and staples, with mutton and beef the largest single charges, reflecting a diet built on slaughtered livestock supplemented by poultry and imported provisions. This was the running cost of feeding the senior officers and their households at the Company's expense, drawn up each month for examination so that expenditure on the table could be checked and controlled.

409

400

21 June

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &c from the 12 May to the 21 June 1756 viz

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Piggs, Rams, Total, Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Horses, Mares, Total, L Asses, S Asses, Total

Remaining 12: Bulls 4, Cows 89, Calves 49, Heifers 28, Yearlings 67, Steers 24, Oxen 14, Total 275, Ewes 389, Weathers 167, Lambs 157, Rams 7, Total 720, Ewes 194, Weathers 126, Kids 23, Rams 7, Total 350, Sows 8, Shoats 13, Piggs 6, Rams 1, Total 28, Fowls 245, Turkeys 40, Ducks 61, Geese 19, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, L Asses 2, S Asses 3, Total 5

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 12, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 12, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 20, Rams 0, Total 20, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 18, Rams 0, Total 18, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Fowls 0, Turkeys 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 1, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Total: Bulls 4, Cows 89, Calves 61, Heifers 28, Yearlings 67, Steers 24, Oxen 14, Total 287, Ewes 389, Weathers 167, Lambs 177, Rams 7, Total 740, Ewes 194, Weathers 126, Kids 41, Rams 7, Total 368, Sows 8, Shoats 13, Piggs 6, Rams 1, Total 28, Fowls 245, Turkeys 40, Ducks 61, Geese 20, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, L Asses 2, S Asses 3, Total 5

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 5, Steers 0, Oxen 6, Total 9, Ewes 8, Weathers 0, Lambs 17, Rams 0, Total 3, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 4, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 1, Total 31, Fowls 0, Turkeys 7, Ducks 2, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 1, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 1, Rams 0, Total 2, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 3, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Fowls 0, Turkeys 0, Ducks 2, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 1, Weathers 0, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Fowls 0, Turkeys 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Remaining the 21: Bulls 4, Cows 87, Calves 6, Heifers 28, Yearlings 67, Steers 19, Oxen 14, Total 281, Ewes 388, Weathers 158, Lambs 169, Rams 7, Total 722, Ewes 192, Weathers 122, Kids 39, Rams 7, Total 36, Sows 8, Shoats 12, Piggs 6, Rams 1, Total 27, Fowls 214, Turkeys 28, Ducks 52, Geese 18, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, L Asses 2, S Asses 3, Total 5

One Shoat killed for the Slaves at Sandy Bay

One Goat Sold to George Young

Beef to the Ship Anson 560

Do to the Ship Bombay Castle 560

Do to the Ship Oxford 560

NB 13 Ducks missing

7 Fowls Do

Yams Expended for the Slaves 22850

Bad Yam for Stock 9540

Margin Notes: 21 June

The account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock ran from 12 May to 21 June 1756, and stood as follows. The figures are set out under the headings for each kind of animal, showing the numbers remaining at the start, increased, killed, died and sold, with the numbers remaining at the close.

Neat cattle, bulls: remaining 12 May 4, increased 0, total 4, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 21 June 4

Neat cattle, cows: remaining 89, increased 0, total 89, killed 1, died 1, sold 0, remaining 87

Neat cattle, calves: remaining 49, increased 12, total 61, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 61

Neat cattle, heifers: remaining 28, increased 0, total 28, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 28

Neat cattle, yearlings: remaining 67, increased 0, total 67, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 67

Neat cattle, steers: remaining 24, increased 0, total 24, killed 5, died 0, sold 0, remaining 19

Neat cattle, oxen: remaining 14, increased 0, total 14, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 14

Neat cattle, total: remaining 275, increased 12, total 287, killed 6, died 0, sold 0, remaining 281

Sheep, ewes: remaining 389, increased 0, total 389, killed 0, died 1, sold 0, remaining 388

Sheep, wethers: remaining 167, increased 20, total 167, killed 9, died 0, sold 0, remaining 158

Sheep, lambs: remaining 157, increased 20, total 177, killed 8, died 0, sold 0, remaining 169

Sheep, rams: remaining 7, increased 0, total 7, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 7

Sheep, total: remaining 720, increased 20, total 740, killed 17, died 1, sold 0, remaining 722

Goats, ewes: remaining 194, increased 0, total 194, killed 0, died 2, sold 0, remaining 192

Goats, wethers: remaining 126, increased 0, total 126, killed 3, died 1, sold 1, remaining 122

Goats, kids: remaining 23, increased 18, total 41, killed 1, died 1, sold 0, remaining 39

Goats, rams: remaining 7, increased 0, total 7, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 7

Goats, total: remaining 350, increased 18, total 368, killed 4, died 3, sold 1, remaining 736

Hogs, sows: remaining 8, increased 0, total 8, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 8

Hogs, shoats: remaining 13, increased 0, total 13, killed 1, died 0, sold 0, remaining 12

Hogs, pigs: remaining 6, increased 0, total 6, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 6

Hogs, boars: remaining 1, increased 0, total 1, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 1

Hogs, total: remaining 28, increased 0, total 28, killed 1, died 0, sold 0, remaining 27

Poultry, fowls: remaining 245, increased 0, total 245, killed 31, died 0, sold 0, remaining 214

Poultry, turkeys: remaining 40, increased 0, total 40, killed 12, died 0, sold 0, remaining 28

Poultry, ducks: remaining 61, increased 1, total 61, killed 7, died 2, sold 0, remaining 52

Poultry, geese: remaining 19, increased 0, total 20, killed 2, died 0, sold 0, remaining 18

Horses, horses: remaining 6, increased 0, total 6, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 6

Horses, mares: remaining 9, increased 0, total 9, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 9

Horses, total: remaining 15, increased 0, total 15, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 15

Asses, she asses: remaining 2, increased 0, total 2, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 2

Asses, he asses: remaining 3, increased 0, total 3, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 3

Asses, total: remaining 5, increased 0, total 5, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 5

The notes recorded that one shoat was killed for the slaves at Sandy Bay, and one goat was sold to George Young. Beef was supplied to the ship Anson at 560, to the ship Bombay Castle at 560 and to the ship Oxford at 560. It was further noted that 13 ducks and 7 fowls were missing. Yams expended for the slaves came to 22,850 and bad yam for stock to 9,540.

Interpretations

Neat cattle meant bovine stock, the term drawing a line between cattle proper and the sheep, goats, hogs and other animals held on the Company's account. The account is a working herd book, tracking each category by natural increase, slaughter, death and sale over the interval, so that the settlement could see at a glance how its breeding stock stood and how fast it was being drawn down.

The yam figures were the largest single quantities on the page, and the split between yams expended for the slaves and bad yam given to the stock shows how the island's staple root crop was allocated: the sound yams fed the forced labour force, and the spoiled remainder went to the animals. This was the practical base of the settlement's food economy, a locally grown provision that sustained both the slaves and the livestock the establishment depended on.

Beef supplied to the Anson, the Bombay Castle and the Oxford in equal measures of 560 shows the island functioning as a victualling station, its herds slaughtered to reprovision Company ships calling on their passage. This was a principal purpose of maintaining so large a stock on a small island, the cattle raised as much to feed passing crews as to feed the settlement itself.

410

401

1756

Gunners Stores expended from the 12 May to the 21 June 1756 viz

Guns Fired Great, Guns Fired Small, 9 pr, 4 pr, 2 pr, 1 pr, Powder Expended

1756

May 15 Arrived the Anson, returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

Departed a Dane Ship, returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

17 Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 2 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Fired at Bankss to bring a Dane Ship to: Guns Fired Great 1, Guns Fired Small 1, 9 pr 1, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

Arrived a Dane Ship returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

18 Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 2 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Bombay Castle, returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

19 Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 2 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Oxford, returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

24 Departed the Dane Ship, returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

June 10 Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 2 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

11 Arrived the Eastcourt returned the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

Do for Priming at Bankss from 8 March: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3

Do destroyed at Sandy Bay by a Flood: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 6 12

Do for exercising the Recruits: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 29

Do for signals: Guns Fired Great 0, Guns Fired Small 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 2 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2

Total: Guns Fired Great 88, Guns Fired Small 1, 9 pr 1, 4 pr 8, 2 pr 8, 1 pr 63, Powder Expended 8 166 12

The gunner's stores expended from 12 May to 21 June 1756 stood as follows. The entries record the number of guns fired on each occasion, with the powder charged shown by the weight expended, and the final column giving the powder in pounds.

15 May, arrival of the Anson, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds of powder expended

15 May, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

15 May, departure of a Danish ship, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

15 May, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

17 May, alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

17 May, fired at Banks's to bring a Danish ship to: 1 gun, 4 pounds 8 ounces

17 May, arrival of a Danish ship, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

17 May, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

18 May, alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

18 May, arrival of the Bombay Castle, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

18 May, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

19 May, alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

19 May, arrival of the Oxford, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

19 May, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

21 May, departure of the Danish ship, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

21 May, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

10 June, alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

21 June, arrival of the Eastcourt, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

21 June, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

Powder for priming at Banks's from 8 March: 3 pounds

Powder destroyed at Sandy Bay by a flood: 6 pounds 12 ounces

Powder for exercising the recruits: 29 pounds

Powder for signals: 2 pounds

Total: 88 guns, 166 pounds 12 ounces

Interpretations

Priming powder was the fine powder placed in the touch-hole or pan of a cannon to carry the spark to the main charge, charged separately from the powder that fired the shot, which is why it appears as its own line at 1 pound 8 ounces after each salute. Banks's was a shore battery on the island, positioned to command a stretch of the anchorage, and firing at it to bring a Danish ship to meant a warning shot to compel the vessel to halt and be identified before approaching.

The account measures the garrison's routine consumption of gunpowder, most of it spent on ceremonial salutes as ships arrived and departed, with alarms and signalling accounting for the rest. The large single charge of 29 pounds for exercising the recruits reflects the newly enlisted soldiers being trained to handle firearms, a heavier draw on the magazine than any individual salute and a measure of the powder cost of keeping a garrison in practice. The 6 pounds 12 ounces destroyed at Sandy Bay by a flood shows how exposed the island's stores were to its weather, a quantity of powder written off through nothing more than the failure of dry storage against heavy rain.

411

402

21 June

Match burnt at the Main Fort

6

Do for the use of the Warren

50

Handspikes for the use of the Hardwicke

6

Spunge Staves for the use of Do

2

Paper of making great Gun Cartridges

3

Do for making small Cartridges

3

Do for making Rockett Cases

3

Beds broke at the Main Fort

3

Handspikes broke at Do

2

Beds broke at Mundens Point

1

Do broke at Ruperts

2

Handspikes broke at Sandy Bay

1

Tallow for the use of the Carts

1

Copper Rivets for the use of the Anson

114

Signed

Thomas Hall

Mr Henry Russell applied to us for liberty

for his Wife to leave the Island, and proceed to Bencoolen on

the Ship Oxford

Granted

Mrs Mary Swants likewise applied to us for

liberty for her Daughter Helena Griffith, to leave the Island

and proceed to Bencoolen on the Ship Oxford

Granted

Joseph Hayes Native, applied to us for

liberty, to leave the Island and proceed to England on the

Ship London

Granted

Chas Hutchinson

The gunner's stores account, dated 21 June, continued with the following items.

The match and handspikes are given in numbers, and the paper for cartridges in quires.

Match burnt at the main fort: 6

Match for the use of the Warren: 50

Handspikes for the use of the Hardwicke: 6

Sponge staves for the use of the Hardwicke: 2

Paper for making great gun cartridges: 3 quires

Paper for making small cartridges: 3 quires

Paper for making rocket cases: 3 quires

Beds broke at the main fort: 3

Handspikes broke at the main fort: 2

Beds broke at Munden's Point: 1

Beds broke at Rupert's: 2

Handspikes broke at Sandy Bay: 1

Tallow for the use of the carts: 1

Copper rivets for the use of the Anson: 114

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

Henry Russell asked the Council for leave for his wife to leave the island and go to Bencoolen aboard the ship Oxford, and the Council granted it.

Mary Swaine likewise asked the Council for leave for her daughter Helena Griffith to leave the island and go to Bencoolen aboard the ship Oxford, and the Council granted it.

Joseph Hayes, a native, asked the Council for leave to leave the island and go to England aboard the ship London, and the Council granted it. The entries were signed by Charles Hutchinson.

Interpretations

Match here was slow match, a length of treated cord that burned steadily and was used to fire cannon by hand, kept alight at the batteries so a gun could be touched off at need. A handspike was a stout lever bar used to shift and lay a cannon on its carriage, and the beds were the timber blocks under the gun barrels, both being the heavy wooden fittings that wore out and broke under the shock of firing, which is why the account lists them broken at fort after fort.

The tallow for the carts was rendered animal fat used to grease axles and moving parts, a routine lubricant drawn from the settlement's own slaughtered stock. Munden's Point and Rupert's were fortified positions guarding the approaches to the anchorage, and the scatter of broken gear across the main fort, Munden's Point, Rupert's and Sandy Bay maps the spread of the island's coastal defences, each an emplacement that had to be kept armed and serviceable.

412

403

29 June

At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 29 Day of June 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Lieutenant John Clark of Council

Governor Absent being Ill

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed dated

the 21 June 1756

Tuesday the 24 Sailed the Honorable Companys Ships Bombay Castle

Eastcourt, and London for England, and the Oxford on her

Voyage

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the Month ending the 21 Instant which

is as follows viz

At a consultation held on Tuesday 29 June 1756 at the Castle, the members present were Governor Charles Hutchinson and Lieutenant John Clark of the Council. Lieutenant John Adamson, the deputy governor, was absent through illness. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved and signed, dated 21 June 1756.

On Tuesday the 24th the Honourable Company's ships Bombay Castle, Eastcourt and London sailed for England, and the Oxford departed on her voyage.

The Council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending the 21st, which stood as follows.

Interpretations

Counting and examining the cash was a monthly audit in which the Council physically checked the coin and bills held in the Company's treasury against the books, a control against error and theft in the settlement's accounts. The practice tied the governor and Council jointly to the state of the money, so that no single officer held the funds unwatched.

413

404

29 June

Cash Dr

1756

May 12 To Balance remaining

2434 14 6½

17 To Fines received of Daniel Jewkes as

p Consultation of this Day

5

31 To Account Current London for one Chest

Treasure No 340 taken out of the Ship

Oxford amounting to

1005 1 10½

June 8 To Exchange for one Sett of Bills drawn

on the Honorable Court of Directors

Payable to John Clark or Order ninety

Days after sight dated this Day

101 1

To Do for one Sett Do drawn and dated

as above, Payable to Do

200

To Do for one Sett Do drawn as above

Payable to Richard Beale

150

11 To Ship Hardwicke

23 15 7

3614 18

The cash account for the month ending 29 June, on the debtor side, stood as follows.

The receipts are set out with the date, the source and the sum received.

15 May, to balance remaining: £2,434 14s 6½d

17 May, to fines received of Daniel Jewkes at the consultation of that day: £0 0s 5d

31 May, to account current London, for one chest of treasure numbered 340 taken out of the ship Oxford, amounting to: £1,005 1s 10½d

On 8 June the Council received sums from the exchange of bills drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors.

8 June, to exchange for one set of bills drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors, payable to John Clark or order, ninety days after sight, dated that day: £101 1s 0d

8 June, to one set of bills drawn and dated as above, payable to John Clark: £200 0s 0d

8 June, to one set of bills drawn as above, payable to Richard Beale: £150 0s 0d

11 June, to the ship Hardwicke: £23 15s 7d

Total: £3,614 18s 0d

Interpretations

The chest of treasure numbered 340, taken from the Oxford and entered at £1,005 1s 10½d, was a consignment of coin or bullion landed from a passing ship and credited to the London account, the largest single entry on the debtor side. The Company moved specie between its stations by sea, and St Helena served as a point where such treasure could be landed, secured and accounted for in transit.

The three sets of bills drawn on 8 June record private individuals paying cash into the treasury in return for bills redeemable in London, a routine remittance service the Company ran for those needing to move money home. The balance remaining of £2,434 14s 6½d carried forward from the previous month formed the bulk of the account, the working fund the settlement held on the Company's behalf.

414

405

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

June 11 By Ballance remaining in the following Species viz

2000 Venetians @ 10 1000

2000 Pagodas 8 800

Gold Amounting to 1800

3080 Dollars @ 5 770

2059 Rupees 2/3 299 2 9

1298 half Rials 3 7 202 6 3

441 French Peices 12 3 13 6

Odd Money

Silver Amounting to 1275 3

146 Cash Notes @ 40 292

162 Do 20 162

263 Do 5 65 15

100 Do 2/6 20

Cash Notes Amounting to 539 15

3614 18

Lieutenant John Clark reports

that he has been on board the Ship St George to Muster

her Company, and enquire for Deserters, but found none her

Muster Roll is as follows viz

The cash account for the month ending 29 June, on the creditor side, showed the balance remaining held in the following species, dated 21 June 1756.

The gold and silver coin is set out with the number of pieces, the rate each and the sterling value.

2,000 sequins at 10s each: £1,000 0s 0d

2,000 pagodas at 8s each: £800 0s 0d

Gold amounting to: £1,800 0s 0d

3,080 dollars at 5s each: £770 0s 0d

2,059 rupees at 2s 3d each: £299 2s 9d

12,948 half rials at 3¾d each: £202 6s 3d

441 French pieces at 12s each: £3 13s 6d

Odd money: [...]

Silver amounting to: £1,275 3s 0d

146 cash notes at 40s each: £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s each: £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s each: £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d each: £20 0s 0d

Cash notes amounting to: £539 15s 0d

Total: £3,614 18s 0d

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship St George to muster her company and enquire after deserters, but found none. The muster roll was as follows.

Interpretations

The balance was held in a mixture of foreign coin from across the trading world: sequins from Venice and the Levant, pagodas and rupees from India, Spanish dollars and rials, and French pieces, each valued into sterling at a fixed rate. St Helena kept no single national currency but reckoned every coin that passed through it against a sterling standard, a reflection of an island economy fed by ships from many nations and every branch of the Company's trade.

The half rials, valued at 3¾d each, numbered 12,948, by far the most numerous coin in the treasury, showing that everyday transactions on the island turned on small Spanish silver rather than any English money. Cash notes made up the remaining £539 15s 0d, paper the settlement issued in fixed denominations, and their presence alongside the coin shows the Company supplementing scarce specie with its own local paper to keep money circulating.

415

406

Column 1

Parson Fenner Commander John Nych 1 Mate George Thornley 2 Do Wm Boyce 3 Do Cha Constable 4 Do James Alston 5 Do Thomas Brown Surgeon James Carrick Dr Mate Nicholas Mosely Purser Alexr McClood Gunner Wm Williams Carpenter Rich Serredine Boatswain John Hutton Midshipman Wm Moore Carpenters Mate John Errington Capts Cooks Thomas Fowler Cooper Chas Tibbett Dr Mate Rich Goodale Caulker Peter Roberts Saltmaker Richard Fate Seaman Nid Berestone Do Jno Wadingham Do Wm Archer Do John Stevens Do John Smith Do Robt Lasslie Do Wm Willson Do George Thompson Do James Burdie Do Jos Poynton Coultiner George China Seaman Wm Mallpress Do John Patrick Do

Column 2

John Boyce Cooks Mate Sam Doreton 2 Master Jos Crank Capts Servant Rd Montgomery Ships Cook George Phillips Butcher Robt Hies Armourer John Moore Midshipman John Cook Dr Seaman James Rylie Serg Servant Wm Everest Capts Do John Edward Gunn Do Wm Green 1 Mate Dr Jas Hollar 2 Dr Do Wm Money Midshipman John Small Seaman Jas Shepherd Ships Steward Thomas Trimble Seaman Thomas Scoop Dr Muster John Walton Seaman Wm Coots Do John Allen Dr Master Mark Andrews Seaman Hugh Semm Dr Muster Jos Haines Cauth Mate Nid Newfaming Seaman Sam Ellis Do Ant Jos Clement Do Sidn Crome Do Wm Straughon Boats Mate Mark Malley Seaman Joseph Coal Do John Mier Do Nich Keelow Do

Column 3

Henr Clews Seaman Ant Andrews Do Derick White Do Homer Waidruck Do John Caffra Do Tho Munford Do John Thompson Do John Dunforder Serang Memchdela Sundal Monnine Lascar Callod tola Do Bore Salt Do Chute Salt Do Monbua Do Sawchar Do Savage Do Rogebal Do Gyifiew Do Csaave Do Ermal Grainger Do Ermal Solenger Do Mobodden Do Killson Do Seaner Do Jack Chuter Do Math Mory Do Sother Do Bonnahen Do Buta Do Nama Do Ronald Do Denghew Do Aldela Do

The muster roll of the ship St George, dated 29 June, listed her company as follows.

Parson Henney, commander

John Mych, first mate

George Thornley, second mate

William Boyce, third mate

Charles Constable, fourth mate

James Boston, fifth mate

Thomas Brown, surgeon

James Carrick, doctor's mate

Nicholas Mosley, purser

Alexander McCloud, gunner

William Williams, carpenter

Richard Serodine, boatswain

John Hutton, midshipman

William Moore, carpenter's mate

John Cavaggon, captain's cook

Thomas Fowler, cooper

Charles Tebbot, doctor's mate

Richard Goodale, caulker

Peter Roberts, sailmaker

Richard Yate, seaman

Nicholas Bristow, seaman

John Wadingham, seaman

William Archer, seaman

John Stevens, seaman

John Smith, seaman

Robert Lassells, seaman

William Willson, seaman

George Thompson, seaman

James Burde, seaman

Joseph Poynton Poultner, seaman

George China, seaman

John Mallpress, seaman

John Patrick, seaman

John Boyce, cook's mate

Samuel Doveton, doctor's mate

Joseph Crank, captain's servant

Robert Montgomery, ship's cook

George Phillips, butcher

Robert Hew, armourer

John Moore, midshipman

John Crole, doctor's mate seaman

James Rylie, boatswain's servant

William Everest, gunner's mate

John Edwards, gunner

William Green, first mate

James Hollar, second mate

William Money, midshipman

John Small, seaman

James Shepard, ship's steward

Thomas Trimble, seaman

Thomas Scoop, doctor's mate

John Walton, seaman

William Coots, seaman

John Allen, doctor's mate

Mark Andrews, seaman

Hugh Denman, doctor's mate

Joseph Haines, fourth mate

Nicholas Verifaning, seaman

Samuel Ellis, seaman

Anthony Joseph Clement, seaman

Ludvig Cromer, seaman

William Straughan, boat's mate

Mark Malley, seaman

Joseph Coal, seaman

John Mier, seaman

Frederick Kirlow, seaman

Henry Clews, seaman

Anthony Andrews, seaman

Derick Wale, seaman

Homer Hardwick, seaman

John Caffra, seaman

Thomas Momford, seaman

John Thompson, seaman

John Dunfoder, serang

Monrodela, tindal

Momour, lascar

Cattandola, lascar

Bora Salt, lascar

Chuta Salt, lascar

Monbue, lascar

Sawobar, lascar

Savage, lascar

Rogebal, lascar

Gyrifier, lascar

Csaave, lascar

Emal Granger, lascar

Emal Solanger, lascar

Mooddon, lascar

Kaltan, lascar

Soanor, lascar

Jack Chuter, lascar

Matthew Mory, lascar

Sother, lascar

Bonnahen, lascar

Buta, lascar

Nama, lascar

Ronald, lascar

Dinghen, lascar

Aldela, lascar

Interpretations

A serang was the head of the lascar crew, the Indian boatswain who commanded the locally engaged sailors, and a tindal was his petty officer or mate, standing directly below him. These ranks came from the maritime labour system of the Indian Ocean, and their appearance at the head of the lascar section shows that the Company carried the whole structure of that system aboard its ships, the local crew ordered under their own officers rather than folded into the English chain of command.

