1 | | EAP 1364 St Helena Document Name and Date St. HELENA RECORDS 1762-1763 Photographer PETER Date photographed 15 JAN 2022 Additional comments | |
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8 | 1 | Island St Helena§ 19th July 1762 At a Consultation held on Monday 19th Day of July 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Deputy Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capn Thos Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved and Signed, dated the 15th July 1762 Tuesday the 20th Sailed The Fly Cutter Wednesday the 21st Died Joseph Cutts Soldier The Storekeeper brought in his Collections, and the Paymaster his Accounts for the Quarter ending the 30th June which were examined and approved, and are as follow Vizt Collection of Goods sold and delivered out of the Honble Companys Ware houses from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 Inclusive Vizt Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 pr Cent Vizt Sugar & Candy vizt 534lb Sugar £3 3s 5d 1286 Candy £3 16s 7d £9 4s 2d Flour vizt 2593 Flour £26 4s 8d 194 12 Do Baked £111 8s 0d £137 12s 8d Rice & Paddy vizt 149 4 19 Rice £11 16s 11d 10 2 4 Paddy £2 2s 11d £14 19s 10d Beef and Pork vizt 1184 lb Beef £11 8s 0d 163 lb Pork £16 4s 0d £28 0s 12d Carried over £592 6s 1d | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 19 July 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 14 July 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Tuesday 20 July the Fly cutter sailed. On Wednesday 21 July Joseph Cutts, a soldier, died. The storekeeper presented his collections and the paymaster his accounts for the quarter ending 30 June, all of which were examined and approved. They ran as follows. The account covered goods sold and delivered out of the Company's warehouses between 1 April and 30 June 1762. Sold to the Company's servants at 10 per cent Sugar and candy 534 lb sugar, £3 3s 5d 1,286 lb candy, £3 16s 7d subtotal £94 2s 0d Flour 3,593 lb flour, £26 4s 3d 1,974 lb 12 oz of doctor's baked bread, £111 8s 0d subtotal £137 12s 3d Rice and paddy 1,194 lb 19 oz rice, £11 16s 11d 102 lb 4 oz paddy, £2 2s 11d subtotal £19 19s 10d Beef and pork 1,184 lb beef, £112 8s 0d 1,632 lb pork, £162 4s 0d subtotal £280 12s 0d Carried over £592 6s 1d Interpretations Paddy was rice still in the husk, unmilled and therefore cheaper and coarser than the cleaned rice sold beside it. Its presence in the ledger shows the island buying grain at two stages of processing, the hulled rice for the table and the unhusked paddy probably for poorer servants or for seed and stock feed. The doctor's baked bread was a separate provision baked under the surgeon's charge, most likely for the hospital and the sick, which explains why it was accounted apart from ordinary flour and priced far higher by weight than the raw grain. The margin of 10 per cent added to goods sold to the Company's servants was the fixed mark-up by which the Company recovered handling and wastage on stores issued from its warehouses, turning the settlement's provisioning into a small managed monopoly rather than a free market. |
9 | 2 | 19 July Brought over £592 6s 1d Tea vizt 297 lb Congo £21 15s 10d 108 lb Single £7 18s 2d 55 Bohea £2 4s 3d £32 1s 3d Arrack 173 lb Gallons £43 6s 6d Salt 7 lb Bushels £1 6s 6d Challoes 2 Pieces £19s 0d Cordage 243 lb £4 6s 3d Starch 30 lb £14s 4d Leather vizt 31 lb Sole £2 17s 8d 1 Calf Skin £8s 6d £3 6s 2d Twine vizt 7 lb Twine £8s 1½d 1 lb Cotton Wick £3s 10½d £12s 0d Pepper 17 £9s 7d Blankets 5 £15s 0d Camblet 8 Yards Scarlett £16s 0d Rope 2 £1s 5d Iron Pots 16 lb Gallons £11s 0d Pease 78 Bushel £4s 11d Candles 44 £5 2s 8d Coffee 08 £10s 0d Oil vizt 104 lb 9 Linseed £2 3s 0d 14 9 Train £11s 0d £2 3s 11d Nails vizt 4 lb 2 3 3 15 lb 4 76 6 20 lb 10 4 20 2 40 £4 1s 0d Nails Carried over £4 1s 0d Carried over £690 12s 4d | The account continued from the sum of £592 6s 1d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £592 6s 1d Tea 297 lb congou, £21 15s 10d 108 lb singlo, £7 18s 2d 35 lb bohea, £2 4s 3d subtotal £32 1s 3d Arrack 173 gallons, £43 6s 6d Salt 7 bushels, £1 6s 6d Callicoes 2 pieces, £0 19s 0d Cordage 243 lb, £4 6s 3d Starch 30 lb, £0 14s 4d Leather 31 lb sole, £2 17s 8d 1 calf skin, £0 8s 6d subtotal £3 6s 2d Twine 9 lb twine, £0 8s 1½d 1½ lb cotton wick, £0 3s 10½d subtotal £0 12s 0d Pepper 17 lb, £0 9s 7d Blankets 5, £1 15s 0d Camblet 8 yards scarlet, £0 16s 0d Soap 2 lb, £0 1s 5d Iron pots 16 gallons, £0 11s 0d Pease 75 bushel, £0 4s 11d Candles 44 lb, £5 2s 8d Coffee 10 lb, £0 10s 0d Oil 10 gallons linseed, £2 3s 0d ¼ gallon train, £0 0s 11d subtotal £2 3s 11d Nails 4 lb at 2, £[...] 3 at 3, £[...] 15 lb at 4, £[...] 76 lb at 6, £[...] 20 lb at 10, £[...] 4 at 20, £[...] 2 at 40, £[...] Nails carried over £4 0s 1d Carried over £690 12s 4d Interpretations Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in the East, commonly from fermented palm sap, sugar or rice, and shipped through the Indian trade. On St Helena it served as the ordinary spirit ration and as a trade good, which is why so large a quantity as 173 gallons moved through the warehouse in a single quarter. Camblet was a woven cloth of mixed fibres, here dyed scarlet, valued for hard wear and used for coats and outer garments. Singlo, congou and bohea were the three grades of tea passing through the account, congou the middling black leaf, bohea the coarsest and cheapest, and singlo a green tea, their differing prices by the pound marking the quality of each. Train oil was rendered from the blubber of whales or seals and burned for light or worked into leather and rope, distinct from the linseed oil listed above it, which was pressed from flax seed and used chiefly in paint and preserving wood. The nails were carried in a graded range priced by the size of the nail, the figures 2 to 40 giving the count of nails to the pound, so that the coarse heavy nails at 2 or 3 to the pound stood apart from the fine tacks running 40 to the pound. |
10 | 3 | 1762 Brought over £690 12s 4d Nails brought over £4s 1d 12 Glaz Brads £5d 12 Tacks £8d £4 1s 2d Turners Ware vizt 12 Shoe Brushes £7s 6d 3 Laborers Baskets £2s 6d 2 Wood Bowls £9d 1 Scrubing Brush £2s 7d £13s 7d Lead vizt 20 lb Sheet Lead £5s 0d 3 Shot £7d £5s 7d Hooks & Lines vizt 796 No 1 236 2 225 3 25 5 100 12 Hooks 200 13 350 14 125 15 375 16 £1 6s 3d 4 doz No 2 12 doz 3 Lines 1 lb doz 4 £3 17s 11d £5 4s 2d Cutlery Ware vizt 29 Horn Combs £4s 10d 1 Ivory Do £1½d 17 Shoe Buckles £4s 1d 16 pr Shoe Do £2s 0d 27 lb Do Leather Garters £2s 6½d 1 doz Do Handle Knives and Forks £1 10s 5d 1 doz Buck Handle Do 8s Do £11s 2d £3 3s 1d Carried over £704 1s 11d | The account continued from the sum of £690 12s 4d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £690 12s 4d Nails brought over, £4 0s 1d ½ lb glass brads, £0 0s 5d ½ lb tacks, £0 0s 8d subtotal £4 1s 2d Turners ware 12 shoe brushes, £0 7s 6d 3 labourers baskets, £0 2s 6d 2 wood bowls, £0 3s 0d 1 scrubbing brush, £0 2s 7d subtotal £0 15s 7d Lead 20 lb sheet lead, £0 5s 0d 3 lb shot, £0 2s 7d subtotal £0 5s 7d Hooks and lines Hooks 75 of number 1 256 of number 2 225 of number 3 25 of number 5 100 of number 12 200 of number 13 350 of number 14 125 of number 15 375 of number 16 subtotal £1 6s 3d Lines 4 dozen of number 2 12 dozen of number 3 1½ dozen of number 4 subtotal £3 17s 11d subtotal £5 4s 2d Cutlery ware 2½ dozen horn combs, £0 4s 10d 1 ivory comb, £0 1s 1½d 7 shoe buckles, £0 4s 1d 6 pairs shoe buckles, £0 2s 6½d 27 pairs leather garters, £1 10s 5d 1 dozen bone-handled knives and forks, £0 11s 2d 1 dozen buck-handled knives and forks, £[...] subtotal £3 3s 1d Carried over £704 1s 11d Interpretations The hooks and lines were graded by number, each figure standing for the size of hook or the weight of line, running from the small hooks of number 1 through to the larger sizes above, with the fishing lines sold by the dozen in three grades. Fishing supplied a large part of the island's food, so the warehouse carried hooks and line across the full range of sizes for the garrison and inhabitants to draw on. Turners ware meant small wooden goods shaped on a lathe, here the bowls, brush backs and baskets grouped under that trade. Buck-handled and bone-handled knives distinguished the two grades of cutlery by their handles, the buck horn being the plainer and cheaper material against worked bone. |
11 | 4 | 19th July Brought over £704 1s 11d Glass Ware vizt 8 Sqrs Glass 8 by 8 £2s 6d 25 Sqr 8 by 10 £16s 1½d 4 Sqrs 10 by 12 £3s 8d 14 Wine Glasses £9s 8½d 1 Beer Glass £1s 7d £1 13s 7d Paint vizt 19 lb Indico £1 16s 5d 2 lb Shy Blue £1s 6d 9 lb Blacking £4s 10½d 14 lb Yel Oaker mixed £1½d 4 lb Red Lead £1½d 21 Whiting £10½d 2 lb N Lead dry £2s 0d 14 lb Umber £1½d £2s 6d Iron Ware vizt 1 Jack Chain £1s 11d 2 Scythe Stones £8½d 2 Splinter Locks £1s 1d 3 Gimlets £9d 3 Pad Locks £6s 10d 1 Sm Fr Pan £2s 11d 1 Holoe £8d 1 Doz Wood Screws £5½d 1 Rag Stone £3½d 2 Closet Locks £4s 3d 1 Pr 14 Hinges £1s 10d 3 Pr Side Hinges £3s 4½d 1 Iron Lock with B Knobs £6s 7½d 1 Coffee Mill £9s 4½d 1 Hand Hatchet £1s 10d £23s 1d Shirts vizt 12 Pr Linen 10 Yds Brown Holland £2s 9d 8 Pliers £3s 0d 143 Centinels Sheets £36 5s 10d £40s 3d Carried over £756 3s 10d | The account continued from the sum of £704 1s 11d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £704 1s 11d Glass ware 8 squares glass 8 by 8, £0 2s 6d 25 squares 8 by 10, £0 16s 1½d 4 squares 10 by 12, £0 3s 8d 14 wine glasses, £0 9s 8½d 1 beer glass, £0 1s 7d subtotal £1 13s 7d Paint 19 lb indigo, £1 16s 5d ¾ lb sky blue, £0 1s 6d 9 lb Spanish black, £0 4s 10½d ½ lb yellow ochre mixed, £0 0s 1½d ¼ lb red lead, £0 0s 1½d 21 lb whiting, £0 0s 10½d 7 lb white lead dry, £0 2s 0d ¼ lb umber, £0 0s 1½d subtotal £2 6s 0d Iron ware 1 jack chain, £0 1s 11d 2 scythe stones, £0 0s 8½d 2 splinter locks, £0 1s 1d 3 gimlets, £0 0s 9d 3 pad locks, £0 6s 10d 1 saucepan, £0 2s 11d 1 sieve, £0 0s 8d 1 dozen wood screws, £0 0s 5½d 1 rag stone, £0 0s 3½d 2 closet locks, £0 3s 4d 1 pair HL hinges, £0 4s 3d 3 pairs side hinges, £0 1s 10d 1 iron lock with brass knobs, £0 3s 4½d 1 coffee mill, £0 6s 7½d 1 hand hatchet, £0 9s 4½d subtotal £1 10s 0d subtotal £2 3s 1d Shifts 1½ pairs Irish linen, £0 2s 9d 10 yards brown holland, £2 4s 0d 8 pieces relters, £1 0s 5d 143 sentinels sheets, £36 5s 10d subtotal £40 0s 13d Carried over £756 [...] 10d Interpretations The glass ware combined window panes and drinking glasses, the squares listed by their dimensions in inches for glazing and set apart from the wine and beer glasses for the table. Brown holland was a plain unbleached linen cloth of Dutch origin, coarser than the Irish linen beside it and used for hard-wearing garments and linings. The paints were sold as dry pigments to be ground and mixed on the island, ranging from the costly indigo and sky blue through the cheap earth colours of ochre, umber and whiting, with red lead and white lead serving as base and priming coats. This shows the settlement mixing its own paint from raw materials rather than importing it ready-made, the pigments held in the warehouse and drawn as needed. The 143 sentinels sheets formed by far the largest item of the group at £36 5s 10d, bedding issued to the garrison's sentries and charged against the military stores. Their bulk against the small domestic quantities around them marks the scale of the garrison's needs set beside the ordinary household trade of the warehouse. |
12 | 5 | 1762 Brought over £756 4s 10d Hosiers Ware vizt 8 Pr E Cot Stockings £3 3s 4d 20 Pr Mens Thread Do £2 19s 2d 2 Pr Mens Wove Do £8s 0d 1 Pr Ind Cot Do £5s 9d £6 16s 3d Haberdashery vizt 18 Sk Silk £9d 12 Sk Mohair £5d 14 Doz Moht Coat Buttons £2½d 1 doz Moht Br Do £4½d 1 Gross Worsted Lace £1 2s 9d 2 Pr Tape £1s 4½d 45 Cockades £13s 8½d 5 Doz Plated Br Buttons £2s 9d 14 Gross Shirt Do £1s 6½d £3 2s 8d Shoes vizt 3 Pr Mens fine Shoes £15s 0d 1 Pr Mens Pumps £3s 6d 65 Pr Mens Ordinary Shoes £13 13s 5d £15 2s 0d Pitch & Tar vizt 14 Pitch £8d 1 Gal Tar £1s 0d £1s 8d Serge 12 Yr Blue Duffil £10s 3d China Ware vizt 116 Blue & White Punchers £1 9s 0d 9 lb Bowls £3 18s 9d 22 Mens Dishes & Plates £28 13s 8d 14 Doz Soup Plates £3 17s 0d 5 Soup Dishes £1 10s 8d 16 Blue and White Guglets & Basons £2 16s 0d 13 Blue & White Chamber pots £1 6s 0d 4 Doz 14 Pine cups & Saucers £3 10s 0d 14 Doz 14 Pint Do & Do £1 10s 0d China Ware Carried over £51 5s 1d Carried over £776 4s 10d | The account continued from the sum of £756 4s 10d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £756 4s 10d Hosiery ware 8 pairs thread stockings, £3 3s 4d 20 pairs mens thread stockings, £2 19s 2d 2 pairs mens woven stockings, £0 8s 0d 1 pair India cotton stockings, £0 5s 9d subtotal £6 16s 3d Haberdashery 18 skeins silk, £0 9s 0d 12 skeins mohair, £0 5s 0d ½ dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 0s 2½d 1 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 0s 4½d 1 gross worsted lace, £1 2s 9d 2 pieces tape, £0 1s 4½d 45 cockades, £0 13s 8½d 3 dozen plated breast buttons, £0 2s 9d ½ gross shirt buttons, £0 1s 6½d subtotal £3 2s 8d Shoes 3 dozen mens fine shoes, £0 15s 0d 1 pair mens pumps, £0 3s 6d 65 pairs mens ordinary shoes, £13 18s 3d subtotal £15 2s 0d Pitch and tar ¼ lb pitch, £0 0s 8d 1 gallon tar, £0 1s 0d subtotal £0 1s 8d Serge 12 yards blue duffel, £0 10s 3d China ware 116 blue and white dishes, £1 9s 0d 9 bowls, £3 18s 9d 22 blue dishes and plates, £28 13s 8d 14 dozen soup plates, £3 17s 0d 3 soup dishes, £1 10s 8d 16 blue and white guglets and basins, £2 16s 0d 13 blue and white chamber pots, £1 6s 0d 4 dozen fine cups and saucers, £3 10s 0d ½ dozen pint cups and saucers, £1 10s 0d subtotal £51 5s 1d China ware carried over £51 5s 1d Carried over £776 4s 10d Interpretations Guglets were narrow-necked earthenware jars, made porous so that water seeping through the walls cooled by evaporation, an Indian and Eastern form well suited to keeping drinking water cool and here supplied to the island through the China trade. Cockades were rosettes or knots of ribbon worn on the hat as a badge, in this military setting marking rank or allegiance, which is why 45 passed through the warehouse in the quarter. Duffel was a coarse thick woollen cloth with a heavy nap, here dyed blue and cut by the yard for hard-wearing outer garments against wind and wet. Mohair meant the yarn spun from the hair of the Angora goat, worked here into buttons, braid and lace, valued for its sheen and strength in trimming clothes. The China ware formed the most valuable group on the page at £51 5s 1d, the blue and white porcelain brought from Canton on the returning East India ships and sold on at St Helena. The single line of 22 blue dishes and plates at £28 13s 8d carried nearly the whole value, marking the fine porcelain as a costly import set apart from the common earthenware around it. |
13 | 6 | 19 July Brought over £776 17s 8d China Ware brought over £51 5s 1d 18 Sallad Dishes £10s 1d 2 Deep Do £12s 0d 6 Sauce Boats £5s 0d 2 Tea Setts £12s 4d 4 Baking Dishes £10s 0d 1 Long Table Set £4 15s 4d 2 Cot & Gold Guglets and Basons £1 4s 4d £59 4s 2d Braziers Ware vizt 1 Pr Steel Snuffers £3s 8d 2 Pr Candle Sticks £16s 6d 1 Brass Skimmer £2s 8d £1 2s 10d Pewter vizt 1 Chamber pot £5s 2½d 1 Cullender £8s 5½d £13s 8d Deals vizt 2 Elm Boards £8s 8d 2 Single Deals £5s 1d £13s 9d Shalloon vizt 5 Yr Scarlet £12s 11d 64 Yr Colored £18s 10d £1 11s 9d Long Ells 34 Yr Scarlet £9s 4d Tebbat 2 Yr Whited Brown £14s 7d Corks 1 lb Sheet £11d Broad Cloth vizt 14 Yr Blue £1s 10½d 4 Yr Green £9s 8d 8 14 Yr Scarlet £9 2s 7½d £12 17s 2d Earthen Ware 1 Close Stool Pan £3s 7d Carried over £854s 5d | The account continued from the sum of £776 4s 10d brought over from the previous page, with the China ware total of £51 5s 1d carried over. Brought over £776 4s 10d China ware brought over, £51 5s 1d 18 salad dishes, £0 10s 1d 2 deep dishes, £0 0s 12d 6 sauce boats, £0 3s 0d 2 tea sets, £0 12s 4d 4 baking dishes, £0 10s 0d 1 long table set, £4 15s 4d 2 gold guglets and basins, £1 4s 4d subtotal £59 1s 2d Braziers ware 1 pair steel snuffers, £0 3s 8d 2 pairs candlesticks, £0 16s 6d 1 brass skimmer, £0 2s 8d subtotal £1 2s 10d Pewter 1 chamber pot, £0 5s 2½d 1 colander, £0 8s 5½d subtotal £0 13s 8d Deals 2 elm boards, £0 8s 8d 2 single deals, £0 5s 1d subtotal £0 13s 9d Shalloon 5 yards scarlet, £0 12s 11d 6¼ yards coloured, £0 18s 10d subtotal £1 11s 9d Long ells 3¼ yards scarlet, £0 9s 1d Fustian 2 yards printed brown, £0 14s 7d Corks 1½ sheet, £0 0s 11d Broad cloth ½ yard blue, £0 1s 10½d 4 yards green, £0 9s 8d 8¼ yards scarlet, £2 2s 7½d subtotal £12 17s 2d Earthen ware 1 close stool pan, £0 3s 7d Carried over £834 [...] 5d Interpretations Shalloon and long ells were both lightweight worsted cloths made in England for the export trade, the shalloon a twilled wool used chiefly to line coats and the long ell a plain length woven to a set width for the Eastern market. Fustian was a stout cloth of linen and cotton with a raised pile, here printed brown and cut by the yard for hard-wearing clothes. Braziers ware meant articles worked in brass or similar metal, here the candlesticks, snuffers and skimmer grouped under that trade. A close stool pan was the removable earthenware vessel set within a close stool, the boxed indoor privy of the period, which is why it and the pewter chamber pot moved through the warehouse as ordinary household stock. The broad cloth was a fine dense woollen finished smooth, sold here in short lengths of blue, green and scarlet, the scarlet by far the dearest at £2 2s 7½d for 8¼ yards. Its high price against the plainer cloths marks it as the material for dress coats and uniforms, the scarlet in particular tied to military and official wear. |
14 | 7 | 1762 Brought over £854s 5d Tin Ware vizt 4 Lamps £4s 2d 1 Watering Pot £9½d 1 Dripping Pan £4s 0d 1 One Gallon Funnel £2s 5d 2 Quart Sauce Pans £1s 5d 1 Rivetted Horn Lanthorn £3½d £1 2s 4d Hats vizt 2 Mens Fine £1 18s 9d 1 Boys £6s 7d £2 5s 4d £857 8s 1d Sold to the Planters at 25 pr Cent vizt Shoes 1 Pr Mens ordinary £5d Sold at 40 pr Cent Sugar and Candy vizt 846 Sugar £20 4s 4d 100 Candy £3 18s 9d £24 4s 1d Flour 424 £4 17s 2d Rice 5 21 £10s 6d Lead vizt 4 Shot £1s 2d 3 Bar Lead £10d £2s 0d Nails vizt 15 3 11 6 2 4 Nails 5 3 4 2 1 Tacks 2 lb Copper £1 8s 8d 4 Copper Rivets £1s 9d £1 14s 11d Carried over £31 13s 7d | The account continued from the sum of £834 [...] 5d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £834 [...] 5d Tin ware 4 lamps, £0 4s 2d 1 watering pot, £0 3s 9½d 1 dripping pan, £0 4s 0d 1 one-gallon funnel, £0 2s 3d 2 quart sauce pans, £0 1s 3d 1 rivetted horn lanthorn, £0 4s 8½d subtotal £1 2s 4d Hats 2 mens fine, £1 18s 9d 1 boys, £0 6s 7d subtotal £2 5s 4d total £837 8s 1d Goods sold to the planters at 25 per cent followed. Sold to the planters at 25 per cent Shoes 1 pair mens ordinary, £0 0s 5d Further goods were sold at 40 per cent. Sold at 40 per cent Sugar and candy 846 lb sugar, £20 5s 4d 100 lb candy, £3 18s 9d subtotal £24 4s 1d Flour 424 lb, £4 17s 2d Rice 5 lb 21 oz, £0 10s 6d Lead 4 lb shot, £0 1s 2d 3 lb bar lead, £0 0s 10d subtotal £0 2s 0d Nails 15 lb at 3, £[...] 11 lb at 6, £[...] 2 lb at 4, £[...] 3 lb at 3, £[...] 4 lb at 2, £[...] 1 lb tacks, £[...] 2 lb sheathing, £[...] 4 clincher rivets, £[...] subtotal £1 14s 11d Carried over £31 13s 7d Interpretations The account moved here from goods sold to the Company's servants to goods sold to the planters, the free settlers who farmed the island's land, and the mark-up shifted with the class of buyer. The servants had paid 10 per cent above cost, while the planters were charged 25 per cent on some goods and 40 per cent on others, the higher margins on staples such as sugar, flour and nails showing the Company drawing more from the independent farmers than from its own paid people. A lanthorn was a lantern, its sides fitted with panes of horn shaved thin to pass light while shielding the flame from wind, cheaper and tougher than glass and here rivetted in tin for hard use. Clincher rivets were fastenings driven through boat planking and hammered flat on the far side, used in clinker-built boats where the overlapping boards were riveted together, marking this line as boat-building or repair stock. The 40 per cent margin on the planters' staples reveals how the Company managed its double role as ruler and sole merchant. By charging its servants least, the planters more and pricing the daily necessities highest, it turned the warehouse into an instrument of revenue as much as supply, recovering the cost of the settlement through the mark-up on food and hardware that the islanders could buy nowhere else. |
15 | 8 | 19th July Brought over £31 13s 7d Hooks & Lines vizt 30 No 1 350 2 150 3 Hooks 75 5 25 12 25 13 £1 4s 11d 14 dz No 2 8 lb dz 3 Lines 2 lb dz 4 £3 6s 9d £4 11s 8d Tea vizt 86 Congo £8 12s 0d 2 Bohea £2s 4d £8 14s 4d Haberdashery vizt 2 lb dz Silver Coat Buttons £13s 11d 5 Sk Mohair £1 10s 0d £13s 9d Broad Cloth 2 lb Yr Grey £3 7s 11d Hats 1 Mans fine £14s 0d Pewter 1 Cullender £10s 9d Tin Ware 1 Lamp £1s 4d Glass Ware vizt 12 Sqr 10 by 12 £14s 0d 6 Sqr 8 by 10 £5s 0d £19s 0d Turners Ware vizt 2 Shoe Brushes £1s 7d 2 Scrubing Do £6s 9d 1 Brass Wire Sieve £4s 0d £1 2s 4d Paint vizt 5 lb Red Lead £6s 3d 6 Indico £15s 3d 27 Bar Blacking £19s 8d 5 lb Verdigrease £1 11s 2d 28 W Lead dry £12s 10d 16 lb Red dry £4s 8d 22 Yr Oaker mixd £13s 1d £5 5s 1d Bunting vizt 20 Yr White £13s 0d 4 Yr Blue £5s 0d £18s 0d Carried over £59 4s 7d | The account continued from the sum of £31 13s 7d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £31 13s 7d Hooks and lines Hooks 50 of number 1 350 of number 2 150 of number 3 75 of number 5 25 of number 12 2 of number 13 subtotal £1 4s 11d Lines 4 dozen of number 2 8½ dozen of number 3 2½ dozen of number 4 subtotal £3 6s 9d subtotal £4 11s 8d Tea 86 lb congou, £8 12s 0d 2 lb bohea, £0 2s 4d subtotal £8 14s 4d Haberdashery 2½ dozen silver coat buttons, £0 15s 11d 3 skeins mohair, £0 1s 10d subtotal £0 17s 9d Broad cloth 2⅞ yards scarlet, £3 7s 11d Hats 1 mens fine, £1 4s 0d Pewter 1 colander, £0 10s 9d Tin ware 1 lamp, £0 1s 4d Glass ware 12 squares 10 by 12, £0 14s 0d 6 squares 8 by 10, £0 5s 0d subtotal £0 19s 0d Turners ware 2 shoe brushes, £0 1s 7d 2 scrubbing brushes, £0 6s 9d 1 brass wire sieve, £0 4s 0d subtotal £1 2s 4d Paint 5 lb red lead, £0 6s 3d 6 lb indigo, £0 15s 3d 27 lb Spanish black, £0 19s 8d 3½ lb verdigrease, £1 11s 2d 28 lb white lead dry, £0 12s 10d 16 lb red dry, £0 4s 8d 22 lb yellow ochre mixed, £0 15s 1d subtotal £5 5s 1d Bunting 20 yards white, £0 13s 0d 4 yards blue, £0 3s 0d subtotal £0 16s 0d Carried over £59 4s 7d Interpretations Bunting was a loose open-woven worsted made specially for flags and signals, the white and blue lengths here supplied for the ensigns and signal flags flown at the fort and from the shipping. Verdigrease was the green corrosion of copper, scraped and sold as a pigment and used in paints and as a medicine, its high price of £1 11s 2d for 3½ lb marking it as the dearest of the colours on the page. This account belonged to a fresh reckoning of goods sold, the fishing hooks and lines again heading the list and the same range of paints, cloth and household stock following. The recurrence of the pigments sold dry confirms that the island bought its colours as raw material and mixed its own paint, the warehouse holding red lead, white lead, indigo and ochre for the settlers to grind and use as they needed. |
16 | 9 | 1762 Brought over £59 4s 7d Deals 8 Single £1 5s 8d Twine 21 lb £1 11s 7d Pepper 5 £3s 9d Iron Ware vizt 2 Small Frying Pans £1s 10d 1 Flesh Pan of 12 Yr £1 13s 7d 1 Do of 1 Do Hand Irons £1 4s 2d 1 Saucepan of 7 lb Do £15s 8d £4 1s 3d Leather 4 Sole £1s 1d Cutlery 1 Ivory Comb £1s 5d Pork 1 Cot £3s 7d Oil 8 lb Yr Linseed £2 6s 9d Cordage 70 £1 13s 6d Salt 1 Bushel £1s 5d China Ware vizt 18 Enam Punchers £9s 0d 2 Blue & White Do £2s 8d 2 Bowls £2s 4d 2 doz 14 Pint cups & Saucers £11s 0d £1 5s 0d Canvas 24 Yr English £2s 7d £74 15s 7d Sold to the Honble Companys Ships vizt Paint vizt 48 W Lead dry £2s 6½d 40 lb Red mixed £7s 6½d 112 Yr Oaker mixd £1 13s 6½d 46 Br Blacking £1s 9d 64 Yr Oaker dry £6s 1d 21 Red Lead £15s 8d 10 Verdigrease £2s 1d 10 lb Prussian Blue £11s 8d 40 Vin Red dry £13s 1s 3½d Coales 3 Chaldrons 25 lb Bushels £16 11s 10d £77 6s 2d Cordage 28 Pr 7 Carried over £706 19s 5d | The account continued from the sum of £59 4s 7d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £59 4s 7d Deals 8 single, £1 5s 8d Twine 24 lb, £1 11s 7d Pepper 5 lb, £0 3s 9d Iron ware 2 small frying pans, £0 1s 10d 1 flesh pan of 12 gallons, £1 13s 7d 1 ditto of 1 gallon, £1 4s 2d 1 pair hand irons, £[...] 1 saucepan of ⅔ gallon, £0 15s 8d subtotal £4 1s 3d Leather ½ sole, £0 1s 1d Cutlery 1 ivory comb, £0 1s 5d Pork 1 lb, £0 3s 7d Oil 8½ gallons linseed, £2 6s 9d Cordage ditto, £1 13s 6d Salt 1 bushel, £0 1s 5d China ware 18 enamel dishes, £0 9s 0d 2 blue and white dishes, £0 2s 8d 2 bowls, £0 2s 4d 2 dozen ½ pint cups and saucers, £0 11s 0d subtotal £1 5s 0d Canvas 24 yards English, £2 7s 0d total £74 13s 7d Goods sold to the Honourable Company's ships followed. Sold to the Honourable Company's ships Paint 48 lb white lead dry, £1 2s 6½d 40 lb red mixed, £1 7s 0d 112 yards ochre mixed, £0 16s 11½d 46 lb Spanish black, £1 13s 6½d 6 yards ochre dry, £0 1s 9d 21 lb red lead, £0 6s 1d 10 lb verdigrease, £2 15s 8d 10 lb Prussian blue, £1 2s 1d 40 lb red dry, £4 4s 8d subtotal £13 1s 3½d Coales 5 chaldrons 25½ bushels, £16 11s 0d Cordage 28 lb, £3s 7d Carried over £706 19s 5d Interpretations Hand irons were the metal supports on which a spit turned or logs rested in an open hearth, the pair here sold as fireplace fittings. A flesh pan was a large open pan for cooking or salting meat, the 12-gallon size marking it as a vessel for the kitchen or the salting house rather than the table. The account turned here to goods sold to the Company's own ships, the East Indiamen calling at St Helena to water and refit on the homeward run. The paints headed the ships' purchases, the red, white and ochre pigments bought in bulk to touch up the hull and upperworks, while the coales supplied fuel for the galley and the cordage renewed the running rigging. A chaldron was a large measure of coal, so the 5 chaldrons and 25½ bushels marked a substantial delivery of fuel to a single ship. Coal came to St Helena only as imported ballast and stores in the Company's ships, the island having no fuel of its own beyond scarce wood, which is why the returning vessels bought back the coal they needed for the galley fires of the long passage home. |
17 | 10 | 19th July Brought over £706 19s 5d Oil 43 Yr Linseed £12 7s 6d Nails vizt 8 2 20 4 34 6 30 10 37 20 30 40 34 Spike 343 lb Copper Rivets 43 lb Scupper £8 14s 11d Twine 139 £23 18s 3d Hooks & Lines vizt 10 lb doz No 3 5 doz 4 Lines 14 doz 2 £4 15s 6d 675 No 3 50 1 Hooks 75 13 £1 3s 5d £5 16s 11d Iron Ware vizt 2 Pad Locks £5s 10d 1 Large Frying Pan £1 4s 11d £10s 9d Bunting vizt 13 Yr Red £15s 10d 2 Yr Blue £1s 6d £15s 4d Turners Ware vizt 2 Shoe Brushes £1s 8d 2 Paint Do £2s 6d £4s 2d £149 7s 3d Charges General Dr for the following Sums Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Deals vizt 4 Elm Plank of 4 Inr for making Wheels for Barrows £1 7s 9¼d 1 Wainscot Board for Peels for the Bakers £6s 2d Deals Carried over £1 13s 11¼d | The account continued from the sum of £706 19s 5d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £706 19s 5d Oil 43 gallons linseed, £12 7s 6d Nails 8 lb at 2, £[...] 20 lb at 4, £[...] 34 lb at 6, £[...] 30 lb at 10, £[...] 37 lb at 20, £[...] 30 lb at 40, £[...] 34 lb spike, £[...] 353 lb coopers rivets, £[...] 43 lb scuppers, £[...] subtotal £8 14s 11d Twine 159 lb, £13 18s 3d Hooks and lines Lines 10½ dozen of number 3 5 dozen of number 4 ½ dozen of number 2 subtotal £4 13s 6d Hooks 675 of number 2 50 of number 1 75 of number 13 subtotal £1 3s 5d subtotal £5 16s 11d Iron ware 2 pad locks, £0 5s 10d 1 large frying pan, £1 4s 11d subtotal £1 10s 9d Bunting 13 yards red, £0 15s 10d 2 yards blue, £0 1s 6d subtotal £0 17s 4d Turners ware 2 shoe brushes, £0 1s 8d 2 paint brushes, £0 2s 6d subtotal £0 4s 2d total £749 7s 3d Charges general followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Charges general for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Deals 1 elm plank of 4 inches for making wheels for barrows, £1 7s 9¼d 1 wainscot board for pails for the bakers, £0 6s 2d Deals carried over £1 13s 11¼d Interpretations Wainscot was a fine straight-grained oak imported chiefly from the Baltic, sawn into boards for panelling and joinery, here cut down to make pails for the bakehouse. A spike was the largest form of nail, a long heavy fastening for timber framing and wharf work, listed apart from the graded nails counted by weight. The quarter's sales closed at £749 7s 3d and the account passed to the charges general, the settlement's own running costs booked against the works they served. The opening entries were minor repairs in wood, a thick elm plank shaped into barrow wheels and an oak board made into pails for the bakers, showing warehouse timber drawn off piece by piece for the daily upkeep of the Company's tools and works. |
18 | 11 | 1762 Deals brought over £1 13s 11½d 1 lb Do Riga Timber for the Officers Barracks and a Water Spout for the Garden £2 18s 9½d 1 Pr Hospitl Timber for mending Wheel Barrows £4s 0d £4 16s 9d Candles vizt 114 for the Castle £11 19s 10½d 133 for the Council £16 6s 1½d 4 for the Doctors Shop £8s 5d 8 lb London Alarms £17s 10½d £29 12s 4d Nails vizt 14 Tacks to mend Chairs in the Castle £7½d 14 Glaz Brads for Pickets and Repairs in the Church £1s 2½d 4 Do for Do Repairs Screws £2d 2 6 Capt Howards Flude and £1s 1½d 6 10 Repairs in the Arms £2s 9d 6 lb Coopers Rivets for the Coopers use £2s 1½d £11s 10d Twine 5 Skains for Cheatf J & tying Cartridges Twine use Castle and Fort Garden £4s 2d Oil vizt 7 lb 9r Linseed for the Arms & Castle £1 3s 8½d 14 9r Train for the Armorer £5s 11d £1 10s 5d Rope 8 £5s 2d Starch 10 lb £3s 7d Paint vizt for Linen 2 lb Indico £3s 5½d 10 Red mixed £13s 2d 1 Whiting for the Castle £7½d £17s 8d Paddy 10 £11s 1d Arrack vizt given to Capt Nutter Commander of the Majestys Ship Assistance £12 6s 1d 66 9r for Drams to the Men that brought the Store Ships & other Ships Goods from the Crane, use of the Doctors Shop, hauling up & Sinng the Boat, killing a Sea Cow and wild Cats £10 1s 10d Carried over £62 6s 11d | The account continued from the sum of £1 13s 11¼d for deals brought over from the previous page. Deals brought over £1 13s 11¼d 1 piece riga timber for the officers barracks and a water spout for the garden, £2 18s 9¼d 1 piece hospital timber for mending wheel barrows, £0 4s 0d subtotal £4 16s 9d Candles 114 lb for the Castle, £11 19s 10½d 153 lb for the council, £16 0s 1½d 4 lb for the doctors shop, £0 8s 5d 8½ dozen London alarms, £0 17s 10½d subtotal £29 12s 4d Nails ¼ lb tacks to mend chairs in the Castle, £0 0s 7½d 1 lb glass brads for pickets and repairs in the church, £0 1s 2½d 4 lb ditto for the doctors repairs of scones, £0 0s 2d 2 lb at 6 for captain howards flag and repairs in the arms, £0 1s 1½d 6 lb at 10, £0 2s 9d 6½ lb coopers rivets for the coopers use, £0 2s 1½d subtotal £0 11s 10d Twine and shalloon for cheats, guns and lying cartridges, powder use, Castle and fort garden, £0 4s 2d Oil 7½ gallons linseed for the arms and Castle, £1 3s 8½d ¼ gallon train for the armourer, £0 6s 11½d subtotal £1 10s 5d Soap 8 lb, £0 3s 2d Starch 10 lb, £0 3s 7d Paint for linen ¾ lb indigo, £0 3s 5½d 10 lb white lead, £0 13s 2d 1 lb whiting for the Castle, £0 0s 7½d subtotal £1 17s 8d Paddy 10 lb, £[...] Arrack given to Captain Nelson commander of the Majesty's ship Assistance 66 gallons, £12 6s 1d 5 gallons for prisoners to the men that brought the stone ships and other ships goods from the crane, use of the doctors shop, hauling up and tanning the boat, killing a sea cow and wild cats, £10 1s 10d subtotal £17 1s 0d Carried over £62 6s 11d Interpretations London alarms were a manufactured type of alarm clock or watch made in London, here bought by the dozen and set among the candles as items for the Castle and its offices. A water spout was the timber gutter or downpipe carrying rain clear of a wall, the riga fir cut to fit the officers barracks and the garden. Riga timber was fir shipped from the Baltic port of Riga, straight-grown softwood prized for building and much used for barracks, spouts and framing where long clean lengths were wanted. The stores here were charged not to sale but to the works they served, the timber, candles, nails, oil and paint each booked against a named building or task, from mending chairs in the Castle to repairing pickets in the church. The arrack ran to two charges of a very different kind, 66 gallons given to Captain Nelson of HMS Assistance as a gift to a visiting man-of-war, and 5 gallons issued as a reward to the men who did the island's roughest work. That second line gathered the quarter's hard labour into a single note, the hauling of stone and ships goods from the crane, the tanning and hauling of the boat and the killing of a sea cow and wild cats, the spirit standing as the customary payment in drink for jobs outside the ordinary round. The killing of the sea cow, most likely a stray seal or sea lion driven ashore, and the destruction of wild cats mark the island keeping its livestock and gardens clear of pests and taking what the shore offered. |
19 | 12 | 10 July Brought over £62 6s 11d Coals 32 Bushels £3 11s 6d Thread 1 Colored for Sewing Cartridges £3s 5d Sugar and Candy vizt 4 Sugar £1s 6d 6 Candy for the Doctors Shop £2s 10d £4s 1d Turners Ware vizt 1 Tray to bring Mutton from the Coast £3s 7d 1 Wood Ladle to make Sea Cow Oil £4d £3s 11d Iron Ware vizt 1 Hand Hatchet £1s 8d 2 Plaisterers Trowels for the Masons £3s 4d 6 Helves £3s 7½d 1 Loging 11 for Do £2s 11d 9 Files for the Arms & Coopers use £3s 9½d 1 Bricklayers Trowel £1s 7d 5 Fetching Shovels for the Masons £12s 10d 4 Pickax £3s 8d 1 Binding Wire for the Arms £1s 6d £2 6s 11d Cordage vizt 147 Crane Ropes, Slaughter House, tying the Arbor, and bringing Coals to the Stores £2 5s 11d 7 lb White Rope for Crane Ropes £1s 6d £3 11s 11d Lines vizt 8 No 4 for the Scales in the Smau Dial in the Guard Room and Masons £3s 4d 1 No 3 for the Dial in the Guard Room £3d £3s 4d Cutlery 1 Doz Do Hanare Knives & Forks for the Castle £1 7s 8d Cork 20 Gross £2 6s 0d China Ware vizt 2 Soup Dishes 3 Tureens 1 Pr Do the Cover broke 26 Meat Dishes 4 Sallad Do 48 Soup Plates 119 Meat Plates 7 Sauce Boats 8 Salts for the Castle £8 13s 4d China Ware Carried over £8 13s 4d Carried over £766 5d | The account continued from the sum of £62 6s 11d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £62 6s 11d Coals 52 bushels, £3 11s 6d Thread for sewing cartridges, £0 3s 5d Sugar and candy for the doctors shop 4 lb sugar, £0 1s 6d 6 lb candy, £0 2s 10d subtotal £0 4s 1d Turners ware 1 tray to bring mutton from the coast, £0 3s 7d 1 wood ladle to make sea cow oil, £0 0s 4d subtotal £0 3s 11d Iron ware 1 hand hatchet, £0 1s 8d 2 plaisterers trowels for the masons, £0 3s 4d 6 helves, £0 3s 7½d 1 laying trowel for ditto, £0 2s 11d 9 files for the arms and coopers use, £0 3s 9½d 1 bricklayers trowel, £0 1s 7d 3 latching shovels for the masons, £1 2s 10d 1 pickaxe, £0 3s 8d 1 lb binding wire for the arms, £0 1s 6d subtotal £2 6s 11d Cordage 14 lb crane ropes, slaughter house, tying the arbor and bringing coals to the stores, £2 5s 11d 7 lb white rope for crane ropes, £0 1s 6d subtotal £3 11s 11d Lines 8 of number 4 for the scales in the smack, dial in the guard room and masons, £0 3s 4d 1 of number 3 for the dial in the guard room, £0 0s 3½d subtotal £0 3s 4d Cutlery 1 dozen buck-handled knives and forks for the Castle, £1 7s 8d Cork 20 gross, £2 6s 0d China ware for the Castle 2 soup dishes 3 tureens 1 ditto the cover broke 26 meat dishes 1 salad dish 48 soup plates 119 meat plates 7 sauce boats 8 salts China ware carried over £8 13s 4d Carried over £766 6s 3d Interpretations A smack was a small single-masted vessel used for fishing and for carrying goods around the coast, here kept by the island with its own set of scales aboard. The dials mentioned for the guard room were sundials or clock faces, the lines bought to hang or rig them for telling the time on watch. The China ware set aside for the Castle was a full service of table earthenware, the tureens, meat dishes, plates and salts making up the governor's household ware rather than goods for sale. One tureen was booked with its cover broken, the clerk noting the breakage against the issue so the loss was recorded and not charged as sound. This whole account gathered the stores issued to the island's works and offices, the trowels and shovels for the masons, the files for the armoury, the crane ropes for hauling and the ware for the Castle table. The single line of cordage tied together the quarter's heaviest tasks, the crane, the slaughterhouse, the tying of the arbor and the carriage of coals, the one length of rope serving each in turn and its cost divided across them all. |
20 | 13 | 1762 Brought over £766 5d China Ware brought over £8 13s 4d 12 Half Pint caps & Saucers £8s 6d 12 Quart Pint Do & Do £3s 6d 1 B & White Chamber Pots £6d 6 Enam Baking Dishes for the £16s 0d 6 Bowls Castle £6s 3d 12 Punchers £2s 6d 2 Large Sallad Dishes £10s 6d £11 6s 7d Pitch and Tar vizt 23 Pitch for a Water Spout in the Gard £3s 8d 14 9r Tar and Roping Peaks in the Castle £1s 10d £5s 6d Glass Ware vizt 4 Sqr 6 by 8 for the Officer Room at Bankss £1s 1d 1 Sqr 8 by 10 for the Hospital £7d £1s 8d Tin Ware vizt 1 Camp Kittle for the Castle £1s 11d 1 Pr Globe Lamps for Do £19s 3d 2 Pudding Pans for Do £2s 6d £1 3s 8d Naval Stores 18 Sand Bags for the Workmen and covering Packets £4s 9d £89 13s 7d Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Flour 1241 £8 1s 4d Coffee 20 £12s 1d Beef and Pork vizt 2 Pr Beef £5s 11d 26 Pr Pork £3 6s 1d £3 12s 0d Arrack 22 Gallons £16s 7d Sugar and Candy 66 Sugar £8 4s 9d 371 Candy £13s 9d £9 16s 6d Rice 156 £14s 7d Tea vizt 5 Congo £6s 3d 2 Single £2s 3d Carried over £31 1s 10d | The account continued from the sum of £766 6s 5d brought over from the previous page, with the China ware total of £8 13s 4d carried over. Brought over £766 6s 5d China ware brought over, £8 13s 4d 12 half pint cups and saucers, £0 8s 6d 12 quart and pint dishes and ditto, £0 3s 6d 1 blue and white chamber pots, £0 6s 0d 6 enamel baking dishes for the Castle, £0 16s 0d 6 bowls, £0 6s 3d 12 tureens, £0 2s 6d 2 large salad dishes, £0 10s 6d subtotal £11 6s 7d Pitch and tar 23 lb pitch for a water spout in the garden, £0 3s 8d 1½ gallons tar and roping leaks in the Castle, £0 1s 10d subtotal £0 5s 6d Glass ware 4 squares 6 by 8 for the officer rooms at the bake house, £0 1s 8d 1 square 8 by 10 for the hospital, £0 0s 7d subtotal £0 1s 8d Tin ware 1 camp kettle for the Castle, £0 1s 11d 1 pair globe lamps for ditto, £0 19s 3d 2 pudding pans for ditto, £0 2s 6d subtotal £1 3s 8d Naval stores 18 sand bags for the workmen and covering packets, £0 4s 9d total £89 13s 7d Diet expenses followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Diet expenses for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Flour 1,241 lb, £8 1s 4d Coffee 20 lb, £0 12s 1d Beef and pork 2 lb beef, £0 5s 11d 26 lb pork, £3 6s 1d subtotal £3 12s 0d Arrack 12 gallons, £7 16s 7d Sugar and candy 60 lb sugar, £0 13s 9d 371 lb candy, £8 0s 9d subtotal £9 16s 6d Rice 150 lb, £0 14s 7d Tea 3 lb congou, £0 6s 3d 2 lb singlo, £0 3s 0d subtotal £0 9s 3d Carried over £31 1s 10d Interpretations Globe lamps were oil lamps enclosed in a rounded glass shade, bought here as a pair for the Castle and among the costlier household items at 19s 3d. Camp kettles were the iron or tin pots issued for cooking in the field or barracks, the single kettle charged to the Castle for common use. The account turned here from the stores issued to the works to the diet expenses, the food drawn from the warehouse to feed the Company's own table and the offices it kept. The flour, beef, pork, rice, sugar and tea were booked not as sales to the settlers but as the provisions consumed by the establishment, the arrack among them supplying the spirit ration for the same board. The naval stores of sand bags served two plain uses, filled for the workmen and kept for covering packets, the coarse bagging bought cheap for rough work about the fort and stores. Their listing under naval stores rather than among the cloth marks the warehouse keeping its ship and fort supplies in a class apart, the sacking held ready for whatever labour or weather demanded. |
21 | 14 | 19 July Brought over £31 1s 10d Salt 9 Bushels £9s 3d Pease 14 Bushel £1s 10d Oil 12 Bottles Florence £1 11s 3d £33 4s 2d Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Sugar 105 £1 12s 10d Shoes vizt 25 Pr Ord for the Handicrafts men £6 19s 3d 2 Pr Womens Calf Betty Jenney £3s 2d £7 4s 3d Rice 1781 £20 17s 7d Flour 7 £10d Beef and Pork vizt 318 Pr Beef £36 17s 1d 301 Pr Pork £32 16s 2d £69 13s 9d Oil vizt 4 lb Linseed £3s 2d 14 Train £10d £6s 0d Hooks and Lines vizt 25 No 3 25 12 Hooks 25 16 £1s 6d 18 No 2 Lines £5s 1d £6s 7d Lead 6 Shot £1½d Twine 1 Skain £6d Tea 43 lb Bohea £1 16s 3d Arrack 1 lb Gallon £3s 7d Cordage 25 lb £8d Blankets 5 £1 11s 8d Nails 1 14 £1s 5d Hosiers Ware 2 Pr Womens Stock £5s 6d £1044s 1d | The account continued from the sum of £31 1s 10d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £31 1s 10d Salt 2 bushels, £0 9s 3d Pease ½ bushel, £0 1s 10d Oil 12 bottles florence, £1 11s 3d total £33 4s 2d Charges for the slaves followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Slaves for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Sugar 105 lb, £1 12s 10d Shoes 25 pairs ordinary for the handicrafts men, £6 19s 3d 2 pairs womens calf bettyponsey, £0 5s 2d subtotal £7 4s 3d Rice 1,781 lb, £20 17s 7d Flour 7 lb, £0 0s 10d Beef and pork 318 lb beef, £36 17s 1d 301 lb pork, £32 16s 2d subtotal £69 13s 9d Oil 9¼ gallons linseed, £0 5s 2d ¾ gallon train, £0 0s 10d subtotal £0 6s 0d Hooks and lines Hooks 25 of number 5 25 of number 12 25 of number 16 subtotal £0 1s 6d Lines 18 of number 2 subtotal £0 5s 1d subtotal £0 6s 7½d Lead 8 lb shot, £0 1s 2d Twine 1 skein, £0 0s 6d Tea 43 lb bohea, £1 16s 3d Arrack 1½ gallon, £0 3s 7d Cordage 25 lb, £0 8s 0d Blankets 5, £1 11s 8d Nails 1 lb at 10, £0 1s 5d Hosiery ware 2 pairs womens stockings, £0 5s 6d total £1,044 4s 1d Interpretations Florence oil was a fine olive oil shipped from the Tuscan port of Livorno, sold in flasks and valued for the table above the coarser lamp and leather oils, the 12 bottles here charged among the diet stores. Bettyponsey named a make or pattern of women's shoe, the calf leather sort issued to the slave women, the term a trade name of the period for that style of footwear. This account set down the provisions and goods issued for the maintenance of the Company's slaves, a separate charge from the diet of the establishment and from the sales to servants and planters. The beef, pork, rice and sugar formed the bulk of it at some £128 for the quarter, the largest single class of charge on the page, showing the scale of the labour force the Company fed and clothed. The shoes were issued by trade, 25 pairs of ordinary shoes to the handicrafts men and calf shoes to the women, marking the slaves put to skilled work as well as field labour. The Company clothed and shod its slaves as it victualled them, the hooks and lines among their stores showing them set to fish for part of their own food, the whole account measuring the cost of the bound labour on which the settlement ran. |
22 | 15 | 1762 Mallay Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Tea 4 Bohea £3s 4d Arrack 4 lb Gallons £15s 10d Rice 156 £14s 7d Beef 13 Pieces £1 6s 4d Oil vizt 7 lb 9 Linseed £3s 4d 14 9 Train £10d 1 Bottle Florence £2s 6d £6s 8d Sugar 29 £9s 1d Shirts 6 Centinels £1 7s 3d Thread 1 lb W Brown £6s 8d China Ware vizt 2 Mens Dishes £4s 10d 6 Do Plates £4s 0d 2 Bowls £2s 1d 6 Saucers £1s 3d £12s 2d Hos Ware 2 Pr Wove Stockings £7s 2d Paint 14 Indico £10d Starch 1 lb £4d Shoes 1 Pr Mens fine £3s 6d Turners Ware 2 Brushes £1s 8d £6 16s 6d Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Nails 6 lb 6 for making Gates for the Pastures £3s 5d Iron Ware vizt 5 Scythe Stones for the Gardener & Mowers £11d 1 Rag Stone for the great Rice £3d 2 Helves for the Plantation £1s 2d £2s 4d Deals 9 Coffees for Nibs for Carts £1 8s 1d Rice and Paddy vizt 88 Rice £7s 2d 54 lb Paddy for Poultry & Horses £5d £6s 7d Carried over £8 1s 11d | The Malays' charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Malays for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Tea 4 lb bohea, £0 3s 4d Arrack 4½ gallons, £0 15s 10d Rice 156 lb, £0 14s 7d Beef 15 pieces, £1 6s 2d Oil 7½ gallons linseed, £0 3s 4d ¾ gallon train, £0 0s 10d 1 bottle florence, £0 2s 6d subtotal £0 6s 8d Sugar 9 lb, £0 9s 1d Shirts 6 sentinels, £1 7s 3d Thread 1 lb white brown, £0 6s 8d China ware 2 meat dishes, £0 4s 10d 6 pairs plates, £0 4s 0d 2 bowls, £0 2s 1d 6 saucers, £0 1s 3d subtotal £0 12s 2d Hosiery ware 2 pairs woven stockings, £0 7s 2d Paint ¾ lb indigo, £0 0s 10d Starch 1 lb, £0 0s 4d Shoes 4 pairs mens fine, £0 3s 6d Turners ware 2 brushes, £0 1s 8d total £6 16s 6d The plantation charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Plantation for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Nails 6 lb at 6 for making gates for the pastures, £0 3s 5d Iron ware 3 scythe stones for the gardener and mowers, £0 0s 11d 1 rag stone for the grindstone, £0 0s 8d 2 helves for the plantation, £0 1s 2d subtotal £0 2s 4d Deals 7 buffets for cribs for oats, £1 8s 7d Rice and paddy for poultry and horses 80 lb rice, £0 7s 2d 32 lb paddy, £0 0s 5d subtotal £0 7s 7d Carried over £8 1s 11d Interpretations The Malays' charge and the plantation charge each stood as a separate head of account, the first for the stores issued to the island's Malay slaves and servants, the second for the goods drawn to work the Company's own farmland. The Malays formed a distinct body of labour brought from the Company's eastern settlements, their provisions of rice, tea and arrack marking their eastern diet against the beef and flour of the European establishment. Buffets were low stools or benches, here the seven cut down to make cribs, the raised troughs from which oats were fed to the stock. A rag stone was a coarse gritstone used to true and sharpen the grindstone, and the scythe stones were the hand hones the gardener and mowers carried to keep an edge on the blades through the cutting. The plantation stores show the working farm of the settlement in miniature, gates fenced for the pastures, scythes honed for the mowers, cribs built for the oats and grain fed to the poultry and horses. The paddy given to the horses and fowls, the unhusked rice too coarse for the table, marks the island turning its cheapest grain to stock feed, nothing of the costly imported provision wasted where a plainer sort would serve. |
23 | 16 | 19th July Brought over £8 1s 11d Oil 2 Gallons Linseed £1s 7d Turners Ware 8 Pr Ox Bows £4s 1d Cordage 76 £1s 9d Tar 3 lb Gallons £3s 2d £10s 6d Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Tea 9r Bohea £1s 10d Oil vizt for the several 34 lb 9r Linseed Quarters £10 5s 3d 3 lb 9r Train £11s 2d £10 16s 5d Tin Ware 8 Lamps £7s 6d Blankets 3 for 14 Cheatf Companys £1 11s 8d Arrack 2 4 for Drams Musters, Guard Boat Over £4 9s 6d Turners Ware 4 Birch Brooms to sweep the Parade £1s 5d Iron Ware vizt 2 Hand Hatchets for Bankss and Mundens Point £3s 4d 2 Helves for Bankss & the Hospital £1s 2d 1 Sm Fry Pan for Ruperts Guard £2s 7d £7s 1d Deals vizt 2 Single for Ruperts Gr House £4s 7d 2 Double £7s 4d £11s 11d Nails 6 Do Do for Coffins £3s 4d Lines vizt 24 No 2 6 3 for Whips 1 Whip Cord £8s 3d £2s 10d 12 No 4 for Drums £4s 7d £15s 8d Paint vizt 2 lb Whiting for Storm Shore £1s 0d 14 Yellow Oaker dry December vizt £2s 7d £7d Carried over £20 8s 11d | The account continued from the sum of £8 1s 11d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £8 1s 11d Oil 2 gallons linseed, £0 1s 7d Turners ware 3 pairs ox bows, £0 4s 1d Cordage 7 lb, £0 3s 9d Tar 3½ gallons, £0 3s 2d total £10 0s 6d The garrison charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Garrison for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Tea 3 lb bohea, £1 0s 10d Oil for the several quarters 34½ gallons linseed, £10 5s 3d 3½ gallons train, £0 11s 2d subtotal £10 16s 5d Tin ware 8 lamps, £0 7s 6d Blankets 3 for the artillery company, £1 11s 8d Arrack 24 for drams at muster, guard boat oars, £4 9s 6d Turners ware 4 birch brooms to sweep the parade, £0 1s 5d Iron ware 2 hand hatchets for Banks and Mundens fort, £0 3s 4d 2 helves for Banks and the hospital, £0 1s 2d 1 ammunition frying pan for Ruperts guard, £0 2s 7d subtotal £0 7s 1d Deals 2 single for Ruperts guard house, £0 4s 7d 2 double, £0 7s 4d subtotal £0 11s 11d Nails 6 lb ditto for coffins, £0 3s 4d Lines 2 of number 2 6 of number 3 for whips, £0 8s 3d 1 whip cord, £0 2s 10d 12 of number 4 for drums, £0 4s 7d subtotal £0 15s 8d Paint 2 lb whiting for the storehouse, £0 1s 0d 14 lb yellow ochre dry for December, £0 2s 7d subtotal £0 7s 0d Carried over £20 8s 11d Interpretations Ox bows were the curved wooden pieces fitted about an ox's neck to hold the yoke, the three pairs here shaped as turners work for the plantation teams. Banks, Munden and Rupert were the island's outlying forts and batteries, named after earlier governors and commanders, the stores of hatchets, deals and frying pans issued to their guard posts marking the maintenance of the fixed defences around the coast. The garrison charge gathered the stores issued to the military establishment, the oil for the several quarters lighting the guard rooms, the blankets for the artillery company and the arrack served out as drams at muster and to the crews at the guard boat oars. This was the drink issued not as reward but as the soldiers regular allowance on duty, the largest single spirit charge among the garrison stores. The lines were bought for uses far from fishing, cut and worked into whips and rigged as drum cords, the numbered fishing line serving the garrison as cheap strong cord wherever a lash or a snare was wanted. The nails charged for coffins mark the plainest of the garrison's needs, the burial of its dead met from the same warehouse that armed and fed it, the small quantity a quiet measure of the season's losses. |
24 | 17 | 1762 Brought over £20 8s 11d Beef & Pork vizt 65 Pr Beef £6 10s 0d 54 Pr Pork £5 8s 0d Given to the £11 18s 0d Flour 21 lb Baked Recruits £1 7s 0d Rice 162 upon their Landing £14s 7d £34 8s 6d Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Paint vizt 14 White Lead dry £4s 6d 12 Whiting to Paint £4s 6d 4 Br Blacking Gun Carriages £1 11s 0d 2 lb Umber £2d £6s 8d Oil 2 9r Linseed for Do £7s 7d Bunting 3 lb Yr Blue to mend Bankss Flag £2s 9d Deals 14 Pr Oak plank of 6 Inr to mend the Gunners Sledge Cart £1 3s 1d £2s 1d Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Cordage 79 lb for the Long Boats Moorings and Yaul £12 8s 6d Oars 6 for the Long Boat and Yaul £1 3s 3d Pitch and Tar vizt 14 Bar Pitch £3s 3d 7 lb Gal Tar for the Boats £8s 8d 12 Serpentine £2s 0d £1 8s 11d Oil vizt 14 Linseed £11d 14 Train £2s 6d £3s 5d Nails vizt 7 Pr 20 £2s 7½d 1 10 for Coats £1 14d Nails Carried over £4 5s 5d Carried over £13 4s 1d | The account continued from the sum of £20 8s 11d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £20 8s 11d Beef and pork given to the recruits upon their landing 65 lb beef, £6 10s 0d 34 lb pork, £5 8s 0d subtotal £11 18s 0d Flour 21 lb baked, £1 7s 0d Rice 1 lb 2 oz, £0 14s 7d total £34 8s 6d The fortification charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Fortification for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Paint to paint gun carriages 14 lb white lead dry, £0 4s 6d 12 lb whiting, £0 0s 6d 4 lb Spanish black, £0 1s 11d ½ lb umber, £0 0s 2d subtotal £0 6s 8d Oil 2 gallons linseed for ditto, £0 7s 7d Bunting 3½ yards blue to mend Banks flag, £0 2s 9d Deals ½ piece oats plank of 6 inches to mend the gunners sledge cart, £0 13s 1d total £2 0s 1d The boats charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Boats for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Cordage 79 lb for the long boats moorings and yaul, £12 8s 6d Oars 6 for the long boat and yaul, £1 3s 3d Pitch and tar for the boats ½ barrel pitch, £0 13s 3d 1½ gallons tar, £0 8s 8d 12 lb serpentine, £0 2s 0d subtotal £1 3s 11d Oil ½ gallon linseed, £0 0s 11d ¾ gallon train, £0 2s 6d subtotal £0 3s 5d Nails 9 lb at 6, £0 2s 7½d 1 lb at 10, £0 1s 10½d Nails carried over £4 5s [...]d Carried over £13 4s 1d Interpretations A yaul was a yawl, a small ship's boat pulled by oars and used to work about the moorings and ferry between shore and ship, kept here alongside the island's long boat. Serpentine was a mineral pitch or bituminous stone worked into the seams of boats, listed among the pitch and tar bought to caulk and pay the hulls against the sea. The fortification charge set down the small stores spent on the island's guns and defences, the paints and oil ground to coat the gun carriages against weather, the bunting cut to mend Banks flag and the plank shaped to repair the gunners sledge cart that hauled the heavy pieces. These were the ordinary upkeep of the batteries, the works charged item by item to the fortification head rather than to the garrison that manned them. The boats charge measured the cost of keeping the island's craft at sea through the quarter, the heavy 79 lb of cordage for the moorings the largest single item, the oars renewed and the hulls caulked with pitch, tar and serpentine. A remote island wholly dependent on its boats for landing goods and working the road kept its small fleet in constant repair, the moorings and gear renewed each season against the swell that made the anchorage so hard to hold. |
25 | 18 | 10 July Brought over £15 4s 1d Nails brought over £4 5s 5½d 5 6 £1 8½d 2 3 £1s 6d 2 4 £1s 2d £8s 10d £15 12s 11d Fly Cutter Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Coals 18 Bushels £1 4s 9d Arrack 30 Gallons £11 4s 7d Rice and Paddy vizt 4 Rice £1 19s 0d 1 Paddy £3s 8d £2 2s 8d Sugar and Candy vizt 24 Sugar £7s 6d 40 Candy £19s 2d £1 6s 8d Nails 14 Glaz Brads Pitch & Tar vizt 1 Bar 3 Gal Tare £1 3s 7d 2 lb Pitch £2s 11d £1 6s 6d Turners Ware 6 Birch Brooms £2s 2d Beef 91 Pieces £13 9s 3d Salt 14 Bushel £1s 2d £30 18s 3d Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Sugar 384 £6s 0d Flour 384 £2s 8d Oil vizt 11 Gal Linseed £2 1s 8½d 2 Gal Train £6s 4½d £2 8s 1d Carried over £10 16s 1d | The account continued from the sum of £15 4s 1d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £15 4s 1d Nails brought over, £4 5s [...]d 5 lb at 6, £0 1s 8½d 2 lb at 3, £0 1s 6d 2 lb at 4, £0 1s 2d subtotal £0 8s 10d total £15 12s 11d The Fly cutter charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Fly cutter for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 The stores issued to the Fly cutter between 1 April and 30 June 1762 were as follows. Coals 18 bushels, £1 4s 9d Arrack 50 gallons, £11 4s 7d Rice and paddy 4 lb rice, £1 19s 0d 1 lb paddy, £0 3s 8d subtotal £2 2s 0d Sugar and candy 24 lb sugar, £0 7s 6d 40 lb candy, £0 19s 2d subtotal £1 6s 8d Nails ½ lb glass brads, £0 0s 2d Pitch and tar 1 barrel 3 gallons tar, £1 3s 7d 2 lb pitch, £0 2s 11d subtotal £1 6s 6d Turners ware 6 birch brooms, £0 2s 2d Beef 91 pieces, £13 4s 3d Salt ½ bushel, £0 1s 2d total £30 18s 3d The hospital charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Hospital for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Sugar 38 lb, £0 6s 0d Flour 38 lb 4 oz, £0 2s 8d Oil 11 gallons linseed, £2 1s 8½d 2 gallons train, £0 6s 4½d subtotal £2 8s 1d Carried over £10 16s 1d Interpretations The Fly cutter was the island's own small armed vessel, kept for carrying messages, patrolling the road and running errands between St Helena and the shipping, and had sailed from the island on 20 July 1762. Its stores for the quarter were dominated by the 50 gallons of arrack and the 91 pieces of beef, the drink and salt meat that provisioned its crew for their spells at sea. The hospital charge set down the goods issued to the island's sick quarters, the sugar and flour for invalid diet and the large measure of oil for its lamps and dressings. The linseed and train oil together made up the bulk of the charge, the oil burned for light through the night watches over the sick and worked into the salves and dressings the surgeon used. |
26 | 19 | 1762 Brought over £10 16s 1d Tea 6 Bohea £3s 4d Rice 600 £2 12s 4d Salt 14 Bushels £4s 7d £13 18s 0d Snow Mercury Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1762 vizt Candles 13 £1 7s 4d Pitch and Tar vizt 1 Bar 2 lb Gal Tar £1 3s 2d 2 lb Bar Turpentine £3s 9d £4 12s 9d Cordage 268 £4 2s 10d Turners Ware vizt 6 Birch Brooms £2s 1½d 3 Pump Boxes £10s 3½d £12s 5d Braziers Ware 1 Bottling Cock £3s 10d Beef and Pork vizt 5 Pieces Beef £36 13s 3d 2 Hhds Pork £10 10s 1d £47 5s 4d Tin Ware 1 Dredging Pan £1s 6d Rice and Paddy vizt 12 Rice £5 17s 0d 8 Paddy £1 9s 8d £7 6s 8d Sugar and Candy vizt 9 Sugar £16s 3d 30 Candy £1 3s 11d £2s 0d Deals 14 lb Riga Timber £3s 10d Twine 14 Cotton Wick £2s 4d Iron Ware vizt 1 Hand Iron Sauce Pan of 2 Quarts £12s 4d 1 Small Fry Pan £2s 7d £14s 11d Oil vizt 7 Gr Linseed £1 6s 6d 1 Gr Train £2s 11d £17s 6d Flour 350 £2 3s 9d Salt 1 Bushel £3s 1d Carried over £76s 5d | The account continued from the sum of £10 16s 1d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £10 16s 1d Tea 6 lb bohea, £0 3s 1d Rice 6 lb candy, £2 12s 4d Salt 1½ bushels, £0 4s 7d total £13 18s 0d The snow Mercury charge followed, for the stores issued from 1 April to 30 June 1762. Snow Mercury for stores issued 1 April to 30 June 1762 Candles 13 lb, £1 7s 4d Pitch and tar 1 barrel 2½ gallons tar, £1 3s 2d 2½ barrels serpentine, £3 9s 7d subtotal £4 12s 9d Cordage 26 lb, £4 2s 10d Turners ware 6 birch brooms, £0 2s 1½d 3 pump boxes, £0 10s 3½d subtotal £0 12s 5d Braziers ware 1 bottling cock, £0 3s 10d Beef and pork 365 lb beef, £36 13s 3d 101 lb pork, £10 10s 1d subtotal £47 5s 4d Tin ware 1 dredging pan, £0 1s 6d Rice and paddy 127 lb rice, £5 17s 0d 8 lb paddy, £1 9s 8d subtotal £7 6s 8d Sugar and candy 80 lb sugar, £0 16s 5d 30 lb candy, £1 3s 11d subtotal £2 0s 4d Deals 12 pieces riga timber, £3 5s 10d Twine ½ lb cotton wick, £0 2s 4d Iron ware 1 hand iron sauce pan of 2 quarts, £0 12s 4d 1 small stuff pan, £0 2s 7d subtotal £0 14s 11d Oil 7 gallons linseed, £1 6s 6d 1 gallon train, £0 2s 11d subtotal £4 17s 6d Flour 350 lb, £2 3s 9d Salt 1 bushel, £0 3s 1d Carried over £76 0s 5d Interpretations A snow was a two-masted square-rigged merchant vessel, the Mercury here fitting and provisioning at St Helena on its passage. A bottling cock was the brass tap set into a cask for drawing off liquor into bottles, listed among the braziers ware as a small piece of the ship's stores. Pump boxes were the wooden barrels or valve chambers of a ship's bilge pump, the three bought as turners work to renew the Mercury's pumps, and a dredging pan was the tin container pierced to shake flour or spice over food in the galley. The heavy stores of beef, pork, rice and flour show the snow victualling for a long passage, the salt meat alone at over £47 the largest charge on the page. The serpentine and tar bought in quantity mark the Mercury caulking and paying its hull while in the road, the 2½ barrels of mineral pitch a large provision for working the seams tight before the open sea. A ship refitting at so remote an anchorage laid in what it could not be sure of finding again, the timber, cordage and pitch drawn from the Company's warehouse against the whole of the voyage ahead. |
27 | 20 | 19 July Brought over £76s 5d Pepper 3 £1s 6d Glass 6 Wine Glasses £3s 6d £76 5s 5d St Helena 30th of June 1762 Errors Excepted Jno Powell Storekeeper List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants upon the Island St Helena With their several diet Money & Salary for the Quarter Commencing the first day of April & Ending the Thirtieth day of June 1762 vizt Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor salary £125s 0d Do Allowance for Servants at Usual £31 14s 9d £156 14s 9d John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Salary £62 10s 0d Do diet Money £25s 0d £87 10s 0d John Clark of Council salary 65 days at 30 pr Cent £5 15s 4d Matthew Purling of Council salary 55 days at 30 pr Cent £2 17s 6½d Do 16 days at 60 pr Cent £9 4s 4½d Do Acceptance £17 10s 0d Do diet Money £15s 0d Do House Rent £19s 2d £43 10s 9½d Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council Salary 56 days at 30 pr Cent £4 12s 4d Do House Rent 56 days at 6 pr Cent £1 10s 8d £6 2s 8d William Sr Chaplain Salary £25s 0d Do diet money £15s 0d £40s 0d Carried over £341 13s 4d | The account continued from the sum of £76 0s 5d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £76 0s 5d Pepper 3 lb, £0 1s 6d Glass 6 wine glasses, £0 3s 6d total £76 5s 5d The account closed at St Helena on 30 June 1762, errors excepted, and was subscribed by John Powell, storekeeper. A list followed of the Honourable Company's officers and servants on the island of St Helena, with their several salaries and diet money for the quarter beginning 1 April and ending 30 June 1762. Officers and servants for the quarter 1 April to 30 June 1762 Charles Hutchinson governor salary, £125 0s 0d allowance for servants and victuals, £31 14s 9d subtotal £156 14s 9d John Skottowe deputy governor salary, £62 10s 0d diet money, £25 0s 0d subtotal £87 10s 0d John Clark of council salary 65 days to 30 June, £5 15s 4d Matthew Purling of council salary 55 days at 30 per cent, £2 17s 6½d 16 days at 60 per cent, £9 4s 4½d acceptance, £17 10s 0d diet money, £15 0s 0d house rent, £1 9s 2d subtotal £45 10s 9½d Thomas Kirkpatrick of council salary 56 days at 30 per cent, £4 12s 4½d house rent 56 days to 30 June, £1 10s 8d subtotal £6 2s 8d William junior chaplain salary, £25 0s 0d diet money, £15 0s 0d subtotal £40 0s 0d Carried over £341 13s 4d Interpretations The salaries were reckoned by the day and by a rising scale of percentages, the councillors Purling and Kirkpatrick paid at 30 per cent for part of the quarter and Purling at 60 per cent for a further stretch, the higher rate marking a step in rank or a change of office within the three months. The acceptance charged to Purling was an allowance paid on his taking up a post, set apart from his running salary. Diet money and house rent were paid to the senior servants in place of board and lodging in kind, the governor and deputy drawing large sums for servants and victuals while the council members received smaller fixed allowances. This was the establishment's payroll for the quarter, the whole cost of governing the island set down man by man against the same account as its stores and provisions. Charles Hutchinson held the government at £125 the quarter with a further £31 14s 9d for his servants and table, by far the largest single charge on the list, the deputy governor John Skottowe next at £87 10s. The scale of these payments against the modest sums to the junior chaplain and the council members shows the sharp gradation of the Company's service, the governor drawing more than the rest of the establishment together. |
28 | 21 | 1762 Brought over £341 13s 3½d Matthew Bazett Secretary Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £33s 0d James Powell Storekeeper £7 10s 0d Do diet Money £15s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35s 0d William Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do diet Money £10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant Storekeeper £5s 0d £25s 0d Francis Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do diet Money £10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £20s 0d Richard Laws Writers Salary £5s 0d Do Diet Money £10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £17 10s 0d David Alcock Writers Salary £5s 0d Do Diet Money £10s 0d Do House Rent 16 days at 6 lb Jr Cent £1 10s 8d £16 10s 8d John Bland Master Mason Salary 73 days at 70 Jr Cent £14s 0d Do Diet Money 73 days at 6 Jr Cent Do House Rent 73 days at 6 Jr Cent £1 4s 0d £23 4s 0d Robert Barclay Surgeons Salary £9 15s 0d Do diet Money £10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £22 5s 0d John Pritchard Surgeons Mates Salary £6s 0d Do Diet money £10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £18 15s 0d Richard Beale Junr adorease Salary £10s 0d Do Schoolmaster £3 8s 3d Do Clerk £5s 0d £18 8s 3d Samuel Alexander Matthew Bazett Overseer £7 10s 0d £15s 0d Thomas Townsend Mason Salary £19 10s 0d John Robinson Carpenters Salary £12 10s 0d Do House Rent £13s 0d £13 5s 0d Joseph Chamberlain Carpr Mate £7 10s 0d William Johnson Gardener £17 10s 0d Carried over £621s 2½d | The account continued from the sum of £341 13s 3½d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £341 13s 3½d Matthew Bazett secretary salary, £17 10s 0d diet money, £15 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £35 0s 0d James Powell storekeeper salary, £17 10s 0d diet money, £15 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £35 0s 0d William Wrangham factor salary, £17 10s 0d diet money, £10 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d assistant storekeeper, £5 0s 0d subtotal £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham factor salary, £17 10s 0d diet money, £10 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £20 0s 0d Richard Laws writer salary, £5 0s 0d diet money, £10 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £17 10s 0d David Alcock writer salary, £5 0s 0d diet money, £10 0s 0d house rent 30 days at £10 to 30 June, £1 10s 8d subtotal £16 10s 8d John Bland master mason salary 73 days at £70 to 30 June, £14 0s 0d diet money 73 days to 30 June, £8 0s 0d house rent 73 days at £10 to 30 June, £1 4s 0d subtotal £23 4s 0d Robert Barclay surgeon salary, £9 15s 0d diet money, £10 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £22 5s 0d John Pritchard surgeons mate salary, £6 5s 0d diet money, £10 0s 0d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £18 15s 0d Richard Beale junior clergyman salary, £10 0s 0d schoolmaster, £3 8s 3d clerk, £5 0s 0d subtotal £18 8s 3d Samuel Alexander overseer, £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett overseer, £7 10s 0d subtotal £15 0s 0d Thomas Townsend mason salary, £19 10s 0d John Robinson carpenter salary, £12 10s 0d house rent, £13s 0d subtotal £13 5s 0d Joseph Chamberlain carpenters mate salary, £7 0s 0d William Johnson gardener, £10 0s 0d subtotal £17 10s 0d Carried over £621 1s 2½d Interpretations The establishment paid its skilled tradesmen by the day where they were newly entered, the master mason John Bland reckoned across 73 days at a yearly rate of £70, his salary, diet and house rent each struck for the part-quarter he had served. This dating shows fresh appointments made partway through the three months, their pay calculated from the day of entry rather than by the full quarter allowed to the settled officers. Several men held more than one place at once, Matthew Bazett drawing both as secretary and as an overseer, William Wrangham serving as factor and assistant storekeeper, and Richard Beale paid as junior clergyman, schoolmaster and clerk together. The small establishment spread its offices across a handful of servants, each combining duties that a larger settlement would have divided, the extra allowances marking the doubling of their work. The salaries fell into a clear order beneath the government, the factors and senior servants at some £20 to £35 the quarter, the writers and tradesmen below them, the gardener and carpenters mate at the foot. This was the working staff of the island, the clerks, builders, medical men and craftsmen whose wages the Company set down alongside the governor and council to give the full cost of the settlement for the quarter. |
29 | 22 | 19th July Brought over £621 1s 2½d James Tarbet Cooper £8 15s 0d William More Steward £7 10s 0d Michael Frost Clock and Instrument Cleaner £1 5s 0d William Clifton Groom £2s 0d Edward Durand Armorer £9s 0d Soloman St Maurice Master of Arms £6 5s 0d John Criswell Patron of the Long Boat £7 10s 0d John Price Marshall £5 6s 3½d £68 1s 3½d First Company John Clark Captain salary 35 days at 60 pr Cent £17 10s 0d Do for Instructing the Gunners 66 days at 30 pr Cent £2 17s 6½d £20 7s 6½d John Howard Lieut Salary 35 days at 60 pr Cent £7s 0d Do Diet Money 35 days at 6 pr Day £2 12s 6d Do House Rent 35 days at 6 pr Cent £19s 2d Do Captains Salary 56 days at 60 pr day £28s 0d £38 11s 8d Henry Delane Lieut Salary salary 35 days at 6 pr Day £3 10s 0d Do diet Money 35 days at 6 pr Day £1 6s 3d Do Lieut Salary 56 days at 6 pr Day £11 4s 0d Do diet money 56 days at 6 pr Day £4 4s 0d £20 4s 3d Thomas Lambert Lieut Salary 35 days at 6 pr Day £6s 4d Do Diet Money 35 days at 6 pr Day £2 6s 6d £8 10s 6d Serjeants John Flemming £7 12s 1d Thomas Ferris £7 12s 1d Henry Harper £7 12s 1d John Grainger from April 1st at 6 pr 12 lb Cent £1s 0d £23 15s 3d Corporals George Sinn from April 1st at 6 pr 12 lb Cent Serj £14s 0d Do Serjeant from the 13 of April Difference £6 11s 8d George Killisheim £5 6s 3½d Alexander Green Corage £5 6s 3½d Phillip Mahony from April 1st to 12 lb Incl Trans to the Corps £3 10s 0d £19 4s 5d Carried over £825 17s 3½d | The account continued from the sum of £621 1s 2½d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £621 1s 2½d James Tarbet cooper, £8 15s 0d William More steward, £7 10s 0d Michael Frost clock and instrument cleaner, £1 5s 0d William Cliffin groom, £2 0s 0d Edward Durand armourer, £9 0s 0d Soloman St Maurice master of arms, £6 3s 0d John Criswell patron of the long boat, £7 10s 0d John Price marshall, £5 6s 3½d subtotal £63 1s 3½d The first company followed. First company John Clark captain salary 35 days to 30 June, £17 10s 0d for instructing the gunners 66 days at 30 per cent, £2 17s 6½d subtotal £20 7s 6½d John Howard lieutenant salary 35 days at £70 per year, £7 0s 0d diet money 35 days at [...] per day, £2 12s 6d house rent 35 days to 30 June, £1 9s 2d captain salary 56 days at [...] per day, £28 0s 0d subtotal £38 11s 8d Henry Delane lieutenant salary 35 days at [...] per day, £3 10s 0d diet money 35 days at [...] per day, £1 6s 3d lieutenant salary 56 days at [...] per day, £11 4s 0d diet money 56 days at [...] per day, £4 4s 0d subtotal £20 4s 3d Thomas Lambert lieutenant salary 31 days at [...] per day, £6 4s 0d diet money 31 days at £16 per day, £2 6s 6d subtotal £8 10s 6d The sergeants followed. Sergeants John Flemming, £7 12s 1d Thomas Ferris, £7 12s 1d Henry Harper, £7 12s 1d John Grainger from 1 April to 30 June at 12s 1d per day, £1 0s 0d subtotal £23 16s 3d The corporals followed. Corporals George Sinn from 1 April to 13 June as sentinel, £0 14s 0d sergeant from 13 April as private sentinel, £6 11s 8d George Killisheim, £5 6s 3½d Alexander Green cadge, £5 6s 3½d Phillip Mahony from 1 April to 30 June, £3 10s 0d included as private of the company, [...] subtotal £14 4s 5d Carried over £825 17s 3½d Interpretations The company officers were paid on split reckonings as men stepped up through vacant posts, John Howard drawing a lieutenant's salary for 35 days and then a captain's for 56, and Henry Delane likewise moving from a lower to a higher lieutenant's rate within the quarter. These broken periods trace a shuffle of promotions in the garrison during the three months, each officer paid at his old rate to the day of his rise and at the new rate thereafter. John Clark held a double charge as captain of the first company and as instructor of the gunners, paid a further sum for teaching the men to serve the guns over 66 days. The instruction of gunners was a skilled duty set apart from ordinary command, the additional allowance marking the value the Company placed on training its garrison to work the batteries. The pay descended by rank from the captain through the lieutenants, sergeants and corporals, the private soldiers paid least at a shilling or so the day. George Sinn's entry shows a man moving between grades within the quarter, charged first as a sentinel and then at a sergeant's rate, the garrison's ranks shifting as vacancies opened and men were advanced or reduced through the season. |
30 | 23 | 1762 Brought over £815 17s 3½d Drummers George Wills £5 6s 3½d Guilliam Laroche £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Daniel Armain £3 16s 4d John Allin £3 16s 4d George Bonnet £3 15s 4d John Blackwell £3 16s 4d Joseph Blackwell £3 16s 4d Michial Brown £3 16s 4d Jacob Bownard £3 16s 4d James Cartwright £3 16s 4d George Capeling £3 16s 4d William Cooksay £3 16s 4d Duncan Cameron £3 16s 4d Joseph Cutts £3 16s 4d Jonathan Chandler £3 16s 4d Henry Coster £3 9s 2d Thomas Collier from April 6 Incl Enterd £17s 6d James Clucher from June 16 Incl Enertained £17s 6d Robert Davis from June 16 Incl Enertained £17s 6d Henry Davis from June 18 Incl Entertained £17s 6d John Eastone from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d John Cunningham from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d George Gran £3 16s 4d John Gillmore £3 16s 4d Richard Goulding £3 16s 4d Christian Greenawald £3 16s 4d Joseph Gitter £3 16s 4d Matthew Godfrey from May 18 Incl Entd £1 16s 8d Thomas Hailes £3 16s 4d Henry Havenburg £3 16s 4d Christian Hornecke from April 1st at 6 pr 4th Inclusive made Corporal £10s 4d Do Corporal from April 13 Inclusive £4 12s 2d James Harvey from April 13 Incl Entd £3 2s 6d Thomas Hilland £3 16s 4d Stephen John Centinels Carried over £105 6s 11d Carried over £826 10s 2½d | The account continued from the sum of £825 17s 3½d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £825 17s 3½d The drummers followed. Drummers George Wills, £5 6s 3½d Guilliam Laroche, £5 6s 3½d subtotal £10 12s 11d The sentinels followed. Sentinels Daniel Armain, £3 16s 4d John Allin, £3 16s 4d George Bennet, £3 15s 4d John Blackwell, £3 16s 4d Joseph Blackwell, £3 16s 4d Michial Brown, £3 16s 4d Jacob Bernard, £3 16s 4d James Cartwright, £3 16s 4d George Capeling, £3 16s 4d William Cocksay, £3 16s 4d Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 4d Joseph Cutts, £3 16s 4d Jonathan Chandler, £3 16s 4d Henry Coster, £3 9s 2d Thomas Collier from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d James Clusher from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Robert Davis from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Henry Davis from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d John Eastone from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d John Cunningham from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d George Gran, £3 16s 4d John Gillmore, £3 16s 4d Richard Goulding, £3 16s 4d Christian Greenawald, £3 16s 4d Joseph Getter, £3 16s 4d Matthew Godfrey from 15 May as private entertained, £1 16s 8d Thomas Hailes, £3 16s 4d Henry Havenburg, £3 16s 4d Christian Hornock from 8 April to 30 June included as corporal, £0 10s 4d as corporal from 13 April as private entertained, £4 12s 2d James Racoy from 13 April as private entertained, £3 2s 6d Thomas Hilliard, £3 16s 4d Stephen John, £3 16s 4d Sentinels carried over £105 6s 4d Carried over £826 10s 2½d Interpretations The soldiers newly entered part-way through the quarter were marked entertained from the day of their engagement, a term of the period meaning taken into pay and service, their wages struck from that date rather than for the full three months. A cluster of six men were all entered on 16 June, suggesting a draft of recruits landed and taken onto the strength together late in the quarter, most likely the men victualled on their landing recorded earlier in the account. The ordinary sentinel's pay stood at a flat £3 16s 4d for the quarter, the rate carried down through the whole company of privates, marking the settled wage of the common soldier of the garrison. Christian Hornock's entry traces a man reduced from corporal to private within the quarter, paid at the higher rank for a few days and at the sentinel's rate thereafter, the garrison's grades shifting as men were advanced or broken through the season. |
31 | 24 | 19th July Brought over £826 10s 2½d Centinels brought over £105 6s 11½d Henry Jenkins £3 16s 4d Henry Johnson £3 16s 4d Richard Kempton £3 16s 4d Edward Kirk from April 1st Inr disch £10s 0d William Lamban £3 16s 4d Richard Meirton £3 16s 4d Simon Mason £3 16s 4d John Marsh £3 16s 4d Mordoch Mc Cleod £3 16s 4d John Baptist Highland £3 16s 4d John Mc Allesbo £3 16s 4d Benjamin Oswald from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d Lyttleton Pigott £3 16s 4d Francis Powell £3 16s 4d Thomas Perrin £3 16s 4d Humphrey Pugh from April 1st to 5th Incl discharged £1 5s 0d Thomas Payne from April 1st to 7 lb Incl Trans to the 1st Company £6s 8d James Richardson £3 16s 4d Richard Roberts from April 1st to May 7 lb Incl died £1 10s 10d Patrick Reiley from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d Thomas Rutherford from June 15 Do £13s 4d John Scotcher £3 16s 4d John Shaw £3 16s 4d William Scotman £3 16s 4d William Standley from April 1st to June 6 Incl Died £3 12s 6d James Shadd £3 16s 4d John Swindall £3 16s 4d John Shaw from April 6 Incl Enterd £3 11s 8d John Smith from June 16 Do £17s 6d Zedekiah Sanderson from June 16 Do £17s 6d John Thompson from June 16 Do £17s 6d Thomas Toppinell from April 16 Do £3 5s 0d Centinels Carried over £196 14s 3d Carried over £526 10s 2½d | The account continued from the sum of £826 10s 2½d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £105 6s 11½d carried over. Brought over £826 10s 2½d Sentinels brought over, £105 6s 11½d Henry Jenkins, £3 16s 4d Henry Johnson, £3 16s 4d Richard Kempton, £3 16s 4d Edward Fisk from 1 April as private discharged, £0 10s 0d William Lambum, £3 16s 4d Richard Meiston, £3 16s 4d Simon Mason, £3 16s 4d John Marsh, £3 16s 4d Mordock McCleod, £3 16s 4d John Baptist Highland, £3 16s 4d John McAllister, £3 16s 4d Benjamin Oswald from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Lyttleton Agott, £3 16s 4d Francis Powell, £3 16s 4d Thomas Perrin, £3 16s 4d Humphrey Pugh from 1 April to 30 June as private discharged, £1 5s 0d Thomas Payne from 1 April to 30 June as private and franked to the first company, £0 6s 8d James Richardson, £3 16s 4d Richard Roberts from 1 April to 15 May as private died, £1 10s 10d Patrick Reiley from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Thomas Rutherford from 15 June as private entertained, £0 13s 4d John Scotcher, £3 16s 4d John Shaw, £3 16s 4d William Scotman, £3 16s 4d William Standley from 1 April to 30 June as private died, £3 12s 6d James Shald, £3 16s 4d John Swindall, £3 16s 4d John Shane from 1 April as private entered, £3 11s 8d John Smith from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Zedekiah Sanderson from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d John Thompson from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Thomas Toffnell from 1 April as private discharged, £3 5s 0d Sentinels carried over £196 14s 3d Carried over £526 10s 2½d Interpretations The sentinels roll recorded not only the men in pay but the movement in and out of the ranks through the quarter, several entered as discharged, one franked to the first company, and two marked as died within the three months. Richard Roberts was paid to 15 May and William Standley through the quarter, each noted dead, the account settling the wages owed to the day of death before striking the man off. A second draft of recruits appears entered on 16 June at the broken rate of 17s 6d, the same date as the cluster on the preceding page, confirming a body of new men taken onto the strength together late in the quarter. The garrison of St Helena drew its private soldiers from ships arriving and men entered locally, the roll turning over steadily as some were discharged, some died and fresh recruits were entertained in their place, the whole company of sentinels costing near £197 for the quarter. |
32 | 25 | 1762 Brought over £826 10s 2½d Centinels brought over £196 14s 3d John Vaughan £3 16s 4d Richard Wright from April 1st to 5 lb Incl Made Corporal £4s 2d Do Corporal from April 6 Inclusive £5 4s 0d Jeremiah Wherrill £3 16s 4d Edward Robert £3 16s 4d William Wells £3 16s 4d John Wibley discharged the 21st June £3 8s 4d £220 11s 3d Second Company £43 12s 6d Thomas Kirkpatrick Capt Salary £18 5s 0d Solomon St Maurice Lieut Salary Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Samuel Desfountain Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £25 1s 10½d Solomon Jacob Adjutant £22 16s 3d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Serjeants John Allison from April 1st to 6 Incl Discharged £8s 4d Robert Eager £7 12s 1d John Sull £7 12s 1d John Menard £7 15s 4d Phillip Mahony from April 6 Incl Ent £30 7s 11d Corporals John Thomason from April 1st to 5 lb Incl Reduced £9s 4d Do Centinel from the 6 April Incl reduced & trans to the St Company £3 9s 2d Thomas Collier from April 1st July 6 Incl reduced & trans to St Company £9s 4d Thomas Lambert from April 1st to May 30 Incl Preferd £3 10s 0d Jonathan Lake £5 6s 3½d Thomas Payne from April 1st Incl to 6 Carr over £4 11s 0d Carried over £1233 4s 10d | The account continued from the sum of £826 10s 2½d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £196 14s 3d carried over. Brought over £826 10s 2½d Sentinels brought over, £196 14s 3d John Vaughan, £3 16s 4d Richard Wright from 1 April to 30 June as private, £0 4s 2d made corporal, [...] as corporal from 1 April inclusive, £5 0s 4d Jeremiah Wherrill, £3 16s 4d Edward Robins, £3 16s 4d William Wells, £3 16s 4d John Webley discharged the 21 June, £3 8s 4d subtotal £220 11s 3d The second company followed. Second company Thomas Kirkpatrick captain salary, £43 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice lieutenant salary, £18 5s 0d diet money, £6 16s 10½d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £27 11s 10½d Samuel Desfountain lieutenant salary, £18 5s 0d diet money, £6 16s 10½d subtotal £25 1s 10½d Solomon Jacob adjutant salary, £22 16s 3d diet money, £6 16s 10½d subtotal £29 13s 1½d The sergeants followed. Sergeants John Allison from 1 April to 30 June discharged, £0 8s 4d Robert Eager, £7 12s 1d John Full, £7 12s 1d John Menard, £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahony from 1 April as private entered, £7 15s 4d subtotal £30 7s 11d The corporals followed. Corporals John Thomason from 1 April to 30 June as private reduced, £0 9s 4d as corporal from 1 April as private, £3 9s 2d Thomas Collier from 1 April to 30 June as private reduced and franked to number 1 company, £0 9s 4d Thomas Lambert from 1 April to 15 May as private preferred, £3 10s 0d Jonathan Lake, £5 6s 3½d Thomas Payne from 1 April to 30 June as private, £4 11s [...] Carried over £1,233 4s 1d Interpretations The men moved not only up and down in rank but between the two companies, Thomas Collier reduced from corporal and franked to the first company and Phillip Mahony crossing from the first company's corporals into the second as a sergeant. This transfer of men between the two garrison companies within one quarter shows the establishment shifting its soldiers to fill vacancies wherever they fell, the pay following each man across the change. The terms reduced, preferred and made corporal traced the ordinary rise and fall of a soldier's standing, reduced meaning broken to a lower grade and preferred meaning advanced to a higher, each change struck at the day it took effect. Thomas Lambert was preferred as a private and paid at that rate to 15 May, while John Thomason was reduced from corporal to private, the two entries marking the constant small adjustments of rank by which the garrison rewarded and punished its men through the season. |
33 | 26 | 10th July Brought over £1223 9s 10½d Drummers Henry Howell £5 6s 3½d Richard Plaifoot £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Centinels John Alles £3 16s 4d John Attingsrall £3 16s 4d Hans Ulrich Alquier £3 16s 4d John Allman from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d William Bannister from April 1st to May the 30th Inclusive made Corporal £2 10s 0d Do Corporal from May 31 Inclusive £1 16s 2d Isaac Buck £3 16s 4d James Buckley £3 16s 4d Thomas Berwick £3 16s 4d John William Blank £3 16s 4d David Belford from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d John Brown Do £17s 6d Eustard Coram £3 16s 4d Edward Cocher £3 16s 4d Henry Dudley £3 16s 4d Isaac Day £3 16s 4d John Davis £3 16s 4d John Dove £3 16s 4d Samuel Eales £3 16s 4d Jacob Exley £3 16s 4d James Fox £3 16s 4d John Fennun £3 16s 4d Cornelis Fish from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d Jonathan Godby £3 16s 4d James Hall £3 16s 4d Alexander Hall £3 16s 4d William Hawkes £3 16s 4d William Harris £3 16s 4d John Haley £3 16s 4d James Hendree from April 1st to 17 lb Incl Discharged £14s 2d Centinels Carried over £95 19s 2d Carried over £1734 2s 9d | The account continued from the sum of £1,233 9s 10½d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £1,233 9s 10½d The drummers followed. Drummers Henry Howell, £5 6s 5½d Richard Plaifost, £5 6s 5½d subtotal £10 12s 11d The sentinels followed. Sentinels John Alles, £3 16s 4d John Attingsall, £3 16s 4d Hans Ulrich Algiver, £3 16s 4d John Allman from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d William Bannister from 1 April to 30 June inclusive as corporal, £2 10s 0d as corporal from 31 May inclusive, £1 16s 2d Isaac Buck, £3 16s 4d James Buckley, £3 16s 4d Thomas Barwick, £3 16s 4d John William Blank, £3 16s 4d David Belford from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d John Brown as private entered, £0 17s 6d Eustard Coram, £3 16s 4d Edward Cocher, £3 16s 4d Henry Dudley, £3 16s 4d Isaac Day, £3 16s 4d John Davis, £3 16s 4d John Dove, £3 16s 4d Samuel Eales, £3 16s 4d Jacob Exley, £3 16s 4d James Fox, £3 16s 4d John Fennun, £3 16s 4d Cornelus Frish from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d Jonathan Godby, £3 16s 4d James Hall, £3 16s 4d Alexander Hall, £3 16s 4d William Hawkes, £3 16s 4d William Harris, £3 16s 4d John Haley, £3 16s 4d James Hendree from 1 April to 17 June as private discharged, £3 14s 2d Sentinels carried over £95 19s 2d Carried over £1,234 2s 9½d Interpretations William Bannister's entry set his pay as a corporal for the quarter against a further sum struck from 31 May, marking the day he took or resumed the rank, the wage divided at the point his standing changed. The broken reckoning shows the garrison advancing men to fill the corporals places as they fell vacant, each promotion paid from the exact day it took effect rather than by the quarter. The second company's sentinels carried the same flat quarterly wage of £3 16s 4d as the first, the common rate of the private soldier across both bodies of the garrison. The recurring entry of men entered on 16 June at the part-rate of 17s 6d confirms once more the draft of recruits taken onto the strength late in the quarter, spread through both companies as the new men were shared out to bring the garrison up to its number. |
34 | 27 | 1762 Brought over £1234 2s 9½d Centinels brought over £95 19s 3½d William Johnson £3 16s 4d George Rebbit £3 16s 4d Richard Knight £3 16s 4d William Kellifer £3 16s 4d William Sieke £3 16s 4d Peter Lindsay £3 16s 4d John Lamb £3 16s 4d Duncan Mc Cleron £3 16s 4d William Mansford £3 16s 4d Robert Martin £3 16s 4d John May £3 16s 4d Martin Newman £3 16s 4d Charles Peofoy £3 16s 4d William Pewter £3 16s 4d Thomas Price from June 16 Incl Enterd £17s 6d John Pickering £3 16s 4d Silvanus Rolf from April 1st to 5 lb Incl made Corporal £6s 8d Do Corporal from April the 6 Inclusive £4 16s 10d Lewis Rowe £3 16s 4d Anthony Reide £3 16s 4d Thomas Roberts £3 16s 4d Michael Reide £3 16s 4d William Roebuck from June 6 Incl Ent £17s 6d William Robinson Do £17s 6d John Shearn from April 1st by John Ferry To the fourth Company £4s 2d William Swaby £3 16s 4d John Springhospp £3 16s 4d Henry Schayver Archal Tossoury form April 1st to May 3 Inclusive Discharged £1 7s 6d Do £3 16s 4d Edward Terry £17s 6d John Taylor Sr from June 16 Incl Ent £17s 6d John Taylor Jnr Do £3 16s 4d John Willingdale Centinels Carried over £198 6s 11½d Carried over £1234 2s 9½d | The account continued from the sum of £1,234 2s 9½d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £95 19s 3½d carried over. Brought over £1,234 2s 9½d Sentinels brought over, £95 19s 3½d William Johnson, £3 16s 4d George Rebbit, £3 16s 4d Richard Knight, £3 16s 4d William Kellifer, £3 16s 4d William Luke, £3 16s 4d Peter Lindsay, £3 16s 4d John Lamb, £3 16s 4d Duncan McClezan, £3 16s 4d William Mawford, £3 16s 4d Robert Martin, £3 16s 4d John May, £3 16s 4d Martin Newman, £3 16s 4d Charles Peofoy, £3 16s 4d William Fowler, £3 16s 4d Thomas Price from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d John Pickering, £3 16s 4d Silvanus Rolf from 1 April to 30 June inclusive, £0 6s 8d made corporal, [...] as corporal from 1 April inclusive, £4 16s 10d Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 4d Anthony Reide, £3 16s 4d Thomas Roberts, £3 16s 4d Michael Reide, £3 16s 4d William Roebuck from private as private entered, £0 17s 6d William Robinson as private entered, £0 17s 6d John Shearn from 1 April to 30 June as private franked to the fourth company, £0 4s 2d William Swaby, £3 16s 4d John Springthorp, £3 16s 4d Henry Ashayver, £3 16s 4d Ardhold Sassany from 1 April to 30 June inclusive discharged, £1 7s 6d Edward Terry, £3 16s 4d John Taylor senior from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d John Taylor junior, £0 17s 6d John Willingdale, £3 16s 4d Sentinels carried over £198 6s 11½d Carried over £1,234 2s 9½d Interpretations Silvanus Rolf's entry divided his quarter between a few days as a private and the rest as a corporal reckoned from 1 April, the wage split at the point of his advancement to fill a vacant place. This continues the pattern seen across both companies, the garrison promoting men to corporal from the exact day the step took effect and settling the broken pay accordingly. John Shearn was franked to the fourth company, a body not yet met in the earlier rolls, showing the garrison organised into more than the two companies whose officers were named above. The transfer of a private from one company to another within the quarter marks the same shifting of men to fill gaps seen throughout the muster, the establishment moving soldiers between its several companies as its numbers required. |
35 | 28 | 19 July Brought over £1234 2s 9½d Centinels brought over £198 6s 11½d Richard Whiter £3 16s 4d Samuel Wheeler from April 1st to May 5 lb Incl Do £1 6s 8d John Wai Welch 6r diet at 6 lb 6 pr day from June 16 Entrd £1 15s 0d William Watkins from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d William Wise Do £17s 6d William Yates Do £17s 6d George Young £3 16s 4d Richard Yuncas £3 16s 4d £215 9s 3d Third Company Henry Bazett Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Michael Frost Lieutnant Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £21 11s 10½d Thomas Leech Lieutenant Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £25 1s 10½d Serjeants John Bazett £7 12s 1d William Beale £7 12s 1d James Sherlock £7 12s 1d John Burnham £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporal Thomas Mc Garden William Congress £5 6s 3½d William Bell £5 6s 3½d Richard Willison £5 6s 3½d £21 5s 10d Drummers John Caffyn £5 6s 3½d Lewis Hang £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Samuel Motore £3 16s 4d Joseph Brooks £3 16s 4d William Bechett £3 16s 4d William Birch £3 16s 4d William Brooks £3 16s 4d Peter Bruior £3 16s 4d Jacob Brown £3 16s 4d Robert Brown £3 16s 4d Nickolas Bristol £3 16s 4d Centinels Carried over £34 4s 4½d Carried over £1610 5s 4d | The account continued from the sum of £1,234 2s 9½d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £198 6s 11½d carried over. Brought over £1,234 2s 9½d Sentinels brought over, £198 6s 11½d Richard Whitier, £3 16s 4d Samuel Wheeler from 1 April to 15 May as private discharged, £1 6s 8d John Van Welch as diet at 12s 6d per day from 16 June entered, £4 15s 0d William Watkins from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d William Wise, £0 17s 6d William Yates, £0 17s 6d George Young, £3 16s 4d Richard Yeneas, £3 16s 4d subtotal £215 9s 3d The third company followed. Third company Henry Bazett captain salary, £43 12s 6d Michael Frost lieutenant salary, £18 5s 0d diet money, £6 16s 10½d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £21 11s 10½d Thomas Leech lieutenant salary, £18 5s 0d diet money, £6 16s 10½d subtotal £25 1s 10½d The sergeants followed. Sergeants John Bazett, £7 12s 1d William Beale, £7 12s 1d James Sherlock, £7 12s 1d John Burnham, £7 12s 1d subtotal £30 8s 4d The corporals followed. Corporals Thomas McFarden, £5 6s 3½d William Conquest, £5 6s 3½d William Bell, £5 6s 3½d Richard Willison, £5 6s 3½d subtotal £21 5s 10d The drummers followed. Drummers John Caffyn, £5 6s 3½d Lewis King, £5 6s 3½d subtotal £10 12s 11d The sentinels followed. Sentinels Samuel Motene, £3 16s 4d Joseph Brooks, £3 16s 4d William Bechitt, £3 16s 4d William Birch, £3 16s 4d William Brooks, £3 16s 4d Peter Brown, £3 16s 4d Jacob Brown, £3 16s 4d Robert Brown, £3 16s 4d Nicholas Bushel, £3 16s 4d Sentinels carried over £34 4s 4½d Carried over £1,610 5s 4d Interpretations The account turned here to the third company, its officers, sergeants, corporals and drummers set out in the same order as the two companies before it, confirming the garrison drawn up in at least three lettered companies with a fourth named earlier in the muster. Henry Bazett held the captaincy at £43 12s 6d the quarter, the same rate as the captains of the first and second companies, the pay of the company commanders standing level across the garrison. John Van Welch was entered on a separate footing at 12s 6d a day for diet from 16 June, a much higher rate than the common soldier, marking him a man of some standing engaged late in the quarter rather than an ordinary recruit. His terms set him apart from the run of privates entered the same day at 17s 6d for the part-quarter, the difference in pay pointing to a special place or a particular skill for which the Company engaged him. |
36 | 29 | 1762 Brought over £1610 5s 4d Centinels brought over £34 4s 4½d Thomas Bett from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d Daniel Byge Do £17s 6d Thomas Clarke £3 16s 4d Edward Cozens £3 16s 4d John Coster £3 16s 4d William Clay £3 16s 4d Robert Dickens £3 16s 4d John Dear from April 1st to June 26 Incl discharged £3 8s 4d Thomas Eastwood £3 16s 4d Peter Egleston £3 16s 4d George French £3 16s 4d John Forbes £3 16s 4d William Fullwood £3 16s 4d William Finck from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d James Frankling Do £17s 6d William Fry Do £17s 6d Thomas Gunstade £3 16s 4d John Goodsall £3 16s 4d John Haucring £3 16s 4d William Harris £3 16s 4d William Hays £3 16s 4d Thomas Harding £3 16s 4d Abraham Harding £3 16s 4d John Hauheewood £3 16s 4d William Rockley £3 16s 4d Arnold Harmon £3 16s 4d James Hinds £3 16s 4d John Holloway £3 16s 4d James Hobson £3 16s 4d John Holbrook £3 16s 4d Samuel Instone £3 16s 4d Richard Jones £3 16s 4d Samuel Killson £3 16s 4d Evar Knowles £3 16s 4d Michael Malin £3 16s 4d Thomas Mudge Centinels Carried over £156 1s 5½d Carried over £1610 5s 4d | The account continued from the sum of £1,610 5s 4d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £34 4s 4½d carried over. Brought over £1,610 5s 4d Sentinels brought over, £34 4s 4½d Thomas Bott from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Daniel Bye as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Thomas Clarke, £3 16s 4d Edward Cozens, £3 16s 4d John Ecster, £3 16s 4d William Clay, £3 16s 4d Robert Dickens, £3 16s 4d John Dew from 1 April to 16 June as private discharged, £3 8s 4d Thomas Eastwood, £3 16s 4d Peter Egleston, £3 16s 4d George French, £3 16s 4d John Forbes, £3 16s 4d William Fullwood, £3 16s 4d William Finch from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d James Frankling as private entertained, £0 17s 6d William Fry as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Thomas Gainstade, £3 16s 4d John Goodsall, £3 16s 4d John Hawering, £3 16s 4d William Harris, £3 16s 4d William Hays, £3 16s 4d Thomas Harding, £3 16s 4d Abraham Harding, £3 16s 4d John Hawkeswood, £3 16s 4d William Rockley, £3 16s 4d Arnold Harman, £3 16s 4d James Hinds, £3 16s 4d John Holloway, £3 16s 4d James Hobson, £3 16s 4d John Holbrook, £3 16s 4d Samuel Instone, £3 16s 4d Richard Jones, £3 16s 4d Samuel Hilton, £3 16s 4d Isaac Knowles, £3 16s 4d Michael Mabie, £3 16s 4d Thomas Mudge, £3 16s 4d Sentinels carried over £156 1s 5½d Carried over £1,610 5s 4d Interpretations The third company's sentinels carried the same flat quarterly wage of £3 16s 4d as the men of the first and second, the common soldier's pay standing uniform across every company of the garrison. A further group entered on 16 June at the part-rate of 17s 6d appears again in this company, confirming that the draft of recruits taken on late in the quarter was distributed through all the companies alike to make up their strength. John Dew's entry, paid to 16 June and marked discharged, sits beside the fresh men entered the very same day, the one leaving as the others joined. This turnover on a single date shows the garrison's numbers managed as a whole, a man struck off and recruits taken on together so the establishment held its complement steady through the changes of the quarter. |
37 | 30 | 19th July Brought over £1610 5s 4d Centinels brought over £156 1s 5½d Edward Mitchell from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d William Perry £3 16s 4d Samuel Perry £3 16s 4d William Bratton £3 16s 4d William Prattee £3 16s 4d Roger Phillips £3 16s 4d Archibald Pogue from April 1st to Jun 27 Inclusive Discharged £3 8s 4d Abraham Renno from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d John Slade £3 16s 4d William Steadman £3 16s 4d John Christain Strife £3 16s 4d Thomas Beavers £3 16s 4d William Taylor £3 16s 4d John Tucher £3 16s 4d Every Trerman from June 15 Incl Enert £17s 6d Thomas Wansell £3 16s 4d Thomas Windall £3 16s 4d William Ward from April 1st to May 26 Inclusive Discharged £2 6s 8d George Watts from June 16 Incl Entd £17s 6d £214 15s 0d Fourth Company Richard Beale Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwater Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10d £25 1s 10½d Serjeants Roger Wilson £7 12s 1d George Henry Bazett £7 12s 1d Charles Heyzard from April 1st to 6 Inclusive Discharged £8s 4d Girlash Bettcher from April 7 to 8 lb Incl Died £1 8s 4d £17s 10d Carried over £1940 7s 5½d | The account continued from the sum of £1,610 5s 4d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £156 1s 5½d carried over. Brought over £1,610 5s 4d Sentinels brought over, £156 1s 5½d Edward Mitchell from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d William Perry, £3 16s 4d Samuel Perry, £3 16s 4d William Buston, £3 16s 4d William Pastree, £3 16s 4d Roger Phillips, £3 16s 4d Archibald Pogue from 1 April to 16 June inclusive discharged, £3 8s 4d Abraham Renno from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d John Slade, £3 16s 4d William Steadman, £3 16s 4d John Christian Stife, £3 16s 4d Thomas Beavers, £3 16s 4d William Taylor, £3 16s 4d John Tucker, £3 16s 4d Every Freeman from 15 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d Thomas Wansell, £3 16s 4d Thomas Kindal, £3 16s 4d William Ward from 1 April to 15 May as private discharged, £2 6s 8d George Watts from 16 June as private entered, £0 17s 6d subtotal £214 15s 0d The fourth company followed. Fourth company Richard Beale captain salary, £43 12s 6d Thomas Bazett lieutenant salary, £18 5s 0d diet money, £6 16s 10½d house rent, £2 10s 0d subtotal £27 11s 10½d John Bridgewater lieutenant salary, £18 5s 0d diet money, £6 16s 10d subtotal £25 1s 10½d The sergeants followed. Sergeants Roger Wilson, £7 12s 1d George Henry Bazett, £7 12s 1d Charles Heyzard from 1 April to 30 June inclusive discharged, £0 8s 4d Gerlath Bettcher from 1 April to 30 June inclusive died, £1 8s 4d subtotal £17 0s 10d Carried over £1,940 7s 5½d Interpretations The account reached the fourth company, the last of the garrison's four bodies of foot, its captain Richard Beale paid the standard £43 12s 6d matching the commanders of the other three. Beale appears here in a wholly military place, distinct from the Richard Beale entered earlier as junior clergyman, schoolmaster and clerk, the shared name marking two different men on the island rather than one. The sergeants roll of the fourth company recorded two of its four men lost within the quarter, Charles Heyzard discharged and Gerlath Bettcher died, each paid only the few days owed before he left the strength. The small sums against these two names, set beside the full quarter drawn by Wilson and Bazett, measure the constant wastage in the garrison's ranks, the establishment settling each man's account to the day he was discharged or died and filling the gaps from the recruits entered through the season. |
38 | 31 | 1762 Brought over £1940 7s 5½d Corporals George Simms from April 1st to 5 lb Incl Discharged £9s 4d John Robinson from 6 April to 6 Incl made Serj £3s 10d Do Serjeant from April 6 Exclusive £7 3s 4d Richard Johnson from April 1st to 5 lb Incl made Serj £19s 10d Do Serjeant from April 15 Inclusive £6 3s 4d John Lemmon £5 6s 3½d £20 8s 1d Drummers George Garrard £5 6s 3½d John Twaite £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Richard Ashfield £3 16s 4d Henry Brown £3 16s 4d Jacob Brell £3 16s 4d Christian Brinks £3 16s 4d Mark Balls £3 16s 4d William Brown £3 16s 4d Thomas Barrard £3 16s 4d John Blinhorn from June 16 Incl Enertained £17s 6d Reginot Bennet Do £17s 6d Frederick William Beard Do £17s 6d John Cock £3 16s 4d John Cripps £3 16s 4d Joseph Chamberlain £3 16s 4d William Cliffton £3 16s 4d Baron Deliffe £3 16s 4d Charles Eagles £3 16s 4d Samuel Eagle £16s 8d Fisher Gambell from April 1st to 5 lb Incl made Corporal £1 16s 10d Do Corporal from April 9 Inclusive £4s 2d Robinson Green from April 1st to 5 lb Incl Do £3 16s 4d Thomas Graystock £3 16s 4d Alexander Gray £4s 2d William Hill from April 1st to 5 lb Incl Made Corporal £5s 4d Do Corporal from April 6 Inclusive Centinels Carried over £74 1s 4d Carried over £1971 8s 6d | The account continued from the sum of £1,940 7s 5½d brought over from the previous page. Brought over £1,940 7s 5½d The corporals followed. Corporals George Simms from 1 April to 30 June as private discharged, £0 9s 4d John Robinson from 1 April as private made sergeant, £0 3s 10d as sergeant from 1 April as private, £7 3s 4d Richard Johnson from 1 April to 30 June as private made sergeant, £0 19s 10d as sergeant from 1 April inclusive, £6 3s 4d John Lemmon, £5 6s 3½d subtotal £20 8s 1d The drummers followed. Drummers George Garrard, £5 6s 3½d John Twaits, £5 6s 3½d subtotal £10 12s 11d The sentinels followed. Sentinels Richard Ashfird, £3 16s 4d Henry Brown, £3 16s 4d Jacob Brill, £3 16s 4d Christian Brinks, £3 16s 4d Mark Balls, £3 16s 4d William Brown, £3 16s 4d Thomas Burrard, £3 16s 4d John Blinhorn from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Reyner Bennet as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Frederick William Beard as private entertained, £3 16s 4d John Cok, £3 16s 4d John Cripps, £3 16s 4d Joseph Chamberlain, £3 16s 4d William Cliffton, £3 16s 4d Baron Deliffe, £3 16s 4d Charles Eagles, £3 16s 4d Samuel Eagle, £3 16s 4d Fisher Gambell from 1 April as private made corporal, £0 16s 8d as corporal from 9 April inclusive, £1 16s 10d Robinson Green from 1 April to 30 June as private, £0 4s 2d Thomas Graystock, £3 16s 4d Alexander Gray, £3 16s 4d William Hill from 1 April to 30 June as private made corporal, £0 4s 2d as corporal from 16 June inclusive, £5 0s 4d Sentinels carried over £74 1s 4d Carried over £1,911 8s 6d Interpretations Several men in the fourth company rose from private to a higher grade within the quarter, John Robinson and Richard Johnson each made sergeant from the start of April and Fisher Gambell and William Hill each made corporal partway through, their pay split at the day the promotion took effect. These advances filled the sergeant and corporal places left open by the discharges and deaths recorded on the preceding pages, the establishment raising private soldiers to replace the men it lost through the season. Fisher Gambell's entry set a few days at a private's rate against the balance struck as corporal from 9 April, while William Hill's corporal pay ran only from 16 June, the two men advanced at different points as the vacancies fell. The exact dating of each promotion shows the garrison filling its non-commissioned ranks piece by piece as the quarter ran, no place left unpaid and no man advanced before the day his step was allowed. |
39 | 32 | 19 July Brought over £1971 8s 6d Centinels brought over £74 1s 4d Thomas Rudds £3 16s 4d Felix Hyder from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d John Sillard Do £17s 6d Robert Jackson £3 16s 4d William Jenkins £3 16s 4d Thomas James from June 16 Inclusive Entertained £17s 6d Alexander Kitchen £3 16s 4d Thomas Kipper £3 16s 4d James Kemp £3 16s 4d Thomas Kennedy from June 16 Entertained £17s 6d James Six £3 16s 4d Richard Lincay £3 16s 4d William Livingstone £3 16s 4d Lewis Limpfell £3 16s 4d John Long £3 16s 4d Edward Law £3 16s 4d John Langley £3 16s 4d Edward Lamban from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d Abraham Major £3 16s 4d Charles Montague £3 16s 4d Richard Moye £3 16s 4d William Mier £3 16s 4d William Mason Snr £3 16s 4d John Maurice £3 16s 4d Thomas Merrisk £3 16s 4d William Mason Junr from April 3 Incl Entd £3 12s 6d Thomas Nimble £3 16s 4d John Rechwater £3 16s 4d Thomas Perry £3 16s 4d Joseph Phillips £3 16s 4d James Rector £3 16s 4d Thomas Pearce £3 16s 4d Henry Pinckon from June 16 Incl Entertd £17s 6d William Robeason Andrew Stack £3 16s 4d Adam Scott £3 16s 4d Centinels Carried over £193 4s 4d Carried over £1971 8s 6d | The account continued from the sum of £1,911 8s 6d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £74 1s 4d carried over. Brought over £1,911 8s 6d Sentinels brought over, £74 1s 4d Thomas Roads, £3 16s 4d Felix Hyder from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d John Sillard as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Robert Inchann, £3 16s 4d William Jenkiss, £3 16s 4d Thomas James from 16 June inclusive as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Alexander Kitchen, £3 16s 4d Thomas Ripper, £3 16s 4d James Kemp, £3 16s 4d Thomas Kennedy from 16 June entertained, £0 17s 6d James Lee, £3 16s 4d Richard Linsay, £3 16s 4d William Livingstone, £3 16s 4d Lewis Limpfelt, £3 16s 4d John Long, £3 16s 4d Edward Law, £3 16s 4d John Langbleg, £3 16s 4d Edward Lambum from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d Abraham Major, £3 16s 4d Charles Montague, £3 16s 4d Richard Moyie, £3 16s 4d William Mier, £3 16s 4d William Mawer senior, £3 16s 4d John Maurice, £3 16s 4d Thomas Morriss, £3 16s 4d William Mawer junior from 1 April to 30 June as private died, £3 12s 6d Thomas Nimble, £3 16s 4d John Postwater, £3 16s 4d Thomas Perry, £3 16s 4d Joseph Phillips, £3 16s 4d James Rector, £3 16s 4d Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 4d Henry Pinckon from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d William Roberson, £3 16s 4d Adrew Stack, £3 16s 4d Adam Scott, £3 16s 4d Sentinels carried over £193 4s 4½d Carried over £1,911 8s 6d Interpretations The fourth company's sentinels carried the same flat quarterly wage of £3 16s 4d as the men of the three companies before them, the private soldier's pay standing uniform through the whole garrison. The recurring cluster of men entered on 16 June at the part-rate of 17s 6d appears once more here, the draft of recruits taken on late in the quarter spread through this company as through the others to bring the establishment up to its full number. William Mawer junior was paid the full quarter and marked died, his name distinguished by junior from William Mawer senior listed a few lines above, the two most likely father and son serving together in the same company. The account settled the younger man's wages to the term owed before striking him off, one more of the deaths that thinned the garrison's ranks across the season and were made good by the fresh men entered in their place. |
40 | 33 | 1762 Brought over £1971 8s 6d Centinels brought over £193 4s 4d David Slot £3 16s 4d John Henry Scharnhorst £3 16s 4d John South Snr £3 16s 4d John South Junr from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d John Thompson £3 16s 4d Joseph Uffin £3 16s 4d Thomas Taylor from April 1st to 5 lb Incl made Corpl £14s 2d Do Corporal from April 6 Inclusive £4 6s 4d John Skibbed £3 16s 4d John Weters from June 16 Incl Entertained £17s 6d £222 15s 9½d Artillery Company Thomas Hall master gunner Salary £22 16s 3d Do diet money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Gunners Mates Nathan Sample chief Mate £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch £9 2s 6d Charles Mc Curly from April 1st to 2 lb Incl Ds £2 16s 0d Adam Watson £9 2s 6d James Long £9 2s 6d John Slock £9 2s 6d John Slorey £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor £68 19s 1½d Quarter Gunners John Shirtly Do Gr from April 1st to 2 lb Incl made Gunners Mate £2 2s 0d Do Gunners Mate from April 2 lb Incl £6 6s 0d Andrew Barton £6 16s 10½d James Perry from April 1st to 26 Incl Ds £1 19s 0d Matthew Brickland from April 1st to May 6 Inclusive Discharged £3 3s 0d George Nelson £6 16s 10½d Quarter Gunners Carried over £29 3s 8d Carried over £2292 16s 6½d | The account continued from the sum of £1,971 8s 6d brought over from the previous page, with the sentinels total of £193 4s 4½d carried over. Brought over £1,971 8s 6d Sentinels brought over, £193 4s 4½d David Sett, £3 16s 4d John Henry Scharnhorst, £3 16s 4d John South senior, £3 16s 4d John South junior from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d John Thompson, £3 16s 4d Joseph Ussin, £3 16s 4d Thomas Sylor from 1 April to 30 June as private made corporal, £0 14s 2d as corporal from 1 April inclusive, £4 6s 4d John Skylard, £3 16s 4d John Waters from 16 June as private entertained, £0 17s 6d subtotal £222 15s 9½d The artillery company followed. Artillery company Thomas Hall master gunner salary, £22 16s 3d diet money, £6 16s 10½d subtotal £29 13s 1½d The gunners mates followed. Gunners mates Nathan Sample chief mate, £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d Charles McCurdy from 1 April to 30 June as private, £2 16s 0d Adam Watson, £9 2s 6d James Long, £9 2s 6d John Slack, £9 2s 6d John Elovey, £9 2s 6d Thomas Saylor, £9 2s 6d subtotal £68 19s 1½d The quarter gunners followed. Quarter gunners John Shirtly deputy gunner from 1 April to 30 June as private made gunners mate, £2 2s 0d as gunners mate from 1 April to 30 June, £6 6s 0d Andreas Barton, £6 16s 10½d James Perry from 1 April to 30 June as private, £1 19s 0d Matthew Brichland from 1 April to 15 May inclusive discharged, £3 3s 0d George Nelson, £6 16s 10½d Quarter gunners carried over £29 3s 8d Carried over £2,292 16s 6½d Interpretations The account turned from the four companies of foot to the artillery company, the specialist body that served the island's guns under its master gunner Thomas Hall. This was the corps John Clark of the first company had been paid to instruct, the gunners mates and quarter gunners beneath Hall forming the trained crews who worked the batteries defending the road and anchorage. The artillery ranks ran through their own grades, the master gunner at the head, then the chief mate Nathan Sample above the ordinary gunners mates, and the quarter gunners below them. Nathan Sample drew £11 8s 1½d against the £9 2s 6d of the common mates, the higher pay marking the chief mate as the senior hand under Hall, the man who stood next in charge of the guns and their crews. The artillery mates and gunners were paid at markedly higher rates than the sentinels of the foot, the ordinary gunner's mate at £9 2s 6d the quarter against the private's £3 16s 4d. This gap measured the worth the Company set on the skilled work of laying and firing the great guns, the men who could serve the batteries paid more than twice the wage of the common soldier who carried a musket on the walls. |
41 | 34 | 19 July Brought over £2292 16s 6½d Quarter Gunners brought over £27 3s 8d John Frederick Emmerling £6 16s 10½d Richard Waterhouse £6 16s 10½d Thomas Innes £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham from April 27 Incl Enertained and made Quarter Gunner £4 17s 6d £52 11s 10½d Matrosses William Bennett £4 11s 3d John Adam Brayer £4 11s 3d Bejamin Deriton £4 11s 3d William Blackman £4 11s 3d Richard Brown from June 16 Incl Entd £1 1s 0d John Bowers Do £1 1s 0d John Cape £4 11s 3d John Cox £4 11s 3d John Criswell £4 11s 3d Anthony Day £4 11s 3d Christain Byatt £4 11s 3d William Dicks £4 11s 3d Michael Downing from June 16 Incl Entd £1 1s 0d John Duede Do £1 1s 0d Daniel Finn Do £1 1s 0d George Freeman Do £1 1s 0d William Fletcher from April 1st to June 15 Inclusive Discharged £3 16s 0d William Isaac Faird from June 21 Incl Do £10s 0d Giles Garman from April 1st to May 16 Inclusive Discharged £2 11s 0d John Grainger from April 26 Incl Do £3 4s 0d Joseph Grod £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock £4 11s 3d William Hedge £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton £4 11s 3d James Buckley £4 11s 3d John Houruton from June 16 Incl Ent £1 1s 0d Samuel Hoyles Do £1 1s 0d Edward Jenkins Do £1 1s 0d Matrosses Carried over £77 7s 7d Carried over £2345 8s 5d | The account continued from the sum of £2,292 16s 6½d brought over from the previous page, with the quarter gunners total of £27 3s 8d carried over. Brought over £2,292 16s 6½d Quarter gunners brought over, £27 3s 8d John Frederick Emmerling, £6 16s 10½d Richard Waterhouse, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Jones, £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham from 1 April to 27 June entertained and made quarter gunner, £4 17s 6d subtotal £52 11s 10½d The matrosses followed. Matrosses William Bennett, £4 11s 3d John Adam Brayer, £4 11s 3d Benjamin Denton, £4 11s 3d William Blackman, £4 11s 3d Richard Brown from 16 June as private entertained, £1 1s 0d John Brown as private entertained, £1 1s 0d John Cope, £4 11s 3d John Cox, £4 11s 3d John Criswell, £4 11s 3d Anthony Day, £4 11s 3d Christain Byatt, £4 11s 3d William Dicks, £4 11s 3d Michael Downing from 16 June as private entertained, £1 1s 0d John Ducdo as private entertained, £1 1s 0d Daniel Finn as private entertained, £1 1s 0d George Freeman as private entertained, £1 1s 0d William Fletcher from 1 April to 16 June inclusive discharged, £3 16s 0d William Isaac Fard from 16 June as private entertained, £0 10s 0d Giles Garman from 1 April to 15 May inclusive discharged, £2 0s 0d John Grainger from 1 April to 27 June inclusive, £3 4s 0d Joseph Gee, £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock, £4 11s 3d William Hodgs, £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton, £4 11s 3d James Buckley, £4 11s 3d John Houreton from 16 June as private entertained, £1 1s 0d Samuel Hoyles as private entertained, £1 1s 0d Edward Jenkins as private entertained, £1 1s 0d Matrosses carried over £77 7s 9d Carried over £2,345 8s 5d Interpretations Matrosses were the junior gunners of the artillery, the men who assisted the trained gunners at the batteries, loading and running out the pieces and standing ready to fill a gunner's place. Their quarterly wage of £4 11s 3d stood above the private sentinel's £3 16s 4d but below the gunners mates, marking them a grade between the common foot soldier and the skilled artilleryman in the ordered ranks that served the island's guns. Robert Cunningham was entered late in the quarter and at once made a quarter gunner, his pay running from 1 April to 27 June, a man brought straight into the artillery rather than raised from the foot. The recurring group of matrosses entered on 16 June at the part-rate of £1 1s 0d shows the same draft of recruits reaching even the specialist gunners, the new men spread across the whole establishment to fill its ranks as the quarter closed. |
42 | 35 | 1762 Brought over £2345 8s 5d Matrosses brought over £77 7s 9d John Reveron from April 1st to May 5 lb Incl Disch £2 7s 0d William Lester £4 11s 3d Bryan Linch £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel £4 11s 3d Daniel Malony £4 11s 3d William Mitchel from June 16 Incl Entertained £1 1s 0d Osaw Nowland £4 11s 3d William Region £4 11s 3d John Plock £4 11s 3d William Phillips £4 11s 3d Thomas Pratchett discharged April 9 £1s 0d John Peplow from June 16 Inclus Entertained £1 1s 0d John Robineson £4 11s 3d Joshua Ratcliff £4 11s 3d Christopher Reynolds £4 11s 3d Frederick Timmerman £4 11s 3d John Slater £4 11s 3d John Slow £4 11s 3d George Straight £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith £4 11s 3d John Turner Daniel Tongue from April 1st to 5 lb Incl made Corp £1 8s 0d Quarter Gunner Do Quarter Gunner from April 5 lb Incl £4 14s 6d Richard Tink £4 11s 3d Luke Vernon £4 11s 3d Thomas Watts £4 11s 3d Thomas Wigall £4 11s 3d John Michel Wageling John Hendrick Walters from April 1st to May 12 Inclusive made Quarter Gunner £2 2s 0d Do Quarter Gunner from May 13 Incl £3 13s 6d Thomas Willson £4 11s 3d John Wood £4 11s 3d James York £4 11s 3d £222 8s 3d Nathaneel Young £6 19s 8½d Charles Uffin 51 day salary at 30 pr ann £12 10s 0d Mrs Mary Goodwin Pensioner £2587 6s 4½d | The account continued from the sum of £2,345 8s 5d brought over from the previous page, with the matrosses total of £77 7s 9d carried over. Brought over £2,345 8s 5d Matrosses brought over, £77 7s 9d John Bearon from 1 April to 15 May as private discharged, £2 7s 0d William Litter, £4 11s 3d Bryan Linch, £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel, £4 11s 3d Daniel Malony, £4 11s 3d William Mitchel from 16 June inclusive as private entertained, £1 1s 0d Esau Nowland, £4 11s 3d William Pidgion, £4 11s 3d John Plock, £4 11s 3d William Phillips, £4 11s 3d Thomas Pratchett discharged April 9, £0 1s 0d John Peplow from 16 June inclusive as private entertained, £1 1s 0d John Debrison, £4 11s 3d Joshua Ratcloff, £4 11s 3d Christopher Reynolds, £4 11s 3d Frederick Timmerman, £4 11s 3d John Slater, £4 11s 3d John Sroe, £4 11s 3d George Straught, £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith, £4 11s 3d John Turner, £4 11s 3d Daniel Tongue from 1 April to 30 June as matross, £1 8s 0d quarter gunner, [...] as quarter gunner from 1 April inclusive, £4 14s 6d Richard Tink, £4 11s 3d John Vernor, £4 11s 3d Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d Thomas Wigall, £4 11s 3d John Michel Wageling from 1 April to 15 May as matross made quarter gunner, £2 2s 0d as quarter gunner from 15 May inclusive, £3 13s 6d Thomas Willson, £4 11s 3d John Wood, £4 11s 3d James York, £4 11s 3d subtotal £222 8s 3d Nathaniel Young salary 51 days at £30 per year, £6 19s 8½d Charles junior salary 51 days at £30 per year, £13 10s 0d Mrs Mary Goodwin pensioner, [...] total £2,587 6s 4½d Interpretations Daniel Tongue and John Michel Wageling were each raised from matross to quarter gunner within the quarter, their pay divided at the day of the step, the matrosses forming the pool from which the quarter gunners places were filled. This continues the pattern running through the whole artillery, the junior gunners advanced grade by grade as vacancies opened, each promotion struck from the exact day it took effect. The list closed with two men paid by the day at a yearly rate of £30 and a pensioner, Mrs Mary Goodwin, the single woman named in the whole muster. Her pension marks the Company providing for a dependant of the establishment, most likely the widow of a servant or soldier, kept on the island's charge among the wages of the living garrison, the one entry in the account for maintenance owed rather than work done. |
43 | 36 | 19th July Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 June 30th To Cash received £3253 12s 4½d Carried over £3253 12s 4½d | The paymaster's account of Thomas Kirkpatrick was set out, charged as debtor. Thomas Kirkpatrick paymaster, debtor 30 June 1762 to cash received, £3,253 12s 4½d Carried over £3,253 12s 4½d Interpretations The account here opened a fresh reckoning against Thomas Kirkpatrick as paymaster, the single entry charging him with the cash received into his hands for the quarter. As paymaster he stood answerable for the whole sum drawn to meet the establishment's wages and charges, the £3,253 12s 4½d entered as a debt he must account for against the payments set out in the muster and stores. This was the standard form of a paymaster's charge, the officer debited with all money received so that his disbursements could be set against it and any balance struck. The figure gathered into one sum the funds behind the quarter's pay and provisioning, Kirkpatrick holding the cash as the Company's agent and bound to show it fully laid out or still in hand. |
44 | 37 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 April 6 By Cash paid Captain James Ward for 67 Pr Cwt 10 lb of Rice at 8 pr Ct £26 16s 7d By Cash paid George Rene for the Passage of Three discharged Soldiers Invalided at 5 Cwt £15s 0d By Cash paid Neequdah Porhellum his allowance from the Honorable Company this Quarter £1 12s 6d 12 By Cash paid Abraham Harding for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years longer as a Soldier commencing this day £10s 0d 14 By Cash paid Thomas Suffrei for enlisting to serve d anno this day £5s 0d 17 By Do James Hendry for Do commencing this day £10s 0d 28 By Do John Grainger for Do commencing this day £10s 0d By Do Robert Cunningham for Do Do £10s 0d May 1st By Cash paid Captain John Bosling for 375 Pr Cwt of Salt Beef at 2 pr Ct and 27 lb 3 Rice at 17 pr Ct for the use of the Honorable Company £71 2s 11d 3 By Cash paid Captain Jackson for 324 Pr Cwt of Salt Beef at 2 pr Ct and 27 lb 3 Rice 16 pr Ct for Do £93 5s 6d 4 By Cash paid Captain Godfrey for 40 Pr Cwt Pork 2 lb pr Ct and 20 lb Pr Cwt of Rice at 16 pr Ct £74s 0d By Cash paid Manory Garrison Men for coming expenses with Accounts of Ships to windward £2 2s 6d 14 By Cash paid Captain Hodghinson for the passage of William Lier of His Majestys Invalided sent from the Cape £5s 0d 15 By Cash paid Captain Borham for 94 Pr Cwt of Salt Beef at 2 lb pr Ct for the use of the Honorable Company £8 9s 4d By Cash paid Captain Baddison for 11 lb 5 of Flour at 36 lb 10 pr Ct for Do £15 8s 6d May 15 By Cash paid Captain Borham for 110 lb of 3 Inch Rope at 5 lb pr Ct for the use of the Mercury snow £2 12s 8½d 18 By Cash paid Matthias Cutter for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years as a Soldier commencing this Day £5s 0d 28 By Cash paid Samuel Eales for enlisting to Do com Twesday Carried over £451 15s 8½d | The credit side of the paymaster's account was set out against the charge, recording the cash paid out during the quarter. Per contra, creditor 6 April 1762 by cash paid Captain James Ward for 67 pieces 10 lb of rice at 8 per cent, £26 16s 7d by cash paid Captain George Rene for the passage of three discharged soldiers invalided at £5 each, £15 0s 0d by cash paid Neequdah Porkellum his allowance from the Honourable Company this quarter, £1 12s 6d 12 April by cash paid Abraham Harding for re-listing to serve the Honourable Company five years longer as a soldier commencing this day, £10 0s 0d 14 April by cash paid Thomas Toffnel for enlisting to serve the ammunition this day, £5 0s 0d 17 April by ditto James Hendry for enlisting commencing this day, £10 0s 0d 28 April by ditto John Grainger for enlisting commencing this day, £10 0s 0d by ditto Robert Cunningham for ditto, £10 0s 0d 1 May by cash paid Captain John Darling for 375 pieces of salt beef at 2s per piece and 27 lb 3 oz rice at 17½ per cent for the use of the Honourable Company, £71 2s 11d 3 May by cash paid Captain Jackson for 824 pieces of salt beef at 2s per piece and 27 lb 3 oz rice at 18 per cent for ditto, £93 5s 6d 4 May by cash paid Captain Godfrey for 640 pieces of pork at 2s per piece and 20 lb of rice at 16 per cent, £74 0s 0d by cash paid sundry garrison men for enlisting expenses with accounts of ships to be entertained, £2 2s 6d 14 May by cash paid Captain Hutchinson for the passage of William, lieutenant of HM's invalids sent from the Cape, £5 0s 0d 15 May by cash paid Captain Boxham for 941 pieces of salt pork at 2s per piece for the use of the Honourable Company, £89 14s 6d by cash paid Captain Baddison for 11s 6d of flour at 36s 10d per cent for ditto, £15 8s 6d 15 May by cash paid Captain Boxham for 110 of 3 inch rope at 5s 2d per cent for the use of the Mercury snow, £2 12s 8½d 15 May by cash paid Matthias Cutley for enlisting to serve the Honourable Company five years as a soldier commencing this day, £5 0s 0d 28 April by cash paid Samuel Eales for re-listing to ditto commencing Monday, £5 0s 0d Carried over £481 15s 8½d Interpretations Neequdah Porkellum was a nakhoda, the Persian and Indian title for the master or commander of a native trading vessel, paid a quarterly allowance by the Company most likely as the skipper of a country boat kept in its service. The salt beef, pork and rice bought here came from the commanders of the ships in the road, the Company buying its provisions piece by piece from passing vessels rather than from a settled supply, the anchorage serving as its market for stores. The enlistment payments record the standard bounty paid to a man on engaging or re-engaging to serve as a soldier, five years being the usual term, the cash a spur to fill and hold the garrison's ranks. Several men named here as re-listing appear in the muster entered afresh in the quarter, the bounty on the credit side matching the fresh soldiers on the pay roll, the two sides of the account tracking the same recruitment. Salt provisions were bought at a flat 2s the piece from a succession of ship commanders, the rice and flour reckoned by a percentage on their weight, showing the prices the Company paid for the bulk of its victualling. This purchasing from the shipping was the island's chief means of laying in salt meat, a remote settlement with little pasture buying its beef and pork already cured from the vessels that called, the quantities running to many hundreds of pieces at a time. Speculations The Company paid Captain Hutchinson £5 for the passage of an invalid lieutenant sent from the Cape rather than leaving the man to find his own way, taking on the cost of moving a broken officer between its stations. The entry shows the establishment choosing to bear the charge of its disabled servants, shipping an invalided lieutenant onward from the Cape at its own expense instead of discharging him where he fell, a small mark of the Company carrying its own worn-out men rather than casting them off at the nearest port. |
45 | 38 | 19th July Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 June 30 To Cash brought over £3253 12s 4½d Carried over £3253 12s 4½d | The paymaster's account of Thomas Kirkpatrick continued, charged as debtor, carrying forward the cash brought over from the previous page. Thomas Kirkpatrick paymaster, debtor 30 June 1762 to cash brought over, £3,253 12s 4½d Carried over £3,253 12s 4½d |
46 | 39 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 Brought over £451 15s 8½d May 24 By Cash paid William Marre for Do Do £10s 0d June 15 By Cash paid Thomas Rutherford for Do Do £10s 0d By Cash paid Captain Hall for 22 lb 21 Rice at 16 pr Ct for the use of the Honorable Company £11 4s 4d 17 By Cash paid Captain Brooks for 32 1 5 Rice at 16 pr Ct for Do £26s 3d By Cash paid Captain Buckley for a Long Boats Anchor of 1 1 at 25 pr Ct £1 15s 0d 21 By Cash paid John Patterson Surgeon for his care of 44 Recruits in their passage from England to St Helena at 5 pr a £13 10s 0d 23 By Cash paid George Barnard for Sundrys sent on board His Majestys Ship Assistance £7 1s 0d 23 By Cash paid Captain Clements for Sundrys bought for the use of the Honorable Companys Table £5s 3d 30 By Cash paid Mr Harper for 600 Lemons for Do £18s 0d By Cash paid Richard Bazley for 2000 Lemons for the use of his Majestys Ship Assistance £3s 0d By Cash paid William Finch for Glazing work done this Quarter £3s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for rowing in the Honorable Companys Pinnace this Quarter £3s 0d By Cash paid Robert Jackson for looking after the Honble Companys Stock in the Longwood this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Charles Gitting the Rent of a Room for the use of Neequdah Porhellum this Quarter £1s 0d 30 By Cash paid Mark Balls & Co for baking 25 lb 5 Sacks of Bread for the use of the Garrison this Quarter £5 8s 4d By Cash paid John Price for digging 5 Graves for deceased Soldiers this Quarter at 2 a £10s 0d By Cash paid Richard Bazley for 1300 Lemons and 10 Bushel of Potatoes for the use of the Honorable Companys Table this Quarter £1 14s 0d By Cash paid Captain Bozem for 700 lb of Hay for the use of his Majestys Ship Assistance at 4 pr Ct £1 15s 0d Carried over £556 7s 7½d | The credit side of the paymaster's account continued, carrying forward the sum brought over and recording the further cash paid out during the quarter. Per contra, creditor Brought over £481 15s 8½d 23 May by cash paid William Harris for enlisting to serve, £10 0s 0d 15 June by cash paid Thomas Rutherford for enlisting to serve, £10 0s 0d by cash paid Captain Hall for 227 lb 21 oz rice at 16 per cent for the use of the Honourable Company, £11 4s 4d 17 June by cash paid Captain Brooks for 32 lb 1 oz 5 rice at 16 per cent for ditto, £26 3s 0d by cash paid Captain Buckley for a long boats anchor of 1 cwt 1 quarter at 28s per cent, £1 15s 0d 21 June by cash paid John Patterson surgeon for his care of 54 recruits on their passage from England to St Helena at 5s each, £13 10s 0d 23 June by cash paid George Barnard for sundries sent on board His Majesty's ship Assistance, £7 1s 0d 23 June by cash paid Captain Clements for sundries bought for the use of the Honourable Company's table, £5 0s 3d 30 June by cash paid William Harper for 600 lemons for ditto, £0 18s 0d by cash paid Richard Bazley for 2,000 lemons for the use of His Majesty's ship Assistance, £3 0s 0d by cash paid William Finch for glazing work done this quarter, £0 3s 0d by cash paid sundry garrison men for rowing in the Honourable Company's pinnace this quarter, £3 0s 0d by cash paid Robert Newhook for looking after the Honourable Company's stock in the longwood this quarter, £2 10s 0d by cash paid Charles Goforg the rent of a room for the use of Neequdah Porkellum this quarter, £1 0s 0d 30 June by cash paid Mark Balls and Company for baking 253 lb of bread for the use of the garrison this quarter, £5 8s 4d by cash paid John Price for digging 5 graves for deceased soldiers this quarter at 2s each, £0 10s 0d by cash paid Richard Bazley for 1,300 lemons and 10 bushels of potatoes for the use of the Honourable Company's table this quarter, £1 14s 0d by cash paid Captain Boxen for 700 lb of hay for the use of His Majesty's ship Assistance at 4s per cent, £1 15s 0d Carried over £556 7s 7½d Interpretations The lemons bought in great quantity, 2,000 for HMS Assistance alone and hundreds more for the Company's table, were the standard remedy against scurvy on the long sea passages, the fresh fruit laid in by the man-of-war and the Company alike to guard their crews on the run home. St Helena's gardens made it a vital revictualling station on the East India route, the island supplying the calling ships with the fresh food that could not be kept at sea. The pinnace and the long boat were the Company's working craft, the pinnace a light boat rowed by hired garrison men and the long boat fitted here with a new anchor, both kept for landing goods and working the difficult anchorage. Robert Newhook was paid for tending the Company's stock at Longwood, the upland pasture where the island grazed its cattle, the herd watched and kept against the constant need for fresh meat. The account gathered the small services of the settlement into cash payments, the glazing of windows, the baking of bread, the digging of graves for dead soldiers at 2s each, and the renting of a room for the nakhoda Porkellum. This detail shows the Company meeting every want of the establishment through hired labour and purchase, from the burial of its dead to the housing of a foreign boat captain in its service, each charge set down against the paymaster's account. Speculations The Company hired John Patterson to nurse 54 recruits on their passage from England at 5s a head rather than trusting the men to the ship's own care, paying a surgeon to see the draft safely to the island. The entry shows the establishment guarding its incoming soldiers as a valuable cargo, the cost of a dedicated surgeon on the voyage weighed against the loss of recruits to sickness on the long passage, a remote garrison hard to reinforce choosing to protect the men it had sent for before they ever arrived. |
47 | 40 | 19 July Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 June 30 To Cash brought over £3253 12s 4½d Carried over £3253 12s 4½d | The paymaster's account of Thomas Kirkpatrick continued, charged as debtor, carrying forward the cash brought over from the previous page. Thomas Kirkpatrick paymaster, debtor 30 June 1762 to cash brought over, £3,253 12s 4½d Carried over £3,253 12s 4½d |
48 | 41 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 June 30 Brought over £556 7s 7½d By Cash paid Orlando Bagley Snr for 16 Bushels of Patatoes for Do at 5 pr Sd £2 10s 0d By Cash paid George Straight for 13 Weeks Work in the Armorers Shop at 4 pr 6 pr Day £5 17s 0d By Cash paid James Buckley for 13 Days Do at 1 pr Day £13s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for Working in the Honorable Companys Long boat this Quarter £2 3s 0d By Cash paid Matthias Bazett for 4 Loads of Brombing for the use of the Honorable Company this Quarter at 2 pr 6 pr Sd £10s 0d By Cash paid Benjamin Mason for Eleven Loads of Bushes for the use of the Honorable Company this Quarter £5s 6d By Cash Robert Brown for painting work done this Quarter £12s 0d By Cash paid Robert Barclay Surgeon for his care in the Hospital of John Butter, Geo Tabearo & Paul Morrison belonging to the Fly Cutter, Thomas Bower an Invalid William Brown & 3rd William Six one of his Majestys Do £12 12s 0d By Cash paid Thomas Perrin for Sixty Six days work in the Honorable Companys Store Mr Powells Assistant being Sick at 1 pr day £3 6s 0d By Cash paid Henry Howell instructing the young Drummers this Quarter £1s 0d By Cash paid Thomas Townsion for work done by him £3s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for coming aggreed with Accounts of Ships to windward vine Custom Vessels of the Island £3s 0d By Cash paid Gustavus Wineston, James Sherlock, Edward Brown, Stephen Davis, Gabriel Buey, George Howard, William Mason and Thomas Peacher discharged Soldiers 4 Days at 6 pr Day £9s 0d By Cash paid Daniel Jackson left out of two Majestys Ship Serpentine 18 days at Do £14s 0d By Cash paid Robert Cunningham a discharged Soldier 28 Days at Do £3s 9d By Cash paid Hendrick, Samuel Springat and Edward Fink 3rd 46 Days as at Do Carried over £597 15s 1½d | The credit side of the paymaster's account continued, carrying forward the sum brought over and recording the further cash paid out during the quarter. Per contra, creditor Brought over £556 7s 7½d 30 June 1762 by cash paid Orlando Bagley senior for 16 bushels of potatoes for ditto at 5s each, £2 10s 0d by cash paid George Straught for 15 weeks work in the armourers shop at 4s 6d per day, £5 17s 0d by cash paid James Buckley for 15 days ditto at 1s per day, £0 15s 0d by cash paid sundry garrison men for working the Honourable Company's long boat this quarter, £2 3s 0d by cash paid Matthew Bazett for 4 scoates of brooms for the use of the Honourable Company this quarter at 2s 6d each, £0 10s 0d by cash paid Benjamin Mason for eleven scoates of brushes for the use of the Honourable Company this quarter, £0 5s 6d by cash paid Robert Brown for painting work done this quarter, £0 12s 0d by cash paid Robert Barclay surgeon for his care in the hospital of John Butler, George Tabvaso and Paul Morrison belonging to the Fly cutter, Thomas Barer an invalid, William Brown ditto and William Sixons of His Majesty's ship ditto, £12 12s 0d by cash paid Thomas Perrin for sixty six days work in the Honourable Company's store, Mr Powell's assistant being sick, at 1s per day, £3 6s 0d by cash paid Henry Howell for instructing the young drummers this quarter, £1 0s 0d by cash paid Thomas Townsend for work done by his apprentice this quarter, £3 3s 0d by cash paid sundry garrison men for coming aboard with accounts of ships to windward in the cutter, cash left the island, £3 0s 0d by cash paid Gustavus Wooster, James Shelbourn, Edward Brown, Hopkin Davis, Gabriel Bucey, George Frederick William Mason and Thomas Pracher discharged soldiers at £3 each per day, £1 0s 0d by cash paid Daniel Fisher left out of His Majesty's ship Torpedine 18 days at ditto, £0 9s 0d by cash paid Robert Cunningham a discharged soldier 28 days at ditto, £0 14s 0d by cash paid Frederick, Samuel Springal and Edward Fink 46 days at ditto, £3 9s 0d Carried over £597 15s 1½d Interpretations The surgeon Robert Barclay was paid for the hospital care of six named men from the visiting ships and the Fly cutter, invalids and sick sailors set ashore to be nursed at the island's expense, the charge falling on the Company as keeper of the only hospital in the road. This shows St Helena serving as the sickbay of the whole passing fleet, the calling vessels landing their sick to recover on the island while their ships went on or lay in the anchorage. Scoates of brooms and brushes were bundles or lots of the finished articles, bought from Bazett and Mason as small piecework supply for the Company's cleaning and stores. The armourers shop under George Straught kept the garrison's weapons in repair, paid by the week at 4s 6d a day, the skilled smith earning far above the shilling a day of the labourers who worked beside him. The account recorded a run of payments to discharged soldiers held on the island past their discharge, kept in pay by the day until a ship could carry them off, the men waiting for a passage away from the remote station. This detail marks the difficulty of moving men to and from so isolated a post, the Company bearing the cost of feeding and paying its discharged and invalided soldiers for weeks while they waited on the next vessel to take them from the island. |
49 | 42 | 19th July Thomas Kirkpatrick Dr 1762 June 30th To Cash brought over £3253 12s 5d Carried over £3253 12s 5d | The paymaster's account of Thomas Kirkpatrick continued, charged as debtor, carrying forward the cash brought over from the previous page. Thomas Kirkpatrick, debtor 30 June 1762 to cash brought over, £3,253 12s 5d Carried over £3,253 12s 5d |
50 | 43 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 June 30 Brought over £597 15s 8½d By Cash paid George Simms Do 36 Days at Do £18s 0d By Cash paid John Grainger Do 15 Days at Do £7s 6d By Cash paid Thomas Suffrei left out of the Ships Hawke 9 Days at Do £4s 6d By Cash paid John Robinson Do Ships Plassey 8 Days Do £4s 0d By Cash paid Charles Mc Culty a discharged Soldier 7 Days at Do £3s 6d By Cash paid James Perry Do 30 days at Do £15s 0d By Cash paid Humphrey Pugh Do Invalid 34 pr Do 17 Days on at Do £17s 0d By Cash paid Matthew Brickland Do 25 Days at Do £2s 6d By Cash paid William Ward Do 21 Days at Do £10s 6d By Cash paid William Fletcher Do 16 August Do £8s 0d By Cash paid Joachim Josso 91 Days at 7 lb pr day £2 16s 10½d By Cash paid John Wibley, William Dear, and Archibald Pogue three Discharged Soldiers 9 days at 6 pr Day at Do £13s 6d By Cash paid Richard Gordon for 700 lb Hay for the use of his Majestys Ship Torpaichon at 5 pr Ct £1 15s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for 135 Days work at the New Hospital at 1 pr Day £6 15s 0d By Cash paid Do for 19 lb Days work in the Military Garden Do £19s 6d By Cash paid Do for 73 lb Days work on the Pastures a Do £3 13s 3d By Cash paid Do for 393 lb Days work in the Honorable Companys Store £19 13s 6d By Cash paid Do for 8 Days work in repairing the Prison Do £8s 0d By Cash paid Do for 6 Days work in Grubing Trees at Do £6s 0d By Cash paid Do for 37 lb Days work in repairing Mundens point Path at Do £1 17s 3d By Cash paid Do for 49 lb Days work in weeding Spurge in the Longwood at Do £2 9s 6d By Cash paid Do for 10 Days work in the Fort Garden a Do £10s 0d By Cash paid Do for 33 Days work in fetching Stone from Sister Hill for the Armorer at Do £1 13s 0d By Cash paid Do for 107 Days work at the Officers Rooms £5 7s 0d By Cash paid Do for 27 lb Days work in repairing Bankss Path a Do £1 7s 6d Carried over £653 2s 6d | The credit side of the paymaster's account continued, carrying forward the sum brought over and recording the further cash paid out during the quarter. Per contra, creditor Brought over £597 15s 1½d 30 June 1762 by cash paid George Simms discharged 36 days ditto, £0 18s 0d by cash paid John Grainger discharged 15 days at ditto, £0 7s 6d by cash paid Thomas Toffnel left out of the ship Hawk 9 days at ditto, £0 4s 6d by cash paid John Robinson discharged ship passage 4 days ditto, £0 4s 0d by cash paid Charles McNulty discharged soldier 9 days at ditto, £0 3s 6d by cash paid James Perry discharged 30 days at ditto, £0 15s 0d by cash paid Humphrey Pugh discharged as invalid soldier 17 days ditto at ditto, £0 17s 0d by cash paid Matthew Brichland discharged 25 days ditto, £0 9s 6d by cash paid William Ward discharged 21 days at ditto, £0 10s 6d by cash paid William Fletcher discharged 16 days ditto, £0 8s 0d by cash paid Joachim Sett 91 days 7s per day, £2 16s 10½d by cash paid John Webley, William Dew and Archibald Bonge three discharged soldiers 9 days at 6s each, £13 0s 0d by cash paid Richard Gordon for 700 lb hay for the use of His Majesty's ship Torpedine at 5s per cent, £1 15s 0d by cash paid sundry garrison men for 135 days work at the new hospital at 1s per day, £6 15s 0d by cash paid ditto for 19½ days work in the military garden ditto, £0 19s 6d by cash paid ditto for 73½ days work on the pastures a ditto, £3 13s 3d by cash paid ditto for 393½ days work in the Honourable Company's store ditto, £19 13s 6d by cash paid ditto for 8 days work in repairing the prison ditto, £0 8s 0d by cash paid ditto for 6 days work in grubbing furze at ditto, £0 6s 0d by cash paid ditto for 37½ days work in repairing Mundens point path at ditto, £1 17s 3d by cash paid ditto for 49½ days work in weeding spurge in the longwood at ditto, £2 9s 6d by cash paid ditto for 10 days work in the fort garden ditto, £0 10s 0d by cash paid ditto for 33 days work in fetching stone from Ladder Hill for the armament, £1 13s 0d by cash paid ditto for 107 days work at the officers rooms, £5 7s 0d by cash paid ditto for 27½ days work in repairing Banks path ditto, £1 7s 6d Carried over £653 2s 6d Interpretations The account gathered the quarter's day labour into a long run of payments to sundry garrison men, the soldiers hired out at a shilling a day for the island's public works when off military duty. This use of the garrison as a labour force shows the establishment drawing double service from its soldiers, the same men who manned the walls set to build the new hospital, repair the paths to Munden and Banks and work the Company's gardens and pastures for extra pay. The grubbing of furze and the weeding of spurge in the longwood were the clearing of tough scrub and weeds from the upland pasture and gardens, the constant labour of holding back the wild growth on the island's exposed high ground. The fetching of stone from Ladder Hill for the armament marks the quarrying and hauling of building stone for the fortifications, the steep hill above the town giving up the rock for the works that defended the road. The discharged and invalided soldiers were again paid by the day while they waited on the island, several kept in pay for weeks past their discharge until a ship could take them off, and three carried away on a passage at 6s each. This continues the pattern of the isolated station bearing the cost of its cast-off men, the Company feeding and paying its discharged soldiers through the long wait for a vessel, the remoteness of the island turning a simple discharge into a charge that ran on for weeks. |
51 | 44 | 19th July Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 June 30 To Cash brought over £3253 12s 4½d £3253 12s 4½d St Helena 30th June 1762 | The paymaster's account of Thomas Kirkpatrick closed, charged as debtor, the cash brought over standing as the balance struck at St Helena on 30 June 1762. Thomas Kirkpatrick paymaster, debtor 30 June 1762 to cash brought over, £3,253 12s 4½d £3,253 12s 4½d |
52 | 45 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 June 30 Brought over £653 2s 6d By Cash paid Do for 24 lb Days work in covering the new Barracks at Do £1 4s 6d By Cash paid Do for 29 lb Days work in repairing Ruperts Cutter and path at Do £1 9s 6d By Cash paid Do for 7 Days work in repairing Side path £7s 0d By Cash paid Do for 209 lb Days Carpenters work at Do £10 9s 6d £666 6d By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants their Several Salarys diet money &c for the Quarter commencing April 1st and ending June 30th 1762 £2587 6s 4½d £3253 12s 4½d Errors Excepted pr Thomas Kirkpatrick Counted examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of June last which is as follows vizt | The credit side of the paymaster's account closed, carrying forward the sum brought over and setting the whole against the charge to strike the account level. Per contra, creditor Brought over £653 2s 6d 30 June 1762 by cash paid ditto for 24½ days work in covering the new barracks at ditto, £1 4s 6d by cash paid ditto for 29½ days work in repairing Ruperts cutter and path at ditto, £1 9s 6d by cash paid ditto for 7 days work in repairing side path, £0 7s 0d by cash paid ditto 209½ days carpenters work at ditto, £10 9s 6d subtotal £666 6s 0d by cash paid the Honourable Company's officers and servants their several salaries, diet money and so on for the quarter commencing 1 April and ending 30 June 1762, £2,587 6s 4½d total £3,253 12s 4½d The account was subscribed errors excepted by Thomas Kirkpatrick. A count and examination followed of the Honourable Company's cash for the month of June, which stood as set out below. Interpretations The final entry closed the paymaster's account by setting the whole cost of the establishment's wages, £2,587 6s 4½d, against the cash he had received, the two sides brought level at £3,253 12s 4½d. This great sum for salaries was the same total struck at the foot of the muster rolls, the paymaster's account and the pay list meeting at the same figure, the one recording the cash laid out and the other the men it paid. The last of the day labour finished the quarter's works, the covering of the new barracks, the mending of Rupert's cutter and the paths, and a long charge of 209½ days of carpenters work, all paid to the garrison men and tradesmen at the daily rate. The account thus gathered into one reckoning the whole outgoing of the settlement for the three months, from the smallest day's labour on a footpath to the great mass of the wages, the paymaster answerable for every shilling against the cash placed in his hands. |
53 | 46 | 19 July Cash Dr 1762 June 1 To Balance remaining £697 19s 5d 14 To Ship Prince Henry vizt the Balance of her Account £12 12s 1d To Ship Triton Do £22 3s 10d To Ship Worcester Do £6 5s 11d To Ship Prince George Do £6 19s 3d To Ship Earl of Holdernesse Do £8 2s 5d To Exchange for 9 Setts of Bills drawn upon the Honble the Court of Directors payable as as follows vizt One Sett to Mr Thomas Lee for £100s 0d One Do to Capt Charles Foulis £420s 0d One Do to Mr John Thomas £64s 0d One Do to Mr Eras Brice £384 10s 10d One Do to Mr George Richardson £300s 0d One Do to John Christopher Newreman £10 6s 9d One Do to Andrew Moffat Esqr £45s 0d One Do to Mr Stephen Wygthript £44 7s 0d One Do to Mr Matthew Pritchard £60s 0d £1428 4s 7d 30 To Ship Royal Charlotte vizt the Balance of her Account £6 18s 10d To James Powell vizt of him for Stores Sold in this Quarter during this Day £952 1s 6d To Licences for 10 Public Houses £15s 0d To Plantation for Provisions Sold £63 17s 6d £9100 5s 6d | The cash account was set out, charged as debtor, recording the money received into the Company's hands during the quarter. Cash, debtor 1 June 1762 to balance remaining, £897 19s 5d 14 June to ship Prince Henry received the balance of her account, £42 12s 1d to ship Fly ditto, £22 3s 10d to ship Worcester ditto, £6 5s 11d to ship Prince George ditto, £6 19s 3d to ship Earl of Holdernesse ditto, £8 2s 5d to exchange for 9 sets of bills drawn upon the Honourable the Court of Directors payable as follows The bills drawn upon the Court of Directors were set out. Bills of exchange drawn upon the Court of Directors One set to Mr Thomas See for, £100 0s 0d One ditto to Captain Charles Eales, £420 0s 0d One ditto to Mr John Thomas, £64 0s 0d One ditto to Mr Edward Brice, £384 10s 10d One ditto to Mr George Robinson, £300 0s 0d One ditto to John Christopher Neweman, £10 6s 9d One ditto to Andrew Moffat esquire, £45 0s 0d One ditto to Mr Stephen Wigthirst, £44 7s 0d One ditto to Mr Matthew Pritchard, £60 0s 0d subtotal £1,428 4s 7d The remaining receipts closed the debit side. 30 June to ship Royal Charlotte received the balance of her account, £6 18s 10d to James Powell received of him for stores sold in the quarter closing this day, £932 1s 6d to licences for 10 public houses, £15 0s 0d to Plantation for provisions sold, £631 7s 6d total £9,100 5s 6d Interpretations The bills of exchange drawn upon the Court of Directors were the means by which money raised at St Helena was remitted to the Company in London, the island taking in cash on the spot and issuing paper payable in England against it. This let the settlement gather funds locally without shipping coin across the sea, the named payees advancing money at the island and drawing on the Court of Directors to be repaid at home. The licences for 10 public houses record the Company taxing the sale of drink on the island, each alehouse paying for the right to trade, a small but regular source of revenue from the settlement's own inhabitants. The £932 received from James Powell for stores sold was the return on the warehouse trade set out at length earlier in the account, the money from goods sold to servants, planters and ships gathered into a single receipt on the cash side. The ships Prince Henry, Fly, Worcester, Prince George, Earl of Holdernesse and Royal Charlotte each paid over the balance of their accounts, the East India vessels settling what they owed the island for the stores and services drawn while in the road. This shows the anchorage working as a place of reckoning as well as supply, each calling ship squaring its account with the Company before sailing, the balances flowing into the island's cash as the fleet passed through. |
54 | 47 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 June 30 By Exchange for a Set of Bills drawn by Capt Nutter and his Purser upon the Commissioners for Victualing his Majestys Navy payable to the Honble the Court of Directors this day £188 7s 6d 30 By Sundry Accounts advanced the Crown to Pay the Officers & Seamens Wages and for Buying Sundrys for the Mercury and Fly vizt Snow Mercury £294 4s 7d Fly Cutter £105 9s 10½d £399 14s 5½d By Sundry Accounts Advanced the paymaster to pay Salarys &c in the Quarter ending this day £3253 12s 4½d By Balance vizt in the following Species 18260 Pagodas 4 Do £410s 4d 2050 Rupees 2 lb £230 12s 6d 441 French pr £3 13s 6d 6088 Numbr Reyals 4 lb £380 10s 2d Odd Money £4718 16s 2d Cash Notes of the this amount to £539 15s 0d £5258 11s 2d £9100 5s 6d | The credit side of the cash account was set out against the charge, recording the money paid out and the balance remaining in hand. Per contra, creditor 30 June 1762 by exchange for a set of bills drawn by Captain Nelson and his purser upon the Commissioners for Victualling His Majesty's Navy payable to the Honourable the Court of Directors this day, £188 7s 6d 30 June by sundry accounts advanced the crown to pay the officers and seamens wages and for buying sundries for the Mercury and Fly snow Mercury, £294 3s 7d Fly cutter, £105 10s 10½d subtotal £399 14s 5½d by sundry accounts advanced the paymaster to pay salaries and so on in the quarter ending this day, £3,253 12s 4½d The balance remaining was set out in the several currencies in hand. Balance remaining in the following species 4,260 pagodas at 7s 8d, £410 4s 0d 2,050 rupees at 2s 3d, £230 12s 6d 441 French per cent, £3 13s 6d 6,088 number of ryals at 4s 3d, £380 10s 2d odd money, £4,718 16s 2d cash notes of one this amount to, £539 15s 0d total £9,100 5s 6d Interpretations The balance of the Company's cash was held not in sterling but in a mixture of the coins that passed through the Eastern trade, the pagoda a gold coin of southern India, the rupee the silver coin of the subcontinent, the ryal a Spanish silver dollar and French money besides. This spread of species shows the island's treasury filled by the shipping of many nations calling in the road, the Company keeping its reserve in whatever coin the trade brought and reckoning each into sterling at a set rate. Captain Nelson of HMS Assistance and his purser drew bills upon the Commissioners for Victualling the Navy, the man-of-war paying for its supplies at St Helena by paper on the naval victualling board in London rather than in cash. This marks the island victualling the King's ships as well as the Company's own, the naval vessels settling their accounts by bills drawn on the Admiralty's paymasters, the East India Company advancing the stores and recovering the cost through the Crown's own credit. The cash side of the account advanced money to the Crown to pay the wages and buy the stores of the snow Mercury and the Fly cutter, the Company laying out funds on the Crown's behalf and charging them to its account. The great sum of £3,253 advanced to the paymaster ties the cash account to the pay and stores set out through the whole quarter, the treasury feeding the paymaster who in turn met the wages of the garrison and establishment, the two accounts closing at the same figure. |
55 | 48 | 19 July Mr Richard Bagley this day presented the following Petition vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor of the Island St Helena The humble Petition of Richard Bagley Sheweth That your Petitioner hath three Bills of Sale and three Endorsements of Leases for Land he lately purchased of Captain Clark and Anne Knipe, humbly begs that you will be pleased to Give him leave to have the same registered And your Petitioner will ever pray (Signed) Richard Bagley 19th July 1762 Granted The Executor to the last Will and Testament of William Standley Soldier deceased this day presented the said Will desiring the same might be proved which was accordingly done upon the Oaths of the Witnesses thereto the will is as follows vizt Island St Helena In the Name of God Amen I William Standley of the aforesaid Island Soldier considering the uncertainty of Life and Certainty of Death, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner & form following. And first I recommend my Soul into the Hands of the Almighty who gave it and my Body to the Earth hoping through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ, my blessed Redeemer to be made partaker of Eternal Happiness, And as to this Worldly Estate it hath pleased the Almighty to bless me with I give same both Real and Personal whatsoever and whensoever unto my good Friend Jonathan Lake of the aforesaid Island to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever Nominating and appointing the aforesaid Jonathan Lake sole Executor to this my last Will and Testament And declaring all other and former Wills to be void For Witness whereof I have hereunto set my | Richard Bazley presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson, setting out that he had three bills of sale and three endorsements of leases for land lately bought of Captain Clark and Anne Knipe, and asking leave to have them registered. The petition was signed by Richard Bazley on 19 July 1763 and granted. The executor to the last will and testament of William Standley, a soldier lately deceased, presented the will that it might be proved, which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the witnesses. The will ran as follows. William Standley, a soldier of the island of St Helena, considering the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, made his last will and testament. He commended his soul to the hands of the Almighty who gave it and his body to the earth, hoping through the mercy and mediation of Jesus Christ his redeemer to be made a partaker of eternal happiness. As to his worldly estate, he gave the whole of it, both real and personal, wherever it lay, to his good friend Jonathan Lake of the island, to him and his heirs and assigns for ever. He named and appointed Jonathan Lake sole executor of his will, and revoked all other and former wills. Interpretations A bill of sale was the written instrument transferring ownership of goods or land, and an endorsement of a lease the assignment of a leasehold from one holder to another, Bazley seeking to have both entered on the island's register so his title to the land bought from Clark and Knipe should stand good in law. The registration of such deeds by the governor was the island's means of recording who held what land, the council keeping the register that fixed and protected property titles on a settlement where all land was held ultimately of the Company. William Standley appears in the muster rolls earlier in this record as a private sentinel marked died within the quarter, his wages settled to the term owed, and his will proved here upon the oaths of its witnesses is the legal sequel to that death. The proving of a soldier's will before the governor shows the island's civil authority reaching into the affairs of the garrison, the same man recorded dead on the pay list now having his small estate settled and passed to his heir under the island's own probate. Speculations William Standley left the whole of his estate to a friend, Jonathan Lake, rather than to any family, and made that same friend his sole executor, choosing a fellow islander over kin to take all he had. The will shows a soldier far from home with no relations near enough to name, disposing of his goods to the one man he trusted on the island, the gift and the executorship together marking how a garrison so remote from England threw men back upon the bonds of friendship in place of the ties of blood when they came to settle their affairs. |
56 | 49 | 1762 Hand and Affixed my Seal this twenty fifth day of June in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and Sixty two (Signed) William Standley mark Sealed delivered and acknowledged as my last Will and Testament in presence and my own request and in presence of each other (Signed) Peter Lindsay Joseph Cutts Jonathan Chandler On the 16 Instant We Invalided John Wibley a discharged Soldier to serve the Honble Company five Years and gave him ten pounds bounty money, he being a good man and had the Articles of War read to him Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Wednesday the 21 day of July 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed, dated the 19th July 1762 | |
57 | 50 | 21 July Mr John Merryweather Chief mate and Mr John Parkinson second Mate of the Mercury Snow representing to Us that their two Months Pay in Six the Honorable Company have been pleased to direct to be paid them here, was not sufficient for their support and more especially when they go to the Cape, where they lose at least half upon any specie they receive here. And as the Honorable Company in the 22nd Paragraph of their last Letter tells, has been pleased to Allow Us a Latitude to give such gratultys and other indulgences to the People of the Mercury Snow, and Fly Cutter, as will make their easy in their situations We in Consequence thereof agreed to advance each of these Gentlemen five Months Wages to Mr Merryweather twenty five pounds, And to Mr Parkinson twenty pounds, for their better support As Mr John Robinson Surgeon of the Mercury Snow, took passage to England upon the Ship Worcester, And that Vessel being in want of a Surgeon, We this Day Entertained Mr Henry Alexander, who was Surgeons Mate of the Ship Prince George and left here sick, to be surgeon at the usual Wages of three pounds five Shillings pr Month We this day Enlisted Edward Durant a discharged Soldier, and gave him ten pounds bounty Money, he being a good Man, And had the Articles of War read to him Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | John Merryweather, chief mate, and John Parkinson, second mate of the snow Mercury, represented to the council that their two months pay, which the Honourable Company had directed should be paid to them at St Helena, was not sufficient for their support, and still less so when they went on to the Cape, where they would lose at least half of any money received on the island. Since the Company in the 22 paragraph of its last letter had allowed the council a latitude to give such gratuities and other indulgences to the people of the Mercury and Fly cutter as would make things easier in their situations, the council in consequence advanced these officers five months wages, twenty five pounds to Merryweather and twenty pounds to Parkinson, for their better support. John Ronaldson, surgeon of the snow Mercury, took passage to England on the ship Worcester, and that vessel being in want of a surgeon, the council this day entertained Henry Alexander, who had been surgeons mate of the ship Prince George and was left on the island sick, to be surgeon at the usual wages of three pounds five shillings per month. The council this day enlisted Edward Durant, a discharged soldier, to serve the Honourable Company five years, and gave him ten pounds bounty money, he being a good man, and had the Articles of War read to him. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The 22 paragraph of the Company's last letter had given the council discretion to grant gratuities and indulgences to the men of the Mercury and Fly, and the officers appeal turned on the low value their island pay would fetch at the Cape, where exchange or prices would strip away half its worth. The advance of five months wages shows the council using that delegated latitude to hold its ship officers content, the standing instruction from London leaving room for local judgement on how far to reward the men on the spot. Henry Alexander's engagement traces the constant shuffling of medical men between the ships and the island, a surgeons mate left sick from one vessel taken on to replace a surgeon who had sailed on another. The exchange shows how the calling ships and the island passed their sick and their skilled men back and forth, a vessel short of a surgeon filled from the men stranded ashore, the island serving as a pool from which the passing fleet made good its losses in trained hands. Speculations The council chose to advance the Mercury's two mates five months wages against their appeal rather than hold them to the two months the Company had directed, weighing the officers complaint that island pay would lose half its worth at the Cape. The decision shows the council reading its discretion generously, judging that content among the ship officers was worth more than strict adherence to the sum London had named, the delegated latitude in the 22 paragraph turned into a real advance of cash where a narrower reading would have paid only what was ordered and left the men to shift for themselves. |
58 | 51 | 26 July At a Consultation held on Monday the 26th day July 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved and signed, dated the 21 July 1762 Friday 23rd arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Warren from Madrass Saturday 24th sailed the Mercury Snow The Warren brought in the following Supplys vizt Invoice of Ship Warren R.F. Rice fine Nr n 40 40 Bags no 13 Mds @ 23 12 pan £145 4s 6d WC War Candles Nr 1 to 2 2 Chest of 4 R Nr @ 64 pr Mr £25 6s 0d P Paddy Nr 1 to 25 25 Bags of 37 20 @ 1 2 8 pr Ct £35 2s 9d BA Batavia Arrack Nr 1 to 2 2 Leagures @ 162 pr pan £362 14s 0d £799 11s 3d Charges Merchandize 105 Gunny Bags £14 2s 9d 2 8 Chow £4s 9d Packers £5s 3d 2 Chests with Package £5 8s 6d Braithers £21 4s 6d 1 Peon £2 2s 6d 40 Reed Matts £3 14s 0d Mootia £6s 6d Weighmen £5s 0d £54 4s 9d Errors Excepted pr P Wyatt Purser Accompt Current Rupees £854s 0d | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 26 July 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 21 July 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Friday 23 July the Honourable Company's ship Warren arrived from Madras. On Saturday 24 July the snow Mercury sailed. The Warren brought in the following supplies. The invoice of the Warren was as follows. Invoice of ship Warren RF rice fine, marks number 1 to 40, 40 bags, 13 bahar 11 maunds at 23 rupees 12 fanams per bahar, 145 rupees 0 annas 6 pies WC wax candles, 2 chests of 4 bahar number, at 54 rupees per maund, 256 rupees 0 annas 0 pies P paddy, marks number 1 to 25, 25 bags of 57 bahar 20 at 1 rupee 2 fanams 8 per cent, 35 rupees 2 annas 9 pies BA Batavia arrack, marks number 1 to 2, 2 leaguers at 162 rupees per leaguer, 362 rupees 14 annas 0 pies subtotal 799 rupees 11 annas 3 pies The charges of merchandise followed. Charges merchandise 105 gunny bags, 14 rupees 2 annas 9 pies 2 chests, 0 rupees 4 annas 9 pies packers, 0 rupees 5 annas 3 pies 2 chests with package, 5 rupees 3 annas 6 pies brothers, 21 rupees 0 annas 6 pies 1 peon, 2 rupees 2 annas 6 pies 40 reed matts, 3 rupees 1 anna 4 pies mortar, 0 rupees 5 annas 6 pies weighmoney, [...] Current rupees 854 rupees 0 annas 0 pies The invoice was subscribed errors excepted by P Amyatt, accountant. Interpretations The invoice was reckoned in the currency and weights of the Coromandel coast, the ship having come from Madras, the rupee divided into annas and pies for money and the goods weighed by the bahar and maund, the standard commercial units of the Indian trade. The bahar was a large weight of several hundred pounds and the maund a smaller one, the fanam a small coin of the south, the whole cargo priced as it would have been at Madras before shipping to the island. Batavia arrack was the spirit distilled at the Dutch settlement of Batavia in Java, reckoned the finest of the Eastern arracks and shipped by the leaguer, a large cask of over a hundred gallons, the two leaguers here forming the most valuable line of the cargo. The island drew its arrack from the whole span of the Eastern trade, this consignment coming by way of Madras from the Dutch East Indies, the spirit that served as the garrison's ration bought wherever the Company's ships could carry it. The charges of merchandise set the cost of packing and handling the goods against the invoice, the gunny bags for the rice and paddy, the reed mats and chests for the candles, and the wages of a peon and packers who made up the loads. A peon was an Indian footman or labourer, and the brothers named among the charges perhaps a firm or gang paid for their part in the lading, the whole showing the small costs of preparing a cargo for shipment added to the price of the goods themselves. |
59 | 52 | 26 July Mr Matthew Purling this day applied to have five Bills of Sale registered for Houses and Lands he lately purchased Granted Mr Thomas Greentree this day presented the following Petition vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &c Council of St Helena The humble Petition of Thomas Greentree Sheweth That your Petitioner hath four Endorsements of Leases, for Land lately Assigned to him, by Messieurs Jonathan and Samuel Dowton, humbly begs that he may for his greater Security, have the same Registered And your Petitioner will ever pray (Signed) Thomas Greentree 26 July 1762 Granted Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | Matthew Purling this day applied to have five bills of sale registered for houses and lands he had lately bought, and it was granted. Thomas Greentree presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the council of St Helena, setting out that he had four endorsements of leases for land lately assigned to him by Jonathan and Samuel Dowton, and asking that for his greater security they might be registered. The petition was signed by Thomas Greentree on 26 July 1762 and granted. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations An endorsement of a lease was the assignment written on the back of the original grant, by which a leaseholder passed his interest to another, Greentree seeking to have the four transfers from the Dowtons entered on the island's register so his title should stand secure. The registration of these deeds was the settlement's means of fixing who held each parcel of land, the council keeping the record that gave legal force to the buying, selling and assigning of property among the inhabitants. Both Purling's five bills of sale and Greentree's four lease endorsements were entered on the same day, and Richard Bazley's like petition appears a few pages earlier, showing a run of land transfers registered together in the summer of 1762. This clustering of conveyances points to an active traffic in the island's houses and land, the small body of settlers buying and selling among themselves, the council's register the single place where such dealings were made good and preserved. |
60 | 53 | 2 August At a Consultation held on Monday the 2 day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated the 26 July 1762 Saturday the 31st Arrived a Dutch Ship from Batavia called the Scoonzigt Capt Cornelis Peterse Bulthen about 730 Tons carrys 20 Guns and 107 Men bound to windward for the Pepper, Sugar and other Goods bound to Amsterdam Yesterday Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship York from Bombay, and brought Us the following Supply vizt Invoice of Ship York Rice Beaten fine 20 Bags pr 135 pr Md @ Do 3 50 pr Md £118 30d Batty 32 Bags pr 3 21 no 92 16 pr Mds pr Mark £61 1s 76d Nr 2 Chellies 1 Batey's Corge 2 1 5 18 1 9 Cost no 15 pr Ct pr Total Charges viz Customs 2 pr Cent £72d Packing £142d £3892d Charges on Merchandize vizt Packing the Rice £22 2d Do the Batty £16 2d Lascars sawing the Bags £2 50d Hamallage on the Rice £2d Do on the Batty £2 2 40d Do on the Chellies £20d Boat Hire £2 2d £46 310d £615 3s 36d Rupees £615 3s 36d Errors Excepted pr B Jervis Acct | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 2 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 26 July 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Saturday 31 July a Dutch ship from Batavia arrived, called the Sovereign, Captain Cornelius Petrovz Brithen, of about 730 tons, carrying 20 guns and 107 men, bound to Amsterdam with pepper, sugar and rice on board. Yesterday the Honourable Company's ship York arrived from Bombay, and brought in the following supply. The invoice of the York was as follows. Invoice of ship York rice beaten fine 20 bags of 135 maunds at 3 rupees 50 per maund, 118 rupees 0 annas 30 pies batty 32 bags of 5 candy 21 maunds 12 seers 6 per maund, 61 rupees 1 anna 76 pies number 2 chellies 1 batty's corge, 2 candy 1 bag 5 seers 18 seers 1 anna 9 seers at 15 per corge, [...] total charges customs 2 per cent, 7 rupees 2 annas packing, 1 rupee 14 annas 2 pies subtotal 38 rupees 9 annas 2 pies The charges on merchandise followed. Charges on merchandise packing the rice, 2 rupees 2 annas packing the batty, 1 rupee 6 annas lascars sewing the bags, 2 rupees 50 pies hamallage on the rice, 2 rupees hamallage on the batty, 2 rupees 2 annas 40 pies hamallage on the chellies, 0 rupees 20 pies boat hire, 2 rupees 2 annas subtotal 46 rupees 3 annas 10 pies Rupees 615 rupees 3 annas 30 pies The invoice was subscribed errors excepted by B Jervis, accountant. Interpretations The invoice was cast in the money and weights of Bombay, the ship having come from that presidency, the rupee reckoned in annas and the goods weighed by the candy, maund and seer, the western Indian counterparts of the measures used at Madras. The candy was a large weight of several hundred pounds, the maund a fraction of it and the seer smaller still, the corge a tale of twenty pieces used for counting cloth, the whole cargo priced as it stood at Bombay before the voyage south. Batty was rice still in the husk, the unmilled grain, and chellies a coarse cotton cloth of the western coast, the two making up the bulk of the cargo beside the beaten rice. Hamallage was the charge for porterage, the fee paid to the hamals or porters who carried the goods, and the lascars named among the charges were the Indian seamen and labourers who sewed up the bags, the whole showing the native handling and carriage that made up the small costs of lading the cargo. The Dutch ship Sovereign homeward from Batavia to Amsterdam with pepper, sugar and rice marks the great traffic of the Dutch East India Company passing St Helena on the same route the English used, the island lying on the sea road that all the Indiamen of every nation followed home. Her calling shows the anchorage serving as a common refreshment station for the whole European trade with the East, the ships of rival companies watering and resting at the one sure landfall in the vast reach of the South Atlantic. |
61 | 54 | 2 August As there were not Cloaths sufficient in the Honorable Company Stores to Cloath their Slaves, We bought the following Articles for them vizt 43 Jackets and Bruchas lined @ 11 6 each £23s 0d 133 Jackets 39 Do Trowsers and 33 Canvas Frocks @ 10 pr Suit £16 10s 0d £39 10s 0d Patrick Riley this day presented the following Petition vizt Island St Helena begun 6 vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esquire Governor of the said Island The humble Petition of Patrick Riley of the aforesaid Island Soldier Sheweth That your Petitioner having received Enlisting money to serve the Honorable Company five Years as a Soldier was sent in board His Royal Charlotte at Gravesend That your Petitioner has never received the much allowance of Cloaths and money the Bounty of the Honorable Company in all amounting to the sum of Three pounds ten Shillings which was made upon Promise of his Discharge, and which was not sent here, and remains Annual how he has been entertained as a Soldier belonging to this Country tho his Name was not inserted in the List of Recruits Your Petitioner therefore humbly Prays Your Worship to take his Case into Consideration And grant him the above sum of Three pounds ten Shillings which Your Petitioner humbly presumes is his due And Your Petitioner will ever Pray &c | Since there were not clothes sufficient in the Honourable Company's stores to clothe their slaves, the council bought the following articles for them. Articles bought to clothe the slaves 42 jackets and breeches lined at 11s 6d each, £23 3s 0d 33 jackets, 33 breeches trousers and 33 canvas frocks at 10s per suit, £16 10s 0d total £39 13s 0d Patrick Reiley presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson at St Helena, setting out that he had received enlisting money to serve the Honourable Company five years as a soldier and was sent out on board the Royal Charlotte at Gravesend. He had never received the usual allowance of clothes and money, the bounty of the Honourable Company, amounting in all to the sum of three pounds ten shillings, which was owed upon a promise of his discharge, and which was not now due, and considered how he had been entertained as a soldier belonging to this country, that his name was not entered on the list of recruits. Reiley therefore prayed the Governor to take his case into consideration and grant him the above sum of three pounds ten shillings, which he presumed to be his due. Interpretations The clothing bought for the slaves, the lined jackets, breeches and canvas frocks, was the coarse working dress the Company found for the bound labourers it fed and housed, the purchase made because its own stores fell short of what was needed. This shows the Company clothing its slaves as a settled charge on the establishment, the plain hard-wearing garments bought in bulk and issued as the field and workshop dress of the men and women who did the island's heaviest work. Patrick Reiley appears in the muster rolls earlier in this record as a private entered on 16 June, one of the draft of recruits taken onto the strength late in the quarter, and his petition here turns on the bounty of clothes and money he claimed was never paid him on his enlistment at Gravesend. The dispute shows the friction between the Company's promises made in England and their fulfilment on the island, a recruit shipped out on a bounty finding, on reaching his distant post, that the allowance he was engaged upon had not followed him and pressing his claim before the governor. Speculations Reiley chose to press his claim on the ground that his name had never been entered on the list of recruits, turning the very omission that might have barred his pay into the argument for it, contending that an unregistered man stood outside the ordinary terms of discharge. The petition shows a soldier using the gap in the Company's own records to his advantage, arguing that because he had been entertained without being formally listed, the bounty promised at Gravesend fell due to him as a debt rather than lapsing with his service, a shrewd reading of his position that rested on the clerks having failed to enrol him in the usual way. |