The roll is divided in practice between the English officers, tradesmen and seamen in the upper part and the lascars grouped at the foot, a division that marked both origin and standing aboard a Company vessel. The tradesmen carried on so large a ship, the carpenter and his mate, the caulker, the cooper, the armourer, the sailmaker and the butcher, show her equipped to maintain and provision herself through a long voyage, a floating establishment able to repair its own hull, cask its own stores and keep its own arms in order.

416

407

1756

Our not meeting yesterday, the usual

Consultation Day, was caused by a large Torrent of Water coming

down this Valley, which run with such rapidity out of its common

course that it was not possible to turn it, untill the Rain abated, and

therefore it has done great Damage to the Honorable Companys Fortifications

and Plantations, as well as to many of the Possessions of the Inhabitants

It made two large breaches in the wall of the Halavie Garden, covered

up several thousands of Yams, with large Stones and Rubbish broke down

part of the Fence of the new Burial Ground, overflowing that which was

prepared for erecting Barracks upon, making its way towards the

Bridge, with several large Rocks, which not having depth to vent

them fast enough, part of the Torrent run over one side of it which

came down the public Street, which nearly destroyed several people

carrying with it every thing that was in its way Gullying the Street

reaching into Houses, and some Barracks tearing one of the Gates that

leads to the Line off the Hinges, did Damaged the other very much

forcing a vast Deal of Mudd and Rubbish, along with it filled the

works up to the Embrasures, and run over into the Ditch which was

about two thirds full That part of the Torrent that went behind

the Houses, next to Ladder Hill has almost Destroyed every

Persons yard Walls on that side, and has thrown down some

Buildings, and carried many things out of Peoples Houses, greatly

hurting one, and destroying another of the Fort cutting through which

it was to pass The Torrents that were in some other parts of the

Island, where there were Yam Plantations have almost ruined many

of them, the Damage done to some being irreparable We therefore

have employed all the Companys Blacks, and as many

Soldiers as we could get to set about putting the Fortifications

immediately into as good condition as possible

The Council failed to meet on the usual consultation day because a large torrent of water came down the valley, running so fast out of its normal course that it could not be turned until the rain had eased. The flood did great damage to the Honourable Company's fortifications and plantations, and to the property of many of the inhabitants.

The torrent tore two large breaches in the wall of the Company garden, buried several thousand yams under stones and rubbish, and broke down part of the fence of the new burial ground. It overflowed the ground prepared for building barracks and forced its way towards the bridge, carrying several large rocks with it. When the gates could not vent the water fast enough, part of the torrent ran over one bank and down the public street, nearly killing several people. It swept away everything in its path, gouged out the street, reached into houses and some barracks, and tore one of the gates leading to the Line off its hinges. A great mass of mud and rubbish choked the works up to the embracures and ran into the ditch, filling it about two thirds full.

The part of the torrent that ran behind the houses next to Ladder Hill destroyed almost every person's yard walls on that side, threw down some buildings and carried away many others. The channel it cut ran through where people had to pass, hurting one person and destroying another. The torrents in other parts of the island, where there were yam plantations, almost ruined many of them, and some of the damage was beyond repair. The Council therefore set all the Company's slaves and as many soldiers as could be spared to work at once, to put the fortifications back into as good condition as possible.

Interpretations

The Line was the main fortified wall and battery guarding the seafront at the anchorage, and the embracures were the openings in the parapet through which the cannon fired, so mud filling the works up to the embracures meant the flood had silted the defences to the level of the gun ports and choked the ditch meant to keep attackers back. The damage was not merely to buildings but to the island's whole defensive system, which explains why the Council treated restoring the fortifications as the first call on its labour.

Yams were the staple food crop of the settlement, grown in plantations across the island to feed the slaves and the livestock, so the burial of several thousand yams and the ruin of many plantations struck directly at the food supply. The scale of the loss, coming from a single storm, shows how precariously the island's provisioning rested on crops exposed to its weather, a subsistence base that a few hours of rain could largely destroy.

The Council put the Company's slaves and the soldiers to the repair work together, the standing labour force of the island turned straight from its usual tasks to emergency reconstruction. This was the settlement's only means of meeting a sudden crisis, having no resource beyond the forced labour it already held and the garrison it could spare from duty.

417

408

29 June

Thomas Eastwood the Honorable

Companys Carpenters Mate who was lately dismissed from

their Honors Service, having been missed from the Island ever

since the Departure of the Ships London, Eastcourt, and

Bombay Castle, we therefore suppose he Deserted from the

Island in one of these Ships, and has left several Creditors

Chas Hutchinson

John Clark

At a Consultation held on Monday the 5 Day of July 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated

the 29 June 1756

This Day arrived his Majesty's Ship the Hamshire Capt Norbery from England

The Storekeeper brought in the following

Account of Stores short received from Ship St George

Received Short from Ship St George

6 Candles Short Weight

5 July 1756

Signed Mr Sterling Storekeeper

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Thomas Eastwood, the Honourable Company's carpenter's mate, had lately been dismissed from their service and had been missing from the island ever since the ships London, Eastcourt and Bombay Castle departed. The Council supposed he had deserted the island aboard one of those ships, and noted that he had left several creditors behind. The entry was signed by Charles Hutchinson and John Clark.

At a consultation held on Monday 5 July 1756 at the Castle, the members present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, Lieutenant John Adamson, the deputy governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the Council. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved and signed, dated 29 June 1756.

That day His Majesty's ship the Hampshire, under Captain Norbery, arrived from England.

The storekeeper brought in the following account of stores short received from the ship St George, dated 5 July 1756.

Received short from the ship St George: 6 candles short in weight

The account was signed by M Peeling, storekeeper. The entry was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

A carpenter's mate who vanished the moment three ships sailed, leaving debts unpaid, illustrates how readily men slipped off the island by working a passage on a departing vessel. Desertion was a persistent problem for a settlement whose entire skilled and unskilled workforce could walk aboard any ship that called, and the note of creditors left behind shows that flight was also a way to escape obligations that could not otherwise be evaded on so small a place.

The arrival of a King's ship, the Hampshire, marked the naval presence distinct from the Company's own merchant fleet, a warship of the Royal Navy calling at the island rather than an East Indiaman. Such visits connected the remote station to the wider naval and strategic world, particularly at a time of war, when the sea lanes the island sat astride carried a heightened military importance.

418

409

12 July

At a Consultation held on Monday the 12 Day of July 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed Dated the

5 July 1756

Wednesday the 7 Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship the Exeter

Mr Onesiphorus Beale presented the

following Petition viz

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & in Council

The humble Petition of Onesiphorus Beale

Sheweth

That your Petitioners House in this Valley, and

the back Yard belonging to the same being Leasehold, humbly

Prays that he may have Liberty to assign his Right in the said

Lease to the Person that tidesmot

And your Petitioner will ever Pray

Signed

Ones Beale

St Helena

12 July 1756

Granted

At a consultation held on Monday 12 July 1756 at the Castle, the members present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, Lieutenant John Adamson, the deputy governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the Council. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved and signed, dated 5 July 1756.

On Wednesday the 7th the Honourable Company's ship the Exeter arrived.

Onesiphorus Beale then brought forward a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the Council. Beale stated that the house he held in the valley, together with its back yard, was leasehold, and he asked leave to assign his right in that lease to whoever should bid the most for it. The petition was signed by Onesiphorus Beale at St Helena on 12 July 1756, and the Council granted it.

Interpretations

Leasehold tenure meant Beale held the house and yard from the Company for a term rather than owning them outright, so the value he could realise lay in the remaining right under the lease rather than in the property itself. His request to assign that right to the highest bidder shows a working secondary market in Company leases on the island, where the interest in a tenancy could be sold on much like any other asset, subject to the Council's consent.

The requirement that the assignment come before the Council for approval marks the Company's control over who held property on the island. No leaseholder could transfer his interest freely, since the Company retained a check on the transaction, ensuring that tenancies passed only to persons it was willing to accept as occupiers on its ground.

419

410

12 July

Mrs Lidia, and Richard Harpers, presented

the following Petition viz

To Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor & Council

The humble Petition of Lidia, and

Richard Harper

Sheweth

That your Petitioners being desirous of

Disposing of their interest in thirty Acres of Land, we hold by

Lease from the Honorable Company, in the West Division,

begs your Leave for the same, and to Accept of Mr Orlando

Bagley Senr to become Tenant for the Same, and we your

Petitioners

St Helena

Will as in Duty Bound ever pray

12 July 1756

Granted

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Lidia and Richard Harper brought forward a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the Council, dated 12 July. The Harpers stated that they wished to dispose of their interest in thirty acres of land they held by lease from the Honourable Company in the West Division, and asked leave to do so and for the Council to accept Orlando Bagley senior as tenant in their place. The petition was signed at St Helena on 12 July 1756, and the Council granted it. The entry was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The transfer of a thirty-acre lease turned on the Council accepting a named successor, Orlando Bagley senior, rather than on any open sale, which shows the Company vetting each incoming tenant before a holding could change hands. Land on the island was held from the Company on terms it controlled, and the interest in a lease could be passed on only to a person the Council was willing to take as its tenant.

The West Division was one of the administrative districts into which the island's agricultural land was parcelled, the settlement's territory divided for the purpose of allotting and recording the leases granted to its planters. A holding of thirty acres marks a substantial agricultural tenancy on so small an island, the kind of grant on which the cultivation of yams and the grazing of stock depended.

420

411

19 July

At a Consultation held on Monday the 19 Day of July 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved and signed Dated the

12 July 1756

Friday the 16 Died Phillip Cole Soldier

Mr John Adamson hath paid into the

Honorable Companys Cash the Sum of thirty six Pounds, for which

We have given him Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable

the Court of Directors Payable to himself or Order ninety Days

after sight dated this Day

The Plantation Gunners, and Stewards

Accounts for the Month ending the 21 instant were this brought

in which were examined approved, and are as follows viz

At a consultation held on Monday 19 July 1756 at the Castle, the members present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, Lieutenant John Adamson, the deputy governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the Council. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved and signed, dated 12 July 1756.

On Friday the 16th Phillip Cole, a soldier, died.

John Adamson paid £36 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash, for which the Council gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day.

The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month ending the 21st were brought in, examined and approved, and ran as follows.

Interpretations

John Adamson, the deputy governor, used the same bill-of-exchange facility as any private applicant, paying £36 0s 0d into the treasury for bills redeemable in London, which shows the Company's own senior officers relying on the remittance system to move their money home. The service was open to the settlement's officials on the same terms as anyone else, a standard channel for transferring funds from the island to England without shipping coin.

421

412

19 July

Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &c from the 12 June to the 11 July 1756

Bulls, Cows, Calves, Heifers, Yearlings, Steers, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Weathers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Shoats, Piggs, Rams, Total, Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Horses, Mares, Total, L Asses, S Asses, Total

Remaining 12: Bulls 4, Cows 87, Calves 61, Heifers 28, Yearlings 67, Steers 19, Oxen 14, Total 280, Ewes 388, Weathers 158, Lambs 169, Rams 7, Total 722, Ewes 192, Weathers 122, Kids 39, Rams 7, Total 360, Sows 8, Shoats 12, Piggs 6, Rams 1, Total 27, Fowls 214, Turkeys 28, Ducks 52, Geese 18, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, L Asses 2, S Asses 3, Total 5

Encreased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 7, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 7, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 3, Rams 0, Total 3, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Kids 10, Rams 0, Total 10, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 4, Rams 0, Total 4, Fowls 8, Turkeys 6, Ducks 0, Geese 1, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Total: Bulls 4, Cows 87, Calves 68, Heifers 28, Yearlings 67, Steers 19, Oxen 14, Total 287, Ewes 388, Weathers 158, Lambs 172, Rams 7, Total 725, Ewes 192, Weathers 122, Kids 49, Rams 7, Total 370, Sows 8, Shoats 12, Piggs 10, Rams 1, Total 31, Fowls 222, Turkeys 34, Ducks 52, Geese 19, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, L Asses 2, S Asses 3, Total 5

Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Heifers 4, Yearlings 0, Steers 3, Oxen 0, Total 8, Ewes 0, Weathers 12, Lambs 4, Rams 0, Total 16, Ewes 0, Weathers 9, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 10, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Fowls 30, Turkeys 5, Ducks 11, Geese 3, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Died: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 4, Ewes 0, Weathers 0, Lambs 4, Rams 0, Total 0, Ewes 0, Weathers 1, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Fowls 8, Turkeys 1, Ducks 0, Geese 1, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Sold: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Heifers 0, Yearlings 0, Steers 0, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 8, Weathers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 8, Ewes 0, Weathers 1, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 1, Sows 0, Shoats 0, Piggs 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Fowls 0, Turkeys 0, Ducks 0, Geese 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, L Asses 0, S Asses 0, Total 0

Remaining 11: Bulls 4, Cows 86, Calves 68, Heifers 24, Yearlings 67, Steers 16, Oxen 14, Total 279, Ewes 384, Weathers 138, Lambs 168, Rams 7, Total 697, Ewes 192, Weathers 112, Kids 47, Rams 7, Total 358, Sows 8, Shoats 12, Piggs 10, Rams 1, Total 31, Fowls 184, Turkeys 28, Ducks 41, Geese 15, Horses 6, Mares 9, Total 15, L Asses 2, S Asses 3, Total 5

One Goat for the Hospital

One Third sold to Mr Adamson

8 Sheep sold to the Ships

3 Goats for the Slaves

Beef to the Eastcourt 560

Do to the St George 560

Do to the Exeter 560

NB 13 Ducks missing

Yams Expended for Slaves 16840

Bad Yam for Stock 6505

23345

Errors Excepted

Signed John Adamson

Margin Notes: 19 July

The account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other livestock ran from 12 June to 21 July 1756, and stood as follows. The figures are set out under the headings for each kind of animal, showing the numbers remaining at the start, increased, killed, died and sold, with the numbers remaining at the close.

Neat cattle, bulls: remaining 12 June 4, increased 0, total 4, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 21 July 4

Neat cattle, cows: remaining 87, increased 0, total 87, killed 1, died 0, sold 0, remaining 86

Neat cattle, calves: remaining 61, increased 7, total 68, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 68

Neat cattle, heifers: remaining 28, increased 0, total 28, killed 4, died 0, sold 0, remaining 24

Neat cattle, yearlings: remaining 67, increased 0, total 67, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 67

Neat cattle, steers: remaining 19, increased 7, total 19, killed 3, died 0, sold 0, remaining 16

Neat cattle, oxen: remaining 14, increased 0, total 14, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 14

Neat cattle, total: remaining 280, increased 7, total 287, killed 8, died 0, sold 0, remaining 279

Sheep, ewes: remaining 388, increased 0, total 388, killed 0, died 4, sold 0, remaining 384

Sheep, wethers: remaining 158, increased 0, total 158, killed 12, died 0, sold 8, remaining 138

Sheep, lambs: remaining 169, increased 3, total 169, killed 4, died 0, sold 0, remaining 168

Sheep, rams: remaining 7, increased 0, total 7, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 7

Sheep, total: remaining 722, increased 3, total 725, killed 16, died 4, sold 8, remaining 697

Goats, ewes: remaining 192, increased 0, total 192, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 192

Goats, wethers: remaining 122, increased 0, total 122, killed 9, died 1, sold 0, remaining 112

Goats, kids: remaining 39, increased 10, total 49, killed 1, died 0, sold 1, remaining 47

Goats, rams: remaining 7, increased 0, total 7, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 7

Goats, total: remaining 360, increased 10, total 370, killed 10, died 1, sold 1, remaining 358

Hogs, sows: remaining 8, increased 0, total 8, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 8

Hogs, shoats: remaining 12, increased 0, total 12, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 12

Hogs, pigs: remaining 6, increased 4, total 10, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 10

Hogs, boars: remaining 1, increased 0, total 1, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 1

Hogs, total: remaining 27, increased 4, total 31, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 31

Poultry, fowls: remaining 214, increased 8, total 222, killed 30, died 8, sold 0, remaining 184

Poultry, turkeys: remaining 28, increased 6, total 34, killed 5, died 1, sold 0, remaining 28

Poultry, ducks: remaining 52, increased 0, total 52, killed 11, died 0, sold 0, remaining 41

Poultry, geese: remaining 18, increased 1, total 19, killed 3, died 1, sold 0, remaining 15

Horses, horses: remaining 6, increased 0, total 6, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 6

Horses, mares: remaining 9, increased 0, total 9, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 9

Horses, total: remaining 15, increased 0, total 15, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 15

Asses, she asses: remaining 2, increased 0, total 2, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 2

Asses, he asses: remaining 3, increased 0, total 3, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 3

Asses, total: remaining 5, increased 0, total 5, killed 0, died 0, sold 0, remaining 5

The notes recorded that one goat was supplied for the hospital, one shoat was sold to Mr Adamson, 8 sheep were sold to the ships and 3 goats went for the slaves. Beef was supplied to the Eastcourt at 560, to the St George at 560 and to the Exeter at 560. It was further noted that 13 ducks were missing. Yams expended for the slaves came to 16,840 and bad yam for stock to 6,505, making 23,345. The account was signed by John Adamson.

Interpretations

The yam figures fell against the previous month, the total expended dropping from 22,850 to 16,840 for the slaves and the combined figure from 32,390 to 23,345, a marked reduction following the flood recorded at the end of June that buried several thousand yams and ruined many plantations. The lower issue reflects a supply diminished by the storm, the settlement drawing down a smaller stock of sound roots after the loss of so much of the crop.

Beef supplied to the Eastcourt, the St George and the Exeter in equal measures of 560 continued the island's function as a victualling station, its herds slaughtered to reprovision each Company ship as it called. The steady figure of 560 per ship across successive months shows a fixed allowance issued to departing vessels, the reprovisioning run to a set scale rather than varied ship by ship.

422

413

1756

Gunners Stores Expended from the 12 of June to the 11 July 1756 viz

Guns Fired Great, 9 pr, 4 pr, 3 pr, 1 pr, Powder Expended

1756

June 15 Departed the Hardwicke, Warren, and Anson: Guns Fired Great 27, 9 pr 2, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 1, 1 pr 22, Powder Expended 33 8

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

19 An Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 9, 3 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Saint George: Guns Fired Great 9, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

22 Fired for the Kings Accession to the Throne: Guns Fired Great 21, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 1, 1 pr 18, Powder Expended 23 8

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 3 8

Fired with Small Arms for Do: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 19

24 Departed the Oxford, Bombay Castle, London and Eastcourt: Guns Fired Great 36, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 36, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 36

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 6

July 5 An Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Hamshire Ship of War Saluted her with: Guns Fired Great 13, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 13, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 13

Saluted the Commander when landed with: Guns Fired Great 13, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 13, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 13

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 4 8

Do for Do upon the Line: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

7 An Alarm: Guns Fired Great 6, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 2, 3 pr 2, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 12

Arrived the Exeter, Returnd the Salute: Guns Fired Great 9, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 9, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 9

Powder for Priming: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 1 8

Do for the Funeral of William Davis: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 2 4

Do for Signals: Guns Fired Great 0, 9 pr 0, 4 pr 0, 3 pr 0, 1 pr 0, Powder Expended 12

Total: Guns Fired Great 146, 9 pr 2, 4 pr 10, 3 pr 8, 1 pr 120, Powder Expended 218

Sheep Skins for Spunges for the use of the London

4

Cartridge Paper for the use of the Bombay Castle

10 Quire

Do for the use of the Castle

1 Do

Do for making Great Gun Cartridges

2 Do

Tallow for the use of the Long Boat

2 Do

Do for Do of the Carts

6 Do

Do for greasing Gun Carriages upon the Line

6 Do

Match burnt at the Main Fort

4

Tompions wore out & unserviceable Do

Signed Tho Hall

The gunner's stores expended from 12 June to 21 July 1756 stood as follows. The entries record the number of guns fired on each occasion, with the powder charged shown by the weight expended, and the final column giving the powder in pounds.

15 June, departure of the Hardwicke, Warren and Anson: 27 guns, 33 pounds 8 ounces

15 June, powder for priming: 4 pounds 8 ounces

19 June, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

19 June, arrival of the Saint George: 9 guns, 9 pounds

19 June, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

22 June, fired for the King's accession to the throne: 21 guns, 23 pounds 8 ounces

22 June, powder for priming: 3 pounds 8 ounces

22 June, fired with small arms for the King's accession: 19 pounds

24 June, departure of the Oxford, Bombay Castle, London and Eastcourt: 36 guns, 36 pounds

24 June, powder for priming: 6 pounds

5 July, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

5 July, arrival of the Hampshire, ship of war, saluted her: 13 guns, 13 pounds

5 July, saluted the commander when landed: 13 guns, 13 pounds

5 July, powder for priming: 4 pounds 8 ounces

5 July, powder for priming upon the Line: 1 pound 8 ounces

7 July, an alarm: 6 guns, 2 pounds 12 ounces

7 July, arrival of the Exeter, returned the salute: 9 guns, 9 pounds

7 July, powder for priming: 1 pound 8 ounces

7 July, powder for the funeral of William Davis: 2 pounds 4 ounces

7 July, powder for signals: 12 ounces

Total: 146 guns, 218 pounds

The further stores expended were as follows. The sheep skins, cartridge paper, tallow and match are given in numbers and quires.

Sheep skins for sponges for the use of the London: 4

Cartridge paper for the use of the Bombay Castle: 10 quires

Cartridge paper for the use of the Castle: 1 quire

Cartridge paper for the use of the Castle: 2 quires

Cartridge paper for making great gun cartridges: 2 quires

Tallow for the use of the long beds: 2 quires

Tallow for greasing the carts: 6 quires

Tallow for greasing gun carriages upon the Line: 6 quires

Match burnt at the main fort: 4

Sponges worn out and unserviceable: 4

The account was signed by Thomas Hall.

Interpretations

The firing for the King's accession to the throne on 22 June marked the anniversary of George II coming to the crown, a fixed royal salute of 21 guns backed by a volley of small arms, distinct from the salutes fired for arriving and departing ships. Such ceremonial firing bound the remote island into the ritual calendar of the monarchy, the garrison expending powder to mark a dynastic date it shared with every other British possession.

The arrival of the Hampshire drew a double salute, 13 guns for the ship and another 13 for her commander when he landed, a heavier mark of respect than the 9 guns given to an East Indiaman. The larger salute reflected the standing of a King's warship and her captain over a Company merchantman, the number of guns calibrated to naval rank and precedence.

Powder was expended for the funeral of William Davis, the sergeant recorded dead in June, a measure of military honours paid to a member of the garrison at his burial. The gunpowder spent on his funeral shows the settlement observing the forms of military ceremony even for its own ordinary dead, the salute a customary tribute drawn from the same magazine that armed the defences.