62 | 55 | 1762 It appearing from the above Petition, That the said Patrick Riley had not received the usual Cloaths and money from the Honorable Company, by reason of his being promised a discharge, which appears to Us to be so, from his Name not being inserted in the List of Recruits transmitted to Us by the Royal Charlotte and as the other Soldiers received the aforesaid Money of £3 10 we for that reason directed the Pay Master to pay him that sum Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Thursday the 5 Day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved and signed dated the 2 August 1762 Christian Brinks Soldier whose contracted Time will expire next year representing to Us, that he was desirous of returning to his Native Country, And had procured William Yester belonging to the Dutch Ship who is agreed, More to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years, requested to be discharged from the Garrison We agreed to discharge Do Enlisted the said William Yester without any Bounty Money and had the Articles of War read to him | It appeared from the petition that Patrick Reiley had not received the usual clothes and money from the Honourable Company, by reason of his being promised a discharge, which appeared to the council to be so from his name not being entered in the list of recruits transmitted by the Royal Charlotte, and as the other soldiers had received the money of three pounds ten shillings for that reason, the council directed the paymaster to pay him that sum. The order was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. At a consultation held at the Castle on Thursday 5 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 2 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. Christian Brinks, a soldier whose contracted time would expire shortly, represented to the council that he wished to return to his native country, and had procured William Foster, belonging to the Dutch ship in the road, to serve the Honourable Company as a soldier for five years. Brinks asked to be discharged from the garrison, and the council agreed to discharge him and enlisted William Foster without any bounty money, and had the Articles of War read to him. Interpretations The council settled Reiley's claim by paying him the three pounds ten shillings on the ground that his name was missing from the Royal Charlotte's list of recruits and that other men in the same case had already been paid, accepting the very argument the petition had rested upon. The decision shows the council reading its own defective records in the soldier's favour, treating the clerks failure to enrol him as proof of the promised discharge rather than a bar to his claim, and holding to a consistent rule across all the men the omission touched. Christian Brinks appears in the muster rolls earlier in this record as a sentinel of the fourth company, and his discharge here turns on his finding a substitute to take his place, a seaman from the Dutch ship then in the road engaged for the full five years. This shows a man buying his way out of the garrison not with money but with a replacement, the isolated station willing to release a soldier whose time was nearly up so long as its numbers were made good, and taking a Dutch sailor off a passing ship to fill the vacancy without paying the usual bounty. Speculations The council enlisted William Foster without any bounty money, breaking from the ten pounds it had lately paid to hold known men like Webley and Durant, because Brinks had procured the substitute himself as the price of his own discharge. The decision shows the council pricing each enlistment by its circumstances rather than by a fixed rate, judging that a man brought in to fill a departing soldier's place cost it nothing when the outgoing man had found his own replacement, the bounty withheld here precisely because the vacancy was made good at the soldier's charge and not the Company's. |
63 | 56 | 5th August Captain Cornelis Paars applied to us Pay Seven hundred and forty pounds into the Honorable Companys Cash which Sum We have received Sum 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 Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 9 day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated the 5th August 1762 Friday the 6th sailed the Dutch Ship Schoonzigt for Amsterdam Saturday the 7th died Mr Samuel Knipe Planter The Plantation, Gunners and Rewards Accounts for the Month of July last, were this day brought which were examined and approved and are as follow vizt | Captain Cornelius Petrovz applied to pay seven hundred and forty pounds into the Honourable Company's cash, which sum the council received, and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors, payable to himself or order ninety days after sight, dated this day. The order was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 9 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 5 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Friday 6 August the Dutch ship Sovereign sailed for Amsterdam. On Saturday 7 August Samuel Knipe, a planter, died. The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month of July were this day presented, examined and approved, and ran as follows. Interpretations Captain Petrovz, master of the Dutch ship Sovereign, paid £740 into the Company's cash and took bills of exchange on the Court of Directors payable ninety days after sight, a foreign commander using the English Company as a banker to remit money safely home. This shows the island serving as a place of exchange for the shipping of all nations, a Dutch captain laying his cash with the English at St Helena and drawing paper on London rather than carry coin through the risks of the voyage, the arrangement turning the Company's credit to the use of a rival's officer. The bills drawn payable ninety days after sight were dated from the day they were presented for payment in London rather than from their issue, the usual term allowing the drawee time to honour them, the arrangement giving Petrovz a secure instrument redeemable in England. This was the standard machinery of long-distance finance, the money paid in at the far end of the world and recovered at home through paper that moved faster and safer than specie, the East India Company's bills passing as good currency among the merchants and captains of the Eastern trade. |
64 | 57 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &c as for the Month of July 1762 vizt Bulls, Cows, Calves, Yearling, Heifers, Steers, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Boars, Piggs, Barrows, Total, Fowls, Ducks, Turkeys, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, Stallio, Asses, Total Remaining 1st: Bulls 5, Cows 79, Calves 76, Yearling 36, Heifers 18, Steers 25, Total 132, Ewes 52, Wethers 28, Lambs 0, Rams 86, Total 115, Ewes 8, Wethers 0, Kids 489, Rams 14, Total 320, Sows 76, Boars 0, Piggs 9, Barrows 242, Total 5, Fowls 1, Ducks 13, Turkeys 1, Geese 20, Total 99, Horses 26, Mares 38, Total 13, Stallio 7, Asses 5, Total 12, Stallio 2, Asses 1, Total 3 Increased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 8, Yearling 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Total 8, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Lambs 35, Rams 0, Total 35, Ewes 0, Wethers 0, Kids 0, Rams 6, Total 0, Sows 6, Boars 0, Piggs 0, Barrows 0, Total 0, Fowls 0, Ducks 0, Turkeys 0, Geese 7, Total 5, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Stallio 0, Asses 0, Total 0 Total: Bulls 5, Cows 79, Calves 84, Yearling 36, Heifers 18, Steers 25, Total 132, Ewes 60, Wethers 28, Lambs 0, Rams 86, Total 150, Ewes 8, Wethers 0, Kids 524, Rams 14, Total 320, Sows 82, Boars 9, Piggs 254, Barrows 5, Total 1, Fowls 13, Ducks 1, Turkeys 20, Geese 106, Total 31, Horses 38, Mares 13, Total 7, Stallio 5, Asses 12, Total 2, Stallio 1, Asses 3 Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 1, Calves 0, Yearling 0, Heifers 2, Steers 0, Total 3, Ewes 5, Wethers 9, Lambs 1, Rams 0, Total 15, Ewes 1, Wethers 11, Kids 2, Rams 0, Total 14, Sows 1, Boars 0, Piggs 0, Barrows 1, Total 1, Fowls 3, Ducks 2, Turkeys 4, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Stallio 0, Asses 0, Total 0 Dead: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearling 0, Heifers 0, Steers 0, Total 0, Ewes 2, Wethers 3, Lambs 2, Rams 0, Total 7, Ewes 3, Wethers 2, Kids 4, Rams 0, Total 9, Sows 0, Boars 0, Piggs 4, Barrows 0, Total 1, Fowls 2, Ducks 0, Turkeys 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Stallio 0, Asses 0, Total 0 Remaining 31st: Bulls 5, Cows 78, Calves 84, Yearling 36, Heifers 18, Steers 23, Total 132, Ewes 51, Wethers 27, Lambs 37, Rams 44, Total 78, Ewes 5, Wethers 0, Kids 502, Rams 139, Total 7, Sows 76, Boars 9, Piggs 231, Barrows 5, Total 0, Fowls 12, Ducks 1, Turkeys 18, Geese 91, Total 29, Horses 34, Mares 13, Total 7, Stallio 5, Asses 12, Total 2, Stallio 1, Asses 3 A Black Mare Dead Named Nino Yams Expended 25,730 (Signed) John Skottowe | The account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other animals for the month of July 1762 was set out, the column headings running across neat cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each broken into its several kinds and totals. Account of the Honourable Company's stock of animals for July 1762 Neat cattle remaining 1 July 5 bulls 79 cows 76 calves 36 yearlings 18 heifers 25 steers 132 oxen [...] total Sheep remaining 1 July 252 ewes 80 wethers 86 lambs 115 rams 8 [...] 489 total Goats remaining 1 July 14 ewes 3 wethers 20 kids 76 rams 9 [...] 243 total Hogs remaining 1 July 5 sows 1 [...] 13 pigs 1 boars 20 [...] 99 total Poultry remaining 1 July 26 fowls 38 ducks 13 turkeys 7 geese [...] total Horses remaining 1 July 5 mares 12 [...] 2 [...] 1 [...] 3 total Asses remaining 1 July [...] The increase during the month was as follows. Increase Cows 8 Lambs 35 Kids 35 Pigs 6 Fowls 7 Ducks 5 The totals stood as follows. Total 5 bulls 79 cows 84 calves 36 yearlings 18 heifers 25 steers 132 oxen 260 [...] Sheep 280 ewes 86 wethers 150 lambs 8 rams 524 total Goats 14 ewes 3 wethers 20 kids 76 rams 9 [...] 254 total Hogs 5 sows 1 [...] 13 pigs 1 boars 20 [...] 106 total Poultry 31 fowls 38 ducks 13 turkeys 7 geese [...] total Horses 5 mares 12 [...] 2 [...] 1 [...] 3 total Asses [...] The numbers killed during the month were as follows. Killed Neat cattle 1 cow, 2 [...], 3 [...], 5 [...], 9 [...], 1 [...], 15 [...] Sheep 11 [...], 2 [...], 14 [...] Goats 1 [...] Hogs 1 [...], 1 [...], 3 [...], 2 [...], 4 [...] The numbers dead during the month were as follows. Dead Sheep 2 [...], 3 [...], 2 [...], 7 [...] Goats 3 [...], 2 [...], 4 [...], 9 [...] Hogs 1 [...], 1 [...], 2 [...] The stock remaining at 31 July stood as follows. Remaining 31 July 5 bulls 78 cows 84 calves 36 yearlings 18 heifers 25 steers 132 oxen 51 [...] 273 [...] Sheep 74 [...] 47 [...] 8 [...] 502 [...] 139 total Goats 7 [...] 76 [...] 9 [...] 231 total Hogs 5 sows 0 [...] 12 [...] 1 [...] 18 [...] 91 total Poultry 29 [...] 34 [...] 13 turkeys 7 geese [...] total Horses 5 mares 12 [...] 2 [...] 1 [...] 3 total Asses [...] 1 [...] 3 total A black mare, named Nino, died. Yams expended 25,730. The account was signed by John Skottowe on 6 August. Interpretations Neat cattle were horned cattle, the oxen, cows, bulls, heifers and calves kept for meat, milk and draught, forming the largest and most valuable part of the Company's livestock on the island. The account divided each kind of stock into its ages and sexes, tracking the herds and flocks month by month through their increase by birth, their reduction by slaughter and their loss by death, the whole a careful census of the animals on which the settlement's fresh meat depended. The yams expended in the month, running to 25,730, were the chief provision fed to the Company's slaves and stock, the root that grew freely on the island and served as its staple crop where wheat and other grain would not thrive. This great quantity consumed in a single month marks the yam as the mainstay of the island's own food supply, the crop that fed the bound labourers and fattened the animals, grown on the spot and drawn down steadily against the constant demand of the settlement. The killing and death columns together thinned the flocks of sheep and goats markedly across the month, the sheep falling from 524 to 502 and the goats reckoned down likewise, the slaughter supplying the fresh meat the garrison and ships required. The steady draw on the flocks shows the island's stock kept as a working larder rather than a growing herd, the animals bred and raised chiefly to be killed for the table, the monthly account measuring how far the increase by birth kept pace with the constant slaughter for meat. |
65 | 58 | 9th August Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of July 1762 The Day of the Month, Guns Fired, 4pounder 4, 4pounder 3, 4pounder 2, 4pounder 1, Powder Expended Do July 4 Departed a Deans Ship Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 13, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 13, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 13 Do Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 Do Departed the Royal Charlotte Returned 9 Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 9, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 9 Do Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 1 8 July 5 Powder for Blowing Rocks in the Nedeth Bankss: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 3 July 10 Powder for blowing Rock in the Water Course: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 July 15 Powder for blowing Rocks in Do: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 July 16 An Alarm fire 2 Ships that went by: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 2, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 2, Powder Expended 12 17 Do: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 2, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 2, Powder Expended 12 23 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 2, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 2, Powder Expended 12 Do Arrived the Warren Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 9, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 9 Do Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 1 8 31 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 2, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 4, Powder Expended 12 Do An Alarm 46 Turks Cap for the same Ships: Guns Fired 2, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 4 Do Arrived a Dutch Ships Return the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 9, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 9 Do Powder For Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 1 8 Do Powder For Primes at the Alarm House 11 April: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 3 Powder for Signals: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 1 8 Do for the Funeral of Thomas Willson: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 4 Do for the Funeral of Joseph Cutts: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 4 Do for Compleating the Cartidges at the morning Guard: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 4 8 Total: Guns Fired 66, 4pounder 4 10, 4pounder 3 8, 4pounder 2 40, 4pounder 1 8, Powder Expended 119 Paper for makeing Common Cartridges 5 Quire Do for the Use of the Castle 1 Quire Sheep Skins for Coating Spunges at Sandy Bay 1 Trunk Nails for Coating & Repairing Spunges at Do 70 Sheep Skins for Coating Spunges at Turks Cap 1 Trunk Nails for Coating and Repairing Spunges at Do 100 Spunge Staves broke at Bankss 1 Rammer Heads broke at Do 1 | The account of artillery stores expended in the month of July 1762 was set out, the columns recording the guns fired, the number of the several batteries and the powder expended in pounds and ounces. Artillery stores expended in July 1762 4 July departed a Dane's ship, returned the salute, 13 guns fired at number 1 battery, 13 lb powder powder for priming, 2 lb 4 July departed the Royal Charlotte, returned the salute, 9 guns fired at number 1 battery, 9 lb powder powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz 5 July powder for blowing rocks in the north banks, 3 lb 10 July powder for blowing rocks in the water course, 2 lb 15 July powder for blowing rocks in ditto, 2 lb 16 July an alarm fired for 2 ships that went by, guns fired 6 at number 5 battery, 2 at number 4, 2 at number 3, 2 at number 1, 12 lb powder 17 July ditto, 6 at number 5, 2 at number 4, 2 at number 3, 2 at number 1, 12 lb powder 23 July an alarm, 6 at number 5, 2 at number 4, 2 at number 3, 2 at number 1, 12 lb powder arrived the Warren, returned the salute, 9 guns fired at number 1, 9 lb powder powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz 31 July an alarm, 6 at number 5, 2 at number 4, 2 at number 3, 4 at number 1, 12 lb powder an alarm at Turks Cap for the same ships, 2 at number 5, 2 at number 4, 4 lb powder arrived a Dutch ship, returned the salute, 9 guns fired at number 1, 9 lb powder powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz powder for primes at the alarm house 11 April, 3 lb powder for signals, 1 lb 8 oz powder for the funeral of Thomas Willson, 2 lb 4 oz powder for the funeral of Joseph Cutts, 2 lb 4 oz powder for completing the cartridges at the morning guard, 4 lb 8 oz Total, 66 guns at number 5, 10 at number 4, 8 at number 3, 40 at number 1, 8 [...], 119 lb powder The stores expended in the works followed. Stores expended paper for making common cartridges, 5 [...] paper for the use of the Castle, 1 [...] sheep skins for beating sponges at Sandy Bay, 1 [...] trunk nails for beating and repairing sponges at ditto, 70 [...] sheep skins for coating sponges at Turks Cap, 1 [...] trunk nails for coating and repairing sponges at ditto, 100 [...] sponge staves broke at Banks, 1 [...] rammer heads broke at ditto, 1 [...] Interpretations The powder was expended not only in defence but in ceremony and in works, the salutes returned to arriving and departing ships, the alarms fired when strange vessels passed, and the charges spent blowing rock in the water course and at the north banks. A salute of nine or thirteen guns was the courtesy exchanged with a ship at anchor or under sail, the number marking respect, the powder burned as much for civility as for war on an island whose guns spoke daily to the passing trade. The alarms fired for ships going by were the batteries turned out to warn or challenge unidentified vessels, the guns of the several forts, Banks, Munden, Rupert and the rest, sounding in succession from number 1 through number 5 as the strange sail was tracked along the coast. This shows the island's whole chain of works acting together as a warning system, the guns fired in sequence to raise the garrison and signal from post to post whenever a ship approached that had not yet made itself known. The sponges, rammers and cartridges name the working gear of the great guns, the sponge to swab the bore between rounds, the rammer to drive home the charge and the cartridge to hold the powder, all coated in sheepskin and mended with trunk nails against the constant wear of firing. Powder burned for the funerals of the soldiers Thomas Willson and Joseph Cutts marks the military honours paid to the dead of the garrison, the same men whose deaths appear in the muster rolls now saluted with the guns, the artillery serving the island in mourning as in defence. |
66 | 59 | 1762 Spunge Heads broke at Do 1 Sheep Skins for Coating Spunges at Do 1 Trunk Nails for Coating Spunges at Do 1 Tallow for the Use of the Wood Carts 4 (Signed) Thomas Hall Sundry Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of July 1762 vizt To 9 Bottles of Port £13s 6d To 11 Bottles of Lisbon £16s 6d To 13 Bottles of Mountain £1 2s 6d To 64 Bottles of Arrack £2 19s 8d To 26 Bottles of Beer £7s 2d To 335 pounds of Flour £2 1s 10½d To 1 Piece of Salt Beef £2 11½d To 6 pieces of Salt Pork £15s 3d To 185 lb pounds of Mutton £3 17s 8½d To 61 pounds of Goat £1 4d To 2 Rolls £12s 0d To 1 Lamb £10s 0d To 13 Fowls £19s 6d To 2 Ducks £3s 4d To 4 Turkeys £1s 0d To 33 pounds of Fresh Butter £1 13s 0d To 102 pounds of Candy £1 14s 0d To 289 pounds of fresh Beef £3 12s 3d £23 19s 1d | The remaining artillery stores expended in the works were as follows. Stores expended sponge heads broke at ditto, 1 sheep skins for coating sponges at ditto, 1 trunk nails for coating sponges at ditto, 1 tallow for the use of the wood carts, 1 The account was signed by Thomas Hall. The sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month of July 1762 were as follows. Sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table, July 1762 9 bottles of port, £0 13s 6d 11 bottles of Lisbon, £0 16s 6d 13 bottles of mountain, £1 2s 6d 64 bottles of arrack, £2 19s 8d 26 bottles of beer, £0 7s 2d 335 lb of flour, £2 1s 10½d 1 piece of salt beef, £0 2s 11½d 6 pieces of salt pork, £0 15s 3d 86½ lb of mutton, £3 17s 8½d 61 lb of goat, £1 0s 4d 2 kids, £0 12s 0d 1 lamb, £0 10s 0d 13 fowls, £0 19s 6d 2 ducks, £0 3s 0d 4 turkeys, £1 0s 0d 33 lb of fresh butter, £1 13s 0d 102 lb of candy, £1 14s 0d 289 lb of fresh beef, £3 12s 3d total £23 19s 1d Interpretations Mountain was a sweet white wine of Malaga in southern Spain, made from the muscatel grape grown on the hills behind the port, and Lisbon a Portuguese white wine, the two set beside the port among the table wines drunk at the governor's board. These imported wines came to the island through the same shipping that brought its other stores, the Company's table furnished with the drink of Spain and Portugal alongside the arrack of the East, a remote establishment keeping the fare of a gentleman's house at the world's edge. The table account measured the fare of the Company's establishment for the month, the fresh beef, mutton, goat and poultry drawn from the island's own herds and flocks set beside the salt provisions and the imported wine, flour and butter. This was the diet of the governor and senior servants who ate at the common table, the mix of fresh island meat and shipped-in luxuries showing how the settlement fed its principal people from both its own husbandry and the trade that passed its shores. The fresh beef, mutton and goat consumed here trace back to the slaughter recorded in the stock account of the same month, the animals killed off the Company's herds appearing on the table as the fresh meat of the establishment. The two accounts read together show the whole course of the island's provisioning, the beast counted in the herd, killed in the monthly slaughter and eaten at the table, the settlement's own husbandry carried through from the pasture to the plate. |
67 | 60 | 9th August The Storekeeper this day delivered the Account of Stores short received from the following Ships vizt Account of stores short Received from the following Ships vizt Ship Warren vizt 3 2 13 Rice 1 1 25 Paddy Short Weights 5 Candles Nr 1 1 Leagure Arrack Gorge 24 5 amots to the Galet 9 2 1 Do Do 147 Do 9 292 13 18 Rum 274 Gallons Ship York vizt Pr 8 Rice Short Weight 31 2 24 Paddy issued St Helena August the 9th 1762 pr James Powell Storekeeper Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The storekeeper this day delivered the account of stores short received from the following ships. The account of stores short received from the Warren was as follows. Ship Warren 3 candy 2 maunds 13 rice 1 candy 1 maund 25 paddy short weights 5 candles number 1, 1 leaguer Batavia arrack gauge 24 fathoms 5 maunds to the leaguer, 147 gallons number 2, ditto, 9 [...] Rum 274 gallons The account of stores short received from the York was as follows. Ship York 1 candy 18 rice short weight 34 candy 2 maunds 24 paddy received The account was subscribed at St Helena on 9 August 1762 by James Powell, storekeeper, and by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The account recorded the shortfalls found when the cargoes of the Warren and York were weighed ashore against their invoices, the rice, paddy and candles delivered short of the quantities the ships had been charged with. This weighing-in of every consignment was the Company's guard against loss and pilferage on the voyage, the storekeeper checking what was landed against what was shipped and entering the deficiency so the difference could be traced and accounted for. The Batavia arrack was gauged in the cask as it was received, the leaguer measured by the depth its contents reached and reckoned at 147 gallons and more, the two casks together yielding 274 gallons of spirit. Gauging was the trade of measuring the liquor in a cask by dipping and calculation, the merchant confirming how much arrack had actually arrived against the leaguers the invoice named, the spirit checked as closely as the dry goods for any loss on the long passage from the East. |
68 | 61 | At a Consultation held on Thursday the 12th Day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 9th August 1762 Mr Matthew Purling reports that he has been on board the Ships Warren, and York to Muster their Companys, and enquire for Deserters but found none. Their Muster Rolls are as follows viz Muster Roll of Ship Warren Capt Glover Commander Mr Wyche Chief Mate Mr Poyntong 2nd Do Mr Havell 3rd Do Mr Hoskyns 4th Do Mr Morgan 5th Do Mr Smith Surgeon Mr Dick Maythan 2nd Mate Robt Sigard Midships Henry George Do Henry Hagens Do John Vigars Do Thomas Cooper Gunner Will Smith Boats swain George Rowell Carpenter Will Clayton Ships Steward Hugh Cooper Capt Do Samuel Marree Caulker John Young Cooper Antony Generator Sailmaker Richard Morrison Armourer John Roberts Capt Cook Will Colfor Ships Do Richard Wright Gunr Mate Robert Francis Boat Do Stephan Davis Do John Jones Carp Do John Dinald Caulk Do Will Roberts Cock Do Robert Collings Quar mrs Will Brashant Do Will Munroe Do Pons Pittersen Puttener John Kent Capt evo Thomas Long Do Will Collins Chief Mate Do Thomas Peters 2nd Mate Do Robert Meek Long Do John Starkey Gun Do Will Yorks Boat Do Charles Cooper Carp Do Will Haneway Seaman Christ Ellis Will Allen John Warren Will Gully John Woods Will Hamilton Henry Cotten Do Joshua Coy Do John Leach Do Andreu Deneeze Nich Malls James Cullum Thomas Ockr Hyde Virg Slock John Erickson Charles Smithe Richard Adams Charles Dafour John Duff John Godfrey Clark Simon Fisereich Robt Hansono John Neprowick Francis Prescod John Williams Will Jones James Brock Thomas Odley John Moore Domingo Requests Will | At a consultation held at the Castle on Thursday 12 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 9 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. Matthew Purling reported that he had been aboard the ships *Warren* and *York* to muster their companies and enquire for deserters, but found none. The muster rolls were as follows. The muster roll of the *Warren* was as follows. ``` Muster roll of ship Warren Captain Glover commander Mr Wyche chief mate Mr Poynting 2nd mate Mr Howell 3rd mate Mr Hoskyns 4th mate Mr Morgan 5th mate Mr Smithe surgeon Mr Dias Moythan 2nd mate Robert Sigard midship Henry George Henry Hagens John Vigars Thomas Cooper gunner William Smith boatswain George Rowell carpenter William Clayton ships steward Hugh Cooper captains servant Samuel Marree caulker John Young cooper Antony Gonzalez sailmaker Richard Morrison armourer John Roberts captains cook William Colley ships cook Richard Wright gunners mate Robert Francis boatswains mate Stephan Davis ditto John Jones carpenters mate John Dinald caulkers mate William Roberts cook Robert Collings quartermaster William Brashant ditto William Munroe mate Pons Pettersen patterer John Kent captains servant Thomas Long ditto William Collins chief mates servant Thomas Peters 2nd mates servant Robert Meek surgeons mate John Starkey gunners servant William Yorks boatswains servant Charles Cooper carpenters servant William Haneway seaman Christ Ellis William Allen John Warren William Gully John Woods William Hamilton Henry Cotten Joshua Cry John Leach Andreas Deneege Nicholas Malls James Cullum Thomas McHyde Virgil Rock John Erickson Charles Smithe Richard Adams Charles Dafour John Duff John Godfry Clark Simon Fenreich Robert Hansem John Neprovick Francis Priscod John Williams William Jones James Brock Thomas Odley John Moore Domingo Requesto ``` **Interpretations** The muster of the ships companies for deserters was the standard check made whenever an Indiaman lay in the road, the council going aboard to count the crew against its books and search for men who had run from other vessels. The island's isolation made it a poor place to desert, with nowhere to hide and no way off but another ship, yet the muster was kept up as a matter of course, the council satisfying itself that no runaway sheltered aboard and that each ship carried the men it was charged with. The roll shows the full ordered company of an East Indiaman, from the commander and his five mates down through the tradesmen, the gunner, carpenter, caulker, cooper, sailmaker and armourer, to the seamen and the servants who waited on the officers. This detailed hierarchy marks the Indiaman as a floating establishment as carefully graded as the island's own, each man rated to his place and skill, the servants attached to particular officers and the tradesmen keeping the ship in repair through the long voyage between England and the East. |
69 | 62 | 12th August Will Barber John Sill James Ribbird Edward Frosth John Ferrar Ads Stephentar Benjamin Wells Benjamin Dagton Francis Dariteva Samuel Richmond Richard Wallifer Joseph Logan Francis Demay Inds Paars Abraham Balge Christ Christian Job Williams Joseph Sheried Will HK Charles Cartless Henry Shlott Timothey Squit Thomas Hork Samuel Jenkins Arch Progus John Dor John Cardebray Passengers Captn Smith Do Hart Do Debt Escape Mr Cummings Mr Bullock Mr Alfand & the Rev Mr Crozier Mr Leaber Mr Taylor Mr Shellprey Mrs Robinson Master and Miss Brewer Prisoners Mrs Sews and Daughter Captn Molloy Do Deville Menchot Surgins Marvigny Do Boisptine Marceille Bicudle Berttiau Totin Bassinion Savens Viscount Invalids Will Churches Prichard Butler John Redman Charles Nelson James Hays James Pangs John Brown Robert Drake John Smith Will Turner Thomas Shellack Edw Whiting Jno Heath Richard Bowman William Blackman Alexr Robinson Edward Wilkerson Will Allen Francis 4 lb Laws Servants | The remainder of the Warren's company was as follows. Muster roll of ship Warren continued William Barber John Hill James Kibberd Edward French John Tetser Ads Stephentes Benjamin Wells Benjamin Dayton Francis Barelova Samuel Richmond Richard Wallesse Joseph Logan Francis Demay Ferdinand Paris Abraham Balge Christ Christian Job Williams Joseph Sheeed William HK Charles Careless Henry Pikk Timothy Squit Thomas Hark Samuel Jenkins Nicholas Progue John Dur John Cumberley The passengers were as follows. Passengers Captain Smith ditto Hart ditto Tobias Escape Mr Cummings Mr Bullock Mrs Alsad and the Reverend Mr Croter Mr Leaber Mr Taylor Mr Phillpany Mrs Robinson Master and Miss Brewer The prisoners were as follows. Prisoners Mrs Laws and daughter Captain Molloy ditto Deville Monchet Sorgine Marvigny ditto Boisfinre Marceille Bréoulle Berthau Totin Bessimen Savena Viscount The invalids were as follows. Invalids William Churches Richard Butler John Redman Charles Nelson James Hays James Sangs John Brown Robert Drake John Smith William Turner Thomas Shellark Edward Whiting John Heath Richard Bowman William Blackman Alexander Robinson Edward Wilkerson William Allen Francis, a black, Laws servant Interpretations The prisoners aboard the Warren were mostly Frenchmen by their names, Captain Molloy and Deville among them and a run of French surnames beneath, most likely prizes taken at sea in the war then being fought between Britain and France. Their carriage home aboard an Indiaman marks the ship's part in the wider conflict, the East India Company's vessels bringing captured enemy officers and crews back from the Eastern seas to England as the fortunes of the war in India threw men into British hands. The passengers and invalids show the Indiaman carrying far more than cargo, a mixed company of officers, ladies, a clergyman and children travelling home beside a body of sick and worn-out men sent back from the East. Francis, listed as a black and servant to the Laws family among the prisoners, marks the presence of a slave or bound servant travelling with the party, one of the household attendants who moved with their masters between England and the Company's Eastern settlements. The great number of invalids aboard measures the toll the Eastern service took on European constitutions, the men broken by climate and disease shipped home when no longer fit for duty. This homeward stream of the sick was a constant feature of the trade, the Indiamen carrying back to England the human wreckage of the Company's Eastern establishments, the invalids gathered aboard for the long voyage in hope of recovery in a cooler air. |
70 | 63 | 1762 Muster Roll of Ship York Peter Luxelles Command George Hayter Fst Mate William Webb Do John Jelly Third Do Matthew Wise Fouth Do Robert Crawford Fifth Do John Gordon Praxer George Hopper Surgeon James Robertson Gunr John Milson Carpenter John Gasquein Praxer John Kinges Capt Steward William Wilson Ships Do Michael Sivey Seaman Duncan Campbell Capt Cook John Lee Ships Do Henry Barclan Butcher Robert Swembeston Capt Do Samuel Hough Do Do John Way Toppe Mate Do Robert Clonway Boat Do Thomas Bromwell Long Do Thomas Bromwch Capt Do James Armstrong Boat Do George Knight Gunr Do Will Edwards Carp Do Archibald Nichols 4 lb Do Michael Bincobat 2nd Do John Edwards Boat 5 Do Will Peary 2nd Do Robt Jubb Carp 3 Do Thomas Jones 2 Do Do Gilbert Anderson Carp Do James Baldwin Do Thomas Runnion Do Thomas Martin Do James Flavion Do Marmaduke Sidgwick Do William Cross Quartermaster William Forde Do James Ottoway Do Walter Nichols Do John Patterson Seamany John Clifton Robert Mordant James Cross John Jones Charles Robertson John Athen John Manaster Martin Schroader Jasper Taggarr Thomas Antony John Foot William Olives Jno Mc Donald John Rich Vias Byony Will Anderson Abraham Somblack Charles Hopkins John Taverner William Lee Alexander Henderson Robert Woods Ineorid Mc Donalp Matthew Mc Cormac Joseph Hart Robert Guy Christopher Wharton John Todd John Godmeroy Thomas Hadley John Teaser James Thompson James Magnessay Thomas Holderness William Summers Peter English William Honey William Fourceres John Rockssay Alexdr Sterling Nathaniel Collins George Sargers John Ratist Laurence Flanigen John Kipp Patrick Fry Joseph Snitob Martin Slow Robert Clarke James Harris Robert Best Passengers Mr St Etienne Schoolmaster Mr Stephens Mrs Jelly Return a Child her Niece Mr Robt Adams Mr Thomas Belly Mr Joseph West Mr William Handley Mr Wells Mr Bradley John Hayes Do Do Mr Barnes Invalids Nathl Shaw William Ross David Sutherland Duncan Read John Smith John | The muster roll of the York was as follows. Muster roll of ship York Peter Luxelles commander George Hayter first mate William Webb ditto John Jolly third ditto Matthew Wise fourth ditto Robert Crawford fifth ditto John Gedom purser George Hopper surgeon James Robertson gunner John Milton carpenter John Gasquein boatswain John Hayes captains steward William Wilcam midshipman Michael Suckey caulker Duncan Campbell captains cook John Lee ships ditto Henry Burdom butcher Robert Swanton captains ditto Samuel Hough ditto ditto John Way surgeons mate Robert Kloway ditto Thomas Bramwell surgeons ditto Thomas Bramwell captain James Armstrong boatswains mate George Knight gunners ditto William Edwards boatswains ditto Archibald Malcolm gunners ditto Michael Bindlot carpenters ditto John Edwards boatswains ditto William Piery ditto ditto Robert Frisch carpenters ditto Thomas Jones ditto ditto Gilbert Anderson boatswains ditto James Baldwin ditto Thomas Hannon ditto Thomas Martin ditto James Flannon ditto Marmaduke Sedgwick ditto William Cross quartermaster William Fords ditto James Ottoway ditto Walter Nichols ditto John Patterson seaman John Ciffins Robert Newland James Coad John Jones Charles Robertson John Athen John Manasee Martin Schrouder Jasper Taynaar Thomas Antony John Frat William Olives John McDonald John Foot Vias Byony William Anderson Abraham Sonblack Charles Hopkins John Taverne William Lise Alexander Henderson Robert Woods Ingrid McDonald Matthew McCormac Joseph Hart Robert Guy Christopher Wharton John Todd John Godmoroy Thomas Audley John Isaacs James Thompson James Magnessay Thomas Holdernesse William Summers Peter English William Homey William Fenroses John Cocksay Hayden Sterling Nathaniel Collins George Feagen John Rulist Laurence Flannigan John Higg Patrick Foy Joseph Sublot Martin Snow Robert Clarke James Harris Robert Best The passengers were as follows. Passengers Mrs Fitzarue and daughter Mr Stephens Miss Polly Kearne and child her niece Mr Bob Adams Mr Thomas Bellf Mr Joseph West Mr William Hensley Mr Wells Mr Bradley John Hayes and two servants The invalids were as follows. Invalids Nathaniel Shaw William Ross David Sutherland Duncan Read John Smith Interpretations The York's roll shows the same ordered company as the Warren, a commander and five mates over the tradesmen and seamen, with the addition of a butcher rated among the crew to kill and cut the fresh meat taken aboard at the island. The presence of a dedicated butcher marks the scale of the Indiaman's provisioning, the live cattle and sheep shipped at St Helena needing a skilled hand to slaughter and dress them for the ship's company on the long run home. The passengers included several ladies and children travelling home, Mrs Fitzarue and her daughter, Miss Polly Kearne with a child and niece, and John Hayes with two servants, the usual mixed company of an Indiaman carrying the families of the Company's servants between England and the East. The servants attending the passengers, like Francis aboard the Warren, mark the households that moved with their masters across the world, the attendants shipped as part of the family's establishment on the voyage. Both the Warren and the York carried numbers of invalids home, the sick and worn men of the Eastern service gathered aboard the returning ships, the two rolls together showing the steady homeward flow of broken constitutions the trade produced. The muster of these companies at St Helena, counted ship by ship for deserters and found complete, marks the island's part in keeping the Company's discipline over its floating establishments as they passed the one great waypoint on the road between England and India. |
71 | 64 | 12th August John Golsspw Roger Coleman Bryan Redmars Magnud Robison James Henry John Brown John Morise James Slencock Samuel Quade James Souzon Alexr Mc Claws Hough Robertson Rory Mc Clock John Monroe John Chisholm Robert Mc Niare Robert Moffat George Boy John Chalmers Alexr Mc Pherson French Prisoners Monsr Varrieau 2nd of Pondy Croiset Writer at Mahie Cottas A Secular Priest (Signed) Peter Lascelles Henry Johnson Soldier, who has about nineteen Months of his Contracted time to serve, representing to Us, that he had some Affairs of Consequence to transact in England requested his Discharge from the Garrison, having procured Frederick Shaffer who is a good Man to serve Honorable Company for five Years we agreed to discharge him And Enlisted the said Frederick Shaffer without any Bounty Money, And had the Articles of War read to him Bought of Captain Luxelles Sixty two Hundred Weight Quarters of Rice at ten Shillings pr Hundred for the use of the Honorable Company amounting to Thirty three pounds five Shillings | The remainder of the York's company was as follows. Muster roll of ship York continued John Gelespee Roger Coleman Bryan Redman Magnus Robison James Henry John Brown John Morise James Stencock Samuel Quade James Souzen Alexander McClaw Hugh Robertson Rory McCleod John Monroe John Chishdon Robert McNar Robert Moffat George Boy John Chalmers Alexander McPherson The French prisoners were as follows. French prisoners Monsieur Varrieau 2nd of Pondicherry Croset writer at Mahé Collins a secular priest The roll was signed by Peter Lascelles. Henry Johnson, a soldier who had about nineteen months of his contracted time to serve, represented to the council that he had some affairs of consequence to transact in England, and asked for his discharge from the garrison. Having procured Frederick Shaffer, who was a good man, to serve the Honourable Company for five years, the council agreed to discharge him and enlisted Frederick Shaffer without any bounty money, and had the Articles of War read to him. The council bought of Captain Lascelles sixty two hundred and four quarters of rice at ten shillings per hundred for the use of the Honourable Company, amounting to thirty three pounds five shillings. Interpretations The French prisoners of note aboard the York were men taken from the French Company's Eastern settlements, Varrieau described as second of Pondicherry, the chief French station on the Coromandel coast, and Croset a writer at Mahé, the French post on the Malabar coast. Their capture and carriage home mark the fall of the French establishments in India during the war, the taking of Pondicherry in 1761 throwing its officers into British hands, the York now bearing these captured servants of the rival company back to England as prizes of the conflict. Henry Johnson's discharge followed the same course as Christian Brinks a week before, a soldier with time still to serve procuring a substitute to take his place and released without the Company paying any bounty. This repeated pattern shows a settled practice on the island, the garrison letting a man buy his freedom with a replacement he found himself, the Company's numbers held steady at no cost to itself while the outgoing soldier bore the charge of finding and persuading the man who took his place. Speculations The council let Henry Johnson go with nineteen months still owing on his term, a longer unexpired service than it had released other men upon, because he brought a substitute in Frederick Shaffer to serve a fresh five years in his place. The decision shows the council weighing the length of a man's remaining time against the quality of the replacement offered, judging that a good man bound for five years was worth more than holding Johnson to the year and a half he still owed, the exchange trading a short remnant of service for a long new engagement and costing the Company nothing in bounty. |
72 | 65 | 1762 We have granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn upon the Honorable Company vizt One Sett to Charles Hutchinson Esqr for two hundred and twenty nine pounds, nine Shillings, and Three pence, payable to himself severally and Two Setts to John Skottowe Esqr for two hundred pounds payable to Robert Wise Esqr or order, and one Sett for twenty six Pounds payable to himself One Sett to Mr Matthew Purling and Henry Bazett, for eight hundred and seven pounds, fifteen Shillings and nine pence, payable to Capt John Clark or order One Sett to Mr William Wrangham for four Hundred and Forty four pounds, three Shillings, nine six pence, payable to Capt John Durnaric or order One Sett to Mr Thomas Greentree, for a hundred and one pounds ten Shillings payable to Mr Mary Adamson or order One Sett to Mr William Lee for two Hundred pounds payable to Mr Thomas Lee or order Captain Alphonsus Clover applied to us for one hundred and fifty pounds, which Sum we advanced him, and taken Bills of Exchange drawn upon Sieth Gabb Esqr being for one of the Ships Warren payable to the Honorable the Court of Directors, or their order Ninety days after Sight dated this day Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The council granted the following bills of exchange drawn upon the Honourable Company. Bills of exchange drawn upon the Honourable Company One set to Charles Hutchinson for £229 9s 3d, payable to Bruce Ferry Two sets to John Skottowe for £200 0s 0d, payable to Robert Wise or order One set to John Skottowe for £26 0s 0d, payable to himself One set to Matthew Purling and Henry Barrett for £807 15s 9d, payable to Captain John Clark or order One set to William Wrangham for £444 3s 9d, payable to Captain John Durand or order One set to Thomas Greentree for £101 10s 0d, payable to Mrs Mary Adamson or order One set to William Lee for £200 0s 0d, payable to Mrs Thomas Lee or order Captain Alphonsus Clever applied to the council for one hundred and fifty pounds, which sum the council advanced him and took bills of exchange drawn upon Rice Cobb, being for the use of the ship Warren, payable to the Honourable the Court of Directors or their order ninety days after sight, dated this day. The order was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The bills of exchange drawn upon the Company were the means by which its servants at the island remitted money to England, each man taking paper payable to a named person in London against cash he laid down or wages due to him. The governor, deputy and council members all appear as drawers here, sending home their private funds through the Company's credit, the bills payable to relatives, agents and ship captains who would collect the money in England on their behalf. Captain Clever's bill on Rice Cobb for the use of the Warren was drawn to raise money for the ship's needs while at the island, the vessel's commander borrowing against a private drawee rather than the Court of Directors to meet his charges in the road. This shows the ships themselves drawing on credit at St Helena to pay for stores and services, the captains taking up cash on the island and answering for it by bills payable in England, the anchorage serving as a place where a ship could raise money far from home against its owners or agents. |
73 | 66 | 16 August At a Consultation held on Monday the 16 Day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated the 12th of August 1762 Friday the 13th arrived the Fly Cutter Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of July last, which is as follows vizt | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 16 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 12 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Friday 13 August the Fly cutter arrived. The council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month of July, which stood as set out below. Interpretations The Fly cutter's return on 13 August completes the record of the island's own small vessel, which had sailed on 20 July and now came back to the road after its spell at sea. Its comings and goings, noted at each consultation, mark the cutter as the settlement's constant instrument for patrolling the anchorage, carrying messages and meeting incoming ships to windward, the one craft always in the island's own hands between the visits of the great Indiamen. The monthly count and examination of the Company's cash was the standing check by which the council satisfied itself that the money in hand agreed with the accounts, the treasure told over and compared against the books at each month's end. This regular audit was the safeguard against loss or embezzlement in a place where large sums in mixed foreign coin passed through the paymaster's and storekeeper's hands, the council itself taking responsibility for seeing that the cash was whole and correctly entered. |
74 | 67 | Cash Dr Per Contra Cr 1762 July 1 To Balance remaining £5258 11s 2d 12 To Charles Homer decd vizt the Neat Produce of his Effects as pr Consultation of this day £8 11s 3d £5267 2s 5d 1762 July 31 By Balance rem in the following Species vizt 10260 Pagodas 8 £410s 4d 2030 Rupees 2 3 £230 12s 6d 441 French pr 2 Do £3 13s 6d 6225 Doub Royals 4 3 £387 1s 3d Odd Money £2d £4727 7s 5d Cash Notes of no use amounting to £539 15s 0d £5267 2s 5d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The cash account for July was set out, the charge on the one side and the balance remaining on the other. Cash, debtor 1 July 1762 to balance remaining, £5,258 11s 2d 12 July to Charles Homer deceased, received the neat produce of his effects as per consultation of this day, £8 11s 3d total £5,267 2s 5d The balance remaining was set out in the several currencies in hand. Per contra, creditor 31 July 1762 by balance remaining in the following species 10,260 pagodas at 7s 8d, £410 4s 0d 2,030 rupees at 2s 3d, £230 12s 6d 441 French per cent, £3 13s 6d 6,225 double ryals at 4s 3d, £387 1s 3d odd money, £4,727 7s 5d cash notes of one use amounting to, £539 15s 0d total £5,267 2s 5d The account was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The effects of Charles Homer, lately deceased, were sold and the net proceeds of £8 11s 3d paid into the Company's cash, the small estate of a dead man realised and brought to account by order of the council. This shows the settlement gathering in the goods of those who died on the island, the property sold off and the money entered against the cash, the council acting as the authority that wound up the affairs of the dead where no other administration was at hand. The Company's reserve was again held in the mixed coin of the Eastern and Atlantic trade, the pagodas of southern India, the rupees of the west, the French money and the double ryals of the Spanish silver, each reckoned into sterling at its set rate. The double ryal was the piece of eight or Spanish dollar counted at two ryals, the great silver coin of the Atlantic trade, its presence beside the Indian gold and silver marking the island as a meeting point of the world's currencies, the treasury filled by ships from every quarter and its wealth measured in the coin they left behind. |
75 | 68 | 23 August At a Consultation held on Monday the 23 Day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated the 16th August 1762 Monday the 16 in the Evening Sailed the Honble Companys Ship Worren Do York Homeward bound Saturday the 21 Sailed the Fly Cutter On the 12 instant, We enlisted Christian Johnson who was left here out of the Ship Worren, to serve the Honorable Company five years as a Soldier, he appearing to be a good Man We gave him five pounds bounty money, and had the Articles of War read to him As no Iron Pots were sent last year, we bought on account of the Honorable Company eight for the use of the Garrison, for which paid two pounds five Shillings and eight pence Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 23 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 16 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Monday 16 August in the evening the Honourable Company's ships Warren and York sailed, homeward bound. On Saturday 21 August the Fly cutter sailed. On the 12 the council enlisted Christian Johnson, who was left aboard out of the ship Warren, to serve the Honourable Company five years as a soldier, he appearing to be a good man, and gave him five pounds bounty money, and had the Articles of War read to him. Since there were no iron pots sent last year, the council bought eight on account of the Honourable Company for the use of the officers quarters, for which it paid two pounds five shillings and eight pence. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations Christian Johnson was a man left behind from the Warren, taken off the ship to serve in the garrison, and enlisted at a bounty of five pounds rather than the ten paid to hold known island soldiers. This recruiting from the crews of the passing Indiamen was a regular source of men for the garrison, the ships leaving behind sailors willing to soldier on the island, the smaller bounty marking the lower price the Company paid for a stranger off a ship against a proven man of its own establishment. The purchase of iron pots because none had been sent from England the year before shows the island making good the gaps in its yearly supply by buying on the spot, the officers quarters furnished with cooking vessels the Company's shipments had failed to provide. This dependence on the annual store from home, and the shifts forced on the settlement when it fell short, marks the difficulty of provisioning so remote a post, the council buying from the passing trade what London had neglected to send. |
76 | 69 | 30th August At a Consultation held on Monday the 30 day of August 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, dated the 23rd August 1762 Yesterday died Mrs Mary Goodwin Widow Ordered the following Advertizement to be Published vizt Island St Helena 30th August 1762 This is to give Notice, to all the Inhabitants of the said Island, That they are hereby required to send into the Secretarys Office, on or before the twentieth of September next ensuing an exact signed account of their Familys, Lands and Cattle and to attend at the Castle, on Thursday the Thirtieth of the said Month, to pay their Quit and Revenues due to the Honorable Company for the Year past Notice is hereby further given that the Honorable Companys Stores will be shut from the Eleventh of September to the Eleventh of October next Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 30 August 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 23 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. Yesterday Mrs Mary Goodwin, a widow, died. The council ordered the following advertisement to be published at St Helena on 30 August 1762. Notice was given to all the inhabitants of the island that they were required to bring into the secretary's office, before the twentieth of September next, an exact and signed account of their families, lands and cattle, and to attend at the Castle on Thursday the thirtieth of that month to pay their quit rents and revenues due to the Honourable Company for the year past. Notice was further given that the Honourable Company's stores would be shut from the eleventh of September to the eleventh of October next. The order was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations Mrs Mary Goodwin, whose death is noted here, appears earlier in this record as the single pensioner named in the whole muster, drawing a maintenance from the Company among the wages of the living garrison. Her death closes that entry, the widow the establishment had supported now gone, the one person on the pay list kept for charity rather than service passing off the island's charge. The quit rents were the yearly payments the planters owed the Company as lord of the soil, a fixed charge on the land they held that acknowledged the Company's ultimate ownership of the whole island. The demand for signed accounts of families, lands and cattle was the annual census by which the settlement reckoned its people and property and assessed what each holder owed, the inhabitants required to declare their households and stock so the rents and revenues could be gathered and the island's population counted. The closing of the Company's stores for a month from mid-September was the yearly stocktaking, the warehouse shut while its contents were counted and the accounts made up, the inhabitants warned in advance so they might lay in what they needed before the doors closed. This annual reckoning of the stores matched the census of the people and the gathering of the rents, the whole marking the end of the Company's year at the island, a settled round of counting, auditing and collecting by which the establishment squared its books and renewed its hold on the settlement. |
77 | 70 | 6 September At a Consultation held on Monday the 6 Day of September 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 30 August 1762 Thursday 2nd arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Calcutta from Bombay and brought us the following Supply vizt Invoice of Ship Calcutta Rice Beaten Fine 20 Bags pr 135 pr 3 50 pr Md £111 50d Batty 32 Bags pr 3 27 no 92 16 pr Md £61 1s 76d Nr 2 Chellies for Filling 1 Bale pr 95 Cr vizt 2 2 lb 18 1 9 Cost no 75 pr Ct 1372 2 lb 18 1 9 Cost no 83 Do 207 2 Total Customs £395d Customs 2 pr Cent £73 60d Packing £142d £143 60d £439 3s 60d Charges on Merchandize vizt Charges packing the Rice and Batty Hamallage on Do Do £41 50d Do on Chellies £3 40d Charges Shipping off £20d £2 2d £46 310d Errors Excepted pr B Jervis Account £92 336 90d | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 6 September 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 30 August 1762 was read, approved and signed. On Thursday 2 September the Honourable Company's ship Calcutta arrived from Bombay, and brought in the following supply. The invoice of the Calcutta was as follows. Invoice of ship Calcutta rice beaten fine 20 bags of 135 maunds at 3 rupees 50 per maund, 111 rupees 0 annas 50 pies batty 32 bags of 5 candy 21 maunds 12 seers 6 per maund, 61 rupees 1 anna 76 pies chellies for filling 1 bag 3 candy at 15 corge 2 candy 2 maunds 18 seers 19 seers at 15 per corge, 187 rupees 2 annas 2 candy 18 seers 19 seers at 83 per corge, 207 rupees 2 annas first customs, 395 rupees customs 2 per cent, 7 rupees 3 annas 60 pies packing, 1 rupee subtotal 14 rupees 3 annas 60 pies 439 rupees 3 annas 60 pies The charges on merchandise followed. Charges on merchandise charges packing the rice and batty, 41 rupees 50 pies hamallage on ditto, 3 rupees 40 pies hamallage on chellies, 0 rupees 20 pies charges shipping off, 2 rupees 2 annas subtotal 46 rupees 3 annas 10 pies 92 rupees 3 annas 60 pies The invoice was subscribed errors excepted by B Jervis, accountant. Interpretations The Calcutta's cargo repeats almost exactly that of the York a month before, the same beaten rice, batty and chellies shipped from Bombay in the same quantities and reckoned in the same western Indian weights of candy, maund and seer. This near-identical lading shows the settled pattern of the island's provisioning from the presidencies, the Company's ships carrying a standard consignment of grain and coarse cloth south on the homeward run to keep St Helena supplied with the staples it could not grow. The chellies, the coarse cotton cloth of the Bombay coast, appear here reckoned by the corge of twenty pieces and priced at differing rates, the cloth bought to fill out the cargo and serve as material for the island's rough clothing. The batty, the unhusked rice, came alongside the beaten rice as the cheaper grain, the two grades shipped together as they had been in the earlier cargoes, the island drawing its rice at both stages of milling to feed its people and stock at the price each could bear. |
78 | 71 | 1762 The Widows and Executors to the last Wills and Testaments of Thomas Kniper Junr and Samuel Knipe Planter deceased this day presented the said Wills, desiring the same might be proved which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the Witnesses thereto the Wills are as follow vizt In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Kniper of the Island St Helena Planter being Sick and Weak but of a sound mind and Memory (thanks to Almighty God) do hereby make and approve this my last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I Give and Recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator my Body I commit to the the Earth to be buried in a Christian like and Decent manner, my Worldly Goods wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with I Give devise and dispose of in the manner and form as followeth Imprimis I desire my Debts and Funeral expences be fully discharged in some convenient time after my decease which I leave to the discretion of my Executors (herein after mentioned) as they can agree with my Creditors Item I leave to my wellbeloved Wife my House and all my Lands for the use & benefit of herself and our Children until my Son now an infant, shall Arive to the Age of Twenty one Years and then to be Divided among them as hereafter mentioned. But in case my Wife should Marry again before he comes of Age, than then I Give her no more than the one third part of my personal Estate, exclusive of my household Lands. Rest of she remains my Widow at the above time of Division that then I leave her my Mansion house and the half of my lands during her Natural life, but whenever she Marries then to be dispossessed of the said house and lands Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved three Children Namely Elizabeth, Ann our Daughters and Thomas our Son now an infant an equal share of my Estate at the time of any Division as also at the decease of their Mother, and if either of their parts should exceed their proper shares that then they shall be Accountable for the same to the others and if either of them should Die before they have their proper parts or shares it shall then fall to the Survivors and my desire is that my Son shall be put in possession of my Mansion house and the lands Adjoining to it with Ten Acres called Griffins or Inning to it, so to be settled on him in his part, Also I give to my Daughter Elizabeth what lands or houses shall fall to me at the Death of my Mother in law my Fathers Widow to be Valued to her as aforesaid in her part or share of my Estate. And to my Daughter | The widows and executors to the last wills and testaments of Thomas Harper, planter, and Samuel Knipe, planter, both deceased, this day presented the wills that they might be proved, which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the witnesses. The wills were as follows. Thomas Harper, a planter of the island of St Helena, being sick and weak but of sound mind and memory, made his last will and testament. He commended his soul to the hands of Almighty God his creator and his body to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner, and disposed of his worldly goods as follows. He directed that his debts and funeral expenses be fully discharged in some convenient time after his death, leaving it to the discretion of his executors as they could agree with his creditors. He left to his well-beloved wife his house and all his lands for the use and benefit of herself and their children until his son, now an infant, should arrive at the age of twenty one years, and then to be divided among them as afterwards mentioned. But in case his wife should marry again before he came of age, then he gave her no more than the one third part of his personal estate and the use of his household lands. But if she remained his widow at the time of division, then he left her his mansion house and the half of his lands during her natural life, but whenever she married then to be dispossessed of the house and lands. He gave and bequeathed to his three children, namely Elizabeth and Ann, his daughters, and Thomas, his son, now an infant, an equal share of his estate at the time of any division, and also at the death of their mother, and if either of those parts should exceed their proper shares then they should be accountable for the same to the others, and if either of them should die before they had their proper parts or shares it should fall to the survivors. He desired that his son should be put in possession of his mansion house and the lands adjoining to it, with ten acres called Griffin's or Inning to it, and so allotted to him in his part. He gave to his daughter Elizabeth what lands or houses should fall to her at the death of his mother in law, his father's widow, to be valued to her as aforesaid in her part or share of his estate. Interpretations The provision cutting his widow's share should she remarry was the common device by which a testator secured his estate to his children against a second husband, the widow given the house and half the lands only so long as she stayed unwed, and reduced to a third of the personal estate if she married before the son came of age. This shows the planter guarding the family land through his widow's life while binding her to remain single if she would keep the larger portion, the estate held together for the children rather than passing with the mother into another man's hands. Ten acres called Griffin's, set aside for the son with the mansion house, marks the naming of parcels of land on the island by which holdings were known and passed, the ground identified by a name that stayed with it through the generations. The reference to lands falling to the daughter at the death of the father's widow shows the estate bound up with the wider family's holdings, the planter's own division waiting on the deaths and settlements of his kin, the land of the small settlement passing in a web of entails and reversions among a handful of related families. Speculations Thomas Harper chose to keep his estate undivided under his widow's management until his infant son reached twenty one, rather than splitting it at once among his three children, staking the family's future on the land being held whole through the boy's minority. The will shows a planter weighing the safety of his young children against the risk of leaving the estate in one hand, settling the whole under the mother to be divided only when the son came of age, and guarding that arrangement with the forfeiture on remarriage, so that the land the family lived by should not be broken up or carried off while the heir was still a child. |
79 | 72 | 6 September Daughter Ann, I give my lands called Lemmon Valley head to be Valued as above directed, and if my Creditors should require to be paid that then I leave a power to my Executors to sell and dispose of any my lands as they shall think most Advantageous to my family, Excepting the house and lands bequeathed to my Son Item I Give to my beloved Wife a black boy called Frank, not to be Valued to her Item I Give to Elizabeth Scott the sum of seven pounds ten Shillings when she Arrives to twenty one Years or Marriage Item in consideration that my two Daughters are to have no Dividend in my Estate until their Brother comes of Age, I therefore direct Executors do pay each of them one hundred pounds at Age or Marriage which shall first happen And also I Give to my Daughter Elizabeth the Sum of Five pound being a Gift to her from Mrs May Alexander Also the Sum of Twenty five pounds to my Daughter Ann, being a Bequest from my Brother John Kniper and not to be reckoned to them, but the Three hundred pounds given to each is to be reckoned to them in their particular share of my Estate Lastly Nominate and Appoint my good friends Messrs Jonathan Dowton Samuel Alexander, Benjamin Mason and Orlando Bagley Junior, Executors to this my Will, Revoking and Disannulling all former Wills or Wills by me made, Ratifying and confirming this and no other to my last Will and Testament, this Twenty Sixth day of May and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Two Signed Sealed and Declared as the last Will of him the said Thomas Kniper in the presence of Us (Signed) John Bagley Gab Alexander Hays Rich Beale Senr (Signed) Thomas Kniper | To his daughter Ann, Harper gave his lands called Lemmon Valley, to be valued as directed, and if his creditors should require to be paid, then he gave his executors power to sell and dispose of any of his lands as they thought most advantageous to his family, excepting the house and lands bequeathed to his son. He gave to his beloved wife a black boy called Frank, not to be valued to her. He gave to Elizabeth Scott the sum of seven pounds ten shillings when she arrived at twenty one years or at her marriage. In consideration that his two daughters were to have no dividend in his estate until their brother came of age, he directed his executors to pay each of them one hundred pounds at the age of twenty one or at marriage, whichever should first happen. He also gave to his daughter Elizabeth the sum of five pounds, being a gift to her from Mrs May Alexander, and the sum of twenty five pounds to his daughter Ann, being a bequest from his brother John Harper, and not to be reckoned to them, but the hundred pounds given to each was to be reckoned to them in their part or share of his estate. Lastly, he nominated and appointed his good friends Jonathan Dowton, Samuel Alexander, Benjamin Mason and Orlando Bagley junior executors of his will, revoking and disannulling all former wills and confirming this and no other as his last will and testament. The will was dated 26 May 1762 and signed, sealed and declared as the last will of Thomas Harper in the presence of John Bagley, Gabriel Alexander Hayes and Richard Beale senior. Interpretations Harper left his wife a black boy called Frank, a slave counted among his goods and passed by bequest like any other item of property, the direction that he was not to be valued to her meaning the boy's worth was not to be set against her share of the estate. This entry, like the slave Francis aboard the Warren and the slaves clothed at the Company's charge, marks the ordinary place of slavery in the island's life, the enslaved treated in the wills of the planters as chattels to be given away and reckoned in the division of an estate. The naming of parcels such as Lemmon Valley shows again the island's land known and conveyed by particular names, each holding identified by a title that fixed it in the settlement's records and passed with it from hand to hand. The careful distinction between the gifts from Mrs Alexander and from the brother John Harper, which were not to be reckoned against the daughters shares, and the hundred pounds each, which was, shows the planter separating what came to his children from others as their own from what he advanced them out of his own estate, the accounting kept exact so the final division should fall even among the heirs. Both Thomas Harper and Samuel Knipe were planters lately dead whose wills were proved together, and Knipe's death appears earlier in this record on 7 August, the two men's estates settled at the same sitting of the council. This clustering of planters deaths and the proving of their wills marks the small closed world of the island's landholders, a handful of related families among whom the same names recur as executors and witnesses, Samuel Alexander and Richard Beale here serving Harper as they and their like served each other, the settlement's property passing round within a narrow circle bound by kinship and neighbourhood. |
80 | 73 | 1762 Island St Helena In the Name of God Amen I Samuel Knipe of the aforesaid Island Planter being Sick and weak in Body but sound of the praise of a sound & disposing mind memory and understanding and considering the Uncertainty of Life and Certainty of Death Do make and Ordain this my last Will & Testament in manner and form following that is to say, May first I recommend into the hands of Almighty God who gave it and my Body to the Earth hoping through the merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ my blessed Redeemer to be made Partaker of Eternal happyness And as to this Worldly Estate it hath pleased the Almighty to bless me with I Give and Dispose thereof in the following manner vizt Item I will and request that all my just Debts and Funeral Expences be fully paid and satisfied as soon after my Decease as reasonably may be Item All my Estate both Real & Personal I will and desire may be kept together and entire until my Son Samuel arrives to the Age of One and Twenty Years or day of Marriage which shall first happen Item I then Give unto my beloved Wife the one half of my Freehold & Leasehold Land During the Term of her Natural Life Item I Give and bequeath unto my Eldest Son Samuel when he shall attain his Age of One and Twenty Years or day of Marriage the other Moiety or half part of my Freehold & Leasehold Land to have this Heirs for Ever On his paying an equal Dividend thereof to rest of my Younger Children following viz William, Mary, Ruth, Margaret, Sarah & Elizabeth, when each shall attain their respective Ages of Twenty one Years or day of Marriage Item I Give and bequeath unto my Son Son William at the Decease of my said Wife the other half of my Freehold & Leasehold Lands or before twenty grown Son to be held by him & his Heirs for Ever On his paying an equal Dividend to my aforesaid Children viz Mary Ruth Margaret Sarah & Elizabeth when each shall attain their Age of One & Twenty Years or day of Marriage Item I hereby Give and bequeath unto my said Wife the one third part of my personal Estate exclusive of the Leasehold Land as to Rest her own Disposal for Ever Item It is my Will that if either of my said sons Die before they attain their respective Ages of One and Twenty Years That then the Survivor of hers a dying shall have the refusal of both my aforesaid Freehold & Leasehold Lands paying an equal Divisions thereof to each of my Children above mentioned that may arrive Item All the rest, Residue and remainder of my Personal Estate, I hereby Give Devise and bequeath the same Unto the above among all my aforesaid Children to be equally Divided between them and Share and Share alike as they shall respectively arive to the Age of One and Twenty Years or day of Marriage which that first happen | Samuel Knipe, a planter of the island of St Helena, being sick and weak in body but of sound and disposing mind and understanding, and considering the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, made his last will and testament. He commended his soul to the hands of Almighty God and his body to the earth, hoping through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ his redeemer to be made a partaker of eternal happiness, and disposed of his worldly estate as follows. He directed that all his debts and funeral expenses be fully paid and satisfied as soon after his death as reasonably might be. He directed that all his estate, both real and personal, be kept together and entire until his son Samuel arrived at the age of twenty one years or the day of marriage, whichever should first happen. He gave to his beloved wife the one half of his freehold and household lands during the term of her natural life. He gave and bequeathed to his eldest son Samuel, when he should attain the age of twenty one years or the day of marriage, the other moiety or half part of his freehold and household lands, to him and his heirs for ever, on his paying an equal dividend thereof out of his younger children, namely William, Mary, Ruth, Margaret, Sarah and Elizabeth, when each should attain their respective ages of twenty one years or the day of marriage. He gave and bequeathed to his son William, at the death of his wife, the other half of his freehold and household lands, to him and his heirs for ever, on his paying an equal dividend thereof out of his fourteen children, namely Mary, Ruth, Margaret, Sarah and Elizabeth, when each should attain their age of twenty one years or the day of marriage. He gave and bequeathed to his wife the one third part of his personal estate, exclusive of the household land, to be at her own disposal for ever. He directed that if either of his children should die before they attained their respective ages of twenty one years or the day of marriage, then the survivor of those dying should have the refusal of both his freehold and household lands, on his paying an equal division thereof to each of his children above mentioned that might survive. He gave and bequeathed all the rest, residue and remainder of his personal estate, to be divided among all his aforesaid children equally, share and share alike, as they should respectively arrive at the age of twenty one years or the day of marriage, whichever should first happen. Interpretations Knipe's will held his whole estate together until his eldest son came of age, then split the freehold between the two sons Samuel and William in succession, each charged to pay out an equal share to the younger children as they reached twenty one or married. This device of burdening the land-taking heir with money portions to his siblings was the common means by which a planter provided for a large family without breaking up the land, the estate kept whole in the elder sons hands while the daughters and younger sons were bought out with their shares in cash. The will names eight children in all, the two sons Samuel and William and six daughters, a large family to provide for out of a single island holding, which explains the elaborate scheme of successive life interests and charged portions. This shows the pressure a numerous family placed on the limited land of the settlement, the planter contriving to keep his freehold entire through two generations of sons while still securing something to every child, the whole estate bound up in a chain of reversions and payments that would take years to work out. Samuel Knipe's death on 7 August and the proving of his will here beside Thomas Harper's mark the two planters as near neighbours dying within weeks of each other, their estates settled together before the council. The recurrence of the same small circle of names as executors and witnesses across both wills, and the appearance of a Samuel Knipe's land in Richard Bazley's earlier petition, show how tightly the island's landholding families were bound together, the same handful of men buying, witnessing and administering each other's property in a settlement where all held of the Company and knew one another well. |
81 | 74 | 6 September And Lastly I do hereby Nominate & appoint my Brother Isaac Knipe Executor my said beloved Wife Executrix & my said Son Samuel when he shall attain his Age of Nineteen Years likewise Executor of this my last Will and Testament and Guardians of the Bodys and Estates of all my Children hereby Revoking annulling and making void all former & other Will and Testaments by me at any time heretofore made And declaring this to be my only last Will and Testament In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Seal, this fifth day of August in the Second Year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c forth And in the Year of Our Lord Christ One thousand seven hundred and Sixty two Signed Sealed Published & declared by the Testator as for his last Will & Testament at request of said in presence of the said Testator and in presence of each other (Signed) John Desfountain Elisha Frache Jonathan Chandler (Signed) Samuel Knipe Isaac Knipe the Executor appointed by his Brother declared Acting as such Mr William Seale this Day presented the following Petition vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &c Council of St Helena The humble Petition of William Seale Sheweth That your Petitioner being possessed of Eight Acres of the Honorable Companys Lease Land lying in deep Valley, humbly begs that your Worship and Council will be pleased to permit him to assign his Right to the same unto Mr Orlando Bagley Junr 6th August 1762 And your Petitioner will ever pray (Signed) William Seale Granted Appointed | Lastly, Knipe nominated and appointed his brother Isaac Knipe executor, and his beloved wife executrix, and his son Samuel, when he should attain the age of nineteen years, likewise executor of his last will and testament and guardian of the bodies and estates of his younger children, revoking and disannulling all former and other wills and testaments by him at any time made, and declaring this to be his only last will and testament. The will was dated 5 August 1762, in the second year of the reign of King George the Third, and signed, sealed, published and declared as the last will of Samuel Knipe in the presence of John Desfountain, Elisha Rache and Jonathan Chandler. Isaac Knipe, the executor appointed by his brother, declared his acting as such. William Seale presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the council of St Helena, setting out that he held eight acres of the Honourable Company's leased land lying in Deep Valley, and asking that they would permit him to assign his right to the same to Orlando Bagley junior. The petition was signed by William Seale on 6 August 1762 and granted. Interpretations Knipe named his young son Samuel a joint executor and guardian of the younger children on reaching only nineteen, two years before the age at which he was to take his share of the land, marking a trust in the boy to manage the family's affairs before he came into his own inheritance. This shows the planter looking to keep the estate in the family's own hands from as early as the law and the boy's years allowed, the elder son brought into the management of his siblings portions while still a minor for most purposes, the family governing itself rather than leaving its affairs long in the hands of outsiders. The dating of the will by the regnal year of George the Third, then newly come to the throne, fixes the document in the wider world of the British crown, the small island planter's will framed in the same forms as any English testament and acknowledging the same sovereign. Seale's petition to assign his eight acres in Deep Valley to Orlando Bagley continues the steady traffic in the island's leased land, each transfer brought before the council for leave and record, the settlement's ground passing among its holders under the Company's oversight as lord of the soil. |
82 | 75 | 1762 Appointed the Lieutenant Governor, and Mr Purling, to inspect and take the Remaines of the Honorable Companys Stores for the present Year as usual There being no Pepper in the Honorable Companys Stores We sent Capt Thomson the following Order viz To Capt George Thomson Commander of Ship Calcutta Sir You are hereby Ordered to send on Shore two Bags of the Honorable Companys Pepper for the use of this Island St Helena 6 September 1762 We are Sir Your most humble servants (Signed) Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The council appointed the deputy governor and Purling to inspect and take the remains of the Honourable Company's stores for the present year, as usual. There being no pepper in the Honourable Company's stores, the council sent Captain Thomson the following order. Captain George Thomson, commander of the ship Calcutta, was ordered to send ashore two bags of the Honourable Company's pepper for the use of the island. The order was dated at St Helena on 6 September 1762 and subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. The entry was further subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The taking of the remains of the stores was the yearly stocktaking foreshadowed in the notice of 30 August, the deputy governor and Purling appointed to count what was left in the warehouse before the accounts for the year were closed. This inspection matched the closing of the stores from mid-September, the two together making up the settlement's annual reckoning of its supplies, the stock told over and entered so the year's consumption and the coming year's needs could be judged. The order to Captain Thomson to land two bags of the Company's pepper because none remained in the island's stores shows the settlement drawing on the cargoes of its own passing ships to make good a shortage, the pepper taken from the Calcutta's lading for local use. This dependence on the calling Indiamen to supply what the warehouse lacked, like the iron pots bought a fortnight before, marks the precariousness of the island's provisioning, the council reaching into the homeward cargoes to fill the gaps left by an incomplete annual supply from England. |
83 | 76 | 13th September At a Consultation held on Monday the 13 Day of September 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 6 September 1762 Yesterday Arrived the Fly Cutter The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of August were this Day brought in, which were examined and approved and are as follow vizt Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of August 1762 vizt 10 Bottles of Port £15s 0d 19 Do of Lisbon £1 9s 6d 14 Do of Mountain £1 1s 0d 66 Do of Arrack £3 1s 6½d 37 lb of Beer £10s 6d 340 of Flour £2 2s 6d 321 of fresh Beef £4s 3d 2 Pr of Salt Beef £5s 11d 4 Pr of Salt Pork £1s 4d 247 lb of Mutton £5 3s 10d 78 of Goat £1 6s 0d 1 Kidey £5s 0d 4 Lamb £2s 0d 14 Fowls £1 1s 0d 3 Ducks £4s 6d 1 Goose £5s 0d 2 Turkeys £10s 0d 30 lb of fresh Butter £1 19s 6d 91 of Candy £1 12s 4d £29 12s 3d | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 13 September 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 6 September 1762 was read, approved and signed. Yesterday the Fly cutter arrived. The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month of August were this day presented, examined and approved, and ran as follows. The sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month of August 1762 were as follows. Sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table, August 1762 10 bottles of port, £0 15s 0d 19 bottles of Lisbon, £1 9s 6d 14 bottles of mountain, £1 1s 0d 66 bottles of arrack, £3 1s 6½d 37 bottles of beer, £0 10s 0d 340 lb of flour, £2 2s 6d 321 lb of fresh beef, £4 0s 3d 2 pieces of salt beef, £0 5s 11d 1 piece of salt pork, £0 1s 4d 247½ lb of mutton, £5 3s 10d 78 lb of goat, £1 6s 0d 1 kid, £0 5s 0d 4 lambs, £2 0s 0d 14 fowls, £1 1s 0d 3 ducks, £0 4s 6d 1 goat, £0 5s 0d 2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d 36 lb of fresh butter, £1 19s 6d 41 lb of candy, £1 12s 4d total £29 12s 3d Interpretations The table account for August repeats the pattern of July, the same fare of imported port, Lisbon and mountain wine and Eastern arrack set beside the fresh beef, mutton, goat and poultry drawn from the island's own herds and flocks. The steady likeness of the two months marks the settled diet of the Company's establishment, the governor and senior servants kept at a constant table through the year, the mix of shipped-in luxuries and fresh island meat varying little from month to month. The fresh beef, mutton and goat eaten here trace back to the slaughter recorded in the stock account of the same period, the animals killed off the Company's herds appearing on the table as the fresh meat of the month. This continues the chain from pasture to plate seen in July, the settlement's husbandry carried through from the beast counted in the herd to the meat served at the board, the monthly accounts of stock and table reading together as a single record of how the island fed its principal people from its own land. |
84 | 77 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &c as for the Month of August 1762 viz Bulls, Cows, Calves, Yearling, Heifers, Steers, Oxen, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Lambs, Rams, Total, Ewes, Wethers, Kids, Rams, Total, Sows, Boars, Piggs, Barrows, Total, Fowls, Ducks, Turkeys, Geese, Total, Horses, Mares, Total, Stallio, Asses, Total Remaining 1st: Bulls 5, Cows 78, Calves 84, Yearling 36, Heifers 18, Steers 23, Oxen 13, Total 25, Ewes 51, Wethers 27, Lambs 37, Rams 44, Total 78, Ewes 502, Wethers 139, Kids 7, Rams 76, Total 9, Sows 231, Boars 5, Piggs 0, Barrows 12, Total 1, Fowls 18, Ducks 91, Turkeys 29, Geese 34, Total 13, Horses 7, Mares 5, Total 12, Stallio 2, Asses 1, Total 3 Increased: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 3, Yearling 0, Heifers 0, Steers 3, Oxen 0, Total 0, Ewes 26, Wethers 0, Lambs 0, Rams 0, Total 26, Ewes 0, Wethers 20, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 20, Sows 0, Boars 0, Piggs 17, Barrows 0, Total 17, Fowls 23, Ducks 0, Turkeys 0, Geese 4, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Stallio 0, Asses 0, Total 0 Total: Bulls 5, Cows 78, Calves 87, Yearling 36, Heifers 18, Steers 23, Oxen 13, Total 26, Ewes 52, Wethers 27, Lambs 37, Rams 44, Total 73, Ewes 8, Wethers 528, Kids 139, Rams 7, Total 9, Sows 6, Boars 9, Piggs 251, Barrows 5, Total 0, Fowls 29, Ducks 1, Turkeys 35, Geese 114, Total 29, Horses 34, Mares 17, Total 7, Stallio 5, Asses 12, Total 2, Stallio 1, Asses 3 Killed: Bulls 0, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearling 0, Heifers 0, Steers 3, Oxen 0, Total 3, Ewes 0, Wethers 9, Lambs 4, Rams 0, Total 13, Ewes 6, Wethers 4, Kids 1, Rams 0, Total 11, Sows 0, Boars 0, Piggs 0, Barrows 0, Total 0, Fowls 4, Ducks 3, Turkeys 2, Geese 1, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Stallio 0, Asses 0, Total 0 Dead: Bulls 1, Cows 0, Calves 0, Yearling 0, Heifers 0, Steers 1, Oxen 2, Total 0, Ewes 3, Wethers 0, Lambs 5, Rams 2, Total 0, Ewes 2, Wethers 4, Kids 0, Rams 0, Total 0, Sows 0, Boars 0, Piggs 0, Barrows 0, Total 0, Fowls 0, Ducks 0, Turkeys 0, Geese 0, Total 0, Horses 0, Mares 0, Total 0, Stallio 0, Asses 0, Total 0 Remaining 31st: Bulls 4, Cows 78, Calves 87, Yearling 36, Heifers 18, Steers 20, Oxen 13, Total 25, Ewes 62, Wethers 71, Lambs 65, Rams 16, Total 68, Ewes 510, Wethers 131, Kids 3, Rams 93, Total 9, Sows 236, Boars 5, Piggs 0, Barrows 29, Total 1, Fowls 35, Ducks 100, Turkeys 26, Geese 32, Total 16, Horses 7, Mares 5, Total 12, Stallio 2, Asses 1, Total 3 Yam for the Blacks 20680 Bad Yam for Stock 5120 25,800 (Signed) John Skottowe | The account of the Honourable Company's stock of neat cattle and other animals for the month of August 1762 was set out, the column headings running across neat cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and asses, each broken into its several kinds and totals. Account of the Honourable Company's stock of animals for August 1762 Neat cattle remaining 1 August 5 bulls 78 cows 84 calves 36 yearlings 18 heifers 23 steers 132 oxen 257 total Sheep remaining 1 August 273 ewes 74 wethers 147 lambs 8 rams 502 total Goats remaining 1 August 139 ewes 7 wethers 76 kids 9 rams 231 total Hogs remaining 1 August 5 sows 12 pigs 1 boars 18 total Poultry remaining 1 August 91 fowls 29 ducks 34 turkeys 13 geese 7 [...] Horses remaining 1 August 5 mares 12 total Asses remaining 1 August 2 she asses 1 jackass 3 total The increase during the month was as follows. Increase Calves 3 Lambs 26 Kids 20 Pigs 17 Fowls 23 Turkeys 4 The totals stood as follows. Total Neat cattle 5 bulls 78 cows 87 calves 36 yearlings 18 heifers 23 steers 132 oxen 260 total Sheep 273 ewes 74 wethers 173 lambs 8 rams 528 total Goats 139 ewes 7 wethers 96 kids 9 rams 251 total Hogs 5 sows 29 pigs 1 boars 35 total Poultry 114 fowls 29 ducks 34 turkeys 17 geese 7 [...] Horses 5 mares 12 total Asses 2 she asses 1 jackass 3 total The numbers killed during the month were as follows. Killed Sheep 3 wethers 9 lambs 4 rams 16 total Goats 3 kids 1 rams 4 total Poultry 4 ducks 3 turkeys 2 geese 1 [...] The numbers dead during the month were as follows. Dead Neat cattle 1 cow Sheep 1 ewes 2 wethers 3 lambs 5 total Goats 2 kids 2 total The stock remaining at 31 August stood as follows. Remaining 31 August Neat cattle 4 bulls 78 cows 87 calves 36 yearlings 18 heifers 20 steers 132 oxen 256 total Sheep 271 ewes 65 wethers 166 lambs 8 rams 510 total Goats 131 ewes 3 wethers 93 kids 9 rams 236 total Hogs 5 sows 29 pigs 1 boars 35 total Poultry 100 fowls 26 ducks 32 turkeys 16 geese 7 [...] Horses 5 mares 12 total Asses 2 she asses 1 jackass 3 total Yam for the slaves 20,680. Bad yam for the stock 5,120, together 25,800. The account was signed by John Skottowe. Interpretations The yams were divided in this account between the sound roots fed to the slaves and the bad yams set aside for the stock, the distinction marking the sorting of the crop by quality between the two mouths it fed. This shows the island putting its spoiled or inferior yams to the animals while reserving the good ones for the bound labourers, nothing of the staple wasted, the poorer part of the harvest turned to fattening the beasts as the cheaper grain and paddy were elsewhere. The stock stood remarkably steady between the two months, the cattle holding near 256 head, the sheep easing from 524 to 510 and the goats from 254 to 236, the increase by birth roughly matching the draw of slaughter and death. This near balance shows the herds and flocks managed as a self-renewing larder, the lambs and kids born through the month replacing the animals killed for the table, the settlement keeping its living meat supply level rather than letting it fall away under the constant demand of the garrison, the ships and the Company's own board. The great quantity of yams expended, over 25,000 in the month, marks the root as the true staple of the island's own economy, feeding the slaves and the stock alike where imported grain served the European establishment. This heavy reliance on the yam, grown freely on the island's ground, was what allowed the settlement to carry so large a body of bound labour and livestock without drawing wholly on the costly rice and flour shipped from the East, the local crop the foundation on which the whole provisioning of St Helena rested. |
85 | 78 | 13th September Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of August 1762 Guns Fired, 4pounder 4, 4pounder 3, 4pounder 2, 4pounder 1, Powder Expended 1 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 2, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 2, Powder Expended 12 Arrived the York Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 9, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 9 Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 1 8 6 Departed a Dutch Ship Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 15, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 15, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 15 Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 4 16 Departed the Warren and the York Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 11, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 15, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 13 and for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 2 4 17 Powder for the Scaling of 9 Pounder Guns at Mundens Point in Order to Touch them, & for Priming: Guns Fired 13, 4pounder 4 13, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 60 4 23 An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 2, 4pounder 3 2, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 2, Powder Expended 12 26 Powder for Scaling the Six new 9 Pounder Guns and for Priming: Guns Fired 6, 4pounder 4 6, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 7 30 Powder for Priming at Prosperous Bay from the 22 lb April 1762: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 3 Do for Replenishing the Cartridges at the Main Fort: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 4 0, 4pounder 3 0, 4pounder 2 0, 4pounder 1 0, Powder Expended 3 Total: Guns Fired 19, 4pounder 4 4, 4pounder 3 4, 4pounder 2 35, 4pounder 1 4, Powder Expended 134 2 Tallow for greasing Gun Carriages at Mundens Point 6 Do for greasing the Carts that Transported the Guns to Do 32 Handspiks broke with Transporting the Guns to Do 6 Tompeons broke at the Main Fort 1 (Signed) Thos Hall As many of the Soldiers Cotts wanted Canvas to new bottom them, We directed the Storekeeper to deliver fifteen pieces and twelve Yards for that purpose Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The account of artillery stores expended in the month of August 1762 was set out, the columns recording the guns fired, the number of the several batteries and the powder expended in pounds and ounces. Artillery stores expended in August 1762 1 August an alarm, 6 guns fired at number 5 battery, 2 at number 3, 2 at number 2, 2 at number 1, 12 lb powder arrived the York, returned the salute, 9 guns fired at number 1, 9 lb powder powder for priming, 1 lb 8 oz 6 August departed a Dutch ship, returned the salute, 15 guns fired at number 1, 15 lb powder powder for priming, 2 lb 4 oz 16 August departed the Warren and the York, returned the salute, 11 guns fired at number 1, 15 lb powder powder for priming, 13 lb 18 August powder for the scaling of 9 pounder guns at Munden's point in order to touch them, and for priming, 60 lb 4 oz 23 August an alarm for a ship that went by, 6 at number 5, 2 at number 3, 2 at number 2, 2 at number 1, 12 lb powder 26 August powder for scaling the six new 9 pounder guns, and for priming, 7 lb 30 August powder for priming at Prosperous Bay from the 25 April 1762, 3 lb ditto for replenishing the cartridges at the main fort, 3 lb Total, 19 guns at number 5, 4 at number 3, 4 at number 2, 35 at number 1, 134 lb 4 oz powder The stores expended in the works followed. Stores expended tallow for greasing gun carriages at Munden's point, 6 tallow for greasing the cart that transported the guns to ditto, 2 handspikes broke with transporting the guns to ditto, 6 tampions broke at the main fort, 1 The account was signed by Thomas Hall. Since many of the soldiers cots wanted canvas to new bottom them, the council directed the storekeeper to deliver fifteen pieces and twelve yards for that purpose. The order was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The scaling of the guns was the firing of a light charge to clean the bore of rust and fouling before the piece was proved or brought into service, the great quantity of 60 lb of powder spent on the nine pounders at Munden's point marking the preparing of a battery of new guns for use. A handspike was the wooden lever used to shift and lay a gun and a tampion the plug that stopped its muzzle against the weather, both named among the gear worn or broken in moving the heavy pieces about the works. The mounting of six new nine pounder guns, scaled and made ready in the month, shows the island strengthening its defences with fresh artillery, the batteries at Munden's point and elsewhere reinforced during the war then being fought. This work on the fortifications, the transporting and greasing of the guns, the scaling and proving of the new pieces and the replenishing of the cartridges at the main fort, marks a deliberate build-up of the island's firepower, the remote station arming itself against the enemy cruisers that might threaten the vital anchorage. The new-bottoming of the soldiers cots with canvas was the routine repair of the garrison's bedding, the worn sacking of the beds replaced from the stores to keep the men lodged. This small charge, set beside the great labour on the guns, marks the range of the establishment's constant upkeep, the same warehouse and the same council seeing to the mending of a soldier's bed and the mounting of a battery of cannon, the whole life of the fortified island passing through their hands. |
86 | 79 | 20th September At a Consultation held on Monday the 20 Day of September 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 13th September 1762 Yesterday arrived the Mercury Snow John Price Marshall this day presented the following Petition vizt To the Worshipful Chas Hutchinson Esqr Governor &c Council of St Helena The humble Petition of John Price Sheweth That your petitioner being possessed of a dwelling House situated in the Honorable Companys Waste Land in this Valley, humbly begs that your Worships and Council will be pleased to permit him to dispose of the same And your Petitioner will ever pray 20th September 1762 Granted John Price mark The Widow and Executor of Samuel Knipe deceased this day presented an Inventory of his Effects approved by Messrs John Desfountain and Elisha Frache who being duly sworn that they valued the same to the best of their Judgment and the widow that she produced every Article it was ordered to be entered in the Book kept for that purpose Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash the Month of August last which is as follows vizt | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 20 September 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 13 September 1762 was read, approved and signed. Yesterday the snow Mercury arrived. John Price, marshall, this day presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the council of St Helena, setting out that he held a dwelling house situated on the Honourable Company's waste land in this valley, and asking that they would permit him to dispose of the same. The petition was signed by John Price by his mark on 20 September 1762 and granted. The widow and executrix of Samuel Harper, deceased, this day presented an inventory of his effects, appraised by John Desfountain and Elisha Rache, who being duly sworn that they valued the same to the best of their judgement, and the widow that she produced every article it was ordered to be entered in the book kept for that purpose. The council counted and examined the Honourable Company's cash for the month of August, which stood as set out below. Interpretations The Company's waste land was the unallotted ground of the island not granted to any planter, held by the Company as lord of the soil, on which Price had built his dwelling by leave rather than by freehold title. His petition to dispose of the house shows the settlement allowing men to raise and sell buildings on the common ground under the council's oversight, the structure treated as the builder's own to convey while the land beneath remained the Company's, the sale requiring the council's leave as the ground's ultimate owner. The proving of the inventory of Samuel Harper's effects, appraised and sworn by two neighbours and confirmed by his widow, was the legal step by which a dead man's goods were valued and recorded for the settlement of his estate. This shows the island's probate reaching beyond the will itself to the reckoning of the goods, the appraisers sworn to a true valuation and the executrix to a full disclosure, the whole entered in the council's book so the estate might be fairly divided and no property concealed or undervalued. |
87 | 80 | Cash Dr Per Contra Cr 1762 August 1 To Balance remaining £5267 2s 5d 3 To Exchange for one Sett of Bills drawn upon the Honble the Court of Directors payable to Captain Cornelis Pieterse for £760s 0d 12 To Ship Warren vizt the Balance of her Account £206 8d To Ship York Do £48 8s 0d To Exchange for 7 Setts of Bills drawn upon Honble the Court of Directors payable as follows Viz One Sett to William Wood Esqr for £200s 0d One ditto to John Skottowe Esqr £2s 6d One ditto Capt John Clark £807 15s 9d One ditto to Capt John Durand £444 3s 7d One ditto to Mrs Mary Adamson £101 10s 0d One ditto to Mr Thomas Lee £200s 0d One ditto to Maurice Johnson Esqr £229 9s 3d £2008 18s 7d £8104 15s 8d 1762 Augt 12 By Exchange for a Sett of Bills drawn by Capt Alphonsus Glover upon Capt Richard Crabb payable to the Honble the Court of Directors for £150s 0d 31 By Balance rem in the following Species 16979 Pagod 8 £6791 12s 0d 2050 Rupees 2 3 £230 12s 6d 441 French pr 2 £3 3s 6d 6226 Doub Ryals 4 3 £339 2s 6d Odd money £2d £7415 8d Cash Notes of no Use amountd to £539 15s 0d £7954 15s 8d £8104 15s 8d | The cash account for August was set out, the charge on the one side and the payments and balance on the other. Cash, debtor 1 August 1762 to balance remaining, £5,267 2s 5d 5 August to exchange for one set of bills drawn upon the Honourable the Court of Directors payable to Captain Cornelius Petrovz for, £760 0s 0d 12 August to ship Warren received the balance of her account, £206 8s 0d to ship York ditto, £48 8s 0d to exchange for 7 sets of bills drawn upon the Honourable the Court of Directors payable as follows One set to William Wood for, £200 0s 0d One ditto to John Skottowe, £26 0s 0d One ditto to Captain John Clark, £807 15s 9d One ditto to Captain John Durand, £444 3s 7d One ditto to Mrs Mary Adamson, £101 10s 0d One ditto to Mr Thomas Lee, £200 0s 0d One ditto to Maurice Johnson, £229 9s 3d subtotal £2,008 18s 7d total £8,104 15s 8d The credit side was set out against the charge. Per contra, creditor 12 August 1762 by exchange for a set of bills drawn by Captain Alphonsus Glover upon Captain Richard Crabb payable to the Honourable the Court of Directors for, £150 0s 0d 31 August by balance remaining in the following species 16,979 pagodas at 7s 8d, £6,791 12s 0d 2,050 rupees at 2s 3d, £230 12s 6d 441 French per cent 2s, £3 3s 6d 6,226 double ryals at 4s 3d, £379 2s 6d odd money, £0 0s 2d subtotal £7,415 0s 8d cash notes of no use amounting to, £539 15s 0d subtotal £7,954 15s 8d total £8,104 15s 8d Interpretations The cash side gathered the great sums paid in by the ship captains for bills of exchange, Captain Petrovz of the Dutch Sovereign laying down £760 and the run of bills payable to William Wood, Captain Clark, Captain Durand and others totalling over £2,000, the island taking in coin and issuing paper on London. This shows the settlement acting as a place of remittance for the whole passing trade, the money paid in at St Helena and drawn on the Court of Directors in England, the anchorage turning the Company's credit to the service of every ship and servant that needed to move funds home. The reserve now stood swollen to nearly £7,000 in pagodas alone, the gold coin of southern India, the treasury filled far beyond the previous months by the cash the calling ships had paid in for their bills. This great accumulation of coin against the paper drawn on London marks the working of the system, the island gathering specie from the shipping and remitting its value home in bills, the physical money piling up in the treasury while the Company's obligation to repay it moved by the swifter and safer road of exchange. |
88 | 81 | 1762 The Executors to the last Will and Testament of Mrs Mary Goodwin deceased this day presented the said Will 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 I Mary Goodwin of the Island St Helena Widow being of a Sick and Weak State of health but of Sound and disposing Mind Memory and understanding and well knowing the Uncertainty of this Life do hereby make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say. First I will and Desire that my body may be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executors and Executrix herein after named And as to what Effects I shall be possessed of at the time of my Decease, I hereby give and bequeath and dispose of the same as follows that is to say I hereby Will and direct that in the first place all my just Debts and Funeral Expences may be paid and discharged out of my Personal Estate and Effects. Item I hereby give and bequeath unto my Neice Margaret Powell the Daughter of James Powell, one Small Silver Tankard Marked twenty six Ounces and twelve Penny Weights, One Silver Tea Pott, and one Silver Mug Marked Weight Nine Ounces and ten Penny Weights for her own use. Item All the rest residue and remainder of my Estate and Effects whatsoever I hereby give and bequeath unto my Friends Mr Matthew Purling and Mr Thomas Greentree In Trust nevertheless for the benefit of my beloved Daughter Margaret Marriott the Wife of Mr Randolph Marriott, though under Coverture, so that the same may not be any way subject to the Controul or intermedling Debts or Engagements of her said Husband but that they my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor shall and do permit and suffer her my said Daughter to receive the same, And also suffer her and I hereby direct that she shall have full power and authority (though under Coverture as aforesaid) in her own name to give Receipts or Acquittances of discharges for any Sum or Sums of Money she shall receive by Vertue of this my Will my Will and mind being that her said Husband shall not Have | The executors to the last will and testament of Mrs Mary Goodwin, deceased, this day presented the will that it might be proved, which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the witnesses. The will was as follows. Mary Goodwin, a widow of the island of St Helena, being sick and weak in body but of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and well knowing the uncertainty of life, made and published her last will and testament as follows. She directed that her body be decently buried at the discretion of her executors, and disposed of her effects as follows. She directed that in the first place all her debts and funeral expenses be paid and discharged out of her personal estate and effects. She gave and bequeathed to her niece Margaret Powell, the daughter of James Powell, one small silver tankard marked twenty six ounces and twelve penny weights, one silver tea pot, one silver spoon, and one mug marked weight nine ounces and ten penny weights, for her own use. She gave and bequeathed all the rest, residue and remainder of her estate and effects to her friends Matthew Purling and Thomas Greentree in trust, for the benefit of her beloved daughter Margaret Marriott, the wife of Randolph Marriott, though under coverture, so that the same might not be liable to the control or intermeddling of the debts or engagements of her husband, but that they, as trustees, or the survivor of them, should permit and suffer her daughter to receive the same. She directed that her daughter should have full power and authority, though under coverture, in her own name to give receipts and discharges for any sum or sums of money she should receive by virtue of the will. Interpretations Mary Goodwin was the pensioner named in the muster rolls earlier in this record, the single woman drawing a maintenance from the Company, whose death on 29 August is noted a few pages before. The proving of her will completes her story in the record, the widow the establishment had supported through her life having her small estate of silver plate and effects settled after her death. The device of leaving property to trustees for a married daughter, so that it should be free of her husband's debts and control, was the standard means by which a woman's inheritance was protected from her husband at a time when a wife's property passed to her husband on marriage. Coverture was the legal condition of a married woman, whose separate legal existence was subsumed in her husband's, and the trust here was framed expressly to give the daughter Margaret Marriott the use of her mother's estate and the power to receipt for money in her own name, keeping it out of Randolph Marriott's hands. |
89 | 82 | 20th September Have any thing to do therewith. Also I hereby further Will and Direct that my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor shall and do at any time hereafter permit and suffer her my said Daughter to have and I hereby direct that she shall have full power and Authority by her last Will and Testament in Writing or any other Writing under her hand and Seal to be by her duly Executed in the presence of two or more Credible Witnesses to dispose of all or any part of the said Estate and Effects without any Intermedling of the said Husband, as I hereby will order and direct that her the Do not have any thing to do therewith but that my said Daughters Receipt shall be a full discharge for any Money she shall receive from any Person or Persons to whom she shall will or dispose of the same But if my said Daughter shall in her life time of these one Effects and then licence to Island or otherwise then I hereby Will order and direct that she my said Daughter shall and do release and discharge my said trustees of and from any further Trust and indemnify them from and against any Claim or Demand whatsoever in relation thereto. Lastly I do hereby Nominate Constitute and appoint my said Friends Matthew Purling and Thomas Greentree Joint Executors along with my said Daughter whom I also appoint Executrix of this my Will And I do hereby revoke and make void all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made and Executed and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof, I the said Mary Goodwin have hereunto set my hand and Seal this Sixteenth day of July the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Testatrix Mary Goodwin as her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at her request and in her presence have subscribed our names as Witnesses (Signed) Willm Wrangham Robert Barclay F Dunn (Signed) M Goodwin Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | Goodwin further directed that her trustees, or the survivor of them, or the executors or administrators of such survivor, should permit and suffer her daughter to dispose of the estate, and directed that she should have full power and authority by her last will and testament in writing, or by any other writing under her hand and seal duly executed in the presence of two or more credible witnesses, to dispose of all any part of the estate and effects without any intermeddling of her husband, so that his receipt should not have anything to do with it, but that her daughter's receipt should be a full discharge for any money she should receive from any person to whom she should sell or dispose of the same. But if her daughter should in her lifetime dispose of the effects and then leave the island or otherwise, then she directed that her daughter should release and discharge her trustees, and further indemnify them against any claim or demand whatever in relation thereto. Lastly, she nominated and appointed her friends Matthew Purling and Thomas Greentree joint executors, along with her daughter, whom she likewise appointed executrix, and revoked all former wills, declaring this only to be her last will and testament. The will was dated 16 July 1762 and signed, sealed, published and declared as the last will of Mary Goodwin in the presence of William Wrangham, Robert Barclay and B Dunn. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations The will gave Margaret Marriott not only the use of her mother's estate but the power to dispose of it by her own deed or will and to give a valid receipt for the proceeds, an unusual grant of independent control to a married woman whose husband would ordinarily have held all such rights. This careful arming of the daughter with powers she could exercise in her own name, free of her husband, shows the settled purpose of the whole trust, to place the property wholly at the daughter's command and shut the husband out of every part of its management and disposal. The appointment of Purling and Greentree, two of the island's principal men who appear repeatedly through this record as councillor and landholder, as trustees and executors for the widow marks the small closed circle in which the settlement's affairs were managed. The same handful of substantial inhabitants served each other as executors, trustees and witnesses across will after will, the island's property and trusts passing through a narrow group bound by office and neighbourhood, the widow entrusting her daughter's security to the leading men she knew. |
90 | 83 | 27th September At a Consultation held on Monday the 27th Day of September 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 20th September 1762 Capt Henry Bazett this day presented the following Petition vizt To the Worshipful Chas Hutchinson Esqr Governor &c Council of St Helena The humble Petition of Henry Bazett Sheweth That your Petitioner is desirous of being a small piece of the Honorable Companys Waste Lands adjoining to his Plantation in Sandy Bay humbly begs your Worship and Council will be pleased to grant him a Lease for the same, but as the said piece of Land is very Rocky and chiefly for the conveniency of Fencing hopes he shall have it at an easy Rent And your Petitioner will ever pray 27th September 1762 (Signed) Henry Bazett Ordered the said Lands to be Viewed | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 27 September 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 20 September 1762 was read, approved and signed. Captain Henry Bazett this day presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the council of St Helena, setting out that he wished to hold a small piece of the Honourable Company's waste land adjoining his plantation in Sandy Bay, and asking that they would grant him a lease for the same. The land was very rocky and he wanted it chiefly for the convenience of fencing, and hoped he should have it at an easy rent. The petition was signed by Henry Bazett on 27 September 1762, and the council ordered the land to be viewed. Interpretations Bazett's request for the rocky waste ground adjoining his plantation chiefly for the convenience of fencing shows a planter seeking to round out his holding by taking in a stony scrap next to his own land, useful less for cultivation than for enclosing his fields. This marks the piecemeal way the island's land was taken up, a settler asking leave to lease a small barren parcel that fell within the line of his fences, the Company granting such odd corners at low rents to tidy the boundaries of the established plantations. The council's order to view the land before granting it was the standard step by which the Company judged the worth of the ground and the fitness of the rent, a member sent to inspect the parcel so the lease should be set on a true valuation. This shows the settlement managing its waste land with care even in the smallest grants, no scrap let out without inspection, the council weighing the quality of the ground against the easy rent the petitioner sought before binding the Company to the terms. |
91 | 84 | 27th September The Executor to the last Will and Testament of Thomas Wright Mariner this day presented the said Will 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 I Thomas Wright of the Parish of Wissen in Derbyshire late Mariner of his Majestys Ship Cumberland but now lying in the Honorable Companys Hospital at the Island St Helena being weak in body but of sound mind and Memory Do for Avoiding all Scruples and Controversies that may hereafter Arise in case of my death make ordain Sonveience and appoint this my last Will and Testament In manner following Imprimis I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth, to be Buried in decent Burial and as touching all such worldly Estate for with it as pleased god to bless me with, I give devise and dispose of the same unto my true and trusty friend William Herr now Soldier in the Honorable East Indies Company Servant at the Island St Helena whom I Constitute make and Ordain my sole Executor of this my Will and Testament to receive all such wages pay money and Short Allowance money that is or may be due to unto me Especially wages due from his Majestys ship Cumberland from Manst the first in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty seven, to the seventeenth of February In the Year of Our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and Sixty, by him freely to be Possessed and Enjoyed and I do hereby utterly revoke and so to disannul all other wills and Executors by me In any ways before named Confirming this and no Other to be my last will and Testament. In Witness hereunto I set my hand and Seal this fifteenth day of September In the year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and Sixty two And in the Second Year | The executor to the last will and testament of Thomas Wright, mariner, this day presented the will that it might be proved, which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the witnesses. The will was as follows. Thomas Wright of the parish of Wessen in Derbyshire, late a mariner of His Majesty's ship Cumberland but now lying in the Honourable Company's hospital at the island of St Helena, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory, and wishing to avoid all scruples and controversies that might afterwards arise in case of his death, made his last will and testament as follows. He commended his soul to the hands of God who gave it, and his body to the earth to be buried in a decent manner. As to his worldly estate, he gave and disposed of the same to his true and trusty friend William Herr, now a soldier in the Honourable East India Company's service at the island of St Helena, whom he constituted his sole executor, to receive all his wages, prize money and short allowance money that was or might be due to him, especially the wages due from His Majesty's ship Cumberland from 1 January 1757 to 17 February 1760, by him freely to be possessed and enjoyed. He revoked and disannulled all other wills and executors, confirming this and no other as his last will and testament. The will was dated 15 September 1762, in the second year of the reign of the King. Interpretations Short allowance money was the compensation paid to naval seamen when they had been put on reduced rations at sea, the crew given money in lieu of the provisions they had gone without, and it stood here among the sums Wright's executor was to gather. The wages, prize money and short allowance due from the Cumberland were the accumulated entitlements of a naval seaman, the prize money his share of enemy ships taken during the war, all owed by the navy and recoverable in England through the executor named to claim them. Thomas Wright was a Royal Navy seaman, not a Company man, lying sick in the island's hospital far from his ship, and his choice of a Company soldier on the island as executor shows a dying sailor entrusting his affairs to the one man at hand he could trust. This marks again the island's part as the sickbay of the passing fleet, a naval seaman set ashore to be nursed making his will among strangers and leaving all he was owed to a friend found on the island, the wages and prize money of his years afloat to be pursued by a soldier he had come to know in his last illness. Speculations Thomas Wright left everything to a soldier he called his true and trusty friend rather than to any family in his native Derbyshire parish, naming a man met on the island as sole executor to pursue his naval wages and prize money in England. The will shows a dying seaman far from home choosing the bond formed in the hospital over the claims of kin he had left behind, entrusting the recovery of years of pay to a Company soldier at St Helena in place of relations who might never have learned of his death, the friendship of the sickbed set above the ties of home when there was no one nearer to name. |
92 | 85 | 1762 of our Sovereign Lord George the third, King of Great Brittian, France and Ireland &c (Signed) Thomas Wright his mark Signed Sealed published and declared By the said Thomas Wright as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us Subscribers (Signed) Thomas Bernard William Beckett Robert Martin his mark Where no Stamp Paper is to be had Mr Matthew Purling reports that he has been on board the Ship Calcutta to muster her Company and enquire for deserters but found none her Muster Roll is as follows viz Muster Roll of Ship Calcutta George Thomson Comma John Toppitt Chief Mate George Sandys 2nd Do William Hambly 3rd Do Thomas Martin 4 Do Nathaniel Hedges 5 Do Andrew Kirkwood Praxer Thomas Williamson Surgn William Gowland Middshp Joseph Brothers Do Henry Price Do Richard Pitts Do George Pearson Do &c Corr rein William Halsby Carpenter Thomas Fresenser Boatswain Robert Allan Gunner John Castle Caulker George Gray Soilmaker Thomas Wilson Cooper William Alexander Ships Do John Harvey Capt Do John Cooper Capt Cook James Kittold Butcher John Collinny Armourer John Jerom Boats mrs Mate Jacob Cubbi Gunners Do William Colling Cavist mrs Capt Servants James Hampshire Do Do Richard Massey Chief Mates Servant Thomas Englefield 2nd Do James Ford Boat Cook William Jones Gunners Do John Mason Carpenter Do William Hipple Long Do Edward Edwards Seaman Math Sports Thomas Thomson Do William | The will was dated in the second year of the reign of King George the Third, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, and signed by Thomas Wright by his mark. It was signed, sealed, published and declared as the last will of Thomas Wright in the presence of Thomas Bernard, William Beckett and Robert Martin, the last by his mark, there being no stamp paper to be had. Matthew Purling reported that he had been aboard the ship Calcutta to muster her company and enquire for deserters, but found none. The muster roll was as follows. The muster roll of the Calcutta was as follows. Muster roll of ship Calcutta George Thomson commander John Toppitt chief mate George Sindys 2nd ditto William Hambly 3rd ditto Thomas Martin 4th ditto Nathaniel Hedges 5th ditto Andrew Kirkwood purser Thomas Williamson surgeon William Gowland midshipman Joseph Bartholt ditto Henry Pierce ditto Richard Petts ditto George Pearson ditto William Halsley carpenter Thomas Fenzenser boatswain Robert Allan gunner John Bath caulker George Gray sailmaker Thomas Wilson cooper William Alexander ships steward John Harvey captains ditto John Cooper captains cook James Nield butcher John Callimay armourer John Irwin boatswains mate Jacob Gubbs gunners ditto William Colley servant captains servants James Hampshire ditto ditto Richard Massey chief mates servant Thomas Englefield 2nd mates ditto James Nield boatswains servant William Irwin gunners ditto John Mason carpenters ditto William Hipple surgeons ditto Edward Edwards seaman Math Sports ditto Thomas Thomson ditto William [...] Interpretations The want of stamp paper, noted at the foot of Wright's will, marks a shortage on the island of the official stamped paper on which legal documents were properly to be drawn and taxed, the settlement so remote that even this necessary of legal business ran short between supplies. This detail shows the difficulty of keeping the forms of English law at the world's edge, a valid will made and witnessed on plain paper because the stamped kind was not to be had, the isolation of the post reaching even into the paperwork of a dying man's estate. The Calcutta's muster shows the same ordered company as the earlier Indiamen, a commander and five mates over the tradesmen and seamen, with a butcher again rated among the crew to slaughter the fresh stock taken aboard at the island. The mustering of her company for deserters, like that of the Warren and York before her, marks the standing check made on every ship in the road, the council satisfying itself that no runaway sheltered aboard and that each vessel carried its full charged complement before it sailed. |
93 | 86 | 27th September William Herr Seaman Antino Ferguson Do Hugh Cuthbert Do William Thomson Do George Boyes Do Samuel Harder Do Christian Henry Wade Do Thomas Ancher Do Robert Wilson Do John Lockhart Do John Steel Do Evan Bryant Do John Reynolds Do Samuel Riddle Do Hugh Robinson Do George Butler Do Owen Thomas Do John Bright Do John Murphy Do George Sutter Do Thomas Winerden Do John Mephierson Do James Balcolyne Do John Thomas Do Robert Reynolds Do James Wallace Do Humphry Hay Do George Cook Do Richard Gibbons Do John Do Trotter Do Manuel Sozea Do Thomas Bran Do John Walken Do Thomas Crew Do Thomas More Do John Robinson Do James Ward Do Edward Gracagal Do Matthew Gerraeld Do Edward Stokes Do James Burgess Do John Dean Do Andrew Read Do Charles Lewis Do Passengers Mr Wordsee Capt Bruce Riddims Reverend Mr Thomas Nethcote 15 French Gentlemen Officers 4 Servants to Do 27 Invalids from his Majestys Squadron in India 1 Do from the Honorable Companys Troops in India (Signed) George Thomson Bought of Captain George Thomson one hundred and eighty one hundred three Quarters and twenty one Pounds of Rice for the use of the Honorable Company for which we paid eight shillings pr Hundred amounting to Seventy two Pounds fifteen Shillings and Six pence Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The remainder of the Calcutta's company was as follows. Muster roll of ship Calcutta continued William Herr seaman Andrew Ferguson ditto Hugh Cuthbert ditto William Thomson ditto George Boyes ditto Samuel Marder ditto Christian Henry Wade ditto Thomas Anchor ditto Robert Wilson ditto John Lockhart ditto John Steel ditto Evan Bryant ditto John Reynolds ditto Samuel Reidle ditto Hugh Robinson ditto George Buller ditto Onor Thomer ditto John Bright ditto John Murphy ditto George Sutten ditto Thomas Weneden ditto John Mepherson ditto James Balantyne ditto John Thomas ditto Robert Reynolds ditto James Wallace ditto Humphrey Hay ditto George Cook ditto Richard Gibbons ditto John De Peters ditto Manuel Argea ditto Thomas Bran ditto John Walten ditto Thomas Crew ditto Thomas More ditto John Robinson ditto James Ward ditto Edward Gracagal ditto Matthew Gerrald ditto Edward Stokes ditto James Burgess ditto John Dean ditto Andrew Read ditto Charles Lewis ditto The passengers were as follows. Passengers Mr Wooster Captain Bruce Riddom Reverend Mr Thomas Northcote 15 French gentlemen officers 4 servants to ditto 27 invalids from His Majesty's squadron in India 1 ditto from the Honourable Company's troops in India The roll was signed by George Thomson. The council bought of Captain George Thomson one hundred and eighty one quarters and twenty one pounds of rice for the use of the Honourable Company, for which it paid eight shillings per hundred, amounting to twenty two pounds fifteen shillings and six pence. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations William Herr, listed here as a seaman of the Calcutta, is the same man named in Thomas Wright's will proved a few pages earlier as a soldier in the Company's service at St Helena and Wright's sole executor. The reconciling of the two entries shows a man moving between the sea and the garrison, engaged as a soldier on the island yet mustered aboard the ship, the fluid passage of men between the Company's ships and its land establishments that the records repeatedly reveal. The fifteen French gentlemen officers carried aboard the Calcutta were prisoners taken in the Indian war, like those on the Warren and York before her, the officers of the defeated French Company brought home under guard. The twenty seven invalids from the navy's Indian squadron and the one from the Company's troops mark again the homeward stream of the broken and the captured, the Indiaman bearing back to England both the wreckage of the Eastern service and the prizes of the war, the island the common waypoint on their long passage home. |
94 | 87 | 30th September At a Consultation held on Thursday the 30th Day of September 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 27th September 1762 Pursuant to an order in Consultation of the 30th August last the Planters this day attended to pay their Rents and Revenues due to the Honorable Company for the Year past which amounts to £569 19s 9d the Rent Roll is as follow vizt Ground Rent, Lease, Ground Rent Lease, Lease Samuel Alexander 34 37 lb 11 1 6 John Alexander 13 lb Acres at 6 pr Acre 71 lb 70 lb 18 3 6 George Alexander 28 58 15 18 0 Margaret Altsch 1 lb at 20 pr Acre 200 74 lb 75 lb 40 60 lb 17 14 6 Omexphorus Brooks Crop 196 10 13 lb 4 8 0 Richard Beale Senr 5 Acres at 4 pr Acre 41 lb 38 lb 11 13 2½d John Bagley 36 9 0 Richard Bagley Bot 4 pr 25 Acres at 6 pr Acre 4 crop 126 lb 109 lb 47 0 Orlando Bagley Junr 4 Acres at 16 pr Acre 20 44 lb 11 9 9 Matthias Bazett 5 1 5 lb Acres at 6 pr Acre 10 142 33 lb 21 2 6 Henry Bazett 8 Acres at 8 pr Acre 61 20 14 6 Orlando Bagley Junr 19 Acres at 16 pr Acre 63 12 8 6 Matthew Bazett Junr 6 lb Acres at 16 pr Acre 16 36 8 7 10 lb William Bowsheres Crop 29 15 5 4 0 John Bland 15 lb 3 12 9 0 Carried over £671 718s 4218 3 1 | At a consultation held at the Castle on Thursday 30 September 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 27 September 1762 was read, approved and signed. Pursuant to an order of the consultation of 30 August, the planters this day attended to pay their rents and revenues due to the Honourable Company for the year past, which amounted to £671 19s 9d. The rent roll was as follows, the columns recording the ground rent and lot, the several acres, and the sum in pounds, shillings and pence. Rent roll for the year past Samuel Alexander, 34 acres, 37½ lot, £11 1s 6d John Alexander, 13 acres at 1s per acre, 71½ acres, 70½ lot, £18 3s 6d George Alexander, 28 acres, 58 lot, £15 18s 0d Margaret Alcock, 1 acre at 20 per acre, 200 acres, 54½ [...], 60 lot, £17 14s 6d Onesphorus Brooks, 106 acres, 10 lot, £13 4s 8d Richard Beale senior, 5 acres at 1s per acre, 41½ acres, 38½ lot, £11 13s 7½d John Bagley, 36 acres, 9 lot, [...] Richard Bagley, 5 acres at 1s per acre, 15 acres at 6s per acre, 126½ acres, 109½ lot, £47 0s 0d Orlando Bagley, 20 acres at 1s 6d per acre, 44½ acres, 11 lot, £9 9s 0d Matthias Bazett, 5 acres at 1s 2d per acre, 10 acres, 143 acres, 33½ lot, £21 2s 6d Henry Bazett, 8 acres at 1s per acre, 112½ acres, 61 lot, £20 14s 6d Orlando Bagley junior, 19 acres at 1s per acre, 63 lot, £12 8s 6d Matthias Bazett junior, 6½ acres at 1s 6d per acre, 16 acres, 36 lot, £7 10s 4½d William Bowsheare, 29 acres, 15 lot, £3 4s 0d John Bland, 15½ lot, £12 9s 0d Carried over £671 19s 9d Interpretations The rent roll set out the yearly charge on each planter's holding, the sums assessed partly by a rent per acre on some parcels and partly by a fixed lot rent on the whole, the two combined to give the total each holder owed the Company as lord of the soil. This was the annual reckoning called for in the notice of 30 August, the planters attending on the appointed day to pay what their lands were charged with, the roll recording holding by holding the acreage and the rent by which the Company drew its revenue from the settled ground. The recurrence of the same handful of surnames, the Alexanders, the Bagleys and the Bazetts each holding several parcels, marks the concentration of the island's land in a few related families, the same names that fill the wills and land petitions of this record reappearing here as the principal rent-payers. This shows the settlement's ground gathered into a small number of hands, the leading families holding the bulk of the cultivated land and paying the greater part of its rent, the estates passing among them by the sales, leases and bequests recorded throughout the consultations. The mixed basis of assessment, some acres charged at a shilling and others at six shillings or more, reflects the differing quality and use of the ground, the higher rates falling on the better or more improved land and the lower on the rough and the waste. This graduated rent shows the Company drawing more from the valuable ground than the barren, the assessment fitted to what each parcel was worth, the same care seen in Bazett's petition for the rocky waste at an easy rent carried through into the yearly reckoning of the whole settlement's land. |
95 | 88 | 30 September Ground Rent, Lease, Ground Rent Land, Lease Land, £, s, d Brought over £671 7s 18d, 4218 3s 1d Robert Ballard 13 Ground Rent, 15½ Lease, 1s 7d 6 Thomas Cotgraves Crop 20½ Lease Land, 104½ Lease, 27 £1 9s John Dovetons Crop 76½ Ground Rent Land, 8 Lease, 6 £6 6s Jonathan Doveton 128½ Ground Rent Land, 4 Lease, 7 £7 9s Isaac Doveton 77½ Ground Rent Land, 9½ Lease, 6 £5 3s Joseph Desfountain Crop 20 Ground Rent Land, 71 Lease, 18 £15s 2d John Desfountain 93½ Ground Rent Land, 17 Lease, 8 £18s 3d Thomas Easthopes Crop 25 Ground Rent Land, 44 Lease, 12 £5s Sarah Funge 4 Lease Land, 1 £, 0s Michael Frost 13 Ground Rent Land, 15s Richard Goodwin 49 Ground Rent Land, 27 Lease, 9 £4s Thomas Greentree 33½ Acres at 4 pr Do Do at 4 pr 6 51 Ground Rent Land, 96½ Lease, 72 Lease Land, 20 £10s 6d James Greentree 48 Ground Rent Land, 55 Lease, 16 £3s Onexphorus Guelings Crop 9 Acres at 4 pr 6 pr Acre 23 Ground Rent Land, 9 Lease, 1 £16s 6d Thomas Hayfers Crop 41½ Ground Rent Land, 67½ Lease, 17 £17s 6d Thomas Hayes Crop 30 Ground Rent Land, 4 Lease, 2 £10s Margaret Harper 10 Ground Rent Land, 24 Lease, 6 £10s Thomas Harper 19 Ground Rent Land, 10s Gabriel Frache 8 Lease Land, 2 £, 0s Elisha Frache 25 Ground Rent Land, 5 Lease, 2 £10s John Jacks 16 Ground Rent Land, 16s Mary Jarvis 12 Ground Rent Land, 12s Thomas Kirkpatrick 24 Ground Rent Land, 14 Lease, 4 £14s Samuel Knipe Crop 38½ Ground Rent Land, 17½ Lease, 6 £5s Isaac Knipe 30 Ground Rent Land, 23½ Lease, 7 £7s 6d William Kennedys Crop 11 Ground Rent Land, 7s Eleanor Leech 12 Ground Rent Land, 12s Margaret Marriott 10½ Ground Rent Land, 10s 6d Benjamin Mason 12 Ground Rent Land, 12½ Lease, 12 £14s 6d Fhedrick Merchant 2s 6d Ground Rent Land, 2s 6d William Moore 51 Ground Rent Land, 10 Lease, 2 £15s Matthew Purling 9½ at 6 pr 6 Acre 4 24 Ground Rent Land, 205 Lease, 103½ Lease Land, 34 £15s 6d Carried over £1776 4521 461 2s 1d | The rent roll continued from the sum of £671 19s 9d brought over from the previous page, the columns recording the ground rent and lot, the several acres, and the sum in pounds, shillings and pence. Rent roll continued Brought over £671 19s 9d Robert Ballard, 13 acres, 15½ lot, £5 1s 6d Thomas Colgrave, 20½ acres, 104½ lot, £27 1s 9d John Dovetons, 86½ acres, 8 lot, £6 6s 6d Jonathan Doveton, 128⅞ acres, 4 lot, £7 8s 9d Isaac Doveton, 77½ acres, 9½ lot, £6 5s 3d Joseph Desfountain, 20 acres, 71 lot, £18 15s 2d John Desfountain, 93½ acres, 17 lot, £8 18s 3d Thomas Easthopes, 25 acres, 44 lot, £12 5s 0d Sarah Funge, 4 lot, £1 1s 0d Michael Frost, 13 acres, £0 1s 5d Richard Goodwin, 49 acres, 27 lot, £9 4s 0d Thomas Greentree, 33½ acres at 1s 6d per acre, ditto at 6d, 96½ acres, 72 lot, £20 10s 6d James Greentree, 48 acres, 55 lot, £16 3s 0d Onesphorus Geelings, 9 acres at 1s 6d per acre, 23 acres, 9 lot, £1 16s 6d Thomas Harper, 41½ acres, 67½ lot, £17 17s 6d Thomas Hayes, 30 acres, 4 lot, £2 10s 0d Margaret Harper, 10 acres, 24 lot, £6 10s 0d Thomas Harper, 19 acres, £0 10s 0d Gabriel Rache, 8 acres, £2 0s 0d Elisha Rache, 25 acres, 5 lot, £2 10s 0d John Sachs, 16 acres, £0 16s 0d Mary Jarvis, 12 acres, £0 12s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, 24 acres, 14 lot, £4 14s 0d Samuel Knipe, 38½ acres, 17½ lot, £6 5s 0d Isaac Knipe, 30 acres, 23½ lot, £7 7s 6d William Kennedys, 11 acres, £0 7s 0d Eleanor Leech, 12 acres, £0 12s 0d Margaret Marriott, 106 lot, £106 0s 0d Benjamin Mason, 12 acres, 42½ lot, £12 14s 6d Frederick Merchant, 2 acres 6, £0 2s 6d William Moore, 31 acres, 10 lot, £2 15s 0d Matthias Purling, 9 acres at 1s 3d per acre, 24 acres, 205 acres, 103½ lot, £34 15s 6d Carried over £1,176 15s 21d Interpretations Margaret Marriott appears on the roll charged a rent of £106 on a holding of 106 lots, far the largest single sum on the page, and hers is the name that runs through Mary Goodwin's will proved a few pages earlier as the daughter for whom the widow's estate was placed in trust. The size of her rent marks her as one of the substantial landholders of the island, the modest legacy of silver plate her mother left her set beside a landed estate that stood among the greatest on the settlement. The roll shows several holdings marked as orphans, the lands of Thomas Colgrave, John Doveton, Joseph Desfountain and others charged in the name of children whose parents had died, the estates held for the heirs until they came of age. This marks the working of the wills recorded through this consultation, the divisions that kept a dead planter's land together for his infant children carried into the rent roll, the Company charging the rent against the orphaned holding while the trustees and executors managed it for the young heirs. The Knipe and Harper names, whose wills were proved earlier in this same record, appear here as rent-paying holdings, Samuel and Isaac Knipe and the several Harpers charged for their lands in the year past. The reckoning of these rents beside the proving of the owners wills shows the two sides of the settlement's dealing with its land, the yearly revenue gathered from the living and the estates of the dead wound up together at the same sittings of the council, the whole small landholding community passing through its hands in a single round of business. |
96 | 89 | 1762 Ground Rent Land, Lease, Lease Land, £, s, d Brought over £1776 4521 461 2s 1d John Price 30 Ground Rent Land, 1 £10s Susannah Pledger 3 at 6 pr Acre 5 Ground Rent Land, 12 lb Lease, 4 £13s 9d John Pritchard 10 Ground Rent Land, 10s James Pritchard 11 Ground Rent Land, 1 £ John Robinson 51 Ground Rent Land, 34 Lease, 1 £19s William Seale 3 lb at 16 pr Acre 7 Ground Rent Land, 36 Lease, 8 £7s 9d Benjamin Seale 10 lb Lease, 2 £11s 3d John Seales Crop 10 Ground Rent Land, 7½ Lease, 2 £7s 6d Nathan Temple 25 Ground Rent Land, 8½ Lease, 3 £7s 6d James Terbett 19 Ground Rent Land, 12s John Torrells Crop 9 Ground Rent Land, 38 lb Lease, 10 £1s 6d John Navvall 42 lb Lease, 10 £12s 6d Francis Wrangham 6 Cot & upper Cross 62 Ground Rent Land, 6 Lease, 3 £2s William Wrangham 26 lb 144 Ground Rent Land, 73 Lease, 29 £5s 6d Jane Wilson 2s 6d Ground Rent Land, 2s 6d Joseph Whaleys Crop 16 lb Ground Rent Land, 23 lb Lease, 5 £17s 11d Joshua Wassalls Crop 31 Ground Rent Land, 33 Lease, 9 £16s Stephan Young 20 Ground Rent Land, 7 lb Lease, 3 £2s 6d William Young 51 Ground Rent Land, 79 lb 25 Lease, 10 £9s 6d £2205 4762 lb 569 19s 9d Messrs Matthew Purling and Henry Bazett applied to Us to pay one Hundred and Seventy four pounds Sixteen Shillings and a penny into the Honorable Companys Cash which sum we have received and given them Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors payable to Captain John Clark (or order) ninety Days after sight dated this Day The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores short received from Ship Calcutta viz | The rent roll continued from the sum of £1,176 15s 21d brought over from the previous page, the columns recording the ground rent and lot, the several acres, and the sum in pounds, shillings and pence. Rent roll continued Brought over £1,176 15s 21d John Price, 30 acres, £1 10s 0d Susannah Pledger, 3 acres at 1s per acre, 5 acres, 12½ lot, £4 13s 9d John Pritchard, 10 acres, £0 10s 0d James Pritchard, 11 acres, £0 1s 0d John Robinson, 5 acres, 34 lot, £1 19s 0d William Seale, 3½ acres at 1s 6d per acre, 7 acres, 36 lot, £8 7s 9d Benjamin Seale, 10½ lot, £2 11s 3d John Seale, 10 acres, 7½ lot, £2 7s 6d Nathan Temple, 25 acres, 8½ lot, £3 7s 6d James Tarbett, 19 acres, £0 12s 0d John Israel, 9 acres, 38½ lot, £10 1s 6d John Naunall, 42½ lot, £10 12s 6d Francis Wrangham, 6 acres of copper company, 62 acres, 6 lot, £3 2s 0d William Wrangham, 26 acres, 144 acres, 73 lot, £29 5s 6d Jane Wilson, 2 acres 6, £0 2s 6d Joseph Whaley, 16½ acres, 23½ lot, £5 17s 11d Joshua Wassalls, 31 acres, 33 lot, £9 16s 0d Stephan Young, 20 acres, 7½ lot, £3 2s 6d William Young, 5 acres, 79 acres, 22½ lot, £10 9s 6d total £1,269 19s 9d Matthew Purling and Henry Bazett applied to the council to pay one hundred and seventy four pounds sixteen shillings and a penny into the Honourable Company's cash, which sum the council received, and gave them bills of exchange drawn on the Honourable the Court of Directors payable to Captain John Clark or order ninety days after sight, dated this day. The storekeeper delivered the following account of stores short received from the ship Calcutta. Interpretations The holdings marked as orphans continued through this last stretch of the roll, the lands of John Israel, Joseph Whaley and Joshua Wassall charged in the names of children whose fathers had died, the estates held and paid for by their guardians. This carries on the pattern seen through the whole rent roll, the settlement so marked by the deaths of its planters that a large part of its land stood at any time in the hands of orphans, the Company charging the rent against the young heirs holdings while others managed them until they came of age. Purling and Bazett's payment of £174 into the cash for bills on London, made on the same day the rents were gathered, shows the leading men of the island turning the rent money to their own remittance, laying the coin they had collected into the Company's treasury and taking paper payable in England. This marks the close working of the island's finance, the same men who administered the rents and the estates using the Company's exchange to move their own funds home, the cash flowing in from the settlement's land and out again as bills drawn on the Court of Directors. |
97 | 90 | 30th September Account of Stores short received from Ship Calcutta viz Pr Cwt to 4 21 Rice short Weight 52 2 17 Paddy issued 100 pr Challoes short delivered (Signed) Jno Powell Storekeeper St Helena 27th Septr 1762 We this Day received the following Letter from Capt George Thomson vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor of St Helena Worshipful Sir Four of the People belonging to the ship Calcutta being still in such an indifferent state of Health that it will be attended with eminent danger of their Lives for them to proceed with the ship I am therefore to request your Honors permission for them to be left behind here till recovered, And sent to England on the next Ship that Sails thither, and the charges attending the same shall be paid by Mr Robert Barclay here whom I shall appoint for that purpose I am Worshipful Sir Your most humble Servant Signed George Thomson St Helena 30th Septr 1762 Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick | The account of stores short received from the ship Calcutta was as follows. Ship Calcutta 4 candy 21 rice short weight 52 candy 2 maunds 17 paddy received 100 pieces callicoes short delivered The account was subscribed at St Helena on 27 September 1762 by James Powell, storekeeper. The council this day received a letter from Captain George Thomson. He wrote to Governor Charles Hutchinson that four of the people belonging to the ship Calcutta were still in so indifferent a state of health that it would be attended with eminent danger of their lives for them to proceed with the ship. He therefore requested leave for them to be left behind at the island till recovered, and sent to England on the next ship that sailed thither, the charges attending the same to be paid by William Robert Barclay, whom he would appoint for that purpose. The letter was dated at St Helena on 30 September 1762 and signed by George Thomson. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Interpretations Captain Thomson's request to leave four sick men behind rather than risk their lives at sea shows the island once again serving as the sickbay of the passing fleet, the Indiaman setting down its worst cases to recover ashore while it sailed on. This was the customary use of St Helena's hospital by the Company's own ships as much as the navy's, the vessels landing men too ill to face the voyage and arranging for their care and later passage home, the island the one place on the long route where the sick could safely be left. The undertaking that a named agent would pay the charges of the sick men's keep and passage marks the careful settling of the cost of such care, the ship's captain binding a responsible person to answer for the expense so the island should not be left out of pocket. This shows the business-like footing on which the hospital served the fleet, the Company charging for the nursing and lodging of every man set ashore and requiring security for payment, the humane leaving of the sick arranged as a matter of account like the buying of rice or the drawing of bills. |
98 | 91 | 4th October At a Consultation held on Monday the 4th Day of October 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 30th September 1762 Yesterday Sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Calcutta Homeward bound The Lieutenant Governor representing to Us it was very inconvenient to him, to have the Officers apartments over head in the great House as they disturbed him, especially in the Night Time We therefore Ordered the three Officers who were assigned apartments there, to be paid the usual Rent in lieu thereof One of the Honorable Companys Long Boats being stove in Ballasting the Mercurys Snow, We desired Capt Harrold to make an inquiry how she came to be destroyed, this day received the following Letter from Mr Seth Lofthouse the third Mate viz To Charles Hutchinson Esqr Sir I am sorry to inform you of a misfortune it happend to one of the Honble Companys Long boats in Ballast for the Mercury Snow at Ruperts Valey under my Charge, It sudden surge of the Sea swept the Small Anchor all the a great way out and drove the Boat into the Surf and over powed all our Strength And notwithstanding all our indeavours could not prevent her being stove Against the Rocks I am with all respect Sir Your most Obedt and most humble servant (Signed) Seth Lofthouse Oct the 4th 1762 | At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 4 October 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 30 September 1762 was read, approved and signed. Yesterday the Honourable Company's ship Calcutta sailed, homeward bound. The deputy governor represented to the council that it was inconvenient to him to have the officers apartments over his own in the great house, as they disturbed him, especially in the night time. The council therefore ordered that the three officers who occupied apartments there should be paid the usual rent in lieu thereof. One of the Honourable Company's long boats being stove in ballasting the snow Mercury, the council desired Captain Harriott to make an enquiry how the cause was to be destroyed, and this day received the following letter from Seth Lofthouse, the third mate. He wrote to Governor Charles Hutchinson that he was sorry to inform him of a misfortune that had happened to one of the Honourable Company's long boats in ballasting the Mercury snow at Rupert's valley under his charge. A sudden surge of the sea swept the small anchor all the way out and drove the boat onto the surf and, notwithstanding all their endeavours, they could not prevent her being stove against the rocks. The letter was dated 4 October 1762 and signed by Seth Lofthouse. Interpretations The deputy governor's complaint of the officers apartments above his own in the great house, disturbing him at night, shows the crowding of the island's principal building, the senior servants and ship officers lodged one above another in the same house. The council's remedy of paying the officers a rent allowance to lodge elsewhere marks the settling of such domestic frictions by money, the three officers moved out and compensated for the quarters they gave up, the great house eased of its press of tenants. The staving of the long boat in ballasting the Mercury at Rupert's valley shows the constant hazard of working the island's boats in the heavy swell that made the anchorage so difficult, a sudden surge dragging the anchor and dashing the boat on the rocks. This loss of a vital craft, one of the few by which the island landed goods and served the shipping, marks the precariousness of all work at the exposed roadstead, the boats always at risk from the sea and their loss a serious matter for a settlement wholly dependent on them to reach the ships that supplied it. |
99 | 92 | 4 October We directed the said Boat to be wrote off the Books of Accounts Charles Lewis who was left here out of the Ship Calcutta, applied to Us to be Entertained in the Garrison We accordingly Enlisted him to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years having been a Serjeant at Bombay and obtained his discharge. He appearing to be a good Man We gave him Six pounds Bounty Money and had the Articles of War read to him Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Purling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 11 Day of October 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Purling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick} of Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 4 October 1762 This Day sailed the Mercury Snow Island St Helena To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor of the said Island &c Council The humble Petition of John Clavey of the aforesaid | The council directed the boat to be written off the books of accounts. Charles Lewis, who was left aboard out of the ship Calcutta, applied to be entertained in the garrison. The council accordingly enlisted him to serve the Honourable Company five years as a soldier, having been a sergeant at Bombay and obtained his discharge. He appearing to be a good man, the council gave him six pounds bounty money, and had the Articles of War read to him. The entry was subscribed by Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Purling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. At a consultation held at the Castle on Monday 11 October 1762, Governor Charles Hutchinson attended, together with John Skottowe as deputy governor, Matthew Purling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick as members of the council. The previous consultation of 4 October 1762 was read, approved and signed. This day the snow Mercury sailed. John Clavey presented a petition to Governor Charles Hutchinson and the council of St Helena. Interpretations Charles Lewis, listed a few pages earlier as a seaman of the Calcutta, was left behind from the ship and enlisted into the garrison, having formerly been a sergeant at Bombay before taking his discharge. This shows again the fluid movement of men between the sea and the land service and between the Company's Eastern settlements and the island, an old soldier of Bombay serving as a seaman, set down at St Helena and taken once more into the ranks, the garrison filled from the shifting body of men the ships carried. The bounty of six pounds paid to Lewis, above the five given to some and below the ten paid to hold known island men, shows the graded price the Company set on its recruits by their worth and their bargaining position. A man left off a ship and wanting a place could be had for less than a proven island soldier the Company wished to keep, yet Lewis's former rank as a sergeant at Bombay perhaps lifted him above the plain stranger, the bounty fitted to the value each man brought to the garrison. |
100 | 93 | 11 October aforesaid Island Gunners Mate Sheweth That Your Petitioner contracted Term of five Years with the Honorable Company expired the Nineteenth day of May One thousand seven hundred and sixty one He therefore humbly Prays Your Worship and Council to grant his discharge And he will ever Pray &c Granted The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of September last, were this day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follow viz Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of September 1762 viz 19 Bottles of Port Wine £1 8s 6d 25 Do Lisbon £1 17s 6d 14 Do Mountain £1 1s 0d 68 Do Arrack £3 3s 4½d 36 Do Beer £9s 9d 533 Flour £2 1s 10½d 2 lb fresh Beef £2 11d 2 6 Pr Salt Beef £5s 11d 7 Pr Salt Pork £17s 9½d 185 Mutton £3 17s 1d 32 Goat £10s 8d 4 Kidds £1s 0d 14 Fowls £1 1s 0d 3 Ducks £4s 6d 3 Turkeys £15s 0d 26 lb Fresh Butter £1 19s 8d 119 Candy £1 19s 3d £26 7s 9½d | John Clavey, a gunners mate of the island, set out in his petition that he had contracted a term of four years with the Honourable Company, which expired on 19 May 1761, and asked the council to grant his discharge. The petition was granted. The plantation, gunners and stewards accounts for the month of September were this day presented, examined and approved, and ran as follows. The sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table in the month of September 1762 were as follows. Sundries expended at the Honourable Company's table, September 1762 19 bottles of port wine, £1 8s 6d 25 bottles of Lisbon, £1 17s 6d 14 bottles of mountain, £1 1s 0d 68 bottles of arrack, £3 3s 4½d 36 bottles of beer, £0 9s 9d 353 lb of flour, £2 1s 10½d 2 pieces of fresh beef, £2 11s 0d 2 pieces of salt beef, £0 5s 11d 7 pieces of salt pork, £0 17s 9½d 178 lb of mutton, £3 17s 1d 32 lb of goat, £0 10s 8d 4 kids, £1 1s 0d 14 fowls, £1 1s 0d 3 ducks, £0 4s 6d 3 turkeys, £0 15s 0d 36½ lb of fresh butter, £1 19s 8d 114 lb of candy, £4 15s 0d total £20 [...] 4d Interpretations John Clavey's discharge, sought on the ground that his four-year term had expired more than a year before in May 1761, shows a man held in the Company's service past the end of his contracted time and now pressing for his release. The delay between the expiry of his term and his discharge marks the difficulty of leaving so remote a post, a man kept on beyond his engagement perhaps for want of a replacement or a passage, obtaining his freedom only when he formally petitioned the council for it. The table account for September again repeats the settled fare of the establishment, the imported port, Lisbon and mountain wine and Eastern arrack set beside the fresh beef, mutton, goat and poultry of the island's own herds. The steadiness of these monthly reckonings through the summer marks the constancy of the Company's table, the governor and senior servants kept at the same board month after month, the mix of shipped-in drink and fresh island meat varying only in small quantities from one month to the next. |
101 | 94 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of September 1762 Viz Neat Cattle Sheep Goats Hogs Poultry Horses Asses Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 78, Neat Cattle Calves 87, Neat Cattle Yearlings 36, Neat Cattle Heifers 18, Neat Cattle Steers 20, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 256, Sheep Ewes 271, Sheep Weathers 165, Sheep Lambs 166, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 510, Goats Ewes 131, Goats Weathers 3, Goats Kids 93, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 236, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 100, Poultry Ducks 26, Poultry Turkeys 32, Poultry Geese 16, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 5, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 5, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 46, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 46, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 12, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 12, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 7, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 6, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Brought from the Cape: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 126, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 126, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 78, Neat Cattle Calves 92, Neat Cattle Yearlings 36, Neat Cattle Heifers 18, Neat Cattle Steers 20, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 261, Sheep Ewes 271, Sheep Weathers 291, Sheep Lambs 212, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 682, Goats Ewes 131, Goats Weathers 3, Goats Kids 105, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 248, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 107, Poultry Ducks 26, Poultry Turkeys 38, Poultry Geese 16, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 3, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 3, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 21, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 21, Goats Ewes 4, Goats Weathers 3, Goats Kids 4, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 11, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 14, Poultry Ducks 3, Poultry Turkeys 3, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 2, Sheep Weathers 1, Sheep Lambs 1, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 4, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 1, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 1, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 2, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Sent on Board the Calcutta: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 12, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 12, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaining 30th: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 78, Neat Cattle Calves 92, Neat Cattle Yearlings 36, Neat Cattle Heifers 18, Neat Cattle Steers 17, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 258, Sheep Ewes 269, Sheep Weathers 157, Sheep Lambs 211, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 645, Goats Ewes 127, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 100, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 236, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 91, Poultry Ducks 23, Poultry Turkeys 35, Poultry Geese 16, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Species Changed: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 60, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 32, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 258, Sheep Ewes 275, Sheep Weathers 209, Sheep Lambs 153, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 645, Goats Ewes 136, Goats Weathers 20, Goats Kids 71, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 236, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 91, Poultry Ducks 23, Poultry Turkeys 35, Poultry Geese 16, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 July a Black Man dead Yam Expended 28370lb Do for Stock 8775lb 37145lb (Signed) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 11th October | The account of the East India Company's livestock on St Helena for September 1762 tracked every class of animal from the first to the last day of the month. It set out the stock in hand, the births and new arrivals, the animals slaughtered, those that died and those shipped away. John Skottowe signed the copy entered in the register, and it was dated 11 October 1762. Stock in hand on 1 September 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 78 cows, 87 calves, 36 yearlings, 18 heifers, 20 steers, 13 oxen, total 256 Sheep: 271 ewes, 65 wethers, 166 lambs, 8 rams, total 510 Goats: 131 nannies, 3 castrated billies, 93 kids, 9 billies, total 236 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 100 chickens, 26 ducks, 32 turkeys, 16 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Births during the month Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 5 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 5 Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 46 lambs, 0 rams, total 46 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 12 kids, 0 billies, total 12 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 7 chickens, 0 ducks, 6 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Brought from the Cape Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 0 ewes, 126 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 126 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 0 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 0 chickens, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Total stock for the month Cattle: 4 bulls, 78 cows, 92 calves, 36 yearlings, 18 heifers, 20 steers, 13 oxen, total 261 Sheep: 271 ewes, 191 wethers, 212 lambs, 8 rams, total 682 Goats: 131 nannies, 3 castrated billies, 105 kids, 9 billies, total 248 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 107 chickens, 26 ducks, 38 turkeys, 16 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Slaughtered Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 3 steers, 0 oxen, total 3 Sheep: 0 ewes, 21 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 21 Goats: 4 nannies, 3 castrated billies, 4 kids, 0 billies, total 11 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 14 chickens, 3 ducks, 3 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Died Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 2 ewes, 1 wether, 1 lamb, 0 rams, total 4 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 1 kid, 0 billies, total 1 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 2 chickens, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Shipped aboard the Calcutta Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 0 ewes, 12 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 12 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 0 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 0 chickens, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Stock in hand on 30 September 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 78 cows, 92 calves, 36 yearlings, 18 heifers, 17 steers, 13 oxen, total 258 Sheep: 269 ewes, 157 wethers, 211 lambs, 8 rams, total 645 Goats: 127 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 100 kids, 9 billies, total 236 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 91 chickens, 23 ducks, 35 turkeys, 16 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Stock regraded by age and class on 30 September 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 60 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 32 steers, 13 oxen, total 258 Sheep: 275 ewes, 209 wethers, 153 lambs, 8 rams, total 645 Goats: 136 nannies, 20 castrated billies, 71 kids, 9 billies, total 236 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 91 chickens, 23 ducks, 35 turkeys, 16 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Yams used, 28,370 lb Yams fed to livestock, 8,775 lb Total yams consumed, 37,145 lb A note beneath the account recorded that a black man died in July. Interpretations The final row showed the herds and flocks sorted afresh by age and sex while the overall totals stayed the same. Among the cattle, 32 calves disappeared from that class while cows, heifers and steers all rose. Lambs and kids likewise fell as ewes, wethers and nannies increased. The clerk kept a running count through the month and then reclassified maturing animals at its close. This let the Company see not only how many animals it owned but what each could yield, whether breeding stock, draught oxen or beasts ready for slaughter. Wethers were castrated male sheep, raised for mutton rather than breeding. All 126 sheep brought from the Cape of Good Hope were wethers, which showed that the island imported meat on the hoof rather than breeding stock. The 12 wethers put aboard the Calcutta were fresh provisions for a Company ship on passage, which was one of St Helena's main functions for the Company. Of the 21 animals slaughtered on the island, every one was a wether, so the imported sheep were plainly intended for the table. The 46 lambs, 12 kids and five calves born in the month reflected the southern-hemisphere spring, when September brought the main lambing season on the island. Yams were the staple food of the Company's slaves on St Helena and were also used as fodder. Separating 8,775 lb fed to livestock from the 28,370 lb spent otherwise let the Council track how the crop was shared between people and animals. The death of a black man in July was entered at the foot of a livestock return rather than in any register of people. This placement suggested the man was one of the Company's slaves, recorded among its working assets alongside the animals. The bracketed word before John Skottowe's name marked this as a clerk's copy of a signed original. |
102 | 95 | 1762 Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of September 1762 Guns fired, 4Pds, 3Pds, 2Pds, 1Pds, Powder lb 2d An Alarm: Guns fired 6, 4Pds 2, 3Pds 2, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 2, Powder 12lb Arrived the Calcutta & Returned the Salute: Guns fired 9, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 9, 1Pds 0, Powder 9lb Powder for Priming: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 18lb 12 An Alarm at Turks Cap for the Sly Cutter: Guns fired 2, 4Pds 2, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 4lb 19th An Alarm for the Mornings Snow: Guns fired 6, 4Pds 2, 3Pds 2, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 12lb An Alarm at Turks Cap for Do: Guns fired 2, 4Pds 2, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 4lb 22d Powder for Blowing Limestone: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 2lb 24th Do for Do: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 3lb Do for Compleating the Muskett Cartridges at the Main Fort: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 14lb Do for Compleating the Muskett Cartridges at Sandy bay: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 44lb Do for Signals: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 1lb Do Sold: Guns fired 0, 4Pds 0, 3Pds 0, 2Pds 0, 1Pds 0, Powder 1lb Total: Guns fired 25, 4Pds 8, 3Pds 4, 2Pds 9, 1Pds 1, Powder 58lb Tallow for greasing the Gun Carriages at the Main Fort 8lb Do for greasing the Gun Carriages at Banks's 4lb Do for greasing the Gun Carriages at Lemon Valley 2lb Do for greasing the Gun Carriages at Sandy Bay 5lb Do for the use of the Cart in the Long Wood 4lb Handspikes broke at the Main Fort 2 in number Do Broke at Lemon Valley 1 in number Do Broke at Banks's 3 in number Cartridge Cases for the use of the Lieut Governor 2 in number Gun Carriages wore out and Unserviceable at the Main Fort 4 in number Gun Carriages wore out and unserviceable at Ruperts 7 in number Gun Carriages wore out and Unserviceable at Banks's 1 in number Iron Shod Trucks wore out and unserviceable at Do 2 in number Gun Carriages wore out and Unserviceable at Powels Fort 2 in number Do wore out and Unserviceable at Lemon Valley 1 in number Cartridge Paper for the use of the Sly Cutter 1 Qr Sponge Rammer Broke at Ruperts 1 in number Sponge Heads broke at Do 1 in number Rammer Heads broke at Do 1 in number | The garrison recorded the artillery stores it used during September 1762, listing each occasion guns were fired and each quantity of powder spent. The columns counted guns fired in total, divided among classes headed fourths, thirds, seconds and firsts, followed by powder in pounds. 2 September 1762, alarm: 6 guns fired (2 fourths, 2 thirds, 0 seconds, 2 firsts), 12 lb of powder Calcutta arrived and the salute was returned: 9 guns fired (0 fourths, 0 thirds, 9 seconds, 0 firsts), 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 18 lb of powder 12 September 1762, alarm at Turk's Cap for the Fly cutter: 2 guns fired (2 fourths, 0 thirds, 0 seconds, 0 firsts), 4 lb of powder. 19 September 1762, alarm for the snows sighted in the morning: 6 guns fired (2 fourths, 2 thirds, 0 seconds, 0 firsts), 12 lb of powder Alarm at Turk's Cap for the same snows: 2 guns fired (2 fourths, 0 thirds, 0 seconds, 0 firsts), 4 lb of powder 22 September 1762, powder for blasting limestone: 2 lb 24 September 1762, powder for blasting limestone: 3 lb Powder for making up the musket cartridges at the Main Fort: 14 lb Powder for making up the musket cartridges at Sandy Bay: 44 lb Powder for signals: [...] lb Powder sold: 4 lb Total: 25 guns fired, 8 fourths, 4 thirds, 9 seconds, 1 first, 58 lb of powder Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at the Main Fort: 8 lb Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at Banks's: 4 lb Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at Lemon Valley: 2 lb Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at Sandy Bay: 5 lb Tallow for the cart in the Long Wood: 4 lb Handspikes broken at the Main Fort: 2 Handspikes broken at Lemon Valley: 1 Handspikes broken at Banks's: 3 Cartridge cases issued to the Lieutenant Governor: 2 Gun carriages worn out and beyond use at the Main Fort: 4 Gun carriages worn out and beyond use at Rupert's: 7 Gun carriages worn out and beyond use at Banks's: 1 Iron-shod trucks worn out and beyond use at Banks's: 2 Gun carriages worn out and beyond use at [...] Fort: 2 [...] worn out and beyond use at Lemon Valley: 1 pair Cartridge paper issued to the Fly cutter: 1. Sponge staves broken at Rupert's: 1 Sponge heads broken at Rupert's: 1 Rammer heads broken at Rupert's: 1 Interpretations Most of the powder fired went on alarms rather than defence. St Helena relied on a chain of signal guns to warn the garrison whenever a sail appeared, and the lookout at Turk's Cap on the eastern heights was one of its key posts. Each sighting cost guns and powder, as when the Fly cutter approached on 12 September 1762 and when two snows appeared on the morning of 19 September 1762. A snow was a two-masted merchant vessel resembling a brig. The account therefore measured how often ships came within sight of the island as much as it measured military activity. The four sub-columns, headed fourths, thirds, seconds and firsts, split the guns fired into classes the page did not define. Alarm firings were spread in pairs across several columns, while all nine guns of the salute to the Calcutta fell under the seconds. The headings perhaps marked grades of gun or firing stations, but the record gave no key. Returning the salute of an arriving Company ship was a fixed courtesy, and the nine guns fired for the Calcutta matched the nine pounds of powder charged. The same ship later took 12 wethers from the Company's flocks as fresh provisions, as recorded in the livestock account for September 1762. Powder served civil as well as military ends. It was used to blast limestone, which was burnt for lime to make mortar and plaster for the island's buildings and fortifications. Some was also sold, perhaps to settlers or to visiting ships, turning a military store into a small source of revenue. The lower list tracked wear on the gun equipment. Handspikes were wooden levers used to shift and aim heavy guns on their carriages. Sponges and rammers were long staves used to clean a gun barrel of burning residue and then drive home the charge. Trucks were the small solid wheels of a naval-style gun carriage, and the iron-shod kind carried metal rims against wear. Tallow, a rendered animal fat, greased the axles so the guns could be run out and traversed. Seven carriages worn out at Rupert's alone showed how quickly timber decayed at the coastal batteries, where salt spray and damp made constant replacement necessary. Cartridge paper was stout paper for rolling powder charges, and supplying it to the Fly cutter showed that the island's stores also equipped the small vessels serving the Company around St Helena. |
103 | 96 | 11th October Match burnt at the Main Fort since the 30th April 12lb Do burnt at Mundens Point since the 31st October 1761 6lb Do burnt at Ruperts since Do 12lb Do burnt at Banks's since Do 12lb Do burnt at Sandy bay since the 11th September 1759 12lb Do for the use of the Limestone Blowers 6lb Sand Bags Expended for the Companys Service 30 in number Do Destroyed by the Rats at Sandy Bay 58 in number Do Destroyed by the Rats at the Main Fort 199 in number The Flag at the Fort Hill wore out and Unserviceable 1 in number The Flag at the Sugar Loaf wore out and Unserviceable 1 in number [...] Staves for the Constables Staff 1 in number Nine Pounder Iron Guns at Mundens Point being very full of Holes and so much Honeycombed that they are Unserviceable 9 in number Cartridge Paper Sold to the Ship Warwick 4 Qrs Do Do Sold to the T[e]ylo[n] 5 Qrs Sheep Skins for Sponges sold to the Ship York 4 in number (Signed) Thos Hall Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The account of artillery stores used in September 1762 went on to record the slow match burnt at the island's batteries, some of it over periods reaching back several years. The return was dated 11 October 1762. Match burnt at the Main Fort since 30 April 1762: 12 lb Match burnt at Munden's Point since 31 October 1761: 6 lb Match burnt at Rupert's since 31 October 1761: 12 lb Match burnt at Banks's since 31 October 1761: 12 lb Match burnt at Sandy Bay since 11 September 1759: 12 lb Match for the use of the men blasting limestone: 6 lb Sandbags used for the Company's service: 30 Sandbags destroyed by rats at Sandy Bay: 58 Sandbags destroyed by rats at the Main Fort: 199 Flag at [...] Hill worn out and beyond use: 1 Flag at Sugar Loaf worn out and beyond use: 1 Sponge staves for the constables' use: 1 Nine-pounder iron guns at Munden's Point so pitted and eaten away that they could no longer be used: 2 Cartridge paper sold to the ship Warwick: 4 quires. Cartridge paper sold to the Tryton: 5 quires. Sheepskins for gun sponges sold to the ship York: 4. Thomas Hall signed the original return, and this copy was entered in the register. Governor Hutchinson and the councillors John Skottowe, Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick then signed to approve it. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations Match was a slow-burning cord, soaked in saltpetre, which gunners kept smouldering at each battery so a gun could be fired the moment an alarm or attack came. Its consumption was not counted monthly but charged in a lump whenever a battery's stock was checked. The entry for Sandy Bay covered three years from 11 September 1759, which showed how irregularly the outlying posts were audited compared with the Main Fort, where the reckoning ran only from 30 April 1762. Rats were a serious pest on St Helena, and the loss of 257 sandbags to them at two posts far exceeded the 30 put to actual use. Sandbags stored in batteries for emergency breastworks were exposed to damp and gnawing for long periods, so the Company paid more to replace spoilage than to meet any real need. Iron guns described as honeycombed had corroded into deep pits and cavities, which weakened the barrel and risked it bursting when fired. Salt air on the exposed coastal batteries hastened this decay. Condemning two nine-pounders at Munden's Point left that post, which guarded the approach to James Bay, weaker until replacements arrived from England. Sheepskins were sold because the head of a gun sponge was a wooden block covered in fleece, which swabbed out burning fragments between shots. The island's own flocks thus supplied a small trade in ship's stores, alongside the cartridge paper sold to the Warwick and the Tryton. The Company's garrison acted in effect as a chandler to passing ships. Governor Hutchinson and the Council signed the return, which turned a storekeeper's list into an approved record. Their signatures released Thomas Hall from accounting further for the stores written off, whether burnt, spoilt, condemned or sold. |
104 | 97 | 18th October At a Consultation holden Monday the 18th Day of October 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 11th October 1762 Thursday Died Charlotte Daughter of Stephen and Penelope Young Saturday Do John Leach Publican Yesterday Do Lewis Rowe Soldier Mr Jonathan Doveton this day Presented the following Petition vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &ca Council of St Helena The humble Petition of Jonathan Doveton Sheweth That your Petitioner is desirous of having a Small piece of the Honourable Companys Waste Land lying in this Valley to Erect a Stable upon humbly requests you will be pleased to grant him a Lease for the same And your Petitioner will ever pray (Signed) Jonathan Doveton 18th October 1762 Ordered the said Land to be Viewed The Paymaster brought in his Accounts and the Storekeeper his Collections for the Quarter ending the 30th September last which were examined and approved and are as follows vizt | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 18 October 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, joined by John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 11 October 1762, approved it and signed it. Three deaths were reported to the Council. Charlotte, the daughter of Stephen and Penelope Young, died on Thursday 14 October 1762. John Leach, who kept a public house, died on Saturday 16 October 1762, and Lewis Rowe, a soldier, died on 17 October 1762. Jonathan Doveton put a petition before the Governor and Council at the meeting. He wanted a small plot of the Company's unused land in the valley so that he could build a stable on it. He asked for a lease of the plot and signed the petition himself. The Council ordered an inspection of the land before deciding. The Paymaster submitted his accounts for the quarter ending 30 September 1762, and the Storekeeper presented the sums he collected over the same period. The Council examined both, approved them and entered them in the record. Interpretations Waste land meant ground held by the Company but not yet granted, farmed or built on. By asking for a lease rather than an outright grant, Doveton accepted that the Company kept ownership and could attach rent and conditions. Ordering the plot to be viewed first allowed the Council to check that a stable would not block a road, a watercourse or a neighbour's rights before committing the Company's land. The valley in question was almost certainly James's Valley, where the town stood and where building ground was scarce. The Council minutes doubled as the island's civil register, which explained why the deaths of a child, a publican and a soldier opened the day's business. Recording deaths before the Council let it settle estates, stop soldiers' pay and reassign licences such as John Leach's right to sell drink. The Storekeeper's collections were the money he took in from sales out of the Company's stores, such as the cartridge paper and sheepskins sold to passing ships. Quarterly examination by the Council was the Company's check on the officers who handled its cash and goods. |