423

414

19 July

Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table

in the Month, ending the 11 July 1756 viz

11 Bottles Port Wine

14 10¾

34 Lisbon

2 6 7

24 Mountain

1 12 6

19 Madera

2 5 1½

77 Arrack

2 11 4

89 Beer

18 6½

342 Flour

2 2 9

305 Mutton

6 7 1

464 Beef

5 16 3

4 Lambs

2

1 Hogg

5

81 Goat

1 7

35 Fowls

2 5

11 Ducks

16 6

5 Turkeys

1 3

3 Geese

15

4 pr Salt Pork

8

34 ¼ Butter

1 14 9

120 Candy

1 15

37 5 9¼

Lieutenant John Clark reports

that he has been on board the Ship Exeter to Muster

her Company, and enquire for Deserters but found none

her Muster Roll is as follows viz

The sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month ending 21 July 1756 were as follows.

11 bottles of port wine, £0 14s 10¾d

34 bottles of Lisbon, £2 6s 7d

24 bottles of Mountain, £1 12s 6d

19 bottles of Madeira, £2 5s 1½d

79 bottles of arrack, £2 11s 4d

89 [...] of beer, £0 18s 6½d

342 [...] of flour, £2 2s 9d

305 [...] of mutton, £6 7s 1d

464 [...] of beef, £5 16s 3d

4 lambs, £2 0s 0d

1 [...], £0 5s 0d

81 [...] of goat, £1 7s 0d

35 fowls, £2 5s 0d

11 ducks, £0 16s 6d

5 turkeys, £1 5s 0d

3 geese, £0 15s 0d

4 [...] of salt pork, £0 8s 0d

34¾ [...] of butter, £1 14s 9d

120 [...] of candy, £1 15s 0d

Total: £37 5s 9¼d

Lieutenant John Clark reported that he had gone aboard the ship Exeter to muster her company and enquire after deserters, but found none. The muster roll was as follows.

Interpretations

The table cost of £37 5s 9¼d ran slightly above the previous month's £35 0s 4½d, with beef the largest single charge at £5 16s 3d, its quantity rising from 197 to 464 units against a fall in mutton from 358 to 305. The shift towards beef reflects the fresh slaughter the establishment could draw on, the livestock account for the same period showing cattle killed to reprovision the ships then in the road and the table drawing from the same herds.

The provisioning continued to lean heavily on imported wines and spirits, the Lisbon, Mountain, Madeira and arrack all shipped from Europe and the East, alongside the beer. These figures were the monthly running cost of the governor's table, drawn up for the Council's examination so that expenditure on feeding the senior establishment could be checked against the pattern of earlier months.

424

415

Wm Fernell Commander Wm Brown 1 Mate Wm Gunn 2 Do John Sedgwick 3 Do Wm Hayward 4 Do John Goodwyn 4 Do John Cannaad 5 Do Adam Miller Purser Robt Gilfyllin Gunner Thos Ravenings Carpenter Wm Griffith Boatswain Charles Kelly Mid Ho John Notley Midshipman Anthony Beale Do Edward Wilson Do Charles Gardner Do Walter Hunter Dr Muster Andw Godfrey Do Aaron Martin Do Wm Newton Caulker Wm Bridge Ships Steward Benj Burton Saltmaker Nid Castle Ships Cook James Dampsitt Do John Neath Cooper James Knight Ships Trumps James Shaw 1 2 Do John Thorne Coopers Mate Andrew White Surgeon Wm Main Barber Jeremiah Smith Taylor Stephen Payne Baker

Samuel Bristow Poulterer David Johnson Gun Mate Anthony Demitow Boat Dr Andrew Sterling Seaman Wm Wingram Thos Edwards Alexander McDonald Wm Rose George Ridgate Andrew McColestor Alexander Hamilton James Roe Joseph Garvitt Stephen Simmonds Thomas Lockup Wm Cornwall Robt Sally Seaman Edwd Robson Nathan Sample Thomas Trienter Charles Hill Charles Higgins Charles Warstow John Shcod Hans Nelson Henry Walber John Richards Robt Wilkinson George Carnas Benj Rigland Richard Bullett Joseph Anrave

Matthew Walsh Wm Castle Alexander Davidson Nicholas Antony Wm Fowler Rich Ferrit Francis Smith John Nichols Siven Harmon Jonas Wright Samuel Johnson Henry Brown Tobias Osmond Andrew Elmsee John Bwn Walter Souter Conrade Sittemore Arnold Beaks Andrew Jacobson Samuel Warbey John Martin John Roofseau John Lawrence John Gambeer Rich Williamson James Russell 1 Capts Servant James Emerton 1 Mate Do Benj Burley 2 Do Do Joseph Ingill Gunners Do Joseph Laine Boatswain Do George Fuller Carpenters Do Camas Buck Surgeons Do

The muster roll of the ship Exeter listed her company as follows.

William Fernell, commander

William Brown, first mate

William Gunn, second mate

John Sedgwick, third mate

William Hayward, fourth mate

John Goodwyn, fifth mate

John Catnnach, sixth mate

Adam Miller, purser

Robert Gillfillin, gunner

Thomas Ravennos, carpenter

William Grissell, boatswain

Charles Kelly, third mate

John Notley, midshipman

Anthony Beale, midshipman

Edward Wilson, midshipman

Charles Gardner, midshipman

Walter Hunter, doctor's mate

Andrew Godfrey, midshipman

Aaron Martin, midshipman

William Newton, caulker

William Bridge, ship's steward

Benjamin Burton, sailmaker

Robert Castle, ship's cook

James Dumpfield, seaman

John Neath, cooper

James Knight, ship's first mate

James Shaw, second mate

John Thorne, cooper's mate

Andrew White, surgeon

William Wan, barber

Jeremiah Smith, tailor

Stephen Payne, butcher

Samuel Bristow, poulterer

David Johnson, gunner's mate

Anthony Demitroe, boatswain's mate

Andrew Sterling, seaman

William Wingroin, seaman

Thomas Edwards, seaman

Alexander McDonald, seaman

William Rose, seaman

George Ridgate, seaman

Andrew McColester, seaman

Alexander Hamilton, seaman

James Roe, seaman

Joseph Garrett, seaman

Stephen Simmonds, seaman

Thomas Lockup, seaman

William Cornwall, seaman

Robert Salby, seaman

Edward Robson, seaman

Nathan Sample, seaman

Thomas Thenter, seaman

Charles Hill, seaman

Charles Higgins, seaman

Charles Warstow, seaman

John Shredd, seaman

Hans Nelson, seaman

Henry Walber, seaman

John Richards, seaman

Robert Wilkinson, seaman

George Carnas, seaman

Benjamin Ryland, seaman

Richard Bullett, seaman

Joseph Anrave, seaman

Matthew Walsh, seaman

William Castle, seaman

Alexander Davidson, seaman

Nicholas Antony, seaman

William Fowler, seaman

Richard Ferris, seaman

Francis Smith, seaman

John Nichols, seaman

Siven Harmon, seaman

Jonas Wright, seaman

Samuel Johnson, seaman

Henry Brown, seaman

Tobras Ozmond, seaman

Andrew Elmore, seaman

John Bwin, seaman

Walter Souter, seaman

Conrade Intemire, seaman

Arnold Beaks, seaman

Andrew Jacobson, seaman

Samuel Harbey, seaman

John Martin, seaman

John Roofseau, seaman

John Lawrence, seaman

John Gambet, seaman

Richard Williamson, seaman

James Russell, captain's servant

James Emerton, first mate

Benjamin Burley, second mate

Joseph Ingell, gunner

Joseph Laine, boatswain

George Cutler, carpenter

Camus Buck, surgeon

Interpretations

The upper part of the roll sets out the officers and specialist tradesmen of a large East Indiaman, running from the commander and his six mates down through the purser, gunner, carpenter, boatswain, caulker, sailmaker, cooper, armourer and their mates, each trade with its own place in the ship's working order. The number of mates carried, six under the commander, marks the size of the vessel and the depth of command needed to work her through a voyage of many months.

The closing names carry a second series of servants and mates attached to the individual officers, the captain's servant and the paired first and second mates set against the gunner, boatswain, carpenter and surgeon. This reflects the practice by which the senior tradesmen each had their own assistants, the ship manned not as a single undifferentiated crew but as a set of departments each headed by its officer and staffed beneath him.

425

416

19 July

Matthew Risley Seaman Rich Black Seaman Roger Cartold Esq Passenger

Wm Stephens Do Thomas Rasano Do Mr Sam Kingston Do

John Pedro Do

Captain William Fernell presented

the following Letter viz

Worshipful Sir & Sirs

Your favour of the 7 instant, I received and

should be glad to comply therewith, but as part of my Cargoe

were returned at Fort Marlbro conjecture the Gentlemen there

to be the best of their Judgement, Shipt on board the quantity

of Pepper agreeable to their orders received from the Honorable

Court of Directors, having signed no Bills of Lading for the

whole quantity, the reasons of which have sent Home to their

Honors by Captain Debuke

As my detrenment on the West Coast of

Sumatra, was much longer than expected; and meeting with

a long Passage from thence, here, the greatest part of my Salt

Provisions being expended; begg I may be supplyed with

Fourteen Cask of Provisions and twelve hundred weight

of Flour, shall be ready to Sail on Friday or Saturday next

I am

Worshipful Sir & Sirs

St Helena

19 July 1756

Your most Obedient & humble Servant

Signed

Wm Fernell

The muster roll of the ship Exeter concluded with the following seamen and passengers.

Matthew Risley, seaman

William Stephens, seaman

Richard Black, seaman

Thomas Rasano, seaman

John Pedro, seaman

Roger Carter, passenger

Mrs Samuel Kingston, passenger

Captain William Fernell then brought forward the following letter to the Council. Fernell wrote that he had received their letter of the 12th and would gladly have complied with it, but part of his cargo had been detained at Fort Marlborough. The gentlemen there, using their best judgement, had shipped aboard the quantity of pepper set by their orders from the Honourable Court of Directors, but had signed no bills of lading for the whole quantity, and Fernell had sent home the reasons for this to the Directors by Captain Debuke.

Fernell explained that his stay on the west coast of Sumatra had lasted much longer than expected, and that he had met with a long passage from there to St Helena, so that the greater part of his salt provisions was now spent. He asked to be supplied with fourteen casks of provisions and twelve hundredweight of flour, and undertook that he would then be ready to sail on the Friday or Saturday following. The letter closed with the subscription of William Fernell at St Helena on 19 July 1756.

Interpretations

Bills of lading were the signed receipts a ship's captain gave for goods loaded aboard, acknowledging the quantity and binding him to deliver it, so the shipping of pepper without bills signed for the whole quantity left the consignment carried without the usual documentary cover. That the Fort Marlborough officers shipped the cargo yet withheld full bills, and referred their reasons home to the Directors, points to a dispute or irregularity over the pepper that they were unwilling to certify in the normal way.

Fernell's request for fourteen casks of provisions and twelve hundredweight of flour shows a ship reprovisioning at St Helena after a long and unexpectedly slow passage had exhausted her salt stores, the island supplying the fresh victuals a vessel needed to complete the run home. This was the practical service the settlement existed to provide, its herds and stores kept precisely so that a ship arriving short could be refitted for sea and sent on within days.

426

417

1756

By the above Letter their Honors will see the

Reasons that Captain Fernell goes for not complying, with their

Orders in giving us a Copy of his Bill of Lading And as He

represents that He is much in want of these Provisions he requests

to be supplyed with out their Stores, We have agreed to let him

have it

Bought of Captain William Fernell

37 2 of Junk at eight Shillings p hundred Weight for the

use of the Honorable Company

We likewise bought of Captain

William Fernell 35 Ct of Paddy for which we paid him

Ten Pounds, eleven Shillings, and six pence, for the use of the

Honorable Company

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

From Captain Fernell's letter the Directors would see the reasons he gave for not complying with their orders by providing a copy of his bill of lading. Since he reported being much in want of provisions and asked to be supplied from the Company's stores, the Council agreed to let him have them.

The Council bought of Captain William Fernell 37 hundredweight 2 quarters of junk at eight shillings the hundredweight, for the use of the Honourable Company.

The Council likewise bought of Captain William Fernell 35 [...] of paddy, for which they paid him £10 11s 6d, for the use of the Honourable Company. The entry was signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

Junk here was old worn cordage, the condemned rope from a ship no longer fit for running rigging, bought by weight to be picked apart into oakum for caulking or reused as lashing about the settlement. That the Company purchased it by the hundredweight at a fixed rate shows a working trade in a ship's cast-off material, the vessel's used rope finding a ready market ashore rather than being thrown away.

The purchase of both junk and paddy from Captain Fernell shows the exchange between ship and island running in both directions at once, the settlement supplying him with provisions while buying from him the cordage and grain it could put to its own use. The transaction offset a departing captain's needs against the island's, a practical accommodation in which each side drew on what the other carried.

427

418

26 July

At a Consultation held on Monday the 26 Day of July 1756

at the Castle

Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor

John Adamson Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant John Clark of Council

The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed

Dated the 19 July 1756

Saturday the 24 Died Neomy Wife of William Doveton

William Paddom presented the

following Petition viz

To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr

Governor & in Council

The humble Petition of William Paddom

Sheweth

That your Petitioner is desirous of Disposing of

his House which stands on Lease Land humbly Prays that he may

have liberty to assign his Right in the Lease, for the Time to

Come

And your Petitioner will ever pray

Signed

St Helena

Willm Paddom

26 July 1756

Granted

The Paymaster brought in his Accounts

and the Store keeper his Collections for the Quarter ending

the 21 instant which were examined approved, and are as

follows viz

At a consultation held on Monday 26 July 1756 at the Castle, the members present were Governor Charles Hutchinson, Lieutenant John Adamson, the deputy governor, and Lieutenant John Clark of the Council. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved and signed, dated 19 July 1756.

On Saturday the 24th Neomy, the wife of William Doveton, died.

William Paddom then brought forward a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the Council. Paddom stated that he wished to dispose of his house, which stood on leasehold land, and asked leave to assign his right in the lease for the remaining term. The petition was signed by William Paddom at St Helena on 26 July 1756, and the Council granted it.

The paymaster brought in his accounts and the storekeeper his collections for the quarter ending the 21st, which were examined and approved, and ran as follows.

Interpretations

Paddom's request to assign his right in the lease for the remaining term repeats the pattern of leasehold transfers coming before the Council for approval, the value lying in the unexpired portion of the term rather than in outright ownership. The recurrence of such petitions shows a steady traffic in Company leases on the island, each transfer requiring the Council's consent before a tenancy could change hands.

The paymaster and storekeeper rendered their accounts each quarter for examination, the paymaster answerable for wages and disbursements and the storekeeper for the collections he had gathered in. This quarterly audit was the routine check by which the Council held its financial officers to account, ensuring that money paid out and revenue taken in were both set before it and approved.

428

419

1756

List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants upon

the Island St Helena with their several Salarys Diet Mony &c

for the Quarter Commencing April the 12 and ending the 11 July

1756 viz

Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governors Salary 125

Do Allowance for Servants as Usual 31 14 9 156 14 9

John Adamson Lieutenant Governors Salary 62 10

Do Diet Mony 25 87 10

John Clark of Council 15

John Goodwin Acct Salary Diet Mony & 12 Ap to 15 June Jne 24 18 7

Matthew Purling Storekeepers Salary 17 10

Do Diet Mony 15

Do House Rent 2 10 35

Francis Wrangham Secretary Salary 17 10

Do Diet Mony 15

Do House Rent 2 10 35

William Lee Chaplain Salary 25

Do Diet Mony 15 40

James Powell Factor Salary 7 10

Do Diet Mony 10

Do Assistant Storekeeper 5

Do House Rent 2 10 25

Matthew Bagett Factor Salary 7 10

Do Diet Money 10

Do House Rent 2 10 20

William Wrangham Writers salary 5

Do Diet Mony 10

Do House Rent 2 10 17 10

Charles Steward Writer Salary 5

Do Diet Money 10 15

John Inglis Sugeons Salary &c from 12 April to 15 June Inclusive 15 13

Robert Barclay Do Do & from 15 June Inclusive 6 12

Thomas Evans Surgeons Mate Sal & from 12 April to 11 June Inclusive 11 8 9

Carried over 505 7 1

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants upon the island of St Helena, with their several salaries, diet money and other allowances, for the quarter commencing 12 April and ending 21 July 1756, stood as follows.

Charles Hutchinson, governor's salary, £125 0s 0d

Charles Hutchinson, allowance for servants as usual, £31 14s 9d, total £156 14s 9d

John Adamson, deputy governor's salary, £62 10s 0d

John Adamson, diet money, £25 0s 0d, total £87 10s 0d

John Clark of Council, £15 0s 0d

John Goodwin, accountant's salary, diet money and other allowances from 12 April to 15 June inclusive, £24 18s 7d

Matthew Peeling, storekeeper's salary, £17 10s 0d

Matthew Peeling, diet money, £15 0s 0d

Matthew Peeling, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

Francis Wrangham, secretary's salary, £17 10s 0d

Francis Wrangham, diet money, £15 0s 0d

Francis Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £35 0s 0d

William Lee, chaplain's salary, £25 0s 0d

William Lee, diet money, £15 0s 0d, total £40 0s 0d

James Powell, factor's salary, £7 10s 0d

James Powell, diet money, £10 0s 0d

James Powell, assistant storekeeper, £5 0s 0d

James Powell, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £25 0s 0d

Matthew Bagett, factor's salary, £7 10s 0d

Matthew Bagett, diet money, £10 0s 0d

Matthew Bagett, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £20 0s 0d

William Wrangham, writer's salary, £5 0s 0d

William Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d

William Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £17 10s 0d

Charles Steward, writer's salary, £5 0s 0d

Charles Steward, diet money, £10 0s 0d, total £15 0s 0d

John Inglis, surgeon's salary and other allowances from 12 April to 15 June inclusive, £15 13s 0d

Robert Barclay, surgeon's salary and other allowances from 15 June inclusive, £6 12s 0d

Thomas Grim, surgeon's mate salary and other allowances from 12 April to 21 June inclusive, £11 8s 9d

Carried over: £505 7s 1d

Interpretations

The list separates each officer's pay into salary, diet money and house rent, three distinct allowances that together made up his emolument. Diet money was a cash allowance in lieu of board, provided so an officer could feed himself where he was not fed at the Company's table, and house rent was a further sum toward his lodging, the Company meeting the cost of quarters as part of the terms of service on a remote station where housing could not be had on the open market.

The salaries mark the settlement's hierarchy in plain money terms, the governor at £125 0s 0d far above the deputy at £62 10s 0d, and the factors, writers and tradesmen ranged below on much smaller sums. The part-quarter payments to John Inglis and Robert Barclay, the one ending and the other beginning in mid-June, record a handover of the surgeon's post partway through the period, each man paid only for the days he actually served.

429

420

26 July

Brought Over 505 7 1

Samuel Alexander 7 10

Matthew Bazett Overseers 7 10

George Young 7 10 22 10

Richard Beale Judge Advocate Salary 10

Do as Schoolmaster 3 8 3

Do as Clerk 5 18 8 3

John Bland Master Mason Salary 17 10

Do Diet Mony 10

Do House Rent 1 10 29

Thomas Loving Carpenters Salary 12 10

Do House Rent 15 13 5

Thomas Kirkpatrick Master of Arms 6 5

James Sheridan Gardener 10

Thomas Eastwood Carpenters Mate from 12 Apl to 7 June 5 9 3

Paul Hovitage Amourer from 11 June Inclusive 3 4 2

John Hughes Amourers Mate 9

James Torbett Cooper 8 15

William Moore Steward 6

Michael Frost Clock & Instrument Cleaner 1 5

Nicholas Serafton Patron of the Long Boat 7 10

John Strange Groom 2

Thomas Harper Marshall 5 65 64 14 10½

First Company

John Clark 1 Lieutenant Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet Mony 6 16 6

Do On Acct of instructing the Gunners 7 10 37 3 1½

Henry Bazett 2 Lieutenant Salary 21 May Jne 10 9

Do Diet Mony from 3 18 14 7

Francis Mowatt Adjutant Salary from

12 April to 16 May Inclusive 7 5

Do Diet Mony from Do Do 2 3 6

9 8 6

Carried over 714 3 10

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £505 7s 1d.

Brought over: £505 7s 1d

Samuel Alexander, overseer, £7 10s 0d

Matthew Bagett, overseer, £7 10s 0d

George Young, overseer, £7 10s 0d, total £22 10s 0d

Richard Beale, judge advocate's salary, £10 0s 0d

Richard Beale, as schoolmaster, £3 8s 3d

Richard Beale, as clerk, £5 0s 0d, total £18 8s 3d

John Bland, master mason's salary, £17 10s 0d

John Bland, diet money, £10 0s 0d

John Bland, house rent, £1 10s 0d, total £29 0s 0d

Thomas Loving, carpenter's salary, £12 10s 0d

Thomas Loving, house rent, £0 15s 0d, total £13 5s 0d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, master of arms, £6 5s 0d

James Sheridan, gardener, £10 0s 0d

Thomas Eastwood, carpenter's mate from 12 April to 7 June, £5 9s 3d

Paul Hovitage, armourer from the 7th inclusive, £3 4s 2d

John Hughes, armourer's mate, £0 9s 0d

James Torbett, cooper, £8 15s 0d

William Moore, steward, £6 0s 0d

Michael Frost, clock and instrument cleaner, £1 5s 0d

Nicholas Serafton, patron of the long boat, £7 10s 0d

John Strange, groom, £2 0s 0d

Thomas Harper, marshall, £5 0s 0d, total £64 14s 10½d

The pay of the First Company followed.

John Clark, first lieutenant's salary, £22 16s 3d

John Clark, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

John Clark, on account of instructing the gunners, £7 10s 0d, total £37 3s 1½d

Henry Bagett, second lieutenant's salary from 21 May, £10 9s 0d

Henry Bagett, diet money from that day, £3 18s 0d, total £14 7s 0d

Francis Mowatt, adjutant's salary from 12 April to 16 May inclusive, £7 5s 0d

Francis Mowatt, diet money from that day, £2 3s 6d, total £9 8s 6d

Carried over: £714 3s 10d

Interpretations

The judge advocate Richard Beale drew three separate salaries at once, for his legal office, for schoolmastering and for clerking, which shows how the island's small pool of literate men doubled up its public roles. A single individual filled several distinct posts that a larger community would have split among many, the settlement paying one man three times over rather than finding three.

The First Company was the garrison's military establishment, its lieutenants, adjutant and gunners paid alongside the civil officers on the same quarterly list. That the first lieutenant John Clark also drew a sum for instructing the gunners marks the training of the artillery crews as a distinct paid duty, the powder spent exercising the recruits in the gunner's account matched here by the officer's fee for teaching them.

The patron of the long boat, Nicholas Serafton, was the man in charge of the settlement's principal boat, the craft that carried people and goods between the shore and the ships anchored in the road. On an island with no harbour, where every arrival and departure crossed open water, the boat and its keeper were essential to the working of the whole station.