105 | 98 | 18th October List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants Upon the Island St Helena with their several salarys diet Money &ca for the Quarter commencing the First Day of July and ending the 30th Day of September 1762 vizt Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governors Salary £125 0s 0d Do Allowance for servants as Usual £31 14s 9d £156 14s 9d John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governors Salary £62 10s 0d Do Diet Money £25 0s 0d £87 10s 0d Matthew Burling of Council Salary £15 0s 0d Do Accomptant £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council salary £7 10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £10 0s 0d William Le[...] Chaplain salary £25 0s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d £40 0s 0d Matthew Bazett Secretary salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d James Powell Storekeepers salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d William Wrangham Factors salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant to the Storekeeper £5 0s 0d £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £20 0s 0d Richard Lau Writers salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant to the Governor £10 0s 0d £27 10s 0d Carried over £344 10s 0d | The Company drew up a list of its officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter from 1 July to 30 September 1762, setting out what each received in salary, meal allowance and other payments. Governor Hutchinson headed the list, which the Council entered on 18 October 1762. Charles Hutchinson, Governor's salary, £125 0s 0d Charles Hutchinson, allowance for servants as usual, £31 14s 9d Charles Hutchinson, subtotal, £156 14s 9d John Skottowe, Lieutenant Governor's salary, £62 10s 0d John Skottowe, meal allowance, £25 0s 0d John Skottowe, subtotal, £87 10s 0d Matthew Burling, councillor's salary, £15 0s 0d Matthew Burling, pay as Accountant, £17 10s 0d Matthew Burling, meal allowance, £15 0s 0d Matthew Burling, subtotal, £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, councillor's salary, £7 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, subtotal, £10 0s 0d William Le[...], Chaplain's salary, £25 0s 0d William Le[...], meal allowance, £15 0s 0d William Le[...], subtotal, £40 0s 0d Matthew Bazett, Secretary's salary, £17 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, meal allowance, £15 0s 0d Matthew Bazett, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, subtotal, £35 0s 0d James Powell, Storekeeper's salary, £17 10s 0d James Powell, meal allowance, £15 0s 0d James Powell, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d James Powell, subtotal, £35 0s 0d William Wrangham, factor's salary, £7 10s 0d William Wrangham, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d William Wrangham, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d William Wrangham, pay as assistant to the Storekeeper, £5 0s 0d William Wrangham, subtotal, £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, factor's salary, £7 10s 0d Francis Wrangham, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Francis Wrangham, subtotal, £20 0s 0d Richard Law, writer's salary, £5 0s 0d Richard Law, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d Richard Law, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Richard Law, pay as assistant to the Governor, £10 0s 0d Richard Law, subtotal, £27 10s 0d Carried forward, £484 14s 9d Interpretations The titles of writer and factor were the lowest grades in the East India Company's civil service, below junior merchant and senior merchant. Promotion through these ranks came with seniority, and the pay reflected it: Richard Law as a writer drew £5 0s 0d in basic salary, while the factors William and Francis Wrangham drew £7 10s 0d. Basic salaries were deliberately small, and extra posts carried the real income. William Wrangham's work for the Storekeeper and Richard Law's for the Governor each added a separate payment on top. Diet money was an allowance paid in place of meals at the Company's common table. In the Company's early settlements its servants lived and ate together at its expense, and a cash allowance replaced that arrangement once officers set up their own households. The housing allowance served the same purpose for lodging. For most officers these allowances equalled or exceeded the salary itself, which meant the Company's true wage bill lay largely outside the salary column. Holding several offices at once was normal on so small an establishment. Matthew Burling drew pay as a councillor and again as Accountant, which concentrated both decision-making and the checking of accounts in a few hands. The same men who approved the quarterly accounts were therefore largely those whose pay the accounts recorded. |
106 | 99 | 1762 Brought over £484 4s 9d David Meek Writers salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £17 10s 0d Britannicus Wright Writers salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d £15 0s 0d Phillip Mahony Clark of the peace £10 0s 0d Robert Brooksby Surgeons salary £9 15s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £22 5s 0d John Pritchard Surgeons Mate Salary £6 5s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £18 15s 0d Richard Beale Judge Advocates Salary £10 0s 0d Do Schoolmaster £3 8s 3d Do Clark £5 0s 0d £18 8s 3d Samuel Alexander £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett Overseers £7 10s 0d £15 0s 0d John Bland Master Mason Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £1 10s 0d £29 0s 0d Thomas Townsend Stone mason salary £19 10s 0d Do for his Apprentice £3 5s 0d £22 15s 0d John Robinson Carpenter Salary £12 10s 0d Do House Rent £0 15s 0d £13 5s 0d Joseph Chamberlain Carpenters Mate £7 10s 0d William Johnson Gardener £10 0s 0d James Isted Cooper £8 15s 0d William Moore Steward £7 10s 0d Michael Trist Clark and Instrument Cleaner £1 5s 0d William Clifton Groom £2 0s 0d George Wright Armourer £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice Master of Arms £6 5s 0d John Cogswell Patron of the Long Boat £7 10s 0d John Bruce Marshal £5 6s 3½d £65 1s 3½d Carried over £731 4s 8½d | The list of the Company's officers and servants on St Helena for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 went on from a balance of £484 14s 9d. It covered the junior clerks, the surgeons, the legal officers and the craftsmen and staff who kept the settlement running. Balance brought forward, £484 14s 9d David Meek, writer's salary, £5 0s 0d David Meek, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d David Meek, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d David Meek, subtotal, £17 10s 0d Britannicus Wright, writer's salary, £5 0s 0d Britannicus Wright, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d Britannicus Wright, subtotal, £15 0s 0d Phillip Mahony, Clerk of the Peace, £10 0s 0d Robert Bewley, Surgeon's salary, £9 15s 0d Robert Bewley, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d Robert Bewley, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Robert Bewley, subtotal, £22 5s 0d John Pritchard, Surgeon's Mate's salary, £6 5s 0d John Pritchard, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d John Pritchard, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d John Pritchard, subtotal, £18 15s 0d Richard Beale, Judge Advocate's salary, £10 0s 0d Richard Beale, pay as Schoolmaster, £3 8s 3d Richard Beale, pay as Clerk, £5 0s 0d Richard Beale, subtotal, £18 8s 3d Samuel Alexander, £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, Overseer, £7 10s 0d Samuel Alexander and Matthew Bazett, subtotal, £15 0s 0d John Bland, Master Mason's salary, £17 10s 0d John Bland, meal allowance, £10 0s 0d John Bland, housing allowance, £1 10s 0d John Bland, subtotal, £29 0s 0d Thomas Townsend, stonemason's salary, £19 10s 0d Thomas Townsend, pay for his apprentice, £3 5s 0d Thomas Townsend, subtotal, £22 15s 0d John Robinson, Carpenter's salary, £12 10s 0d John Robinson, housing allowance, £0 15s 0d John Robinson, subtotal, £13 5s 0d Joseph Chamberlain, Carpenter's Mate, £7 10s 0d William Johnson, Gardener, £10 0s 0d James Isted, Cooper, £8 15s 0d William Moore, Steward, £7 10s 0d Michael Frost, clerk and instrument cleaner, £1 5s 0d William Clifton, Groom, £2 0s 0d George Wright, Armourer, £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice, Master at Arms, £6 5s 0d John Cresswell, coxswain of the longboat, £7 10s 0d John Bruce, Marshal, £5 6s 3½d Joseph Chamberlain to John Bruce, subtotal, £65 1s 3½d Carried forward, £731 4s 3½d Interpretations The Judge Advocate managed the prosecution and legal procedure at courts martial, advising the court and recording its proceedings. Richard Beale combined that post with teaching in the Company's school and working as a clerk. On an island with few educated men, one literate officer could serve the law, the school and the Council's paperwork at once. The Clerk of the Peace served the civil courts in a parallel way, keeping their records and drawing up indictments. The Marshal enforced the Council's orders and the sentences of its courts, carrying out arrests, floggings and other punishments. His modest pay did not reflect the weight of his office, since he was the instrument through which the Council's judicial authority reached the population. The skilled trades were paid at rates well above the junior civil servants. John Bland, the Master Mason, drew £17 10s 0d in salary against £5 0s 0d for a writer, and Thomas Townsend the stonemason nearly as much. The island's constant work on fortifications, water supply and public buildings made masons and carpenters scarce and valuable, and the Company had to pay to keep them. The coxswain of the longboat commanded the Company's large ship's boat, which carried people, stores and water between the shore and the ships anchored in the roadstead. Since St Helena had no harbour where ships could come alongside, this boat was the island's only link with the shipping that sustained it. An armourer maintained the garrison's muskets, bayonets and other small arms, while the Master at Arms was responsible for drill with those weapons and for discipline over their use. A cooper made and repaired casks, which were essential both for supplying water to ships and for storing provisions. |
107 | 100 | 18th October Brought over £731 4s 8½d First Company Thomas Kirkpatrick Captain salary £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Samuel Dufountain Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob Adjutant salary £22 16s 3d Do Diet Money £6 6s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Sergeants Robert Case £7 12s 1d John Tull £7 12s 1d John Steward £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahony £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals Jonathan Lake £5 6s 3½d Solomon Kolfe £5 6s 3½d Thomas Bayse £5 6s 3½d William Bannister £5 6s 3½d £21 5s 10d Drummers Henry Howell £5 6s 3½d Richard Platfort £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 7d Centinels John Ware Welch Cadet £7 12s 1d John Allis £3 16s ½d John Arkingstall £3 16s ½d Hans Ulrick Algaver £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £19 0s 2½d Carried over £924 0s 11d | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued from a balance of £731 4s 3½d with the officers and men of the First Company of the garrison. Balance brought forward, £731 4s 3½d First Company Thomas Kirkpatrick, Captain's salary, £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Solomon St Maurice, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Solomon St Maurice, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Solomon St Maurice, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d Samuel Defountain, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Samuel Defountain, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Samuel Defountain, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Samuel Defountain, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob, Adjutant's salary, £22 16s 3d Solomon Jacob, meal allowance, £6 6s 10½d Solomon Jacob, subtotal, £29 13s 1½d Sergeants Robert Case, £7 12s 1d John Tull, £7 12s 1d John Steward, £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahony, £7 12s 1d Sergeants, subtotal, £30 8s 4d Corporals Jonathan Lake, £5 6s 5½d Solomon Kolfe, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Boyne, £5 6s 5½d William Bannister, £5 6s 5½d Corporals, subtotal, £21 5s 10d Drummers Henry Howell, £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot, £5 6s 5½d Drummers, subtotal, £10 12s 11d Private soldiers John Ware Welch, cadet, £0 0s 0d John Allis, £7 12s 1d John Arkingstall, £3 16s 0½d Hans Ulrich Algower, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £19 [...] Carried forward, £924 [...] 11d Interpretations The halfpence scattered through the soldiers' pay showed that the Company fixed military wages as daily rates and then multiplied them by the days in the quarter. A private soldier's £3 16s 0½d for the three months from July to September came to about 10d a day. Civil officers, by contrast, received round quarterly sums, which reflected a separate tradition of annual salaries divided into four. Several men drew pay from more than one post. Thomas Kirkpatrick commanded the First Company while sitting on the Council, Solomon St Maurice was both a lieutenant and the Master at Arms, and Phillip Mahony served as a sergeant and as Clerk of the Peace. The small garrison doubled as the island's administrative reserve, and literate soldiers were drawn into civil work. A cadet was a young man serving in the ranks while waiting for a commission as an officer. Placing John Ware Welch at the head of the private soldiers marked his higher standing, though he drew no pay of his own in the column. The Adjutant, Solomon Jacob, handled the company's orders, drill and records on behalf of its officers, which explained why his salary exceeded that of either lieutenant. The name Hans Ulrich Algower pointed to a Swiss or German recruit. The Company regularly took foreign Protestant soldiers into its garrisons, since English volunteers for service so far from home were hard to find. |
108 | 101 | 1762 Brought over £924 0s 11d Centinels Brought over £19 0s 2½d John Allman £3 16s ½d Isaac Buck from July 1st Incl Transf to ye Artil company £1 1s 8d James Buckley £3 16s ½d John William Black £3 16s ½d Thomas Beswick £3 16s ½d David Belford £3 16s ½d John Brown £3 16s ½d William Blackman from the 27th July Incl Enterd £2 15s 0d Edward Cocker £3 16s ½d Edward Cream £3 16s ½d Isaac Day £3 16s ½d Henry Dudley £3 16s ½d John Davis £3 16s ½d John Dove £3 16s ½d Antony Day from ye 27th July Includ Entered £2 15s 0d Samuel Coles £3 16s ½d Jacob E[s]by £3 16s ½d James Fox £3 16s ½d John Fe[...] £3 16s ½d Cornelius Frith £3 16s ½d Jonathan Godbey £3 16s ½d James Hall £3 16s ½d John Haley £3 16s ½d Alexander Hall £3 16s ½d William Hawks £3 16s ½d William Harris £3 16s ½d William Johnson £3 16s ½d George Kibbit £3 16s ½d Richard Knight Centinels Carried over £124 8s 10½d Carried over £924 0s 11d | The roll of private soldiers in the First Company for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued, with the main account standing at £924 0s 11d and the soldiers' own running total at £19 0s 2½d. Balance brought forward, £924 0s 11d Private soldiers, brought forward, £19 0s 2½d John Allman, £3 16s 0½d Isaac Buck, paid to 1 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d James Buckley, £3 16s 0½d John William Black, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Berwick, £3 16s 0½d David Belford, £3 16s 0½d John Brown, £3 16s 0½d William Blackman, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d Edward Cocker, £3 16s 0½d Edward Cream, £3 16s 0½d Isaac Day, £3 16s 0½d Henry Dudley, £3 16s 0½d John Davis, £3 16s 0½d John Dove, £3 16s 0½d Antony Day, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d Samuel Coles, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Espy, £3 16s 0½d James Fox, £3 16s 0½d John Fenner, £3 16s 0½d Cornelius Forth, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Godbey, £3 16s 0½d James Hall, £3 16s 0½d John Haley, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Hall, £3 16s 0½d William Hawkes, £3 16s 0½d William Hawes, £3 16s 0½d William Johnson, £3 16s 0½d George Kibble, £3 16s 0½d Richard Knight, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £124 8s 10½d Carried forward, £924 0s 11d Interpretations The clerk kept the private soldiers' pay as a separate running total, so the main balance of £924 0s 11d passed through this page unchanged. Only when the whole roll was complete would the soldiers' sum be added to the general account. This spared the clerk from altering the main figure line by line across several pages of names. Pay started on the exact day a man joined. William Blackman and Antony Day both enlisted on 27 July 1762 and drew £2 15s 0d for the rest of the quarter rather than the full £3 16s 0½d. Recruits in St Helena's garrison came chiefly from men arriving on Company ships or from those born on the island, so enlistments in the middle of a quarter were routine rather than the result of any recruiting drive. Isaac Buck's move to the Artillery Company showed that the garrison was organised into separate units, with the gunners who manned the batteries forming their own company. His pay for the First Company stopped at the point of transfer, and the Artillery Company would have paid him from then on. |
109 | 102 | 18th October Brought over £924 0s 11d Centinels brought over £124 8s 10½d William Hollifer £3 16s ½d Peter Lindsay £3 16s ½d William Lake £3 16s ½d John Lamb £3 16s ½d Duncan McClarren £3 16s ½d William Munford £3 16s ½d John May £3 16s ½d Robert Martin £3 16s ½d Martin Newman £3 16s ½d Charles Purfey £3 16s ½d John Pickering £3 16s ½d William Paxton £3 16s ½d Thomas Price £3 16s ½d Lewis Rowe £3 16s ½d Michael Reed £3 16s ½d Anthony Reed £3 16s ½d Thomas Roberts £3 16s ½d William Roebuck £3 16s ½d William Robinson £3 16s ½d William Sunby £3 16s ½d John Springthorp £3 16s ½d Henry Sawyer £3 16s ½d John Stevenson from July the 1st to the 26th Inclu Trasfered to the Artillery Company £1 1s 8d Edwards Sorry £3 16s ½d John Taylor Senr £3 16s ½d John Taylor Junr £3 16s ½d John Wittingdale £3 16s ½d Richard Webb £3 16s ½d Benjamin Wise £3 16s ½d William Watkins £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £235 15s 10d Carried over £924 0s 11d | The First Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 went on with the soldiers' running total at £124 8s 10½d and the main account unchanged at £924 0s 11d. Balance brought forward, £924 0s 11d Private soldiers, brought forward, £124 8s 10½d William Hollister, £3 16s 0½d Peter Lindsay, £3 16s 0½d William Lake, £3 16s 0½d John Lamb, £3 16s 0½d Duncan McClarren, £3 16s 0½d William Mumford, £3 16s 0½d John May, £3 16s 0½d Robert Martin, £3 16s 0½d Martin Newman, £3 16s 0½d Charles Purfoy, £3 16s 0½d John Pickering, £3 16s 0½d William Paxton, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Price, £3 16s 0½d Lewis Rowe, £3 16s 0½d Michael Reed, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Reed, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Roberts, £3 16s 0½d William Roebuck, £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, £3 16s 0½d William Sunley, £3 16s 0½d John Springthorp, £3 16s 0½d Henry Sawyer, £3 16s 0½d John Thomason, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d Edward Terry, £3 16s 0½d John Taylor senior, £3 16s 0½d John Taylor junior, £3 16s 0½d John Whittingdale, £3 16s 0½d Richard Web[...], £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Wise, £3 16s 0½d William Watkins, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £235 15s 10d Carried forward, £924 0s 11d Interpretations Lewis Rowe drew a full quarter's pay here, though the Council recorded his death as a soldier on 17 October 1762. The roll covered service up to 30 September 1762, so the money was still owed and would have passed to his estate or his creditors. Soldiers commonly ran up debts with publicans and shopkeepers, and wages due at death were often the only asset from which those debts could be settled. John Thomason's entry set out the terms of a transfer precisely: he served in the First Company from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then joined the Artillery Company. His £1 1s 8d matched the sum paid to Isaac Buck on the previous page, which showed that both men moved to the gunners on the same day. The Artillery Company was perhaps being strengthened that month to man the batteries, whose worn carriages and condemned guns the stores account of September 1762 had recorded. |
110 | 103 | 1762 Brought over £924 0s 11d Centinels Brought over £235 15s 10d George Young £3 16s ½d Richard Youcas £3 16s ½d William Yates £3 16s ½d £247 3s 1½d Second Company Henry Bazett Captain salary £45 12s 6d Michael Frost Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Sergeants John Bazett £7 12s 1d William Beale £7 12s 1d James Sherlock £7 12s 1d John Burnham £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals William Conquest £5 6s 3½d William Bell £5 6s 3½d Thomas Wiffington £5 6s 3½d Richard Wellman £5 6s 3½d £21 5s 10d Drummers John Coffyn £5 6s 3½d Lewis King £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Samuel Abbony £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £3 16s ½d Carried over £1334 8s 2½d | The roll of the First Company's private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 closed with three more names, before the pay list moved on to the Second Company. The soldiers' running total stood at £235 15s 10d and the main account at £924 0s 11d. Balance brought forward, £924 0s 11d Private soldiers, brought forward, £235 15s 10d George Young, £3 16s 0½d Richard Youens, £3 16s 0½d William Yates, £3 16s 0½d First Company private soldiers, total, £247 3s 11½d Second Company Henry Bazett, Captain's salary, £45 12s 6d Michael Frost, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Michael Frost, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Michael Frost, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Michael Frost, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leeche, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Leeche, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Leeche, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Thomas Leeche, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants John Bazett, £7 12s 1d William Beale, £7 12s 1d James Sherlock, £7 12s 1d John Burnham, £7 12s 1d Sergeants, subtotal, £30 8s 4d Corporals William Conquest, £5 6s 5½d William Bell, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Wiffington, £5 6s 5½d Richard Wellman, £5 6s 5½d Corporals, subtotal, £21 5s 10d Drummers John Coffyn, £5 6s 5½d Lewis King, £5 6s 5½d Drummers, subtotal, £10 12s 11d Private soldiers Samuel Abbey, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £3 16s 0½d Carried forward, £1,334 8s 2½d Interpretations The Second Company was organised exactly like the First, with a captain on £45 12s 6d, two lieutenants on identical pay, four sergeants, four corporals and two drummers. This uniformity reflected a fixed establishment laid down by the Company's directors in London. The Council could fill vacancies but could not alter the size or pay of a company on its own authority. The Bazett name appeared at several levels of island society. Henry Bazett commanded the Second Company, John Bazett served in it as a sergeant and Matthew Bazett held the post of Secretary on the civil list. In a small settlement where families were born and married on the island, such networks spread through both the garrison and the administration and gave some households a lasting hold on office. |
111 | 104 | 18th October Brought over £1334 8s 2½d Centinels brought over £3 16s ½d Joseph Banks £3 16s ½d William Beckett £3 16s ½d William Birch £3 16s ½d William Brooks £3 16s ½d Peter Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Brown £3 16s ½d Robert Brown £3 16s ½d Thomas Bott £3 16s ½d Nicholas Bushell £3 16s ½d Daniel Bye £3 16s ½d Thomas Clark from July 1st to the 26th Inclu Transfered to the Artillery Company £1 1s 8d Edward Cuzzens £3 16s ½d John Copsley £3 16s ½d William Clay £3 16s ½d Robert Dickens £3 16s ½d Thomas Eastwood £3 16s ½d Peter Eglestone £3 16s ½d George French £3 16s ½d William Finch £3 16s ½d John Forbes £3 16s ½d William Fulwood £3 16s ½d James Frankling £3 16s ½d William Fry £3 16s ½d George Freeman for 21st July Inclu Enterd £3 0s 0d Thomas Greenslade £3 16s ½d John Gondsall £3 16s ½d John Hawring £3 16s ½d William Harris £3 16s ½d William Hayes £3 16s ½d Thomas Harding £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £114 6s 10½d Carried over £1334 8s 2½d | The Second Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued, with the main account at £1,334 8s 2½d and the soldiers' running total at £3 16s 0½d. Balance brought forward, £1,334 8s 2½d Private soldiers, brought forward, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Banks, £3 16s 0½d William Beckett, £3 16s 0½d William Birch, £3 16s 0½d William Brooks, £3 16s 0½d Peter Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Brown, £3 16s 0½d Robert Brown, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Bott, £3 16s 0½d Nicholas Bushell, £3 16s 0½d Daniel Bye, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Clark, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d Edward Cozens, £3 16s 0½d John Copley, £3 16s 0½d William Clay, £3 16s 0½d Robert Dickens, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Eastwood, £3 16s 0½d Peter Eglestone, £3 16s 0½d George French, £3 16s 0½d William Finch, £3 16s 0½d John Forbes, £3 16s 0½d William Fulwood, £3 16s 0½d James Frankling, £3 16s 0½d William Fry, £3 16s 0½d George Freeman, joined on 21 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 0s 0d Thomas Greenslade, £3 16s 0½d John Goodall, £3 16s 0½d John Harring, £3 16s 0½d William Harris, £3 16s 0½d William Hayes, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Harding, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £114 6s 10½d Carried forward, £1,334 8s 2½d Interpretations Thomas Clark's transfer to the Artillery Company on 26 July 1762 matched those of Isaac Buck and John Thomason from the First Company. Drawing men from both infantry companies on the same day pointed to a single order enlarging the gunners, rather than individual moves. Taking a few men from each company spread the loss evenly and left neither short-handed. George Freeman joined on 21 July 1762 and drew £3 0s 0d, while men who joined on 27 July 1762 received £2 15s 0d. The six-day difference in service produced a five-shilling difference in pay, which confirmed that soldiers were paid a fixed daily rate of roughly 10d from the day they enlisted. |
112 | 105 | 1762 Brought over £1334 8s 2½d Centinels brought over £114 6s 10½d Abraham Harding £3 16s ½d John Hawkswood £3 16s ½d James Hinds £3 16s ½d Samuel Hiles from the 27th July Incl Entd £2 15s 0d William Hockley £3 16s ½d Arnold Hermson £3 16s ½d John Holloway £3 16s ½d James Holbrook £3 16s ½d James Hodson £3 16s ½d James Huxley from July 6th Inclu Entered £3 12s 6d Samuel Istone £3 12s 6d Richard Jones £3 16s ½d Samuel Kilson £3 16s ½d Evan Knowles £3 16s ½d Michael Miles £3 16s ½d Edward Mitchel £3 16s ½d Thomas Milidge £3 16s ½d William Penny £3 16s ½d William Poulton from July 1st to the 26 Inclusive Transfered to the Artillery Company £1 1s 8d Samuel Perry £3 16s ½d William Pinchon £3 16s ½d Roger Phillips £3 16s ½d Abraham Renno £3 16s ½d John Slade £3 16s ½d William Steadman £3 16s ½d John Christain Steife £3 16s ½d Thomas Stevers £3 16s ½d William Snyder £3 16s ½d John Tucker £3 16s ½d Avery Trueman Centinels Carried over £224 9s 2d Carried over £1334 8s 2½d | The Second Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 went on, with the soldiers' running total at £114 6s 10½d and the main account steady at £1,334 8s 2½d. Balance brought forward, £1,334 8s 2½d Private soldiers, brought forward, £114 6s 10½d Abraham Harding, £3 16s 0½d John Hawkswood, £3 16s 0½d James Hinds, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Hiles, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d William Hockley, £3 16s 0½d Arnold Hernson, £3 16s 0½d John Holloway, £3 16s 0½d James Holbrook, £3 16s 0½d James Hodson, £3 16s 0½d James Huxley, joined on 6 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 12s 6d Samuel Isbone, £3 12s 6d Richard Jones, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Kilsen, £3 16s 0½d Evan Knowles, £3 16s 0½d Michael Miles, £3 16s 0½d Edward Mitchel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas M[...], £3 16s 0½d William Penny, £3 16s 0½d William Poulton, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d Samuel Perry, £3 16s 0½d William Pinchen, £3 16s 0½d Roger Phillips, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Renno, £3 16s 0½d John Slade, £3 16s 0½d William Steadman, £3 16s 0½d John Christian St[...], £3 16s 0½d Thomas Stevens, £3 16s 0½d William Snyler, £3 16s 0½d John Tucker, £3 16s 0½d Avery Truman, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £224 9s 2½d Carried forward, £1,334 8s 2½d Interpretations William Poulton became the second man drawn from the Second Company into the Artillery Company on 26 July 1762, joining Thomas Clark. With Isaac Buck and John Thomason from the First Company, the draft took exactly two men from each infantry company. That even split pointed to a deliberate rule for sharing the burden rather than the choice of particular volunteers. Samuel Isbone drew £3 12s 6d with no note of a late start, the same sum as James Huxley, who joined on 6 July 1762. The matching figure suggested that Isbone also served only part of the quarter, perhaps losing a few days' pay through absence, sickness or punishment, though the roll gave no reason. |
113 | 106 | 18th October Brought over £1334 8s 2½d Centinels brought over £224 9s 2d Luke Vernon from July 27th Incl Entered £2 15s 0d Thomas Wansel £3 16s ½d George Watts £3 16s ½d Thomas Windall £3 16s ½d £238 12s 3½d Third Company Richard Beale Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwater Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Sergeants Roger Wilcox £7 12s 1d George Henry Bazett £7 12s 1d John Robinson £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals John Seamer £5 6s 3½d William Hills £5 6s 3½d Fisher Gambel £5 6s 3½d Thomas Sylor £5 6s 3½d £21 5s 10d Drummers John Swacks £5 6s 3½d George Howard £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Carried over £1736 3s 10d | The Second Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 closed with four more names, before the pay list turned to the Third Company. The soldiers' running total stood at £224 9s 2d and the main account at £1,334 8s 2½d. Balance brought forward, £1,334 8s 2½d Private soldiers, brought forward, £224 9s 2d Luke Vernon, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d Thomas Wansel, £3 16s 0½d George Watts, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall, £3 16s 0½d Second Company private soldiers, total, £238 12s 3½d Third Company Richard Beale, Captain's salary, £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Bazett, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Bazett, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Thomas Bazett, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwater, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d John Bridgwater, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d John Bridgwater, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d John Bridgwater, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants Roger Wilcox, £7 12s 1d George Henry Bazett, £7 12s 1d John Robinson, £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson, £7 12s 1d Sergeants, subtotal, £30 8s 4d Corporals John Seaman, £5 6s 5½d William Hills, £5 6s 5½d Fisher Gambel, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Tyler, £5 6s 5½d Corporals, subtotal, £21 5s 10d Drummers John Sweats, £5 6s 5½d George Gerrard, £5 6s 5½d Drummers, subtotal, £10 12s 11d Carried forward, £1,736 3s 10d Interpretations Richard Beale commanded the Third Company while also serving as Judge Advocate, Schoolmaster and a clerk on the civil list. His four posts together brought him well over £60 0s 0d for the quarter. Such accumulation meant that the officer who managed the prosecution at courts martial also commanded soldiers who might appear before them, a conflict the small establishment made hard to avoid. The Bazett family now appeared in all three companies and the civil service. Thomas Bazett served as a lieutenant here and George Henry Bazett as a sergeant, alongside Henry Bazett commanding the Second Company, John Bazett as a sergeant in it and Matthew Bazett as Secretary. No other name recurred so widely through the pay list, which showed one island family holding a place at almost every level of the settlement's service. |
114 | 107 | 1762 Centinels Brought over £1736 3s 10d Richard Ashford £3 16s ½d Henry Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Brill £3 16s ½d Mark Balls £3 16s ½d Christian Brooks from July 1st to August 5th Inclu Dd £1 10s 0d Thomas Barnard £3 16s ½d William Brown from July 1st to ye 26th Inclu Transfd to the Artillery Company £1 1s 8d Benjamin Bennet £3 16s ½d Frederick William Beard £3 16s ½d John Blondson £3 16s ½d John Cripps £3 16s ½d John Cook £3 16s ½d Joseph Chamberlain £3 16s ½d William Clifton £3 16s ½d Baron Delop £3 16s ½d William Dicks from 27th July Inclusive Entered £2 6s 0d Charles Edgels £3 16s ½d Samuel Eagle £3 16s ½d William Foster from 6 August Inclusive Enterd £2 6s 8d Thomas Graystock £3 16s ½d Alexander Gray £3 16s ½d Thomas Hinds £3 16s ½d Felix Hyder £3 16s ½d John Hillard £3 16s ½d Robert Jewhurst £3 16s ½d William Jenkins £3 16s ½d Thomas Jones £3 16s ½d Alexander Kitchen £3 16s ½d Thomas Kopper £3 16s ½d James Kemp £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £106 10s 5d Carried over £1736 3s 10d | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 moved on to the private soldiers of the Third Company, with the main account standing at £1,736 3s 10d. Balance brought forward, £1,736 3s 10d Private soldiers Richard Ashford, £3 16s 0½d Henry Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Brill, £3 16s 0½d Mark Balls, £3 16s 0½d Christian Brooks, paid from 1 July to 5 August 1762 and died on that day, £1 10s 0d Thomas Barnard, £3 16s 0½d William Brown, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d Benjamin Bennet, £3 16s 0½d Frederick William Beard, £3 16s 0½d John Bl[...], £3 16s 0½d John Cripps, £3 16s 0½d John Cooch, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Chamberlain, £3 16s 0½d William Clifton, £3 16s 0½d Baron Delof, £3 16s 0½d William Dukes, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 6s 0d Charles Edgels, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eagles, £3 16s 0½d William Foster, joined on 6 August 1762 and paid from that day, £2 6s 8d Thomas Graystock, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Gray, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hinds, £3 16s 0½d Felix Hyder, £3 16s 0½d John Hillard, £3 16s 0½d Robert Jewhurst, £3 16s 0½d William Jenkins, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Jones, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Kitchen, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Kipper, £3 16s 0½d James Kemp, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £106 10s 5d Carried forward, £1,736 3s 10d Interpretations Joseph Chamberlain and William Clifton already appeared on the civil list as the Carpenter's Mate and the Groom. Here each also drew a private soldier's full pay. Men in the garrison were routinely put to work at trades and services the settlement needed, keeping their military wage and earning a second sum for the civil task. The practice gave the Company a cheap workforce and gave soldiers a means of raising their low pay. The abbreviation after Christian Brooks's dates most probably marked his death on 5 August 1762, though it could equally stand for his discharge. Either way his pay stopped on that day, as the transfers and enlistments elsewhere on the roll were settled to the exact date. William Brown's move on 26 July 1762 made him the third man drawn from the Third Company's side of the draft, alongside two each from the First and Second Companies. The Artillery Company thus gained men from all three infantry companies on the same day. |
115 | 108 | 18th October Brought over £1736 3s 10d Centinels brought over £106 10s 5d Thomas Kennedy £3 16s ½d James Lee £3 16s ½d Edward Law £3 16s ½d Richard Linsey £3 16s ½d William Livingstone £3 16s ½d Lewis Lumpford £3 16s ½d John Langridge £3 16s ½d John Long £3 16s ½d Edward Lambourn £3 16s ½d Abraham Major £3 16s ½d Charles Montague £3 16s ½d Richard Moyes £3 16s ½d William Mur £3 16s ½d William Mason Senr £3 16s ½d John Maurice £3 16s ½d Thomas Morriss £3 16s ½d William Mason Junr £3 16s ½d Thomas Nimble from July 1st to 26th Incl Transd to the Artillery Company £1 1s 8d John Passwater Joseph Phillips £3 16s ½d James Porter £3 16s ½d Thomas Peary £3 16s ½d Thomas Pearce £3 16s ½d Henry Pinlche £3 16s ½d William Robinson £3 16s ½d Robert Stack £3 16s ½d Adam Scott £3 16s ½d John Henry Scharenhorst £3 16s ½d David Scott £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £214 1s 3d Carried over £1736 3s 10d | The Third Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued, with the soldiers' running total at £106 10s 5d and the main account unchanged at £1,736 3s 10d. Balance brought forward, £1,736 3s 10d Private soldiers, brought forward, £106 10s 5d Thomas Kennedy, £3 16s 0½d James Lee, £3 16s 0½d Edward Law, £3 16s 0½d Richard Linsey, £3 16s 0½d William Livingstone, £3 16s 0½d Lewis Lempford, £3 16s 0½d John Langridge, £3 16s 0½d John Long, £3 16s 0½d Edward Lambson, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Meyer, £3 16s 0½d Charles Montague, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moyse, £3 16s 0½d William Mear, £3 16s 0½d William Mason senior, £3 16s 0½d John Maurice, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Morriss, £3 16s 0½d William Mason junior, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Noble, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d John Passwater, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Phillips, £3 16s 0½d James Porter, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perry, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 0½d Henry Pintcher, £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, £3 16s 0½d Robert Slack, £3 16s 0½d Adam Scott, £3 16s 0½d John Henry Scharenhorst, £3 16s 0½d David Scott, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £214 1s 3d Carried forward, £1,736 3s 10d Interpretations Thomas Noble's transfer on 26 July 1762 completed an even draft of two men from each of the three infantry companies into the Artillery Company. Six soldiers moved on the same day, each paid £1 1s 8d for the days served beforehand. The pattern pointed to a single order from the Council to reinforce the gunners, applied with strict fairness across the companies. The Mason father and son served side by side in the ranks, distinguished only as senior and junior, as were the two John Taylors in the First Company. Families enlisting together reflected a garrison drawn partly from the island's own settled population, where sons followed fathers into the Company's service. |
116 | 109 | 1762 Brought over £1736 3s 10d Centinels Brought over £214 1s 3d John Smith Senr £3 16s ½d John Smith Junr £3 16s ½d John Thompson £3 16s ½d Joseph Uffin £3 16s ½d John Wilford £3 16s ½d John Waters £3 16s ½d James York July 27th Inclusive Entered £2 15s 0d £239 12s 6d Fourth Company John Howard Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Henry De Laune Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Lambert Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £25 1s 10½d Sergeants John Fleming £7 12s 1d Thomas Jervis £7 12s 1d Henry Harper £7 12s 1d George Finn £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals George Hellisham £5 6s 3½d Alexander Greenbridge £5 6s 3½d Richard Wright £5 6s 3½d Christian Hornicke £5 6s 3½d £21 5s 10d Drummers George Wills £5 6s 3½d William La Rocke £5 6s 3½d £10 12s 11d Carried over £2136 9s 8d | The Third Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 closed with seven more names, before the pay list moved on to the Fourth Company. The soldiers' running total stood at £214 1s 3d and the main account at £1,736 3s 10d. Balance brought forward, £1,736 3s 10d Private soldiers, brought forward, £214 1s 3d John Smith senior, £3 16s 0½d John Smith junior, £3 16s 0½d John Thompson, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Uffen, £3 16s 0½d John Wilford, £3 16s 0½d John Waters, £3 16s 0½d James York, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d Third Company private soldiers, total, £239 12s 6d Fourth Company John Howard, Captain's salary, £45 12s 6d Henry De Laune, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Henry De Laune, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Henry De Laune, housing allowance, £2 10s 0d Henry De Laune, subtotal, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Lambert, Lieutenant's salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Lambert, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Lambert, subtotal, £25 1s 10½d Sergeants John Flemming, £7 12s 1d Thomas Jervis, £7 12s 1d Henry Harper, £7 12s 1d George Finn, £7 12s 1d Sergeants, subtotal, £30 8s 4d Corporals George Hillsham, £5 6s 5½d Alexander Greenbridge, £5 6s 5½d Richard Wright, £5 6s 5½d Christian Hornicke, £5 6s 5½d Corporals, subtotal, £21 5s 10d Drummers George Wills, £5 6s 5½d William La Rocke, £5 6s 5½d Drummers, subtotal, £10 12s 11d Carried forward, £2,136 9s 8d Interpretations Thomas Lambert was the only lieutenant so far on the list to receive no housing allowance. The allowance compensated officers who found their own lodging, so its absence suggested he lived in quarters the Company already provided, perhaps within the Castle or a fort. The Company paid for housing once only, either in kind or in cash. The Fourth Company brought the garrison's infantry to four companies of identical structure, each with 16 officers and non-commissioned men above the private soldiers. For an island of St Helena's size this was a substantial force, reflecting its value to the Company as the only port of call for its ships on the long return passage from Asia, and its exposure to attack during the war with France and Spain then under way. |
117 | 110 | 18th October Centinels Brought over £2136 9s 8d Daniel Armain £3 16s ½d John Allen £3 16s ½d George Bennet £3 16s ½d John Blackwell £3 16s ½d Michael Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Barnard £3 16s ½d James Cartwright £3 16s ½d George Capeling £3 16s ½d William Cocksey £3 16s ½d Duncan Cameron £3 16s ½d Jonathan Chandler £3 16s ½d Joseph Cutts July 1st to ye 12 Inclusive Dead £0 10s 0d Thomas Cotter from July the 1st to the 26th Inclusive Transfered to the Artillery Company £1 1s 7d Henry Coster £3 16s ½d James Calcher £3 16s ½d John Cunningham £3 16s ½d Henry Davis £3 16s ½d John Easton £3 16s ½d George Gean £3 16s ½d Christian Grenadal £3 16s ½d Joseph Gilder £3 16s ½d Matthias Godlib £3 16s ½d Edward German from July 12th Inclusive Enterd £3 7s 6d Joseph Good from July 17th Inclusive Enterd £3 3s 4d Thomas Hails £3 16s ½d Henry Hornburg £3 16s ½d James Hendree £3 16s ½d Thomas Hillard £3 16s ½d John Houraton from July 27th Incl Enterd £2 15s 0d Centinels Carried over £102 2s 6d Carried over £2136 9s 8d | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued with the private soldiers of the Fourth Company, the main account standing at £2,136 9s 8d. Balance brought forward, £2,136 9s 8d Private soldiers Daniel Armain, £3 16s 0½d John Allen, £3 16s 0½d George Benest, £3 16s 0½d John Blackwell, £3 16s 0½d Michael Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Barnard, £3 16s 0½d James Cartwright, £3 16s 0½d George Capeling, £3 16s 0½d William Cooksey, £3 16s 0½d Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Chandler, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Cutts, paid from 1 July to 12 July 1762 and died on that day, £0 10s 0d Thomas Colter, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 7d Henry Coster, £3 16s 0½d James Calcher, £3 16s 0½d John Cunningham, £3 16s 0½d Henry Davis, £3 16s 0½d John Easton, £3 16s 0½d George Gean, £3 16s 0½d Christian Gr[...], £3 16s 0½d Joseph Gilder, £3 16s 0½d Matthias Godlib, £3 16s 0½d Edward German, joined on 12 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 7s 6d Joseph Good, joined on 17 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 3s 4d Thomas Hacks, £3 16s 0½d Henry Hornburg, £3 16s 0½d James Handree, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hillard, £3 16s 0½d John Hewson, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d Private soldiers, carried forward, £102 2s 6d Carried forward, £2,136 9s 8d Interpretations Joseph Cutts's entry spelt out his death more fully than the abbreviation used for Christian Brooks in the Third Company. The fuller form confirmed that Brooks also died, on 5 August 1762, rather than being discharged. Two deaths among the private soldiers in one quarter, alongside the soldier Lewis Rowe who died on 17 October 1762, gave some measure of the steady losses the garrison suffered from sickness and accident. Thomas Colter's move on 26 July 1762 showed that the draft into the Artillery Company reached the Fourth Company as well, extending beyond the two men taken from each of the other three. Recruits joining through July, including Edward German on 12 July 1762 and Joseph Good on 17 July 1762, helped the infantry companies make good both these transfers and the losses by death. |
118 | 111 | 1762 Brought over £2136 9s 8d Centinels Brought over £102 2s 6d Stephen John £3 16s ½d Henry Jenkins £3 16s ½d Henry Johnson from the 1st July to the 8th Augt Inclu Discharged £1 12s 6d Christian Johnson from August 18th Incl Entered £1 16s 8d Richard Kempton from July 1st to the 26th Inclu Transfered to the Artillery Company £1 1s 8d William Lambon £3 16s ½d John Marsh £3 16s ½d Richard Morston £3 16s ½d Simon Mason £3 16s ½d Murdock McCloud £3 16s ½d John Baptist Mitchland £3 16s ½d John McAllister £3 16s ½d William Mitchel from July 27th Inclusive Entered £2 15s 0d John Bould £3 16s ½d Littleton Pigot £3 16s ½d Francis Powell £3 16s ½d Thomas Perrin £3 16s ½d James Richardson £3 16s ½d Patrick Riley £3 16s ½d Thomas Rutherford £3 16s ½d John Stocker £3 16s ½d John Shaw £3 16s ½d William Stedman £3 16s ½d James Shadd £3 16s ½d John Swindall £3 16s ½d John Shears £3 16s ½d John Smith £3 16s ½d Zedekiah Sandman £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £200 13s 4d Carried over £2136 9s 8d | The Fourth Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued, with the soldiers' running total at £102 2s 6d and the main account unchanged at £2,136 9s 8d. Balance brought forward, £2,136 9s 8d Private soldiers, brought forward, £102 2s 6d Stephen John, £3 16s 0½d Henry Jenkins, £3 16s 0½d Henry Johnson, paid from 1 July to 8 August 1762 and then released from service, £1 12s 6d Christian Johnson, joined on 18 August 1762 and paid from that day, £1 16s 8d Richard Kempton, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Artillery Company, £1 1s 8d William Lambon, £3 16s 0½d John Marsh, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moreton, £3 16s 0½d Simon Mason, £3 16s 0½d Murdoch McCleod, £3 16s 0½d John Baptist Metchland, £3 16s 0½d John McAllister, £3 16s 0½d William Mitchel, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £2 15s 0d John Bould, £3 16s 0½d Littleton Pigot, £3 16s 0½d Francis Powell, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perrin, £3 16s 0½d James Richardson, £3 16s 0½d Patrick Riley, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Rutherford, £3 16s 0½d John S[...]tcher, £3 16s 0½d John Shaw, £3 16s 0½d William Sortman, £3 16s 0½d James Shade, £3 16s 0½d John Swindell, £3 16s 0½d John Shears, £3 16s 0½d John Smith, £3 16s 0½d Zedekiah Sanderson, £3 16s 0½d Private soldiers, carried forward, £200 13s 4½d Carried forward, £2,136 9s 8d Interpretations Richard Kempton's transfer on 26 July 1762 made him the second man taken from the Fourth Company, alongside Thomas Colter. The draft into the Artillery Company therefore took exactly two soldiers from each of the four infantry companies, eight in all, on a single day. Henry Johnson's release from service on 8 August 1762 was written out in full, distinct from the deaths recorded elsewhere on the roll. A discharged soldier on St Helena could not simply go home, since passage depended on the Company's ships. Many released men stayed on as settlers or labourers, which was one way the island's free population grew. |
119 | 112 | 18th October Brought over £2136 9s 8d Centinels brought over £200 13s 4d Roderick Sheffer from Augt 9th Incl Enterd £2 4s 2d Thomas Tuffnell £3 16s ½d John Thompson £3 16s ½d John Vaughan £3 16s ½d Edward Webber £3 16s ½d Jeremiah Whorrell £3 16s ½d William Wells £3 16s ½d Joseph Blackwell £3 16s ½d John Gillmore £3 16s ½d Richard Golding £3 16s ½d Robert Dales £3 16s ½d £240 17s 11d Artillery Company Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary £22 16s 3d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Gunners Mates Nathan Sample Chief Mate £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch £9 2s 6d Adam Watson £9 2s 6d James Long £9 2s 6d John Jacks £9 2s 6d John Cleroy £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor £9 2s 6d John Shelby £9 2s 6d £75 5s 7½d Quarter Gunners Andrew Barton £6 16s 10½d George Nelson from July 1st to ye [...] Inclusive then Reduced £[...] Do Matross from July 6 to September 20 Incl then Quarter Gunner £1 7s 6d Do Quarter Gunner Septr 21 Inclusive £3 17s 0d Quarter Gunners Carried over £[...] 15s 0d Carried over £2432 0s 4d | The Fourth Company's roll of private soldiers for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 closed with 11 more names, after which the pay list turned to the Artillery Company. The soldiers' running total stood at £200 13s 4d and the main account at £2,136 9s 8d. Balance brought forward, £2,136 9s 8d Private soldiers, brought forward, £200 13s 4d Roderick Sheffer, joined on 9 August 1762 and paid from that day, £2 4s 2d Thomas Tuffnell, £3 16s 0½d John Thompson, £3 16s 0½d John Vaughan, £3 16s 0½d Edward Webber, £3 16s 0½d Jeremiah Whorrill, £3 16s 0½d William Wells, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Blackwell, £3 16s 0½d John Gillmore, £3 16s 0½d Richard Golding, £3 16s 0½d Robert Dale, £3 16s 0½d Fourth Company private soldiers, total, £240 17s 11d Artillery Company Thomas Hall, Master Gunner's salary, £22 16s 3d Thomas Hall, meal allowance, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Hall, subtotal, £29 13s 1½d Gunner's Mates Nathan Sample, Chief Mate, £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d Adam Watson, £9 2s 6d James Long, £9 2s 6d John Jacks, £9 2s 6d John Cleary, £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor, £9 2s 6d John Shelby, £9 2s 6d Gunner's Mates, subtotal, £75 5s 7½d Quarter Gunners Andrew Barton, £6 16s 10½d George Nelson, as quarter gunner from 1 July to 5 July 1762 and then demoted, £0 7s 6d George Nelson, as matross from 6 July to 20 September 1762 and then made quarter gunner again, £3 [...] George Nelson, as quarter gunner from 21 September 1762, £0 15s 0d Quarter Gunners, carried forward, £[...] Carried forward, £2,482 6s 4d Interpretations The Artillery Company had its own ranks, distinct from the infantry. The Master Gunner commanded it and answered for the guns, powder and stores, which was why Thomas Hall signed the artillery stores account for September 1762. Gunner's mates were skilled men who laid and fired the guns, and they earned more than twice a private infantryman's pay. Quarter gunners ranked below them, each responsible for a small group of guns, and matrosses were the ordinary soldiers of the artillery, who hauled, loaded and sponged under the gunners' direction. George Nelson's entries traced a demotion and a return within a single quarter. He lost his rank as quarter gunner after 5 July 1762, served 11 weeks as a matross and regained his rank from 21 September 1762. Each change of rank altered his daily pay, and the roll charged each period at its own rate. Reduction in rank was a common punishment for drunkenness or neglect of duty, since it struck directly at a man's earnings without removing him from service. |
120 | 113 | 1762 Brought over £2482 6s 4d Quarter Gunners brought over £5 0s 4½d John Frederick Emmerling from July 1st to Septr 26th Inclusive then Red £6 3s 0d Do Matross from Septr 27th Inclusive £0 15s 0d Thomas Jones £6 16s 10½d Richard Waterhouse £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham £6 16s 10½d Daniel Tongue £6 16s 10½d John Hendrick Walters £6 16s 10½d £52 13s 9d Matrosses William Benson £4 11s 3d John Adam Brayer £4 11s 3d Benjamin Baxter £4 11s 3d William Blackman from July 1st to ye 26th Inclu Transfered to the first Company £1 6s 0d Richard Bream £4 11s 3d John Barrow £4 11s 3d William Brown from July 27th Inclu Entered £3 6s 0d Isaac Buck from Do £3 6s 0d John Copp £4 11s 3d John Cox £4 11s 3d John Cogswell £4 11s 3d Thomas Cotter from July 27th Inclus Entered £3 6s 0d John Clark from Do £3 6s 0d Anthony Day from July 1st to the 26 Inclusive Transfered to the first Company £1 6s 0d Christian Dyatt £4 11s 3d William Dicks from July 1 to the 26 Inclusive Transfered to the third Company £1 6s 0d Michael Downing £4 11s 3d John Dowde £4 11s 3d Matrosses Carried over £67 5s 9d Carried over £2535 0s 1d | The Artillery Company's roll of quarter gunners for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £5 0s 4½d, before the list moved on to the matrosses. The main account stood at £2,482 6s 4d. Balance brought forward, £2,482 6s 4d Quarter Gunners, brought forward, £5 0s 4½d John Frederick Emmerling, as quarter gunner from 1 July to 20 September 1762 and then demoted, £6 3s 0d John Frederick Emmerling, as matross from 21 September 1762, £0 15s 0d Thomas Innes, £6 16s 10½d Richard Waterhouse, £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham, £6 16s 10½d Daniel [...], £6 16s 10½d John Hendrick Walters, £6 16s 10½d Quarter Gunners, total, £52 13s 9d Matrosses William Benson, £4 11s 3d John Adam Brayer, £4 11s 3d Benjamin Baxter, £4 11s 3d William Blackman, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the First Company, £1 6s 0d Richard Brean, £4 11s 3d John Barrow, £4 11s 3d William Brown, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d Isaac Buck, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d John Copp, £4 11s 3d John Co[...], £4 11s 3d John Cresswell, £4 11s 3d Thomas Colter, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d John Clark, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d Anthony Day, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the First Company, £1 6s 0d Christian Dyatt, £4 11s 3d William Dicks, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Third Company, £1 6s 0d Michael Downing, £4 11s 3d John Dowde, £4 11s 3d Matrosses, carried forward, £67 5s 9d Carried forward, £2,533 0s 1d Interpretations The movements of 26 July 1762 were an exchange of men rather than a one-way draft. Matrosses William Blackman and Anthony Day left the artillery for the First Company, and William Dicks went to the Third Company. On the infantry rolls they appeared as new men from 27 July 1762, which explained why their pay there began on that date. In return, infantrymen such as William Brown, Isaac Buck and Thomas Colter entered the artillery as matrosses on the same day. The garrison was sorting men between the two arms, probably placing the steadier or more capable soldiers with the guns. The transfer raised the men's pay. A matross drew £4 11s 3d for a full quarter against £3 16s 0½d for an infantry private, so a move into the artillery was a promotion in all but name. The men sent the other way lost that difference, which suggested their moves were not voluntary. John Frederick Emmerling lost his rank on 20 September 1762, the same day George Nelson regained his. One quarter gunner's place therefore passed from one man to the other, and the establishment's fixed number of quarter gunners stayed the same. |
121 | 114 | 18th October Brought over £2535 0s 1d Matrosses Brought over £67 5s 9d Edward Durant from July 21st Incl Enterd £3 12s 0d Daniel Finn £4 11s 3d William Fletcher Enterd July 6 Matross to July 7 Inclusive ye made Quart Gunner £0 2s 0d Do Quarter Gunner from July the 7 Inclusive £6 7s 6d George Freeman from July the 1st to the 20 Inclu Transfered to the second Company £1 0s 0d Isaac Todd £4 11s 3d Joseph Good from July 1st to the 16 Inclus Transfered to the fourth Company £0 16s 0d John Grainger £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock £4 11s 3d William Hodges £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton £4 11s 3d James Huxley from July the 1st to the 5 Inclus Transfered to the second Company £0 5s 0d John Houraton from July 1st to the 26th Inclu Transfered to the fourth Company £1 6s 0d Samuel Hyles from July 1 to the 26 Incl Transfered to the second Company £1 6s 0d Edward Jennings Richard Kempton from July 27th Incl Entd £4 11s 3d William Laster £3 6s 0d Bryan Linch £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel £4 11s 3d Daniel Maloney £4 11s 3d William Mitchel from July 1 to the 26 Inclusive Transfered to the fourth Company £4 11s 3d £1 6s 0d Evan Nowland Thomas Nimble from July 27th Incl Enterd £4 11s 3d £3 6s 0d William Pidgeon £4 11s 3d Matrosses Carried over £149 [...]s 6d Carried over £2535 0s 1d | The Artillery Company's roll of matrosses for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £67 5s 9d, with the main account unchanged at £2,533 0s 1d. Balance brought forward, £2,533 0s 1d Matrosses, brought forward, £67 5s 9d Edward Durant, joined on 21 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 12s 0d Daniel Finn, £4 11s 3d William Fletcher, joined on 6 July 1762 and served as matross to 7 July 1762 before promotion to quarter gunner, £0 2s 0d William Fletcher, as quarter gunner from 8 July 1762, £6 7s 6d George Freeman, paid from 1 July to 20 July 1762 and then moved to the Second Company, £1 0s 0d Isaac Todd, £4 11s 3d Joseph Good, paid from 1 July to 16 July 1762 and then moved to the Fourth Company, £0 16s 0d John Grainger, £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock, £4 11s 3d William Hodges, £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton, £4 11s 3d James Huxley, paid from 1 July to 5 July 1762 and then moved to the Second Company, £0 5s 0d John Hewson, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Fourth Company, £1 6s 0d Samuel Hyles, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Second Company, £1 6s 0d Edward Jennings, £4 11s 3d Richard Kempton, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d William Laster, £4 11s 3d Bryan Linch, £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel, £4 11s 3d Daniel Maloney, £4 11s 3d William Mitchel, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Fourth Company, £1 6s 0d Evan Nowland, £4 11s 3d Thomas Noble, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d William Pidgeon, £4 11s 3d Matrosses, carried forward, £149 [...] 6d Carried forward, £2,533 0s 1d Interpretations The artillery roll showed that many men listed as new recruits on the infantry rolls were in fact matrosses moved out of the artillery. George Freeman left the gunners on 20 July 1762 and appeared in the Second Company from 21 July 1762. Joseph Good, James Huxley, John Hewson, Samuel Hyles and William Mitchel followed the same pattern, each surfacing in an infantry company on the day after leaving the artillery. The exchanges therefore ran through the whole of July rather than on a single day, though the largest group moved on 26 July 1762. The traffic ran in both directions. Several matrosses went to the infantry at the lower rate of pay, while infantrymen such as Richard Kempton and Thomas Noble came the other way into the better-paid artillery. The garrison appeared to be weeding out men unfit for the guns and replacing them with chosen soldiers, since a gun crew depended on reliability and skill in a way a line of infantry did not. William Fletcher joined as a matross on 6 July 1762 and became a quarter gunner two days later. Such rapid promotion suggested he arrived with previous experience as a gunner, perhaps from a ship or from service elsewhere, and was taken on specifically to fill a gap in the ranks. |
122 | 115 | 1762 Brought over £2535 0s 1d Matrosses Brought over £140 4s 6d John Plack £4 11s 3d William Phillips £4 11s 3d John Uptow £4 11s 3d William Poulton from July 27th Incl Enterd £3 6s 0d John Robinson £4 11s 3d Joshua Ratliff £4 11s 3d Christopher Rendles £4 11s 3d John Slater £4 11s 3d Frederick Simmerman £4 11s 3d John Stow £4 11s 3d George Straight £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith £4 11s 3d Godfrey Smith from July 8th Incl Entered £4 2s 0d John Turner £4 11s 3d Richard Tuck £4 11s 3d John Stevenson from July 27th Incl Entered £3 6s 0d Luke Vernon from July 1st to the 26 Inclusive Transfered to the second Company £1 6s 0d Thomas Watts £4 11s 3d Thomas Wyatt £4 11s 3d John Mitchel Wageling £4 11s 3d Thomas Willson from July 17 Incl Entered £3 0s 0d John Ward £4 11s 3d James York from July 1st to the 26th Inclusive Transf to the third Compy £1 6s 0d Nathaniel Young £4 11s 3d John Welby from 17 Inclus Entered £3 10s 0d £243 18s 0d Mrs Mary Godwin her pension 6 Days at 50 £ pr An £5 4s 4½d £2790 2s 3½d | The Artillery Company's roll of matrosses for the quarter ending 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £140 4s 6d, with the main account at £2,533 0s 1d. The page closed the pay list with a pension and the grand total. Balance brought forward, £2,533 0s 1d Matrosses, brought forward, £140 4s 6d John Plack, £4 11s 3d William Phillips, £4 11s 3d John P[...], £4 11s 3d William Poulton, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d John Robinson, £4 11s 3d Joshua Ratcliff, £4 11s 3d Christopher Rendle, £4 11s 3d John Slater, £4 11s 3d Frederick Zimmerman, £4 11s 3d John Stow, £4 11s 3d George Straight, £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith, £4 11s 3d Godfrey Smith, joined on 8 July 1762 and paid from that day, £4 2s 0d John Turner, £4 11s 3d Richard Tuck, £4 11s 3d John Thomason, joined on 27 July 1762 and paid from that day, £3 6s 0d Luke Vernon, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Second Company, £1 6s 0d Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d Thomas Wyatt, £4 11s 3d John Mitchel Wageling, £4 11s 3d Thomas Willson, joined on 17 July 1762 and paid from that day, £[...] John Ward, £4 11s 3d James Yorke, paid from 1 July to 26 July 1762 and then moved to the Third Company, £1 6s 0d Nathaniel Young, £4 11s 3d John Welby, joined on 17 [...] 1762 and paid from that day, £0 3s 10d Matrosses, total, £218 18s 0d Mary Goodwin, her pension at £[...] a year, £5 4s 4½d Grand total for the quarter, £2,757 2s 3½d Interpretations Mary Goodwin's pension was the only payment on the list not tied to present service. The Company granted small pensions to the widows of officers and servants who died in its employment, since a widow on so remote an island had few other means of support and could not easily leave. Placing her at the foot of the pay list treated the pension as part of the Company's obligations to its own establishment rather than as charity. The grand total of £2,757 2s 3½d for three months showed what the Company spent to hold St Helena in wartime. The garrison of four infantry companies and an artillery company accounted for most of it, while the civil officers, including the Governor, drew a much smaller share. The island produced little revenue of its own, so nearly all of this sum represented the cost to the Company of keeping a secure port of call for its ships. Luke Vernon and James Yorke completed the picture of the July exchanges. Both left the artillery on 26 July 1762 and appeared on the infantry rolls from 27 July 1762, in the Second and Third Companies respectively. Their moves matched those of John Thomason and William Poulton, who entered the artillery from the infantry on the same day. |
123 | 116 | 18th October Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 September 30th To Cash received £3177 14s 6½d Carried over £3177 14s 6½d | Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as Paymaster was entered on 18 October 1762, with the cash he received set down on the side that charged him as the Company's debtor. Thomas Kirkpatrick, Paymaster, debit 30 September 1762, cash received, £3,177 14s 6½d Carried forward, £3,177 14s 6½d Interpretations The account followed the charge-and-discharge method used by the Company for officers handling its money. On this side the Paymaster was charged with every sum he received from the treasury, making him answerable for it. The facing side would list what he paid out, and only a matching discharge would clear him of the debt. Thomas Kirkpatrick held this post while sitting on the Council and commanding the First Company. He therefore accounted for the garrison's pay to a body of which he was himself a member, and drew his own captain's salary from the funds he administered. The Council's approval of his accounts on 18 October 1762 relied on the colleagues around the table rather than on any independent check. |
124 | 117 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 July 5th By Cash paid Jeffry Smith for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company for five Years as a Soldier commencing this Day £5 0s 0d 6 By Cash paid William Fletcher for relisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years longer as a Soldier commencing this Day £10 0s 0d 12 By Cash paid Edward German for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years as a Soldier commencing this Day £5 0s 0d 17 By Cash paid Christian Strife for relisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years longer as a Soldier commencing this Day £10 0s 0d By Cash paid John Welby for Do & Do £10 0s 0d 21. By Cash paid Edward Durant for Do & Do £10 0s 0d 29 By Cash paid John Witchurch for forty Jackets and Breeches thirty three Jackets and Trowsers and thirty three canvas Frocks for the use of the Honorable Companys Slaves £39 10s 0d Augt 2d By Cash paid Patrick Riley for his Bedding &c not being delivered him at Gravesend £3 0s 0d 9 By Cash paid Frederick Sheffer for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years as a Soldier commencing this Day £3 0s 0d 14 By Cash paid Captain Saffelle for 66. 2. Rice for the use of the Honorable Company @ 10 pC £33 5s 0d 16th By Cash paid John Thomason for making a Flag for the Main Fort £1 10s 0d 18 By Cash paid Christopher Johnson for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years as a Soldier commencing this Day £5 0s 0d Septr 1 By Cash paid John Thomason for making a Flag for the Sugar Loaf £1 5s 0d By Cash paid Joseph Todd for caulking one of the Honorable Companys Longboats £0 13s 6d 15 By Cash paid Baron Delop for sewing 79 Sackings for Cotts £0 13s 2d 30 By Cash paid Captain George Thomson for 151. 3. 21 Rice at 10 pC £75 13s 6d By Cash paid Captain George Thomson for the passage of five Invalids Soldiers £25 0s 0d By Cash paid Norgueda Stockellump from the Honorable Company this Quarter £1 12s 6d Carried over £237 3s 8d | The facing side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as Paymaster set out the payments he made between July and September 1762, which discharged him from part of the cash he received. Thomas Kirkpatrick, Paymaster, credit 5 July 1762, paid to Jeffry Smith for enlisting as a soldier for five years from that day, £5 0s 0d 6 July 1762, paid to William Fletcher for signing on as a soldier for a further five years from that day, £10 0s 0d 12 July 1762, paid to Edward German for enlisting as a soldier for five years from that day, £2 0s 0d 17 July 1762, paid to Christian Stofe for signing on as a soldier for a further five years from that day, £10 0s 0d 17 July 1762, paid to John Welby for signing on as a soldier for a further five years, £10 0s 0d 21 July 1762, paid to Edward Durant for signing on as a soldier for a further five years, £10 0s 0d 29 July 1762, paid to John Whitchurch for 40 jackets and breeches, 33 jackets and trousers and 33 women's frocks for the Company's slaves, £39 10s 0d 2 August 1762, paid to Patrick Riley for bedding and other items not issued to him at Gravesend, £3 0s 0d 9 August 1762, paid to Frederick Shaffer for enlisting as a soldier for five years from that day, £3 0s 0d 14 August 1762, paid to Captain Lascelles for 66 hundredweight 2 quarters of rice for the Company at 10s per hundredweight, £33 5s 0d 16 August 1762, paid to John Thomason for making a flag for the Main Fort, £1 10s 0d 18 August 1762, paid to Christopher Johnson for enlisting as a soldier for five years from that day, £5 0s 0d 1 September 1762, paid to John Thomason for making a flag for Sugar Loaf, £1 5s 0d Paid to [...] for caulking one of the Company's longboats, £0 13s 6d 15 September 1762, paid to Baron Delof for sewing 79 canvas beds, £0 13s 2d 30 September 1762, paid to Captain George Thomson for 181 hundredweight 3 quarters 21 lb of rice at [...] per hundredweight, £75 13s 6d Paid to Captain George Thomson for the passage of five invalided soldiers, £25 0s 0d Paid to [...], allowance from the Company for the quarter, £1 12s 6d Carried forward, £251 3s 8d Interpretations The bounties explained many of the dated arrivals on the garrison's pay rolls. A new recruit received £5 0s 0d on enlisting for five years, while a soldier whose term had expired received £10 0s 0d to sign on again. William Fletcher, Christian Stofe, John Welby and Edward Durant were therefore experienced men renewing their service, not raw recruits. The double bounty for re-engagement showed how much the Company valued keeping trained soldiers on an island where replacements could arrive only by ship. The Company clothed its own slaves at its expense, and the order for jackets, breeches, trousers and women's frocks showed both men and women among them. John Whitchurch, a gunner's mate on the artillery roll, supplied the clothing, which suggested he ran a tailoring or trading business on the side. Soldiers such as John Thomason, who made the flags, and Baron Delof, who sewed canvas, likewise earned extra money from the Company for work outside their military duties. Rice was the staple ration for the Company's slaves and was bought from the commanders of passing ships, who carried it as private trade from India. The unit was the hundredweight of 112 lb, divided into quarters of 28 lb. Buying in large lots from ships in the roadstead gave the Council a cheaper supply than shipping rice from England, and the price depended on what commanders had available. Gravesend on the Thames was where Company recruits boarded ship for the voyage out. Each man was meant to receive bedding and basic kit there, and Patrick Riley's compensation showed the Company honouring that promise when its agents in England failed to deliver. The canvas beds sewn by Baron Delof were cots, hanging frames of sacking used as bunks in barracks or aboard ship. Caulking a longboat meant forcing oakum and pitch into the seams between its planks to keep it watertight, essential for a boat that worked constantly between the shore and ships at anchor. |
125 | 118 | 18th October Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 Septr 30th To Cash brought over £3177 14s 6½d Carried over £3177 14s 6½d | The debit side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as Paymaster carried the cash he received forward onto a fresh page, entered on 18 October 1762. Thomas Kirkpatrick, Paymaster, debit 30 September 1762, cash received, brought forward, £3,177 14s 6½d Carried forward, £3,177 14s 6½d Interpretations The long diagonal line drawn through the empty space below the single entry was a safeguard against fraud. Ruling off unused space in a ledger stopped anyone from adding a receipt or payment after the account was examined. This mattered especially here, where the debit side needed only one line while the Paymaster's payments ran over several pages on the facing side. |
126 | 119 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 Septr 30th Brought over £237 3s 8d By Cash paid Charles Gissing for the Rent of Rooms for Do £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Robert Jewhurst for taking care of the Honorable Companys Stock in the Long Wood this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid James Calcher for lighting Lamps this Quarter £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Mr Matthew Burling for 2 Iron Pots for the use of the Garrison this Quarter £2 4s 9d By Cash paid Isaac Todd for 13 Days work on board the Sly Cutter this Quarter at 2/6 pr Day £1 12s 6d By Cash paid Christian Renolds for 7 Days work at Do £0 17s 6d By Cash paid Do for 16 Days work on one of the Honorable Companys Longboats this Quarter £2 0s 0d By Cash paid Mark Balls and John Hawkswood for baking 63 Batches of Bread for the use of the Garrison this Quarter £5 8s 4d By Cash paid James Buckley for 10 Weeks work in the Armourers Shop this Quarter £4 10s 0d By Cash paid William Munford for 9 Weeks Do in Do £2 14s 0d By Cash paid Robert Brown for painters work done this Quarter £0 18s 0d By Cash paid John Price for digging four Graves two for Soldiers one an Invalid left out of Ship Warwick and one for a Seaman belonging to the Sly Cutter £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for 78½ Days work on board the Sly Cutter @ 1s pr Day £3 18s 9d By Cash paid William Fletcher a Discharged Soldier 5 Days at 6d pr Day £0 2s 6d By Cash paid John Welby Do 16 Days at Do £0 8s 0d By Cash paid Archibald Young and John Dove Do 26 each at Do £2 6s 0d By Cash paid Edward German and Jurgan Bauman 17 Days each one at 7½ pr Day the other 6 pr Day £0 19s 1½d By Cash paid Joachim Jeser 9 Days at 7½ pr Day £2 17s 6d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for 75 Days work in repairing Banks's Fort at 1s pr Day £3 15s 0d By Cash paid Do for 19½ Days work for repairing one of the Companys Houses £0 19s 6d By Cash paid Do for 76½ days work in repairing the Water Trench £3 16s 6d Carried over £281 1s 7½d | Thomas Kirkpatrick's payments as Paymaster for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £251 3s 8d, covering rents, wages for odd jobs and labour by the garrison. Balance brought forward, £251 3s 8d 30 September 1762, paid to Charles Gissing for rent of rooms for the quarter, £1 0s 0d Paid to Robert Jewhurst for looking after the Company's livestock at Long Wood this quarter, £2 10s 0d Paid to James Calcher for lighting the lamps this quarter, £0 10s 0d Paid to Matthew Burling for [...] for the garrison this quarter, £2 4s 9d Paid to Isaac Todd for 13 days' work aboard the Fly cutter this quarter at 2s 6d a day, £1 12s 6d. Paid to Christopher Rendle for 7 days' work aboard the Fly cutter at 2s 6d a day, £0 17s 6d. Paid to Christopher Rendle for 16 days' work on one of the Company's longboats this quarter, £2 0s 0d Paid to Mark Balls and John Hawkswood for baking 63 batches of bread for the garrison this quarter, £3 8s 4d Paid to James Buckley for 10 weeks' work in the armourer's shop this quarter, £4 10s 0d Paid to William Mumford for 9 weeks' work in the armourer's shop, £2 14s 0d Paid to Robert Brown for painting done this quarter, £0 18s 0d Paid to John Price for digging four graves, two for soldiers, one for an invalid put ashore from the ship Warwick and one for a seaman from the Fly cutter, £0 10s 0d. Paid to various men of the garrison for 72½ days' work aboard the Fly cutter at [...] a day, £3 18s 9d. Paid to William Fletcher, a discharged soldier, for 5 days' work at 6d a day, £0 2s 6d Paid to John Welby, a discharged soldier, for 16 days' work at 6d a day, £0 8s 0d Paid to Archibald Young and John Dove, discharged soldiers, for 46 days' work each at 6d a day, £2 6s 0d Paid to Edward German and Jurgan Bauman for 17 days' work each, one at 7½d a day and the other at 6d a day, £0 19s 1½d Paid to Joachim Jesser for 9[...] days' work at 7½d a day, £2 17s 6d Paid to various men of the garrison for 75 days' work repairing Banks's Fort at 1s a day, £3 15s 0d Paid to various men of the garrison for 19½ days' work repairing one of the Company's houses, £0 19s 6d Paid to various men of the garrison for 76½ days' work repairing the water channel, £3 16s 6d Carried forward, £281 1s 7½d Interpretations The garrison served as the Company's main labour force on the island. Soldiers baked the bread, worked in the armourer's shop, painted, repaired forts and houses and kept the water channel open, each job paid at a daily or weekly rate on top of military wages. Using soldiers this way saved the Company from bringing out civilian workmen, while giving the men a way to supplement pay that was otherwise barely enough to live on. The Fly cutter drew heavily on this labour. Its crew was made up partly of soldiers lent from the garrison, and one of its seamen was buried during the quarter. A cutter was a small, fast single-masted vessel, which the Company kept at St Helena for carrying messages, watching for approaching ships and running errands along the coast. The graves John Price dug showed that passing ships regularly landed sick men at St Helena. The invalid from the Warwick was put ashore to recover, as was common for crews weakened by scurvy on the long passage, but he died on the island. The Company then bore the cost of his burial. Discharged soldiers received 6d a day for casual work, while men such as Joachim Jesser drew 7½d. The higher rate probably marked a skilled trade or a man still in service. Men released from the garrison who stayed on the island depended on such occasional employment from the Company, which remained almost the only employer on St Helena. The water channel carried water from springs in the hills down to the town and the landing place. It was essential both for the settlement and for watering visiting ships, one of the island's chief services to the Company, which explained the 76½ days of labour spent on its repair. |
127 | 120 | 18th October Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 Septr 30th To Cash brought over £3177 14s 6½d Carried over £3177 14s 6½d | The debit side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as Paymaster again carried his cash receipts forward unchanged, under the date 18 October 1762. Thomas Kirkpatrick, Paymaster, debit 30 September 1762, cash received, brought forward, £3,177 14s 6½d Carried forward, £3,177 14s 6½d |
128 | 121 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 Septr 30th Brought over £281 1s 7½d By Cash paid Do for 62 Days work in grubbing Spurge in the Longwood £3 2s 0d By Cash paid Do for 30 Days work in repairing Mundens Point Path £1 10s 0d By Cash paid Do for 128½ Days work in the Stores £6 8s 3d By Cash paid Do for 4 Days work at the Longboat £0 4s 0d By Cash paid Do for 111 Days work at the Gallows £5 11s 0d By Cash paid Do for 4½ Days work in repairing the Wall below the bridge £0 4s 6d By Cash paid Do for 8 Days work at the Pound £0 8s 0d By Cash paid Do for 5 Days work at the Landing place £0 5s 0d By Cash paid Do for 76½ Days work in getting Lime Stone £3 16s 6d By Cash paid Do for 12 Days work in putting up a Shed at the Hospital £0 12s 0d By Cash paid for 1½ Days work in edging the Gunners Storehouse £0 1s 6d By Cash paid Do for 12¾ Days Carpenters work £0 12s 9d By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 1400 Lemons for the use of the Honorable Companys Table this Quarter £1 15s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for working in the Long Boat this Quarter £3 0s 0d By Cash paid George Barnard for 6 Bottles of Madeira at 4/6 ea £1 7s 0d By Cash paid Ruth Colegrave 400 Oranges for the use of the Honorable Companys Table this Quarter £0 5s 0d By Cash paid Captain Harold for Diet Expences and Extra Charges for the Invir Money £21 14s 0d By Cash paid Mr Harper for 100 Lemons for the use of the Honorable Company this Quarter £0 3s 0d By Cash paid William Fincks for glazing Work this Quarter £0 0s 11½d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for carrying expresses with accounts of Ships to Windward £1 10s 0d Carried over £333 11s 6d | Thomas Kirkpatrick's payments as Paymaster for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £281 1s 7½d, chiefly for labour by men of the garrison and supplies for the Company's table. Balance brought forward, £281 1s 7½d 30 September 1762, paid to men of the garrison for 62 days' work grubbing up spurge at Long Wood, £3 2s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for 30 days' work repairing the path at Munden's Point, £1 10s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for 124½ days' work in the stores, £6 2s 3d Paid to men of the garrison for 4 days' work at the longboat, £0 4s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for 111 days' work at the gallows, £5 11s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for 4½ days' work repairing the wall below the bridge, £0 4s 6d Paid to men of the garrison for 8 days' work at the [...], £0 8s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for 5 days' work at the landing place, £0 5s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for 76½ days' work quarrying limestone, £3 16s 6d Paid to men of the garrison for 12 days' work putting up a shed at the hospital, £0 12s 0d Paid for 1½ days' work on the roof ridge of the gunners' storehouse, £0 1s 6d Paid to men of the garrison for 12¾ days' carpentry, £0 12s 9d Paid to Richard Bagley for 1,400 lemons for the Company's table this quarter, £1 15s 0d Paid to men of the garrison for working in the longboat this quarter, £3 0s 0d Paid to George Barnard for 6 bottles of Madeira at 4s 6d each, £1 7s 0d Paid to Ruth Colegrave for 100 oranges for the Company's table this quarter, £0 5s 0d Paid to Captain Hassell for provisions and other charges for the snow Mercury, £21 14s 0d. Paid to Mrs Harper, first name left blank, for 100 lemons for the Company's table this quarter, £0 3s 0d Paid to William Jenks for glazing this quarter, £[...] Paid to men of the garrison for carrying urgent news of ships sighted to windward, £1 10s 0d Carried forward, £333 11s 6d Interpretations The Company's table was the official table kept by the Governor at Company expense, where the Council, senior officers and visiting ship commanders dined. Buying 1,500 lemons and 100 oranges in a quarter showed that citrus grew well in the island's sheltered valleys and was supplied by settlers, including women such as Ruth Colegrave and Mrs Harper. Madeira was a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of that name, which travelled well in hot holds and was the standard wine of the Company's outposts. Payment for men bringing urgent news of ships to windward showed how the alarm system worked beyond the signal guns. Ships approached St Helena from the south-east with the trade wind, so lookouts on the windward heights saw them first and sent runners to the Castle with details. Knowing a ship's nationality early could decide whether the garrison stood to arms or prepared to receive a friendly vessel. Grubbing up spurge at Long Wood was clearing scrub to improve grazing on the Company's pasture there, where Robert Jewhurst tended its livestock. The work tied directly to the Company's herds and flocks recorded in the livestock account for September 1762. Quarrying limestone supplied the kilns that made lime for mortar, and the 76½ days spent on it matched the powder used for blasting limestone during the same month. The snow Mercury was perhaps a small vessel in the Company's service or chartered by it. Paying its commander for provisions and other charges suggested the Company met the cost of feeding its crew while it lay at the island. |
129 | 122 | 18th October Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Drs 1762 Septr 30 To Cash brought £3177 14s 6½d £3177 14s 6½d Island S[...] H[...] | The debit side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as Paymaster was brought to its total under the date 18 October 1762. Thomas Kirkpatrick, Paymaster, debit 30 September 1762, cash received, brought forward, £3,177 14s 6½d Total, £3,177 14s 6½d A new account then began under the heading of the island of St Helena. |
130 | 123 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 Septr 30 Brought over £333 11s 6d By Cash advanced Mr John Merryweather chief and Mr John Parkinson second Mate of the Mercury Snow £45 0s 0d By Cash paid Mr Robert Barclay for his care in the Hospital of Jeremiah Tucker and Daniel Shaffle belonging to the Snow Mercury William Bowler Thomas Wright Paul Morrison Moses Fletcher John Clark and John Campbell belonging to the Sly Cutter £7 7s 0d £385 12s 1d By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants their Several Salarys diet Money &ca for the Quarter commencing July 1st and ending September 30th 1762 £2792 2s 5½d £3177 14s 6½d Helena September 30th 1762 Errors Excepted Pr Thos Kirkpatrick | Thomas Kirkpatrick's payments as Paymaster for the quarter to 30 September 1762 closed from a running total of £333 11s 6d with advances to a ship's officers, a surgeon's fee and the garrison's pay. Advanced in cash to John Meryweather, chief mate, and John Parkinson, second mate, of the snow Mercury, £45 0s 0d. Paid to Robert Barclay for treating in hospital Jeremiah Tucker and David Shaffle of the snow Mercury, and William Bowler, Thomas Wright, Paul Morrison, Moses Fletcher, John Clark and John Campbell of the Fly cutter, £7 7s 0d. Subtotal, £385 12s 1d Paid to the Company's officers and servants for their salaries, meal allowances and other payments for the quarter from 1 July to 30 September 1762, £2,792 2s 5½d Total, £3,177 14s 6½d Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the account at St Helena on 30 September 1762, reserving the right to correct any mistakes found later. Interpretations The phrase reserving errors was a standard safeguard in merchants' and officials' accounts. It allowed the accountant to amend a figure later without being held to a mistake in arithmetic or copying. For a Paymaster answerable for more than £3,000 0s 0d, it protected him against a slip being treated as a shortfall he had to make good from his own pocket. The Mercury's affairs ran through several of the Company's payments. The Paymaster fed its crew, advanced cash to its two mates and paid for two of its seamen in hospital. The absence of the commander from these entries, set beside the advance to the mates directly, suggested that the vessel was without its master at the time, leaving the mates to manage it with the Company's help. Robert Barclay was not the Company's surgeon, a post held by Robert Bewley, so his fee for treating seamen was perhaps for private practice at the hospital. The Company met the cost of caring for crews of vessels in its own service, such as the Fly cutter, and advanced it for others whose owners would repay. |
131 | 124 | 18th October Collection of Goods Sold and delivered out of the Honorable Companys Stores from the 30th June to the 30th September 1762 vizt Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 pr Ct Sugar and Candy Vizt Sugar 4246lb £70 15s 4d Candy 2192lb £54 16s 0d £125 11s 4d Tea Vizt Congo 453lb £32 1s 9d Bohea 60¼lb £2 15s 5½d Singlo 47½lb £3 7s 3½d £38 4s 6d Rice and Paddy Vizt Rice 126C 2qr 0lb £70 16s 5d [Paddy] 27C 16lb £5 12s 0d £76 8s 5d Beef 3512 Pieces £351 4s 0d Sope 68lb £25 1s 4d Arrack 157½ Gallons £39 6s 3d Salt 17½ Bushels £2 1[...]s [...]d Flour Vizt Flour 12C 2qr 1lb £19 5s 10d Bisket 101lb 12Oz £95 2s 4d £114 8s 2d Hooks and Lines Vizt Hooks No 2 1075 in number Hooks No 3 1300 in number Hooks No 5 100 in number Hooks No 12 3050 in number Hooks No 13 150 in number Hooks No 14 3350 in number Hooks No 1 550 in number Hooks No 15 100 in number Hooks No 16 75 in number £6 16s 8d Hooks and Lines Carried over £6 16s 8d Carried over £773 2s 8d | The Storekeeper drew up an account of goods sold and issued from the Company's stores between 30 June and 30 September 1762. The goods listed here went to the Company's own officers and servants at cost with 10 per cent added. Sold to the Company's servants at cost plus 10 per cent Sugar and sugar candy 4,246 lb of sugar, £70 15s 4d 2,192 lb of sugar candy, £54 16s 0d Sugar and sugar candy, subtotal, £125 11s 4d Tea 153 lb of Congou tea, £32 1s 9d 60½ lb of Bohea tea, £2 15s 5½d 47½ lb of Singlo tea, £3 7s 3½d Tea, subtotal, £38 4s 6d Rice and unhusked rice 126 hundredweight 2 quarters 6 lb of rice, £70 16s 5d 27 hundredweight 0 quarters 16 lb of unhusked rice, £5 12s 0d Rice and unhusked rice, subtotal, £76 8s 5d 3,512 pieces of salt beef, £351 4s 0d 6 [...] 8 of soap, £25 1s 4d 157¼ gallons of arrack, £39 6s 3d 17½ bushels of salt, £2 19s 7d Flour and biscuit 12 hundredweight 2 quarters 1 lb of flour, £19 5s 10d 101 hundredweight 3 quarters 18 lb of ship's biscuit, £95 2s 4d Flour and biscuit, subtotal, £114 8s 2d Fish hooks and lines 1,075 fish hooks of size 2 1,300 fish hooks of size 3 100 fish hooks of size 5 3,050 fish hooks of size 12 150 fish hooks of size 13 3,350 fish hooks of size 14 550 fish hooks of size 1 100 fish hooks of size 15 75 fish hooks of size 16 Fish hooks, total, £6 16s 8d Fish hooks and lines, carried forward, £6 16s 8d Carried forward, £773 2s 8d Interpretations The Company's stores acted as the island's main shop. Imported goods reached St Helena almost entirely on Company ships, and officers, soldiers and settlers bought their provisions from the store at a fixed markup of 10 per cent on cost. The arrangement let the Company recover its outlay and control prices, while giving it great power over everyday life, since anyone the Council barred from the store had few other sources of food. Several of the goods were Asian imports carried home on Company ships. Congou and Bohea were black teas from China, Bohea being the cheapest grade and Congou a better one, while Singlo was a green tea. Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in India and the East Indies from palm sap or fermented rice, cheaper than brandy and the usual drink of soldiers and sailors in the Company's service. Sugar candy was sugar crystallised into large clear lumps, which kept better than loose sugar on long voyages. Rice came both cleaned and as paddy, rice still in its husk, which stored longer but had to be pounded before use. Ship's biscuit was a hard, twice-baked bread that kept for months, and salt beef came in pieces packed in casks of brine. The large quantities of both showed how much of the island's diet still depended on preserved rations rather than fresh produce, despite the Company's own herds. The thousands of fish hooks in graded sizes pointed to the importance of fishing in feeding the island. The waters around St Helena were rich in fish, and hooks were an item the island could not make for itself. The numbered sizes let buyers choose hooks suited to catches ranging from small inshore fish to large ocean species. |
132 | 125 | 1762 Brought over £773 3s 8d Hooks and Lines brought over £6 16s 8d Lines 2 Doz No 2 Lines 20 Doz No 10. 3 Lines 2½ Doz No 4 Lines 5 Hambro £5 17s 9d £12 14s 5d Nails Vizt Nails 11½lb No 2 Nails 19lb No 3 Nails 28lb No 4 Nails 125½lb No 6 Nails 59lb No 10 Nails 35lb No 20 £8 3s 1d Tacks 1¾lb £0 2s 4d Scupper 1lb £0 0s 6d Glaz Brads 1½lb £0 1s 4d £8 7s 3d Shoes Vizt Channel Pumps 10 Pr £3 6s 8d Mens fine Do 44 Pr £12 2s 0d Mens fine Shoes 40 Pr £12 3s 4d Mens Ordinary 161 Pr £35 4s 4d Womens Calimanco 29 Pr £6 3s 3d Womens Spanish 9 Pr £1 18s 3d Womens Calf 25 Pr £3 5s 8d Boys 24 Pr £4 6s 4d Girls 14 Pr £1 10s 11d £80 0s 9d Hosiery Vizt Thread Stocking 5 Pr £0 14s 8d Worst Do 13 Pr £2 6s 4d Womens Do 5 Pr £0 13s 1d Boys Do 19 Pr £2 1s 11d Girls Do 6 Pr £0 13s 9d Eng Cotton Do 16 Pr £5 14s 8d Mens Knit Do 1 Pr £0 3s 0d £12 9s 5d Carried over £886 15s 6d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with fishing lines, nails, shoes and stockings, from a running total of £773 3s 8d. Balance brought forward, £773 3s 8d Fish hooks and lines, brought forward, £6 16s 8d 2 dozen fishing lines of size 2 20 dozen 10 fishing lines of size 3 2½ dozen fishing lines of size 4 5 Hamburg lines Fishing lines, total, £5 17s 9d Fish hooks and lines, subtotal, £12 14s 5d Nails 11½ [...] of twopenny nails 19 [...] of threepenny nails 28 [...] of fourpenny nails 125½ [...] of sixpenny nails 59 [...] of tenpenny nails 33 [...] of twentypenny nails Nails, total, £8 3s 1d 1¾ [...] of tacks, £0 2s 4d 1 [...] of scupper nails, £0 0s 6d 1½ [...] of sprig brads, £0 1s 4d Nails, subtotal, £8 7s 3d Shoes 10 pairs of channelled pumps, £3 6s 8d 44 pairs of men's fine pumps, £12 2s 0d 40 pairs of men's fine shoes, £12 3s 4d 161 pairs of men's everyday shoes, £35 4s 4d 29 pairs of women's calamanco shoes, £6 3s 3d 9 pairs of women's Spanish leather shoes, £1 18s 3d 25 pairs of women's calfskin shoes, £3 5s 8d 24 pairs of boys' shoes, £4 6s 1d 14 pairs of girls' shoes, £1 10s 11d Shoes, subtotal, £80 0s 9d Stockings 5 pairs of thread stockings, £0 14s 8d 13 pairs of woven stockings, £2 6s 4d 3 pairs of women's woven stockings, £0 13s 1d 19 pairs of boys' woven stockings, £2 1s 11d 6 pairs of girls' woven stockings, £0 13s 9d 16 pairs of English cotton stockings, £5 14s 8d 1 pair of men's [...] stockings, £0 3s 0d Stockings, subtotal, £12 9s 5d Carried forward, £900 15s 6d Interpretations Nails were graded by the old penny system, in which the name once reflected the price per hundred and later came to denote length. Twopenny nails were small and twentypenny nails long and heavy, so the range covered everything from light joinery to structural carpentry. Scupper nails had short shanks and broad heads for fixing leather or lead, and sprig brads were small tapering nails with little or no head, used for fine work where the nail had to sit flush. Calamanco was a glossy woollen cloth, often patterned, used for the uppers of women's shoes as a cheaper and lighter alternative to leather. Spanish leather was a fine goatskin tanned in the Spanish manner, prized for its softness and finish. Pumps were light, low shoes with thin soles, and channelled pumps had the stitching of the sole sunk into a groove so it would not wear through. The sale of boys' and girls' shoes and stockings pointed to a sizeable population of families among the Company's servants. The garrison and staff were not merely single men posted from England but households settled on the island, which the Company had to supply with everything down to girls' shoes. Hamburg line was a strong twine originally imported through the German port of that name, used for fishing and general cordage. Sold alongside graded fishing lines and hooks, it confirmed the importance of fishing as a household food source. |
133 | 126 | 18th October Brought over £886 15s 6d Tin Ware Vizt Gallon Funnel 1 in number £0 2s 5d Lamps 6 in number £0 6s 3d Quart Sauce Pans 1½ in number £0 8s 2d Solder 3lb £0 3s 0d Iron Lanthorns 2 in number £0 9s 4d Watering Pot 1 in number £0 4s 10d Sheets Tin 3 in number £0 1s 2d Half Gallon Funnel 1 in number £0 1s 10d Dripping Pans 2 in number £0 7s 1d £2 4s 1d Haberdashery Vizt Silk 120 Sk £3 0s 0d Mohair 72 Sk £1 10s 0d Cockades 8 in number £0 3s 6d Worsted Lace ½ Gross £0 11s 1½d Tape 7 Ps £0 4s 8d Mohair Coat Buttons 11 Doz £0 8s 3d Mohair Breast Do 21 Doz £0 7s 0d Yell Metal Coat Do 6 Doz £0 3s 6d Silver Wire Coat Do 6 Doz £1 9s 0d Silver Wire Breast Buttons 7 Doz £15 15s 7½d Silver Coat Buttons 3 Doz £0 13s 0d Whale Bone 2lb £0 0s 10d White Waistcoat Buttons 1 Gross £0 3s 1d Shoe Do ½ Gross £0 1s 6d Plated Coat Do 1½ Doz £0 2s 7d Gilt Breast Do 1 Doz £0 1s 3d £9 13s 4d Hats Vizt Officers 1 in number £1 14s 2d Mens fine 12 in number £11 1s 0d Boys 12 in number £1 19s 7d £14 14s 9d Canvas Vizt Eng Canvas 13 Yds £0 16s 3d Oznabrugs 53½ Yds £2 10s 10d £3 7s 1d Carried over £916 16s 9d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 went on with tinware, sewing goods, hats and canvas, from a running total of £886 15s 6d. Balance brought forward, £886 15s 6d Tinware 1 one-gallon funnel, £0 2s 5d 6 lamps, £0 6s 3d 1½-quart saucepans, £0 8s 2d 5 [...] of solder, £0 13s 0d 2 tin lanterns, £0 9s 4d 1 watering can, £0 4s 10d 3 sheets of tin, £0 1s 2d 1 half-gallon funnel, £0 1s 10d 2 dripping pans, £0 7s 1d Tinware, subtotal, £2 4s 1d Sewing goods and trimmings 120 skeins of silk, £3 0s 0d 72 skeins of mohair thread, £1 10s 0d 8 cockades, £0 3s 6d ½ gross of worsted braid, £0 11s 4½d 7 pieces of tape, £0 4s 8d 11 dozen mohair-covered coat buttons, £0 8s 3d 21 dozen mohair-covered waistcoat buttons, £0 7s 0d 6 dozen brass coat buttons, £0 3s 6d 6 dozen silver wire coat buttons, £1 9s 0d 7 dozen silver wire waistcoat buttons, £[...] 15s 7½d 3½ dozen silver coat buttons, £0 13s 0d 2 [...] of whalebone, £0 0s 10d 1 gross of white waistcoat buttons, £0 3s 1d ½ gross of shirt buttons, £0 1s 6d 1½ dozen plated coat buttons, £0 2s 7d 1 dozen gilt waistcoat buttons, £0 1s 3d Sewing goods and trimmings, subtotal, £9 13s 4d Hats 1 officer's hat, £1 14s 2d 12 men's fine hats, £11 1s 0d 12 boys' hats, £1 19s 7d Hats, subtotal, £14 14s 9d Canvas 13 yards of English canvas, £0 16s 3d 53½ yards of osnaburg, £2 10s 10d Canvas, subtotal, £3 7s 1d Carried forward, £916 16s 9d Interpretations Osnaburg was a coarse, unbleached linen named after the German town of Osnabrück, where it was first made. It was cheap and hard-wearing, and was widely used for sacks, work clothes and the clothing issued to slaves. Its sale here alongside finer English canvas showed the store serving both the everyday working needs of households and heavier uses such as awnings and bags. Much of the haberdashery was for making and trimming clothes rather than buying them ready-made. Mohair thread and mohair-covered buttons were standard for plain coats, while silver wire, plated and gilt buttons marked better dress. Worsted braid trimmed uniforms and servants' livery. Whalebone, which was in fact baleen from the mouths of whales, stiffened women's stays and bodices. Households on the island bought materials from the store and had clothes made up by local tailors, such as the John Whitchurch paid for slaves' clothing in the Paymaster's account for the same quarter. Cockades were rosettes of ribbon worn on the hat. In the army they marked a man's allegiance and service, the black cockade being the badge of the British crown, so their sale alongside an officer's hat suggested purchases by members of the garrison equipping themselves at their own expense. |
134 | 127 | 1762 Brought over £916 16s 9d Serge Vizt Blue Serge 13½ Yds £3 11s ½d Scarlet Do 27½ Yds £8 14s 0d Fustian 23 Ps £6 2s 2½d Blue Duffel 12 Yds £4 2s 0d Scarlet Do 11 Yds £5 14s 7d £27 4s 8d Long Ells Vizt Blue 43½ Yds £3 17s 5d Scarlet 15 Yds £1 14s 8d £5 12s 1d Camblet Scarlet 8½ Yds £1 14s 3d Pease ½ Bushels £0 2s 0d Deals Vizt Deck Deals 3 in number £0 12s 1d Wainscot Boards 2 in number £0 13s 7d Baulks 6 in number £2 10s 9d £3 16s 5d Glass Ware Vizt 8 by 10 8½ Sq ft £2 14s 3d 11 by 19 6 Do £0 10s 0d 6 by 7 11 Do £0 3s 5d Wine Glasses 34 in number £1 3s 7d Beer Glasses 3 in number £0 3s 9d Tumblers 11 in number £0 7s 4d Quart Decanter 1 in number £0 3s 10d £5 6s 2d Thread Vizt Coloured 13¾lb £2 4s 7½d Whited Brown 6½lb £2 7s 1½d £4 11s 9d Starch 35lb £0 13s 4d Buckram 2½ Yds £1 1s 6d Flannel 65½ Yds £4 17s 10d Blankets 1 in number £0 7s 0d Pepper 4lb £0 2s 3d Carried over £975 6s 0d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with woollen cloth, timber, glass and household goods, from a running total of £916 16s 9d. Balance brought forward, £916 16s 9d Serge and other woollens 13½ yards of blue serge, £3 11s 0½d 27¼ yards of scarlet serge, £8 14s 10d 23 pieces of fustian, £6 2s 2½d 12 yards of blue duffel, £4 2s 0d 11 yards of scarlet duffel, £5 14s 7d Serge and other woollens, subtotal, £27 4s 8d Long ells 45½ yards of blue long ells, £3 17s 5d 15 yards of scarlet long ells, £1 14s 8d Long ells, subtotal, £5 12s 1d 8½ yards of scarlet camlet, £1 14s 3d ½ bushel of peas, £0 2s 0d Timber 3 double deals, £0 12s 1d 2 oak panelling boards, £0 13s 7d 6 squared timber beams, £2 10s 9d Timber, subtotal, £3 16s 5d Glassware 8½ panes of glass, 8 by 10 inches, £2 14s 3d 6 panes of glass, 11 by 19 inches, £0 10s 0d 11 panes of glass, 6 by 7 inches, £0 3s 5d 34 wine glasses, £1 3s 7d 3 beer glasses, £0 3s 9d 11 tumblers, £0 7s 4d 1 quart decanter, £0 3s 10d Glassware, subtotal, £5 6s 2d Thread 13¼ lb of coloured thread, £2 4s 2½d 6½ lb of brown and white thread, £2 7s 4½d Thread, subtotal, £4 11s 9d 35 lb of starch, £0 13s 4d 2½ yards of buckram, £1 1s 6d 63½ yards of flannel, £4 17s 10d 1 blanket, £0 7s 0d 4 lb of pepper, £0 2s 3d Carried forward, £975 6s 0d Interpretations The woollens came in a range of weights and finishes. Serge was a hard-wearing twilled worsted, and duffel a thick, napped woollen named after the town of Duffel near Antwerp, used for coats against wind and rain. Long ells were a narrow, inexpensive serge made in the English West Country, named for their length in ells, and the East India Company bought them in large quantities as a staple export. Camlet was a finer cloth woven from wool and goat hair, often with a watered sheen. Fustian was a sturdy cloth of linen warp and cotton weft, used for working clothes. The emphasis on scarlet and blue matched the colours of military coats and facings, suggesting much of this cloth went to uniforms made up on the island. St Helena had lost most of its native forest to grazing and fuel cutting, so building timber had to come by ship. Deals were sawn planks of softwood, usually Baltic pine or fir, and double deals were thicker. Wainscot was imported oak of fine quality, cut for panelling and joinery. Balks were large squared beams for roofs and floors. Their sale to individuals showed that private houses on the island, as well as Company works, relied on imported wood. Window glass was sold as individual panes in fixed sizes, measured in inches, to fit sash frames. Buying single panes rather than whole windows suggested repair of breakages as much as new building. Buckram was a stiff linen cloth, sized with glue or gum, used to give shape to coat fronts, collars and hat brims. |
135 | 128 | 18th October Brought over £975 6s 0d Oars 4 in number £0 17s 2d Chelloes 11 Ps £5 4s 6d Cordage 10½lb £0 3s 8d Twine Vizt Twine 64lb £1 17s 4d Cotton Wick ½lb £0 0s 8d £1 18s 0d Cutlery Ware Vizt Horn Combs 19 in number £0 3s 2d Ivory Do 13 in number £0 15s 7½d Leather Garters 42 Pr £0 14s 10½d Pruning Knives 3 in number £0 2s 7½d Ivo Hand Knives & Forks 1 Doz £1 10s 4½d Butchers Knives 6 in number £0 2s 6d Shoe Knives 5 in number £0 1s 8d Choping Knife 1 in number £0 1s 3d Shoe Buckels 1 Pr £0 0s 4d £3 12s 5d Oil Vizt Train 17 Gallons £3 0s 2½d Linseed 8¾ Gallons £1 16s 7½d Bottles Florence 14 in number £1 18s 6d £6 15s 4d China Ware Vizt Bowls 3 in number £0 3s 9d Blue & White Sneakers 9 in number £0 2s 3d Enameled Do 14 in number £0 5s 10d Bak Dishes 13 in number £2 5s 0d Blue and White Chamb Pots 5 in number £0 10s 0d Enameled Do 8 in number £1 4s 0d Blue & White Soop Plates 1 Doz £0 5s 6d Sauce Boats 10 in number £0 5s 0d Short Tea Setts 4 in number £1 4s 2d Enamd & Gold Guglets & Basons 5 in number £3 19s 6d Deep Sallad Dishes 4 in number £1 3s 2d Long Table Set 1 in number £4 13s 4d Mugs 3 in number £0 5s 0d Quart Pint Cups & Saucers 6 in number £0 2s 0d £16 3s 6d Carried over £1010 0s 7d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with oars, Indian cloth, cutlery, oils and Chinese porcelain, from a running total of £975 6s 0d. Balance brought forward, £975 6s 0d 4 oars, £0 17s 2d 11 pieces of chelloes, £5 4s 6d 10½ [...] of cordage, £0 3s 8d Twine 64 lb of twine, £1 17s 4d ¼ [...] of cotton wick, £0 0s 8d Twine, subtotal, £1 18s 0d Cutlery and small wares 19 horn combs, £0 3s 2d 13 ivory combs, £0 15s 7½d 42 pairs of leather garters, £0 14s 10½d 3 pruning knives, £0 2s 7½d 1 dozen [...]-handled knives and forks, £1 10s 4½d 6 butchers' knives, £0 2s 6d 5 shoemakers' knives, £0 1s 8d 1 chopping knife, £0 1s 3d 1 pair of paste buckles, £0 0s 4d Cutlery and small wares, subtotal, £3 12s 5d Oil 17 gallons of whale oil, £3 0s 2½d 8½ gallons of linseed oil, £1 16s 7½d 14 bottles of Florence olive oil, £1 18s 6d Oil, subtotal, £6 15s 4d Chinese porcelain 3 bowls, £0 3s 9d 9 blue and white drinking bowls, £0 2s 3d 14 enamelled drinking bowls, £0 3s 10d 13 [...] dishes, £2 5s 0d 5 blue and white chamber pots, £0 10s 0d 8 enamelled chamber pots, £1 4s 0d 1 dozen blue and white soup plates, £0 5s 6d 10 sauce boats, £0 5s 0d 4 small tea sets, £1 4s 2d 5 enamelled and gilt water bottles with basins, £3 19s 6d 4 deep salad dishes, £1 3s 2d 1 long table service, £4 15s 4d 3 mugs, £0 5s 0d 6 [...] cups and saucers, £0 2s 0d Chinese porcelain, subtotal, £16 3s 6d Carried forward, £1,018 0s 7d Interpretations The porcelain was Chinese export ware, brought to St Helena on Company ships returning from Canton. Blue and white was painted in cobalt under the glaze and was the cheaper, more common kind. Enamelled ware carried coloured decoration fired on over the glaze, often with gilding, and cost more. Sneakers, rendered here as drinking bowls, were small handleless bowls used for tea or punch. Guglets were long-necked earthenware or porcelain water bottles, sold with a basin for washing, and were common in the East for keeping water cool. The island's position on the homeward route gave its settlers access to Asian goods that were still luxuries in much of England. Chelloes were checked or striped cotton cloths from India, woven chiefly on the Coromandel coast and exported by the Company in quantity. They were cheap and light, suited to clothing in a mild climate, and were widely used for slaves' dress and for household linen. The three oils served quite different purposes. Train oil was rendered from whale blubber and burnt in lamps, which linked it to the lamp-lighting paid for in the Paymaster's account for the same quarter. Linseed oil, pressed from flax seed, was the base for paint and for treating wood. Florence oil was olive oil from Tuscany, shipped in straw-covered flasks and used for cooking and salads, making it the only one of the three meant for the table. Paste buckles were set with glass stones cut to imitate diamonds, a fashionable and affordable way to decorate shoes. Shoemakers' knives were short, curved blades used for cutting leather, which pointed to shoemaking on the island alongside the ready-made shoes sold from the store. |
136 | 129 | 1762 Brought over £1010 0s 7d Turners Ware Vizt Shoe Brushes 11 in number £0 6s 10½d Hairs Brooms 4 in number £0 9s 0d Scrubbing Brushes 2 in number £0 3s 3d Punch Ladles 8 in number £0 5s 0d Tab Basket 1 in number £0 0s 10d Plaisterers Brushes 7 in number £0 8s 9d Paint Do 3 in number £0 1s 9½d Tray 1 in number £0 4s 0d Flasket 1 in number £0 2s 5d £2 3s 11d Books Vizt Common Prayer Book 1 in number £0 3s ½d Spelling Do 1 in number £0 1s 3½d £0 4s 4d Pitch and Tar Vizt Rozin 7 lb £0 13s 4½d Turpentine 29lb £0 5s 6d Pitch 4lb £0 0s 6d Tar 4½lb £0 4s 4½d £1 3s 9d Shirts Vizt Centl Shirts 100 in number £25 0s 0d Bolsas 13 in number £0 12s 9d Brown Holland 11 Yds £1 2s 6d £26 15s 3d Iron Ware Vizt Pad Lock 1 in number £0 1s 10d Chest Locks 3 in number £0 13s 1d Splinter Locks 6 in number £0 3s 3d Brass Barrack Locks 4 in number £1 2s 0d Large Frying Pan 1 in number £0 3s 10d Small Do 1 in number £0 2s 11d Stelyards 1 Pr £0 7s 7d Small HL Hinges 4 Pr £0 7s 2d Sal Ammoniac 1lb £0 4s 5d Iron Ware Carried over £3 8s 1d Carried over £1030 7s 10d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with brushes and baskets, books, naval stores, shirts and ironmongery, from a running total of £1,018 0s 7d. Balance brought forward, £1,018 0s 7d Brushes, baskets and wooden goods 11 shoe brushes, £0 6s 10½d 4 hair brooms, £0 9s 0d 2 scrubbing brushes, £0 3s 3d 8 punch ladles, £0 5s 0d 1 [...] basket, £0 0s 10d 7 plasterers' brushes, £0 8s 9d 3 paint brushes, £0 1s 9½d 1 tray, £0 4s 0d 1 flasket, £0 2s 5d Brushes, baskets and wooden goods, subtotal, £2 3s 11d Books 1 Book of Common Prayer, £0 3s 0½d 1 spelling book, £0 1s 3½d Books, subtotal, £0 4s 4d Pitch and tar 7 [...] of rosin, £0 13s 4½d 29 [...] of turpentine, £0 5s 6d 4 [...] of pitch, £0 0s 6d 4½ [...] of tar, £0 4s 4½d Pitch and tar, subtotal, £1 3s 9d Shirts and linen 100 soldiers' shirts, £25 0s 0d 13 [...], £0 12s 9d 11 yards of brown holland, £1 2s 6d Shirts and linen, subtotal, £26 15s 3d Ironmongery 1 padlock, £0 1s 10d 3 chest locks, £0 15s 1d 6 spring locks, £0 3s 3d 4 [...] barrack locks, £1 2s 0d 1 large frying pan, £0 3s 10d 1 small frying pan, £0 2s 11d 1 pair of steelyards, £0 7s 7d 4 pairs of small H and L hinges, £0 7s 2d Sal ammoniac, £0 4s 5d Ironmongery, carried forward, £3 8s 1d Carried forward, £1,030 7s 10d Interpretations The 100 soldiers' shirts were the largest single sale on the page. Soldiers in the Company's garrison paid for much of their own clothing, and the cost was usually deducted from their wages rather than paid in cash. Selling shirts through the store in bulk let the Company recover the outlay directly from the pay roll, which kept the soldier in its debt and gave it a steady hold over men already on low wages. The rosin, turpentine, pitch and tar were naval stores, used to seal the seams of boats, waterproof ropes and protect timber. Rosin was the hard resin left after distilling turpentine from pine sap, and pitch was tar boiled down until it set solid. On an island whose links to the world ran through longboats and the Fly cutter, such materials were needed constantly for the boats, and also for roofs and exposed woodwork. Steelyards were a weighing balance with a single long arm and a sliding weight, simpler and cheaper than scales with pans. Their sale suggested private trading or butchery among the settlers. H and L hinges took their names from their shapes and were fixed to the face of doors and cupboards. Sal ammoniac, or ammonium chloride, was a crystalline salt used as a flux for tinning and soldering metal, and also in medicine. A flasket was a long, shallow basket, often with handles at each end, used for carrying washing. Brown holland was an unbleached linen, originally from the Netherlands, used for shirts, aprons and furnishings. The prayer book and spelling book pointed to the Company's school, where Richard Beale taught, and to the Church of England services that the Chaplain conducted for the settlement. |
137 | 130 | 18th October Brought over £1030 7s 10d Iron Ware brought over £3 8s 1d Hand Vise 1 in number £0 3s ½d Scythe Stones 4 in number £0 1s 4d Bread Rise 1 in number £0 2s 6d Garden Rises 2 in number £0 3s 0d Iron Plate wt 1 in number £0 1s 8d Joyners Hatchet 1 in number £0 2s 2½d Iron Binding Wire 12 Oz £0 1s 2d Halves 2 in number £0 1s 4d Gimblets 2 in number £0 0s 6d Closet Lock 1 in number £0 2s 2½d Side Hinges 1 Pr £0 1s 1½d Dovetail Do 3 Pr £0 1s 9d Scythe 1 in number £0 6s 2d Box Iron 1 in number £0 7s 11d Plaisterers Sieve 1 in number £0 9s 4d Chafing Dishs 1 in number £0 8s 1½d Sail Needles 23 in number £0 1s 11d Barrack Hinges 2 Pr £0 3s 6d Box Crab 1 in number £0 1s 6½d £6 8s 5d Shalloon Vizt Coloured 129½ Yards £13 1s 9d Scarlet 64½ Yds £8 16s 3d £21 18s 0d Paint &c Vizt Indico 12lb £0 0s 0d Ven Red Mixed 20lb £1 2s 6d Barrels Blacking 2 in number £0 10s 0d Whiting 39lb £0 1s 1d Yel Oaker Dry 1lb £0 1s 1½d White Lead dry 23lb £0 0s 2½d Ven Red dry 16¾lb £0 7s 8d White Copperas ¼lb £0 3s 6d £0 3s 0d £2 6s 10d Lead Shot 4lb £0 0s 10d Leather Sole 18½lb £1 0s 4d Carried over £1061 2s 0d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 went on with more ironmongery, woollen lining cloth, paints and leather, from a running total of £1,030 7s 10d. Balance brought forward, £1,030 7s 10d Ironmongery, brought forward, £3 8s 1d 1 hand vice, £0 3s 0½d 1 scythe stone, £0 1s 4d 1 bread [...], £0 2s 6d 2 garden hoes, £0 3s 0d 1 iron plate weighing [...], £0 1s 8d 1 joiner's hatchet, £0 2s 2½d 12 oz of iron binding wire, £0 1s 2d 2 tool handles, £0 1s 4d 2 gimlets, £0 0s 6d 1 cupboard lock, £0 2s 2½d 1 pair of side hinges, £0 1s 1½d 3 pairs of dovetail hinges, £0 1s 9d 1 scythe, £0 6s 2d 1 box iron, £0 7s 11d 1 plasterer's trowel, £0 9s 4d 1 chafing dish, £0 8s 1½d 23 sail needles, £0 1s 11d 2 pairs of barrack hinges, £0 3s 6d 1 brass tap, £0 1s 6½d Ironmongery, subtotal, £6 8s 5d Shalloon 129½ yards of coloured shalloon, £13 1s 9d 64½ yards of scarlet shalloon, £8 16s 3d Shalloon, subtotal, £21 18s 0d Paint 12 [...] of indigo, £1 2s 6d 20 [...] of Venetian red ground in oil, £0 10s 0d 2 barrels of blacking, £0 1s 1d 39 [...] of whiting, £0 1s 7½d 1 [...] of dry yellow ochre, £0 0s 2½d 23 [...] of dry white lead, £0 7s 8d 16¼ [...] of dry Venetian red, £0 3s 6d ¼ [...] of white copperas, £0 3s 0d Paint, subtotal, £2 6s 10d 4 [...] of lead shot, £0 0s 10d 18½ [...] of sole leather, £1 0s 4d Carried forward, £1,070 2s 8d Interpretations Shalloon was a light, closely woven worsted, named after Châlons-sur-Marne in France, and used mainly for lining coats. Its sale in large quantities alongside the scarlet and blue serges and duffels on the previous page pointed again to the making of military coats on the island. Scarlet shalloon lined the red coats of the soldiers, while the coloured shalloon perhaps served for facings or for civilian dress. The paints were sold as raw pigments to be ground and mixed by the buyer. Venetian red was an earthy iron oxide giving a durable brick-red, and yellow ochre a similar earth in yellow. White lead was the standard white base for oil paint. Whiting was powdered chalk, used for whitewash and distemper. Indigo, a blue dye from the Indian plant of that name, coloured both paint and cloth. White copperas, or zinc sulphate, was added to oil paint to make it dry faster. The purchases matched the steady work on painting and repairing houses and forts recorded in the Paymaster's account for the same quarter. A box iron was a hollow smoothing iron into which a heated metal slug was placed, keeping the soleplate clean of ash. A chafing dish was a small metal pan set over hot coals to keep food warm or cook it at the table. Sail needles were heavy three-sided needles for stitching canvas, which served both for boats' sails and for the canvas beds sewn by Baron Delof for the Company. |
138 | 131 | 1762 Brought over £1061 2s 0d Braziers Ware Vizt Hash Pan 1 in number £0 16s 4d Bottling Cocks 2 in number £0 4s 10d Steel Snuffers 6 Pr £0 18s 3d Brass Wire 10 Oz £0 1s 5d £2 0s 10d Broad Cloth Vizt Blue 15¾ Yds £15 2s 10d Pompadore 12½ Yds £13 9s 6d Scarlet 5 Yds £5 4s 9d Black 11½ Yds £11 16s 0d French Grey 5½ Yds £5 5s 5d £50 18s 6d Corks 4 Gross £0 0s 8d Long Cloth Vizt No 3 1 Ps £3 10s 6d No 5 16 Ps £0 4s 5d £3 14s 11d Beer 2 Hogshead £6 0s 0d Brandy 10 Gallons £3 1s 10d £1135 19s 5d Sold to the Planters at 25 pr Cent Vizt Flannel 17 Yards £1 8s 8d Buckram 3 Yds £0 3s 1d Challon 1 Piece £0 11s 0d Shoes Vizt Calimanco 11 Pr £2 12s 8d Spanish 6 Pr £1 4s 9d Womens Calf 8 Pr £1 6s 0d Boys 12 Pr £2 0s 0d Girls 14 Pr £1 15s 0d Mens Pumps 4 Pr £1 5s 0d Channel Do 1 Pr £0 7s 6d Mens fine Shoes 1 Pr £0 6s 11d Mens Ordinary 7 Pr £1 15s 0d £13 3s 1d Carried over £15 5s 10d | The Storekeeper's account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 30 June and 30 September 1762 closed with brass wares, broadcloth, Indian cotton and drink, from a running total of £1,070 2s 0d. A second list then began of goods sold to the island's planters at cost with 25 per cent added. Balance brought forward, £1,070 2s 0d Brass and copper wares 1 hash pan, £0 16s 4d 2 bottling taps, £0 4s 10d 6 pairs of steel candle snuffers, £0 18s 3d 10 oz of brass wire, £0 1s 5d Brass and copper wares, subtotal, £2 0s 10d Broadcloth 15¾ yards of blue broadcloth, £15 2s 10d 12½ yards of [...] broadcloth, £13 9s 6d 5 yards of scarlet broadcloth, £5 4s 9d 11¼ yards of black broadcloth, £11 16s 0d 5½ yards of French grey broadcloth, £5 5s 5d Broadcloth, subtotal, £50 18s 6d 4 gross of corks, £0 0s 8d Long cloth 1 piece of long cloth, grade 3, £3 10s 6d 1 piece of long cloth, grade 5, £0 4s 5d Long cloth, subtotal, £3 14s 11d 2 hogsheads of beer, £6 0s 0d 10 gallons of brandy, £3 1s 10d Total sold to the Company's servants, £1,155 19s 5d Sold to the planters at cost plus 25 per cent 17 yards of flannel, £1 8s 8d 3 yards of buckram, £0 3s 1d 1 piece of shalloon, £0 11s 0d Shoes 11 pairs of calamanco shoes, £2 12s 8d 6 pairs of Spanish leather shoes, £1 4s 9d 8 pairs of women's calfskin shoes, £1 6s 0d 12 pairs of boys' shoes, £2 0s 0d 14 pairs of girls' shoes, £1 5s 0d 4 pairs of men's pumps, £1 5s 0d 1 pair of channelled pumps, £0 7s 6d 1 pair of men's fine shoes, £0 6s 11d 7 pairs of men's everyday shoes, £1 15s 0d Shoes, subtotal, £13 3s 1d Sold to the planters, carried forward, £15 5s 10d Interpretations The store charged two scales of markup. The Company's officers, soldiers and servants paid cost plus 10 per cent, while planters paid cost plus 25 per cent. The planters were free settlers holding land from the Company, and the higher margin made them contribute more to the cost of supplying the island. The lower rate was in effect a benefit of employment, which helped the Company attract and keep servants on modest wages, and it tied the settlers' household expenses to the Company's pricing policy. Broadcloth was the finest grade of English woollen cloth, woven wide, then fulled and sheared to a smooth, felted surface. It was used for good coats and was far dearer than the serges and duffels sold earlier, at around £1 0s 0d a yard. Its purchase in black, blue and French grey pointed to civilian dress for officers and the better-off rather than uniforms. Long cloth was a plain, unbleached cotton from southern India, woven in long pieces and graded by number according to fineness. It was one of the Company's principal textile imports and was used for shirts, sheets and household linen. A hogshead was a large cask, holding roughly 54 gallons of beer. Beer from England was a prized import, since the island lacked the barley and hops to brew its own on any scale. Candle snuffers were scissor-like tools with a small box on one blade, used to trim burnt wick and keep a candle burning cleanly. Braziers were workers in brass and copper, and the heading grouped goods made of those metals. |
139 | 132 | 18 September Brought over £15 5s 10d Hosiers Ware Vizt Mens Worst Stocking 10 Pr £2 5s 0d Womens Do 7 Pr £1 4s 6d Boys Do 11 Pr £1 7s 6d Girls Do 8 Pr £1 0s 8d Thread Do 2 Pr £0 6s 8d £6 4s 4d Hats Boys 12 in number £3 15s 0d Broad Cloth Vizt Blue ¼ Yds £0 5s 6d Pompadore 2¼ Yds £2 16s 3d £3 1s 9d Shalloon Vizt Colored 34½ Yds £3 19s 7d Scarlet 12½ Yds £1 16s 5d £5 16s 0d Serge Vizt Blue Serge 7½ Yds £2 3s 3½d Scarlet Do 3¾ Yds £1 4s 5½d Fustian 2½ Ps £1 17s 10d Blue Duffle 10½ Yds £4 0s 10d Scarlet Do 8½ Yds £5 0s 7d £14 7s 5d Long Ells Vizt Blue 29¼ Yds £3 2s 9d Scarlet 3 Yds £0 9s 1d £3 11s 10d Camblet Vizt Brown 8½ Yds £1 11s 3d Blue 5¾ Yds £1 2s 6d £2 13s 9d Shirts Brown Holland 5 Yards £0 11s 6d Carried over £55 7s 5d | The list of goods sold to the planters at cost plus 25 per cent between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with stockings, hats and cloth, from a running total of £15 5s 10d. Sold to the planters, brought forward, £15 5s 10d Stockings 10 pairs of men's woven stockings, £2 5s 0d 7 pairs of women's woven stockings, £1 4s 6d 11 pairs of boys' woven stockings, £1 7s 6d 8 pairs of girls' woven stockings, £1 0s 8d 2 pairs of thread stockings, £0 6s 8d Stockings, subtotal, £6 4s 4d 12 boys' hats, £3 15s 0d Broadcloth ¼ yard of blue broadcloth, £0 5s 6d 2¼ yards of Pompadour broadcloth, £2 16s 3d Broadcloth, subtotal, £3 1s 9d Shalloon 34¼ yards of coloured shalloon, £3 19s 7d 12½ yards of scarlet shalloon, £1 16s 5d Shalloon, subtotal, £5 16s 0d Serge and other woollens 7½ yards of blue serge, £2 3s 8½d 3¾ yards of scarlet serge, £1 4s 5½d 2½ pieces of fustian, £1 17s 10d 10½ yards of blue duffel, £4 0s 10d 8½ yards of scarlet duffel, £5 0s 7d Serge and other woollens, subtotal, £14 7s 5d Long ells 29¼ yards of blue long ells, £3 2s 9d 3 yards of scarlet long ells, £0 9s 1d Long ells, subtotal, £3 11s 10d Camlet 8¼ yards of brown camlet, £1 11s 3d 5⅞ yards of blue camlet, £1 2s 6d Camlet, subtotal, £2 13s 9d Shirting: 5 yards of brown holland, £0 11s 6d Sold to the planters, carried forward, £55 7s 5d Interpretations Pompadour was a fashionable shade of crimson or purplish pink, named after Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France. Its appearance on St Helena in 1762 showed that the Company's shipments carried current European fashions to the island, and that planter households were willing to pay the higher 25 per cent markup for them. The same colour appeared among the broadcloth sold to the Company's servants, where the clerk's spelling made it hard to recognise. The planters bought much the same range of cloth as the Company's servants, but in smaller quantities and with more children's goods among them. Their purchases of boys' hats and children's stockings reflected settled family households on the country estates, which depended on the Company's store for almost every manufactured item they wore. |
140 | 133 | 1762 Brought over £55 7s 5d Sold at 40 pr Cent Glass Ware Vizt 11 by 17½ 1 Sq ft £0 1s 11d 10 by 12 3 Sq ft £0 5s 6d 8 by 10 9 Sq ft £0 7s 6d 6 by 8 24 Sq ft £0 10s 6d £1 5s 5d Sugar and Candy Vizt Sugar 794lb £17 7s 4d Candy 178lb £5 11s 3d £22 18s 7d Tea Vizt Congo 249lb £22 6s 6d Bohea 11lb £0 12s 10d Singlo 3lb £0 10s 0d £23 19s 4d Sope 250lb £11 3s 11d Flour 2C 2qr 8lb £2 19s 1d Salt 1½ Bushels £0 5s 5d Rice 0C 3qr 5lb £0 10s 9d Oars 1 in number £0 5s 6d Cordage 26lb £0 12s 5d Starch 2lb £0 0s 11d Leather Sole 1½lb £0 1s 10d Blankets 1 in number £0 9s 0d Oil Vizt Train 12½ Gallons £3 0s 0d Linseed 5¾ Gallons £1 8s 11d £4 8s 11d Hooks & Lines Vizt Hooks No 2 825 in number Hooks No 3 375 in number Hooks No 13 50 in number Hooks No 14 25 in number Hooks No 12 50 in number £2 6s 11d Hooks and Lines Carried over £2 6s 11d Carried over £124 6s 6d | The list of goods sold to the planters for the quarter to 30 September 1762 gave way, from a running total of £55 7s 5d, to a further list of goods sold at cost with 40 per cent added. Balance brought forward, £55 7s 5d Sold at cost plus 40 per cent Glassware 1 pane of glass, 11 by 17½ inches, £0 1s 11d 3 panes of glass, 10 by 12 inches, £0 5s 6d 9 panes of glass, 8 by 10 inches, £0 7s 6d 24 panes of glass, 6 by 8 inches, £0 10s 6d Glassware, subtotal, £1 5s 5d Sugar and sugar candy 794 lb of sugar, £17 7s 4d 178 lb of sugar candy, £5 11s 3d Sugar and sugar candy, subtotal, £22 18s 7d Tea 249 lb of Congou tea, £22 16s 6d 11 lb of Bohea tea, £0 12s 10d 3 lb of Singlo tea, £0 10s 0d Tea, subtotal, £23 19s 4d 250 lb of soap, £11 3s 11d 2 [...] 8 of flour, £2 19s 1d 1½ bushels of salt, £0 5s 5d [...] of rice, £0 10s 9d 1 oar, £0 5s 6d 26 lb of cordage, £0 12s 8d 2 lb of starch, £0 0s 11d 1½ sides of leather, £0 1s 10d 1 blanket, £0 9s 0d Oil 12½ gallons of whale oil, £3 0s 0d 5⅜ gallons of linseed oil, £1 3s 11d Oil, subtotal, £4 8s 11d Fish hooks and lines 825 fish hooks of size 2 375 fish hooks of size 3 50 fish hooks of size 13 25 fish hooks of size 14 50 fish hooks of size 12 Fish hooks, total, £2 6s 11d Fish hooks and lines, carried forward, £2 6s 11d Carried forward, £124 6s 6d Interpretations The store's pricing ran in three tiers: 10 per cent above cost for the Company's servants, 25 per cent for the planters and 40 per cent for this third group of buyers. The page did not name who paid the highest rate, but it fell outside both the Company's staff and the landholding settlers. It perhaps covered free inhabitants without land, passengers or visitors from ships in the roadstead. The graded markup turned the store into an instrument of social ranking, charging each group according to its standing with the Company. The heavy purchases of Congou tea and sugar at the highest markup showed that these buyers still sought the island's everyday comforts despite the cost. With almost no other source of such goods on St Helena, the Company could set its margin freely and still expect to sell. |
141 | 134 | 18 October Brought over £124 6s 6d Hooks and Lines brought over £2 6s 11d Lines 19½ Doz No 3 Lines 1½ Doz No 4 Lines 1 Hambro £5 13s 9d £8 0s 8d Pitch and Tar Vizt Rozin 12lb £0 5s 3d Tar 1½ Gallons £0 1s 7d £0 6s 10d Haberdashery Vizt Silk 10 Sk £0 7s 6d Mohair 11 Sk £0 6s 10½d Mohair Coat Buttons 1½ Doz £0 1s 6d Mohair Breast Do 3 Doz £0 1s 6d Whale Bone ½lb £0 4s 3½d Tape 1 Ps £0 1s 6d Shirt Buttons ½ Gross £0 1s 10½d Silver Wire Br Bs 2 Doz £0 5s 1d £1 9s 6d Nails Vizt Nails 2lb No 2 Nails 9lb No 3 Nails 5lb No 4 Nails 33lb No 6 Nails 11lb No 10 Nails 2lb No 20 £2 11s 2d Glaz Brads 1lb £0 1s 2d Spike 4lb £0 1s 11d Tacks ¼lb £0 0s 3½d £2 14s 1d Cutlery Vizt Ivo Combs 2 in number £0 2s 8½d Shoe Knives 6 in number £0 3s 0d Stag Horn Knives and Forks 1 Doz £0 14s 3½d £1 0s 0d Carried over £137 18s 2d | The list of goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued with fishing lines, sewing goods, nails and cutlery, from a running total of £124 6s 6d. Balance brought forward, £124 6s 6d Fish hooks and lines, brought forward, £2 6s 11d 19½ dozen fishing lines of size 3 1½ dozen fishing lines of size 4 1 Hamburg line Fishing lines, total, £5 13s 9d Fish hooks and lines, subtotal, £8 0s 8d Pitch and tar 1 [...] of rosin, £0 5s 3d 1½ gallons of tar, £0 1s 7d Pitch and tar, subtotal, £0 6s 10d Sewing goods and trimmings 10 skeins of silk, £0 7s 6d 11 skeins of mohair thread, £0 6s 10½d 1½ dozen mohair-covered coat buttons, £0 1s 6d 3 dozen mohair-covered waistcoat buttons, £0 1s 6d ¼ [...] of whalebone, £0 4s 3½d 1 piece of tape, £0 1s 6d ½ gross of shirt buttons, £0 1s 10½d 2 dozen silver wire waistcoat buttons, £0 5s 1d Sewing goods and trimmings, subtotal, £1 9s 6d Nails 2 [...] of twopenny nails 9 [...] of threepenny nails 5 [...] of fourpenny nails 33 [...] of sixpenny nails 11 [...] of tenpenny nails 2 [...] of twentypenny nails Nails, total, £2 11s 2d 1 [...] of glaziers' brads, £0 1s 8½d 4 spikes, £0 1s 11d ¼ [...] of tacks, £0 0s 3½d Nails, subtotal, £2 14s 1d Cutlery 2 [...] combs, £0 2s 8½d 6 shoemakers' knives, £0 3s 0d 1 dozen stag-horn-handled knives and forks, £0 14s 3½d Carried forward, £137 18s 2d Interpretations Glaziers' brads were small, fine nails used to hold panes of glass in their wooden frames before the putty was applied. Their sale alongside the 37 panes of window glass listed at the start of this 40 per cent account suggested that the same buyers were glazing or repairing windows at their own expense. Spikes were large, heavy nails used for fixing timber beams, such as the squared balks sold elsewhere from the store. |
142 | 135 | 1762 Brought over £137 18s 2d Paint Vizt Ven Red Mixed 5lb £0 3s 0d Sky Blue ½lb £0 1s 4d Yell Oaker Mixed 1lb £0 0s 8d Indico 6lb £0 15s 0d Stone Colour 31lb £1 1s 1½d Barrel Blacking 1 in number £0 1s 9½d White Lead dry 20lb £0 9s 2d Whiting 12lb £0 0s 9d Copperas 2 Oz £0 0s 2d £2 13s 2d Thread Vizt W Brown 3½lb £1 13s 4d Coloured 4lb £0 17s 8d £2 10s 0d China Ware Vizt Sauce Boats 2 in number £0 1s 2d Half Pint Cups and Saucers 1 Doz £0 12s 0d Qr Pint Do & Do 1 Doz £0 5s 6d Baking Dishes 2 in number £0 8s 0d Bowls 2 in number £0 3s 0d Chamber Pot 1 in number £0 2s 3d £1 11s 11d Turners Ware Vizt Tray 1 in number £0 5s 0d Punch Ladle 1 in number £0 0s 10d Shoving Brush 1 in number £0 0s 5d £0 6s 6d Canvas Vizt Oznabrugs 39 Yds £2 1s 5d E Canvas 4 Yds £0 6s 6d £2 7s 11d Braziers Ware Ladle 1 in number £0 4s 8d Books Spelling Book 1 in number £0 1s 8d Iron Ware Vizt Large Frying Pans 2 in number £0 9s 7d Iron Ware Carried over £0 9s 7d Carried over £147 14s 0d | The list of goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued with paints, thread, porcelain and household wares, from a running total of £137 18s 2d. Balance brought forward, £137 18s 2d Paint 5 lb of Venetian red ground in oil, £0 3s 5d ½ [...] of sky blue, £0 1s 4d 1 lb of yellow ochre ground in oil, £0 0s 8d 6 [...] of indigo, £0 15s 0d 3 [...] of stone colour, £1 1s 5d 1 barrel of blacking, £0 1s 9½d 20 [...] of dry white lead, £0 9s 2d 12 [...] of whiting, £0 0s 9d 2 oz of copperas, £0 0s 2d Paint, subtotal, £2 13s 2d Thread 3½ [...] of brown and white thread, £1 13s 4d 4 [...] of coloured thread, £0 17s 8d Thread, subtotal, £2 10s 0d Chinese porcelain 2 sauce boats, £0 1s 2d 1 dozen half-pint cups and saucers, £0 12s 0d 1 dozen [...] pint cups and saucers, £0 5s 6d 2 baking dishes, £0 8s 0d 2 bowls, £0 3s 0d 1 chamber pot, £0 2s 3d Chinese porcelain, subtotal, £1 11s 11d Wooden goods 1 tray, £0 5s 3d 1 punch ladle, £0 0s 10d 1 skimming dish, £0 0s 5d Wooden goods, subtotal, £0 6s 6d Canvas 39 yards of osnaburg, £2 1s 5d 4 yards of English canvas, £0 6s 6d Canvas, subtotal, £2 7s 11d Brass and copper wares: 1 ladle, £0 4s 8d Books: 1 spelling book, £0 1s 8d Ironmongery 2 large frying pans, £0 9s 7d Ironmongery, carried forward, £0 9s 7d Carried forward, £147 14s [...] Interpretations Stone colour was a pale, greyish-buff paint made to imitate dressed stone, fashionable in the mid-eighteenth century for exterior woodwork and plastered walls. Its sale at the highest markup, together with sky blue and the other pigments, showed buyers outside the Company's service decorating their houses in current English taste despite the cost. A skimming dish was a shallow wooden bowl used to lift cream from the surface of standing milk. Its purchase pointed to household dairying, since some islanders kept their own cows for milk and butter rather than relying on the Company's herds. |
143 | 136 | 18 October Brought over £147 14s 0d Iron Ware Brought over £0 9s 7d Box Iron 1 in number £0 10s 2d Varnished Barrack Locks 2 in number £0 14s 0d Scythe Stone 1 in number £0 0s 5d £1 14s 2d Earthen Ware Collering Pan 1 in number £0 0s 7d Tin Ware Camp Kettles 2 in number £0 5s 6d £150 0s 3d Sold to the Honorable Companys Ships Vizt Nails Vizt Copper Rivets 21½lb £0 17s 3d Nails 10lb No 10 Nails 8lb No 6 Nails 2lb No 3 £0 15s 9d £1 13s 0d Paint Vizt Barrels Blacking 6 in number £0 4s 4½d Yell Oaker Mixed 25lb £0 11s 7½d Verdigrease 5lb £1 8s 4d W Lead dry 50lb £1 2s 11d £3 12s 10d Oil Vizt Train 20 Gallons £5 10s 0d Linseed 15 Gallons £4 2s 6d £9 12s 6d Coals 2 Chaldron £7 1s 0d Tin Ware Lamp 1 in number £0 1s 5d Bunting 6 Yds £0 6s 0d Cordage 8C 1qr 12lb £22 8s 6d Canvas Vizt Eng Canvas 2 Bolts £6 4s 4d Oznabrugs 1 Bolt £7 3s 1d £13 4s 5d Carried over £57 19s 8d | The list of goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent for the quarter to 30 September 1762 closed from a running total of £147 14s 0d. A new list then began of stores supplied to the Company's own ships. Balance brought forward, £147 14s 0d Ironmongery, brought forward, £0 9s 7d 1 box iron, £0 10s 2d 2 varnished barrack locks, £0 14s 0d 1 scythe stone, £0 0s 5d Ironmongery, subtotal, £1 14s 2d Earthenware: 1 colander, £0 0s 7d Tinware: 2 camp kettles, £0 5s 6d Total sold at cost plus 40 per cent, £150 0s 3d Sold to the Company's ships Nails 21½ [...] of copper rivets, £0 17s 3d 10 [...] of tenpenny nails 8 [...] of sixpenny nails 2 [...] of threepenny nails Nails, total, £0 15s 9d Nails, subtotal, £1 13s 0d Paint 6 barrels of blacking, £0 4s 4½d 25 [...] of yellow ochre ground in oil, £0 11s 7½d 5 [...] of verdigris, £1 8s 4d 30 [...] of dry white lead, £1 2s 11d Paint, subtotal, £3 12s 10d Oil 20 gallons of whale oil, £5 10s 0d 15 gallons of linseed oil, £4 2s 6d Oil, subtotal, £9 12s 6d 2 chaldrons of coal, £7 1s 0d Tinware: 1 lamp, £0 1s 5d 6 yards of bunting, £0 6s 0d 8 hundredweight 1 quarter 12 lb of cordage, £22 8s 6d Canvas 2 bolts of English canvas, £6 4s 4d 1 bolt of osnaburg, £7 3s 1d Canvas, subtotal, £13 4s 5d Carried forward, £57 18s 8d Interpretations The island's store also served as a supply depot for the Company's own ships calling at St Helena. Goods sold to them were charged to the ships' accounts, which the Company would settle between its own departments, so the transactions moved costs on paper rather than bringing cash into the island's treasury. The heavy cordage, canvas, oils and paint were the ordinary consumables of a long voyage, replacing rope worn through, sails torn and timber exposed to salt water. Verdigris was a bright green pigment made by corroding copper with vinegar, used in paints and as a preservative against rot and marine growth on woodwork. Bunting was a light, loosely woven woollen cloth made specifically for flags and signal pennants, which ships needed for communicating at sea and in port. A chaldron was a large measure of coal, varying by region but in London amounting to about 36 bushels, well over a ton. Coal reached St Helena by ship from England, since the island's own timber was too scarce to spare for fuel on any scale. Selling it on to the Company's ships, perhaps for their galleys or forges, showed the island acting as a store for goods it did not itself produce. Camp kettles were large lidded pots used by soldiers to cook their rations in the field or in barracks. Their sale among the goods at the highest markup suggested purchases by men or households outside the Company's direct service who were equipping themselves for communal cooking. |
144 | 137 | 1762 Brought over £57 19s 8d Oil Linseed 7 Gallons £1 18s 6d Pitch ½ Barrel £1 2s 3d £61 0s 5d Naval Stores Vizt Gun Powder 4lb £0 4s 0d Cartridge Paper 9 Quires £0 13s 9d Sheep Skins for Sponges 4 in number £1 9s 5d £2 12s 2d Charges General Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 vizt Candles Vizt for the Castle 89lb £9 7s 3d for the Council 220lb £23 2s 11d for the Doctors Shop & Secry Office 8lb £0 16s 10d £33 7s 0d Arrack for Drams to Sundries hauling up the Long Boat Guard Boat Men bringing Goats from the Crane & given to the Pilotry Men for Care of Guns to Munden Point and taking an Inventory of the Stores 16 Gallons £8 11s 6d Canvas Vizt Eng for a Cot for the Hospital an Awning and Blinds to the Castle Windows 10 Yds £0 17s 3d Oznab for Bags Upon Rolls in the last Alarm & Pockets 22 Yds £0 18s 9d £1 16s 0d Nails Vizt Nails 2lb No 3 for Cots in the Hospital Blinds in the Nails 3lb No 6 Castle Repair of Flour Casks and Locks Nails 2lb No 2 Governors House Nails 1lb No 4 £0 6s 1d Glaz Brads ½lb £0 1s 0d Spikes for the Gallows 3lb £0 3s 8d Copper Rivets Expended 8lb £0 0s 0d £0 10s 9d Starch 1lb £0 2s 4d Sope 4lb £1 5s 10d Carried over £45 7s 5d | The stores supplied to the Company's ships for the quarter to 30 September 1762 closed from a running total of £57 19s 8d, followed by naval stores sold separately. A new account then began for stores the Company used itself between 30 June and 30 September 1762, charged to its general expenses. Balance brought forward, £57 19s 8d 7 gallons of linseed oil, £1 18s 6d ½ barrel of pitch, £1 2s 3d Total sold to the Company's ships, £61 0s 5d Naval stores 4 [...] of gunpowder, £0 4s 0d 9 quires of cartridge paper, £0 18s 9d 4 sheepskins for gun sponges, £1 9s 5d Naval stores, total, £2 12s 2d Charged to general expenses, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 Candles 19 lb for the Castle, £9 7s 3d 220 lb for the Council, £23 2s 11d 8 lb for the surgery and the Storekeeper's office, £0 16s 10d Candles, subtotal, £33 7s 0d 16 [...] of arrack given as drams to men hauling up the longboat and the guard boat, men bringing goats from the crane, the soldiers, men carrying guns to Munden's Point and those taking an inventory of the stores, £8 11s 6d Canvas 10 yards of English canvas for a hospital cot and for awnings and blinds on the Castle windows, £0 13s 3d 22½ yards of [...] for [...] in the recent storm, £0 18s 9d Canvas, subtotal, £1 10s 0d Nails 2 [...] of threepenny nails 3 [...] of sixpenny nails 2 [...] of twopenny nails 1 [...] of fourpenny nails Nails for hospital cots, blinds at the Castle, repairing flour casks and lockers and the Governor's house, £0 6s 1d ½ [...] of brads, £0 1s 0d 3 spikes for the gallows, £0 3s 8d 8 copper rivets for [...] Nails, subtotal, £0 10s 9d ½ [...] of starch, £0 2s 4d 4 [...] of soap, £1 3s 10d Carried forward, £45 7s 5d Interpretations The general expenses account recorded stores the Company consumed in running the settlement, as distinct from goods sold to its servants, planters or ships. Charging them to a single heading let the Council see the running cost of government, from lighting its own meetings to repairing the Governor's house. The 220 lb of candles burnt for the Council showed that its business often ran into the evenings and that the Company bore the cost. Arrack was issued as drams to men doing heavy or unusual work outside their normal duties, such as hauling boats ashore or carrying guns up to Munden's Point. A measure of spirits served as an immediate reward and an incentive, cheaper than extra wages and customary in both army and navy. Recording it as a charge on the Company kept the practice under the Council's control rather than leaving it to the discretion of individual officers. The naval stores matched the sales entered in the artillery stores account for September 1762, where cartridge paper went to the Warwick and the Tryton and four sheepskins for sponges went to the York. The Storekeeper recovered from the ships the value of stores the Master Gunner had released from the garrison's own supplies. The three spikes for the gallows linked to the 111 days' work at the gallows in the Paymaster's account for the same quarter. The Company was building or rebuilding its place of execution, a visible sign of the Council's power to punish capital crimes under its own authority. |
145 | 138 | 18 October Brought over £45 7s 5d Glass Ware Vizt 8 by 10 to Repr the Church and one of of the Company Houses 4 Sq ft £0 1s 10d 6 by 8 for the Officers Guard Room 9 Sq ft £0 5s 6d Wine Glasses 2 Doz £0 13s 1d Beer Do for the Castle 4 in number £0 4s 6d Quart Decanters 2 in number £0 6s 11d £1 13s 10d Paint Vizt Whiting for the Church & Castle 18lb £0 0s 9d White Lead dry to Paint a Pavilion in the 14lb £0 4s 1d Olive Garden and two Gates in 4lb £0 7s 1d Ven Red dry the Country 3lb £0 0s 10d Copperas ¼lb £0 0s 3d Indico for Linen ¼lb £0 6s 10d £1 19s 9d Iron Pot for the Castle 1 of 13½ Gallons £0 12s 9d Oil Vizt Linseed to paint a Pavilion in the Garden & Gates in the Pastures 2½ Gallons £0 8s 6d Train for the Kitchen Armoury and Overseer 8½ Gallons £1 11s 7d £2 0s 1d Iron Ware Vizt Sail Needle for the Castle 1 in number £0 0s ½d Pack Do for Do & mending Rice bags in the Stores 3 in number £0 0s 3½d Helves for Broken Rocks Broke in the Magazine and Smiths Shop 17 in number £0 10s ½d Files for the Armoury and Smiths 31 in number £1 2s 0d Drill Strings Shop 18 in number £0 0s 0d Do Roses 9 in number £0 10s 6d Emery 1½lb £0 1s 1½d Hlave Do for the Armoury and Carpenters ¼ in number £0 1s 2d Gimbletts 16 in number £0 4s 4d Iron Ware Carried over £2 0s 11½d Carried over £50 13s 9d | The Company's charges to general expenses for stores it used between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with glass, paint, oil and tools, from a running total of £45 7s 5d. Balance brought forward, £45 7s 5d Glassware 4 panes of glass, 8 by 10 inches, to repair the church and one of the Company's houses, £0 1s 10d 9 panes of glass, 6 by 8 inches, for the officers' guard room, £0 5s 6d 2 dozen wine glasses for the Castle, £0 13s 1d 4 beer glasses for the Castle, £0 4s 6d 2 quart decanters for the Castle, £0 6s 11d Glassware, subtotal, £1 13s 10d Paint 18 [...] of whiting for the church and the Castle, £0 0s 9d 14 [...] of dry white lead to paint a garden pavilion and two gates in the country, £0 4s 1d 4 [...] of olive green for the same work, £0 7s 1d 3 [...] of dry Venetian red for the same work, £0 0s 10d ¼ [...] of copperas for the same work, £0 0s 3d 4 [...] of indigo for linen, £0 6s 10d Paint, subtotal, £0 19s 9d 1 iron pot holding 13½ gallons for the Castle, £0 12s 9d Oil 2¼ gallons of linseed oil to paint a garden pavilion and gates in the pastures, £0 8s 6d 5¼ gallons of whale oil for the kitchen, the armoury and the overseer, £1 11s 7d Oil, subtotal, £2 0s 1d Ironmongery 1 sail needle for the Castle, £0 0s 0½d 3 packing needles for sewing and mending rice bags in the stores, £0 0s 3½d 17 tool handles for breaking rocks, for the shipwrights and for the smith's shop, £0 0s 10½d 31 files for the armoury and the smith's shop, £1 2s 0d 18 drill cords for the armoury and the smith's shop, £0 10s 6d 9 rasps for the armoury and the smith's shop, £0 1s 1½d 1¼ [...] of coarse emery for the armoury and the carpenters, £0 1s 2d ¾ [...] of fine emery for the armoury and the carpenters, £0 0s 0d 16 gimlets for the armoury and the carpenters, £0 4s 4d Ironmongery, carried forward, £2 0s 11½d Carried forward, £50 13s 9d Interpretations Indigo issued for linen was used as laundry blue. A small amount dissolved in the final rinse counteracted the yellowing of white cloth and made it look cleaner. Its charge to the Company's own expenses showed that the Castle's household linen was washed at public cost. Emery was a hard, dark mineral crushed into powder and graded by fineness, the coarse grade for heavy grinding and the fine grade for polishing. Together with files, rasps and drill cords, it equipped the armoury to keep the garrison's muskets and bayonets in working order. Drill cords were the strings of a bow drill, wrapped round the spindle and worked back and forth to turn the bit. The garden pavilion and the gates in the pastures were Company property, painted at its expense. The pavilion stood in the Company's garden, which supplied fresh produce to the Castle and served as a place of leisure for the Governor and his guests. Maintaining such amenities from the general account made the Governor's comforts part of the ordinary cost of running the island. |
146 | 139 | 1762 Brought over £50 13s 9d Iron Ware brought over £2 9s 11½d Bench Shears for the Smiths Shop 1 Pr £1 3s 10d Borax for the Smiths Shop ½lb £0 7s 1d Yellow Solder for the Smiths Shop ½lb £0 0s 11d Grafting Saw for the Smiths Shop 1 in number £0 1s 7d Rasps for the Smiths Shop 2 in number £0 2s 3d Backs for Camp Irons 2 in number £1 13s 6d Socket heading Chisels for the Carpenters 2 Doz £0 15s 3d 18 Inch Rules for the Carpenters 1 Doz £0 14s 1d Jack Plains for the Carpenters 6 in number £0 5s 4d Claw Hammers for the Carpenters 2 in number £0 3s 4d Joyners Rubstones for the Carpenters 4 in number £0 4s 5d Tenon Saw Files for the Carpenters 1½ Doz £0 5s 9d Hatchet Helves for the Armr and Carpenters use 3 in number £0 0s 8d Maul for Breaking Rocks 1 in number £0 8s 3½d Soldering Irons for the Armoury 2 in number £0 13s 0d Blank Keys for the Armoury 2 in number £0 1s 2d Ditching Shovels for Mundens Point 1 in number £0 4s 7d Joyners Hatchet for the Carpenters 1 in number £0 2s 0d Hand Saw for the Carpenters 1 in number £0 7s 7d Black Lead Pencils for Do 2 Doz £0 8s 0d Anvil for the Armourers Shop 1 in number £12 3s 4d Carpenters Vices for the Cooper 9 in number £0 5s 0d Screw Plate and Taps for the Armoury 1 in number £0 3s 10d File Hafts for the Armoury 16 in number £0 1s 4d £23 16s 8d Lines Vizt Whips Cord for the Marshall 1lb £0 2s 9d Lines for the Carpenters use 6 in number £0 2s 0d for Do 18lb £0 0s 5d £0 5s 4d Turners Ware Vizt Shoe Brushes for the Castle and Smiths Shop 4 in number £0 2s 3d Punch Ladles for the Castle 4 in number £0 2s 3d £0 4s 6d Twine for mending Rice Bags & Castle 8 Sk £0 4s 2d Chellows 1 Piece £0 8s 9d Carried over £75 13s 2d | The Company's charges to general expenses for stores used between 30 June and 30 September 1762 continued with tools for the smith, carpenters and armourer, from a running total of £50 13s 9d. Balance brought forward, £50 13s 9d Ironmongery, brought forward, £2 0s 11½d 1 pair of bench shears for the smith's shop, £1 3s 10d ½ [...] of borax for the smith's shop, £0 7s 1d ½ [...] of yellow solder for the smith's shop, £0 0s 11d 1 grafting saw for the smith's shop, £0 1s 7d 2 rasps for the smith's shop, £0 2s 3d 2 [...] for camp irons, £1 13s 6d 2 dozen socket chisels for the carpenters, £0 15s 3d 1 dozen 18-inch rules for the carpenters, £0 14s 1d 6 jack planes for the carpenters, £0 5s 4d 2 claw hammers for the carpenters, £0 3s 4d 4 joiners' sharpening stones for the carpenters, £0 4s 5d 1½ dozen frame saw files for the carpenters, £0 5s 9d 3 hatchet handles for the armoury and the cooper, £0 0s 8d 1 maul for breaking rocks, £0 3s 3½d 2 soldering irons, £0 15s 0d 2 blank keys for the armoury, £0 1s 2d 1 ditch shovel for Munden's Point, £0 4s 7d 1 joiner's hatchet for the carpenters, £0 2s 0d 1 hand saw for the carpenters, £0 7s 7d 2 dozen black lead pencils for the carpenters, £0 8s 0d 1 anvil for the armourer's shop, £12 3s 4d 9 vices for the cooper, £0 5s 0d 1 screw plate and taps for the armourer, £0 3s 10d 16 file handles for the armourer, £0 1s 4d Ironmongery, subtotal, £23 16s 8d Cord and lines 1 [...] of whipcord for the Marshal, £0 0s 9d 6 [...] of lines for the carpenters, £0 2s 0d 18¼ [...] of lines for the carpenters, £0 0s 5d Cord and lines, subtotal, £0 5s 4d Brushes and wooden goods 4 shoe brushes for the Castle and the smith's shop, £0 2s 3d 4 punch ladles for the Castle, £0 2s 3d Brushes and wooden goods, subtotal, £0 4s 6d 8 skeins of twine for mending rice bags and for the Castle, £0 4s 2d 1 piece of chelloes, £0 8s 9d Carried forward, £75 13s 2d Interpretations The whipcord issued to the Marshal was for making the whips used in floggings. The Marshal carried out the corporal punishments ordered by the Council and the courts, and supplying his cord from public stores made the lash an ordinary item of government expenditure. The entry placed physical punishment on the same footing as candles and nails in the running costs of the island. The anvil at £12 3s 4d was by far the costliest item on the page. A smith's anvil was a heavy block of wrought iron faced with steel, and it had to be made in England and shipped out. Its purchase for the armourer's shop showed the Company investing in the means to repair weapons and ironwork on the island rather than waiting for replacements from home. Borax was used as a flux in brazing and soldering, melting over the joint to keep the metal clean and let the solder flow. A screw plate was a hardened steel plate pierced with threaded holes of different sizes, used with matching taps to cut screw threads on bolts and in nuts. Black lead pencils were sticks of graphite in wooden cases, used by carpenters for marking timber. |
147 | 140 | 18 October Brought over £75 13s 2d Blankets 1 in number £0 6s 4d Tin Ware Vizt Camp Kettle for the Hospital 1 in number £0 1s 11d Lamps for the Castle and overseer 3 in number £0 2s 10d Quart Sauce Pans for the Castle 4 in number £0 2s 3d £0 7s 0d Cordage for making Tent for the Carpenters to put the New Long Boat together and Thatching 42½lb £0 16s 1d Cutlery Butchers Knives for the Castle 6 in number £0 2s 3d Braziers Ware Bottling Cocks for the Store use 2 in number £0 12s 1d China Ware Vizt Sauce Boats 2 in number £0 1s 0d Coals 48 Bushels £3 4s 0d Deals Vizt Oak Plank of 5 Inch for Stails before the Governors House 1 in number £2 0s 6d Baulk for Bars for the Crab on the Beach 1 in number £0 7s 8d £2 8s 2d £83 10s 1d Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued the 30th June to the 30th September 1762 vizt Beef and Pork Vizt Beef 9 Ps £1 6s 10d Pork 22 Ps £2 4s 0d £3 10s 10d Tea Vizt Congo 7lb £0 8s 9d Singlo 2lb £0 2s 6d £0 11s 3d Carried over £4 2s 1d | The Company's charges to general expenses for stores used between 30 June and 30 September 1762 closed from a running total of £75 13s 2d. A separate account then opened for provisions issued to the Company's table over the same period. Balance brought forward, £75 13s 2d 1 blanket, £0 6s 4d Tinware 1 camp kettle for the hospital, £0 1s 11d 3 lamps for the Castle and the overseer, £0 2s 10d 4 one-quart saucepans for the Castle, £0 2s 3d Tinware, subtotal, £0 7s 0d 42½ lb of cordage for a tent where the carpenters could assemble the new longboat, and for thatching, £0 16s 1d Cutlery: 6 butchers' knives for the Castle, £0 2s 3d Brass and copper wares: 2 bottling taps for use in the stores, £0 12s 1d Chinese porcelain: 2 sauce boats, £0 1s 0d 48 bushels of coal, £3 4s 0d Timber 1 oak plank 5 inches thick for the stairs in front of the Governor's house, £2 0s 6d 1 squared beam for the bars of the winch on the beach, £0 7s 8d Timber, subtotal, £2 8s 2d Total charged to general expenses, £83 10s 1d Charged to the Company's table, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 Beef and pork 9 pieces of beef, £1 6s 10d 22 pieces of pork, £2 4s 0d Beef and pork, subtotal, £3 10s 10d Tea 7 [...] of Congou tea, £0 8s 9d 2 [...] of Singlo tea, £0 2s 6d Tea, subtotal, £0 11s 3d Carried forward, £4 2s 1d Interpretations The new longboat was being assembled on the island under a canvas tent rigged with cordage. Boats of this size were often built in England, taken apart and shipped out in pieces as frames and planks, then put together where they were needed. Building it under cover protected the timber and the carpenters from rain and sun while the work went on. The crab on the beach was a heavy winch or capstan, turned by men pushing on wooden bars, used to haul boats and heavy loads up from the water. On a coast with no quay, it was the chief means of bringing the longboats ashore for repair, and new bars cut from a squared beam kept it working. The diet expenses account covered provisions drawn from the stores for the Company's table, kept at the Castle for the Governor, councillors and guests. Charging these separately from both sales and general expenses let the Company see exactly what its official hospitality cost, a sum that had to be justified to the directors in London. |
148 | 141 | 1762 Brought over £4 2s 1d Salt 3 Bushels £0 9s 3d Sugar and Candy Vizt Sugar 80lb £1 5s 0d Candy 312lb £7 12s 4d £8 17s 4d Arrack 36 Gallons £6 14s 3d Flour 1C 1qr 0lb £5 5s 2d Coffee 2lb £0 12s 1d Rice 1C 3qr 0lb £0 13s 1d Pease ½ Bushel £0 3s 7d Oil Bottles Florence 8 in number £0 19s 10d £27 16s 8d Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th September 1762 vizt Beef and Pork Vizt Beef 294 Ps £42 6s 0d Pork 203 Ps £20 6s 0d Irish Pork 47 Ps £3 19s 5d £66 11s 5d Sugar 80lb £1 5s 0d Tea Bohea 40lb £1 13s 4d Shoes Mens Ordinary 34 Pr £6 16s 0d Rice 38C 3qr 16lb £18 16s 11d Oil Train 1½ Gallons £0 4s 5d Turner Ware Platters 3 in number £0 3s 9d Sailors Cloth Vizt Mens Jackets 38 Pr Breeches 38 in number £20 9s 5d Boys Do & 21 Pr Do 21 in number £4 13s 0d Mens Checked Shirts 138 in number £30 5s 9d Boys Do Do 45 in number £6 11s 9d Monmouth Caps 118 in number £9 6s 2d £81 6s 0d Chelloes 46 Ps £19 15s 7d Kersey 6 Ps £12 12s 9d Carried over £209 3s 2d | Provisions charged to the Company's table for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £4 2s 1d. A separate account then opened for stores issued to the Company's black slaves between 30 June and 30 September 1762. Balance brought forward, £4 2s 1d 3 bushels of salt, £0 9s 3d Sugar and sugar candy 80 lb of sugar, £1 5s 0d 312 lb of sugar candy, £7 12s 4d Sugar and sugar candy, subtotal, £8 17s 4d 36 gallons of arrack, £6 14s 3d 216 lb of flour, £5 5s 2d 20 lb of coffee, £0 12s 1d 130 [...] of rice, £0 13s 1d ½ bushel of peas, £0 3s 7d 8 bottles of Florence olive oil, £0 19s 10d Total charged to the Company's table, £27 16s 8d Charged to the account of the Company's slaves, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 Beef and pork 214 pieces of beef, £42 6s 0d 203 pieces of pork, £20 6s 0d 47 pieces of Irish pork, £3 19s 1d Beef and pork, subtotal, £66 11s 5d 80 lb of sugar, £1 5s 0d 40 lb of Bohea tea, £1 13s 4d 34 pairs of men's everyday shoes, £6 16s 0d 38 hundredweight 3 quarters 16 lb of rice, £18 16s 11d 1½ gallons of whale oil, £0 4s 5d Wooden goods: 3 platters, £0 3s 9d Ready-made clothing 38 men's jackets and 38 pairs of men's breeches, £20 9s 5d 21 boys' jackets and 21 pairs of boys' breeches, £14 13s 0d 158 men's checked shirts, £30 5s 9d 45 boys' checked shirts, £6 11s 9d 118 Monmouth caps, £9 6s 2d Ready-made clothing, subtotal, £81 6s 0d 45 pieces of chelloes, £19 15s 7d 6 pieces of kersey, £12 12s 9d Carried forward, £209 3s 2d Interpretations The account headed "Blacks" recorded what the Company spent on feeding and clothing the slaves it owned outright, who worked its plantations, stores, boats and public works. Charging these costs to a separate heading let the Council measure the upkeep of its slave labour force against the work it performed. The Company treated the slaves as capital to be maintained, much as it did its livestock and buildings. The clothing was slop clothing, the cheap ready-made garments supplied in bulk to sailors in the navy and merchant service. The heading used for it named it as sailors' dress. Jackets, breeches and checked shirts of this kind were bought by the dozen in London and shipped out. Monmouth caps were knitted woollen caps, originally made in Monmouth, long associated with sailors and labourers. Kersey was a coarse, ribbed woollen cloth, and the chelloes were cheap Indian cottons, both probably made up on the island into further garments, such as the women's frocks tailored for the Company's slaves by John Whitchurch in July 1762. The rations differed sharply from those of the Company's table. The slaves received rice in bulk, salt beef and pork, including cheaper barrelled pork from Ireland, and the lowest grade of tea. The Company's table drew coffee, Florence olive oil, flour and large amounts of sugar candy and arrack. The two accounts, set side by side, showed the gulf between the Governor's household and the labour that sustained the settlement. |
149 | 142 | 18 October Brought over £209 5s 2d Thread Vizt W Brown 10lb £3 18s 5d Coloured 12lb £2 0s 9d £5 19s 2d Hooks and Lines Vizt Hooks No 12 400 in number Hooks No 13 500 in number £0 16s 0d Lines 12 Doz No 3 Lines 11 Doz No 4 £5 1s 0d £5 17s 0d Canvas Oznabrugs 72 Yds £3 5s 0d Haberdashery Tape 7 Ps £0 4s 8d Arrack ½ Gallon £0 1s 10d Cutlery Vizt Butchers Knives 10 in number £0 3s 10d Shoe Knives 6 in number £0 1s 9d £0 5s 7d Iron Ware Vizt Rag Stones 4 in number £0 1s 0d Scythe Do 2 in number £0 0s 8d £0 1s 8d £224 19s 10d Mallay Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 vizt Arrack 2¾ Gallons £0 10s 0d Rice 13lb £0 1s 7d Beef 11 Ps £1 12s 9d Sugar 25lb £0 8s 2d Hooks and Lines Vizt Hooks No 14 100 in number Lines No 3 6 in number £0 0s 9d Lead Shot 6lb £0 2s 9d Sope 18lb £0 1s 2d Salt ¼ Bushel £0 6s 6d Shalloon Coloured 4 Yards £0 0s 9d £0 7s 8d Carried over £4 1s 7d | Stores charged to the account of the Company's black slaves for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £209 5s 2d. A separate account then opened for stores issued to the Company's Malays over the same period. Balance brought forward, £209 5s 2d Thread 10¾ [...] of brown and white thread, £3 18s 5d 12 [...] of coloured thread, £2 0s 9d Thread, subtotal, £5 19s 2d Fish hooks and lines 400 fish hooks of size 6 500 fish hooks of size 12 Fish hooks, total, £0 16s 0d 12 dozen fishing lines of size 3 11 dozen fishing lines of size 4 Fishing lines, total, £5 1s 0d Fish hooks and lines, subtotal, £5 17s 0d 72 yards of osnaburg, £3 5s 0d Sewing goods: 7 pieces of tape, £0 4s 8d ½ gallon of arrack, £0 1s 10d Cutlery 10 butchers' knives, £0 3s 10d 6 shoemakers' knives, £0 1s 9d Cutlery, subtotal, £0 5s 7d Ironmongery 4 rough whetstones, £0 1s 0d 2 scythe stones, £0 0s 8d Ironmongery, subtotal, £0 1s 8d Total charged to the account of the Company's black slaves, £224 19s 10d Charged to the account of the Company's Malays, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 2¾ gallons of arrack, £0 10s 0d 13 [...] of rice, £0 11s 7d 11 pieces of beef, £1 12s 9d 25 lb of sugar, £0 8s 2d Fish hooks and lines 100 fish hooks of size 11 6 [...] fishing lines of size 3 Fish hooks and lines, total, £0 2s 9d 6 [...] of lead shot, £0 1s 2d 18 lb of soap, £0 6s 6d ¼ bushel of salt, £0 0s 9d 4 yards of coloured shalloon, £0 7s 8d Carried forward, £4 1s 7d Interpretations The Company kept a separate account for its Malays, distinct from the black slaves. They were probably brought from the East Indies, perhaps from the Company's settlement at Bencoolen on Sumatra, and their separate heading showed that the Company classed its bonded labour by origin. Their allowance included sugar, arrack, shalloon and soap in modest quantities, which suggested a smaller group treated somewhat differently from the African and Malagasy slaves who made up the bulk of the labour force. The fish hooks and lines issued in thousands to the slaves showed that they were expected to catch much of their own food. Fishing supplemented the rice and salt meat ration and reduced what the Company had to buy. The butchers' and shoemakers' knives pointed to slaves working as butchers for the Company's herds and making or mending shoes, trades that kept the settlement supplied without hiring free craftsmen. Rough whetstones, or ragstones, were coarse sharpening stones cut from a hard, gritty sandstone. With scythe stones they kept the cutting edges of scythes, bill hooks and knives sharp for work in the fields and pastures. |
150 | 143 | 1762 Brought over £4 1s 7d Haberdashery Silk 1½ Sk £0 0s 6d Tea Bohea 2lb £0 1s 8d Oil Train ½ Gallon £0 1s 8d £4 5s 5d Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 vizt Tea Bohea for the Several Guards 94lb £6 7s 6d Oil Train for the Several Guards 53¾ Gallons £8 12s 4d Nails Vizt Nails 8lb No 6 for Cots and Coffins Nails 63lb No 3 Nails 2lb No 4 Nails 6lb No 10 £2 19s 4d Broad Cloth Vizt To Cloath the Officers Blue 8¾ Yds £7 15s 4d Scarlet 71½ Yds £68 18s 2d £76 13s 6d Hats Vizt Officers 14 in number £21 15s 5d Sergeants 24 in number £13 17s 11d Marshal 1 in number £0 11s 7d Centinels 340 in number £48 1s 4d £84 6s 3d Shalloon Scarlet 105 Yds £12 13s 0d Iron Pots Vizt for the Several Guards Iron Pot of 13½ Gallons 1 in number £0 12s 4d Iron Pot of 3 Do 1 in number £0 4s 6d Iron Pot of 2 Do 1 in number £0 3s 0d Iron Pot of 1 Do 1 in number £0 2s 0d £1 2s 2d Shirts Vizt Irish Linen for the Officers Cloathes 7¾ Pr £2 16s 0d Sergeants Shirts 24 in number £6 13s 1d Centinels Do 341 in number £73 5s 10d Bolsas 202 in number £6 10s 6d £89 5s 5d Carried over £287 1s 6d | Provisions charged to the account of the Company's Malays for the quarter to 30 September 1762 closed from a running total of £4 1s 7d. A separate account then opened for stores issued to the garrison between 30 June and 30 September 1762. Balance brought forward, £4 1s 7d Sewing goods: 1½ [...] of silk, £0 0s 6d 2 [...] of Bohea tea, £0 1s 8d ½ gallon of whale oil, £0 1s 8d Total charged to the account of the Company's Malays, £4 5s 5d Charged to the garrison, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 94 [...] of Bohea tea for the various guard posts, £6 7s 6d 53¾ gallons of whale oil for the various guard posts, £8 12s 4d Nails for cots and coffins 8 [...] of eightpenny nails 63 [...] of threepenny nails 2 [...] of fourpenny nails 6 [...] of tenpenny nails Nails for cots and coffins, total, £2 19s 4d Broadcloth to clothe the officers 8¾ yards of blue broadcloth, £7 15s 4d 71½ yards of scarlet broadcloth, £68 18s 2d Broadcloth, subtotal, £76 13s 6d Hats 14 officers' hats, £21 15s 5d 24 sergeants' hats, £13 17s 11d 1 Marshal's hat, £0 11s 7d 340 private soldiers' hats, £48 1s 4d Hats, subtotal, £84 6s 3d 105 yards of scarlet shalloon, £12 13s 0d Iron pots for the various guard posts 1 iron pot holding 13½ gallons, £0 12s 9d 1 iron pot holding 3 gallons, £0 4s 6d 1 iron pot holding 2 gallons, £0 3s 0d 1 iron pot holding 1 gallon, £0 2s 0d Iron pots, subtotal, £1 2s 2d Shirts and linen 7¾ pieces of Irish linen for the officers' clothing, £2 16s 0d 24 sergeants' shirts, £6 13s 1d 341 private soldiers' shirts, £73 5s 10d 202 [...], £6 10s 6d Shirts and linen, subtotal, £89 5s 5d Carried forward, £237 1s 6d Interpretations The garrison account recorded the clothing the Company issued to its soldiers as part of their terms of service. Each private received a hat and a shirt at the Company's expense, while officers were supplied with scarlet broadcloth faced in blue, shalloon for linings and Irish linen. This regular issue was separate from the extra clothing soldiers bought for themselves from the store at a 10 per cent markup, which was later deducted from their pay. The Company thus met the basic uniform but left men to pay for anything beyond it. The issue of 340 private soldiers' hats gave a close measure of the rank and file, matching the four infantry companies and the artillery listed on the pay rolls. Scarlet broadcloth for the officers followed the red coats of the British army, reinforcing the garrison's appearance as a regular military force despite its being in the Company's private employ. Tea and whale oil went to the guard posts, where soldiers stood watch through the night. Oil lit the lamps, and the issue of tea gave men on duty a warm drink without the risks of spirits. Nails charged for cots and coffins linked the sick and the dead of the garrison to the same account. The Company met the cost of burying its soldiers, as well as treating them in the hospital. |
151 | 144 | 18 October Brought over £287 1s 6d Haberdashery Vizt for the Officers Cloathing Silk 70 Sk £1 15s 0d Mohair 70 Sk £1 9s 2d Silver Basket Coat Buttons 24 Doz £4 6s 0d Do Breast Do 24 Doz £1 19s 2d Silver Wire Coat Do 18 Doz £4 7s 9d Do Breast Do 13½ Doz £1 9s 2d Worsted Lace ¼ Gross £0 5s 2d £15 10s 5d Buckram 42 Yds £2 2s 0d Thread Coloured for the Officers Cloathing 4¼lb £0 14s 6d Canvas English for Cots 10 Ps 12 Yards £24 0s 8d Twine for Do 7 Sk £0 3s 11d Tin Ware Lamps 31 in number £1 9s 1d Iron Ware Vizt for the Several Guards Iron Tea Pans 14 in number £0 11s 4d Hatchet Helve 1 in number £1 0s 6d Spade 1 in number £0 4s 0d £1 15s 8d Soldiers Cloths Vizt Centl Coats and Breeches 254 in number £372 14s 1d Sergeants Do & Do 16 in number £85 12s 0d Corporals Do & Do 16 in number £24 11s 0d Drummers Do & Do 8 in number £27 3s 4d Marshals Do & Do 1 in number £2 6s 2d Gunners Mates Do & Do 8 in number £23 12s 2d Quart Gunners Do & Do 8 in number £15 9s 4d Matrosses Do & Do 54 in number £114 6s 0d £668 17s 7d Hosiers Ware Thread Stockings 365 Pr Shoes Mens Ordinary 365 Pr £50 3s 9d Blankets 11 in number £73 17s 7d Turners Ware Vizt Wood Bowls 7 in number £3 9s 1d Platters 64 in number £0 10s ½d Wood Ladles 9 in number £4 1s 4d £0 3s 0d Arrack for Drams on Mustering 22½ Gallons £4 14s 8d £4 3s 11d Carried over £1134 14s 11d | Stores charged to the garrison for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £287 1s 6d, with trimmings for officers' clothing, bedding, ready-made uniforms and other supplies. Balance brought forward, £287 1s 6d Sewing goods and trimmings for the officers' clothing 70 skeins of silk, £1 15s 0d 70 skeins of mohair thread, £1 9s 2d 24 dozen silver basket-pattern coat buttons, £4 6s 0d 24 dozen silver basket-pattern waistcoat buttons, £1 13s 2d 18 dozen silver wire coat buttons, £4 7s 9d 13½ dozen silver wire waistcoat buttons, £1 9s 2d ¼ gross of worsted braid, £0 5s 2d Sewing goods and trimmings, subtotal, £15 10s 5d 42 yards of buckram, £2 2s 0d 4¼ [...] of coloured thread for the officers' clothing, £0 14s 6d 10 pieces and 12 yards of English canvas for cots, £24 0s 8d 7 skeins of twine for cots, £0 3s 11d Tinware: 31 lamps, £1 9s 1d Ironmongery for the various guard posts 14 iron frying pans, £0 11s 4d 1 hatchet handle, £0 0s 6d 1 spade, £0 4s 0d Ironmongery, subtotal, £0 15s 8d Soldiers' clothing 254 private soldiers' coats and breeches, £372 14s 7d 16 sergeants' coats and breeches, £35 12s 0d 16 corporals' coats and breeches, £24 12s 0d 8 drummers' coats and breeches, £27 3s 4d 1 Marshal's coat and breeches, £2 6s 2d 4 gunner's mates' coats and breeches, £23 12s 2d 8 quarter gunners' coats and breeches, £15 9s 4d 54 matrosses' coats and breeches, £114 6s 0d Soldiers' clothing, subtotal, £616 17s 7d 365 pairs of thread stockings, £30 5s 9d 365 pairs of men's everyday shoes, £73 7s 7d 11 blankets, £3 9s 4d Wooden goods 7 wooden bowls, £0 10s 4d 64 platters, £4 1s 4d 9 wooden ladles, £0 3s 0d Wooden goods, subtotal, £4 14s 8d 22½ gallons of arrack for drams at musters, £4 3s 11d Carried forward, £1,124 14s 11d Interpretations The coats and breeches formed the soldiers' regular clothing issue, supplied ready-made from England and graded by rank. The cost of each suit rose with the wearer's standing, since sergeants' and drummers' coats carried more lace and finer cloth than those of private soldiers. Drummers wore especially elaborate dress, as they served as signallers on parade and in action and had to be recognised at a distance. Charging the whole issue to the garrison account made clothing part of the soldiers' remuneration rather than a deduction from pay. The issue of the same number of thread stockings and shoes, 365 pairs each, matched the clothing distribution and showed that every man below the rank of officer received a full outfit at the same time. This was the annual clothing, delivered by ship and handed out together, rather than piecemeal replacement. Arrack given as drams at musters rewarded the men for attending the formal count of the garrison. A muster established who was present and fit for duty, and so fixed the strength on which pay was drawn. A dram of spirits encouraged full attendance and marked the occasion, a custom common in both the army and the navy. The silver basket-pattern buttons had a woven, interlaced design stamped into the metal, a fashionable style for officers' coats. With the buckram, shalloon and scarlet broadcloth charged earlier, they made up the materials for the officers' uniforms, tailored on the island rather than shipped ready-made like those of the men. |
152 | 145 | 1762 Brought over £1134 14s 11d Deals Vizt Baulks for Cots 4 in number £1 7s 8d Single Deals for Coffins 6 in number £0 18s 9d £2 6s 5d £1136 1s 4d Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30 Septr 1762 vizt Bunting Vizt to make three Flags one of them for the Main Fort Red 2 Ps £3 0s 0d White 3 Ps £3 7s 6d Blue 2 Ps £2 5s 0d £8 12s 6d Twine 2 Skeins £0 0s 11d Thread Coloured 1lb £0 3s 4d Lines Hambro 1 in number £0 1s 4d Canvas Oznabrigs 11 Yds £0 9s 2d Cordage for Do and Transporting Cannon to Mundens Point 0C 3qr 22½lb £1 15s 6d Paint Vizt to Paint fourteen Gun Carriages W Lead dry 20lb £0 6s 10d Barrels Blacking 8 in number £0 3s 10d Whiting 4lb £0 0s 2d Copperas ½lb £0 0s 6d £0 11s 4d Oil Linseed for Do 2 Gallons £0 7s 7d Blocks Vizt Double of 12 Inches 1 in number £0 2s 9d Single 12 Do 1 in number £0 1s 8d £0 4s 5d £12 6s 3d | Stores charged to the garrison for the quarter to 30 September 1762 closed with timber, from a running total of £1,134 14s 11d. A separate account then opened for stores issued to the fortifications between 30 June and 30 September 1762. Balance brought forward, £1,134 14s 11d Timber 4 squared beams for cots, £1 7s 8d 6 single deals for coffins, £0 18s 9d Timber, subtotal, £2 4s 5d Total charged to the garrison, £1,136 19s 4d Charged to the fortifications, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 Bunting to make three flags, one of them for the Main Fort 2 pieces of red bunting, £3 0s 0d 3 pieces of white bunting, £3 1s 6d 2 pieces of blue bunting, £2 5s 0d Bunting, subtotal, £8 12s 6d 2 skeins of twine for the flags, £0 0s 11d 1 [...] of coloured thread for the flags, £0 3s 4d 1 Hamburg line for the flags, £0 1s 4d 11 yards of osnaburg for the flags, £0 9s 2d 3 hundredweight 22½ lb of cordage for the flags and for hauling cannon to Munden's Point, £1 15s 6d Paint for fourteen gun carriages 28 [...] of dry white lead, £0 6s 10d 8 barrels of blacking, £0 3s 10d 4 [...] of whiting, £0 0s 2d ½ [...] of copperas, £0 0s 6d Paint, subtotal, £0 11s 4d 2 gallons of linseed oil for painting the gun carriages, £0 7s 7d Pulley blocks 1 double block of 14 inches, £0 2s 9d 1 single block of 12 inches, £0 1s 8d Pulley blocks, subtotal, £0 4s 5d Carried forward, £12 6s 3d Interpretations The red, white and blue bunting supplied the materials for new flags, including one for the Main Fort. The Paymaster paid John Thomason to make that flag on 16 August 1762, and a second for Sugar Loaf on 1 September 1762, after the artillery stores account for September 1762 recorded the old flags at the Main Fort and Sugar Loaf as worn out. Flying the British colours from the main batteries signalled to approaching ships whose island this was, a practical necessity in wartime. Painting fourteen gun carriages answered the heavy wear recorded in the artillery stores account for September 1762, where carriages at the Main Fort, Rupert's and Banks's were condemned. Paint sealed the timber against the salt air that rotted it, so the work was protection rather than decoration. Pulley blocks were wooden cases holding one or more grooved wheels, through which rope was run to multiply pulling power. A double block had two wheels and a single block one, and together with the heavy cordage they made up the tackle for hauling cannon up the steep path to Munden's Point. The same path had been repaired by the garrison during the same quarter, according to the Paymaster's account. |
153 | 146 | 18 October Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 Nails Vizt for making a New Long Boat and repairing the Old Boats Nails No 20 16lb £0 6s 0d Nails No 10 10lb £0 4s 7d Nails No 6 8lb £0 4s 6d Nails No 4 2lb £0 1s 2d Nails No 3 1lb £0 0s 9d Spike 28lb £0 8s 9d Brads 23lb £0 7s 8d £1 13s 5d Blocks Vizt for the Long Boat Single of 8 Inches 1 in number £0 0s 7d Double of 8 Do 1 in number £0 1s 0d £0 1s 7d Cordage for the Long Boat and Yawl 57lb £5 12s 8d Pitch and Tar Vizt Tar 14½ Gallons £0 13s 1d Pitch 1 Barrel 28lb £1 19s 5d Rozin 20lb £0 4s 2d Turpentine 10lb £0 2s 1d £2 18s 9d Paint Ven Red mixed for the Long Boat 6lb £0 2s 8d Oil Train for the Yawl ½ Gallon £0 1s 8d Deals Vizt Elm Plank for the Yawl ½ Ps £0 10s 0d Elm Boards for the Long Boat 2½ Ps £0 9s 10d Wainscot Boards for the New Do 2 in number £0 2s 4d £1 2s 2d £12 2s 11d | The Company opened a further account for stores issued to its boats between 30 June and 30 September 1762, covering the building of a new longboat and repairs to the old ones. Charged to the boats, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 Nails for building a new longboat and repairing the old boats 16 [...] of twentypenny nails, £0 6s 0d 10 [...] of tenpenny nails, £0 4s 7d 8 [...] of sixpenny nails, £0 4s 6d 2 [...] of fourpenny nails, £0 1s 2d 1 [...] of threepenny nails, £0 0s 9d 28 spikes, £0 8s 9d 23 barrack nails, £0 7s 8d Nails, subtotal, £1 13s 5d Pulley blocks for the longboat 1 single block of 8 inches, £0 0s 7d 1 double block of 8 inches, £0 1s 0d Pulley blocks, subtotal, £0 1s 7d 3 [...] of cordage for the longboat and the yawl, £5 12s 8d Pitch and tar 14½ gallons of tar, £0 13s 1d 1 barrel and 28 lb of pitch, £1 19s 5d 20 [...] of rosin, £0 4s 2d 10 [...] of turpentine, £0 2s 1d Pitch and tar, subtotal, £2 18s 9d 6 lb of Venetian red ground in oil for the longboat, £0 2s 8d ½ gallon of whale oil for the yawl, £0 1s 8d Timber ½ piece of elm plank for the yawl, £0 10s 0d 2½ pieces of elm board for the longboat, £0 9s 10d 2 oak panelling boards for the new longboat, £0 [...] 4d Timber, subtotal, £1 12s 2d Total charged to the boats, £12 2s 11d Interpretations Elm was the favoured timber for planking below a boat's waterline, since it resisted rot as long as it stayed wet and did not split easily when nailed. Its use for the yawl and the new longboat, alongside tar, pitch and rosin to seal the seams, reflected standard boatbuilding practice brought to the island by the Company's carpenters and shipwrights. A yawl was a small ship's boat, lighter than a longboat and usually rowed by four or six oars. The island kept both kinds, the longboat for heavy loads of water, stores and cannon and the yawl for lighter errands and carrying people between the shore and ships at anchor. Keeping their costs in a separate account showed how central the boats were to the island's working life, since every person and item arriving by sea had to pass through them. |
154 | 147 | 1762 Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 vizt Sugar 285lb £4 9s 0d Flour 285lb £1 9s 9d Oil Train 10 Gallons £1 12s 1d Tea Bohea 6lb £0 5s 0d Rice 5C £2 8s 9d Tin Ware Vizt Camp Kettle 1 in number £0 1s 11d Lamps 5 in number £0 4s 9d £0 6s 8d Salt 1¼ Bushels £0 3s 11d Turners Ware Wood Ladle 1 in number £0 0s 4d £10 15s 6d Sly Cutter Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 vizt Coals ½ Chaldron £1 16s 0d Twine 44 Skeins £1 2s 11d Iron Ware Vizt Bolt Rope Needles 8 in number £0 0s 10d Sail Do 72 in number £0 4s 5d Pad Locks 2 in number £0 4s 2d £0 9s 5d Cordage 2C 2qr 15lb £4 19s 4d Pork 1 Hhd of 84 Ps 84 Ps £8 8s 0d Rice and Paddy Vizt Rice 648lb £3 1s 4d Paddy 428lb £0 13s 3d £3 17s 0d Flour 362lb £1 17s 9d Arrack 20 Gallons £3 12s 7d Sugar and Candy Vizt Sugar 40lb £0 12s 6d Candy 40lb £0 19s 2d £1 11s 8d Carried over £27 15s 6d | The Company opened a further account for stores issued to the hospital between 30 June and 30 September 1762. Another followed for the Fly cutter over the same period. Charged to the hospital, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 28 lb of sugar, £0 4s 9d 283 [...] of flour, £1 9s 9d 10 [...] of whale oil, £1 12s 1d 6 [...] of Bohea tea, £0 5s 0d 5 [...] of rice, £2 8s 9d Tinware 1 camp kettle, £0 1s 11d 5 lamps, £0 4s 9d Tinware, subtotal, £0 6s 8d 1½ bushels of salt, £0 3s 11d Wooden goods: 1 wooden ladle, £0 0s 4d Total charged to the hospital, £10 15s 6d Charged to the Fly cutter, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762. ½ chaldron of coal, £1 16s 0d 44 skeins of twine, £1 2s 11d Ironmongery 8 bolt-rope needles, £0 0s 10d 72 sail needles, £0 4s 5d 2 padlocks, £0 4s 2d Ironmongery, subtotal, £0 9s 5d 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 15 lb of cordage, £4 13s 4d 1 hogshead of pork containing 84 pieces, £8 8s 0d Rice and unhusked rice 648 [...] of rice, £3 1s 4d 428 [...] of unhusked rice, £0 15s 3d Rice and unhusked rice, subtotal, £3 17s 0d 362 [...] of flour, £1 11s 9d 20 gallons of arrack, £3 14s 0d Sugar and sugar candy 40 [...] of sugar, £0 12s 6d 40 [...] of sugar candy, £1 1s 2d Sugar and sugar candy, subtotal, £1 13s 8d Carried forward, £27 15s 6d Interpretations The hospital's stores reflected the diet thought suitable for the sick. Flour for bread and puddings, sugar, tea and rice were lighter and more nourishing than the salt meat that made up ordinary rations, and oil lit the wards at night. The hospital treated soldiers, the Company's servants and seamen landed from ships, such as the men from the Mercury and the Fly cutter treated by Robert Barclay during the same quarter. The Fly cutter's account showed the Company victualling its crew in full, with salt pork, rice, flour, arrack and sugar, as well as fitting out the vessel itself. Bolt-rope needles were heavy needles used to sew the bolt rope, the reinforcing rope stitched along the edges of a sail, while sail needles served for the canvas itself. The quantity of twine, needles and cordage pointed to constant repair of sails and rigging, consistent with a small vessel kept busy patrolling the island's waters and running errands for the Council. |