430

421

1756

Brought Over 714 3 10

Sergeants

Solomon Jacobs 7 12 1

William Davis from 12 April to 16 June Jnol Died 5 10

John Howard 7 12 1 20 14 2

Corporals

Joseph Renton from 12 Apl to 16 June as Corp £3 17 4

Do from 17 June as Sergeant 2 2 1 5 19 1

Humphry Pugh 5 6 3½

Edward Robinson 5 6 3½ 16 12

Drummers

John Vaughan 5 6 3½

Charles Smith 5 6 3½ 10 12 11

Centinels

Phillip Andrion 3 16 ½

George Bennet 3 16 ½

John Burbe 3 16 ½

John Bagley 3 16 ½

Peter Bellin 3 16 ½

Joseph Boswell from 12 Apl to 24 May Jn Discharged 1 15 10

John Bachwell from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5

John Belton Do Do 2 5

John Bookham Do Do 2 5

James Cartwright 3 16 ½

Phillip Cole 3 16 ½

George Capelin 3 16 ½

William Cooksey 3 16 ½

Dunca Camron 3 16 ½

James Colles from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5

Joseph Clay Do Do 2 5

William Cocker Do 2 5

Centinels carr over 53 6 3

Carried over 762 2 11

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £714 3s 10d.

The sergeants were paid as follows.

Solomon Jacobs, £7 12s 1d

William Davis, from 12 April to 17 June inclusive, died, £5 10s 0d

John Howard, £7 12s 1d, total £20 14s 2d

The corporals were paid as follows.

Joseph Renton, from 12 April to 16 June as corporal, £3 17s 0d

Joseph Renton, from 17 June as sergeant, £2 2s 1d, total £5 19s 1d

Humphry Pugh, £5 6s 3d

Edward Robinson, £5 6s 3d, total £16 12s 0d

The drummers were paid as follows.

John Vaughan, £5 6s 3d

Charles Smith, £5 6s 3d, total £10 12s 11d

The sentinels were paid as follows.

Phillip Andrion, £3 16s 7d

George Bennet, £3 16s 7d

John Burke, £3 16s 7d

John Bagley, £3 16s 7d

Peter Bellin, £3 16s 7d

Joseph Boswell, from 12 April to 24 May inclusive, discharged, £1 15s 0d

John Bachwell, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

John Bolton, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

John Bookham, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

James Cartwright, £3 16s 7d

Phillip Cole, £3 16s 7d

George Capelin, £3 16s 7d

William Cooksey, £3 16s 7d

Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 7d

James Collet, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Joseph Clay, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

William Cotter, £3 16s 7d

Sentinels carried over: £53 6s 3d

Carried over: £762 2s 11d

Interpretations

The garrison's rank structure appears here in ascending pay, the sentinels at the foot on £3 16s 7d for the full quarter, the drummers and corporals above them, and the sergeants highest of the ranks below the commissioned officers. Joseph Renton's split entry, paid as corporal to 16 June and as sergeant from 17 June, records a promotion partway through the quarter, his pay stepping up on the day he took the higher rank.

The word entertained marks the men newly taken into service from 19 May, several sentinels enlisted mid-quarter and paid only for the weeks they served, the recruits read the Articles of War in the June consultations now appearing on the pay list. The discharge of Joseph Boswell on 24 May against these fresh enlistments shows the constant turnover in the ranks, men leaving and joining so that the garrison's strength had to be made up piece by piece through the quarter.

431

422

26 July

Brought over 762 2 11

Centinels Brought over 53 6 3

Edward Durrant 3 16 ½

Thomas Dunn 3 16 ½

James Easthope 3 16 ½

Robert Evans 3 16 ½

James Edwards 3 16 ½

Thos Ferris from 12 April to 16 June as Sentinel £2 13

Do from the 17 June as Corporal 1 93½ 4 1 5½

Richard Golding 3 16 ½

John Grainger 3 16 ½

George Green 3 16 ½

Thomas Hoiles 3 16 ½

James Hendry 3 16 ½

Jonathan Hitchens 3 16 ½

Thomas Silliwell 3 16 ½

Daniel Hull 3 16 ½

Henry Havenburg 3 16 ½

George Ice 3 16 ½

Wm Jarvis 3 16 ½

William Lamboen 3 16 ½

Joseph Low from 12 Apl to 19 May Jn Disch 1 11 8

Thomas Litchfield 3 16 ½

John Marsh 3 16 ½

William Morintgomery 3 16 ½

William McDonald 3 16 ½

John Murray from 14 Apl Jnol Entertaind 3 14 4½

Thomas Pilkerton 3 16 ½

John Denny from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

James Richardson 3 16 ½

Abraham Ratcliff 3 16 ½

John Scotcher 3 16 ½

John Shaw 3 16 ½

George Smith from 12 Apl to 19 May Jnol Disch 1 11 8

Centinels carr over 163 10 2

Carried over 762 2 11

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £762 2s 11d, and the sentinels carrying over £53 6s 3d.

Sentinels brought over: £53 6s 3d

Edward Durrant, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Dunn, £3 16s 7d

James Easthope, £3 16s 7d

Robert Evans, £3 16s 7d

James Edwards, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Ferris, from 12 April to 16 June as sentinel, £2 13s 0d

Thomas Ferris, from 17 June as corporal, £1 9s 3d, total £4 4s 5¾d

Richard Golding, £3 16s 7d

John Grainger, £3 16s 7d

George Green, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Hoales, £3 16s 7d

James Hendry, £3 16s 7d

Jonathan Hitchens, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Stilliwell, £3 16s 7d

Daniel Hull, £3 16s 7d

Henry Havenburg, £3 16s 7d

George Ice, £3 16s 7d

William Jarvis, £3 16s 7d

William Lamboen, £3 16s 7d

Joseph Love, from 12 April to 19 May inclusive, discharged, £1 11s 8d

Thomas Litchfield, £3 16s 7d

John Marsh, £3 16s 7d

William Montgomery, £3 16s 7d

William McDonald, £3 16s 7d

John Murray, from 14 April inclusive, entertained, £3 14s 4¾d

Thomas Pilkerton, £3 16s 7d

John Denny, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

James Richardson, £3 16s 7d

Abraham Ratcliff, £3 16s 7d

John Scotcher, £3 16s 7d

John Shaw, £3 16s 7d

George Smith, from 12 April to 19 May inclusive, died, £1 11s 8d

Sentinels carried over: £163 10s 2d

Carried over: £762 2s 11d

Interpretations

Thomas Ferris rose from sentinel to corporal on 17 June, his pay divided at that date between the two ranks, the same mid-quarter promotion the list records for Joseph Renton and marking a steady movement of men up through the garrison as vacancies fell. Such promotions kept the ranks filled from within, the settlement drawing its corporals and sergeants from the sentinels already on its strength.

The entries for John Murray and John Denny newly entertained, set against Joseph Love discharged and George Smith dead, show the sentinel roll in constant flux across a single quarter. The garrison was not a fixed body but one continually renewed, its numbers held up only by taking in new men as fast as others left through discharge or death, each paid strictly for the span of days he actually stood.

432

423

1756

Brought over 762 2 11

Centinels Brought over 165 10 2

William Scotman 3 16 ½

Edward Webber 3 16 ½

John Watson 3 16 ½

Jeremiah Whorrill 3 16 ½

John Wood from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5 182 19 8

Second Company

Thomas Kirkpatrick 1 Lieutenant Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet Mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10 32 3 1½

Stephen Herbert 2 Lieutenant 18 5

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10 27 11 10½

Sergeants

John Watts 7 12 1

William Bimhn 7 12 1

Thomas Bazett 7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Samuel Disfountain 5 6 3½

William Lindsey 5 6 3½

William Cannum 5 6 3½ 15 19 4½

Drummers

John Gould 5 6 3½

George Brown 5 6 3½ 10 12 11

Centinels

John Allis 3 16 ½

Edward Allis 3 16 ½

John Ashenstall 3 16 ½

Centinels Carried over 11 8 1½

Carried over 1034 6 1½

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £762 2s 11d, and the sentinels carrying over £165 10s 2d.

Sentinels brought over: £165 10s 2d

William Scotman, £3 16s 7d

Edward Webber, £3 16s 7d

John Watson, £3 16s 7d

Jeremiah Whorrill, £3 16s 7d

John Wood, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Total: £182 19s 8d

The pay of the Second Company followed.

Thomas Kirkpatrick, first lieutenant's salary, £22 16s 3d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Thomas Kirkpatrick, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

Stephen Herbert, second lieutenant, £18 5s 0d

Stephen Herbert, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Stephen Herbert, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £27 11s 10½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

John Watts, £7 12s 1d

William Bunkn, £7 12s 1d

Thomas Bagett, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

The corporals were paid as follows.

Samuel Disfountain, £5 6s 3d

William Lindsey, £5 6s 3d

William Cannum, £5 6s 3d, total £15 18s 9d

The drummers were paid as follows.

John Gould, £5 6s 3d

George Brown, £5 6s 3d, total £10 12s 11d

The sentinels were paid as follows.

John Allis, £3 16s 7d

Edward Allis, £3 16s 7d

John Ashenstall, £3 16s 7d

Sentinels carried over: £11 8s 1½d

Carried over: £1,034 6s 1½d

Interpretations

The pay list divides the garrison into a First and a Second Company, each with its own lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, drummers and sentinels, the settlement's soldiers organised into two parallel units rather than a single body. This division gave the small garrison a working military structure, two companies that could be posted, mustered and commanded separately across the island's scattered defences.

Thomas Kirkpatrick appears here as first lieutenant of the Second Company drawing full military pay, having been listed earlier among the civil establishment as master of arms on £6 5s 0d. The same man held a standing post in the ordnance and a commission in the garrison at once, another instance of the island's few capable men carrying more than one office and drawing pay for each.

433

424

26 July

Brought over 1034 6 1½

Centinels Brought over 11 8 1½

Samuel Andersen 3 16 ½

Thomas Bredow 3 16 ½

Thomas Bearer 3 16 ½

Isaac Buck 3 16 ½

John Baret 3 16 ½

Charles Brown from 19 May Enter to 7 July Jnol Died 2 1 8

Thomas Brown from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5

Edward Cocker 3 16 ½

Thomas Cobb 3 16 ½

William Cobb 3 16 ½

Isaac Day 3 16 ½

William Dison 3 16 ½

Henry Dudly from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5

Samuel Eeles 3 16 ½

John Frazier 3 16 ½

Jonathan Godby 3 16 ½

James Grein 3 16 ½

William Goodding from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

Job Harrison 3 16 ½

James Hall 3 16 ½

John Hayley 3 16 ½

William Hayes 3 16 ½

Phillip Hickman 3 16 ½

George Hill 3 16 ½

George Kibbot 3 16 ½

Peter Lindsey 3 16 ½

John Lambridge 3 16 ½

William Lube from 18 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

Duncan McClarain 3 16 ½

William Nibbit 3 16 ½

John Price 3 16 ½

John Brosser 3 16 ½

Edward Preston 3 16 ½

Centinels Carried over 132 15

Carried over 1034 6 1½

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,034 6s 1½d, and the sentinels carrying over £11 8s 1½d.

Sentinels brought over: £11 8s 1½d

Samuel Andersen, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Bredow, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Bearer, £3 16s 7d

Isaac Buck, £3 16s 7d

John Barret, £3 16s 7d

Charles Brown, from 19 May to 7 July inclusive, died, £2 1s 8d

Thomas Brown, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Edward Coober, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Cobb, £3 16s 7d

William Cobb, £3 16s 7d

Isaac Day, £3 16s 7d

William Dison, £3 16s 7d

Henry Dudley, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Samuel Eeles, £3 16s 7d

John Frazier, £3 16s 7d

Jonathan Godby, £3 16s 7d

James Green, £3 16s 7d

William Goodding, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Job Harrison, £3 16s 7d

James Hall, £3 16s 7d

John Hayley, £3 16s 7d

William Hayes, £3 16s 7d

Phillip Hickman, £3 16s 7d

George Hill, £3 16s 7d

George Kibbot, £3 16s 7d

Peter Lindsey, £3 16s 7d

John Langridge, £3 16s 7d

William Lube, from 18 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Duncan McClarain, £3 16s 3d

William Nibbit, £3 16s 7d

John Price, £3 16s 7d

John Prosser, £3 16s 7d

Edward Preston, £3 16s 7d

Sentinels carried over: £132 15s 0d

Carried over: £1,034 6s 1½d

Interpretations

Charles Brown's entry, paid from 19 May to 7 July and marked dead, shows a man taken into the garrison and lost within seven weeks, his short service and death recorded side by side on a single line. The pay list served as a plain register of mortality as much as of wages, each part-quarter sum ending in death a note of how quickly the ranks could be thinned.

Several of the men entertained from 19 May, among them Job Harrison and Peter Lindsey, carry the names read into service in the June consultations when the recruits were enlisted and the Articles of War put to them. The pay list now catches those same recruits drawing their first wages, the enlistment recorded in the minutes and the payment recorded here two views of the one intake of men.

434

425

1756

Brought over 1054 6 1½

Centinels Brought over 132 15

Edward Richards 3 16 ½

William Richards 3 16 ½

Lewis Rowe 3 16 ½

Arnold Sawery 3 16 ½

Daniel Serjant 3 16 ½

Timothy Sullivan 3 16 ½

William Smith 3 16 ½

Henry Simmons 3 16 ½

John Stewart 3 16 ½

Thomas Taylor 3 16 ½

Edward Terry 3 16 ½

Benjamin Williams 3 16 ½

Edward Williams 3 16 ½

182 3 6½

Third Company

Onesiphorus Beale 1 Lieutenant Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10 32 3 1½

George Hay 2 Lieutenant Salary 18 5

Do Diet Mony 6 16 10½ 25 1 10½

Sergeants

Robert Mason 7 12 1

Michael Frost 7 12 1

William Watkins 7 12 1 22 16 3

Corporals

Thomas Leech 5 6 3½

Charles Gibson 5 6 3½

Robert Bowen 5 6 3½ 15 19 4½

Drummers

John Caffin 5 6 3½

John Goude 5 6 3½ 10 12 11

Carried over 1343 3 2½

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,034 6s 1½d, and the sentinels carrying over £132 15s 0d.

Sentinels brought over: £132 15s 0d

Edward Richards, £3 16s 7d

William Richards, £3 16s 7d

Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 7d

Arnold Sawery, £3 16s 7d

Daniel Serjeant, £3 16s 7d

Timothy Sullivan, £3 16s 7d

William Smith, £3 16s 7d

Henry Simmons, £3 16s 7d

John Stewart, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Taylor, £3 16s 7d

Edward Terry, £3 16s 7d

Benjamin Williams, £3 16s 7d

Edward Williams, £3 16s 7d

Total: £182 3s 6½d

The pay of the Third Company followed.

Onesiphorus Beale, first lieutenant's salary, £22 16s 3d

Onesiphorus Beale, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

Onesiphorus Beale, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £32 3s 1½d

George Hay, second lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d

George Hay, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £25 1s 10½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

Robert Mason, £7 12s 1d

Michael Frost, £7 12s 1d

William Watkins, £7 12s 1d, total £22 16s 3d

The corporals were paid as follows.

Thomas Leech, £5 6s 3d

Charles Gibson, £5 6s 3d

Robert Bowen, £5 6s 3d, total £15 18s 9d

The drummers were paid as follows.

John Caffin, £5 6s 3d

John Gouds, £5 6s 3d, total £10 12s 11d

Carried over: £1,343 3s 2½d

Interpretations

The list sets out a Third Company alongside the First and Second, giving the garrison three parallel units each with the same rank structure of lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, drummers and sentinels. Three companies on so small an island marks a garrison of some size relative to the settlement it defended, the whole civil and military establishment resting on a population that the livestock and yam accounts show to be modest.

Michael Frost appears here as a sergeant of the Third Company on £7 12s 1d, having been listed earlier among the civil establishment as the clock and instrument cleaner on £1 5s 0d. The same recurrence runs through the whole list, a handful of men each holding a civil post and a military rank together, the settlement paying them twice because it had too few hands to keep the two roles apart.

435

426

26 July

Brought over 1343 3 2½

Centinels

Godfrey Ambrator from 12 Apl to 19 Jnol Disch 6 8

Matthew Allison from 31 May Jnol Entertaind 1 15

Samuel Austin from 19 Do Do 2 5

Robert Baker 3 16 ½

Peter Barber from 12 Apl to 20 May Jnol disch 1 12 6

George Beale 3 16 ½

William Beckett 3 16 ½

Robert Berry 3 16 ½

William Birch 3 16 ½

John Bourke 3 16 ½

John Bruer from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

William Brooks 3 16 ½

John Brown 3 16 ½

William Camble 3 16 ½

Daniel Carn 3 16 ½

Stephen Cleverly 3 16 ½

John Coslie 3 16 ½

John Deslyn from 12 Apl to 13 Jn Discharged 1 8

Jacob Duvall from 13 Apl Jnol Entertaind 3 15 2½

Peter Eglestone 3 16 ½

William Elward from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

Henry Fullbright from 19 Apl Do Do 2 10

Peter Fennell 3 16 ½

Nelson Gordon from 12 Apl to 31 May Jnol disch 2 1 8

William Harrison 3 16 ½

John Hayes 3 16 ½

William Harris 3 16 ½

Phillip Hilliard 3 16 ½

James Hindes 3 16 ½

William Hollrook 3 16 ½

John Halloway 3 16 ½

John Hutson 3 16 ½

James Hutson from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

Centinels Carried over 105 15 ½

Carried over 1343 3 2½

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,343 3s 2½d.

The sentinels were paid as follows.

Godfrey Ambritor, from 12 April to 19 June inclusive, discharged, £0 6s 8d

Matthew Allison, from 31 May inclusive, entertained, £1 15s 0d

Samuel Austin, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Robert Baker, £3 16s 7d

Peter Barber, from 12 April to 20 May inclusive, discharged, £1 12s 6d

George Beale, £3 16s 7d

William Beckett, £3 16s 7d

Robert Berry, £3 16s 7d

William Birch, £3 16s 7d

John Bourke, £3 16s 7d

John Bruer, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

William Brooks, £3 16s 7d

John Brown, £3 16s 7d

William Camble, £3 16s 7d

Daniel Carn, £3 16s 7d

Stephen Cleverly, £3 16s 7d

John Coslie, £3 16s 7d

John Deslyn, from 12 April to 13 June inclusive, discharged, £0 1s 8d

Jacob Duvall, from 13 April inclusive, entertained, £3 13s 2½d

Peter Eglistone, £3 16s 7d

William Elward, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Henry Fullbright, from 19 April inclusive, entertained, £2 10s 0d

Peter Fennell, £3 16s 7d

Robert Gordon, from 12 April to 31 May inclusive, died, £2 1s 8d

William Harrison, £3 16s 7d

John Hayes, £3 16s 7d

William Harris, £3 16s 7d

Phillip Hilliard, £3 16s 7d

James Hindes, £3 16s 7d

William Hollrook, £3 16s 7d

John Halloway, £3 16s 7d

John Hutson, £3 16s 7d

James Hutson, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Sentinels carried over: £105 15s 7½d

Carried over: £1,343 3s 2½d

Interpretations

This company's roll shows the same churn as the others, with Godfrey Ambritor, Peter Barber and John Deslyn discharged, Robert Gordon dead, and a run of men newly entertained from mid-April and mid-May. The garrison's strength was never fixed but continually made up, each departure through discharge or death offset by a fresh enlistment, and every man paid only for the days he actually served.

Two of the new intake, Matthew Allison from 31 May and Jacob Duvall from 13 April, came onto the roll on dates of their own rather than with the general enlistment of 19 May, showing that recruitment ran on as need arose rather than in a single fixed draft. The settlement took men when it could get them, filling gaps in the ranks one by one across the whole span of the quarter.

436

427

1756

Brought over 1343 3 2½

Centinels Brought over 105 15 ½

Samuel Fitson 3 16 ½

Evans Knowles from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

William Lydon 3 16 ½

Richard McNolly 3 16 ½

William Martins 3 16 ½

Christian Mouse 3 16 ½

Stephen Orr 3 16 ½

Roger Phillips 3 16 ½

Archibald Bouge 3 16 ½

John Simmons 3 16 ½

Joseph Smith 3 16 ½

John Strange 3 16 ½

William Taylor 3 16 ½

James Shirton 3 16 ½

Richard Swaits 3 16 ½

Thomas Wensell 3 16 ½

John Williams 3 16 ½

Stephen Willoughby 3 16 ½

Thomas Woffington 3 16 ½

Jeremiah Whryell 3 16 ½

Makepeece Woodington from 19 May Entertaind 2 5 182 10 5

Fourth Company

William Kennedy 2 Lieut Salary from 12 Apl to 20 May 7 10

Do from 21 May as 1 Lieutenant 13 1 3

Do Diet Mony 6 16 10½

Do House Rent 2 10 30 4 1½

Samuel Price 2 Lieutenant Salary 18 5

Do Diet mony 6 16 10½ 25 1 10½

Sergeants

Charles Styles from 12 Apl to 7 June Jnol Died 4 5

William Langhorne 7 12 1

Richard Vaughan 7 12 1 19 9 2

Carried over 1600 8 9½

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,343 3s 2½d, and the sentinels carrying over £105 15s 7½d.

Sentinels brought over: £105 15s 7½d

Samuel Fitson, £3 16s 7d

Evans Knowles, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

William Lydon, £3 16s 7d

Richard McNolly, £3 16s 7d

William Martins, £3 16s 7d

Christian Mouse, £3 16s 7d

Stephen Orr, £3 16s 7d

Roger Phillips, £3 16s 7d

Archibald Bouge, £3 16s 7d

John Simmons, £3 16s 7d

Joseph Smith, £3 16s 7d

John Strange, £3 16s 7d

William Taylor, £3 16s 7d

James Shirton, £3 16s 7d

Richard Twaits, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Wensell, £3 16s 7d

John Williams, £3 16s 7d

Stephen Willoughby, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Woffington, £3 16s 7d

Jeremiah Whyrell, £3 16s 7d

Makepeace Woddington, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Total: £182 10s 5d

The pay of the Fourth Company followed.

William Kennedy, second lieutenant's salary from 12 April to 20 May, £7 10s 0d

William Kennedy, from 21 May as first lieutenant, £13 1s 3d

William Kennedy, diet money, £6 16s 10½d

William Kennedy, house rent, £2 10s 0d, total £30 4s 1½d

Samuel Price, second lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d

Samuel Price, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £25 1s 10½d

The sergeants were paid as follows.

Charles Styles, from 12 April to 7 June inclusive, died, £4 5s 0d

William Langhorne, £7 12s 1d

Richard Vaughan, £7 12s 1d, total £19 9s 2d

Carried over: £1,600 8s 9½d

Interpretations

William Kennedy's pay divides at 21 May between second and first lieutenant, marking his promotion partway through the quarter, the higher office and its increased sum beginning on the day he stepped up. The garrison advanced its commissioned officers by the same mid-quarter movement seen among the sergeants and corporals, each rise in rank dated exactly and paid from that point.

The list sets out a Fourth Company, bringing the garrison's strength to four parallel units of foot, each with its own lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, drummers and sentinels. Four companies maintained on the island marks a considerable military establishment for a settlement of its size, the whole force sustained on a population the provisioning accounts show to be small, and reflecting the strategic value placed on holding the island against attack.