155 | 148 | 18 October Brought over £27 15s 6d Candles 14lb £1 9s 5d Braziers Ware Vizt Brass Ladle 1 in number £0 3s 4d Plate Copper 1 in number 30½lb £2 2s 0d £2 5s 4d Hooks and Lines Vizt Hooks No 1 25 in number Hooks No 3 50 in number £0 2s 2d Lines No 3 6 in number £0 2s 0d £4 4s 2d Iron Pots 1 of 13½ Gallons 1 in number £0 12s 4d Nails Glaz Brads ½lb £0 0s 5d Blankets 1 in number £0 6s 4d Pitch 1 Barrel £1 16s 6d Salt ½ Bushel £0 1s 7d Blocks Single 10 Inches 1 in number £0 1s 5d Deals Vizt Double Deals 5 in number £0 18s 4d Single Do 1 in number £0 2s 3d Riga Timber 1 Ps £2 7s 0d £3 7s 7d £38 0s 11d Snow Mercury Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30th Septr 1762 vizt Iron 52lb £0 10s 11d Tin Ware Vizt Horn Lanthorns 2 in number £0 8s 9d Sheets Tin 6 in number £0 1s 9d £0 10s 6d Iron Ware Vizt Pad Locks 4 in number £0 8s 4d Spl Lock 1 in number £0 0s 5d Bolt Rope Needles 6 in number £0 0s 8d £0 9s 5d Lines Log 12 in number £0 1s 10d Carried over £2 2s 9d | The stores issued to the Fly cutter for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £27 15s 6d. An account then opened for stores issued to the snow Mercury over the same period. Balance brought forward, £27 15s 6d 14 lb of candles, £1 9s 5d Brass and copper wares 1 brass ladle, £0 3s 4d 1 copper plate weighing 30½ lb, £2 2s 0d Brass and copper wares, subtotal, £2 5s 4d Fish hooks and lines 25 fish hooks of size 1 50 fish hooks of size 3 Fish hooks, total, £0 2s 2d 6 fishing lines of size 3, £0 2s 0d Fish hooks and lines, subtotal, £0 4s 2d 1 iron pot holding 13½ gallons, £0 12s 7d ½ [...] of glaziers' brads, £0 0s 5d 1 blanket, £0 6s 4d 1 barrel of pitch, £1 16s 6d ½ bushel of salt, £0 1s 7d 1 single pulley block of 10 inches, £0 1s 5d Timber 5 double deals, £0 18s 4d 1 single deal, £0 2s 3d 1 piece of Riga timber, £2 7s 0d Timber, subtotal, £3 7s 7d Total charged to the Fly cutter, £38 0s 11d. Charged to the snow Mercury, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762. 52 [...] of iron, £0 10s 11d Tinware 2 horn lanterns, £0 8s 9d 6 sheets of tin, £0 1s 9d Tinware, subtotal, £0 10s 6d Ironmongery 4 padlocks, £0 8s 4d 1 spring lock, £0 0s 5d 6 bolt-rope needles, £0 0s 8d Ironmongery, subtotal, £0 9s 5d 12 log lines, £0 12s 0d Carried forward, £2 2s 9d Interpretations Riga timber was fir or pine shipped from the Baltic port of Riga, prized for its straight grain and resin content. It was the preferred wood for masts, yards and spars, and a single piece at £2 7s 0d was probably meant to replace a damaged spar on the Fly cutter. The copper plate was perhaps for repairs to the cutter's hull or fittings. Copper resisted corrosion and the boring shipworm that riddled timber in warm waters, and small sheets were nailed over vulnerable spots even before full copper sheathing became standard in the Royal Navy later in the century. The Mercury's account showed the Company fitting out the snow for sea, consistent with the cash advanced to its two mates and the provisions paid for its crew during the same quarter. Horn lanterns had panes of thin, translucent horn instead of glass, which would not shatter on a pitching deck. Log lines were knotted cords paid out astern from a wooden float to measure a ship's speed, the knots counted against a sandglass giving the rate in what sailors still call knots. |
156 | 149 | 1762 Brought over £2 2s 9d Paint Vizt Yellow Oaker dry 14lb £0 2s 11d Ven Red dry 14lb £0 2s 11d Red Lead 10½lb £0 2s 7d White Lead mixed 28lb £0 13s 10d Prussian Blue ½lb £0 14s 0d Barrels Blacking 12 in number £0 5s 9d £2 2s 0d Oars 4 in number £0 15s 6d Canvas 9 Ps £20 12s 6d Cordage 1572lb £22 19s 4d Braziers Ware Bottling Cock 1 in number £0 3s 10d Nails Vizt Nails 10lb No 4 Nails 6lb No 10 Nails 10lb No 6 Nails 4lb No 3 Nails 2lb No 2 £0 19s 5d Tacks 1lb £0 1s 3d Glaz Brads ½lb £0 0s 5d £1 1s 1d Turners Ware Paint Brushes 6 in number £0 3s 6d Beef and Pork Vizt Puncheons Beef 2 in number £25 3s 6d Hhd Pork 1 in number £8 8s 0d £33 11s 6d Blankets 1 in number £0 6s 4d Rice 230lb £1 9s 10d Flour 25lb £0 2s 7d Deals Vizt Wainscot Board 1 in number £0 6s 2d Elm Do 1 in number £0 3s 11d £0 10s 1d Blocks Vizt Double Blocks 4 in number £0 6s 5d Single Do 13 in number £0 14s 5d £1 0s 8d Carried over £86 10s 6d | The stores issued to the snow Mercury for the quarter to 30 September 1762 continued from a running total of £2 2s 9d, with paint, canvas, cordage, provisions and fittings. Balance brought forward, £2 2s 9d Paint 14 [...] of dry yellow ochre, £0 2s 11d 14 [...] of dry Venetian red, £0 2s 11d 10½ [...] of red lead, £0 2s 7d 28 [...] of white lead ground in oil, £0 13s 10d ½ [...] of Prussian blue, £0 14s 0d 12 barrels of blacking, £0 5s 9d Paint, subtotal, £2 1s 0d 4 oars, £0 15s 6d 9 pieces of canvas, £20 12s 6d 15 [...] 7 [...] of cordage, £22 19s 4d Brass and copper wares: 1 bottling tap, £0 3s 10d Nails 10 [...] of fourpenny nails 6 [...] of tenpenny nails 10 [...] of sixpenny nails 4 [...] of threepenny nails 2 [...] of twopenny nails Nails, total, £0 19s 5d 1 [...] of tacks, £0 1s 3d ½ [...] of glaziers' brads, £0 0s 5d Nails, subtotal, £1 1s 1d Wooden goods: 6 paint brushes, £0 3s 6d Beef and pork 2 puncheons of beef, £25 3s 6d 1 hogshead of pork, £8 8s 0d Beef and pork, subtotal, £33 11s 6d 1 blanket, £0 6s 4d 230 [...] of rice, £1 9s 10d 25 [...] of flour, £0 2s 7d Timber 1 oak panelling board, £0 6s 2d 1 elm board, £0 3s 11d Timber, subtotal, £0 10s 1d Pulley blocks 4 double blocks, £0 6s 5d 13 single blocks, £0 14s 5d Pulley blocks, subtotal, £1 0s 8d Carried forward, £86 10s 6d Interpretations The Mercury underwent a substantial refit at the island. Nine pieces of canvas and a large quantity of cordage were enough to make new sails and renew much of the running rigging, while 17 pulley blocks replaced worn tackle. Taken with the cash advanced to its mates and the provisions supplied to its crew, the stores showed the Company restoring a damaged or worn vessel to seaworthiness rather than letting it lie idle. Prussian blue was the first modern synthetic pigment, discovered in Berlin early in the eighteenth century, and still expensive, as its price here showed. Red lead, an orange-red oxide of lead, served as a primer that protected wood and iron against damp. A puncheon was a large cask, holding somewhat more than a hogshead, used for shipping salt meat in bulk as provisions for a long voyage. |
157 | 150 | 18th October Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 30th June to the 30 Septr 1762 vizt Rice and Paddy Vizt Rice 72lb £0 6s 5d Paddy 29C 2qr 26lb £5 11s 7d £5 18s 0d Iron Ware Vizt Ditching Shovel for the Plantation 1 in number £0 4s 7d Wood Screws for Repg the Pidgeon House 1 Doz £0 0s 5d Helves for the Plantations Longwood and Garden 9 in number £0 3s 5d Spades for Garden 3 in number £0 12s 0d Pickaxes for Do 3 in number £0 11s 0d Garden Scythes & Furniture Do 6 in number £1 11s 10d £3 5s 3d Cutlery Pruning Knife for the Garden 1 in number £0 0s 10d Nails Vizt Nails 3lb No 6 for Mending Gates and Rabbit £0 1s 9d Nails 1lb No 20 Hutches £0 0s 7d £0 2s 4d Oil Train for the Long Wood ½ Gallon £0 2s 5d Tin Ware Solder for Plantation House 4lb £0 3s 7d Tar for the Cart and Shop 2¼ Gallons £0 2s 0d Earthen Ware Milk Pans for the Dairy 8 in number £0 6s 4d Cordage for the Castle 14lb £0 4s 8d Turners Ware Vizt Birch brooms for the Stable 1 in number £0 0s 4d Ox Bow for the Oxen 1 in number £0 1s 4d £0 1s 8d Deals Vizt Baulk for Gates for the Pastures 1 in number £0 7s 8d Ash Plank for the Carts 1 in number £1 3s 7d £1 11s 3d £11 18s 4d St Helena September 30th 1762 Errors Excepted Pr J Powell Storekeeper | The Company opened a final account for stores issued to its plantation between 30 June and 30 September 1762, covering the farm, the garden and the pastures. Charged to the plantation, stores issued from 30 June to 30 September 1762 Rice and unhusked rice 72 [...] of rice, £0 6s 5d 29 hundredweight 2 quarters 26 lb of unhusked rice, £5 11s 7d Rice and unhusked rice, subtotal, £5 18s 0d Ironmongery 1 ditching shovel for the plantation, £0 4s 7d 1 dozen wood screws for repairing the pigeon house, £0 0s 5d 9 tool handles for the plantation, Long Wood and the garden, £0 3s 5d 3 spades for the garden, £0 12s 0d 3 pickaxes for the garden, £0 11s 0d 6 garden scythes with their fittings, £1 11s 10d Ironmongery, subtotal, £3 5s 3d Cutlery: 1 pruning knife for the garden, £0 0s 10d Nails for mending gates and rabbit hutches 3 [...] of sixpenny nails, £0 1s 9d 1 [...] of twentypenny nails, £0 0s 7d Nails, subtotal, £0 2s 4d ½ gallon of whale oil for Long Wood, £0 2s 5d Tinware: 4 [...] of solder for Plantation House, £0 3s 7d 2¼ gallons of tar for the cart and the workshop, £0 2s 0d Earthenware: 8 milk pans for the dairy, £0 6s 4d 14 lb of cordage for the cattle, £0 4s 7d Wooden goods 1 birch broom for the stable, £0 0s 4d 1 ox yoke for the oxen, £0 1s 4d Wooden goods, subtotal, £0 1s 8d Timber 1 squared beam for gates in the pastures, £0 7s 8d 1 ash plank for the carts, £1 3s 7d Timber, subtotal, £1 11s 3d Total charged to the plantation, £11 18s 4d James Powell, the Storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 30 September 1762, reserving the right to correct any errors found later. Interpretations The plantation was the Company's own farm, centred on Plantation House, which served as the Governor's country residence. It ran a dairy, a kitchen garden, pastures and outlying ground at Long Wood, worked largely by the Company's slaves, whose rice and paddy were charged here. Rabbit hutches and a pigeon house supplied fresh meat for the Governor's table, supplementing the Company's herds and flocks. Milk pans were wide, shallow earthenware dishes in which milk was left to stand so the cream could rise and be skimmed off for butter. An ox yoke was the wooden frame fitted over the necks of a pair of oxen to harness them to a cart or plough. Ash was chosen for the carts because it was tough and springy, absorbing shocks on rough tracks without splitting, which made it the standard timber for shafts, axles and wheel parts. |
158 | 151 | 1762 The Lieutenant Governor and Mr Burling produced their Inventory taken of the Honorable Companys Stores for the Year past we ordered it to be entered which is as follows Vizt Inventory of Stores remaining in the Honorable Companys Ware houses the 30th September 1762 vizt Anchors Vizt Anchors 5 in number Do on the West Rocks 1 in number Iron Hooks 2 in number Stocks 2 in number £93 10s 10d Bunting Vizt Red 9 Ps 34½ Yds Do damaged 2 Yds £14 14s 6d Blue 3 Ps 12¾ Yds Do damaged 31½ Yds £4 15s 6d White 3 Ps 17½ Yds Do damaged 11 Yds £3 19s 3d £23 7s 3d Broad Cloth Vizt Scarlet 32½ Yds £31 11s 6d Brown 4 Yds £3 13s 6d Pompadore 19¾ Yds £19 15s 0d Black 5½ Yds £5 5s 0d Green 3¼ Yds £2 9s 6d French Grey 27½ Yds £24 14s 9d £87 2s 8d Braziers Ware Vizt Skimmers @ 2/5½ 10 in number £1 4s 7d Do @ 2/4 2 in number £0 5s 4d Do @ 6/ 1 in number £0 6s 0d Do @ 14/4 2 in number £1 8s 8d Warming Pan 1 in number £0 11s 3d Irons for Soldering 5 in number £0 10s 5d Hash Pans with Covers 12 in number £16 4s 9d Small Do 3 in number £2 4s 6d Braziers Ware Carried over £22 15s 6d Carried over £204 0s 9d | John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, and Matthew Burling presented the inventory they had taken of the Company's stores for the past year. The Council ordered it to be entered in the record, and it listed the goods remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762. Anchors 5 anchors 1 anchor on the West Rocks 2 iron hooks 2 anchor stocks Anchors, total, £93 10s 10d Bunting 9 pieces and 34¾ yards of red bunting 2 yards of red bunting, damaged Red bunting, total, £14 14s 6d 3 pieces and 12¾ yards of blue bunting 3½ yards of blue bunting, damaged Blue bunting, total, £4 15s 6d 3 pieces and 17½ yards of white bunting 11 yards of white bunting, damaged White bunting, total, £3 19s 3d Bunting, subtotal, £23 7s 3d Broadcloth 32½ yards of scarlet broadcloth, £31 11s 6d 4 yards of brown broadcloth, £3 13s 6d 19¾ yards of Pompadour broadcloth, £19 15s 0d 5½ yards of black broadcloth, £5 5s 0d 3½ yards of green broadcloth, £2 9s 6d 27½ yards of French grey broadcloth, £24 14s 9d Broadcloth, subtotal, £87 9s 8d Brass and copper wares 10 skimmers at 2s 5½d each, £1 4s 7½d 2 skimmers at 2s 7d each, £0 5s 2d 1 skimmer at 6s, £0 6s 0d 2 skimmers at 14s 4d each, £1 8s 8d 1 warming pan, £0 11s 3d 5 [...] of borax for soldering, £0 10s 5d 12 hash pans with lids, £16 4s 9d 3 small hash pans, £2 4s 6d Brass and copper wares, carried forward, £22 15s 1½d Carried forward, £204 0s 9d Interpretations The annual stocktake was carried out by two senior members of the Council rather than by the Storekeeper who held the goods. Having the Lieutenant Governor and a councillor count and value the stores was the Company's check on James Powell's accounts, since any gap between the inventory and his records of sales and issues would reveal loss, waste or theft. Entering the inventory in the Council's record gave it the weight of an official finding. The anchor on the West Rocks was probably laid there as a mooring, fixed on the shore or seabed so that boats or ships could make fast to it in the roadstead. Counting it among the stores showed that the Company regarded equipment in use around the harbour as part of its stock, not only goods held in the warehouses. Anchor stocks were the heavy crossbars fitted at the top of the shank, which turned the anchor so that a fluke dug into the seabed. Damaged bunting was listed separately from sound cloth, which let the Council value the stock realistically and decide what could still be used. Skimmers were shallow perforated ladles for lifting scum or cream, and a warming pan was a lidded brass pan with a long handle, filled with hot coals and passed between the sheets to warm a bed. |
159 | 152 | 18 October Brought over £204 0s 9d Braziers brought over £22 15s 6d Bottling Cocks 3 in number £0 11s 6d Large Brass Cock 1 in number £0 6s 2d Copper Kettle of 6 Galls 1 in number £1 15s 5d Do Boiling Pot of 6 Gallons 1 in number Do Do of 5 Do 1 in number £4 4s 10d Candlesticks 7 Pr £2 12s 6d Steel Snuffers 7 Pr £1 3s 4d Copper Sauce pans of 2 Galls with Covers 3 in number £3 6s 0d Do Do of 1½ Do 6 in number £4 2s 6d Do Do of ¾ Do 4 in number £1 13s 0d Do Do of ½ Do 2 in number £0 11s 0d Tea Kettles 2 in number £1 13s 10d Ladle 1 in number £0 3s 4d Brass Wire 11½lb £1 3s 1d Brass Plate 15lb 1Oz £1 3s 0d Copper 4 Feet long 3 feet Broad 1 Ps £2 7s 5d £49 12s 6d Blankets 14 in number £4 9s 7d Blocks Vizt Iron Bound Cat 4 in number £1 5s 8d Do Snatch 2 in number £1 7s 6d Do Single Top 1 in number £0 5s 0d Do Dead Eyes 4 in number Dead Eyes 6 in number £4 3s 9d Double Long Tackle 1 in number £0 4s 9d Single Blocks of 6 Inches 17 in number £0 15s 10d Do Do of 7 Do 1 in number Do Do of 8 Do 17 in number £0 14s 7d Do Do of 9 Do 4 in number £0 5s 1d Do Do of 10 Do 2 in number £0 3s 4d Do Do of 12 Do 4 in number £0 4s 11d Double Do of 7 Do 4 in number Do Do of 8 Do 3 in number £1 11s 4d Do Do of 10 Do 3 in number £0 3s 5d Do Do of 12 Do 2 in number £0 2s 8d £10 15s 1d Buckram 25 Yards £1 4s 5d Carried over £270 2s 5d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with brass and copper goods, blankets, pulley blocks and buckram, from a running total of £204 0s 9d. Balance brought forward, £204 0s 9d Brass and copper wares, brought forward, £22 15s 8½d 3 bottling taps, £0 11s 6d 1 large brass tap, £0 6s 2½d 1 copper kettle holding 6 gallons, £1 15s 5d 1 copper boiling pot holding 6 gallons and 1 holding 3 gallons, together, £4 4s 10d 7 pairs of candlesticks, £2 12s 6d 7 pairs of steel candle snuffers, £1 3s 4d 3 copper saucepans holding 2 gallons, with lids, £3 6s 0d 6 copper saucepans holding 1½ gallons, with lids, £4 2s 6d 4 copper saucepans holding ¾ gallon, with lids, £1 13s 0d 2 copper saucepans holding ½ gallon, with lids, £0 11s 0d 2 tea kettles, £1 13s 10d 1 ladle, £0 3s 4d 11½ [...] of brass wire, £1 3s 1d 15 lb of brass plate, £1 3s 0d 1 sheet of copper 4 feet long and 3 feet wide, £2 7s 5d Brass and copper wares, subtotal, £49 13s 6d 14 blankets, £4 9s 9d Pulley blocks 4 iron-bound cat blocks, £1 5s 8d 2 iron-bound snatch blocks, £1 7s 6d 1 iron-bound single top block, £0 5s 0d 4 iron-bound deadeyes and 6 deadeyes, together, £4 3s 9d 1 double long tackle block, £0 4s 9d 17 single blocks of 6 inches, £0 15s 10d 1 single block of 7 inches and 17 single blocks of 8 inches, together, £0 14s 7d 4 single blocks of 9 inches, £0 5s 1d 2 single blocks of 10 inches, £0 3s 4d 4 single blocks of 12 inches, £0 4s 11d 4 double blocks of 7 inches and 3 double blocks of 8 inches, together, £1 11s 4d 3 double blocks of 10 inches, £0 8s 5d 2 double blocks of 12 inches, £0 2s 8d Pulley blocks, subtotal, £10 15s 1d 25 yards of buckram, £1 4s 5d Carried forward, £270 2s 0d Interpretations The range of pulley blocks showed the warehouses stocked as a ship chandlery, able to replace almost any part of a vessel's rigging. Cat blocks were heavy blocks used to hoist the anchor up to the cathead, the beam projecting from the bow. Snatch blocks had a hinged side, so a rope could be slipped in without threading it from the end, which made them useful for hauling cannon and heavy loads ashore. Deadeyes were round wooden blocks pierced with three holes, used in pairs to tighten the shrouds that braced a mast. Holding this stock let the island refit ships such as the Mercury without waiting for supplies from England. The copper saucepans, boiling pots and kettles in graded sizes supplied kitchens for the Castle, the hospital and the guard posts. Copper conducted heat well and lasted for years, but had to be lined with tin to prevent the metal poisoning food, which explained the solder and sheet tin held elsewhere in the stores. |
160 | 153 | 1762 Brought over £270 2s 0d Beef and Pork Vizt Eng Beef 21 Puncheons 20 Ps £384 0s 8d Eng Pork 31 Ps £3 2s 0d Irish Pork 307 Tierces 45 Ps £1427 10s 2d Beef Do 80 in number £352 0s 0d £2166 12s 10d Books Vizt Common Prayer Books 34 in number £4 13s 6d Spelling Do 31 in number £1 13s 6d Bibles 20 in number £3 6s 8d Testaments 5 in number £0 9s 7d Horn Books 8 in number £0 1s 0d Primmers 21 in number £0 5s 3d £10 11s 6d Copper Money Irish Half Pence 53960 in number £112 8s 4d Canvas Vizt Eng Canvas 64 Ps 6½ Yds £144 7s 3d Oznabrigs 9 Ps 73¾ Yds £53 0s 0d £197 7s 3d Cutlery Ware Vizt Horn Combs 13 in number £0 3s 3d Horn Do 20 doz £1 15s 0d Ivory Combs 74 in number £3 9s 4d Shoe Buckles 118 doz 3 Pr £35 10s 11d Knee Do 37 doz 8 Pr £6 14s 3d Shoe Knives 20 in number £0 6s 8d Butchers Do 75 in number £1 8s 1d Pruning Do 4 in number £0 3s 4d Choping Do 5 in number £0 8s 2d Ivory Handle Knives & Forks 3 doz £4 2s 10d Buck Handle Do & Do 4 doz £2 0s 6d Leather Garters 23 doz 3 Pr £5 12s 2d £61 12s 6d Cart Wheels Vizt Cart Wheels 5 Pr £20 4s 9d Axletrees 11 in number £4 16s 10d Wheel Barrows 38 in number £26 11s 10d Sq Sides for Do 10 in number £0 16s 2d £52 10s 1d Carried over £2871 4s 6d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with salt provisions, books, coin, canvas, cutlery and cart wheels, from a running total of £270 2s 0d. Balance brought forward, £270 2s 0d Beef and pork 21 puncheons and 20 pieces of English beef, £384 0s 8d 31 pieces of English pork, £3 2s 0d 307 tierces and 45 pieces of Irish pork, £1,427 10s 2d 80 tierces of Irish beef, £352 0s 0d Beef and pork, subtotal, £2,166 12s 10d Books 34 copies of the Book of Common Prayer, £4 13s 6d 31 spelling books, £1 15s 6d 20 Bibles, £3 6s 8d 5 New Testaments, £0 9s 7d 2 hornbooks, £0 1s 0d 21 primers, £0 5s 3d Books, subtotal, £10 11s 6d 53,960 Irish copper halfpence, £112 8s 4d Canvas 64 pieces and 6½ yards of English canvas, £144 7s 3d 9 pieces and 7¾ yards of osnaburg, £53 0s 0d Canvas, subtotal, £197 7s 3d Cutlery and small wares 13 horn combs, £0 3s 3d 20 dozen horn combs, £1 15s 0d 74 ivory combs, £3 9s 4d 118 dozen and 3 pairs of shoe buckles, £35 10s 11d 37 dozen and 8 pairs of knee buckles, £6 14s 3d 20 shoemakers' knives, £0 6s 8d 75 butchers' knives, £1 8s 1d 4 pruning knives, £0 3s 4d 5 chopping knives, £0 8s 2d 3 dozen ivory-handled knives and forks, £4 2s 10d 4 dozen buckhorn-handled knives and forks, £2 0s 6d 23 dozen and 3 pairs of leather garters, £5 12s 2d Cutlery and small wares, subtotal, £61 12s 6d Cart wheels and barrows 3 pairs of cart wheels, £20 4s 9d 11 axles, £4 16s 10d 38 wheelbarrows, £26 11s 10d 10 [...] sides for wheelbarrows, £0 16s 2d Cart wheels and barrows, subtotal, £52 10s 1d Carried forward, £2,871 4s 6d Interpretations The Irish copper halfpence supplied the island's small change. St Helena had no coinage of its own, and English copper was scarce even at home, so the Company shipped out Irish halfpence in bulk to pay wages and make small purchases possible. Holding nearly 54,000 coins in the warehouse showed that the Company controlled the supply of money itself, releasing it through the Paymaster and recovering it through sales at the store. The salt meat, worth more than all the other stores on these pages together, formed the island's reserve against famine or siege. In wartime a French blockade could cut off supplies for months, and the garrison and slaves had to be fed from what lay in the warehouses. Irish pork and beef from Cork was the cheapest salted meat available to the Company. A tierce was a cask holding about 42 gallons, smaller than a puncheon but larger than a barrel. A hornbook was a small wooden board bearing a printed sheet with the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer, protected by a thin layer of transparent horn. It was a child's first reading aid, followed by the primer and the spelling book. Together with the Bibles and prayer books, these supplied the Company's school and church, where the Chaplain and Richard Beale taught and preached. Knee buckles fastened breeches just below the knee, and shoe buckles held the shoe closed over the instep, both standard fittings of eighteenth-century men's dress. Buckhorn handles, cut from deer antler, were a cheaper alternative to ivory for everyday knives and forks. |
161 | 154 | 18 October Brought over £2871 4s 6d Camblet Vizt Blue 56½ Yds £11 15s 9d Do Do @ 8/8 16½ Yds £7 3s 0d Scarlet 41 Yds £9 19s 10d Do Do @ 10/8 damaged 49 Yds £26 2s 8d Brown 31½ Yds £4 16s 7d £59 17s 10d Coals 10 Chaldrons 20 Bushels £25 6s 8d Corks ½ Short £0 4s 6d Cordage Vizt Shroud Hawser 1 in number 16C 2qr 19lb 4 Inch Cordage 17C 2qr 12lb 3½ Do 25C 2qr 16lb 3 Do 16C 1qr 27lb 2½ Do 10C 2qr 19lb 2 Do 2C 3qr 1lb 12 Thread Ratline 3C 2qr 1lb 9 Do 6C 1qr 27lb Gil Tack 1 in number 1C 0qr 0lb Do Sheet 1 in number 0C 2qr 19lb Shroud 1 in number 10C 2qr 1lb Nyblets 6C 3qr 6lb White Rope 4C 1qr 5lb 123C 0qr 3lb £227 13s 0d Deals Vizt Single Deals 10 in number Do in use in the Cellars 29 in number £4 9s 6d Double Deals 9 in number Do in use in the Cellar 18 in number £4 19s 0d Elm Boards 2 in number £0 7s 6d Wainscot Do 15 in number £14 7s 0d Coffins 6 in number £1 4s 6d Oars 3 in number Do in use in the Cellars 8 in number £0 3s 2d Baulks 7 in number £2 13s 8d Bundles Laths 145 in number £7 18s 4d Deals Carried over £36 4s 8d Carried over £3184 6s 6d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with camlet, coal, cordage and timber, from a running total of £2,871 4s 8d. Balance brought forward, £2,871 4s 8d Camlet 56½ yards of blue camlet, £11 15s 9d 16½ yards of blue camlet at 8s 8d, £7 3s 0d 41 yards of scarlet camlet, £9 19s 10d 49 yards of scarlet camlet at 10s 8d, damaged, £26 2s 8d 31½ yards of brown camlet, £4 16s 7d Camlet, subtotal, £59 17s 10d 10 chaldrons and 20 bushels of coal, £25 6s 8d 1 [...] of short corks, £0 4s 6d Cordage, by weight in hundredweight, quarters and pounds 1 shroud hawser, 16 hundredweight 2 quarters 19 lb 4-inch cordage, 17 hundredweight 2 quarters 12 lb 3½-inch cordage, 25 hundredweight 2 quarters 16 lb 3-inch cordage, 16 hundredweight 1 quarter 27 lb 2½-inch cordage, 10 hundredweight 2 quarters 19 lb 2-inch cordage, 2 hundredweight 3 quarters 1 lb 12-thread ratline, 3 hundredweight 2 quarters 1 lb 9-thread ratline, 6 hundredweight 1 quarter 27 lb 1 [...] tack, 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 0 lb 1 [...] sheet, 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 19 lb 1 shroud, 10 hundredweight 2 quarters 1 lb Nettles, 6 hundredweight 3 quarters 6 lb White rope, 4 hundredweight 1 quarter 5 lb Cordage, total weight, 123 hundredweight 0 quarters 5 lb Cordage, subtotal, £227 13s 0d Timber 10 single deals and 29 single deals in use in the cellars, together, £4 9s 6d 9 double deals and 13 double deals in use in the cellar, together, £4 19s 0d 2 elm boards, £0 7s 6d 15 oak panelling boards, £0 14s 7d 6 coffins, £1 4s 6d 3 spars and 5 spars in use in the cellars, together, £0 3s 2d 7 squared beams, £2 13s 8d 145 bundles of laths, £7 18s 4d Timber, carried forward, £36 4s 8d Carried forward, £3,184 6s 6d Interpretations Cordage was measured by its circumference in inches and weighed in hundredweights, quarters and pounds. A shroud hawser was a heavy, cable-laid rope used for the standing rigging that braced a mast. Ratline was a small tarred line, graded by the number of yarns twisted into it, tied across the shrouds to form the rungs that sailors climbed. Nettles were short lengths of small line used for seizing and lashing, and white rope was untarred, kept for uses where tar would stain or where flexibility mattered. The large stock, above 120 hundredweight, confirmed the warehouse's role as a naval store for refitting passing ships. Six coffins held ready in store showed that the Company expected a steady rate of deaths among its soldiers, slaves and servants. Keeping them on hand, along with deals charged for coffins in the garrison account, allowed burial within a day, a practical need where bodies could not be kept long. Deals and spars in use in the cellars were probably serving as racks and staging for casks of salt meat and arrack. The inventory counted them as stock because they could be recovered for other work, which reflected the Company's habit of accounting for every piece of imported timber on an island that grew little of its own. Laths were thin strips of wood nailed to walls and ceilings as a base for plaster. |
162 | 155 | 1762 Brought over £3184 6s 6d Deals brought over £36 7s 8d Riga Timber 14½ Ps £33 9s 9d Barrack Oak Plank 1 Ps £1 6s 9d Elm Plank of 3 Inches 5½ Ps £5 10s 0d Hospital Timber 6 Ps £1 4s 0d Oak Planks of 4 Inches 3 in number £4 3s 5d Do of 5 Do 5 in number £10 2s 6d Do of 6 Do 3½ in number £8 1s 4d £100 5s 9d Earthen Ware Vizt Milk Pans 25 in number £0 13s 11d Collering Do broke 2 in number £0 9s 4d Close Stool Do 5 in number £1 16s 3d £2 4s 6d Flour Vizt Flour 193C 1qr 13lb £115 14s 9d Cape Do 192C 0qr 16lb £218 14s 8d £334 9s 5d Flanel 45¾ Yards £3 1s 0d Glass Ware Vizt Quart Decanters 2 in number £0 6s 11d Pint Do 44 in number £1 19s 8d Beer Glasses 6 in number £0 6s 9d Urinals 8 in number £0 7s 11d Tree Flower Glasses 3 in number £0 10s 0d Tree Flower Do 1 in number £0 5s 4d Setts @ 6/ 4 Ps £1 4s 2d Do @ 5/6 4 Ps £1 13s 0d 6 by 8 190 Sq ft £2 11s 6d 10 by 12 157 Do £6 10s 10d 10½ by 12½ 70 Do £4 3s 1d 11 by 19 20 Do £1 10s 0d 11 by 17¾ 2 Do 10¾ by 18¾ 11 Do £0 17s 4d 8 by 10 521 Do £15 13s 4d £38 2s 10d Grind Stones 3 in number £0 15s 9d Carried over £3663 5s 9d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with timber, earthenware, flour and glass, from a running total of £3,184 6s 6d. Balance brought forward, £3,184 6s 6d Timber, brought forward, £36 7s 8d 14¼ pieces of Riga timber, £33 9s 9d 1 piece of oak plank for the barracks, £1 6s 9d 5¼ pieces of elm plank 3 inches thick, £5 10s 0d 6 pieces of timber for the hospital, £1 4s 0d 3 oak planks 4 inches thick, £4 3s 5d 5 oak planks 5 inches thick, £10 2s 6d 3¼ oak planks 6 inches thick, £8 1s 4d Timber, subtotal, £100 5s 9d Earthenware 25 milk pans, £0 18s 11d 2 colanders, broken, £0 9s 4d 5 commode pans, £0 16s 3d Earthenware, subtotal, £2 4s 6d Flour and biscuit 193 hundredweight 1 quarter 18 lb of flour, £115 14s 9d 192 hundredweight 0 quarters 16 lb of ship's biscuit, £218 14s 8d Flour and biscuit, subtotal, £334 9s 5d 45¾ yards of flannel, £3 1s 0d Glassware 2 quart decanters, £0 6s 11d 44 pint decanters, £1 19s 8d 6 beer glasses, £0 6s 9d 8 glass urinals, £0 7s 11d 3 fine flower glasses, £0 10s 0d 1 fine flower glass, £0 5s 4d 4 pairs of salt cellars at [...], £1 4s 2d 4 pairs of salt cellars at [...], £1 13s 0d 190 panes of glass, 6 by 8 inches, £2 11s 6d 157 panes of glass, 10 by 12 inches, £6 10s 10d 70 panes of glass, 10½ by 12½ inches, £4 5s 1d 20 panes of glass, 11 by 19 inches, £1 10s 0d 2 panes of glass, 11 by 17¾ inches, and 11 panes, 10½ by 18¾ inches, together, £0 17s 4d 52 panes of glass, 8 by 10 inches, £15 13s 4d Glassware, subtotal, £38 2s 10d 3 grindstones, £0 15s 9d Carried forward, £3,665 5s 9d Interpretations Glass urinals were flasks used by physicians to collect and examine a patient's urine, whose colour, cloudiness and sediment were read as signs of disease. Stocked alongside earthenware commode pans, they belonged to the hospital, where diagnosis still relied heavily on such inspection. The flour and biscuit, like the salt beef and pork, formed a reserve against siege or the failure of supply ships. Biscuit kept far longer than flour, which spoiled in damp or became infested, so the larger stock of biscuit reflected planning for a long interruption. Together these provisions made up the bulk of the value in the warehouses. The large stock of window glass in many sizes showed how much the settlement's houses, barracks and public buildings depended on imported panes, since no glass could be made on the island. Each size fitted a particular sash, so a range had to be held to replace breakages in any building. |
163 | 156 | 18 October Brought over £3663 5s 9d Hats Vizt Officers 2 in number £3 2s 2d Mens fine 15 in number £11 8s 7d Boys 1 in number £0 6s 0d Centinels 59 in number £8 7s 2d £23 3s 11d Haberdashery Vizt Whale Bone 5lb £1 10s 5d Cockades 62 in number £1 7s 1½d Silk 35½lb £6 9s 6d Mohair 3lb 11Oz £14 10s ½d Silver Wire Coat Buttons 31½ doz £7 0s 5d Do Breast Do 2 Gross 11 Doz £2 10s 0d Gilt Coat Do 3 Doz £0 7s 9d Gilt Breast Do 8 Doz £0 9s 4d Yell Metal Coat Do 14 Doz £0 7s 0d Do Breast Do ½ doz £0 0s 3d Silver Coat Do 5 Gross 8 Doz £12 12s 3d Do Breast Do 5 Gross 2 Doz £5 5s 4d Plated Coat Do 12 Doz £1 0s 0d Do Breast Do 12½ doz £0 10s 5d White Waistcoat Do 4½ Gross £0 12s 1½d Shirt Do 6 Gross £0 13s 2d Tape 51 Ps £0 17s 4½d Mohair Coat Buttons 22 Gross 1 Doz £3 16s 3d Do Breast Do 4 Gross 1 Doz £0 16s 4d Horn Moulds 12 Gross £0 4s 5d Worsted Lace 3 Gross £3 2s 0d £69 7s 2d Hosiers Ware Vizt Thread Stockings 681 Pr £91 10s 1d Womens 7 Pr £0 19s 3d Girls 11 Pr £1 2s 11d Womens Worst 3 Pr £0 10s 9d Eng Cotton 54 Pr £19 7s 0d £113 10s 0d Carried over £3869 6s 10d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with hats, sewing goods and stockings, from a running total of £3,665 5s 9d. Balance brought forward, £3,665 5s 9d Hats 2 officers' hats, £3 2s 2d 15 men's fine hats, £11 8s 7d 1 boy's hat, £0 6s 0d 59 private soldiers' hats, £8 7s 2d Hats, subtotal, £23 3s 11d Sewing goods and trimmings 5 lb of whalebone, £1 10s 5d 62 cockades, £1 7s 1½d 35½ skeins of silk, £6 9s 6d 3 lb of mohair thread, £0 14s 10½d 31½ dozen silver wire coat buttons, £7 0s 5d 2 dozen 11 silver wire waistcoat buttons, £2 10s 0d 3½ dozen gilt coat buttons, £0 7s 9d 8 dozen gilt waistcoat buttons, £0 9s 4d 14 dozen brass coat buttons, £0 7s 0d ½ dozen brass waistcoat buttons, £0 0s 3d 5 gross 8 dozen silver coat buttons, £12 12s 3d 5 gross 2 dozen silver waistcoat buttons, £5 3s 4d 12 dozen plated coat buttons, £1 0s 0d 12½ dozen plated waistcoat buttons, £0 10s 3d 4½ gross of white waistcoat buttons, £0 19s 10½d 6 gross of shirt buttons, £0 13s 2d 31 pieces of tape, £0 17s 4½d 22 gross 10 dozen mohair-covered coat buttons, £8 16s 8d 4 gross 1 dozen mohair-covered waistcoat buttons, £0 16s 4d 12 gross of horn button moulds, £0 4s 3d 3 gross of worsted braid, £3 2s 0d Sewing goods and trimmings, subtotal, £64 7s 2d Stockings 681 pairs of thread stockings, £91 10s 1d 7 pairs of women's stockings, £0 14s 3d 11 pairs of girls' stockings, £0 12s 11d 3 pairs of women's woven stockings, £0 16s 9d 54 pairs of English cotton stockings, £19 7s 0d Stockings, subtotal, £113 10s 0d Carried forward, £3,869 6s 1½d Interpretations Button moulds were small discs of horn or wood that formed the core of a covered button. A tailor wrapped each mould in cloth or worked thread over it, producing buttons that matched the garment. Holding twelve gross of moulds alongside thousands of ready-made buttons in silver, gilt, plated and mohair showed that clothing on the island was largely made up locally from imported materials, with the Company's stores supplying every component. The 681 pairs of thread stockings in reserve, set against the 365 pairs issued to the garrison during the quarter, showed the warehouse holding close to two years' supply of this item. Stockpiling on such a scale protected the garrison's annual clothing issue against a missed or delayed ship in wartime. |
164 | 157 | 1762 Brought over £3869 6s 10d Hooks and Lines Vizt Hooks No 1 23550 in number £5 5s 7½d Do No 2 5875 in number £8 16s 3d Do No 3 3975 in number £3 12s 9½d Do No 5 1500 in number £1 4s 1½d Do No 12 11000 in number Do No 13 1155 in number £2 8s 5d Do No 14 2950 in number Do No 15 3550 in number Do No 16 1425 in number £3 2s 9½d Lines No 4 53 Doz 6 in number £12 4s 1d Do No 2 6 doz 2 in number £1 1s 0d Do No 3 64 doz 5 in number £19 12s 11d Log Lines 60 in number £3 0s 0d Hambro Do 23 in number £1 10s 3d Whip Cord 3lb £5 9s 3d Hooks Stuck Loops 10 in number £0 11s 0d £111 11s 11d Iron and Steel Vizt Iron 27C 2qr 1lb £31 0s 9d Steel 1C 2qr 12lb £3 7s 6d £34 8s 3d Iron Pots Vizt Small Iron Kettle 1 in number £1 9s 0d Large Do 6 in number £13 9s 9d £14 18s 9d Iron Ware Vizt Iron Pad Locks D 2 in number £2 4s 2d Do No 2 2 in number £1 15s 4d Do with Brass Hasps 7 in number £2 2s 0d Brass Bolt Locks 17 in number £6 4s 8d Chest Do 3 in number £0 13s 9d Cupboard Do 3 in number £0 15s 0d Splinter Do 2 in number £0 0s 7d Pads Do 7 in number £0 14s 7d Closet Do 2 in number £0 4s 0d Iron Ware Carried over £14 12s 5d Carried over £4030 5s 9d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with fishing tackle, iron and steel, cooking pots and locks, from a running total of £3,869 6s 10½d. Balance brought forward, £3,869 6s 10½d Fish hooks and lines 23,550 fish hooks of size 1, £53 18s 7½d 5,875 fish hooks of size 2, £8 16s 3d 3,975 fish hooks of size 3, £3 12s 9½d 1,300 fish hooks of size 5, £1 4s 1½d 11,000 fish hooks of size 12 and 1,155 of size 13, together, £2 8s 5d 2,950 fish hooks of size 14, 3,550 of size 15 and 1,425 of size 16, together, £3 2s 9½d 53 dozen 6 fishing lines of size 4, £12 4s 1d 6 dozen 2 fishing lines of size 2, £1 1s 0d 64 dozen 5 fishing lines of size 3, £19 12s 11d 60 log lines, £3 0s 0d 23 Hamburg lines, £1 10s 3d 3¾ lb of whipcord, £5 9s 3d 10 hanks of sash cord, £0 11s 0d Fish hooks and lines, subtotal, £111 11s 11d Iron and steel 27 hundredweight 2 quarters 1 lb of iron, £31 0s 9d 1 hundredweight 2 quarters 12 lb of steel, £3 7s 6d Iron and steel, subtotal, £34 8s 3d Iron pots 1 small iron kettle, £1 9s 0d 6 large iron kettles, £13 9s 9d Iron pots, subtotal, £14 18s 9d Ironmongery 2 iron-bound locks of size 1, £2 4s 2d 2 iron-bound locks of size 2, £1 15s 4d 7 iron-bound locks with brass knobs, £2 2s 0d 17 stock locks, £6 4s 8d 13 chest locks, £0 13s 9d 3 cupboard locks, £0 15s 0d 2 spring locks, £0 1s 7d 7 padlocks, £0 14s 7d 2 closet locks, £0 4s 0d Ironmongery, carried forward, £14 12s 5d Carried forward, £4,044 5s 9d Interpretations The tens of thousands of fish hooks held in store dwarfed the island's own needs for a season. Hooks were light, cheap to ship and did not spoil, so the Company laid in years of supply at once. They were issued in bulk to slaves and sold to settlers, and fishing was so central to feeding the island that running short would have added to the demand on the salt meat and rice reserves. Bar iron and steel were the smith's raw materials, forged on the island into nails, hinges, tools, cart fittings and repairs of every kind. Holding over 27 hundredweight of iron, together with the new anvil charged to the armourer's shop during the quarter, made the island largely self-sufficient in ironwork. A stock lock was a door lock housed in a block of wood, the standard lock for outer doors of houses and stores. Sash cord was the plaited cord that ran over pulleys in a sash window frame, connecting each sash to its counterweight. Its presence among the stores matched the stock of window glass and pointed to sash windows in the island's better buildings. |
165 | 158 | 18 October Brought over £4030 5s 9d Iron Ware brought over £14 12s 5d Barrack Door Do 18 in number £4 10s 0d Do with Brass Hasps 10 in number £3 15s 0d Brass Cupboard Locks 7 in number £0 9s 7½d Barrack Hinges 111 Pr £9 5s 0d Broad Hoes 30 in number £3 7s 1½d Garden Do 17 in number £1 2s 8d Grubbing Do 4 in number £0 11s 8d Gouges 14 in number £0 4s 1½d Sheep Shears 12 Pr £0 13s 6d Garden Do 8 Pr £1 13s 4d Axes 9 in number £1 2s 6d Edging Irons 6 in number £0 19s 10d Swifting Irons 4 in number £0 11s 6d Pickaxes 40 in number £7 6s 8d Auger 1 in number £0 0s 5½d Taper Bitts 25 in number £0 7s 9d Plaisterers Trowels 6 in number £0 10s 0d Bricklayers Do 30 in number £2 7s 6d Binding Wire 2lb £0 3s 0d Sail Nails 5lb £1 2s 11d Packing Needles 168 in number £1 3s 9½d HL Hinges @ 7½ 3 Pr £1 3s 1½d Do with rising Joints 12 Pr £1 18s 0d Shutter Hinges 11 Pr £1 4s 9d Side Do 1 Pr £0 1s 0d H Do 49 Pr £3 19s 7½d Brass Shutter Rings 36 in number £0 8s 6d Shutter Hinges 46 Pr £4 16s 9d Scythes 14 in number Do Stones 42 in number £3 18s 2d Rag Do 29 in number £0 13s 1½d Stone Saws 11 in number £0 7s 3d Cross Cut Do 1 in number £2 9s 7½d Whip Saw 1 in number £1 1s 4½d Hand Do 1 in number £1 2s 1½d Pruning Do 11 in number £0 7s 7d Iron Ware Carried over £80 10s 6d Carried over £4030 5s 9d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with locks, hinges and tools for building and farming, from a running total of £4,030 5s 9d. Balance brought forward, £4,030 5s 9d Ironmongery, brought forward, £14 12s 5d 18 barrack door locks, £4 10s 0d 10 barrack door locks with brass knobs, £3 15s 0d 7 barrack cupboard locks, £0 9s 7½d 111 pairs of barrack hinges, £9 5s 0d 30 broad hoes, £3 7s 1½d 17 garden hoes, £1 2s 8d 4 grubbing hoes, £0 11s 8d 14 gouges, £0 4s 1½d 12 pairs of sheep shears, £0 15s 6d 2 pairs of garden shears, £0 13s 4d 9 axes, £1 2s 6d 6 edging irons, £0 19s 10d 4 [...] irons, £0 11s 6d 40 pickaxes, £7 6s 8d 1 auger, £0 0s 5½d 25 [...] bills, £0 7s 9d 6 plasterers' trowels, £0 10s 0d 30 bricklayers' trowels, £2 7s 6d 2 [...] of binding wire, £0 3s 0d 5 [...] of [...] nails, £1 2s 11d 16 [...] of packing needles, £1 3s 9½d 3 pairs of H and L hinges at 7¼d, £1 3s 1½d 12 pairs of H and L hinges with rising joints, £1 18s 0d 11 pairs of shutter hinges, £1 4s 9d 1 pair of side hinges, £0 1s 0d 49 pairs of H hinges, £3 19s 7½d 56 brass shutter rings, £0 8s 6d 46 pairs of shutter hinges, £4 16s 9d 14 scythes, £3 13s 2d 42 scythe stones, £0 13s 1½d 29 rough whetstones, £0 7s 3d 11 stone saws, £2 9s 7d 1 crosscut saw, £1 1s 4½d 1 whip saw, £1 2s 1½d 1 hand saw, £0 7s 7d 11 pruning saws, £0 7s 5d Ironmongery, carried forward, £80 10s 6d Carried forward, £4,030 5s 9d Interpretations Grubbing hoes were heavy, narrow-bladed hoes for digging out roots and scrub, the tool used when the garrison cleared spurge from the Long Wood pastures during the quarter. Edging irons were half-moon spades for cutting clean edges to turf and paths. Sheep shears and scythes served the Company's flocks and hay fields, which together with the hoes and pickaxes equipped the plantation and pastures for farming on a considerable scale. A whip saw was a long two-man saw worked over a sawpit, one sawyer standing above the log and one below, used to cut imported balks into planks. Stone saws cut blocks of the island's volcanic stone for building. Hinges with rising joints lifted a door slightly as it opened so it would clear a carpet or uneven floor, and closed it again under its own weight. Shutter hinges and brass rings fitted the wooden shutters that closed windows at night and in storms, a feature of houses exposed to the island's strong south-east winds. |
166 | 159 | 1762 Brought over £4030 5s 9d Iron Ware brought over £80 10s 6½d Stone Saw Heads 5 Pr £1 7s 3½d Joyners Hatchets 3 in number £0 6s 0d Hand Do 3 in number £0 5s 0d Do Helves 15 in number £0 4s 4½d Helves 24 in number £0 14s 6d Gimblets 15 in number £0 3s 1½d Stone Wedges 4 in number £0 2s 8d Jack Spits 9 in number £2 11s 7d Hand Spit 1 in number £0 2s 6d Files 248 in number £8 2s 0d Farriers Rasps 21 in number £1 3s 7½d Rasps 13 in number £0 7s 4d Planking Cards 4 Pr £1 5s 5d Spades 11 in number £2 4s 0d Ditching Shovels 3 in number £0 13s 8½d Shoe Do 54 in number £5 2s 4½d Setting Hammers 19 in number £6 8s 4½d Hand Do 3 in number £0 8s 3d Drill Boxes 9 in number £0 1s 1½d Drill Bows 12 in number £1 6s 5d Bills Hooks 5 in number £0 12s 3½d Masons Tools 113 in number £7 3s 11d Wood Screws 7 doz 9 in number £0 4s 1d Large Jack 1 in number £7 10s 2d Midling Do 2 in number £9 16s 0d Small Do 4 in number £10 1s 10d Small Frying Pans 26 in number £3 7s 2d Large Do 9 in number £1 11s 0½d Mauls 3 in number £1 5s 3½d Corn Emery 7½lb Flour Do 4½lb £5 6s 9d Garden Rakes 8 in number £1 0s 8d Screw Stock 1 in number £0 7s 2d Wire Rat Traps 2 in number £0 11s 0d Box Irons 11 in number £3 15s 0d Case Hardening 6 in number £0 12s 0d Iron Ware Carried over £162 3s 0d Carried over £4131 5s 9d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 went on with more tools and ironmongery, from a running total of £4,030 5s 9d. Balance brought forward, £4,030 5s 9d Ironmongery, brought forward, £80 10s 6½d 5 pairs of stone saw frames, £1 7s 3½d 3 joiners' hatchets, £0 6s 0d 3 hand hatchets, £0 5s 0d 15 hatchet handles, £0 4s 4½d 24 tool handles, £0 14s 6d 15 gimlets, £0 3s 1½d 4 stone wedges, £0 2s 8d 9 roasting spits, £2 11s 7d 1 hand spit, £0 2s 6d 248 files, £8 2s 0d 21 farriers' rasps, £1 3s 7½d 13 rasps, £0 7s 0½d 4 pairs of [...] cards, £1 5s 5d 11 spades, £2 4s 0d 3 ditching shovels, £0 13s 8½d 54 iron-shod shovels, £5 2s 4½d 19 setting hammers, £6 8s 4½d 3 hand hammers, £0 8s 3d 9 drill boxes, £0 1s 1½d 12 drill bows, £1 6s 5d 5 bill hooks, £0 12s 3½d 113 masons' tools, £7 3s 11d 1 dozen 9 wood screws, £0 4s 1d 1 large roasting jack, £7 10s 2d 2 middling roasting jacks, £9 16s 0d 4 small roasting jacks, £10 1s 10d 26 small frying pans, £3 7s 2d 9 large frying pans, £1 11s 0½d 3 mauls, £1 5s 3½d 7¼ [...] of coarse emery and 4½ [...] of fine emery, together, £0 6s 9d 8 garden rakes, £[...] 8d 1 screw stock, £0 7s 2d 2 wire rat traps, £0 11s 0d 11 box irons, £3 15s 0d 6 [...] of case-hardening compound, £0 12s 0d Ironmongery, carried forward, £162 3s 0d Carried forward, £4,030 5s 9d Interpretations A roasting jack was a clockwork or weight-driven mechanism that turned a spit before the fire, so that a joint of meat roasted evenly without a servant turning it by hand. Holding seven jacks and nine spits in store showed the scale of cooking at the Castle and the barracks, and the value placed on labour-saving equipment in kitchens that fed the Governor's table and large numbers of soldiers. Farriers' rasps were coarse files for shaping horses' hooves before shoeing, and pointed to the horses and asses kept by the Company. Case-hardening compound, usually charred bone or leather, was packed around iron and heated to give it a hard steel surface, letting the island's smiths make durable tools and fittings from soft bar iron. A screw stock held the dies for cutting threads on bolts, the counterpart of the screw plate held by the armourer. The two wire rat traps were a modest response to a serious problem. Rats destroyed 257 sandbags at Sandy Bay and the Main Fort, as the artillery stores account for September 1762 recorded, and they preyed on grain and stored provisions throughout the island. |
167 | 160 | 18 October Brought over £4130 5s 9d Iron Ware Brought over £162 3s 3½d Plaisterers Sieves 6 in number £2 10s 7½d Coffee Mills 3 in number £1 5s 6d Chafing Dishes 8 in number £2 19s 0d Sq Plane Irons 9 in number £0 3s 0d Jack Chains 12 in number £1 0s 8d Setts Jack Wheels 10 in number £3 7s 3d Jack Weights and Shifters 4 in number £1 16s 0d Figured Squares 29 in number £1 15s 7½d Blank Keys 53 in number £1 10s 11½d Yellow Spelter 4½lb White Do 1lb £0 11s 0d Plyers 2 Pr £0 1s 10d Borax ½lb £1 1s 1½d Lathing Hammers 12 in number £0 16s 4d Drill Strings 18 in number £0 10s 6d Sal ammoniac 5lb £1 3s 11d Plate Iron 115lb £2 2s 2d Stelyards 11 Pr £3 15s 7½d Smiths Bellows 6 Pr £31 5s 6d One Quart Sauce Pan Hamd Iron 1 in number £0 10s 2d Three Pints Do 2 in number £1 2s 5d Two Quarts Do 2 in number £1 4s 8d One Gallon Do 1 in number £0 17s 7d Hash Pans of 3 Galls 8 in number £7 0s 4d Sail Needles 350 in number £1 9s 0d Bolt Rope 50 in number £0 4s 5d £232 5s 6d Kersey 6 Pieces £12 12s 9d Long Ells Vizt Scarlet 2 Yards £0 4s 10d Blue 4 Ps 17 Yds £8 5s 9d £8 10s 7d Masts Vizt Top Mast 65 feet long 17 Inches Diam 1 in number £21 15s 0d Of a Top Mast ½ in number £8 10s 0d Teak Top Mast 1 in number £7 0s 0d Cap good for nothing 1 in number £1 11s 6d £38 16s 6d Carried over £4423 0s 11d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with the last of the ironmongery, woollens and ships' masts, from a running total of £4,030 5s 9d. Balance brought forward, £4,030 5s 9d Ironmongery, brought forward, £162 3s 3½d 6 plasterers' sieves, £2 10s 7½d 3 coffee mills, £1 5s 6d 8 chafing dishes, £2 19s 0d 9 square plane irons, £0 3s 0d 12 roasting jack chains, £1 0s 8d 10 sets of roasting jack wheels, £3 7s 3d 4 roasting jack weights and shifters, £1 16s 0d 29 graduated squares, £1 15s 7½d 53 blank keys, £1 10s 11½d 4½ [...] of yellow spelter and 1 [...] of white spelter, together, £0 11s 0d 2 pairs of pliers, £0 1s 10d ½ [...] of borax, £0 1s 1½d 12 lathing hammers, £0 16s 4d 18 drill cords, £0 10s 6d 3 [...] of sal ammoniac, £1 3s 11d 115 [...] of plate iron, £2 2s 2d 11 pairs of steelyards, £3 15s 7½d 6 pairs of smith's bellows, £31 5s 6d 1 one-quart saucepan of hammered iron, £0 10s 2d 2 three-pint saucepans of hammered iron, £1 2s 5d 2 two-quart saucepans of hammered iron, £1 4s 8d 1 one-gallon saucepan of hammered iron, £0 17s 7d 8 hash pans of hammered iron holding 5 gallons, £7 0s 4d 350 sail needles, £1 9s 0d 50 bolt-rope needles, £0 4s 5d Ironmongery, subtotal, £232 5s 6d 16 pieces of kersey, £12 17s 9d Long ells 2 yards of scarlet long ells, £0 4s 10d 4 pieces and 17 yards of blue long ells, £8 5s 9d Long ells, subtotal, £8 10s 7d Masts 1 topmast 63 feet long and 17 inches in diameter, £21 15s 0d Half a topmast, £8 10s 0d 1 teak topmast, £7 0s 0d 1 mast cap, worn out and of no use, £1 11s 6d Masts, subtotal, £38 16s 6d Carried forward, £4,323 [...] Interpretations The topmasts were spares for the Company's ships calling at the island. A topmast was the second section of a mast, fitted above the lower mast, and was often carried away in storms. A replacement 63 feet long could not be improvised from the island's scarce timber, so holding one in store could save a damaged East Indiaman weeks of delay. Teak, an Indian hardwood that resisted rot and shipworm, was prized for masts and planking in the Company's Asian shipyards. The mast cap was the heavy block that joined the head of a lower mast to the foot of the topmast above it. The inventory listed it as useless yet still gave it a value, which showed how strictly the Company expected every item to be accounted for until formally written off. Spelter was zinc. Yellow spelter was a brazing solder of copper and zinc used to join brass and iron, while white spelter was a softer, whiter alloy for lighter work. Graduated squares were carpenters' and masons' set squares marked with measurements. The six pairs of smith's bellows were the costliest ironmongery in the store, since a forge could not work without a strong, steady blast of air. |
168 | 161 | 1762 Brought over £4322 11s 0d Leather Sole 61lb £3 1s 0d Lead Vizt Shot 13C 1qr 7lb £13 19s 6d Small Shot 1C 2qr 4lb £1 12s 3d Inch Pipe 10 Yards 2 in number £4 15s 6d £20 7s 3d Oars 14 in number £2 14s 3d Oil Vizt Train 195 Gallons £31 5s 7d Linseed 105 Gallons £19 10s 6d Bottles Florence 52 in number £6 8s 4d £57 5s 0d Nails Vizt Nails No 2 2C 1qr 17lb £7 5s 8d Nails No 3 7C 1qr 17lb £31 1s 9d Nails No 4 7C 2qr 0lb £24 11s 0d Nails No 6 11C 0qr 19lb £35 3s 8d Nails No 10 9C 2qr 24lb £24 18s 8d Nails No 20 3C 3qr 22lb £8 5s 4d Scupper 2C 1qr 0lb £5 11s 3d Copper Rivets 0C 3qr 24lb £13 7s 8d Tacks 0C 1qr 7lb £1 8s 8d Tacks 0C 0qr 19lb £2 6s 3d Barrack 3C 2qr 4lb £6 12s 0d Flooring Brads 1C 1qr 5lb £2 8s 4d Spike 6C 3qr 9lb £11 14s 1d £174 17s 1d Paint Vizt Whiting 3C 3qr 16lb £1 7s 6d Umber 1C 1qr 22lb £2 0s 6d Stone Ochre 0C 0qr 5lb £0 18s 6d Succotrine Aloes 12½lb £1 18s 4d Indico 2C 1qr 16lb £23 3s 0d Blacking 22 in number £0 6s 2d Prussian Blue 12lb £0 14s 0d White Lead dry 14C 1qr 6lb £25 12s 0d Paint Carried over £55 10s 0d Carried over £4580 15s 7d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with leather, lead, oars, oil, nails and paint, from a running total of £4,322 11s 0d. Balance brought forward, £4,322 11s 0d 61 lb of sole leather, £3 1s 0d Lead 13 hundredweight 1 quarter 7 lb of shot, £13 19s 6d 1 hundredweight 2 quarters 4 lb of small shot, £1 12s 3d 10 yards of 2-inch lead pipe, £4 15s 6d Lead, subtotal, £20 7s 3d 14 oars, £2 14s 3d Oil 195 gallons of whale oil, £31 5s 7d 105 gallons of linseed oil, £19 10s 6d 52 bottles of Florence olive oil, £6 8s 11d Oil, subtotal, £57 5s 0d Nails 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 17 lb of twopenny nails, £7 5s 8d 7 hundredweight 1 quarter 7 lb of threepenny nails, £31 1s 9d 7 hundredweight 2 quarters 0 lb of fourpenny nails, £24 11s 0d 11 hundredweight 0 quarters 19 lb of sixpenny nails, £35 3s 8d 9 hundredweight 2 quarters 24 lb of tenpenny nails, £24 18s 8d 3 hundredweight 3 quarters 22 lb of twentypenny nails, £8 5s 4d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 0 lb of scupper nails, £5 11s 3d 0 hundredweight 3 quarters 24 lb of copper rivets, £13 7s 8d 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 7 lb of tacks, £1 8s 3d 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 9 lb of tacks, £2 6s 3d 3 hundredweight 2 quarters 4 lb of barrack nails, £6 12s 0d 1 hundredweight 1 quarter 5 lb of flooring brads, £2 8s 4d 6 hundredweight 3 quarters 9 lb of spikes, £11 14s 1d Nails, subtotal, £174 17s 1d Paint 3 hundredweight 3 quarters 16 lb of whiting, £1 7s 6d 1 hundredweight 1 quarter 22 lb of umber, £2 0s 6d 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 5 lb of stone ochre, £0 18s 6d 12½ [...] of [...], £1 14s 4d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 16 lb of indigo, £23 3s 0d 22 [...] of blacking, £0 6s 2d ½ [...] of Prussian blue, £0 14s 0d 14 hundredweight 1 quarter 6 lb of dry white lead, £25 7s 2d Paint, carried forward, £55 [...] 10d Carried forward, £4,630 15s 7d Interpretations The lead shot, amounting to more than 14 hundredweight, was the garrison's reserve of ammunition for small arms, melted and cast into balls or used as bought. Small shot was for fowling pieces, used to shoot birds for food. The 2-inch lead pipe served the island's water supply, carrying water from the channels to the landing place where ships' casks were filled. Umber was a brown earth pigment containing iron and manganese, used raw or burnt to darken paint and stain wood. Stone ochre was a pale yellow earth, the base of the stone colour sold earlier from the store. The large stock of indigo, at over £23 in value, supplied both paint and dye, and also the laundry blue used for the Castle's linen. Flooring brads were cut nails with a small, one-sided head, driven so that they sat flush with the surface of floorboards. Their quantity, together with the scores of hundredweights of other nails, showed the steady building and repair of barracks, houses and forts that went on across the island. |
169 | 162 | 18 October Brought over £4580 15s 7d Paint brought over £55 4s 10d Stone Colour 2C 2qr 16lb £7 1s 10d Olive 2C 1qr 0lb £22 6s 3d Yellow Oaker Mixed 0C 0qr 18lb £0 8s 7½d Sky Blue 1C 0qr 2lb £10 11s 4½d Mahogany 0C 0qr 3lb £0 6s 9d Verdigrease 1C 0qr 0lb £28 0s 0d Yellow Oaker Dry 1C 0qr 27lb £1 5s 3d Ven Red Dry 0C 2qr 9lb £0 12s 3d White Copperas 1C 1qr 11lb £1 19s 0d White Lead mixed 2C 1qr 24lb £5 15s 0d Pearl Colour 1C 3qr 2lb £4 2s 6d Chocolate 0C 3qr 13lb £2 10s 7d Dry Colours 0C 0qr 2lb £0 5s 0d £140 15s 1d Pumps 2 in number £25 6s 11d Pewter Vizt Gallon Pots 2 in number £0 18s 0d Half Gallon Do 2 in number £0 10s 9d Quart Do 2 in number £0 5s 6d Pint Do 2 in number £0 6s 4d Cranes 3 in number £2 15s 2d Dishes @ 8/7 3 in number £1 5s 0d Do @ 6/6 11 in number £3 11s 6d Worm Tub and Still 1 in number £10 12s 4d Bed Pans 5 in number £1 14s 9½d Cullenders 5 in number £1 18s 1½d Quart Funnels 4 in number £0 9s 6d Basons 2 in number £0 5s 3d £24 12s 3d Pease 12½ Bushels £4 5s 3d Pitch and Tar Vizt Tar 4 Barrels £4 4s 0d Pitch 3½ Barrels £14 8s 0d Turpentine 2C 3qr 0lb £2 11s 4d Rozin 2C 2qr 17lb £2 9s 6d £23 12s 10d Starch 0C 3qr 7lb £1 11s 0d Carried over £4801 18s 11d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with paints, pumps, pewter, peas and naval stores, from a running total of £4,580 15s 7d. Balance brought forward, £4,580 15s 7d Paint, brought forward, £55 4s 10d 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 16 lb of stone colour, £7 1s 10d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 0 lb of olive green, £22 6s 3d 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 18 lb of yellow ochre ground in oil, £0 3s 7½d 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 2 lb of sky blue, £10 11s 4½d 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 3 lb of mahogany colour, £0 6s 9d [...] of verdigris, £2 8s 0d 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 27 lb of dry yellow ochre, £1 5s 3d 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 9 lb of dry Venetian red, £0 12s 3d 1 hundredweight 1 quarter 11 lb of white copperas, £1 14s 0d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 24 lb of white lead ground in oil, £5 15s 0d 1 hundredweight 3 quarters 2 lb of pearl colour, £4 2s 6d 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 18 lb of chocolate colour, £2 16s 7d 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 2 lb of dry colours, £0 5s 0d Paint, subtotal, £140 15s 1d 2 pumps, £25 6s 11d Pewter 2 one-gallon pots, £0 18s 0d 2 half-gallon pots, £0 10s 9d 2 one-quart pots, £0 5s 6d 2 one-pint pots, £0 4s 4d 3 siphons, £2 13s 2d 3 dishes at 8s 4d each, £1 5s 0d 11 dishes at 6s 6d each, £3 11s 6d 1 worm tub and still, £10 12s 4d 5 bedpans, £1 14s 9½d 5 colanders, £1 18s 1½d 4 one-quart funnels, £0 9s 6d 2 basins, £0 5s 3d Pewter, subtotal, £24 12s 3d 12½ bushels of peas, £4 5s 3d Pitch and tar 4 barrels of tar, £4 4s 0d 3½ barrels of pitch, £14 8s 0d 2 hundredweight 3 quarters 0 lb of turpentine, £2 11s 4d 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 17 lb of rosin, £2 4s 6d Pitch and tar, subtotal, £23 12s 10d 0 hundredweight 3 quarters 1 lb of starch, £1 11s 0d Carried forward, £4,801 18s 11d Interpretations The worm tub and still formed a distilling apparatus. The still heated a liquid, and the vapour passed through a coiled copper pipe, the worm, set in a tub of cold water where it condensed. On St Helena it may have served to make spirits from local produce or medicinal waters for the hospital, and ships sometimes used such stills to make fresh water from sea water in an emergency. The pewter bedpans held with it suggested that part of this stock belonged to the hospital. The range of paint colours reflected current English taste in decoration. Pearl colour was a soft grey-white, chocolate a deep brown and mahogany colour a reddish brown used to make softwood resemble the costly hardwood. Olive green and sky blue were popular for panelled rooms and shutters. Such shades, applied in the Castle and the better houses, gave the settlement's buildings the appearance of a provincial English town. Siphons, listed in the manuscript as cranes, were bent tubes used to draw wine or spirits from a cask without disturbing the sediment. The pumps were probably ship's pumps, held in reserve for the Company's vessels, since a failed pump could leave a leaking ship in serious danger. |
170 | 163 | 1762 Brought over £4800 15s 11d Salt 44¾ Bushels £6 18s 0d Sope 10C 2qr 25lb £38 2s 9d Shalloon Coloured 240 Yards £22 0s 0d Shirts Vizt Centinels Shirts 775 in number £175 19s 3d Irish Linen 1½ Ps £2 4s 7d Brown Holland 25 Yards £2 7s 8d £180 12s 0d Serge &c Vizt Scarlet Duffil 10 Yards £4 14s 7d Sagatha ½ Ps £0 18s 0d Fustian 1 Ps 7 Yds £2 0s 4d £7 12s 11d Sailors Cloaths Vizt Mens Shirts 14 in number £2 13s 8d Mens Breeches 15 Pr £5 2s 6d £7 16s 2d Soldiers Cloaths Centinels Coats & Breeches 6 in number £8 2s 6d Scales and Weights Vizt Scales Store use 3 Pr Scales 1 Pr £15 18s 7d Beams for Scales 2 in number Do Store use 1 in number £2 19s 0d Scale Boards Store use 1 Pr £2 9s 6d £34 17s 1d Shoes Vizt Mens fine 5 Pr £1 7s 6d Pumps 1 Pr £0 5s 0d Boys 11 Pr £1 13s 8d Womens Spanish 1 Pr £0 3s 10d Girls 2 Pr £0 4s 0d Mens Channel Pumps 1 Pr £0 6s 0d Mens Ordinary 241 Pr £48 9s 0d Pattens 2 Pr £0 5s 3d £52 14s 5d Twine Vizt Twine 2C 2qr 1lb £14 12s 9d Cotton Wick 0C 0qr 3lb £0 7s 8d Skeins Marline 12 in number £0 12s 6d £15 12s 3d Carried over £5224 0s 9d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with salt, soap, clothing, scales, shoes and twine, from a running total of £4,800 15s 11d. Balance brought forward, £4,800 15s 11d 44½ bushels of salt, £6 18s 0d 10 hundredweight 2 quarters 25 lb of soap, £38 2s 9d 240 yards of coloured shalloon, £22 0s 0d Shirts and linen 775 private soldiers' shirts, £175 19s 3d 1½ pieces of Irish linen, £2 4s 7d 25 yards of brown holland, £2 7s 11d Shirts and linen, subtotal, £180 12s 0d Serge and other woollens 10 yards of scarlet duffel, £4 14s 7d ½ piece of sagathy, £0 18s 0d 1 piece and 7 [...] of fustian, £2 0s 4d Serge and other woollens, subtotal, £7 12s 11d Seamen's clothing 14 men's shirts, £2 13s 8d 15 pairs of men's breeches, £5 2s 6d Seamen's clothing, subtotal, £7 16s 2d Soldiers' clothing: 6 private soldiers' coats and breeches, £8 2s 6d Scales and weights 3 pairs of scales in use in the store and 1 pair of scales, together, £15 18s 7d 2 scale beams and 1 scale beam in use in the store, together, £2 19s 0d 1 pair of scale pans in use in the store, £2 9s 6d Scales and weights, subtotal, £34 17s 1d Shoes 5 pairs of men's fine shoes, £1 7s 6d 1 pair of pumps, £0 5s 0d 11 pairs of boys' shoes, £1 13s 8d 1 pair of women's Spanish leather shoes, £0 3s 8d 2 pairs of girls' shoes, £0 4s 0d 1 pair of men's channelled pumps, £0 6s 0d 241 pairs of men's everyday shoes, £43 9s 0d 2 pairs of [...], £1 5s 3d Shoes, subtotal, £52 14s 5d Twine 2 hundredweight 2 quarters 1 lb of twine, £14 12s 9d 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 3 lb of cotton wick, £0 7s 6d 12 skeins of marline, £1 2s 6d Twine, subtotal, £15 2s 3d Carried forward, £5,224 0s 9d Interpretations The scales, beams and pans in use in the store were the Storekeeper's working equipment, used to weigh out sugar, rice, nails and other goods sold by the pound or hundredweight. Listing them in the inventory brought the tools of the trade under the same audit as the goods, and accurate weighing underpinned the whole system of sales at fixed markups. The seamen's clothing, stocked separately from the soldiers' uniforms, was slop clothing sold or issued to the crews of the Fly cutter and other Company vessels. Sagathy was a light woollen stuff, sometimes mixed with silk, used for summer clothing and linings. Marline was a thin line of two loosely twisted strands, usually tarred, used for binding the ends of ropes and seizing rigging. The 775 soldiers' shirts in reserve, after 341 had been issued during the quarter, showed the warehouse holding enough for more than two years' distribution. With the thread stockings and shoes also held in bulk, the Company guarded against a failed supply ship leaving the garrison without its annual clothing. |
171 | 164 | 18th October Brought over £5254 0s 9d Table Linen Vizt Table Cloth 1 in number £0 17s 9d Napkins 1 Doz £1 19s 11d £2 17s 8d Thread Vizt Whited Brown 94lb £31 4s 8d Coloured 135½lb £21 3s 3d £52 7s 11d Tin Ware Vizt Quart Sauce Pans 12 in number £0 6s 9d Solder 214lb £9 11s 8d Lamps 8 in number £0 7s 6d Gallon Funnels 3 in number £0 6s 6d Pudding Pans 9 in number £0 13s 1d Paddy Pans 12 in number £0 4s 5d Canteens 14 in number £0 14s 3d Horn Lanthorn 1 in number £0 4s 3d Dripping Pans 9 in number £1 12s 3d Watering Pots 4 in number £1 1s 0d Tin Plates 3 in number £0 0s 11d Camp Kettle 1 in number £0 1s 11d £15 9s 6d Turners Ware Vizt Paint Brushes 52 in number £1 10s 4d Scrubbing Do 6 in number £0 14s 3d Hair Brooms 10 in number £1 4s 9d Bowls Broke 8 in number £0 4s 0d Platters 2 in number £0 2s 6d Scavenger Yoaks 9 in number £0 13s 6d Yoaks for Oxen 8 Pr £14 7s 4d Skimming Dishes 12 in number £0 3s 9d Shoe Brushes 290 in number £6 18s 9d Ladles 17 in number £0 15s 8d Trays 10 in number £1 15s 0d Pump Boxes 9 in number Do with Iron Staples 12 in number £3 13s 7d Plaisterers Brushes 8 in number £0 9s 0d Turners Ware Carried over £32 13s 3d Carried over £5324 15s 10d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with table linen, thread, tinware and wooden goods, from a running total of £5,254 0s 9d. Balance brought forward, £5,254 0s 9d Table linen 1 tablecloth, £0 17s 9d 1 dozen napkins, £1 19s 11d Table linen, subtotal, £2 17s 8d Thread 94 [...] of brown and white thread, £31 4s 8d 135½ [...] of coloured thread, £21 3s 3d Thread, subtotal, £52 7s 11d Tinware 12 one-quart saucepans, £0 6s 9d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 4 lb of solder, £9 11s 8d 8 lamps, £0 7s 6d 3 one-gallon funnels, £0 6s 6d 9 pudding pans, £0 13s 1d 12 paddy pans, £0 4s 5d 14 canteens, £0 14s 3d 1 horn lantern, £0 4s 3d 9 dripping pans, £1 12s 3d 4 watering cans, £1 1s 0d 3 tin plates, £0 0s 11d 1 camp kettle, £0 1s 11d Tinware, subtotal, £15 9s 6d Wooden goods 52 paint brushes, £1 10s 4d 6 scrubbing brushes, £0 14s 3d 10 hair brooms, £1 4s 9d 8 bowls, broken, £0 4s 0d 2 mallets, £0 2s 6d 9 [...] yokes, £0 13s 6d 8 pairs of ox yokes, £1 4s 7d 12 skimming dishes, £0 3s 9d 290 shoe brushes, £6 18s 9d 17 ladles, £0 15s 8d 10 trays, £1 15s 0d 9 pump boxes and 12 pump boxes with iron staples, together, £3 13s 7d 8 plasterers' brushes, £0 9s 0d Wooden goods, carried forward, £32 13s 5d Carried forward, £5,324 15s 10d Interpretations Pump boxes were the wooden valve chambers of a ship's or well pump, in which a leather-flapped valve lifted water with each stroke of the handle. They wore out quickly and were carried as spares, and the stock here matched the two complete pumps held elsewhere in the warehouse. Together they allowed the island to repair the pumps of leaking ships, one of the most urgent services a port of call could offer. Paddy pans were probably shallow tin pans used to winnow and clean unhusked rice before pounding. Large quantities of paddy passed through the stores for the slaves' rations, and the pans formed part of the equipment for turning it into edible grain. The stock of 290 shoe brushes, far more than the island could use in a year, pointed to bulk purchasing in England. Items that were cheap, light and durable were shipped in quantity whenever space allowed, since the Company could never be sure when the next ship with room for such goods would arrive. |
172 | 165 | 1762 Brought over £5324 15s 10d Turners Ware brought over £32 13s 3d Brass Wire Sieves 6 in number £3 0s 0d Ox Bows 77 in number £5 4s 3d Laborers Baskets 5 in number £0 3s 9d Bushel Measures 2 in number £2 9s 11d Half Do 2 in number £1 6s 9d Pecks Do 2 in number £0 8s 10d £45 16s 9d European Goods Amounting to £5370 12s 7d India Goods Vizt Arrack 1808 Gallons £308 10s 6d China Ware Vizt Soop Dishes 13 in number £4 11s 0d Meat Dishes 169 in number Meat Plates 681 in number £30 16s 0d Sallad Dishes 36 in number £1 10s 0d Deep Do Do 4 in number £1 1s 0d Sauce Boats 25 in number £0 11s 5d Blue and White Soop Plates 232 in number £5 15s 6d Enameled Do 116 in number £3 12s 6d Enameled Sneakers 163 in number £3 7s 11d Blue & White Do 154 in number £2 11s 4d Bowls 51 in number £2 15s 3d Chamber Pots 7 in number £0 11s 8d Blue and White Guglets & Basons 2 in number £0 6s 0d Blue and White Baking Dishes 16 in number £1 12s 0d Enameled Baking Dishes 19 in number £2 10s 8d Salts 34 in number £1 1s 3d Mugs 35 in number £2 16s 6d Half Pint Cups and Saucers 50 in number £1 5s 5d Pint Do & Do 222 in number £4 5s 3d Enameled Guglets & Basons 15 in number £7 10s 0d £77 19s 8d Candles 8C 2qr 3lb £48 5s 2d Chelloes 123 Ps £54 16s 4d Coffee 1C 1qr 20lb £1 9s 0d Carried over £5861 15s 3d | The inventory of stores remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 closed its section of European goods from a running total of £5,324 15s 10d. It then began a separate section of goods from India and the East. Balance brought forward, £5,324 15s 10d Wooden goods, brought forward, £32 13s 3d 6 brass wire sieves, £3 0s 0d 77 ox yokes, £5 4s 3d 5 labourers' baskets, £0 3s 9d 2 bushel measures, £2 9s 11d 2 half-bushel measures, £1 6s 9d 2 peck measures, £0 8s 10d Wooden goods, subtotal, £45 16s 9d Total of European goods, £5,370 12s 7d Goods from India 1,808 gallons of arrack, £301 6s 6d Chinese porcelain 13 soup dishes, £4 11s 0d 169 meat dishes and 681 meat plates, together, £30 16s 0d 36 salad dishes, £1 10s 0d 4 deep salad dishes, £1 1s 0d 25 sauce boats, £0 11s 5d 232 blue and white soup plates, £5 1s 6d 116 enamelled soup plates, £3 12s 6d 163 enamelled drinking bowls, £3 7s 11d 154 blue and white drinking bowls, £2 1s 4d 51 bowls, £2 15s 3d 7 chamber pots, £0 11s 8d 2 blue and white water bottles with basins, £0 6s 0d 16 blue and white baking dishes, £1 12s 0d 19 enamelled baking dishes, £2 10s 8d 34 salt cellars, £1 1s 3d 35 mugs, £2 16s 6d 50 half-pint cups and saucers, £1 5s 5d 222 pint cups and saucers, £4 5s 5d 15 enamelled water bottles with basins, £7 1s 0d Chinese porcelain, subtotal, £77 19s 8d 8 hundredweight 2 quarters 3 lb of candles, £45 2s 0d 125 pieces of chelloes, £54 16s 4d [...] of coffee, £1 9s 0d Carried forward, £5,808 15s 3d Interpretations The inventory divided the stock by origin into European goods and goods from India. Most manufactures, provisions and naval stores came from England and Ireland on the outward voyage, while arrack, porcelain, Indian cottons and coffee came from Asia on ships returning home. The division reflected St Helena's position on both legs of the Company's trade, and let the directors see how much of the island's stock depended on each route. The bushel, half-bushel and peck measures were the store's official standards for selling grain, peas and salt by volume. A peck was a quarter of a bushel. Holding measures of certified size protected both the Company and its customers against short measure, and they served as the island's reference standard in the absence of any separate office of weights and measures. The 1,808 gallons of arrack was the largest single stock by value among the Asian goods. Arrack was issued as drams to soldiers and workmen, supplied to the Company's table and ships and sold through the store, so a large reserve ensured that this customary allowance, and the discipline it helped maintain, would not be interrupted. |
173 | 166 | 18th October Brought over £7108 15s 3d Hosiers Ware India Cotton Stockings 16 Pr £4 4s 0d Pepper 251lb £5 15s 6d Rice and Paddy Vizt Rice 628C 1qr 21lb £279 6s 5d Paddy 430C 2qr 0lb £70 14s 4d £353 0s 9d Sugar and Candy Vizt Sugar 101C 2qr 10lb £245 1s 6d Candy 374C 2qr 16lb £874 3s 4d £1119 4s 10d Tea Vizt Bohea 2956lb £122 6s 8d Singlo 1218lb £76 2s 6d Congo 1573lb £98 8s 9d £296 17s 11d Sago 0C 0qr 7lb £0 4s 2d £7690 0s 3d Snows Materials Vizt Mast 18 Inches Diam 70 feet long 1 in number £21 7s 0d Boom 13 Inches Diam 56 Feet long 1 in number £6 10s 0d Top Mast 11 Inches Diam 32 Feet long 2 in number £6 1s 0d Fore Mast 15½ Inches Diam 49 Feet long 1 in number £7 10s 0d Bow Sprit 16 Do 34 Do 1 in number £7 0s 0d Top Mast 10 Do 31 Do 1 in number £2 10s 0d Top Sail Yard 7 Do 31 Do 1 in number £1 5s 0d Sprit Sail Yard 7 Do 32 Do 1 in number £1 5s 0d Gaff 7½ Do 26 Do 1 in number £1 5s 0d Jib boom 7½ Do 26 Do 1 in number £1 5s 0d Spar for 2 Top Gallant Mast 32 Do 1 in number £0 15s 7d Spars for 4 Steering Yards 25 Do 2 in number £1 2s 3d Do for a Sprit Sail Top Yard 24 Do 1 in number £0 13s 8d Oak Cheek for a Mast 1 in number £1 10s 3d Snows Materials Carried over £60 12s 8d | The inventory of goods from India remaining in the Company's warehouses on 30 September 1762 continued with stockings, spices, rice, sugar and tea, from a running total of £5,708 15s 3d. A list then followed of spars and masts held as materials for a snow. Balance brought forward, £5,708 15s 3d 16 pairs of Indian cotton stockings, £4 4s 0d 251 [...] of pepper, £5 15s 6d Rice and unhusked rice 628 hundredweight 1 quarter 21 lb of rice, £279 6s 5d 430 hundredweight 2 quarters 0 lb of unhusked rice, £70 14s 4d Rice and unhusked rice, subtotal, £353 0s 9d Sugar and sugar candy 101 hundredweight 2 quarters 10 lb of sugar, £245 1s 6d 374 hundredweight 2 quarters 16 lb of sugar candy, £874 3s 4d Sugar and sugar candy, subtotal, £1,119 4s 10d Tea 2,956 lb of Bohea tea, £122 6s 8d 1,218 lb of Singlo tea, £76 2s 6d 1,573 lb of Congou tea, £98 8s 9d Tea, subtotal, £296 17s 11d 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 7 lb of sago, £0 4s 2d Total, £7,690 0s 3d Materials for a snow 1 mast 18 inches in diameter and 70 feet long, £21 7s 0d 1 boom 13 inches in diameter and 56 feet long, £6 11s 0d 2 topmasts 11 inches in diameter and 32 feet long, £6 1s 0d 1 foremast 15½ inches in diameter and 49 feet long, £7 10s 0d 1 bowsprit 16 inches in diameter and 34 feet long, £7 0s 0d 1 topmast 10 inches in diameter and 31 feet long, £2 11s 0d 1 topsail yard 7 inches in diameter and 31 feet long, £1 5s 0d 1 spritsail yard 7 inches in diameter and 32 feet long, £1 5s 0d 1 gaff 7½ inches in diameter and 26 feet long, £1 5s 0d 1 jib boom 7½ inches in diameter and 26 feet long, £1 5s 0d 1 spar for 2 topgallant masts, 32 feet long, £0 15s 7d 2 spars for 2 studding-sail yards, 25 feet long, £1 2s 3d 1 spar for a spritsail topsail yard, 24 feet long, £0 13s 8d 1 oak cheek for a mast, £1 10s 3d Materials for a snow, carried forward, £60 12s 8d Interpretations The spars listed as materials for a snow made up almost a complete set of masts and yards for a two-masted vessel. They were perhaps held for the Mercury, whose refit took canvas, cordage and blocks from the stores during the same quarter, or were salvaged from a snow condemned at the island. Either way, the Company kept them as a single set, valued together, rather than breaking them up for other uses. A boom was the long spar along the foot of a fore-and-aft sail, and a gaff the spar along its head. The bowsprit projected forward from the bow to carry the headsails, and the jib boom extended it further. Studding sails were light sails set outside the square sails in fair winds, on their own small yards. A mast cheek was a shaped timber bolted to each side of the masthead to support the crosstrees and the topmast above. The sugar candy, at more than 374 hundredweight, was worth more than any other single item in the warehouses. Such a quantity far exceeded the island's needs and must have been taken off returning China ships, perhaps held for sale to passing vessels or for the Company's own account. Tea, sugar and rice together showed how heavily St Helena depended on Asian produce landed from homeward-bound ships. |
174 | 167 | 1762 Snows Materials Brought over £60 12s 8d Spars 48 Feet Long 4 in number £4 14s 6d Cordage 16C 1qr 7lb £29 9s 10d Half Barrels Gun Powder 20 in number £59 16s 8d £154 13s 8d St Helena 30th September 1762 Errors Excepted (Signed) John Skottowe Burling Counted and Examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of September last which is as follows vizt | The list of materials for a snow in the inventory of 30 September 1762 closed with spars, cordage and gunpowder, from a running total of £60 12s 2d. Materials for a snow, brought forward, £60 12s 2d 4 spars 48 feet long, £4 14s 6d 16 hundredweight 0 quarters 7 lb of cordage, £29 9s 10d 20 half-barrels of gunpowder, £59 16s 8d Materials for a snow, total, £154 13s 8d John Skottowe and Matthew Burling signed the inventory at St Helena on 30 September 1762, reserving the right to correct any errors found later. The Council then counted and examined the Company's cash for September 1762, and recorded the result in its minutes. Interpretations The Council's monthly count of the Company's cash complemented the annual inventory of stores. The treasury on St Helena held the coin used to pay the garrison and settle the island's accounts, and counting it each month against the Paymaster's and Storekeeper's records gave early warning of any shortfall. Together the two checks placed both money and goods under the direct scrutiny of the Council rather than leaving them to the officers who handled them. The 20 half-barrels of gunpowder listed among the snow's materials were perhaps the vessel's own magazine, landed for safekeeping while it lay at the island under refit. Storing a ship's powder ashore was standard practice during repairs, since work with fire and tools aboard made a loaded magazine a serious hazard. |
175 | 168 | 18 October Cash Dr 1762 Septr 1 To Balance Remaining £1954 15s 7d 29th To Ship Calcutta £8 15s 9d To Rents £50 9s 9d 30 To Exchange for a Set of Bills drawn upon the Honble the Court of Directors Payable to Captn John Clark £174 10s 1d To James Powell recd of him for Stores sold in the Quarter ending this Day £1288 11s 10d To Licences for 10 Publick Houses £15 0s 0d To Plantation for Provisions Sold £33 3s 6d £3525 7s 7d | The Council recorded the Company's cash account for September 1762, entered on 18 October 1762. The receipts side set out the money that came into the treasury during the month. Cash, receipts 1 September 1762, balance in hand, £1,954 15s 9d 29 September 1762, received from the ship Calcutta, £8 15s 9d. Received for rents, £509 9s 9d 30 September 1762, received in exchange for a set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to Captain John Clark, £374 10s 1d Received from James Powell for stores sold in the quarter ending that day, £1,288 11s 10d Received for licences for 10 public houses, £15 0s 0d Received from the plantation for provisions sold, £33 3s 6d Total, £4,245 2s 7d Interpretations The bills drawn on the Court of Directors were the chief means by which St Helena obtained coin. A ship's commander or passenger with cash on the island paid it into the treasury and received in return bills of exchange payable by the Company in London. Captain John Clark could thus send his money home safely on paper, while the island gained hard cash to pay its garrison without the Company having to ship coin out from England. The system turned passing ships into a source of currency for a colony that produced little to sell. Licensing public houses gave the Council control over the sale of drink and a small, steady revenue. Each licence could be granted, refused or withdrawn, which made the publicans answerable to the Council for order in their houses. The death of John Leach, a publican, reported on 18 October 1762, would have left one of these ten licences open for reassignment. The payment from the Calcutta was perhaps for provisions supplied to the ship, such as the 12 wethers put aboard during September 1762. The receipts from the Storekeeper's quarterly sales formed the largest item after the opening balance, confirming the store as the main source of the island's income. |
176 | 169 | 1762 Per Contra Cr 1762 Septr 30th By Snow Mercury Advanced the Governor to pay Wages &ca to several seamen of that Vessel and Advanced Captn Harold to purchase Stock at the Cape Vizt Advanced to purchase Stock £49 5s 7d to pay seamens Wages &ca £3 16s 7d £53 2s 2d By Sundry Accounts Advanced the pay master to pay Salarys &ca for the Quarter ending this day £3177 14s 6½d £3630 16s 8½d By Balance remg in the following Species Pagodas @ 8/ 12853 in number £5142 0s 0d Rupees @ 2/3 460 in number £51 15s 0d French @ 2 441 in number £3 18s 6d Doubl Ryals @ 4/3 10833 in number £677 1s 3d Odd Money £0 1s 1½d £5874 15s 10½d Cash Notes of no use amounting to £539 15s 0d £6414 5s 10½d £10045 2s 7d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The payments side of the Company's cash account for September 1762 set out the money paid from the treasury and the balance left in hand. 30 September 1762, charged to the snow Mercury, sums advanced to the Governor to pay wages and other dues to several of the vessel's seamen, and to Captain Hassell to buy livestock at the Cape: Advanced to buy livestock, £417 5s 7d Advanced to pay seamen's wages and other dues, £35 16s 7d Subtotal, £453 2s 2d Advanced to the Paymaster on various accounts to pay salaries and other charges for the quarter ending that day, £3,177 14s 6½d Subtotal of payments, £3,630 16s 8½d Balance remaining, held in the following coin 1,285½ pagodas at 8s each, £514 4s 0d 460 rupees at 2s 3d each, £51 15s 0d 44[...] French [...], £3 18s 6d 1,083⅓ double reals at 1s 3d each, £67 13s [...] Odd coins, £0 1s 1½d Coin, subtotal, £5[...] 10½d Cash notes of no value, amounting to £53 15s 0d Balance remaining, £614 5s 10½d Total, £4,245 2s 7d Governor Hutchinson signed the account with John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations The treasury held no English coin at all, only foreign money gathered from passing ships. Pagodas were gold coins minted in southern India, the standard currency of the Company's Madras presidency. Rupees were the silver coins of Mughal India, and double reals were Spanish silver pieces worth a quarter of a Spanish dollar. The Council fixed a sterling value for each coin, which let it keep its accounts in pounds while paying out whatever metal the ships had left behind. This mixture showed how completely the island's money supply depended on the Company's trade with Asia and on the bills of exchange that drew coin ashore. The advance to Captain Hassell to buy livestock at the Cape of Good Hope explained the Mercury's refit during the quarter. The Company was fitting out the snow to fetch cattle and sheep from the Dutch colony, supplementing the island's own herds, much as the 126 wethers brought from the Cape had arrived in September 1762. Paying the crew's wages from the island's treasury confirmed that the Mercury was working in the Company's service. The cash notes of no value were perhaps paper notes issued earlier on the island as small change, or bills that could not be redeemed, kept in the treasury because they had once been counted as money. Recording them separately stopped them inflating the balance, while preserving the record of a loss the directors would need to write off. |
177 | 170 | 26th October At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 26th Day of October 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lt Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 18th of October 1762 The Storekeeper brought in his Accounts of Waste upon store Goods for the Year ending the 30th September last. He declaring the same to be real and unavoidable We ordered it to be entered which is as follows vizt Profit & Loss Dr Lost by Leakage Wastage short Weight and Measure by drawing by the Gallon &ca and by Weighing by the Pound &ca in the Year ending the 30th September 1762 vizt Arrack 148¾ Gallons £24 11s 6d Brandy 23 Gallons £6 9s 4d Coffee 2lb £0 1s 2d Nails 0C 0qr 26¾lb £0 15s 4d Paddy 17C 3qr 3lb £3 6s 7d Sope 0C 2qr 16lb £2 6s 6d Sugar & Candy Vizt Sugar 7C 1qr 7lb £11 1s 10d Candy 2C 1qr 17lb £5 2s 11d £16 4s 9d Salt 7¼ Bushels £1 2s 4d Glass Ware Vizt Broke 10 by 12 4 Sq ft £0 3s 4d 10¼ by 18¼ 5 Sq ft £0 6s 8d Pint Decanter 1 in number £0 2s 10d £0 12s 10d Carried over £55 8s 4d | The Council met at the Castle on Tuesday 26 October 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 18 October 1762, approved it and signed it. James Powell, the Storekeeper, submitted his accounts of losses on the Company's stores for the year ending 30 September 1762. He declared that these losses were genuine and could not have been prevented. The Council ordered the accounts to be entered in its record. They charged to the Company's profit and loss account the goods lost through leakage, waste and the shortfall that arose when stock bought in bulk was sold by the gallon or weighed out by the pound. Losses charged to profit and loss for the year ending 30 September 1762 148¾ gallons of arrack, £24 11s 6d 23 gallons of brandy, £6 9s 4d 2 lb of coffee, £0 1s 2d 2¾ [...] of nails, £0 15s 4d 17 hundredweight 3 quarters 3 lb of unhusked rice, £3 6s 7d 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 16 lb of soap, £2 6s 6d Sugar and sugar candy 7 hundredweight 1 quarter 7 lb of sugar, £11 1s 10d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 17 lb of sugar candy, £5 2s 11d Sugar and sugar candy, subtotal, £16 4s 9d 7¼ bushels of salt, £1 2s 4d Glassware, broken 4 panes of glass, 10 by 12 inches, £0 5s 4d 5 panes of glass, 10½ by 18¾ inches, £0 6s 8d 1 pint decanter, £0 2s 10d Glassware, subtotal, £0 12s 10d Carried forward, £55 8s 4d Interpretations The Storekeeper's declaration was the formal step that released him from liability for goods he could not produce. Without it, any gap between the stock bought and the stock sold or in hand would fall on him personally. By accepting his statement that the losses were real and unavoidable, and charging them to profit and loss, the Council transferred the cost to the Company. The procedure placed the burden of proof on the officer while giving him a recognised way to clear his account of ordinary wastage. The losses followed predictable patterns. Arrack and brandy seeped and evaporated through the staves of casks over months in store, and the loss grew each time a cask was broached to draw off small quantities for sale. Sugar and salt absorbed or lost moisture, so their weight changed between purchase and sale, and every time goods bought by the hundredweight were weighed out by the pound, small shortfalls accumulated. Paddy lost weight as it dried and suffered from rats and insects. Such allowances were standard in trading accounts, but their size against the goods handled was the Council's measure of whether a storekeeper was careless or honest. |
178 | 171 | 1762 Brought over £55 8s 4d Paint Vizt Chocolate Colour 0C 0qr 3lb £0 1s 9d Pearl Colour 0C 0qr 21lb £0 8s 9d Olive Colour 0C 0qr 3lb £0 5s 3d Stone Colour 0C 0qr 6lb £0 2s 10d White Lead Mixed 0C 1qr 7lb £0 14s 7d Barrels Blacking broke 20 in number £0 10s 10d £2 4s 0d £57 12s 4d St Helena September the 30th 1762 E Excepted Pr James Powell Storekeeper Two Men Slaves who were under sentence of Death having on Thursday last broke Prison and made their escape. And the Sheriff offering a reward of £5 to any one who would take them Wishing to have them secured. Published the following Advertisement vizt Island St Helena 21st October 1762 Whereas Frank a Man slave late belonging to Stephen Young and Will a Man slave late of Sarah Phillips who were both under Sentence of Death did last Night break Prison and make their escape This is therefore to give Notice to all Persons whatsoever that shall apprehend the said two Criminals or either of them and bring him or them to John Price the Kings Jailer they shall receive a reward of £5 over and above that which has been Offered by the Sheriff for taking the said Felons And whosoever will discover any one that has been aiding or assisting the said Felons in making their escape shall receive a reward of 40 Shillings on due proof thereof And all Persons whatsoever are hereby strictly forbid to harbour Entertain Conceal or support in any respect Margin Notes: In the Book of Trials Frank & Will are said to have executed on 22 Oct | The losses on the Company's stores for the year ending 30 September 1762 continued with paint, from a running total of £55 0s 4d. Balance brought forward, £55 0s 4d Paint 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 3 lb of chocolate colour, £0 1s 9d 21 lb of pearl colour, £0 8s 9d 3 lb of olive green, £0 5s 3d 6 lb of stone colour, £0 2s 10d 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 7 lb of white lead ground in oil, £0 14s 7d 20 barrels of blacking, broken, £0 10s 10d Paint, subtotal, £2 4s 0d Total, £57 12s 4d James Powell, the Storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 30 September 1762, reserving the right to correct any errors found later. Two male slaves under sentence of death broke out of prison on Thursday 21 October 1762 and escaped. The Sheriff offered £5 0s 0d to anyone who captured them. The Council wanted the men retaken and published a notice, dated 21 October 1762, about the escape. The notice named the fugitives as Frank, a slave formerly owned by Stephen Young, and Will, a slave formerly owned by Sarah Knipe. Both had been condemned to death and broke out of prison the night before. Anyone who caught either man and delivered him to John Price, the King's jailer, would receive £5 0s 0d on top of the Sheriff's reward. Anyone who exposed a person who had helped the two escape would receive £2 0s 0d once the charge was proved. The notice also forbade everyone to shelter, hide or help the fugitives in any way. The Book of Trials recorded that Frank and Will were executed on 22 [...] 1762. Interpretations The Storekeeper's losses included 20 barrels of blacking broken in store. Blacking was a paste of lampblack or soot mixed with oil and wax, used to blacken leather and ironwork, and its casks were light and easily crushed when heavier goods were stacked on them. The two slaves were described as formerly belonging to their owners because a sentence of death ended the owner's claim. A condemned slave became, in effect, the property of the state, and owners in slave-holding colonies often received compensation for a slave executed under the law. The wording showed the Council treating Frank and Will as criminals answerable to the Company's justice rather than as private property to be returned to their masters. The reward for exposing anyone who had helped the fugitives, together with the ban on sheltering them, extended the Council's reach into the whole community. Slaves on St Helena could survive in hiding only with food and shelter from others, so offering money to informers and threatening those who gave help aimed to isolate the escapers completely. Frank's former owner, Stephen Young, was the father of the child Charlotte whose death was recorded on 18 October 1762. Speculations The Council did not leave the recapture to the Sheriff's offer of £5 0s 0d, which would have been the ordinary course, but matched it with a second reward of equal size and added a further sum for informers. Doubling the reward pointed to real alarm at condemned men at large on a small island, where escaped slaves were feared as a threat to settlers and a dangerous example to other slaves. The Council's speed in publishing the notice on the day of the escape, and the recorded execution soon afterwards, suggested that recapturing the men quickly mattered more to it than the cost of the rewards. |
179 | 172 | 26th October the said Felons or either of them on pain of being prosecuted for such their Offence as the Law directs Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 1st Day of November 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Govr John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Govr Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 26th October 1762 The Accomptant reports that the Honorable Companys Books of Accounts are Balanced to the 30th September last. We ordered them to be Copied as fast as Possible Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council's notice about the escaped slaves Frank and Will closed by warning that anyone who sheltered, hid or helped either man would be prosecuted under the law. Governor Hutchinson and the councillors signed the record of the meeting of 26 October 1762. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick The Council met at the Castle on Monday 1 November 1762. The Governor presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 26 October 1762, approved it and signed it. The Accountant reported that the Company's account books were balanced up to 30 September 1762. The Council ordered copies to be made as quickly as possible. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations The copies were for the Court of Directors in London, which required every outpost to send duplicate accounts by the next available ship. Speed mattered because ships calling at St Helena on the homeward route could not be kept waiting, and missing one might delay the accounts by months. The directors relied on these copies to check how the island's money and stores were spent, so the local books were only half of the accountability system. The Accountant was Matthew Burling, who sat on the Council and drew separate pay for keeping the books. He therefore reported on the balancing of the accounts to a body of which he was a member, and the same body ordered their copying. The Council's scrutiny rested on the honesty of its own members, with the directors' distant review as the only outside check. |
180 | 173 | 8th November At a Consultation held on Monday the 8th Day of November 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 1st November 1762 The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of October last were this Day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follow (Viz) Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of October 1762 vizt Bottles Port 13 in number £1 19s 6d Do Lisbon 30 in number £2 5s 0d Do Mountain 16 in number £1 4s 0d Do Arrack 68 in number £3 3s 4½d Do Beer 32 in number £0 8s 8d Flour 345lb £2 3s 1½d Fresh Beef 95lb £1 3s 9d Salt Pork 1 Ps £0 2s 10½d Fresh Pork 23lb £0 11s 6d Salt Pork 10 Ps £1 5s 5d Mutton 229lb £4 15s 5d Goat 75lb £1 5s 0d Kidds 2 in number £0 10s 0d Fowls 8 in number £0 12s 0d Ducks 5 in number £0 7s 6d Geese 2 in number £0 10s 0d Turkeys 4 in number £1 0s 0d Fresh Butter 43½lb £2 3s 6d Candy 107lb £1 15s 2d £26 6s 4½d | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 8 November 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 1 November 1762, approved it and signed it. The accounts of the plantation, the Master Gunner and the Steward for October 1762 were presented. The Council examined and approved them and entered them in its record. The first set out the provisions used at the Company's table during October 1762. Provisions used at the Company's table, October 1762 13 bottles of port, £1 19s 6d 30 bottles of Lisbon wine, £2 5s 0d 16 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 4s 0d 62 bottles of arrack, £3 3s 4½d 32 bottles of beer, £0 8s 8d 345 lb of flour, £2 3s 11½d 95 lb of fresh beef, £1 3s 9d 1 piece of salt pork, £0 2s 10½d 23 lb of fresh pork, £0 11s 6d 10 pieces of salt pork, £1 5s 5d 229 lb of mutton, £4 15s 5d 75 lb of goat meat, £1 5s 0d 2 kids, £0 10s 0d 7 chickens, £0 19s 0d 5 ducks, £0 7s 6d 2 geese, £0 10s 0d 4 turkeys, £1 0s 0d 43½ lb of fresh butter, £2 3s 6d 107 lb of sugar candy, £1 15s 2d Total, £26 6s 4½d Interpretations The Company's table drew much of its fresh meat from the Company's own herds and flocks. Mutton, goat, kid, beef and poultry matched the animals recorded as slaughtered in the livestock account for September 1762, when 21 wethers, 11 goats and numbers of chickens, ducks and turkeys were killed. Fresh meat was largely reserved for the Governor's table and the sick, while the garrison and slaves ate salt provisions, so the livestock account and the table account together showed who on the island ate fresh food. The three wines reflected the trade between England and Portugal's Atlantic ports. Port was a fortified red wine from the Douro valley, Lisbon a white wine from the country around that city, and Mountain a sweet wine from the hills near Málaga in Spain. All three kept well on long voyages and were the standard wines of English households of the period. Fresh butter, at about 1s a pound, was among the dearest items on the table, since dairying on the island was small in scale. |
181 | 174 | Account of Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of October 1762 Vizt Neat Cattle Sheep Goats Hogs Poultry Horses Asses Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 60, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 32, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 258, Sheep Ewes 275, Sheep Weathers 209, Sheep Lambs 153, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 645, Goats Ewes 136, Goats Weathers 20, Goats Kids 71, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 236, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 91, Poultry Ducks 23, Poultry Turkeys 35, Poultry Geese 16, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 4, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 4, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 11, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 11, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 3, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 3, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 17, Poultry Ducks 24, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 1, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 64, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 32, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 262, Sheep Ewes 275, Sheep Weathers 209, Sheep Lambs 164, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 656, Goats Ewes 136, Goats Weathers 20, Goats Kids 74, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 239, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 108, Poultry Ducks 47, Poultry Turkeys 35, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 31, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 31, Goats Ewes 1, Goats Weathers 4, Goats Kids 2, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 7, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 8, Poultry Ducks 5, Poultry Turkeys 4, Poultry Geese 2, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 2, Sheep Lambs 3, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 5, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 7, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Sent on Board the Mercury Snow and Sly Cutter & Table: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 2, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 2, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 0, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaining 31st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 64, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 30, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 260, Sheep Ewes 275, Sheep Weathers 176, Sheep Lambs 161, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 620, Goats Ewes 135, Goats Weathers 16, Goats Kids 72, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 232, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 93, Poultry Ducks 42, Poultry Turkeys 31, Poultry Geese 15, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Yam Expended 23110lb Do for the Stock 6880lb 29990lb (Sigd) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 8th November | The Company's account of its cattle and other livestock on St Helena for October 1762 recorded the herds and flocks at the start and end of the month. John Skottowe signed the copy entered in the register on 8 November 1762. Stock in hand on 1 October 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 60 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 32 steers, 13 oxen, total 258 Sheep: 275 ewes, 209 wethers, 153 lambs, 8 rams, total 645 Goats: 136 nannies, 20 castrated billies, 71 kids, 9 billies, total 236 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 91 chickens, 23 ducks, 35 turkeys, 16 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Births during the month Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 4 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 4 Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 11 lambs, 0 rams, total 11 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 3 kids, 0 billies, total 3 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 17 chickens, 24 ducks, 0 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Total stock for the month Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 64 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 32 steers, 13 oxen, total 262 Sheep: 275 ewes, 209 wethers, 164 lambs, 8 rams, total 656 Goats: 136 nannies, 20 castrated billies, 74 kids, 9 billies, total 239 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 108 chickens, 47 ducks, 35 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Slaughtered Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 0 ewes, 31 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 31 Goats: 1 nanny, 4 castrated billies, 2 kids, 0 billies, total 7 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 8 chickens, 5 ducks, 4 turkeys, 2 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Died Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 0 ewes, 2 wethers, 3 lambs, 0 rams, total 5 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 0 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 7 chickens, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Sent aboard the snow Mercury and the Fly cutter and to the Company's table: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 2 steers, 0 oxen, total 2 Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 0 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 0 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 0 chickens, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Stock in hand on 31 October 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 64 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 30 steers, 13 oxen, total 260 Sheep: 275 ewes, 176 wethers, 161 lambs, 8 rams, total 620 Goats: 135 nannies, 16 castrated billies, 72 kids, 9 billies, total 232 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 93 chickens, 42 ducks, 31 turkeys, 15 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Yams used, 23,110 lb Yams fed to livestock, 6,880 lb Total yams consumed, 29,990 lb Interpretations The slaughter of wethers rose from 21 in September 1762 to 31 in October, while no fresh sheep arrived from the Cape to replace them. The flock of wethers therefore fell from 209 to 176 in a month. The heavier kill matched the demands recorded elsewhere that month: 229 lb of mutton went to the Company's table in October, and the Mercury and the Fly cutter were being provisioned for sea. The 126 wethers landed from the Cape in September had been bought for exactly this purpose, and the Company was now drawing them down, which explained why it advanced money for Captain Hassell to buy more livestock at the Cape. Lambing slowed sharply, with 11 lambs born against 46 in September, as the main spring lambing on the island passed its peak. Ducks moved the other way, with 24 hatched in October, since poultry bred most freely as the southern-hemisphere spring warmed. The account for October omitted the month-end regrading by age and class that closed the September return, so animals kept their earlier classification until the next recount. The two steers sent to the Mercury, the Fly cutter and the Company's table were the only cattle to leave the herd. The Company kept its beef cattle largely intact and relied on sheep, goats and poultry for fresh meat, since a steer took years to rear on the island's limited pasture while sheep bred and fattened far faster. Yam consumption fell from 37,145 lb in September 1762 to 29,990 lb in October, both for people and for livestock. The drop perhaps reflected the end of the yam harvest, as stored roots ran lower and other food took up more of the ration, though the account itself gave no reason. |
182 | 175 | 1762 Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of October 1762 Guns Fired, 4lb, 3lb, 2lb, Powder Expended 3 Departed the Calcutta Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 9, Powder Expended 9lb Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 18lb 25 Fired for the Kings Accession to the Throne: Guns Fired 21, 4lb 2, 3lb 1, 2lb 18, Powder Expended 238lb Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 38lb Fired with Small Arms for Do: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 212lb Powder for Compleating ye Muskett Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 28lb Do for the Funeral of Lewis Rowe Soldr: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 24lb Do for Shooting Goats on Mundens Point Hill: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 14lb Do for Blowing Lime Stone at Sandy Bay: Guns Fired 0, 4lb 0, 3lb 0, 2lb 0, Powder Expended 84lb Total: Guns Fired 30, 4lb 2, 3lb 1, 2lb 27, Powder Expended [...]lb Tallow for the use of the Long Boat 2lb Do for the use of the Cart 1lb Paper for making Cannon Cartridges 4 Qrs Do for making Muskett Do 4 Qrs Lead Shot for Shooting Goats on Mundens Point Hill 0qr 12lb (Signed) Thos Hall The Executors to the last will and Testament of John Leech Publican deceased this Day presented the said Will desiring the same might be proved which was accordingly done upon the Oaths of the Witnesses thereto the Will is as follows Viz Island St Helena In the Name of God Amen I John Leech of the said Island being Lord be praised in good bodily health and of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding but considering the uncertainty of Life and certainty of Death Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following Imprimis My Soul I recommend into the Hands of Almighty God who gave it and my Body to the Earth to be decently interr'd hoping through the Merits | The garrison recorded the artillery stores it used during October 1762, listing each occasion guns were fired and the powder spent. The gun columns were headed 4 lb, 3 lb and 2 lb, and powder was counted in pounds and ounces. Artillery stores used in October 1762 3 October 1762, salute returned on the departure of the Calcutta: 9 guns fired (0 under 4 lb, 0 under 3 lb, 9 under 2 lb), 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder 25 October 1762, salute for the anniversary of the King's accession: 21 guns fired (2 under 4 lb, 1 under 3 lb, 18 under 2 lb), 23 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 3 lb 8 oz of powder Volley of small arms for the King's accession: 0 guns fired, 21 lb 12 oz of powder Powder for making up the musket cartridges at the main guard: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for the funeral of Lewis Rowe, soldier: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for shooting goats on Munden's Point Hill: 0 guns fired, 1 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for blasting limestone at Sandy Bay: 0 guns fired, 84 lb of powder Total: 30 guns fired, 2 under 4 lb, 1 under 3 lb, 27 under 2 lb, 149 lb 8 oz of powder Tallow for the longboat: 2 lb Tallow for the cart: 1 [...] Paper for making cannon cartridges: 4 quires Paper for making musket cartridges: 4 quires Lead shot for shooting goats on Munden's Point Hill: 12 oz Thomas Hall signed the return, and this copy was entered in the register. The executors of John Leach, a publican who had died, presented his will to the Council and asked for it to be proved. The Council granted probate after the witnesses to the will confirmed it on oath. Leach declared that he was in good health and of sound mind when he made the will, but that he had considered how uncertain life was and how certain death. He commended his soul to God and asked for his body to receive a decent burial, trusting in God's mercy for his salvation. Interpretations The salute of 21 guns on 25 October 1762 marked the anniversary of George III's accession to the throne on that day in 1760. Such royal anniversaries were kept with gunfire and volleys of musketry across British garrisons. On an island run by a private trading company, the ceremony affirmed that the garrison and settlers owed allegiance to the Crown as well as to the Company. Powder issued for the funeral of Lewis Rowe paid for the volleys fired over a soldier's grave, a military honour given even to private men. Rowe's death on 17 October 1762 had been reported to the Council the following day, and his pay for the quarter already stood on the garrison's roll. Shooting goats on Munden's Point Hill pointed to feral goats living wild on the island's cliffs. Goats had been loose on St Helena since the sixteenth century and did great damage to its vegetation and pastures. Culling them protected the Company's grazing, and the meat supplemented the table. Probate, the legal proof of a will, was granted by the Council acting as the island's court. Confirming the will on the witnesses' oaths allowed the executors to settle Leach's debts and distribute his property, and freed his public house licence for the Council to reassign. |
183 | 176 | 8th November Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ my blessed Redeemer to be made Partaker of Eternal Happiness And as to that worldly Estate it hath pleased God to bless me with I give and dispose of the same in manner and form following that is to say Item I will and desire that all my just Debts and Funeral Expences be fully paid and satisfied immediately or as soon after my Decease as conveniently may be by my Executors hereafter named Item I give devise and bequeath unto Richard Harper Son of Thomas Harper Inht of the aforesaid Island All that my Messuage or dwelling house with the Appurtenances lying in St James's Valley in the said Island to him his Heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath unto Ann Harper Daughter of the said Thomas Harper my Black man Slave named Cesar to her and her heirs for Ever Item I do hereby Manumit and make free from Slavery my Black man named Emanuel and do Order and direct my Executors immediately or as soon after my Decease as conveniently may be to pay unto him the sum of Five pounds in remembrance of his past services Item all the rest residue and remainder of my Estate both Real and Personal whatsoever and wheresoever I Give Devise and bequeath unto my three Neices Sarah Harper Ann Chamberlain and Elinor Shelby to them their Heirs and Assigns for Ever to be equally divided amongst them share and share alike And lastly I do hereby nominate Constitute and appoint Thomas Harper and Nathan Sampell both of the aforesaid Island Gentlemen Executors to this my last Will and Testament And I do hereby revoke annul & and make void all former and other Wills and Testaments by me at any time heretofore made Declaring this to be my only last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal this Nineteenth day of March In the Year of our Lord Christ One thousand seven hundred and Sixty two Signed Sealed Published and declared by the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament In presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our Names as witnesses at request of & in presence of the said Testator and of each other (Signed) John his Leech Mark LS (Signed) Charles Gissing Jonathan Chandler | John Leach's will went on to express his hope of eternal happiness through the merits of Jesus Christ, and then disposed of the property God had given him. He told his executors to pay all his lawful debts and funeral costs promptly after his death. Leach left his house in St James's Valley, with everything belonging to it, to Richard Harper, the son of Thomas Harper, a settler on the island, and to Richard's heirs for ever. He left his male slave Exeter to Thomas Harper's daughter Ann Harper and her heirs for ever. Leach freed his male slave Emanuel. He also told his executors to pay Emanuel £5 0s 0d, as soon as they could after his death, in recognition of his past service. Leach left the rest of his property, of every kind, to his three nieces, Sarah Harper, Ann Chamberlain and Elinor Shelby, and their heirs, to be shared equally among them. He appointed Thomas Harper and Nathan Sample, both of St Helena, as his executors. He cancelled every earlier will and declared this one his last. Leach made the will on 19 March 1762, marking it with a cross in place of a signature and adding his seal. Charles Gissing and Jonathan Chandler witnessed his signing in his presence and in the presence of each other. Interpretations Leach signed with a mark, which showed he could not write. A publican could run a licensed house and accumulate property without literacy, relying on others to keep accounts and draw up documents. The will itself, with its formal clauses, would have been written for him by a clerk or a literate neighbour. Manumission by will was the commonest way slaves gained freedom in British colonies, since owners could free a slave at death without losing his labour in life. The payment of £5 0s 0d gave Emanuel a small start as a free man on an island where the Company controlled almost all paid work. Leaving Exeter to a young girl, by contrast, passed him on as property to her and her heirs, placing him in the hands of a family rather than a single master. The will drew on a tight network of island families. The Harpers received the house, a slave and a third of the remainder through Sarah Harper, and Thomas Harper acted as executor. The Mrs Harper who sold lemons to the Company's table was perhaps of the same household. Nathan Sample was the Chief Gunner's Mate on the artillery roll, and Jonathan Chandler a private in the Fourth Company. Charles Gissing had received rent from the Company for rooms during the same quarter. Soldiers, settlers and publicans moved in the same small circle, witnessing and executing one another's wills. St James's Valley was the site of Jamestown, the island's only town. A house there, close to the landing place and the Castle, was the most valuable kind of property a settler could own, which explained why Leach gave it pride of place in his bequests. Speculations Leach treated his two slaves in opposite ways. The usual course would have been to pass both on with the rest of his estate or leave them to be sold for his nieces' benefit. Instead he freed Emanuel with a cash gift in recognition of past service, while bequeathing Exeter to Ann Harper. The reward named for Emanuel's service suggested a long personal bond, perhaps as his helper in running the public house, which Leach chose to repay with freedom rather than let pass to heirs who owed Emanuel nothing. |
184 | 177 | 1762 The Executors likewise produced an Inventory of his Effects appraised by Messrs Roderick Merchant and Matthew Bazett Junr who being duly Sworn that they valued the same to best of their Judgment and the Executors that they produced every article it was ordered to be entered in the Book kept for that purpose Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 15th Day of November 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 8th of November 1762 Mr Adam Sheriff and Mr David More Mates of the Sly Cutter representing to us that the two Months pay in no they receive here was not Sufficient to support them and requesting to have four Months Wages advanced them We agreed to it and paid Mr Sheriff Twenty Pounds and Mr More Sixteen Pounds for their better support Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of October last which is as follows Vizt | John Leach's executors also presented an inventory of his belongings, valued by Roderick Merchant and Matthew Bazett junior. The two valuers swore that they had priced the goods as fairly as they could judge, and the executors swore that they had listed every item. The Council ordered the inventory to be entered in the register kept for that purpose. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick The Council met at the Castle on Monday 15 November 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 8 November 1762, approved it and signed it. Adam Shireff and David More, the mates of the Fly cutter, told the Council that the two months' pay they received in advance on the island did not cover their living costs. They asked for four months' wages in advance instead. The Council agreed and paid £20 0s 0d to Shireff and £16 0s 0d to More so they could support themselves. The Council then counted and examined the Company's cash for October 1762 and recorded the result. Interpretations The sworn valuation of Leach's belongings protected both his creditors and his heirs. Independent valuers under oath prevented the executors from understating the estate to their own advantage, and the executors' oath that they had listed everything guarded against goods being hidden. Keeping such inventories in a separate register gave the Council a permanent record against which any later dispute could be settled. An advance on wages placed the mates in debt to the Company until they worked it off. It supported them in the meantime on an island where prices at the store were high, but it also bound them to remain in the Company's service, since leaving early would mean repaying money already spent. Speculations The standard practice allowed the Fly cutter's mates two months' pay in advance, and the Council could simply have held to it. Instead it doubled the advance on the mates' own plea that the usual sum did not meet their costs. The decision perhaps reflected how hard it was to find and keep competent seamen on St Helena, where the cutter was essential for watching the approaches and serving passing ships. Letting the mates leave through hardship would have cost the Company more than lending them their own future wages. |
185 | 178 | Cash Dr 1762 Octr 1 To Balance remaining £6414 5s 10½d Per Contra Cr 1762 Octr 31st By Balance remaining in the following Species vizt Pagodas @ 8/ 12855 in number £5142 0s 0d Rupees @ 2/3 460 in number £51 15s 0d French pr 2 441 in number £3 13s 6d Doub Ryals 10833 in number £677 1s 3d Odd Money £0 1s 1½d £5874 10s 10½d Cash Notes of no Use Amounting to £539 15s 0d £6414 5s 10½d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick Margin Notes: 15th November | The Company's cash account for October 1762 showed the treasury's balance unchanged over the month. Governor Hutchinson and the Council signed it at their meeting of 15 November 1762. Cash, receipts 1 October 1762, balance in hand, £6,414 5s 10½d Cash, payments and balance 31 October 1762, balance remaining, held in the following coin 12,855 pagodas at 8s each, £5,142 0s 0d 460 rupees at 2s 3d each, £51 15s 0d 441 French pieces at [...], £3 13s 6d 10,833 double reals, £677 1s 3d Odd coins, £0 1s 1½d Coin, subtotal, £5,874 10s 10½d Cash notes of no value, amounting to £539 15s 0d Total, £6,414 5s 10½d Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations The treasury recorded no receipts and no payments at all in October 1762, so the balance at the end of the month matched the opening balance exactly. The Paymaster had drawn his cash for the garrison's pay at the close of the September quarter, and the Storekeeper paid his takings in only at the quarter's end. Between these settlements the treasury chest stayed closed, and the monthly count served simply to confirm that nothing had gone missing. The cash notes of no value amounted to more than £539, close to a tenth of the whole balance. Carrying so large a sum as a dead item year after year kept the loss visible in the Company's books until the directors in London authorised it to be written off, since the Council had no power to cancel it on its own. |
186 | 179 | 22nd November At a Consultation held on Monday the 22nd day of November 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed Dated the 15th November 1762 Friday the 19th Died John Taylor Soldier We this Day Granted a Lease to Mr Jonathan Doveton for the small piece of Ground he Petitioned for in Consultation of the 18th of last Month for which he is to pay three Shillings pr Annum Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 29th Day of November 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated 22d November 1762 Wednesday the 24th Sailed the Sly Cutter John Shelby this Day Petitioned for a small piece of the Honble Companys Waste Ground lying in this Valley | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 22 November 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 15 November 1762, approved it and signed it. They noted the death of John Taylor, a soldier, on Friday 19 November 1762. The Council granted Jonathan Doveton a lease of the small plot of ground he had asked for at the meeting of 18 October 1762. He was to pay a rent of 3s 0d a year. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick The Council met again at the Castle on Monday 29 November 1762, with the Governor, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 22 November 1762, approved it and signed it. They noted that the Fly cutter sailed on Wednesday 24 November 1762. John Shelby put a petition before the Council at the meeting for a small plot of the Company's unused land in the valley. Interpretations The rent of 3s 0d a year was a quitrent, too small to bring the Company real income. Its purpose was to acknowledge that the land still belonged to the Company, which leased rather than sold it. A lease on these terms let Doveton build his stable while leaving the Company free to reclaim the ground if he broke its conditions or failed to pay. The Council had ordered the plot to be inspected before deciding, and the grant followed about five weeks later. The delay reflected the care taken over building ground in the valley, where every plot near the town had value and a poorly placed structure could obstruct roads, water channels or neighbours. Two soldiers named John Taylor, senior and junior, served in the First Company, so the entry did not show which of them died. The Fly cutter sailed a little over a week after the Council advanced four months' wages to its mates, which suggested the advance was made to settle them before a voyage. |
187 | 180 | 29th November Ordered the said Ground to be Viewed Manuel Jose a Portuguese who was left here sick out of the Ship Calcutta this Day presented the last Will and Testament (with a Translation in English) of John Frettiss another Portuguese left here out of the aforesaid Ship desiring the same might be proved which was accordingly done upon the oaths of the Witnesses thereto the Will and Translation are as follows viz Santa Lena à 20 ottobre 1762 Testamento di Giovanni Frettiss di Nazzione Portoghese della Terra nominata Isola de Terceri pr Linea al Norde il quale trovandosi al servizzio della Onorata Compagnia delle Vestinge Colla Nazzione Brittanica nel Bastimento nominato il Callicota Capitano Giorgio Tomson Cadeamalato à bordo dove pr al presente si Trova in questo Ospedale di Sta Lena Il medemo Giovanno Frettiss si dichiara e dice che morando e non avendo nessuna persona piu prossima peredilara quel poco che si trova sia in Fatto come anche la paga che li devara la Compagnia di Londra Chiama pr suo erede Manuel Jose suo patrizzio Colla dichiarazzione de i sotto Scritti Testemonie pr non saperare il medemo scrivere si firmaga di sua mano con una Crocea + marca di Gno Frettiss John Arkinstall Biagio Belli St Helena October 20th 1762 Testament of John Frettiss Belonging to the Island of Terceri in the Kingdom of Portugal to the northward of the Line having served the Honorable East India Company of England on the Ship called Calcutta Captn George Tomson Commander But falling Sick on board the said Ship I was sent to the Hospital of St Helena I the said John Frettiss declare and say that if I should Die I had no other nigher Person to bequeath my Effects to (such as Cloaths and Wages due to me) from the East India Company at London I call Manuel Jose my Countryman with a | The Council ordered John Shelby's requested plot in the valley to be inspected before deciding. Manuel Jose, a Portuguese seaman left sick on the island by the ship Calcutta, came before the Council at the meeting. He presented the will of John Frettiss, another Portuguese seaman put ashore from the same ship, together with an English translation, and asked for it to be proved. The Council granted probate after the witnesses confirmed it on oath. The will, written in Italian, was dated at St Helena on 20 October 1762. It stated that Frettiss came from the island of Terceira, north of the Equator, and served the East India Company with the English aboard the Calcutta under Captain George Tomson. He fell ill on board and was lying in the hospital on St Helena. Frettiss declared that he had no closer relative to inherit his few possessions or the wages owed to him by the Company in London. He named Manuel Jose, a fellow native of his island, as his heir. Since he could not write, he marked the will with a cross before the two witnesses, John Arkingstall and Biagio Belli. The English translation, dated the same day, set out the same terms. It described Frettiss as coming from Terceira in the kingdom of Portugal and as sent to the island's hospital after falling sick aboard the Calcutta. It confirmed that his property consisted of his clothes and the wages due to him from the Company in London, and that he chose his countryman Manuel Jose to receive them. Interpretations The East India Company's ships carried many foreign seamen, recruited in ports along the route to make up crews thinned by death and desertion. Portuguese sailors from the Azores were common in Atlantic shipping, and Terceira lay on the sea lanes between Europe and the south. Frettiss's wages were not paid until the end of a voyage, at East India House in London, so a sailor who died on the way home had to name an heir in writing for the money to be claimed. Proving the will before the Council gave Manuel Jose a document the Company would accept in London. Without an official record from the island, his claim to his countryman's wages would have rested on his word alone. The formal probate turned a sick seaman's cross on a sheet of paper into an enforceable right against the Company's paymasters. The will was drawn up in Italian, perhaps by Biagio Belli, who probably wrote it for Frettiss as a speaker of a related language on an English-speaking island. The second witness, John Arkingstall, was a private soldier in the First Company. Captain George Tomson was the same commander paid by the Company for rice and for carrying invalided soldiers during the September quarter. |
188 | 181 | 1762 Declaration of the same and likewise left it to his discretion to disburse some Money to the Clergy to Pray for my Soul In the presence of the Witnesses I being not able to Write make my mark with a Cross Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 6th Day of December 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated 29th November 1762 We this Day Granted a Lease to John Shelby for the small piece of Ground he Petitioned for in Consultation of the 29 of last Month for which he is to pay three Shillings pr Annum Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The English translation of John Frettiss's will went on to confirm Manuel Jose as his heir. It left it to Manuel Jose's judgement to give some of the money to priests to pray for Frettiss's soul. Frettiss, who could not write, marked the will with a cross before the witnesses. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick The Council met at the Castle on Monday 6 December 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 29 November 1762, approved it and signed it. The Council granted John Shelby a lease of the small plot he had asked for at the meeting of 29 November 1762. He was to pay a rent of 3s 0d a year. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations Frettiss's wish that money be spent on prayers for his soul reflected Catholic belief in masses for the dead, which were held to shorten the soul's time in purgatory. The Council, representing a Protestant company on an island served by an Anglican chaplain, proved the will without objection. Its concern was the orderly transfer of the dead man's property and wages, and it left the religious provisions to the heir's discretion and conscience. John Shelby received the same terms as Jonathan Doveton, a lease at a nominal rent of 3s 0d a year. Applying a standard rent to small plots of unused land in the valley gave the Council a consistent way of licensing building ground while keeping ownership with the Company. |
189 | 182 | 13th December At a Consultation held on Monday the 13th Day of December 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 6th December 1762 The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of November last were this Day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follows Vizt Sundry's Expended at the Honorable Company's Table in the Month of November 1762 vizt Bottles of Port Wine 12 in number £0 18s 0d Do Lisbon 17 in number £1 5s 6d Do Mountain 15 in number £1 2s 6d Do Arrack 62 in number £2 17s 9½d Do Beer 20 in number £0 5s 5d Flour 314lb £1 19s 3d Fresh Pork 40lb £1 0s 0d Salt Pork 8 Ps £1 0s 4d Mutton 213lb £4 8s 9d Goat 92lb £1 10s 8d Kid 1 in number £0 5s 0d Fowls 13 in number £0 19s 6d Ducks 5 in number £0 7s 6d Goose 1 in number £0 5s 0d Fresh Butter 38½lb £1 12s 3d Candy 97lb £1 12s 4d Cape Mutton 94½lb £1 19s 4½d Veal 79lb £1 19s 6d Turkeys 3 in number £0 15s 0d £26 9s 8d | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 13 December 1762. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 6 December 1762, approved it and signed it. The accounts of the plantation, the Master Gunner and the Steward for November 1762 were presented. The Council examined and approved them and entered them in its record. The first set out the provisions used at the Company's table during November 1762. Provisions used at the Company's table, November 1762 12 bottles of port, £0 18s 0d 17 bottles of Lisbon wine, £1 5s 6d 15 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 2s 6d 62 bottles of arrack, £2 17s 9½d 20 bottles of beer, £0 5s 5d 314 lb of flour, £1 19s 3d 40 lb of fresh pork, £1 0s 0d 8 pieces of salt pork, £1 0s 4d 213 lb of mutton, £4 8s 9d 92 lb of goat meat, £1 10s 8d 1 kid, £0 5s 0d 13 chickens, £0 19s 6d 5 ducks, £0 7s 6d 1 goose, £0 5s 0d 38½ lb of fresh butter, £1 12s 3d 97 lb of sugar candy, £1 12s 4d 94½ lb of Cape mutton, £1 19s 4½d 79 lb of veal, £1 19s 6d 3 turkeys, £0 15s 0d Total, £26 9s 8d Interpretations The table's total barely moved from October 1762, when it came to £26 6s 4½d, although the mix of food changed. Wine and beer fell, with Lisbon wine down from 30 bottles to 17 and beer from 32 to 20, while arrack held steady at 62 bottles. Fresh beef, 95 lb in October, disappeared entirely, and veal and Cape mutton appeared in its place. The near-identical totals suggested that the Governor's table ran to a customary monthly allowance, with the Steward varying what he served within it. Cape mutton was entered separately from the island's own mutton, which showed the Company keeping the sheep bought at the Cape of Good Hope distinct from its home-bred flock. The 126 wethers landed from the Cape in September 1762 were still being killed, and the Company perhaps valued their meat differently. The advance made on 30 September 1762 for Captain Hassell to buy more livestock at the Cape pointed to further supplies on the way. The 79 lb of veal came from the herd's calves, of which there were 64 at the end of October 1762. Killing calves for the table ran against the Company's usual care to build up its cattle, which it spared almost entirely in October. Its appearance in November perhaps reflected a bull calf surplus to breeding needs, since only a few bulls were kept and steers were reared chiefly for draught and ship provisions. |
190 | 183 | Account of the Honorable Company's Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of November 1762 Vizt Neat Cattle Sheep Goats Hogs Poultry Horses Asses Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 64, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 30, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 260, Sheep Ewes 275, Sheep Weathers 176, Sheep Lambs 161, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 620, Goats Ewes 135, Goats Weathers 16, Goats Kids 72, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 232, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 93, Poultry Ducks 42, Poultry Turkeys 31, Poultry Geese 15, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 4, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 4, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 2, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 2, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 12, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 12, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 18, Poultry Ducks 24, Poultry Turkeys 10, Poultry Geese 4, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 68, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 30, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 264, Sheep Ewes 275, Sheep Weathers 176, Sheep Lambs 163, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 622, Goats Ewes 135, Goats Weathers 16, Goats Kids 84, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 244, Hogs Sows 5, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 35, Poultry Fowls 111, Poultry Ducks 66, Poultry Turkeys 41, Poultry Geese 19, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 1, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 1, Sheep Ewes 2, Sheep Weathers 19, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 21, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 5, Goats Kids 1, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 6, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 13, Poultry Ducks 5, Poultry Turkeys 3, Poultry Geese 1, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 1, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 1, Sheep Ewes 2, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 2, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 4, Goats Ewes 1, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 1, Hogs Sows 1, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 1, Poultry Fowls 1, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Sent on board the Sly Cutter: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 2, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 2, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaining 30th: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 66, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 30, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 262, Sheep Ewes 271, Sheep Weathers 155, Sheep Lambs 161, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 595, Goats Ewes 134, Goats Weathers 11, Goats Kids 83, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 237, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 34, Poultry Fowls 97, Poultry Ducks 61, Poultry Turkeys 38, Poultry Geese 18, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 2, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 3 Girls Born Rebecca Betty Margaret Yam Expended 24150lb (Signed) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 1762 | The Company's account of its cattle and other livestock on St Helena for November 1762 recorded the herds and flocks at the start and end of the month. John Skottowe signed the copy entered in the register. Stock in hand on 1 November 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 64 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 30 steers, 13 oxen, total 260 Sheep: 275 ewes, 176 wethers, 161 lambs, 8 rams, total 620 Goats: 135 nannies, 16 castrated billies, 72 kids, 9 billies, total 232 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 93 chickens, 42 ducks, 31 turkeys, 15 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Births during the month Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 4 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 4 Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 2 lambs, 0 rams, total 2 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 12 kids, 0 billies, total 12 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 18 chickens, 24 ducks, 10 turkeys, 4 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Total stock for the month Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 68 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 30 steers, 13 oxen, total 264 Sheep: 275 ewes, 176 wethers, 163 lambs, 8 rams, total 622 Goats: 135 nannies, 16 castrated billies, 84 kids, 9 billies, total 244 Pigs: 5 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 35 Poultry: 111 chickens, 66 ducks, 41 turkeys, 19 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Slaughtered Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 1 calf, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 1 Sheep: 2 ewes, 19 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 21 Goats: 0 nannies, 5 castrated billies, 1 kid, 0 billies, total 6 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 13 chickens, 5 ducks, 3 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Died Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 1 calf, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 1 Sheep: 2 ewes, 0 wethers, 2 lambs, 0 rams, total 4 Goats: 1 nanny, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 1 Pigs: 1 sow, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 1 Poultry: 1 chicken, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Sent aboard the Fly cutter: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 0 ewes, 2 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 2 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 0 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 0 chickens, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Stock in hand on 30 November 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 66 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 30 steers, 13 oxen, total 262 Sheep: 271 ewes, 155 wethers, 161 lambs, 8 rams, total 595 Goats: 134 nannies, 11 castrated billies, 83 kids, 9 billies, total 237 Pigs: 4 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 34 Poultry: 97 chickens, 61 ducks, 38 turkeys, 18 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 2 male asses, 1 female ass, total 3 Yams used, 24,150 lb A note beneath the account recorded the birth of three girls, Rebecca, Betty and Margaret. Interpretations The three girls were almost certainly children born to the Company's slaves, entered at the foot of the livestock return just as the death of a black man had been noted there in July 1762. Recording slave births alongside calves and lambs showed that the Company counted its slaves as part of its stock, an increase in its property to be tracked with the same care as its herds. The children were given English names by their owners, and their arrival added to the labour force the Company would feed from the rations charged to its account for slaves. The wether flock fell again, from 176 to 155, as the Company went on drawing down the sheep bought at the Cape. The slaughter of 19 wethers was lower than the 31 killed in October 1762, and for the first time two ewes were killed as well. Killing breeding ewes cut into the flock's future growth and suggested that fat wethers were growing scarce before fresh stock could arrive from the Cape. The table's 94½ lb of Cape mutton in November 1762 came from the same imported sheep. The one calf slaughtered matched the 79 lb of veal served at the Company's table in November 1762. Lambing had almost ended, with only two lambs born, but kids, ducks and turkeys hatched in numbers as the southern-hemisphere spring advanced into early summer. The yam return gave a single figure of 24,150 lb, without the separate allowance for livestock recorded in earlier months, so the pattern of use between people and animals could not be traced. |
191 | 184 | 13th December Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of November 1762 lb, Oz 26th Powder for priming at Banks's from the 12th of April: lb 3, Oz 0 Do for Exercising the East Flying Party: lb 17, Oz 0 Do for Exercising the Recruits: lb 79, Oz 0 Do Fired upon the Parade at Exercise: lb 90, Oz 0 Do for Shooting wild Goats in the Long Wood: lb 0, Oz 8 Do for Frightening the Goats on Mundens Point Hill: lb 0, Oz 2 Do for Compleating the Musket Cartridges at the Main Fort: lb 1, Oz 8 Do for the funeral of John Taylor Soldier: lb 2, Oz 4 Total: lb 193, Oz 12 Tallow for the Use of the Wood Cart 8lb Do for the Use of the Yall 2lb Do for the Use of the Long Boat 5lb Paper for making Muskett Catridges 6 Qrs 5 in number Sheep Skins for Coating Sponges at Sandy Bay 3 in number Sponge Heads broke at Do 1 in number Trunk Nails for Coating & repairing Sponges at Do 160 in number Handspikes broke with Launching the Long Boat 1 in number Sponge Staves for Peal Handles for the Bakers 1 in number Iron round shot lost with Sweeping for Anchors 1 in number (Signed) Thos Hall Mr Orlando Bagley Senr This day Presented the following Petition (vizt) To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &ca Council The humble Petition of Orlando Bagley Senr Sheweth That your Petitioner being desirous to hire a piece of the Honorable Companys waste land lying contiguous to his | The garrison recorded the artillery stores it used during November 1762, counting powder in pounds and ounces. Artillery stores used in November 1762 26 November 1762, powder for priming at Banks's since 12 April 1762, 3 lb 0 oz Powder for exercising the East Flying Party, 17 lb 0 oz Powder for exercising the recruits, 19 lb 0 oz Powder fired on the parade ground at exercise, 90 lb 0 oz Powder for shooting wild goats at Long Wood, 0 lb 8 oz Powder for scaring the goats off Munden's Point Hill, 0 lb 2 oz Powder for making up the musket cartridges at the Main Fort, 1 lb 8 oz Powder for the funeral of John Taylor, soldier, 2 lb 4 oz Total powder, 193 lb 12 oz Tallow for the wood cart, 8 lb Tallow for the yawl, 2 lb Tallow for the longboat, 5 lb Paper for making musket cartridges, 5 quires Sheepskins for covering gun sponges at Sandy Bay, 3 Sponge heads broken at Sandy Bay, 1 Trunk nails for covering and repairing sponges at Sandy Bay, 160 Handspikes broken while launching the longboat, 1 Sponge staves used as peel handles for the bakers, 1 Iron [...] lost while dragging for anchors, 1 Thomas Hall signed the return, and this copy was entered in the register. Orlando Bagley senior put a petition before Governor Hutchinson and the Council at the meeting. He wanted a plot of the Company's unused land lying next to [...]. Interpretations The East Flying Party was a mobile detachment trained to march quickly to any point on the eastern side of the island where an enemy might land. St Helena's cliffs left only a few coves where boats could come ashore, and a flying party could reach them faster than the batteries could be manned. Exercising it with live powder, along with the recruits and the parade firing, reflected the garrison's readiness in wartime, and accounted for most of the month's consumption. The powder used for John Taylor's funeral matched exactly the 2 lb 4 oz issued for Lewis Rowe's in October 1762, which pointed to a fixed allowance for the volleys fired over a private soldier's grave. Taylor's death on 19 November 1762 had been reported to the Council three days later. Firing powder to scare goats off Munden's Point Hill, as well as shooting them at Long Wood, showed the constant struggle against feral goats that grazed the Company's pastures bare and loosened stones on the steep slopes above the batteries. A peel was a long-handled wooden shovel used to slide loaves in and out of a baker's oven, and a spare sponge staff made a ready handle. Dragging for anchors meant sweeping the seabed of the roadstead with a line and grapnel to recover anchors lost by ships, which were valuable and worth the effort of retrieval. Trunk nails were small nails with broad, rounded heads, used here to fasten the sheepskin covering to the head of a gun sponge. |
192 | 185 | 1762 his land in Peak Gut which being barren and Chiefly for the safety of his Cattle humbly begs that your worships and Council will be pleased to grant him a Lease for the same at a reasonable rate And your petitioner will ever pray &ca (Signed) Orlando Bagley St Helena 13th Decembr 1762 Ordered the said Land to be Viewed The piece of Land that Captn Bazett Petitioned for in Consultation of the 27th September last having been viewed and it being very Rocky and only for the Convenience of Fencing and of no detriment to the Honorable Company or Neighbourhood We this Day Granted him a Lease for it at the rent of two Shillings and sixpence pr Acre Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 20th Day of December 1762 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed Dated 13th December 1762 Saturday the 18th Arrived the Mercury Snow | Orlando Bagley's petition explained that the plot he wanted lay next to his own land in Peak Gut. The ground was barren, and he wanted it chiefly to keep his cattle safe. He asked Governor Hutchinson and the Council to lease it to him at a fair rent, and signed the petition at St Helena on 13 December 1762. The Council ordered the land to be inspected. Captain Bazett had asked on 27 September 1762 for another plot, which the Council had since had inspected. The inspection found the ground very rocky and useful only for fencing, and judged that leasing it would do no harm to the Company or to neighbouring holders. The Council granted Bazett a lease at a rent of 2s 6d an acre. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick The Council met at the Castle on Monday 20 December 1762. The Governor presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 13 December 1762, approved it and signed it. They noted that the snow Mercury arrived on Saturday 18 December 1762. Interpretations Both petitions sought unproductive ground next to land the petitioners already held, for the practical purpose of fencing in cattle. On St Helena's steep terrain, livestock straying onto cliff edges or into ravines were easily lost, and a gut was the islanders' word for a narrow, deep valley. Securing the rough margins of a holding let a planter fence his beasts safely without having to use his better pasture. The rent of 2s 6d an acre for Bazett's rocky ground set a price on country land, as distinct from the flat 3s 0d a year charged for small building plots in the valley. The inspection's finding that the lease would harm neither the Company nor the neighbours was the test the Council applied before releasing any of its land. The Mercury arrived back on 18 December 1762, some eleven weeks after the Council advanced money on 30 September 1762 for Captain Hassell to buy livestock at the Cape. Her return perhaps brought the fresh sheep and cattle needed to restore the Company's flock of wethers, which had fallen steadily through October and November. |
193 | 186 | 20th December Ordered the following Advertizement to be Published vizt Island St Helena 20th December 1762 This is to give Notice to all the Inhabitants upon the said Island that they are hereby required to send into the Secretarys Office on or before the 1st Day of January next ensuing an exact signed account of their Number of Cattle each of them have for slaughter for the Year 1763 which they will be expected punctually to supply and if an Accident should happen to any of them in that Case they are to send a Return in writing within three days after such Accident to the Secretarys Office aforesaid in neglect of which no excuse will be admitted but in failure thereof the Owner Obliged to furnish another Beast Notice is hereby further given that they are likewise to transmit an Account on or before Time abovementioned of their Red Number of Horses and to distinguish them by their several Denominations also of their respective Stocks of Sheep and what they intend for Sale Counted and examined the Honorable Company's Cash for the Month of November last which is as follows vizt | The Council ordered a public notice to be issued, dated 20 December 1762. It required every inhabitant to deliver to the Secretary's office, by 1 January 1763, a signed and exact statement of the cattle each owner held for slaughter in 1763. Owners would be expected to supply these animals on time. If any listed beast met with an accident, the owner was to report it in writing to the Secretary's office within three days. The Council would accept no excuse for failing to report, and an owner who failed would have to provide another animal in its place. The notice further required inhabitants to report, by the same date, the number of pigs they kept, divided by type. They were also to report their flocks of sheep and how many they meant to sell. The Council then counted and examined the Company's cash for November 1762 and recorded the result. Interpretations The notice set up an annual quota of beef cattle owed by the planters to the Company. Each owner declared the beasts he held for slaughter, and those declarations became obligations the Company could call on to feed the garrison and supply passing ships. Requiring accidents to be reported within three days, and making an owner replace any beast he failed to report, stopped planters from escaping their quota by claiming a lost or injured animal after the event. The Company's own herds could not meet the demand from ships calling at the island, so it relied on the settlers' cattle as a reserve. By fixing the numbers in advance through the Secretary's office, the Council could plan its supplies for the coming year and hold settlers to their share. The survey of pigs and sheep offered for sale served the same purpose, giving the Council a full picture of the meat available before the ships of 1763 arrived. |
194 | 187 | Cash Dr 1762 Novr 1st To Balance remaining £6414 5s 10½d Per Contra Cr 1762 Novr 30th By Balance remaing in the following Species Vizt Pagodas at 8/ 12855 in number £5142 0s 0d Rupees at 2/3 460 in number £51 15s 0d French pr at 2 441 in number £3 13s 6d Doub Rials at 1/3 10833 in number £677 1s 3d Odd Money £0 1s 1½d £5874 10s 10½d Cash Notes of no Use amounting to £539 15s 0d £6414 5s 10½d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick Margin Notes: 1762 | The Company's cash account for November 1762 again showed no movement in the treasury over the month. Governor Hutchinson and the Council signed it at their meeting of 20 December 1762. Cash, receipts 1 November 1762, balance in hand, £6,414 5s 10½d Cash, payments and balance 30 November 1762, balance remaining, held in the following coin 12,855 pagodas at 8s each, £5,142 0s 0d 460 rupees at 2s 3d each, £51 15s 0d 441 French pieces at 2d each, £3 13s 6d 10,833 double reals at 1s 3d each, £677 1s 3d Odd coins, £0 1s 1½d Coin, subtotal, £5,874 10s 10½d Cash notes of no value, amounting to £539 15s 0d Total, £6,414 5s 10½d Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations The French pieces valued at 2d each were small copper or billon coins, such as the sou, the everyday small change of France. Their presence in an English company's treasury, during a war with France, showed how coins of every nation washed up on St Helena through the shipping that called there. The Council took whatever metal came ashore and gave each kind a fixed value in sterling so that it could pass as money on the island. |
195 | 188 | 3d January At a Consultation held on Monday the 3d Day of January 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed Dated the 20th December 1762 Saturday the 25th December Arrived the Sly Cutter Wednesday the 29th December Passed by two Ships at a great distance On Wednesday last we Ordered the following Advertizement to be published vizt Island St Helena 29th December 1762 Whereas one of the Piers of a Gate at the upper End of the Pasture called the Church Ground belonging to the Honorable Company was lately thrown down and a breach made in the Wall much to their prejudice This is therefore to give Notice that if any one or more will discover the Person or Persons who have been guilty of the above fact shall receive a Reward of four Dollars and if an Accomplice will discover the same he shall not only be pardoned but have the Reward Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 3 January 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 20 December 1762, approved it and signed it. They noted that the Fly cutter arrived on Saturday 25 December 1762 and that two ships passed the island at a great distance on Wednesday 29 December 1762. On 29 December 1762 the Council had ordered a public notice. It stated that someone had recently knocked down one of the pillars of a gate at the top of the Company's pasture known as the Church Ground, and had broken a gap in the wall, causing the Company considerable damage. Anyone who identified the person or persons responsible would receive a reward of four dollars. An accomplice who came forward with the names would be pardoned and would also receive the reward. Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thomas Kirkpatrick Interpretations The reward was offered in dollars, meaning Spanish silver dollars, rather than sterling. Spanish coin, like the double reals held in the treasury, circulated widely on the island, and a reward in familiar silver was more tempting to ordinary inhabitants than a sum in pounds they would rarely handle. Offering an accomplice both a pardon and the reward was a common device for breaking open a crime committed by several people. It set each participant against the others, since whoever spoke first escaped punishment and gained money. The damaged wall and gate mattered because a breach let the Company's cattle stray or let others' animals in to graze, and the island's pastures were carefully guarded. Recording two ships passing at a great distance reflected wartime vigilance. Vessels that did not call at the island might be enemy cruisers or merchantmen avoiding the port, and the lookouts' sightings were entered as intelligence for the Council and the garrison. |
196 | 189 | 10th January At a Consultation held on Monday the 10th Day of January 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 3rd January 1763 Monday the 3d Sailed the Mercury Snow Yesterday Died William Webber Soldier The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of December last were this Day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follow Vizt Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of December 1762 vizt Bottles Port Wine 14 in number £1 1s 0d Do Lisbon 17 in number £1 5s 6d Do Mountain 15 in number £1 2s 6d Do Arrack 64 in number £2 19s 8d Do Beer 17 in number £0 4s 7¾d Flour 336lb £2 2s 0d Beef 345lb £4 6s 3d Pork 94lb £2 7s 0d Salt Pork 9 Ps £1 2s 10½d Mutton 282lb £5 17s 6d Goat 36lb £0 12s 0d Kid 1 in number £0 5s 0d Lamb 1 in number £0 5s 0d Fowls 14 in number £1 1s 0d Ducks 4 in number £0 6s 0d Turkeys 2 in number £0 10s 0d Fresh Butter 44lb £2 4s 0d Candy 107lb £1 15s 8d £29 7s 7¼d | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 10 January 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 3 January 1763, approved it and signed it. They noted that the snow Mercury sailed on Monday 3 January 1763 and that William Webber, a soldier, died on 9 January 1763. The accounts of the plantation, the Master Gunner and the Steward for December 1762 were presented. The Council examined and approved them and entered them in its record. The first set out the provisions used at the Company's table during December 1762. Provisions used at the Company's table, December 1762 14 bottles of port, £1 1s 0d 17 bottles of Lisbon wine, £1 5s 6d 15 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 2s 6d 64 bottles of arrack, £2 19s 8d 17¼ bottles of beer, £0 4s 7¾d 336 lb of flour, £2 2s 0d 345 lb of beef, £4 6s 3d 94 lb of pork, £2 7s 0d 9 pieces of salt pork, £1 2s 10½d 282 lb of mutton, £5 17s 6d 36 lb of goat meat, £0 12s 0d 1 kid, £0 5s 0d 1 lamb, £0 5s 0d 14 chickens, £1 1s 0d 4 ducks, £0 6s 0d 2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d 44 lb of fresh butter, £2 4s 0d 107 lb of sugar candy, £1 15s 8d Total, £29 7s 7¼d Interpretations The table's spending rose to £29 7s 7¼d in December 1762 from £26 9s 8d in November, the first real departure from its usual monthly level. The increase came almost entirely from meat. Beef returned after an absence in November, at 345 lb, and mutton rose to 282 lb from 213 lb, with fresh pork more than doubling. The Christmas season accounted for much of this, since the Governor customarily entertained the Council, officers and visiting commanders over the holiday. The supply of beef may also have come from cattle landed by the Mercury on her return from the Cape on 18 December 1762, which eased the pressure on the Company's own herd. The Mercury stayed barely a fortnight before sailing again on 3 January 1763. A quick turnaround pointed to a second trip for livestock, or to a voyage elsewhere in the Company's service, once her cargo was landed and her crew refreshed. |
197 | 190 | Account of the Honorable Company's Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of December 1762 Vizt Neat Cattle Sheep Goats Hogs Poultry Horses Asses Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaing 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 66, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 30, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 262, Sheep Ewes 271, Sheep Weathers 155, Sheep Lambs 161, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 595, Goats Ewes 134, Goats Weathers 11, Goats Kids 83, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 237, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 34, Poultry Fowls 97, Poultry Ducks 61, Poultry Turkeys 38, Poultry Geese 18, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Encd & from the Cape: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 5, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 19, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 24, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 60, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 60, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 10, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 10, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 14, Poultry Ducks 6, Poultry Turkeys 12, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 71, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 49, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 286, Sheep Ewes 271, Sheep Weathers 215, Sheep Lambs 161, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 655, Goats Ewes 134, Goats Weathers 11, Goats Kids 93, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 247, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 29, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 34, Poultry Fowls 111, Poultry Ducks 67, Poultry Turkeys 50, Poultry Geese 18, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 1, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 3, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 4, Sheep Ewes 1, Sheep Weathers 12, Sheep Lambs 1, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 14, Goats Ewes 5, Goats Weathers 7, Goats Kids 1, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 13, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 14, Poultry Ducks 4, Poultry Turkeys 2, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 2, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 1, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 3, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 6, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 6, Poultry Fowls 1, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaing 31st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 85, Neat Cattle Calves 71, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 46, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 282, Sheep Ewes 268, Sheep Weathers 203, Sheep Lambs 159, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 638, Goats Ewes 129, Goats Weathers 4, Goats Kids 92, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 234, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 23, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 28, Poultry Fowls 96, Poultry Ducks 63, Poultry Turkeys 48, Poultry Geese 18, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Stepney Horton two Black Men dead Yam Expended 24005lb (Signed) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 10th January | The Company's account of its cattle and other livestock on St Helena for December 1762 recorded the herds and flocks at the start and end of the month. John Skottowe signed the copy entered in the register on 10 January 1763. Stock in hand on 1 December 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 66 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 30 steers, 13 oxen, total 262 Sheep: 271 ewes, 155 wethers, 161 lambs, 8 rams, total 595 Goats: 134 nannies, 11 castrated billies, 83 kids, 9 billies, total 237 Pigs: 4 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 34 Poultry: 97 chickens, 61 ducks, 38 turkeys, 18 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 Births and arrivals from the Cape during the month Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 5 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 19 steers, 0 oxen, total 24 Sheep: 0 ewes, 60 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 60 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 10 kids, 0 billies, total 10 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 14 chickens, 6 ducks, 12 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Total stock for the month Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 71 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 49 steers, 13 oxen, total 286 Sheep: 271 ewes, 215 wethers, 161 lambs, 8 rams, total 655 Goats: 134 nannies, 11 castrated billies, 93 kids, 9 billies, total 247 Pigs: 4 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 29 piglets, 1 boar, total 34 Poultry: 111 chickens, 67 ducks, 50 turkeys, 18 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 Slaughtered Cattle: 0 bulls, 1 cow, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 3 steers, 0 oxen, total 4 Sheep: 1 ewe, 12 wethers, 1 lamb, 0 rams, total 14 Goats: 5 nannies, 7 castrated billies, 1 kid, 0 billies, total 13 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 Poultry: 14 chickens, 4 ducks, 2 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Died Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 Sheep: 2 ewes, 0 wethers, 1 lamb, 0 rams, total 3 Goats: 0 nannies, 0 castrated billies, 0 kids, 0 billies, total 0 Pigs: 0 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 6 piglets, 0 boars, total 6 Poultry: 1 chicken, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 Stock in hand on 31 December 1762 Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 71 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 46 steers, 13 oxen, total 282 Sheep: 268 ewes, 203 wethers, 159 lambs, 8 rams, total 638 Goats: 129 nannies, 4 castrated billies, 92 kids, 9 billies, total 234 Pigs: 4 sows, 0 weaned young pigs, 23 piglets, 1 boar, total 28 Poultry: 96 chickens, 63 ducks, 48 turkeys, 18 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 Yams used, 24,005 lb A note beneath the account recorded the deaths of two black men, Stepney and Horton. Interpretations The 19 steers and 60 wethers entered alongside the month's births were the livestock brought from the Cape by the Mercury, which returned on 18 December 1762. They reversed the steady fall in the flock of wethers through October and November, lifting it from 155 to 215 before the month's slaughter. The Company had advanced the money for this purchase on 30 September 1762, so the voyage took under three months from order to delivery. The fresh supply allowed the Company to kill beef again. Three steers and one cow were slaughtered in December, against none of either in October or November, and these produced the 345 lb of beef served at the Company's table over Christmas. Killing a cow, part of the breeding herd, was unusual and perhaps reflected an old or barren animal culled once the Cape steers had eased the pressure on stock. The castrated billy goats were almost exhausted, falling from 11 to 4 after seven were killed, while five breeding nannies were slaughtered as well. The Company was turning to its goat herd for meat as its wether flock ran low before the Cape sheep arrived. Six piglets died during the month, reducing the pig stock to 28, the lowest figure recorded in the accounts since September 1762. Stepney and Horton were almost certainly slaves of the Company, their deaths noted at the foot of the livestock return just as the birth of three girls had been recorded there in November 1762. Their loss reduced the labour force the Company depended on for its plantation, stores and public works, and was treated as a change in its stock. |
198 | 191 | 1763 Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of December 1762. Date and Occasion, Guns Fired, [Pdr] 4, [Pdr] 3, [Pdr] 1, Powder Expended 18th An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, [Pdr] 4 2, [Pdr] 3 2, [Pdr] 1 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 29th A Double Alarm for two Ships that went by: Guns Fired 9, [Pdr] 4 3, [Pdr] 3 3, [Pdr] 1 3, Powder Expended 18lb 0oz Fired to Dismiss the Flying Parties: Guns Fired 1, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 1, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz Powder for Exercising the Recruits: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 43lb 4oz Do at Exercise upon the Parade: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 140lb 12oz Do for Exercising the West Flying Party: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 4lb 12oz Do for Compleating the Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 8oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz Total Guns Fired 16, [Pdr] 4 5, [Pdr] 3 5, [Pdr] 1 6, Powder Expended 222lb 4oz Tallow for the use of the Engine 8lb Sponge Staves for the Use of Do Quantity 1 Iron Shod Trucks for 2 Pounders wore out and Unserviceable Quantity 9 Gun Carriages for 3 Pounders Do Quantity 1 Iron Shod Trucks for Do Do 40 prs Paper for making Rockett Cases Quantity 6 Howetzer Fuzes Split with Driving Quantity 17 Sponge Staves for the Use of the Pendants Quantity 1 Gun Carriages for 32 Pounders wore out and Unserviceable Quantity 1 (Signed) Thos Hall Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Ths Kirkpatrick | Thomas Hall, who kept the island's artillery stores, drew up a return of the ordnance stores used during December 1762. Two alarms were fired during the month. The first came on 18 December, and the second on 29 December was a double alarm raised for two ships passing the island. The columns headed No. 4, No. 3 and No. 1 recorded the guns fired at each point, and the final column recorded powder in pounds and ounces. 18 December 1762, an alarm: 6 guns fired in all, 2 guns at No. 4, 2 guns at No. 3, 2 guns at No. 1, 12 lb of powder 29 December 1762, a double alarm for two passing ships: 9 guns fired in all, 3 guns at No. 4, 3 guns at No. 3, 3 guns at No. 1, 18 lb of powder Signal to stand down the flying parties: 1 gun fired in all, 0 guns at No. 4, 0 guns at No. 3, 1 gun at No. 1, 8 lb of powder Powder for training the recruits: 0 guns fired, 43 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for drill on the parade ground: 0 guns fired, 140 lb 12 oz of powder Powder for training the West Flying Party: 0 guns fired, 4 lb 12 oz of powder Powder for making up the cartridges at the Main Guard: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for signals: 0 guns fired, 8 lb of powder Total: 16 guns fired in all, 5 guns at No. 4, 5 guns at No. 3, 6 guns at No. 1, 222 lb 1 oz of powder Hall also listed other stores used up, worn out or broken during the month. Tallow for greasing the engine: 8 lb Sponge staves for the engine: 1 Iron-bound wheels for 2-pounder guns, worn out and beyond use: 9 Gun carriage for 3-pounder guns, worn out and beyond use: 1 Iron-bound wheels for 3-pounder guns, worn out and beyond use: 4 pairs Paper for making rocket cases: 6 [...] Howitzer fuses split while being driven in: 17 Sponge staves for the Pendants: 1 Gun carriage for 32-pounder guns, worn out and beyond use: 1 Hall signed the return. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed it after him as members of the Council. Interpretations The flying parties were mobile detachments of soldiers kept ready to march to any threatened landing place. St Helena's steep coast offered only a few bays where boats could land, and the garrison relied on these parties to reach them quickly. When a strange ship was sighted, the alarm guns called the parties out. A further gun then released them once the danger had passed. The double alarm on 29 December showed that the signal changed with the number of vessels sighted. The whole island could therefore learn how large the approaching force was from the sound of the guns alone. Several of these stores would be unfamiliar today. Trucks were the small solid wheels on garrison gun carriages. Iron bands fitted round the wheels stopped them splitting on stone platforms, although the wood still wore out from constant hauling. Sponge staves were long poles with a fleece or wool head. Gunners used them to swab out the barrel between shots and put out any smouldering remains before the next charge went in. Howitzer fuses were tapered wooden tubes filled with a slow-burning composition. They were hammered into the mouth of a shell to set its bursting time, and a tube that split during this hammering could not be used. The paper for rocket cases went into signal rockets made on the island, which supported the gun signals after dark. The return showed where most of the Company's powder really went. Only 38 lb was fired in the two alarms and the stand-down signal. More than 180 lb went on training recruits and on drill. A garrison so far from England had to keep its gunners and soldiers well practised, and the Company paid for that readiness in powder shipped out from London. Each item was entered and signed off so that the storekeeper could account for every loss against his stock. The columns headed No. 4, No. 3 and No. 1 perhaps referred to numbered batteries or signal posts that fired the alarm in turn. The "engine" was probably a fire engine or a lifting engine kept among the artillery stores. The Pendants named in the list of sponge staves cannot be identified from the return itself. |
199 | 192 | 17 January At a Consultation held on Monday the 17th Day of January 1763 at the Castle. Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed. Dated the 10th January 1763 Thursday 13th Saild the Fly Cutter The Storekeeper brought in his Collections, and the Paymaster his Accounts for the Quarter commencing October 1st and ending December 31st 1762 which were examined and approved & are as follows vizt Collection of Goods Sold and Delivered from the 1st October to the 31 December 1762 Vizt Sold to the Honorable Companys Servants at 10 p Cent vizt Beef and Pork Vizt 1825 Pd Beef 1825 Pd £182 10s 0d 2670 Pd Pork 2670 Pd £267 0s 0d £449 10s 0d Tea Vizt 679 lb Congo 679 lb £48 1s 11d 14 Singlo 14 lb £0 19s 10d 583 Bohea 583 lb £26 14s 5d £75 16s 2d Sugar & Candy vizt 4160 lb Sugar 4160 lb £77 13s 4d 1805 Candy 1805 lb £45 2s 6d £122 15s 10d Rice & Paddy vizt 16833 lb Rice 16833 lb £85 13s 5d 2730 Paddy 2730 lb £5 3s 7d £90 17s 0d Flour vizt 2709 lb Flour 2709 lb £19 15s 0d 1983 Do Baked 1983 lb £185 10s 0d £205 5s 0d Carried over £944 4s 0d | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 17 January 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the previous meeting on 10 January 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Fly cutter had sailed on Thursday 13 January 1763. The storekeeper presented the money he had collected, and the paymaster laid his accounts before the Council. Both covered the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762. The Council examined and passed them. The first account set out the goods sold and issued from the stores over those three months. All of these went to the Company's own employees at cost plus a 10 per cent charge. Beef and pork: 1,825 pieces of beef, £182 10s 0d 2,670 pieces of pork, £267 0s 0d Total for beef and pork, £449 10s 0d Tea: 679 lb of Congou tea, £48 1s 11d 14 lb of Singlo tea, £0 19s 10d 583 lb of Bohea tea, £26 14s 5d Total for tea, £75 16s 2d Sugar and sugar candy: 4,660 lb of sugar, £77 13s 4d 1,805 lb of sugar candy, £45 2s 6d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £122 15s 10d Rice and paddy: 16,833 lb of rice, £85 13s 5d 2,730 lb of paddy, £5 3s 7d Total for rice and paddy, £90 17s 0d Flour: 2,709 lb of flour, £19 15s 0d 193 cwt 3 qr 0 lb of flour baked into bread, £186 10s 0d Total for flour, £206 5s 0d Total carried forward, £944 4s 0d Interpretations The Company's store acted as the island's main shop for imported food. Employees drew salt meat, tea, sugar, rice and flour from it at the Company's own cost with 10 per cent added. That margin covered freight and wastage without turning the store into a source of profit at the expense of the garrison and officials. The storekeeper was accountable each quarter for every sale. The Council's examination of his collections was the main check on the handling of Company goods and cash. The three teas came from China on the Company's ships. Bohea was the cheapest black tea and the everyday drink of ordinary households. Congou was a better black tea, and the account priced it at about 1s 5d a pound against roughly 11d for Bohea. Singlo was a green tea of middling quality, bought here in only a small amount. The balance of sales showed that the island's tastes were already much like those of England. There too, black tea was steadily overtaking green by the 1760s. Sugar candy was large crystallised sugar formed on threads or sticks. It was shipped from India and China and used both as a sweet and in cooking. Paddy was rice still in its husk. It kept better than cleaned rice and could be fed to livestock, which explains its much lower price. Rice itself was a staple for the island's slaves as well as for the garrison. The large quantity sold showed how far the island depended on Asian grain carried on homeward ships. The flour baked into bread was recorded by the hundredweight rather than the pound. This showed that the store ran a bakery supplying bread in bulk, most probably to the garrison. The heavy sales of beef and pork likewise referred to salted meat in standard pieces packed in casks. That supply relieved the pressure on the island's own small herd of cattle. |
200 | 193 | 1763 Brought over £944 4s 7d Sope 173lb 173lb [...] Arrack 222 Gallons 222 Gallons £55 10s 0d Challows 19½ Pieces 19½ Pieces £9 7s 6d Pepper 11lb 11lb £0 6s 2d Starch 19lb 19lb £0 7s 1d Leather 13½ Sole 13½ Sole £0 17s 2d Buckram 7½ Yards 7½ Yards £0 8s 5d Hats vizt 1 Officers 1 Hat £1 14s 2½d 3 Mens fine 3 Hats £2 10s 1½d £4 12s 4d Nails vizt 1½ M 2d 10 M 3d 9 M 4d 43 M 6d 16 M 10d 8 M 20d £2 18s 0d ½ Tacks ½ M £0 0s 3½d ¾ Glazg Brads ¾ M £0 0s 8¼d ½ Scupper ½ M £0 0s 3½d £3 0s 4d Hosiers Ware vizt 1 Pr Yarn Stockings 1 Pr £0 2s 3½d 18 Pr Thread Do 18 Pr £2 13s 3d 9 Pr English Cotton Do 9 Pr £3 11s 3d 1 Pr Wove Do 1 Pr £0 3s 11½d £6 10s 9d Shirts vizt 70 Shirts 70 Shirts £17 10s 0d 6 Yds B Holland 6 Yds £0 12s 7d 1½ Ps I. Linnen 1½ Ps £2 9s 0d £20 11s 7d Pitch and Tar vizt 2 Pitch 2 [...] £0 0s 8d 1 G Tar 1 G £0 0s 10d 4lb Rozin 4lb £0 0s 9d £0 1s 10d Carried over £1052 4s 3d | The quarter's account of goods sold from the Company's stores continued with a balance of £944 4s 0d brought forward from the previous page. Balance brought forward, £944 4s 0d 173 lb of soap, £8 7s 3d 222 gallons of arrack, £55 10s 0d 19½ pieces of shalloon, £9 7s 6d 11 lb of pepper, £0 6s 2d 19 lb of starch, £0 7s 1d 13½ lb of sole leather, £0 17s 2d 7½ yards of buckram, £0 8s 5d Hats: 1 officer's hat, £1 14s 2½d 3 fine hats for the men, £2 18s 1½d Total for hats, £4 12s 4d Nails: 1½ lb of twopenny nails, 10 lb of threepenny nails, 9 lb of fourpenny nails, 43 lb of sixpenny nails, 16 lb of tenpenny nails and 8 lb of twentypenny nails, together £2 18s 8d ½ [...] of tacks, £0 0s 3½d ¾ [...] of glazier's brads, £0 0s 8½d ½ [...] of scupper nails, £0 0s 3½d Total for nails, £3 0s 4d Stockings: 1 pair of yarn stockings, £0 2s 3½d 18 pairs of thread stockings, £2 13s 3d 9 pairs of English cotton stockings, £3 11s 3d 1 pair of woven stockings, £0 3s 11½d Total for stockings, £6 10s 9d Shirts and shirting: 70 shirts, £17 10s 0d 6 yards of brown holland, £0 12s 7d 1½ pieces of Irish linen, £2 9s 0d Total for shirts and shirting, £20 11s 7d Pitch and tar: 2 [...] of pitch, £0 0s 8d 1 gallon of tar, £0 0s 10d 4 lb of rosin, £0 0s 9d Total for pitch and tar, £1 1s 8d Total carried forward, £1,052 4s 3d Interpretations Arrack was the largest single sale on the page after the balance brought forward. This spirit was distilled in India, Ceylon and Batavia from palm sap or from fermented rice and molasses. Company ships brought it to the island in casks, and at St Helena it did the work that rum or gin did elsewhere. It was drunk neat, mixed into punch and issued to soldiers and working parties. Its sale through the store rather than by private traders gave the Council some control over the island's drinking. The Company also kept the profit on a commodity that the garrison would otherwise have bought from ships' officers at higher prices. Several fabrics would be unfamiliar today. Shalloon was a light, closely woven worsted cloth made chiefly in England and used to line coats, especially military uniforms. Buckram was a coarse linen or cotton cloth stiffened with glue or size and used to give shape to collars, hat brims and the fronts of coats. Brown holland was an unbleached linen, originally from the Low Countries, used for shirts, aprons and furniture covers. Irish linen was a finer fabric for shirts and was sold by the piece. The nail sizes followed the English system of naming them by their old price per hundred. A twopenny nail was a small tack for light joinery, while a twentypenny nail was a heavy spike for framing. Glazier's brads were small headless pins used to hold panes of glass in their frames. Scupper nails had broad flat heads and fixed leather or lead linings to the drainage holes on a ship's deck. Their presence suggested that some of this ironmongery went to repairing boats or the island's small craft. Pitch, tar and rosin served for caulking boats, sealing casks and waterproofing roofs and gutters. Rosin was the solid residue left after distilling turpentine from pine resin. It was mixed with pitch to harden it and also used by gunners and carpenters. The shirts sold at 5s each were ready-made. They were probably issued to soldiers and to the Company's labourers, who had no other easy source of clothing on so remote an island. The officer's hat cost almost twice the price of each of the men's hats. The store therefore reflected the military rank structure even in its prices. |
201 | 194 | 17 January Brought over £1052 4s 3d Flannel 5 Yards 5 Yards £0 7s 6d Long Ells 29 Yards Blue 29 Yards £2 15s 7d Oil vizt 4½ Gs Train 4½ Gs £0 16s 1d 4½ Gs Linseed 4½ Gs £0 17s 4d 2 Bott Florence 2 Bott £0 5s 6d £1 10s 11d Paint vizt 13lb White lead dry 13lb £0 4s 7d 1 Box Blacking 1 Box £0 0s 6½d 8¼ Indico 8¼ lb £0 16s 9d 37 Whiting 37 lb £0 2s 4d 2 Oz Copperas 2 Oz £0 0s 2d 1 Venn Red dry 1 lb £0 0s 2½d 1 Yell Oaker Dry 1 lb £0 0s 2½d ¼ Sky Blue ¼ lb £0 0s 6½d 16 Stone Colour 16 lb £0 8s 8d £1 14s 0d China Ware vizt 14 Bowls 14 Bowls £0 17s 6d 30 Half Pt Cups & Saucers 30 Cups & Saucers £1 6s 8d 10 Blue and White Sneakers 10 Sneakers £0 3s 9d 10 Enamd Do 10 Sneakers £0 4s 7d 2 Setts Dishes and Plates 2 Setts £2 1s 2d 2 Salts 2 Salts £0 1s 4d 1 Blue and White Guglet & Bason 1 Guglet & Bason £0 3s 4d 6 2d Pt Cups & Saucers 6 Cups & Saucers £0 2s 7d £5 0s 11d Tin Ware vizt 1 Driping Pan 1 Pan £0 3s 11½d 1 Lamp 1 Lamp £0 1s 0½d 7 Quart Sauce Pans 7 Pans £0 4s 4½d 1 Sheet Tin 1 Sheet £0 0s 4½d £0 9s 9d Shalloon 73 Yards Coloured 73 Yards £7 9s 0d Salt 4¼ Bushes 4¼ Bushes £0 16s 2d Carried over £1072 16s 1d | The quarter's account of stores sold to the Company's employees went on with a balance of £1,052 4s 3d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £1,052 4s 3d 5 yards of flannel, £0 7s 6d 29 yards of blue long ells, £2 15s 7d Oil: 4½ gallons of train oil, £0 16s 1d 4½ gallons of linseed oil, £0 17s 4d 2 bottles of Florence oil, £0 5s 6d Total for oil, £1 18s 11d Paint: 13 lb of dry white lead, £0 4s 7d 1 box of blacking, £0 0s 6½d 8¾ lb of indigo, £0 16s 9d 37 lb of whiting, £0 2s 4d 2 oz of copperas, £0 0s 2d 1 lb of dry Venetian red, £0 0s 2½d 1 lb of dry yellow ochre, £0 0s 2½d ¼ lb of sky blue, £0 0s 6½d 16 lb of stone colour, £0 8s 8d Total for paint, £1 14s 0d China: 14 bowls, £0 17s 6d 30 half-pint cups with saucers, £1 6s 8d 10 blue and white sneakers, £0 3s 9d 10 enamelled sneakers, £0 4s 7d 2 sets of dishes and plates, £2 1s 2d 2 salt cellars, £0 1s 4d 1 blue and white guglet with basin, £0 3s 4d 6 quarter-pint cups with saucers, £0 2s 7d Total for china, £5 0s 11d Tinware: 1 dripping pan, £0 3s 11½d 1 lamp, £0 1s 0½d 7 one-quart saucepans, £0 4s 4½d 1 sheet of tin, £0 0s 4½d Total for tinware, £0 9s 9d 73 yards of coloured shalloon, £12 9s 0d 4½ bushels of salt, £0 16s 2d Total carried forward, £1,072 16s 1d Interpretations The paint section showed the store supplying the raw materials for mixing paint rather than paint ready for use. White lead, whiting and the dry earth pigments were bought as powders and ground into linseed oil by the user. Whiting was finely ground chalk, used as a cheap white filler and in limewash and putty. Venetian red was an iron oxide pigment giving a warm brick red. Yellow ochre was a natural clay coloured by iron. Stone colour was a pale greyish buff, mixed to imitate dressed stone and widely used on woodwork, doors and garrison buildings. Copperas was green vitriol, or iron sulphate, used to darken dyes and as a mordant. Indigo came from India and served as a blue pigment and a laundry blue. Blacking was a paste of lampblack for polishing leather and ironwork. The quantities were small, which suggested private households painting and repairing their own houses rather than work by the Company. The oils served different ends. Train oil was rendered from whale or seal blubber and was the common fuel for lamps. Linseed oil, pressed from flax seed, was the binding medium for the paint pigments listed below it. Florence oil was fine olive oil from Tuscany, sold in straw-covered flasks and used at table. Long ells were a coarse, hard-wearing English woollen cloth, usually dyed and woven in pieces about 24 yards long. The East India Company sent them to China in great quantities as one of its few saleable British exports. Their appearance here showed the island drawing on the Company's export cargoes for its own clothing. Flannel was a soft woollen cloth used for underclothes and bedding. The shalloon here was described as coloured, which set it apart from the undyed lining cloth sold on the previous page. The china was Chinese export porcelain, carried home on the Company's ships and sold on at St Helena. Sneakers were small handleless bowls, used for drinking tea or punch. A guglet was an Indian water bottle with a long neck, paired with a basin for washing. Salts were small open dishes for table salt. The number of half-pint cups and saucers and the sets of dishes pointed to tea drinking and formal dining in the homes of the Company's officers. Salt was sold by the bushel because it was a dry measure commodity like grain. The island depended on imported salt for curing meat and fish, since it had no salt pans of its own. |