437

428

26 July

Brought over 1600 8 9½

Corporals

John Bridgwater from 12 Apl to 1 June as Corp £2 19 6

Do from 2 June as Sergeant 3 7 1 6 6 7

Gilbert Clough 5 6 3½

Benjamin Swaits 5 6 3½ 16 19 6

Drummers

John Clough 5 6 3½

Edward Thomas 5 6 3½ 10 12 11

Centinels

William Adams 3 16 ½

William Anderson from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 5

William Braxton 3 16 ½

Robert Ballard 3 16 ½

Christian Brunks 3 16 ½

Onesiphorus Bagley 3 16 ½

Jacques Birch 3 16 ½

John Box 3 16 ½

James Carmichael 3 16 ½

John Chevrot 3 16 ½

John Craiss 3 16 ½

Joseph Chamberlain from 19 May Jnol Entert 2 5

Baron Delcapte 3 16 ½

James Dry 3 16 ½

Thomas Fuller 3 16 ½

Peter Fleetwood from 19 May Jnol Entert 2 5

Edward Grant 3 16 ½

John Hyde 3 16 ½

William Hayes 3 16 ½

Robert Dewshurst from 19 May Jnol Entert 2 5

Thomas Kendrick 3 16 ½

Richard Knight 3 16 ½

John Kemp 3 16 ½

Centinels Carried over 81 4 9½

Carried over 1628 1 2½

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,600 8s 9½d.

The corporals were paid as follows.

John Bridgwater, from 12 April to 8 June as corporal, £2 19s 6d

John Bridgwater, from 9 June as sergeant, £0 7s 1d, total £6 6s 7d

Gilbert Clough, £5 6s 3d

Benjamin Twaits, £5 6s 3d, total £16 19s 6d

The drummers were paid as follows.

John Clough, £5 6s 3d

Edward Thomas, £5 6s 3d, total £10 12s 11d

The sentinels were paid as follows.

William Adams, £3 16s 7d

William Anderson, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

William Brown, £3 16s 7d

Robert Ballard, £3 16s 7d

Christian Brunts, £3 16s 7d

Onesiphorus Bagley, £3 16s 7d

Jacques Birch, £3 16s 7d

John Box, £3 16s 7d

James Carmichael, £3 16s 7d

John Chevrot, £3 16s 7d

John Crisso, £3 16s 7d

Joseph Chamberlain, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Baron Delcapte, £3 16s 7d

James Dry, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Fuller, £3 16s 7d

Peter Fleetwood, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Edward Grant, £3 16s 7d

John Hyde, £3 16s 7d

William Hayes, £3 16s 7d

Robert Dewshurst, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Thomas Kendrick, £3 16s 7d

Richard Knight, £3 16s 7d

John Kemp, £3 16s 7d

Sentinels carried over: £81 4s 9½d

Carried over: £1,628 1s 2½d

Interpretations

John Bridgwater rose from corporal to sergeant on 9 June, his pay split at that date between the two ranks, the same mid-quarter promotion the list records in company after company. The garrison filled its senior places from the men already serving, each advancement dated to the day it took effect and paid accordingly.

The recurrence of the surnames Clough, Hayes and Bagley across the ranks, with brothers or kin serving as drummer, corporal and sentinel in the same establishment, points to the small and interrelated population from which the garrison was drawn. On a remote island with a limited pool of men, the same families supplied soldiers to the companies over and over, the muster reflecting the narrow base on which the whole force rested.

438

429

1756

Brought over 1628 1 2½

Centinels Brought over 81 4 9½

John Langbridge 3 16 ½

Thomas Lindsey 3 16 ½

Tho Loveland from 12 Apl to 1 June as Cent £3 2 6

Do from 2 June Jnol as Corporal 2 6 11½ 4 9 3½

Joseph Long 3 16 ½

Adam Myor 3 16 ½

Charles Montague 3 16 ½

Thomas Morris 3 16 ½

Adam Melborn 3 16 ½

Richard Moyce 3 16 ½

Edward Maxsell from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5

Thomas Nimble 3 16 ½

Thomas Payne 3 16 ½

John Papswater 3 16 ½

Thomas Beare 3 16 ½

William Robinson 3 16 ½

John Robinson 3 16 ½

William Rippen 3 16 ½

Robert Stack 3 16 ½

David Scott 3 16 ½

Adam Scott 3 16 ½

Nicholas Serafton 3 16 ½

Thomas Karnace 3 16 ½

Richard Spencer 3 16 ½

Joseph Thompson 3 16 ½

Christian Ryder 3 16 ½

Joseph Uffin 3 16 ½

Roger Whitwan 2 5

John Wybird from 19 May Jnol Entertained 2 5

185 5 3½

Carried over 1813 6 0

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,628 1s 2½d, and the sentinels carrying over £81 4s 9½d.

Sentinels brought over: £81 4s 9½d

John Langbridge, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Lindsey, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Loveland, from 12 April to 1 June as sentinel, £3 2s 6d

Thomas Loveland, from 2 June inclusive as corporal, £2 6s 11½d, total £4 9s 3½d

Joseph Long, £3 16s 7d

Adam Myor, £3 16s 7d

Charles Montague, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Morris, £3 16s 7d

Adam Melborn, £3 16s 7d

Richard Moyce, £3 16s 7d

Edward Maxwell, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Thomas Nimble, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Payne, £3 16s 7d

John Passwater, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Beard, £3 16s 7d

William Robinson, £3 16s 7d

John Robinson, £3 16s 7d

William Rippen, £3 16s 7d

Robert Stack, £3 16s 7d

David Scott, £3 16s 7d

Adam Scott, £3 16s 7d

Nicholas Serafton, £3 16s 7d

Thomas Karnage, £3 16s 7d

Richard Spencer, £3 16s 7d

Joseph Thompson, £3 16s 7d

Christian Syder, £3 16s 7d

Joseph Ussin, £3 16s 7d

Roger Whitwan, £3 16s 7d

John Wybird, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £2 5s 0d

Total: £185 5s 3½d

Carried over: £1,813 0s 0d

Interpretations

Thomas Loveland rose from sentinel to corporal on 2 June, his pay divided at that date between the two ranks, the same mid-quarter promotion recorded through every company on the list. The garrison drew its corporals from the sentinels already serving, each advancement fixed to the day it began and the pay stepping up from that point.

Nicholas Serafton appears here as a sentinel on £3 16s 7d, sharing his name with the patron of the long boat listed earlier among the civil establishment on £7 10s 0d. The repetition of names between the sentinel roll and the wider list, whether the same men in double roles or close kin, points again to the small population from which both the garrison and the settlement's working staff had to be found.

439

430

26 July

Brought over 1813 6 6

Artillery Company

Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary 22 16 3

Do Diet Mony 6 16 10½ 29 13 1½

Gunners Mates

Nathan Sample Chief 11 8 1½

Isaac Leech from 12 to 16 Apl p Jnol Superannuat 15

William Turner 9 2 6

John Whichurch 9 2 6

Henry Carter 9 2 6

Charles McNeily 9 2 6

Rowland Davis 9 2 6

Richard Billington 9 2 6 66 13 1½

Quarter Gunners

Adam Watson 6 16 0½

John Spencer 6 16 0½

John Jacks 6 16 0½

James Lee 6 16 0½

James Long 6 16 0½

John Hellings from 12 April to 16 as Quarter Gunner 7 6

Do from 17 April Jnol as Gun Mate 8 12 6 9

Thomas Mason 6 16 0½

David Sherry from 12 April to the 31 May Jnol Discharged 3 15

53 16 3

Matrosses

Andrew Barton 4 11 3

John Cawdry from 12 Apl to 18 May Jnol Discharged 1 17

Matrosses Carried over 6 8 3

Carried over 1963 9

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,813 6s 6d.

The pay of the Artillery Company followed.

Thomas Hall, master gunner's salary, £22 16s 3d

Thomas Hall, diet money, £6 16s 10½d, total £29 13s 1½d

The gunners' mates were paid as follows.

Nathan Sample, chief, £11 8s 1½d

Isaac Leech, from 12 to 16 April inclusive, superannuated, £0 15s 0d

William Turner, £9 2s 6d

John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d

Henry Carter, £9 2s 6d

Charles McNeily, £9 2s 6d

Rowland Davis, £9 2s 6d

Richard Billington, £9 2s 6d, total £66 13s 1½d

The quarter gunners were paid as follows.

Adam Watson, £6 16s 10½d

John Spencer, £6 16s 10½d

John Jacks, £6 16s 10½d

James Lee, £6 16s 10½d

James Long, £6 16s 10½d

John Hollings, from 12 April to 16 April as quarter gunner, £0 7s 6d

John Hollings, from 17 April inclusive as gunner's mate, £8 12s 6d, total £9 0s 0d

Thomas Mason, £6 16s 10½d

David Sawery, from 12 April to 31 May inclusive, discharged, £3 15s 0d, total £53 16s 3d

The matrosses were paid as follows.

Andrew Barton, £4 11s 3d

John Cawdry, from 12 April to 18 May inclusive, discharged, £1 17s 0d

Matrosses carried over: £6 8s 3d

Carried over: £1,963 9s 0d

Interpretations

The Artillery Company stood as a separate establishment under the master gunner Thomas Hall, its gunners' mates, quarter gunners and matrosses distinct from the four companies of foot, the men who worked the cannon rather than carried muskets. A matross was a gunner's assistant who helped load, sponge and fire the guns and hauled them on their carriages, the lowest grade of the artillery crew, and the term marks a specialist branch of the garrison keyed to the batteries the settlement depended on for its defence.

The entry for Isaac Leech, paid only five days in April and marked superannuated, records a man retired from service on grounds of age or infirmity, his pay stopping the moment he left the roll. John Hollings, promoted from quarter gunner to gunner's mate on 17 April, and David Sawery discharged at the end of May, show the artillery crew subject to the same movement of promotion and departure that ran through the whole garrison, each change dated exactly and paid to the day.

440

431

1756

Brought over 1963 9

Matrosses Brought over 6 8 3

James Cooper 4 11 3

John Clevey from 19 May Jnol Entertaind 2 14

Derby Coyles 4 11 3

Anthony Day 4 11 3

Thomas Davis 4 11 3

William Fletcher 4 11 3

Thomas Medge 4 11 3

Roger Nevinson from 12 Apl to 16 as Matross £3

Do from 17 April as Quarter Gunner 6 9 4 6 14 4½

George Nelson 4 11 3

William Perry 4 11 3

Joseph Pritchard 4 11 3

John Robinson 4 11 3

John Skitly 4 11 3

John Slabor from 19 May Jnol Entertained 4 11 3

John Turner 4 11 5

William Thompson 4 11 3

Thomas Taylor 4 11 3

John Tomason 4 11 3

Thomas Waits 4 11 3

Thomas Williams from 12 Apl to the 31 May as Matross £2 10

Do from the 1 June as Quarter Gunner 3 1 10½ 5 11 10½

97 2 6

Superannuated

Thomas Easthope from 12 April to 20 May Jnol as 1 Lieut Salary Diet mony &c 13 14 10

Do 52 Days Salary at 2/6 p Day 6 10 20 4 10

Isaac Leech from 17 April Jnol at 1/ p Day 4 6

2085 2 4

The list of the Honourable Company's officers and servants continued, carrying over £1,963 9s 0d, and the matrosses carrying over £6 8s 3d.

Matrosses brought over: £6 8s 3d

James Cooper, £4 11s 3d

John Clevey, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £4 11s 3d

Derby Coyles, £2 14s 0d

Anthony Day, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Davis, £4 11s 3d

William Fletcher, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Medge, £4 11s 3d

Roger Nevinson, from 12 April to 16 April as matross, £0 3s 0d

Roger Nevinson, from 17 April as quarter gunner, £6 9s 4½d, total £6 14s 7d

George Nelson, £4 11s 3d

William Perry, £4 11s 3d

Joseph Pritchard, £4 11s 3d

John Robinson, £4 11s 3d

John Skeitly, £4 11s 3d

John Slabor, from 19 May inclusive, entertained, £4 11s 3d

John Turner, £4 11s 5d

William Thompson, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Taylor, £4 11s 3d

John Somason, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Waits, £4 11s 3d

Thomas Williams, from 12 April to 31 May as matross, £2 10s 0d

Thomas Williams, from 1 June as quarter gunner, £3 1s 10½d, total £5 11s 10½d

Total: £97 2s 6d

The superannuated were paid as follows.

Thomas Easthope, from 12 April to 20 May inclusive as first lieutenant, salary, diet money and other allowances, £13 14s 10d

Thomas Easthope, 52 days salary at 2s 6d per day, £6 10s 0d, total £20 4s 10d

Isaac Leech, from 17 April inclusive at 1s per day, £4 6s 0d

Total: £2,085 2s 4d

Interpretations

The superannuated heading records the pensions paid to men retired from active service, Thomas Easthope and Isaac Leech drawing a daily rate after leaving their posts rather than a full salary. Easthope, formerly a first lieutenant, was carried at 2s 6d a day and Leech at 1s, the settlement providing for its worn-out servants at a reduced rate keyed to their former standing, an early form of retirement provision on a station where a discharged officer had no other means of support.

Roger Nevinson and Thomas Williams both moved from matross to quarter gunner partway through the quarter, the same promotions within the artillery crew that the previous page records for John Hollings. The gunners were advanced through their grades by the identical mid-quarter movement seen among the foot, each man rising from the lowest artillery rank to the next as places came open and paid from the day the higher grade began.

441

432

26 July

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1756

July the 11 To Cash received from the Honorable

Companys Cash Chest

2408 18 6

Carried over 2408 18 6

The paymaster's account of John Clark, on the debtor side, stood as follows.

21 July 1756, to cash received from the Honourable Company's cash chest: £2,408 18s 6d

Carried over: £2,408 18s 6d

Interpretations

The single entry shows the paymaster John Clark drawing the whole quarter's wage fund from the Company's cash chest in one sum, £2,408 18s 6d taken out at the start to be paid over to the officers and servants named on the list. This was the mechanism by which the Council released money for wages, the audited pay roll on the preceding pages matched here by the drawing that funded it, the paymaster answerable for the sum until it was accounted for in disbursements.

442

433

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

May 10 By Cash paid Joseph Thompson for relisting to serve the

Honorable East India Company as a Soldier for five Years 10

By Cash paid David Scott for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid George Green for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Richard Moyce for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Edward Grant for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid John Simmons for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Edward Terry for Do Do Do 10

20 By Do paid Richard Knight for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid William Brown for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid John Scotcher for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Thomas Fuller for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid John Holloway for Do Do Do 10

30 By Do paid Matthew Allis for Do Do Do 5

By Do paid John Allis for Do Do Do 5

June 7 By Do paid John Murry for Do Do Do 2

10 By Do paid Job Harrison for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid John Papswater for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Timothy Sullivan for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Peter Lindsey for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid Jeremiah Whyrill for Do Do Do 10

By Do paid John Brown for Do Do Do 10

11 By Do paid Sundry Soldiers for unloading the Oxford 10 9

By Do paid Capt Stevens for the following particulars for

the use of the Honorable Companys Table viz

3 firkins Butter 10 10

1 Jar Raisons 2 2

72½ Cheese 3 12 6

3 Doz Wine Glasses 2 5

6 Bows Do 15

6 Wine & Water Do 9

4 2 Decanters 1 10

9 Gallons Vinegar 1 7

36 Currants 1 10 24 6

Carried over 226 1 3

The paymaster's account of John Clark, on the creditor side, stood as follows.

10 May 1756, cash paid Joseph Thompson for enlisting to serve the Honourable East India Company as a soldier for five years, £10 0s 0d

10 May, cash paid David Scott for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 May, cash paid George Green for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 May, cash paid Richard Moyce for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 May, cash paid Edward Grant for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 May, cash paid John Simmons for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 May, cash paid Edward Terry for the same, £10 0s 0d

20 May, cash paid Richard Knight for the same, £10 0s 0d

20 May, cash paid William Brown for the same, £10 0s 0d

20 May, cash paid John Scotcher for the same, £10 0s 0d

20 May, cash paid Thomas Fuller for the same, £10 0s 0d

20 May, cash paid John Holloway for the same, £10 0s 0d

30 May, cash paid Matthew Allis for the same, £5 0s 0d

30 May, cash paid John Allis for the same, £5 0s 0d

7 June, cash paid John Murry for the same, £2 0s 0d

10 June, cash paid Job Harrison for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 June, cash paid John Easwater for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 June, cash paid Timothy Sullivan for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 June, cash paid Peter Lindsey for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 June, cash paid Jeremiah Whyrill for the same, £10 0s 0d

10 June, cash paid John Brown for the same, £10 0s 0d

11 June, cash paid sundry soldiers for unloading the Oxford, £10 0s 9d

On 11 June the paymaster also paid Captain Stevens for the following particulars for the use of the Honourable Company's table.

3 firkins of butter, £10 10s 0d

1 jar of raisins, £2 2s 0d

72½ pounds of cheese, £3 12s 6d

3 dozen wine glasses, £2 5s 0d

6 bowls, £0 15s 0d

6 wine and water glasses, £0 9s 0d

4 decanters, £1 10s 0d

9 gallons of vinegar, £1 7s 0d

36 pounds of currants, £1 10s 0d, total £24 0s 6d

Carried over: £226 1s 3d

Interpretations

The bounty payments record the same recruits whose enlistment and reading of the Articles of War appear in the June consultations, each man paid £10 0s 0d on signing for five years, the standard inducement to take the Company's service. The reduced sums to Matthew Allis, John Allis and John Murry, at £5 0s 0d and £2 0s 0d against the usual £10 0s 0d, mark bounties paid in part or on different terms, perhaps to men re-enlisting or entering under a separate agreement rather than as fresh five-year recruits.

The purchase from Captain Stevens shows the governor's table stocked directly from a ship's private stores, the captain selling butter, cheese, currants, raisins and vinegar along with glassware and decanters out of what he carried. A visiting commander traded his surplus provisions and goods to the settlement, and the Company met the cost as a table charge, the island drawing its finer supplies from the ships that called rather than from any local source.

443

434

26 July

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1756

July the 11 To Cash Brought Over 2408 18 6

Carried over 2408 18 6

The paymaster's account of John Clark, on the debtor side, stood as follows.

21 July 1756, to cash brought over: £2,408 18s 6d

Carried over: £2,408 18s 6d

444

435

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

June 12 Brought over 226 1 3

By Cash paid Mr Inglis the late Surgeon for two Months

trouble in getting fresh provisions for the Hospital 1 10

13 By Cash paid Capt Samson for a Parcel of Garden Seeds

bought at the Cape, for the use of the Honorable Company 3 16

19 By Cash paid Mr Scott Surgeon of the Oxford for his Care of

thirty, of the Honorable Companys Recruits in their passage here 7 10

24 By Cash paid Capt Alwright for 1 2 Dunch, for the use

of the Honorable Company 1 1

July 8 By Cash paid James Hindes for relisting, to serve the Honorable

East India Company, as a Soldier for five Years 10

11 By Cash paid John Desfountain for 13 Rafters, 6 Loads Laths

16 Ground Joists, & two Days work of a Stone Layer for the Health Camp 1 18 9

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for coming express, of Ships

to Windward this Quarter 3

By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 2½ bushells Potatoes & 1400

Lemons, for the use of the Honorable Companys Table 1 6

By Cash paid Joseph Chamberlain for 4 Days work at 2/

p Day, in Making Gates for the Honorable Company 8

By Cash paid Jonathan Doveton for 20 Loads binders at 2/6 p Load

and one Days Work of a thatcher, for the Honorable Company 2 13

By Cash paid Samuel Eales for 4 Days work at 2/ p Day for

Garden Work done for the Honorable Company this Quarter 8

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for going to Sandy Bay in the

Honorable Companys Long Boat, To fetch lime, and Rowing

in their yawl this Quarter 8 1

By Cash paid Edward Preston, & Robert Evans for baking

58 batches of Bread at 1/8 p Batch for the Use

of the Garrison this Quarter 4 16 8

By Cash paid Sundry Soldiers for Work done at several

of the Honorable Companys fortifications this Quarter

and repairing the Water Sluice, which was greatly

Damaged by the late high flood 51 1 6

Carried over 323 5 8

The paymaster's account of John Clark, on the creditor side, stood as follows.

The disbursements are entered by date, with the recipient, the purpose and the sum.

Brought over: £226 1s 3d

12 June, cash paid Mr Inglis, the late surgeon, for two months trouble in getting fresh provisions for the hospital: £1 10s 0d

13 June, cash paid Captain Samson for a parcel of garden seeds bought at the Cape, for the use of the Honourable Company: £3 16s 0d

19 June, cash paid Mr Scott, surgeon of the Oxford, for his care of thirty of the Honourable Company's recruits in their passage here: £7 10s 0d

The following line names a ship, and is given here in its proper place among the disbursements.

On 21 June the paymaster paid Captain Allwright for one gallon and a half of punch, for the use of the Honourable Company, £1 1s 0d, this charge relating to the Anson.

8 July, cash paid James Hindes for enlisting to serve the Honourable East India Company as a soldier for five years: £10 0s 0d

11 July, cash paid John Desfountain for 13 rafters, 6 loads of laths, 16 ground joists and two days work of a stone layer for the hospital: £1 18s 9d

11 July, cash paid sundry soldiers for coming express of ships to windward this quarter: £3 0s 0d

11 July, cash paid Richard Bagley for 2½ bushels of potatoes and 1,400 lemons, for the use of the Honourable Company's table: £1 0s 6d

11 July, cash paid Joseph Chamberlain for 4 days work at 2s per day, in making gates for the Honourable Company: £0 8s 0d

11 July, cash paid Jonathan Doveton for 20 loads of binders at 2s 6d per load and one days work of a thatcher, for the Honourable Company: £2 13s 0d

11 July, cash paid Samuel Eeles for 4 days work at 2s per day for glazier's work done for the Honourable Company this quarter: £0 8s 0d

11 July, cash paid sundry soldiers for going to Sandy Bay in the Honourable Company's long boat to fetch lime, and rowing in their yawl this quarter: £8 1s 0d

11 July, cash paid Edward Preston and Robert Evans for baking 58 batches of bread at 1s 8d per batch for the use of the garrison this quarter: £4 16s 8d

11 July, cash paid sundry soldiers for work done at several of the Honourable Company's fortifications this quarter, and repairing the water course, which was greatly damaged by the late high flood: £51 1s 6d

Carried over: £323 5s 8d

Interpretations

The largest disbursement, £51 1s 6d for work on the fortifications and the water course, records the labour spent repairing the flood damage described at the end of June, when a torrent tore through the valley and choked the defences with mud. The scale of this single charge against all the others on the page measures how heavily the storm fell on the settlement, the cost of undoing a few hours of rain dwarfing the routine spending on provisions, wages and supplies.

The payment of £7 10s 0d to the surgeon of the Oxford for tending thirty recruits during their passage shows the Company meeting the medical cost of bringing soldiers out to the island, the men attended aboard ship on the voyage and the fee settled on arrival. This was the far end of the recruitment recorded in the bounty payments, the raw drafts of soldiers carried out from England needing care on a long voyage before they ever reached the garrison they were to join.

The charge to Richard Bagley for 1,400 lemons alongside potatoes points to the deliberate provisioning of citrus in quantity, the fruit valued against scurvy on a station where ships arrived after long passages with sick crews. The island served as a place where vessels could take on fresh fruit and vegetables, the lemons bought in bulk for the Company's table reflecting the same concern with fresh provisions that made St Helena vital to the health of the Company's shipping.

445

436

26 July

John Clark Paymaster Dr

1756

July 11 To Cash Brought Over 2408 18 6

2408 18 6

Island St

The paymaster's account of John Clark, on the debtor side, stood as follows.

21 July 1756, to cash brought over: £2,408 18s 6d

Total: £2,408 18s 6d

446

437

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

July 11 Brought over 323 5 8

By Cash paid Joseph Lowe for 21 Days Subsistence

at 6 p Day after he was Discharged 10 6

By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers, and

Servants, their Several Salarys, Diet Mony &c for

the Quarter Commencing 12 April & ending 11 July 1756 2085 2 4

2408 18 6

St Helena 11 July 1756

Errors Excepted

Signed John Clark Paymaster

Collections of Goods Sold, and Delivered out of the Honorable

Companys Stores from the 12 of April to the 11 July 1756 viz

Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 p Cent 52 12 6

Arrack 210½ Gallons

Sugar & Candy viz

3831 Sugar 63 17

1418 Candy 29 10 10 93 7 10

Flour viz

3044 Flour 18 16 9

1044 Do Baked 144 11 162 17 8

16 16

Soap 488

Tea viz

118 Congo Tea 8 18 6

50 Single Do 3 6 8

269 Bohea Do 13 9 25 14 2

87 8 3

Candles 777

Rice & Paddy viz

48 Rice 20 1 8 9

3 Paddy 1 8 21 8 9

2 9 6

Salt 16½ Bushels 7 4 7½

Broad Cloth 7¾ Yards 5 4

Twine 8 Skins

Carried over 470 4 7½

The paymaster's account of John Clark, on the creditor side, stood as follows.

Brought over: £323 5s 8d

11 July, cash paid Joseph Lowe for 24 days subsistence at 6d per day after he was discharged: £0 10s 6d

11 July, cash paid the Honourable Company's officers and servants their several salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter commencing 12 April and ending 21 July 1756: £2,085 2s 4d

Total: £2,408 18s 6d

The account was subscribed as errors excepted, at St Helena on 11 July 1756, and signed by John Clark, paymaster.

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores from 12 April to 21 July 1756, sold to the Company's servants at ten per cent, stood as follows.

Arrack, 210½ gallons: £52 12s 6d

Sugar and candy:

3,831 pounds of sugar, £63 17s 0d

1,418 pounds of candy, £29 10s 10d, total £93 7s 10d

Flour:

3,014 pounds of flour, £18 16s 9d

1,014 pounds of flour baked, £144 0s 11d, total £162 17s 8d

Sundry other flour, £16 16s 0d

Soap, 488 pounds

Tea:

118 pounds of Congo tea, £8 18s 6d

50 pounds of Singlo tea, £3 6s 8d

269 pounds of Bohea tea, £13 9s 0d, total £25 14s 2d

Sundry tea, £87 8s 3d

Candles, 777 pounds

Rice and paddy:

48 pounds of rice, £20 0s 0d

3 pounds of paddy, £1 8s 9d, total £21 8s 9d

Sundry paddy, £2 9s 6d

Salt, 16½ bushels: £7 4s 7½d

Broad cloth, 7¼ yards: £5 4s 0d

Twine, 8 skeins

Carried over: £470 4s 7½d

Interpretations

The collections record goods sold out of the Company's stores to its own servants at a ten per cent markup, the settlement acting as supplier to the men it employed and taking a fixed margin on what it issued. This was a controlled internal market, the officers and soldiers buying arrack, sugar, tea, flour and cloth from the Company at a set rate above cost, the store serving as the single source from which the island's staff drew their own provisions and small comforts.

The three grades of tea, Congo, Singlo and Bohea, mark the range of Chinese leaf passing through the island by way of the Company's eastern trade, sold on to the staff alongside the sugar and candy. These were goods carried on the China ships that touched at St Helena, the settlement drawing off a portion for its own people, so that even on a remote island the officers could buy the same tea then coming into fashion across Britain, supplied direct from the trade that brought it west.

447

438

26 July

Brought over 470 4 7½

Beef & Pork viz

146 lb Beef @ 2 14 12

3 Double Do 2 6

1772 lb Pork 2 177 4

71 Do Do 2/7 9 3 5

10 lb Beef 3/1½ 1 10 5 202 15 10

Leather viz

24 lb Leather 1 7 6½

2 Calf Skins 15 2 2 2 8½

Nails viz

4 1 2

5 2 3 3

6 3 3 3

18 4 7 10½

27 6 11 3

20 10 7 6

1 40 4

3 Glazing Brads 3 4½

1 Tacks 1 5 1 18 3

Oil viz

5 Gallons Linseed 18 4

1 Do Train 2 2

23 Bottles Florence 3 2 3½ 6 2 7½

Buchram 15 Yards 15

Haberdashery ware viz

1 Gross Shirt Buttons 2 6

16½ Doz m Coat Do 7

11 Doz m Breast Do 3 8

15 Sk Mohair 5 7½

17 Sk Silk 7 9½

4 Pr Holland Tape 3 8

½ Whale Bone 1 4

½ Gross White Waistct Buttons 1 4 1 12 11

Hooks & Lines viz

1225 Hooks Sorted 1 10 6

800 Blue Hooks 2 8

23½ Doz Lines Sorted 13 4

1 Hambro Line 1 7 6 8 1

Canvas viz

13 Yards English 14 7½

21 Do Oldenbrigs 17 6 1 12 1½

Serge 21 Yards 4 19 9

Thread viz

17 lb Brown 6 4 8

14 lb Coloured 2 11 4

2 oz Nuns 4 4 9 4

Desootees 30 lb 12 15

Carried over 720 7 3

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, carrying over £470 4s 7½d.

Brought over: £470 4s 7½d

Beef and pork:

146 pounds of beef at 2s per hundredweight, £14 12s 0d

3 pounds of double beef at 2s, £0 6s 0d

1,772 pounds of pork at 2s, £177 4s 0d

71 pounds of pork at 2s 7d, £9 3s 5d

10 pounds of beef at 3s 1½d, £1 10s 5d, total £202 15s 10d

Leather:

24½ pounds of leather, £1 7s 6½d

2 calf skins, £0 15s 2d, total £2 2s 8½d

Nails:

17 nails at 2d, £0 3s 3d

5 nails at 2d, £0 3s 3d

6 nails at 3d, £0 3s 3d

18 nails at 4d, £0 7s 10½d

27 nails at 6d, £0 11s 3d

20 nails at 10d, £0 7s 6d

1 nail at 10d, £0 0s 4d

3 glazing brads, £0 3s 4½d

1 tacks, £0 1s 5d, total £1 18s 3d

Oil:

5 gallons of linseed, £0 18s 4d

1½ gallons of train, £2 2s 0d

23 bottles of Florence, £3 2s 3¼d, total £6 2s 7½d

Buckram, 15 yards: £0 15s 0d

Haberdashery:

1 gross of shirt buttons, £0 2s 6d

16½ dozen coat buttons, £0 7s 0d

11 dozen breast buttons, £0 3s 8d

15 pounds of mohair, £0 5s 7½d

17 skeins of silk, £0 7s 9½d

4 pounds of Holland tape, £0 3s 8d

1½ pounds of whale bone, £0 1s 4d

1½ gross of white waistcoat buttons, £0 1s 4d, total £1 12s 11d

Hooks and lines:

1,225 hooks sorted, £1 10s 6d

800 blue hooks, £0 2s 8d

23¼ dozen lines sorted, £0 13s 4d

1 Hamburg line, £4 1s 7d, total £6 8s 1d

Canvas:

13 yards English, £0 14s 7½d

21 yards Osnaburg, £0 17s 6d, total £1 12s 1½d

Serge, 21 yards: £4 19s 9d

Thread:

17 pounds brown, £6 4s 8d

14 pounds coloured, £2 11s 4d

2 ounces nuns, £0 4s 4d, total £9 0s 4d

Dosootees, 30 pieces: £12 15s 0d

Carried over: £720 7s 3d

Interpretations

The store carried a full range of textiles, sewing materials and haberdashery, from serge and canvas to thread, silk, mohair and buttons of several kinds, showing that the men had to make and mend their own clothing from goods bought out of the Company's stock. Dosootees were a coarse Indian cotton cloth woven in pairs of threads, and buckram a stiffened linen used to give body to garments, both brought from the eastern trade and sold on to a population that had no tailor's shop to turn to and clothed itself from the store.

Train oil was oil rendered from the blubber of whales, used for lamps and for dressing leather, while linseed oil served for paint and wood, and Florence oil was olive oil from Italy for the table. The three appear together as distinct grades kept for distinct purposes, the settlement stocking oils for lighting, for craft work and for eating, each drawn from a different source and sold to the servants who needed them.

The fishing gear, over two thousand hooks with sorted lines and a Hamburg line, points to fishing as a regular resort of the island's people, the sea supplementing the provisions the herds and gardens could supply. That the store kept hooks and lines in such quantity for sale shows the settlement relying on what its own waters yielded, the men buying tackle to catch their own fish rather than depending wholly on the slaughtered stock and shipped stores.

448

439

1756

Brought over 720 7 3

Pitch viz

30 Pitch

5

6 Cwt Tar

4 6

28 Rozin

4 8 14 2

Paint viz

93 Blue Smalts

7 15

1 Venet Red

2½

6 Barrels Blacking

3 4½

6 Whiting

1½

8 White Lead

3 2 8 1 10½

Deals viz

124 Single

13 8 1

6 Double

1 3

2 Wains Boards

11

2 Baulks

1 16 4

Shoes viz

216 Pr Mn Ordinary

47 14

6 Pr Mn Fine

10 3

4 Pr Pumps

1 6 8

6 Pr Channel Pumps

2 7 6

4 Pr Womens Calimanco

1 8

7 Pr Do Spanish

14 1½

4 Pr Do Calf

14 8

4 Pr Boys

17

5 Pr Girls

10 5 58 5 3½

Lead viz

15 Shot

3 3

6 Sheet Lead

1 1½ 4 0½

Glassware viz

8 Sqr Glass 10 by 12

7 4

3 Do 6 by 8

11

1 Do 16 by 11

1 9½

20 Do 10½ by 12½

1 2 11 1 12 11½

Copper money 1000 Irish Halfpence

2 1 8

Chinaware viz

64 Meat Dishes

15 6

245 Do Plates

6

4 Soup Dishes

2 6

60 Do Plates

15

60 Snockers

3 4

28 Bowls

4 6

6 Sallad Dishes

17 10½

39 Half pint Cups & Saucers

18

54 Quarter pint Do & Do

19 6

13 Chamber pots

16

12 Guglets & Basons

4

4 Sauce Boats

1

6 Coffee Cups

1 2

1 Potting Pan

3 9 19 4 4½

Carried over 826 12 5½

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, carrying over £720 7s 3d.

Brought over: £720 7s 3d

Pitch:

30 pounds of pitch, £0 5s 0d

6 pounds of tar, £0 4s 6d

28 pounds of rosin, £0 4s 8d, total £14 2d

Paint:

93 pounds of blue smalts, £7 15s 0d

1 pound of Venetian red, £0 2½d

6 barrels of blacking, £0 3s 4½d

6 pounds of whiting, £0 1½d

8 pounds of white lead, £0 3s 2d, total £8 1s 10½d

Deals:

124 single deals, £13 8s 1d

6 double deals, £1 1s 3d

2 wainscot boards, £0 11s 0d

2 baulks, £1 0s 0d, total £16 0s 4d

Shoes:

216 pairs of men's ordinary, £47 14s 0d

6 pairs of men's fine, £1 10s 3d

4 pairs of pumps, £1 6s 8d

6 pairs of channel pumps, £2 7s 6d

4 pairs of women's calamancoes, £1 0s 8d

7 pairs of women's Spanish, £1 4s 1½d

7 pairs of women's calf, £0 14s 8d

4 pairs of boys', £0 17s 0d

5 pairs of girls', £0 10s 5d, total £58 5s 3½d

Lead:

15 pounds of shot, £0 3s 3d

6 pounds of sheet lead, £0 1s 1½d, total £4 4½d

Glassware:

8 squares of glass 10 by 12, £0 7s 4d

3 squares 8 by 8, £0 11s 0d

1 square 16 by 11, £0 1s 9½d

20 squares 10½ by 12½, £1 2s 11d, total £1 12s 11½d

Copper money, 1,000 Irish halfpence: £2 1s 8d

Chinaware:

64 meat dishes, £3 15s 6d

245 plates, £1 6s 0d

4 soup dishes, £0 2s 6d

60 soup plates, £0 15s 0d

60 sneakers, £1 3s 4d

28 bowls, £0 4s 6d

6 sallad dishes, £0 17s 10½d

39 half pint cups and saucers, £0 18s 0d

54 quarter pint cups and saucers, £0 19s 6d

13 chamber pots, £1 16s 0d

12 guglets and basons, £0 4s 0d

4 sauce boats, £0 1s 0d

6 coffee cups, £0 1s 2d

1 potting pan, total £19 4s 4½d

Carried over: £826 12s 5½d

Interpretations

The chinaware sold from the store, running from meat dishes and plates down to coffee cups, guglets and sneakers, marks the porcelain carried west on the Company's China ships and sold on to the island's staff. A guglet was a long-necked earthenware vessel for cooling water by evaporation and a sneaker a small drinking cup or basin, both terms for wares brought through the eastern trade, the settlement drawing off a share so that even a remote garrison could set its table with Chinese porcelain fresh from the ships that touched there.

The building materials, deals, wainscot boards, baulks, pitch, tar and paint, together with the glazing squares cut to fixed sizes, show the store supplying the timber, sealants and finishes for construction and repair on the island. Blue smalts were a powdered blue glass used as a pigment and white lead the base of most paint, the two kept alongside the whiting and blacking, so that the settlement could build, weatherproof and paint its structures from a stock held ready in the Company's stores.

The large stock of shoes, over two hundred pairs of men's ordinary alone and further grades for women, boys and girls, points to footwear as a staple issue that wore out fast and had to be replaced from the store. That the Company kept shoes in such range and quantity for its servants and their families shows how completely the island depended on imported manufactures for the ordinary necessities of life, a population clothed and shod from a warehouse because it had no means of making such things for itself.

449

440

26 July

Brought over 826 12 5½

Cutleryware viz

17 Ivory Combs 7 3½

9 Horn Do 1 6

1 Pr Shoe Buckles 6½

6 Pr Knee Do 2 9

4 Gross Horn Moulds 2 2 14 3

Ironmongersware viz

16 Pr Dove Tail Hinges 3 4½

5 Cupboard Locks 1

3 Syth Stones 4½

2 Box Irons 17

2 Stock Locks 4 2

4 Frying Pans 8 2

5 Doz Wood Screws 1 10½

3 Files 1 8

1 Rasp 7

1 Jack Spit 6 1

1 Helve 8

1 Bricklayers Trowel 1 9

1 Chest Lock 3 10 3 9 6½

Iron 192 lb 1 15 3½

Coals 9½ Bushels 9 6

Tinware viz

1 Dripping Pan 4 7

12 Larthorn Leave 2 9

3 Sauce Pans 1 7 8 11

Iron Pots 2 6 8

Cotton 2½ 2 3½

Long Ells 11 Yards 19 3

Shirts 13½ 32 4 1

Starch 10½ 15 2

Fustian 4½ Do 11 2½

Pepper 10 5 7½

Hats viz

13 Mens 11 12

7 Boys 2 5 6½ 13 17 6½

Cordage 66 lb 1 2

Turnersware viz

8 Shoe Brushes 5 2

2 Paint Do 11

3 Scrubing Do 5 6

1 Cloth Do 1 2½

1 Hair Broom 2 3½

2 Labourers Baskets 1 6

5 Wood Bowls 5 2½

5 Do Platters 5 2½ 1 7

Blankets 7 1 17 4

Challoes 5 Do 2 17 1

Shalloon 1 Yard 2 7

66 lb 2 lb Sheet 1 6

Earthenware 4 milk Pans 2 7

Carried over 890 1 10½

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, carrying over £826 12s 5½d.

Brought over: £826 12s 5½d

Cutlery:

17 ivory combs, £0 7s 3½d

9 horn combs, £0 1s 6d

1 pair of shoe buckles, £0 0s 6½d

6 pairs of knee buckles, £0 2s 9d

4 gross of horn moulds, £0 2s 2d, total £14s 3d

Ironmongery:

16 pairs of dovetail hinges, £0 3s 4½d

5 cupboard locks, £1 0s 0d

3 scythe stones, £0 0s 4½d

2 box irons, £0 17s 0d

2 stock locks, £0 4s 2d

4 frying pans, £0 8s 2d

5 dozen wood screws, £0 1s 10½d

3 files, £0 1s 8d

1 rasp, £0 0s 7d

1 jack spit, £0 6s 1d

1 helve, £0 0s 8d

1 bricklayer's trowel, £0 1s 9d

1 chest lock, £0 3s 10d, total £3 9s 6½d

Iron, 192 pounds: £1 15s 3½d

Coals, 9½ bushels: £0 9s 6d

Tinware:

1 dripping pan, £0 4s 7d

12 lanthorn leaves, £0 2s 9d

3 sauce pans, £0 1s 7d, total £8s 11d

Iron pots, 2: £0 6s 8d

Cotton, 2½ pounds: £0 2s 3½d

Long ells, 11 yards: £0 19s 3d

Shirts, 13½: £32 4s 1d

Starch, 10½ pounds: £0 15s 2d

Fustian, ½ piece: £0 11s 2½d

Pepper, 10 pounds: £0 5s 7½d

Hats:

13 men's, £11 12s 0d

7 boys', £2 5s 6½d, total £13 17s 6½d

Cordage, 66 pounds: £1 2s 0d

Turnery:

8 shoe brushes, £0 5s 2d

2 paint brushes, £0 0s 11d

3 scrubbing brushes, £0 5s 6d

1 cloth brush, £0 1s 2½d

1 hair broom, £0 2s 3½d

2 labourers' baskets, £0 1s 6d

5 wood bowls, £0 5s 2½d

5 wood platters, £0 5s 2½d, total £1 7s 0d

Blankets, 7: £1 7s 4d

Challoes, 5 pieces: £2 17s 1d

Shalloon, 1 yard: £0 2s 6d

Cogs, 2 pounds sheet: £0 1s 6d

Earthenware, 4 milk pans: £0 2s 7d

Carried over: £890 1s 10½d

Interpretations

The ironmongery and cutlery record the hardware the settlement needed to keep house and workshop running, from locks, hinges and files to frying pans, box irons and a jack spit for roasting. A box iron was a smoothing iron heated by a slug of hot metal placed inside it and a helve the wooden handle fitted to an axe or tool, both marking the ordinary domestic and working gear that the store supplied to a population unable to forge or turn such things for itself.

The store carried several named woollen and cotton cloths, long ells, fustian, challoes and shalloon, each a distinct fabric of the eighteenth-century trade. Long ells were a light woollen cloth made expressly for export to the East, shalloon a twilled woollen used chiefly for garment linings, fustian a stout cotton and linen weave, and challoes an Indian cotton, the range showing how the settlement clothed itself from a stock of materials drawn from both the English wool trade and the eastern cotton trade at once.

The turnery, wooden and brush goods, dripping pans and milk pans point to the humbler end of the store's stock, the everyday utensils of kitchen and yard sold alongside the finer chinaware and textiles. That the Company kept wood bowls, platters, brooms and labourers' baskets for sale shows the store provisioning the whole scale of island life, from the officer's porcelain down to the servant's wooden dish, the single warehouse meeting every rank's needs because no other supply existed.

450

441

1756

Brought over 890 1 10½

Hosersware viz

7 Pr Knit Stockings 1 3 4

66 Pr Thread Do 9 7 10 10 4

Oars 2 8 6

Siching 1 Pr 1 2 9

Braziersware viz

1 Ladle 2 5

1 Skimmer 3

1 Flashpan 16 4 1 1 9

903 5 2½

Sold to the Planters at 25 p Cent

Buchram 17½ Yards 19 4½

Hosersware viz

1 Pr Wn Wove Stockings 4 10

4 Pr Mn Knit Do 15

8 Pr Womens Do 4 1 1 3 11

Long Ells 5 yards 10

Shoes viz

9 Pr Mn Fine 2 8 4½

4 Pr Mn Pump 7 6

4 Pr Channel Pumps 1 16

6 Pr Womens Calimanca 1 15

11 Pr Do Calf 1 13 11

9 Pr Do Spanish 2 10 3

1 Pr Boys 4 9

3 Pr Girls 6 3

2 Pr Mens Ord 10 11 11 9½

Desootees 8 Pieces 4

Chelloes 2 Pieces 1 6

Broad Cloth 2½ yards 2 10

Hats 1 Boys 7 6

Serge 3½ yards 1 9 9½

Sold at 40 p Cent

Arrack 30¾ Gallons 9 4 6

Sugar & Candy viz

1879 lb Sugar 39 2 11

389 lb Candy 10 10 8½ 49 13 7½

Flour 1030 lb 8 11 8

Soap 216 lb 10 7

Tea viz

93 Congo 9 6

61 Single 5 6 9

91 Bohea 6 1 4 20 14 1

Candles 105 15 1 10½

Carried over 1017 10 10½

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, carrying over £890 1s 10½d.

Brought over: £890 1s 10½d

Hosiery:

7 pairs of knit stockings, £1 3s 4d

66 pairs of thread stockings, £9 7s 0d, total £10 10s 4d

Oars, 2: £0 8s 6d

Ticking, 1 piece: £1 2s 9d

Braziery:

1 ladle, £0 2s 5d

1 skimmer, £0 3s 0d

1 flesh pan, £0 16s 4d, total £1 1s 9d

Total: £903 5s 2½d

The goods sold to the planters at twenty-five per cent stood as follows.

Buckram, 17½ yards: £0 19s 4½d

Hosiery:

1 pair of worsted stockings, £0 4s 10d

4 pairs of men's knit, £0 15s 0d

5 pairs of women's, £0 4s 1d, total £1 3s 11d

Long ells, 5 yards: £0 10s 0d

Shoes:

9 pairs of men's fine, £2 8s 4½d

4 pairs of men's pumps, £0 7s 6d

4 pairs of channel pumps, £1 16s 0d

6 pairs of women's calamanco, £1 15s 0d

11 pairs of women's calf, £1 13s 11d

9 pairs of women's Spanish, £2 10s 3d

1 pair of boys', £0 4s 9d

3 pairs of girls', £0 6s 3d

2 pairs of men's ordinary, £0 10s 0d, total £11 11s 9½d

Dosootees, 8 pieces: £4 0s 0d

Challoes, 2 pieces: £1 6s 0d

Broad cloth, 2½ yards: £2 10s 0d

Hats, 1 boy's: £0 7s 6d

Serge, 3½ yards: £1 9s 9½d

The goods sold at forty per cent stood as follows.

Arrack, 30¾ gallons: £9 4s 6d

Sugar and candy:

3,972 pounds of sugar, £39 2s 11d

389 pounds of candy, £10 10s 8½d, total £49 13s 7½d

Flour, 1,030 pounds: £8 11s 8d

Soap, 216 pounds: £10 7s 0d

Tea:

93 pounds of Congo, £9 6s 0d

61 pounds of Singlo, £5 6s 9d

91 pounds of Bohea, £6 1s 4d, total £20 14s 1d

Candles, 105 pounds: £15 1s 10½d

Carried over: £1,357 10s 10½d

Interpretations

The collections were struck at three different rates, ten per cent to the Company's servants, twenty-five per cent to the planters and forty per cent on a further class of goods, the same commodities sold at graded markups according to the buyer or the article. This tiered pricing shows the store working as an instrument of policy as much as of supply, the Company favouring its own servants with the lowest margin, charging the independent planters more, and reserving the heaviest markup for goods it chose to load, so that the single warehouse set different terms for different parts of the island's population.