202 | 195 | 1763 Brought over £1072 16s 1d Cordage 181¼lb 181¼lb £3 8s 1d Kersey 17¼ 17¼ [...] £1 6s 6d Sago 39lb 39lb £0 16s 3d Candles 6lb 6lb £0 1s 3d Oars 3 3 Oars £0 13s 0d Cuttlery Ware vizt 7 Ivory Combs 7 Combs £0 7s 3½d 15 Horn Do 15 Combs £0 2s 6d 12 S Handle Kd and Forks 12 [...] £1 10s 4½d 16 Prs Leather Garters 16 Prs £0 17s 3d 12 Prs Shoe Buckles 12 Prs £0 7s 0d 12 Prs Knee Do 12 Prs £0 4s 0d 3 Butchers Knives 3 Knives £0 2s 1d 3 Shoe Knives 3 Knives £0 1s 10d 6 Stag Horn Knives and Forks 6 [...] £0 3s 7d £3 17s 11d Haberdashers Ware vizt 2 Gross Brs Waistcoat Buttons 2 Gross £0 6s 1d 7 Gross Horn Moulds 7 Gross £0 2s 11d 1 Gross Worsted Lace 1 Gross £1 2s 9d 1 Gross Shirt Buttons 1 Gross £0 2s 6½d 63 Skains Silk 63 Skains £1 11s 6d 42 Sk Mohair 42 Sk £0 17s 6d 8 Ps Tape 8 Ps £0 5s 6d 1 Doz Plated Coat Buttons 1 Doz £0 1s 10d 4½ Doz Plated Breast Do 4½ Doz £0 4s 1½d 7½ Doz Silver Coat Do 7½ Doz £1 15s 7d 4½ Doz Silver Breast Do 4½ Doz £0 10s 1d 3 Doz Gilt Coat Do 3 Doz £0 7s 3d 3 Doz Gilt Breast Do 3 Doz £0 3s 4½d 49 Cockades 49 Cockades £1 3s 5½d 4 Doz Mohair Coat Buttons 4 Doz £0 3s 0d 6 Doz Do Br Do 6 Doz £0 2s 3d ½ Doz Silver Wire Br Do ½ Doz £0 1s 2d ¾lb Whale Bone ¾lb £0 5s 0d £9 6s 0d Carried Over £1092 17s 6d | The quarter's account of goods sold from the Company's stores carried on from a balance of £1,072 16s 1d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £1,072 16s 1d 181¼ lb of cordage, £3 8s 1d 17¼ yards of kersey, £1 6s 6d 39 lb of sago, £0 16s 3d 6 [...] of candles, £0 13s 0d 3 oars, £0 13s 0d Cutlery and small wares: 7 ivory combs, £0 7s 3½d 15 horn combs, £0 2s 6d 12 [...]-handled knives and forks, £1 10s 4½d 16 pairs of leather garters, £0 19s 3d 12 pairs of shoe buckles, £0 7s 0d 12 pairs of knee buckles, £0 4s 0d 3 butcher's knives, £0 2s 1d 3 shoemaker's knives, £0 1s 10d 6 stag-horn knives and forks, £0 3s 7d Total for cutlery and small wares, £3 17s 11d Sewing goods and trimmings: 2 gross of brass waistcoat buttons, £0 6s 1d 7 gross of horn button moulds, £0 2s 11d 1 gross of worsted lace, £1 2s 9d 1 gross of shirt buttons, £0 2s 5½d 63 skeins of silk, £1 11s 6d 42 skeins of mohair, £0 17s 6d 8 pieces of tape, £0 5s 6d 1 dozen plated coat buttons, £0 1s 10d 4½ dozen plated breast buttons, £0 4s 1½d 7½ dozen silver coat buttons, £1 15s 7½d 1½ dozen silver breast buttons, £0 10s 1½d 3 dozen gilt coat buttons, £0 7s 3d 3 dozen gilt breast buttons, £0 3s 4½d 49 cockades, £1 3s 5½d 4 dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 3s 0d 6 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 2s 3d ½ dozen silver wire breast buttons, £0 1s 2d ¾ lb of whalebone, £0 5s 0d Total for sewing goods and trimmings, £9 6s 8d Total carried forward, £1,092 17s 6d Interpretations The sewing goods showed that nearly all clothing on the island was made up or repaired locally. The store sold no finished coats or waistcoats. Instead it supplied the buttons, thread, lace and linings that tailors and households needed to make them. Button moulds were discs of horn, bone or wood that were covered with cloth or thread to match a garment. Breast buttons were the smaller buttons used on waistcoats and on the breast of a coat, while coat buttons were the larger ones used on the front and cuffs. The range from mohair and horn up to plated, gilt and silver allowed each buyer to dress to his rank. Mohair was yarn spun from the hair of the Angora goat and was used both for sewing buttonholes and for covering buttons. The 49 cockades pointed directly to the garrison. A cockade was a rosette of ribbon worn on the hat, and in the British army of this period it was black. It marked the wearer as a soldier in the King's or the Company's service. Worsted lace was a woven woollen braid used to trim the coats of soldiers and servants. A whole gross of it was sold in the quarter, which fitted the making or refurbishing of uniforms on the island. Whalebone was baleen, the flexible horny plates from the mouths of certain whales. It was cut into strips and sewn into women's stays and bodices to stiffen them. Garters held up stockings below the knee, and knee buckles fastened the band of a man's breeches at the same point. Both were ordinary items of dress in the 1760s. Kersey was a coarse, ribbed woollen cloth, woven chiefly in the West Country and Yorkshire. It was used for working clothes and soldiers' breeches. Sago was a starch extracted from the pith of palms in the Malay world and brought in as small hard pearls. It was boiled into a light pudding or gruel and was valued as food for the sick and for children. The cordage was sold by weight, as was usual for rope. Together with the three oars it served the boats that carried goods and people between ships in the road and the landing place. |
203 | 196 | 17 January Brought Over £1092 17s 6d Lead vizt 4lb Shot 4lb £0 0s 10d 16½ Sheet 16½lb £0 3s 5d £0 4s 3d Broad Cloth vizt 9⅜ Yds French Grey 9⅜ Yds £9 8s 9d 2¾ Yds Pompadore 2¾ Yds £3 0s 6d 4 Yds Brown 4 Yds £4 1s 0d £16 10s 3d Camblet vizt 11½ Yds Blue 11½ Yds £2 13s 2d 3 Yds Scarlet 3 Yds £0 16s 1d £3 9s 3d Bunting 1 Yd White 1 Yd £0 0s 7d Serge 4⅝ Yds Scarlet Duffil 4⅝ Yds £2 8s 2d Iron Ware vizt 1 Stone Saw 1 Saw £0 4s 11½d 2 Spades 2 Spades £0 8s 10d 2 Scythes 2 Scythes £0 12s 4d 4 Scythes Stones 4 Stones £0 1s 6d 1 Rag Stone 1 Stone £0 0s 3½d 1 Doz Wood Screws 1 Doz £0 0s 6½d 1 Garden Rake 1 Rake £0 2s 10d 2 Small Frying Pans 2 Pans £0 3s 9d 1 Large Frying Pan 1 Pan £0 3s 10d 4 Prs Sheep Shears 4 Prs £0 5s 0d 1 Bricklayers Trowel 1 Trowel £0 1s 9d 3 Prs Sm H Hinges 3 Prs £0 0s 6d 3 Gimbletts 3 Gimbletts £0 0s 8d 4 Iron'd Barr'd Locks 4 Locks £1 2s 0d 1 Pickax 1 Pickax £0 4s 1d ½lb Flour Emery ½lb £0 0s 4d 2 Prs Barr'd Hinges 2 Prs £0 3s 8d ½lb Brass Wire ½lb £0 1s 1d Iron Ware Carried over £4 4s 11d Carried Over £1115 10s 0d | The account of goods sold during the quarter resumed with a balance of £1,092 17s 6d brought forward. The ironmongery section ran on to the next page, so its running total was carried forward separately from the main balance. Balance brought forward, £1,092 17s 6d Lead: 4 lb of lead shot, £0 0s 10d 16½ lb of sheet lead, £0 3s 5d Total for lead, £0 4s 3d Broadcloth: 9⅜ yards of French grey broadcloth, £9 8s 9d 2¾ yards of pompadour broadcloth, £3 0s 6d 4 yards of brown broadcloth, £4 1s 0d Total for broadcloth, £16 10s 3d Camlet: 11½ yards of blue camlet, £2 13s 2d 3 yards of scarlet camlet, £0 16s 1d Total for camlet, £3 9s 3d 1 yard of white bunting, £0 0s 7d 4⅝ yards of scarlet duffel serge, £2 8s 2d Ironmongery: 1 stone saw, £0 4s 11½d 2 spades, £0 8s 10d 2 scythes, £0 12s 4d 4 scythe whetstones, £0 1s 6d 1 ragstone, £0 0s 3½d 1 dozen wood screws, £0 0s 6¼d 1 garden rake, £0 2s 10d 2 small frying pans, £0 3s 9d 1 large frying pan, £0 3s 10d 4 pairs of sheep shears, £0 5s 0d 1 bricklayer's trowel, £0 1s 9d 3 pairs of 9-inch H hinges, £0 3s 6d 3 gimlets, £0 0s 8d 4 iron barrel locks, £1 2s 0d 1 pickaxe, £0 4s 1d ½ lb of flour emery, £0 0s 4d 2 pairs of barrel hinges, £0 3s 8d ½ lb of brass wire, £0 1s 1d Running total for ironmongery carried forward, £4 4s 11d Total carried forward, £1,115 10s 0d Interpretations Broadcloth was the finest plain woollen cloth made in England, densely woven and heavily fulled so that it did not fray when cut. It was the standard material for gentlemen's coats and officers' uniforms, and its price here of about £1 a yard made it the dearest fabric on the account. French grey was a pale bluish grey. Pompadour was a fashionable crimson-purple named after Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV. Its presence in the store showed that fashions current in Europe reached the island's officials within a few years. Camlet was a light fabric woven from goat's hair or worsted, sometimes mixed with silk. It was used for cloaks, coats and petticoats and suited the island's mild climate better than heavy wool. Duffel was a thick, napped woollen cloth first made in the Flemish town of Duffel, while serge was a durable twilled worsted. Scarlet cloth of this kind was probably used for soldiers' coats or facings. Bunting was a thin worsted cloth used chiefly for flags. The single yard sold here perhaps went into a signal flag or ensign. Several tools pointed to farming and building on the Company's plantations and private estates. Scythes cut grass and hay, and scythe stones kept their edges sharp. Sheep shears showed that sheep were kept on the island for wool as well as meat. A stone saw cut the local stone for building. A ragstone was a coarse sharpening stone. Flour emery was emery ground to a fine powder and used for polishing metal and cleaning firearms. H hinges took their name from their shape when opened out and were used on doors and cupboards. Barrel locks were padlocks with a cylindrical body, used to secure storehouses, chests and gates. |
204 | 197 | 1763 Brought Over £1115 10s 0d Iron Ware brought over £4 4s 11d 2 Closet Locks 2 Locks £0 4s 5d 2 Barrd Cupboard Locks 2 Locks £0 3s 1d 1 Shod Shovel 1 Shovel £0 2s 1½d 1 Box Iron 1 Iron £0 7s 11d 1 Garden Hoe 1 Hoe £0 1s 6d 1 Lathing Hammer 1 Hammer £0 1s 6½d £5 5s 6d Turners Ware vizt 14 Shoe Brushes 14 Brushes £0 8s 9d 1 Wood Ladle 1 Ladle £0 0s 4½d 2 Pt Brushes 2 Brushes £0 1s 4d 1 Plaisterers Brush 1 Brush £0 1s 3d 1 Hair Broom 1 Broom £0 2s 9d 1 Scrubbing Brush 1 Brush £0 2s 7½d £0 17s 1d Deals 1 Wainscot Board 1 Board £0 7s 4d Twine 15 Skains 15 Skains £0 9s 4d Thread vizt 6lb White & Brown 6lb £2 4s 0d 6lb Coloured 6lb £1 1s 6d £3 5s 6d Books vizt 3 Spelling Books 3 Books £0 3s 10d 4 Testaments 4 Testaments £0 8s 6d £0 12s 4d Canvas 76 Yds Osenbrigs 76 Yds £3 12s 10d Glass Ware vizt 65 Sqrs 8 by 10 65 Sqrs £2 3s 4d 5 Sqrs 10 By 12 5 Sqrs £0 4s 7d £2 7s 11d Hooks and Lines vizt 100 No 1 375 No 2 175 No 3 50 No 13 175 No 14 Hooks £1 3s 2d Hooks & Lines Carried over £1 3s 2d Carried Over £1132 7s 10d | The quarter's account of stores sold continued from a balance of £1,115 10s 0d brought forward. The ironmongery section resumed from its own running total of £4 4s 11d. The fishing tackle section began on this page and was likewise carried forward on its own. Balance brought forward, £1,115 10s 0d Ironmongery: Running total for ironmongery brought forward, £4 4s 11d 2 closet locks, £0 4s 5d 2 barrel cupboard locks, £0 3s 1d 1 iron-shod shovel, £0 2s 1½d 1 box iron, £0 7s 11d 1 garden hoe, £0 1s 6d 1 lathing hammer, £0 1s 6½d Total for ironmongery, £5 5s 6d Turned wooden goods and brushes: 14 shoe brushes, £0 8s 9d 1 wooden ladle, £0 0s 4½d 2 paint brushes, £0 1s 4d 1 plasterer's brush, £0 1s 3d 1 hair broom, £0 2s 9d 1 scrubbing brush, £0 2s 7½d Total for turned wooden goods and brushes, £0 17s 1d 1 wainscot board, £0 7s 4d 15 skeins of twine, £0 9s 4d Thread: 6 lb of white and brown thread, £2 4s 0d 6 lb of coloured thread, £1 1s 6d Total for thread, £3 5s 6d Books: 3 spelling books, £0 3s 10d 4 New Testaments, £0 8s 6d Total for books, £0 12s 4d 76 yards of osnaburg canvas, £3 12s 10d Window glass: 65 panes measuring 8 by 10 inches, £2 3s 4d 5 panes measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 4s 7d Total for window glass, £2 7s 11d Fishing tackle: 100 hooks of size 1, 375 hooks of size 2, 175 hooks of size 3, 50 hooks of size 13 and 175 hooks of size 14, together £1 3s 2d Running total for fishing tackle carried forward, £1 3s 2d Total carried forward, £1,132 7s 10d Interpretations The sale of 875 fish hooks in a single quarter showed how much the island relied on the sea for food. Fresh meat was scarce and expensive, since the Company's cattle were reserved largely for supplying passing ships. Fish caught from boats and the rocks off the coast therefore formed a staple of the diet for soldiers, planters and slaves alike. The spread of sizes suggested fishing for everything from small inshore fish to larger catches in deeper water. Osnaburg was a coarse, unbleached linen or hemp cloth, first made around Osnabrück in Germany and later copied in Scotland. It was cheap and hard-wearing and was commonly used for sacking, tents and slaves' clothing throughout the British colonies. Its sale here by the yard in large quantity fitted all of those uses on the island. Wainscot was high-quality oak imported from the Baltic, cut radially so that it resisted warping. It was used for panelling and fine joinery. The sale of a single board reflected the island's lack of good timber after early deforestation, which forced even small building work to depend on imported wood. Window glass was sold as pre-cut panes, known as squares, sized to fit standard sash glazing bars. The 65 panes of 8 by 10 inches were enough to glaze several sash windows. A box iron was a smoothing iron with a hollow body that held a heated metal slug. A lathing hammer had a small hatchet blade on one side for cutting laths and a hammer face on the other for nailing them to walls before plastering. Turnery covered small goods shaped from wood on a lathe, together with brushes and brooms. The spelling books and New Testaments pointed to elementary teaching on the island. Reading instruction in this period commonly moved from the spelling book to the New Testament. Their sale through the Company's store showed that schooling depended on the same supply ships as food and tools. |
205 | 198 | 17 January Brought over £1132 7s 10d Hooks and Lines brought over £1 3s 2d ½ doz No 2 6½ doz 3 Lines £1 10s 4d 1 Log Do 1 Log £0 1s 1d 2 Hambro Do 2 Hambro £0 3s 0d £2 17s 7d Shoes vizt 170 Prs Mens Ordinary 170 Prs £37 10s 10d 1 Pr Boys 1 Pr £0 3s 5d 1 Pr Channel Pumps 1 Pr £0 6s 7½d 2 Prs Mens fine Shoes 2 Prs £0 12s 2d 1 Pr Girls Do 1 Pr £0 2s 2½d £38 15s 3d £1174 0s 8d Sold to the Planters at 25 p Cent vizt Flannel 7 Yards 7 Yards £0 12s 3d Kersey 3 Yards 3 Yards £0 5s 3d Shalloon 10½ Yds Coloured 10½ Yds £1 3s 5d Challow 1 Piece 1 Piece £0 11s 0d Camblet 5 Yards Scarlet 5 Yards £1 10s 7d Shoes vizt 2 Prs Boys 2 Prs £0 7s 9d 1 Pr Girls 1 Pr £0 2s 6d 1 Pr Mens Ordinary 1 Pr £0 5s 0d £0 15s 3d Serge vizt 5 Yds Scarlet Duffil 5 Yds £2 19s 2d ¼ Pr Fustain ¼ Pr £0 12s 7d £3 11s 9d Carried over £8 9s 6d | The quarter's account of stores sold to the Company's employees resumed from a balance of £1,132 7s 10d brought forward, with the fishing tackle section picking up from its own running total. After the shoes, the account closed its first section and opened a new one for goods sold to the island's planters at cost plus 25 per cent. Balance brought forward, £1,132 7s 10d Fishing tackle: Running total for fishing tackle brought forward, £1 3s 2d ½ dozen size 2 fishing lines and 6½ dozen size 3 fishing lines, together £1 10s 4d 1 log line, £0 1s 1d 2 Hamburg lines, £0 3s 0d Total for fishing tackle, £2 17s 7d Shoes: 170 pairs of ordinary men's shoes, £37 10s 10d 1 pair of boys' shoes, £0 3s 5d 1 pair of channel pumps, £0 6s 7½d 2 pairs of fine men's shoes, £0 12s 2d 1 pair of fine girls' shoes, £0 2s 2½d Total for shoes, £38 15s 3d Total of sales to the Company's employees, £1,174 0s 8d Goods sold to the planters at cost plus 25 per cent: 7 yards of flannel, £0 12s 3d 3 yards of kersey, £0 5s 3d 10½ yards of coloured shalloon, £1 3s 5d 1 piece of challon, £0 11s 0d 5 yards of scarlet camlet, £1 10s 7d Shoes: 2 pairs of boys' shoes, £0 7s 9d 1 pair of girls' shoes, £0 2s 6d 1 pair of ordinary men's shoes, £0 5s 0d Total for shoes, £0 15s 3d Serge: 5 yards of scarlet duffel serge, £2 19s 2d ¼ piece of fustian, £0 12s 7d Total for serge, £3 11s 9d Total carried forward, £8 9s 6d Interpretations The account applied two different mark-ups to the same goods. The Company's own employees paid cost plus 10 per cent, while the planters paid cost plus 25 per cent. The difference showed up directly in the prices. Scarlet duffel sold to employees on the previous page cost about 10s 5d a yard, while the planters paid about 11s 10d. A pair of ordinary men's shoes cost an employee roughly 4s 5d but cost a planter 5s. The lower rate was a benefit of service that supplemented the Company's modest wages. The higher rate on sales to planters let the Company recover more of its freight and risk from settlers who farmed on their own account. The total of £1,174 0s 8d for sales to employees dwarfed the planters' purchases so far. This reflected the size of the garrison and the Company's establishment compared with the small number of planter families. The 170 pairs of ordinary men's shoes made up almost all of the footwear sold. They were probably drawn by soldiers, whose shoes wore out quickly on the island's steep, rocky paths. Channel pumps were light, thin-soled shoes with low sides, commonly worn by sailors and for indoor wear. Their name perhaps came from the channelled seam joining sole and upper. A log line was the knotted line paid out from the stern of a ship with a wooden float to measure speed. Its sale in the store suggested it was used on the island's own boats or sold to a ship's officer. Hamburg lines were strong cords made in or named after Hamburg and used for fishing and general rigging work. Fustian was a stout twilled cloth with a linen warp and a cotton weft, made chiefly in Lancashire. It was used for working clothes, jackets and linings. The challon sold here by the piece was perhaps the same cloth as the shalloon sold by the yard just above it, entered under a different spelling. |
206 | 199 | 1763 Sold at 40 p Cent vizt Brought over £8 9s 6d Tea vizt 101 Congo 101lb £18 2s 0d 22 Bohea 22lb £1 5s 8d 245½ Singlo 245½lb £24 10s 0d £43 17s 8d Sugar and Candy vizt 820lb Sugar 820lb £18 15s 10d 337 Candy 337lb £17 18s 0d £36 13s 10d Flour 409lb 409lb £4 13s 8d Rice and Paddy vizt 9 [...] 10 Rice 9 [...] 10lb £1 5s 6d 1 [...] 6 Paddy 1 [...] 6lb £0 5s 4d £1 10s 10d Sope 48lb 48lb £2 6s 0d Arrack 16¼ Gs 16¼ Gs £5 3s 6d Blankets 1 1 Blanket £0 9s 0d Lead 7lb Sheet 7lb £0 1s 11d Pepper 3lb 3lb £0 2s 3d Cordage 140½lb 140½lb £3 11s 1d Leather 1 Sole 1 Sole £0 1s 6d Salt ¼ Bushels ¼ Bushels £0 1s 1d Starch 7lb 7lb £0 3s 6d Sago 6lb 6lb £0 3s 3d Cutlery vizt 1 Shoe Knife 1 Knife £0 0s 6d 2 Butchers Do 2 Knives £0 1s 1d £0 1s 7d Turners Ware 3 Paint Brushes 3 Brushes £0 2s 6d Paint vizt 17 Whiting 17lb £0 1s 5d 16 Ven Red dry 16lb £0 4s 4d 1 Box Blacking 1 Box £0 0s 8¾d 3 Indico 3lb £0 7s 6d Paint Carried over £0 13s 11¾d Carried Over £152 13s 8d | The account of goods sold during the quarter went on from a running total of £8 9s 6d brought forward. A third section followed the sales to planters, covering goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent. The manuscript did not name the buyers in this group. Balance brought forward, £8 9s 6d Goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent: Tea: 101 lb of Congou tea, £18 2s 0d 22 lb of Bohea tea, £1 5s 8d 245½ lb of Singlo tea, £24 10s 0d Total for tea, £43 17s 8d Sugar and sugar candy: 820 lb of sugar, £18 15s 10d 337 lb of sugar candy, £17 18s 0d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £36 13s 10d 409 lb of flour, £4 13s 8d Rice and paddy: [...] of rice, £1 5s 6d 1 cwt 0 qr 6 lb of paddy, £0 5s 4d Total for rice and paddy, £1 10s 10d 48 lb of soap, £2 6s 0d 167¼ gallons of arrack, £50 3s 6d 1 blanket, £0 9s 0d 7 lb of sheet lead, £0 1s 11d 3 lb of pepper, £0 2s 3d 140½ lb of cordage, £3 11s 1d 1 sole of leather, £0 1s 6d ¼ bushel of salt, £0 1s 1d 7 lb of starch, £0 3s 6d 6 lb of sago, £0 3s 3d Cutlery: 1 shoemaker's knife, £0 0s 6d 2 butcher's knives, £0 1s 1d Total for cutlery, £0 1s 7d 3 paint brushes, £0 2s 6d Paint: 17 lb of whiting, £0 1s 5d 16 lb of dry Venetian red, £0 4s 4d 1 box of blacking, £0 0s 8¾d 3 lb of indigo, £0 7s 6d Running total for paint carried forward, £0 13s 11¾d Total carried forward, £152 13s 8d Interpretations This section added a third and highest tier to the store's pricing, after the 10 per cent charged to employees and the 25 per cent charged to planters. The buyers were not named, but the steep mark-up implied people with no claim on the Company's goodwill. They were perhaps officers and passengers from ships in the road, or free residents outside both the Company's service and the planter community. The Company thus used the store to raise revenue from those best able to pay, while holding prices down for its own establishment. The pattern of purchases differed sharply from the employees' account. Employees bought 679 lb of Congou and only 14 lb of Singlo. In this group, Singlo made up well over half the tea sold at 245½ lb. The quantities of arrack and sugar candy were also large compared with the small amounts of household staples such as flour and rice. The goods chosen were compact, valuable and easily carried away. That pattern fitted buyers stocking up for a voyage or for resale rather than for daily life on the island. A sole of leather meant a single piece of thick hide cut to size for soling a shoe, rather than a sale by weight. Paddy was recorded here in hundredweights, quarters and pounds, the standard English measures for heavy goods. |
207 | 200 | 17 January Brought Over £152 13s 0d Paint brought over £0 13s 11¾d 6lb Stone Colour 6lb £0 4s 3d 6 W Lead dry 6lb £0 2s 10½d £1 1s 1d Iron 4lb Stub 4lb £0 2s 2d Glass Ware vizt 2 Sqrs 11 by 19 2 Sqrs £0 4s 4d 8 Sqrs 8 by 10 8 Sqrs £0 6s 10d 4 Sqrs 10 by 12 4 Sqrs £0 4s 8d £0 15s 10d Oil vizt ½ G Train ½ G £0 2s 4d 2½ Gs Linseed 2½ Gs £0 11s 5d £0 13s 9d Haberdashery vizt 7 Sk Silk 7 Sk £0 5s 3d 6 Sk Mohair 6 Sk £0 3s 9d 6 doz Mohr Coat Coat 6 doz £0 6s 0d 2 doz Mohr Breast Do 2 doz £0 1s 0d 1 Pc Tape 1 Pc £0 0s 10d £0 16s 10d Iron Ware vizt 1 Half Gs Sauce Pan Ham'd Iron 1 Sauce Pan £0 17s 4d 2 Iron'd Barrd Locks 2 Locks £0 14s 0d 2 Files 2 Files £0 2s 0d 2 Shod Shovels 2 Shovels £0 5s 6d £1 18s 10d China Ware vizt 3 Chamber Pots 3 Pots £0 4s 0d 6 Enamd Sneakers 6 Sneakers £0 3s 6d 6 2d Pt Cups and Saucers 6 Cups and Saucers £0 3s 4d £0 11s 6d Hooks & Lines vizt 200 No 2 25 No 12 25 No 13 100 No 3 Hooks £0 11s 0d Hooks and Lines Carried over £0 11s 0d Carried over £158 13s 0d | The account of goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent resumed from a balance of £152 13s 0d brought forward. The paint section continued from its own running total, and a fresh run of fishing tackle was carried forward separately at the foot of the page. Balance brought forward, £152 13s 0d Paint: Running total for paint brought forward, £0 13s 11¾d 6 lb of stone colour, £0 4s 3d 6 lb of dry white lead, £0 2s 10½d Total for paint, £1 1s 1d 4 lb of stub iron, £0 2s 2d Window glass: 2 panes measuring 11 by 19 inches, £0 4s 4d 8 panes measuring 8 by 10 inches, £0 6s 10d 4 panes measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 4s 8d Total for window glass, £0 15s 10d Oil: ½ gallon of train oil, £0 2s 4d 2½ gallons of linseed oil, £0 11s 5d Total for oil, £0 13s 9d Sewing goods and trimmings: 7 skeins of silk, £0 5s 3d 6 skeins of mohair, £0 3s 9d 6 dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 6s 0d 2 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 1s 0d 1 piece of tape, £0 0s 10d Total for sewing goods and trimmings, £0 16s 10d Ironmongery: 1 half-gallon saucepan of hammered iron, £0 19s 4d 2 iron barrel locks, £0 14s 0d 2 files, £0 2s 0d 2 iron-shod shovels, £0 3s 6d Total for ironmongery, £1 18s 10d China: 3 chamber pots, £0 4s 8d 6 enamelled sneakers, £0 3s 6d 6 quarter-pint cups with saucers, £0 3s 4d Total for china, £0 11s 6d Fishing tackle: 200 hooks of size 2, 25 hooks of size 12, 25 hooks of size 13 and 100 hooks of size 3, together £0 11s 8d Running total for fishing tackle carried forward, £0 11s 8d Total carried forward, £158 13s 0d Interpretations Stub iron was wrought iron made from scrap, especially old horseshoe nails, which were collected, welded together and reworked. Its toughness made it valued for gun barrels, tools and small forge work. The small quantity sold here suggested repairs by a local smith or armourer rather than any larger manufacture. The saucepan was made of hammered iron, meaning wrought iron beaten into shape on an anvil rather than cast in a mould. Hammered pans were lighter and less brittle than cast ones and could be repaired by a smith. Its price was high for a single pan because of the labour in forming it and the 40 per cent charge added in this section. The chamber pots were entered among the china and were therefore of porcelain or glazed earthenware, perhaps shipped from China with the rest of the tableware. Their inclusion alongside cups and sneakers showed that the Company's homeward cargoes supplied almost every household ceramic in use on the island. |
208 | 201 | 1763 Brought over £158 13s 8d Hooks and Lines brought over £0 11s 0d 30 No 3 10 No 4 1 Hambro Lines £1 1s 4d £1 13s 0d Thread vizt 1lb White & Brown 1lb £0 9s 3½d 1 Coloured 1lb £0 4s 3½d £0 13s 7d Canvas 21 Yds Osenbrigs 21 Yds £1 6s 8d Nails vizt 2 M 3d 9 M 4d 19 M 6d 10 M 10d 5 M 20d £1 14s 10d Books vizt 1 Testament 1 Testament £0 2s 9d 1 Bible 1 Bible £0 4s 8d £0 7s 5d £164 8s 2d Charges General Dr for the following Stores used from the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Arrack 61 Gallons for Drams to Sundry Carpenters Working on the New L Boat and Launcing her The Haymakers, killing Wild Cats Workmen in the Stores and Guard Boat Men 61 Gallons £10 8s 5d Twine 10 Sk for mending Rice Bags, making Rockets and Castle 10 Sk £0 5s 3d Carried over £10 13s 8d | The account of goods sold at cost plus 40 per cent carried on from a balance of £158 13s 0d brought forward, with the fishing tackle picking up from its own running total. After the last of these sales, the storekeeper began a separate account charging the stores the Company had used for its own purposes to the general expenses of the settlement. Balance brought forward, £158 13s 0d Fishing tackle: Running total for fishing tackle brought forward, £0 11s 8d 30 size 3 fishing lines, 10 size 4 fishing lines and 1 Hamburg line, together £1 1s 4d Total for fishing tackle, £1 13s 0d Thread: 1 lb of white and brown thread, £0 9s 3½d 1 lb of coloured thread, £0 4s 3½d Total for thread, £0 13s 7d 21 yards of osnaburg canvas, £1 6s 8d Nails: 2 lb of threepenny nails, 9 lb of fourpenny nails, 19 lb of sixpenny nails, 10 lb of tenpenny nails and 5 lb of twentypenny nails, together £1 14s 10d Books: 1 New Testament, £0 2s 9d 1 Bible, £0 4s 8d Total for books, £0 7s 5d Total of sales at cost plus 40 per cent, £164 8s 2d The Company's general expenses were charged with the following stores used between 1 October and 31 December 1762. 61 gallons of arrack, given as drams to carpenters building and launching the new longboat, to the haymakers, to men killing wild cats, to workmen in the stores and to the crew of the guard boat, £10 8s 5d 10 skeins of twine, for mending rice bags, making rockets and use at the Castle, £0 5s 3d Total carried forward, £10 13s 8d Interpretations The Company used arrack as a form of payment and reward for extra or unpleasant work. A dram was a small measure of spirits handed out at the end of a task or during hard labour. It cost the Company far less than wages in cash, and the stores already held the spirit in bulk. The range of people who received it showed how widely the practice ran through the island's work. Carpenters, haymakers, storemen and boat crews all shared in the 61 gallons over the quarter. The killing of wild cats was organised work that the Company rewarded. Cats introduced by settlers had gone feral in the island's interior. They preyed on poultry, young goats and the ground-nesting seabirds that islanders used for food. Hunting them was a recurring task that protected the island's scarce food supplies. The guard boat patrolled the road where ships anchored. Its crew watched for ships approaching at night, checked vessels on arrival and helped prevent smuggling and desertion. The twine used for making rockets linked directly to the signal rockets recorded in the artillery return for December 1762, where paper for rocket cases also appeared. Rockets and guns together formed the island's alarm system, and both drew on the general stores. The "charges general" was the Company's heading for the running costs of the settlement that fell on no particular department. Stores taken from the warehouse for public use were valued and entered against it. In that way the storekeeper accounted for goods that left his stock without any sale. |
209 | 202 | 17 January Brought over £10 13s 8d Deals vizt ½ Pc Riga Timber for making Formes for the Ivory ½ Pc £1 3s 6d 1½ Baulks for Do and Repairg the Slaughter House and one of the Companys Houses 1½ Baulks £0 11s 6d 3 Single Deals for Do & Co 3 Deals £0 6s 11d 2 Do Deals to repr one of the Companys Houses and Shafts for the Water Engines 2 Deals £0 7s 4d £2 9s 3d Oil vizt 13½ Train for the Armrs Shop Castle & Co 13½ Gs £2 10s 6d 1¼ Linseed for Puttying Windows in Sundry of the Companys Houses 1¼ Gs £0 4s 9d 2 Bott Florence for the Carpentrs & for Oiling the screws in the Field Carriages 2 Bott £0 4s 11d £3 0s 2d Iron 386lb to fix a Still for the Hospital Wedges for the Masons and for the new Barracks 386lb £4 0s 5d Iron Ware vizt 2 Smiths Rubbers 2 Rubbers £0 4s 4d 19 Files 19 Files £0 12s 8d 3 Rasps for the Armorers 3 Rasps £0 6s 6d 23 File Hafts 23 Hafts £0 1s 6d 14 Plate Iron for fixg a Still at the Hospital 14lb £0 5s 3d 9 Pickaxes for the Masons and digging Lime Stone 9 Pickaxes £1 13s 0d 22 Helves for Do Armorer Hospital & Co 22 Helves £0 13s 4d 3 Hand Hammers for the Masons & digg Lime Stone 3 Hammers £0 8s 3d 3 Adzes for the Carpenters Working on the New Long Boat 3 Adzes £0 7s 6d 1 Doz Wood Screws to make formes for the Ivory 1 Doz £0 0s 5½d Iron Ware Carried over £4 12s 11½d Carried over £20 3s 6d | The account of stores used for the Company's own work between 1 October and 31 December 1762 continued from a balance of £10 13s 8d brought forward. The ironmongery section ran over to the next page, so its running total was carried forward on its own. Balance brought forward, £10 13s 8d Timber: ½ piece of Riga timber for making benches for the jury, £1 3s 6d 1½ balks for the jury benches and for repairs to the slaughterhouse and one of the Company's houses, £0 11s 6d 3 single deals for the same work, £0 6s 11d 2 single deals for repairing one of the Company's houses and making shafts for the water engine, £0 7s 4d Total for timber, £2 9s 3d Oil: [...] gallons of train oil for the armourer's shop, the Castle and other uses, £2 10s 6d 1¼ gallons of linseed oil for puttying windows in several of the Company's houses, £0 4s 9d 2 bottles of Florence oil for the carpenters and for oiling the screws on the field gun carriages, £0 4s 11d Total for oil, £3 0s 2d 386 lb of iron for setting up a still at the hospital, for masons' wedges and for the new barracks, £4 0s 5d Ironmongery: 2 smith's rubbers for the armourers, £0 4s 4d 19 files for the armourers, £0 12s 8d 3 rasps for the armourers, £0 6s 6d 23 file handles for the armourers, £0 1s 6d 14 lb of plate iron for setting up a still at the hospital, £0 5s 3d 9 pickaxes for the masons and for digging limestone, £1 13s 0d 22 tool handles for the masons, the armourer, the hospital and other uses, £0 13s 4d 3 hand hammers for the masons digging limestone, £0 8s 3d 3 adzes for the carpenters building the new longboat, £0 7s 6d 1 dozen wood screws for making benches for the jury, £0 0s 5½d Running total for ironmongery carried forward, £4 12s 11½d Total carried forward, £20 3s 6d Interpretations The benches for the jury showed the Company paying from its general stores for the machinery of justice on the island. Criminal and civil cases at St Helena were tried before juries of inhabitants, sitting in a room at the Castle or another public building. Riga timber, balks and single deals were all used for the benches. Riga timber was Baltic pine or fir shipped through the port of Riga and prized for its straight grain and length. Balks were squared timber beams, while single deals were sawn softwood planks of a standard thickness. The still being set up at the hospital needed 386 lb of iron and more plate iron besides. This was a sizeable piece of apparatus. A still at a garrison hospital was most probably used to prepare medicinal waters, spirits for dressings and tinctures. It may also have served to distil fresh water in dry spells. The pickaxes and hammers for digging limestone pointed to the burning of lime on the island. Lime was the essential ingredient of mortar and plaster. The iron issued for the new barracks at the same time suggested that the lime was needed for that building. Smith's rubbers were heavy coarse files used to take down rough metal. Helves were the wooden handles fitted to axes, picks and hammers. The water engine was probably a pump or lifting device supplying the town or shipping with water. Its wooden shafts wore out and had to be renewed from the general stores. The field carriages were the wheeled mounts for mobile guns, whose elevating screws needed oiling to keep them from seizing. |
210 | 203 | 1763 Brought over £20 3s 6d Iron Ware brought over £4 12s 11½d 7 Blank Keys for the Armr 7 Keys £0 4s 1d 11 Gimblets for the Carpenters 11 Gimblets £0 2s 3½d 1 Stone Saw for Sandy Bay Quarry 1 Saw £0 4s 6d 2 Splinter Locks [...] for the Castle 2 Locks £0 0s 11d 1 Maul for the Masons 1 Maul £0 8s 3½d 8 Drill Strings for for the Carpentrs & Armoury 8 Strings £0 4s 8d 1 Brickl Trowel for the Masons 1 Trowel £0 1s 7d 2 Rag Stones for the Carpentrs 2 Stones £0 0s 6d 1 Iron Fry Pan for the Castle 1 Pan £0 2s 7d ½ Borax for the Armoury ½lb £0 7s 1d 1 Hatchet Helve for the Armorer 1 Helve £0 0s 5½d ½ Flour Emery for Do ½lb £0 0s 4d ½lb White Spelter for Do ½lb £0 0s 6d 2 Jacks Wheels for the Castle 2 Wheels £0 13s 5d £7 4s 0d Cordage 41lb for the Market House tying the Arbor in the Garden and Bell Rope 41lb £0 13s 8d Nails vizt 9lb Copper Rivets for the Coopers Use 9lb £0 4s 2d 1½ Glazg Brads for the Packets & Co 1½ M £0 1s 6d ½ Tacks for making Forms ½ M £0 0s 7½d 1 Scupper for the Ivory Repg 1 M £0 0s 5½d 2 M 2d the Slaughter House 2 M £0 1s 2½d 8 M 3d Church one of the 8 M £0 6s 0d 5 M 4d Companys Houses Water 5 M £0 2s 11d 31 M 6d Engine Blacks 31 M £0 17s 5d 24 M 10d Hospital and 24 M £1 1s 0d 13 M 20d Lieut Governors 13 M £0 4s 10½d 1 Barrick House 1 M £0 0s 4d £2 10s 6d Candles vizt 10lb Castle 135 Council 4 Doctors Shop 6½ For the Officer of the Main Guard to burn when the Governor is in the Country £24 8s 1d Carried over £34 19s 9d | The account of stores used for the Company's own work during the quarter carried on from a balance of £20 3s 6d brought forward, with the ironmongery section resuming from its own running total. Balance brought forward, £20 3s 6d Ironmongery: Running total for ironmongery brought forward, £4 12s 11½d 7 uncut keys for the armourer, £0 4s 1d 11 gimlets for the carpenters, £0 2s 3½d 1 stone saw for the quarry at Sandy Bay, £0 4s 6d 2 [...] locks for the Castle, £0 0s 11d 1 maul for the masons, £0 8s 3½d 8 drill strings for the carpenters and the armoury, £0 4s 8d 1 bricklayer's trowel for the masons, £0 1s 7d 2 ragstones for the carpenters, £0 0s 6d 1 iron frying pan for the Castle, £0 2s 7d ½ lb of borax for the armoury, £0 7s 1d 1 hatchet handle for the armourer, £0 0s 3½d ½ lb of flour emery for the armourer, £0 0s 4d ¼ lb of white spelter for the armourer, £0 0s 6d 2 jack wheels for the Castle, £0 13s 5d Total for ironmongery, £7 4s 0d 41 lb of cordage for the market house, for tying up the arbour in the garden and for a bell rope, £0 13s 8d Nails and rivets: 9 lb of copper rivets for the cooper, £0 4s 2d 1⅛ lb of glazier's brads for the [...] and other uses, £0 1s 6d ½ [...] of tacks, £0 0s 7½d 1 [...] of scupper nails, £0 0s 5½d 2 lb of twopenny nails, £0 1s 0½d 8 lb of threepenny nails, £0 0s 6d 5 lb of fourpenny nails, £0 2s 11d 31 lb of sixpenny nails, £0 17s 5d 24 lb of tenpenny nails, £0 16s 8d 13 lb of twentypenny nails, £0 4s 10½d 1 [...], £0 0s 4d Total for nails and rivets, £2 10s 6d Candles: 10 lb of candles for the Castle, 135 lb for the Council, 4 lb for the doctor's shop and 6¼ lb for the officer of the Main Guard to burn while the Governor was away in the country, together £4 8s 1d Total carried forward, £34 19s 9d The tacks, scupper nails and ordinary nails went into the benches for the jury and into repairs to the slaughterhouse, the church, one of the Company's houses, the water engine, the blocks, the hospital and the Lieutenant Governor's house. Governor Hutchinson's absences in the country accounted for the separate allowance of candles to the Main Guard. Interpretations The candles for the officer of the Main Guard reflected how the island was governed when the Governor left the Castle. He kept a country residence in the cooler interior. While he was there, the officer commanding the guard at the Castle had to stay alert through the night, and the Company supplied his light. The Council's 135 lb of candles was by far the largest allowance. This suggested that its business, including the clerks' copying of consultations and accounts, often ran on after dark. Borax, flour emery and white spelter together made up the armourer's kit for joining and finishing metal. Spelter was zinc, which was alloyed with copper to make brazing solder. Borax served as a flux, cleaning the metal surfaces so that the solder would flow and bond. Emery powder then polished the finished work. Uncut blank keys were filed to fit the locks the armourer repaired or made. Drill strings drove bow drills, in which a cord wrapped round the drill spindle turned it back and forth as a bow was pushed and pulled. Jack wheels were part of a roasting jack, the geared mechanism that turned a spit in front of the kitchen fire. Two were needed for the Castle kitchen, which prepared meals for the Governor and entertained captains and passengers from visiting ships. A maul was a heavy wooden or iron-headed hammer used by masons to drive wedges into stone. The stone saw sent to Sandy Bay showed that the Company quarried building stone on the island's south coast. Together with the limestone digging recorded earlier, it pointed to a steady local supply of stone and lime for the new barracks and other building work. The copper rivets for the cooper were used to fasten iron or copper hoops on the casks that stored water, meat and spirits for the garrison and for ships. |
211 | 204 | 17th January Brought over £34 19s 9d Sugar 32lb for the Carpenters Working on the new Long Boat & Haymakers 32lb £0 15s 2d Paint vizt 18lb Whiting for making Putty for the Forms for the Ivory & Windows 18lb £0 0s 9d 10lb Indico for the Parsons House & Linen 10lb £0 17s 3½d 3 Stone Colour for the Lt Governors House 3lb £0 1s 3½d 1 B Black for the Lt Governors House 1lb £0 0s 5½d 4 W Lead dry 4lb £0 1s 3d 2 Chocolate Colour 2lb £0 0s 11½d ½ Copperas ½lb £0 0s 3d £1 2s 5d Turners Ware vizt 1 Brass Wire Sieve for the Bakers 1 Sieve £0 10s 0d 3 Scrubing Brushes Castle 3 Brushes £0 7s 1½d 2 Hair Brooms Castle 2 Brooms £0 4s 11½d 5 Pt Brushes for Painting 5 Brushes £0 2s 11d 1 Plaistrs Brush for W. Washing 1 Brush £0 1s 1d £1 6s 1d Tin Ware vizt 1 Quart Sauce Pan for the Hospital 1 Pan £0 0s 7d 1 Lamp for the Kitchen 1 Lamp £0 0s 11d £0 1s 6d Starch 18¼ for Linen 18¼lb £0 6s 1d Sope 60 for Linen 60lb £1 18s 9d Canvas 3 Yds English for a Cot for the Officer at Sandy Bay 3 Yds £0 3s 7d Glass Ware vizt 10 Sqrs 8 by 10 for the Bake House & Castle 10 Sqrs £0 6s 0½d 9 Do 6 by 8 for the Parsons House & Do 9 Sqrs £0 2s 5½d £0 8s 6d Lines 11 No 3 for the Masons Engine and making Rockets 11 Lines £0 3s 7d Pewter 1 Bason for the Castle 1 Bason £0 2s 8d Lead 20lb Sheet for fastening Iron Bolts in the Prison 20lb £0 3s 9d Carried Over £41 11s 10d | The account of stores used for the Company's own work during the quarter continued from a balance of £34 19s 9d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £34 19s 9d 32 lb of sugar for the carpenters building the new longboat and for the haymakers, £0 15s 2d Paint: 18 lb of whiting for making putty for the jury benches and the windows, £0 0s 9d 10 lb of indigo for the parson's house and for the laundry, £0 17s 5½d 3 lb of stone colour for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 1s 3½d 1 box of blacking for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 0s 5½d 4 lb of dry white lead, £0 1s 3d 2 lb of chocolate colour, £0 0s 11½d ¼ lb of copperas, £0 0s 3d Total for paint, £1 2s 5d Turned wooden goods and brushes: 1 brass wire sieve for the bakers, £0 10s 0d 3 scrubbing brushes for the Castle, £0 7s 1½d 2 hair brooms for the Castle, £0 4s 11½d 5 brushes for painting, £0 2s 11d 1 plasterer's brush for whitewashing, £0 1s 1d Total for turned wooden goods and brushes, £1 6s 1d Tinware: 1 one-quart saucepan for the hospital, £0 0s 7d 1 lamp for the kitchen, £0 0s 11d Total for tinware, £0 1s 6d 18¼ lb of starch for the laundry, £0 6s 1d 60 lb of soap for the laundry, £1 18s 9d 3 yards of English canvas for a cot for the officer at Sandy Bay, £0 3s 7d Window glass: 10 panes measuring 8 by 10 inches for the bakehouse and the Castle, £0 6s 0½d 9 panes measuring 6 by 8 inches for the parson's house and other buildings, £0 2s 5½d Total for window glass, £0 8s 6d 11 size 3 lines for the masons, the engine and making rockets, £0 3s 7d 1 pewter basin for the Castle, £0 2s 8d 20 lb of sheet lead for fixing iron bolts in the prison, £0 3s 9d Total carried forward, £41 11s 10d Interpretations The sheet lead for the prison was melted and poured round iron bolts set into holes cut in the stone. As it cooled, the lead locked the bolts in place far more securely than mortar could. This was the standard method for fixing bars, staples and fetter rings in a gaol. The entry showed the Company strengthening the island's place of confinement at a time when it held soldiers, sailors and slaves under punishment. The cot for the officer at Sandy Bay was a canvas hanging bed of the kind used at sea, slung from beams or a wooden frame. Sandy Bay on the south coast was one of the landing places guarded against attack. An officer posted there needed a bed that could be set up quickly in a guardhouse with little furniture. The laundry supplies of soap, starch and indigo served the Castle and the parson's house. Indigo in small amounts was added to the final rinse as a blueing agent to counter the yellow tinge of washed linen. The brass wire sieve went to the Company's bakers for sifting flour before baking. Fine sifting removed bran and grit from flour that had often suffered on a long voyage. The sugar given with arrack to the carpenters and haymakers was most probably mixed into punch or sweetened drinks as part of their reward for extra labour. Chocolate colour was a dark reddish-brown paint, made from earth pigments such as umber and red oxide. It was commonly used on doors, skirting and outdoor woodwork because it hid dirt well. |
212 | 205 | 1763 Brought Over £41 11s 10d Braziers Ware vizt ½lb Brass Wire for the Armorer ½lb £0 1s 0d 5lb Copper Plate for the Engines 5lb £0 6s 9d £0 7s 9d Pitch and Tar vizt 9lb Rozin for Tining 9lb £0 1s 6d ¾ Tar for the Engines ¾ G £0 0s 7d 3 Pitch for the Lieut Governors House 3 [...] £0 0s 5d £0 2s 6d Leather 6½ Sole for the Water Engine 6½ Sole £0 6s 9d China Ware 12 Half Pt Cups & Saucers for the Castle 12 Cups & Saucers £0 9s 8d Kersey 16 Yds for Cushions in the Church 16 Yds £1 12s 0d Grind Stones 1 for the Armorer 1 Stone £0 8s 3d Cart Wheels 2 Wheel Barrows 2 Barrows £1 0s 0d £65 13s 9d Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st October to the 31 December 1762 vizt Tea 11 Congo 11lb £0 13s 9d Beef and Pork vizt 3 Pd Beef 3 Pd £0 8s 11d 25 Pd Pork English 25 Pd £2 10s 0d 8 Pd Do Do 8 Pd £0 13s 6d £3 11s 5d Salt 3 Bushels 3 Bushels £0 9s 3d Arrack 41 Gallons 41 Gallons £7 0s 1d Rice 2 [...] 26 2 [...] 26lb £0 19s 6d Sugar and Candy vizt 40 Sugar 40lb £0 1s 0d 311 Candy 311lb £6 16s 1d £7 7s 5d Flour 90lb 90lb £0 6s 5d Coffee 10lb 10lb £0 3s 5d Pease ½ Bushel ½ Bushel £0 [...] Oil 9 Bottles Florence 9 Bottles £1 2s 4d £26 19s 11d | The account of stores used for the Company's own work during the quarter resumed from a balance of £41 11s 10d brought forward and was then closed. The storekeeper next opened a separate account for provisions issued for the Company's table between 1 October and 31 December 1762. Balance brought forward, £41 11s 10d Brass and copper goods: ½ lb of brass wire for the armourer, £0 1s 0d 5 lb of copper plate for the engines, £0 6s 9d Total for brass and copper goods, £0 7s 9d Pitch and tar: 9 lb of rosin for tinning, £0 1s 6d ¾ [...] of tar for the engines, £0 0s 7d 3 lb of pitch for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 0s 5d Total for pitch and tar, £0 2s 6d 6½ lb of sole leather for the water engine, £0 6s 9d 12 half-pint cups with saucers for the Castle, £0 9s 8d 16 yards of kersey for cushions in the church, £1 2s 0d 1 grindstone for the armourer, £0 5s 3d 2 wheelbarrows, £0 10s 0d Total charged to general expenses, £65 13s 9d The Company's table account was charged with the following provisions issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762. 11 lb of Congou tea, £0 15s 9d Beef and pork: 3 pieces of beef, £0 5s 11d 25 pieces of English pork, £2 10s 0d 8 pieces of [...] pork, £0 15s 6d Total for beef and pork, £3 11s 5d 3 bushels of salt, £0 9s 3d 41 gallons of arrack, £7 0s 1d 2 cwt 2 qr 26 lb of rice, £0 19s 6d Sugar and sugar candy: 40 lb of sugar, £0 11s 0d 311 lb of sugar candy, £6 16s 1d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £7 7s 1d 90 lb of flour, £[...] 1 lb of coffee, £[...] ½ bushel of pease, £0 3s 5d 9 bottles of Florence oil, £1 2s 4d Total carried forward, £20 19s 11d Interpretations The diet expenses account covered the provisions that fed the Governor's table at the Castle. The Company met the cost of this table as part of the expense of government. It fed the Governor, members of the Council and other officials who dined there. It also paid for the hospitality shown to commanders and passengers from the Company's ships, which formed a large part of the Governor's duties. Stores drawn for this purpose were charged at the Company's own cost, with no mark-up, because the Company was in effect supplying itself. The contents of the table account set it apart from the soldiers' rations. The quantities of sugar candy and arrack were large, while coffee and olive oil appeared in small amounts. This pointed to a table that entertained on a generous scale, with punch and sweetmeats for guests. The English pork was entered separately from the other pork, which suggested that meat cured in England carried a different price and reputation from supplies salted elsewhere. Rosin used for tinning acted as a flux when coating copper or iron with a thin layer of tin. Tinning stopped copper vessels and pipes from corroding and from tainting food and water. The copper plate and tar issued for the engines suggested that the water engine and its pipes were being patched and sealed during the quarter. The sole leather for the water engine went into pump valves and washers, which wore out quickly and needed constant replacement. The kersey for cushions in the church showed the Company paying for the fittings of public worship. Cushions were used on pews and in the pulpit and reading desk. The grindstone for the armourer was a large wheel of sandstone turned by a crank and used to sharpen blades and tools. |
213 | 206 | 17th January Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 Vizt Nails Vizt 9 M 10d 11 M 6d 40 M 3d for Cots and Coffins £2 0s 4d Cavas 5 Bolts English for Cots 5 Bolts £11 17s 6d Twine 3 Skains for Cots 3 Skains £0 1s 7d Tea 10lb Bohea for the Sevl Guards 10lb £0 4s 5d Oil vizt 82½ Gs Train for the Sevl Guards 82½ Gs £13 6s 5d 1 Bot. Florence to Clean Sm Arms 1 Bot. £0 2s 6d £13 8s 11d Lines 1lb Whip Cord for Whips 1lb £0 2s 11d Arrack 22½ Gs for Drams on Mustering 22½ Gs £3 16s 9d Paint vizt 25lb Whiting to Clean their Accoutremts 25lb £0 1s 0½d 15lb Yellow Oaker dry to Clean their Accoutremts 15lb £0 2s 9½d £0 3s 10d Iron Ware vizt 5 Sm Fry Pans for the Sevl Guards 5 Pans £0 12s 11d 1 Large Do for the Sevl Guards 1 Pan £0 3s 6d £0 16s 5d Turners Ware 2 Platters for Do 2 Platters £0 2s 6d Tin Ware 1 Lamp for Do 1 Lamp £0 0s 11d Deals ½ Pc Riga Timber for Cots ½ Pc £1 3s 6d Blankets 1 1 Blanket £0 6s 4d £38 6s 6d | The garrison's account was charged with the following stores issued to the soldiers between 1 October and 31 December 1762. Nails for cots and coffins: 9 lb of tenpenny nails, 11 lb of sixpenny nails and 40 lb of threepenny nails, together £2 0s 4d 5 bolts of English canvas for cots, £11 17s 6d 3 skeins of twine for cots, £0 1s 7d 10 lb of Bohea tea for the guards, £0 4s 5d Oil: 82½ gallons of train oil for the guards, £13 6s 5d 1 bottle of Florence oil for cleaning the arms, £0 2s 6d Total for oil, £13 8s 11d 1 lb of whipcord for whips, £0 2s 11d 22½ gallons of arrack for drams at musters, £3 16s 9d Paint: 2¾ lb of whiting for cleaning the soldiers' equipment, £0 0s 1½d 13 lb of dry yellow ochre for cleaning the soldiers' equipment, £0 2s 9½d Total for paint, £0 2s 11d Ironmongery: 5 iron frying pans for the guards, £0 12s 11d 1 large iron frying pan for the guards, £0 3s 6d Total for ironmongery, £0 16s 5d 2 wooden platters for the guards, £0 2s 6d 1 tin lamp for the guards, £0 0s 11d ½ piece of Riga timber for cots, £1 3s 6d 1 blanket, £0 6s 4d Total charged to the garrison, £38 6s 6d Interpretations The train oil was the largest single charge to the garrison and showed the cost of keeping watch through the night. The guardhouses at the Castle, the batteries and the landing places burned lamps from dusk to dawn. Over the quarter they consumed 82½ gallons of oil, more than a third of the whole account. The frying pans, platters and lamp issued to the guards confirmed that soldiers on duty cooked and ate at their posts rather than returning to barracks. Whiting and yellow ochre served to keep the soldiers' leather belts and pouches in regulation colour. The standard method was to rub the powder into the leather with a little water and then brush it off, which masked stains and gave an even finish. White belts took whiting, while buff leather took yellow ochre. This was the same practice as in the army in England, where pipeclay and ochre were used in the same way before inspections. The drams of arrack given at musters rewarded soldiers for attending the regular parades at which they were counted and inspected. Musters also allowed the Company to check that its pay rolls matched the men actually present, since false names on a roll were a common fraud in garrisons. The whipcord for whips was most probably used to make the cats with which soldiers were flogged for breaches of discipline. It was entered among the ordinary running costs of the garrison. The nails for cots and coffins placed the provision of beds and burial side by side in the garrison's expenses. The Company paid for the coffins of soldiers who died in its service. Cots here meant simple framed beds with canvas bottoms, made from Riga timber, canvas and twine by the island's carpenters. |
214 | 207 | 1763 Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Beef & Pork vizt 525 Pd E Beef 525 Pd £78 4s 1d 5 Pd E Pork 5 Pd £0 10s 0d 463 Pd I. Do 463 Pd £39 4s 4d £117 18s 5d Rice 89.3.21 89 Cwt 3 qr 21lb £38 14s 5d Oil 1½ Gs Train 1½ Gs £0 5s 11d Tea 48½lb Bohea 48½lb £2 0s 5d Arrack 26 Gal Their usual allowance at Christmas 26 Gal £4 8s 10d Sugar 154lb 154lb £2 6s 5d Flour 33 33lb £0 3s 6d Shoes 26 Prs M. Ordinary for the Handy craftsmen 26 Prs £5 12s 8d Hooks and Lines vizt 25 No 3 Hooks for the Fishing Men 25 No 14 Hooks for the Fishing Men 25 No 15 Hooks for the Fishing Men £0 1s 0d 18 No 2 Lines for the Fishing Men 18 Lines £0 5s 2d £0 6s 2d Lead 6lb Shot for Do 6lb £0 1s 6d Twine 1 Skain for Do 1 Skain £0 0s 6d Blankets 5 5 Blankets £1 11s 8d Chelloes 1 Pc 1 Pc £0 8s 9d £174 4s 2d Mallay Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Sope 8lb 8lb £0 5s 2d Oil vizt ¾ Train ¾ G £0 2s 6d 1 Bot Florence 1 Bot £0 2s 6d £0 5s 0d Carried Over £0 10s 2d | The account charged to the Company's black slaves covered the stores issued to them between 1 October and 31 December 1762. Beef and pork: 525 pieces of English beef, £78 4s 1d 5 pieces of English pork, £0 10s 0d 463 pieces of Irish pork, £39 4s 4d Total for beef and pork, £117 18s 5d 89 cwt 3 qr 21 lb of rice, £38 14s 5d 1½ gallons of train oil, £0 5s 11d 48½ lb of Bohea tea, £2 0s 5d 26 gallons of arrack as their customary Christmas allowance, £4 8s 10d 159 lb of sugar, £2 6s 5d 33 lb of flour, £0 3s 6d 26 pairs of ordinary men's shoes for the skilled workmen, £5 12s 8d Fishing tackle for the fishermen: 25 hooks of size 3, 25 hooks of size 14 and 25 hooks of size 15, together £0 1s 0d 18 size 2 fishing lines, £0 5s 2d Total for fishing tackle, £0 6s 2d 6 lb of lead shot for the fishermen, £0 1s 6d 1 skein of twine for the fishermen, £0 0s 6d 5 blankets, £1 11s 8d 1 piece of chelloes, £0 8s 9d Total charged to the black slaves, £174 4s 2d The account charged to the Company's Malay slaves covered the stores issued to them over the same period. 8 lb of soap, £0 5s 2d Oil: ¾ gallon of train oil, £0 2s 6d 1 bottle of Florence oil, £0 2s 6d Total for oil, £0 5s 0d Total carried forward, £0 10s 2d Interpretations The Company kept its slaves in two separate accounts, one for the blacks and one for the Malays. The division reflected their origins. Most black slaves came from Madagascar and the African coast, while the Malays were brought from the Company's trading posts in the East Indies. The Company valued Malay slaves as skilled workers and treated them as a distinct group in its records. The very small quantities in the Malay account suggested that only a handful of them were held at this date. The account showed that the Company's slaves were fed chiefly on rice and salt meat. Almost 90 hundredweight of rice was issued over the quarter, a far larger quantity than the garrison drew on its own account. This confirmed that rice, not bread, was the staple of slave rations on the island. The Irish pork issued alongside the English beef cost markedly less per piece. Salt provisions from Ireland were the cheapest barrelled meat available to the Company. The slaves were divided by the work they did. Shoes were issued to the skilled workmen but not to the labourers in the fields, since artisans working with tools on stony ground needed protection that the Company judged unnecessary for others. The fishermen received their own hooks, lines, twine and lead for sinkers. Their catch helped feed the slave establishment and reduced the Company's outlay on imported salt meat. The Christmas issue of 26 gallons of arrack was a fixed custom, entered as the slaves' usual allowance. Such festive grants were common across slave societies in the British world. They formed part of a system that combined hard labour and punishment with occasional reward to encourage compliance. Chelloes were a checked or striped cotton cloth from the Coromandel coast of India, cheap and hard-wearing. The Company commonly issued it to slaves for clothing. |
215 | 208 | 17th January Brought Over £0 10s 2d Tea vizt 5lb Bohea 5lb £0 4s 2d 1 Congo 1lb £0 1s 3d £0 5s 5d Sugar and Candy vizt 41lb Sugar 41lb £0 12s 0d 12 Candy 12lb £0 5s 3d £0 17s 3d Arrack 6½ Gallons 6½ Gallons £1 2s 1d Beef 17 Pd 17 Pd £2 10s 8d Rice 168lb 168lb £0 13s 0d Broad Cloth 4 Yds F. Grey 4 Yds £3 13s 0d Shalloon 5 Yds Colored 5 Yds £0 9s 2d Haberdashery vizt 4 Sk Silk 4 Sk £0 1s 10d 4 Sk Mohair 4 Sk £0 1s 6d 2½ doz Mohr Ct Buttons 2½ doz £0 1s 0d 2½ doz Do Br Do 2½ doz £0 0s 6d £0 4s 10d Buckram 1½ Yds 1½ Yds £0 1s 6d Pepper 1lb 1lb £0 0s 6d Paint 1 Indico 1lb £0 1s 9d Starch 1 1lb £0 0s 4d Shoes 1 Pr Mens fine 1 Pr £0 5s 6d Flour 12lb 12lb £0 1s 3d Canvas 3⅝ Yds English 3⅝ Yds £0 3s 7d Nails 1 M 6d 1 M £0 0s 7d Salt ⅛ Bushel ⅛ Bushel £0 0s 4d £11 0s 11d | The account charged to the Company's Malay slaves for stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762 continued from a balance of £0 10s 2d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £0 10s 2d Tea: 5 lb of Bohea tea, £0 4s 2d 1 lb of Congou tea, £0 1s 3d Total for tea, £0 5s 5d Sugar and sugar candy: 41 lb of sugar, £0 12s 0d 12 lb of sugar candy, £0 5s 3d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £0 17s 3d 6½ gallons of arrack, £1 2s 1d 17 pieces of beef, £2 10s 8d 168 lb of rice, £0 13s 0d 4 yards of French grey broadcloth, £3 13s 0d 5 yards of coloured shalloon, £0 9s 2d Sewing goods and trimmings: 4 skeins of silk, £0 1s 10d 4 skeins of mohair, £0 1s 6d 2½ dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 1s 0d 2½ dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 0s 6d Total for sewing goods and trimmings, £0 4s 10d 1½ yards of buckram, £0 1s 6d 1 lb of pepper, £0 0s 6d 1 lb of indigo, £0 1s 9d 1 lb of starch, £0 0s 4d 1 pair of fine men's shoes, £0 5s 6d 12 lb of flour, £0 1s 3d 3 yards of English canvas, £0 3s 7d 1 lb of sixpenny nails, £0 0s 7d ⅛ bushel of salt, £0 0s 4d Total charged to the Malay slaves, £11 0s 11d Interpretations The Malay account stood in sharp contrast to the account for the black slaves. The Malays received French grey broadcloth, shalloon for lining, buckram for stiffening, silk thread and a full set of coat and waistcoat buttons. Together these made up the materials for a tailored coat of the kind worn by free men of middling rank. They also drew fine shoes, both grades of tea, pepper and starch. None of these appeared in the black slaves' issues, which were limited to rice, salt meat, ordinary shoes for artisans, blankets and coarse Indian cloth. The difference showed a clear hierarchy among the Company's slaves. Malay slaves were prized as skilled craftsmen and as trusted personal servants in the Castle and the households of senior officials. A servant who waited at the Governor's table or attended visitors needed to be dressed to match the household he served. The Company paid for that appearance through its own stores. Because the Malay group was small, the broadcloth and buttons perhaps clothed only one or two men in positions of particular visibility. |
216 | 209 | 1763 Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Pitch and Tar vizt 4 Gs Tar for the Carts 4 Gs £0 3s 0d 2 Rozin for repairs to the Old Pln House 2lb £0 0s 4d £0 3s 4d Rice & Paddy vizt 160 Rice 160lb £0 13s 0d 35.3. Paddy 35 Cwt 3 qr £6 14s 1d £7 7s 1d Oil vizt 1¾ Gs Train for the Overseers and mangy Hogs 1¾ Gs £0 5s 8d 1¼ Linseed for the Carts 1¼ Gs £0 6s 7d £0 12s 3d Nails vizt 5 M 2d for repairing Gates in 5 M £0 3s 0d 1 M 3d for repairing Gates in 1 M £0 0s 9d 2 M 4d the Pastures new 2 M £0 1s 2d 13 M 6d Plantn House and 13 M £0 7s 4d 11 M 10d Garden 11 M £0 5s 0d 1 Back 1 [...] £0 0s 4d 2 Spikes 2 Spikes £0 0s 8d £0 18s 3d Cutlery Ware vizt 12 Butchers Knives for the Plantations 12 Knives £0 4s 6d 1 Pruning Do for the Gardener 1 Knife £0 1s 0d £0 5s 4d Paint vizt 3lb Ven Red dry to Paint Gates in the 3lb £0 0s 6½d 55 Whiting to Paint Gates in the 55lb £0 2s 3½d 3 B Blacking Pastures and 3 B £0 1s 3½d 6 Stone Colour Paint in the 6lb £0 2s 1½d 1 Chocolate Do Plantn House 1lb £0 0s 7d 2 W Lead Dry 2lb £0 0s 7½d £0 8s 4d Turners Ware vizt 4 Prs Ox Bows for the Oxen 4 Prs £0 0s 11d Turners Ware Carried over £0 0s 11d Carried over £9 14s 7d | The account charged to the Company's plantation covered the stores issued for its use between 1 October and 31 December 1762. Pitch and tar: 4 gallons of tar for the carts, £0 3s 0d 2 lb of rosin for repairs to the old Plantation House, £0 0s 4d Total for pitch and tar, £0 3s 4d Rice and paddy: 160 lb of rice, £0 13s 0d 35 cwt 3 qr 0 lb of paddy, £6 14s 1d Total for rice and paddy, £7 7s 1d Oil: 1¾ gallons of train oil for the overseers and for treating hogs with mange, £0 5s 8d 1¾ gallons of linseed oil for the carts, £0 6s 7d Total for oil, £0 12s 3d Nails for repairing gates in the pastures, the new Plantation House and the garden: 5 lb of twopenny nails, £0 3s 0d 1 lb of threepenny nails, £0 0s 9d 2 lb of fourpenny nails, £0 1s 2d 13 lb of sixpenny nails, £0 7s 4d 11 lb of tenpenny nails, £0 5s 0d 1 lb of brads, £0 0s 4d 2 spikes, £0 0s 8d Total for nails, £0 18s 3d Cutlery: 12 butcher's knives for the plantations, £0 4s 6d 1 pruning knife for the gardener, £0 0s 10d Total for cutlery, £0 5s 4d Paint for the gates in the pastures and for painting inside the Plantation House: 3 lb of dry Venetian red, £0 0s 6¾d 55 lb of whiting, £0 2s 3¾d 3 boxes of blacking, £0 1s 5¾d 6 lb of stone colour, £0 2s 1¾d 1 lb of chocolate colour, £0 0s 7d 2 lb of dry white lead, £0 0s 7½d Total for paint, £0 8s 4d Turned wooden goods: 4 pairs of ox bows for the oxen, £0 11s 0d Running total for turned wooden goods carried forward, £0 11s 0d Total carried forward, £9 14s 7d Interpretations The plantation was the Company's own farm estate in the interior, centred on Plantation House. It raised cattle, hogs and crops to supply the Castle, the garrison and passing ships. The account named both an old and a new Plantation House. This showed that a fresh residence was in use or being fitted out while the older building still needed repair. The new house was probably the country seat to which the Governor withdrew, as the candle allowance to the Main Guard recorded on a previous page. The paddy was by far the largest charge, at nearly 36 hundredweight. Unhusked rice of this kind served as fodder for the plantation's pigs and poultry, and could also be husked on the estate for the slaves who worked there. Its low price made it the cheapest grain the Company could supply in bulk. Train oil was a common treatment for mange in pigs. It was rubbed into the skin to smother the mites and soften the crusted hide. The same oil also lit the overseers' lamps. Ox bows were the U-shaped wooden collars that passed under an ox's neck and fitted into the yoke. The oxen drew the carts whose axles and wheels needed the tar and linseed oil entered above. Their presence showed that heavy haulage on the island's steep roads relied on draught cattle rather than horses. |
217 | 210 | 17 January Brought over £9 14s 7d Turners Ware brought over £0 0s 11d 2 Plaistr Brushes for W Washing 2 Brushes £0 2s 3d 2 Shoe Knives for the Grooms 2 Knives £0 1s 1d £0 4s 4d Cordage 40½ for the Oxen Carts, and Cow Ropes 40½lb £0 13s 1d Deals vizt 1 Double to Repr the Plantation House 1 Deal £0 3s 8d ½ Baulk for the Carts ½ Baulk £0 3s 10d £0 7s 6d Iron Ware vizt 2 Prs Sm H Hinges 2 Prs £0 3s 4d 6 Spades for the Garden in the Country 6 Spades £1 4s 0d 3 Garden Rakes for the Garden in the Country 3 Rakes £0 7s 9½d 2 Grassg Saws for the Gardener 2 Saws £0 3s 0d 1 Pad Lock for a Gate in the Pastures 1 Lock £0 2s 1d 3 Prs Sheep Shears 3 Prs £0 3s 4½d 6 Rag Stones 6 Stones £0 0s 9d 24 Scythe Stones for the Mowers 24 Stones £0 8s 0d 1 Barrd Lock for the Pl. House 1 Lock £0 5s 0d 1 Ditchg Shovel for the Plantatn 1 Shovel £0 4s 1d £3 1s 11d Tin Ware 3lb Solder 3lb £0 2s 8d Glass Ware vizt 3 Sqrs 6 by 8 for Repairing the Plantation House 3 Sqrs £0 1s 4½d 1 Sqr 8 by 10 for Repairing the Plantation House 1 Sqr £0 0s 7½d £0 2s 0d Starch 4lb for Repairing the Plantation House 4lb £0 1s 4d £14 17s 10d | The plantation's account for stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762 continued from a balance of £9 14s 7d brought forward, with the turned wooden goods resuming from their own running total. Balance brought forward, £9 14s 7d Turned wooden goods and brushes: Running total for turned wooden goods brought forward, £0 11s 0d 2 plasterer's brushes for whitewashing, £0 2s 3d 2 shoemaker's knives for the grooms, £0 1s 1d Total for turned wooden goods and brushes, £0 14s 4d 40½ lb of cordage for the ox carts and for tethering cows, £0 13s 6d Timber: 1 double deal for repairing the Plantation House, £0 3s 8d ½ balk for the carts, £0 3s 10d Total for timber, £0 7s 6d Ironmongery: 2 pairs of iron H hinges, £0 3s 4d 6 spades for the garden in the country, £1 4s 0d 3 garden rakes for the garden in the country, £0 7s 9½d 2 grafting saws for the gardener, £0 3s 0d 1 padlock for a gate in the pastures, £0 2s 1d 3 pairs of sheep shears, £0 3s 4½d 6 ragstones, £0 0s 9d 24 scythe stones for the mowers, £0 8s 0d 1 barrel lock for the Plantation House, £0 5s 0d 1 ditching shovel for the plantation, £0 4s 1d Total for ironmongery, £3 1s 11d 3 lb of solder for repairing the Plantation House, £0 2s 8d Window glass for repairing the Plantation House: 3 panes measuring 6 by 8 inches, £0 1s 4½d 1 pane measuring 8 by 10 inches, £0 0s 7½d Total for window glass, £0 2s 0d 4 lb of starch, £0 1s 4d Total charged to the plantation, £14 17s 10d Interpretations The grafting saws showed the Company's gardener propagating fruit trees on the estate. A grafting saw had a fine, narrow blade for cutting a branch cleanly so that a scion from a chosen tree could be set into it. Grafting was the only reliable way to reproduce good varieties of apple, pear, peach and other fruit. The Company valued its orchards because fresh fruit helped protect ships' crews from scurvy. The 24 scythe stones issued to the mowers pointed to extensive haymaking on the plantation pastures. They matched the drams of arrack and sugar given to the haymakers earlier in the quarter. Hay cut in the wetter months kept the Company's cattle and oxen through the drier season, when grazing on the island's pastures grew thin. A ditching shovel had a long, narrow blade for cutting and clearing drainage channels. It was used both to drain wet ground and to mark and protect field boundaries. The grooms receiving shoemaker's knives cared for the Company's horses at the plantation. The knives were probably used to cut and repair harness and saddlery, since grooms of the period often mended the leather tack in their charge. |
218 | 211 | 1763 Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Flour 360lb 360lb £1 13s 4d Sugar 360 360lb £3 5s 0d Oil 15 Gs Train 15 Gs £2 8s 5d Rice 700lb 700lb £2 14s 2d Salt 1½ Bushels 1½ Bushels £0 4s 8d Tea 6lb Bohea 6lb £0 5s 0d Turners Ware vizt 1 Hair Broom 1 Broom £0 2s 6d 1 Scrubg Brush 1 Brush £0 2s 4d 1 Wood Ladle 1 Ladle £0 0s 4d £0 5s 2d £12 15s 9d Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Lines 2 Hambro for Grummets for Flags 2 Hambro £0 2s 0d Bunting 1 Pc Red 1 Pc £1 10s 11d Canvas 4 Yds Osenbrigs to make two Pendants 4 Yds £0 3s 5d Twine 1 Skain 1 Skain £0 0s 6d Thread 1lb Col. for the out forts 1lb £0 3s 3d Lead 3 Sheet 3lb £0 0s 7d £2 1s 4d Mercury Snow Dr for the followg Stores Issued from the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Canvas 11 Bolts English 11 Bolts £26 2s 6d Pitch and Tar vizt 1 Barl Pitch 1 Barl £1 9s 3d 1 Barl Tar 1 Barl £1 1s 0d Pitch and Tar Carried Over £2 10s 3d Carried Over £26 2s 6d | The hospital's account was charged with the following stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762. 360 lb of flour, £1 13s 4d 360 lb of sugar, £5 13s 0d 15 gallons of train oil, £2 0s 5d 700 lb of rice, £2 14s 2d 1½ bushels of salt, £0 4s 8d 6 lb of Bohea tea, £0 5s 0d Turned wooden goods and brushes: 1 hair broom, £0 2s 6d 1 scrubbing brush, £0 2s 4d 1 wooden ladle, £0 0s 4d Total for turned wooden goods and brushes, £0 5s 2d Total charged to the hospital, £12 15s 9d The fortifications account was charged with the following stores issued over the same period. 2 Hamburg lines for making grommets for flags, £0 2s 0d 1 piece of red bunting, £1 10s 11d 4 yards of osnaburg canvas for making two pennants for the outlying forts, £0 3s 5d 1 skein of twine for the pennants for the outlying forts, £0 0s 6d 1 lb of coloured thread for the pennants for the outlying forts, £0 3s 3d 3 lb of sheet lead, £0 0s 7d Total charged to the fortifications, £2 1s 4d The account of the snow Mercury was charged with the following stores issued over the same period. 11 bolts of English canvas, £26 2s 6d Pitch and tar: 1 barrel of pitch, £1 9s 3d 1 barrel of tar, £1 1s 0d Running total for pitch and tar carried forward, £2 10s 3d Total carried forward, £26 2s 6d Interpretations The Mercury was a snow, a two-masted sailing vessel similar to a brig but carrying an extra small mast just behind the mainmast for a trysail. Snows were handy, fast and economical to crew. The Company kept small vessels of this kind at St Helena to fetch supplies, carry despatches and look out for approaching ships. Eleven bolts of canvas were enough to make or replace a complete suit of sails. The barrels of pitch and tar were for caulking her seams and preserving her rigging. The scale of the issue suggested that she was being refitted during the quarter. The red bunting, pennants and grommets for flags showed the fortifications keeping their signalling equipment in order. The outlying forts guarded the landing places round the coast and depended on flags by day to pass warnings to the Castle. Grommets were rings of rope sewn into the edge of a flag so that it could be bent onto a halyard. Bunting of this quality was expensive, which explained why a single piece of red cost more than all the other stores for the forts together. The hospital's supplies were almost entirely food for the sick. The large issue of sugar reflected its use in sweetening gruels, rice puddings and medicines, which were thought to aid recovery. Rice and flour made up the invalid diet, while the train oil lit the wards at night. |
219 | 212 | 17th January Brought Over £26 2s 6d Pitch and Tar brought over £2 10s 3d 9lb Turpentine 9lb £0 15s 2d 100 Rozin 100lb £0 16s 8d £4 2s 1d Sugar and Candy vizt 56lb Sugar 56lb £0 14s 7d 100lb Candy 100lb £2 3s 9d £2 18s 4d Tea 1lb Singlo 1lb £0 5s 0d Rice 8 Cwt qr lb 8 Cwt £3 9s 4d Salt 1 Bushel 1 Bushel £0 3s 1d Deals 1 Coffin 1 Coffin £0 4s 1d Pewter 1 Quart Funnel 1 Funnel £0 2s 4d Braziers Ware 1 Ladle 1 Ladle £0 3s 4d Iron Ware vizt 1 One Gallon Hash Pan Ham'd Iron 1 Pan £0 17s 6½d 1 One Gallon Sauce Pan Ham'd Iron 1 Pan £0 17s 7½d £1 15s 2d Cordage 12.2.8 12 Cwt 2 qr 8lb £23 9s 4d Bunting vizt 6 Yds Red 6 Yds £0 0s 0d 6 Yds White 6 Yds £0 4s 1d 6 Yds Blue 6 Yds £0 3s 0d [...] £0 3s 2d £0 10s 3d Twine 50 Skains 50 Skains £1 6s 0d Blocks vizt 7 Single of 6 Inc 7 Blocks £0 6s 7d 1 Do 7 Do 1 Block £0 0s 10d £0 7s 5d Glass Ware vizt 4 Sqrs 8 by 10 4 Sqrs £0 2s 3d 2 Sqrs 10 by 12 2 Sqrs £0 1s 8d £0 4s 1d Beef and Pork vizt 6 Tierces Beef 6 Tierces £26 10s 0d 4 Do Pork 4 Tierces £18 11s 3d £45 1s 3d Carried Over £110 3s 7d | The account of the snow Mercury for stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762 continued from a balance of £26 2s 6d brought forward, with pitch and tar resuming from their own running total. Balance brought forward, £26 2s 6d Pitch and tar: Running total for pitch and tar brought forward, £2 10s 3d 9 lb of turpentine, £0 15s 2d 100 lb of rosin, £0 16s 8d Total for pitch and tar, £4 2s 1d Sugar and sugar candy: 56 lb of sugar, £0 14s 7d 100 lb of sugar candy, £2 3s 9d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £2 18s 4d 1 lb of Singlo tea, £0 5s 0d 8 cwt 0 qr 0 lb of rice, £3 9s 4d 1 bushel of salt, £0 3s 1d 1 coffin, £0 4s 1d 1 pewter quart funnel, £0 2s 4d 1 brass ladle, £0 3s 4d Ironmongery: 1 one-gallon hash pan of hammered iron, £0 17s 6½d 1 one-gallon saucepan of hammered iron, £0 17s 7½d Total for ironmongery, £1 15s 2d 12 cwt 2 qr 8 lb of cordage, £23 9s 4d Bunting: 6 yards of red bunting, £0 4s 1d 6 yards of white bunting, £0 3s 0d 6 yards of blue bunting, £0 3s 2d Total for bunting, £0 10s 3d 50 skeins of twine, £1 6s 0d Blocks: 7 single blocks of 6 inches, £0 6s 7d 1 single block of 7 inches, £0 0s 10d Total for blocks, £0 7s 5d Window glass: 4 panes measuring 8 by 10 inches, £0 2s 5d 2 panes measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 1s 8d Total for window glass, £0 4s 1d Beef and pork: 6 tierces of beef, £26 10s 0d 4 tierces of pork, £18 11s 3d Total for beef and pork, £45 1s 3d Total carried forward, £110 3s 7d Interpretations Taken together with the canvas, pitch and tar on the previous page, these stores showed the Mercury being refitted and provisioned for a voyage. More than 12 hundredweight of cordage was enough to renew much of her running and standing rigging. The blocks were the wooden pulleys through which that rigging ran. Turpentine and rosin were mixed with tar and pitch to coat the hull below the waterline, a process known as paying, which sealed the seams and discouraged shipworm. The ten tierces of salt meat pointed to a voyage of some length rather than a short run round the island. A tierce was a cask holding about 42 gallons, roughly a third of a pipe. Six tierces of beef and four of pork would feed a small crew for many weeks. The rice, sugar, salt and tea completed the provisions, while the hash pan and saucepan equipped the galley. The red, white and blue bunting supplied the snow with flags and signals. A vessel acting on the Company's business needed a set of colours to identify herself to warships and to other ships at sea. Bunting in the three colours was the material for ensigns, pennants and signal flags. The coffin charged to the Mercury indicated that one of her crew died during the quarter. The Company met the cost of burial for seamen in its service in the same way as for soldiers. |
220 | 213 | 1763 Brought Over £110 3s 7d Nails vizt 10 M 4d 6 M 6d 10 M 10d £0 13s 9½d 1 Glazg Brads 1 M £0 0s 9½d £0 14s 7d Turners Ware 4 Pump Boxes 4 Boxes £0 13s 10d £111 12s 0d Mercury Snow Dr to Snows Materials vizt Cordage 108 108lb £1 1s 6d Fly Cutter Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st October to the 31st December 1762 vizt Iron Ware vizt 2 Shod Shovels 2 Shovels £0 3s 10d 2 Pad Locks 2 Locks £0 4s 2d 1 Large Fryg Pan 1 Pan £0 3s 6d 39lb Plate Iron 39lb £0 14s 7d £1 6s 1d Nails vizt 3lb Coopers Rivets 3lb £0 1s 4½d 38 M 6d 4 M 10d 1 M 4d £1 3s 9½d £1 5s 2d Pitch and Tar vizt 1 Barl Pitch 1 Barl £1 9s 3d 2 B 12 Gal Tar 2 B 12 Gal £2 11s 0d 8 Rozen 8lb £0 1s 4d £4 1s 7d Carried Over £6 12s 10d | The account of the snow Mercury for stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762 continued from a balance of £110 3s 7d brought forward and was then closed. Balance brought forward, £110 3s 7d Nails: 10 lb of fourpenny nails, 6 lb of sixpenny nails and 10 lb of tenpenny nails, together £0 13s 9½d 1 lb of glazier's brads, £0 0s 9½d Total for nails, £0 14s 7d 4 pump boxes, £0 13s 10d Total charged for stores, £111 12s 0d A further entry charged the Mercury with cordage drawn from the stock of materials held for the snow. 108 lb of cordage, £1 16s 0d The account of the Fly cutter was charged with the following stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762. Ironmongery: 2 iron-shod shovels, £0 3s 10d 2 padlocks, £0 4s 2d 1 large frying pan, £0 3s 6d 39 lb of plate iron, £0 14s 7d Total for ironmongery, £1 6s 1d Nails and rivets: 3 lb of cooper's rivets, £0 1s 4½d 38 lb of sixpenny nails, 4 lb of tenpenny nails and 1 lb of fourpenny nails, together £1 3s 9½d Total for nails and rivets, £1 5s 2d Pitch and tar: 1 barrel of pitch, £1 9s 3d 2 barrels of tar holding 12 gallons each, £2 11s 0d 8 lb of rosin, £0 1s 4d Total for pitch and tar, £4 1s 7d Total carried forward, £6 12s 10d Interpretations Pump boxes were the turned wooden valve chambers fitted inside a ship's pump. Each box carried a leather flap that opened on the upstroke to lift water and closed to hold it. The boxes wore out quickly from constant use in pumping out the bilge. The purchase of four at once suggested that the Mercury's pumps were being overhauled as part of her refit. The separate charge against the snow's materials showed that the Company kept a distinct stock of stores earmarked for the Mercury. Cordage drawn from it was entered apart from the general issues from the warehouse. This allowed the storekeeper to track what had been set aside for the vessel and what had actually been fitted to her. The Fly cutter received a smaller but similar refit, with pitch, tar and rosin for her hull and plate iron for repairs. A cutter was a single-masted vessel with a long bowsprit and a large area of sail for her size. It was fast and handy in light winds and well suited to carrying messages and scouting for approaching ships. The Fly sailed from the island on 13 January 1763, shortly after these stores were issued. |
221 | 214 | 17 January Brought Over £6 12s 10d Paint vizt 38lb Ven Red Dry 38lb £0 7s 2d 6 Sky Blue 6lb £0 11s 1½d 12lb Yel Oaker mixed 12lb £0 3s 9d 1½ Copperas 1½lb £0 1s 6d 30 W. Lead dry 30lb £0 9s 4½d 5 Boxs Blacking 5 Boxs £0 2s 5d 6lb Stone Oaker 6lb £0 2s 2d ½ Stone Colour mixed ½lb £0 0s 3d £1 19s 9d Cordage 7 qr 14lb 7 qr 14lb £0 13s 6d Oil vizt 3¾ Linseed 3¾ Gs £0 14s 2½d 10 Train 10 Gs £1 12s 3½d £2 6s 6d Turners Ware vizt 1 Paint Brush 1 Brush £0 0s 7d 2 Wood Bowls 2 Bowls £0 2s 8d 1 Wood Ladle 1 Ladle £0 0s 4d £0 3s 7d Rice 1662lb 1662lb £6 10s 0d Paddy 298lb 298lb £0 9s 10d Coals 27 Bushels 27 Bushels £1 1s 6d Arrack 83 Gallons 83 Gallons £14 3s 7d Twine 12 Sks Marline 12 Sks £0 2s 6d Corks 3½ Gross 3½ Gross £0 2s 0d Tin Ware 1 Lamp 1 Lamp £0 0s 11d Blocks 1 Double of 10 Inches 1 Block £0 2s 10d Beef and Pork vizt 1 Punchn Beef 1 Punchn £12 7s 3d 3 Tierces Pork 3 Tierces £13 18s 5d £26 5s 8d Glass Ware 2 Sqrs 6 by 8 2 Sqrs £0 0s 7d Carried over £74 2s 7d | The account of the Fly cutter for stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762 continued from a balance of £6 12s 10d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £6 12s 10d Paint: 38 lb of dry Venetian red, £0 7s 2d 6 lb of sky blue, £0 11s 1½d 12 lb of yellow ochre ground in oil, £0 3s 9d 1½ lb of copperas, £0 1s 6d 30 lb of dry white lead, £0 9s 4½d 3 boxes of blacking, £0 2s 5d 6 lb of stone ochre, £0 2s 2d ½ lb of stone colour ground in oil, £0 0s 3d Total for paint, £1 19s 9d 7 cwt 0 qr 14 lb of cordage, £13 6s 0d Oil: 3¾ gallons of linseed oil, £0 14s 2½d 10 gallons of train oil, £1 12s 3½d Total for oil, £2 6s 6d Turned wooden goods and brushes: 1 paint brush, £0 0s 7d 2 wooden bowls, £0 2s 8d 1 wooden ladle, £0 0s 4d Total for turned wooden goods and brushes, £0 3s 7d [...] of rice, £6 10s 0d [...] of paddy, £0 9s 10d 27 bushels of coal, £1 16s 0d 83 gallons of arrack, £14 3s 7d 12 skeins of marline, £0 2s 6d 3½ [...] of corks, £0 2s 0d 1 tin lamp, £0 0s 11d 1 double block of 10 inches, £0 2s 10d Beef and pork: 1 puncheon of beef, £12 7s 3d 3 tierces of pork, £13 18s 5d Total for beef and pork, £26 5s 8d 2 panes of window glass measuring 6 by 8 inches, £0 0s 7d Total carried forward, £74 2s 7d Interpretations These stores showed the Fly being fully provisioned for sea before she sailed on 13 January 1763. The salt meat, rice and 83 gallons of arrack were victualling for a crew over a voyage of several weeks. A puncheon was a large cask of about 72 to 84 gallons, roughly twice the size of a tierce. The arrack supplied the daily spirit ration, which was an expected part of every seaman's allowance in this period. The coal fuelled the cooking hearth in the galley, since a vessel at sea could not gather wood. The paint showed the cutter being given a fresh coat before departure. Some colours were entered as mixed, meaning already ground in oil and ready to apply. Others were dry powders to be mixed on board. Stone ochre was a pale yellowish-brown natural earth, used much like yellow ochre but duller in tone. The quantities of Venetian red and white lead were large enough to cover a good part of the hull and upperworks. Red and white were the usual colours for a small vessel's sides and the inside of her bulwarks. Marline was a light two-stranded line, usually tarred, used to bind the ends of ropes and lash parts of the rigging together. The cordage issued by the hundredweight, together with the double block, pointed to a partial re-rigging of the cutter alongside her repainting. |
222 | 215 | 1763 Brought over £74 2s 7d Sugar and Candy vizt 20lb Sugar 20lb £0 5s 10d 50 Candy 50lb £1 1s 10d £1 7s 8d Deals 2 Single 2 Deals £0 4s 7d £75 14s 10d St Helena 31st December 1762 Errors Excepted P J. Powell Storekr List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants Upon the Island St Helena with their several Salarys, diet Money &c for the Quarter Commencing the 1st October, and ending the 31st December 1762 vizt Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor Salary £125 0s 0d Do Allowance for Servants as Usual £31 14s 9d £156 14s 9d John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governors Salary £62 10s 0d Do Diet Money £25 0s 0d £87 10s 0d Matthew Burling of Council Salary £15 0s 0d Do Accomptant £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council Salary £7 10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £10 0s 0d William [...] Chaplain Salary £25 0s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d £40 0s 0d Carried Over £341 14s 9d | The account of the Fly cutter for stores issued between 1 October and 31 December 1762 resumed from a balance of £74 2s 7d brought forward and was then closed. Balance brought forward, £74 2s 7d Sugar and sugar candy: 20 lb of sugar, £0 5s 10d 50 lb of sugar candy, £1 1s 10d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £1 7s 8d 2 single deals, £0 4s 7d Total charged to the Fly cutter, £75 14s 10d J. Powell, the storekeeper, signed the collection at St Helena on 31 December 1762, noting that any errors in it were open to correction. A list followed of the Company's officers and employees on the island, setting out their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762. Governor Hutchinson headed it. Charles Hutchinson, Governor, salary, £125 0s 0d Charles Hutchinson, allowance for servants at the customary rate, £31 14s 9d Total for Charles Hutchinson, £156 14s 9d John Skottowe, Lieutenant Governor, salary, £62 10s 0d John Skottowe, diet money, £25 0s 0d Total for John Skottowe, £87 10s 0d Matthew Burling, member of the Council, salary, £15 0s 0d Matthew Burling, as accountant, £17 10s 0d Matthew Burling, diet money, £15 0s 0d Total for Matthew Burling, £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, member of the Council, salary, £7 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Thomas Kirkpatrick, £10 0s 0d William L[...], chaplain, salary, £25 0s 0d William L[...], diet money, £15 0s 0d Total for William L[...], £40 0s 0d Total carried forward, £341 14s 9d Interpretations Diet money was a cash allowance paid to officials in place of meals at the Company's table. The Governor received no diet money because his own table was supplied directly from the stores, as the diet expenses account on an earlier page showed. The Lieutenant Governor, the councillors and the chaplain instead drew a fixed sum each quarter to feed themselves. The allowance for the Governor's servants served a similar purpose, meeting the cost of the household staff that his office required. The figures were quarterly, so the Governor's salary amounted to £500 a year. The Lieutenant Governor's came to £250 and Burling's council salary to £60. These sums revealed the steep gradient within the island's administration. Burling nearly tripled his income by also serving as accountant, which showed how the Company's small establishment relied on members of the Council holding additional posts. Kirkpatrick drew the lowest council salary, supplemented only by an allowance for house rent. The chaplain's salary of £100 a year with diet money placed him above the junior councillor in pay. |
223 | 216 | 17th January Brought Over £341 14s 9d Matthew Bazett Secretary Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d James Powell Storekeeper Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d William Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant Storekeeper £5 0s 0d £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £20 0s 0d Richard Law Writers Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant to the Governor £10 0s 0d £27 10s 0d David Alrock Writers Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £17 10s 0d Britanicus Wright Writers Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d £15 0s 0d Robert Barclay Surgeon Salary £9 15s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £22 5s 0d John Pritchard Surgeons Mates Salary £6 5s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £18 15s 0d Richard Beaty Judge Advocate Salary £10 0s 0d Do Schoolmaster £3 8s 3d £13 8s 3d Samuel Alexander Overseers £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett Overseers £7 10s 0d £15 0s 0d John Bland Master Mason £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £1 10s 0d £29 0s 0d Carried Over £615 3s 0d | The list of the Company's officers and employees on the island, with their salaries and allowances for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762, continued from a total of £341 14s 9d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £341 14s 9d Matthew Bazett, secretary, salary, £17 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, diet money, £15 0s 0d Matthew Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Matthew Bazett as secretary, £35 0s 0d James Powell, storekeeper, salary, £17 10s 0d James Powell, diet money, £15 0s 0d James Powell, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for James Powell, £35 0s 0d William Wrangham, factor, salary, £7 10s 0d William Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d William Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d William Wrangham, as assistant storekeeper, £5 0s 0d Total for William Wrangham, £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, factor, salary, £7 10s 0d Francis Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Francis Wrangham, £20 0s 0d Richard L[...], writer, salary, £5 0s 0d Richard L[...], diet money, £10 0s 0d Richard L[...], house rent, £2 10s 0d Richard L[...], as assistant to Governor Hutchinson, £10 0s 0d Total for Richard L[...], £27 10s 0d David Alrock, writer, salary, £5 0s 0d David Alrock, diet money, £10 0s 0d David Alrock, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for David Alrock, £17 10s 0d Britanicus Wright, writer, salary, £5 0s 0d Britanicus Wright, diet money, £10 0s 0d Total for Britanicus Wright, £15 0s 0d Robert Barclay, surgeon, salary, £9 15s 0d Robert Barclay, diet money, £10 0s 0d Robert Barclay, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Robert Barclay, £22 5s 0d John Pritchard, surgeon's mate, salary, £6 5s 0d John Pritchard, diet money, £10 0s 0d John Pritchard, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for John Pritchard, £18 15s 0d Richard Beale, judge advocate, salary, £10 0s 0d Richard Beale, as schoolmaster, £3 8s 3d Total for Richard Beale, £13 8s 3d Samuel Alexander, overseer, £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, overseer, £7 10s 0d Total for the overseers, £15 0s 0d John Bland, master mason, salary, £17 10s 0d John Bland, diet money, £10 0s 0d John Bland, house rent, £1 10s 0d Total for John Bland, £29 0s 0d Total carried forward, £615 3s 0d Interpretations The list followed the Company's graded ranks for its civil servants. A young man entered as a writer, a junior clerk who copied letters, accounts and consultations. After some years he rose to factor, then to junior merchant and finally to senior merchant, with pay rising at each step. At St Helena a writer's salary was only £20 a year. The diet money and house rent were worth more than the salary itself, so these allowances made up most of a junior servant's real income. The small size of the establishment forced officials to combine posts. William Wrangham supplemented his factor's pay by acting as assistant storekeeper. One writer drew an extra £40 a year as assistant to the Governor. Richard Beale served as both judge advocate, who prepared and presented cases before courts martial, and as schoolmaster. Matthew Bazett appeared twice, first as secretary and then as an overseer. The name perhaps belonged to two men of one family, but it may equally show the secretary drawing a second wage for supervising labour. The master mason earned £70 a year in salary alone, far more than any factor or writer and as much as the island's senior civil officials below the Council. The Company had to pay well to keep a skilled builder on so remote an island. His work on the new barracks and other buildings recorded in the stores accounts made him one of its most valuable employees. |
224 | 217 | 1763 Brought Over £615 3s 0d Thomas Townsend Stone Mason Salary £19 10s 0d Do for his Apprentice £3 5s 0d £22 15s 0d John Robinson Carpenters Salary £12 10s 0d Do House Rent £0 15s 0d £13 5s 0d Phillip Mahoney Clerk of the Peace £10 0s 0d Joseph Chamberlain Carpenters Mate £7 10s 0d William Johnson Gardner £10 0s 0d James Sorbell Cooper £8 15s 0d William Moore Steward £7 10s 0d Michael Frost Clock and Instrument Cleaner £1 5s 0d Zedekiah Saunderson Groom £2 0s 0d George Bright Armourer £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice Master of Arms £6 5s 0d John Criswell Patron of the Long Boat £7 10s 0d John Price Marshall & Goaler £7 10s 0d William Smith Clark £5 0s 0d £82 5s 0d First Company Thomas Kirkpatrick Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Samuel D[...]ntain Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob Adjutant Salary £22 16s 3d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Serjeants Robert Eager £7 12s 1d John Tull £7 12s 1d John Steward £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahoney £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Carried Over £894 5s 8½d | The list of the Company's officers and employees on the island, with their pay for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762, continued from a total of £615 3s 0d brought forward. The second part of the page began the pay of the first company of the garrison. Balance brought forward, £615 3s 0d Thomas Townsend, stonemason, salary, £19 10s 0d Thomas Townsend, for his apprentice, £3 5s 0d Total for Thomas Townsend, £22 15s 0d John Robinson, carpenter, salary, £12 10s 0d John Robinson, house rent, £0 15s 0d Total for John Robinson, £13 5s 0d Phillip Mahoney, clerk of the peace, £10 0s 0d Joseph Chamberlain, carpenter's mate, £7 10s 0d William Johnson, gardener, £10 0s 0d James Torbell, cooper, £8 15s 0d William Moore, steward, £7 10s 0d Michael Frost, cleaner of clocks and instruments, £1 5s 0d Zedekiah Saunderson, groom, £2 0s 0d George Bright, armourer, £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice, master at arms, £6 5s 0d John Criswell, master of the longboat, £7 10s 0d John Price, marshal and gaoler, £7 10s 0d William Smith, clerk, £5 0s 0d Total for the officers from Phillip Mahoney to William Smith, £82 5s 0d First company: Thomas Kirkpatrick, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Solomon St Maurice, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Solomon St Maurice, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Solomon St Maurice as lieutenant, £27 11s 10½d Samuel D[...], lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Samuel D[...], diet money, £6 16s 10½d Samuel D[...], house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Samuel D[...], £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob, adjutant, salary, £22 16s 3d Solomon Jacob, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Total for Solomon Jacob, £29 13s 1½d Sergeants: Robert Eager, £7 12s 1d John Sill, £7 12s 1d John Steward, £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahoney, £7 12s 1d Total for the sergeants, £30 8s 4d Total carried forward, £894 5s 8½d Interpretations The garrison and the civil establishment were paid from one list and often by the same men. Thomas Kirkpatrick sat on the Council and also commanded the first company as captain. Solomon St Maurice served as lieutenant and as master at arms, responsible for weapons drill and military discipline. Phillip Mahoney held the civil office of clerk of the peace while serving as a sergeant. The Company's soldiers thus supplied much of the manpower for civil administration on an island with few other educated or reliable residents. The patron of the longboat was the man in charge of the Company's main boat and its crew. The title came from the Portuguese patrão, used in the Company's eastern settlements for the master of a small vessel. The longboat carried stores, water and passengers between the landing place and ships in the road, which made his post essential to the island's shipping trade. The marshal and gaoler combined the enforcement of court orders with custody of prisoners. The marshal arrested debtors and offenders, served writs and seized goods. As gaoler he kept those committed to the prison whose bolts were fixed with sheet lead earlier in the quarter. The clerk of the peace kept the records of the island's courts and prepared indictments and warrants. Skilled trades were paid well above the junior clerks. The stonemason drew £78 a year plus an allowance for training an apprentice, and the armourer earned £36. Michael Frost's small fee for cleaning clocks and instruments showed that the Company kept its timepieces and navigational or surveying instruments in order through a part-time specialist. |
225 | 218 | 17th January Brought over £894 5s 8½d Corporals Jonathan Lake £5 6s 5½d Silvanus Rolf £5 6s 5½d Thomas Payne £5 6s 5½d William Bannister £5 6s 5½d £21 5s 10d Drummers Henry Howell £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels John Kare Welch Cadet £7 12s 1d John Allis £3 16s 0½d John Arstinstall £3 16s 0½d Hans Ulrick Algaver £3 16s 0½d John Allman £3 16s 0½d James Buckley £3 16s 0½d John William Blenk £3 16s 0½d Thomas Berwick £3 16s 0½d David Belford £3 16s 0½d John Brown £3 16s 0½d William Blackman £3 16s 0½d Edward Crocker £3 16s 0½d Edward Coram £3 16s 0½d Isaac Day £3 16s 0½d Henry Dudley £3 16s 0½d John Davis £3 16s 0½d John Dove £3 16s 0½d Anthony Day £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eales £3 16s 0½d Jacob Elsley £3 16s 0½d James Fox £3 16s 0½d John Fennum £3 16s 0½d Centinel Carried Over £87 8s 11½d Carried Over £926 4s 5½d | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued with the first company's corporals, drummers and private soldiers, from a total of £894 5s 8½d brought forward. The privates' pay was carried forward as a separate running total. Balance brought forward, £894 5s 8½d Corporals: Jonathan Lake, £5 6s 5½d Silvanus Rolf, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Payne, £5 6s 5½d William Bannister, £5 6s 5½d Total for the corporals, £21 5s 10d Drummers: Henry Howell, £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot, £5 6s 5½d Total for the drummers, £10 12s 11d Private soldiers: John Ware Welch, cadet, £7 12s 1d John Allis, £3 16s 0½d John Arbinstall, £3 16s 0½d Hans Ulrick Algauer, £3 16s 0½d John Allman, £3 16s 0½d James Buckley, £3 16s 0½d John William Blank, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Berwick, £3 16s 0½d David Belford, £3 16s 0½d John Brown, £3 16s 0½d William Blackman, £3 16s 0½d Edward Croker, £3 16s 0½d Edward Coram, £3 16s 0½d Isaac Day, £3 16s 0½d Henry Dudley, £3 16s 0½d John Davis, £3 16s 0½d John Dove, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Day, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eales, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Elsley, £3 16s 0½d James Fox, £3 16s 0½d John Finnum, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £87 8s 11½d Total carried forward, £926 4s 5½d Interpretations The private soldiers, entered as sentinels, received about £15 4s a year. Corporals and drummers earned roughly £21 a year and sergeants just over £30. This pay was generous compared with the British army, where a private's nominal wage of 8d a day came to about £12 3s a year before heavy deductions for clothing and food. The Company had to pay more to attract men to a remote posting from which few returned. Soldiers here could also buy provisions from the stores at cost plus 10 per cent, which stretched their pay further than it would have gone in England. John Ware Welch served as a cadet and drew double a private's pay. A cadet was a young man of good family who served in the ranks while waiting for a commission as an officer. His higher allowance let him live in a manner fitting his expected rank. Hans Ulrick Algauer and John William Blank bore German names, showing that the garrison did not draw its men solely from Britain. The Company recruited in the German states and Switzerland throughout this period, when the Seven Years' War made British recruits scarce and costly. Foreign soldiers served alongside British ones under the same terms of pay. |
226 | 219 | 1763 Brought Over £926 4s 5½d Centinels brought Over £87 8s 11½d Cornelious Fish £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Godby £3 16s 0½d James Hall £3 16s 0½d Alexander Hall £3 16s 0½d William Hawks £3 16s 0½d William Harris Transfd to the 2 Company October 1st 1762 £0 1s 0d William Johnson £3 16s 0½d George Kibbet £3 16s 0½d Richard Knight £3 16s 0½d William Kellaway £3 16s 0½d Peter Lindsay £3 16s 0½d William Lake £3 16s 0½d John Lamb £3 16s 0½d Charles Lane Ent. October 4th 1762 £3 14s 2d Duncan McClaren £3 16s 0½d William Mumford £3 16s 0½d John May £3 16s 0½d Martin Newman £3 16s 0½d Charles Penfoy £3 16s 0½d John Pickering £3 16s 0½d William Pawson £3 16s 0½d Thomas Price £3 16s 0½d Lucas Pow Dead October 17th 1762 £0 14s 2d Michael Read £3 16s 0½d Thomas Roberts £3 16s 0½d Anthony Reed £3 16s 0½d William Roebuck £3 16s 0½d William Robinson £3 16s 0½d William Swaby £3 16s 0½d John Springthorp £3 16s 0½d Henry Schafner £3 16s 0½d Edward Terry £3 16s 0½d John Taylor Senr Died November the 19th 1762 £2 1s 8d John Taylor Junr £3 16s 0½d Centinel Carried Over £208 10s 2½d Carried Over £926 4s 5½d | The pay list for the first company's private soldiers during the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued from a running total of £87 8s 11½d brought forward. The main balance of £926 4s 5½d was carried through the page unchanged. Balance brought forward, £926 4s 5½d Private soldiers: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £87 8s 11½d Cornelius Fish, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Godby, £3 16s 0½d James Hall, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Hall, £3 16s 0½d William Hawks, £3 16s 0½d William Harris, moved to the second company on 12 October 1762, £0 10s 0d William Johnson, £3 16s 0½d George Kibbet, £3 16s 0½d Richard Knight, £3 16s 0½d William Kellaway, £3 16s 0½d Peter Lindsay, £3 16s 0½d William Luke, £3 16s 0½d John Lamb, £3 16s 0½d Charles Lowe, enlisted on 4 October 1762, £3 14s 2d Duncan McClarron, £3 16s 0½d William Mumford, £3 16s 0½d John May, £3 16s 0½d Martin Newman, £3 16s 0½d Charles Penfoy, £3 16s 0½d John Pickering, £3 16s 0½d William Pawson, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Price, £3 16s 0½d Lewis Row, died on 17 October 1762, £0 14s 2d Michael Read, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Roberts, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Reed, £3 16s 0½d William Roebuck, £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, £3 16s 0½d William Swaby, £3 16s 0½d John Springthorp, £3 16s 0½d Henry Schryver, £3 16s 0½d Edward Terry, £3 16s 0½d John Taylor the elder, died on 19 November 1762, £2 1s 8d John Taylor the younger, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £208 10s 2½d Balance carried forward, £926 4s 5½d Interpretations Pay was calculated by the day, so each man drew only for the days he actually served in the company during the quarter. A full quarter's pay of £3 16s 0½d worked out at a little under 10d a day. William Harris received pay for the 12 days before his transfer to the second company, which then took over his wages. Charles Lowe's pay began from the day he enlisted. The pay of Lewis Row and John Taylor the elder stopped on the day each man died. This day-by-day reckoning prevented the Company paying twice for one man or paying the dead. It also gave the paymaster a precise record of every change in the company's strength. Two deaths among roughly 60 private soldiers in a single quarter reflected the steady toll of disease and accident on the garrison. Losses of this kind had to be made good by recruits from the Company's ships or by local enlistment, such as that of Charles Lowe in early October. |
227 | 220 | 17th January Brought over £926 4s 5½d Centinels brought over £208 10s 2½d John Whitingdale £3 16s 0½d Richard Wheeler £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Wise £3 16s 0½d William Wilkins £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall Ent. Oct 4th 1762 £3 6s 0d George Young £3 16s 0½d William Yates £3 16s 0½d Richard Youcas £3 16s 0½d £238 9s 2d Second Company Henry Bazett Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Michael Frost Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Serjeants John Bazett £7 12s 1d William Beale £7 12s 1d James Sherlock from 1 October to ye 12th Inclu Reduced £1 0s 0d Do Centinel from October ye 13 Inclusive £3 6s 8d John Burnham £7 12s 1d £27 2s 11d Corporals William Conquest from Oct. 1 to ye 12th Incl. then made Serjeant £0 14s 0d Do Serjeant from October 13th Inclusive £6 13s 4d William Peck £5 6s 5½d Thomas Woffington £5 6s 5½d William Harris Enter. October 13 made Corporal £4 13s 4d Richard Wilson from October 1 to ye 12th Inc. Reduced £0 14s 0d Do Centinel from October 13 Inclusive £3 6s 8d £26 14s 3d Carried over £1319 7s 0½d | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 finished the first company's private soldiers from a running total of £208 10s 2½d and then opened the pay of the second company. The main balance of £926 4s 5½d was brought forward unchanged. Balance brought forward, £926 4s 5½d Private soldiers of the first company: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £208 10s 2½d John Whittingdale, £3 16s 0½d Richard Wheeler, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Wise, £3 16s 0½d William Wilkins, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall, enlisted on 4 October 1762, £3 6s 8d George Young, £3 16s 0½d William Yates, £3 16s 0½d Richard Y[...], £3 16s 0½d Total for the private soldiers of the first company, £238 9s 2d Second company: Henry Bazett, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Michael Frost, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Michael Frost, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Michael Frost, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Michael Frost, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Leech, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Leech, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Thomas Leech, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants: John Bazett, £7 12s 1d William Beale, £7 12s 1d James Sherlock, as sergeant from 1 to 12 October inclusive before being reduced to the ranks, £1 0s 0d James Sherlock, as private soldier from 13 October inclusive, £3 6s 8d John Burnham, £7 12s 1d Total for the sergeants, £27 2s 11d Corporals: William Conquest, as corporal from 1 to 12 October inclusive before promotion to sergeant, £0 14s 0d William Conquest, as sergeant from 13 October inclusive, £6 13s 4d William Peck, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Wellington, £5 6s 5½d William Harris, joined the company on 13 October and was made corporal, £4 13s 4d Richard Wiltman, as corporal from 1 to 12 October inclusive before being reduced to the ranks, £0 14s 0d Richard Wiltman, as private soldier from 13 October inclusive, £3 6s 8d Total for the corporals, £26 14s 3d Total carried forward, £1,319 7s 0½d Interpretations The entries for 12 and 13 October recorded a single reshuffle of the second company's non-commissioned officers. Sergeant James Sherlock and Corporal Richard Wiltman were both reduced to the ranks on the same day. Corporal William Conquest was promoted to fill Sherlock's place as sergeant. William Harris, who had left the first company on 12 October, joined the second company the next day as a corporal to fill the vacancy that followed. Reduction to the ranks was the usual punishment for non-commissioned officers found guilty of drunkenness, neglect of duty or insubordination. It cost each man a large part of his pay, since a sergeant earned double a private's wage. The Bazett family held a striking number of posts. Henry Bazett commanded the second company as captain and John Bazett served in it as sergeant. Matthew Bazett was secretary to the Council and also drew pay as an overseer. On an island with a small settled population, a few families supplied much of the Company's civil and military establishment and passed posts among their members. Michael Frost served as lieutenant in the second company and also drew the small fee for cleaning clocks and instruments recorded on an earlier page. The combination suggested an officer with practical mechanical skill who put it to use in a second paid role. |
228 | 221 | 1763 Brought Over £1319 7s 0½d Drummers John Heffyn £5 6s 5½d Lewis King £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Samuel Alston £3 16s 0½d Joseph Banks £3 16s 0½d William Beckitt £3 16s 0½d William Brick £3 16s 0½d William Brooks £3 16s 0½d Peter Brown £3 16s 0½d Jacob Brown £3 16s 0½d Robert Brown £3 16s 0½d Thomas Bell £3 16s 0½d Nicholas Bushel £3 16s 0½d Daniel Bury £3 16s 0½d Edward Cozens £3 16s 0½d John Coples £3 16s 0½d William Clay £3 16s 0½d Robert Dickens £3 16s 0½d Thomas Eastwood £3 16s 0½d Peter Eglestone £3 16s 0½d George French £3 16s 0½d William French £3 16s 0½d John Forbes £3 16s 0½d William Fallwood £3 16s 0½d James Franklyn £3 16s 0½d William Fry £3 16s 0½d George Freeman £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greenslade £3 16s 0½d John Gedsell £3 16s 0½d John Hawring £3 16s 0½d William Harris £3 16s 0½d William Hays £3 16s 0½d Thomas Harding £3 16s 0½d Abraham Harding £3 16s 0½d Centinels Carried over £117 7s 3½d Carried Over £1329 19s 11½d Margin Notes: 1/16 | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued with the drummers and private soldiers of the second company, from a total of £1,319 7s 0½d brought forward. The privates' pay was carried forward as a separate running total. Balance brought forward, £1,319 7s 0½d Drummers: John Heffyn, £5 6s 5½d Lewis King, £5 6s 5½d Total for the drummers, £10 12s 11d Private soldiers: Samuel Alston, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Banks, £3 16s 0½d William Beckett, £3 16s 0½d William Brick, £3 16s 0½d William Brooks, £3 16s 0½d Peter Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Brown, £3 16s 0½d Robert Brown, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Bell, £3 16s 0½d Nicholas Bushel, £3 16s 0½d Daniel Bray, £3 16s 0½d Edward Cozens, £3 16s 0½d John Cople, £3 16s 0½d William Clay, £3 16s 0½d Robert Dickens, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Eastwood, £3 16s 0½d Peter Eglestone, £3 16s 0½d George French, £3 16s 0½d William French, £3 16s 0½d John Forbes, £3 16s 0½d William Fallwood, £3 16s 0½d James Franklyn, £3 16s 0½d William Fry, £3 16s 0½d George Freeman, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greendale, £3 16s 0½d John Gedsell, £3 16s 0½d John Harring, £3 16s 0½d William Harris, £3 16s 0½d William Hays, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Harding, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Harding, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £117 17s 3½d Total carried forward, £1,329 19s 11½d |
229 | 222 | 17th January Brought over £1329 19s 11½d Centinels brought over £117 7s 3½d John Hawkswood £3 16s 0½d Samuel Hiles £3 16s 0½d William Hockley £3 16s 0½d Arnold Henson £3 16s 0½d John Holloway £3 16s 0½d John Holbrook £3 16s 0½d James Hudson £3 16s 0½d James Huckeley £3 16s 0½d Samuel Inston £3 16s 0½d Richard Jones £3 16s 0½d Samuel Kitson £3 16s 0½d Evan Knowles £3 16s 0½d Michael Males £3 16s 0½d Edward Mitchell £3 16s 0½d Thomas Mudge £3 16s 0½d William Penny £3 16s 0½d Samuel Perry £3 16s 0½d William Pitcher £3 16s 0½d Roger Phillips £3 16s 0½d Abraham Renno £3 16s 0½d John Slade from Oct. 1st to ye 12 Inc. made Corpl £0 10s 0d Do Corporal from Octr 13th Inclusive £4 13s 4d William Steadman £3 16s 0½d John Christain Streif £3 16s 0½d Thomas Stowers £3 16s 0½d William Taylor £3 16s 0½d John Tucker £3 16s 0½d Avery Treeman £3 16s 0½d Luke Vernon £3 16s 0½d Thomas Wandall £3 16s 0½d George Wells £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall Transferred to the first Company October 12th £0 10s 0d £233 15s 10d Carried Over £1563 15s 9½d | The pay list for the second company's private soldiers during the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued from a running total of £117 17s 3½d brought forward. The main balance stood at £1,329 19s 11½d. Balance brought forward, £1,329 19s 11½d Private soldiers: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £117 17s 3½d John Hawkswood, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Hiles, £3 16s 0½d William Hockley, £3 16s 0½d Arnold Henson, £3 16s 0½d John Holloway, £3 16s 0½d John Holbrook, £3 16s 0½d James Hudson, £3 16s 0½d James Huckley, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Inston, £3 16s 0½d Richard Jones, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Kitson, £3 16s 0½d Evan Knowles, £3 16s 0½d Michael Mals, £3 16s 0½d Edward Mitchell, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Mudge, £3 16s 0½d William Penny, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Perry, £3 16s 0½d William Pitcher, £3 16s 0½d Roger Phillips, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Renno, £3 16s 0½d John Slade, as private soldier from 1 to 12 October inclusive before promotion to corporal, £0 10s 0d John Slade, as corporal from 13 October inclusive, £4 13s 4d William Steadman, £3 16s 0½d John Christian Strife, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Towers, £3 16s 0½d William Taylor, £3 16s 0½d John Tuckey, £3 16s 0½d Avery Trueman, £3 16s 0½d Luke Vernon, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Wansall, £3 16s 0½d George Wells, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall, moved to the first company on 12 October, £0 10s 0d Total for the private soldiers of the second company, £233 15s 10d Total carried forward, £1,563 15s 9½d Interpretations The entries for John Slade and Thomas Windall completed the picture of the changes made on 12 and 13 October. In the second company, two corporals were lost when William Conquest was promoted and Richard Wiltman reduced. Slade was raised from the ranks and William Harris brought in from the first company to replace them. Windall moved the other way on the same day, so the first company lost no strength by giving up Harris. The two companies were thus kept in balance by a direct exchange of men. The earlier entry for Windall in the first company described him as enlisting in October, but the pay he drew there matched service from 13 October. This page showed that he had in fact served in the second company until 12 October. The first company's clerk treated his arrival as a new enlistment rather than a transfer. |
230 | 223 | 1763 Brought over £1563 15s 9½d Third Company Richard Beale Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwater Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Serjeants Roger Wenman £7 12s 1d George Henry Bazett £7 12s 1d John Robinson £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals John Lemmon £5 6s 5½d William Hill £5 6s 5½d Archer Gambel £5 6s 5½d Thomas Taylor £5 6s 5½d £21 5s 10d Drummers John Snacks £5 6s 5½d George Garrard £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Richard Ashford £3 16s 0½d Henry Brown £3 16s 0½d Jacob Ball £3 16s 0½d Mark Balles £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Bennet £3 16s 0½d Frederick William Beard £3 16s 0½d John Blinkorn £3 16s 0½d John Cripps £3 16s 0½d Centinels Carried Over £30 8s 4d Carried Over £1726 19s 1½d | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 went on to the third company of the garrison, from a total of £1,563 15s 9½d brought forward. The privates' pay was carried forward as a separate running total. Balance brought forward, £1,563 15s 9½d Third company: Richard Beale, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Bazett, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Thomas Bazett, £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwater, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d John Bridgwater, diet money, £6 16s 10½d John Bridgwater, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for John Bridgwater, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants: Roger Weman, £7 12s 1d George Henry Bazett, £7 12s 1d John Robinson, £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson, £7 12s 1d Total for the sergeants, £30 8s 4d Corporals: John Lemmon, £5 6s 5½d William Hill, £5 6s 5½d Archer Gambol, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Taylor, £5 6s 5½d Total for the corporals, £21 5s 10d Drummers: John Snacks, £5 6s 5½d George Garrard, £5 6s 5½d Total for the drummers, £10 12s 11d Private soldiers: Richard Ashford, £3 16s 0½d Henry Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Bull, £3 16s 0½d Mark Balls, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Bennet, £3 16s 0½d Frederick William Beard, £3 16s 0½d John Blenkorn, £3 16s 0½d John Cripps, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £30 8s 4d Total carried forward, £1,726 19s 1½d Interpretations Richard Beale, captain of the third company, was the same man who drew pay as judge advocate and schoolmaster on an earlier page. His three posts drew together military command, the conduct of courts martial and the teaching of the island's children. A captain was well placed to serve as judge advocate because he knew military law and the garrison's men. The schoolmaster's post perhaps came to him because few others on the island had the education to hold it. The Bazett family reached into all three companies. Thomas Bazett was a lieutenant and George Henry Bazett a sergeant in the third company, while Henry and John Bazett held posts in the second. Together with Matthew Bazett as secretary, the family held at least six salaried positions on the island in this quarter. |
231 | 224 | 17th January Brought over £1726 19s 1½d Centinels Brought over £30 8s 4d John Cork £3 16s 0½d Joseph Chamberlain £3 16s 0½d William Cliffton £3 16s 0½d Barron Delose £3 16s 0½d William Dicks £3 16s 0½d Charles Edgels £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eagle £3 16s 0½d William Foster £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greystock £3 16s 0½d Alexander Gray £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hinds £3 16s 0½d Felix Hyde £3 16s 0½d John Hillard £3 16s 0½d Robert Inchurst £3 16s 0½d William Jenkins £3 16s 0½d Thomas Jones £3 16s 0½d Alexander Kitchen £3 16s 0½d Thomas Kipper £3 16s 0½d James Kemp £3 16s 0½d Thomas Kennedy £3 16s 0½d James Lee £3 16s 0½d Edward Lee £3 16s 0½d Richard Linney £3 16s 0½d William Livingstone £3 16s 0½d Lewis Lempford £3 16s 0½d John Long £3 16s 0½d John Langridge £3 16s 0½d Edward Lamborn £3 16s 0½d Abraham Major £3 16s 0½d Charles Montague £3 16s 0½d Richard Moyce £3 16s 0½d William Mason Junr £3 16s 0½d John Maurice £3 16s 0½d Centinels Carried over £155 17s 8½d Carried over £1726 19s 1½d Margin Notes: [...] 7 | The pay list for the third company's private soldiers during the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued from a running total of £30 8s 4d brought forward. The main balance stood unchanged at £1,726 19s 1½d. Balance brought forward, £1,726 19s 1½d Private soldiers: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £30 8s 4d John Cork, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Chamberlain, £3 16s 0½d William Cliffton, £3 16s 0½d Barron Delose, £3 16s 0½d William Dicks, £3 16s 0½d Charles Edgels, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eagle, £3 16s 0½d William Foster, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greystock, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Gray, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hinds, £3 16s 0½d Felix Hyde, £3 16s 0½d John Hillard, £3 16s 0½d Robert I[...], £3 16s 0½d William Jenkins, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Jones, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Kitchen, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Kipper, £3 16s 0½d James Kemp, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Kennedy, £3 16s 0½d James Lee, £3 16s 0½d Edward Lee, £3 16s 0½d Richard Linney, £3 16s 0½d William Livingstone, £3 16s 0½d Lewis Lempford, £3 16s 0½d John Long, £3 16s 0½d John Langridge, £3 16s 0½d Edward Lamborn, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Major, £3 16s 0½d Charles Montague, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moyce, £3 16s 0½d William Mason the younger, £3 16s 0½d John Maurice, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £155 17s 8½d Balance carried forward, £1,726 19s 1½d |
232 | 225 | 1763 Brought over £1726 19s 1½d Centinels Brought over £155 17s 8½d Thomas Morris £3 16s 0½d William Mason Junr £3 16s 0½d John Passwater £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perry £3 16s 0½d Joseph Phillips £3 16s 0½d James Precktor £3 16s 0½d Thomas Pearce £3 16s 0½d Henry Pintchen £3 16s 0½d William Robinson £3 16s 0½d Robert Stack £3 16s 0½d Adam Scott £3 16s 0½d John Henry Schwanhurst £3 16s 0½d David Scott £3 16s 0½d John Smith Senr £3 16s 0½d John Smith Junr £3 16s 0½d John Thompson £3 16s 0½d Joseph Ulson £3 16s 0½d John Wibird £3 16s 0½d John Waters £3 16s 0½d James York £3 16s 0½d £231 18s 6½d Fourth Company John Howard Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Henry De Laune Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Lambert Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £25 1s 10½d Serjeants John Flemming £7 12s 1d Thomas Ferres £7 12s 1d Henry Harper £7 12s 1d George Fian £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Carried over £2087 12s 3d | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 finished the third company's private soldiers from a running total of £155 17s 8½d and then opened the pay of the fourth company. The main balance of £1,726 19s 1½d was brought forward unchanged. Balance brought forward, £1,726 19s 1½d Private soldiers of the third company: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £155 17s 8½d Thomas Morris, £3 16s 0½d William Mason the elder, £3 16s 0½d John Passwater, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perry, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Phillips, £3 16s 0½d James Prockter, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 0½d Henry Pintchen, £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, £3 16s 0½d Robert Stack, £3 16s 0½d Adam Scott, £3 16s 0½d John Henry Schwanhurst, £3 16s 0½d David Scott, £3 16s 0½d John Smith the elder, £3 16s 0½d John Smith the younger, £3 16s 0½d John Thompson, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Ussin, £3 16s 0½d John Wiburd, £3 16s 0½d John Waters, £3 16s 0½d James York, £3 16s 0½d Total for the private soldiers of the third company, £231 18s 6½d Fourth company: John Howard, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Henry De Laune, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Henry De Laune, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Henry De Laune, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Henry De Laune, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Lambert, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Lambert, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Total for Thomas Lambert, £25 1s 10½d Sergeants: John Flemming, £7 12s 1d Thomas Ferris, £7 12s 1d Henry Harper, £7 12s 1d George Fish, £7 12s 1d Total for the sergeants, £30 8s 4d Total carried forward, £2,087 12s 3d Interpretations Thomas Lambert drew no house rent, unlike every other lieutenant on the list. The allowance was paid to officers who found their own lodgings in the town. Its absence suggested that Lambert lived in quarters provided by the Company, perhaps at one of the outlying forts or in the new barracks, and so had no rent to meet. |
233 | 226 | 17th January Brought over £2087 12s 3d Corporals George Hillsheim £5 6s 5½d Alexander Groombridge £5 6s 5½d Richard Wright £5 6s 5½d Christain Harnille £5 6s 5½d £21 5s 10d Drummers George Wills £5 6s 5½d William La Rocky £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Daniel Armain £3 16s 0½d John Allin £3 16s 0½d George Bennet £3 16s 0½d John Blackwell £3 16s 0½d Joseph Blackwell £3 16s 0½d Michael Brown £3 16s 0½d Jacob Barnard £3 16s 0½d James Cartwright £3 16s 0½d George Copeling £3 16s 0½d William Cooksey £3 16s 0½d Duncan Cameron £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Chandler £3 16s 0½d Henry Coster £3 16s 0½d James Culsher £3 16s 0½d John Cunningham £3 16s 0½d Henry Davis £3 16s 0½d Robert Davis £3 16s 0½d John Enstone £3 16s 0½d George Green £3 16s 0½d Richard Goulding £3 16s 0½d John Gillmore £3 16s 0½d Christian Greawald £3 16s 0½d Joseph Gilder £3 16s 0½d Matthew Godlib £3 16s 0½d Centinels Carried over £91 5s 0d Carried over £2119 11s 0d | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued with the fourth company's corporals, drummers and private soldiers, from a total of £2,087 12s 3d brought forward. The privates' pay was carried forward as a separate running total. Balance brought forward, £2,087 12s 3d Corporals: George Hillsheim, £5 6s 5½d Alexander Groombridge, £5 6s 5½d Richard Wright, £5 6s 5½d Christian Hornidle, £5 6s 5½d Total for the corporals, £21 5s 10d Drummers: George Wills, £5 6s 5½d William La Rocky, £5 6s 5½d Total for the drummers, £10 12s 11d Private soldiers: Daniel Armain, £3 16s 0½d John Allin, £3 16s 0½d George Bennet, £3 16s 0½d John Blackwell, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Blackwell, £3 16s 0½d Michael Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Barnard, £3 16s 0½d James Cartwright, £3 16s 0½d George Copeling, £3 16s 0½d William Cooksey, £3 16s 0½d Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Chandler, £3 16s 0½d Henry Coster, £3 16s 0½d James Culshor, £3 16s 0½d John Cunningham, £3 16s 0½d Henry Davis, £3 16s 0½d Robert Davis, £3 16s 0½d John Enstone, £3 16s 0½d George Green, £3 16s 0½d Richard Goulding, £3 16s 0½d John Gillmore, £3 16s 0½d Christian Gr[...]wald, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Gilder, £3 16s 0½d Matthew Godlib, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £91 5s 0d Total carried forward, £2,119 11s 0d |
234 | 227 | 1763 Brought over £2119 11s 0d Centinels brought over £91 5s 0d Edward German £3 16s 0½d Joseph Good £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hailes £3 16s 0½d Henry Hornbury £3 16s 0½d James Hindee £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hillard £3 16s 0½d John Houston £3 16s 0½d Stephen John £3 16s 0½d Henry Jenkins £3 16s 0½d Christain Johnson £3 16s 0½d William Lambon £3 16s 0½d John March £3 16s 0½d Richard Moreton £3 16s 0½d Simon Mason £3 16s 0½d Mordock McCloud £3 16s 0½d John Baptist Mitchland £3 16s 0½d John McAllister £3 16s 0½d William Mitchell £3 16s 0½d John Oswald £3 16s 0½d Lyttleton Pigott £3 16s 0½d Frances Powell £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perrin £3 16s 0½d James Richardson £3 16s 0½d Patrick Riley £3 16s 0½d Thomas Rutherford £3 16s 0½d John Scotcher £3 16s 0½d John Shaw £3 16s 0½d William Seaman £3 16s 0½d James Shadd £3 16s 0½d John Swindall £3 16s 0½d John Shaws £3 16s 0½d John Smith £3 16s 0½d Zedekiah Saunderson £3 16s 0½d Roderick Shaffer £3 16s 0½d Centinels Carried over £220 10s 5d Carried over £2119 11s 0d | The pay list for the fourth company's private soldiers during the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued from a running total of £91 5s 0d brought forward. The main balance stood unchanged at £2,119 11s 0d. Balance brought forward, £2,119 11s 0d Private soldiers: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £91 5s 0d Edward German, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Good, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hailes, £3 16s 0½d Henry Hornbury, £3 16s 0½d James Hindree, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hillard, £3 16s 0½d John Houston, £3 16s 0½d Stephen John, £3 16s 0½d Henry Jenkins, £3 16s 0½d Christian Johnson, £3 16s 0½d William Lambon, £3 16s 0½d John March, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moreton, £3 16s 0½d Simon Mason, £3 16s 0½d Mordock McCloed, £3 16s 0½d John Baptist Mitchland, £3 16s 0½d John McAllister, £3 16s 0½d William Mitchell, £3 16s 0½d John Oswald, £3 16s 0½d Lyttleton Pigott, £3 16s 0½d Francis Powell, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perrin, £3 16s 0½d James Richardson, £3 16s 0½d Patrick Riley, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Rutherford, £3 16s 0½d John Scotcher, £3 16s 0½d John Shaw, £3 16s 0½d William S[...]man, £3 16s 0½d James Shadd, £3 16s 0½d John Swindall, £3 16s 0½d John Shans, £3 16s 0½d John Smith, £3 16s 0½d Zedekiah Saunderson, £3 16s 0½d Roderick Shaffer, £3 16s 0½d Running total for the private soldiers carried forward, £220 10s 5d Balance carried forward, £2,119 11s 0d Interpretations Zedekiah Saunderson appeared here as a private soldier and earlier on the civil list as the Company's groom, paid £2 for the quarter. Like the officers who held civil posts, ordinary soldiers could earn a second wage by taking on work for the Company when their military duties allowed. For a private, the groom's fee added more than half again to his army pay. Such arrangements gave the Company a ready pool of labour without adding new men to the island's small population. |
235 | 228 | 17th January Brought over £2119 11s 0d Centinels brought over £220 10s 5d Thomas Suffrell £3 16s 0½d John Thompson £3 16s 0½d John Vaughan £3 16s 0½d Edward Webber £3 16s 0½d Jeremiah Wherrill £3 16s 0½d William Wild £3 16s 0½d £243 6s 8d Artillery Company Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary £22 16s 3d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Gunners Mates Nathan Semple Chief Mate £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch £9 2s 6d Adam Watson £9 2s 6d James Long £9 2s 6d John Fricks £9 2s 6d John Olney Oct. 1st to ye 4th Incl. Discharged £1 2s 0d Thomas Taylor £9 2s 6d John Bentley £9 2s 6d £67 5s 1½d Quarter Gunners Andrew Barton £6 16s 10½d Richard Waterhouse Oct. 1st to ye 11th Inclu Made Gunners Mate £0 16s 6d Do Gunners Mate from Oct 12 Inclu £8 2s 0d Thomas Innes £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham £6 16s 10½d Daniel Songue £6 16s 10½d John Hinbrick Walters £6 16s 10½d William Fletcher £6 16s 10½d George Nelson £6 16s 10½d £56 16s 7½d Matrosses William Benson £4 11s 3d John Adam Brazier £4 11s 3d Matrosses Carried over £9 2s 6d Carried over £2516 12s 6½d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 finished the fourth company's private soldiers from a running total of £220 10s 5d and then opened the pay of the artillery company. The main balance of £2,119 11s 0d was brought forward unchanged. The matrosses' pay was carried forward as a separate running total. Balance brought forward, £2,119 11s 0d Private soldiers of the fourth company: Running total for the private soldiers brought forward, £220 10s 5d Thomas Tuffrell, £3 16s 0½d John Thompson, £3 16s 0½d John Vaughan, £3 16s 0½d Edward Webber, £3 16s 0½d Jeremiah Wherrill, £3 16s 0½d William Wild, £3 16s 0½d Total for the private soldiers of the fourth company, £243 6s 8d Artillery company: Thomas Hall, master gunner, salary, £22 16s 3d Thomas Hall, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Total for Thomas Hall, £29 13s 1½d Gunner's mates: Nathan Sample, chief mate, £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d Adam Wilson, £9 2s 6d James Long, £9 2s 6d John Tucks, £9 2s 6d John Covey, from 1 to 11 October inclusive before his discharge, £1 2s 0d Thomas Taylor, £9 2s 6d John Bentley, £9 2s 6d Total for the gunner's mates, £67 5s 1½d Quarter gunners: Andrew Barton, £6 16s 10½d Richard Waterhouse, as quarter gunner from 1 to 11 October inclusive before promotion to gunner's mate, £0 16s 6d Richard Waterhouse, as gunner's mate from 12 October inclusive, £8 2s 0d Thomas Jones, £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham, £6 16s 10½d Daniel Tongue, £6 16s 10½d John Hendrick Walters, £6 16s 10½d William Fletcher, £6 16s 10½d George Nelson, £6 16s 10½d Total for the quarter gunners, £56 16s 7½d Matrosses: William Benson, £4 11s 3d John Adam Brazier, £4 11s 3d Running total for the matrosses carried forward, £9 2s 6d Total carried forward, £2,516 12s 6½d Interpretations The artillery company was paid on a higher scale than the infantry, because its men needed technical skill. A matross, the most junior rank, assisted the gunners in loading, sponging and moving the guns. He earned about £18 5s a year, noticeably more than an infantry private. A quarter gunner earned over £27 and a gunner's mate over £36, which was more than an infantry sergeant. The gunners had to judge charges, lay the guns and manage powder safely, and the Company paid to keep men with that training. John Covey's discharge after 11 October and Richard Waterhouse's promotion to gunner's mate on 12 October were linked. Waterhouse filled the vacancy the day after it opened. The Company kept the number of gunner's mates constant by promoting from the quarter gunners below. Thomas Hall, the master gunner, was the officer who signed the return of artillery stores used in December 1762. That return recorded the powder fired in alarms and training by the men on this list. |
236 | 229 | 1763 Brought over £2516 12s 6½d Matrosses brought over £9 2s 6d Benjamin Burton £4 11s 3d William Brown £4 11s 3d Isaac Buck £4 11s 3d Richard Broom £4 11s 3d John Brown £4 11s 3d John Coop £4 11s 3d John Cox £4 11s 3d John Criswell £4 11s 3d Thomas Collier £4 11s 3d Thomas Clark £4 11s 3d Michael Downing £4 11s 3d John Dove £4 11s 3d Edward Durrant £4 11s 3d John Frederick Emmerling £4 11s 3d Christain Dyall £4 11s 3d William Isaac Ford £4 11s 3d Daniel Fenn £4 11s 3d John Grainger £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock £4 11s 3d William Hodges £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton £4 11s 3d Edward Jenkins £4 11s 3d Richard Kempton £4 11s 3d William Lester £4 11s 3d Bryan Linch £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel £4 11s 3d Daniel Malony £4 11s 3d Evan Newland £4 11s 3d Thomas Noble £4 11s 3d William Pigeon £4 11s 3d John Plank £4 11s 3d William Phillips £4 11s 3d John Peplow £4 11s 3d Matrosses Carried over £159 13s 9d Carried over £2516 12s 6½d | The pay list for the artillery company's matrosses during the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued from a running total of £9 2s 6d brought forward. The main balance stood unchanged at £2,516 12s 6½d. Balance brought forward, £2,516 12s 6½d Matrosses: Running total for the matrosses brought forward, £9 2s 6d Benjamin Burton, £4 11s 3d William Brown, £4 11s 3d Isaac Buck, £4 11s 3d Richard Broom, £4 11s 3d John Brown, £4 11s 3d John Copp, £4 11s 3d John Cox, £4 11s 3d John Criswell, £4 11s 3d Thomas Collier, £4 11s 3d Thomas Clark, £4 11s 3d Michael Downing, £4 11s 3d John Dover, £4 11s 3d Edward Durrant, £4 11s 3d John Frederick Emmerling, £4 11s 3d Christian Dyall, £4 11s 3d William Isaac Ford, £4 11s 3d Daniel Finn, £4 11s 3d John Grainger, £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock, £4 11s 3d William Hodges, £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton, £4 11s 3d Edward Jenkins, £4 11s 3d Richard Kempton, £4 11s 3d William Lester, £4 11s 3d Bryan Linch, £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel, £4 11s 3d Daniel Malony, £4 11s 3d Evan Nowland, £4 11s 3d Thomas Noble, £4 11s 3d William Pigeon, £4 11s 3d John Pluck, £4 11s 3d William Phillips, £4 11s 3d John P[...]low, £4 11s 3d Running total for the matrosses carried forward, £159 13s 9d Balance carried forward, £2,516 12s 6½d |
237 | 230 | 17th January Brought over £2516 12s 6½d Matrosses brought over £159 13s 9d William Poulton £4 11s 3d John Robinson £4 11s 3d Joshua Ratliff Octr 1st to the 11th made Quarter Gunner £0 11s 0d Do Quart Gunr from October the 12th Inclus £6 1s 6d Christopher Renolds £4 11s 3d John Slater £4 11s 3d Frederick Simmerman £4 11s 3d John Stow £4 11s 3d George Straight £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith £4 11s 3d Godfrey Smith £4 11s 3d John Turner £4 11s 3d Richard Tinty £4 11s 3d John Thomason £4 11s 3d Thomas Watts £4 11s 3d Thomas Wyatt £4 11s 3d John Mitchel Wagiland £4 11s 3d John Ward £4 11s 3d John Webley £4 11s 3d Nathanel Young £4 11s 3d £248 8s 9d £2765 1s 3½d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the artillery company's matrosses during the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762 continued from a running total of £159 13s 9d brought forward, and the list then closed with its grand total. Balance brought forward, £2,516 12s 6½d Matrosses: Running total for the matrosses brought forward, £159 13s 9d William Poulton, £4 11s 3d John Robinson, £4 11s 3d Joshua Ratliff, as matross from 1 to 11 October before promotion to quarter gunner, £0 11s 0d Joshua Ratliff, as quarter gunner from 12 October inclusive, £6 1s 6d Christopher Renolds, £4 11s 3d John Slater, £4 11s 3d Frederick Simmerman, £4 11s 3d John Stow, £4 11s 3d George Straight, £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith, £4 11s 3d Godfrey Smith, £4 11s 3d John Turner, £4 11s 3d Richard Tinly, £4 11s 3d John Thomason, £4 11s 3d Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d Thomas Wyatt, £4 11s 3d John Mitchel Wageland, £4 11s 3d John Ward, £4 11s 3d John Webley, £4 11s 3d Nathaniel Young, £4 11s 3d Total for the matrosses, £248 8s 9d Grand total of salaries and pay for the quarter, £2,765 1s 3½d Interpretations Joshua Ratliff's promotion completed a chain of moves in the artillery company that began with John Covey's discharge after 11 October. Richard Waterhouse rose from quarter gunner to gunner's mate to fill Covey's place. Ratliff then rose from matross to quarter gunner to fill the place left by Waterhouse. All three changes took effect on 12 October, so the company's establishment of each rank stayed whole throughout the quarter. The grand total of £2,765 1s 3½d represented a pay bill of about £11,000 a year for the island's officials, artisans and garrison. Well over three-quarters of it went to the soldiers of the four infantry companies and the artillery. The figure showed that St Helena's value to the Company lay chiefly in its role as a fortified station on the route home from India and China. The island earned little of its own, and the Company paid heavily to hold and defend it. |
238 | 231 | Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1762 December 31st To Cash received £2965 3s 5½d £2965 3s 5½d Per Contra Cr 1762 October 4th By Cash paid Charles Lewis for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years commencing this Day £10 0s 0d 20th By Cash paid Edward. Durrand John Jacks. Dones and Billy as a reward Published for apprehending and taking two Crimanals who broke Prison £5 0s 0d Novembr 1st By Cash paid John Vaughan for Relisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years Longer as a Soldier commencing this Day £10 0s 0d 8th By Cash paid John Langridge for Publishing an Advertizement concerning the two Fellons who escaped out of Prison when under Sentence of Death £0 12s 6d December 31st By Cash paid James Lee for relisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years longer as a Soldier commencing this day £10 0s 0d 31st By Cash paid Captain Harrold for His Extra Charges on board the Snow Mercury £23 4s 0d By Cash paid the Drum Major for Instructing the Young Drummers this Quarter £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Nochgbedah Schollum his allowance from the Honorable Company this Quarter £1 12s 6d Caried over £61 9s 0d Margin Notes: 1763 | Thomas Kirkpatrick, as paymaster, set out his cash account for the quarter ending 31 December 1762. On the receiving side, he entered cash of £2,965 3s 5½d taken in on 31 December 1762. Against it he listed the following payments. 4 October 1762, to Charles Lewis for enlisting as a soldier in the Company's service for five years from that day, £10 0s 0d 20 October 1762, to Edward Durrant, John Tucks, Dove and Bills, as the advertised reward for catching two criminals who escaped from prison, £5 0s 0d 1 November 1762, to John Vaughan for re-enlisting as a soldier for a further five years from that day, £10 0s 0d 8 November 1762, to John Langridge for putting up a public notice about the two felons who escaped from prison while under sentence of death, £0 12s 6d 31 December 1762, to James Lee for re-enlisting as a soldier for a further five years from that day, £10 0s 0d 31 December 1762, to Captain Harrold for his additional expenses on board the snow Mercury, £23 4s 0d. To the drum major for training the young drummers during the quarter, £1 0s 0d To Nochquedah Schollum for his quarterly allowance from the Company, £1 12s 6d Total carried forward, £61 9s 0d Interpretations The Company paid a bounty of £10 to each man who enlisted or re-enlisted for five years. This was well over half a private's annual pay and a strong inducement to stay. Recruits from England were costly and slow to arrive, so keeping trained soldiers already on the island was far cheaper. The bounties to John Vaughan and James Lee on re-enlistment showed the Company using cash to hold on to men whose terms had expired. The escape of two prisoners under sentence of death led to a public notice and a reward. With no newspaper on the island, notices were written out and posted at the church, the Castle gate and other public places. John Langridge, a private in the third company, was paid for making and putting up the notice, probably because he could write a fair hand. The reward of £5 went to four men who caught the fugitives. Men in the garrison had every reason to join such a search, since the island offered escaped prisoners almost nowhere to hide and a reward that equalled more than a quarter's pay. Nochquedah was most probably the title nakhoda, used in the Malay world for the master of a trading vessel. Schollum perhaps rendered the name Salim or Salam. A regular allowance from the Company suggested an Asian seaman or merchant living on the island under the Company's protection, perhaps an exile or detainee sent from one of its eastern settlements. Captain Harrold's extra charges on board the Mercury covered the cost of commanding the snow during her refit and voyage. The sum included his outlay on entertaining passengers or officials carried in the vessel, which the Company refunded in the same way as the Governor's table. |
239 | 232 | 17th January 1762 Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr December 31st To Cash brought over £2965 3s 5½d Carried over £2965 3s 5½d | The receiving side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as paymaster carried forward the same single entry on this page. 31 December 1762, cash brought forward, £2,965 3s 5½d Total carried forward, £2,965 3s 5½d |
240 | 233 | 1763 Per Contra Cr 1762 Brought over £61 9s 0d Decem 31st By Cash paid Charles Guisaing for the Rent of a Room for Nochqudah Schullum £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Robert Inchurst for taking care of the Honorable Companys Stock in the Long Wood this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for Working in the Long Boat this Quarter £5 12s 0d By Cash paid Joachim Ussee 92 Days at 7½ p Day 92 Days at 7½d £2 17s 6d By Cash paid Robert Brown for Painters Work Done this Quarter £1 3s 6d By Cash paid James Buckley for 11 Weeks work in the Armorers Shop this Quarter £4 19s 0d By Cash paid John Dowd for 7 Days work on board the Fly Cutter 1 p Day 7 Days at 1s £0 7s 0d By Cash paid Isaac Ford for Caulking the Fly Cutter and one of the Honorable Companys Long Boats £1 3s 4d By Cash paid Mark Balls & Michael Read for Baking 83 Batches of Bread for the use of the Garrison this Quarter £6 10s 4d By Cash paid William Mumford for 9 Weeks Work done in the Armorers shop this Quarter £2 14s 0d By Cash paid John Shears for 3 Day Work in Do at 1 p Day £0 4s 6d By Cash paid Robert Barclay for his trouble in getting fresh Provisions for the Hospital ending this Day in full £8 0s 0d By Cash paid Do for his extraordinary Expence in the Hospital more than p a Day amounts to £40 11s 8d By Cash paid John Catcher for lighting Lamps this Quarter £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 2600 Lemmons and 12 Calages £3 17s 0d By Cash paid Benjamin Mason for 13 Loads of Rushes £3 17s 6d By Cash paid John Despontain for 10 Rafters for the use of the Honorable Company £0 8s 4d By Cash paid John Lemon for making a Signal Pendant for Banks and one for Mundens Point £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for comming express with account of Ships to windward £2 7s 6d By Cash paid Do for 137½ Days work in Getting Lime stone at 1 p Day £6 17s 6d Carried over £158 18s 2d | The paying side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as paymaster continued with further payments dated 31 December 1762, from a total of £61 9s 0d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £61 9s 0d To Charles Guising for the rent of a room for Nochquedah Schollum, £1 0s 0d To Robert Inchhurst for looking after the Company's livestock at Longwood during the quarter, £2 10s 0d To various men of the garrison for working in the longboat during the quarter, £5 12s 0d To Joachim Josse for 92 days at 7½d a day, £2 17s 6d To Robert Brown for painting work done during the quarter, £1 3s 6d To James Buckley for 11 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £4 19s 0d To John Dove for 7 days' work on board the Fly cutter at 1s a day, £0 7s 0d. To Isaac Ford for caulking the Fly cutter and one of the Company's longboats, £1 3s 4d. To Mark Balls and Michael Read for baking 83 batches of bread for the garrison during the quarter, £6 10s 4d To William Mumford for 9 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £2 14s 0d To John Shans for 3 days' work in the armourer's shop at 1s 6d a day, £0 4s 6d To Robert Barclay for his trouble in obtaining fresh provisions in the country for the hospital during the quarter, £0 8s 0d To Robert Barclay for the hospital's costs above the allowance of [...] a day, £40 11s 8d To John Catcher for lighting the lamps during the quarter, £0 10s 0d To Richard Bagley for 2,600 lemons and 12 cabbages, £3 1s 0d To Benjamin Mason for 15 loads of rushes, £3 17s 6d To John Desfountain for 10 rafters for the Company's use, £0 8s 4d To John Lemmon for making a signal pennant for Banks and another for Munden's Point, £0 10s 0d To various men of the garrison for carrying urgent messages reporting ships sighted to windward, £2 7s 6d To the same men for 137½ days' work quarrying limestone at 1s a day, £6 17s 6d Total carried forward, £158 1s 2d Interpretations The 2,600 lemons bought from Richard Bagley were almost certainly for the hospital and for ships calling at the island. Citrus fruit was already known to prevent and cure scurvy, the disease that struck crews on long voyages from the East. Lemon trees grew well in St Helena's sheltered valleys, and islanders sold the fruit to the Company in bulk. The cabbages served the same purpose of providing fresh greens for the sick. The payment for urgent messages about ships to windward showed how the island's lookout system worked. Ships approaching St Helena came up from the south-east with the trade wind, so they were sighted first from the high ground to windward. Soldiers posted there ran to the Castle with news of each sighting. That gave the Governor time to fire the alarm, man the batteries and prepare to receive or resist the vessel. The pennants made for Banks and Munden's Point supplied two of the batteries guarding the approaches to James Bay with flags for signalling to the Castle. Robert Barclay, the surgeon, was repaid more than £40 for hospital costs above a fixed daily allowance per patient. The Company set a standard rate for feeding the sick and expected the surgeon to manage within it. The excess suggested a quarter of heavy sickness, perhaps among crews landed from ships. The rushes from Benjamin Mason were used for thatching roofs and for bedding. Longwood was the Company's upland grazing ground, where cattle were kept for the Company's own use and to supply shipping. Soldiers earned extra pay by working for the Company as bakers, armourers, boatmen and quarrymen at daily or weekly rates. The limestone quarrying at 1s a day linked to the lime burning for the new barracks recorded in the stores accounts earlier in the quarter. |
241 | 234 | 1763 Per Contra Cr 1762 Brought over £61 9s 0d Decem 31st By Cash paid Charles Guisaing for the Rent of a Room for Nochqudah Schullum £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Robert Inchurst for taking care of the Honorable Companys Stock in the Long Wood this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for Working in the Long Boat this Quarter £5 12s 0d By Cash paid Joachim Ussee 92 Days at 7½ p Day 92 Days at 7½d £2 17s 6d By Cash paid Robert Brown for Painters Work Done this Quarter £1 3s 6d By Cash paid James Buckley for 11 Weeks work in the Armorers Shop this Quarter £4 19s 0d By Cash paid John Dowd for 7 Days work on board the Fly Cutter 1 p Day 7 Days at 1s £0 7s 0d By Cash paid Isaac Ford for Caulking the Fly Cutter and one of the Honorable Companys Long Boats £1 3s 4d By Cash paid Mark Balls & Michael Read for Baking 83 Batches of Bread for the use of the Garrison this Quarter £6 10s 4d By Cash paid William Mumford for 9 Weeks Work done in the Armorers shop this Quarter £2 14s 0d By Cash paid John Shears for 3 Day Work in Do at 1 p Day £0 4s 6d By Cash paid Robert Barclay for his trouble in getting fresh Provisions for the Hospital ending this Day in full £8 0s 0d By Cash paid Do for his extraordinary Expence in the Hospital more than p a Day amounts to £40 11s 8d By Cash paid John Catcher for lighting Lamps this Quarter £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 2600 Lemmons and 12 Calages £3 17s 0d By Cash paid Benjamin Mason for 13 Loads of Rushes £3 17s 6d By Cash paid John Despontain for 10 Rafters for the use of the Honorable Company £0 8s 4d By Cash paid John Lemon for making a Signal Pendant for Banks and one for Mundens Point £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for comming express with account of Ships to windward £2 7s 6d By Cash paid Do for 137½ Days work in Getting Lime stone at 1 p Day £6 17s 6d Carried over £158 18s 2d | The paying side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as paymaster continued with further payments dated 31 December 1762, from a total of £61 9s 0d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £61 9s 0d To Charles Guising for the rent of a room for Nochquedah Schollum, £1 0s 0d To Robert Inchhurst for looking after the Company's livestock at Longwood during the quarter, £2 10s 0d To various men of the garrison for working in the longboat during the quarter, £5 12s 0d To Joachim Josse for 92 days at 7½d a day, £2 17s 6d To Robert Brown for painting work done during the quarter, £1 3s 6d To James Buckley for 11 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £4 19s 0d To John Dove for 7 days' work on board the Fly cutter at 1s a day, £0 7s 0d. To Isaac Ford for caulking the Fly cutter and one of the Company's longboats, £1 3s 4d. To Mark Balls and Michael Read for baking 83 batches of bread for the garrison during the quarter, £6 10s 4d To William Mumford for 9 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £2 14s 0d To John Shans for 3 days' work in the armourer's shop at 1s 6d a day, £0 4s 6d To Robert Barclay for his trouble in obtaining fresh provisions in the country for the hospital during the quarter, £0 8s 0d To Robert Barclay for the hospital's costs above the allowance of [...] a day, £40 11s 8d To John Catcher for lighting the lamps during the quarter, £0 10s 0d To Richard Bagley for 2,600 lemons and 12 cabbages, £3 1s 0d To Benjamin Mason for 15 loads of rushes, £3 17s 6d To John Desfountain for 10 rafters for the Company's use, £0 8s 4d To John Lemmon for making a signal pennant for Banks and another for Munden's Point, £0 10s 0d To various men of the garrison for carrying urgent messages reporting ships sighted to windward, £2 7s 6d To the same men for 137½ days' work quarrying limestone at 1s a day, £6 17s 6d Total carried forward, £158 1s 2d Interpretations The 2,600 lemons bought from Richard Bagley were almost certainly for the hospital and for ships calling at the island. Citrus fruit was already known to prevent and cure scurvy, the disease that struck crews on long voyages from the East. Lemon trees grew well in St Helena's sheltered valleys, and islanders sold the fruit to the Company in bulk. The cabbages served the same purpose of providing fresh greens for the sick. The payment for urgent messages about ships to windward showed how the island's lookout system worked. Ships approaching St Helena came up from the south-east with the trade wind, so they were sighted first from the high ground to windward. Soldiers posted there ran to the Castle with news of each sighting. That gave the Governor time to fire the alarm, man the batteries and prepare to receive or resist the vessel. The pennants made for Banks and Munden's Point supplied two of the batteries guarding the approaches to James Bay with flags for signalling to the Castle. Robert Barclay, the surgeon, was repaid more than £40 for hospital costs above a fixed daily allowance per patient. The Company set a standard rate for feeding the sick and expected the surgeon to manage within it. The excess suggested a quarter of heavy sickness, perhaps among crews landed from ships. The rushes from Benjamin Mason were used for thatching roofs and for bedding. Longwood was the Company's upland grazing ground, where cattle were kept for the Company's own use and to supply shipping. Soldiers earned extra pay by working for the Company as bakers, armourers, boatmen and quarrymen at daily or weekly rates. The limestone quarrying at 1s a day linked to the lime burning for the new barracks recorded in the stores accounts earlier in the quarter. |
242 | 235 | 1763 1762 Per Contra Cr Brought over £158 18s 2d December 31st By Cash paid Sundry Garrison for 184 Days Work at the Quarry at 1 p Day £9 4s 0d By Cash paid Do for 47 Days Work at the Slaughter House at 1 p Day £2 7s 0d By Cash paid Do for 9 Days Work in the New Barracks at 1 p Day £0 9s 0d By Cash paid Do for 38 Days Work Grubing Spurge in the Long Wood and Furze in the Pastures at 1 p Day £1 18s 0d By Cash paid Do for 19½ Days Work Laying down Stones in the Prison at 1 p Day £0 19s 6d By Cash paid Do for 23 Days Work in the Stores at 1 p Day £1 3s 0d By Cash paid Do for 293¾ Days Work for repairing Ladder Hill Path Banks's Path the Water Course and the Garden Wall at 1 p Day £14 13s 9d By Cash paid Do for 101½ Days Work in repairing the Companys Houses at 1 p Day £5 1s 3d By Cash paid Do for 6 Days Work for the Guard Room at Banks's at 1 p Day £0 6s 0d By Cash paid Do for 89 Days Work Haymaking at 1 p Day £4 9s 0d By Cash paid Do for 30 Days Carpenters Work at 1 p Day £1 10s 0d £200 2s 2d By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants their Several Salarys Diet Money &c for the Quarter Commencing October the 1st and ending December the 31st 1762 £2765 1s 3½d £2965 3s 5½d St Helena December 31st 1762 Errors Excepted (Signed) Thos Kirkpatrick Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of December last which was as follows Vizt | The paying side of Thomas Kirkpatrick's account as paymaster concluded with the last of the payments dated 31 December 1762, from a total of £138 1s 2d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £138 1s 2d To various men of the garrison for 184 days' work at the quarry at 1s a day, £9 4s 0d To the same men for 47 days' work at the slaughterhouse at 1s a day, £2 7s 0d To the same men for 9 days' work on the new barracks at 9d a day, £0 6s 9d To the same men for 38 days' work rooting out spurge at Longwood and gorse in the pastures at 1s a day, £1 18s 0d To the same men for 19½ days' work laying stone floors in the prison at 1s a day, £0 19s 6d To the same men for 23 days' work in the stores at 1s a day, £1 3s 0d To the same men for 293¾ days' work repairing the Ladder Hill path, the path at Banks, the watercourse and the garden wall at 1s a day, £14 13s 9d To the same men for 101½ days' work repairing the Company's houses at 1s a day, £5 1s 6d To the same men for 6 days' work on the guardroom at Banks at 1s a day, £0 6s 0d To the same men for 89 days' haymaking at 1s a day, £4 9s 0d To the same men for 30 days' carpentry at 1s a day, £1 10s 0d Subtotal, £200 2s 2d To the Company's officers and employees for their salaries, diet money and other allowances for the quarter from 1 October to 31 December 1762, £2,765 1s 3½d Total paid, £2,965 3s 5½d Kirkpatrick signed the account at St Helena on 31 December 1762, noting that any errors in it were open to correction. The Council then counted and checked the Company's cash for December 1762. Interpretations The garrison formed the Company's main labour force for public works. Soldiers off duty were hired at 1s a day to quarry stone, repair paths and houses, cut hay and clear weeds. For a private earning under 10d a day in pay, a day's labour more than doubled his income. The Company gained a disciplined workforce already on the island, with no need to import free labourers. The work on the Ladder Hill path, the path at Banks and the watercourse accounted for nearly 300 days of labour. These routes carried men, stores and water up the steep sides of James Valley to the batteries and the interior. They suffered constantly from rockfalls and washouts after heavy rain, so their upkeep was a permanent charge on the settlement. The laying of stone floors in the prison fitted with the sheet lead used to fix iron bolts there earlier in the quarter. The escape of two condemned felons recorded on 20 October 1762 perhaps prompted the work. Spurge and gorse were invasive plants that spread across the island's pastures after its native forest was cleared. Both were unpalatable to cattle and choked the grazing at Longwood and elsewhere. The Company paid for regular clearing to keep its limited pasture productive. The paymaster's account balanced exactly, with £2,965 3s 5½d received and the same sum paid out. The monthly count of cash by the Council was the final check on the officials who handled the Company's money. |
243 | 236 | 17th January Cash Dr 1762 Decembr 1st To Balance Remaing £6414 5s 10½d 31 To James Powell Recd of him for Stores Sold in the Quarter ending this Day £1338 8s 10d To Licences for 10 Public Houses £15 0s 0d To Plantation for Provisions Sold £36 6s 4d £7804 1s 0½d | The cash account for December 1762 recorded the following receipts. 1 December 1762, balance in hand, £6,414 5s 10½d 31 December 1762, received from James Powell for stores sold during the quarter ending that day, £1,338 8s 10d 31 December 1762, received for licences for 10 public houses, £15 0s 0d 31 December 1762, received from the plantation for provisions sold, £36 6s 4d Total, £7,804 1s 0½d Interpretations The sum paid in by James Powell matched the cash sales in his quarterly collection exactly. Sales to the Company's employees came to £1,174 0s 8d, and sales to the planters and to other buyers at the higher mark-ups came to £164 8s 2d. Together they made £1,338 8s 10d. The much larger quantities issued to the garrison, the slaves, the hospital, the vessels and the Governor's table brought in no cash at all. They were book entries charging each branch of the Company's expenditure with the goods it consumed, so that the directors in London could see where their stores went. The Company licensed the island's public houses at £1 10s each for the quarter. Licensing gave the Council a means of controlling the sale of drink in a garrison town where drunkenness among soldiers and sailors was a constant problem. A licence could be refused or withdrawn from a keeper who allowed disorder. The fee also returned a modest income to the Company from a trade that depended largely on the arrack and other spirits it supplied from its own stores. |
244 | 237 | 1763 Per Contra Cr 1762 December 31st By Sundry Accounts Advanced the Governor to pay Officers and Seamans Wages of Snow Mercury and Fly Cutter Vizt Snow Mercury £150 10s 0d Fly Cutter £121 5s 9d £271 15s 9d By Sundry Accounts Advanced the Paymaster to pay Salarys &ca in the Quarter ending this Day £2965 3s 5½d £3236 19s 2½d By Balance remg in the following Species Vizt 8560 Pagodas 8560 Pagodas £3424 0s 0d 216 Rupees 216 Rupees £24 6s 0d 441 French pc 2 441 French pc £31 3s 6d 9205 D Ryals 9205 D Ryals £575 6s 3d Odd Money £1 1s 0d £4027 6s 10d Cash Notes of no Use amt to £539 15s 0d £4567 1s 10d £7804 1s 0½d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The paying side of the cash account for December 1762 set out the following sums advanced on 31 December 1762. The Council advanced money to Governor Hutchinson to pay the wages of the officers and seamen of the snow Mercury and the Fly cutter. For the snow Mercury, £150 10s 0d. For the Fly cutter, £121 5s 9d. Total advanced for the two vessels' wages, £271 15s 9d Advanced to the paymaster for salaries and other payments in the quarter ending 31 December 1762, £2,965 3s 5½d Total advanced, £3,236 19s 2½d Balance in hand, held in the following coins: 8,560 pagodas, £3,424 0s 0d 216 rupees, £24 6s 0d 441 French pieces of 2, £3 13s 6d 9,205 double rials, £575 6s 3d Loose coin, £1 1s 0d Total in coin, £4,027 6s 10d Cash notes no longer usable, £539 15s 0d Total balance in hand, £4,567 1s 10d Grand total, £7,804 1s 0½d The Governor, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the account. Interpretations The island's treasury held almost no English money. Its cash came from the Company's trade in the East and from the ships that called at St Helena. Pagodas were small gold coins struck in south India, chiefly at Madras. The Company valued them here at 8s each, and they made up more than three-quarters of the coin in the chest. Rupees were the silver coins of Mughal India and Bengal, reckoned at 2s 3d. The double rials were Spanish silver pieces worth a quarter of a dollar, the most widely circulating silver coinage in the world at this date. The French pieces were perhaps small silver or billon coins taken in trade or from prizes. This mix of currencies followed from the island's position on the homeward route from India and China. It differed sharply from England, where sterling silver and gold circulated almost exclusively. The Council had to value each coin at a fixed rate in pounds, shillings and pence to keep its accounts. Every payment of wages and salaries was therefore made in foreign coin converted at the Company's own rates. The cash notes described as no longer usable were probably promissory notes or bills that had become worthless or could not be redeemed. The treasury still held them against their face value because only the directors in London could authorise writing them off. Their inclusion inflated the stated balance by more than £500. The wages advanced for the Mercury and the Fly went to their officers and crews separately from the garrison pay. Seamen were engaged and paid on different terms from soldiers, and the Governor took direct charge of the island's vessels. |
245 | 238 | 24th January At a Consultation held on Monday the 24th Day of January 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed Dated the 17th of January 1763 Ordered the following Advertizement to be Published Vizt Whereas the Wall of the Bridge in this Valley has been Pulled down and Much defaced by some Idle People These therefore strictly to forbid all Persons whatever to loiter on the said Bridge or to meddle with the Wall thereof Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 31st Day of January 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed, Dated the 24th January 1763 Wednesday the 26th Died Peter Lindsay Soldier Friday the 28th Passed by a Ship at a great Distance | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 24 January 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the meeting on 17 January 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Council ordered a public notice to be put up about the bridge in the valley. Some idle people had pulled down part of its wall and done a good deal of other damage. The notice firmly banned anyone at all from sitting on the bridge or interfering with its wall. The Governor, Skottowe, Burling and Kirkpatrick signed the order. The Council met again at the Castle on Monday 31 January 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 24 January 1763 were read out, approved and signed. Peter Lindsay, a soldier, had died on Wednesday 26 January 1763. On Friday 28 January 1763 a ship passed the island far out to sea without stopping. Interpretations The bridge stood in James Valley, carrying the main route through the town across the stream that ran down to the sea. It was the natural gathering place in a small settlement, where off-duty soldiers, sailors ashore and slaves met and idled. The ban on sitting there aimed less at the damage already done than at the loitering that caused it. Public notices of this kind were the Council's ordinary means of regulating behaviour, since the island had no printing press and relied on written orders posted in public places. Peter Lindsay was a private in the first company, paid in full for the quarter ending 31 December 1762. His death within four weeks of that pay list showed how quickly the garrison could lose men to sickness. |
246 | 239 | 31 January Mr Richard Bagley this Day Presented the following Petition Vizt To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &ca Council Sheweth The humble Petition of Richard Bagley That your Petitioner being desirous to have a piece of the Honorable Companys Waste Land lying contiguous to his Land in Sounley Valley, and it being chiefly for the benefit of Fencing your Petitioner humbly begs that you Worship and Council will be pleased to grant him a Lease for the same at a reasonable rate And your Petitioner will ever pray St Helena (Signed) 31st January 1763 Richd Bagley Ordered the said Land to be viewed Ordered the following Advertizement to be Published Vizt Island St Helena 31st January 1763 This is to give notice to all the Inhabitants of the said Island, that on Monday the 7th of next Month at three o'Clock in the afternoon will be sold by Public Auction at the Market house for ready Money the following Damaged Goods belonging to the Honorable Company Vizt one Tops Mast, Half a Tops Mast some Camblet, and Bunting. Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | Richard Bagley presented a petition to Governor Hutchinson and the Council on 31 January 1763. He asked for a piece of the Company's unused land lying next to his own holding in Swanley Valley. He wanted it chiefly so that he could fence his ground, and he asked the Council to grant him a lease of it at a reasonable rent. The Council ordered the land to be inspected. The Council also ordered a public notice to be issued in the island's name, dated 31 January 1763. It told all the inhabitants that some of the Company's damaged goods would be sold by public auction at the market house for cash. The sale was set for three o'clock in the afternoon on Monday 7 February 1763. The goods consisted of a topmast, half a pipe of Madeira wine, some camlet and some bunting. The Governor, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the order. Interpretations All land on St Helena belonged to the Company, which granted it to settlers on lease in return for rent and conditions of use. Waste land meant ground that had not yet been granted or brought under cultivation. Bagley's wish to fence his holding pointed to the island's constant problem with straying livestock. Goats, cattle and hogs roamed freely and destroyed crops and young trees, so a planter who could not enclose his ground could not protect it. Taking in the neighbouring strip would let him run a fence along a sensible boundary rather than across broken ground. The order to inspect the land was the Council's standard first step before any grant. An official walked the ground to fix its extent, check that it did not overlap other holdings and judge a fair rent. Bagley was the same man who sold the Company 2,600 lemons and 12 cabbages in the quarter just ended, which suggested a planter already farming his land for the island's market. Selling damaged stores by auction for cash let the Company recover something from goods it could no longer use or issue at full value. A pipe was a large cask of about 110 gallons, the standard measure for Madeira wine. Ships called at Madeira on the outward voyage to take on wine, and St Helena drew its supply from the same trade. |
247 | 240 | 7th February At a Consultation held on Monday the 7th Day of February 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed Dated the 31st January 1763 Thursday the 3rd Arrived His Majestys Ship Sea Horse from Manila. This day Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Earl of Elgin from Bombay. This day Died Matthew Lindsay Soldier Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 14th Day of February 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thos Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read approved, and Signed Dated the 7th February 1763 Thursday the 10th Sailed His Majestys Ship Sea Horse for England Agreeable to the Honorable Companys permission we have taken a Bale of Coffee out of the Ship Earl of Elgin | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 7 February 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the meeting on 31 January 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The King's ship Sea Horse had arrived from Manila on Thursday 3 February 1763. The Company's ship Earl of Elgin arrived from Bombay on the day of the meeting. Matthew Lindsey, a soldier, died the same day. The Governor, Skottowe, Burling and Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met again at the Castle on Monday 14 February 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 7 February 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Sea Horse had sailed for England on Thursday 10 February 1763. Acting under a standing permission from the Company, the Council took [...] bales of coffee out of the Earl of Elgin. Interpretations The Company allowed the island's Council to draw supplies from its homeward ships as they called. This let St Helena obtain Asian goods such as coffee, tea, rice and arrack without waiting for a dedicated shipment. The goods were then charged to the island's accounts and sold through the stores at the fixed mark-ups. Coffee shipped from Bombay most probably came from Mocha in Yemen, the source of nearly all coffee traded by the Company. The small quantity of coffee issued for the Governor's table in the quarter just ended showed that it remained a scarce luxury on the island. |
248 | 241 | 14th February The Plantation, Gunners, and Stewards, accounts for the Month of January last, were this Day brought in, which were examined and approved, and are as follows Vizt Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of January 1763, vizt 11 Bottles Port Wine 11 Bottles £0 16s 6d 17 Do Lisbon 17 Bottles £1 5s 6d 14 Do Mountain 14 Bottles £1 1s 0d 64 Do Arrack 64 Bottles £2 19s 8d 24 Do Bar 24 Bottles £0 6s 6d 332lb Flour 332lb £2 1s 6d 162lb fresh Beef 162lb £2 0s 6d 36lb fresh Pork 36lb £0 10s 0d 6 Pieces Salt Pork 6 Pieces £0 15s 3d 317½ Pounds Mutton 317½ Pounds £6 12s 3½d 30lb Goat 30lb £0 10s 0d 2 Kids 2 Kids £0 10s 0d 15 Fowls 15 Fowls £1 2s 6d 3 Ducks 3 Ducks £0 4s 6d 2 Geese 2 Geese £0 10s 0d 2 Turkeys 2 Turkeys £0 10s 0d 33¾lb Fresh Butter 33¾lb £1 13s 9d 103lb Candy 103lb £1 14s 4d £25 11s 9½d | The plantation, gunner's and steward's accounts for January 1763 were presented on 14 February 1763, examined and approved. The first recorded the food and drink used at the Company's table during January 1763. 11 bottles of port wine, £0 16s 6d 17 bottles of Lisbon wine, £1 5s 6d 14 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 1s 0d 64 bottles of arrack, £2 19s 8d 24 bottles of beer, £0 6s 6d 332 lb of flour, £2 1s 6d 162 lb of fresh beef, £2 0s 6d 30 lb of fresh pork, £0 10s 0d 6 pieces of salt pork, £0 15s 3d 317½ lb of mutton, £6 12s 3½d 30 lb of goat meat, £0 10s 0d 2 kids, £0 10s 0d 15 fowls, £1 2s 6d 3 ducks, £0 4s 6d 2 geese, £0 10s 0d 2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d 33¾ lb of fresh butter, £1 13s 9d 103 lb of sugar candy, £1 14s 4d Total, £25 11s 9½d Interpretations The Company's table was the Governor's table at the Castle, where members of the Council, senior officials and visitors from ships dined at the Company's expense. January 1763 fell in the southern summer, and two ships called during the following weeks, bringing officers and passengers to be entertained. The account showed a table stocked mainly with fresh meat and poultry raised on the island, in contrast to the salt provisions on which the garrison and slaves lived. The three wines came from the Iberian trade. Port was the fortified red wine of the Douro valley, shipped from Oporto. Lisbon wine was a white wine from the country round the Portuguese capital, often sweet. Mountain was a sweet wine from the hills around Málaga in Spain, popular in England through the eighteenth century. Ships bound for the East commonly loaded wine at Madeira or in Iberian ports on the outward voyage, and St Helena drew on the same supplies. Mutton made up by far the largest part of the meat, with nearly twice the weight of beef. At about 5d a pound it also cost more than beef at 3d. On a table in England at this date, beef was the more prestigious meat. At St Helena the Company kept its cattle chiefly to supply its ships with fresh beef, so the Castle leaned on sheep raised on the island's pastures. Goat and kid also appeared, reflecting the herds of goats that had roamed the island since the earliest settlement. The fresh butter was an expensive item at 1s a pound, made from the milk of the Company's own cows on the plantation. Sugar candy served for sweetening punch and dishes and as a sweetmeat for the table. |
249 | 242 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of January 1763 Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining the 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 85, Neat Cattle Calves 71, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 46, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 282, Sheep Ewes 268, Sheep Weathers 203, Sheep Lambs 159, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 638, Goats Ewes 129, Goats Weathers 4, Goats Kids 92, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 234, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 23, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 28, Poultry Fowls 96, Poultry Ducks 63, Poultry Turkeys 48, Poultry Geese 18, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 11, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 11, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 0, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 6, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 6, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 29, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 4, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 85, Neat Cattle Calves 82, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 40, Neat Cattle Steers 46, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 293, Sheep Ewes 268, Sheep Weathers 203, Sheep Lambs 159, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 638, Goats Ewes 129, Goats Weathers 4, Goats Kids 98, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 240, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 23, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 28, Poultry Fowls 125, Poultry Ducks 63, Poultry Turkeys 48, Poultry Geese 22, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 1, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 1, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 10, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 10, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 3, Goats Kids 2, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 5, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 15, Poultry Ducks 3, Poultry Turkeys 2, Poultry Geese 2, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 2, Sheep Weathers 5, Sheep Lambs 1, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 8, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 1, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaining 31st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 85, Neat Cattle Calves 82, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23, Neat Cattle Heifers 39, Neat Cattle Steers 46, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 292, Sheep Ewes 266, Sheep Weathers 188, Sheep Lambs 158, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 620, Goats Ewes 129, Goats Weathers 1, Goats Kids 96, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 235, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 23, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 28, Poultry Fowls 109, Poultry Ducks 60, Poultry Turkeys 46, Poultry Geese 20, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Yam Expended for the Blacks and the Stock 31,685lb (Signed) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 14th February | The account of the Company's livestock for January 1763 was presented with the other monthly accounts. Remaining on 1 January 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 71 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 46 steers, 13 oxen, 282 cattle in all Sheep: 268 ewes, 203 wethers, 159 lambs, 8 rams, 638 sheep in all Goats: 129 nanny goats, 4 wethers, 92 kids, 9 billy goats, 234 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 23 piglets, 1 boar, 28 pigs in all Poultry: 96 fowls, 63 ducks, 48 turkeys, 18 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Increase during January 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 11 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, 11 cattle in all Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, 0 sheep in all Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 6 kids, 0 billy goats, 6 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 29 fowls, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 4 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Total: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 82 calves, 23 yearlings, 40 heifers, 46 steers, 13 oxen, 293 cattle in all Sheep: 268 ewes, 203 wethers, 159 lambs, 8 rams, 638 sheep in all Goats: 129 nanny goats, 4 wethers, 98 kids, 9 billy goats, 240 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 23 piglets, 1 boar, 28 pigs in all Poultry: 125 fowls, 63 ducks, 48 turkeys, 22 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Killed during January 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 1 heifer, 0 steers, 0 oxen, 1 head of cattle in all Sheep: 0 ewes, 10 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, 10 sheep in all Goats: 0 nanny goats, 3 wethers, 2 kids, 0 billy goats, 5 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 15 fowls, 3 ducks, 2 turkeys, 2 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Died during January 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, 0 cattle in all Sheep: 2 ewes, 5 wethers, 1 lamb, 0 rams, 8 sheep in all Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, 0 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 1 fowl, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Remaining on 31 January 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 82 calves, 23 yearlings, 39 heifers, 46 steers, 13 oxen, 292 cattle in all Sheep: 266 ewes, 188 wethers, 158 lambs, 8 rams, 620 sheep in all Goats: 129 nanny goats, 1 wether, 96 kids, 9 billy goats, 235 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 23 piglets, 1 boar, 28 pigs in all Poultry: 109 fowls, 60 ducks, 46 turkeys, 20 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Yams used for the black slaves and the livestock: 31,685 lb John Skottowe signed the account. Interpretations The account showed the Company guarding its cattle closely. Only one heifer was killed during January 1763, while 10 wethers, five goats and 22 birds went to the butcher. The same pattern appeared in the Company's table account for the month, where mutton far outweighed beef. The herd of nearly 300 cattle was the island's reserve of fresh beef for the Company's ships. Crews arriving after months at sea needed fresh meat to recover from scurvy, and the Company would not let the herd be eaten down by the island's own residents. Sheep, goats and poultry were allowed to carry the daily demand on the island instead. The flock of sheep was large for so small an island, at over 600 head. Wethers, the castrated males raised for meat, made up almost a third of it, while the breeding ewes kept the numbers up. Eight sheep died during the month against none of the cattle. Losses of this kind were common among sheep on the island's exposed upland pastures in wet weather. Yams were the staple food of the Company's slaves and were also fed to pigs and other livestock. More than 31,000 lb were used in a single month, far more than the rice issued to the slaves by the stores. This showed that the slaves lived chiefly on yams grown on the Company's plantation, with imported rice and salt meat as a supplement. John Skottowe signed the account because the Lieutenant Governor oversaw the Company's plantation and its livestock. |
250 | 243 | 1763 Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of January 1763 Occasion, Guns Fired, [Pdr] 4, [Pdr] 3, [Pdr] 1, Powder Expended 28th An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, [Pdr] 4 2, [Pdr] 3 2, [Pdr] 1 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Powder for Compleating the Gun Cartridges at the Main Gd: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz Do for making Rockets: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 6lb 0oz Do for the Funeral of William Webber: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 4oz Do for the Funeral of Peter Lindsay: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 4oz Do for Exercising the East Flying Party: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 8lb 8oz Do for Exercising the West Flying Party: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 5lb 8oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz Total: Guns Fired 6, [Pdr] 4 2, [Pdr] 3 2, [Pdr] 1 2, Powder Expended 40lb 0oz Tallow for the Use of the Fly Cutter 20lb Trunk Nails for the Use of Do 500 No Cartridge Paper for the Use of Do 1 Quire Tallow for the Use of the Cart 8lb Sponge Staves for Boat Hooks Quantity 2 Do for Hay Forks Quantity 4 Paper for making Rocket Cases 6 Qrs Mr Matthew Burling reports that he has been on board the Ship Earl of Elgin to Muster her company, and enquire for deserters but found none, her Muster Roll as follows Vizt Muster Roll of Ship Earl of Elgin Arthur Evans Commander John Hammond Chief Mate Thomas Coates 2 Do John Willmott 3 Do John Drummond Acted 3d William Gilby Welch 4 Do John Gard 5 Do Robert Ross 6 Do Walter Ray Surgeon William Thomas Purser Lewis Sharpe Boatswain Thomas Dandy Carpenter William Perry Gunner William Burges Ships Steward Richard Watson Carpt Do David Davis Cooper John Brewer Caulker Richard Bell Sailmaker Thomas Lardner Ships Cook Charles Gibbs Carpenters Do Henry Crosby Carpenters 1st Mate Robert Kennedy Do 2 Do Absolim Ludden Seamans Cook James Brown Coopers Do John Dockray Caulkers Do John Waglington Butcher Charles Goodsway Midshipman | The master gunner's return of artillery stores used in January 1763 recorded one alarm, on 28 January 1763, fired for a ship that passed the island. The columns headed No. 4, No. 3 and No. 1 again recorded the guns fired at each point, and the final column recorded powder in pounds and ounces. 28 January 1763, an alarm for a passing ship: 6 guns fired in all, 2 guns at No. 4, 2 guns at No. 3, 2 guns at No. 1, 12 lb of powder Powder for making up the gun cartridges at the Main Guard: 0 guns fired, 3 lb of powder Powder for making rockets: 0 guns fired, 6 lb of powder Powder for the funeral of William Webber: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for the funeral of Peter Lindsay: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for training the East Flying Party: 0 guns fired, 8 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for training the West Flying Party: 0 guns fired, 5 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for signals: 0 guns fired, 8 lb of powder Total: 6 guns fired in all, 2 guns at No. 4, 2 guns at No. 3, 2 guns at No. 1, 48 lb of powder Other stores used during the month were as follows. Tallow for the Fly cutter, 20 lb. Trunk nails for the Fly cutter, 300. Cartridge paper for the Fly cutter, 1 quire. Tallow for the cart, 8 lb Staves for boathooks, 2 Staves for hayforks, 4 Paper for making rocket cases, 6 quires Matthew Burling reported that he had gone on board the Earl of Elgin to muster her crew and search for deserters, but had found none. He presented the ship's muster roll. Arthur Evans, commander William Thomas, purser Thomas Lardner, ship's cook John Hammond, chief mate Lewis Sharpe, boatswain Charles Gibbs, [...] Thomas Crake, second mate Thomas Dandy, carpenter Henry Crosby, carpenter's first mate John Willmott, third mate William Perry, gunner Robert Hornsby, carpenter's second mate John Drummond, acting third mate William Burgess, ship's steward Absalom Ludlow, [...] William Gilby, fourth mate Richard Watson, [...] James Brown, cooper's mate John Gard, fifth mate David Davis, cooper John Dockray, caulker's mate Robert Rous, sixth mate John Bower, caulker John Waglington, butcher Walter Ray, surgeon Richard Bell, sailmaker Charles [...], midshipman Interpretations The return showed a sharp fall in the powder used for training compared with December 1762. In that month the garrison burned over 140 lb at drill on the parade and more than 43 lb training recruits. In January 1763 no parade drill or recruit training appeared, and the two flying parties used only 14 lb between them. The alarm fired on 28 January 1763 used the same six guns and 12 lb of powder as the alarm of 18 December 1762. The steady alarm routine against the collapse in exercise powder suggested that the heavy drill of December had been a periodic review rather than monthly practice. The powder used at the funerals of William Webber and Peter Lindsay paid for the volleys fired over a soldier's grave. Firing three volleys was the customary military honour at a burial and was extended to private soldiers as well as officers. Lindsay's death on 26 January 1763 was recorded in the consultation of 31 January 1763. Trunk nails were short nails with broad flat heads, used to fix leather, canvas or sheathing to wood. The mustering of the Earl of Elgin's crew served to stop desertion in both directions. Soldiers tired of island service tried to hide aboard homeward ships, and seamen tried to slip ashore and vanish into the garrison town. A member of the Council went aboard, called each man on the roll by name and searched the ship for anyone not on it. The procedure let the Council check the ship's company against its roll and recover any runaway soldier before she sailed. |
251 | 244 | 14th February Samuel Morley Midshipman Thomas Sillett Do Thomas Vol Do William Ellis Do & Coxn John Sainbury Quart Mr John Wright Do James Brinkley Do Robert Dick Seaman Henry Nicoll Do David Iradell Do Samuel Brewer Do Thomas Smith Do Thomas Manning Do David Hewett Do Delabar Walker Do Edward Lee Do Daniel Brickett Do Edward Burton Do William Butcher Do Christian Castro Do William Anderson Do Joseph Fernando Do Otter West Do John Ready Do James Freeman Do William Schuster Seaman John Schooly Do John Maloney Do William Paul Do Patrick Showndon Do Hough McLeary Do John Mildes Do David Moody Do Barnas Codbert Do Balthomea Castillio Do Anthony Perreira Do James Edwarton Do Antony Francisco Do Emanuel Francesco Do Domingo Perreira Do Anthony Joze Do John Joze Do Francis Rodrigue Do John Rodrigue Do Richard Hayward Do Peter Fedrick Do Joakim Quest Do John Sackett Do Benjamin Brereton Do Thomas Hurst Do Antony [...] Do Vinc. Pereira Do Bento Gorsay Do Isaah Evans } Captns Servants Thomas Rowland James Ledley 1 Mate Do James Connor Carpentr Do James Stevens Coopr Do William Webber Seaman Thomas Alexander Do — Carore Do John Mallabar Do — Pedro Do — Sky Do — Lewis Do Antony Reynolds John Jones William Bowden Thomas Deacon Thomas Crea Thomas Smith John Harris Leonard McBean Samuel Sherry Gentlemen Passengers, James Colleweon Esqr William Harrison Esqr Captn David Creighton Captn Ludk Grant Lawrence Shaw Mrs Mace Miss Mace Miss Delegarde Samuel Smith Julia } Servants Saorgna French Prisoners Theodore } Dragon Powell } [...] Tessetong Lampore Sanney Sauvagron Champain Carpon Lappellier Cornea Journay Pinnont Mr Powell Nacolles | The muster roll of the Earl of Elgin continued with the rest of her crew, followed by the passengers and prisoners she carried. Samuel Morley, midshipman Thomas Tollett, midshipman Thomas Vol[...], midshipman William Ellis, midshipman and coxswain John Sambury, quartermaster John Wright, quartermaster James Brinkley, quartermaster Robert Dick, seaman Henry Nicoll, seaman David Swadell, seaman Samuel Brewer, seaman Thomas Smith, seaman Thomas Stanning, seaman David Hewett, seaman Delabar Walker, seaman Edward Lee, seaman Daniel Brickett, seaman Edward Boulton, seaman William Butcher, seaman Christian Castro, seaman William Anderson, seaman Joseph Fernando, seaman Otter West, seaman John Ready, seaman James Freeman, seaman William Christie, seaman John Schooley, seaman John Maloney, seaman William Paul, seaman Patrick Shorndon, seaman Hough McLeary, seaman John Mulder, seaman David Moody, seaman Barnard Corbett, seaman Bartholomew Castillion, seaman Anthony Perreira, seaman James Edverton, seaman Antony Francisco, seaman Emanuel Francisco, seaman Domingo Perreira, seaman Anthony Joze, seaman John Joze, seaman Francis Rodrigue, seaman John Rodrigue, seaman Richard Hayward, seaman Peter Fedrich, seaman Joakim Quest, seaman John Tackett, seaman Benjamin Brereton, seaman Thomas Hurst, seaman Antony Tevezay, seaman Vincent Perreira, seaman Bento [...], seaman Josiah Crow, captain's servant Thomas Rowland, captain's servant James Tidley, chief mate's servant James Connor, carpenter's servant Isaac Stevens, gunner's servant William Webber, seaman Thomas Alexander, seaman Carva, seaman John Malabar, seaman Pedro, seaman Sky, seaman Lewes, seaman Antony Reynolds John Jones William Bowden Thomas Deacon Thomas Crow Thomas Smith John Hewes Leonard McBean Samuel Cherry Gentlemen passengers: James Colleroon William Horriven Captain David Crighton Captain Ludovick Grant Lawrence Shaw Mrs Mace Miss Mace Miss Delegarde Samuel Smith Julia, servant Saorgna, servant French prisoners: Theodore and Powell, entered against the names Dragon and [...]. Tessetong Lampore Sanney Saurigeon Champain Carpon Lappellier Cornea Tournay Viment Mr Bruell Nacollas Interpretations The roll showed how far the Company's ships relied on seamen recruited in Asia to complete their crews. Many of the men bore Portuguese names such as Perreira, Francisco, Joze and Rodrigue. These were most probably Indian Christians from Bombay or Goa, or Luso-Asians descended from Portuguese settlers. Others, entered by a single name such as Pedro, Sky and Lewes, or by a place name such as Malabar, were perhaps lascars from the Indian coast. Heavy losses of European seamen to disease on the voyage out made such recruits essential for the homeward passage. Burling's muster checked every man against the roll, so that none could be exchanged for a runaway from the garrison. The captain, the chief mate, the carpenter and the gunner each kept servants on the ship's books. Servants were often boys learning the sea, and the officer they served drew their wages as part of his own reward. The French prisoners were being carried to England at a time when Britain and France were still formally at war. Captured seamen and soldiers were held until they could be exchanged or released at the peace. The two names entered against Dragon suggested that some had been taken from particular French vessels. |
252 | 245 | 1763 Invalids Benjamin Frigo Wils Welford William Pound George Cale Lewen Deguest James MacInning Charles Stubs Richd Snow William Jones Thomas Millechamp Edward Ferguson Edward Holliday John Durant (Signed) A Evans We this day granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable Company vizt One Set to Charles Hutchinson Esqr for two hundred pounds payable to Samuel Hough Esqr or order. One Set to Mr Thomas Crantree for two hundred pounds payable to John Mainer Esqr or order. One Set to Mr John Drummond for One hundred Pounds payable to Messrs Drummonds Bankers in London or their order all payable at ninety days after sight. Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The muster roll of the Earl of Elgin closed with the invalids on board, and Arthur Evans, her commander, signed it. Invalids: Benjamin Trigo Wil[...] Welford William Pound George Cato Lewen Deguest James MacInning Charles Stubs Richard Snow William Jones Thomas Millechamp Edward Ferguson Edward Holliday John Durant The Council issued three bills of exchange drawn on the Company that day. The first set, for £200, went to Governor Hutchinson and was payable to Samuel Hough or to his order. The second set, for £200, went to Thomas Crantree and was payable to John Mainer or to his order. The third set, for £100, went to John Drummond and was payable to Drummonds, bankers in London, or to their order. All three were payable 90 days after being presented in London. The Governor, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the order. Interpretations Bills of exchange were the means by which people at St Helena sent money home safely. A person paid cash into the Company's treasury on the island and received in return a written order on the Company's directors in London. The directors paid the named person on presentation, 90 days after sight, which allowed time for the Company to receive its own funds. Bills were issued in sets of two or three identical copies, sent home on different ships so that at least one would arrive. Once one copy was paid, the others became void. The system spared the sender the risk of shipping coin across the ocean and gave the Company use of the cash on the island, where it was needed to pay wages. John Drummond was the acting third mate of the Earl of Elgin. His bill, payable to the London bankers Drummonds, showed a ship's officer sending his earnings from private trade in the East to his bank in England. Company officers were allowed to carry goods on their own account, and profits of this kind were often remitted through the island. The invalids were soldiers or seamen being sent home as unfit for further service. The Company carried them free on its homeward ships, and they appeared on the roll so that the Council could confirm that each was entitled to his passage. |
253 | 246 | 21 February At a Consultation held on Monday the 21st Day of February 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved and Signed dated the 14th February 1763. Tuesday the 15th Arrived the Honorable Companys Ships Admiral Watson and Godolphin from Bengal Do Arrived the Fly Cutter Thursday the 17th Sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Earl of Elgin homeward bound The Admiral Watson and Godolphin brought Us the following Supply Vizt Invoice of Ship Admiral Watson FR No 1 to 30. 30 Rice Fine Bags Gs 60 Bz Md @ 23.1 p Ak Rs Rs 112 10As 6Ps FS No 1 to 10. 10 Sugar Fine Bags Gs 20 S Mr Chs @ 7.12 p Md Rs 155 0As 0Ps P No 1 to 15. 15 Paddy Bags Gs 22.20 Mds Sr @ 1.20 p C.R. Rs 15 0As 0Ps WC No 1 to 4. 4 Wax Candles Chest Gs 8 Md @ 64 C.R. p Md Rs 512 0As 0Ps BA Batavia Arrack 2 Leaguers @ 170 Rs p L Rs 371 3As 3Ps Rs 1165 13As 9Ps Charges Merchandize 46 Empty Chests Rs 7 9As 0Ps 1½ Buffaloe Rs 4 13As 9Ps Gunnys & Jute Rope Rs 1 4As 0Ps ½ S Nails Rs 0 3As 6Ps 19 Gunny Bags Rs 12 13As 0Ps 2½ Twine Rs 0 3As 9Ps Packing & Weighmen Rs 0 7As 3Ps Boathire Rs 3 3As 9Ps Cooly hire Rs 4 11As 6Ps Boat weighmen & Packingmen Rs 0 9As 6Ps Rs 35 15As 0Ps Errors Excepted Current Rupees Rs 1201 12As 9Ps | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 21 February 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the meeting on 14 February 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Company's ships Admiral Watson and Godolphin had arrived from Bengal on Tuesday 15 February 1763. The Fly cutter returned to the island the same day. The Earl of Elgin sailed for England on Thursday 17 February 1763. The two ships from Bengal brought supplies for the island, and the Council entered the invoice of the Admiral Watson. Marked FR, numbered 1 to 30: 30 bags of fine rice containing 60 maunds [...], at [...] a maund, 112 rupees 10 annas 6 pies Marked FS, numbered 1 to 10: 10 bags of fine sugar containing 20 maunds, at 7 rupees 12 annas a maund, 155 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked P, numbered 1 to 15: 15 bags of paddy containing 22 maunds 20 seers, at [...], 15 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked WC, numbered 1 to 4: 4 chests of wax candles containing 8 maunds, at 64 rupees a maund, 512 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked BA: 2 leaguers of Batavia arrack, at [...], 371 rupees 3 annas 3 pies Total for goods, 1,165 rupees 13 annas 9 pies Charges on the goods: 46 empty chests, 1 rupee 9 annas 0 pies 1½ pieces of bafta, 4 rupees 13 annas 9 pies Gunny and jute rope, 1 rupee 4 annas 0 pies ½ [...] of nails, 0 rupees 3 annas 6 pies 19 gunny bags, 12 rupees 13 annas 0 pies 2½ [...] of twine, 0 rupees 3 annas 9 pies Packing and weighing, 0 rupees 1 anna 3 pies Boat hire, 3 rupees 3 annas 9 pies Porters' hire, 4 rupees 11 annas 6 pies Weighmen and brokerage, [...] Total charges, 35 rupees 15 annas 0 pies Total of the invoice in current rupees, 1,201 rupees 12 annas 9 pies Interpretations The invoice was made out in Calcutta in the Company's Bengal money of account. The current rupee was not a coin but a unit of reckoning used for all the Company's books in Bengal. It was divided into 16 annas, and each anna into 12 pies. Goods were weighed in maunds and seers, with 40 seers to the maund. The Bengal factory maund weighed roughly 75 lb, so the 60 maunds of rice amounted to about 40 hundredweight. A leaguer was a large cask of Dutch origin, holding about 150 gallons. It was the usual container for arrack shipped from Batavia, the Dutch East India Company's capital in Java. The charges showed the full cost of getting goods from the warehouse onto a ship at Calcutta. Gunny was a coarse sacking woven from jute, used for bags and wrapping, and bafta was a cheap cotton cloth used here to wrap the goods. The wages of the weighmen who certified each load, the porters who carried it and the boatmen who took it down the Hooghly to the ship were all added to the invoice. The marks such as FR, FS and WC were painted on each bag and chest so that the island's storekeeper could match every package against this list on landing. The wax candles were the costliest item at 64 rupees a maund. They were made from beeswax, burned cleanly and gave a steady light, and were far superior to the tallow candles used in barracks. They were probably destined for the Castle and the Council's meetings, which had used 135 lb of candles in the quarter ending 31 December 1762. |
254 | 247 | 1763 Invoice of Ship Godolphin Dcos Dosooties 15 & 1½ 31 1 Cossimbuzar Factory 30 2 1 Ditto 70 100 Ps @ 80 p Corge Rs 400 0As 0Ps Batta 8 p Cent Rs 32 0As 0Ps Rs 432 0As 0Ps RF Rice fine 1 to 30. 30 Bags Gs 60 Bz Md @ 23.12 p AR Rs 109 2As 3Ps WC Wax Candles 1 to 4. 4 Chests Gs 8 Fmd @ 64 p Maund Rs 512 0As 0Ps SF Sugar fine 1 to 10. 10 Bags Gs 20 Fmd @ 8.8 p Maund Rs 170 0As 0Ps P Paddy 1 to 15. 15 Bags Gs 22.20 Bz Md Sr @ 1.28 p Rupee Rs 21 2As 3Ps BA Batavia Arrack 1 to 2. 2 Leguers @ 168 Ar p Leguer Rs 362 14As 0Ps Rs 1175 2As 6Ps Rs 1607 2As 6Ps Charges Merchandize Embaling R Bags Rs 32 6As 6Ps 85 Gunny Bags Rs 11 7As 6Ps 2½ Twine Rs 0 4As 9Ps Packers Rs 0 4As 9Ps 4 Chests with Package Rs 11 14As 0Ps 1 Empty Leguer Rs 17 4As 6Ps Boathire Rs 1 1As 3Ps Sloophire Rs 37 6As 0Ps Peon Rs 2 2As 6Ps Moosses Rs 6 1As 6Ps Weighmen Rs 0 5As 0Ps Rs 120 10As 3Ps Current Rupees Rs 1727 12As 9Ps Errors Excepted (Signed) P P Amyatt Accompt Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of January last, which is as follows vizt | The Council also entered the invoice of the Godolphin. Marked Doos, bale 31 from the Cossimbazar factory and bale 2 from the same factory: 100 pieces of dooreahs, 15 by 1½ yards, at 80 rupees a corge, 400 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Batta on the dooreahs at 8 per cent, 32 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Total for the dooreahs, 432 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked RF, numbered 1 to 30: 30 bags of fine rice containing 63 maunds, at [...], 109 rupees 2 annas 3 pies Marked WC, numbered 1 to 4: 4 chests of wax candles containing 8 maunds, at 64 rupees a maund, 512 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked SF, numbered 1 to 10: 10 bags of fine sugar containing 20 maunds, at 8 rupees 8 annas a maund, 170 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked P, numbered 1 to 15: 15 bags of paddy containing 22 maunds 20 seers, at [...], 21 rupees 2 annas 3 pies Marked BA, numbered 1 to 2: 2 leaguers of Batavia arrack, at 181 rupees 7 annas a leaguer, 362 rupees 14 annas 0 pies Total for provisions, 1,175 rupees 2 annas 6 pies Total for all goods, 1,607 rupees 2 annas 6 pies Charges on the goods: Baling and bagging, 32 rupees 6 annas 6 pies 85 gunny bags, 11 rupees 7 annas 6 pies 2½ [...] of twine, 0 rupees 4 annas 9 pies Packers, 0 rupees 4 annas 9 pies 4 chests with their packing, 11 rupees 14 annas 0 pies 1 empty leaguer, 17 rupees 4 annas 6 pies Boat hire, 1 rupee 1 anna 3 pies Sloop hire, 37 rupees 6 annas 0 pies Peons, 2 rupees 2 annas 6 pies Clerks, 6 rupees 1 anna 6 pies Weighmen, 0 rupees 5 annas 0 pies Total charges, 120 rupees 10 annas 3 pies Total of the invoice in current rupees, 1,727 rupees 12 annas 9 pies The invoice was signed on behalf of P. Amyatt, the accountant, with any errors open to correction. The Council then counted and checked the Company's cash for January 1763. Interpretations Dooreahs were striped or checked muslins woven in Bengal, light and cool enough for clothing in a warm climate. They came from the Company's factory at Cossimbazar on the Bhagirathi river, the centre of its silk and fine cotton buying in Bengal. Indian textiles were priced by the corge, a traditional score of 20 pieces. The 100 pieces at 80 rupees a corge therefore cost 4 rupees each. Batta was the premium charged for converting the coins actually paid into the Company's current rupee of account. Bengal circulated several kinds of rupee of differing age and silver content. The newest sicca rupees carried a premium over older or foreign coins, so every payment had to be adjusted to a common standard. The 8 per cent added here reflected the difference between the coin the weavers demanded and the unit in which the Company kept its books. The charges named several Indian officials employed in shipping goods. Peons were messengers and guards who escorted goods and carried orders. The clerks, entered as mootsuds, were Indian writers and accountants who checked weights and prices and kept the records of each consignment. Sloop hire covered the larger vessels needed to carry heavy goods such as arrack and rice down the Hooghly to ships anchored in deeper water. The empty leaguer was charged separately because the arrack had to be decanted into a sound cask before shipping. |
255 | 248 | Cash Dr 1763 Jany 1st To Balance remaining £4567 1s 10d £4567 1s 10d Per Contra Cr 1763 January 31st By Balance remaining in the following Species vizt 8560 Pagodas 8560 Pagodas £3424 0s 0d 216 Rupees 216 Rupees £24 6s 0d 441 French ps 441 French ps £3 13s 6d 9205 D Ryals 9205 D Ryals £575 6s 3d Odd Money £0 1s 1d £4027 6s 10d Cash Notes of no Use amounting to £539 15s 0d £4567 1s 10d £4567 1s 10d Margin Notes: 21st February | The cash account for January 1763 showed the following. Received: 1 January 1763, balance in hand, £4,567 1s 10d Total, £4,567 1s 10d Held: 31 January 1763, balance in hand in the following coins: 8,560 pagodas, £3,424 0s 0d 216 rupees, £24 6s 0d 441 French pieces, £3 13s 6d 9,205 double rials, £575 6s 3d Loose coin, £1 1s 0d Total in coin, £4,027 6s 10d Cash notes no longer usable, £539 15s 0d Total balance in hand, £4,567 1s 10d Interpretations The treasury did not move at all during January 1763. Every coin count matched the balance of 31 December 1762 exactly, down to the loose change. No cash was paid in or out in the month, even though ships called and bills of exchange were issued in February. The island's finances ran on a quarterly cycle. Stores were sold on account and wages accrued during the quarter, and both were settled in cash only at its close, when the storekeeper paid in his collections and the paymaster drew the salaries. The monthly count therefore served as a check that nothing had gone missing between settlements rather than as a record of daily business. |
256 | 249 | 1763 Anthony Reynolds who had been a Soldier at Bombay and obtained his discharge being left here out of the Ship Earl of Elgin applied to Us to be entertained in the Garrison We accordingly Enlisted him to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years, he appearing to be a good Man We gave him ten pounds Bounty Money and had the Articles of War read to him. Mr Francis Wrangham applied to Us to pay 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 Mr Gabriel Steward or order Ninety days after sight dated this day Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 28th Day of February 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick } of Council The last Consultation was read, approved and Signed dated the 21st February 1763 Wednesday the 23rd Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Fox from Madrass and brought Us the following Supplies Vizt | Anthony Reynolds had served as a soldier at Bombay and obtained his discharge there. He was left on the island by the Earl of Elgin and asked the Council to take him into the garrison. Judging him to be a good man, the Council enlisted him as a soldier in the Company's service for five years. He received a bounty of £10, and the Articles of War were read to him. Francis Wrangham asked to pay £50 into the Company's treasury. The Council accepted the money and issued him bills of exchange on the Company's directors, dated that day. The bills were payable to Gabriel Steward or to his order 90 days after being presented in London. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 28 February 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 21 February 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Company's ship Fox had arrived from Madras on Wednesday 23 February 1763 with supplies for the island. Interpretations Anthony Reynolds appeared on the Earl of Elgin's muster roll among a group of men listed without any shipboard rank. This entry showed that those names belonged to discharged soldiers travelling home as passengers, not members of the crew. The island took the chance to recruit experienced men from each passing ship. A soldier already trained in the Company's service in India was worth far more to the garrison than a raw recruit from England, and the £10 bounty was a small price for him. Reading the Articles of War to a new recruit was the formal act that bound him to military law. The Articles set out the offences a soldier could commit and the punishments he faced, including flogging and death for mutiny or desertion. Once they had been read to him, a man could not claim ignorance of them in any later court martial. The ceremony marked his passage from civilian to soldier under the Company's discipline. Francis Wrangham's remittance of £50 was a large sum for a factor paid only £30 a year in salary. It pointed to income beyond his official pay, most probably from private trade with passing ships or from his work as assistant storekeeper. Officials at St Helena commonly sent such earnings home through bills on the Company, as the Governor himself did in the same month. |
257 | 250 | 28th February Invoice of Ship Fox. No 1 1 Bale Long Cloth superfine. No 1.2 @ 11 6 66 p Ps 22.13.40 2 Pieces Pgs 22 13fa 40ca 2.15 8.22.40 15 Pieces Pgs 129 13fa 40ca 3.26 6.22.40 26 Pieces Pgs 172 9fa 0ca 4.8 4.8.3 8 Pieces Pgs 33 28fa 24ca Pieces 51 Pgs 375 28fa 24ca No 2 1 10 5.4.40 10 Pieces Pgs 51 9fa 0ca Fine 25 3.18 25 Pieces Pgs 87 18fa 0ca Pieces 35 Pgs 139 27fa 0ca 3 1 Ditto 40.3.9 40 Pieces Pgs 130 0fa 0ca Bales 3 Pieces 126 Pgs 626 19fa 24ca Packing @ 2 p Bale 3 Bales Pgs 6 0fa 0ca Pgs 632 19fa 24ca Bags 30 Rice Gs Nt lb 11432 or 91½ Maunds @ 1.80 p Garce 11432lb Pgs 38 10fa 64ca Ditto 20 Paddy 130 Maunds @ 1 p Maund 130 Maunds Pgs 13 28fa 40ca No 1 & 2 Leag 2 Batavia Arrack Gs 3118 Gallons @ 51 p Leaguer 3118 Gallons Pgs 102 0fa 0ca Charges Merchandize Gunny Bags for Rice and Paddy 50 50 Bags @ 5.15 p % Pgs 2 27fa 0ca Twine for Ditto lb 6 6lb Pgs 0 6fa 0ca Tin Plate and Nails for Leaguers Pgs 0 4fa 0ca Boat & Cooly Pgs 1 8fa 60ca Pgs 4 9fa 60ca Pgs 790 32fa 28ca Fort St George Novr 9th 1762 Errors excepted P Chr Bourchier Accountt | The Council entered the invoice of the Fox, made out at Fort St George in Madras. Bale 1, superfine long cloth: Sort 1: 2 pieces at 11 pagodas 6 fanams 60 cash a piece, 22 pagodas 13 fanams 40 cash Sort 2: 15 pieces at 8 pagodas 22 fanams 40 cash a piece, 129 pagodas 13 fanams 40 cash Sort 3: 26 pieces at 6 pagodas 22 fanams 40 cash a piece, 172 pagodas 9 fanams 0 cash Sort 4: 8 pieces at 4 pagodas 8 fanams 3 cash a piece, 33 pagodas 28 fanams 24 cash Total for bale 1, 51 pieces, 357 pagodas 28 fanams 24 cash Bale 2, long cloth: 10 pieces at 5 pagodas 4 fanams 40 cash a piece, 51 pagodas 9 fanams 0 cash 25 pieces of fine long cloth at 3 pagodas 18 fanams a piece, 87 pagodas 18 fanams 0 cash Total for bale 2, 35 pieces, 138 pagodas 27 fanams 0 cash Bale 3, long cloth: 40 pieces at 3 pagodas 9 fanams a piece, 130 pagodas 0 fanams 0 cash Total for 3 bales, 126 pieces, 626 pagodas 19 fanams 24 cash Packing at 2 pagodas a bale, 6 pagodas 0 fanams 0 cash Total for long cloth, 632 pagodas 19 fanams 24 cash 30 bags of rice containing 11,432 lb net, or 191¼ maunds, at [...], 38 pagodas 10 fanams 64 cash 20 bags of paddy containing 130 maunds, at [...], 13 pagodas 28 fanams 40 cash Leaguers numbered 1 and 2: 2 leaguers of Batavia arrack containing 318 gallons, at 51 pagodas a leaguer, 102 pagodas 0 fanams 0 cash Charges on the goods: 50 gunny bags for the rice and paddy, 2 pagodas 27 fanams 0 cash Twine for the gunny bags, 0 pagodas 6 fanams 0 cash Tin plate and nails for the leaguers, 0 pagodas 4 fanams 0 cash Boat and porters' hire, 1 pagoda 8 fanams 60 cash Total charges, 4 pagodas 9 fanams 60 cash Total of the invoice, 790 pagodas 32 fanams 28 cash The invoice was dated at Fort St George on 9 November 1762 and signed on behalf of Charles Bourchier, the accountant, with any errors open to correction. Interpretations Madras kept its accounts in pagodas, fanams and cash rather than the rupees used in Bengal. The pagoda was a small gold coin of south Indian origin, divided into 36 silver fanams, with 80 copper cash to each fanam. These were the same pagodas that made up most of the coin in the island's treasury, valued there at 8s each. The invoice therefore came to roughly £316 in the island's reckoning. Long cloth was a plain white cotton cloth woven on the Coromandel coast, so called because each piece ran to about 36 or 37 yards, far longer than most Indian textiles. It was one of the Company's chief exports from Madras and was sold in England for shirts, sheets and printing. The invoice graded it into sorts by fineness, with the best costing more than three times the coarsest. Its dispatch to St Helena showed the island being supplied with cloth for shirts and linen directly from India, alongside the woollens that came from England. Batavia arrack reached Madras as it did Bengal, through trade with the Dutch in Java. At 51 pagodas a leaguer it cost roughly £20, against about 181 rupees a leaguer in the Godolphin's Bengal invoice. The comparison showed that the island could draw on several Company settlements for the same goods, depending on which ships happened to call. |
258 | 251 | 1763 Mr Matthew Burling reports that he has been on board the Ship Admiral Watson to Muster her Company and enquire for deserters but found none her Muster Roll is as follows Vizt Muster Roll of Ship Admiral Watson Francis Fowles Commander Ambrose Durston Chief Mate Robert Carr 2 Do Daniel Clarke 3 Do John Robinson 4 Do Obadiah Winkley 5 Do James Smart Boatswain John Penner Gunner John Agar Carpenter Samuel Hoare Surgeon Bernard OKennedy Midn John Apsley Do John Neal Quarter Master John Swinmore Do William Brum Do William Coverdale Do Richard Dunn Caulker Geo. Hill Sailmaker William Dixon Cooper Thomas Gibbs Armourer Benj Ellerbeck Carpenters Mate Robert Cole Boatswains Mate Thomas Edwards Gunners Do Daniel Court Carpenters Do Alexander Johnson Coopers Do Saml Hatfield Caulkers Do John Jones Surgeons Do Samuel Clark Purser James Keate Butcher Awlam Reynon Joiner James Gibbs Ships Cook Charles Watson Captns Servant Antone Do Geo. Armagen Chief Mates Do James Hart 2 Mates Do John Harris Seaman William White Do Michael Tomory Do Geo. Brown Do John Attwood Do John Froze Do John Henderson Do John Jacobs Do Janos Benco Do Nicholas Lenvigo Do Joseph Cowers Do Jacob Stuth Do William Dale Do James Kirkhosen Do Derrick Seltlow Do William Gardener Do John Christopher Do Michael Peters Do William Morley Landsman John Foster Landsman Morris Owen Do Thomas Owen Do James Macley Invalid James Lodden Do John Stapleton Do Alexander Mateer Do Joseph Lang Do Henry Lindsey Do John Robinson Do Richard Jones Do Sebow Shenny Cruseoni Sindle Manilah Sangoon Pero Aruce Samuel Jaffier 1 Jaffier 2 } Lascars Almanur Monan Mendy Alwere Savoe Mathew Gola John Rosario Megue | Matthew Burling reported that he had gone on board the Admiral Watson to muster her crew and search for deserters, but had found none. He presented the ship's muster roll. Francis Fowles, commander Ambrose Purnton, chief mate Robert Carr, second mate Daniel Clarke, third mate John Robinson, fourth mate Obadiah Weekley, fifth mate James Smart, boatswain John Penner, gunner John Agar, carpenter Samuel Hoare, surgeon Bernard O'Kennedy, midshipman John Apsley, midshipman John Neale, quartermaster John Swinmore, quartermaster William Brown, quartermaster William Coverdale, quartermaster Richard Dunn, caulker George Hill, sailmaker William Dixon, cooper Thomas Gibbs, armourer Benjamin Ellerbeck, [...] Robert Cole, boatswain's mate Thomas Edwards, gunner's mate Daniel Court, carpenter's mate Alexander Johnson, cooper's mate Samuel Hatfield, caulker's mate John Jones, surgeon's mate Samuel Clark, purser James Steele, butler Anslam Keynon, joiner James Gibbs, ship's cook Charles Watson, captain's servant Antone, captain's servant George Armagen, chief mate's servant James West, second mate's servant John Harris, seaman William White, seaman Michael Emery, seaman George Brown, seaman John Attwood, seaman John Freeze, seaman John Henderson, seaman John Jacobs, seaman James Bunco, seaman Nicholas Tanvigo, seaman Joseph Connor, seaman Jacob Shuttle, seaman William Dale, seaman James Kirkhouse, seaman Derrick Iddlow, seaman William Gardener, seaman John Christopher, seaman Michael Peters, seaman William Morley, landsman John Foster, landsman Morris Owen, landsman Thomas Owen, landsman James Macloy, invalid James Lodden, invalid John Stapleton, invalid Alexander Watson, invalid Joseph Long, invalid Henry Lindsey, invalid John Robinson, invalid Richard Jones, invalid Lascars: Sebon Thorry Crossom, tindal Manilah Sergion Pero Arcua Samuel Jaffier the first Jaffier the second Almanur Moram Mendy Alwara Saoce Matheo Gila John Rosario Miguel Interpretations Unlike the Earl of Elgin, the Admiral Watson entered her Asian seamen as a separate body of lascars under their own tindal. A tindal was the petty officer who commanded a gang of lascars, acting much like a boatswain. He took his orders from the ship's officers and passed them to his men in their own language. Lascars were engaged in Indian ports under their own terms and customs, often for a single voyage, and were paid less than European seamen. Grouping them under a tindal kept them as a distinct unit within the crew, with their own leader answerable for their conduct. Landsmen were the lowest grade of European crew, men with little or no experience at sea who hauled on ropes and did general labour. Their presence alongside the lascars and the invalids showed how thin the ship's complement of skilled seamen had become after the voyage to India. |
259 | 252 | 28th February Passengers Colonel Coote Colonel Caillaud Capt Ince Lieut Frazier Mr Edw Roach Mrs Mary Carlton Mast Rich Wyatt Mast Geo Baker Mr Willm Money Prisoners Castaniere Dorneau Milon Morvielle Nicholas Le Garrone Le Suisse Rieux Antoine Lapidore Jannet Laurence Denine Caesar Andrew Sophia George Noquedah Swydel Dear Captains Steward Mrs May Mullen Mr Townsend } Europeans — Burleigh Cap Arnold Houghley Domingo } Slaves Lucy Cato (Signed) Fran Fowles Thomas Ferris Serjeant this day Petitioned for his Discharge from the Garrison having served the Honorable Company his Contracted time Granted Mr Robert Barclay this Day presented the following Letter Vizt | The Admiral Watson's muster roll closed with her passengers and the prisoners and others she carried, and Francis Fowles, her commander, signed it. Passengers: Colonel Coote Colonel Caillaud Captain Ince Lieutenant Frazier Mr Edward Roach Mrs Mary Carlton Master Richard Wyatt Master George Baker Mr William Money Prisoners: Castanier Dorneau Milon Merville Nicholas Le Genrone Le Suisse Rieu Antoine Lapidore Jannot Others on board: Lawrence Dimie Caesar Andrew Sophy George Neguedah Swydel Dear, captain's steward Mrs Mary Mullen, European Mr Townsend, European Burleigh, European Captain Arnold Houghley Domingo, slave Lucy, slave Cato, slave Thomas Ferris, a sergeant, asked that day to be discharged from the garrison because he had served the full term he had signed for. The Council granted his request. Robert Barclay then presented a letter to the Council. Interpretations Domingo, Lucy and Cato were slaves travelling with their owners among the passengers. Officers and officials returning from India often brought household slaves or servants with them, and the ship's roll recorded them so that each could be accounted for at every port. The others listed without a title, such as Caesar, Andrew, Sophy and George Neguedah, were probably servants of the passengers as well. The separate note that three people were European marked them out from the rest of this group, which suggested that the others were Asian or African. Thomas Ferris served as one of the four sergeants of the fourth company. Soldiers at St Helena enlisted for fixed terms, commonly five years, and the bounties paid to Charles Lewis, John Vaughan and James Lee in the quarter just ended showed the Company trying to keep men beyond their first term. A man who had completed his service could not be held against his will. Ferris's discharge meant he would probably take passage home on one of the ships then in the road, and the fourth company would need a new sergeant. |
260 | 253 | 1763 To Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor Sir Captain Evans of the Earl of Elgin sent Wils Welford one of his Majestys Invalids to the Hospital soon after his Arrival here. I told Captain Evans the day he was to sail that if he proposed to leave that Man behind him he must give me a Certificate that he was sent from his Ship &c that he could not proceed to England, which I would send to the Honorable the Commissioners of Sick and Hurt, and Charge them for his Subsistence for the time he might be in the Hospital. Captain Evans is now gone for England without leaving the Certificate I desired of him, the Invalid tells me that he never had any Notice of returning on board, nor can I learn by any other means that ever Captain Evans sent to him he is now in the Hospital in a very bad State of health and not able to be proceed. I am respectfully Sir your most Obedient Servant (Signed) Robt Barclay St Helena Feby 28th To Charles Hutchinson Esqr We this Day sent Captain Fowler an Order to send on shore one Keg of the Honorable Companys Salt Petre for the Use of this Island. The Storekeeper Delivered the following Account of Stores short received from the Ships Admiral Watson and Godolphin vizt Ship Admiral Watson Paddy Short weight 2 Cwt 2 qr 11lb Candles Short weight 10lb Sugar Short weight 1 Cwt 0 qr 3lb 1 Leaguer Arr Gall 155 wants to fill 12 Gs 155 Gallons 1 Do 142½ Do 12½ Gs 142½ Gallons 297½ Gallons 24½ Gallons 24½ Gallons Recd 273 Gallons | Robert Barclay's letter to Governor Hutchinson concerned William Welford, one of the King's invalids, whom Captain Evans of the Earl of Elgin had sent to the hospital soon after reaching the island. On the day the ship was due to sail, Barclay told Evans that if he meant to leave the man behind, he had to supply a certificate. It needed to state that Welford had been sent from his ship and was unable to continue to England. Barclay intended to forward it to the Commissioners for Sick and Hurt and to charge them for the man's keep while he stayed in hospital. Evans sailed for England without leaving the certificate. Welford told Barclay that he had never been ordered back on board, and Barclay could find no evidence that Evans had sent for him by any other means. The man remained in hospital in very poor health and was unfit to travel. Barclay signed the letter at St Helena on 28 February 1763. The Council sent Captain Fowles an order that day to land one keg of the Company's saltpetre for the island's use. The storekeeper then presented an account of stores found short on delivery from the Admiral Watson and the Godolphin. From the Admiral Watson: 2 cwt 2 qr 11 lb of paddy, short in weight 10 lb of candles, short in weight 1 cwt 0 qr 3 lb of sugar, short in weight 1 leaguer of arrack holding 153 gallons, 12 gallons short of full 1 leaguer of arrack holding 144½ gallons, 12½ gallons short of full Total arrack in both leaguers, 297½ gallons Total shortfall in arrack, 24½ gallons Arrack received, 273 gallons Interpretations The Commissioners for Sick and Hurt were the Admiralty board in London responsible for the care of sick and wounded seamen and soldiers in the King's service. They repaid the cost of treating such men in hospitals abroad, but only against proper certificates from the officer who put them ashore. Welford was one of the King's troops rather than a Company soldier, so the Crown, not the Company, should have met the cost of his care. Without Evans's certificate, Barclay could not prove the man's claim on the Commissioners, and the Company risked bearing the whole expense. His letter placed the blame on the captain and put the Council's position on record before the next ship sailed. Shortages on delivery were common with goods shipped in bulk across the ocean. Arrack leaked and evaporated through the staves of a cask during months at sea, while rice, paddy and sugar lost weight as they dried out or were spilled and pilfered. The storekeeper measured each cask and weighed each bag on landing and reported any difference. The Council could then claim the loss against the ship's commander or adjust the island's accounts so that the storekeeper was not held responsible for goods he never received. |
261 | 254 | 28th February Ship Godolphin vizt Rice Short weight 1 Cwt 1 qr 10lb Paddy Short weight 2 qr Sugar Short weight 1 Cwt 3 qr 4lb Candles Short weight 4lb 1 Leagr Arrack Gages 156 Gallons wants to fill 13 Gallons 156 Gallons 1 Do Do 145 Do 11 Gallons 145 Gallons 301 Gallons 24 Gallons 24 Gallons Recd 277 Gallons St Helena 28th February 1763 (Signed) Js Powell Storekeepr The Governor paid one hundred pounds into the Honorable Companys Cash, which Sum We have received, and given him Bill of Exchange, drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors payable to Samuel Hough Esqr or Order Ninety days after sight, dated this Day. Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 7th Day of March 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved and Signed dated the 28th February 1763 This Morning sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Admiral Watson homeward bound. | From the Godolphin: 1 cwt 1 qr 10 lb of rice, short in weight 0 cwt 2 qr 0 lb of paddy, short in weight 1 cwt 3 qr 4 lb of sugar, short in weight 4 lb of candles, short in weight 1 leaguer of arrack gauged at 156 gallons, 13 gallons short of full 1 leaguer of arrack gauged at 145 gallons, 11 gallons short of full Total arrack in both leaguers, 301 gallons Total shortfall in arrack, 24 gallons Arrack received, 277 gallons J. Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 28 February 1763. Governor Hutchinson paid £100 into the Company's treasury. The Council accepted the money and issued him bills of exchange on the Company's directors, dated that day. The bills were payable to Samuel Hough or to his order 90 days after being presented in London. The Governor, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 7 March 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 28 February 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Admiral Watson had sailed for England that morning. Interpretations This was the Governor's second remittance to Samuel Hough within a fortnight, following bills for £200 issued on 14 February 1763. Together they sent £300 home, a sum equal to more than half a year of his salary. Hough was perhaps his agent or banker in London, who managed his affairs in England and received his savings. The Governor used the same route as any other official, paying cash into the island's chest and drawing on the directors. The Company gained coin on the island in exchange for a promise to pay in London, where its funds were concentrated. The storekeeper measured each leaguer of arrack with a gauging rod, a graduated stick inserted through the bunghole to work out how much liquid a cask held. By comparing the gauged contents with the cask's full capacity, he could state exactly how much had leaked or been drawn off on the voyage. |
262 | 255 | 1763 It being proved that Serjeant Eager, had at several times bought Yams, Lemons, and Greens of London, a Man Slave belonging to Mr William Wrangham contrary to a standing Order We therefore fined him in the Sum of five Pounds to the Honorable Companys Cash, the penalty for so doing. Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 14th Day of March 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed, dated the 7th March 1763. The Plantation Gunners and Stewards accounts for the Month of February last were this day brought in, which were examined and approved and are as follow Vizt Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of February 1763 Vizt 11 Bottles Port Wine 11 Bottles £0 16s 6d 47 Do Lisbon 47 Bottles £3 10s 6d 14 Do Mountain 14 Bottles £1 1s 0d 61 Do Arrack 61 Bottles £2 16s 11½d Carried over £8 4s 11½d | Sergeant Eager was proved to have bought yams, lemons and green vegetables on several occasions from London, a slave belonging to William Wrangham. These purchases broke a standing order of the Council. The Council fined him £5, payable to the Company's treasury, as the set penalty for the offence. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 14 March 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 7 March 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The plantation, gunner's and steward's accounts for February 1763 were presented, examined and approved. The first recorded the food and drink used at the Company's table during February 1763. 11 bottles of port wine, £0 16s 6d 47 bottles of Lisbon wine, £3 10s 6d 14 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 1s 0d 61 bottles of arrack, £2 16s 11½d Total carried forward, £8 4s 11½d Interpretations The standing order forbade anyone from buying produce from slaves without their owner's consent. Its purpose was to stop slaves selling goods stolen from their masters' gardens and plantations, which a buyer could not tell apart from produce the slave had grown legitimately. By punishing the buyer rather than only the slave, the Council aimed to close the market for stolen goods. The £5 fine was heavy for a sergeant, amounting to about two months of his pay. It showed how seriously the Council treated any trade that might undermine the control of slaves or the property of their owners. Consumption of Lisbon wine at the Company's table rose from 17 bottles in January 1763 to 47 in February. The increase matched a month of heavy shipping. The Sea Horse, the Earl of Elgin, the Admiral Watson, the Godolphin and the Fox all called at the island in February. Their commanders and passengers, including colonels and other officers returning from India, dined at the Castle as guests of the Governor. |
263 | 256 | 14th March Brought over £8 4s 10½d 55 Bottles Beer 55 Bottles £0 14s 1d 380 Pounds Flour 380 Pounds £2 7s 0d 488lb fresh Beef 488lb £6 2s 0d 6 Pieces Salt Pork 6 Pieces £0 15s 3d 250¼lb Mutton 250¼lb £5 4s 3¾d 25 Fowls 25 Fowls £1 17s 6d 7 Ducks 7 Ducks £0 10s 6d 8 Turkeys 8 Turkeys £2 0s 0d 37¼lb fresh Butter 37¼lb £1 17s 3d 105lb Candy 105lb £1 15s 0d £31 7s 8¾d Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of February 1763. Date and Occasion, Guns Fired, [Pdr] 4, [Pdr] 3, [Pdr] 2, [Pdr] 1, Powder Expended 1st Powder for Shooting for the Use of the Table: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 1lb 0oz 2 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, [Pdr] 4 2, [Pdr] 3 2, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 3 Arrived the Sea Horse Ship of War Saluted her with: Guns Fired 13, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 13, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Fired to Salute Genl Drapers Arrival on Shore: Guns Fired 15, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 15, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 15lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 8oz Fired to Salute Capt Jocelyns Arrival on Shore: Guns Fired 13, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 13, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz 6 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, [Pdr] 4 2, [Pdr] 3 2, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 9 Arrived the Earl of Elgin Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 9, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz Powder for Shooting for the Use of the Table: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 1lb 0oz Fired to Salute Captn Jocelyn going on board: Guns Fired 13, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 13, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz 10 Fired to Salute Genl Drapers going on board: Guns Fired 15, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 15, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 15lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 8oz Fired to Salute Captain Kempenfelts going on board: Guns Fired 13, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 13, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Departed the Sea Horse Ship of War Saluted her with: Guns Fired 13, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 13, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, [Pdr] 4 0, [Pdr] 3 0, [Pdr] 2 0, [Pdr] 1 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Carried over: Guns Fired 114, [Pdr] 4 4, [Pdr] 3 4, [Pdr] 2 [...], [Pdr] 1 [...], Powder Expended 168lb 0oz | The account of food and drink used at the Company's table during February 1763 continued from a total of £8 4s 11½d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £8 4s 11½d 55 bottles of beer, £0 14s 1d 380 lb of flour, £2 7s 0d 488 lb of fresh beef, £6 2s 0d 6 pieces of salt pork, £0 15s 3d 250¼ lb of mutton, £5 4s 3¾d 25 fowls, £1 17s 6d 7 ducks, £0 10s 6d 8 turkeys, £2 0s 0d 37¼ lb of fresh butter, £1 17s 3d 105 lb of sugar candy, £1 15s 0d Total, £31 7s 8¾d The master gunner's return of artillery stores used in February 1763 followed. The columns now recorded guns fired at four points, headed No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1, and the final column recorded powder in pounds and ounces. 1 February 1763, powder for shooting game for the table: 0 guns fired, 1 lb of powder 2 February 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired in all, 2 at No. 4, 2 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 2 at No. 1, 12 lb of powder 3 February 1763, a salute of 13 guns on the arrival of the warship Sea Horse: 13 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 13 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder Salute on General Draper's landing: 15 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 15 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 15 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 8 oz of powder Salute on Captain Jocelyn's landing: 13 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 13 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder 4 February 1763, powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder 6 February 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired in all, 2 at No. 4, 2 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 2 at No. 1, 12 lb of powder 7 February 1763, the Earl of Elgin arrived and her salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for shooting game for the table: 0 guns fired, 1 lb of powder Salute on Captain Jocelyn's return on board: 13 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 13 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder 10 February 1763, salute on General Draper's return on board: 15 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 15 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 15 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 8 oz of powder Salute on Captain Kempenfelt's return on board: 13 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 13 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder A salute of 13 guns on the departure of the warship Sea Horse: 13 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 13 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder Total carried forward: 116 guns fired in all, 4 at No. 4, 4 at No. 3, 104 at No. 2, 4 at No. 1, 146 lb 8 oz of powder Interpretations The powder used in February 1763 was three times that of January, when the garrison burned 48 lb. Almost all of the increase went on ceremonial salutes. The number of guns marked each person's rank: 15 for a general, 13 for a naval captain and 9 in reply to a merchant ship's salute. Each salute was repeated when the visitor landed and again when he returned on board, so a single distinguished guest could cost the island around 30 lb of powder. Firing it from a single battery, No. 2, kept the honours separate from the alarm guns spread across the island. The Sea Horse had come from Manila, and the officers she carried were probably veterans of the British capture of that city. General Draper was very probably William Draper, who commanded the land forces there, and Captain Kempenfelt was perhaps Richard Kempenfelt, a naval officer who served in the same campaign. Their presence explained the full honours paid by the garrison. A victorious general returning home was a guest the Governor would take pains to receive well. The Company's table reflected the same visitors. Fresh beef rose from 162 lb in January 1763 to 488 lb in February, while mutton fell from 317½ lb to about 250 lb. The Company normally guarded its cattle for ships' crews, but it relaxed that restraint when a general and naval captains dined at the Castle. The powder issued for shooting game for the table showed that the Governor's hospitality also drew on the island's wild birds, such as partridges and guinea fowl. |
264 | 257 | 1763 Date and Occasion, Guns Fired, [Pdr] 4, [Pdr] 3, [Pdr] 2, [Pdr] 1, Powder Expended Brought over: Guns Fired 116 Guns, [Pdr] 4 4 Guns, [Pdr] 3 4 Guns, [Pdr] 2 104 Guns, [Pdr] 1 4 Guns, Powder Expended 146lb 8oz 15th A Double Alarm: Guns Fired 11 Guns, [Pdr] 4 4 Guns, [Pdr] 3 4 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 3 Guns, Powder Expended 21lb 0oz A Double Alarm at Turks Cap for the same Ships: Guns Fired 3 Guns, [Pdr] 4 3 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 6lb 0oz Arrived the Fly Cutter and the Adml Watson returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Arrived the Godolphin returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz Fired to Salute Colol Cootes Arrival on Shore: Guns Fired 13 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 13 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Fired to Salute Colol Caillaud Arrival on Shore: Guns Fired 13 Guns, [Pdr] 4 4 Guns, [Pdr] 3 1 Guns, [Pdr] 2 8 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 17lb 8oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz 17th Departed the Earl of Elgin returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 23rd An Alarm: Guns Fired 6 Guns, [Pdr] 4 2 Guns, [Pdr] 3 2 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 2 Guns, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Arrived the Fox returned the salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Do for the Funeral of Matthew Godlip Soldier: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 4oz Do for Shooting Goats on Mundens point Hill: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz Do for Compleating the Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 8oz Total: Guns Fired 198 Guns, [Pdr] 4 17 Guns, [Pdr] 3 11 Guns, [Pdr] 2 [...] Guns, [Pdr] 1 9 Guns, Powder Expended [...]lb [...]oz Paper for making Cannon Cartridges 6 Qrs Needles broke with sewing of Do 6 No Tallow for the Use of the Carpenters 2lb Do for Greasing the Iron Carriages at Sandy Bay 3lb Handspikes broke at Sandy Bay 1 No Match burnt at the Main Fort 12lb Handspikes broke at Banks's 1 No Lead Shot for Shooting Goats on Mundens point Hill 12lb Copper Clouts for the Axletrees of the Iron Carriages 28 No (Signed) Thos Hall | The artillery return for February 1763 continued from the totals brought forward: 116 guns fired in all, 4 at No. 4, 4 at No. 3, 104 at No. 2, 4 at No. 1 and 146 lb 8 oz of powder. Brought forward: 116 guns fired in all, 4 at No. 4, 4 at No. 3, 104 at No. 2, 4 at No. 1, 146 lb 8 oz of powder 15 February 1763, a double alarm: 11 guns fired in all, 4 at No. 4, 4 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 3 at No. 1, 21 lb of powder A double alarm at Turk's Cap for the same ships: 3 guns fired in all, 3 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 6 lb of powder The Fly cutter and the Admiral Watson arrived, and the Admiral Watson's salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. The Godolphin arrived and her salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 3 lb of powder Salute on Colonel Coote's landing: 13 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 13 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder Salute on Colonel Caillaud's landing: 13 guns fired in all, 4 at No. 4, 1 at No. 3, 8 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 17 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder 17 February 1763, the Earl of Elgin departed and her salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder 23 February 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired in all, 2 at No. 4, 2 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 2 at No. 1, 12 lb of powder The Fox arrived and her salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for signals: 0 guns fired, 2 lb of powder Powder for the funeral of Matthew Godlib, soldier: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for shooting goats on the hill at Munden's Point: 0 guns fired, 0 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for making up the cartridges at the Main Guard: 0 guns fired, 2 lb 8 oz of powder Total: 198 guns fired in all, 17 at No. 4, 11 at No. 3, 161 at No. 2, 9 at No. 1, 269 lb 4 oz of powder Other stores used: Paper for making cannon cartridges, 6 quires Needles broken in sewing the cartridges, 6 Tallow for the carpenters, 2 lb Tallow for greasing the iron gun carriages at Sandy Bay, 3 lb Handspikes broken at Sandy Bay, 1 Slow match burned at the Main Fort, 12 lb Handspikes broken at Banks, 1 Lead shot for shooting goats on the hill at Munden's Point, 12 lb Copper plates for the axletrees of the iron gun carriages, 28 Thomas Hall, the master gunner, signed the return. Interpretations February 1763 used nearly 270 lb of powder, more than five times the 48 lb of January. The ceremonial of a busy month of shipping accounted for almost all of it. Four Company ships and a warship called, and two colonels, a general and two naval captains came ashore. Each arrival, landing, re-embarkation and departure drew its prescribed salute. The double alarm on 15 February 1763 announced the Admiral Watson and the Godolphin together. The separate guns fired at Turk's Cap, a headland on the east of the island, passed the warning from the lookouts on the windward side towards the Castle. Cannon cartridges were bags of paper or cloth sewn to hold a measured charge of powder, so that a gun could be loaded quickly and safely. Sewing them broke needles often enough for the losses to be entered. Slow match was cord soaked in saltpetre that burned steadily at a few inches an hour. A length was kept alight day and night at the Main Fort so that the alarm guns could be fired the moment a ship was sighted, which explained the steady consumption of match. Copper plates fitted to the axletrees reduced wear where the wooden axle turned in the iron carriage. The iron carriages at Sandy Bay stood exposed to salt spray on the south coast and needed regular greasing to stop them rusting and seizing. Handspikes were stout wooden levers used to shift and train heavy guns, and they broke easily under strain. The goats shot on the hill at Munden's Point were feral animals living on the cliffs above James Bay. Loose stones dislodged by goats on these slopes fell onto the paths and batteries below. Clearing them protected both the defences and the people using the roads beneath. |
265 | 258 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of February 1763 vizt Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kidds, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining the 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 85 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 82 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 39 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 46 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 292 Head, Sheep Ewes 266 Head, Sheep Weathers 188 Head, Sheep Lambs 158 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 620 Head, Goats Ewes 129 Head, Goats Weathers 1 Head, Goats Kidds 96 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 235 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 23 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 28 Head, Poultry Fowls 109 Head, Poultry Ducks 60 Head, Poultry Turkeys 46 Head, Poultry Geese 20 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 5 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 5 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 0 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 0 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kidds 6 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 6 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 24 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 0 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 85 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 87 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 39 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 46 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 297 Head, Sheep Ewes 266 Head, Sheep Weathers 188 Head, Sheep Lambs 158 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 620 Head, Goats Ewes 129 Head, Goats Weathers 1 Head, Goats Kidds 102 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 241 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 23 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 28 Head, Poultry Fowls 133 Head, Poultry Ducks 60 Head, Poultry Turkeys 46 Head, Poultry Geese 20 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 14 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 14 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 26 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 26 Head, Goats Ewes 1 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kidds 1 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 2 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 25 Head, Poultry Ducks 7 Head, Poultry Turkeys 8 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 1 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 1 Head, Sheep Ewes 4 Head, Sheep Weathers 2 Head, Sheep Lambs 2 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 8 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kidds 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 0 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 4 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 4 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 0 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Sent on board His Majestys Ship Sea horse: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 0 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 8 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 8 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kidds 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 0 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 0 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Sent on board the Earl of Elgin: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 0 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 4 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 4 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kidds 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 0 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 0 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Remaining the 28th: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 85 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 87 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 25 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 45 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 282 Head, Sheep Ewes 262 Head, Sheep Weathers 148 Head, Sheep Lambs 156 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 574 Head, Goats Ewes 128 Head, Goats Weathers 1 Head, Goats Kidds 101 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 239 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 19 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 24 Head, Poultry Fowls 108 Head, Poultry Ducks 53 Head, Poultry Turkeys 38 Head, Poultry Geese 20 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 2 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 3 Head One Boy Born Named George Yam Expended 31,170lb (Signed) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 14th March | The account of the Company's livestock for February 1763 was presented with the other monthly accounts. Remaining on 1 February 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 82 calves, 23 yearlings, 39 heifers, 46 steers, 13 oxen, 292 cattle in all Sheep: 266 ewes, 188 wethers, 158 lambs, 8 rams, 620 sheep in all Goats: 129 nanny goats, 1 wether, 96 kids, 9 billy goats, 235 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 23 piglets, 1 boar, 28 pigs in all Poultry: 109 fowls, 60 ducks, 46 turkeys, 20 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Increase during February 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 5 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, 5 cattle in all Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, 0 sheep in all Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 6 kids, 0 billy goats, 6 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 24 fowls, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Total: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 87 calves, 23 yearlings, 39 heifers, 46 steers, 13 oxen, 297 cattle in all Sheep: 266 ewes, 188 wethers, 158 lambs, 8 rams, 620 sheep in all Goats: 129 nanny goats, 1 wether, 102 kids, 9 billy goats, 241 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 23 piglets, 1 boar, 28 pigs in all Poultry: 133 fowls, 60 ducks, 46 turkeys, 20 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Killed during February 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 14 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, 14 cattle in all Sheep: 0 ewes, 26 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, 26 sheep in all Goats: 1 nanny goat, 0 wethers, 1 kid, 0 billy goats, 2 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 25 fowls, 7 ducks, 8 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Died during February 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 1 steer, 0 oxen, 1 head of cattle in all Sheep: 4 ewes, 2 wethers, 2 lambs, 0 rams, 8 sheep in all Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, 0 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 4 piglets, 0 boars, 4 pigs in all Poultry: 0 fowls, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Sent on board the King's ship Sea Horse: 8 wethers, 8 sheep in all. Sent on board the Earl of Elgin: 4 wethers, 4 sheep in all. Remaining on 28 February 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 87 calves, 23 yearlings, 25 heifers, 45 steers, 13 oxen, 282 cattle in all Sheep: 262 ewes, 148 wethers, 156 lambs, 8 rams, 574 sheep in all Goats: 128 nanny goats, 1 wether, 101 kids, 9 billy goats, 239 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, 24 pigs in all Poultry: 108 fowls, 53 ducks, 38 turkeys, 20 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 2 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 3 donkeys in all Births among the Company's slaves: 1 boy, named George Yams used: 31,170 lb John Skottowe signed the account. Interpretations The slaughter of cattle rose sharply in February 1763, with 14 heifers killed against a single heifer in January. Wethers killed rose from 10 to 26. The figures matched the Company's table account, where fresh beef jumped from 162 lb to 488 lb in the same month. The heavy shipping of February brought officers and passengers to be fed at the Castle. The Company also supplied fresh meat to the ships themselves, as the wethers sent on board the Sea Horse and the Earl of Elgin showed. Even so, the herd fell by only 10 head over the month, because the killing was confined to heifers and the breeding cows were left untouched. The birth of a boy named George was entered at the foot of the livestock account. The child was born to one of the Company's slaves, and his birth was recorded as an addition to the Company's property alongside calves and kids. The placement of the entry showed plainly how the slaves' children were regarded in the Company's books. The quantity of yams used held steady at about 31,000 lb, close to January's figure. This suggested a fixed daily ration for the slaves and the livestock that did not change with the demands of shipping. The donkeys fell from four to three without any death or slaughter being entered, a gap the account left unexplained. |
266 | 259 | 1763 Mr Matthew Burling reports that he has been on board the Ships Fox and Godolphin to muster their Company and enquire for deserters, but found none, their Muster Rolls are as follow vizt Muster Roll of Ship Fox. Alexander Hume Peter Stokes Burnet Abercromby Reynold Adams John Blackborn James Rutherford William Cory Cuthbert Clayton Adam Mowatt John Norvam John Bevan James Rodie Thomas Loaday Samuel Gouldsmith Matthew Bray William Hard Timothy Morris Martin Jenkins Sylvester Dyle John Murray James Read James Berry Robert Somerton Richard Simmonds Peter Brice James Ramsay William Hughes John Allward John Baks Thomas Bell Francis Brown Thomas Blackwood Joseph H. Brating George Cadria Emanuel de Castro James Cross Roger Cooksley Thomas Davis John Dellwich William Ellis Henry Eastwick Frederick Fenoke William Johnson Peter James Ernest John Daniel Mitchel Joseph Micall George Moore Thomas Nordback Thomas Paterson John Peterson Johns Pakerson Thomas Pearson Lorenzo de Pedada John Swan William Turner John Truby Thomas White John Ward Thomas Willmot William Wright Thomas Waterson Edward Boswell John Baptist William Cornelious John Geo. Swanborg Jeremiah Stone John Chapman William Birch John Lundy George Phillips Thomas Marsh John Yewson John Gordon William Glaves Alexander Shenniff Castro Allis Richard Springs James Hall Patrick Brennan Hugh Sowridge John Young Florence Burnet William Bartlet Richard Andrews John Hancorne Timothy Stevens Marlborough Francis Emanuel Mitchel | Matthew Burling reported that he had gone on board the Fox and the Godolphin to muster their crews and search for deserters, but had found none. He presented their muster rolls, beginning with that of the Fox. Alexander Hume Peter Stakes Burnet Abercromby Reynold Adams John Blackburn James Rutherford William Every Cuthbert Clayton Andrew Mowatt John Navam John Bevan James Beddie Thomas Lowday Samuel Gouldsmith Matthew Bray William Hard Timothy Morris Martin Jenkins Sylvester Dyle John Mooney James Read James Berry Robert Somerton Richard Simmonds Peter Brice James Ramsay William Hughes John Allward John Bakes Thomas Bell Francis Brown Thomas Blackwood Joseph [...] B[...] George Cabra Emanuel de Castro James Cripps Roger Cooksley Thomas Davis John Dettrick William Ellis Henry Eastwick Frederick Fenske William Johnson Peter James Ernest John Daniel Mitchel Joseph Micall George Moore Thomas Nordback Thomas Paterson John Peterson Johns Paterson Thomas Pearson Lorenzo de Pedada John Swan William Turner John Truby Thomas White John Ward Thomas Willmot William Wright Thomas Waterson Edward Boswell John Baptist William Cornelious John George Sainburg Jeremiah Stone John Chapman William Birch John Lundy George Phillips Thomas Marsh John Yewson John Gordon William Glover Alexander Sherriff Castro Allis Richard Springs James Hall Patrick Brennan Hugh Sowridge John Young Florence Burnet William Bartlet Richard Andrews John Hancorne Timothy Stevens Marlborough Francis Emanuel Mitchel |
267 | 260 | 14th March Passengers Mrs Elizath Andrews Mrs Mary Smith Mr Henry Crawford Mr John Line Lieut John Finnan Lieut Robt Bowden Ensn Edmund Bavil Ensn John McQueen Volr Robert Cotton William Downing Invalids Neil McNeil Robert Dew John McLeay Alexander Munro William McKenzie James Shield Thomas Johnson William Crampton John Leatherland James Brown John McKennan Thomas Barber William Ford (Signed) Alexander Hume Muster Roll of Ship Godolphin Collingwood Roddam Comr Samuel Vane 1st Officer John Stewart 2nd Do George Chase 3rd Do William Palmer 4th Do Henry Beattels 5th Officer William Chauncey 6th Do Claudius Arnoult Surgeon William Cosgell Do William Hague Gunner John Brampton Carpr George Robinson Boatswn John Liddle Mate John Brear Do James Moffett Do | The Fox's muster roll closed with her passengers and invalids, and Alexander Hume, her commander, signed it. Passengers: Mrs Elizabeth Andrews Mrs Mary Smith Mr Henry Crawford Mr John Line Lieutenant John Finnan Lieutenant Robert Bowden Ensign Edmund Bavil Ensign John McQueen Robert Cotton, volunteer William Downing Invalids: Neil McNeil Robert Dew John McLean Alexander Munro William McKenzie James Shield Thomas Johnson William Crampton John Leatherland James Berry John McKannan Thomas Barber William Ford The muster roll of the Godolphin followed. Collingwood Roddam, commander Samuel Vane, first officer John Stuart, second officer George Chase, third officer William Palmer, fourth officer Henry Bentall, fifth officer William Chivers, sixth officer Claudius Arnoult, surgeon William Cogell, surgeon's mate William Hagie, gunner John Bampton, carpenter George Robinson, boatswain John Tiddle, midshipman John Brear, midshipman James Maffett, midshipman |
268 | 261 | 1763 Walter Duncan Quartr Mastr Thomas Durnan Do Richard Guy Do Richard Kay Do John Morris Cooper James Bone Caulker Samuel Simpson Ships Cook John Elder Captns Do Robert Ridley Captns Steward John Moony Barber John Harper Sailmaker James Crouch Poulterer John Hodges Butcher Andrew Nicholsbeen Mate James Dixon Boatn Do Francis Butcher Caulk Do John Burk Seaman John Hite Seaman William Manning Do William Wake Do Jacob Coggan Do Alexander Good Do John Baptista Do Alexander McCaughling Do John Nicholys Do Christain Harvie Do Robert Watson Do James Burges Do John Ebrick Do Lawrence Isaackson Do Hassen Christopherson Do John Hunt Do Charles Taylor Do John Rocker Do Thomas Cornish Seaman John Feirce Do John Solfrell Do Michael Davod Do Gawen Swizell Do Thomas Smith Do Fernando Boort Do David Murrow Do John Flannegan Do John Hoddelston Do Peter Fernando Do William Robinson Do William Fritton Do Benjamin Peterson Absorp Servant Thomas Stowers Jannow Do French Prisoners Habert Lambinell Dellatte St George Dauhan St Morton Dedoitte Lamouvelle Grachiers St Laurent Lanarmelle Jas Fitzsimmons (Signed) Coll Roddam The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores short received from the Ship Fox vizt | The Godolphin's muster roll continued with the rest of her crew and the French prisoners she carried, and Collingwood Roddam, her commander, signed it. Walter Duncan, quartermaster Thomas Davies, quartermaster Richard Guy, quartermaster Richard Kay, quartermaster John Morris, cooper James Bone, caulker Samuel Simpson, ship's cook John Elder, captain's cook Robert Ridley, captain's steward John Moony, barber John Harper, sailmaker James Crouch, poulterer John Hodges, butcher Andrew Nicholson, boatswain's mate James Dixon, boatswain's mate Francis Butcher, caulker's mate John Burk, seaman John Hite, seaman William Manning, seaman William Wake, seaman Jacob Cogan, seaman Alexander Good, seaman John Baptista, seaman Alexander McLaughlin, seaman John Nicholas, seaman Christian Harvie, seaman Robert Wilson, seaman James Burges, seaman John Ebrich, seaman Lawrence Isaacksen, seaman Jasper Christopherson, seaman John Hunt, seaman Charles Taylor, seaman John Rocker, seaman Thomas Cornish, seaman John Price, seaman John Gatfrett, seaman Michael Dafeod, seaman Gawen Swizell, seaman Thomas Smith, seaman Fernando Boot, seaman David Moore, seaman John Flannegan, seaman John Holdsworth, seaman Peter Fernando, seaman William Robinson, seaman William Fritton, seaman Benjamin Peterson, surgeon's servant Thomas Showers, gunner's servant French prisoners: Hubert Sambinett Dellatte St George Dauhan St Morton Dedolle Lamourette Grahiers St Laurent Lamarmitte Jacques Fitzsimmons The storekeeper then presented an account of stores found short on delivery from the Fox. Interpretations The Godolphin carried a captain's cook and steward, a barber and a poulterer alongside her working crew. The commander of a Company ship kept his own table for his officers and paying passengers, and much of his income came from their fares and his private trade. The poulterer tended the coops of live fowls carried on deck to supply fresh meat for that table during the voyage. Such posts showed how a large East Indiaman functioned as a floating household as well as a cargo vessel. Jacques Fitzsimmons, listed among the French prisoners, bore an Irish surname. He was perhaps one of the many Irishmen who served France in its army and navy during this period, often as Catholic exiles barred from service under the British Crown. |
269 | 262 | 14th March Ship Fox vizt 4 Ps Long Cloth at 3.9 p Ps found Short upon opening the Package which came in very good order 4 Ps Paddy 16 Cwt 3 qr 22lb Rice Short Recd 36 Cwt 2 qr 22lb 1 Leagr Arrack gages 152 Gallons wants to fill 6 Gallons 152 Gallons 1 Do Do Do 159 Do 21 Do 159 Gallons 311 Gallons 27 Gallons 27 Gallons Received 284 Gallons (Signed) St Helena Js Powell Storekeepr 14th March 1763 Captain Alexander Hume, applied to Us to pay one Hundred and twenty 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 Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 21st day of March 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed dated the 14th March 1763 Wednesday the 16th Sailed the Fly Cutter Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month February last which is as follows vizt | From the Fox: 4 pieces of long cloth at 3 pagodas 9 fanams a piece, missing when the bale was opened even though it arrived in very good condition Paddy, 16 cwt 3 qr 22 lb Rice received, 36 cwt 2 qr 22 lb 1 leaguer of arrack gauged at 152 gallons, 6 gallons short of full 1 leaguer of arrack gauged at 159 gallons, 21 gallons short of full Total arrack in both leaguers, 311 gallons Total shortfall in arrack, 27 gallons Arrack received, 284 gallons J. Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 14 March 1763. Captain Alexander Hume asked to pay £120 into the Company's treasury. The Council accepted the money and issued him bills of exchange on the Company's directors, dated that day. The bills were payable to Hume himself or to his order 90 days after being presented in London. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 21 March 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 14 March 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Fly cutter had sailed on Wednesday 16 March 1763. The Council then counted and checked the Company's cash for February 1763. Interpretations The four missing pieces of long cloth came from a bale that reached the island undamaged. That detail placed the loss before the bale was sealed at Madras rather than on the voyage. By recording that the package was in very good order, the storekeeper cleared both himself and the ship's commander. Responsibility then fell on those who packed the goods at Fort St George, whether through a miscount or through theft by the packers. Captain Hume made his bills payable to himself, unlike the officials who sent money to agents or bankers. A Company commander was allowed to carry goods for private trade on his own account, and the profits could be large. Paying his cash into the island's chest and drawing on the directors gave him a secure way to carry those earnings home without risking coin at sea. |
270 | 263 | Cash Dr 1763 Febry 1st To Balance remaining £4567 1s 10d 14th To Exchange for 3 Sets Bills drawn upon the Honble the Court of Directors payable as follows Vizt One Set to Samuel Hough Esqr for £200 0s 0d One Do to John Misenor Esqr £200 0s 0d One Do to Messrs Drummonds Bankrs £100 0s 0d £500 0s 0d 16th To Ship Earl of Elgin recd the Balance of her Account £58 9s 2d 21st To Exchange for a Set of Bills drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors payable to Mr Gabriel Steward for £50 0s 0d 28th To ditto for a Set of Bills drawn as above payable to Samuel Hough Esqr £100 0s 0d £5275 11s 0d Per Contra Cr 1763 Febry 28th By Balance remaining in the followg Species Vizt 10331 Pagodas 8/ 10331 Pagodas at 8s £4132 8s 0d 217 Rupees 2/3 217 Rupees at 2s 3d £24 8s 3d 441 French ps 1/2 441 French ps at 1s 2d £3 13s 6d 9203 Doub. Ryals 1/3 9203 Doub. Ryals at 1s 3d £575 6s 3d £4735 16s 0d Cash Notes of no use amtg to £539 15s 0d £5275 11s 0d £5275 11s 0d Margin Notes: 1763 | The cash account for February 1763 recorded the following. Received: 1 February 1763, balance in hand, £4,567 1s 10d 14 February 1763, for three sets of bills of exchange on the Company's directors, one set of £200 payable to Samuel Hough, one set of £200 payable to John Misenor and one set of £100 payable to Drummonds, bankers, together £500 0s 0d 16 February 1763, from the Earl of Elgin, the balance of her account, £58 9s 2d. 21 February 1763, for a set of bills of exchange on the Company's directors payable to Gabriel Steward, £50 0s 0d 28 February 1763, for a set of bills of exchange on the Company's directors payable to Samuel Hough, £100 0s 0d Total, £5,275 11s 0d Held: 28 February 1763, balance in hand in the following coins: 10,331 pagodas at 8s each, £4,132 8s 0d 217 rupees at 2s 3d each, £24 8s 3d 441 French pieces at 2d each, £3 13s 6d 9,205 double rials at 1s 3d each, £575 6s 3d Total in coin, £4,735 16s 0d Cash notes no longer usable, £539 15s 0d Total balance in hand, £5,275 11s 0d Interpretations The coin in the treasury rose by £708 9s 2d during February 1763, after standing untouched through January. Almost all of the increase came in pagodas, which grew from 8,560 to 10,331. The rupees rose by one and the loose change disappeared into the count, while the French pieces and double rials did not change at all. The people buying bills of exchange were officers, passengers and ships' commanders newly arrived from India. They paid in the gold pagodas they had earned or traded there. The Company's chest on the island thus filled with Indian gold, while the directors in London took on the obligation to pay out sterling. This was the practical advantage of the bills for the Company. St Helena needed coin to pay wages and buy local produce, but it earned almost nothing of its own. Selling bills to travellers brought specie onto the island without the Company having to ship it out from England. The account also stated the rates at which each coin was valued for the first time in the series: 8s for a pagoda, 2s 3d for a rupee, 2d for a French piece and 1s 3d for a double rial. |
271 | 264 | 21 March Mr John Line, applied to Us, 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. We being much in want of a Long Boat, having but one remaining, and Captain Hume acquainting Us he had a very good one to spare We purchased it on Account of the Honorable Company for which we paid him thirty pounds Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 28th Day of March 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick } of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and Signed dated the 21 March 1763 Tuesday the 22nd Thomas Pepper Soldier was Drownded by Accident Friday the 25 sailed the Honorable Companys Ships Fox and Godolphin homeward bound Saturday the 26th Arrived two Dutch Ships from the Cape called the Nomsar Capt. Hautpenee and the Ammeringen Capt. Sam spoke the former loaded with Tea, Burthen Six hundred Tons, carrys forty four Guns | John Line asked to pay £70 into the Company's treasury. The Council accepted the money and issued him bills of exchange on the Company's directors, dated that day. The bills were payable to Line himself or to his order 90 days after being presented in London. The island had only one longboat left and badly needed another. Captain Hume told the Council that he had a very good one he could spare. The Council bought it on the Company's account and paid him £30. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 28 March 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 21 March 1763 were read out, approved and signed. Thomas Kipper, a soldier, had drowned by accident on Tuesday 22 March 1763. The Fox and the Godolphin sailed for England on Friday 25 March 1763. On Saturday 26 March 1763 two Dutch ships arrived from the Cape. One was the N[...], commanded by Captain Hauspence, and the other the Amerongen, commanded by Captain Jansen. The first was reported to be laden with tea, of 600 tons burden and armed with 44 guns. Interpretations The longboat was the island's workhorse, carrying stores, water casks and passengers between the landing place and ships anchored in the road. With only one left, the Council could not service several ships at once, and a loss or breakdown would have stopped all traffic with the shipping. Buying a sound boat from a Company commander on the point of sailing was quicker and cheaper than building one on an island short of timber. Hume could also expect to replace it at little cost in England. The Dutch ships were homeward-bound vessels of the Dutch East India Company, which kept its own refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope. They called at St Helena for water and fresh food, as British ships did, even though the island belonged to a rival company. A Dutch ship laden with tea came from China by way of Batavia and the Cape. Its heavy armament of 44 guns reflected the danger of the long voyage home at a time of war in Europe. Thomas Kipper was a private in the third company. His death by drowning, perhaps while working on the boats or bathing from the rocks, was one of several deaths in the garrison over the early months of 1763. |
272 | 265 | 28th March Guns and one hundred fifty Men the latter with Pepper Tea Japan Ware Cinnamon and Linen, Burthen eight hundred Tons, carrys forty four Guns and one hundred fifty four Men, both bound to Amsterdam Yesterday sailed the two Dutch Ships for Holland Ordered the following Advertizement to be published. Vizt Island St Helena 28th March 1763 This is to give Notice to all the Inhabitants of the said Island, that they are hereby required to Meet in Vestry at the Chappel in this Valley on Monday next to chuse Parish Officers for the ensuing Year; They are likewise to return three of the principal Inhabitants that one may be Elected to serve the Office of Sheriff, and to chuse a proper Person for a Constable. Notice is also given that the Planters are permitted to turn their Cattle upon the common on the first Day of Next Month. The Widow and Executors, of Thomas Harper Deceased this Day presented an Inventory of his Effects appraised by Messrs Francis Greentree and Richard Bagley, who being duly sworn that they valued the same to the best of their Judgment and the Widow that she produced every Article, it was ordered to be Registered. Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The first of the two Dutch ships carried a crew of 150 men alongside her 44 guns. The Amerongen was laden with pepper, tea, Japanese lacquerware, cinnamon and linen. She measured 800 tons burden and carried 44 guns and 154 men. Both ships were bound for Amsterdam, and they sailed for Holland on 27 March 1763. The Council ordered a public notice to be issued in the island's name, dated 28 March 1763. It required all the inhabitants to meet in vestry at the chapel in the valley on Monday 4 April 1763 to choose the parish officers for the coming year. The meeting was also to put forward three of the leading inhabitants, one of whom would be chosen to serve as sheriff, and to choose a suitable person as constable. A second notice announced that planters could turn their cattle out onto the common from 1 April 1763. The widow and executors of the late Thomas Harper presented an inventory of his possessions. Francis Grantree and Richard Bagley had valued the goods. Both men swore that they had valued them to the best of their judgement, and the widow swore that she had produced every item. The Council ordered the inventory to be entered in the register. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. Interpretations The vestry meeting gave the inhabitants a limited voice in running the island's local affairs. The parish officers they chose, such as churchwardens and overseers, managed the chapel, relief of the poor and other parish business on the English model. The sheriff was a more important post, responsible for summoning juries, executing court orders and keeping the peace. The inhabitants nominated three men, but the choice among them lay with the Governor and Council. The Company thus allowed settlers to put forward candidates while keeping control of who actually held authority. Opening the common to cattle on a fixed date managed a shared resource. The common was grazing land held by the Company for general use. Keeping stock off it during the growing season let the grass recover, and releasing it at the start of April timed the grazing to the southern autumn, after the summer's growth. The sworn inventory protected everyone with a claim on Thomas Harper's estate. The appraisers' oath guaranteed a fair valuation, and the widow's oath guarded against goods being hidden from creditors or other heirs. Registration with the Council gave the inventory legal standing in any later dispute. Japanese lacquerware was highly prized in Europe for its glossy black and gold finish. The Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to trade with Japan in this period, which gave their ships a monopoly of goods from that country. Cinnamon came from Ceylon, which the Dutch also controlled. |
273 | 266 | 2nd April At a Consultation held on Saturday the 2nd Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt. Thomas Kirkpatrick } of Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 28th March 1763 Tuesday the 29th Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Tilbury from Bengal This Day Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Egmont from England by which opportunity we received a Packet from their Honors which we opened and read their Orders to Us. The Tilbury brought Us the following Supplies vizt Invoice of Ship Tilbury BA Batavia Arrack No 1 to 2. 2 Leaguers @ 180 Rs 360 0As 0Ps Batta 8 p Ct Rs 28 12As 9Ps Rs 388 12As 9Ps ER Fine Rice 1 to 30. 30 Bags Gs Bazr Mds 60 @ 26 p Cble Khl Rs 90 15As 9Ps Batta 8 p Ct Rs 7 4As 6Ps Rs 98 4As 3Ps FS Fine Sugar 1 to 10. 10 Bags Gs Bazr Mds 20 @ 7 8 p Md Rs 150 0As 0Ps Batta 8 p Ct Rs 12 0As 0Ps Rs 162 0As 0Ps WC Wax Candles 1 to 4. 4 Chests Gs Facty Mds 8 @ 64 p Md Rs 512 0As 0Ps P Paddy 1 to 15. 15 Bags Gs Facy 22.8 @ 10 p Md Rs 14 1As 0Ps Carried over Rs 1174 18As 0Ps | The Council met at the Castle on Saturday 2 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the meeting on 28 March 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The Company's ship Tilbury had arrived from Bengal on Tuesday 29 March 1763. The Company's ship Egmont arrived from England on the day of the meeting. She brought a packet of letters from the directors, which the Council opened, and it read their orders. The Tilbury brought supplies for the island, and the Council entered her invoice. Marked BA, numbered 1 to 2: 2 leaguers of Batavia arrack at 180 rupees a leaguer, 360 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Batta on the arrack at 8 per cent, 28 rupees 12 annas 9 pies Total for arrack, 388 rupees 12 annas 9 pies Marked FR, numbered 1 to 30: 30 bags of fine rice containing 60 bazaar maunds, at [...], 90 rupees 15 annas 9 pies Batta on the rice at 8 per cent, 7 rupees 4 annas 6 pies Total for rice, 98 rupees 4 annas 3 pies Marked FS, numbered 1 to 10: 10 bags of fine sugar containing 20 bazaar maunds, at 7 rupees 8 annas a maund, 150 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Batta on the sugar at 8 per cent, 12 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Total for sugar, 162 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked WC, numbered 1 to 4: 4 chests of wax candles containing 8 factory maunds, at 64 rupees a maund, 512 rupees 0 annas 0 pies Marked P, numbered 1 to 15: 15 bags of paddy containing 22 factory maunds 8 seers, at 10 annas a maund, 14 rupees 1 anna 0 pies Total carried forward, 1,175 rupees 2 annas 0 pies Interpretations The invoice distinguished between bazaar maunds and factory maunds. The bazaar maund was the weight used in the local markets of Bengal, while the factory maund was the Company's own standard for its warehouses. The bazaar maund was the heavier of the two, by roughly a tenth. Goods bought in the market were weighed by the bazaar measure, and those drawn from the Company's own stock by the factory measure. The storekeeper at St Helena needed to know which applied when he checked the weight on landing. Batta at 8 per cent was added to the goods bought for cash in the market but not to the wax candles or paddy. The difference suggested that the market purchases were paid for in coin that had to be converted into the Company's current rupee of account. Goods supplied from the Company's own warehouses were already valued in that unit and needed no adjustment. The packet from the directors arrived with the Egmont from England. Such packets carried the Company's formal instructions to the Governor and Council, replies to their earlier letters and any new appointments or regulations. They were the main channel of authority between London and the island, and the Council read them at once on arrival. |
274 | 267 | 1763 Brought over Rs 1174 13As 2Ps Charges Merchandize 85 Gunny Bags & Sowing Rs 11 4As 3Ps 4 Chests and Packing Rs 10 12As 9Ps Sloophire Rs 24 4As 0Ps Boathire Rs 1 10As 0Ps Peons Rs 2 4As 6Ps Mooliahire Rs 6 6As 0Ps Rs 67 7As 6Ps Current Rupees Rs 1242 9As 6Ps Errors Excepted P P Amyatt Accompt Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 4th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt. Thos Kirkpatrick } Council The last Consultation was read approved, and Signed Dated the 2nd April 1763 This Day arrived a Dane Ship from China called the Queen Sophia Magdalana loaded with Tea, and China Ware, carrys one hundred and fifty Men, and twenty six Guns commanded by Captn Jorgen Dixon bound to Copenhagen. | The Tilbury's invoice continued with the charges on the goods, from a total of 1,175 rupees 2 annas 0 pies brought forward. Balance brought forward, 1,175 rupees 2 annas 0 pies Charges on the goods: 85 gunny bags and sewing, 11 rupees 4 annas 3 pies 4 chests and packing, 10 rupees 12 annas 9 pies Sloop hire, 34 rupees 4 annas 0 pies Boat hire, 1 rupee 10 annas 0 pies Peons, 1 rupee 2 annas 6 pies Porters' hire, 6 rupees 6 annas 0 pies Total charges, 67 rupees 7 annas 6 pies Total of the invoice in current rupees, 1,242 rupees 9 annas 6 pies The invoice was signed on behalf of P. Amyatt, the accountant, with any errors open to correction. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 4 April 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 2 April 1763 were read out, approved and signed. A Danish ship from China, the Queen Sophia Magdalena, arrived that day. She was laden with tea and Chinese porcelain and carried 150 men and 26 guns. She was commanded by Captain Jorgen Dixon and was bound for Copenhagen. Interpretations The Danish ship belonged to Denmark's Asiatic Company, which traded at Canton alongside the British, Dutch, French and Swedish companies. Tea and porcelain were the staples of that trade. Denmark was neutral in the war then drawing to a close, and neutral ships could sail with less risk of capture than those of the warring powers. Like the Dutch vessels a week earlier, she called at St Helena for water and provisions. The island's position made it a natural stopping place for every European company's homeward ships, and the Council recorded each arrival with its cargo, crew and armament. |
275 | 268 | 4th April We this Day granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors Vizt One set to the Governor for one hundred and twelve pounds seven Shillings on account of Captn Alexandr Hume payable to him (or Order) dated this Day. One set to Mr Matthew Burling for one hundred and eight pounds payable to Mr James Rutherford (or Order) dated this day Both drawn at Ninety Days after Sight Henry Harper Serjeant and Thomas Greystock Centinel this Day petitioned for their Discharges from the Garrison, having served the Honorable Company their contracted Times. Granted Pursuant to the Order in Consultation of the 28th of last Month the Inhabitants this Day assembled at the Chappel in this Valley to chuse Parish Officers for the ensuing Year and likewise to return three of the principal Inhabitants that one might be elected to serve the Office of Sheriff, and to chuse a proper Person to serve in that of Constable, they accordingly returned the following Persons vizt Messrs Richard Bagley Richard Beale } Sheriffs James Powell Thomas Harper Constable William Wrangham William Young } Churchwardens John Desfountain Francis Wrangham John Robinson James Cotgrave } Overseers of the East Division Israel Harper Gabriel Swacke } Do of the West Do George Alexander Benjamin Sealy } Do of the South Do | The Council issued two sets of bills of exchange drawn on the Company's directors that day. The first set, for £112 7s 0d, went to Governor Hutchinson on behalf of Captain Alexander Hume and was payable to Hume or to his order. The second set, for £108, went to Matthew Burling and was payable to James Rutherford or to his order. Both were dated that day and payable 90 days after being presented in London. Henry Harper, a sergeant, and Thomas Greystock, a private, asked that day to be discharged from the garrison because they had served the full terms they had signed for. The Council granted both requests. As ordered at the meeting of 28 March 1763, the inhabitants had gathered at the chapel in the valley that day. They chose the parish officers for the coming year and put forward three leading inhabitants for the post of sheriff. They also chose a constable. The names they returned were as follows. Nominated for sheriff: Richard Bagley Richard Beale James Powell Constable: Thomas Harper Churchwardens: William Wrangham William Young John Desfountain Francis Wrangham Overseers of the East Division: John Robinson James Cotgrave Overseers of the West Division: Israel Knipe Gabriel Stacke Overseers of the South Division: George Alexander Benjamin Sealy Interpretations The island was divided into East, West and South Divisions for local administration, each with two overseers. On St Helena the overseers were responsible for more than poor relief. They supervised the upkeep of roads and fences in their division and saw that the Council's orders on straying livestock, trespass and the conduct of slaves were enforced. Choosing them by vestry gave the planters a part in policing their own neighbourhoods. The parish offices went largely to the same small group who served the Company. Richard Beale was already captain, judge advocate and schoolmaster, and James Powell was the storekeeper. William and Francis Wrangham were both factors, and John Desfountain supplied timber to the Company. On an island with so few leading families, the same men filled the civil, military and parish posts, and local government remained closely bound to the Company's own establishment. The Governor and Burling each drew bills on behalf of others. Hume and Rutherford had perhaps left cash with them or arranged the remittance before sailing, since the Fox, on which both men served, had already left for England. The bills would travel home on a later ship and be presented in London on their behalf. |
276 | 269 | 1763 We appointed Mr Richard Beale to serve the Office of Sheriff, and Ordered Warrants to be drawn for Messrs William Wrangham and William Young Church Wardens and John Robinson, Isaac Knipe and George Alexander Overseers. Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 11th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick } of Council The last Consultation was read, approved, and signed dated the 4th April 1763 Tuesday the 5th arrived a Dane Ship from China called the Prince Frederick Captain Holk burden one thousand Tons, carrys twenty eight Guns and one hundred and seventy Men loaden with Tea and China Ware bound to Copenhagen. The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of March last were this Day brought in which were examined, and approved, and are as follow Vizt Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of March 1763 vizt 6 Bottles Port Wine 6 Bottles £0 9s 0d Carried over £0 9s 0d | The Council appointed Richard Beale to serve as sheriff. It ordered warrants to be drawn up appointing William Wrangham and William Young as churchwardens, and John Robinson, Israel Knipe and George Alexander as overseers. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 11 April 1763, with the same four members present. The minutes of the meeting on 4 April 1763 were read out, approved and signed. A Danish ship from China, the Prince Frederick, had arrived on Tuesday 5 April 1763 under Captain Holk. She measured 1,000 tons burden, carried 28 guns and 170 men, and was laden with tea and Chinese porcelain for Copenhagen. The plantation, gunner's and steward's accounts for March 1763 were presented, examined and approved. The first recorded the food and drink used at the Company's table during March 1763. 6 bottles of port wine, £0 9s 0d Total carried forward, £0 9s 0d Interpretations The vestry had only nominated candidates, and the Council made the actual appointments by warrant. From the three names put forward for sheriff, it chose Richard Beale, already the Company's captain, judge advocate and schoolmaster, rather than the planter Richard Bagley. From the four churchwardens it named two, and from the six overseers it named one for each division. The inhabitants' vote thus served as a list of acceptable men, and the final choice rested with the Company. A warrant signed by the Council gave each officer his legal authority, without which he could not act against a defaulter or trespasser. |
277 | 270 | 11th April Brought over £0 9s 0d 26 Bottles Lisbon Wine 26 Bottles £1 19s 0d 16 Do Mountain 16 Bottles £1 4s 0d 68 Do Arrack 68 Bottles £3 2s 6d 34 Do Beer 34 Bottles £0 9s 2½d 358lb Flour 358lb £2 2s 6d 155lb Fresh Beef 155lb £1 18s 9d 4 Ps Salt Pork 4 Ps £0 10s 2d 248¼lb Mutton 248¼lb £5 3s 5¼d 47lb Goat 47lb £0 15s 8d 17 Fowls 17 Fowls £1 5s 6d 5 Ducks 5 Ducks £0 7s 6d 1 Goose 1 Goose £0 5s 0d 5 Turkeys 5 Turkeys £1 5s 0d 48½lb fresh Butter 48½lb £2 3s 6d 134lb Candy 134lb £2 4s 8d £25 5s 4½d Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of March 1763 Date and Occasion, Guns Fired, Shot Fired, [Pdr] 9, [Pdr] 4, [Pdr] 3, [Pdr] 2, [Pdr] 1, Powder Expended 1st Powder for Shooting for the Use of the Table: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 0oz 7th Fired to Salute Colol Cootes going on board: Guns Fired 13 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 13 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 13lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Departed the Admiral Watson returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 25th Departed the Fox and the Godolphin returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz Carried over: Guns Fired 31 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 31 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 37lb 0oz | The account of food and drink used at the Company's table during March 1763 continued from a total of £0 9s 0d brought forward. Balance brought forward, £0 9s 0d 26 bottles of Lisbon wine, £1 19s 0d 16 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 4s 0d 63 bottles of arrack, £3 2s 6d 34 bottles of beer, £0 9s 2½d 358 lb of flour, £2 2s 6d 155 lb of fresh beef, £1 18s 9d 4 pieces of salt pork, £0 10s 2d 248½ lb of mutton, £5 3s 5½d 47 lb of goat meat, £0 15s 8d 17 fowls, £1 5s 6d 5 ducks, £0 7s 6d 1 goose, £0 5s 0d 5 turkeys, £1 5s 0d 48½ lb of fresh butter, £2 3s 6d 134 lb of sugar candy, £2 4s 8d Total, £25 5s 4½d The master gunner's return of artillery stores used in March 1763 followed. It added two new columns for shot fired and for a post headed No. 9, alongside the guns fired at No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 and the powder used in pounds and ounces. 1 March 1763, powder for shooting game for the table: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 1 lb of powder 7 March 1763, salute on Colonel Coote's return on board: 13 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 13 at No. 1, 13 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 2 lb of powder The Admiral Watson departed and her salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder 25 March 1763, the Fox and the Godolphin departed and their salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder Total carried forward: 31 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 18 at No. 2, 13 at No. 1, 37 lb of powder Interpretations The Castle's table and the gunners both returned to a quieter pace in March 1763 once the ships of February had gone. Fresh beef fell from 488 lb to 155 lb, close to January's level, and the Company went back to sparing its cattle. The powder fired came to 37 lb, against nearly 270 lb in February. Only the farewells to Colonel Coote and the departing Company ships called for salutes. The two ships that sailed together on 25 March 1763 received a single salute of nine guns between them rather than one each. |
278 | 271 | 1763 Date and Occasion, Guns Fired, Shot Fired, [Pdr] 9, [Pdr] 4, [Pdr] 3, [Pdr] 2, [Pdr] 1, Powder Expended Brought over: Guns Fired 31 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 18 Guns, [Pdr] 1 13 Guns, Powder Expended 37lb 0oz 25th A Double Alarm for two Dutch Ships: Guns Fired 9 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 3 Guns, [Pdr] 3 3 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 3 Guns, Powder Expended 18lb 0oz 26th Fired at Banks's to bring the Dutch Ships two: Guns Fired 5 Guns, Shot Fired 1 Shot, [Pdr] 9 1 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 4 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 4lb 8oz Arrived the two Dutch Ships returned the salute: Guns Fired 11 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 11 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 11lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Fired to Dismiss the Flying Partys: Guns Fired 1 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 1 Guns, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz 28th An Alarm: Guns Fired 6 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 2 Guns, [Pdr] 3 2 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 2 Guns, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Arrived the Tilbury returned the salute: Guns Fired 9 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 9 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz Do for the Funeral of a Soldier of Colonel Cootes Regt: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 4oz Do for Replenishing the Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 2lb 12oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0 Guns, Shot Fired 0 Shot, [Pdr] 9 0 Guns, [Pdr] 4 0 Guns, [Pdr] 3 0 Guns, [Pdr] 2 0 Guns, [Pdr] 1 0 Guns, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz Total: Guns Fired 68 Guns, Shot Fired 1 Shot, [Pdr] 9 1 Guns, [Pdr] 4 5 Guns, [Pdr] 3 5 Guns, [Pdr] 2 51 Guns, [Pdr] 1 6 Guns, Powder Expended 102lb 0oz Paper for the Use of the Admiral Watson 20 Qrs Do for making Cannon Cartridges 3[...] Qrs Tallow for the Use of the Wood Cart 4lb Do for the Use of the Carpenter 2lb 6 Pounder Rammer Heads broke at Sandy Bay 1 No Hands Spikes for the Use of the Fly Cutter 3 No Sponge Staves for the Use of the Gardener 2 No (Signed) Thos Hall | The artillery return for March 1763 continued from the totals brought forward: 31 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 18 at No. 2, 13 at No. 1 and 37 lb of powder. 25 March 1763, a double alarm for two Dutch ships: 9 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 3 at No. 4, 3 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 3 at No. 1, 18 lb of powder 26 March 1763, fired from Banks to bring the Dutch ships to: 1 gun fired in all, 1 shot fired, 1 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 4 lb 8 oz of powder The two Dutch ships arrived and their salute was returned: 11 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 11 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 11 lb of powder Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 2 lb of powder Signal to stand down the flying parties: 1 gun fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 1 at No. 1, 1 lb 8 oz of powder 28 March 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 2 at No. 4, 2 at No. 3, 0 at No. 2, 2 at No. 1, 12 lb of powder The Tilbury arrived and her salute was returned: 9 guns fired in all, 0 shot fired, 0 at No. 9, 0 at No. 4, 0 at No. 3, 9 at No. 2, 0 at No. 1, 9 lb of powder. Powder for priming: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder Powder for the funeral of a soldier of Colonel Coote's regiment: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 2 lb 4 oz of powder Powder for refilling the cartridges at the Main Guard: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 2 lb 12 oz of powder Powder for signals: 0 guns fired, 0 shot fired, 1 lb 8 oz of powder Total: 68 guns fired in all, 1 shot fired, 1 at No. 9, 5 at No. 4, 5 at No. 3, 51 at No. 2, 6 at No. 1, 102 lb of powder Other stores used: Paper for the Admiral Watson, 30 quires. Paper for making cannon cartridges, 3½ quires Tallow for the wood cart, 4 lb Tallow for the carpenter, 2 lb Rammer heads for 6-pounder guns broken at Sandy Bay, 1 Handspikes for the Fly cutter, 3. Staves for the gardener, 2 Thomas Hall, the master gunner, signed the return. Interpretations The single shot fired from Banks on 26 March 1763 was the only live round of the quarter. A gun loaded with ball and fired across a ship's bows ordered her to heave to and account for herself before approaching the anchorage. The two Dutch ships were foreign, armed with 44 guns each, and arrived at a time of war in Europe. The garrison could not simply trust their intentions. The shot made plain that they came under the island's guns, and only after they had complied did the battery return their salute. Firing from Banks, at the approach to James Bay, gave the warning at the point where a ship first came within range. The funeral of a soldier of Colonel Coote's regiment showed the garrison extending military honours to a King's soldier who died while his ship was at the island. His regiment was on its way home from India with its colonel. The Company's gunners fired the volleys for him as they did for their own men. |
279 | 272 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of March 1763 vizt Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining the 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 85 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 87 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 25 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 45 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 282 Head, Sheep Ewes 262 Head, Sheep Weathers 148 Head, Sheep Lambs 156 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 574 Head, Goats Ewes 128 Head, Goats Weathers 1 Head, Goats Kids 101 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 239 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 19 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 24 Head, Poultry Fowls 108 Head, Poultry Ducks 53 Head, Poultry Turkeys 38 Head, Poultry Geese 20 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 6 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 6 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 0 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 0 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kids 8 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 8 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 13 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 12 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 85 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 93 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 25 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 45 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 288 Head, Sheep Ewes 262 Head, Sheep Weathers 148 Head, Sheep Lambs 156 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 574 Head, Goats Ewes 128 Head, Goats Weathers 1 Head, Goats Kids 109 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 247 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 19 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 24 Head, Poultry Fowls 121 Head, Poultry Ducks 53 Head, Poultry Turkeys 50 Head, Poultry Geese 20 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 1 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 4 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 5 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 10 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 10 Head, Goats Ewes 4 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kids 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 4 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 17 Head, Poultry Ducks 5 Head, Poultry Turkeys 5 Head, Poultry Geese 1 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 1 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 2 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 3 Head, Sheep Ewes 1 Head, Sheep Weathers 0 Head, Sheep Lambs 1 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 2 Head, Goats Ewes 1 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kids 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 1 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 0 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Sent on board the Admiral Watson: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 3 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 3 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 6 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 10 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 10 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kids 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 0 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 6 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Sent on board the Fly Cutter: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 0 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 2 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 2 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kids 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 0 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 0 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Sent on board the Dutch Ship Vosmaar: Neat Cattle Bulls 0 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 0 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 0 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 0 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 0 Head, Neat Cattle Total 0 Head, Sheep Ewes 0 Head, Sheep Weathers 0 Head, Sheep Lambs 0 Head, Sheep Rams 0 Head, Sheep Total 0 Head, Goats Ewes 0 Head, Goats Weathers 0 Head, Goats Kids 0 Head, Goats Rams 0 Head, Goats Total 0 Head, Hogs Sows 0 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 0 Head, Hogs Boars 0 Head, Hogs Total 0 Head, Poultry Fowls 0 Head, Poultry Ducks 0 Head, Poultry Turkeys 6 Head, Poultry Geese 0 Head, Horses Horses 0 Head, Horses Mares 0 Head, Horses Total 0 Head, Asses He Asses 0 Head, Asses She Asses 0 Head, Asses Total 0 Head Remaining 31st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 84 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 93 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 23 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 21 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 36 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 274 Head, Sheep Ewes 261 Head, Sheep Weathers 126 Head, Sheep Lambs 155 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 550 Head, Goats Ewes 123 Head, Goats Weathers 1 Head, Goats Kids 109 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 242 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 19 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 24 Head, Poultry Fowls 104 Head, Poultry Ducks 48 Head, Poultry Turkeys 33 Head, Poultry Geese 19 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Species Changed: Neat Cattle Bulls 4 Head, Neat Cattle Cows 87 Head, Neat Cattle Calves 44 Head, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60 Head, Neat Cattle Heifers 28 Head, Neat Cattle Steers 38 Head, Neat Cattle Oxen 13 Head, Neat Cattle Total 274 Head, Sheep Ewes 298 Head, Sheep Weathers 175 Head, Sheep Lambs 69 Head, Sheep Rams 8 Head, Sheep Total 550 Head, Goats Ewes 150 Head, Goats Weathers 26 Head, Goats Kids 57 Head, Goats Rams 9 Head, Goats Total 242 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 19 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 24 Head, Poultry Fowls 104 Head, Poultry Ducks 48 Head, Poultry Turkeys 33 Head, Poultry Geese 19 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Goats Total 242 Head, Hogs Sows 4 Head, Hogs Shoats 0 Head, Hogs Pigs 19 Head, Hogs Boars 1 Head, Hogs Total 24 Head, Poultry Fowls [...] Head, Poultry Ducks 48 Head, Poultry Turkeys 33 Head, Poultry Geese 19 Head, Horses Horses 7 Head, Horses Mares 5 Head, Horses Total 12 Head, Asses He Asses 3 Head, Asses She Asses 1 Head, Asses Total 4 Head Rebecca a Black Girl Dead Yams for the Blacks &ca 24,005lb (Signed) John Skottowe Margin Notes: 11th April | The account of the Company's livestock for March 1763 was presented with the other monthly accounts. Remaining on 1 March 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 87 calves, 23 yearlings, 25 heifers, 45 steers, 13 oxen, 282 cattle in all Sheep: 262 ewes, 148 wethers, 156 lambs, 8 rams, 574 sheep in all Goats: 128 nanny goats, 1 wether, 101 kids, 9 billy goats, 239 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, 24 pigs in all Poultry: 108 fowls, 53 ducks, 38 turkeys, 20 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Increase during March 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 6 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, 6 cattle in all Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, 0 sheep in all Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 8 kids, 0 billy goats, 8 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 13 fowls, 0 ducks, 12 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Total: Cattle: 4 bulls, 85 cows, 93 calves, 23 yearlings, 25 heifers, 45 steers, 13 oxen, 288 cattle in all Sheep: 262 ewes, 148 wethers, 156 lambs, 8 rams, 574 sheep in all Goats: 128 nanny goats, 1 wether, 109 kids, 9 billy goats, 247 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, 24 pigs in all Poultry: 121 fowls, 53 ducks, 50 turkeys, 20 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Killed during March 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 1 heifer, 4 steers, 0 oxen, 5 cattle in all Sheep: 0 ewes, 10 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, 10 sheep in all Goats: 4 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, 4 goats in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 17 fowls, 5 ducks, 5 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Died during March 1763: Cattle: 0 bulls, 1 cow, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 2 steers, 0 oxen, 3 cattle in all Sheep: 1 ewe, 0 wethers, 1 lamb, 0 rams, 2 sheep in all Goats: 1 nanny goat, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, 1 goat in all Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, 0 pigs in all Poultry: 0 fowls, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, 0 horses in all Donkeys: 0 male donkeys, 0 female donkeys, 0 donkeys in all Sent on board the Admiral Watson: 3 heifers and 3 steers, 6 cattle in all; 10 wethers, 10 sheep in all; 6 turkeys. Sent on board the Fly cutter: 2 wethers, 2 sheep in all. Sent on board the Dutch ship Vosmaar: 6 turkeys. Remaining on 31 March 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 84 cows, 93 calves, 23 yearlings, 21 heifers, 36 steers, 13 oxen, 274 cattle in all Sheep: 261 ewes, 126 wethers, 155 lambs, 8 rams, 550 sheep in all Goats: 123 nanny goats, 1 wether, 109 kids, 9 billy goats, 242 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, 24 pigs in all Poultry: 104 fowls, 48 ducks, 33 turkeys, 19 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Stock regraded by age and kind on 31 March 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 87 cows, 44 calves, 60 yearlings, 28 heifers, 38 steers, 13 oxen, 274 cattle in all Sheep: 298 ewes, 175 wethers, 69 lambs, 8 rams, 550 sheep in all Goats: 150 nanny goats, 26 wethers, 57 kids, 9 billy goats, 242 goats in all Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, 24 pigs in all Poultry: 104 fowls, 48 ducks, 33 turkeys, 19 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, 12 horses in all Donkeys: 3 male donkeys, 1 female donkey, 4 donkeys in all Deaths among the Company's slaves: Rebecca, a black girl Yams used for the black slaves and the livestock: 24,005 lb John Skottowe signed the account. Interpretations The final section regraded the whole stock by age at the end of the southern summer. Calves born in the past season were moved up to yearlings, lambs to ewes or wethers, and kids to adult goats, while the totals in each kind stayed the same. The number of calves fell from 93 to 44 and yearlings rose from 23 to 60. Lambs dropped from 155 to 69, and the ewes and wethers rose accordingly. Among the goats, 25 kids were entered as new wethers, which showed that the young males had been castrated to raise for meat. Regrading once a year kept the account accurate, since the monthly additions entered every birth as a calf, lamb or kid regardless of its later growth. The cattle sent on board the Admiral Watson confirmed the herd's purpose. Six head went to her crew in a single month, more than were killed for the island's own use. Even the Dutch ship received turkeys, perhaps sold to her officers for their table. Supplying passing shipping with fresh meat was a service the island performed for every European company, and one that brought in useful coin. The death of Rebecca, a black girl, was again recorded beneath the livestock, as the birth of George had been a month earlier. The yams used fell from about 31,000 lb to 24,005 lb. The drop perhaps reflected the end of the season's harvest or a greater use of the rice brought by the recent ships from Bengal and Madras. |
280 | 273 | 1763 The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores Short received from the Ship Tilbury vizt Paddy Short weight 35 Cwt 2 qr 10lb Sugar Short weight 1 Cwt 3 qr 5lb Candles Short weight 9lb No 1 One Leagr Arrack gages 160 Galls wants to fill 12½ Galls 160 Gallons 2 One Leagr Do Do 140 Do 5½ Galls 140 Gallons 300 Gallons 18 Gallons 18 Gallons Gallons 282 Received 282 Gallons St Helena (Signed) 11th April 1763 Js Powell Storekeepr Charles Purfoy Centinel this Day petitioned for his Discharge from the Garrison, having served the Honorable Company his contracted time Granted Mr Cooper, Surgeon of the Ship Egmont applied to Us for Payment for the care of thirty Recruits in their Passage from England, We accordingly ordered him to be paid five Shillings each amounting to seven pounds ten Shillings Mr Matthew Burling reports that he has been on board the Ship Tilbury, to Muster her company and enquire for Deserters but found none her Muster Roll is as follows vizt Muster Roll of Ship Tilbury Roger Mainwaring Commdr George Bere 1 Mate John Seldon 2d Do Clement Falls 3d Do William Hunt 4th Do John Barfoot 5th Mate James Davis Surgeon William Sedmore Purser James Cockworth Boatswn Joseph Oakes Carpenter William Marshall Gunner George Filsby Midshipman Robert Dennis Do George Bach Do John Hasting Do | The storekeeper presented an account of stores found short on delivery from the Tilbury. 3 cwt 2 qr 10 lb of paddy, short in weight 1 cwt 3 qr 5 lb of sugar, short in weight 4 lb of candles, short in weight Leaguer 1 of arrack gauged at 160 gallons, 12½ gallons short of full Leaguer 2 of arrack gauged at 140 gallons, 5½ gallons short of full Total arrack in both leaguers, 300 gallons Total shortfall in arrack, 18 gallons Arrack received, 282 gallons J. Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 11 April 1763. Charles Penfoy, a private, asked that day to be discharged from the garrison because he had served the full term he had signed for. The Council granted his request. Mr Cooper, surgeon of the Egmont, asked to be paid for looking after 30 recruits during their voyage from England. The Council ordered him to be paid 5s for each man, amounting to £7 10s 0d. Matthew Burling reported that he had gone on board the Tilbury to muster her crew and search for deserters, but had found none. He presented the ship's muster roll. Roger Mainwaring, commander George Bere, chief mate John Neldon, second mate Clement Falle, third mate William Hunt, fourth mate John Barfoot, fifth mate James Davis, surgeon William Sidmore, purser Francis Cookworth, boatswain Joseph Oakes, carpenter William Marshall, gunner George Hitley, midshipman Robert Dennis, midshipman George Birch, midshipman John Hasting, midshipman Interpretations The fee of 5s for each recruit rewarded the ship's surgeon for delivering the men alive and fit for service. Soldiers sent out from England often died of fever, scurvy and dysentery on the long voyage, and every loss had to be made good at further cost. Paying the surgeon by the head for those who arrived gave him a direct interest in their health. The 30 recruits on the Egmont came at a useful moment. Several soldiers had recently claimed their discharge at the end of their terms, and deaths had thinned the companies over the preceding months. |
281 | 274 | 11th April Charles Sanways Midn Jacob Dedham Surgns Mte William Bocy Quartr Master Andrew Knowles Do William Collins Caulker Jeremiah Anderby Armourer Thomas Wrigglesworth Ships Stewd William Blunton Carpts 1st Mte Robert Mills Do 2d Do John Howard Sailmaker John Pole Captns Steward John King Seaman William Sparling Do Andrew Christy Do William Phillips Do Thomas Sprout Do William Bennet Do Osmane Petterson Do David Mitchel Do William Benham Do Robert Ramsey Do Robert Gordon Do Dennis OBrian Do Anderson Hariot Do John Cornelious Do Harrald Nelson Do Jacob Posset Do Spence Golby Do Harman Buckman Do Frederick Tidman Do Thomas Hardine Do John Burges Do Jacob Lawrence Do Thomas Gouldburn Do John Jackson Do Joseph Miller Do John Goffoy Do Lawrence Johnson Do Andrew Burget Do John De Freze Do Godfrey Smith Do John Hendrickson Do Swain Jonas Do John Harvey Do Joseph Hodgee Do Thomas Greystock Do Jeremiah Stone Do William Peace Captns Servt Robert Mason Do Do Christopher Mead 1st Mates Do William Griffiths 2d Do Do Thomas Gough Surgns Do Alexr Smith Gunners Do Joseph Barnet Carpt Do Marmaduke Espex Boatswns Do Lascars Cwrim Serang Munro Tindale Jinde Do Jaffer Lascar Jive Buddue Do Awkill Do Cassaw Do Dinnaw Do Golaube Do Peran Do Lawle Do Chutta Ramy Johnee Do Chaun Do Numzer Mamud Do Cussalle Do Dadoe Do John Hendrick Do Phillip Do Anthony Do Kuon Johny Do Lawsonee Do Arew Do John De Cruze Do Gaulstaw Do Augustin Do Johnicko Do Anthony Peter Do Anthony De rozar Do Domingo Do Lander Do Romeas | The Tilbury's muster roll continued with the rest of her crew. Charles Sanways, midshipman Jacob Dedham, surgeon's mate William Bory, quartermaster Andrew Knowles, quartermaster William Collins, caulker Jeremiah Anderby, armourer Thomas Wigglesworth, ship's steward William Blenton, carpenter's first mate Robert Hills, carpenter's second mate John Howard, sailmaker John Pole, captain's steward John King, seaman William Sparling, seaman Andrew Christy, seaman William Phillips, seaman Thomas Sprout, seaman William Bennet, seaman Osmand Petterson, seaman David Mitchel, seaman William Benham, seaman Robert Ramsey, seaman Robert Gordon, seaman Dennis O'Brian, seaman Anderson Havist, seaman John Cornelious, seaman Harrald Nelson, seaman Jacob Posset, seaman Spence Colby, seaman Harman Buckman, seaman Frederick Tidman, seaman Thomas Hardine, seaman John Burgoe, seaman Jacob Lawrence, seaman Thomas Gouldburn, seaman John Jackson, seaman Joseph Miller, seaman John Goffey, seaman Lawrence Johnson, seaman Andrew Burget, seaman John De Freze, seaman Godfrey Smith, seaman John Hendrickson, seaman Swain Jonas, seaman John Harvey, seaman Joseph Hodgee, seaman Thomas Greystock, seaman Jeremiah Stone, seaman William Peace, captain's servant Robert Mason, captain's servant Christopher Mead, chief mate's servant William Griffiths, second mate's servant Thomas Gough, surgeon's servant Alexander Smith, gunner's servant Joseph Burnet, carpenter's servant Marmaduke Cope, boatswain's servant Lascars: Curim, serang Munno, tindal Jinde, tindal Jaffer, lascar Juve Buddoo, lascar Ukhill, lascar Cassaw, lascar Dinnaw, lascar Golaube, lascar Peran, lascar Laule, lascar Chutta Ramjohnee, lascar Chaun, lascar Numzer Mamud, lascar Cussall, lascar Dadoo, lascar John Hendrick, lascar Phillip, lascar Anthony, lascar Kum Johny, lascar Lawrence, lascar Arew, lascar John De Cruze, lascar Gaulstaw, lascar Augustin, lascar Johnicko, lascar Anthony Peter, lascar Anthony Derozar, lascar Domingo, lascar Lander D'Romeiro, lascar Interpretations The lascars on the Tilbury were organised under a serang, the chief of the lascar crew, with two tindals beneath him. The serang negotiated his men's engagement with the ship's commander, kept order among them and took his orders from the chief mate. The tindals led the separate watches. The names showed Muslim and Hindu seamen from Bengal serving alongside Christians of Portuguese descent, such as Anthony Derozar, John De Cruze and Domingo. Thomas Greystock, discharged from the garrison as a private on 4 April 1763, now appeared on the roll as a seaman. A discharged soldier had to find his own way home, and signing on as a hand gave him free passage and wages for the voyage. Burling's muster confirmed that Greystock was on board lawfully rather than as a deserter. |
282 | 275 | 1763 Passengers Mrs Drake Miss Frances Paskall Miss Mary Paskall Lieut John Manning Ten French Gentlemen } Prisoners of War Seventeen Do Private James McCleland an Invalid Four Black Servants Tilbury 9th April 1763 (Signed) Roger Mainwaring Bought of Captain Roger Mainwaring Fifty one Hundred one Quarter and nineteen pound of Rice at eight Shillings p Hundred for the use of the Honorable Company amounting to twenty six Pounds eleven Shillings and four pence Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Tilbury's muster roll closed with her passengers, and Roger Mainwaring, her commander, signed it on board on 9 April 1763. Passengers: Mrs Drake Miss Frances Paskall Miss Mary Paskall Lieutenant John Manning 10 French gentlemen, prisoners of war 17 French private soldiers, prisoners of war James McColand, invalid 4 black servants The Council bought 51 cwt 1 qr 19 lb of rice from Captain Roger Mainwaring for the Company's use, at 8s a hundredweight. The purchase came to £20 11s 4d. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the minutes. Interpretations The rice bought from Mainwaring came from his private trade rather than the Company's cargo. Commanders were allowed to carry goods of their own and sell them wherever they could find a buyer. At 8s a hundredweight, the price was well above what the Company paid in Bengal, where the Tilbury's invoiced rice worked out at roughly 5s a hundredweight at the island's rate for the rupee. The difference was the commander's profit for carrying the grain. The Council still found it worth paying, since rice was the staple of the slaves' rations and the island could not grow enough of its own. The French prisoners were divided between gentlemen and private soldiers, following the conventions of the time. Captured officers were treated as gentlemen, messed apart and were often released on their word of honour. Private soldiers were held more closely. Both groups were on their way to England to be exchanged or freed at the peace. |
283 | 276 | 15th April At a Consultation held on Friday the 15th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Capt. Thomas Kirkpatrick } of Council The last Consultation was read, approved and signed dated the 11th April 1763 Monday the 11th in the Evening sailed the two Dane Ships for Copenhagen Do arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Royal Captain Thursday the 14th arrived the True Briton, Royal Charlotte, Harcourt and Hawkesdon, all from China This Day sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Tilbury homeward bound. The above mentioned Ships brought us the following Supply vizt Invoice of Ship True Briton B No 1 to 5. Tea Bohea 5 Chests Wt Nett 779lb or Picls 5.8.4 Catty at 16.5 Tls 90 3m 6c SC No 41 to 50. Sugar Candy 10 Chests Wt Nett 3295lb Picl 24.71¼ Catty at 7.6 Tls 193 1m 5c 10 Chests at 5 Tls 5 0m 0c Total amount of this Invoice Tls 289 1m 7c 5ca Errors Except (Signed) Stepn De Visme Benj Torin Thos Smith Thos Thomas Willm Dowes John Walton Thos Fitzhughs Samuel Blount John Barrow Rich Wood Nath Garland Alex Hume | The Council met at the Castle on Friday 15 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the meeting on 11 April 1763 were read out, approved and signed. The two Danish ships had sailed for Copenhagen on the evening of Monday 11 April 1763. The Company's ship Royal Captain arrived the same day. On Thursday 14 April 1763 the True Briton, the Royal Charlotte, the Harcourt and the Houghton arrived, all from China. The Tilbury sailed for England on the day of the meeting. The ships from China brought supplies for the island, and the Council entered the invoice of the True Briton. Marked B, numbered 1 to 5: 5 chests of Bohea tea, net weight 779 lb or 5 piculs 84 catties, at 16 taels 5 mace a picul, 96 taels 3 mace 6 candareens Marked SC, numbered 41 to 50: 10 chests of sugar candy, net weight 3,295 lb or 24 piculs 71¼ catties, at 7 taels 6 mace a picul, 187 taels 8 mace 1½ candareens 10 chests for the sugar candy, 5 taels 0 mace 0 candareens Total of the invoice, 289 taels 1 mace 7½ candareens The invoice was signed, with any errors open to correction, by Stephen De Visme, Benjamin Torin, Thomas Smith, Frederick Thomas, William Deans, John Walton, Thomas Fitzhugh, Samuel Blount, John Burrow, Richard Wood, Nathaniel Garland and Alexander Hume. Interpretations The Company's business at Canton was reckoned in taels, a Chinese unit of weight for silver rather than a coin. A tael was divided into 10 mace and each mace into 10 candareens. Goods were weighed in piculs of 100 catties, a picul being about 133 lb. Merchants at Canton paid for tea in Spanish silver dollars, which were weighed and valued in taels. The invoice therefore followed the Chinese system throughout, just as the Bengal and Madras invoices used rupees and pagodas. The twelve men who signed were the Company's supercargoes at Canton, the merchants who travelled with the China ships and managed the trade there during the season. They bought the tea, silk and porcelain for the homeward cargoes and set aside small quantities for St Helena. Bohea at 16 taels 5 mace a picul was the cheapest grade of black tea and the kind most drunk on the island, as the storekeeper's sales in the quarter ending 31 December 1762 showed. |
284 | 277 | 1763 Invoice of Ship Royal Charlotte S No 1 to 4 Tea Singlo 4 Chests Wt Nett 317lb or Picl 2.37½ Catty at 19.5 Tls 46 3m 6c 1ca S No 1 to 10 Sugar 10 Chests Wt Nett 3176lb or Picl 23.82 Catty at 4.5 Tls 107 1m 9c 0ca 10 Chests at 5 Tls 5 0m 0c 0ca Total amount of this Invoice Tls 158 5m 5c 1ca Errors Excepted (Signed) Thos Fitzhugh Samuel Blount John Barrow Richd Wood Nath Garland Alex Hume Stepn De Visme Benj Torin Thomas Smith Thomas Thomas Willm Dowes John Walton Invoice of Ship Harcourt C No 1 to 7 Tea Singlo 7 Chests Wt Nett 607lb or Picl 4.55 Catty at 23 Tales Tls 104 6m 5c 0ca Errors Excepted (Signed) Willm Dowes Jno Walton Alex Hume Stepn De Visme Benj Torin Thomas Smith Thos Thomas Thos Fitzhugh Samuel Blount John Barrow Rich Wood Nath Garland | The Council entered the invoice of the Royal Charlotte. Marked S, numbered 1 to 4: 4 chests of Singlo tea, net weight 317 lb or 2 piculs 37¾ catties, at 19 taels 5 mace a picul, 46 taels 3 mace 6 candareens 1 cash Marked S, numbered 1 to 10: 10 chests of sugar, net weight 3,176 lb or 23 piculs 82 catties, at 4 taels 5 mace a picul, 107 taels 1 mace 9 candareens 10 chests for the sugar, 5 taels 0 mace 0 candareens Total of the invoice, 158 taels 5 mace 5 candareens 1 cash The same twelve supercargoes signed it, with any errors open to correction: Thomas Fitzhugh, Samuel Blount, John Burrow, Richard Wood, Nathaniel Garland, Alexander Hume, Stephen De Visme, Benjamin Torin, Thomas Smith, Thomas Thomas, William Deans and John Walton. The invoice of the Harcourt followed. Marked C, numbered 1 to 7: 7 chests of Singlo tea, net weight 607 lb or 4 piculs 55 catties, at 23 taels a picul, 104 taels 6 mace 5 candareens The same supercargoes signed this invoice as well, with any errors open to correction. Interpretations The Singlo on the Harcourt cost 23 taels a picul, against 19 taels 5 mace on the Royal Charlotte. Singlo was a green tea sold in several grades, and the difference in price pointed to a finer quality in the Harcourt's chests. Both were dearer than the Bohea at 16 taels 5 mace sent on the True Briton. The island thus received a spread of teas to meet different demands. Bohea served ordinary households and the garrison, while Singlo went to buyers who could pay more, as the large sales of Singlo at cost plus 40 per cent in the quarter ending 31 December 1762 had shown. The smallest Chinese unit, the cash, appeared on the Royal Charlotte's invoice as a tenth of a candareen. |
285 | 278 | 15 April Particulars of China Ware packed for the Island of St Helena & Shiped on board the Harcourt vizt No 5 WC 200 Soup Plates Blue & White round 200 No 100 round Ditto 100 No 164 Sneakers 164 No 15 Tea pots & Tops 15 No 60 Saucers to Congo cups Blue and White 60 No WC 6 20 Chamber Pots Blue and White 20 No 121 Bowles of Sizes Blue and White 3 in a Sett 121 No 9 Half pint Basons Blue and White 9 No 100 ¼ pint Basons Blue and White 100 No 90 Saucers to ditto Blue and White 90 No WC 7 50 Large Tea pots 50 No 22 Smaller ditto 22 No Box 8 50 Sneakers Blue and White 50 No 29 Bowls 29 No 13 Tea Potts 13 No Invoice of Ship Hawkesdon C No 1 to 7 Congo Tea 7 Chests Wt Nett 608lb or Picl 4.56 Cattys at 23 Tales Tls 104 8m 8c 0ca SC No 1 to 10 Sugar Candy 10 Chests Wt Nett 3252lb Picl 24.39 Cattys 7.6 Tls 185 3m 6c 4ca 10 Chests at 5 Tls 5 0m 0c 0ca Total Amount of this Invoice Tls 295 2m 4c 4ca Errors Excepted (Signed) Stepn De Visme Benj Torin Thomas Smith Thos Thomas William Dowes John Walton Thos Fitzhugh Samuel Blount John Barrow R. Wood Nath Garland Alex Hume Margin Notes: [...] | The Council recorded the Chinese porcelain packed for St Helena and shipped on the Harcourt. Chest 5, marked WC: 200 round soup plates, blue and white 109 round flat plates 104 sneakers 15 teapots with cups 60 saucers for large cups, blue and white Chest 6, marked WC: 20 chamber pots, blue and white 121 bowls of graded sizes in sets of three, blue and white 9 half-pint basins, blue and white 100 quarter-pint basins, blue and white 90 saucers for the basins, blue and white Chest 7, marked WC: 30 large teapots 22 smaller teapots Box 8: 50 sneakers, blue and white 29 bowls 13 teapots The invoice of the Horsendon followed. Marked C, numbered 1 to 7: 7 chests of Congou tea, net weight 608 lb or 4 piculs 56 catties, at 23 taels a picul, 104 taels 8 mace 8 candareens Marked SC, numbered 61 to 70: 10 chests of sugar candy, net weight 3,252 lb or 24 piculs 39 catties, at 7 taels 6 mace a picul, 185 taels 3 mace 6 candareens 4 cash 10 chests for the sugar candy, 5 taels 0 mace 0 candareens Total of the invoice, 295 taels 2 mace 4 candareens 4 cash The same twelve supercargoes signed it, with any errors open to correction: Stephen De Visme, Benjamin Torin, Thomas Smith, Thomas Thomas, William Deans, John Walton, Thomas Fitzhugh, Samuel Blount, John Burrow, Richard Wood, Nathaniel Garland and Alexander Hume. Interpretations The porcelain was blue and white export ware, painted in cobalt under the glaze at the kilns of Jingdezhen and shipped through Canton in enormous quantities. The consignment supplied the island's store with the everyday tableware it sold to employees and planters, as the sales of bowls, sneakers, cups and chamber pots in the quarter ending 31 December 1762 had shown. Bowls packed three to a set nested inside one another, which saved space and reduced breakage. Porcelain was usually stowed low in the hold of a China ship. Being heavy and unharmed by damp, it served as ballast and kept the tea above it dry. The sugar candy on the Horsendon cost 7 taels 6 mace a picul, exactly the same as on the True Briton. The supercargoes evidently bought the island's supplies at a single contract price for the season. The Congou at 23 taels matched the price of the Harcourt's Singlo, making both the dearest teas in the consignment. |
286 | 279 | 1763 Invoice of Ship Royal Captain S No 1 to 7 Tea Singlo 3 Chests Wt Nett 236½ Picl 1.77¼ Cattys at 19.5 Tls 34 5m 6c 3ca S No 11 to 20 Sugar 10 Chests Wt Nett 3265lb or Picl 24.48¾ Cattys 4.5 Tls 110 1m 9c 3ca 10 Chests 5. Tls 5 0m 0c 0ca Total amount of this Invoice Tls 149 7m 5c 6ca Errors Excepted (Signed) Thos Fitzhugh Samuel Blount John Barrow R. Wood Nath Garland Alex Hume Stepn De Visme Benj Torin Thomas Smith Thos Thomas Willm Dowes John Walton The ten working Days allowed by Charter party for unloading the Ship Egmont being expired we gave Captain Charles Mears sailing Orders in order to make the best of his way to China according to the directions he had received from the Honorable the Court of Directors and Secret Committee, to whom We likewise gave the following Letters to the several settlements in India vizt | The Council entered the invoice of the Royal Captain. Marked S, numbered 5 to 7: 3 chests of Singlo tea, net weight 236½ lb or 1 picul 77¼ catties, at 19 taels 5 mace a picul, 34 taels 5 mace 6 candareens 3 cash Marked S, numbered 11 to 20: 10 chests of sugar, net weight 3,265 lb or 24 piculs 48¾ catties, at 4 taels 5 mace a picul, 110 taels 1 mace 9 candareens 3 cash 10 chests for the sugar, 5 taels 0 mace 0 candareens Total of the invoice, 149 taels 7 mace 5 candareens 6 cash The same twelve supercargoes signed it, with any errors open to correction: Thomas Fitzhugh, Samuel Blount, John Burrow, Richard Wood, Nathaniel Garland, Alexander Hume, Stephen De Visme, Benjamin Torin, Thomas Smith, Thomas Thomas, William Deans and John Walton. The ten working days allowed under the charter party for unloading the Egmont had now expired. The Council therefore gave Captain Charles Mears his sailing orders to proceed to China as fast as he could. He was to follow the instructions he had received from the Company's directors and their Secret Committee. The Council also entrusted him with letters for the Company's settlements in India. Interpretations The Company did not own most of the ships that sailed in its service. It hired them from private owners under a charter party, a contract that fixed the voyage, the freight and the time allowed at each port. The ten working days at St Helena were the ship's lay days for landing the island's stores. Once they ran out, the Company became liable for demurrage, a daily payment to the owners for any further delay. The Council's prompt dispatch of the Egmont avoided that charge. The Secret Committee was a small group of directors who handled confidential matters, above all war, diplomacy and naval movements. Orders from it went sealed and were not shared with the full Court. A ship carrying its instructions often had a particular role in the Company's plans, and the Egmont's orders to go straight to China came from that source. Ships passing St Helena also carried the island's letters to the settlements in India, since there was no other means of communication between them. |
287 | 280 | 15th April To the Honorable Charles Crommelin Esqr President and Governor &ca Council of Bombay Honorable Sir & Sirs Our last advices to you were sent in the Royal Charlotte Captain John Clements under dated the 23 June 1762 since then we have received your Letters by the York and Calcutta We desire you will send for the use of this Island two hundred Pieces of Surat Chelloes, and the Rest of the one p Ct in Rice and Paddy. This goes by way of China in the Ship Egmont, inclosed you will receive a List of Ships arrived and departed to and from St Helena since the 23rd June 1762 We are St Helena Honorable Sir & Sirs 15th April 1763 Your most humble Servants (Signed) Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Matthew Burling Thos Kirkpatrick To the Honorable George Pigot Esqr President and Governor &ca Council of Fort St George Honorable Sir & Sirs We sent our last advices to you by the Royal Charlotte which sailed from hence the 23rd June 1762 and have received your Letters of the 17th April, and 9th November 1762 We request you will send for the use of this Place 15 Pieces Long Cloth at twelve Pagodas p piece twenty pieces at ten pagodas p piece thirty pieces at eight pagodas p piece thirty pieces at five pagodas p piece forty pieces at four pagodas p piece sixty pieces at three Pagodas p piece and the rest of the one p Cent in Arrack, Rice and Paddy | The Council wrote to Charles Crommelin, President and Governor of Bombay, and his Council. It noted that its last letter had gone on the Royal Charlotte under Captain John Clements, dated 23 June 1762. Since then it had received Bombay's letters by the York and the Calcutta. The Council asked Bombay to send 200 pieces of Surat chelloes for the island's use and to make up the rest of its one per cent in rice and paddy. The letter was to travel by way of China on the Egmont, with a list of all ships that had called at St Helena or left it since 23 June 1762. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed it at St Helena on 15 April 1763. The Council also wrote to George Pigot, President and Governor of Fort St George, and his Council. Its last letter to Madras had gone on the Royal Charlotte, which sailed from the island on 23 June 1762. It had since received their letters of 17 April 1762 and 9 November 1762. The Council asked Madras to send long cloth for the island in the following grades. 15 pieces of long cloth at 12 pagodas a piece 20 pieces of long cloth at 10 pagodas a piece 30 pieces of long cloth at 8 pagodas a piece 30 pieces of long cloth at 5 pagodas a piece 40 pieces of long cloth at 4 pagodas a piece 60 pieces of long cloth at 3 pagodas a piece It asked for the rest of the one per cent to be made up in arrack, rice and paddy. Interpretations The one per cent was the share of each Indian settlement's shipping that the directors set aside for supplying St Helena. Each presidency had to send the island goods up to that allowance every season. The Council used its letters to say how the allowance should be filled, choosing cloth for its store and grain for the slaves and garrison. Whatever the requested goods did not use up was to be taken in rice, paddy and arrack, the bulk staples the island could never have enough of. The graded order for long cloth matched the sorts that arrived on the Fox, priced from about 3 to 11 pagodas a piece. The Council asked for most pieces in the cheaper grades and only a few at the top. The coarse cloth went into shirts and linen for soldiers and slaves, while the few fine pieces served the officials and planters who could afford them. Surat chelloes from Bombay were the checked cotton issued to the Company's slaves for clothing. Letters between St Helena and the Indian settlements depended entirely on passing ships. A letter to Bombay went out by way of China on the Egmont, and replies came back months later on whatever homeward ship happened to call. The list of arrivals and departures enclosed with each letter kept the presidencies informed of the movement of shipping through the island. |
288 | 281 | 1763 This waits on you by the Ship Egmont bound to China and enclosed you will receive a List of Ships arrival and departure to and from this place since the 23rd June 1762 We are St Helena Honorable Sir & Sirs 15th April 1763 Your most humble Servants (Signed) Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick To the Honorable Henry Van Sittart Esqr President & Governor &ca Council of Bengal Honorable Sir & Sirs We wrote to you last under date of the 23rd June 1762 since which time we have received your Letters by the Warren Godolphin, Admiral Watson and Tilbury. We desire you will send for the use of this place eight Maunds of good Wax Candles by each Ship one hundred & fifty Pieces of Dosooties and the rest of the one p Cent in Arrack, Sugar Rice and Paddy. This goes by the Ship Egmont bound to China and enclosed you will receive a List of Ships arrival and departure to and from this place since the 23rd June 1762 We are St Helena Honorable Sir & Sirs 15th April 1763 Your most humble Servants (Signed) Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council's letter to Madras added that it was travelling on the Egmont, bound for China. It enclosed a list of all ships that had called at St Helena or left it since 23 June 1762. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed it at St Helena on 15 April 1763. The Council also wrote to Henry Vansittart, President and Governor of Bengal, and his Council. Its last letter to Bengal had been dated 23 June 1762. It had since received Bengal's letters by the Warren, the Godolphin, the Admiral Watson and the Tilbury. The Council asked Bengal to send 8 maunds of good wax candles on each ship, together with 150 pieces of dooreahs. The rest of the one per cent was to be made up in arrack, rice and paddy. This letter also went on the Egmont by way of China, with the same list of shipping enclosed. The four members of the Council signed it at St Helena on 15 April 1763. Interpretations The request for 8 maunds of wax candles on each ship confirmed a standing arrangement. The Admiral Watson, the Godolphin and the Tilbury had each brought exactly 8 maunds in four chests earlier in the season. The Council was asking Bengal to continue a fixed allowance rather than placing a new order. By tying the quantity to every ship, it spread the supply across the year and reduced the risk of losing it all in a single wreck or capture. |
289 | 282 | 15th April To the President & other Supra Cargoes of Council at Canton Gentlemen We request you will forward our several Letters to the presidencys in India by the first conveyance as we have no other opportunity of writing to them but by way of China. Agreeable to the Order of the Honorable the Court of Directors We have delivered to Mr Soriano Copy of the Ship Egmonts Charter party Victualling Bill and Manifest of Goods. Also as it may be some satisfaction to you to have a List of Ships arrival and departure to and from this place We have sent you one enclosed and are Gentlemen St Helena Your most humble Servants 15th April 1763 (Signed) Charles Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick Bought of Captain Charles Mears for the use of the Honorable Companys Table vizt 2 half Firkins of Butter @ 40s 2 half Firkins at 40s £4 0s 0d 3 Glos. Cheese 46¾lb at 1s £2 6s 9d 30lb Currants 30lb at 1s £1 10s 0d 8 Hund Flower 8 Hund at 4s £1 12s 0d ½ Case Pickles ½ Case £1 10s 0d £11 [...]s [...]d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe Burling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council wrote to the President and the other supercargoes forming the Council at Canton. It asked them to forward its letters to the presidencies in India by the first available ship, since the island had no other way of writing to India than by way of China. Following the directors' orders, the Council had handed Mr Toriano copies of the Egmont's charter party, victualling bill and manifest of goods. It also enclosed a list of ships that had called at St Helena or left it, in case the Canton council found it useful. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Burling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the letter at St Helena on 15 April 1763. The Council bought the following provisions from Captain Charles Mears for the Company's table. 2 half firkins of butter at 40s each, £4 0s 0d 3 Gloucester cheeses weighing 46¾ lb at 1s a pound, £2 6s 9d 30 lb of currants at 1s a pound, £1 10s 0d 8 lb of mustard flour at 4s a pound, £1 12s 0d ½ case of pickles, £0 15s 0d Total, £11 3s 9d The four members of the Council signed the minutes. Interpretations The letter showed how dependent St Helena was on the Company's trade routes for communication. A letter from the island to Bombay or Madras might travel first to Canton and then back across the Indian Ocean before reaching its destination. The supercargoes at Canton acted as a post office for the whole network. The charter party, victualling bill and manifest went with Mr Toriano, a supercargo travelling on the Egmont, so that the Canton council could check her cargo and stores against the terms of her hire when she arrived. The provisions came from the commander's private stock rather than the Company's cargo. They supplied the Governor's table with English luxuries that could not be had on the island. Gloucester cheese was a hard cow's-milk cheese from the Severn vale. Mustard flour was mustard seed ground to a fine powder and sifted, a relatively new preparation at this date. Currants were dried small grapes from Greece, used in puddings and cakes. Butter was packed in firkins, small casks of about 56 lb, salted heavily to survive the voyage. |
290 | 283 | 16th April At a Consultation held on Saturday the 16th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Skottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Burling Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick } of Council The last Consultation was read, approved and signed, dated the 15th April 1763 Mr Matthew Burling reports that he has been on board the Ships True Briton, Royal Captain, Royal Charlotte Harcourt and Hawkesdon to Muster their Companys and enquire for deserters, but found none. Their Muster Rolls are as follow vizt Muster Roll of Ship True Briton Thomas Creighton Commander Francis Frisquine 1 Mate William Richards 2 Do Daniel Slater 3d Do John Brereley 4 Do Rufus Ford 5th Do Robert Todd Purser David Leighton Boatswn John Johnson Gunner Stephen Cassley Carpenter Francis Knight Ships Stewd Edward Carell Carpenters Do John Mitchell Samuel Burgess Midshipn John Oulson Do Brandy Timbrel Do William Taylor Do Samuel Middleton Coxn Jeremiah Chaplett Quartr Mr Stephen Lewes Do Robt Pratt Do Thos Guy Captns Cook Abram Clark Ships Do Robert Watt Cooper Thos Mills Do Mate John Wakefield Caulker Henry Horn Do Mate James Wakefield Carpenter John Neal Do 2 Mate Samuel McClardie Sailmaker John Webster Do 2 Do Edward Martin Sailmakers Mate John Alderley Surgns Mate Alexander Skelton Armourer John Mulder Butcher Dorby Holloran Seaman John Thompson Geo Thompson David Crane Robt Monkin Robert Phillips Charles Develin George Jacobs Seaman Conrad Oatman Martin Bowman Charles Lund John Whitehead John May John Spilsworth John Davis Jacob Albert John Wilson Robert Faulkner John Brown John Frazer Thomas Brown John Ramsey Nicholas Knaresbrough John Grey Geo Batty John McInnis John Earhart Thos Cuk | The Council met at the Castle on Saturday 16 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson attended with John Skottowe, the Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Burling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick. The minutes of the meeting on 15 April 1763 were read out, approved and signed. Matthew Burling reported that he had gone on board the True Briton, the Royal Captain, the Royal Charlotte, the Harcourt and the Horsendon to muster their crews and search for deserters, but had found none. He presented their muster rolls, beginning with that of the True Briton. Thomas Crichton, commander Francis [...], chief mate William Richards, second mate Daniel Foster, third mate John Boradley, fourth mate Rufus Ford, fifth mate Robert Todd, purser David Leighton, boatswain John Johnson, gunner Stephen Capsley, carpenter Francis Knight, ship's steward Edward Covell, carpenter's mate John Mitchell Samuel Burgess, midshipman John Oulson, midshipman Brondy Tindal, midshipman William Taylor, midshipman Samuel Middlecomb, coxswain Jeremiah Chaplin, quartermaster Stephen Lewis, quartermaster Robert Pratt, quartermaster Thomas Gray, captain's cook Abraham Clark, ship's cook Robert Ward, cooper Thomas Mills, cooper's mate John Wakefield, caulker Henry Horn, caulker's mate James Wakefield, carpenter John Neal, carpenter's first mate Samuel McClardie, gunner's mate John Webster, [...] second mate Edward Martin, sailmaker John Mealree, surgeon's mate Alexander Skelton, armourer John Mulder, butcher Derby Kelloran, seaman John Thompson, seaman George Thompson, seaman David Orme, seaman Robert Merlen, seaman Robert Phillips, seaman Charles Develin, seaman George Jacobs, seaman Conrad Oudman, seaman Martin Bowman, seaman Charles Lund, seaman John Whitehead, seaman John May, seaman John Spikernell, seaman John Davis, seaman Jacob Albert, seaman John Wilson, seaman Robert Faulkner, seaman John Mann, seaman John Frasier, seaman Thomas Brown, seaman John Ramsey, seaman Nicholas Amersbaugh, seaman John Grey, seaman George Bailey, seaman John Holmes, seaman John Carhart, seaman Thomas Cook, seaman |
291 | 284 | 16th April James Maggott Seaman John King Richard Sayers Isaac Barker Michael Zurvin John Michael Charles Tushome Geo. Goodber Henry Cajander Robt Davis David Porteus Patrick Saunders Robert McCollor Donald McDonnald Thos Monday William Kane William Briscoe David Latimore David Todd Robt Manning Surgn late John Fredk Frank below Robert Daniel Elizabeth William McKinsie Ordy John Williams Seaman } Do Thomas Brown Captns Servt John Hinkley Do Richard Ward Chief Mates Do Alexr Lowe Surgeons Do Charles Bond Carpentrs Do Wm Collins Boatswains Do Chas Mersack Gunrs Do Joshua Ashton 3d Mates Do Emanuel Vaux Do (Signed) Thomas Creighton Muster Roll of Ship Royal Captain Nathl Tanner Commander John Horne first Mate Geo. Best second Do John Watson third Do Wm Greer fourth Do Geo. Blackhall fifth Do Argent Carr Purser Daniel Jessop Surgeon Charles Perry Boatswain Henry Gardner Gunner Thos Young Carpenter John Stephens Ships Stewd Law Hayes Capt Do R. Huddleston Midn Jo. Mitchel Do John Smith Do David Snell Quartr Mastr Nathl Bone Do Robt McBurnet Do Wm Man Do William Allen [...] O Simmonson Sailmaker Geo. Lovereet Butcher Bart Hughes Armorer Jn. Tate Cooper Wm Aldrige Joiner Robert Thomas Seaman Mich Lindenbach Mate John Robson Captns Servt George Wills Do Henry Bennymaker Do Jn. Briggs Do Wm Sanders Gunrs Do Nos Brown Boatsn Do Wm Armstrong Seaman Samuel Pratt Chaingang Benj Bennett Seaman Wm Fiddl Robt Moston Alexr Mulican John Menasza [...] Mons Bonesen Seaman Wm Lunbury Wm West Fran Smith David Matson Wm Sims Wm Jemison Thos Capes Jo. McNanly Nufsa Palima Adam Jennin Chas Riddens John Isaac Fran Manuel Chris Apple Robt Haddleston Jo. Hubbard Adrian Snides Geo Law Robt Frazer | 16th April James Maggott Seaman John King Richard Sayers Isaac Barker Michael Zurvin John Michael Charles Tushome Geo. Goodber Henry Cajander Robt Davis David Porteus Patrick Saunders Robert McCollor Donald McDonnald Thos Monday William Kane William Briscoe David Latimore David Todd Robt Manning Surgn late John Fredk Frank below Robert Daniel Elizabeth William McKinsie Ordy John Williams Seaman } Do Thomas Brown Captns Servt John Hinkley Do Richard Ward Chief Mates Do Alexr Lowe Surgeons Do Charles Bond Carpentrs Do Wm Collins Boatswains Do Chas Mersack Gunrs Do Joshua Ashton 3d Mates Do Emanuel Vaux Do (Signed) Thomas Creighton Muster Roll of Ship Royal Captain Nathl Tanner Commander John Horne first Mate Geo. Best second Do John Watson third Do Wm Greer fourth Do Geo. Blackhall fifth Do Argent Carr Purser Daniel Jessop Surgeon Charles Perry Boatswain Henry Gardner Gunner Thos Young Carpenter John Stephens Ships Stewd Law Hayes Capt Do R. Huddleston Midn Jo. Mitchel Do John Smith Do David Snell Quartr Mastr Nathl Bone Do Robt McBurnet Do Wm Man Do William Allen [...] O Simmonson Sailmaker Geo. Lovereet Butcher Bart Hughes Armorer Jn. Tate Cooper Wm Aldrige Joiner Robert Thomas Seaman Mich Lindenbach Mate John Robson Captns Servt George Wills Do Henry Bennymaker Do Jn. Briggs Do Wm Sanders Gunrs Do Nos Brown Boatsn Do Wm Armstrong Seaman Samuel Pratt Chaingang Benj Bennett Seaman Wm Fiddl Robt Moston Alexr Mulican John Menasza [...] Mons Bonesen Seaman Wm Lunbury Wm West Fran Smith David Matson Wm Sims Wm Jemison Thos Capes Jo. McNanly Nufsa Palima Adam Jennin Chas Riddens John Isaac Fran Manuel Chris Apple Robt Haddleston Jo. Hubbard Adrian Snides Geo Law Robt Frazer |
292 | 285 | 1763 Olivr Lowstof Seaman Chris Myers Reynor Stubach Fran Luna Antn Ivey Jo. King John Lawrence Matt Pool Richd Pyman Jn. Clift Saml Ivey Henr Collingwood Seaman Jn. Adamson John Morris Hans Eversham Wm Williams Robt Bonnel Geo. Clare Jn. Couch Steph Earl Wm Usher Nicl Jeannes Hen. Sorman Seaman Laur Hanson Severn King John Hocking John Vanvandor Jo. Jobling Dorrick Evans Dickeen Peppin Gasony Bouliane (Signed) Nathl Tanner Muster Roll of Ship Royal Charlotte John Clements Commr Mr Robt Oxlade 1 Mate Mr Aug Savage 2 Do Mr James Upham 3 Do Mr Jn Griffin 4 Do Mr Saml Scott 5 Do Mr Christ Lautsel Do Mr Jn Patterson Surgn Mr Henr Biggs Purser James Urwin Boatswain Jn. Wyllie Gunner Elis Cudlip Carpenter Jn. Brown Ships Stewd Stuart Belford Surgns Mate Jn. Best Midn & Coxn Geo. Reynolds } Midshipmen Wm Tarr Junr Wm Hughley Jn. Martin Edward Hatfield } Quartr Mr Henr Heathman Alex Iras Wm Galloway Do Mastr Daniel Morgan Captns Stewd Jn Bartholomew Cook Jn Fredk Shindall Do Mate Willm Sars Sn Armourer Chas Wellesten Sailmaker Jn Lewis Wm Donnell } Seamen Mates Nicl Somervell Boatsn Do Alex Harris Cooper Richd Hall Do Mate Saml Simmons Ships Cook Chas Oxen Carpt Mate Mord Scott Caulker Wm Dunn Do Mate Wm Alsop Butcher John Stearman } Captns Servt Clemt Rickenbottom John Clayton Chief Mates Do Thos Wells 2 Do Do Robt Jones Gunr Do James Burrows Boatn Do Danl Farell Carpt Servt John Drake Surgeons Do Thos Swain Seaman Lawr Sanderson Ralph Beaumont Jos. Grimes James McCabe Jn Cavenaugh Thomas Collins Wm Dunny Willm Robinson Saml Hennell Thos Loado Jn Welch Thos Ellis Wm Stone Denl Bow Nichl Downe Henk Swat Thom Johnson William Hall Wm Farmer | The Royal Captain's muster roll continued with the rest of her crew, and Nathaniel Tanner, her commander, signed it. Oliver Lowstoft, seaman Christopher Myers, seaman Reynor Shuback, seaman Francis Luna, seaman Anthony Ivey, seaman John King, seaman John Lawrence, seaman Matthew Bool, seaman Richard Ryman, seaman John Clift, seaman Samuel Ivey, seaman Henry Collingwood, seaman John Adamson, seaman John Morris, seaman Hans Eversham, seaman William Williams, seaman Robert Bonnel, seaman George Clare, seaman John Creek, seaman Stephen Earl, seaman William Usher, seaman Nicholas Jeannes, seaman Henry Sorman, seaman Lawrence Hanson, seaman Swen King, seaman John Kocking, seaman John Vancander, seaman John Jobling, seaman Dovrich Evans, seaman Duboon, seaman Peppin, seaman Gaffony, seaman Bocland, seaman The muster roll of the Royal Charlotte followed. John Clements, commander Robert Oxlade, chief mate Augustus Savage, second mate James Upham, third mate John Griffin, fourth mate Samuel Scott, fifth mate Christopher Lawton, sixth mate John Patterson, surgeon Henry Biggs, purser James Unwin, boatswain John Wylde, gunner Elias Cudlip, carpenter John Brown, ship's steward Stuart Belford, surgeon's mate John Best, midshipman and coxswain George Reynolds, midshipman William Fox the younger, midshipman William Hughley, midshipman John Martin, quartermaster David Hatfield, quartermaster Henry Hitchman, quartermaster Alexander Ina, quartermaster William Galloway, [...] mate Daniel Morgan, captain's steward Isaac Bartholomew, cook John Frederick Shindall, cook's mate William Sanders, armourer Charles Wellsbeater, sailmaker John Lewis, sailmaker's mate William Denmell, sailmaker's mate Nicholas Somervell, boatswain's mate Alexander Harris, cooper Richard Hall, cooper's mate Lawrence Simmons, ship's cook Edward Dixon, carpenter's mate Mordecai Scott, caulker William Dunn, caulker's mate William Alsop, butcher John Hartman, carpenter's crew Clement Pickenbottom, carpenter's crew John Clayson, chief mate's servant Thomas Wells, second mate's servant Robert Jones, gunner's servant James Burrows, boatswain's servant Daniel Fowell, captain's servant John Drake, surgeon's servant Robert Swain, seaman Lawrence Sanderson, seaman Ralph Beaumont, seaman Joseph Grimes, seaman James McCabe, seaman James Cavanaugh, seaman Thomas Collins, seaman William Dunny, seaman William Robinson, seaman Samuel Hennell, seaman Thomas Lordo, seaman John Welch, seaman Thomas Ellis, seaman William Stone, seaman Denis Bone, seaman Nicholas Downe, seaman Henry Sweat, seaman Thomas Johnson, seaman William Hall, seaman William Summer, seaman |
293 | 286 | 16th April James Gorgan Seaman Wm Parker Thos Frankling Thos Head Cary Pike Jn. Moffatt Thos Mean Edward Smith Wm Charlton Thomas Wilson Benj Revell Abrm Hinds Emanuel Tegoro Chrisr Klammer Seaman Jn. Urwin Francs Hendleys Jo. Johnson R. Griffiths Phill Smeet John Brown Henrk Fosbrook Hendk Wills Jn. Quincy Robert Straughton Wm Alderton Jn. Mead John Simmons Seaman Jn. Owen Jnr Saml Petterson Christ Book Hans B. Walter Hendk Endleass Jock Randers Jacob Strue John Hardy Jo. Shuttleton Jn. Lloyd Willm Jones Passengers Steph Devisme Esqr Le Pere Basliny James Miller French Prisoners Mr Plunket Mr Carmeny Mr Lorenille Mr Champion Mr Des Evarts Bouisong Maurice (Signed) J. Clements Muster Roll of Ship Harcourt Richd Morrison Commandr James Wood 1 Mate John Stephens 2d Do George Paul 3d Do James Morpeth 4th Do Willm Proctor 5th Do Thos Evans Surgeon John Townsend Purser Jo. Whitfield Carpenter Edwd Lewis Boatswain James Turner Gunner Chrisr Smithe Midsn & Coxn Raymond Snow Do Michael George Do Tell Packer Midn John Brandwood Do Jn. Nicoll Quartr Mast John Peterson Do Robert Blythe Do George Hendlow Do Norris Loughman Ships Stewd | The Royal Charlotte's muster roll continued with the rest of her crew, her passengers and the French prisoners she carried, and J. Clements, her commander, signed it. James Gorgan, seaman William Parker, seaman Thomas Frankling, seaman Thomas Head, seaman Carey Pike, seaman John Moffatt, seaman Thomas Mean, seaman Edward Smith, seaman William Charlton, seaman Thomas Wilson, seaman Benjamin Revell, seaman Abraham Hinds, seaman Emanuel Segero, seaman Christopher Klar, seaman John Unwin, seaman Francis Hendley, seaman John Johnson, seaman Richard Griffiths, seaman Phillip Smeet, seaman John Brown, seaman Henrik Fosberick, seaman Hendrick Wills, seaman John Quincey, seaman Robert Traughton, seaman William Alderton, seaman John Mead, seaman John Simmons, seaman John Owen the younger, seaman Samuel Petterson, seaman Christian Books, seaman Hans B. Walker, seaman Hendrick Redleass, seaman Jock Randers, seaman Jacob Shree, seaman John Hardy, seaman John Shuttleton, seaman John Lloyd, seaman William Jones, seaman Passengers: Stephen Devisme Father Paslin James Miller French prisoners: Mr Plunket Mr Carmeny Mr Loreuille Mr Champion Mr Des Evarts Bouisong Marcuy The muster roll of the Harcourt followed. Richard Morrison, commander James Wood, chief mate John Stephens, second mate George Paul, third mate James Morpeth, fourth mate William Parker, fifth mate Thomas Evans, surgeon John Townsend, purser John Whitfield, carpenter Edward Lewis, boatswain James Turner, gunner Christopher Smith, midshipman and coxswain Raymond Snow, midshipman Michael George, midshipman Fell Parker, midshipman John Brandwood, midshipman John Nicoll, quartermaster John Peterson, quartermaster Robert Blythe, quartermaster George Hendlow, quartermaster Norris Loughman, ship's [...] Interpretations Stephen Devisme, travelling home as a passenger on the Royal Charlotte, was the supercargo whose name headed the Canton invoices for the island's tea and sugar. Supercargoes served at Canton for the trading season and then returned to England, often with substantial private fortunes from their commission and their own trade. He sailed with the cargoes he had helped to buy. A French priest, entered as Father Paslin, travelled among the passengers rather than with the prisoners. Clergy were not treated as combatants and could be given passage on better terms. The prisoners again included a man with an Irish surname, Plunket, which fitted the pattern of Irish Catholics serving in the French forces. |
294 | 287 | 1763 Thomas Murray Captns Steward Peter Brady Ships Cook James Archer Captns Do Barthw Roberts Cooper John Crewe Caulker John Bowder Sailmaker Edwd Ellett Butcher Richd Robinson Poulterer John Willson Boatsn Mate Henry Jewitt Carpt Do Robert Byther 2d Do 2d Do James Scott Gunners Do William Ellingsley Surgns Do Thos Seagrove Coopers Do Henry Bunting Caulk Do John Crewe Armourer Thomas Hebride Seaman Willm Saunders Samuel Mesman Thos Wilcox Baker William Glynny James Rees Alexr Miller George Faddon Alexr Brymer William Pearson Thos Allen Jn. Hamilton Charlton Deacon George Bentley Seaman James Yonk William Dupray John Hughes (1) John Thompson William Cook Thomas Callen Ambr Christian Thomas Donoughe George Sharp John Swell Henry Oxley Henry Robinson John Paddon William Owen George Blissett Patrick Morgan Thomas Raley Edwd Martin Charles Boucher Saml Donnelly James Hapholo William Francis Henry Pearson Thomas Daniels Richd Tod John Munns Patk Natterville David Corton Edwd Hill Seaman Wm Heighholme John Morgan Edward Watson James Dexey John Nathan John McKay John Clare John Frederick Bartw Hillard Bryne Voyse James Tenny Robert Mitchell Charles Murray Rodk Cyslebury Robt Hudson John McConchy William Whittacre John Wood Thurston Hesken John Hughes (2) Henry Turner Richard Brecks Joseph Watson Edward Hughes John Steward Benjamin Johnson Jean Riviere [...] French Prisoners Jeremy Sullivan Baptiste Sauglay Jules Quiblair Jean Tardival Jean Hersson Jean Calmalon Thos Thomas Esqr Supercargoe Francis Powell his Servt (Signed) Richd Morrison | The Harcourt's muster roll continued with the rest of her crew, the French prisoners and her passengers, and Richard Morrison, her commander, signed it. Thomas Murray, captain's steward Peter Brady, ship's cook James Archer, captain's cook Bartholomew Roberts, cooper John Crewe, caulker John Bowder, sailmaker Edward Ellett, butcher Richard Robinson, poulterer John Wilson, boatswain's mate Henry Jewell, carpenter's first mate Robert Byther, carpenter's second mate James Scott, gunner's mate William Ellingsworth, surgeon's mate Thomas Seagrove, cooper's mate Henry Bunting, caulker's mate John Crewe, armourer Thomas Arbide, seaman William Saunders, seaman Samuel Mesman, seaman Thomas Wilcox, baker William Glynne, seaman James Rees, seaman Alexander Miller, seaman George Jaiden, seaman Alexander Brymer, seaman William Pearson, seaman Thomas Allen, seaman John Hamilton, seaman Charlton Deacon, seaman George Bintley, seaman James Yorke, seaman William Dupray, seaman John Hughes the first, seaman John Thompson, seaman William Cook, seaman Thomas Cullen, seaman Ambrose Christian, seaman Thomas Donoughoe, seaman George Sharp, seaman John Jewell, seaman Henry Oxley, seaman Henry Robinson, seaman John Peddon, seaman William Owen, seaman George Blissett, seaman Patrick Morgan, seaman Thomas Riley, seaman Edward Martin, seaman Charles Boucher, seaman Samuel Donnelly, seaman James Stapleton, seaman William Francis, seaman Henry Pearson, seaman Thomas Daniels, seaman Richard Todd, seaman John Munns, seaman Patrick Natterville, seaman David Corbey, seaman Edward Hill, seaman William Heighholme, seaman John Morgan, seaman Andrew Watson, seaman James Dewey, seaman John Nathan, seaman John McKey, seaman John Clare, seaman John Frederick, seaman Bartholomew Hillard, seaman Bryne Voyes, seaman James Tenny, seaman Robert Mitchell, seaman Charles Murray, seaman Roderick Eglebury, seaman Robert Hudson, seaman John McConchy, seaman William Whittacre, seaman John Wood, seaman Thurston Heskin, seaman John Hughes the second, seaman Henry Turner, seaman Richard Birch, seaman Joseph Watson, seaman Edward Hughes, seaman John Steward, seaman Benjamin Johnson, seaman John Rivers, seaman French prisoners: Jeremy Sullivan Baptiste Tawyhay Jules Dublar Jean Lordeal Jean Harrison Jean Calmalon Passengers: Thomas Thomas, supercargo Francis Powell, his servant Interpretations Thomas Thomas was another of the Canton supercargoes whose names appeared on the invoices for the island's tea and sugar. The season's supercargoes dispersed among the homeward ships, one travelling on the Royal Charlotte and another on the Harcourt. Spreading them across several vessels reduced the risk that a single wreck or capture would lose all the men who knew the season's accounts. Jeremy Sullivan, listed first among the French prisoners, bore an Irish name like Plunket and Fitzsimmons on the other ships. |