Braziery was ware made of brass or similar metal, the ladle, skimmer and flesh pan being kitchen implements for cooking and serving, while a flesh pan was a broad vessel for holding or salting meat. These appear alongside the ticking, a stout linen used for mattress and pillow covers, marking again how the store furnished the settlement's households down to the pans in the kitchen and the cloth on the beds, every domestic article supplied from a single imported stock.

451

442

26 July

Brought over 1017 10 10½

Rice & Paddy viz

7 Rice 4 7 6

7 Paddy 6 7 14 1 14 1

Starch 8 lb 3 8

Hooks & Lines viz

650 Hooks Sorted 15 1

200 Blue 10

9½ Doz Lines Sorted 2 9 8½ 3 5 7½

Paint 32½ Blue Smalts 3 5

Oil viz

1 Cwt Train 16

14 Bottles Florence 12 10 1 9 10

Cordage 38 15 10

Salt 9 Bushels 1 6 10

Haberdasheryware viz

3½ Doz m Coat Buttons 2 11

4 Sk Mohair 2

8 Sk Silk 4 8

1½ Doz Silver Br Buttons 4 3 13 10

Turnersware viz

2 Scrubing Brushes 4 8

2 Punch Ladles 1 8 6 4

Canvas 6½ yards English 9 2½

Nails viz

4 3

6 4 8

9 6 3 6

6 10 4 10½

½ Tacks 2 4½

11 12 8½

Deals 6 Single 18

Blankets 1 6 10

Pepper 1 lb 8½

Glassware 1 Sqr Glass 10 by 11 2 3½

Twine viz

4 Sk Twine 3 4

2 Sk Marline 9 4 1

Thread viz

1 lb Brown 9 4

1 Coloured 4 8 14

Pitch viz

2 Cwt Tar 2

12 Pitch 2 6

1½ Rozin 4 4 10

Pork 4 Do 13 4

Lead 2 Shot 6½

Cutleryware 1 Ivory Comb 1 5

Carried over 1057 19 10½

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, carrying over £1,357 10s 10½d.

Brought over: £1,357 10s 10½d

Rice and paddy:

7 pounds of rice, £4 7s 6d

7 pounds of paddy, £0 6s 7d, total £4 14s 1d

Starch, 8 pounds: £0 3s 8d

Hooks and lines:

650 hooks sorted, £0 15s 1d

200 blue, £0 0s 10d

9½ dozen lines sorted, £2 9s 8½d, total £3 5s 7½d

Paint, 32½ pounds of blue smalts: £3 5s 0d

Oil:

1 gallon of train, £0 16s 0d

14 bottles of Florence, £1 2s 10d, total £1 9s 10d

Cordage, 38 pounds: £0 15s 10d

Salt, 9 bushels: £1 6s 10d

Haberdashery:

3½ dozen coat buttons, £0 2s 11d

4 pounds of mohair, £0 2s 0d

8 skeins of silk, £0 4s 8d

1½ dozen silver breast buttons, £0 4s 3d, total £13s 10d

Turnery:

2 scrubbing brushes, £0 4s 8d

2 punch ladles, £0 1s 8d, total £6s 4d

Canvas, 6½ yards English: £0 9s 2½d

Nails:

7 nails at 3d, £0 0s 8d

6 nails at 4d, £0 3s 6d

9 nails at 6d, £0 4s 10½d

6 nails at 10d, £0 2s 6d

½ hundred tacks, £0 0s 11d, total £12s 8½d

Deals, 6 single: £0 18s 0d

Blankets, 1: £0 6s 10d

Pepper, 1 pound: £0 0s 8½d

Glassware, 1 square of glass 10 by 11: £0 2s 3½d

Twine:

4 skeins of twine, £0 3s 4d

2 skeins of marline, £0 0s 9d, total £4s 1d

Thread:

1 pound of brown, £0 9s 4d

1 pound of coloured, £0 4s 8d, total £14s 0d

Pitch:

2 pounds of tar, £0 0s 2d

12 pounds of pitch, £0 2s 6d

1½ pounds of rosin, £0 0s 4d, total £4s 10d

Pork, 4 pounds: £0 13s 4d

Lead, 2 pounds of shot: £0 0s 6½d

Cutlery, 1 ivory comb: £0 1s 5d

Carried over: £1,357 19s 10½d

Interpretations

This portion of the collections gathers the smaller quantities sold, single deals and blankets, a pound of pepper, a few nails and a single ivory comb, the fag-ends of the store's stock issued in ones and twos. The fineness of the accounting, tracking sums down to fractions of a penny on items worth a few pence, shows how strictly the Company reckoned even the least of what left its stores, every comb and screw entered and priced against the servant or planter who took it.

Marline was a light two-stranded cord used for seizing and whipping the ends of larger ropes, kept alongside the twine and cordage as part of the store's stock of small line. Silver breast buttons appear among the haberdashery beside the plainer coat buttons and mohair, marking the range from the ordinary to the finer within a single class of goods, the settlement's people able to buy a touch of silver for their dress from the same store that sold them nails and tar.

452

443

1756

Brought over 1057 19 10½

Chinaware viz

8 Snockers 2 8

15 Bowls 15

6 Half pt Cups & Saucers 3 6

1 Set Dishes & Plates 1 1

18 Soup Plates 9

1 Chamber Pot 2

1 Guglet & Bason 4 2 17 2

Braziersware viz

1 Flat Candlestick 2 10

1 Pr Steel Snuffers 3 1 5 11

Ironware viz

2 Cupboard Locks 10 4

6 Pr Dove Tail Hinges 4 6

1 Box Iron 11

1 Pr H Hinges 2 3

2 Iron rimd Locks 15 6 2 3 7

Naval Stores viz

6 Hand Spikes 1 2

2 Spunge Staves 4 8 1 6 8

1064 13 2½

Sold to the Companys Ships viz

Deals viz

93½ feet Oak Plank 9 4 8

2 Pin Planks 13 2

2 Spars 6

34 Single Deals 4 13 4

26 Double Do 5 15 11

2 Wainsct Boards 14 23 7 1

Paint viz

20 Venet Red 5 10

25 Red Do 1 7 3½

80 Brimstone 7

3 Blue Smalts 7

44 Barrel Blacking 2 10 9½

37 Yellow Oaker 1 19 6½

½ White Lead 7 2 5½

Tinware viz

1 Dripping Pan 2 2

96 Larthorn Leaves 1 8 1 10 2

Hooks & Lines viz

925 Hooks 17 5

19½ Doz Lines 3 10 8 4 8 1

Turnersware viz

25 Pr Brushes 14 7

2 Scrubing Do 4 8 19 3

Carried over 1137 7 7½

The collections of goods sold and delivered out of the Honourable Company's stores continued, carrying over £1,357 19s 10½d.

Brought over: £1,357 19s 10½d

Chinaware:

8 sneakers, £0 2s 8d

15 bowls, £0 15s 0d

6 half pint cups and saucers, £0 3s 6d

1 set of dishes and plates, £1 1s 0d

18 soup plates, £0 9s 0d

1 chamber pot, £0 2s 0d

1 guglet and bason, £0 4s 0d, total £2 17s 2d

Braziery:

1 flat candlestick, £0 2s 10d

1 pair of steel snuffers, £0 3s 1d, total £5s 11d

Ironware:

2 cupboard locks, £0 10s 4d

6 pairs of dovetail hinges, £0 4s 6d

1 box iron, £0 11s 0d

1 pair of H hinges, £0 2s 3d

1 iron rimmed lock, £0 15s 6d, total £2 3s 7d

Naval stores:

6 hand spikes, £1 2s 0d

2 sponge staves, £0 4s 8d, total £1 6s 8d

Total: £164 13s 2½d

The goods sold to the Company's ships stood as follows.

Deals:

93¾ feet of oak plank, £9 4s 8d

2 fir planks, £0 13s 2d

2 spars, £0 6s 0d

3½ single deals, £4 13s 4d

26 double deals, £5 15s 11d

2 wainscot boards, £0 14s 0d, total £23 7s 1d

Paint:

20 pounds of Venetian red, £0 5s 10d

25 pounds of red, £1 7s 3½d

80 pounds of brimstone, £0 7s 0d

3 pounds of blue smalts, £2 7s 0d

44 barrels of blacking, £0 10s 9½d

37 pounds of yellow ochre, £1 19s 6½d

9 pounds of white lead, £0 6s 6d, total £7 2s 5½d

Tinware:

1 dripping pan, £0 2s 2d

96 lanthorn leaves, £1 8s 0d, total £1 10s 2d

Hooks and lines:

925 hooks, £0 17s 5d

19½ dozen lines, £3 10s 8d, total £4 8s 1d

Turnery:

25 pairs of brushes, £0 14s 7d

2 scrubbing brushes, £0 4s 8d, total £19s 3d

Carried over: £37 7s 7½d

Interpretations

The final class of collections records goods sold to the Company's own ships, timber, paint, tinware and tackle issued to the vessels that called rather than to the island's people. The oak plank, fir, spars and deals, together with the paint, brimstone and ochre, were the materials a ship needed to repair her hull and refit for sea, the settlement serving as a yard where a passing vessel could take on the stores to mend herself before continuing her voyage.

Brimstone was sulphur, used aboard ship for fumigating the hold against vermin and infection and in the making of certain paints, while yellow ochre and Venetian red were earth pigments for the protective coatings laid on timber and ironwork. These naval stores mark the island's role in maintaining the fleet that passed it, the same warehouse that clothed and fed the garrison also supplying the raw materials by which the Company's ships were kept sound on the long haul between Europe and the East.

453

444

26 July

Brought over 1137 7 7½

Canvas viz

2 Bolts 6 Do Ozenbrigs 13 6 9

12 Do English Canvas 33 19 8 47 6 5

Iron pots 1 18 10

Coals 6 Chaldron 17 Bushels 17 7 7½

Pitch viz

5 Barrels Pitch 8 15

11 Do Tar 23 13

6 Cwt Rozin 1 3

20 Turpentine 5 10 32 15 1

Salt 12 Bushels 2 6

Nails 331 lb 8 7

Twine viz

250 Sk Twine 9 8 4

6 Sk Marlin 2 3 9 10 7

Cordage 51 2 19 134 11 2

Glassware viz

4 Sqr Glass 10½ by 12½ 5 6

10 Half minute Glasses 7 11 13 5

Oil viz

50 Gallons Linseed 11 13 4

12 Do Train 2 10 14 3 4

Bunting 25 Yds Red 1 7 1

Soap 6 lb 5 9

Beef 1 Puncheon 18 13 10

Flour 35 lb 2 19 8

Thread 2 lb Coloured 9 4

Iron 138 lb 5 5 7½

Anchors 1 lb 26 1

Rice 3 lb 9

Ironware viz

4 Padlock 3 2

2 Frying Pans 5 4

2 Files 1 5 9 11

1362 18 10¼

Sold to a Swed Ship at 50 p Cent Oil 8 Gall Train 1 16

Charges General Dr for the following Stores

Issued from the 12 of April to the 11 July 1756 viz

Nails viz

4 10 for Repairs to one of 1 4

7 6 the Companys Houses 2 6

1½ 4 the Pump the Frames 7½

½ Glazing Brads & the Draw Bridge 6

Nails Carried over 4 11½

The collections of goods sold to the Company's ships continued, carrying over £37 7s 7½d.

Brought over: £37 7s 7½d

Canvas:

2 bolts of Osnaburg, £13 6s 9d

12 bolts of English canvas, £33 19s 8d, total £47 6s 5d

Iron pots, 1: £0 18s 10d

Coals, 6 chaldron 17 bushels: £17 7s 7½d

Pitch:

5 barrels of pitch, £8 15s 0d

11 barrels of tar, £23 13s 0d

6 pounds of rosin, £0 1s 3d

20 pounds of turpentine, £0 5s 10d, total £32 15s 1d

Salt, 12 bushels: £2 6s 0d

Nails, 331 pounds: £8 7s 0d

Twine:

250 skeins of twine, £9 8s 4d

6 skeins of marline, £0 2s 3d, total £9 10s 7d

Cordage, 5 tons 1 hundredweight 2 quarters 19 pounds: £134 11s 2d

Glassware:

4 squares of glass 10½ by 12½, £0 5s 6d

10 half minute glasses, £0 7s 11d, total £13s 5d

Oil:

50 gallons of linseed, £11 13s 4d

12 gallons of train, £2 10s 0d, total £14 3s 4d

Bunting, 259 yards of red: £1 7s 1d

Soap, 6 pounds: £0 5s 9d

Beef, 1 puncheon: £18 13s 10d

Flour, 358 pounds: £2 19s 8d

Thread, 2 pounds coloured: £0 9s 4d

Iron, 138 pounds: £5 5s 7½d

Anchors, 5 pounds: £26 1s 0d

Rice, 3 pounds: £0 0s 9d

Ironware:

1 padlock, £0 3s 2d

2 frying pans, £0 5s 4d

2 files, £0 1s 5d, total £9s 11d

Total: £362 18s 10¼d

The goods sold to a Swedish ship at fifty per cent were 8 gallons of train oil, £1 16s 0d.

The charges general for the following stores, issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756, stood as follows.

The nails are entered by size, with the purpose for which they were used and the sum.

4 nails at 10d, for repairs to one of the Company's houses, £0 1s 4d

7 nails at 6d, for repairs to the Company's houses, £0 2s 6d

1½ nails at 4d, for the pump the frames, £0 0s 7½d

½ glazing brads, for the drawbridge, £0 0s 6d

Nails carried over: £4s 11½d

Interpretations

The naval stores sold to the ships culminate in the heaviest single item on the page, over five tons of cordage at £134 11s 2d, together with anchors and canvas, the great weight of rope and sail that a vessel spent and had to renew. That the settlement could supply cordage by the ton and anchors to a departing ship marks the scale of its function as a refitting station, the store holding the ship's chandlery of a naval yard so that a vessel could replace her heaviest gear in the middle of the ocean.

Half minute glasses were small sandglasses that ran for thirty seconds, used with the log line to measure a ship's speed through the water, sold here among the navigational stores. Bunting was the loosely woven woollen cloth from which signal flags and ensigns were made, the red length supplied for a ship's colours, both marking the finer instruments and materials of sailing that the store provided alongside the bulk timber and rope.

The sale of train oil to a Swedish ship at fifty per cent shows the settlement supplying foreign vessels as well as the Company's own, though at the heaviest markup of all. St Helena served every ship that called regardless of flag, but the Company reserved its steepest terms for outsiders, charging a Swedish captain half as much again on his oil where its own ships and servants paid far less, the store's pricing marking the line between the Company's own interest and the stranger's need.

454

445

1756

Nails Brought over 4 11½

3 3 for Repairs to one of the Companys Houses the 1 7

4 40 Pump the Crane & the Draw Bridge 1 2

9 Coopers Rivets for the Coopers use 4 1½ 11 10

Canvas viz

5 Do Ozenbrigs to cover Packets 3 8

6 Do English for Umbrelloes in the Castle 6 9 8

Ironware viz

6 Files for the Armourers Use 3 1

2 Stock Locks for the St Geo & Blacks House 3 8

1 Iron rimd Lock for the St Gov House 7 2 13 11

Cutleryware 6 Chopping Knives for the Castle 10

Soap 80 lb 2 13 4

Oil viz

1 Sqr Gal Linseed for Repairs & Painting the Gin 5 10

17 Do Gal Train for the Kitchen & Bake House 2 6 8 2 12 6

Glassware viz

34 Sqr Glass 6 by 8 9 2½

3 Sqr Do 16 by 12 2 6

1 Sqr Do 19 by 11 1 7½ 13 4

Paint viz

14 Whiting 9

16 White Lead for Painting the 3 6½

1 Barrel Blacking Gin & the Windows 6

2 Red Lead of the Companys Houses 4½

37 Brimstone, for the Gunners Use 7 8½

12 Blue Smalts for Linnen 7 1 9 10½

Arrack 84 Gal for Drams in unloading the Store

Ships, hauling up the Long Boat, and

repairing the Damage done by the Flood 6 8 8

Deals viz

1 Baulke for Repairs to one 3 3½

6 Baulks of the Companys Houses 2 14 6

3 Single Deals the Crane & the 1 2 4

7 Double Do Draw Bridge 2 1

1 Spar 4 8 2½

2 10

Leather 2 lb for the Pump 2 10

Candles viz

140 for the Castle 14 5 10

120 for the Council 12 5 2 6 10 10

Twine 4 Sk for the Castle 2 5

Iron pots 2 for the Do 16 2½

Pitch viz

24 Rozin for repairs to the Castle 3

18 Pitch 2 7½ 5 7½

Carried over 48 9 3

The charges general for stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 continued, the nails carrying over £4s 11½d.

Nails brought over: £4s 11½d

3 nails at 3d, for repairs to one of the Company's houses, £0 0s 9d

4 nails at 40d, for the pump the crane and the drawbridge, £0 1s 7d

9 coopers rivets, for the cooper's use, £0 1s 2d, total £11s 10d

Canvas:

5 pounds of Osnaburg, to cover packets, £0 3s 8d

6 pounds of English, for umbrellas in the Castle, £0 6s 0d, total £9s 8d

Ironware:

6 files for the armourer's use, £0 3s 1d

2 stock locks for the St George and the blackhouse, £0 3s 8d

1 iron rimmed lock for the St George house, £0 7s 2d, total £13s 11d

Cutlery, 6 chopping knives for the Castle: £10s 0d

Soap, 80 pounds: £2 13s 4d

Oil:

1 gallon of linseed for repairs and painting the gin, £0 5s 10d

17 gallons of train for the kitchen and bakehouse, £2 6s 8d, total £2 12s 6d

Glassware:

34 squares of glass 6 by 8, £0 9s 2½d

3 squares 16 by 12, £0 2s 6d

1 square 19 by 11, £0 1s 7½d, total £13s 4d

Paint:

14 pounds of whiting, for painting the gin and the windows of the Company's houses, £0 0s 9d

16 pounds of white lead, £0 3s 6½d

1 barrel of blacking, £0 0s 6d

2 pounds of red lead, £0 0s 4½d

37 pounds of brimstone, for the gunner's use, £0 7s 8½d

12 pounds of blue smalts, for linen, £0 7s 0d, total £1 9s 10½d

Arrack, 84½ gallons, for drams in unloading the store ship, hauling up the long boat, and repairing the damage done by the flood: £6 8s 8d

Deals:

1 baulk, for repairs to one of the Company's houses, the crane and the drawbridge, £0 3s 3½d

6 baulks, £2 14s 6d

3 single deals, £0 6s 0d

7 double deals, £1 2s 4d

1 spar, £0 2s 1d, total £4 8s 2½d

Leather, 2 pounds, for the pump: £2s 10d

Candles:

14 pounds for the Castle, £14 5s 10d

120 for the Council, £12 5s 0d, total £26 10s 10d

Twine, 4 skeins, for the Castle: £2s 5d

Iron pots, 2, for the Castle: £16s 2½d

Pitch:

24 pounds of rosin, for repairs to the Castle, £0 3s 0d

18 pounds of pitch, £0 2s 7½d, total £5s 7½d

Carried over: £48 9s 3d

Interpretations

The charges general set out the stores the settlement consumed on its own account rather than sold, the materials spent on maintaining the Company's houses, batteries and works over the quarter. Where the earlier collections recorded goods issued to servants, planters and ships for payment, this section records the establishment supplying itself, the same warehouse charged for the upkeep of the island's own fabric.

The issue of 84½ gallons of arrack as drams to men unloading the store ship, hauling up the long boat and repairing the flood damage shows spirits used as a working wage for heavy labour. The Company gave out liquor to fuel the hardest tasks, the same flood that filled the disbursements with repair charges appearing here in the arrack served to the men who did the digging, drink standing in part for payment on a station where labour had to be driven through by whatever means came to hand.

The purchase of English canvas to make umbrellas for the Castle points to protection against the sun and rain on a station where officials worked and moved in the open. On an exposed island the settlement had to fashion even its shade and shelter from imported cloth, the store's canvas cut for umbrellas as readily as for a ship's sails, every want met from the same bolts of material.

455

446

26 July

Brought over 48 9 3

Sugar 4 for Repairs in the Castle 11

Turnersware viz

1 Hair Broom for the Church 2 1

6 Punch Ladles for the Castle 3 6 5 7

Lines viz

13 Sorted for the masons & Carpenters 4

2 Hambro Use, & for the Castle 2 10 6 10

Starch 50 lb 16 11

Chinaware viz

2 Setts Dishes & Plates 1 8

1 Guglet & Bason 2 8

12 Bowls 8

12 Snockers 2

24 Soup Plates 8

6 Sallad Dishes 4

2 Chamber Pots 2 8 2 15 4

Cordage 246 for a Crane Rope & getting Stones ashore

from Ship Oxford 3 11 9

Desootees 6 Pr for Rubbers for the Castle 2 6 6

Coals 53 Bushels for the Armourers Use 2 8

61 1 1

Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued from

the 12 of April to the 12 July viz

Flour 1085 lb 6 1 1

Salt 3½ Bushels 8 5

Arrack 58 Gallons 7 14 8

Sugar & Candy viz

514 Candy 8 11 4

12 Sugar 2 9 8 14 1

Pork 16 Pieces 1 16

Oil 13 Bottles Florence 1 11 11½

Tea viz

2 Bohea 1 8

1 Congo 1 4

3½ Single 4 1 7 1

Rice 164 lb 9 4½

27 2 8

Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued for their use from the

12 April to the 12 July viz

Beef & Pork viz

53 Pr Pork 5 19 3

2150 Pr Beef 29 11 3 35 10 6

Tea 31 Bohea 1 5 10

Sugar 78 lb 17 2

Rice 42 2 3 14 10 9

Carried over 52 11 3

The charges general for stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 continued, carrying over £48 9s 3d.

Brought over: £48 9s 3d

Sugar, 4 pounds, for repairs in the Castle: £0s 11d

Turnery:

1 hair broom for the church, £0 2s 1d

6 punch ladles for the Castle, £0 3s 6d, total £5s 7d

Lines:

13 sorted, for the masons and carpenters, £0 4s 0d

2 Hamburg, else for the Castle, £0 2s 10d, total £6s 10d

Starch, 50½ pounds: £16s 11d

Chinaware:

2 sets of dishes and plates, £1 8s 0d

1 guglet and bason, £0 2s 8d

12 bowls, £0 8s 0d

12 sneakers, £0 2s 0d

24 soup plates, £0 8s 0d

6 sallad dishes, £0 4s 0d

2 chamber pots, £0 2s 8d, total £2 15s 4d

Cordage, 246 pounds, for a crane rope and getting stones ashore from the ship Oxford: £3 11s 9d

Dosootees, 6 pieces, for rubbers for the Castle: £2 6s 6d

Coals, 53 bushels, for the armourer's use: £2 8s 0d

Total: £61 1s 1d

The diet expenses for the following stores, issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756, stood as follows.