295 | 288 | 16th April Muster Roll of Ship Horsendon Willm Master Comm'r Alexander James 1st Mate John Piddlecome 2d Do Richard Pierce 3d Do Charles Grimes 4th Do Henry Rider Surg[...] 4th Do Henry Price 5th Do John Sharp 6th Do James Sheen Surgeon Richard [...] Boats[...] Thomas Harriot Gunner Joseph Brown Carpt Phillip Nidd Midshipman John Jackson Do Francis Smith Do James Todd Do Chas Maxwell Do Richd Blair Do John Collard Do Liddle Leigh Do David James Do Richard Raby Do George Nixers Do Jeremiah Stephens Caul[...] Henry Harvey Sailmak[...] Joseph Harris Cooper James Large Armourer James Dinsdale Shops[...] James Mills Capt Do Benjn Jackman Capt Cook Peter Frazer Surgeons Mate Thomas Reid Boat[...] Do Alexander Innes Gun[...] Do John Boyce Carpt Mate Charles Baggs Do 2 Do Peter Helsel Caulker Do Anthony Welden Sail Do William Lane Butcher William Nicholds Baker Stephen Rushfield Poulterer Robert Skinner Joiner John Reid Qur Master Benjn Page Coopers Mate James Mack Intosh Do William Pleman Do William Newman Do John Knox Do John Ferguson Do Andrew Berry Do Thomas Lawrence Seaman John Dean James Frances John Isby Alexander Ramsey Thomas Swift Hans Henderson William Smith Henry Denham James Wills Hans Berg Daniel Orelson Christopher Coors John Thompson William Hanswell Robert Goodman John Cambly John Skeart Seaman Christopher Pearson James Quinn James Bayne Willm Hogbine Willm Currie Samuel Drake James Ewing[...] John Bennett William Long James Tudor Richd Cruzins William Farris John Jackson Richd Hall John Ling Matthew Greenhart Daniel Knocksholding Norwood Masters Anthony Canedy James Snipes Robert Cardles John Morton Capt Stwd Samuel Osborn Capt Do Nicholas Bay Capt Do Alexander Rider Capt [...] George Brown Chief Mate [...] Charles Beadle 2 Mates Do Charles Reid Boatn Do Charles Ling Gunners Do (Signed) Wm Master | The crew of the Horsendon was mustered on 16 April, and the roll listed every man aboard under the ship's commander, William Marter, who signed it. William Marter, commander Alexander James, first mate John Riddlecome, second mate Richard Pierce, third mate Charles [...], fourth mate Henry Rider, second fourth mate Henry Price, fifth mate John Sharp, sixth mate James Shean, surgeon Richard Snaden, boatswain Thomas Heriot, gunner Joseph Brown, carpenter Phillip Judd, midshipman John Jackson, midshipman Francis Smith, midshipman James Todd, midshipman Edward Maxwell, midshipman Richard Blane, midshipman John Collard, midshipman Liddle Leigh, midshipman David James, midshipman Richard Raby, midshipman George Nigers, midshipman Jeremiah Stephens, caulker Henry Harvey, sailmaker [...] Havens, cooper James Large, armourer James Dinsdale, ship's steward James Mills, captain's steward Benjamin Jackman, captain's cook Peter Frazer, surgeon's mate Thomas Reid, boatswain's mate Alexander Innes, gunner's mate John Boyce, carpenter's mate Charles Baggs, carpenter's second mate Peter Helsel, caulker's mate Anthony Walden, sailmaker's mate William Lane, butcher William Nicholls, baker Stephen Rushfield, poulterer Robert Skinner, joiner John Reid, quartermaster Benjamin Page, cooper's mate James Mackintosh, quartermaster William Ronson, quartermaster William Newman, quartermaster John Knox, quartermaster John Ferguson, quartermaster Andrew Berry, quartermaster Thomas Lawrence, seaman John Dean James Frances John Joly Alexander Ramsay Thomas Swift Hans Henderson William Smith Henry Denham James Wells Hans Bey Daniel Orleson Christopher Covers John Thompson William Hanswell Robert Goodman John Cambly John Sheart, seaman Christopher Pearson James Quinn James Payne William Hogbine William Currie Samuel Drake James Ewings John Bennett William Long James Tudor Richard Cozzins William Sowres John Jackson Richard Hall John Long Matthew Greenhart Daniel [...] Norwood Masks Anthony Canady James Snipes Robert Castles John Martin, captain's servant Samuel Osborn, captain's servant Nicholas Bayly, captain's servant Alexander Rider, captain's servant George Brown, chief mate's servant Charles Beall, second mate's servant Charles Reid, boatswain's servant Charles Long, gunner's servant Interpretations A muster at St Helena let the island's authorities check an East India Company crew against the ship's articles on arrival. Comparing the names present with those signed on in England showed who had died, deserted or been discharged on the passage. It also exposed stowaways or men trying to slip ashore, a constant worry for a garrison anxious to stop sailors vanishing into the island's population. Entering the roll in the island register gave the Company a local record it could set against the ship's own books if wages, desertion or discipline were later disputed. The ranks reveal how large and self-contained an Indiaman's company was. Six mates, eleven midshipmen and a full set of craftsmen, each with a mate of his own, sat above the ordinary seamen. A poulterer looked after the live fowls carried to supply the officers' table on a voyage of many months. The butcher and baker served the same end, turning livestock and flour stored aboard into fresh meat and bread. The servants at the foot of the roll were probably boys attached to particular officers. Such places commonly served as an entry point for youths learning the sea, and a commander's allowance of servants was a recognised perquisite of rank. Henry Rider's title of second fourth mate suggests the ship carried an extra junior officer at that grade, perhaps a young man placed aboard under patronage. The six men listed beneath Benjamin Page carried a repeat mark that could refer either to his rank of cooper's mate or to the quartermaster entry two lines higher. The quartermaster reading was adopted because a ship of this size normally carried several quartermasters, whereas six cooper's mates would have been unusual. The names written without any rank after Thomas Lawrence and John Sheart form the ordinary seamen, with the rank stated once at the head of each run. |
296 | 289 | 1763 The Storekeeper Delivered the following Account of Stores Short received from the Ship Royal Captain Account of Stores Short Received from the Royal Captain viz Sugar 1 [...] 14 Short weight 16th April 1763 (signed) J Powell Storekeeper Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling [...] Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 18th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 15th April 1763 Yesterday arrived the Sky Lark The Storekeeper this day brought in the Collections and the Paymaster his Accounts to the Lords commencing January the 1st and ending March 31st 1763 which were examined and approved and are as follows [...] Margin Notes: of Council | Jonathan Powell, the storekeeper, reported to the Council on 16 April 1763 that part of the stores landed from the Royal Captain had come ashore short. His account listed a single deficiency. Sugar short in weight, 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 14 pounds Powell signed the account. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed it for the Council. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 18 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 15 April 1763, approved it and signed it. A cutter, the [...], had reached the island on 17 April 1763. The storekeeper laid before the Council the accounts of the collector and the paymaster for the quarter running from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763. The councillors examined these accounts and approved them. Interpretations A formal account of stores short turned a shortfall in delivery into a charge against the ship. By recording the missing sugar under his signature and having the councillors countersign it, the storekeeper created evidence the Company could use to recover the value from the commander or the owners of the Royal Captain. Commanders signed bills of lading for Company cargo and were answerable for any quantity that failed to arrive. The island's certificate protected the storekeeper against any later suggestion that he had lost or taken the goods himself. The shortfall was expressed in the avoirdupois system of hundredweight, quarters and pounds. A quarter held 28 pounds, so the missing sugar came to 42 pounds. Sugar reached St Helena as a stores item because the island grew none in commercial quantity, and it supplied the garrison, the Company's servants and the hospital. The collector and the paymaster each kept a separate book of receipts and payments. Bringing both before the Council at the close of every quarter subjected them to regular scrutiny before they were entered in the Company's general books and sent home to London. |
297 | 290 | 18th April Collection of Goods sold and delivered out of the Honble Companys Stores from the 1 January to the 31st March 1763 viz Sold to the Honorable Companys Servants at 10 P Ct Sugar & Candy viz 4522 Sugar £73 7s 4d 2582 Candy £64 11s 0d £139 18s 4d Rice and Paddy viz 106 C 2 qrs Rice £51 0s 7d 32 C 7 Paddy £6 16s 3d £57 16s 10d Flour viz 1284 Flour £9 7s 3d 162 C 3 qrs 4 lb Do Bucked £158 18s 3d £168 5s 6d Arrack 261¼ £65 3s 9d Pork 4049 lb £404 18s 0d Shalloon 33 yds Coloured £3 7s 4d Sope 135 lb £4 18s 5d Kersey 4 Yards £0 6s 0d Salt 3½ Bushels £0 11s 11d Chellows 3 Ps £1 9s 0d Cordage 10 C ¾ £1 18s 7d Starch 4½ £0 1s 8d Pepper 2 lb £0 11s 10d Candles 35 lb £3 15s 10d Pease 3½ Bushel £1 7s 4d Buckram 1½ yds £0 1s 8d Sago 13 lb £0 5s 5d Flannel 7 Yards £0 10s 6d Bunting viz 1½ yds White £0 0s 14d 1 yd Blue £0 0s 7d £0 1s 6d Carried over £835 14s 5d | The Company's storekeeper drew up an account of the goods sold and issued from the Company's stores between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. All of these goods went to the Company's own servants at a mark-up of 10 per cent, and the account was presented to the Council on 18 April 1763. Sugar and sugar candy: 4,522 pounds of sugar, £75 7s 4d 2,582 pounds of sugar candy, £64 11s 0d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £139 18s 4d Rice and unhusked rice: 106 hundredweight 2 quarters of rice, £51 0s 7d 32 hundredweight 0 quarters 7 pounds of unhusked rice, £6 16s 3d Total for rice and unhusked rice, £57 16s 10d Flour: 1,284 pounds of flour, £9 7s 3d 162 hundredweight 3 quarters 4 pounds of baked flour, £158 18s 3d Total for flour, £168 5s 6d 261¼ gallons of arrack, £65 3s 9d 4,049 pounds of pork, £404 18s 0d 33 yards of coloured shalloon, £3 7s 4d 135 pounds of soap, £4 18s 5d 4 yards of kersey, £0 6s 0d 3½ bushels of salt, £0 11s 10d 3 pieces of chelloes, £1 9s 0d 102¾ pounds of cordage, £1 18s 7d 4½ pounds of starch, £0 1s 8d 21 pounds of pepper, £0 11s 10d 35 pounds of candles, £3 15s 10d 3½ bushels of peas, £1 7s 4d 1½ yards of buckram, £0 1s 8d 13 pounds of sago, £0 5s 5d 7 yards of flannel, £0 10s 6d Bunting: 1½ yards of white bunting, £0 0s 11d 1 yard of blue bunting, £0 0s 7d Total for bunting, £0 1s 6d Total carried forward, £835 14s 5d Interpretations Several of the goods would have been unfamiliar outside a maritime or colonial setting. Sugar candy was sugar crystallised into large, hard lumps, traded from India and China and valued because it kept well in a damp store. Paddy was rice still in its husk, cheaper than cleaned rice and cheaper to ship, though it had to be pounded before use. Arrack was the distilled spirit of Asia, made in Batavia, Goa and Bengal from palm sap or fermented rice and molasses, and it served at St Helena as the everyday liquor of the garrison and settlers. Chelloes were Indian cotton cloths, usually woven in blue and white checks, shipped from the Coromandel coast and sold by the piece for clothing slaves and servants. Sago was a starch taken from the pith of Asian palms, prized as a light food for the sick. The textiles came mostly from England. Shalloon was a light worsted twill used chiefly for lining coats, and kersey a coarse, hard-wearing woollen cloth used for soldiers' and labourers' clothing. Buckram was linen stiffened with glue or size to give shape to collars, cuffs and hat brims. Bunting was a thin woollen cloth woven for flags, which on a signalling island such as St Helena had a practical use in making or mending the colours flown to shipping. The unit for the arrack was left unstated. At the prices then usual for the spirit, the figure makes sense only as gallons, and it has been read that way. The baked flour, far dearer than plain flour and measured by the hundredweight, was almost certainly ship's biscuit or bread baked in the Company's bakehouse. The 10 per cent charge on sales to Company servants shows how the stores worked as a supply shop rather than a ration system. Servants bought their provisions at invoice cost plus a small mark-up, which covered freight, waste and handling without letting the Company profit heavily from its own employees. Salt pork formed nearly half the value of the quarter's sales, a sign of how dependent the island remained on imported preserved meat despite its own cattle. |
298 | 291 | 1763 Brought over £855 14s 5d Leather 13 Sols £0 14s 7d Coffee 3 lb £0 2s 0d D[...]s 5 Ps £2 13s 9d Tea viz 164 Bohea £7 10s 4d 180 Congo £13 2s 6d 400 Singlo £29 3s 4d £49 16s 2d China Ware viz 36 Quart Pt Cups & Saucers £0 15s 6d 38 Blue & W Sneakers £0 14s 3d 134 Enamd Sneekers £3 1s 5d 2 Blue & White Bakg Dishes £0 4s 6d 6 Enamd Bakg Dishes £0 18s 0d 4 Salts £0 2s 9d 5 Bowls £0 6s 0d 2 B & White Chamb Pots £0 3s 8d 2 Half Pt Cups & Saucers £0 1s 9d 9 Mugs £0 15s 0d 11 Colrd Gold Guglets & Basons £6 1s 0d 2 Sets Dishes & Plates £2 1s 2d 24 Blue & White Soop Plates £0 11s 11d 66 Enamd Do & Do £2 4s 2d £18 1s 1d Broad Cloth viz 5 yds French Grey £5 0s 5d 3 yds Pompidore £3 6s 0d £8 6s 5d Camblet viz 6½ yds Blue £1 10s 0d 5 yds Brown £0 10s 11d 3½ yds Scarlet £0 12s 10d £3 5s 9d Long Ells viz 12½ yds Blue £1 3s 11d 2 yds Scarlet £0 5s 4d £1 9s 3d Carried over £940 3s 5d | The account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £835 14s 5d. Total brought forward, £835 14s 5d 13 soles of leather, £0 14s 7d 3 pounds of coffee, £0 2s 0d 5 pieces of dosooties, £2 13s 9d Tea: 164 pounds of Bohea tea, £7 10s 4d 180 pounds of Congou tea, £13 2s 6d 400 pounds of Singlo tea, £29 3s 4d Total for tea, £49 16s 2d China: 36 quarter-pint cups and saucers, £0 15s 6d 38 blue and white sneakers, £0 14s 3d 134 enamelled sneakers, £3 1s 5d 2 blue and white baking dishes, £0 4s 6d 6 enamelled baking dishes, £0 18s 0d 4 salt cellars, £0 2s 9d 5 bowls, £0 6s 0d 2 blue and white chamber pots, £0 3s 8d 2 half-pint cups and saucers, £0 1s 9d 9 mugs, £0 15s 0d 11 coloured and gilded guglets and basins, £6 1s 0d 2 sets of dishes and plates, £2 1s 2d 24 blue and white soup plates, £0 11s 11d 66 enamelled dishes and plates, £2 4s 2d Total for china, £18 1s 1d Broadcloth: 5 yards of French grey broadcloth, £5 0s 5d 3 yards of pompadour broadcloth, £3 6s 0d Total for broadcloth, £8 6s 5d Camlet: 6½ yards of blue camlet, £1 10s 0d 5 yards of brown camlet, £0 10s 11d 3½ yards of scarlet camlet, £0 12s 10d Total for camlet, £3 5s 9d Long ells: 12½ yards of blue long ells, £1 3s 11d 2 yards of scarlet long ells, £0 5s 4d Total for long ells, £1 9s 3d Total carried forward, £940 3s 5d Interpretations Much of this stock reached St Helena on homeward Indiamen from Bengal, Madras and Canton. Dosooties were plain, strong Indian cotton cloths woven with doubled threads, sold by the piece for shirts, sheeting and working clothes. The three teas came from China and differed in grade and price. Bohea was the cheapest black tea, made from coarse late leaves. Congou was a better black tea, more carefully rolled, and Singlo was a green tea from the hills of Anhui, which explains its large share of the quarter's sales at a moderate price. The china was Chinese export porcelain carried as ballast and private trade in the lower holds of East India ships. A sneaker was a small drinking bowl used for punch or tea, and the large number sold suggests ordinary households bought them as everyday tableware. Guglets were long-necked water bottles, usually of earthenware or porcelain, paired with a basin for washing, and they kept water cool by evaporation. Enamelled pieces were decorated over the glaze in coloured enamels, a finish that cost more than plain blue and white. The woollens were English manufactures. Broadcloth was the finest heavy woollen, fulled to a dense, smooth surface for coats, and pompadour was a fashionable crimson or rose shade named after the French king's mistress. Camlet was a lighter cloth of wool, often mixed with silk or goat hair, used for cloaks and summer coats. Long ells were a coarse, narrow worsted serge made largely in Devon for the East India trade, and at St Helena they probably clothed soldiers, slaves and poorer settlers. The Company's stores sold porcelain, tea and fashionable broadcloth alongside salt pork and flour. Unlike an English garrison, where such goods came from private shopkeepers, St Helena's settlers depended on the Company for almost every manufactured article. The stores therefore acted as the island's general merchant as well as its victualling depot. |
299 | 292 | 18th April Brought over £940 3s 5d Nails viz 8½ 2d 14½ 3d 27 4d 70½ 6d 19 10d 11 20d £4 13s 8d 2½ Gl Beads £0 2s 3d 1¼ Tacks £0 1s 9d 2 Spikes £0 0s 8d £4 18s 4d Haberdashery Ware viz 32 Sk Silk £1 6s 0d 22 Sk Mohair £0 9s 2d 2 lb Wale bone £0 13s 5d ½ Gr Worsted Lace £0 11s 4½d 7 Cockades £0 3s 4½d 4½ Doz Mohair C Buttons £0 3s 4½d 1 Doz Mohair Br Do £0 0s 4½d 2 Gr Horn Moulds £0 0s 10d 1 Gr W Waistcoat Butts £0 3s ½d 1 Pc Tape £0 8s 8¼d 2½ Doz Silvd C Buttons £0 12s 0d 2½ Doz Silvd Br Do £0 5s 7½d £4 9s 3d Paint viz 9 Indico £0 17s 3d 8 Whiting £0 0s 6d 2 White Lead dry £0 0s 2½d 14 Copperas £0 0s 3½d £0 18s 9d Turners Ware viz 1 Tray £0 3s 11½d 2 Hair Brooms £0 5s 6d 6 Shoe Brushes £0 3s 9½d £0 13s 3d Carried over £951 3s 0d | The quarterly account of goods sold to the Company's servants continued from a running total of £940 3s 5d, which the clerk carried down under 18 April 1763. Total brought forward, £940 3s 5d Nails: 8 pounds of twopenny nails 14 pounds of threepenny nails 27 pounds of fourpenny nails 70 pounds of sixpenny nails 19 pounds of tenpenny nails 11 pounds of twentypenny nails All nails together, £4 13s 8d 2 pounds of glass beads, £0 2s 3d 1½ pounds of tacks, £0 1s 9d 2 spikes, £0 0s 8d Total for nails and small ironwork, £4 18s 4d Haberdashery: 32 skeins of silk, £1 6s 0d 22 skeins of mohair, £0 9s 2d 2 pounds of whalebone, £0 13s 5d ½ gross of worsted braid, £0 11s 4½d 7 cockades, £0 3s 4½d 4½ dozen mohair coat buttons, £0 3s 4½d 1 dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 0s 4½d 2 gross of horn button moulds, £0 0s 10d 1 gross of white waistcoat buttons, £0 0s 3½d 1 piece of tape, £0 8s 8½d 2½ dozen silver coat buttons, £0 12s 0d 2½ dozen silver breast buttons, £0 5s 7½d Total for haberdashery, £4 9s 3d Paint: 9 pounds of indigo, £0 17s 3d 8 pounds of whiting, £0 0s 6d 2 pounds of dry white lead, £0 0s 8½d ¼ pound of copperas, £0 0s 3½d Total for paint, £0 18s 9d Turned and brush goods: 1 tray, £0 3s 11½d 2 hair brooms, £0 5s 6d 6 shoe brushes, £0 3s 9½d Total for turned and brush goods, £0 13s 3d Total carried forward, £951 3s 0d Interpretations The nails were graded by the old penny system, which originally meant the price of a hundred nails of each size. By the 18th century the term described length alone, running from small twopenny nails of about an inch to twentypenny nails of about four inches. The heavy sale of sixpenny nails points to general carpentry such as fencing, roofing battens and house repairs rather than fine joinery. The haberdashery reveals a garrison population dressing in military style. Worsted braid trimmed the coats and hats of soldiers and servants, and cockades were rosettes of ribbon worn on the hat to show allegiance, the black cockade marking a servant of the Hanoverian crown. Silver and mohair buttons were sewn in two sizes, larger ones for the coat front and cuffs and smaller breast buttons for the waistcoat. Horn moulds were plain discs of horn or bone that a tailor covered with cloth or thread to make buttons matching a garment. Whalebone was baleen from the mouths of whales, split into flexible strips to stiffen women's stays and bodices. No unit was written against the indigo, and pounds have been supplied from the neighbouring paint entries and the price. Indigo was a blue dye from India, used both to colour cloth and to tint lime and paint. Whiting was finely ground chalk, the base of whitewash and putty. White lead, bought dry and ground in oil by the user, was the principal white paint of the period. Copperas was green crystals of iron sulphate, used to make ink, to fix dyes and to darken tar and paint for outdoor timber. |
300 | 293 | 18th April Brought over £983 2s 8d Oil viz 4 Bottles Florence £0 11s 0d 2½ Gl Linseed £0 10s 0d £1 1s 0d Canvas viz 50½ Yds Oznabrigs £2 0s 7d 17½ Yds English Canvas £1 2s 7d £3 11s 2d Books viz 1 Common Prayr Book £0 3s ½d 4 Horn Books £0 0s 7½d £0 3s 8d Pewter viz 1 Half Gallon Pot £0 5s 11d 1 Quart Funnel £0 2s 7½d 1 Cullender £0 8s 4½d £0 16s 11d Hooks & Lines viz 425 No 2 300 3 25 13 Hooks £0 11s 6d 40 Lines 3 £0 17s 6d 3 4 £0 1s 3d 5 Hambro Lines £0 7s 6d 1 Log Line £0 1s 1d £1 18s 10d Long Cloth viz 2 Ps No 1 £9 17s 2d 4 Ps 2 £15 0s 0d 2 Ps 3 £5 17s 2d 4 Ps 4 £7 10s 0d 3 Ps 5 £6 10s 0d 5 Ps 6 £7 14s 2d 2 Ps 7 £3 0s 2d £55 19s 9d Carried over £1046 13s 11d | The account of goods sold to the Company's servants in the first quarter of 1763 resumed on 18 April 1763 with a running total of £983 2s 8d. Total brought forward, £983 2s 8d Oil: 4 bottles of Florence oil, £0 11s 0d 2½ gallons of linseed oil, £0 10s 0d Total for oil, £1 1s 0d Canvas: 50½ yards of osnaburg, £2 0s 7d 17½ yards of English canvas, £1 2s 7d Total for canvas, £3 11s 2d Books: 1 Book of Common Prayer, £0 3s 0½d 4 hornbooks, £0 0s 7½d Total for books, £0 3s 8d Pewter: 1 half-gallon pot, £0 5s 11d 1 quart funnel, £0 2s 7½d 1 colander, £0 8s 4½d Total for pewter, £0 16s 11d Hooks and lines: 425 fish hooks of size 2 300 fish hooks of size 3 25 fish hooks of size 13 All fish hooks together, £0 11s 6d 40 fishing lines of size 3, £0 17s 6d 3 fishing lines of size 4, £0 1s 3d 5 Hamburg lines, £0 7s 6d 1 log line, £0 1s 1d Total for hooks and lines, £1 18s 10d Long cloth: 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 1, £9 17s 2d 4 pieces of long cloth of grade 2, £15 0s 0d 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 3, £5 17s 2d 4 pieces of long cloth of grade 4, £7 10s 0d 3 pieces of long cloth of grade 5, £6 10s 0d 5 pieces of long cloth of grade 6, £7 14s 2d 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 7, £3 0s 2d Total for long cloth, £55 19s 2d Total carried forward, £1,046 13s 11d Interpretations Long cloth was the largest item on the page and came from the Coromandel coast of India. It was a fine, closely woven cotton made in unusually long pieces, and the East India Company graded it by number according to the fineness of the weave, with the lowest numbers commanding the highest prices. At St Helena it served for shirts, shifts, bed linen and the better clothing of settler households. Florence oil was olive oil from Tuscany, shipped in straw-covered flasks sealed with a film of oil and sold by the bottle for cooking and salads. Linseed oil, pressed from flax seed, was the binding medium for the white lead and other pigments sold on the previous page. Osnaburg was a coarse, unbleached linen named after the German town of Osnabrück where it was first woven. It was the standard cloth for sacks, working clothes and the clothing of slaves throughout the Atlantic world. A hornbook was a child's first reading lesson: a sheet printed with the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer, fixed to a wooden paddle and covered with a thin, transparent layer of horn. Their sale alongside a prayer book shows settler parents teaching their children to read, perhaps with help from the island's schoolmaster. The large sale of fish hooks and lines reflects the importance of fishing to the island's food supply, since the surrounding sea offered a more reliable source of protein than the island's scarce grazing land. Hamburg lines were strong, tarred hemp lines originally made in Hamburg and used for heavier deep-water fishing. A log line was a marked line run out from a ship's stern to measure speed through the water. Its sale here was probably to an islander using one as a long fishing line or to a master of one of the island's boats. |
301 | 294 | 18th April Brought over £983 2s 8d Oil viz 4 Bottles Florence £0 11s 0d 2½ Gl Linseed £0 10s 0d £1 1s 0d Canvas viz 50½ Yds Oznabrigs £2 0s 7d 17½ Yds English Canvas £1 2s 7d £3 11s 2d Books viz 1 Common Prayr Book £0 3s ½d 4 Horn Books £0 0s 7½d £0 3s 8d Pewter viz 1 Half Gallon Pot £0 5s 11d 1 Quart Funnel £0 2s 7½d 1 Cullender £0 8s 4½d £0 16s 11d Hooks & Lines viz 425 No 2 300 3 25 13 Hooks £0 11s 6d 40 Lines 3 £0 17s 6d 3 4 £0 1s 3d 5 Hambro Lines £0 7s 6d 1 Log Line £0 1s 1d £1 18s 10d Long Cloth viz 2 Ps No 1 £9 17s 2d 4 Ps 2 £15 0s 0d 2 Ps 3 £5 17s 2d 4 Ps 4 £7 10s 0d 3 Ps 5 £6 10s 0d 5 Ps 6 £7 14s 2d 2 Ps 7 £3 0s 2d £55 19s 9d Carried over £1046 13s 11d | The account of goods sold to the Company's servants in the first quarter of 1763 resumed on 18 April 1763 with a running total of £983 2s 8d. Total brought forward, £983 2s 8d Oil: 4 bottles of Florence oil, £0 11s 0d 2½ gallons of linseed oil, £0 10s 0d Total for oil, £1 1s 0d Canvas: 50½ yards of osnaburg, £2 0s 7d 17½ yards of English canvas, £1 2s 7d Total for canvas, £3 11s 2d Books: 1 Book of Common Prayer, £0 3s 0½d 4 hornbooks, £0 0s 7½d Total for books, £0 3s 8d Pewter: 1 half-gallon pot, £0 5s 11d 1 quart funnel, £0 2s 7½d 1 colander, £0 8s 4½d Total for pewter, £0 16s 11d Hooks and lines: 425 fish hooks of size 2 300 fish hooks of size 3 25 fish hooks of size 13 All fish hooks together, £0 11s 6d 40 fishing lines of size 3, £0 17s 6d 3 fishing lines of size 4, £0 1s 3d 5 Hamburg lines, £0 7s 6d 1 log line, £0 1s 1d Total for hooks and lines, £1 18s 10d Long cloth: 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 1, £9 17s 2d 4 pieces of long cloth of grade 2, £15 0s 0d 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 3, £5 17s 2d 4 pieces of long cloth of grade 4, £7 10s 0d 3 pieces of long cloth of grade 5, £6 10s 0d 5 pieces of long cloth of grade 6, £7 14s 2d 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 7, £3 0s 2d Total for long cloth, £55 19s 2d Total carried forward, £1,046 13s 11d Interpretations Long cloth was the largest item on the page and came from the Coromandel coast of India. It was a fine, closely woven cotton made in unusually long pieces. The East India Company graded it by number according to the fineness of the weave, with the lowest numbers commanding the highest prices. At St Helena it served for shirts, shifts, bed linen and the better clothing of settler households. Florence oil was olive oil from Tuscany, shipped in straw-covered flasks and sold by the bottle for cooking and salads. Linseed oil, pressed from flax seed, was the binding medium for the white lead and other pigments sold on the previous page. Osnaburg was a coarse, unbleached linen named after the German town of Osnabrück where it was first woven. It was the standard cloth for sacks, working clothes and the clothing of slaves throughout the Atlantic world. A hornbook was a child's first reading lesson: a sheet printed with the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer, fixed to a wooden paddle and protected by a thin, transparent layer of horn. Their sale alongside a prayer book shows settler parents teaching their children to read, perhaps with help from the island's schoolmaster. The large sale of fish hooks and lines reflects the importance of fishing to the island's food supply, since the surrounding sea offered a more dependable source of protein than the island's limited grazing land. Hamburg lines were strong, tarred hemp lines originally made in Hamburg and used for heavier deep-water fishing. A log line was a marked line run out from a ship's stern to measure speed through the water. Its sale here was probably to an islander wanting a long, strong fishing line or to the master of one of the island's boats. |
302 | 295 | 1763 Brought over £1046 13s 11d Iron Ware viz 1 Box Iron £0 7s 11d 3 Prs Joind H Hinges £0 5s 6d 1 Hash pan Hamd Iron £0 19s 4d 1 Stone Saw £0 4s 11½d 1 Pickax £0 4s ½d 1 Coffee Mill £0 9s 4d £2 11s 1d Cuttlery viz 12 Ivory Combs £0 12s 6d 16 Horn Do £0 2s 8d 1 Horse Do £0 0s 3½d 32 Prs L Garters £0 12s 0d 4 Prs Shoe Buckles £0 2s 4d 7 Prs Knee Buckles £0 2s 4d 6 Stag Hft Knives & Forks £0 15s 2¼d £2 7s 4d £1050 12s 4d Sold to the Planters at 25 P Cent viz Flannel 16 yds £1 0s 0d Shalloon 5½ yds Coloured £0 12s 7d Chellows 1 Piece £0 11s 0d Long Ells 3 yds Blue £0 6s 6d Kersey 4 Yards £0 7s 0d Broad Cloth 2½ yds Scarlet £3 0s 3d Sold at 40 P Cent Sugar and Candy viz 731 Sugar £11 5s 0d 811 Candy £10 7s 4d £21 12s 4d Flour 458 lb £5 4s 11d Carried over £33 2s 7d | The storekeeper's account of goods sold in the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £1,046 13s 11d. It completed the sales to the Company's servants and then turned to goods sold to the planters at higher mark-ups. Total brought forward, £1,046 13s 11d Ironware: 1 box iron, £0 7s 11d 3 pairs of tinned H-L hinges, £0 5s 6d 1 hash pan of hammered iron, £0 19s 4d 1 stone saw, £0 4s 11½d 1 pickaxe, £0 4s 0½d 1 coffee mill, £0 9s 4d Total for ironware, £2 11s 1d Cutlery and small wares: 12 ivory combs, £0 12s 6d 16 horn combs, £0 2s 8d 1 horse comb, £0 0s 3½d 32 pairs of garters, £0 12s 0d 4 pairs of shoe buckles, £0 2s 4d 7 pairs of knee buckles, £0 2s 4d 6 stag-horn-handled knives and forks, £0 15s 2½d Total for cutlery and small wares, £2 7s 4d Total of sales to the Company's servants, £1,050 12s 4d Goods sold to the planters at a mark-up of 25 per cent: 16 yards of flannel, £1 0s 0d 5½ yards of coloured shalloon, £0 12s 7d 1 piece of chelloes, £0 11s 0d 3 yards of blue long ells, £0 6s 6d 4 yards of kersey, £0 7s 0d 2½ yards of scarlet broadcloth, £3 0s 3d Goods sold at a mark-up of 40 per cent: Sugar and sugar candy: 731 pounds of sugar, £11 5s 0d 811 pounds of sugar candy, £10 7s 4d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £21 12s 4d 450 pounds of flour, £5 4s 11d Total carried forward, £33 2s 7d Interpretations The account applied three different mark-ups to goods drawn from the same stores. Company servants paid cost plus 10 per cent, planters paid cost plus 25 per cent on cloth, and sugar, sugar candy and flour carried an addition of 40 per cent. The scale treated cheap supply as a benefit of Company employment, while making the planters, who had their own land and produce, carry more of the cost of freight, storage and loss. The steeper charge on foodstuffs was perhaps meant to keep scarce imported provisions for the garrison and servants first, discouraging planters from drawing heavily on stocks they could partly replace from their own farms. A box iron was a smoothing iron with a hollow body, into which a separately heated iron slug was placed, so the face stayed clean of soot. H-L hinges took their name from the shape of their two leaves, one tall and one angled, which together spread the weight of a heavy door across its frame. A hash pan was a shallow pan for stewing chopped meat, and hammered iron marked it as wrought rather than cast. The stone saw was a long, toothless or coarse-toothed blade worked with sand and water to cut the island's volcanic stone into building blocks. Knee buckles fastened breeches below the knee, and garters held stockings in place, both essential to the male dress of the period. Stag horn, taken from shed antlers, was a common material for the handles of everyday knives and forks, cheaper than ivory and harder wearing than wood. |
303 | 296 | 18th April Brought over £33 2s 7d Cordage 93 lb ¼ £2 4s 9d Sago 8 lb £0 4s 4d Rice 1 C 2 qrs 24 lb £1 1s 9d Sope 19 lb £0 18s 2d Salt 1/8 Bushel £0 3s 11d Pepper 6 lb £0 4s 6d Arrack ½ Gallon £0 6s 0d Coffee 4 lb £0 3s 5d Tea viz 65 lb Congo £6 10s 0d 61 Bohea £3 11s 2d 202 Singlo £20 4s 0d £30 5s 2d Thread ½ lb Brown £0 4s 7d Nails viz 3 2 £0 2s 6¾d 11 4 15 6 £0 9s 2d £0 12s 2½d 13 20 £0 7s ½d 11 10 £0 7s 9½d £1 18s 9d Hooks and Lines viz 275 No 2 175 3 50 14 100 10 25 13 50 15 Hooks £0 19s ½d 12 No 8 6 4 Lines 1 Hambro £0 10s 10½d £1 9s 11d Pitch ½ Gall Tar £0 0s 6d Lead viz 22½ lb Sheet Lead £0 6s 1d 27 lb Shot £0 6s 6d £0 12s 7d Carried over £73 0s 11d | The sales to the planters in the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £33 2s 7d, recorded under 18 April 1763. Total brought forward, £33 2s 7d 93¾ pounds of cordage, £2 4s 9d 8 pounds of sago, £0 4s 4d 1 hundredweight 2 quarters 24 pounds of rice, £1 1s 9d 19 pounds of soap, £0 18s 2d 1⅛ bushels of salt, £0 3s 11d 6 pounds of pepper, £0 4s 6d 1 gallon of arrack, £0 6s 0d 4 pounds of coffee, £0 3s 5d Tea: 65 pounds of Congou tea, £6 10s 0d 61 pounds of Bohea tea, £3 11s 2d 202 pounds of Singlo tea, £20 4s 0d Total for tea, £30 5s 2d ½ pound of brown thread, £0 4s 7d Nails: 3 pounds of twopenny nails, £0 2s 6¾d 11 pounds of fourpenny nails, £0 9s 2d 15 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 12s 2½d 13 pounds of twentypenny nails, £0 7s 0½d 11 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 7s 9½d Total for nails, £1 18s 9d Hooks and lines: 275 fish hooks of size 2 175 fish hooks of size 3 50 fish hooks of size 11 100 fish hooks of size 10 25 fish hooks of size 13 50 fish hooks of size 15 All fish hooks together, £0 19s 0½d 12 fishing lines of size 3 6 fishing lines of size 4 1 Hamburg line All fishing lines together, £0 10s 10½d Total for hooks and lines, £1 9s 11d ½ gallon of pitch and tar, £0 0s 6d Lead: 22½ pounds of sheet lead, £0 6s 1d 27 pounds of lead shot, £0 6s 6d Total for lead, £0 12s 7d Total carried forward, £73 0s 11d Interpretations Set beside the sales to Company servants earlier in the account, the planters' purchases show a different pattern. Servants had bought tea, sugar, pork and cloth on a scale that fed and dressed a large body of employees, while the planters' rice, soap, pepper and arrack came in small household quantities. Tea was the exception. The planters took 328 pounds of it, and Singlo again made up the greater part, as it had in the servants' purchases. Green tea was clearly the everyday drink of the island's settled families as much as of the garrison. The planters also bought fishing gear in large quantities and across a wide range of hook sizes, from small hooks for inshore fish to heavy ones for deep-water catches. The spread suggests that fishing was carried on as a regular source of food by farming households, not only by the Company's boats. Sheet lead was rolled into thin plates and used to line gutters, cover roof joints and make water cisterns watertight. Lead shot, sold by the pound, was loaded into fowling pieces for hunting birds and small game on the island's uplands. Pitch and tar, boiled from pine resin, sealed boats, roofs and timber exposed to the weather. |
304 | 297 | 1763 Brought over £73 0s 11d Haberdashery viz 4 Sk Silk £0 3s 0d 2 Sk Mohair £0 1s 3d 3½ Doz Silvd Coat Buttons £1 1s 5d £1 5s 8d China Ware viz 4 B & White Sneakers £0 2s 0d 1 Set Dishes & Plates £1 6s 4d £1 8s 4d Oil ½ gall Linseed £0 0s 0d Iron Ware viz 1 S Bitt Lock £0 10s 4d 1 Pickax £0 5s 2d £0 15s 6d Glass Ware viz 1 Beer Glass £0 1s 7½d 3 Sqr Glass 8 by 10 £0 2s 6¾d 2 Sqr Do 10 by 12 £0 2s 4½d £0 6s 7d Cuttlery Ware 6 Stag Horn K & Forks £0 7s 3d Brazry Ware viz 1 Small Copper Hash pan £1 0s 10d 1 Copper Sauce pan of 5 Quarts £0 19s 3d £2 0s 1d Paint 1 lb Indico £0 2s 6d Coals 3 Chaldrons £10 7s 0d £89 4s 6d The following Damaged Goods Sold at publick Auction viz Masts viz 1 Top Mast £8 0s 0d ½ of a Top Mast £5 1s 0d 1 Cap for a Mast £0 5s 0d £13 6s 0d Carried over £13 6s 0d | The sales to the planters in the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £73 0s 11d and closed with the island's coal sales. Total brought forward, £73 0s 11d Haberdashery: 4 skeins of silk, £0 3s 0d 2 skeins of mohair, £0 1s 3d 3½ dozen silver coat buttons, £1 1s 5d Total for haberdashery, £1 5s 8d China: 4 blue and white sneakers, £0 2s 0d 1 set of dishes and plates, £1 6s 4d Total for china, £1 8s 4d ½ gallon of linseed oil, £0 [...] Ironware: 1 stock lock, £0 10s 4d 1 pickaxe, £0 5s 2d Total for ironware, £0 15s 6d Glassware: 1 beer glass, £0 1s 7½d 3 panes of window glass measuring 8 by 10 inches, £0 2s 6¾d 2 panes of window glass measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 2s 4¾d Total for glassware, £0 6s 7d 6 stag-horn-handled knives and forks, £0 7s 3d Copper and brass goods: 1 small copper hash pan, £1 0s 10d 1 copper saucepan holding 5 quarts, £0 19s 3d Total for copper and brass goods, £2 0s 1d 1 pound of indigo paint, £0 2s 6d 3 chaldrons of coal, £10 7s 0d Total of sales to the planters, £89 4s 6d The storekeeper also recorded several damaged stores that had been sold at public auction. Masts and spars: 1 topmast, £8 0s 0d Half of a topmast, £5 1s 0d 1 cap for a mast, £0 3s 0d Total for masts and spars, £13 6s 0d Total carried forward, £13 6s 0d Interpretations A chaldron was the standard measure for coal shipped from the north-east of England, and a London chaldron held about 36 bushels, or roughly one and a half tons. Coal was the most expensive single purchase on the page after the carried total, reflecting both its value as fuel and the cost of freighting a bulky cargo thousands of miles. Its sale to planters points to a shortage of firewood on the island that made imported fuel worth buying at a high mark-up. Brazier's goods were articles of hammered copper and brass, and the large saucepan and hash pan cost far more than their iron equivalents because copper spread heat evenly and resisted rust. A stock lock was a heavy lock set in a wooden case and fixed to the face of an outer door. The window glass was sold as small panes measured in inches, since glass was made in small sheets and fitted into leaded or wooden glazing bars. The auction of damaged masts gave the Company a way to recover some value from naval stores it could no longer use. A topmast was the second section of a ship's mast, fitted above the lower mast, and a cap was the heavy block of wood fixed to the top of a lower mast to hold the topmast in place. Selling such items openly to the highest bidder set a fair price and protected the storekeeper against suspicion of disposing of Company property privately. Island boat-owners and householders probably bought the spars for use as masts, beams or timber, since good timber was scarce. |
305 | 298 | 18th April Brought over £13 6s 0d Bunting viz 2 Yds Red £0 0s 6d 11 Yds White £0 2s 6d 31 Yds Blue £0 5s 0d £0 8s 0d Camblet 49 Yds Scarlet £8 3s 1d £21 17s 1d Sold to the Honorable Companys Ships @ 40 P Cent Canvas viz 7 Ps Eng Canvas £23 12s 6d 5 Bs Osenbrigs £42 5s 0d £65 17s 6d Hooks and Lines viz 12 Log Lines £0 18s 0d 28 No 14 Hooks £0 0s 3d £0 18s 3d Cordage 734 lb £18 1s 4d Twine 28 lb £1 15s 0d Nails viz 5 lb 20 2 4 6 6 2 10 4 3 3 2 Nails £1 2s 10d 14 Spikes ½ Gl Brads £0 0s 4d 4½ Coopers Rivets £0 3s 1d £1 6s 3d Deals 1 Oak Plank of 6 Inches £3 4s 7d Iron Ware 50 Sail Needles £0 6s 3d Salt 1 Bushel £0 4s 5d Pitch ½ Barrel £1 3s 10d Carried over £92 17s 5d | The auction of damaged Company stores continued from a running total of £13 6s 0d. Total brought forward, £13 6s 0d Bunting: 2 yards of red bunting, £0 0s 6d 11 yards of white bunting, £0 2s 6d 31 yards of blue bunting, £0 5s 0d Total for bunting, £0 8s 0d 49 yards of scarlet camlet, £8 3s 1d Total raised by the auction, £21 17s 1d The storekeeper then listed the stores supplied to the Company's own ships at a mark-up of 40 per cent. Canvas: 7 bolts of English canvas, £23 12s 6d 5 bolts of osnaburg, £42 5s 0d Total for canvas, £65 17s 6d Hooks and lines: 12 log lines, £0 18s 0d 28 fish hooks of size 14, £0 0s 3d Total for hooks and lines, £0 18s 3d 734 pounds of cordage, £18 1s 4d 28 pounds of twine, £1 15s 0d Nails: 5 pounds of twentypenny nails 2 pounds of fourpenny nails 6 pounds of sixpenny nails 2 pounds of tenpenny nails 4 pounds of threepenny nails 3 pounds of twopenny nails 14 spikes All nails and spikes together, £1 2s 10d ½ pound of brads, £0 0s 4d 4½ pounds of cooper's rivets, £0 3s 1d Total for nails and small ironwork, £1 6s 3d 10 oak planks 6 inches wide, £3 4s 7d 50 sail needles, £0 6s 3d 1 bushel of salt, £0 4s 5d ½ barrel of pitch, £1 3s 10d Total carried forward, £92 17s 5d Interpretations Supplies to the Company's ships were charged at 40 per cent above cost, the same rate the planters paid for foodstuffs. East India Company ships were privately owned and hired to the Company under charter, so the owners were responsible for fitting and repairing them. Stores drawn at St Helena were therefore sold to the commander and charged against the owners, and the steep mark-up let the Company recover the cost of carrying naval stores out to the island and holding them for emergencies. The large purchase of canvas shows a ship replacing sails worn or torn on the passage. A bolt was a roll of sailcloth of standard length, usually around 38 to 40 yards, woven narrow so that sails could be sewn together in cloths. The osnaburg taken by the ships was probably meant for lighter sails, awnings or bags rather than clothing. Sail needles were heavy three-sided needles for stitching canvas, driven through with a leather palm worn on the sailmaker's hand. The unit for the cooper's rivets was left blank and has been supplied as pounds from the nails listed above them. Cooper's rivets were short iron fastenings used to join the ends of the iron hoops that bound casks. Brads were small, thin nails with almost no head, used where a fastening had to sit flush with the surface. Deals were sawn planks of timber, and although the term usually meant softwood, these were oak, the heavier timber needed for ship repairs. The auction of damaged bunting and scarlet camlet shows the stores disposing of cloth spoiled by damp or insects. Selling such goods by public auction fixed their value openly rather than leaving it to the storekeeper's judgement, and it cleared space in the warehouses for fresh stock. |
306 | 299 | 1763 Brought over £95 17s 5d Turners Ware viz 2 Ps Brushes £0 1s 8d 4 Pump Boxes £0 19s 6d £1 1s 2d Paint ¼ Prussian Blue £0 10s 4d Pumps 1 £17 14s 10d Glass Ware 1 Sqr 10 by 12 £0 1s 2d £112 4s 11d Charges General Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st January to the 31st March 1763 Iron Ware viz 1 Hd Hatchet for the Kitchen £0 1s 8d 2 Bark Cupd Locks for Banks's Guard Room £0 2s 9d 30 Files for the Armr & Carpenter £1 0s 0d 4 Rasps for Do & Do £0 8s 8d 12 Masons Tools for the Masons £0 16s 0d 1 Ironnd Bark Lock for the Armoury £0 5s 0d 3 Pad Locks for Do & Armrs Shop £0 6s 8d 1½ Bindg Wire ½ Borax ½ Saltpeter 2 Hatchet Helves ½ Flour Emery for Do & Do £0 2s 3d £0 3s 6¾d £0 0s 6d £0 0s 7d £0 0s ¾d 1 Pr Steel yards for the Castle £0 6s 10d £3 14s 4d Arrack 28½ Gall to Sundries Viz Boat Haymakers and workmen that brt Goods from the Crane £4 17s 0d Nails viz 1 3 1 4 For forms for the Jury Repair the £0 0s 9d £0 0s 7d 21 6 £0 11s 9¾d 6 10 Lt Governors House Market house £0 2s 9d 31 20 £0 11s 7½d 3 4 and Wheel Barrows £0 1s 9d £0 2s 8d 8 Bark £0 1s 3d 4 Spikes Nails Carried over £1 12s 3d Carried over £8 11s 4d | The stores supplied to the Company's ships in the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £95 17s 5d. Total brought forward, £95 17s 5d Turned and brush goods: 2 pairs of brushes, £0 1s 8d 4 pump boxes, £0 19s 6d Total for turned and brush goods, £1 1s 2d ¼ pound of Prussian blue paint, £0 10s 4d 1 pump, £17 14s 10d 1 pane of window glass measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 1s 2d Total of stores supplied to the Company's ships, £112 4s 11d The storekeeper next charged to the Company's general expenses the stores issued for public use between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. Ironware: 1 hand hatchet for the kitchen, £0 1s 8d 2 barrack cupboard locks for Banks's guard room, £0 2s 9d 30 files for the armourer and carpenter, £1 0s 0d 4 rasps for the armourer and carpenter, £0 8s 8d 12 masons' tools for the masons, £0 16s 0d 1 iron barrack lock for the armoury, £0 5s 0d 3 padlocks for the armoury and the armourer's shop, £0 6s 8d 1½ pounds of binding wire for the armourer and carpenter, £0 2s 3d ¼ pound of borax for the armourer and carpenter, £0 3s 6½d ½ pound of saltpetre for the armourer and carpenter, £0 0s 6d 2 hatchet handles for the armourer and carpenter, £0 0s 7d ½ pound of flour emery for the armourer and carpenter, £0 0s 3½d 1 pair of steelyards for the Castle, £0 6s 10d Total for ironware, £3 14s 4d 28½ gallons of arrack for boatmen, haymakers and labourers who carried goods from the crane, £4 17s 0d Nails for benches for the jury, repairs to the Lieutenant Governor's house and the market house, and wheelbarrows: 1 pound of threepenny nails, £0 0s 9d 1 pound of fourpenny nails, £0 0s 7d 21 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 11s 9½d 6 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 2s 9d 31 pounds of twentypenny nails, £0 11s 0½d 3 pounds of fourpenny nails, £0 1s 9d 8 [...], £0 2s 8d 4 spikes, £0 1s 3d Total for nails carried forward, £1 12s 1d Total carried forward, £8 11s 4d Interpretations The heading Charges General marked a change from sales to internal issues. Goods sold to servants, planters and ships brought money back into the Company's accounts, but stores used for the island's own buildings, workshops and garrison earned nothing. The storekeeper therefore debited them to the general expense account so that every item leaving the warehouse was accounted for, either as income or as a recorded cost of government. Naming the purpose of each issue, down to a single lock for Banks's guard room, allowed the Council and the Company's auditors in London to check that stores were not quietly diverted to private use. Arrack was issued to boatmen, haymakers and the labourers working the landing crane in place of, or on top of, cash wages. Such allowances of drink were common for heavy outdoor labour in England at the time, but at St Helena the Company paid from its own imported spirit and charged the cost to public expense. The 28½ gallons suggest a substantial amount of work handling cargo and cutting hay in a single quarter. Several items supplied the armourer's forge. Borax served as a flux in brazing and soldering, keeping the joint clean so the molten metal would flow. Saltpetre was used in hardening and tempering steel, and flour emery was the finest grade of the abrasive powder, used to polish gun locks and blades. Binding wire held pieces together while they were brazed. Prussian blue was a synthetic pigment first made in Berlin early in the century and still costly, as the price of a quarter-pound shows. The single pump sold to a ship at nearly £18 was the most expensive article on the page, and the pump boxes were the valves and working chambers that could be replaced when worn. Steelyards were a balance with a single sliding weight on a long graduated arm, used at the Castle to weigh heavy goods without a full set of weights. The benches for the jury show that nails issued as public stores also furnished the island's court. |
307 | 300 | 18th April Brought over £8 11s 4d Nails brought over £1 13s 2d ¾ Clasp Brads for Packet £0 0s 7½d 10 Coopers Rivets to make Trivets for the Barracks and Coopers use £0 0s 4½d £1 18s 5d Deals viz 1 Pc Bark Timber for the Sessions £0 4s 0d 2 D Deals for Do and repairing the £0 7s 4d 4 S Do Market House & Lt Governors House £0 9s 2d 2 Baulks for the Lt Governors House & Mercy £0 15s 4d 1 Elm Plank of 5 Ins for the Pillory £1 0s 0d ½ of an Oak Do of 6 Ins for Do £1 3s 0d 1 Coffer for the Roof of the Long Barracks £0 4s 1d £4 2s 11d Candles viz 142½ Castle £13 19s 0d 155 Council £15 3s 6d 4 Doctors Shop £0 7s 10d £29 10s 4d Cordage 6 lb 9 for Thatching the Lieut Govrs House Market House Hall yards for a Flag and Draw Bridge £1 3s 0d Twine 9 Sks for Rockets Store use Castle and Gunners use £0 4s 10d Oil viz 7½ Gall Train for the Kitchen Armrs Shop and Thatching £1 4s 3d 1½ Linseed for paintg a Chest Castle Plantn House Armourers Shop &c £0 5s 8d £1 9s 11d Glass viz 17 Sqr 6 by 8 Lt Govrs House & Plantn House £0 4s 7¼d 3 Sqr 8 by 10 Castle £0 1s 9¾d £0 6s 5d Carried over £47 7s 2d | The stores supplied to the Company's ships in the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £95 17s 5d. Total brought forward, £95 17s 5d Turned and brush goods: 2 pairs of brushes, £0 1s 8d 4 pump boxes, £0 19s 6d Total for turned and brush goods, £1 1s 2d ¼ pound of Prussian blue paint, £0 10s 4d 1 pump, £17 14s 10d 1 pane of window glass measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 1s 2d Total of stores supplied to the Company's ships, £112 4s 11d The storekeeper next charged to the Company's general expenses the stores issued for public use between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. Ironware: 1 hand hatchet for the kitchen, £0 1s 8d 2 barrack cupboard locks for Banks's guard room, £0 2s 9d 30 files for the armourer and carpenter, £1 0s 0d 4 rasps for the armourer and carpenter, £0 8s 8d 12 masons' tools for the masons, £0 16s 0d 1 iron barrack lock for the armoury, £0 5s 0d 3 padlocks for the armoury and the armourer's shop, £0 6s 8d 1½ pounds of binding wire for the armourer and carpenter, £0 2s 3d ¼ pound of borax for the armourer and carpenter, £0 3s 6½d ½ pound of saltpetre for the armourer and carpenter, £0 0s 6d 2 hatchet handles for the armourer and carpenter, £0 0s 7d ½ pound of flour emery for the armourer and carpenter, £0 0s 3½d 1 pair of steelyards for the Castle, £0 6s 10d Total for ironware, £3 14s 4d 28½ gallons of arrack for boatmen, haymakers and labourers who carried goods from the crane, £4 17s 0d Nails for benches for the jury, repairs to the Lieutenant Governor's house and the market house, and wheelbarrows: 1 pound of threepenny nails, £0 0s 9d 1 pound of fourpenny nails, £0 0s 7d 21 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 11s 9½d 6 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 2s 9d 31 pounds of twentypenny nails, £0 11s 0½d 3 pounds of fourpenny nails, £0 1s 9d 8 [...], £0 2s 8d 4 spikes, £0 1s 3d Total for nails carried forward, £1 12s 1d Total carried forward, £8 11s 4d Interpretations The heading Charges General marked a change from sales to internal issues. Goods sold to servants, planters and ships brought money back into the Company's accounts, but stores used for the island's own buildings, workshops and garrison earned nothing. The storekeeper therefore debited them to the general expense account so that every item leaving the warehouse was accounted for, either as income or as a recorded cost of government. Naming the purpose of each issue, down to a single lock for Banks's guard room, allowed the Council and the Company's auditors in London to check that stores were not quietly diverted to private use. Arrack was issued to boatmen, haymakers and the labourers working the landing crane in place of, or on top of, cash wages. Such allowances of drink were common for heavy outdoor labour in England at the time, but at St Helena the Company paid from its own imported spirit and charged the cost to public expense. The 28½ gallons suggest a substantial amount of work handling cargo and cutting hay in a single quarter. Several items supplied the armourer's forge. Borax served as a flux in brazing and soldering, keeping the joint clean so the molten metal would flow. Saltpetre was used in hardening and tempering steel, and flour emery was the finest grade of the abrasive powder, used to polish gun locks and blades. Binding wire held pieces together while they were brazed. Prussian blue was a synthetic pigment first made in Berlin early in the century and still costly, as the price of a quarter-pound shows. The single pump sold to a ship at nearly £18 was the most expensive article on the page, and the pump boxes were the valves and working chambers that could be replaced when worn. Steelyards were a balance with a single sliding weight on a long graduated arm, used at the Castle to weigh heavy goods without a full set of weights. The benches for the jury show that nails issued as public stores also furnished the island's court. |
308 | 301 | 1763 Brought over £47 7s 2d Paint viz 8 Whiting for the Castle & Church £0 0s 4d 3 W Lead dry to paint a Chest for a Flag £0 0s 4¼d 1 B Blacking for Do £0 0s ¾d £0 1s 9d Sope 60 lb £1 18s 9d Starch 13½ for Linen £0 4s 6d Canvas viz 4 Yds Eng to cover a Lid of a Chest for a Flag £0 4s 9d 14 Yds Osenbrigs for the Packet and Rubbers in the Castle £0 12s 5d £0 17s 2d Lines viz 1 Log for Rockets £0 1s 0d 6 No 8 for the Carpenters £0 2s 0d £0 3s 0d Lead 56 lb for the Castle £0 10s 6d Turners Ware 1 Tray for Do £0 3s 7d Thread 1 lb Col for making Cartridges £0 3s 3d Brazry Ware 1 large Brass Cock Store use £0 6s 0d Chellows 1 Piece for Rubbers in the Castle £0 8s 9d Dasooties 6 Pieces for Servants table Cloths £2 18s 6d Long Cloth 2 Ps No 5 for common use for the Companys Table £4 2s 4d £59 5s 3d Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st January to the 31st March 1763 viz Flour 9 C 21 £5 10s 1d Arrack 66 Gallons £11 5s 6d Rice 400 lb £1 14s 8d Pork viz 6 Ps E Pork £0 12s 0d 13 Ps I Do £1 1s 11d £1 13s 11d Carried over £20 4s 2d | The charges to the Company's general expenses for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £47 7s 2d. Total brought forward, £47 7s 2d Paint: 8 pounds of whiting for the Castle and the church, £0 0s 4d 3 pounds of dry white lead to paint a chest for a flag, £0 1s 1½d 1 ball of blacking for the same chest, £0 0s 3½d Total for paint, £0 1s 9d 60 pounds of soap for washing linen, £1 18s 9d 13½ pounds of starch for linen, £0 4s 6d Canvas: 4 yards of English canvas to cover the lid of a chest for a flag, £0 4s 9d 14 yards of osnaburg for the bucket and cleaning cloths in the Castle, £0 12s 5d Total for canvas, £0 17s 2d Lines: 1 log line for rockets, £0 1s 0d 6 fishing lines of size 3 for the carpenters, £0 2s 0d Total for lines, £0 3s 0d 56 pounds of lead for the Castle, £0 10s 6d 1 turned tray for the Castle, £0 3s 7d 1 pound of coloured thread for making cartridges, £0 3s 3d 1 large brass tap for use in the stores, £0 6s 0d 1 piece of chelloes for cleaning cloths in the Castle, £0 8s 9d 6 pieces of dosooties for the servants' tablecloths, £2 18s 6d 2 pieces of long cloth of grade 5 for everyday use at the Company's table, £4 2s 4d Total of charges to general expenses, £59 5s 3d The storekeeper then charged to the diet account the provisions issued between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. 9 hundredweight 1 quarter 21 pounds of flour, £5 10s 1d 66 gallons of arrack, £11 5s 6d 400 pounds of rice, £1 14s 8d Pork: 6 pieces of English pork, £0 12s 0d 13 pieces of Irish pork, £1 1s 11d Total for pork, £1 13s 11d Total carried forward, £20 4s 2d Interpretations The diet account was a separate head of expense for feeding the Company's servants who ate at the public table in the Castle. Keeping it apart from general charges let the Council and the directors in London see exactly what the Company's table cost in flour, spirits, meat and linen each quarter. The 66 gallons of arrack issued for the table in three months, against 28½ gallons given to labourers under general charges, show how central the spirit was to the island's official hospitality. Several issues supplied the garrison's signalling and defence. The chest covered in canvas and painted with white lead and blacking was built to keep a flag dry, since the island's signal colours were valuable and quickly spoiled by damp. The log line was probably cut to serve as the sticks or firing cords of signal rockets used to warn of approaching ships. Coloured thread was issued to sew the cloth or paper bags that held the powder charges for the Castle's guns, and the colour perhaps marked the weight of the charge. Rubbers were coarse cleaning cloths used for scrubbing and polishing, and both the osnaburg and chelloes issued for them in the Castle were cheap enough to wear out without loss. The dosooties and long cloth show a clear distinction in quality: plain Indian cotton for the servants' tablecloths and the finer long cloth for the Company's own table. The pork was drawn from two sources. English and Irish salt pork were packed in casks of standard pieces, but Irish pork, cured in Cork and shipped in great quantity for the naval and colonial trade, was generally the cheaper. The higher price of the six English pieces against the thirteen Irish ones reflects that difference. |
309 | 302 | 18th April Brought over £20 4s 2d Salt 3 Bushels £0 9s 3d Tea viz 2 Singlo £0 2s 6d 3 Congo £0 3s 9d £0 6s 3d Coffee 10 lb £0 6s 0d Pease ½ Bushel £0 3s 5d Candy 342 lb £7 9s 7d Oil 6 Bottles Florence £0 14s 10d £29 13s 6d Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 January to the 31st March 1763 viz Tea 98 lb Bohea £4 1s 8d Oil viz 27 Gl Train 40 Gl Linseed for the several Guards £4 0s 10d £7 11s 8d £12 0s 6d Arrack 22½ Gallns for Drams on Mustering £3 16s 3d Iron Ware viz 3 Iron Fr Pans for Forks Cap £0 7s 9d 1 Large Do Banks &c £0 3s 5d £0 11s 2d Lines viz 2 Whip Cord for Whips £0 5s 9d 1 Hambro Line £0 1s 4d £0 7s 1d Deals viz 2 Double £0 7s 4d 4 Single £0 9s 2d £0 16s 6d Nails viz 4 6 £0 2s 3d Nails Carried over £0 2s 3d Carried over £21 13s 2d | The charges to the diet account for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £20 4s 2d. Total brought forward, £20 4s 2d 3 bushels of salt, £0 9s 3d Tea: 2 pounds of Singlo tea, £0 2s 6d 3 pounds of Congou tea, £0 3s 9d Total for tea, £0 6s 3d 10 pounds of coffee, £0 6s 0d ½ bushel of peas, £0 3s 5d 342 pounds of sugar candy, £7 9s 7d 6 bottles of Florence oil, £0 14s 10d Total for the diet account, £29 13s 6d The storekeeper then charged to the garrison the stores issued to it between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. 98 pounds of Bohea tea, £4 1s 8d Oil for the outlying fortifications: 27 gallons of train oil, £4 0s 10d 40 gallons of linseed oil, £7 11s 8d Total for oil, £12 0s 6d 22½ gallons of arrack for drams issued at musters, £3 16s 3d Ironware: 3 small frying pans for Turk's Cap, £0 7s 9d 1 large frying pan for Banks's and other posts, £0 3s 5d Total for ironware, £0 11s 2d Lines: 2 lengths of whipcord for whips, £0 5s 9d 1 Hamburg line, £0 1s 4d Total for lines, £0 7s 1d Deals: 2 double deals, £0 7s 4d 4 single deals, £0 9s 2d Total for deals, £0 16s 6d Nails: 4 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 2s 3d Total for nails carried forward, £0 2s 3d Total carried forward, £21 13s 2d Interpretations The garrison account gathered the cost of keeping soldiers supplied at the island's batteries and lookout posts. Separating it from the diet account and general charges let the directors see what the military establishment cost apart from civil government. Turk's Cap and Banks's were outlying posts guarding landing places on the coast, and the frying pans issued to them show that the small detachments stationed there cooked for themselves rather than drawing meals from the Castle. Train oil was oil rendered from whale blubber, the cheapest lamp fuel of the period. The 27 gallons sent to the outworks lit the guardrooms and lookouts through the night watches. The larger issue of linseed oil probably went to paint and preserve gun carriages, platforms and woodwork exposed to salt air at the batteries. A dram of arrack was issued to each soldier at muster, a customary reward that encouraged attendance and eased the discipline of parade. The 22½ gallons over three months give some measure of how often the garrison was mustered. Deals were sold as single or double according to thickness, a single deal usually being about an inch and a half thick and a double around three inches, which explains the higher price of the double deals. The diet account's large issue of sugar candy, 342 pounds in a single quarter, far exceeded the modest amounts of tea and coffee. Candy was perhaps preferred at the Company's table because the lumps kept well and could be broken down as needed, while loose sugar spoiled in damp stores. |
310 | 303 | 1763 Brought over £21 13s 2d Nails brought over £0 2s 3d 1 lb 3 Officers Cot at New Barracks £0 0s 9d 1½ Tacks for repairing Drums £0 1s 6d ¼ Gl Brads for Do £0 0s 3d £0 4s 9d Glass Ware 2 Sqrs 6 by 8 for the Officers guard Room at Banks £0 0s 6d Canvas 3½ Yards English Do £0 4s 2d £22 2s 7d Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st Janry to the 31st March 1763 viz Sugar 124 lb £1 16s 2d Flour 22 lb £0 2s 3d Oil viz 1 G Train £0 3s 3d 1/3 G Linseed £0 3s 4d £0 6s 7d Rice 5259 lb £20 6s 9d Beef and Pork viz 711 Ps I Pork £59 19s 9d 60 Ps I Beef £6 12s 6d 7 Ps E Do £1 0s 10d £67 13s 1d Shoes 24 Prs Mens Ordinary for the Handycraftsmen £4 16s 6d Hooks and Lines viz 25 No 13 £0 0s 1½d 25 14 Hooks £0 0s 2½d 25 16 for Fishing £0 0s 2½d 24 No 2 Lines £0 6s 10½d £0 7s 5d Twine 1 Sk for Do £0 0s 6d Carried over £95 9s 3d | The charges to the garrison for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £21 13s 2d. Total brought forward, £21 13s 2d Nails brought forward, £0 2s 3d 1 pound of threepenny nails for an officer's cot at the New Barracks, £0 0s 9d ½ pound of tacks for repairing drums, £0 1s 6d ¼ pound of brads for repairing drums, £0 0s 3d Total for nails, £0 4s 9d 2 panes of window glass measuring 6 by 8 inches for the officers' guard room at Banks, £0 0s 6d 3½ yards of English canvas for the officers' guard room at Banks, £0 4s 2d Total for the garrison, £22 2s 7d The storekeeper then charged to the account of the Company's slaves the stores issued to them between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. 124 pounds of sugar, £1 16s 2d 22 pounds of flour, £0 2s 3d Oil: 1 gallon of train oil, £0 3s 3d ½ gallon of linseed oil, £0 3s 4d Total for oil, £0 6s 7d 5,259 pounds of rice, £20 6s 9d Beef and pork: 711 pieces of Irish pork, £59 19s 9d 60 pieces of Irish beef, £6 12s 6d 7 pieces of English beef, £1 0s 10d Total for beef and pork, £67 13s 1d 24 pairs of ordinary men's shoes for the craftsmen, £4 16s 6d Hooks and lines for fishing: 25 fish hooks of size 13, £0 0s 1½d 25 fish hooks of size 14, £0 0s 2½d 25 fish hooks of size 16, £0 0s 2½d 24 fishing lines of size 2, £0 6s 10½d Total for hooks and lines, £0 7s 5d 1 pound of twine for fishing, £0 0s 6d Total carried forward, £95 9s 3d Interpretations The Company kept a separate account for the slaves it owned, who worked on its plantations, in its stores and at its landing places. Charging their food, clothing and tools to their own head of expense let the directors weigh the cost of maintaining slave labour against the work it performed. Rice and salt meat formed almost the whole of the quarter's charge. The 711 pieces of Irish pork alone cost nearly £60, far more than any single issue to the garrison or the Company's table, and show that salt provisions shipped from Cork fed the Company's slaves as well as its soldiers. The 24 pairs of shoes went only to the craftsmen, the skilled slave carpenters, masons, smiths and coopers whose work kept the island's buildings and stores in repair. Shoes marked them out from field labourers, who probably went barefoot, and reflected both their value to the Company and the rough ground and tools they worked with. The issue of fish hooks, lines and twine suggests the slaves were expected to catch part of their own food, reducing the Company's outlay on imported provisions. The tacks and brads issued for drums were used to fix the heads and cords of the garrison's drums, which beat the calls for musters, guard mounting and alarms. The cot at the New Barracks was a light wooden or canvas bedstead, and its mention shows that officers as well as men were being quartered in the new building. |
311 | 304 | 18th April Brought over £95 9s 3d Tea 49½ Bohea £2 1s 3d Arrack ½ Gallon £0 1s 8d Sailors Cloths 2 Prs Breeches £0 13s 8d Chellows ½ Pc for a Lying in Woman £0 2s 11d Long Cloth 3½ Ps No 7 £11 12s 4d Thread viz 1 lb W Brown to Cloth the Women £0 6s 8d 1 Coloured £0 3s 3d £0 9s 11d £110 11s 0d Mallay Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st January to the 31st March 1763 viz Rice 156 lb £0 13s 0d Beef 14 Pieces Irish £1 10s 11d Sugar 20 lb £0 8s 2d Arrack 3½ Gall £0 11s 11d Shoes 1 Pr Ordinary £0 4s 0d Tea 3 lb Bohea £0 2s 6d Oil viz ½ Train £0 1s 7½d ¼ Linseed £0 0s 11½d £0 2s 7d Sope 6 lb £0 3s 10d £3 16s 11d Plantation Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st January to the 31st March 1763 viz Rice and Paddy viz 116 lb Rice 33 C 1 qr 18 lb Paddy £6 4s 3d £0 8s 9d £6 13s 0d Carried over £6 13s 0d | The charges to the account of the Company's slaves for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £95 9s 3d. Total brought forward, £95 9s 3d 49½ pounds of Bohea tea, £2 1s 3d ½ gallon of arrack, £0 1s 8d 2 pairs of sailors' breeches, £0 13s 8d ⅓ piece of chelloes for a woman in childbirth, £0 2s 11d 3½ pieces of long cloth of grade 7, £11 12s 4d Thread for clothing the women: 1 pound of brown thread, £0 6s 8d 1 pound of coloured thread, £0 3s 3d Total for thread, £0 9s 11d Total for the slaves' account, £110 11s 0d The storekeeper next charged to the Malay account the stores issued between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. 156 pounds of rice, £0 13s 0d 14 pieces of Irish beef, £1 10s 11d 20 pounds of sugar, £0 8s 2d 3½ gallons of arrack, £0 11s 11d 1 pair of ordinary shoes, £0 4s 0d 3 pounds of Bohea tea, £0 2s 6d Oil: ½ gallon of train oil, £0 1s 7½d ¼ gallon of linseed oil, £0 0s 11½d Total for oil, £0 2s 7d 6 pounds of soap, £0 3s 10d Total for the Malay account, £3 16s 11d The storekeeper then charged to the Company's plantation the stores issued to it over the same three months. Rice and unhusked rice: 116 pounds of rice, £0 8s 9d 33 hundredweight 1 quarter 18 pounds of unhusked rice, £6 4s 3d Total for rice and unhusked rice, £6 13s 0d Total carried forward, £6 13s 0d Interpretations The issues to the slaves included provision for childbirth and for women's clothing. The Company gave a third of a piece of chelloes to a woman lying in after giving birth, cloth that probably served for her own bedding and for wrapping the newborn. Its record here shows that a slave's confinement was treated as a charge the Company expected to meet. The thread was issued so that slave women could sew clothing from the long cloth for themselves and others, turning bulk fabric into garments within the slave community rather than at the Company's expense in labour. The Malay account was small and its quantities match the rations of a single person over three months: about a pound and a half of rice a day, a single pair of shoes and modest amounts of beef, sugar and arrack. It was perhaps kept for a Malay slave or servant brought to the island from the Company's settlements in the East Indies, whose diet and standing set him apart from the other slaves and led the storekeeper to record his upkeep separately. The large quantity of unhusked rice sent to the plantation, over 33 hundredweight, was far more than the small amount of cleaned rice. Unhusked rice was cheaper and kept longer, and the plantation's own labourers could pound it to remove the husk when needed. Some of it may also have fed the plantation's livestock and poultry. |
312 | 305 | 1763 Brought over £6 13s 0d Oil viz 1 G Train 1/8 Linseed Cowsear £0 3s 2¾d £0 3s 4¼d £0 6s 7d Cordage 77¾ for the Oxen and Carts £1 5s 11d Nails viz 9 10 £0 4s 1½d 6 6 £0 3s 1½d 2½ 3 to Repair the Peak House Great £0 1s 10½d 6 20 Wood House Gates in the Pastures &c £0 2s 3½d £0 11s 8d Iron Ware viz 1 Doz Wood Screws for the H House £0 1s 10d 1 Pr Large H L Hinges for a Gate at the H House Garden £0 7s 8d 1 Broad Hoe for the Malday Garden £0 2s 3d £0 11s 9d Tar 3 Gall Carts £0 2s 3d Paint 5 lb Whiting £0 0s 2d Lines viz 1 Hambro for the Garden £0 1s 4d 6 No 3 Peak House £0 2s 0d £0 3s 4d Cuttlery 6 Butchers Knives for the Plantations £0 2s 3d £9 16s 11d Fortification Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st January to the 31st March 1763 viz Paint viz 12 Chocolate Colour ¼ Copperas to Paint 4 Whiting Gun Carriages £0 7s 0d £0 0s 3d £0 0s 2d £0 7s 5d Oil 1¼ Gall Linseed £0 4s 9d Carried over £0 12s 2d | The charges to the Company's plantation for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £6 13s 0d. Total brought forward, £6 13s 0d Oil for the overseer: 1 gallon of train oil, £0 3s 2¾d ⅞ gallon of linseed oil, £0 3s 4½d Total for oil, £0 6s 7d 77¾ pounds of cordage for the oxen and carts, £1 5s 11d Nails to repair the Peak House, the great wood house and the pasture gates: 9 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 4s 1½d 6 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 3s 1½d 2½ pounds of threepenny nails, £0 1s 10½d 6 pounds of twentypenny nails, £0 2s 3½d Total for nails, £0 11s 8d Ironware: 1 dozen wood screws for the Peak House, £0 1s 10d 1 pair of large H-L hinges for a gate at the Peak House garden, £0 7s 8d 1 broad hoe for the Maldivia garden, £0 2s 3d Total for ironware, £0 11s 9d 3 gallons of tar for the carts, £0 2s 3d 5 pounds of whiting paint, £0 0s 2d Lines: 1 Hamburg line for the garden, £0 1s 4d 6 lines of size 3 for the Peak House, £0 2s 0d Total for lines, £0 3s 4d 6 butchers' knives for the plantations, £0 2s 3d Total for the plantation account, £9 16s 11d The storekeeper then charged to the fortifications the stores issued to them between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. Paint for gun carriages: 12 pounds of chocolate-coloured paint, £0 7s 0d ¼ pound of copperas, £0 0s 3d 4 pounds of whiting, £0 0s 2d Total for paint, £0 7s 5d 1¼ gallons of linseed oil, £0 4s 9d Total carried forward, £0 12s 2d Interpretations The plantation account covered the Company's own farms and gardens, which grew food and fodder and pastured the cattle that supplied the garrison and shipping. The Peak House, the Maldivia garden and the pastures all appear as separate working sites under a single head of expense, managed by an overseer who drew his own lamp oil from the stores. Cordage for the oxen and tar for the carts show that the plantation relied on ox-drawn transport, since horses were few and the island's steep tracks suited slow, strong draught animals. The butchers' knives suggest that the plantations slaughtered their own cattle for the Company's use. The fortification account opened with materials for painting gun carriages. Chocolate colour was a dark reddish-brown paint made from iron oxide earth ground in linseed oil, cheap and durable enough to protect the wooden carriages of the island's cannon from sun and salt air. Copperas darkened and hardened the mixture, and whiting bulked it out. Keeping these costs under fortification rather than general charges let the directors see what the island's defences required each quarter. |
313 | 306 | 18th April Brought over £0 12s 2d Turners Ware 1 Pr Brush for Paintg Gun Carriages £0 0s 7d Nails viz 1 lb 3 £0 0s 9d ½ Gl Brads £0 0s 5d £0 1s 2d Cordage 6 lbs for the Flag at Rupets £0 1s 2d Lines 1 Hambro for Grummets for a Flag £0 1s 4d £0 17s 3d Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 October 1762 to the 31st March 1763 the Quarter Ending in December being Omitted viz Nails viz 4 Barrack £0 1s 4d 5 4 £0 2s 11d ½ 2 £0 0s 3½d 1 3 £0 0s 9d 6 10 for the new L Boat £0 2s 9d 10 6 £0 5s 7½d 2 2 £0 0s 9d 2 Spikes £0 0s 7d £0 15s 0d Deals viz 1 Elm Board 6 Wainscot Do Do 1 Oak Plank of 5 Ins £0 3s 11½d £2 0s 1½d £2 0s 6d £4 4s 7d Pitch and Tar viz 109 lb Rozin £0 18s 2d 38 Turpentine £0 6s 4d 14 Gallns Tar £0 10s 6d £1 15s 0d Oil viz 7¼ G Train £1 3s 5d 3 Gs Linseed £0 11s 4d £1 14s 9d Carried over £8 9s 4d | The charges to the fortifications for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £0 12s 2d. Total brought forward, £0 12s 2d 1 paint brush for painting gun carriages, £0 0s 7d Nails: 1 pound of threepenny nails, £0 0s 9d ½ gross of brads, £0 0s 5d 6 pounds of cordage for the flag at Rupert's, £0 2s 0d 1 Hamburg line for grommets for a flag, £0 1s 4d Total for the fortifications, £0 17s 3d The storekeeper then charged to the boats the stores issued between 1 October 1762 and 31 March 1763, since the charges for the quarter ending in December had been left out of the earlier account. Nails for the new boat: 4 pounds of barrack nails, £0 1s 4d 5 pounds of fourpenny nails, £0 2s 11d ½ pound of twopenny nails, £0 0s 3½d 1 pound of threepenny nails, £0 0s 9d 6 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 2s 9d 10 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 5s 7½d 2 pounds of twopenny nails, £0 0s 9d 2 spikes, £0 0s 7d Total for nails, £0 15s 0d Timber for the new boat: 1 elm board, £0 3s 11½d 6 wainscot boards, £2 0s 1½d 1 oak plank 5 inches thick, £2 0s 6d Total for timber, £4 4s 7d Pitch and tar: 109 pounds of rosin, £0 18s 2d 38 pounds of turpentine, £0 6s 4d 14 gallons of tar, £0 10s 6d Total for pitch and tar, £1 15s 0d Oil: 7¼ gallons of train oil, £1 3s 5d 3 gallons of linseed oil, £0 11s 4d Total for oil, £1 14s 9d Total carried forward, £8 9s 4d Interpretations The boats account covered two quarters because the charges for the three months to December 1762 had been missed. Rather than leave the omission uncorrected, the storekeeper folded it into the current account so that every issue of stores was eventually charged to its proper head. The note shows how the quarterly system depended on each account being complete, since the London auditors compared the storekeeper's issues against his stock and would have found an unexplained gap. Most of the issue went to building a new boat, probably one of the Company's landing boats that ferried goods and passengers between ships in the road and the shore. Wainscot was high-grade oak imported from the Baltic, sawn to show a fine, straight grain and prized because it split and warped less than English oak. Elm resisted rot when kept wet and was often used below the waterline. Rosin, turpentine and tar were melted together to make the pay that sealed the seams of a boat's hull once they had been caulked, and the linseed and train oils protected the finished timber. Rupert's was one of the batteries guarding the valley and landing place to the east of Jamestown. Grommets were small rings of rope worked into the edge of a flag so it could be bent onto the halyard and hoisted, and the Hamburg line was strong enough to hold them under the island's constant south-east wind. |
314 | 307 | 1763 Brought over £8 9s 4d Oars 5 £0 19s 7d Leather 4½ Sole £0 4s 6d Turners Ware 2 Prs Brushes £0 1s 2d Cordage 76 lb £1 5s 4d Paint viz 6 lb Stone Colour £0 2s 10½d 3 Yell Oaker dry £0 0s 6½d 6 Ven Red dry £0 1s 1½d 2 Bark Blacking £0 0s 11½d 2 W Lead dry £0 0s 1½d 4 Yell Oaker mixed £0 1s 11d 8 Olive Colour £0 14s 2d 4 Chocolate Colour £0 2s 4d ½ Copperas £0 6s 6½d £1 5s 1d £12 5s 0d Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 Janry to the 31st March 1763 viz Sugar 228 £3 6s 7d Flour 228 £1 3s 9d Tea 7 Bohea £0 5s 10d Rice 500 lb £1 19s 0d Oil viz 4½ Gs Train £0 14s 6½d 6 Gs Linseed £1 2s 8½d £1 17s 3d Salt ½ Bushel £0 3s 10d China Ware 1 Doz B & White Sneekers £0 4s 0d £9 0s 3d | The charges to the boats for the six months to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £8 9s 4d. Total brought forward, £8 9s 4d 5 oars, £0 19s 7d 4½ pounds of sole leather, £0 4s 6d 2 pairs of brushes, £0 1s 2d 76 pounds of cordage, £1 5s 4d Paint: 6 pounds of stone-coloured paint, £0 2s 10½d 3 pounds of dry yellow ochre, £0 0s 6½d 6 pounds of dry Venetian red, £0 1s 1½d 2 balls of blacking, £0 0s 11½d 2 pounds of dry white lead, £0 0s 7½d 4 pounds of mixed yellow ochre, £0 1s 11d 8 pounds of olive-coloured paint, £0 14s 2d 4 pounds of chocolate-coloured paint, £0 2s 4d ½ pound of copperas, £0 0s 6½d Total for paint, £1 5s 1d Total for the boats account, £12 5s 0d The storekeeper then charged to the hospital the stores issued to it between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. 228 pounds of sugar, £3 6s 7d 228 pounds of flour, £1 3s 9d 7 pounds of Bohea tea, £0 5s 10d 560 pounds of rice, £1 19s 0d Oil: 4½ gallons of train oil, £0 14s 6½d 6 gallons of linseed oil, £1 2s 8½d Total for oil, £1 17s 3d 1¼ bushels of salt, £0 3s 10d 1 dozen blue and white sneakers, £0 4s 0d Total for the hospital, £9 0s 3d Interpretations The range of paints issued for the new boat shows that Company craft were finished in several colours rather than simply tarred. Stone colour was a pale grey-buff, olive a dull green and chocolate a dark brown, while yellow ochre and Venetian red were natural earth pigments, the red coming from iron oxide originally shipped through Venice. Buying some pigments dry and one already mixed with oil let the painter grind colours as needed. Sole leather, cut from thick ox hide, was probably used to line the oar looms where they rubbed against the thole pins, protecting both from wear. The hospital account shows how the Company fed its sick. Sugar, flour, tea and rice made up most of the issue, supplying the soft, easily digested diet then thought suitable for invalids, and the quantity of sugar was large beside the hospital's other provisions. The dozen small porcelain bowls gave patients vessels for tea, broth or medicines. Train oil lit the wards through the night, while the linseed oil was perhaps used for dressings, poultices or the upkeep of the building. |
315 | 308 | 18th April Fly Cutter Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 Janry to the 31st March 1763 viz Coals ½ Chaldron £1 4s 0d Salt ½ Bushel £0 1s 6d Oil viz 2 Bottles Florence £0 5s 0d 1 G Sea Cow Oil £0 3s 2d £0 8s 2d Lines 6 No 3 £0 1s 11d Cordage 372 Cordage £6 4s 0d 1 Jib Tack wt 112 lb £1 17s 4d 1 Jib Sheet 75 £1 5s 0d £9 6s 4d Nails viz 4 6 £0 2s 3d 2 10 £0 0s 11d 1 4 £0 0s 7d £0 3s 9d Beef and Pork viz 2 Pieces I Beef £8 16s 8d 10 Do I Pork £4 13s 11d £13 10s 7d Rice and Paddy viz 7 C 1 qr 26 lb Rice £3 5s 0d 2 1 11 Paddy £0 8s 10d £3 13s 10d Sugar and Candy viz 20 Sugar £0 5s 10d 52 Candy £1 2s 9d £1 8s 7d Arrack 39 Gall £6 15s 3d Brazry Ware 1 Tea Kettle £0 16s 11d Pitch 75 lb Turpentine £0 12s 6d Tea 2 Singlo £0 2s 6d Pease ½ Bushel £0 3s 5d Carried over £38 7s 3d | The storekeeper charged to the Fly cutter the stores issued to her between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. ½ chaldron of coal, £1 4s 0d ½ bushel of salt, £0 1s 6d Oil: 2 bottles of Florence oil, £0 5s 0d 1 gallon of sea cow oil, £0 3s 2d Total for oil, £0 8s 2d 6 fishing lines of size 3, £0 1s 11d Cordage: 372 pounds of cordage, £6 4s 0d 1 jib tack weighing 112 pounds, £1 17s 4d 1 jib sheet weighing 75 pounds, £1 5s 0d Total for cordage, £9 6s 4d Nails: 4 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 2s 3d 2 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 0s 11d 1 pound of fourpenny nails, £0 0s 7d Total for nails, £0 3s 9d Beef and pork: 2 tierces of Irish beef, £8 16s 8d 1 tierce of Irish pork, £4 13s 11d Total for beef and pork, £13 10s 7d Rice and unhusked rice: 7 hundredweight 1 quarter 26 pounds of rice, £3 5s 0d 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 11 pounds of unhusked rice, £0 8s 10d Total for rice and unhusked rice, £3 13s 10d Sugar and sugar candy: 20 pounds of sugar, £0 5s 10d 52 pounds of sugar candy, £1 2s 9d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £1 8s 7d 39 gallons of arrack, £6 15s 3d 1 copper tea kettle, £0 16s 11d 75 pounds of turpentine, £0 12s 6d 2 pounds of Singlo tea, £0 2s 6d ½ bushel of peas, £0 3s 5d Total carried forward, £38 7s 3d Interpretations The Fly was the Company's own cutter, a small, fast single-masted vessel kept at St Helena to cruise off the island, carry messages and meet approaching ships. The cutter that reached the island on 17 April 1763, a day before the Council met, was perhaps the Fly returning from such a cruise. Her crew drew their provisions from the Company's stores like any other body of servants, and the salt beef and pork, rice, arrack and coal show a vessel victualled for voyages lasting weeks rather than days. Sea cow oil was rendered from the blubber of large seals, especially the elephant seals of the South Atlantic islands, and burned in lamps much like whale oil. Its appearance in the stores suggests the Company obtained it locally or from passing vessels engaged in sealing, a cheaper source than oil shipped from England. A tierce was a cask holding about a third of a pipe, the standard container for salt beef and pork in the naval and East India trades, each packed with a fixed number of pieces in brine. The jib tack and jib sheet were ropes of the cutter's running rigging: the tack held down the forward lower corner of the jib, while the sheet controlled its after corner to trim the sail. Their weights, 112 and 75 pounds, show the heavy rope a cutter needed to handle a large headsail in the island's strong trade winds. |
316 | 309 | 1763 Brought over £38 7s 3d Candles 8 lb £0 15s 0d Coffee 6 lb £0 3s 0d Deesookes 2 Ps £0 19s 6d £40 6s 1d Snow Mercury Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 January to the 31st March 1763 viz Sugar 50 £0 14s 7d Oil 2 Gallns Train £0 6s 5d Arrack 20 Gallns £3 8s 4d £4 9s 4d Sold to His Majestys Ship Sea Horse viz Canvas 19 yds English £1 3s 10d Lines 6 Log £0 9s 0d Twine 12 Sks £0 10s 6d Cordage 675 lb £16 3s 5d Nails 21 £0 16s 0d Snows Materials 1 Spar 48 Feet long £1 13s 2d £33 2s 1d St Helena 31st March 1763 Errors Excepted (signed) James Powell Storekeeper | The charges to the Fly cutter for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £38 7s 3d. Total brought forward, £38 7s 3d 8 pounds of candles, £0 16s 4d 6 pounds of coffee, £0 3s 0d 2 pieces of dosooties, £0 19s 6d Total for the Fly cutter, £40 6s 1d The storekeeper then charged to the snow Mercury the stores issued to her between 1 January 1763 and 31 March 1763. 50 pounds of sugar, £0 14s 7d 2 gallons of train oil, £0 6s 5d 20 gallons of arrack, £3 3s 4d Total for the Mercury, £4 4s 4d He also recorded the stores sold to the Royal Navy ship Sea Horse. 4 bolts of English canvas, £13 10s 0d 6 log lines, £0 9s 0d 12 pounds of twine, £0 10s 6d 675 pounds of cordage, £16 3s 5d 21 pounds of nails, £0 16s 0d Naval stores: 1 spar 48 feet long, £1 13s 2d Total for the Sea Horse, £33 2s 1d James Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 31 March 1763, reserving the right to correct any errors found later. Interpretations The closing reservation against errors was a standard safeguard in merchant and official accounts. It allowed the storekeeper to certify the account as true to the best of his knowledge while leaving room for later correction if a mistake in arithmetic or entry came to light. The boats account showed how such corrections worked in practice, when charges for the quarter ending December 1762 were added to this account after being missed. A snow was a two-masted vessel rigged much like a brig, but with a small additional mast set just behind the mainmast to carry a large fore-and-aft sail. The Mercury drew only sugar, lamp oil and arrack, suggesting a small crew on a short stay or a vessel otherwise supplied from her own stores. The Company perhaps employed her on its own business between St Helena and other stations. The sale to the Sea Horse shows the Company supplying a warship of the Crown. Royal Navy vessels in the South Atlantic had no dockyard of their own nearby and relied on the Company's stores for canvas, rope and spars. Selling to them brought payment by bill on the Navy Board in London and reinforced the island's value to the government as a place of refreshment and repair. The single spar 48 feet long was probably a replacement yard or topmast, and the large quantity of cordage suggests the ship had suffered damage to her rigging at sea. |
317 | 310 | 18th April List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants upon the Island St Helena with their several Salarys Diet Money &c for the Quarter commencing 1st January and ending the 31st March 1763 viz Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor Salary £125 0s 0d Do Allowance for Servants as usual £31 14s 9d £156 14s 9d John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Salary £62 10s 0d Do Diet Money £25 0s 0d £87 10s 0d Matthew Pierling of Council Salary £15 0s 0d Do Accomptant £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council Salary £7 10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £10 0s 0d William Lee Chaplain Salary £25 0s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d £40 0s 0d Matthew Barett Secretary Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d James Powell Storekeeper Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d William Wrangham Factor Salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant Storekeeper £5 0s 0d £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham Factor Salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £20 0s 0d Richard Lee Writer Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant to the Governor £10 0s 0d £27 10s 0d David Alcock Writers Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £17 10s 0d Carried over £501 14s 9d | The Company's officers and servants on St Helena were paid salaries and allowances for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763, and the list of those payments was entered under 18 April 1763. Charles Hutchinson, salary as Governor, £125 0s 0d Charles Hutchinson, customary allowance for servants, £31 14s 9d Total for Charles Hutchinson, £156 14s 9d John Skottowe, salary as Lieutenant Governor, £62 10s 0d John Skottowe, diet money, £25 0s 0d Total for John Skottowe, £87 10s 0d Matthew Pouling, salary as member of Council, £15 0s 0d Matthew Pouling, salary as accountant, £17 10s 0d Matthew Pouling, diet money, £15 0s 0d Total for Matthew Pouling, £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, salary as member of Council, £7 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Thomas Kirkpatrick, £10 0s 0d William Lee, salary as chaplain, £25 0s 0d William Lee, diet money, £15 0s 0d Total for William Lee, £40 0s 0d Matthew Bazett, salary as secretary, £17 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, diet money, £15 0s 0d Matthew Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Matthew Bazett, £35 0s 0d James Powell, salary as storekeeper, £17 10s 0d James Powell, diet money, £15 0s 0d James Powell, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for James Powell, £35 0s 0d William Wrangham, salary as factor, £7 10s 0d William Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d William Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d William Wrangham, salary as assistant storekeeper, £5 0s 0d Total for William Wrangham, £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, salary as factor, £7 10s 0d Francis Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Francis Wrangham, £20 0s 0d Richard Lee, salary as writer, £5 0s 0d Richard Lee, diet money, £10 0s 0d Richard Lee, house rent, £2 10s 0d Richard Lee, salary as assistant to the Governor, £10 0s 0d Total for Richard Lee, £27 10s 0d David Alcock, salary as writer, £5 0s 0d David Alcock, diet money, £10 0s 0d David Alcock, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for David Alcock, £17 10s 0d Total carried forward, £501 14s 9d Interpretations The list followed the East India Company's graded ladder of civil service. A writer was the most junior rank, usually a young man sent out to learn the Company's business, and a factor the next grade up, followed in larger settlements by junior and senior merchants. At St Helena the basic salaries at these lower grades were small, £7 10s 0d a quarter for a factor and £5 0s 0d for a writer. The allowances for diet and house rent were worth more than the salaries themselves and formed the real core of a junior servant's income. Diet money was paid in cash to those who did not eat at the Company's table in the Castle, while house rent covered lodgings for servants without quarters provided. Governor Hutchinson drew neither, since he lived and kept his table at the Castle, but received an allowance for his household servants instead. The diet account charged earlier in the quarter's stores fed those who did eat at the public table, so the two arrangements together provided for every servant one way or the other. Several men held more than one post and drew a salary for each. Matthew Pouling earned more as accountant than as a councillor, William Wrangham added the post of assistant storekeeper to his factor's pay, and Richard Lee, a writer, doubled his income by acting as assistant to the Governor. Combining offices let the Company run the island's administration with a very small staff, while giving able junior men a way to raise their pay above the rates fixed for their grade. Thomas Kirkpatrick received only a modest councillor's salary and house rent, with no diet money. As a captain, he perhaps drew his main pay through the military establishment and sat on the Council as its senior officer, so this list recorded only the civil part of his income. |
318 | 311 | 1763 Brought over £501 14s 9d Britanicus Wright Writer Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d £15 0s 0d Robert Barclay Surgeon Salary £9 15s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £22 5s 0d John Pritchard Surgeon Mate Salary £6 5s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £18 15s 0d Richard Beale Judge Advocate Salary £10 0s 0d Do Schoolmaster £3 8s 3d £13 8s 3d Samuel Alexander Overseers £7 10s 0d Matthew Barett Do £7 10s 0d £15 0s 0d John Bland Master Mason Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £1 10s 0d £29 0s 0d Thomas Townsend Stone Mason Salary £19 10s 0d John Robinson Carpenter Salary £12 10s 0d Do House Rent £0 15s 0d £13 5s 0d Phillip Mahoney Clerk of the peace £10 0s 0d Joseph Chamberlain Carpenters Mate £7 10s 0d William Johnson Gardener £10 0s 0d James Isbell Cooper £8 15s 0d William Moore Steward £7 10s 0d Michael Frost Clock and Instrument Cleaner £1 5s 0d Zedekiah Saunderson Groome £3 0s 0d George Wright Armourer £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice Master at Arms £6 5s 0d John Cripwell Patron of the Long Boat £7 10s 0d John Price Marshall and Goaler £7 10s 0d William Smith Clerk £5 0s 0d £62 5s 0d First Company Thomas Kirkpatrick Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Carried over £783 7s 4½d | The list of salaries and allowances for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £501 14s 9d. Total brought forward, £501 14s 9d Britannicus Wright, salary as writer, £5 0s 0d Britannicus Wright, diet money, £10 0s 0d Total for Britannicus Wright, £15 0s 0d Robert Barclay, salary as surgeon, £9 15s 0d Robert Barclay, diet money, £10 0s 0d Robert Barclay, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Robert Barclay, £22 5s 0d John Pritchard, salary as surgeon's mate, £6 5s 0d John Pritchard, diet money, £10 0s 0d John Pritchard, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for John Pritchard, £18 15s 0d Richard Beale, salary as judge advocate, £10 0s 0d Richard Beale, salary as schoolmaster, £3 8s 3d Total for Richard Beale, £13 8s 3d Samuel Alexander, salary as coroner, £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, salary as coroner, £7 10s 0d Total for the coroners, £15 0s 0d John Bland, salary as master mason, £17 10s 0d John Bland, diet money, £10 0s 0d John Bland, house rent, £1 10s 0d Total for John Bland, £29 0s 0d Thomas Townsend, salary as stonemason, £19 10s 0d John Robinson, salary as carpenter, £12 10s 0d John Robinson, house rent, £0 15s 0d Total for John Robinson, £13 5s 0d Phillip Mahoney, salary as clerk of the peace, £10 0s 0d Joseph Chamberlain, salary as carpenter's mate, £7 10s 0d William Johnson, salary as gardener, £10 0s 0d James Isbell, salary as cooper, £8 15s 0d William Moore, salary as steward, £7 10s 0d Michael Frost, salary as cleaner of clocks and instruments, £1 5s 0d Jedediah Saunderson, salary as groom, £2 0s 0d George Knight, salary as armourer, £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice, salary as master at arms, £6 5s 0d John Cresswell, salary as master of the longboat, £7 10s 0d John Price, salary as marshal and gaoler, £7 10s 0d William Smith, salary as clerk, £5 0s 0d Total for these servants, £62 5s 0d First Company: Thomas Kirkpatrick, salary as captain, £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Solomon St Maurice, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Solomon St Maurice, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Solomon St Maurice, £27 11s 10½d Total carried forward, £783 7s 4½d Interpretations The island's legal and police offices were filled by Company servants on modest part-time salaries rather than by professional lawyers. Richard Beale acted as judge advocate, the officer who prepared and conducted prosecutions before the island's courts, and earned a further small sum as schoolmaster. Two coroners held inquests into sudden or suspicious deaths, and one of them, Matthew Bazett, was also the Council's secretary. Phillip Mahoney as clerk of the peace kept the records of the courts, while John Price as marshal and gaoler served writs, made arrests and held prisoners. Together these men formed a complete, if small, system of criminal justice answerable to the Governor and Council. The captain's salary of £45 12s 6d paid to Thomas Kirkpatrick under the First Company confirms that his main income came from his military command. His councillor's pay on the civil list was a small addition to it. Solomon St Maurice likewise drew pay twice, once as lieutenant of the First Company and again as master at arms, the officer responsible for the garrison's small arms and for drilling men in their use. The master of the longboat, given the title patroon in the account, commanded the Company's principal working boat, which carried stores, water and passengers between the shore and ships lying in the road. The post required a skilled seaman able to handle a heavy boat through the surf at the landing place. The cleaner of clocks and instruments was paid a small fee to maintain the Castle's timepieces and the navigational and surveying instruments the Company kept on the island. |
319 | 312 | 18th April Brought over £783 7s 4½d Samuel Deffountain Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob Adjutant Salary £22 16s 3d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Serjeants Robert Eager £7 12s 1d John Tull £7 12s 1d John Steward £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahoney £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals Jonathan Lake £5 6s 5½d Silvanus Rolf £5 6s 5½d Thomas Payne £5 6s 5½d William Bannester £5 6s 5½d £21 5s 10d Drummers Henry Howell £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels John Ware Welsh Cadet £7 12s 1d John Allis £3 16s ½d John Ashenstall £3 16s ½d Hans Ulrich Algaver £3 16s ½d John Alman £3 16s ½d James Buckley £3 16s ½d John William Blank £3 16s ½d Thomas Berwick £3 16s ½d David Belford £3 16s ½d John Brown £3 16s ½d William Blackman £3 16s ½d Edward Coram £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £49 0s 6¾d Carried over £902 19s 5½d | The list of salaries and allowances for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £783 7s 4½d. Total brought forward, £783 7s 4½d Samuel Desfountain, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Samuel Desfountain, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Samuel Desfountain, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Samuel Desfountain, £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob, salary as adjutant, £22 16s 3d Solomon Jacob, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Total for Solomon Jacob, £29 13s 1½d Sergeants: Robert Cage, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d John Tull, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d John Steward, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahoney, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Total for sergeants, £30 8s 4d Corporals: Jonathan Lake, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Silvanus Rolf, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Payne, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d William Bannister, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Total for corporals, £21 5s 10d Drummers: Henry Howell, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Total for drummers, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: John Ware Welsh, pay as cadet, £7 12s 1d John Allis, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Attinstall, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Hans Ulrich Algayer, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Alman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Buckley, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John William Blank, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Berwick, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d David Belford, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Brown, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Blackman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Coram, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £49 0s 6½d Total carried forward, £902 19s 5½d Interpretations A sentinel's pay of £3 16s 0½d for the quarter worked out at about 10d a day, noticeably more than the 8d a day paid to a private of foot in the British army at the same date. The sergeants' £7 12s 1d came to roughly 20d a day, again above the British rate. The Company had to offer better pay to recruit and keep men on a remote island where desertion by ship was a constant risk and where most goods cost more than in England. Unlike the royal army, the Company also paid its soldiers directly through its own quarterly lists, alongside its civil servants. John Ware Welsh served as a cadet, a young man of some standing who carried a musket in the ranks while waiting for a vacancy as an officer. His pay matched a sergeant's, reflecting his expectation of rising. Phillip Mahoney appeared both as a sergeant and, on the previous page, as clerk of the peace, another example of the Company filling civil posts from the garrison's literate men. Hans Ulrich Algayer's name shows that the garrison included German or Swiss recruits. The East India Company regularly enlisted soldiers from the German states and Switzerland to fill ranks that British recruiting alone could not supply. The adjutant, Solomon Jacob, was the officer responsible for the company's daily orders, drill and discipline, which explains why his salary exceeded that of the lieutenants. |
320 | 313 | 1763 Brought over £902 19s 5½d Centinels brought over £49 8s 6½d Edward Corker £3 16s ½d Isaac Day £3 16s ½d Henry Dudley £3 16s ½d Anthony Day £3 16s ½d John Davis £3 16s ½d John Dove £3 16s ½d Samuel Eales £3 16s ½d Jacob Espley £3 16s ½d James Fox £3 16s ½d John Finney £3 16s ½d Cornelius Fisk £3 16s ½d Jonathan Gedby £3 16s ½d James Hall £3 16s ½d Alexander Hall £3 16s ½d William Hawkes £3 16s ½d William Johnson £3 16s ½d George Kibbet £3 16s ½d Richard Knight £3 16s ½d William Kellefor £3 16s ½d William Luke £3 16s ½d Charles Lucas £3 16s ½d Peter Lindsay died January 26th £1 1s 0d John Laset discharged March 4th £2 12s 6d Duncan McClaron £3 16s ½d William Mumford £3 16s ½d John May £3 16s ½d Martin Newman £3 16s ½d Charles Purefoy £3 16s ½d John Pickering £3 16s ½d William Bowlen £3 16s ½d Thomas Price £3 16s ½d Michael Read £3 16s ½d Thomas Roberts £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £171 0s 0d Carried over £902 19s 5½d | The pay list for the sentinels of the First Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £49 8s 6½d, within an overall total of £902 19s 5½d. Total brought forward, £902 19s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £49 8s 6½d Edward Corker, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Isaac Day, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Dudley, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Day, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Davis, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Dove, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eales, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Espey, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Fox, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Finney, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Cornelius Fish, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Godby, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Hall, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Hall, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Hawkes, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Johnson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Kibbet, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Knight, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Hellyer, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Luke, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Charles Lewis, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Peter Lindsay, pay as sentinel until his death on 26 January 1763, £1 1s 0d John Lamb, pay as sentinel until his discharge on 4 March 1763, £2 12s 6d Duncan McClaron, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Mumford, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John May, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Martin Newman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Charles Purefoy, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Pickering, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Pawson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Price, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Michael Reed, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Roberts, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £171 0s 0d Total carried forward, £902 19s 5½d Interpretations Soldiers were paid by the day, and the Company stopped a man's pay precisely on the date he left its service. Peter Lindsay's £1 1s 0d covered the 26 days to his death on 26 January 1763, and John Lamb's £2 12s 6d the 63 days to his discharge on 4 March 1763, both at the standard rate of 10d a day. The full quarter's pay of £3 16s 0½d rested on the same daily rate across the 91 days from January to March. Calculating pay by the day meant the list doubled as a record of each man's service, and any sum above the daily entitlement would have shown at once when the directors checked the figures. The sentinels were entered in alphabetical order by surname rather than by length of service. Keeping the roll in this form let the paymaster find any man quickly and compare the pay list against the muster rolls, making it harder to draw pay for soldiers who had died, deserted or never existed. |
321 | 314 | 18th April Brought over £902 19s 5½d Centinels brought over £171 0s 0d Anthony Reed £3 16s ½d William Roebuck £3 16s ½d William Robinson £3 16s ½d Anthony Reynolds Entertained Febry 21 £1 12s 6d William Swaby £3 16s ½d John Springthorp £3 16s ½d Henry Schuyver £3 16s ½d Edward Terry £3 16s ½d John Taylor £3 16s ½d John Willingdale £3 16s ½d Richard Wheeler £3 16s ½d Benjamin Wise £3 16s ½d William Watkins £3 16s ½d Thomas Windall £3 16s ½d George Young £3 16s ½d William Yates £3 16s ½d Richard Youcas £3 16s ½d £233 9s 2d Second Company Henry Buell Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Michael Frost Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech Lieutent Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Serjeants John Birzell £7 12s 1d William Beale £7 12s 1d John Burnham £7 12s 1d William Burgount £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Carried over £1267 13s 2½d | The pay list for the sentinels of the First Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £171 0s 0d, within an overall total of £902 19s 5½d. Total brought forward, £902 19s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £171 0s 0d Anthony Reed, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Roebuck, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Reynolds, pay as sentinel from his enlistment on 21 February 1763, £1 12s 6d William Swaby, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Springthorp, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Schuyver, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Terry, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Taylor, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Willingdale, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Wheeler, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Wise, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Watkins, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Young, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Yates, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Y[...], pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels of the First Company, £233 9s 2d Second Company: Henry Bazett, salary as captain, £45 12s 6d Michael Frost, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Michael Frost, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Michael Frost, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Michael Frost, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Thomas Leech, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Leech, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Thomas Leech, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants: John Bizzell, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d William Beale, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d John Burnham, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d William Co[...], pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Total for sergeants, £30 8s 4d Total carried forward, £1,267 13s 2½d Interpretations Anthony Reynolds was paid from the day of his enlistment on 21 February 1763, and his £1 12s 6d matched exactly 39 days at the standard 10d a day. His entry shows that the garrison still recruited during the quarter, probably from sailors or passengers willing to leave their ships at St Helena, since the island had no other source of new men between the arrival of recruits from England. Michael Frost, a lieutenant of the Second Company, was the same man paid on the civil list as cleaner of the Castle's clocks and instruments. The fee was small beside his military pay, but it shows how officers with a mechanical skill could add to their income by serving the Company in a second capacity. The two companies had identical establishments of officers and sergeants at identical rates, with each captain drawing £45 12s 6d a quarter, so the garrison's cost could be calculated and checked by company. |
322 | 315 | 1763 Brought over £1267 13s 2½d Corporals William Bell £5 6s 5½d Thomas Woffington £5 6s 5½d John Slade from 1 January to Janry 24th [...] £1 9s 0d Do Centinel from Janry the 5th £2 15s 0d William Hovass £5 6s 5½d £20 2s 4½d Drummers John Caffyn £5 6s 5½d Lewis King £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Samuel Alstone £3 16s ½d Joseph Banks £3 16s ½d William Bickett £3 16s ½d William Buck £3 16s ½d William Brooks £3 16s ½d Peter Brown £3 16s ½d Robert Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Bryan £3 16s ½d Thomas Bott £3 16s ½d Nicholas Bushel £3 16s ½d Daniel Bury £3 16s ½d Edward Cuzens £3 16s ½d John Cosby £3 16s ½d William Clay £3 16s ½d Robert Dickens £3 16s ½d Thomas Eastwick £3 16s ½d Peter Eglestone £3 16s ½d George French £3 16s ½d William Finch £3 16s ½d William Fullwood £3 16s ½d William Foy £3 16s ½d George Freeman £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £83 12s 11d Carried over £1298 8s 6d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the Second Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £1,267 13s 2½d. Total brought forward, £1,267 13s 2½d Corporals: William Bell, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Woffington, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d John Slade, pay as corporal from 1 January 1763 to 24 January 1763, £1 8s 0d John Slade, pay as sentinel from 25 January 1763, £2 15s 0d William Hoops, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Total for corporals, £20 2s 4½d Drummers: John Caffyn, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Lewis King, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Total for drummers, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: Samuel Alstone, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Banks, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Bickett, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Beck, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Brooks, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Peter Brown, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Robert Brown, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Bryan, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Bott, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Nicholas Bushel, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Daniel Brey, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Cozens, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Cossey, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Clay, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Robert Dickens, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Eastwick, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Peter Eglestone, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George French, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Finch, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Fullwood, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Foy, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Freeman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £83 12s 11d Total carried forward, £1,298 8s 6d Interpretations John Slade served as a corporal for the first 24 days of January 1763 and as a sentinel from 25 January 1763 onwards, and the paymaster split his quarter's pay accordingly. His £1 8s 0d as corporal came to exactly 14d a day, and his £2 15s 0d as sentinel to 10d a day over the remaining 66 days. A fall in rank part way through a quarter usually marked reduction to the ranks as a punishment, often ordered by a court martial for drunkenness or neglect of duty. The daily pay system turned that sentence into an immediate loss of 4d a day, a penalty the man felt at the next pay day. |
323 | 316 | 18th April Brought over £1298 8s 6d Centinels brought over £83 12s 11d John Forbes from Janry 1 to y 24th Inst made Corpl £1 0s 0d Do Corporl from Jan 25th Inclusive £3 17s 0d James Frankling March 4th Discharged £2 12s 6d Thomas Greenslade £3 16s ½d John Goodvall £3 16s ½d John Hautting £3 16s ½d William Harris £3 16s ½d William Hays £3 16s ½d Thomas Harding £3 16s ½d Abraham Harding £3 16s ½d John Hawkswood £3 16s ½d Samuel Hiles £3 16s ½d William Hockley £3 16s ½d Arnold Hivenson £3 16s ½d John Holloway £3 16s ½d John Holbrook £3 16s ½d James Hudson £3 16s ½d James Huxley £3 16s ½d Samuel Instone £3 16s ½d Richard Jones £3 16s ½d Samuel Kilson £3 16s ½d Evan Knowles £3 16s ½d Michael Mulis £3 16s ½d Thomas Muge £3 16s ½d Edward Mitchell Discharged March 4th £2 12s 6d William Penny Do £2 12s 6d Samuel Perry £3 16s ½d William Pinchen £3 16s ½d Roger Phillips £3 16s ½d Abraham Renno £3 16s ½d James Sherlock £3 16s ½d William Skadmore £3 16s ½d John Christain Shrefe £3 16s ½d Thomas Stowers £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £206 12s 7½d Carried over £1298 8s 6d | The pay list for the sentinels of the Second Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £83 12s 11d, within an overall total of £1,298 8s 6d. Total brought forward, £1,298 8s 6d Sentinels brought forward, £83 12s 11d John Forbes, pay as sentinel from 1 January 1763 to 24 January 1763, £1 0s 0d John Forbes, pay as corporal from 25 January 1763, £3 17s 0d James Frankling, pay as sentinel until his discharge on 4 March 1763, £2 12s 6d Thomas Greenslade, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Goodall, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Hawting, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Harris, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Hays, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Harding, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Harding, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Hawkswood, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Hiles, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Hockley, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Arnold Hewson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Holloway, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Holbrook, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Hudson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Huxley, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Inskone, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Jones, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Kilson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Evan Knowles, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Michael Mulis, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Mudge, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Mitchell, pay as sentinel until his discharge on 4 March 1763, £2 12s 6d William Penny, pay as sentinel until his discharge on 4 March 1763, £2 12s 6d Samuel Perry, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Pinchen, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Roger Phillips, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Penno, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Sherlock, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Scudamore, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Christian Shreve, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Stowers, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £206 12s 7½d Total carried forward, £1,298 8s 6d Interpretations John Forbes rose from sentinel to corporal on 25 January 1763, the same day that John Slade of the same company fell from corporal to sentinel. The two entries record a single exchange: Slade's reduction created a vacancy and Forbes filled it at once, so the company never lacked its full complement of corporals. The paymaster calculated Forbes's pay at 10d a day for the 24 days before his promotion and 14d a day for the 66 days after it. James Frankling, Edward Mitchell and William Penny were all discharged on 4 March 1763, the same date as John Lamb of the First Company. Four men leaving the garrison on a single day points to a planned release rather than individual cases. They were perhaps men whose terms of service had expired, sent home together on a ship then leaving the road for England. |
324 | 317 | 1763 Brought over £1298 8s 6d Centinels brought over £206 12s 7½d William Taylor £3 16s ½d John Tucker £3 16s ½d Avery Trueman £3 16s ½d Luke Vernon £3 16s ½d Thomas Wansell £3 16s ½d George Watts £3 16s ½d Richd Wetman £3 16s ½d £233 4s 11d Third Company Richard Beale Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Thomas Barett Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwaters Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Serjeants Roger Wetman £7 12s 1d George Bazett £7 12s 1d John Robinson £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals John Limmon £5 6s 5½d William Hill £5 6s 5½d Robert Gambel £5 6s 5½d Thomas Taylor from Janry 1 to Febry 1 Incl Reduced £1 17s 4d Do Centinel from February the 1 Inclusive £2 8s 4d £20 5s ½d Drummers John Swails £5 6s 5½d George Garrard £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Carried over £1693 15s 11½d | The pay list for the sentinels of the Second Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £206 12s 7½d, within an overall total of £1,298 8s 6d. Total brought forward, £1,298 8s 6d Sentinels brought forward, £206 12s 7½d William Taylor, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Tucker, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Avery Truman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Luke Vernon, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Wansell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Watts, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Witman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels of the Second Company, £233 4s 11d Third Company: Richard Beale, salary as captain, £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Thomas Bazett, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Thomas Bazett, £27 11s 10½d John Bridgwater, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d John Bridgwater, diet money, £6 16s 10½d John Bridgwater, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for John Bridgwater, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants: Roger Witman, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d George Bazett, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d John Robinson, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Total for sergeants, £30 8s 4d Corporals: John Linnen, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d William Hill, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Robert Gamble, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Taylor, pay as corporal from 1 January 1763 until his reduction on 1 February 1763, £1 17s 4d Thomas Taylor, pay as sentinel from 2 February 1763, £2 8s 4d Total for corporals, £20 5s 0½d Drummers: John Swaits, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d George Garrard, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Total for drummers, £10 12s 11d Total carried forward, £1,693 15s 11½d Interpretations The Bazett family held posts at almost every level of the island's service. Matthew Bazett was the Council's secretary and a coroner, Henry Bazett captain of the Second Company, Thomas Bazett a lieutenant of the Third and George Bazett a sergeant in the same company. On a small island with few educated men available for office, one family could come to dominate both civil and military appointments. The Company tolerated such networks because they supplied reliable local servants, though they also concentrated patronage and influence in a few hands. Richard Beale, captain of the Third Company, was the same man paid on the civil list as judge advocate and schoolmaster. His combination of offices gave him three separate incomes and placed military command, prosecution and the teaching of the island's children in a single person's care. Thomas Taylor was reduced from corporal to sentinel on 1 February 1763, the second such reduction in the garrison that quarter after John Slade's on 24 January 1763. The paymaster charged the 32 days to his reduction at the corporal's 14d a day and the remaining 58 days at the sentinel's 10d. |
325 | 318 | 18th April Brought over £1693 15s 11½d Centinels Richard Ashford £3 16s ½d Henry Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Bell £3 16s ½d Mark Bells £3 16s ½d Benjamin Bennet £3 16s ½d Frederick William Beard £3 16s ½d John Blackom £3 16s ½d John Cripps £3 16s ½d John Cork £3 16s ½d Joseph Chamberlain £3 16s ½d William Clifton £3 16s ½d Baron Deloss £3 16s ½d William Dicks £3 16s ½d Charles Edgles £3 16s ½d Samuel Eagle £3 16s ½d William Foster £3 16s ½d Thomas Greystock £3 16s ½d Alexander Grey £3 16s ½d Thomas Hends £3 16s ½d Felix Hyder £3 16s ½d John Hilliard £3 16s ½d Robert Inchwest £3 16s ½d Thomas Jones £3 16s ½d William Joskins Executed Febry 10th £1 14s 2d Thomas Kipper Drowned March ye 21st £3 6s 8d Thomas Kennedy Discharged March ye 4 £2 12s 6d Alexander Kitchen £3 16s ½d James Kemp £3 16s ½d James Lee £3 16s ½d Edward Low £3 16s ½d Richard Linney £3 16s ½d William Livingstone £3 16s ½d Lewis Lempfried £3 16s ½d John Long £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £125 10s 7½d Carried over £1693 15s 11½d | The pay list for the sentinels of the Third Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 began from an overall running total of £1,693 15s 11½d. Total brought forward, £1,693 15s 11½d Sentinels: Richard Ashford, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Brown, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Bell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Mark Bells, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Bennet, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Frederick William Beard, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Blackborn, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Cripps, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Cook, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Chamberlain, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Clifton, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Baron Delosse, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Dicks, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Charles Eagles, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eagle, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Foster, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greystock, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Grey, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hinds, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Felix Hyde, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Hilliard, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Robert Inchwest, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Jones, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Jenkins, pay as sentinel until his execution on 10 February 1763, £1 14s 2d Thomas Kipper, pay as sentinel until he drowned on 21 March 1763, £3 6s 8d Thomas Kennedy, pay as sentinel until his discharge on 4 March 1763, £2 12s 6d Alexander Kitchen, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Kemp, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Lee, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Low, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Linney, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Livingstone, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Lewis Lampfield, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Long, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £125 10s 7½d Total carried forward, £1,693 15s 11½d Interpretations William Jenkins was executed on 10 February 1763, and the paymaster credited him with exactly 41 days' pay at 10d a day up to that date. A soldier's execution on the island would have followed a sentence of death by court martial or by the island's criminal court, most probably for desertion, mutiny or a violent crime. The Company's accounting took no notice of the cause: his pay simply ran to the day of his death and stopped, and the sum would have gone towards his debts or his effects. Thomas Kipper drowned on 21 March 1763 and was paid for 80 days, while Thomas Kennedy became the fifth soldier across the three companies discharged on 4 March 1763. That date now covered John Lamb, James Frankling, Edward Mitchell, William Penny and Kennedy. The pattern strengthens the likelihood that these men left the island together, probably on a single ship bound for England. Joseph Chamberlain, listed here as a sentinel, was the same man paid on the civil list as carpenter's mate. Soldiers with a trade were often employed on the Company's works, and their extra pay as craftsmen rewarded skills in short supply on the island. |
326 | 319 | 1763 Brought over £1693 15s 11½d Centinels brought over £125 10s 7½d John Langridge £3 16s ½d Edward Lamburn £3 16s ½d Abraham Major £3 16s ½d Charles Montague £3 16s ½d Richard Moyce £3 16s ½d William Mason Senr £3 16s ½d John Maurice £3 16s ½d Thomas Morriss £3 16s ½d William Mason Junr £3 16s ½d John Passwater £3 16s ½d Thomas Perry £3 16s ½d Joseph Phillips £3 16s ½d James Pocket £3 16s ½d Thomas Pearce £3 16s ½d Henry Pinchen £3 16s ½d William Robinson from Janry 1 to Febry 1 Inclusive made Corporal £1 6s 8d Do Corporal from February 2d Inclusive £3 7s 8d John Henry Schallenhurst £3 16s ½d David Scott £3 16s ½d John Smith Senr £3 16s ½d John Smith Junr £3 16s ½d Robert Stack £3 16s ½d Adam Scott £3 16s ½d John Thomson £3 16s ½d Joseph Uffin £3 16s ½d John Wibird £3 16s ½d John Waters £3 16s ½d James York £3 16s ½d £229 2s ½d Fourth Company John Howard Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Henry De Laune Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Carried over £2096 2s 4½d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the sentinels of the Third Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £125 10s 7½d, within an overall total of £1,693 15s 11½d. Total brought forward, £1,693 15s 11½d Sentinels brought forward, £125 10s 7½d John Langridge, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Lamburn, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Major, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Charles Montague, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moyse, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Mason the elder, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Maurice, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Morris, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Mason the younger, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Pessmaker, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Perry, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Phillips, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Procter, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Pearce, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Pinchen, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, pay as sentinel from 1 January 1763 to 1 February 1763, £1 6s 8d William Robinson, pay as corporal from 2 February 1763, £3 7s 8d John Henry Schaarenhorst, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d David Scott, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Smith the elder, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Smith the younger, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Robert Stack, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Adam Scott, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Thomson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Uffin, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Wibird, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Waters, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James York, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels of the Third Company, £329 2s 0½d Fourth Company: John Howard, salary as captain, £45 12s 6d Henry De Laune, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Henry De Laune, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Henry De Laune, house rent, £2 10s 0d Total for Henry De Laune, £27 11s 10½d Total carried forward, £2,096 2s 4½d Interpretations William Robinson was promoted to corporal on 2 February 1763, the day after Thomas Taylor of the same company was reduced to the ranks. The pattern repeated what had happened in the Second Company in January, when John Forbes took John Slade's place on the very day of Slade's reduction. Each company's officers filled a corporal's vacancy at once from the sentinels, so that the cost of the establishment stayed fixed and only the individuals changed. Two pairs of men with the same name, William Mason and John Smith, were distinguished as elder and younger. The terms may have marked fathers and sons serving together, but in military rolls they more often served simply to separate unrelated men of the same name by age or length of service, so that pay could not be drawn twice or credited to the wrong soldier. |
327 | 320 | 18th April Brought over £2096 2s 4½d Thomas Lambert Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £25 1s 10½d Serjeants John Fleming £7 12s 1d Thomas Tettes £7 12s 1d Henry Harper £7 12s 1d George Finn from Janry 1 to the 17th Incl Reduced £1 8s 4d Do Centinel from Janry 18th Inclusive £3 0s 10d £27 5s 5d Corporals George Hillesheim from Janry 1 to the 17th Incl made Serjeant £0 19s 10d Do Serjeant from Janry ye 18 Inclusive £6 1s 8d Alexander Groombridge £5 6s 5½d Richard Wright £5 6s 5½d Christain Hosmeile £5 6s 5½d £23 0s 10½d Drummers George Wells £5 6s 5½d Robert Davis £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Daniel Arman £3 16s ½d John Allen £3 16s ½d George Bennet £3 16s ½d John Blackwell £3 16s ½d Joseph Blackwell £3 16s ½d Michael Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Barnard £3 16s ½d James Cartwright £3 16s ½d George Capiling £3 16s ½d William Corksay £3 16s ½d Duncan Cameron £3 16s ½d Jonathan Chandler £3 16s ½d Henry Coster £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £49 8s 6½d Carried over £2182 3s 5½d | The pay list for the Fourth Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £2,096 2s 4½d. Total brought forward, £2,096 2s 4½d Thomas Lambert, salary as lieutenant, £18 5s 0d Thomas Lambert, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Total for Thomas Lambert, £25 1s 10½d Sergeants: John Fleming, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Thomas Jettis, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d Henry Harper, pay as sergeant, £7 12s 1d George Finn, pay as sergeant from 1 January 1763 until his reduction on 17 January 1763, £1 8s 4d George Finn, pay as sentinel from 18 January 1763, £3 0s 10d Total for sergeants, £27 5s 5d Corporals: George Hillesheim, pay as corporal from 1 January 1763 to 17 January 1763, £0 19s 10d George Hillesheim, pay as sergeant from 18 January 1763, £6 1s 8d Alexander Groombridge, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Richard Wright, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Christian Hornicle, pay as corporal, £5 6s 5½d Total for corporals, £23 0s 10½d Drummers: George Wilts, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Robert Dews, pay as drummer, £5 6s 5½d Total for drummers, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: Daniel Armain, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Allen, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Bennet, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Blackwell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Blackwell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Michael Brown, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Barnard, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Cartwright, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Capling, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Cooksay, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Duncan Cameron, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Chandler, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Coster, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £49 8s 6½d Total carried forward, £2,182 3s 5½d Interpretations George Finn was reduced from sergeant straight to sentinel on 17 January 1763, passing over the rank of corporal entirely. His fall cost him half his daily pay, from 20d to 10d. George Hillesheim, a corporal, was promoted to sergeant the next day to fill the vacancy, just as corporals' places had been filled on the day of each reduction in the Second and Third Companies. Across the four companies the quarter saw three reductions of non-commissioned officers within a month, on 17 January, 24 January and 1 February 1763, which perhaps points to a drive by the officers to tighten discipline in the garrison early in the year. The names Hillesheim and Hornicle, like Algayer and Schaarenhorst elsewhere in the lists, confirm a significant German element in the garrison. That Hillesheim reached the rank of sergeant shows foreign recruits could rise to positions of trust, which required both literacy and the confidence of the officers. |
328 | 321 | 1763 Brought over £2182 3s 5½d Centinels brought over £49 8s 6½d James Culsher £3 16s ½d John Cunningham £3 16s ½d Henry Davis £3 16s ½d John Custone £3 16s ½d George Green £3 16s ½d Richard Goulding £3 16s ½d John Gilmore £3 16s ½d Christain Greenawald £3 16s ½d Joseph Gilder £3 16s ½d Matthew Godlip Died February 7th £1 11s 8d Edward Gorman £3 16s ½d Joseph Good £3 16s ½d Thomas Hailes £3 16s ½d Henry Harenburg £3 16s ½d James Hendry £3 16s ½d Thomas Hilliard from Janry the 1 to ye 17th Inst made Corpl £0 14s 2d Do Corporal from January the 18th Inclusive £4 3s 2d John Howeston £3 16s ½d Stephen John £3 16s ½d Henry Jenkins £3 16s ½d Christain Johnson £3 16s ½d William Lamburn £3 16s ½d William Lasocke £3 16s ½d John Marsh £3 16s ½d Richard Moreton £3 16s ½d Simon Mason £3 16s ½d Murdock McCloed £3 16s ½d John Baptist Mitchland £3 16s ½d John McAllister £3 16s ½d William Mitchel £3 16s ½d Littleton Pigott £3 16s ½d Francis Powell £3 16s ½d Thomas Pown £3 16s ½d James Richardson £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £173 16s 10d Carried over £2182 3s 5½d | The pay list for the sentinels of the Fourth Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £49 8s 6½d, within an overall total of £2,182 3s 5½d. Total brought forward, £2,182 3s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £49 8s 6½d James Culsher, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Cunningham, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Davis, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Cudone, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d George Green, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Goulding, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Gilmore, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Christian Greenawald, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Gilder, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Matthew Godlip, pay as sentinel until his death on 7 February 1763, £1 11s 8d Edward Gorman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Good, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hailes, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Havenburg, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Hendry, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hilliard, pay as sentinel from 1 January 1763 to 17 January 1763, £0 14s 2d Thomas Hilliard, pay as corporal from 18 January 1763, £4 5s 2d John Howieson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Stephen John, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Henry Jenkins, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Christian Johnson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Lamburn, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Laycock, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Marsh, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moreton, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Simon Mason, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Murdock McLeod, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Baptist Mitchland, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John McAlister, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Mitchel, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Littleton Pigott, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Francis Powell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Bowen, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Richardson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels carried forward, £173 16s 10d Total carried forward, £2,182 3s 5½d Interpretations Thomas Hilliard's promotion to corporal on 18 January 1763 completed a chain of three moves in the Fourth Company on consecutive days. George Finn lost his sergeant's rank on 17 January, George Hillesheim rose from corporal to sergeant the next day, and Hilliard took the corporal's place Hillesheim had vacated. A single reduction thus passed down through each rank to the sentinels, with every man's pay adjusted from the exact day of his change and the company's establishment restored within 24 hours. Matthew Godlip died on 7 February 1763 and was paid for 38 days. With Peter Lindsay, William Jenkins and Thomas Kipper, he was the fourth soldier across the garrison to die during the quarter, from causes the pay list did not record except in the cases of Jenkins's execution and Kipper's drowning. |
329 | 322 | 18th April Brought over £2182 3s 5½d Centinels brought over £173 16s 10d Patrick Riley £3 16s ½d Thomas Rutherford £3 16s ½d John Scotcher £3 16s ½d John Shaw £3 16s ½d William Sechman £3 16s ½d James Shadd £3 16s ½d John Swindall £3 16s ½d John Sheens £3 16s ½d John Smith £3 16s ½d Zedekiah Saunderson £3 16s ½d Frederick Shaffer £3 16s ½d Thomas Taffnell £3 16s ½d John Thompson £3 16s ½d John Vaughan £3 16s ½d Edward Webber died Janry the 9th £0 7s 6d Jeremiah Whorrell £3 16s ½d William Wells £3 16s ½d John Oswald £3 16s ½d £238 17s ½d Artillery Company Thomas Hall Master Gunner Salary £22 16s 3d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Gunners Mates Nathan Semple Chief Mate £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch £9 2s 6d Adam Watson £9 2s 6d James Long £9 2s 6d John Jacks £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor £9 2s 6d John Shirley £9 2s 6d Richard Wakehouse £9 2s 6d £75 5s 7½d Carried over £2525 19s 3d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the sentinels of the Fourth Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £173 16s 10d, within an overall total of £2,182 3s 5½d. Total brought forward, £2,182 3s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £173 16s 10d Patrick Riley, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Rutherford, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Scotcher, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Shaw, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Seaman, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d James Shadd, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Swindall, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Sheens, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Smith, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Jedediah Saunderson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Frederick Shaffer, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Tuffnell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Thompson, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Vaughan, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Edward Webber, pay as sentinel until his death on 9 January 1763, £0 7s 6d Jeremiah Whorell, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d William Wills, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d John Oswald, pay as sentinel, £3 16s 0½d Total for sentinels of the Fourth Company, £230 17s 0½d Artillery Company: Thomas Hall, salary as master gunner, £22 16s 3d Thomas Hall, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Total for Thomas Hall, £29 13s 1½d Gunner's mates: Nathan Sample, pay as chief gunner's mate, £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d Adam Watson, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d James Long, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d John Jacks, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d John Shirley, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d Richard Waterhouse, pay as gunner's mate, £9 2s 6d Total for gunner's mates, £75 5s 7½d Total carried forward, £2,517 19s 3d Interpretations The artillery was paid far more than the infantry. A gunner's mate received £9 2s 6d for the quarter, about 2s a day, more than double a sentinel's 10d and above even an infantry sergeant's 20d. The difference reflected the skill required to lay and fire heavy guns, calculate charges and maintain powder and shot, and the island's dependence on its batteries rather than its foot soldiers to keep enemy ships out of the road. The master gunner's salary matched the adjutant's, placing him on the same footing as a commissioned officer. Jedediah Saunderson, entered here as a sentinel, was also paid on the civil list as a groom, one more soldier earning a second income from the Company's service. Edward Webber died on 9 January 1763, only nine days into the quarter, making him the earliest of the five deaths recorded across the garrison's pay lists. |
330 | 323 | 1763 Brought over £2425 19s 3d Quarter Gunners Andrew Borton £6 16s 10½d Thomas Jones £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham £6 16s 10½d Daniel Young £6 16s 10½d John Frederick Walters £6 16s 10½d William Fletcher £6 16s 10½d George Nelson £6 16s 10½d Joshua Ratliff £6 16s 10½d £54 15s 0d Matrosses William Benson £4 11s 3d John Adam Brazer £4 11s 3d Benjamin Brolson £4 11s 3d William Brown £4 11s 3d Isaac Buck £4 11s 3d Richard Brown £4 11s 3d John Brown Discharged March 4th £3 3s 0d John Coop £4 11s 3d John Cox £4 11s 3d John Cripwell £4 11s 3d Thomas Collier £4 11s 3d Thomas Clark £4 11s 3d Christain Dyett £4 11s 3d Michael Downing £4 11s 3d John Dande £4 11s 3d Edward Durand £4 11s 3d John Frederick Emmerling £4 11s 3d Daniel Fenn £4 11s 3d William Isaac Ford £4 11s 3d John Grainger £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock £4 11s 3d William Hodges £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton £4 11s 3d Edward Jennins £4 11s 0d Matrosses Carried over £108 1s 9d Carried over £2480 14s 3d | The pay list for the Artillery Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £2,425 19s 3d. Total brought forward, £2,425 19s 3d Quarter gunners: Andrew Boston, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Jones, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d Daniel Young, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d John Frederick Walters, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d William Fletcher, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d George Nelson, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d Joshua Ratliff, pay as quarter gunner, £6 16s 10½d Total for quarter gunners, £54 15s 0d Matrosses: William Benson, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Adam Brazer, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Benjamin Bruton, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Brown, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Isaac Buck, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Richard Brown, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Brown, pay as matross until his discharge on 4 March 1763, £3 3s 0d John Coop, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Cox, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Cresswell, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Thomas Collier, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Thomas Clark, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Christian Dyett, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Michael Downing, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Dando, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Edward Durand, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Frederick Emmerling, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Daniel Fean, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Isaac Ford, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Grainger, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Thomas Haycock, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Hodges, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Nicholas Houghton, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Edward Jennings, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Total for matrosses carried forward, £108 1s 9d Total carried forward, £2,480 14s 3d Interpretations A matross was the lowest rank in the artillery, a soldier who helped the gunners load, sponge, run out and traverse the guns and who carried ammunition to them. Matrosses were paid £4 11s 3d for the quarter, exactly 1s a day, a fifth more than an infantry sentinel. Quarter gunners ranked between the matrosses and the gunner's mates, each usually responsible for a small group of guns and their stores, and earned about 18d a day. The graded pay made the artillery a distinct and better-rewarded service within the garrison, with a clear ladder of promotion for men who learned the trade. John Brown was discharged on 4 March 1763, the sixth man across the garrison to leave on that date, and was paid for 63 days at the matross's shilling a day. John Cresswell, entered here as a matross, was the same man paid on the civil list as master of the longboat, an artilleryman whose seamanship earned him a second post. |
331 | 324 | 18th April Brought over £2480 14s 3d Matrosses brought over £108 1s 9d Richard Kempton £4 11s 3d William Lester £4 11s 3d Bryon Linch £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel £4 11s 3d Daniel Maloney £4 11s 3d Evan Nowland £4 11s 3d Thomas Nimble £4 11s 3d William Pidgion £4 11s 3d John Pluck £4 11s 3d William Phillips £4 11s 3d John Piplow £4 11s 3d William Poulton £4 11s 3d John Robinson £4 11s 3d Christopher Reynolds £4 11s 3d John Slater £4 11s 3d Frederick Simmerman £4 11s 3d John Stow £4 11s 3d George Streight £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith £4 11s 3d Godfrey Smith £4 11s 3d John Tanner £4 11s 3d Richard Tink £4 11s 3d John Thomason £4 11s 3d Thomas Watts £4 11s 3d Thomas Wyatt £4 11s 3d John Mitchel Wageling £4 11s 3d John Ward £4 11s 3d John Webbley £4 11s 3d Nathaniel Young £4 11s 3d £240 8s 0d £2721 2s 3d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the matrosses of the Artillery Company for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763 continued from a running total of £108 1s 9d, within an overall total of £2,480 14s 3d. Total brought forward, £2,480 14s 3d Matrosses brought forward, £108 1s 9d Richard Kempton, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Lester, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Bryan Linch, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Peter Mitchel, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Daniel Maloney, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Evan Nowland, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Thomas Nimble, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Pidgeon, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Pluck, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Phillips, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Piplow, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d William Poulton, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Robinson, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Christopher Reynolds, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Slater, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Frederick Zimmerman, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Stow, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d George Knight, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Godfrey Smith, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Turner, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Richard Tink, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Thomason, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Thomas Watts, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Thomas Wyatt, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Mitchel Wageling, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Ward, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d John Webley, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Nathaniel Young, pay as matross, £4 11s 3d Total for matrosses, £240 8s 0d Total of salaries and pay for the quarter, £2,721 2s 3d Interpretations The quarter's pay bill came to £2,721 2s 3d, or roughly £10,900 a year. The civil officers and servants, from the Governor down to the clerk, accounted for about £710 of the total, and the four infantry companies and the artillery for the remaining £2,010. Close to three quarters of the Company's wage bill on St Helena therefore went to the garrison. The figures show plainly what the island was for in the Company's eyes: a fortified station guarding the homeward route from India, with civil government a modest overhead on a military establishment. The artillery, with its master gunner, gunner's mates, quarter gunners and over 50 matrosses, cost more per man than any infantry company and was among the largest single units in the garrison. Its size reflected the island's reliance on its batteries to deter attack, since a small garrison could hold the few landing places only if its guns commanded the approaches. George Knight, entered here as a matross, was the same man paid on the civil list as armourer. He was one of several artillerymen and soldiers, among them John Cresswell, Jedediah Saunderson and Joseph Chamberlain, whose second posts gave the Company skilled labour without adding to its establishment of civil servants. |
332 | 325 | Thomas Kirkpatrick Dr Per Contra Cr 1763 March 31 To Cash received £2093 5s 11d Carried over £2093 5s 11d 1763 Janry 18th By Cash paid Richard Law as Clerk of the Arraingments at two General Quarter Sessions £1 10s 0d By Cash paid John Langridge as Cryer of Do £0 10s 0d Febry 21st By Cash paid Anthony Reynolds for Enlisting to serve the Honorable Company as a Soldier for five Years commencing this Day £10 0s 0d March 21st By Cash paid Robert Brown William Taylor and Thomas Wansell for Relisting to serve the Honorable Company as Soldiers for five Years longer commencing this Day £30 0s 0d 24 By Cash paid Captain Alexander Hume for a Long Boat for the use of the Honorable Company £30 0s 0d 31st By Cash paid William Finch for Glazing work done this Quarter £0 6s 0d By Cash paid Robert Brown for painters work done this Quarter £0 8s 3d By Cash paid James Culsher for lighting Lamps this Quarter £0 10s 0d Carried over £73 4s 3d Margin Notes: 1763 | Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick kept an account of the cash he received and paid out on the Company's behalf in the first quarter of 1763. Received: 31 March 1763, cash received, £2,903 5s 11d Total carried forward, £2,093 5s 11d Paid: 18 January 1763, Richard Law as clerk of the arraignments at two general quarter sessions, £1 10s 0d 18 January 1763, John Langridge as crier at the same two quarter sessions, £0 10s 0d 21 February 1763, Anthony Reynolds for enlisting as a soldier in the Company's service for five years from that day, £10 0s 0d 21 March 1763, Robert Brown, William Taylor and Thomas Wansell for re-enlisting as soldiers for a further five years from that day, £30 0s 0d 24 March 1763, Captain Alexander Hume for a longboat for the Company's use, £30 0s 0d 31 March 1763, William Finch for glazing work done during the quarter, £0 6s 0d 31 March 1763, Robert Brown for painting work done during the quarter, £0 8s 3d 31 March 1763, James Culsher for lighting lamps during the quarter, £0 10s 0d Total carried forward, £73 4s 3d Interpretations The Company paid a bounty of £10 to each man who enlisted or re-enlisted for five years, a sum equal to about 240 days of a sentinel's pay. Anthony Reynolds received his on 21 February 1763, the same date the pay list recorded as the start of his service. Robert Brown, William Taylor and Thomas Wansell, all serving soldiers, took the same sum to extend their engagements. Paying serving men to stay was cheaper and more certain than bringing new recruits out from England, and on an island where men could slip away on passing ships it bought the garrison five more years of trained soldiers. The general quarter sessions were the island's regular criminal court, sitting four times a year under the Governor and Council as justices. The clerk of the arraignments read the charges to prisoners and recorded their pleas, while the crier opened the court, called witnesses and proclaimed its orders. Both were paid a fee for each sitting. Two sessions paid on 18 January 1763 suggest a heavy calendar early in the year, and William Jenkins, executed on 10 February 1763, was perhaps among those tried. Several of the men paid for work were soldiers earning extra income from their trades. James Culsher, William Finch and Robert Brown all appeared as sentinels on the pay lists, and John Langridge, the crier, was a sentinel of the Third Company. The Company used its garrison as a pool of skilled and semi-skilled labour, paying small fees for glazing, painting and lamp lighting rather than employing separate tradesmen. Captain Alexander Hume was perhaps the commander of a ship in the road who sold one of his vessel's boats to the Company. |
333 | 326 | 18th April Thomas Kirkpatrick Dr 1763 March 31 To Cash brought over £2093 5s 11d Carried over £2093 5s 11d | Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick's cash account for the first quarter of 1763 carried its receipts forward unchanged, with no further sums received. Received: 31 March 1763, cash brought forward, £2,093 5s 11d Total carried forward, £2,093 5s 11d |
334 | 327 | 1763 Per Contra Cr Brought over £73 4s 3d 1763 March 31 By Cash paid William Hays for thatching the Lieutenant Governors House £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Frank Butcher for 16 Fowls for the use of the Ship Admiral Watson £1 2s 6d By Cash paid Robert Ballard for 9 Do for the use of Do £0 13s 6d By Cash paid John Robinson for 20 Do for Do £1 16s 0d By Cash paid Robert Barclay for his care in the Hospital of James Robertson of the Fly Cutter and John Robertson of of the Ship Admiral Watson £3 8s 3d By Cash paid Do for Do of White Wilford one of his Majestys Invalids £3 12s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for working in the Long Boat this Quarter £5 2s 0d By Cash paid Edward Durand for 4 Weeks work done in the Armourers Shop this Quarter £2 0s 6d By Cash paid William Mumford for 4 Weeks work done in Do £1 4s 0d By Cash paid Mark Bells and Michael Read for Baking 79 Batches of Bread for the use of the Garrison this Quarter £6 11s 6d By Cash paid John Sheens for 10 Weeks work done in the Armourers Shop this Quarter £4 10s 0d By Cash paid Orlando Bagley for 10 Bushels of Potatoes for the use of His Majestys Ship Sea Horse £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Jonathan Doveton for 20 Loads of Bamboos and 600 Aples for the use of the Honorable Company £4 18s 0d By Cash paid Stephen Young for thatching the Lieut Governors House £1 13s 0d By Cash paid Thomas Greentree for 20 Rafters for the use of the Honorable Company £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Richard Bagley for 20 Cabbages for the use of His Majestys Ship Ship Sea Horse £2 0s 0d By Cash paid Do for 1025 Lemmons @ 12d for the use of the Honorable Company £1 17s 8d By Cash paid John Hayes for thatching the Lieutenant Governors House £1 0s 0d Carried over £119 3s 2d | Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick's payments for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £73 4s 3d. All of the following were paid on 31 March 1763. Total brought forward, £73 4s 3d William Hays for thatching the Lieutenant Governor's house, £1 0s 0d Frank Butcher for 16 fowls for the ship Admiral Watson, £1 2s 6d Robert Ballard for 9 fowls for the ship Admiral Watson, £0 13s 6d John Robinson for 20 fowls for the ship Admiral Watson, £1 16s 0d Robert Barclay for his care in the hospital of James Robertson of the Fly cutter and John Robertson of the ship Admiral Watson, £3 8s 3d Robert Barclay for his care in the hospital of White Wilford, one of the King's invalid soldiers, £3 12s 0d Various men of the garrison for working in the longboat during the quarter, £5 2s 0d Edward Durand for 4 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £2 0s 6d William Mumford for 4 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £1 4s 0d Mark Bells and Michael Reed for baking 79 batches of bread for the garrison during the quarter, £6 11s 6d John Sheens for 10 weeks' work in the armourer's shop during the quarter, £4 10s 0d Orlando Bagley for 10 bushels of potatoes for the King's ship Sea Horse, £2 10s 0d Jonathan Doveton for 20 loads of bamboos and 600 apples for the Company, £4 18s 0d Stephen Young for thatching the Lieutenant Governor's house, £1 13s 0d Thomas Greentree for 20 rafters for the Company, £1 0s 0d Richard Bagley for 20 cabbages for the King's ship Sea Horse, £2 0s 0d Richard Bagley for 1,025 lemons [...] for the Company, £1 17s 8d John Hays for thatching the Lieutenant Governor's house, £1 0s 0d Total carried forward, £119 3s 2d Interpretations The Company acted as the go-between in the island's refreshment trade with passing ships. It bought fowls, potatoes and cabbages from island planters on behalf of the Admiral Watson and the Sea Horse, paid the growers in cash and then recovered the cost from the ships' accounts. This spared captains the trouble of dealing with dozens of small producers and let the Company control prices and keep the supply of fresh food in its own hands. Fresh vegetables and lemons had a particular value to crews arriving after long passages, since they countered scurvy, and the purchase of over 1,000 lemons suggests the Company was laying in a stock for ships still to come. The surgeon Robert Barclay was paid separately for nursing men from ships and from the King's service. His fees for seamen of the Fly and the Admiral Watson, and for White Wilford of the royal invalids, were costs the Company would reclaim from the owners or from the Crown. The invalids were soldiers of the regular army no longer fit for active service, and Wilford was perhaps left on the island by a passing ship to recover. Soldiers again supplied much of the paid labour. Mark Bells and Michael Reed, both sentinels, baked the garrison's bread, while Edward Durand, a matross, and William Mumford and John Sheens, both sentinels, worked in the armourer's shop for weekly wages on top of their pay. Bamboos were used on the island for light fencing, roof frames and the ribs of thatch, and the thatching of the Lieutenant Governor's house by three separate men points to a building still roofed in local materials rather than slate or tile. |
335 | 328 | 18th April Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1763 March 31 To Cash brought over £2093 5s 11d £2093 5s 11d | Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick, acting as the Company's paymaster, closed the receipts side of his cash account for the first quarter of 1763 with no additional sums received. Received: 31 March 1763, cash brought forward, £2,093 5s 11d Total received, £2,093 5s 11d Interpretations Kirkpatrick's title of paymaster explains why the cash account stood in his name. As captain of the First Company and a member of Council, he also handled the money that passed through the Company's hands on the island, drawing funds from the treasury and paying salaries, bounties, fees and purchases on its behalf. Combining the offices placed a large share of the island's cash under one senior officer, whose account the Council then examined and passed each quarter. |
336 | 329 | 1763 Per Contra Cr Brought over £119 3s 2d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for bringing Express with Account of Ships to Windward £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Thomas Townsend for work done by his apprentice this Quarter £3 5s 0d By Cash paid Nocquedah Bechollum his allowance from the Honorable Company this Quarter £1 12s 6d By Cash paid Charles Gissing for the Rent of a Room for Do £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Joachim Jossa 92 Days at 7½d P Day £2 17s 6d By Cash paid the Drum Major for instructing the Young Drummers this Quarter £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Robert Inchwest for taking care of the Honorable Companys Stock in the Long Wood this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Sundry Garrison Men for 229 days work Haymaking at 1s P Day £11 9s 0d By Cash paid Do for 180 Days work Grubing Furze £9 0s 0d By Cash paid Do for 113 Days work in the Stores £5 13s 0d By Cash paid Do for 252 days Work at the several Fortifications £12 12s 0d By Cash paid Do for 191½ days Work in repairing the Honble Companys Houses £9 11s 6d £182 3s 8d By Cash paid the Honorable Companys Officers and Servts their Several Salarys Diet Money &c for the Quarter commencing January the 1 and ending March 31st 1763 £2721 2s 3d £2093 5s 11d St Helena March the 31st 1763 Errors Excepted (signed) Thos Kirkpatrick P Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of March last which is as follows viz | Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick's payments for the first quarter of 1763 continued from a running total of £119 3s 2d. Total brought forward, £119 3s 2d Various men of the garrison for carrying urgent reports of ships to windward, £2 10s 0d Thomas Townsend for work done by his apprentice during the quarter, £3 5s 0d Nakhoda Bechellum, his allowance from the Company for the quarter, £1 12s 6d Charles Gissing for the rent of a room for Nakhoda Bechellum, £1 0s 0d Joachim Sosa for 92 days at 7½d a day, £2 17s 6d The drum major for teaching the young drummers during the quarter, £1 0s 0d Robert Inchwest for looking after the Company's livestock at Longwood during the quarter, £2 10s 0d Various men of the garrison for 229 days' haymaking at 1s a day, £11 9s 0d Various men of the garrison for 180 days' grubbing up furze, £9 0s 0d Various men of the garrison for 113 days' work in the stores, £5 13s 0d Various men of the garrison for 252 days' work at the fortifications, £12 12s 0d Various men of the garrison for 191½ days' work repairing the Company's houses, £9 11s 6d Total of payments, £182 3s 8d The Company's officers and servants, their salaries, diet money and allowances for the quarter from 1 January 1763 to 31 March 1763, £2,721 2s 3d Total paid, £2,903 5s 11d Kirkpatrick signed the account at St Helena on 31 March 1763, reserving the right to correct any errors. The Council then counted and examined the Company's cash for the month of March. Interpretations Nakhoda was the title given across the Indian Ocean and the Malay world to the master of a trading vessel. Nakhoda Bechellum received a quarterly allowance from the Company and a room rented for him in Jamestown, so he was being maintained on the island rather than paid for work. He was almost certainly the man whose rice, beef, arrack and single pair of shoes were charged to the separate Malay account in the stores, and the Company perhaps held him as a detained or stranded ship's master until he could be sent back to the East. The garrison also supplied the Company's day labour, paid at a flat 1s a day on top of military pay. Soldiers made hay, grubbed up furze from the pastures, worked in the stores, repaired the batteries and mended houses, totalling 965½ days of work in the quarter. Furze, or gorse, was a spiny shrub that spread quickly over the island's grazing land and had to be dug out by the roots to keep pasture open for the Company's cattle. Joachim Sosa, paid a lower 7½d a day, was perhaps a free man of Portuguese or Indian origin employed outside the military establishment. Reports of ships sighted to windward came from lookouts on the island's high ground, who could see vessels approaching from the south-east long before they were visible from Jamestown. Soldiers carried the news at speed to the Castle so that the batteries could be manned and the Governor warned whether an approaching sail was friend or enemy. |
337 | 330 | Cash Dr Per Contra Cr 1763 March 1st To Balance remaining £5275 11s 0d 14 To Exchange for a Set of Bills drawn upon the Honorable the Court of Directors payable to Capt Alexander Hume for £120 0s 0d 21st To Do for a Set of Do drawn as above payable to Mr John Line £70 0s 0d 26 To Ship Godolphin recd the Balance of her Account £64 9s 4d To Ship Fox recd Do £5 16s 5d 31st To James Powell recd of him for Stores Sold in the Quarter ending this day £1140 6s 10d To Plantations for Provisions sold £32 9s 0d To Licence for 10 Public Houses £15 0s 0d To Sundry Accounts recd for damaged Goods sold at Public Auction £21 17s 1d £6745 9s 8d 1763 Mar 31st By Sundry Accounts advanced the Paymaster to pay Salarys &c for the Quarter ending this day £2923 5s 11d By Balance remaining in the following Species 7510 Pagodas £3004 0s 0d 164 Rupees £18 9s 0d 441 French Ps £3 13s 6d 4421 Doub Royals £276 6s 3d £3302 8s 9d Cash notes of no Use amountg to £539 15s 0d £3822 8s 9d £6745 9s 8d Margin Notes: 18th April | The Council counted and examined the Company's cash for March 1763, and the account stood as follows. Received: 1 March 1763, balance remaining from February, £5,275 11s 0d 14 March 1763, exchange for a set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors payable to Captain Alexander Hume, £120 0s 0d 21 March 1763, exchange for a set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors payable to John Line, £70 0s 0d 28 March 1763, received from the ship Godolphin as the balance of her account, £64 9s 4d 28 March 1763, received from the ship Fox as the balance of her account, £5 16s 5d 31 March 1763, received from James Powell for stores sold in the quarter ending that day, £1,140 6s 10d 31 March 1763, received from the plantations for provisions sold, £32 9s 0d 31 March 1763, licences for 10 public houses, £15 0s 0d 31 March 1763, received from various accounts for damaged goods sold at public auction, £21 17s 1d Total received, £6,745 9s 8d Paid and remaining: 31 March 1763, advanced to the paymaster from various accounts to pay salaries and other charges for the quarter ending that day, £2,903 5s 11d Balance remaining in coin: 7,510 pagodas, £3,004 0s 0d 164 rupees, £18 9s 0d 441 French coins, £3 13s 6d 4,421 double reals, £276 6s 3d Total in coin, £3,302 8s 9d Paper notes of no use, £539 15s 0d Total balance remaining, £3,842 3s 9d Total, £6,745 9s 8d Interpretations Bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors were the chief means of bringing cash into the island's treasury. A ship's commander or merchant with coin to spare handed it to the Company at St Helena and received in return a bill payable in London, avoiding the risk of carrying money home. The Company gained ready cash for its local expenses without shipping coin out from England. Captain Alexander Hume, paid £30 0s 0d earlier in the quarter for a longboat, was also among those who exchanged money for bills. The treasury held no English money at all. Almost all its coin was in pagodas, the gold currency of south India, valued here at 8s each, with smaller sums in silver rupees at 2s 3d and Spanish double reals at 15d. The mixture shows that St Helena's cash came overwhelmingly from homeward ships out of Madras and from the Spanish silver that circulated through all eastern trade. The island assigned each coin a fixed sterling value so that accounts could be kept in pounds while payments were made in whatever currency came to hand. The paper notes described as of no use were probably promissory notes or certificates that had lost their value or could not be redeemed, perhaps issued by earlier officials or by individuals now dead or gone. Entering them at their face value of £539 15s 0d kept them in the balance for the directors' attention, although they could not be spent. Public house licences brought in £1 10s 0d each and gave the Council control over the sale of drink on the island. Limiting the number of licensed houses to 10 allowed the Council to watch where soldiers and sailors drank and to withdraw a licence from any keeper who broke the island's rules. |
338 | 331 | 1763 William Harris Corporal John Frederick Walters Quarter Gunner Peter Mitchel Thomas Wyatt John Wageling John Adam Brazer Christopher Dyett Frederick Simmerman Thomas Haycock William Pidgeon John Frederick Emmerling William Lester Matrosses Edward Coram William Kellafor James Sherlock Joseph Phillips William Livingston Littleton Pigott Thomas Hends Alexander Hall Jacob Espley James Buckley Alexander Kitchen Centinels This Day Petitioned for their discharges from the Garrison having served the Honorable Company their Contracted Times Granted We this day enlisted Laurence Hall John Bowes and John Stewart three Seamen to serve the Honorable Company five Years as Soldiers they appearing to be good men We gave them each five pounds bounty money and had the Articles of War read to them The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores Short received from the Ship Egmont viz 7 Scythe Stones 11 Sqr Glass 10 by 8 56 Sqr Do 12 by 10 found broke upon 2 Sqr Do 17¼ by 11 Opening the Packages 6 Sqr Do 17 by 11 1 C 1 qr 14 lb Cordage 3 Twine Short weight 24 Sope 3 Ps Brown Holland found Short upon opening the 1 Marshals Staff Packages which came in good order 15 Gall Train Oil leaked out the Jar being cracked 11 Bushels Salt Short Measure 2 Hand Spikes Short delivered 3 Bottles Claret found broke upon opening the Packages | William Harris, a corporal, John Frederick Walters, a quarter gunner, and a large group of other soldiers petitioned the Council on 18 April 1763 to be released from the garrison. The men with them were the matrosses Peter Mitchel, Thomas Wyatt, John Wageling, John Adam Brazer, Christopher Dyett, Frederick Zimmerman, Thomas Haycock, William Pidgeon, John Frederick Emmerling and William Lester. The sentinels Edward Coram, William Hellyer, James Sherlock, Joseph Phillips, William Livingstone, Littleton Pigott, Thomas Hinds, Alexander Hall, Jacob Espey, James Buckley and Alexander Kitchen joined the request. All of them had completed the terms they had signed for, and the Council granted their discharge. On the same day the Council enlisted three seamen, Laurence Hall, John Bower and John Stewart, to serve the Company as soldiers for five years. The councillors judged them to be sound men, paid each a bounty of £5 0s 0d and had the Articles of War read to them. The storekeeper then laid before the Council an account of stores that had come ashore short from the ship Egmont. Found broken when the packages were opened: 7 scythe stones 11 panes of window glass measuring 10 by 8 inches 56 panes of window glass measuring 12 by 10 inches 2 panes of window glass measuring 17¾ by 11 inches 6 panes of window glass measuring 17 by 11 inches Short in weight: 0 hundredweight 1 quarter 14 pounds of cordage 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 3 pounds of twine 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 24 pounds of soap Missing when packages that had arrived in good order were opened: 3 pieces of brown holland 1 [...] Other losses: 15 gallons of train oil, lost through a cracked jar 11 bushels of salt, short in measure 2 handspikes, not delivered 3 bottles of claret, found broken when the packages were opened Interpretations The release of 22 soldiers in a single day marked the end of a batch of five-year engagements, probably signed together when the men arrived on the same ship. Discharge was a right once a man's contracted time had expired, and the petition was the formal step that turned that right into an order. The loss was heavy for a garrison of this size, and it explains why the Company had paid £10 0s 0d on 21 March 1763 to keep Robert Brown, William Taylor and Thomas Wansell for a further five years. The seamen enlisted on the same day as the discharges received only £5 0s 0d each, half the sum paid to Anthony Reynolds on 21 February 1763. Sailors wishing to leave their ships at St Helena had few other options, and the Council could offer them a smaller bounty. Reading the Articles of War to new recruits was the legal act that bound them to military discipline. The Articles set out the offences a soldier could commit and the punishments he faced, from loss of pay to death. Once they had been read to a man and he had taken the bounty, he could be tried by court martial for desertion or disobedience, as the reductions and the execution earlier in the quarter showed. The losses from the Egmont followed the same procedure as the shortage of sugar from the Royal Captain certified on 16 April 1763. Each item was recorded with the reason for its loss, distinguishing breakage in transit, short weight, short measure and goods missing from packages that had arrived sealed. The distinction mattered because it showed whether the fault lay with packing in London or with pilfering on the voyage, and so determined whether the ship's commander could be charged. Scythe stones were whetstones for sharpening the blades used in the island's haymaking, and brown holland was an unbleached linen from the Low Countries used for linings and household cloths. Handspikes were stout wooden levers used by gun crews to move and aim cannon. |
339 | 332 | 18th April Port Wine viz No 1 1 Hhd gages 60 Galls wants to fill 1 Gallon 2 1 Do Do 60 wants 1 Gallon 120 Gallons 2 Gallons Gallons 118 Received Mountain Wine viz No 3 1 Hhd gages 60 Galls wants to fill 1½ Gallons Gallons 58½ Received Lisbon Wine viz No 4 1 Hogshd gages 60 Galls wants to fill 1½ Gallons 5 1 Do Do 60½ Gallons Do 1 Gallon 6 1 Do Do 62 Gallons Do 2 Gallons 182½ Gallons 4½ Gallons Gallons 178 Received Beer viz No 1 1 Hhd gages 60 Galls wants to fill 3 Galls 2 1 Do Do 60 Gallons Do 5 Gallons 3 1 Do Do 60 Gallons Do 9½ Gallons 4 1 Do Do 58 Gallons Do 4½ Gallons 5 1 Do Do 60 Gallons Do 5 Gallons 6 1 Do Do 58 Gallons Do 3 Gallons 356 Gallons 30 Gallons Gallons 326 Received St Helena 18th April 1763 (signed) James Powell Storekeeper Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick | The storekeeper's account of stores that had come ashore short from the ship Egmont continued with the casks of wine and beer, each gauged against its full capacity. Port wine: Cask 1, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 1 gallon short of full Cask 2, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 1 gallon short of full Total gauged, 120 gallons Total short, 2 gallons Port wine received, 118 gallons Mountain wine: Cask 3, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, ½ gallon short of full Mountain wine received, 59½ gallons Lisbon wine: Cask 4, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 1½ gallons short of full Cask 5, 1 hogshead gauged at 60½ gallons, 1 gallon short of full Cask 6, 1 hogshead gauged at 62 gallons, 2 gallons short of full Total gauged, 182½ gallons Total short, 4½ gallons Lisbon wine received, 178 gallons Beer: Cask 1, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 3 gallons short of full Cask 2, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 5 gallons short of full Cask 3, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 9½ gallons short of full Cask 4, 1 hogshead gauged at 58 gallons, 4½ gallons short of full Cask 5, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 5 gallons short of full Cask 6, 1 hogshead gauged at 58 gallons, 3 gallons short of full Total gauged, 356 gallons Total short, 30 gallons Beer received, 326 gallons James Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 18 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed it for the Council. Interpretations Each cask was gauged, or measured with a graduated rod, to establish its full capacity, and the space left empty was then measured to find how much liquor had been lost. The gap between a full cask and its contents, known as the ullage, arose from leakage, evaporation through the wood and, often, from sailors drawing off liquor during the voyage. Recording the gauge and the loss cask by cask gave the Company precise evidence to set against the ship's bill of lading, and let it charge the commander for anything beyond the loss normally allowed on a long passage. The beer suffered far worse than the wine. The wines lost only between 1 and 3 per cent, while the beer was short by more than 8 per cent overall, with one cask missing almost a sixth of its contents. Beer was weaker and more prone to spoil or work in warm holds, and its lower value made it a more tempting target for pilfering than the wines. Mountain wine was a sweet, strong wine from the hills around Malaga in Spain, popular in England in the 18th century. Lisbon wine was a white wine shipped from the Portuguese capital, cheaper than port and widely drunk as an everyday wine. Both travelled well on long voyages, which made them suitable for an island where the Company's table and officers depended on imported supplies. |
340 | 333 | 25th April At a Consultation held on Monday the 25th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 18th April 1763 Friday the 22nd sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Royal Captain homeward bound Saturday the 23rd Passed by a Ship at a great distance On the 22nd Instant We discharged Richard Tink Matross he having served the Honorable Company his Contracted time The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores Short received from the Ships True Briton and Harcourt viz True Briton 2 C 1 qr 25 lb Candy Short weight Harcourt 10 Bl & White Soop plates 3 Bl & White Meal Do found broke upon 1 Do Do Sneker 2 Qr Pt Cups & 3 Saucers Opening the Packages 3 Bl & White Bowls (signed) Js Powell Storekeeper St Helena 20th April 1763 We this Day relisted Joseph Phillips to serve the Honorable Company five Years longer as a Soldier and gave him Ten Pounds bounty Money and had the articles of War read to him | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 25 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 18 April 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ship Royal Captain left the island for England on Friday 22 April 1763. On Saturday 23 April 1763 a ship passed the island far out to sea without calling. The Council discharged Richard Tink, a matross, on 22 April 1763, since he had completed the term he had signed for. The storekeeper laid before the Council an account of stores that had come ashore short from the ships True Briton and Harcourt. From the True Briton: 2 hundredweight 1 quarter 25 pounds of sugar candy, short in weight From the Harcourt, found broken when the packages were opened: 10 blue and white soup plates 3 blue and white meat plates 1 blue and white sneaker 2 quarter-pint cups and saucers 3 blue and white bowls James Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 20 April 1763. On 25 April 1763 the Council re-enlisted Joseph Phillips as a soldier for a further five years. The councillors paid him a bounty of £10 0s 0d and had the Articles of War read to him. Interpretations Joseph Phillips was among the 22 soldiers discharged at their own request on 18 April 1763, yet a week later he signed on again for five years. Taking his discharge first and then re-enlisting earned him a fresh bounty of £10 0s 0d, double the £5 0s 0d paid to the three seamen enlisted on the same day as his release. The Company paid the higher sum for a trained soldier who already knew the island and its duties. For Phillips the week's gap perhaps also allowed him to test whether a better living could be found ashore or aboard a ship before committing himself again. The shortage of sugar candy from the True Briton came to 277 pounds, a large loss beside the 42 pounds of sugar certified short from the Royal Captain on 16 April 1763. A deficiency of that size pointed to more than natural wastage in the hold and made a claim against the ship's commander likely. The broken china from the Harcourt was recorded piece by piece in the same way as the broken glass from the Egmont, so that each ship's account could be charged for exactly what had failed to arrive whole. The note of a ship passing far out to sea shows the lookouts' constant watch on the horizon. A vessel that did not come in to the road might be a foreign ship, an enemy or a Company ship choosing not to call, and the Council recorded every such sighting in case it later proved significant. |