Flour, 1,035 pounds: £6 1s 1d

Salt, 3½ bushels: £8s 5d

Arrack, 58 gallons: £7 14s 8d

Sugar and candy:

514 pounds of candy, £8 11s 4d

12 pounds of sugar, £0 2s 9d, total £8 14s 1d

Pork, 16 pieces: £1 16s 0d

Oil, 13 bottles of Florence: £1 11s 11½d

Tea:

2 pounds of Bohea, £0 1s 8d

1 pound of Congo, £0 1s 4d

3½ pounds of Singlo, £0 4s 1d, total £7s 1d

Rice, 16 pounds: £9s 4½d

Total: £27 2s 8d

The stores issued for the use of the slaves from 12 April to 21 July 1756 stood as follows.

Beef and pork:

55 pieces of pork, £5 19s 3d

2,150 pieces of beef, £29 11s 3d, total £35 10s 6d

Tea, 31 pounds of Bohea: £1 5s 10d

Sugar, 76 pounds: £17s 2d

Rice, 4 hundredweight 2 quarters 3 pounds: £14 10s 9d

Carried over: £52 11s 3d

Interpretations

The diet expenses and the stores for the slaves are entered as two separate accounts, the settlement reckoning what it spent feeding the establishment apart from what it spent feeding its forced labour force. The slaves drew a diet of beef, pork, rice, sugar and even a quantity of Bohea tea, the meat by far the largest charge, showing the Company provisioning its slaves from the same imported stores that fed the officers, though as a distinct and separately costed class.

Dosootees, the coarse Indian cotton met earlier as a sale item, appear here cut up for rubbers for the Castle, cloths for cleaning and scouring, the same fabric serving as clothing when sold and as rags when spent on the fabric of the buildings. The account shows a material passing through its whole useful life within the store's reckoning, bought as cloth and charged again as cleaning stuff, every scrap tracked to its final use.

The cordage issued to make a crane rope for getting stones ashore from the Oxford records the heavy lifting gear the settlement rigged to land building stone from a ship. On an island without a quay, even bringing rough stone from a vessel to the shore demanded a crane and its rope set up on purpose, the account catching the practical difficulty of moving weight across open water that shaped every task of construction on the station.

456

447

1756

Brought over 52 11 3

Hooks & Lines viz

150 Hooks 3 3

42 Lines for fishing 13 3½ 16 6½

Oil 3½ Gal Train 8

Twine 1 Skain 7½

Iron pots 2 1 2½

Blankets 73 12 12 10

Arrack 12½ Gallons 1 14

Ironware 1 Stock Lock 1 10

The following delivered to Cloath them

Shoes 266 Pr mn Ord for the Handcraftsmen 5 4

Desootees 18½ Pr 7 2 10½

Kersey 117 yards 7 16

Challoes 63 Pr 11 17 8

Haberdasheryware 7 Pr Holland Tape 5 10

Thread viz

4 lb Brown 1 6 8

2 Coloured 6 8 1 13 4

Sailors Cloaths viz

98 Mens Jackets

93 Do Breeches 81 17 4

5 Pr Trowsers

196 mn Shirts 35 2 4

8 Boys Jackets & Breeches 5 8

16 Do Shorts 2 4

98 Scotch Bonnets 3 13 7 128 5 3

231 3 11

Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued for their use from the 12 of

April to 12 July 1756 viz 3 6 3

Tea 79½ Bohea 11 5 4

Oil 84½ Gal Train 12

Deals viz

6 Single 18 4½

2 Double for Coffins 6 4½ 1 5

Nails 4 6 1 19 4

Arrack 14½ Gal for Drams on Mustering & for the Doctors Shop 2

Candy 6 lb for the Doctors Shop 12 3

Candles 6 lb 7½

Twine 1 Skaine for Do 1 11 6

Pork 14 Pr for the Recruits p Oxford 2 11

Rice 14 lb 1 8

Lines 6 No 2 for Whips 1 10½

Paint viz

14 Yellow Oaker to Clean their accoutrements 2 2½

19 Whiting

20 3 10½

Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued for the Use of Sick from the

12 of April to the 12 July viz 1 7 3½

Sugar 11 lb 9

Flour 80 16 8

Oil 6½ Gal Train

Carried over 2 12 11½

The stores issued for the use of the slaves continued, carrying over £52 11s 3d.

Brought over: £52 11s 3d

Hooks and lines:

150 hooks, £0 3s 3d

42 lines, for fishing, £0 13s 3½d, total £16s 6½d

Oil, 3½ gallons of train: £8s 0d

Twine, 1 skein: £0s 7½d

Iron pots, 2: £1 0s 2½d

Blankets, 73: £12 12s 10d

Arrack, 12½ gallons: £1 14s 0d

Ironware, 1 stock lock: £1s 10d

The following were delivered to clothe the slaves.

Shoes, 266 pairs of men's ordinary, for the handicraftsmen: £5 4s 0d

Dosootees, 18½ pieces: £7 2s 10½d

Kersey, 117 yards: £7 16s 0d

Challoes, 13 pieces: £11 17s 8d

Haberdashery, 7 pounds of Holland tape: £5s 10d

Thread:

4 pounds brown, £1 6s 8d

2 pounds coloured, £0 6s 8d, total £1 13s 4d

Sailors clothes:

98 men's jackets, £81 17s 4d

93 breeches, [included above]

5 pairs of trousers, [included above]

196 men's shirts, £35 2s 4d

8 boys' jackets and breeches, £5 8s 0d

16 shirts, £2 4s 0d

98 Scotch bonnets, £3 13s 7d, total £128 5s 3d

Total: £231 3s 11d

The garrison stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 stood as follows.

Tea, 79½ pounds of Bohea: £11 5s 4d

Oil, 84½ gallons of train: £3 6s 3d

Deals:

6 single, £0 18s 4½d

2 double, for coffins, £0 6s 4½d, total £1 5s 0d

Nails, 4 at 6d, for drams on mustering and for the doctor's shop: £1 19s 4d

Arrack, 14½ gallons, for drams on mustering and for the doctor's shop: £0 2s 0d

Candy, 6 pounds, for the doctor's shop: £12s 3d

Candles, 6 pounds: £0s 7½d

Twine, 1 skein, for the doctor's shop: £1 11s 6d

Pork, 14 pieces, for the recruits of the Oxford: £0 2s 11d

Rice, 15 pounds: £1s 8d

Lines, 6, for whips: £1 6s 0d

Paint:

10 pounds of yellow ochre, to clean their accoutrements, £0 2s 2½d

19 pounds of whiting, [included above]

Total: £20 3s 10½d

The hospital stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 stood as follows.

Sugar, 119 pounds: £1 7s 3½d

Flour, 80 pounds: £9s 0d

Oil, 6½ gallons of train: £16s 8d

Carried over: £2 12s 11¼d

Interpretations

The clothing issued to the slaves was made up in bulk from coarse imported cloth, ninety-eight men's jackets and near two hundred shirts cut from kersey and challoes with Scotch bonnets and shoes for the tradesmen among them. Kersey was a rough ribbed woollen cloth long used for the clothing of labourers and the poor, and its issue by the hundred yards shows the Company clothing its forced labour force cheaply and uniformly, the whole gang dressed alike from a single stock of the plainest material.

The lines issued for whips are entered plainly among the garrison stores, the same cord sold elsewhere for fishing here cut to make instruments for flogging. The account sets down the means of coercion as one more line of expenditure beside the drams and provisions, the violence that held the labour system together reduced to a routine charge for cordage, recorded without remark alongside the tea and the shoes.

The two double deals issued for coffins mark the settlement meeting its own mortality from the store, the same timber that framed the buildings cut to bury the dead. The pay lists across the quarter record soldier after soldier dying in service, and here the material cost of those deaths appears in plain form, the plank for a coffin drawn from the warehouse like any other stores against the constant loss of life the island sustained.

457

448

26 July

Brought over 2 12 11½

Rice 4 1 7 4

Canvas 3 Yds English 5

Chinaware 3 Snockers 6

Salt 1½ Bushels 3 3

4 7 ½

Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from 12 April to 12 July viz

Cartwheels viz

1 Bushels 3 11 6

1 Axeltree 8 10½ 4 4½

Rice & Paddy viz

45 Cwt 3 Paddy for Horses & Poultry 9 18 9

1 12 Rice 3 1 10 1 10

Ironware viz

2 Stock Locks 3 8

4 Syth Stones 4

2 Pickaxes 4 4

3 Helves 1 10 10 2

Cordage 64 lb for the Carts & Thatching 18 4

Tar 16½ Gal for the Carts 11 4

Turnersware 1 Tray for the Castle 2 6

Nails viz

2 20 3 9

33 6 to new Roof part of the Barn 11 8

7 40 2 ½

6 10 in the Great Wood 2 ½

8 4 3 2

½ 3 3 1 2 10½

Deals viz

3 Baulks 1 7 3

2 Pr Riga Amber to new Roof part of the 3 8 4

3 Single Deals Barn & for Gates in 6

4 Coffins the Pastures & the Carts 13 2

9 Double Deals 1 8 8

1 5 Inch Oak Plank 2 9 10 9 13 3

Paint viz

14 White Lead to Paint Gates 2 17

1 Whiting 7½ 2 2

Lines 4 No 4 for the Gt Wood 4½

Earthenware 6 Milk pans for the Dairy 3 6

Oil viz

1½ Gal Train for the Gt Wood 8

1½ Gal Linseed for Painting Gates 1 8 2 4

Iron 35 for Hinges for the Gates 6 2

27 15 2½

The hospital stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 continued, carrying over £2 12s 11¼d.

Brought over: £2 12s 11¼d

Rice, 4 pounds: £1 7s 4d

Canvas, 3 yards English: £5s 4d

Chinaware, 3 sneakers: £0s 6d

Salt, 1½ bushels: £3s 3d

Total: £4 7s 1½d

The plantation stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 stood as follows.

Cartwheels:

1 pair of wheels, £3 11s 6d

1 axletree, £0 8s 10½d, total £4s 4½d

Rice and paddy:

143 pounds of paddy, for horses and poultry, £9 18s 9d

1 pound of rice, for horses and poultry, £0 3s 1d, total £10 1s 10d

Ironware:

2 stock locks, £0 3s 8d

4 scythe stones, £0 0s 4d

2 pickaxes, £0 4s 4d

3 helves, £0 1s 10d, total £10s 2d

Cordage, 64 pounds, for the carts and thatching: £18s 4d

Tar, 16½ gallons, for the carts: £11s 4d

Turnery, 1 tray for the Castle: £2s 6d

Nails:

12 nails at 20d, to new roof part of the barn, £0 3s 9d

33 nails at 6d, to new roof part of the barn, £0 11s 8d

7 nails at 40d, in the great wood, £0 2s 0½d

6 nails at 10d, in the great wood, £0 2s 0d

8 nails at 4d, in the great wood, £0 3s 2d

½ hundred at 3d, in the great wood, £0 0s 3d, total £1 2s 10½d

Deals:

3 baulks, to new roof part of the barn and for gates in the pastures and the carts, £1 7s 3d

2 pairs of Riga timber, £3 8s 4d

3 single deals, £0 6s 0d

4 baulks, £13s 2d

9 double deals, £1 8s 8d

1 5 inch oak plank, £2 9s 10d, total £9 13s 3d

Paint:

6 pounds of white lead, to paint gates, £0 2s 0d

1 pound of whiting, £0 0s 7½d, total £2s 2d

Lines, 4, for the great wood: £4s 4d

Earthenware, 6 milk pans for the dairy: £3s 6d

Oil:

½ gallon of train for the great wood, £0 0s 8d

½ gallon of linseed for painting gates, £0 1s 8d, total £2s 4d

Iron, 35 pounds, for hinges for the gates: £6s 2d

Total: £27 15s 2½d

Interpretations

The plantation stores record the materials the settlement spent on its farming, the cartwheels, axletree, scythe stones, pickaxes and thatching cordage that kept the agricultural side of the establishment working. The great wood and the barn appear as the objects of much of this expenditure, timber, nails and roofing issued to maintain the buildings and enclosures on which the raising of yams, stock and poultry depended.

The paddy issued for horses and poultry rather than for human food marks the use of the coarser grain as animal feed, the settlement dividing its rice stock between the table and the yard. Where the fine rice went to the people, the paddy fed the beasts, the same distinction between milled and husked grain that ran through the invoices now appearing in how the two grades were spent.

Riga timber, named for the Baltic port through which it was shipped, was the fir and deal of northern Europe prized for building, brought the whole length of the Atlantic to a South Atlantic island. That the settlement roofed its barn and hung its gates with timber carried from Riga shows how completely it depended on imported wood, the island's own trees insufficient for construction, so that even a farm gate rested on material fetched from the far side of the world.

458

449

1756

Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from 12 April to 11 July viz

Paint viz

10 White Lead 7 6

4 Barrel Blacking for Painting Gun Carriages 3 6

5 Whiting 1 1 1 1

Oil 3½ Gal Linseed 11 8

Turnersware 1 Pr Brush for Do 5

Cordage 7 for the Flagstaff at the Bridge 2 7½

Twine 12½ lb to make Cartridges 7 3

Deals 2 Single 4

Nails 1 10 for Rocket Stocks & Repairing Powder Lockers 4

2 6 9½

Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 12 April to

the 11 July viz

Turnersware 1 Wood Bowl for the Long Boat 11½

Cordage 330 lb 4 16 3

Nails viz

1 10 4

1 20 3½ 7½

4 17 10

11 July 1756

Errors Excepted

Signed Mr Purling Storekeeper

Counted and examined the Honorable

Companys Cash for the Month ending the 11 instant which

is as follows viz

The fortification stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 stood as follows.

Paint:

10 pounds of white lead, £0 7s 6d

1 barrel of blacking, for painting gun carriages, £0 3s 6d

5 pounds of whiting, £0 1s 0d, total £1 1s 1d

Oil, 3½ gallons of linseed: £11s 8d

Turnery, 1 paint brush, for painting gun carriages: £0s 5d

Cordage, 7 pounds, for the flagstaff at the bridge: £2s 7½d

Twine, 12½ pounds, to make cartridges: £7s 3d

Deals, 2 single: £4s 0d

Nails, 7 at 10d, for rocket stocks and repairing powder lockers: £0s 4d

Total: £2 6s 9½d

The boat stores issued from 12 April to 21 July 1756 stood as follows.

Turnery, 1 wood bowl for the long boat: £11½d

Cordage, 330 pounds: £4 16s 3d

Nails:

1 nail at 10d, £0 0s 4d

1 nail at 20d, £0 0s 3½d, total £7½d

Total: £4 17s 10d

The account was subscribed as errors excepted, at St Helena on 11 July 1756, and signed by M Peeling, storekeeper.

The Council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month ending the 21st, which stood as follows.

Interpretations

The fortification and boat stores close the storekeeper's accounts with the last of the settlement's own consumption, paint and blacking for the gun carriages, cordage for the flagstaff and the long boat, and twine to make cartridges. These small charges gather the incidental upkeep of the island's defences and its principal craft, the same materials that ran through the whole account applied at the end to the batteries and the boat on which the station's security and its link to the sea both rested.

The cordage issued to the long boat, 330 pounds against the seven pounds spent on the flagstaff, marks how much rope the settlement's chief vessel consumed, the boat that carried every person and every load between the shore and the ships in the road. On an island without a harbour the long boat was the indispensable link to the outside world, and the weight of cordage spent on it reflects the constant wear of a craft always at work across open water.

459

450

26 July

Cash Dr

1756

June 12 To Balance remaining

3614 18

14 To Ship Warren the Balance of her Account

54 6 8

To Ship Anson the Do of her Do

171 5 5

To Exchange for one Sett of Bills drawn on

the Honorable Court of Directors, Payable

to Thomas Evans, or Order, ninety Days

after sight dated this Day

150

To Do for one Sett Do drawn as above Dated this

Day, payable to John Inglis, or Order

230

18 To Ship London the Balance of her Account

62 14 7

To Ship Bombay Castle the Do of her Do

33 13 10½

21 To Ship Oxford the Do of her Do

9 5 9

23 To Ship Eastcourt the Do of her Do

7 12 3

July 11 To Matthew Purling for Store Goods Sold in

the Quarter ending this Day

1069 14 5

To Licences for Peible Houses

13 10

To Plantation for Provisions Sold

15 10 ½

5432 11

The cash account for the month ending 21 July, on the debtor side, stood as follows.

The receipts are set out with the date, the source and the sum received.

12 June, to balance remaining: £3,614 18s 0d

On 14 June the Council received sums from the accounts of ships in the road, and from the exchange of bills drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors.

The following two lines each name a ship, and are given here in their proper place among the receipts.

On 14 June the Council received from the Warren the balance of her account, £54 6s 8d, and from the Anson the balance of her account, £171 5s 5d.

14 June, to exchange for one set of bills drawn on the Honourable Court of Directors, payable to Thomas Evans or order, ninety days after sight, dated that day: £150 0s 0d

14 June, to one set of bills drawn as above, dated that day, payable to John Inglis or order: £230 0s 0d

On 18 June the Council received the balances of further ships accounts.

The following four lines each name a ship, and are given here in their proper place among the receipts.

On 18 June the Council received from the London the balance of her account, £62 14s 7d. From the Bombay Castle the Council received the balance of her account, £33 13s 10½d. On 21 June the Council received from the Oxford the balance of her account, £9 5s 9d. On 23 June the Council received from the Eastcourt the balance of her account, £7 12s 3d.

21 July, to Matthew Peeling for store goods sold in the quarter ending that day: £1,069 14s 5d

21 July, to licences for public houses: £13 10s 0d

21 July, to the plantation for provisions sold: £15 10s 4½d

Total: £5,432 11s 0d

Interpretations

The receipts show the cash side of the ships accounts squared off as each vessel left, the balances from the Warren, Anson, London, Bombay Castle, Oxford and Eastcourt paid into the treasury as their dealings with the settlement closed. This was the settling of accounts between the island and the ships it had provisioned, each vessel clearing what it owed for stores, water and services before sailing, the sums entered as the fleet dispersed through June.

The £1,069 14s 5d taken from the storekeeper for goods sold in the quarter matches the great collections account set out on the preceding pages, the sale of arrack, cloth, chinaware and provisions to servants, planters and ships now entering the cash book as a single sum. The store's whole quarter of trade, tracked line by line through pages of detail, resolves here into one entry, the settlement's internal market feeding directly into the Company's treasury.

The licences for public houses, entered at £13 10s 0d, mark the settlement raising revenue by licensing the sale of drink, the Company drawing a fee from those permitted to keep victualling houses on the island. This was a small but distinct source of local income, the authority to sell liquor turned into money for the Company, the same body that imported the arrack also profiting from the licensed houses that retailed it.

460

451

1756

Per Contra Cr

1756

July 11 By Sundry Accounts advanced the Paymaster

this Quarter 2408 18 6

By Balance remaining in the following Species viz

1000 Venetians @ 10 500

1000 Pagodas @ 8 400

Gold Amounting to 900

3200 Dollars @ 5 800

6935 Rupees @ 2/3 780 3 9

441 French Peices @ 12 3 13 6

Odd Mony 3

Silver Amounting to 1583 17 6

146 Cash Notes @ 40 292

162 Do 20 162

263 Do 5 65 15

160 Do 2/6 20

Cash Notes Amounting to 539 15

5432 11

Mr Matthew Purling applyed to us for

liberty, to pay two hundred Pounds into the Honorable Companys

Cash, which Sum we have received, and given him Bills of Exchange

drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors, payable to

himself or Order ninety Days after sight, dated this Day

Mr Thomas Brown, applyed to us for liberty to

pay one hundred and forty six Pounds into the Honorable

Companys Cash, which Sum we have received and given him

Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable the Court of

Directors, payable to himself or Order, ninety Days after

sight, Dated this Day

Mr Do

The cash account for the month ending 21 July, on the creditor side, stood as follows.

21 July 1756, by sundry accounts advanced the paymaster this quarter: £2,408 18s 6d

The balance remaining was held in the following species.

The gold and silver coin is set out with the number of pieces, the rate each and the sterling value.

1,000 sequins at 10s each: £500 0s 0d

1,000 pagodas at 8s each: £400 0s 0d

Gold amounting to: £900 0s 0d

3,200 dollars at 5s each: £800 0s 0d

6,935 rupees at 2s 3d each: £780 3s 9d

441 French pieces at 12s each: £3 13s 6d

Odd money: £0 3s 0d

Silver amounting to: £1,583 17s 0d

146 cash notes at 40s each: £292 0s 0d

162 cash notes at 20s each: £162 0s 0d

263 cash notes at 5s each: £65 15s 0d

160 cash notes at 2s 6d each: £20 0s 0d

Cash notes amounting to: £539 15s 0d

Total: £5,432 11s 0d

Matthew Peeling asked the Council for leave to pay £200 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day.

Thomas Brown asked the Council for leave to pay £146 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day.

Interpretations

The balance now held more silver and less gold than the month before, the rupees rising from 2,059 to 6,935 and the dollars from 3,080 to 3,200, while the sequins and pagodas fell by half. The shift reflects the settling of the ships accounts and the fresh payments into the treasury across June and July, the coin drawn in from departing vessels and private remitters changing the make-up of the fund the settlement held.

The creditor side shows the whole month's outgoing dominated by the £2,408 18s 6d advanced to the paymaster, the quarter's wages drawn from the treasury in a single sum matching the paymaster's own account. The cash book and the pay roll close on the same figure, the audit of the money in the chest tied directly to the wages paid out, so that the Council could see the fund reduced by exactly what the establishment had cost to maintain.

461

452

26 July

Mr Nicholas Moxly, applyed to Us

for liberty, to pay one hundred and fifty Pounds into the

Honorable Companys Cash, which Sum We have received,

and given him Bills of Exchange, drawn on the Honorable

the Court of Directors, payable to himself or Order, ninety

Days after sight Dated this Day

Mr John Bland applyed to Us for

liberty, to pay seventy Pounds into the Honorable Companys

Cash, which Sum We have received, and given him Bills

of Exchange, drawn on the Honorable the Court of

Directors, payable to himself or Order, ninety Days after

sight Dated this Day

Captain William Fernell applyed to Us

for liberty to pay Two hundred Pounds into the Honorable

Companys Cash, which Sum We have received, and given

him Bills of Exchange, drawn on the Honorable the Court

of Directors payable to himself or Order, ninety Days

after sight Dated this Day

Chas Hutchinson

John Adamson

John Clark

Nicholas Moxly asked the Council for leave to pay £150 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day.

John Bland asked the Council for leave to pay £70 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day.

Captain William Fernell asked the Council for leave to pay £200 0s 0d into the Honourable Company's cash. The Council received the sum and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight and dated that day. The entries were signed by Charles Hutchinson, John Adamson and John Clark.

Interpretations

The run of applications to remit money through the Company shows a cluster of individuals moving funds to England at the close of the quarter, John Bland the master mason and Nicholas Moxly the purser of a ship among them, alongside the visiting captain William Fernell. The remittance service drew in money from the settlement's own officers and from the commanders of passing ships alike, each paying cash into the treasury for bills redeemable in London, the island serving as a point where earnings from many quarters were turned into paper for the voyage home.

462

453

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463

454

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464

455

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465

456

Book cover

466

457

EAP 1364 St Helena

Document Name and Date St Helena Records 1755-56

Dimensions (height x width x depth) (cm) 48cm x 34cm x 7cm

No. written pages: 448

No. blank pages: 5

Spine and cover Good condition
Slight insect boring

Inside pages Good condition
Foxing present throughout volume

Additional comments No page numbering

Time taken to photograph (hours) 4 hours