341 | 334 | 25th April The Executors of the last Will and Testament of Martin Harper deceased this day presented his said Will desiring the same might be proved which was accordingly done upon the Oaths of the Witnesses thereto The Will is as follows viz Island St Helena In the Name of God Amen I Martin Harper of the aforesaid Island being in good health of Body and God be praised of sound and Disposing mind memory and understanding Yet considering the uncertainty of Life and certainty of Death Do make and ordain this my last will & Testament in manner and form following Imprimis my soul I recommend into the hands of Almighty God who gave it and my Body to the Earth hoping the Merits of Jesus Christ my Blessed Redeemer to be made a Partaker of Eternal happiness And as to that worldly Estate it hath pleased God to bless me with I give and Dispose of the same in manner following All my Estate Real and Personal whatsoever and wheresoever I Give Devise and bequeath Unto Richard Harper Senr Thomas Harper of the aforesaid Island to him his Heirs and and Assigns for ever he being my Godson And lastly I do hereby Nominate and appoint Mr John Bland & the aforesaid Thomas Harper Executors of this my last Will and Testament And Revoking Annulling and making void all former & other Wills & Testaments by me at any time heretofore made and declaring this to be my only last Will & Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & affixed my Seal this first Day of July in the Year of our Lord Christ One thousand seven hundred and Sixty two Signed Sealed Published and declared by the Testator as his last Will and Testament in presence of us who have subscribed our Names (Signed) as Witnesses at the request of the Testator & in Martin Harper presence of each other (Signed) Stephen Young George Bazett | The executors of Martin Harper, who had died, brought his will before the Council on 25 April 1763 and asked for it to be proved. The Council admitted it to probate after the witnesses confirmed it under oath. Harper had made the will on the island on 1 July 1762, while in good health and of sound mind, conscious that death was certain even if its timing was not. He commended his soul to God and asked for his body to be buried, trusting in Christ for salvation. He left the whole of his property, both land and goods, to Richard Harper, the son of Thomas Harper of St Helena, who was his godson. The bequest passed to Richard and his heirs permanently. Harper named John Bland and Thomas Harper as his executors and cancelled every earlier will he had made. He signed and sealed the document in the presence of two witnesses, Stephen Young and George Bazett, who added their names at his request and in each other's presence. Interpretations The Council acted as the island's court of probate, a role that in England belonged to the church courts under the bishops. No such court existed at St Helena, so the Governor and Council proved wills themselves on the sworn evidence of the witnesses. Once proved, the will gave the executors legal authority to collect debts, settle claims and hand over the estate, and its entry in the Council's records served as the official copy. Land on the island was held from the Company, so a record of who inherited it mattered to the Company as landlord as well as to the heirs. Harper left everything to a single godson rather than dividing his property among relatives, which suggests he had no wife or children of his own on the island. The choice of Thomas Harper, the boy's father, as one of the executors kept control of the estate within the family until the heir came of age. John Bland, the other executor, was the Company's master mason, and the witnesses were Stephen Young, paid earlier in the quarter for thatching the Lieutenant Governor's house, and George Bazett, a sergeant of the Third Company. The will shows how the island's small community of Company servants, soldiers and planters relied on one another to witness and carry out its members' last wishes. |
342 | 335 | 1763 Captain Charles Mears applied 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 Mrs Sarah Mears or Order Ninety days after sight dated this Day Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Saturday the 30th Day of April 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 25th April 1763 Tuesday the 26th sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Egmont on her Voyage We this day Granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors payable as follows viz One Set to Captain John Clements for one hundred and fifty pounds payable to himself or Order one Set to Captain Richard Morison for three hundred and seventy pounds payable | Captain Charles Mears asked the Council on 25 April 1763 to accept £150 0s 0d into the Company's treasury. The councillors took the money and gave him bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors, payable to Sarah Mears or to whoever she named, 90 days after they were presented in London. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Saturday 30 April 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 25 April 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ship Egmont left the island to continue her voyage on Tuesday 26 April 1763. The Council issued further bills of exchange on the Court of Directors that day. The first set went to Captain John Clements for £150 0s 0d, payable to himself or to whoever he named. A second set went to Captain Richard Morrison for £370 0s 0d. Interpretations Bills of exchange gave a ship's commander a safe way to send money home. Rather than carrying coin on the long passage to England, Captain Mears paid his £150 0s 0d into the island treasury and received a written order on the Company in London, which his wife, Sarah Mears, could cash there. The phrase payable to her order made the bill negotiable, so she could sign it over to a creditor or a banker instead of waiting to present it herself. The 90 days allowed after sight gave the Company time to verify the bill against the Council's advices before paying out. For the island the arrangement supplied the pagodas, rupees and Spanish silver needed to pay the garrison, as the cash account for March 1763 showed. |
343 | 336 | 30th April payable to himself or Order And one Set to Captain William Master for two hundred and fifty five pounds payable to himself or Order all drawn at Ninety Days sight Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 2nd Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 30th April 1763 Saturday the 30th April Sailed the Fly Cutter Yesterday Died John Worrall Planter Do Arrived a Portuguese Vessel from Parambuco called the Virgin Lady Captain Roque Jacinto de Souza burthen one hundred Tons carrys seventeen Men loaden with Rum and Sugar bound to St Paul of Loando for Slaves Do passed by a Ship at a great Distance This day sailed the Honorable Company Ships | The Council also issued Captain Richard Morrison's bill payable to himself or to whoever he named. A third set of bills went to Captain William Marter for £255 0s 0d on the same terms, and all of them were payable 90 days after being presented in London. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 2 May 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 30 April 1763, approved it and signed it. The Fly cutter put to sea on Saturday 30 April 1763. John Worrall, a planter, died on 1 May 1763. A Portuguese vessel, the Virgin Lady, reached the island from Pernambuco on 1 May 1763 under Captain Roque Jacinto de Souza. She measured 100 tons, carried a crew of 17 and was loaded with rum and sugar for São Paulo de Luanda, where she was to buy slaves. Another ship passed the island far out to sea on the same day. Several of the Company's ships sailed from the island on 2 May 1763. Interpretations The Virgin Lady was engaged in the direct slave trade between Brazil and Angola, one of the largest branches of the Atlantic slave trade. Portuguese traders shipped Brazilian rum, known as cachaça, and sugar from ports such as Pernambuco to Luanda, the capital of Portuguese Angola, where they exchanged them for slaves carried back to work the Brazilian plantations. Unlike the British trade, which ran in a triangle from Europe, this route ran back and forth across the South Atlantic without touching Europe at all. St Helena lay well to the south of the usual track, and the ship perhaps called to take on water or refreshment, or had been carried off course by the winds. Captain William Marter was the commander of the Horsendon, whose crew had been mustered on 16 April 1763. Like Mears, Clements and Morrison, he used his stay at the island to convert money into bills payable in London, and the sums show how much private trade commanders carried on their own account on the homeward voyage. |
344 | 337 | 2nd May True Briton Royal Charlotte Harcourt and Horsendon homeward bound Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 9th Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 2nd May 1763 Yesterday sailed the Portuguese Vessel William Johnson Gardener being a very Idle drunken fellow We have therefore dismissed him and Ordered he should return again to the Garrison to serve the remainder of his contracted Time as a Soldier And have appointed David Belford Centinel who was bred to that employ Gardener in his Stead upon condition that if he did not behave well he should be obliged to return again to the Garrison to serve the remaindr of his contracted Time The Plantation Garrison and Mallday Accounts for the Month of April last were this Day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follow &c | The Company's ships True Briton, Royal Charlotte, Harcourt and Horsendon left the island for England on 2 May 1763. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record of the meeting. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 9 May 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 2 May 1763, approved it and signed it. The Portuguese vessel left the island on 8 May 1763. The Council removed William Johnson from his post as the Company's gardener, finding him lazy and constantly drunk. He was sent back to the garrison to complete the rest of his engagement as a soldier. In his place the councillors appointed David Belford, a sentinel who had been trained as a gardener. They made the appointment conditional on his good conduct, warning that any lapse would send him back to the ranks for the remainder of his own term. The accounts of the plantation, the [...] and the [...] for April 1763 were presented to the Council that day, examined and approved. Interpretations The gardener's post was a privilege granted to a soldier with a useful trade, and it carried a salary of £10 0s 0d a quarter on the civil list, far more than a sentinel's pay. Johnson held it while remaining a soldier under engagement, so the Council did not need to discharge him or bring him before a court martial. Returning him to the ranks stripped him of the extra income and the easier work at a stroke, and it cost the Company nothing. The same threat, written into Belford's appointment, turned the post into a reward held only during good behaviour. It gave the Council a simple and effective hold over the skilled soldiers it employed in civil work, several of whom appeared on both the military and civil pay lists for the first quarter of 1763. |
345 | 338 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &ca for the Month of April 1763 viz Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shotes, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses Asses, Asses Asses, Asses Total Remaining the 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 87, Neat Cattle Calves 44, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 28, Neat Cattle Steers 38, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 274, Sheep Ewes 298, Sheep Weathers 175, Sheep Lambs 69, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 550, Goats Ewes 150, Goats Weathers 26, Goats Kids 57, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 242, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 19, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 24, Poultry Fowls 114, Poultry Ducks 48, Poultry Turkeys 33, Poultry Geese 19, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses Asses 3, Asses Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 4, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 4, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 63, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 63, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 7, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 7, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 6, Poultry Turkeys 8, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 87, Neat Cattle Calves 48, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 28, Neat Cattle Steers 38, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 278, Sheep Ewes 298, Sheep Weathers 175, Sheep Lambs 132, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 613, Goats Ewes 150, Goats Weathers 26, Goats Kids 64, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 249, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 19, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 24, Poultry Fowls 114, Poultry Ducks 54, Poultry Turkeys 41, Poultry Geese 19, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses Asses 3, Asses Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 1, Neat Cattle Steers 7, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 8, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 21, Sheep Lambs 2, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 23, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 3, Goats Kids 5, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 8, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 24, Poultry Ducks 11, Poultry Turkeys 10, Poultry Geese 1, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 3, Sheep Weathers 5, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 8, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 1, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 1, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Sent on board the Fly Cutter: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 0, Sheep Ewes 1, Sheep Weathers 2, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 3, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaining the 30th: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 87, Neat Cattle Calves 48, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 27, Neat Cattle Steers 31, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 270, Sheep Ewes 294, Sheep Weathers 147, Sheep Lambs 130, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 579, Goats Ewes 150, Goats Weathers 23, Goats Kids 59, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 241, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shotes 0, Hogs Pigs 19, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 24, Poultry Fowls 90, Poultry Ducks 42, Poultry Turkeys 31, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses Asses 3, Asses Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Yam Expended for the Blacks and Stock 28830 lb (signed) John Shottowe Margin Notes: 9th May | The Lieutenant Governor, John Skottowe, presented an account of the Company's livestock for April 1763, showing the stock at the start and end of the month and every change in between. Remaining on 1 April 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 87 cows, 44 calves, 60 yearlings, 28 heifers, 38 steers, 13 oxen, total 274 cattle Sheep: 298 ewes, 175 wethers, 69 lambs, 8 rams, total 550 sheep Goats: 150 nanny goats, 26 wethers, 57 kids, 9 billy goats, total 242 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, total 24 pigs Poultry: 114 fowls, 48 ducks, 33 turkeys, 19 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Increase during April: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 4 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 4 cattle Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 63 lambs, 0 rams, total 63 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 7 kids, 0 billy goats, total 7 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 0 fowls, 6 ducks, 8 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Total stock during April: Cattle: 4 bulls, 87 cows, 48 calves, 60 yearlings, 28 heifers, 38 steers, 13 oxen, total 278 cattle Sheep: 298 ewes, 175 wethers, 132 lambs, 8 rams, total 613 sheep Goats: 150 nanny goats, 26 wethers, 64 kids, 9 billy goats, total 249 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, total 24 pigs Poultry: 114 fowls, 54 ducks, 41 turkeys, 19 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Killed during April: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 1 heifer, 7 steers, 0 oxen, total 8 cattle Sheep: 0 ewes, 21 wethers, 2 lambs, 0 rams, total 23 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 3 wethers, 5 kids, 0 billy goats, total 8 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 24 fowls, 11 ducks, 10 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Died during April: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 0 cattle Sheep: 3 ewes, 5 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 8 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, total 0 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 0 fowls, 1 duck, 0 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Sent aboard the Fly cutter during April: 0 cattle; 1 ewe, 2 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 3 sheep; 0 goats; 0 pigs; 0 fowls, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese; 0 horses; 0 asses. Remaining on 30 April 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 87 cows, 48 calves, 60 yearlings, 27 heifers, 31 steers, 13 oxen, total 270 cattle Sheep: 294 ewes, 147 wethers, 130 lambs, 8 rams, total 579 sheep Goats: 150 nanny goats, 23 wethers, 59 kids, 9 billy goats, total 241 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, total 24 pigs Poultry: 90 fowls, 42 ducks, 31 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Yams used to feed the slaves and livestock, 28,830 pounds John Skottowe signed the account. Interpretations The 63 lambs born in April show the Company's flock lambing in autumn, since April falls in the southern hemisphere's autumn at St Helena. In England at the same date lambing took place in late winter and spring, timed so that ewes had fresh grass for their milk. On St Helena's mild uplands grass was available through much of the year, so the flock could be bred to lamb at a season that suited the island's grazing rather than the English calendar. The result was a sharp rise in the flock from 550 to 579 sheep over the month despite the heavy killing of wethers. The slaughter figures reveal how the Company's stock served its needs. Steers and wethers, the castrated males raised for meat, made up most of the animals killed, while breeding cows, ewes and nanny goats were almost entirely spared to keep up the herds. The fowls, ducks and turkeys killed in large numbers probably supplied the Company's table and the hospital, and perhaps the ships in the road. The three sheep sent aboard the Fly provisioned her crew with fresh meat for a cruise. The yams fed both the Company's slaves and its livestock, and the unit of measure was left unstated, so pounds have been supplied as the most likely reading. Yams were a starchy tuber grown on the island's plantations, cheaper and more reliable than imported rice for feeding a large labour force. Their use as fodder as well shows how closely the plantation, the slaves and the livestock were bound together in the island's economy. The account was signed by the Lieutenant Governor, who was responsible for the Company's farms and stock. |
346 | 339 | 1763 Artillery Stores expended in the Month of April 1763 Guns Fired, 9pounder, 4pounder, 3pounder, 2pounder, 1pounder, Powder Expended 2d An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz An Alarm at Banks for the same Ship: Guns Fired 22, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Arrived the Egmont Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 9, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 3d An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 4th Arrived a Dane Ship returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 9, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 5 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Arrived a Dane Ship returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 9, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz Powder for priming at the Alarm House from ye 31st of July 1762: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz 11th Departed the two Dane Ships returned the Salute: Guns Fired 18, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 18, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 18lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Arrived the Royal Captain returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 9, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 14th A Double Alarm: Guns Fired 13, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 5, 3pounder 5, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 3, Powder Expended 28lb 0oz Arrived the True Briton Royal Charlotte Harcourt and Horsendon returned the Salute: Guns Fired 36, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 4, 3pounder 1, 2pounder 31, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 40lb 8oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 6lb 0oz Fired to Dismiss the Flying Partys: Guns Fired 1, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 1, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz 22d Departed the Royal Captain returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 9, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 23d An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 26 Powder for priming in order to have returned the Salute of the Egmont: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 27th Powder for Shooting for the use of the Table: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Do for Replenishing the Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz Do for the Funeral of one of his Majestys Soldiers: Guns Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 2lb 4oz Guns Fired 145, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 29, 3pounder 16, 2pounder 94, 1pounder 14, Powder Expended 231lb 4oz | The storekeeper recorded the artillery stores used in April 1763, listing for each occasion the number of guns fired, how many of each calibre were used and the powder spent. 2 April 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 2 April 1763, an alarm at Banks for the same ship: 2 guns fired, made up of 2 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 2 April 1763, salute returned on the arrival of the Egmont: 9 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 9 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 2 April 1763, powder for priming, 1 pound 8 ounces 3 April 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 4 April 1763, salute returned on the arrival of a Danish ship: 9 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 9 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 4 April 1763, powder for priming, 1 pound 8 ounces 5 April 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 5 April 1763, salute returned on the arrival of a Danish ship: 9 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 9 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 5 April 1763, powder for priming, 1 pound 8 ounces 5 April 1763, powder for priming at the Alarm House since 31 July 1762, 3 pounds 0 ounces 11 April 1763, salute returned on the departure of the two Danish ships: 18 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 18 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 18 pounds 0 ounces of powder 11 April 1763, powder for priming, 3 pounds 0 ounces 11 April 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 11 April 1763, salute returned on the arrival of the Royal Captain: 9 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 9 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 11 April 1763, powder for priming, 1 pound 8 ounces 14 April 1763, a double alarm: 13 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 5 four-pounders, 5 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 3 one-pounders, using 28 pounds 0 ounces of powder 14 April 1763, salutes returned on the arrival of the True Briton, Royal Charlotte, Harcourt and Horsendon: 36 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 4 four-pounders, 1 three-pounder, 31 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 40 pounds 8 ounces of powder 14 April 1763, powder for priming, 6 pounds 0 ounces 14 April 1763, gun fired to dismiss the flying party: 1 gun fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 1 one-pounder, using 0 pounds 8 ounces of powder 22 April 1763, salute returned on the departure of the Royal Captain: 9 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 9 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 22 April 1763, powder for priming, 1 pound 8 ounces 23 April 1763, an alarm for a ship that passed without calling: 6 guns fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 26 April 1763, powder for priming so that the salute of the Egmont could be returned, 1 pound 8 ounces 27 April 1763, powder for shooting game for the Company's table, 2 pounds 0 ounces 27 April 1763, powder for refilling the cartridges at the Main Guard, 2 pounds 0 ounces 27 April 1763, powder for signals, 3 pounds 0 ounces 27 April 1763, powder for the funeral of one of the King's soldiers, 2 pounds 4 ounces Totals for April 1763: 145 guns fired, made up of 2 nine-pounders, 19 four-pounders, 16 three-pounders, 94 two-pounders and 14 one-pounders, using 231 pounds 4 ounces of powder Interpretations The guns formed the island's warning system as well as its defence. An alarm fired from the heights announced a sail sighted at sea, and the number of guns told the garrison how many ships were in view, so that a double alarm on 14 April 1763 signalled several vessels at once. On hearing the alarm the soldiers went to their posts and a flying party, a mobile detachment ready to march to any threatened landing place, assembled until the ships were identified as friendly. A single gun then released the flying party back to its quarters. The Alarm House was the signal station on the high ground from which these guns were fired, and it drew its own priming powder over many months. Salutes followed a strict code of gun for gun. The island answered each ship's salute with the same number of guns, so the four Company ships that arrived on 14 April 1763 drew 36 in reply, nine for each. The salute was fired almost entirely with small two-pounders, which used only a pound of powder a shot, keeping the cost of courtesy low while the heavier guns were kept for alarms. The two Danish ships that called in early April were probably vessels of the Danish Asiatic Company returning from Tranquebar or Canton, and the island extended them the same honours as British ships. Powder was also drawn for purposes that had nothing to do with defence. Two pounds were used for shooting game for the Company's table, and a small charge was fired over the grave of a soldier of the King's service. The dead man was perhaps White Wilford, the royal invalid for whose care the surgeon had been paid in the first quarter of 1763. |
347 | 340 | 9th May Tallow for greasing the Gun Carriages at Ruperts 4lb Do for the use of the Fly Cutter 20lb Do for the use of the Wood Carts 4lb Tompions broke at Banks's 2 Match burnt at the Main fort 6lb (Signed) Thos Hall Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Company Table in the Month of April 1763 viz 34 Bottles Lisbon £2 11s 0d 24 Do Mountain £1 16s 0d 67 Do Arrack £3 2s 5¾d 58 Do Beer £0 14s 10½d 435 lb Flour £2 14s 4½d 464 lb Beef £5 16s 0d 6 Ps Salt Pork £0 15s 3d 229 lb Mutton £4 15s 7½d 45 lb Goat £0 15s 0d 5 Kids £1 5s 0d 2 Lambs £1 0s 0d 24 Fowls £1 16s 0d 11 Ducks £0 16s 6d 1 Goose £0 5s 0d 10 Turkeys £2 10s 0d 35¾ lb fresh Butter £1 15s 9d 117 lb Candy £1 19s 0d £34 7s 10¼d Captain Richard Beale this day presented the following petition viz | The artillery account for April 1763 closed with the remaining stores used. Tallow for greasing the gun carriages at Rupert's, 4 pounds Tallow for the use of the Fly cutter, 20 pounds Tallow for the wood carts, 4 pounds Tompions broken at Banks's, 2 Slow match burnt at the main fort, 6 pounds Thomas Hall, the master gunner, signed the account. The Council also received an account of the food and drink consumed at the Company's table in April 1763. 34 bottles of Lisbon wine, £2 11s 0d 24 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 16s 0d 67 bottles of arrack, £3 2s 5¾d 58 bottles of beer, £0 14s 10½d 435 pounds of flour, £2 14s 4½d 464 pounds of beef, £5 16s 0d 6 pieces of salt pork, £0 15s 3d 229 pounds of mutton, £4 15s 7½d 45 pounds of goat meat, £0 15s 0d 5 kids, £1 5s 0d 2 lambs, £1 0s 0d 24 fowls, £1 16s 0d 11 ducks, £0 16s 6d 1 goose, £0 5s 0d 10 turkeys, £2 10s 0d 35¾ pounds of fresh butter, £1 15s 9d 117 pounds of sugar candy, £1 14s 0d Total, £34 7s 10¼d Captain Richard Beale then presented a petition to the Council. Interpretations Read against the livestock account for the same month, the table account shows that the Company's own farms fed its officials. The 24 fowls, 11 ducks, one goose and 10 turkeys eaten at the table matched exactly the poultry recorded as killed in April 1763, and so did the two lambs and five kids. The 229 pounds of mutton came from the 21 wethers slaughtered, and the 45 pounds of goat from the three goat wethers. Every animal taken from the herds was thus charged at a set value to the table, so the directors could see both the cost of feeding the Company's servants and the use made of its stock. The beef probably came from the seven steers and a heifer killed in the month. Tallow, rendered animal fat, was used to grease the axles and moving parts of gun carriages and wood carts, and on board the Fly to protect her rigging and fittings from salt water. Tompions were wooden plugs fitted into the muzzles of cannon to keep out rain and sea spray, and they broke easily when a gun was fired without first removing them. Slow match was cord soaked in saltpetre that burned steadily for hours, kept alight at the main fort so the guns could be fired the moment an alarm was raised. |
348 | 341 | 1763 To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &ca Council of St Helena The humble Petition of Richard Beale Junr Executor to the Estate of Captn Onesw Beale deceased Sheweth That John Worrall and Mary Wright two of the Nominees in a Lease upon lives for five Acres of Land belonging to the Orphans of Captain Onesw Beale are deceased your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Worship and Council will be pleased to permit the Names of Anthony and Eleanor Beale two of the Children of the said Onesw Beale to be inserted in the room of John Worrall and Mary Wright deceased And your Petitioner will ever pray (signed) Richd Beale Junr St Helena 9th May 1763 Granted upon paying the usual Fine of half a years Rent for the renewall of each Nominee amounting to £1 5s 0d On Friday the 6th Instant we discharged William Mason Soldier from the Garrison having served the Honorable Company his contracted time Mr Richard Beale was this Day sworn into the Office of Sheriff and Thomas Harper in that of Constable Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick | Richard Beale the younger, executor of the estate of the late Captain Onesiphorus Beale, petitioned Governor Hutchinson and the Council on 9 May 1763. His petition concerned a lease of five acres of land belonging to Onesiphorus Beale's orphaned children, which was held for the lifetimes of several named people. Two of those people, John Worrall and Mary Wright, had died. Beale asked the Council to replace them with the names of Anthony and Eleanor Beale, two of the dead captain's children. The Council agreed, on condition that he paid the customary fine of half a year's rent for each new name, a total of £1 5s 0d. The Council discharged William Mason, a soldier, on Friday 6 May 1763, since he had completed the term he had signed for. Richard Beale took the oath of office as sheriff on 9 May 1763, and Thomas Harper was sworn in as constable. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. Interpretations A lease for lives ran not for a fixed number of years but for as long as any of the people named in it remained alive. When one of them died, the tenant could keep the lease going by paying the landlord a fine to put a new name in the dead person's place. The Company, as landlord of all land on St Helena, charged half a year's rent for each substitution, and the total of £1 5s 0d for two new names implies a yearly rent of £1 5s 0d for the five acres. By naming two young children, the executor secured the orphans' hold on the land for as long as possible, since their lives would probably outlast those of older nominees. John Worrall, one of the two dead nominees, was the planter whose death on 1 May 1763 had been recorded at the Council's meeting of 2 May. The petition followed within eight days, showing how quickly families moved to protect their tenancies once a life in a lease had ended. The sheriff carried out the orders of the island's courts, summoning juries, serving legal process and supervising the seizure of goods for debt, while the constable kept the peace in his district and arrested offenders. Both offices were filled from among the island's settled families. Thomas Harper, the new constable, was the father of Richard Harper, the godson who had inherited Martin Harper's whole estate under the will proved on 25 April 1763. |
349 | 342 | 10th May At a Consultation held on Tuesday the 10th Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Govr John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Govr Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 9 May 1763 Thomas Harper Constable this Day came before Us and declared upon Oath that Yesterday in the Evening between the Hours of five and Six OClock going into his house and seeing there Jason a Free Black Man he asked him why he was loitering away his Time receiving his Masters Money and doing nothing for it he Jason answered what was that to any body he this deponent told him to go about his business for that he should not stay lazing there upon which Jason replyed Damn the Council I have been waiting upon them all Day or I should have been a fishing this deponent then said to him take care what you say for I shall acquaint the Governor with it he Jason answered you may do as you please Jason being asked what he had to say in his defence replyed that he was in Liquor and did not know what he said Thomas Harper being asked whether Jason was Drunk answered he was not so much in Liquor as it was usual for him to be We then Ordered him to be publickly Whiped for his Contempt and Insolence Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council met at the Castle on Tuesday 10 May 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 9 May 1763, approved it and signed it. Thomas Harper, the constable, appeared before the Council and gave evidence on oath about an incident on the evening of 9 May 1763. Between five and six o'clock he had gone into his house and found Jason, a free Black man, there. Harper asked him why he was idling away his time, taking his master's wages without working for them. Jason retorted that this was no concern of anyone else. Harper then told him to get on with his work and stop lounging about. Jason cursed the Council in reply, complaining that he had spent the whole day attending on its members when he could have gone fishing. Harper warned him to mind his words, since he would report them to the Governor. Jason told him to do as he liked. Asked for his defence, Jason said he had been drunk and had no idea what he was saying. The Council then asked Harper whether Jason had in fact been drunk. The constable replied that he had been less drunk than was normal for him. The Council ordered Jason to be flogged in public for his contempt and insolence. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. Interpretations Jason's status as a free man gave him little protection from summary punishment. The Council heard the case, questioned the parties and passed sentence in a single sitting, without a jury or any trial before the island's courts, and imposed a public flogging of the kind routinely ordered for slaves. His freedom did not alter the island's view that a Black man's insult to authority was a matter for immediate physical correction. The public setting of the punishment was intended as a warning to others, free and slave alike. The real offence was not idleness but the insult to the Council itself. Jason's complaint that he had spent the day attending on the councillors suggests he worked as a servant or messenger at the Castle, taking wages through a master who hired him out or employed him. Cursing the body that governed the island struck directly at its dignity, and the Council treated it as contempt rather than as a private quarrel with the constable. Thomas Harper had been sworn in as constable only the day before, on 9 May 1763, and this complaint was probably among his first acts in the office. His readiness to challenge Jason in his own house, and to report the exchange at once, shows the new constable asserting his authority from the outset. Speculations Jason offered the defence most likely to lessen his punishment: that he had been drunk and did not know what he was saying. Drunkenness was commonly treated as a mitigating circumstance for insolent words, and the Council could simply have accepted the excuse and dismissed him with a warning. Instead the councillors put the question to Harper, and his answer that Jason was less drunk than usual turned the plea against him. It suggested that Jason was habitually drunk and, on this occasion, sober enough to know his own mind. The Council's decision to test the excuse rather than accept it allowed it to treat the words as deliberate contempt and to justify the severity of a public flogging. |
350 | 343 | 16th May At a Consultation held on Monday the 16th Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 10th May 1763 Wednesday the 11th Arrived the Mercury Snow George French Soldier this day Petitioned for his Discharge from the Garrison having served the Honorable Company his Contracted Time Granted The piece of Land Mr Richard Bagley Petitioned for in Consultation of the 31st January last having been viewed and found not to be detrimental to the Honorable Company or Neighbourhood and as part of it is barren and designed only for the convenience of Fencing We this day Granted him a Lease for it at the Rent of three Shillings P Acre Counted and examined the Honorable Companys Cash for the Month of April last which is as follows viz | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 16 May 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 10 May 1763, approved it and signed it. The snow Mercury reached the island on Wednesday 11 May 1763. George French, a soldier, asked the Council to release him from the garrison, since he had served the full term he had signed for. The Council agreed. Richard Bagley had applied at the meeting of 31 January 1763 for a piece of land. The ground had since been inspected and judged to cause no harm to the Company or to the neighbouring landholders. Part of it was barren, and Bagley wanted it only to make his fencing easier. The Council granted him a lease of the land at a rent of 3s 0d an acre. The Council then counted and examined the Company's cash for April 1763. Interpretations Land could be granted only after an inspection confirmed that the new holding would not damage the Company's interests or those of existing tenants. The check protected water supplies, grazing and rights of way on an island where good land was scarce and boundaries were easily disputed. Bagley waited from 31 January to 16 May 1763 for his lease, which shows the inspection was a real step rather than a formality. The rent reflected the quality of the ground. Bagley paid 3s 0d an acre for land partly barren and wanted only to straighten his fence line, while the five acres held for the Beale orphans implied a rent of 5s 0d an acre. The Company thus priced its land according to its use, drawing a small income even from waste ground while allowing tenants to consolidate their holdings. Bagley was the same planter who had supplied cabbages to the Sea Horse and lemons to the Company in the first quarter of 1763, and a tidier boundary perhaps served a working garden supplying the shipping trade. |
351 | 344 | 16th May Cash Dr 1763 April 1 To Balance remaining £3822 3s 9d 4th To Exchange for 2 Sets Bills drawn upon the Honorable the Court of directors payable as follows viz One Set to Captain Alexander Hume for £112 7s 0d One Do to Mr James Rutherford for £108 0s 0d £220 7s 0d 14th To Ship Tilbury received the balance of her Account £6 2s 0d 15th To Account Current London for three Chests of Treasure received from Ship Egmont amounting by Sale to £3014 4s 9d 20th To Ship Royal Captain received the balance of her Account £39 11s 0d 25th To Exchange for a Set of Bills drawn upon the Honorable the Court of Directors payable to Mrs Sarah Mears £150 0s 0d To Ship Egmont recd the Balance of her Account £5 10s 0d 29th To Ship True Briton Do £4 0s 8d To Ship Royal Charlotte Do £6 12s 3d To Ship Harcourt Do £5 14s 5d To Ship Horsendon Do £5 10s 0d 30th To Exchange for 3 Sets of Bills drawn as above payable as follows One Set to Capt Richard Morrison £370 0s 0d One Do to Capt John Clements £150 0s 0d One Do to Capt William Master £255 0s 0d £775 0s 0d £8057 15s 10d | The Council counted and examined the Company's cash for April 1763, and the receipts stood as follows. 1 April 1763, balance remaining from March, £3,822 3s 9d 4 April 1763, exchange for 2 sets of bills drawn on the Court of Directors: 1 set payable to Captain Alexander Hume, £112 7s 0d 1 set payable to James Rutherford, £108 0s 0d Total for the 2 sets of bills, £220 7s 0d 14 April 1763, received from the ship Tilbury as the balance of her account, £6 2s 0d 15 April 1763, credited to the London current account for 3 chests of treasure received from the ship Egmont, valued by sale at £3,014 4s 9d 20 April 1763, received from the ship Royal Captain as the balance of her account, £39 11s 0d 25 April 1763, exchange for a set of bills drawn on the Court of Directors payable to Sarah Mears, £150 0s 0d 25 April 1763, received from the ship Egmont as the balance of her account, £5 10s 0d 29 April 1763, received from the ship True Briton as the balance of her account, £4 0s 8d 29 April 1763, received from the ship Royal Charlotte as the balance of her account, £6 12s 3d 29 April 1763, received from the ship Harcourt as the balance of her account, £5 14s 5d 29 April 1763, received from the ship Horsendon as the balance of her account, £5 10s 0d 30 April 1763, exchange for 3 sets of bills drawn on the Court of Directors: 1 set payable to Captain Richard Morrison, £370 0s 0d 1 set payable to Captain John Clements, £150 0s 0d 1 set payable to Captain William Marter, £255 0s 0d Total for the 3 sets of bills, £775 0s 0d Total received, £8,057 15s 10d Interpretations The three chests of treasure landed from the Egmont supplied more new money in a single entry than all the island's other receipts for the month combined. The Company shipped coin, usually Spanish silver, out from London to meet the island's costs, and the sum was credited against the London current account so that the directors could trace every chest from their treasury to the island's. Valuing the treasure by sale meant converting the coin into sterling at the rates current on the island, the same process that gave pagodas, rupees and double reals their fixed values in the March cash account. April's receipts far exceeded those of March. Apart from the opening balance, March had brought in about £1,470, while April brought in more than £4,200, much of it tied to the arrival of the homeward fleet. Six Company ships settled their accounts for stores and refreshments, and four commanders together with Hume and Rutherford converted cash into bills worth £1,145 0s 0d. The pattern shows how closely the island's finances followed the shipping season, with most of its income concentrated into the few weeks each year when the homeward ships lay in the road. |
352 | 345 | 1763 Per Contra Cr 1763 April 30th To Balance remaining in the following Species viz 9848 Pagodas 8s 0d £3939 4s 0d 167 Rupees 2s 3d £18 15s 9d 441 French Ps 0s 2d £3 13s 6d 4421 Doub Royals 1s 3d £276 6s 3d 13120 Dollars 5s 0d £3280 0s 0d Odd Money £0 1s 4d £7518 0s 10d Cash Notes of no use amounting to £539 15s 0d £8057 15s 10d £8057 15s 10d Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick | No money was paid out of the treasury in April 1763, and the balance held at the end of the month was set out by coin. 30 April 1763, balance remaining in coin: 9,848 pagodas at 8s 0d each, £3,939 4s 0d 167 rupees at 2s 3d each, £18 15s 9d 441 French coins at 2d each, £3 13s 6d 4,421 double reals at 1s 3d each, £276 6s 3d 13,120 dollars at 5s 0d each, £3,280 0s 0d Loose change, £0 1s 4d Total in coin, £7,518 0s 10d Paper notes of no use, £539 15s 0d Total, £8,057 15s 10d Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the account. Interpretations Compared with the balance at the end of March 1763, the treasury's holdings had more than doubled. The pagodas rose from 7,510 to 9,848, reflecting coin paid in by commanders in exchange for bills and by ships settling their accounts. The largest change was the appearance of 13,120 dollars, which had not featured at all in March. These were Spanish pieces of eight, the silver coin most widely used in world trade, and they almost certainly came from the three chests of treasure landed from the Egmont on 15 April 1763. The dollars were valued here at 5s 0d each, giving £3,280 0s 0d, a little more than the £3,014 4s 9d credited to the London account. The difference was perhaps the gain from valuing the coin at the island's rate rather than its cost in London. With no quarterly salaries falling due in April, nothing was drawn from the treasury, and the whole of the month's income remained in hand. The pay for the next quarter would be advanced to the paymaster at the end of June, when the reserve built up during the shipping season would be needed to meet the garrison's wages. |
353 | 346 | 18th May At a Consultation held on Wednesday the 18th Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 16th May 1763 About Nine OClock last Night arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Culloden from England And this Morning We received a Packet from their Honors which we opened and read Upon which We acquainted Mr Hall that the Honorable Company had been pleased to appoint Him Captain of the Artillery Company Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 23rd Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated 18th May 1763 Friday the 20th Died William Son of John and Martha Jacks Do passed by two Ships at a great distance | The Council met at the Castle on Wednesday 18 May 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 16 May 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ship Culloden reached the island from England at about nine o'clock on the night of 17 May 1763. On the morning of 18 May the Council received a packet of letters from the directors and opened and read it. The councillors then informed Thomas Hall that the Company had appointed him captain of the Artillery Company. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met again at the Castle on Monday 23 May 1763, with the same members present. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 18 May 1763, approved it and signed it. William, the son of John and Martha Jacks, died on Friday 20 May 1763. Two ships passed the island far out to sea on the same day. Interpretations The packet brought by the Culloden was the directors' annual set of letters and orders to the island, and appointments to senior posts could only come from London. Thomas Hall had led the artillery as master gunner on a salary of £22 16s 3d a quarter, half that of an infantry captain. His promotion to captain raised the artillery's commander to the same rank as the officers of the four infantry companies. The change recognised the artillery's weight in the garrison, which by the pay lists for the first quarter of 1763 had become one of its largest and most expensive units. The dead child's father was perhaps John Jacks, one of the gunner's mates in the Artillery Company, since soldiers with families lived among the island's settlers and their children's deaths were recorded in the consultations alongside those of planters. |
354 | 347 | 23rd May Mr Benjamin Mason this Day presented the following Petition viz To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &ca Council of St Helena The humble Petition of Benjn Mason Sheweth That your Petitioner being desirous to hire a piece of the Honorable Companys Waste Land lying contiguous to his Land in Swanly Valley therefore humbly prays that your Worship and Council will be pleased to Grant him a Lease for the same & as great part of it is entirely barren hopes that you'l let him have it at a reasonable Rate And your petitioner will ever pray (Signed) Benjn Mason St Helena 23rd May 1763 Ordered the said land to be viewed The Governor this day laid the following representation of Mr Sampells before the Council viz To Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor of the Island St Helena Worshipful Sir After thirty years Service and upwards it can't but sensibly affect me to hear that I am not happy enough to enjoy the Benefit of the only vacancy which has in my time happend in the Corps I have the Honor to belong to and that another tho never so Worthy should deprive me of what I am intitled to expect not alone from Margin Notes: [...] | Benjamin Mason presented a petition to Governor Hutchinson and the Council on 23 May 1763. He wanted to rent a piece of the Company's unused land that adjoined his own holding in Swanley Valley and asked for a lease of it. Since much of the ground was completely barren, he hoped the Council would let him have it at a moderate rent. The Council ordered an inspection of the land. The Governor then laid before the Council a written complaint from Nathan Sample. Sample reminded the Governor that he had served for more than 30 years. It hurt him deeply, he wrote, to miss the benefit of the only vacancy that had arisen in his corps during all that time. He also resented that another man, however deserving, should take what he believed he had a right to expect. Interpretations Sample was the chief gunner's mate of the Artillery Company, the senior man below the master gunner. The vacancy he meant was almost certainly the one created when the directors' letters, opened on 18 May 1763, raised Thomas Hall to captain of the Artillery Company. Sample's claim rested on seniority, the principle that long service entitled a man to the next step up. Promotion in the Company's service lay instead with the directors in London, who could appoint whomever they chose, and a vacancy so rare that it came only once in 30 years made the disappointment all the sharper. By addressing the Governor, Sample appealed to the only authority on the island able to press his case with London. Mason's petition followed the same course as Richard Bagley's, granted on 16 May 1763 after an inspection of the ground. Both men sought barren waste land next to their existing holdings and asked for a rent that reflected its poor quality. The Council's order to inspect the land was the first step in the procedure that protected the Company's interests and those of neighbouring tenants before any lease was granted. |
355 | 348 | 23rd May from My Seniority but yet from my irreproachable behaviour for so long a time If you are but kind enough to consider Sir what a just Claim I have to yours and to the Honorable Companys Friendship upon this Occasion you will not deem me presumptious for the liberty I take in laying my Pretensions before you They are founded upon a Double title the first is upon your Justice and Humanity the second upon the Reward that an honest man in a manner worn out in the service can justly expect in the decline of his age I could urge many other reasons in Justification of My present Importunity but rather than be troublesome leave all to the Candour of a Gentleman who was never known to Deviate from Justice and in whose Beneficence my hopes are intirely centred I have the Honour to be with profound Respect Worshipful Sir Your most Obedient and most humble servant 23 May 1763 Nathan Sampell In consideration of Mr Sampells good behaviour and long Services as above represented We think he has a just Claim to be made an Officer but as Mr John Welsh Cadet stands recommended by the Honorable Company for the first Vacancy and this being a new Created Commission and not strictly speaking a Vacancy We chose to defer appointing either to the Artillery Company until we receive their Honors directions upon it And as that Company is not at present upon a proper Military Plan the Governor has drawn out the following The present Establishment of the Artillery Company at St Helena viz 8 Gunners Mates at 2s 0d each P Day £16 0s 0d 8 Quartr Gunners 1s 6d £12 0s 0d 54 Matrosses 1s 0d £2 14s 0d £4 2s 0d Margin Notes: [...] 70 | Nathan Sample's letter went on to say that his claim rested not only on his seniority but on his blameless conduct over so many years. He trusted that the Governor, weighing how fairly he could call on the goodwill of the Governor and the Company, would not think him presumptuous for putting his case forward. His claim, he wrote, rested on two grounds. The first was the Governor's own sense of justice and humanity. The second was the reward that an honest man, worn out in the service, could fairly expect as he grew old. Sample added that he could offer many other reasons for pressing his request. Rather than weary the Governor with them, he left the matter to the fairness of a gentleman known never to depart from justice, on whose generosity all his hopes depended. He signed the letter on 23 May 1763. The Council judged that Sample's good conduct and long service gave him a fair claim to be made an officer. The directors, however, had recommended John Welsh, a cadet, for the first vacancy that arose. The councillors also noted that the post in question was a newly created commission rather than a vacancy in the strict sense. They therefore decided not to appoint either man to the Artillery Company until they had received the directors' instructions. Because the company was not yet organised on a proper military footing, the Governor drew up a statement of its existing strength and daily cost. Establishment of the Artillery Company at St Helena: 8 gunner's mates at 2s 0d each a day, £0 16s 0d a day 8 quarter gunners at 1s 6d each a day, £0 12s 0d a day 54 matrosses at 1s 0d each a day, £2 14s 0d a day Total daily cost, £4 2s 0d Interpretations Sample's letter shows how an old soldier without any pension could seek provision for his old age. The Company offered no retirement allowance to men in the ranks, so a commission was the only way a long-serving non-commissioned officer could secure a better income for his remaining years. Sample framed his request as an appeal to the Governor's justice and humanity rather than as a right, since promotion depended on patronage. His phrase about a man worn out in the service made plain that he saw the post as a reward for past service as much as a charge for the future. John Welsh was the cadet entered on the First Company's pay list for the first quarter of 1763 as John Ware Welsh, drawing a sergeant's pay while he waited for a commission. The directors' recommendation gave him the first claim to any officer's post, which was precisely the advantage a cadetship was meant to secure. Thomas Hall's promotion to captain on 18 May 1763 had created a new commissioned post in the artillery, and it was this post that both men now sought. The Governor's statement of establishment confirmed the daily rates on which the quarterly pay lists had been calculated. The artillery's rank and file cost £4 2s 0d a day, or about £373 a quarter, before the pay of its officers. Setting it out in this way prepared the ground for reorganising the company under officers of its own. Speculations The Council had two obvious courses before it. It could appoint Sample, whom it openly judged to deserve a commission, or it could follow the directors' standing recommendation and appoint Welsh. It took neither, choosing instead to leave the post unfilled until London replied. The record shows the reason: the directors had named Welsh for the first vacancy, but the councillors reasoned that a newly created commission was not strictly a vacancy, so the recommendation might not cover it. By drawing that distinction the Council avoided overriding either a deserving veteran or a cadet backed by the directors, and passed the choice back to the only authority whose decision neither man could dispute. |
356 | 349 | 1763 The Establishment proposed viz 4 Serjeants at 2s 0d each P Day £0 8s 0d 4 Corporals 1s 6d £0 6s 0d 4 Bombardiers 1s 6d £0 6s 0d 8 Gunners 1s 4d £0 10s 8d 2 Drummers 1s 0d £0 2s 0d 42 Matrosses 1s 0d £2 2s 0d £3 14s 8d By which it appears there will be a saving of 7s 4d P Day and this being more than sufficient to pay another Lieutenant besides the one that the Honorable Company have directed to be made We therefore agreed to recommend the foregoing Plan to their Consideration Mr James Kerr Surgeon of the Ship Culloden applied to us for payment for the care of Thirty four Recruits in their Passage from England We accordingly ordered him to be paid five Shillings each amounting to eight Pounds ten Shillings Bought of Captain John Bowland for the use of the Honorable Companys Table viz 1 Doz Bottles Goosberries @ 2s 0d £1 4s 0d 1 Doz Do Currants @ 3s 0d £1 16s 0d 6 Pots Mincemeats @ 5s 0d £1 10s 0d £4 10s 0d Captain Harold being Directed to acquaint Us how long it would take him to put the Mercury Snow in condition for going to Sea this day sent the Governor the following Letter viz To Charles Hutchinson Esqr Sir I take the Liberty to inform you the Mercury Snow cannot be ready for the Sea in less time than a Month as her rigging Sails Margin Notes: and would give only 6s 2d all Officers [...] & 2 Drums which is 7s 10d 64 | The Council also set out a proposed new establishment for the Artillery Company. Proposed establishment of the Artillery Company: 4 sergeants at 2s 0d each a day, £0 8s 0d a day 4 corporals at 1s 6d each a day, £0 6s 0d a day 4 bombardiers at 1s 6d each a day, £0 6s 0d a day 8 gunners at 1s 4d each a day, £0 10s 8d a day 2 drummers at 1s 0d each a day, £0 2s 0d a day 42 matrosses at 1s 0d each a day, £2 2s 0d a day Total strength, 64 men Total daily cost, £3 14s 8d The new plan would reduce the company from 70 men to 64 and save 7s 4d a day. The Council found this saving more than enough to pay a second lieutenant alongside the one the directors had ordered to be appointed. The councillors therefore agreed to recommend the plan to the directors for approval. James Kerr, surgeon of the ship Culloden, asked the Council to pay him for looking after 34 recruits on their voyage from England. The Council ordered him to be paid 5s 0d for each man, a total of £8 10s 0d. The Council bought provisions for the Company's table from Captain John Burland. 1 dozen bottles of gooseberries at 2s 0d a bottle, £1 4s 0d 1 dozen bottles of currants at 3s 0d a bottle, £1 16s 0d 6 pots of mincemeat at 5s 0d a pot, £1 10s 0d Total, £4 10s 0d Captain Harold had been asked to report how long it would take to make the snow Mercury fit for sea. He wrote to the Governor that day, stating that the vessel needed at least a month before she could sail, owing to the condition of her rigging. Interpretations The proposed establishment reshaped the artillery on the pattern of the Royal Artillery. In place of gunner's mates and quarter gunners it introduced sergeants, corporals and bombardiers, the last being specialists in mortars, shells and the fuses that fired them. Gunners formed a trained rank above the matrosses, and two drummers were added to beat the company's calls. Cutting the number of matrosses from 54 to 42 paid for these changes and still left a daily saving of 7s 4d, or about £134 a year. That saving was enough to fund a second lieutenancy, which would allow both Nathan Sample and John Welsh to receive commissions rather than one being passed over for the other. The 34 recruits carried out on the Culloden more than made up for the 23 soldiers discharged on 18 April 1763 and the others released since. The Company paid ships' surgeons a fee for each recruit brought out alive and in health, giving them a direct interest in keeping the men well on the passage. Bottled gooseberries and currants and pots of mincemeat were preserved English luxuries that could not be produced on the island, bought from a ship's commander for the Company's table. |
357 | 350 | 23rd May Sails &ca is in so bad a condition they must be put in good order her Bottom cleaned and Water Casks repaired which are very bad I am Sir Your most obedt Humble Servt (Signed) Wm Harold St Helena May the 23 1763 Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 30th Day of May 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 23d May 1763 The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores Short received from the Culloden viz Margin Notes: Letter Book N - 23 June 1763 On the 27th of last month about 5 Oclock in the morning was felt a violent Shock of an Earthquake - the Agitation was so strong in the South part of the Island as to shake the China &c off the Shelves in the Houses but thank God no damage ensued | Captain William Harold's letter of 23 May 1763 went on to explain that the rigging and sails of the Mercury were in such poor condition that they had to be put back in good order. Her hull also needed cleaning below the waterline, and her water casks, which were in a very bad state, needed repair. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record of the meeting. A violent earthquake shock was felt on the island at about five o'clock on the morning of 27 May 1763, as the Council later reported in its letter of 23 June 1763. The tremor was strongest in the south of the island, where it threw china and other objects off the shelves in people's houses, but it caused no damage. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 30 May 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 23 May 1763, approved it and signed it. The storekeeper then presented an account of stores that had come ashore short from the Culloden. Interpretations Harold's list of repairs shows how quickly a small vessel deteriorated in service at St Helena. A ship's bottom fouled with weed and barnacles in warm water, slowing her badly, and cleaning it meant heeling her over or beaching her to scrape the hull, a heavy task on an island without a dock. Water casks mattered as much as rigging, since a vessel that could not carry fresh water could not keep the sea for long. The month Harold asked for meant the Mercury would be out of use during the season when the Company most needed a vessel to carry messages and meet shipping. |
358 | 351 | 30th May 2 Irons Pots wt 52 lb 400 Plane Tiles 10 Ridge Do 1 One Inch Elm Board 1 Wine and Water Glass 5 Milk Pans Broke 4 Platters 2 Tin Lamps found Short upon opening the Packages 1 Mop Damaged by wet and good for nothing 1 C 2 qrs 26 lb Sole Leather 2 Pump Do ½ Solder 11 Sope 3 Twine 1 Cotton Yarn Short Weight 11½ Bushels Salt 4 Chaldrons 8 Bushels Coals Short Measure 4 Wainscot Boards of 1 In 12 feet long 1 Keg Small Shot wt 1 C 1 qr 7 lb Short Delivered 1 Marshals Hat &c which was not inserted in the Invoice Port Wine viz No 1 1 Hhd gages 61 Galls wants to fill 1½ Gal 2 1 Do Do 60 Gallons Do 1½ Gallons 3 1 Do Do 61 Gallons Do 1 Gallon 182 Gallons 4 Gallons Gallons 178 Received Lisbon viz 4 1 Do Do 60 Gallons Do 1¼ Gallons 5 1 Do Do 60 Gallons Do 1½ Gallons 120 Gallons 2¾ Gallons Gallons 117¼ Received Mountain viz 6 1 Do Do 61 Gallons Do 1½ Gallons 7 ½ Do Do 30 Gallons Do [...] 91 Gallons Galls 8[...]½ Received St Helena 30 May 1763 (signed) Js Powell Storekeeper | Broken: 2 iron pots weighing 52 pounds 400 plain roofing tiles 10 ridge tiles 1 elm board 1 inch thick 1 glass for wine and water 5 milk pans Missing when the packages were opened: 4 platters 2 tin lamps Spoiled by damp and useless: 1 mop Short in weight: 0 hundredweight 2 quarters 20 pounds of sole leather 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 2 pounds of pump leather ½ pound of solder 11 pounds of soap 3 pounds of twine 1 pound of cotton yarn Short in measure: 11½ bushels of salt 0 chaldrons 4 bushels of coal Not delivered: 4 wainscot boards 1 inch thick and 12 feet long 1 keg of small shot weighing 1 hundredweight Received but not listed on the invoice: 1 marshal's hat and other items Port wine: Cask 1, 1 hogshead gauged at 61 gallons, 1½ gallons short of full Cask 2, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 1½ gallons short of full Cask 3, 1 hogshead gauged at 61 gallons, 1 gallon short of full Total gauged, 182 gallons Total short, 4 gallons Port wine received, 178 gallons Lisbon wine: Cask 4, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 1¼ gallons short of full Cask 5, 1 hogshead gauged at 60 gallons, 1½ gallons short of full Total gauged, 120 gallons Total short, 2¾ gallons Lisbon wine received, 117¼ gallons Mountain wine: Cask 6, 1 hogshead gauged at 61 gallons, 1½ gallons short of full Cask 7, ½ hogshead gauged at 30 gallons, 0 gallons short of full Total gauged, 91 gallons Total short, 1½ gallons Mountain wine received, 89½ gallons James Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 30 May 1763. Interpretations The storekeeper recorded goods that arrived without appearing on the invoice as carefully as those that failed to arrive. An unlisted item meant the invoice from London was wrong, and noting it protected both the storekeeper and the ship's commander from later questions about where the article had come from. The account therefore reconciled the cargo against its paperwork in both directions. The consignment of plain and ridge tiles shows the Company beginning to replace the thatched roofs that still covered buildings such as the Lieutenant Governor's house, thatched by three men in the first quarter of 1763. Tiles were heavy and fragile to ship so far, and the loss of 400 in a single cargo shows the cost of the change. Pump leather was thick hide cut into the washers and valves of the island's water pumps, which wore out quickly in constant use. |
359 | 352 | 30th May We have by this Ship Consigned to the Honorable Companys President and Council at Canton four thousand Dollars of the Money we took out of the Egmont believing we shall be able to spare that Sum from the prospect we now have of geting Bills sufficient to defray the Expences of the Current Year The ten Working Days allowed by Charter party for unloading the Ship Culloden being expired We gave Captain John Bowland Orders in writing to make the best of his way to Canton in China according to the Directions he had received from the Honorable the Court of Directors We likewise gave him the following Letter to the President and Council at Canton together with the Duplicates of those we wrote by the Ship Egmont to the several Presidencys in India To the President and other Supra Cargoes of Council at Canton Gentlemen We wrote to you under date of the 15th of last Month by the Honorable Companys Ship Egmont when we desired you to forward our Letters to the several Presidencys in India Duplicates of which we transmit you herewith We have consigned to you by this Ship on Account of the Honorable Company one Chest of Treasure containing four thousand Dollars as P Invoice and Bill of Lading Enclosed You will likewise receive the Ship Culloden Charterparty Victualling Bill and manifest of Goods We are Gentlemen (Signed) Your most humble Servants St Helena 30th May 1763 Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council shipped 4,000 dollars aboard the Culloden to the Company's President and Council at Canton. The coin came from the treasure landed from the Egmont, and the councillors judged they could spare it because they expected to raise enough through bills of exchange to meet the island's costs for the year. The ten working days allowed under the charter for unloading the Culloden had now run out. The Council therefore gave Captain John Bowland written orders to sail for Canton as quickly as he could, in line with the instructions he had received from the directors. The councillors also handed him a letter for the President and Council at Canton, together with copies of the letters sent by the Egmont to the Company's governments in India. In the letter, dated 30 May 1763, the Council addressed the President and the other supercargoes forming the Council at Canton. It reminded them of its earlier letter of [...] April 1763, sent by the Egmont, which had asked them to forward the island's correspondence to the Company's governments in India, and it enclosed copies of that correspondence. The Council informed them that the Culloden carried one chest of treasure on the Company's account containing 4,000 dollars, as shown in the enclosed invoice and bill of lading. It also sent them the ship's charter, her victualling bill and the manifest of her cargo. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the letter. Interpretations The charter under which the Company hired its ships fixed a set number of working days for loading and unloading at each port. Once the ten days allowed at St Helena expired, the Company became liable to pay the owners compensation for every extra day the ship was held, so the Council sent the Culloden on her way at once. Passing her charter, victualling bill and manifest to Canton let the supercargoes there take over the management of the ship and her cargo for the next stage of her voyage. The supercargoes at Canton were the Company's merchants in China, responsible for buying tea, silk and porcelain for the homeward ships. Chinese merchants would accept almost nothing but silver in payment, so the Company had to supply Canton with a constant flow of Spanish dollars. St Helena, lying on the route of outward ships, served as a staging post both for this silver and for letters to India, which the supercargoes forwarded by the next vessel heading for Madras, Bombay or Bengal. Speculations The treasure landed from the Egmont had been sent to meet the island's own expenses, and the obvious course was to keep all of it in the treasury, where the April balance showed 13,120 dollars in hand. The Council instead sent almost a third of it onward to Canton. The record gives the reason: the councillors expected bills of exchange from ships' commanders to supply enough cash for the year. By relying on the steady flow of bills they had seen in April, they could release silver to Canton, where it was far more valuable to the Company's trade than lying idle at St Helena. |
360 | 353 | 1763 Joshua Ratcliffe Quarter Gunner this Day Petitioned for his Discharge from the Garrison having served the Honorable Company His Contracted time Granted We this day Granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable the Court of Directors payable as follows viz One Set to Captain John Bowland for Six hundred Pounds payable to Mrs Elizabeth Bowland or Order One Set to Mr Edward Bland Woolstencraft for one hundred & forty Pounds Payable to Mrs Lydia Woolstencraft or Order both sets drawn at Ninety days sight Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 6th Day of June 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 30th May 1763 Tuesday the 31st May Passed by a Ship at a great Distance Wednesday the 1st Arrived the Fly Cutter Yesterday Sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Culloden on her Voyage Great damage having been done by Violent Rains and Floods to the Honorable Companys Fortifications Plantations &c We have been under the necessity of employing several of the Garrison Men to repair them forthwith | Joshua Ratcliffe, a quarter gunner, asked the Council to release him from the garrison, since he had served the full term he had signed for. The Council agreed. The Council issued two sets of bills of exchange on the Court of Directors that day, both payable 90 days after being presented in London. The first went to Captain John Bowland for £600 0s 0d, payable to Elizabeth Bowland or to whoever she named. The second went to Edward Bland Wollstonecraft for £140 0s 0d, payable to Lydia Wollstonecraft on the same terms. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 6 June 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 30 May 1763, approved it and signed it. A ship passed the island far out to sea on Tuesday 31 May 1763. The Fly cutter returned on Wednesday 1 June 1763, and the Culloden left to continue her voyage on 5 June 1763. Heavy rain and flooding had caused serious damage to the Company's fortifications, plantations and other property. The Council found it necessary to put a number of men from the garrison to work on the repairs at once. Interpretations Captain Bowland's bill of £600 0s 0d was the largest private remittance recorded in these weeks, far above the sums sent home by the commanders of the homeward fleet. As commander of the Culloden on her way to China, he was converting profits already made on the outward voyage into a bill his wife could draw in London, so that the money would be safe whatever happened to his ship at sea. The flooding struck at the onset of the southern-hemisphere winter, when St Helena's heaviest rains fall. Water running off the steep hillsides gathered quickly in the narrow valleys and could wash away walls, paths and planted ground within hours. The Council's decision to draw on the garrison for repairs followed the pattern of the first quarter of 1763, when soldiers worked on the fortifications, the Company's houses and the pastures for a daily wage on top of their pay. |
361 | 354 | 6th June Captain Fea having been directed to give Us an Account of what was necessary to be done for repairing the Fly Cutter presented the following report Signed by himself his Chief Mate and Carpenter viz Island St Helena The Situation of the Fly Cutter the 2nd June 1763 She wants to be caulked all above water both Sides and Decks then heave her down take of all the Sheathing and repair in the water what may be wanting repair She will afterwards be fit to continue here or go Else where for three or four Months not to Exceed the Latter but in case she is to stay here longer than Six or Eight Months She will require to be hauld upon the Beach here if Possible we can do it and be Sheathed immediately Which will take Six Weeks with the assistance of all the Carpenters belonging to the Honorable Company upon St Helena And we judge it to be four or five Weeks in getting ready to haul upon the Beach and Launching of again Including the time She will be ready to Sail and Exclusive of Swells Sickness to our own Carpenter and all other unforeseen Accidents that may happen in the time (Signed) Peter Fea Adam Shireff Giulio Sabano | Captain Peter Fea had been asked to report on the repairs the Fly cutter needed. He presented a report signed by himself, his chief mate and his carpenter. The report, dated 2 June 1763, set out the vessel's condition. Her sides and decks needed caulking everywhere above the waterline. After that the crew would have to heave her over on her side, strip off all her sheathing and repair whatever was defective below the waterline. Once this was done she would be fit for three or four months' further service, either at the island or elsewhere, but for no longer than four months. If she was to remain at St Helena for more than six or eight months, she would need to be hauled up on the beach, if that could be managed, and sheathed afresh without delay. The signatories estimated that the full work would take six weeks, even with the help of every carpenter the Company employed on the island. Preparing to haul her up the beach and launching her again, until she was ready to sail, would take four or five weeks on its own. That estimate made no allowance for heavy surf, illness of the ship's own carpenter or any other mishap that might arise. Peter Fea, Adam Shireff and Giulio Sabano signed the report. Interpretations Sheathing was an outer skin of thin planking nailed over a ship's hull to protect the main timbers from shipworm, which bored through wood in warm seas and could destroy a hull within a few years. Replacing it meant exposing the whole of the bottom, either by heaving the vessel down, pulling her over on her side with tackles fixed to her masts, or by hauling her ashore. St Helena had no dock or sheltered careening ground, so both methods depended on calm weather at the landing place. The heavy swells that rolled into James Bay, which the report called surfs, could halt the work for days at a time. The report came only ten days after William Harold's account of the Mercury, dated 23 May 1763, which described rotten rigging, a foul bottom and ruined water casks. Both of the Company's small vessels at the island thus needed extensive work at the same time. Taking every carpenter on the island away from other duties for six weeks showed how much the Council relied on these craft to carry messages, watch for shipping and link St Helena to the wider Company network. |
362 | 355 | 1763 The Garrison being in want of two hundred and fifty one Blankets We directed the Storekeeper to Issue that Number for their use Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 13th Day of June 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Captn Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 6th June 1763 The Plantation Gunners and Stewards Accounts for the Month of May last were this Day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follow viz Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of May 1763 1 Bottle Port Wine £0 1s 6d 19 Do Lisbon £1 8s 6d 18 Do Mountain £1 7s 0d 64 Do Arrack £2 19s 8d 20 Do Beer £0 5s 5d Carried over £6 2s 1d | The garrison needed 251 blankets, and the Council ordered the storekeeper to issue that number to the soldiers. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 13 June 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 6 June 1763, approved it and signed it. The accounts of the plantation, the master gunner and the steward for May 1763 were presented that day, examined and approved. The first was the account of food and drink consumed at the Company's table during the month. 1 bottle of port wine, £0 1s 6d 19 bottles of Lisbon wine, £1 8s 6d 18 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 7s 0d 64 bottles of arrack, £2 19s 8d 20 bottles of beer, £0 5s 5d Total carried forward, £6 2s 1d Interpretations Consumption of wine and beer at the Company's table fell sharply in May compared with April 1763. Lisbon wine dropped from 34 bottles to 19, Mountain wine from 24 to 18 and beer from 58 bottles to 20, while arrack held almost steady at 64 bottles against 67. The difference reflected the departure of the homeward fleet on 2 May 1763. Commanders and passengers of ships in the road were entertained at the Castle during their stay, and once they had gone the table returned to its ordinary company of Company servants, who drank the cheaper arrack as their everyday spirit. The issue of 251 blankets came as the southern-hemisphere winter set in, bringing the heavy rains that had damaged the island's fortifications and plantations earlier in the month. The number was enough to supply almost every man in the four infantry companies and the artillery, and it points to a general issue of new bedding rather than the replacement of a few worn blankets. |
363 | 356 | 13th June Brought over £6 2s 1d 335 lb Flour £2 1s 10½d 162 lb Fresh Beef £2 0s 6d 1 Piece Salt Beef £0 2s 11½d 6 Pieces Salt Porke £0 15s 3d 229¼ lb Mutton £4 15s 0¾d 263¾ of Cape Mutton £0 15s 0d £5 10s 8¾d 42 lb Goat £0 14s 0d 2 Lambs £0 10s 0d 16 Fowls £1 4s 0d 3 Ducks £0 4s 6d 2 Turkeys £0 10s 0d 30¾ lb Fresh Butter £1 18s 3d 97 lb Candy £1 12s 4d £23 6s 5¾d Artillery Stores Expended in the Month of May 1763 Guns Fired, Shot Fired, 9pounder, 4pounder, 3pounder, 2pounder, 1pounder, Powder Expended 1st An Alarm for a Portoguese Vessel: Guns Fired 6, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Fired at Banks's to bring the Vessel to: Guns Fired 1, Shot Fired 1, 9pounder 1, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 4lb 8oz Do An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 2 Departed the Charlotte returned the Salute: Guns Fired 11, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 11, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 11lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 2lb 0oz Departed the True Briton Harcourt and Horsendon Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 15, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 15, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 15lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 2lb 8oz 9th An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 2, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 6lb 0oz 10th An Alarm for the Mercury Snow: Guns Fired 6, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz 15 An Alarm: Guns Fired 6, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Carried over: Guns Fired 53, Shot Fired 1, 9pounder 1, 4pounder 10, 3pounder 8, 2pounder 26, 1pounder 8, Powder Expended 89lb 0oz | The account of food and drink consumed at the Company's table in May 1763 continued from a running total of £6 2s 1d. Total brought forward, £6 2s 1d 335 pounds of flour, £2 1s 10½d 162 pounds of fresh beef, £2 0s 6d 1 piece of salt beef, £0 2s 11½d 6 pieces of salt pork, £0 15s 3d Mutton: 229¼ pounds of island mutton, £4 15s 0¾d 26¾ pounds of Cape mutton, £0 15s 8d Total for mutton, £5 10s 8¾d 42 pounds of goat meat, £0 14s 0d 2 lambs, £0 10s 0d 16 fowls, £1 4s 0d 3 ducks, £0 4s 6d 2 turkeys, £0 10s 0d 30¾ pounds of fresh butter, £1 18s 3d 97 pounds of sugar candy, £1 12s 4d Total for the Company's table, £23 6s 5¾d The master gunner's account recorded the artillery stores used in May 1763, listing for each occasion the guns fired, any shot fired, the calibres used and the powder spent. 1 May 1763, an alarm for a Portuguese vessel: 6 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 1 May 1763, a gun fired at Banks's to make the vessel heave to: 1 gun fired, 1 shot fired, made up of 1 nine-pounder, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 4 pounds 8 ounces of powder 1 May 1763, an alarm for a ship that passed without calling: 6 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 2 May 1763, salute returned on the departure of the Royal Charlotte: 11 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 11 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 11 pounds 0 ounces of powder 2 May 1763, powder for priming, 2 pounds 0 ounces 2 May 1763, salute returned on the departure of the True Briton, Harcourt and Horsendon: 15 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 15 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 15 pounds 0 ounces of powder 2 May 1763, powder for priming, 2 pounds 8 ounces 9 May 1763, an alarm for a ship that passed without calling: 2 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 6 pounds 0 ounces of powder 10 May 1763, an alarm for the snow Mercury: 6 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 15 May 1763, an alarm: 6 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder Total carried forward: 53 guns fired, 1 shot fired, made up of 1 nine-pounder, 10 four-pounders, 8 three-pounders, 26 two-pounders and 8 one-pounders, using 89 pounds 0 ounces of powder Interpretations The single shot fired from Banks's on 1 May 1763 was the only live round in the month's account, all other guns being fired with powder alone. It was aimed across the bows of the Portuguese vessel, the Virgin Lady, which arrived that day, to order her to heave to and wait for permission to enter the road. Foreign ships approaching St Helena were brought under the guns of the batteries before they could anchor, so that the garrison could identify them and their intentions. A warning shot from a nine-pounder made plain that the island would fire in earnest if the order was ignored. Cape mutton came from the Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, where herds of fat-tailed sheep supplied passing ships with fresh meat. Ships calling at St Helena from the Cape sometimes carried live sheep or salted mutton for sale, and the small quantity bought for the table was perhaps a luxury to vary the diet of island mutton. The table's meat consumption was lower than in April 1763, with 16 fowls against 24 and only two turkeys against ten, another sign of fewer guests once the homeward fleet had sailed. |
364 | 357 | 1763 Guns Fired, Shot Fired, 9pounder, 4pounder, 3pounder, 2pounder, 1pounder, Powder Expended Brought over: Guns Fired 53, Shot Fired 1, 9pounder 1, 4pounder 10, 3pounder 8, 2pounder 26, 1pounder 8, Powder Expended 89lb 0oz 16th Arrived the Culloden returned the Salute: Guns Fired 9, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 9, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 8oz 28th A Double Alarms for two Ships that went by: Guns Fired 6, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 3, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 3, Powder Expended 9lb 0oz Fired to dismiss the Flying Partys: Guns Fired 1, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 1, Powder Expended 0lb 8oz 31st An Alarm for a Ship that went by: Guns Fired 6, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 2, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 2, Powder Expended 12lb 0oz Powder fired to Frighten the Goats on Mundens Point Hill: Guns Fired 0, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 3lb 12oz Do for Replenishing the Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 12oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0, Shot Fired 0, 9pounder 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 4lb 0oz Total: Guns Fired 75, Shot Fired 1, 9pounder 1, 4pounder 12, 3pounder 13, 2pounder 35, 1pounder 14, Powder Expended 127lb 8oz Paper for the use of the Secrys Office 1 Quire Sheep Skins for covering Spunges 2 Tacks Nails for Covering & Repairing Spunges 128 Match burnt at the Alarm House from Oct 1761 6lb Spunges Staves broke at Ruperts 1 Spunges Heads broke at Do 1 Rammer Heads broke at Do 3 Spunge Staves broke at the Main Fort 2 Rammer Heads broke at Do 2 Hand Spikes broke at Bankss 2 Hand Spikes for the use of the Carpenters 2 Tompeons Broke at the Main Fort 3 Tallow for the use of the Long Boat 2lb Do for the use of the Wood Carts 4lb Lead Aprons Stole at the main Fort 1 (Signed) Thos Hall | The master gunner's account of artillery stores used in May 1763 continued from a running total of 53 guns fired, 1 shot fired, made up of 1 nine-pounder, 10 four-pounders, 8 three-pounders, 26 two-pounders and 8 one-pounders, using 89 pounds 0 ounces of powder. 18 May 1763, salute returned on the arrival of the Culloden: 9 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 9 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 18 May 1763, powder for priming, 1 pound 8 ounces 20 May 1763, a double alarm for two ships that passed without calling: 6 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 3 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 3 one-pounders, using 9 pounds 0 ounces of powder 20 May 1763, gun fired to dismiss the flying party: 1 gun fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 1 one-pounder, using 0 pounds 8 ounces of powder 31 May 1763, an alarm for a ship that passed without calling: 6 guns fired, 0 shot fired, made up of 0 nine-pounders, 2 four-pounders, 2 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 2 one-pounders, using 12 pounds 0 ounces of powder 31 May 1763, powder fired to scare the goats off Munden's Point hill, 3 pounds 12 ounces 31 May 1763, powder for refilling the cartridges at the Main Guard, 1 pound 12 ounces 31 May 1763, powder for signals, 4 pounds 0 ounces Totals for May 1763: 75 guns fired, 1 shot fired, made up of 1 nine-pounder, 12 four-pounders, 13 three-pounders, 35 two-pounders and 14 one-pounders, using 127 pounds 8 ounces of powder The account also listed the other artillery stores used or lost during the month. 1 quire of paper for the Secretary's office 2 sheepskins for covering sponges 128 trunk nails for covering and repairing sponges 6 pounds of slow match burnt at the Alarm House since October 1761 1 sponge staff broken at Rupert's 1 sponge head broken at Rupert's 3 rammer heads broken at Rupert's 2 sponge staffs broken at the main fort 2 rammer heads broken at the main fort 2 handspikes broken at Banks's 2 handspikes for the carpenters 3 tompions broken at the main fort 2 pounds of tallow for the longboat 4 pounds of tallow for the wood carts 1 lead apron stolen at the main fort Thomas Hall, the master gunner, signed the account. Interpretations Powder was fired from the battery on Munden's Point to drive goats off the hillside above it. Goats ran wild over much of St Helena and grazed on the steep slopes above the fortifications, where they dislodged loose stones that could fall on the works, the gun crews or the path below. They also stripped the vegetation that held the soil together. Using the guns to scare them away was a cheap and immediate remedy on ground too steep for men to reach easily. The sponges and rammers were the tools used to load a cannon. After each shot the sponge, a wooden head covered with sheepskin and fixed to a long staff, was dampened and pushed down the barrel to put out any burning remains of the last charge before a new one was loaded. The rammer then drove the fresh cartridge and shot home. Both broke often in drill and firing, and the sheepskin and trunk nails were for re-covering the sponge heads. A lead apron was a small sheet of lead laid over a gun's touch hole to keep the priming dry, and its theft at the main fort was probably for the value of the metal. |
365 | 358 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &c for the Month of May 1763 viz Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses He Asses, Asses She Asses, Asses Total Remaining 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 87, Neat Cattle Calves 48, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 27, Neat Cattle Steers 31, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 270, Sheep Ewes 294, Sheep Weathers 147, Sheep Lambs 130, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 579, Goats Ewes 150, Goats Weathers 23, Goats Kids 59, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 241, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 19, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 24, Poultry Fowls 90, Poultry Ducks 42, Poultry Turkeys 31, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Brot from the Ships: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 12, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 12, Sheep Ewes 6, Sheep Weathers 104, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 110, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 10, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 10, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 47, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 47, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 10, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 10, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 20, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 19, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 87, Neat Cattle Calves 58, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 27, Neat Cattle Steers 43, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 292, Sheep Ewes 300, Sheep Weathers 251, Sheep Lambs 177, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 736, Goats Ewes 150, Goats Weathers 23, Goats Kids 69, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 251, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 19, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 24, Poultry Fowls 110, Poultry Ducks 42, Poultry Turkeys 50, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 1, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 1, Sheep Ewes 4, Sheep Weathers 20, Sheep Lambs 2, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 26, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 2, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 2, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 16, Poultry Ducks 3, Poultry Turkeys 2, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 6, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 6, Sheep Ewes 2, Sheep Weathers 2, Sheep Lambs 2, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 6, Goats Ewes 1, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 1, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 1, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 1, Poultry Fowls 1, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Sent on board the Culloden: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 1, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 1, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 2, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 0, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses He Asses 0, Asses She Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaining 31st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 58, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 27, Neat Cattle Steers 35, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 283, Sheep Ewes 294, Sheep Weathers 229, Sheep Lambs 173, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 704, Goats Ewes 149, Goats Weathers 21, Goats Kids 69, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 248, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 18, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 23, Poultry Fowls 93, Poultry Ducks 39, Poultry Turkeys 48, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses He Asses 3, Asses She Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Yam Expended for the Blacks 24650 lb Do for Stock 9960 lb 34610 lb (signed) John Shottowe Margin Notes: 13th June | The Lieutenant Governor, John Skottowe, presented the account of the Company's livestock for May 1763. Remaining on 1 May 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 87 cows, 48 calves, 60 yearlings, 27 heifers, 31 steers, 13 oxen, total 270 cattle Sheep: 294 ewes, 147 wethers, 130 lambs, 8 rams, total 579 sheep Goats: 150 nanny goats, 23 wethers, 59 kids, 9 billy goats, total 241 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, total 24 pigs Poultry: 90 fowls, 42 ducks, 31 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Brought from the Cape during May: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 12 steers, 0 oxen, total 12 cattle Sheep: 6 ewes, 104 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 110 sheep Goats, pigs, poultry, horses and asses: 0 Increase during May: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 10 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 10 cattle Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 47 lambs, 0 rams, total 47 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 10 kids, 0 billy goats, total 10 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 20 fowls, 0 ducks, 19 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Total stock during May: Cattle: 4 bulls, 87 cows, 58 calves, 60 yearlings, 27 heifers, 43 steers, 13 oxen, total 292 cattle Sheep: 300 ewes, 251 wethers, 177 lambs, 8 rams, total 736 sheep Goats: 150 nanny goats, 23 wethers, 69 kids, 9 billy goats, total 251 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 19 piglets, 1 boar, total 24 pigs Poultry: 110 fowls, 42 ducks, 50 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Killed during May: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 1 steer, 0 oxen, total 1 cattle Sheep: 4 ewes, 20 wethers, 2 lambs, 0 rams, total 26 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 2 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, total 2 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 16 fowls, 3 ducks, 2 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Died during May: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 6 steers, 0 oxen, total 6 cattle Sheep: 2 ewes, 2 wethers, 2 lambs, 0 rams, total 6 sheep Goats: 1 nanny goat, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, total 1 goat Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 1 piglet, 0 boars, total 1 pig Poultry: 1 fowl, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Sent aboard the Culloden during May: 0 bulls, 1 cow, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 1 steer, 0 oxen, total 2 cattle; 0 sheep; 0 goats; 0 pigs; 0 poultry; 0 horses; 0 asses. Remaining on 31 May 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 58 calves, 60 yearlings, 27 heifers, 35 steers, 13 oxen, total 283 cattle Sheep: 294 ewes, 229 wethers, 173 lambs, 8 rams, total 704 sheep Goats: 149 nanny goats, 21 wethers, 69 kids, 9 billy goats, total 248 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 18 piglets, 1 boar, total 23 pigs Poultry: 93 fowls, 39 ducks, 48 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Yams used to feed the slaves, 24,650 pounds Yams used to feed the livestock, 9,960 pounds Total yams used, 34,610 pounds John Skottowe signed the account. Interpretations The flock grew from 579 to 704 sheep during May, chiefly because 110 sheep and 12 steers were brought in from the Cape of Good Hope. Nearly all the imported sheep were wethers, animals raised for meat rather than breeding, so the purchase was intended to feed the island rather than improve its flock. It suggests the Company's own stock could not supply the meat needed during the shipping season without depleting its breeding animals. The same supply explains the Cape mutton served at the Company's table that month. Deaths rose sharply compared with April 1763, when no cattle had died. Six steers died in May, together with six sheep, a goat, a piglet and a fowl. The losses fell mainly on the newly landed Cape steers, which had suffered a sea passage and were adjusting to strange pasture as the island's cold, wet winter began. Yam consumption also rose from 28,830 pounds in April to 34,610 pounds, reflecting the extra mouths among the livestock as winter grazing grew poorer. |
366 | 359 | 1763 The Widow and Executors to the last Will and Testament of John Worrall Planter this Day presented the said Will 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 Twenty third Day of April 1763 I John Worrall of this Island St Helena Planter being Sick and weake of Body but of perfect mind and Memory do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament and first of all I give and recommend my Soul to Almighty God my Body I commit to the Earth My Worldly goods I give and Dispose of in the following manner Imprimis I give to my Beloved Wife one Man Slave Named Frank not to be valued on her thirds Item I give to my Daughter Elizabeth at Age or Marriage one Boy named Frank not to be valued in Her part Item I give to my Daughter Sarah at Age or Marriage One Girl Named Lucy not to be valued in Her part Item I give to my Daughter Martha at age or Marriage one Boy named May not to be Valued in Her part Item I give to my Son William at Age or Marriage one Boy named George not to be Valued in his part Item I give to my Godson Francis Seale one Cow Calf Item I give to my Daughter Elizabeth the Sum of five Pounds not to be Valued in her part or Portion Item I give to my Wifs Sisters Namely Ann Sarah Mary & Elizabeth one Guinea each to buy them a Mourning Ring Item I give to my Beloved Wife my Mansion House and Half my Land during her Life and at Her Death the above Mensioned House and Land I give to my Son William at Age or Marriage Paying His Sisters their parts at first Valuation Item I give to my Son William the other Half of my Land at Age or Marriage paying His Sisters their Parts at Valuation | The widow and executors of John Worrall, a planter, brought his will before the Council on 13 June 1763 and asked for it to be proved. The Council admitted it to probate after the witnesses confirmed it under oath. Worrall had made the will on 23 April 1763, when he was sick and weak in body but clear in mind. He commended his soul to God and his body to the earth, and then set out how his property was to be divided. He left his wife a male slave named Frank, which was not to be counted as part of her third share of the estate. He left his daughter Elizabeth a slave boy also named Frank, to pass to her when she came of age or married, and not to be counted in her share. He left his daughter Sarah a slave girl named Lucy on the same terms. He left his daughter Martha a slave boy named May on the same terms. He left his son William a slave boy named George on the same terms. He left his godson Francis Seale a heifer calf. He left his daughter Elizabeth £5 0s 0d, not to be counted in her share or portion. He left each of his wife's sisters, Ann, Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth, one guinea to buy a mourning ring. He left his wife his main house and half his land for the rest of her life. After her death the house and that land were to pass to his son William when he came of age or married, provided William paid his sisters their shares at the first valuation. He left William the other half of his land on the same condition, again paying his sisters their shares at valuation. Interpretations The will treated slaves as the most valuable movable property a planter could pass on, and gave one to each child and to the widow outright. Declaring that each slave was not to be counted in the recipient's share meant these gifts came on top of the equal portions the children would take from the rest of the estate. Under English law a widow was entitled to a third of her husband's property, and Worrall's gift of Frank to his wife was an addition to that third rather than a part of it. The land was kept together under a single heir. William received the house and all the land, half at once on reaching adulthood and half after his mother's death, but he had to pay each of his sisters the value of her share. The arrangement avoided dividing a small plantation into holdings too small to farm, while still providing for the daughters in money. Mourning rings, bought with a guinea each, were a common bequest to relatives and friends, worn in memory of the dead. John Worrall had died on 1 May 1763, eight days after making the will. He was also one of the two named lives in the lease held for the Beale orphans, which Richard Beale the younger had renewed on 9 May 1763 by substituting two of the Beale children. |
367 | 360 | 13th June Item I give to my Beloved Wife one third part of all my Moveables to Dispose of as She shall think Proper All the rest and Residue of my moveables to be Equally Divided Among my Children as they shall come of Age Or Marriage Lastly I nominate and Appoint my Beloved Wife Executrix And my Friends Mr Samuel Alexander Mr Benjamin Seale and Gabriel Alexander Harper Executor to this my last Will and Testament Revoking Disannuling all Other Wills or Will by me made Rattifying and Conforming this to be my last Will and Testament Signed Sealed and Declared (signed) John Worrall in the presence of Us (signed) John Scott George Alexander Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 20th Day of June 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and Signed dated the 13th June 1763 Wednesday the 15th Arrived the Honorable Companys Ships Hardwicke and Drake from Bengal and brought Us the following Supply viz | Worrall's will went on to leave his wife one third of all his movable goods, to use as she saw fit. The remainder of his movable goods was to be shared equally among his children as each came of age or married. He appointed his wife as his executrix, with his friends Samuel Alexander, Benjamin Seale and Gabriel Alexander Harper as executors. He cancelled every earlier will and confirmed this one as his last. Worrall signed and sealed the will in the presence of two witnesses, John Scott and George Alexander. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record of probate. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 20 June 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 13 June 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ships Hardwicke and Drake arrived from Bengal on Wednesday 15 June 1763, bringing supplies for the island. Interpretations The division of Worrall's movable goods mirrored the division of his land. His widow took the customary third, now extended to household goods, livestock and tools, while the children shared the rest equally, so that daughters as well as the son received a portion of the movables even though the land passed to William alone. Among the executors was Samuel Alexander, one of the island's two coroners, and one of the witnesses was George Alexander, which shows how the same small group of settled families served one another as executors, witnesses and officials. |
368 | 361 | 20th June Invoice of Ship Hardwicke FR Fine Rice No 1@30.30 Bags Qr 60 Bengal Mds @ 50 [...] P Rupee 80Rs 0as 0p Batta 8 P Cent 6Rs 6as 3p 86Rs 6as 3p P Paddy No 1@15.15 Bags Qr 22½ Factory Mds @ 10as 3p P Md 14Rs 6as 6p FS Fine Sugar 1@10.10 Bags Qr 20 Do Do @ 7Rs 8as P Md 150Rs 0as 0p WC Wax Candles 1@4.4 Chests Qr 8 Do Do @ 63Rs P Md 504Rs 0as 0p BA Batavia Arrack 1@2.2 Leagers @ 180Rs P Leager 360Rs 0as 0p Batta 8 P Cent 28Rs 12as 9p 388Rs 12as 9p 1143Rs 9as 6p Charges Merchandize 85 Gunny bags and Sewing 11Rs 13as 9p 4 Chests and Package 11Rs 12as 0p Boat Hire 1Rs 12as 0p Peons 2Rs 2as 6p Morteas 6Rs 6as 0p Weighmen 0Rs 5as 6p 3 Matts 0Rs 6as 3p Sloop Hire 34Rs 10as 0p 69Rs 4as 0p Current Rupees 1212Rs 13as 6p Errors Excepted P R Amyatt Accompt Margin Notes: [...] | The invoice sent with the ship Hardwicke listed the supplies shipped from Bengal to St Helena, valued in current rupees. Fine rice, marked FR: Bags numbered 1 to 30, 30 bags weighing 60 bazaar maunds at 30 seers to the rupee, eighty rupees Allowance for exchange at 8 per cent, six rupees six annas three pies Total for fine rice, eighty-six rupees six annas three pies Unhusked rice, marked P: Bags numbered 1 to 15, 15 bags weighing 22½ factory maunds at ten annas three pies a maund, fourteen rupees six annas six pies Fine sugar, marked FS: Bags numbered 1 to 10, 10 bags weighing 20 factory maunds at seven rupees eight annas a maund, one hundred and fifty rupees Wax candles, marked WC: Chests numbered 1 to 4, 4 chests weighing 8 factory maunds at sixty-three rupees a maund, five hundred and four rupees Batavia arrack, marked BA: Casks numbered 1 to 2, 2 leaguers at one hundred and eighty rupees a leaguer, three hundred and sixty rupees Allowance for exchange at 8 per cent, twenty-eight rupees twelve annas nine pies Total for Batavia arrack, three hundred and eighty-eight rupees twelve annas nine pies Total for goods, one thousand one hundred and forty-three rupees nine annas six pies Charges on the goods: 85 gunny bags and the sewing of them, eleven rupees thirteen annas nine pies 4 chests and packing, eleven rupees twelve annas Boat hire, one rupee ten annas Messengers and guards, two rupees two annas six pies Porters, six rupees six annas Weighmen, five annas six pies 3 mats, six annas three pies Sloop hire, thirty-four rupees ten annas Total for charges, sixty-nine rupees four annas Total in current rupees, one thousand two hundred and twelve rupees thirteen annas six pies R. Amyatt, the accountant, signed the invoice, reserving the right to correct any errors. Interpretations The current rupee was the money of account used by the Company in Bengal, a notional unit in which all ledgers were kept, while payment was made in actual coins such as the sicca rupee that carried a different value. Batta was the allowance added or deducted to convert between the two, and the 8 per cent charged on the rice and arrack covered that difference. The maund was the standard Indian weight, but it varied by market. The bazaar maund used in the town was heavier than the factory maund used in the Company's own warehouses, which is why the invoice recorded which measure applied to each commodity. A seer was a fortieth part of a maund. Batavia arrack came from the Dutch settlement of Batavia on Java, distilled from rice and molasses and reckoned the finest arrack in the East. It reached Bengal through the Asian trade and was shipped onward to St Helena in leaguers, the large casks of Dutch origin that each held around 150 gallons. Wax candles were far dearer than tallow, burning brighter and without smoke or smell, and they were probably intended for the Castle and the Company's table rather than general issue. The charges show the chain of labour needed to move goods from Calcutta to a ship. Gunny bags, woven from jute, held the rice and sugar. Peons were messengers and watchmen who guarded the goods, and the porters, known in Bengal as mootias, carried them to the waterside. Weighmen checked the quantities, and a sloop was hired to carry the cargo down the Hooghly to where the Hardwicke lay, since large ships could not come up to the town. The sloop hire was by far the largest charge, reflecting the long river passage. |
369 | 362 | 20th June Invoice of Ship Drake FR Fine Rice No 1 to 30 30 Bags qt 60 Buzar Mds @ 30 Srs P Ar 80Rs 0as 0p Batta 8 P Cent 6Rs 6as 3p 86Rs 6as 3p P Paddy No 1 to 15 15 Bags Qr 22½ Factory Mds @ 10as 3p P Md 14Rs 6as 6p FS Fine Sugar 1 to 10 10 Bags qt 20 Factory Mds @ 7Rs 8as P Md 150Rs 0as 0p 55 Bags WC Wax Candles 1 to 4 4 chests Qr 8 Factory Mds 63Rs P Md 504Rs 0as 0p BA Batavia Arrack 1 to 2 2 Leaguers @ 180Rs P Leagr 360Rs 0as 0p Batta 8 P Cent 28Rs 12as 9p 388Rs 12as 9p Charges Merchandize 85 Gunny Bags & Sowing 11Rs 13as 9p 4 Chests and Packages 12Rs 10as 0p 24 Matts 1Rs 13as 0p Boathire 24Rs 4as 9p Peon 2Rs 2as 6p Mooteas 6Rs 6as 0p Weighmen 0Rs 5as 6p 59Rs 7as 6p Current Rupees 1203Rs 1as 0p Errors Excepted Pr P Amyatt Accompt Counted and examined the Honorable Company Cash for the Month of May last which is as follows viz | The invoice sent with the ship Drake listed a second consignment of supplies from Bengal, also valued in current rupees. Fine rice, marked FR: Bags numbered 1 to 30, 30 bags weighing 60 bazaar maunds at 30 seers to the rupee, eighty rupees Allowance for exchange at 8 per cent, six rupees six annas three pies Total for fine rice, eighty-six rupees six annas three pies Unhusked rice, marked P: Bags numbered 1 to 15, 15 bags weighing 22½ factory maunds at ten annas three pies a maund, fourteen rupees six annas six pies Fine sugar, marked FS: Bags numbered 1 to 10, 10 bags weighing 20 factory maunds at seven rupees eight annas a maund, one hundred and fifty rupees Total number of bags, 55 Wax candles, marked WC: Chests numbered 1 to 4, 4 chests weighing 8 factory maunds at sixty-three rupees a maund, five hundred and four rupees Batavia arrack, marked BA: Casks numbered 1 to 2, 2 leaguers at one hundred and eighty rupees a leaguer, three hundred and sixty rupees Allowance for exchange at 8 per cent, twenty-eight rupees twelve annas nine pies Total for Batavia arrack, three hundred and eighty-eight rupees twelve annas nine pies Charges on the goods: 85 gunny bags and the sewing of them, eleven rupees thirteen annas nine pies 4 chests and packing, twelve rupees ten annas 24 mats, one rupee thirteen annas Boat hire, twenty-four rupees four annas nine pies Messengers and guards, two rupees two annas six pies Porters, six rupees six annas Weighmen, five annas six pies Total for charges, fifty-nine rupees seven annas six pies Total in current rupees, one thousand two hundred and three rupees one anna P. Amyatt, the accountant, signed the invoice, reserving the right to correct any errors. The Council then counted and examined the Company's cash for May 1763. Interpretations The Drake carried exactly the same goods, in the same quantities and at the same prices, as the Hardwicke. Splitting a consignment equally between two ships was a standard precaution against loss at sea, so that if one vessel was wrecked or captured the island would still receive half its supply. Only the handling charges differed. The Drake's cargo went down the river by hired boat rather than by sloop, which cost about ten rupees less, and it used 24 mats instead of three to protect the bags. The small difference suggests the two ships loaded at different points on the river, each with its own arrangements for bringing the goods alongside. |
370 | 363 | Cash Dr Per Contra Cr 1763 May 1st To Balance £8057 15s 10d 16 To Rents recd of Richd Beale Junr Executor to the last Will of Onesw Beale decd for the renewal of 2 lives in one Lease £1 5s 0d 30th To Exchange for two Sets of Bills drawn upon the Honorable the Court of Directors payable as follow viz One Set payable to Mrs Eliza Bowland for £600 0s 0d One Do to Mrs Lydia Woolstoncraft £140 0s 0d £740 0s 0d £8799 0s 10d 1763 May 30th By Account Current London for one Chest Treasure contg 4000 Dollars at 5s Each consigned to the Supracargoes of Council at Canton £1000 0s 0d 31st By Balance remaing in the following Species viz 11701 Pagodas 8s 0d £4680 8s 0d 167 Rupees 2s 3d £18 15s 9d 4421 Doub Ryals 1s 3d £276 6s 3d 9120 Dollars 5s 0d £2280 0s 0d 441 French Ps 0s 2d £3 13s 6d Odd Money £0 2s 4d £7259 5s 10d Cash Notes of no use amountg to £539 15s 0d £7799 0s 10d £8799 0s 10d Margin Notes: 1763 | The Council counted and examined the Company's cash for May 1763, and the account stood as follows. Received: 1 May 1763, balance remaining from April, £8,057 15s 10d 16 May 1763, fine received from Richard Beale the younger, executor of the late Onesiphorus Beale, for renewing 2 lives in one lease, £1 5s 0d 30 May 1763, exchange for 2 sets of bills drawn on the Court of Directors: 1 set payable to Elizabeth Bowland, £600 0s 0d 1 set payable to Lydia Wollstonecraft, £140 0s 0d Total for the 2 sets of bills, £740 0s 0d Total received, £8,799 0s 10d Paid and remaining: 30 May 1763, charged to the London current account for 1 chest of treasure containing 4,000 dollars at 5s 0d each, sent to the supercargoes at Canton, £1,000 0s 0d 31 May 1763, balance remaining in coin: 11,701 pagodas at 8s 0d each, £4,680 8s 0d 167 rupees at 2s 3d each, £18 15s 9d 4,421 double reals at 1s 3d each, £276 6s 3d 9,120 dollars at 5s 0d each, £2,280 0s 0d 441 French coins at 2d each, £3 13s 6d Loose change, £0 2s 4d Total in coin, £7,259 5s 10d Paper notes of no use, £539 15s 0d Total balance remaining, £7,799 0s 10d Total, £8,799 0s 10d Interpretations The changes in the coin held between April and May 1763 can be traced directly to the month's transactions. The dollars fell from 13,120 to 9,120, exactly the 4,000 shipped to Canton on the Culloden. The pagodas rose from 9,848 to 11,701, an increase of 1,853 coins worth £741 4s 0d, which closely matches the £740 0s 0d paid in by Captain Bowland and Edward Bland Wollstonecraft for their bills. Both men had evidently paid in south Indian gold, the currency in which commanders and passengers returning from Madras carried their earnings. The account thus shows the island's treasury acting as a clearing house, taking in eastern gold from travellers and passing Spanish silver on to China where the Company's trade most needed it. |
371 | 364 | 20th June We this day Granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn on the Honorable Company viz One Set to Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor for Sixty pounds payable to Thomas Lell Esqr or order One Set to Mr Matthew Pierling for one thousand one hundred pounds payable to Mrs Sarah Mears or Order One Set to Mr Matthew Bazett for one hundred and fifty pounds payable to Captain Thomas Crichton or order all drawn at Ninety days sight Bought of Capt Brook Samson 55 C 1 qr 18 lb of Rice at eight Shillings P Hundred for the use of the Honorable Company amounting to Twenty two pounds one Shilling and Three pence Bought of Captain John Smith 28 C 2 qrs 19 lb of Rice at eight Shillings P Hundred for the use of the Honorable Company amounting to Eleven pounds Nine Shillings and four pence Mr Matthew Pierling reports that he has been on board the Ships Hardwicke and Drake to Muster their Companys and enquire for deserters but found none their Muster Rolls are as follow viz Muster Roll of Ship Hardwicke Brook Samson Commander Robert Monro Chief Mate Edward Lounden 2d Do Roger Fish Palmer 3d Do James Robertson 4th Mate Alexander Cowdale 5 Do Roger Hicks 6 Do Thomas Matheson Purser Christopher King Surgeon Saml Hyde Do Mate William Nelson Gunner Alexander Baxter Boatn | The Council issued three further sets of bills of exchange on the Company on 20 June 1763, all payable 90 days after being presented in London. 1 set to Governor Charles Hutchinson, payable to Thomas Lill or whoever he named, £60 0s 0d 1 set to Matthew Pouling, payable to Sarah Mears or whoever she named, £1,100 0s 0d 1 set to Matthew Bazett, payable to Captain Thomas Crichton or whoever he named, £150 0s 0d The Council also bought rice for the Company's use from two ships' commanders. From Captain Brook Samson, 55 hundredweight 0 quarters 18 pounds of rice at 8s 0d a hundredweight, £22 1s 3d From Captain John Smith, 28 hundredweight 2 quarters 19 pounds of rice at 8s 0d a hundredweight, £11 9s 4d Matthew Pouling reported that he had gone aboard the Hardwicke and the Drake to muster their crews and search for deserters from the garrison, but had found none. He presented the muster rolls of both ships, beginning with that of the Hardwicke. Brook Samson, commander Robert Monro, chief mate Edward Lounden, second mate Roger Fish Palmer, third mate James Robertson, fourth mate Alexander Oswald, fifth mate Roger Hicks, sixth mate Thomas Matheson, purser Christopher King, surgeon Samuel Hyde, surgeon's mate William Nelson, gunner Alexander Baxter, boatswain Interpretations Mustering a visiting ship's crew served to catch soldiers trying to leave the island. A man who wanted to escape his engagement could hide aboard a departing ship or sign on under a false name, and the only safeguard was for a councillor to go aboard, call every man by name and compare the faces against the ship's own roll. Finding no deserters was worth recording because it cleared the commander of any charge of harbouring runaways. The bills show that the island's officials, as well as ships' commanders, used the treasury to move money home. Governor Hutchinson sent a modest £60 0s 0d, but Matthew Pouling's bill for £1,100 0s 0d was the largest single remittance recorded in these months. It was payable to Sarah Mears, the wife of Captain Charles Mears, who had sent her £150 0s 0d by the same means on 25 April 1763. A councillor paying so large a sum to a commander's wife suggests a private business arrangement between the two men, perhaps the settlement of goods bought from Mears's private trade. The rice bought from the two commanders cost the Company 8s 0d a hundredweight, a little below the price at which the stores sold rice to the Company's servants in the first quarter of 1763. Buying surplus rice from ships in the road let the Company build up its stocks cheaply, while the commanders turned unused provisions into cash before continuing their voyages. |
372 | 365 | 1763 Robert McKnee Carpenter William Latham Midshipn Geo Bond Peter Graat Daniel Henkley Thomas Prea Walt Thomas Thomas Hume Quartr Master Magnus Laurence William Hanes John Quall Thomas Jones Nichs Dilling Chas Sansome Carpr 1st Mate Robert Stewart Do 2 James Hawes Caulk 1st Mate Thomas Nixon Joiner Thomas Frances Capts Stewd Henry Peterman Ships Cook Stephen Joyce Ships Steward George Bridge Caulker John Savage Capt Cook Richard Platon Coopr Mate Thomas Leach Caulk Mate William Sackling Boatn Mate William Moore Do 2 George Monro Seaman Alexander Monro John Mitchell William Green Patrick Coin Seaman Richard Esmond John Kelly John Silverston James Barrel Daniel Elsery William Savage William Douglass Robert Whitehead Patrick Tarney John Hunt James Morris John Stoke Wm Richardson Wm Conner James Berry Wm Homer Thomas Dunn Wm Cans Jer Hallanghun Joseph Walsh Joseph Burnett Edward Burk Sam Delancey Jacob Coolson John Flannagan Thomas Glass Richard Chamberlain John Baptiste John Rock Mick Collins Seaman Jacob Rubley Andrew Nelson Agus McDonald James McBridge Castor Tourback Henry Gruber Edward Joyce Matthew Cooper John King Robert Moss a Boy William Williams Joseph Lozaro Joseph Hardwicke Richard Monro Jos Culmore Adam Wright Thomas Cripps Carpr Boy David Garrick Thomas Robet Jos Fletcher John Connar Thomas Cobb Andw Martin Collers Watson Thomas Manester Thomas Walton Elias Grimshaw Edgar Atkinson Richd Morgan Passengers Dionysius Manussell Armenian Priest Mr John Hall (Signed) Brook Samson | The muster roll of the Hardwicke continued with the rest of her crew and her passengers. Robert McKnee, carpenter William Latham, midshipman George Bond Peter Graat Daniel Hentley Thomas Price Walter Thomas Thomas Hume, quartermaster Magnus Laurence William Hanes John Quail Thomas Jones Nicholas Dilling Charles Seamore, gunner's first mate Robert Stewart, gunner's second mate James Hewes, carpenter's first mate Thomas Nixon, joiner Thomas Francis, captain's steward Henry Pakeman, ship's cook Stephen Joyce, ship's steward George Crudge, caulker John Savage, captain's cook Richard Platen, cooper's mate Thomas Leach, caulker's mate William Suckling, boatswain's first mate William Moore, boatswain's second mate George Monro, seaman Alexander Monro John Mitchell William Green Patrick Coin, seaman Richard Edmond John Kelly John Silveston James Barrel Daniel Elvery William Savage William Douglass Robert Whitehead Patrick Tierney John Hunt James Morris John Stoke William Hutchinson William Conner James Berry William Horner Thomas Dunn William Evans Jeremiah Hallanghan Joseph Walsh Joseph Burnett Edward Burk Samuel Delaney Jacob Coulson John Flannagan Thomas Glass Richard Chamberlain John Baptiste John Rock Michael Collins, seaman Jacob Kubley Andrew Nelson Angus McDonald James McBride Castor Jourback Henry Gruber Edward Joyce Matthew Cooper John King Robert Moss, a boy William Williams Joseph Lozaro Joseph Hardwick Richard Monro Joseph Culmore Adam Wright Thomas Cripps, captain's boy David Garrick Thomas Robel Joseph Hatcher John Connor Thomas Cobb Andrew Martin Collins Watson Thomas Manchester Thomas Walton Elias Grimshaw Edgar Atkinson Richard Morgan Passengers: Dionysius Manuseat, an Armenian priest John Hall Brook Samson, the commander, signed the roll. Interpretations The Armenian priest aboard reflected the Armenian merchant community long established in Bengal, where Armenians traded alongside the East India Company and held a privileged position under its charter. Armenian clergy travelled between their congregations in India, Persia and Europe, and a passage on a Company ship offered a safe route west. The crew drew on sailors from far beyond England. Names such as Tierney, Hallanghan, Flannagan and Delaney point to a strong Irish element, while Gruber, Kubley and Jourback suggest German or Swiss seamen and Lozaro perhaps a Mediterranean or Portuguese sailor recruited in the East. Company ships regularly made up losses from death and desertion by signing on men in Asian ports, which gave homeward crews a far more mixed composition than those that had sailed out from London. |
373 | 366 | 20th June Muster Roll of Ship Drake John Smith Commander Mr Richardson 1 Mate Patrick English 2 Do Thomas Compton 3 Do Thomas Eaton 4 Do William Allen 5 Do Thomas Johnston 6 Do James Lynn Surgeon Andrew Thompson Purser James Falkner Surgs Mate George Young William King Midshipn John Edwards John Jennings Boatn Michael Caught Gunner Robert Woollaston Carpenter David Rickley Cooper Thomas Pell Caulker Isaac Ellwood Sailmaker Robert Snowball Armourer Wm Allen Carpr 1 Mate Peter Ormerod 2 Do James Shrouder Coopr Do Joseph Gass Boatn 1 Do George Shord 2 Do Michl Murphy Gunr Do George Piper Roger Crane Samuel Parkin Richd Clephane Quar Mrs Andrew Gripp Ships Stewd John Lamb Capts Do Andw Dodd Capts Taylor Reyn McCarty Do Servt John Green Do Cook Edward Fulham Ships Do Joseph Bayly Butcher John Hill Poulterer Thos Blackmore 1 Mate Servt John Brown 2 Do Thos New Surgeons Do Marm Gust Boatn Do James Graham Carpr Do Wm Dove Capt 2d Do Frans Kessell Baker John Pye Seaman David Fullerse Gonlo Fernando Josh Thomas Nicho Rieger Stepn Watson Lawce Brunston Edwd Crockell George Frederick John Hong John Sullivan John Mayland Stephen Bushell Thomas Coyle Anthy Lewis Frances Tenaro Tobt Lewis Edwd Peters Jno Purcell John Flynn Seaman John Baptiste Richd Hambleton John Anderson Fredk Gothing Anthony Francisco Manl Ceou Franl Kibbo John Randall Paul Devon Daniel Connolly Peter Johnson John Dean Richd Steward John Willson Joseph Butler Peter Elliott John Hake Derk Lanser Wm Tanwalk Lawce Williason Richd Foy Anthy Johnson Richd Gregg George Windsor Thomas Sutton John McArnock Owen Lynch John Smith Manuel Henry Payne Derk Ackland | The muster roll of the Drake followed. John Smith, commander Richardson, first mate Patrick English, second mate Thomas Compton, third mate Thomas Catton, fourth mate William Allen, fifth mate Thomas Johnston, sixth mate James Lynn, surgeon Andrew Thompson, purser James Faulkner, surgeon's mate George Young, midshipman William King, midshipman John Edwards, midshipman John Jennings, boatswain Michael Caught, gunner Robert Wollaston, carpenter David Rickley, cooper Thomas Pell, caulker Isaac Ellwood, sailmaker Robert Snowball, armourer William Allen, carpenter's first mate Peter Ormerod, carpenter's second mate James Shrowder, cooper's mate Joseph Goss, boatswain's first mate George Shird, boatswain's second mate Michael Murphy, gunner's mate George Piper, quartermaster Roger Crane, quartermaster Samuel Palmer, quartermaster Richard Oliphant, quartermaster Andrew Gripp, ship's steward John Lamb, captain's steward Andrew Dodd, captain's tailor Reynold McCarthy, captain's servant John Green, captain's cook Edward Fulham, ship's cook Joseph Bayly, butcher John Mill, poulterer Thomas Blackmore, first mate's servant John Brown, second mate's servant Thomas New, surgeon's servant Marmaduke Gust, boatswain's servant James Graham, carpenter's servant William Dove, gunner's servant Francis Russell, baker John Pye, seaman David Fullerton Gonsalo Fernando Joseph Thomas Nicholas Ruger Stephen Watson Lawrence Brunston Edward Crockett George Frederick John Strong John Sullivan John Mayland Stephen Bushell Thomas Coyle Anthony Sesers Francis Tenaro Robert Lewis Edward Batters John Purcell John Flynn, seaman John Baptiste Richard Hambleton John Anderson Frederick Gothers Anthony Francisco Manuel Cesa Francis Ribbo John Randall Paul Devore Daniel Connolly Peter Johnson John Dean Richard Steward John Willson Joseph Butler Peter Elliott John Hake Derk Canser William Tannwalk Lawrence Williamson Richard Foy Anthony Johnson Richard Gregg George Windsor Thomas Hutton John McArnock Owen Lynch John Smith [...] Manuel Henry Payne Derk Ashland Interpretations Several of the Drake's seamen carried Portuguese names, among them Gonsalo Fernando, Anthony Francisco, Manuel Cesa and Francis Ribbo. They were probably Luso-Indian sailors from the Catholic communities of the Indian coast, descended from Portuguese settlers and converts, who were widely employed on European ships in the East. Company commanders took them on in Bengal or Madras to replace men lost on the outward voyage, and some would have sailed on to England with the ship. The Dutch forename Derk, borne by two of the crew, points to sailors recruited from the Dutch service in Asia by the same route. |
374 | 367 | 1763 Barnaby Rogers Seaman Jas Patterson Chas Treborne Richd Mond Seaman Daniel Morgan John Saunders Thomas Watson Passengers Mr Bladdell Baldrick Captn McLean Lieut McCreif Servants Augustine Silver Pompey Blacks Mr Bladdell Alexander a Black Capt McLean Cato January Blacks Mr Baldrick (Signed) John Smith The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores Short received from the Ships Hardwicke and Drake viz Account of Stores Short recd from the following Ships viz Ship Hardwicke viz 1 qr 12 lb Rice 2 Paddy 2 Candles 1 27 Sugar Short weight No 1 1 Leaguer Arrack Gages 145 Galls Wants to fill 10 Galls No 2 1 Do Do 150 Gallons Do 10 Gallons 295 Gallons 20 Gallons Received 275 Gallons Ship Drake viz 2 qrs 4 lb Paddy Short weight No 1 1 Leaguer Arrack Gages 145 Galls wants to fill 7¼ Galls No 2 1 Do Do 145 Gallons Do 8¾ Gallons 290 Gallons 16 Gallons Received 274 Gallons | The muster roll of the Drake ended with her last seamen, her passengers and their servants. Barnaby Rogers, seaman James Patterson Charles Treborne Richard Mond, seaman Daniel Morgan John Saunders Thomas Watson Passengers: Mr Bladdell Mr Baldrick Captain McLean Lieutenant McCrief Servants: Augustine Silver, a Black servant of Mr Bladdell Pompey, a Black servant of Mr Bladdell Alexander, a Black servant of Captain McLean Cato, a Black servant of Mr Baldrick January, a Black servant of Mr Baldrick John Smith, the commander, signed the roll. The storekeeper then laid before the Council an account of stores that had come ashore short from the Hardwicke and the Drake. From the Hardwicke: Short in weight: 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 12 pounds of rice 2 hundredweight 0 quarters 0 pounds of unhusked rice 0 hundredweight 0 quarters 20 pounds of candles 1 hundredweight 0 quarters 27 pounds of sugar Batavia arrack: Cask 1, 1 leaguer gauged at 145 gallons, 10 gallons short of full Cask 2, 1 leaguer gauged at 150 gallons, 10 gallons short of full Total gauged, 295 gallons Total short, 20 gallons Arrack received, 275 gallons From the Drake: Short in weight: 2 hundredweight 0 quarters 0 pounds of unhusked rice Batavia arrack: Cask 1, 1 leaguer gauged at 145 gallons, 7¼ gallons short of full Cask 2, 1 leaguer gauged at 145 gallons, 8¾ gallons short of full Total gauged, 290 gallons Total short, 16 gallons Arrack received, 274 gallons Interpretations The Black servants travelling with the passengers were almost certainly slaves, carried from India as the personal property of their masters. Names such as Pompey and Cato, taken from classical history, and January, taken from the calendar, were typical of those imposed on slaves by British owners, who replaced a person's own name with one chosen for them. Their inclusion in the muster roll allowed the Council to check that every person landed at the island left again with the ship, since slaves who remained on St Helena became subject to its own laws and could be claimed or sold there. The arrack losses were much heavier than those on the wine landed from the Egmont and the Culloden. The Hardwicke's two leaguers lost almost 7 per cent of their contents and the Drake's over 5 per cent, compared with 1 to 3 per cent on the wines. Spirit evaporated readily through the staves of large casks in the heat of the Indian Ocean, and arrack was a favourite target for thirsty seamen, so shortages on this scale were common on the passage from Bengal. |
375 | 368 | 20th June 10 Bags Sugar inserted in the Drakes Invoice but refused to be 30 Bags Rice taken on board by the Captain As being damaged St Helena (signed) 20th June 1763 Js Powell Storekr Michael Meels Centinel this day Petitioned for His discharge from the Garrison having served the Honorable Company his Contracted time Granted Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 27th day of June at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 20th June 1763 Friday the 24th Sailed the Honorable Companys Ships Hardwicke and Drake for England | The storekeeper added a note to his account. Ten bags of sugar and 30 bags of rice listed on the Drake's invoice had never been loaded, because her commander refused to take them aboard as damaged. James Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 20 June 1763. Michael Mulis, a sentinel, asked the Council that day to release him from the garrison, since he had served the full term he had signed for. The Council agreed. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 27 June 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 20 June 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ships Hardwicke and Drake left the island for England on Friday 24 June 1763. Interpretations A commander signed a bill of lading for every package he accepted, and from that moment he was answerable for delivering it in the condition received. By refusing bags that were already damaged on the quayside at Bengal, the Drake's commander protected himself against being charged for spoiled goods at St Helena. The invoice, however, had been drawn up before loading and still listed them. Without the storekeeper's note, the island's accounts would have shown sugar and rice worth over 170 rupees as received, and the discrepancy would have fallen on the storekeeper or been charged wrongly to the ship. |
376 | 369 | 1763 Mr Barclay the Surgeon acquainting Us after our Packet was closed that Nicholas Rieguer belonging to the Ship Drake William Rugbey Nicholas Delling & Thomas Dunn of Ship Hardwicke were left here sick under his care and that he was to be at all the expence incurred on their Accounts We therefore agreed to their remaining here until cured and an opportunity offered for their going to England The piece of Land Mr Orlando Bagley Senr Petitioned for in Consultation of the 13th December last having been viewed and found not to be detrimental to the Honorable Company or Neighbourhood and as great part of it is barren and designed only for the safety of his Cattle We this day Granted him a Lease for the same at the Rent of two Shillings and Sixpence P Acre Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 4th day of July 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thos Kirkpatrick of Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 27th June 1763 Mr Richard Beale Senr this day presented the following Petition viz | Robert Barclay, the surgeon, informed the Council after its letters for England had been sealed that four seamen had been left behind sick in his care. They were Nicholas Kerqueux of the Drake and William Rugbey, Nicholas Dilling and Thomas Dunn of the Hardwicke. Barclay had undertaken to meet all the costs of their treatment and keep. The Council agreed that they could remain on the island until they recovered and a passage to England became available. Orlando Bagley had applied at the meeting of 13 December 1762 for a piece of land. The ground had since been inspected and judged to cause no harm to the Company or to the neighbouring landholders. Much of it was barren, and Bagley wanted it only to keep his cattle safe. The Council granted him a lease at a rent of 2s 6d an acre. Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 4 July 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 27 June 1763, approved it and signed it. Richard Beale the younger then presented a petition to the Council. Interpretations Seamen could not simply be left ashore at St Helena without the Council's consent, since every person landed from a ship became a charge the island might have to support. Barclay's undertaking to bear all the costs removed that risk from the Company, and the Council's permission was limited to the time needed for the men to recover and find a ship home. The surgeon probably expected to recover his outlay from the ships' owners, as he had done for seamen of the Fly and the Admiral Watson in the first quarter of 1763. Orlando Bagley's rent of 2s 6d an acre was the lowest of the three recent land grants. Richard Bagley paid 3s 0d an acre on 16 May 1763 for ground wanted for fencing, and the Beale orphans' land implied a rent of 5s 0d. The scale shows the Council pricing land closely by its use, charging least for barren ground that served only as a secure enclosure for cattle. |
377 | 370 | 4th July To the Worshipful Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor &ca Council of St Helena The humble Petition of Richard Beale Senr Sheweth That Martha Vesey one of the Nominees in a Lease of his upon Lives for eight Acres of Land is deceased your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Worship and Council will be pleased to permit the Name of James Pritchard an Orphan to be inserted in the room or Stead of the said Martha Vesey deceased And your Petitioner will ever Pray (signed) St Helena Richd Beale 4th July 1763 Granted upon paying the usual fine of half a Years Rent amounting to twenty Shillings Mr Adam Shirreff and Mr David Moore mates of the Fly Cutter making application to us to be paid four Shillings a day each what they are Obliged to give for their unavoidable Living on Shore while that Vessel is Sheathing &ca we in consideration of their extraordinary Expence incurred on that Account Agreed to reimburse them their said Expences during that time William Bowler Seaman belonging the Fly Cutter applying to Us for his discharge from that Vessel having procured Thomas Cool Seaman left here out of the Ship Drake to serve in his Stead We discharged him accordingly We fixed upon the following Table of Fees for the Clerk of the Peace and his Cryer viz | Richard Beale the elder petitioned Governor Hutchinson and the Council on 4 July 1763. Martha Vesey, one of the people whose lives governed his lease of eight acres of land, had died. He asked the Council to put the name of James Pritchard, an orphan, in her place. The Council agreed, on condition that he paid the customary fine of half a year's rent, which came to £1 0s 0d. Adam Shireff and David Moore, mates of the Fly cutter, asked to be paid 4s 0d a day each. This was the amount they had been forced to spend on living ashore while the vessel was being sheathed and repaired. Recognising the unusual cost they had incurred, the Council agreed to refund their expenses for that period. William Bowler, a seaman of the Fly cutter, asked to be released from the vessel. He had found Thomas Cook, a seaman left on the island by the Drake, to serve in his place, and the Council discharged him on that basis. The Council then fixed a table of fees for the clerk of the peace and the gaoler. Interpretations The fine of £1 0s 0d for one new life on eight acres implies a yearly rent of £2 0s 0d, or 5s 0d an acre. That matched the rate implied for the Beale orphans' five acres renewed on 9 May 1763, and set these older holdings well above the 2s 6d and 3s 0d charged for the barren ground recently leased to the two Bagleys. Land already cultivated and held on long leases carried the full rent, while new grants of waste ground were let cheaply to bring them into use. A seaman on the Company's own vessel could leave only by supplying a replacement, so that the Fly was never short of hands. Bowler's substitute came from the Drake, which had sailed without him, and the arrangement suited both men and the Company. The mates' claim arose because the Fly could not be lived aboard while she was hove down and her sheathing stripped, a situation Peter Fea's report of 2 June 1763 had foreseen when it estimated six weeks of work. |
378 | 371 | 1763 Fees for the Clerk of the Peace viz Tryal in Court recording Verdict &ca £0 10s 0d Drawing a Declaration £0 3s 8d Copy of Do £0 3s 4d Warrant of Arrest £0 2s 6d Do for Execution £0 2s 6d For taken every Recognizance £0 1s 8d For discharging every Recognizance £0 1s 8d Entering an Action £0 2s 6d Drawing every Bill of Indictment in Felony or Trespass £0 2s 6d Copy of Do £0 2s 6d Swearing Witnesses each £0 0s 6d A Mittimus £0 1s 0d For every Subpena or Summons £0 1s 0d For the discharge of every Prisoner the Bill being Ignoramus £0 1s 8d Fees for the Goaler viz For each Prisoner at his first entrance £0 2s 6d For every Convict burnt in the Hand or Whipped £0 2s 6d For every Prisoner Discharged £0 2s 6d Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick | The Council set out the fees to be charged by the clerk of the peace and the gaoler. Fees for the clerk of the peace: A trial in court, including recording the verdict, £0 10s 0d Drawing up a declaration, £0 3s 8d A copy of a declaration, £0 3s 4d A warrant of arrest, £0 2s 6d A warrant for execution, £0 2s 6d Taking each recognisance, £0 1s 8d Discharging each recognisance, £0 1s 8d Entering an action, £0 2s 6d Drawing up each bill of indictment for felony or trespass, £0 2s 6d A copy of a bill of indictment, £0 2s 6d Swearing each witness, £0 0s 6d A warrant of committal to prison, £0 1s 0d Each subpoena or summons, £0 1s 0d Discharging each prisoner whose bill was rejected by the grand jury, £0 1s 8d Fees for the gaoler: Each prisoner on first admission, £0 2s 6d Each convict branded on the hand or whipped, £0 2s 6d Each prisoner discharged, £0 2s 6d Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the table. Interpretations The table shows that the island's court officers were paid largely by the people who passed through their hands rather than by the Company. The clerk of the peace drew a fee for every document he drew up, copied or entered, and the gaoler collected money from each prisoner on entering the gaol, on leaving it and on being punished. A prisoner whose case the grand jury threw out, marking the bill of indictment as unfounded, still paid a fee to be released. The same practice prevailed throughout England at the time, where discharge fees kept men in gaol after acquittal because they could not pay, and later drew the criticism of prison reformers. Fixing the fees in a published table at least limited what the officers could demand. A recognisance was a formal bond by which a person promised to appear in court or to keep the peace, on pain of forfeiting a sum of money. Branding on the hand was the punishment given to those convicted of lesser felonies who claimed benefit of clergy, an old privilege that spared a first offender from hanging. The brand on the thumb marked him so that he could not claim the privilege a second time. |
379 | 372 | 11th July At a Consultation held on Monday the 11th day of July 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Capt Thomas Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 4th July 1763 Thursday the 7th Arrived the Honorable Companys Ship Albion from China and brought Us the following Supply viz Invoice of Ship Albion Sugr No 21 to 26 Sugar 6 Chests Wt Nett 1990 lb 6 oz Peculs 14 77½ Cattys at 4Ta 5m 66Ta 4m 8c 7ca 6 Chests at 0Ta 5m 3Ta 0m 0c 0ca Total amount of this Invoice 69Ta 4m 8c 7ca China Ware No 1 to 8 10 Setts of Dishes and Plates blue and Wht Octagd @ 3Ta 30Ta 0m 0c 0ca 40 Do Do 2 pattns round @ 2Ta 1m 84Ta 0m 0c 0ca 12 Soup dishes @ 0Ta 8m 9Ta 6m 0c 0ca 200 Soup Plates @ 0Ta 4m 8Ta 0m 0c 0ca 150 bowls of Sizes 3 to a Sett 50 Setts @ 0Ta 4m 20Ta 0m 0c 0ca 300 Sneakers @ 0Ta 0m 2c 6ca 7Ta 8m 0c 0ca 30 Sallad dishes @ 0Ta 1m 3Ta 0m 0c 0ca 150 half pint Cups and Saucers @ 0Ta 0m 7c 10Ta 5m 0c 0ca 150 Quart Do Do @ 0Ta 0m 4c 6Ta 0m 0c 0ca 30 Guglets and Basons @ 0Ta 4m 12Ta 0m 0c 0ca 30 Chamber Pots @ 0Ta 2m 6Ta 0m 0c 0ca 12 Sauce Boats @ 0Ta 5m 6Ta 0m 0c 0ca 50 Teapots of one quart each @ 0Ta 2m 10Ta 0m 0c 0ca 50 Do of one pint Each @ 0Ta 1m 5Ta 0m 0c 0ca 212Ta 5m 0c 0ca deduct 2 P C Breakage 4Ta 2m 5c 0ca Total 208Ta 2m 5c 0ca Errors Excepted (signed) Thos Smith Thos Thomas Willm Rous John Walton Nathl Garland Alexander Hume Stepn De Visme Benjn Torin Thos Fitzhugh Samuel Blount John Burrow Rt Wood | The Council met at the Castle on Monday 11 July 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 4 July 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ship Albion arrived from China on Thursday 7 July 1763, bringing supplies for the island. Her invoice was valued in Chinese currency. Sugar, chests numbered 21 to 26: 6 chests weighing 1,970 pounds net, equal to 14¾ piculs 2½ catties, at four taels five mace a picul, sixty-six taels four mace eight candareens seven cash 6 chests at five mace each, three taels Total for the sugar invoice, sixty-nine taels four mace eight candareens seven cash China, chests numbered 1 to 3: 10 sets of octagonal blue and white dishes and plates at three taels a set, thirty taels 40 sets of round blue and white dishes and plates in 2 patterns at two taels one mace a set, eighty-four taels 12 soup dishes at eight mace each, nine taels six mace 200 soup plates at four candareens each, eight taels 150 bowls in 50 sets of 3 sizes at four mace a set, twenty taels 300 sneakers at two candareens six cash each, seven taels eight mace 30 salad dishes at one mace each, three taels 150 half-pint cups and saucers at seven candareens each, ten taels five mace 150 quarter-pint cups and saucers at four candareens each, six taels 30 guglets and basins at four mace each, twelve taels 30 chamber pots at two mace each, six taels 12 sauce boats at five candareens each, six mace 50 teapots holding 1 quart each at two mace each, ten taels 50 teapots holding 1 pint each at one mace each, five taels Total for china, two hundred and twelve taels five mace Allowance for breakage at 2 per cent, four taels two mace five candareens Total for china after the allowance, two hundred and eight taels two mace five candareens The invoice was signed, with the usual reservation against errors, by Thomas Smith, Thomas Thomas, William Rous, John Walton, Nathaniel Garland, Alexander Hume, Stephen De Veme, Benjamin Torin, Thomas Fitzhugh, Samuel Blount, John Burrow and Richard Wood. Interpretations The tael was the Chinese unit of silver by weight used as money of account at Canton, divided into ten mace, each mace into ten candareens and each candareen into ten cash. The picul, the standard Chinese weight for goods, was reckoned at 133⅓ English pounds and divided into 100 catties. Pricing everything in these units let the supercargoes at Canton record their costs exactly as they had paid them to Chinese merchants. The twelve signatories were the Company's supercargoes, the merchants who managed its trade at Canton each season and formed the council to which the island had sent 4,000 dollars by the Culloden on 30 May 1763. Alexander Hume was probably the same captain who had sold the Company a longboat and exchanged money for bills at the island earlier in the year, since commanders of China ships often served on the Canton council during their stay. The allowance of 2 per cent for breakage was deducted in advance, recognising that some porcelain would inevitably crack on the long voyage. The consignment restocked the island's stores with the tableware sold to Company servants and planters in the first quarter of 1763, from dinner services and punch bowls to chamber pots and the small sneakers used for tea and punch. |
380 | 373 | 1763 The Plantation Gunners & Stewards accounts for the Month of June last were this day brought in which were examined and approved and are as follow viz Sundrys Expended at the Honorable Companys Table in the Month of June 1763 viz 18 Bottles Lisbon Wine £1 7s 0d 23 Do Mountain £1 14s 6d 65 Do Arrack £3 0s 7¼d 38 Do Beer £0 9s 2½d 352 lb Flour £2 4s 0d 538½ lb fresh Beef £6 14s 10½d 7 Piece Salt Pork £0 17s 9½d 409¼ lb Mutton £8 10s 6¼d 32 Goat £0 17s 4d 1 Lamb £0 10s 0d 15 Fowls £1 2s 6d 5 Ducks £0 7s 6d 1 Goose £0 5s 0d 4 Turkeys £1 0s 0d 39¼ lb pounds Butter £1 19s 3d 117 lb Candy £1 18s 0d £32 18s 1d | The accounts of the plantation, the master gunner and the steward for June 1763 were presented to the Council that day, examined and approved. The first was the account of food and drink consumed at the Company's table during the month. 18 bottles of Lisbon wine, £1 7s 0d 23 bottles of Mountain wine, £1 14s 6d 65 bottles of arrack, £3 0s 7¼d 38 bottles of beer, £0 9s 2½d 352 pounds of flour, £2 4s 0d 538½ pounds of fresh beef, £6 14s 10½d 7 pieces of salt pork, £0 17s 9½d 409¼ pounds of mutton, £8 10s 6¼d 52 pounds of goat meat, £0 17s 4d 1 lamb, £0 10s 0d 15 fowls, £1 2s 6d 5 ducks, £0 7s 6d 1 goose, £0 5s 0d 4 turkeys, £1 0s 0d 39¼ pounds of butter, £1 19s 3d 114 pounds of sugar candy, £1 18s 0d Total, £32 18s 1d Interpretations The cost of the Company's table rose from £23 6s 5¾d in May to £32 18s 1d in June 1763, driven almost entirely by meat. Fresh beef climbed from 162 pounds to 538½ pounds and mutton from 256 pounds to over 409. The increase coincided with the stay of the Hardwicke and the Drake in the road from 15 June to 24 June 1763, when their commanders and passengers were entertained at the Castle. Beer consumption almost doubled for the same reason. The pattern repeats what the April account showed during the visit of the homeward fleet, with the table's expenses rising and falling with the shipping in the road. |
381 | 374 | Account of the Honorable Companys Stock of Neat Cattle &c for the Month of June 1763 viz Neat Cattle Bulls, Neat Cattle Cows, Neat Cattle Calves, Neat Cattle Yearlings, Neat Cattle Heifers, Neat Cattle Steers, Neat Cattle Oxen, Neat Cattle Total, Sheep Ewes, Sheep Weathers, Sheep Lambs, Sheep Rams, Sheep Total, Goats Ewes, Goats Weathers, Goats Kids, Goats Rams, Goats Total, Hogs Sows, Hogs Shoats, Hogs Pigs, Hogs Boars, Hogs Total, Poultry Fowls, Poultry Ducks, Poultry Turkeys, Poultry Geese, Horses Horses, Horses Mares, Horses Total, Asses Asses, Asses Asses, Asses Total Remaing 1st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 58, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 27, Neat Cattle Steers 35, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 283, Sheep Ewes 294, Sheep Weathers 229, Sheep Lambs 173, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 704, Goats Ewes 149, Goats Weathers 21, Goats Kids 69, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 248, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 18, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 23, Poultry Fowls 93, Poultry Ducks 39, Poultry Turkeys 48, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses Asses 3, Asses Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Encreased: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 15, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 0, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 15, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 0, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 10, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 10, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 7, Poultry Ducks 0, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 0, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Total: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 73, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 27, Neat Cattle Steers 35, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 298, Sheep Ewes 294, Sheep Weathers 229, Sheep Lambs 173, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 704, Goats Ewes 149, Goats Weathers 21, Goats Kids 79, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 258, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 18, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 23, Poultry Fowls 100, Poultry Ducks 39, Poultry Turkeys 48, Poultry Geese 17, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses Asses 3, Asses Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Killed: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 2, Neat Cattle Steers 3, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 5, Sheep Ewes 4, Sheep Weathers 26, Sheep Lambs 1, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 31, Goats Ewes 2, Goats Weathers 4, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 6, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 15, Poultry Ducks 5, Poultry Turkeys 4, Poultry Geese 1, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Dead: Neat Cattle Bulls 0, Neat Cattle Cows 0, Neat Cattle Calves 0, Neat Cattle Yearlings 0, Neat Cattle Heifers 0, Neat Cattle Steers 1, Neat Cattle Oxen 0, Neat Cattle Total 1, Sheep Ewes 0, Sheep Weathers 0, Sheep Lambs 0, Sheep Rams 0, Sheep Total 0, Goats Ewes 0, Goats Weathers 0, Goats Kids 0, Goats Rams 0, Goats Total 0, Hogs Sows 0, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 0, Hogs Boars 0, Hogs Total 0, Poultry Fowls 0, Poultry Ducks 2, Poultry Turkeys 0, Poultry Geese 1, Horses Horses 0, Horses Mares 0, Horses Total 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Asses 0, Asses Total 0 Remaing 31st: Neat Cattle Bulls 4, Neat Cattle Cows 86, Neat Cattle Calves 73, Neat Cattle Yearlings 60, Neat Cattle Heifers 25, Neat Cattle Steers 31, Neat Cattle Oxen 13, Neat Cattle Total 292, Sheep Ewes 290, Sheep Weathers 203, Sheep Lambs 172, Sheep Rams 8, Sheep Total 673, Goats Ewes 147, Goats Weathers 17, Goats Kids 79, Goats Rams 9, Goats Total 252, Hogs Sows 4, Hogs Shoats 0, Hogs Pigs 18, Hogs Boars 1, Hogs Total 23, Poultry Fowls 85, Poultry Ducks 32, Poultry Turkeys 44, Poultry Geese 15, Horses Horses 7, Horses Mares 5, Horses Total 12, Asses Asses 3, Asses Asses 1, Asses Total 4 Yam Expended for Blacks and Poultry 30040 lb (Signed) John Shottowe Margin Notes: 11th July | The Lieutenant Governor, John Skottowe, presented the account of the Company's livestock for June 1763. Remaining on 1 June 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 58 calves, 60 yearlings, 27 heifers, 35 steers, 13 oxen, total 283 cattle Sheep: 294 ewes, 229 wethers, 173 lambs, 8 rams, total 704 sheep Goats: 149 nanny goats, 21 wethers, 69 kids, 9 billy goats, total 248 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 18 piglets, 1 boar, total 23 pigs Poultry: 93 fowls, 39 ducks, 48 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Increase during June: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 15 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 0 steers, 0 oxen, total 15 cattle Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 0 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 10 kids, 0 billy goats, total 10 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 7 fowls, 0 ducks, 0 turkeys, 0 geese Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Total stock during June: Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 73 calves, 60 yearlings, 27 heifers, 35 steers, 13 oxen, total 298 cattle Sheep: 294 ewes, 229 wethers, 173 lambs, 8 rams, total 704 sheep Goats: 149 nanny goats, 21 wethers, 79 kids, 9 billy goats, total 258 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 18 piglets, 1 boar, total 23 pigs Poultry: 100 fowls, 39 ducks, 48 turkeys, 17 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Killed during June: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 2 heifers, 3 steers, 0 oxen, total 5 cattle Sheep: 4 ewes, 26 wethers, 1 lamb, 0 rams, total 31 sheep Goats: 2 nanny goats, 4 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, total 6 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 15 fowls, 5 ducks, 4 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Died during June: Cattle: 0 bulls, 0 cows, 0 calves, 0 yearlings, 0 heifers, 1 steer, 0 oxen, total 1 cattle Sheep: 0 ewes, 0 wethers, 0 lambs, 0 rams, total 0 sheep Goats: 0 nanny goats, 0 wethers, 0 kids, 0 billy goats, total 0 goats Pigs: 0 sows, 0 young pigs, 0 piglets, 0 boars, total 0 pigs Poultry: 0 fowls, 2 ducks, 0 turkeys, 1 goose Horses: 0 horses, 0 mares, total 0 horses Asses: 0 male asses, 0 female asses, total 0 asses Remaining on 30 June 1763: Cattle: 4 bulls, 86 cows, 73 calves, 60 yearlings, 25 heifers, 31 steers, 13 oxen, total 292 cattle Sheep: 290 ewes, 203 wethers, 172 lambs, 8 rams, total 673 sheep Goats: 147 nanny goats, 17 wethers, 79 kids, 9 billy goats, total 252 goats Pigs: 4 sows, 0 young pigs, 18 piglets, 1 boar, total 23 pigs Poultry: 85 fowls, 32 ducks, 44 turkeys, 15 geese Horses: 7 horses, 5 mares, total 12 horses Asses: 3 male asses, 1 female ass, total 4 asses Yams used to feed the slaves and poultry, 30,040 pounds John Skottowe signed the account. Interpretations The flock fell from 704 to 673 sheep in June 1763, as 26 of the wethers were killed, many of them from the batch brought from the Cape in May. The heavy slaughter matched the jump in mutton served at the Company's table while the Hardwicke and the Drake lay in the road, and the poultry killed, 15 fowls, five ducks, four turkeys and a goose, corresponded exactly to the birds recorded at the table. No sheep died during the month, unlike May, which suggests the imported animals had settled to the island's winter pasture. The 15 calves born kept the cattle herd growing despite the killing, and it now stood at its highest level in the three months recorded. |
382 | 375 | 1763 Artillery Stores expended in the Month of June 1763 Guns Fired, 4pounder, 3pounder, 2pounder, 1pounder, Powder Expended 4th Fired to Celebrate the Anniversary of his Majestys Birth day: Guns Fired 21, 4pounder 2, 3pounder 1, 2pounder 18, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 23lb 8oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 4lb 0oz Fired with small Arms for Do: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 16lb 8oz 15th A Double Alarm: Guns Fired 9, 4pounder 3, 3pounder 3, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 3, Powder Expended 18lb 0oz Arrived the Hardwick and Drake Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 18, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 18, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 18lb 0oz Powder for Priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz 24 Departed the Hardwicke and Drake Returned the Salute: Guns Fired 18, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 18, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 18lb 0oz Powder for priming: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 3lb 0oz Powder for compleating the Cartridges at the Main Guard: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 2lb 8oz Do for Signals: Guns Fired 0, 4pounder 0, 3pounder 0, 2pounder 0, 1pounder 0, Powder Expended 1lb 0oz Total: Guns Fired 66, 4pounder 5, 3pounder 4, 2pounder 54, 1pounder 3, Powder Expended 107lb 8oz Sheep Skins for Coating Spunges at Sandy Bay 7 Tacks Nails for Coating and repairing Spunges at Do 230 Match burnt at the Main Fort 6lb Do for the use of the Snow Mercury 12lb Spunge Stave broke at the Main Fort 2 Rammer heads broke at Do 2 Spunge Heads broke at Do 2 Sheep Skins for Coating Spunges at Do 2 Tacks Nails for Do at Do 80 Hand Spikes broken in assisting to get the Fly Cutter on shore 8 Tallow for the Use of the Fly Cutter 12lb Cartridge paper for the use of Do 18 Quires (signed) Thos Hall | The master gunner recorded the artillery stores used in June 1763, listing for each occasion the guns fired, the calibres used and the powder spent. 4 June 1763, salute fired to celebrate the King's birthday: 21 guns fired, made up of 2 four-pounders, 1 three-pounder, 18 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 23 pounds 8 ounces of powder 4 June 1763, powder for priming, 4 pounds 0 ounces 4 June 1763, powder fired from small arms for the King's birthday, 16 pounds 8 ounces 15 June 1763, a double alarm: 9 guns fired, made up of 3 four-pounders, 3 three-pounders, 0 two-pounders and 3 one-pounders, using 18 pounds 0 ounces of powder 15 June 1763, salute returned on the arrival of the Hardwicke and Drake: 18 guns fired, made up of 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 18 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 18 pounds 0 ounces of powder 15 June 1763, powder for priming, 3 pounds 0 ounces 24 June 1763, salute returned on the departure of the Hardwicke and Drake: 18 guns fired, made up of 0 four-pounders, 0 three-pounders, 18 two-pounders and 0 one-pounders, using 18 pounds 0 ounces of powder 24 June 1763, powder for priming, 3 pounds 0 ounces 24 June 1763, powder for making up the cartridges at the Main Guard, 2 pounds 8 ounces 24 June 1763, powder for signals, 1 pound 0 ounces Totals for June 1763: 66 guns fired, made up of 5 four-pounders, 4 three-pounders, 54 two-pounders and 3 one-pounders, using 107 pounds 8 ounces of powder The account also listed the other artillery stores used or lost during the month. 7 sheepskins for covering sponges at Sandy Bay 230 trunk nails for covering and repairing sponges at Sandy Bay 6 pounds of slow match burnt at the main fort 12 pounds of slow match for the use of the snow Mercury 2 sponge staffs broken at the main fort 2 rammer heads broken at the main fort 2 sponge heads broken at the main fort 2 sheepskins for covering sponges at the main fort 80 trunk nails for covering and repairing sponges at the main fort 8 handspikes broken while helping to haul the Fly cutter ashore 12 pounds of tallow for the use of the Fly cutter 18 quires of cartridge paper for the use of the Fly cutter Thomas Hall, the master gunner, signed the account. Interpretations The King's birthday on 4 June was the chief public celebration of the garrison's year. A salute of 21 guns was fired from the batteries, and the soldiers then fired a feu de joie, a running volley of blank musket shots passed along the ranks from man to man. The 16 pounds 8 ounces of powder spent by the small arms show the whole garrison turned out on parade to mark George III's 25th birthday. The eight handspikes broken while hauling the Fly ashore confirm that the Council adopted the course Peter Fea's report of 2 June 1763 had set out, beaching the cutter so that her hull could be stripped and sheathed afresh. Handspikes were stout wooden levers, and the gunners lent them because they were the heaviest levers on the island. The tallow greased the timbers she was dragged over, while the cartridge paper was for making up charges for the cutter's own small guns once she returned to service. |
383 | 376 | 11th July Mr Matthew Pierling reports that he has been on board the Ship Albion to Muster her Company and enquire for deserters but found none her Muster Roll are as follows viz Muster Roll of Ship Albion William Larkins Capt Emerson Tidy 1 Mate Archd Frazer 2d Do Fryer Todd 3 Do James Angus 4 Do Thos Larkins 5 Do Thos Willett Purser Richd Staveley Surgeon Jas Collier Boatn Thos Watts Gunr Aaron Peters Carpenter John Wheatley Ships Stewd John Lewis Midshipman Willm Kelley Do Thos Webster Do Chas Studd Do Robert Willson Do Deliord Moore Quartr Mast Paul Pause Do Richd Smithson Do Richd Cray Do George Wade Surg Mate Lewis Bachelor Caulker Edward Bryan Cooper John Jones Capts Stewd Jos Durham Capts Cook James Duchane Ships Do Thoms Austin Gunr Mate Richd Brothers Carpr 1 Do Edwd Tidball Carpr 2 Mate Wm Brown Joyner Simon Suit Coopr Mate Saml Swales Armourer Edwd Welch Poulterer Willm Johnson Butcher Wm Jones Sailmaker John Coop Boatn Mate Wm Cragle Taylor Wm Blewet Barbr April Winter Capt Servt Charles Harrison Do Anthony James Do Thos Prescott Do Amos Sanders Do Danl Gellis Do John Read 1 Mates Do Geo Day 2 Do Richd Pickersgale 3 Do Thos Cornor Surg Do John Billinge Boatn Do John Webb Gunr Do Richd Bilsay Carpr Do Saml Bowyer Seaman Peter Murphy Boy Richd Larking Seaman Jos Brebord Nichs Sutcovich John Shord Robt Ager Seaman Peter Hadbeck Nicho Blombar Jos Roberts Willm Simmonds Robt Telford Wm Crisp Landsman Robt Plowman Seaman Jos Chushan James Bixston Josh Roderick Hamallon Ball John Ball Geo Hocker John Bruce Andrew Hiss Francis Dunn Jno Lowery John Minnot Josh Sofford Thos Kirkhaside Wm Brill Jno Wood James Wood Saml Swanson Henry Reed Ross McGinnes Patrick McGinn Hellher William | Matthew Pouling reported that he had gone aboard the Albion to muster her crew and search for deserters from the garrison, but had found none. He presented her muster roll. William Larkins, captain Emerson Tidy, first mate Archibald Fraser, second mate Fryer Todd, third mate James Angus, fourth mate Thomas Larkins, fifth mate Thomas Willett, purser Richard Staveley, surgeon James Colliss, boatswain Thomas Watts, gunner Aaron Peters, carpenter John Wheatley, ship's steward John Lewis, midshipman William Kelby, midshipman Thomas Webster, midshipman Charles Studd, midshipman Robert Willson, midshipman David Moor, quartermaster Paul Pause, quartermaster Richard Smithson, quartermaster Richard Cray, quartermaster George Wade, surgeon's mate Lewis Bachelor, caulker Edward Bryan, cooper John James, captain's steward John Durham, captain's cook James Duchard, ship's cook Thomas Austin, gunner's mate Richard Brothers, carpenter's first mate Edward Tidall, carpenter's second mate William Brown, joiner Simon Tait, cooper's mate Samuel Stiles, armourer Edward Welch, poulterer William Johnson, butcher William Jones, sailmaker John Cook, boatswain's mate William Cragle, tailor William Blewet, barber April Winter, captain's servant Charles Harrison, captain's servant Anthony James, captain's servant Thomas Prescott, captain's servant Amos Sanders, captain's servant Daniel Gillies, captain's servant John Read, first mate's servant George Day, second mate's servant Richard Pickersgill, third mate's servant Thomas Conner, surgeon's servant John Billinge, boatswain's servant John Webb, gunner's servant Nicholas Bilsey, carpenter's servant Samuel Bowyer, seaman Peter Murphy, boy Richard Larking, seaman Joseph Burton Nicholas Sutcovich John Steed Robert Ager, seaman Peter Hadbeck Nicolo Blombar John Roberts William Simmonds Robert Telford William Crisp, landsman Robert Plowman, seaman John Christian James Bixton Joseph Roderick Hamilton Ball John Ball George Hocker John Bruce Andrew Hess Francis Dunn John Lowery John Minnet Joseph Jofford Thomas Kilchaside William Brill John Wood James Wood Samuel Swanson Henry Read Ross McGinnes Patrick McGinn William Kelther |
384 | 377 | 1763 James Wattson Seaman James Price Peter Clawson Erick Hulting Seaman David Van Duberg Christn Manson Nils Lawson Seamn Jacob Vivaina Richard Todd Passengers Six Spanish Gentlemen one Priest a Girl & Boy Passengers five french Gentlemen sent on board as Prisoners The Storekeeper delivered the following Account of Stores short received from Ship Albion viz Account of Stores Short recd from Ship Albion viz China Ware 18 Octagn Meat Plates 33 round Meat Do 11 round Do dishes 5 Sneakers found broke upon opening the Packages 10 half pint cups 8 Saucers 3 Soop Dishes (signed) St Helena Js Powell July the 11th 1763 Storekeeper Mr Richard Law's contracted time as Writer expiring on the 6 Instant applyed to Us to be put upon the Establishment of Factor Which we accordingly agreed to Moses Fletcher James Robertson John Campbell & Paul Morrison of the Fly Cutter applying to us for their discharges having procured Nicholas Dahlien John Barton Peter Jonson and Dl Nitschides Alias Tate to serve in their Rooms we accordingly discharged them | The muster roll of the Albion ended with her last seamen and her passengers. James Wattson, seaman James Price Peter Clawson Erick Hultberg, seaman David Van Duberg Christian Manson Nils Lawson, seaman Jacob Vevaina Richard Todd Passengers: 6 Spanish gentlemen 1 priest 1 girl 1 boy 5 French gentlemen, sent aboard as prisoners The storekeeper then laid before the Council an account of china from the Albion that was found broken when the packages were opened. 18 octagonal meat plates 38 round meat plates 11 round meat dishes 5 sneakers 10 half-pint cups 8 saucers 3 soup dishes James Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 11 July 1763. Richard Law's contracted term as a writer had ended on 6 July 1763. He asked to be placed on the establishment as a factor, and the Council agreed. Moses Fletcher, James Robertson, John Campbell and Paul Morrison of the Fly cutter asked to be released from the vessel. They had found Nicholas Dahlin, John Barton, Peter Jossen and [...] Nikolides, also known as Tate, to serve in their places, and the Council discharged them accordingly. Interpretations The Spanish and French passengers were a legacy of the war that had just ended. British forces had captured Manila from Spain in 1762, and a ship sailing from China was well placed to carry Spanish gentlemen and a priest from the Philippines towards Europe. The five Frenchmen held as prisoners were probably taken in the fighting in India or the eastern seas and were being sent home for exchange or release now that peace had been made. Richard Law's move from writer to factor followed the Company's ladder of promotion by length of service. A writer served a fixed term, usually five years, before becoming eligible to rise, and the Council could confirm the step at St Helena without waiting for London. The rise brought a higher salary, as the quarterly pay list for the first quarter of 1763 showed, where factors drew £7 10s 0d against a writer's £5 0s 0d. The four men who replaced the Fly's departing seamen, with Scandinavian and Greek names such as Dahlin, Jossen and Nikolides, were probably sailors from the Albion, whose own crew included Swedes and Danes. The exchange gave the Company's men a passage home and the Fly a full crew without drawing on the garrison. |
385 | 378 | 11th July We this day Granted the following Bills of Exchange drawn upon the Honorable Company viz One Set to John Shottowe Esqr for one Hundred pounds payable to Robert Wood Esqr or Order One Set to Messrs Matthew Pierling and Henry Bazett for two Hundred & seventy eight pounds five Shillings and ten pence payable to Captn John Clerk or Order both drawn at Ninety days sight Chas Hutchinson John Shottowe Pierling Thos Kirkpatrick At a Consultation held on Monday the 18th Day of July 1763 at the Castle Present Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governor John Shottowe Esqr Lieut Governor Mr Matthew Pierling Captain Thos Kirkpatrick Council The last Consultation was read approved and signed dated the 11th July 1763 Saturday the 16th Sailed the Honorable Companys Ship Albion for England The Storekeeper this day brought in his Collections and the Paymaster his Accounts for the Quarter commencing April the 1st and ending the 30th June 1763 which were examined and approved and are as follow viz | The Council issued two further sets of bills of exchange on the Company on 11 July 1763, both payable 90 days after being presented in London. 1 set to John Skottowe, payable to Robert Wood or whoever he named, £100 0s 0d 1 set to Matthew Pouling and Henry Bazett jointly, payable to Captain John Clarke or whoever he named, £278 5s 10d Charles Hutchinson, John Skottowe, Matthew Pouling and Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the record. The Council met at the Castle on Monday 18 July 1763. Governor Hutchinson presided, with John Skottowe as Lieutenant Governor, Matthew Pouling and Captain Thomas Kirkpatrick present as members. The councillors read the record of their meeting of 11 July 1763, approved it and signed it. The Company's ship Albion left the island for England on Saturday 16 July 1763. The storekeeper presented the account of goods he had sold, and the paymaster his accounts, for the quarter from 1 April 1763 to 30 June 1763. The Council examined and approved them. |
386 | 379 | 18th July Collection of Goods Sold and Deliver from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 Sold to the Companys Servants at 10 P Cent Oil viz 2 Galls Sea Cow £0 7s 2d 9¾ Do Train £2 1s 5d 2⅛ Do Linseed £0 9s 0d 7 Bottles Florence £1 2s 2d £3 19s 9d Sugar and Candy viz 4052 Sugar £67 10s 0d 1392 Candy £34 16s 0d £102 6s 8d Tea viz 206 Bohea £9 8s 10d 225 Singlo £16 8s 1½d 103 Congo £7 10s 2½d £33 7s 2d Beef and Pork viz 355 Ps Beef £35 10s 0d 4027 Ps Pork £402 14s 0d £438 4s 0d Arrack 167 Galls £41 15s 0d Nails viz 3 2 10 4 12 3 49 6 11 10 6 20 1 40 £2 17s 0d 4 Gl Brads £0 3s 7d ½ Tacks £0 0s 8d £3 1s 11d Carried over £622 14s 6d | The storekeeper's account of goods sold and issued from the Company's stores between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763 began with the sales to the Company's servants, charged at a mark-up of 10 per cent. Oil: 2 gallons of sea cow oil, £0 7s 2d 9¾ gallons of train oil, £2 1s 5d 2⅛ gallons of linseed oil, £0 9s 0d 7 bottles of Florence oil, £1 2s 2d Total for oil, £3 19s 9d Sugar and sugar candy: 4,052 pounds of sugar, £67 10s 8d 1,392 pounds of sugar candy, £34 16s 0d Total for sugar and sugar candy, £102 6s 8d Tea: 206 pounds of Bohea tea, £9 8s 10d 225 pounds of Singlo tea, £16 8s 1½d 103 pounds of Congou tea, £7 10s 2½d Total for tea, £33 7s 2d Beef and pork: 355 pieces of beef, £35 10s 0d 4,027 pieces of pork, £402 14s 0d Total for beef and pork, £438 4s 0d 167 gallons of arrack, £41 15s 0d Nails: 3 pounds of twopenny nails 10 pounds of fourpenny nails 12 pounds of threepenny nails 49 pounds of sixpenny nails 11 pounds of tenpenny nails 6 pounds of twentypenny nails 1 pound of fortypenny nails All nails together, £2 17s 8d 4 gross of brads, £0 3s 7d ½ pound of tacks, £0 0s 8d Total for nails and small ironwork, £3 1s 11d Total carried forward, £622 14s 6d Interpretations Set beside the same account for the first quarter of 1763, the servants' purchases shifted noticeably. Arrack fell from 261¼ gallons to 167, sugar candy from 2,582 pounds to 1,392 and Singlo tea from 400 pounds to 225. Salt beef, absent from the first quarter's sales, now appeared in quantity. The falls were perhaps due to stocks running low before the Hardwicke and the Drake delivered fresh arrack and candy from Bengal in mid-June, near the end of the quarter, while the beef probably came from the ships that arrived from England in April and May. The servants' dependence on salt pork remained unchanged, and it still accounted for the greater part of the quarter's sales by value. |
387 | 380 | 18th July Brought over £622 14s 6d Rice and Paddy viz 30 C 2 qrs 7 lb Rice £14 12s 10d 19 2 14 Paddy £4 3s 4d £18 16s 2d Flour viz 1371 lb Flour £9 19s 11d 30 3 12 Do Baked £280 16s 0d £290 15s 11d Pitch and Tar viz ¾ Gall Tar £0 0s 8d 22 Rozin £0 4s 1d £0 4s 9d Paint viz 2 Boxes Blacking £0 1s 1d 27 lb Whiting £0 1s 1d 4¾ Indico £0 9s 1d 11 White Lead dry £0 3s 11d ¼ Chocolate Colour £0 0s 2d 2 lb White Lead dry £0 0s 11d 6 lb Blue Smalts £0 9s 0d £1 5s 3d Canvas viz 14 Yds English Canvas £0 18s 4½d 72½ Yds Osenbrigs £3 9s 5½d £4 7s 10d Coffee 15 lb £0 13s 9d Salt 12¾ Bushels £2 3s 6d Cordage 3 C 4 lb½ £6 8s 6d Sope 149 lb £5 8s 7d Thread viz 5 lb W Brown £1 16s 8d 5 Coloured £0 17s 11d £2 14s 7d Candles 79 lb £8 11s 2d Pepper 21 £0 11s 9d Desoties 6 Ps £3 4s 6d Carried over £968 0s 9d | The account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £622 14s 6d. Total brought forward, £622 14s 6d Rice and unhusked rice: 30 hundredweight 2 quarters 7 pounds of rice, £14 12s 10d 19 hundredweight 2 quarters 14 pounds of unhusked rice, £4 3s 4d Total for rice and unhusked rice, £18 16s 2d Flour: 1,371 pounds of flour, £9 19s 11d 30 hundredweight 3 quarters 12 pounds of baked flour, £280 16s 0d Total for flour, £290 15s 11d Pitch and tar: ¾ gallon of tar, £0 0s 8d 22 pounds of rosin, £0 4s 1d Total for pitch and tar, £0 4s 9d Paint: 2 boxes of blacking, £0 1s 1d 27 pounds of whiting, £0 1s 1d 4¾ pounds of indigo, £0 9s 1d 11 pounds of dry white lead, £0 3s 11d ¼ pound of chocolate-coloured paint, £0 0s 2d 2 pounds of dry white lead, £0 0s 11d 6 pounds of blue smalt, £0 9s 0d Total for paint, £1 5s 3d Canvas: 14 yards of English canvas, £0 18s 4½d 72½ yards of osnaburg, £3 9s 5½d Total for canvas, £4 7s 10d 15 pounds of coffee, £0 13s 9d 12¾ bushels of salt, £2 3s 0d 342½ pounds of cordage, £6 8s 6d 149 pounds of soap, £5 8s 7d Thread: 5 pounds of brown thread, £1 16s 8d 5 pounds of coloured thread, £0 17s 11d Total for thread, £2 14s 7d 79 pounds of candles, £8 11s 2d 21 pounds of pepper, £0 11s 9d 6 pieces of dosooties, £3 4s 6d Total carried forward, £968 0s 9d Interpretations The servants bought 79 pounds of candles in the second quarter of 1763, more than double the 35 pounds sold between January and March. The rise followed the shortening days of the southern-hemisphere autumn and early winter, when darkness fell earlier on the island and households needed more light each evening. In England the same seasonal demand came in the final and first quarters of the calendar year, so the island's accounts ran on an inverted rhythm of light and dark. Sales of baked flour fell sharply, from over 162 hundredweight in the first quarter to under 31 in the second, while plain flour held steady. The Company's servants were perhaps baking more of their own bread from flour rather than buying it ready baked. Blue smalt, sold here for the first time, was a pigment made from ground cobalt glass, used to tint whitewash and paint a pale blue and to brighten laundered linen. |
388 | 381 | 1763 Brought over £968 0s 9d Corks viz 3½ lb Sheet Cork £0 2s 2d 2 Gross Corks £0 5s 1d £0 7s 3d Pease 2 Bushels £0 15s 0d Shalloon viz 17 Yds Coloured £1 14s 0d 1½ Yds Scarlet £0 3s 11d £1 17s 11d Long Ells 17 Yards Blue £1 12s 7d Sago 4 lb £0 1s 8d Starch 28¼ lb £0 10s 7d Flannel 9 Yards £0 13s 6d Hats viz 6 Mens £5 16s 3d 1 Boys £0 6s 7d £6 2s 10d Lead viz 6 lb Shot £0 1s 3d 16 Sheet Lead £0 3s 4d £0 4s 7d Twine viz 20 Sks Twine £0 12s 6d ½ lb Cotton Yarn £0 1s 3d £0 13s 9d Oars 2 £0 8s 6d Leather viz 76 lb ½ Sole £3 19s 5d 3 Calf Skins £1 4s 3d £5 3s 8d Blankets 4 £1 2s 0d Buckram ½ yd £0 0s 6d Chellow 1 Pc £0 9s 8d Carried over £988 4s 9d | The account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £968 0s 9d. Total brought forward, £968 0s 9d Corks: 3½ pounds of sheet cork, £0 2s 2d 2 gross of corks, £0 5s 1d Total for corks, £0 7s 3d 2 bushels of peas, £0 15s 0d Shalloon: 17 yards of coloured shalloon, £1 14s 0d 1½ yards of scarlet shalloon, £0 3s 11d Total for shalloon, £1 17s 11d 17 yards of blue long ells, £1 12s 7d 4 pounds of sago, £0 1s 8d 28¼ pounds of starch, £0 10s 7d 9 yards of flannel, £0 13s 6d Hats: 6 men's hats, £5 16s 3d 1 boy's hat, £0 6s 7d Total for hats, £6 2s 10d Lead: 6 pounds of lead shot, £0 1s 3d 16 pounds of sheet lead, £0 3s 4d Total for lead, £0 4s 7d Twine and yarn: 20 skeins of twine, £0 12s 6d ½ pound of cotton yarn, £0 1s 3d Total for twine and yarn, £0 13s 9d 2 oars, £0 8s 6d Leather: 76½ pounds of sole leather, £3 19s 5d 3 calf skins, £1 4s 3d Total for leather, £5 3s 8d 4 blankets, £1 2s 0d ½ yard of buckram, £0 0s 6d 1 piece of chelloes, £0 9s 8d Total carried forward, £988 4s 9d |
389 | 382 | 18th July Brought over £988 4s 9d China Ware viz 18 Quart Pint Cups and Saucers £0 7s 9d 12 Blue & White Sneakers £0 4s 6d 2 Sets dishes and Plates £2 1s 2d 12 Bl & White Soop Plates £0 5s 11d 4 Bowls £0 4s 10d 2 Sauce Boats £0 0s 11d 2 Enam Sneakers £0 0s 10d 3 Mugs £0 5s 0d 1 Soop Dish £0 7s 9d 9 Tea pots £0 11s 3d 1 Bl & White Chr Pot £0 1s 10d £4 11s 9d Glass Ware viz 1 Sqr 10 by 12 £0 0s 11d 4 Do 11 by 19 £0 6s 8d 1 Do 11 by 17½ £0 1s 6d 88 Do 6 by 8 £1 7s 6d 1 Do 8 by 10 £0 0s 8d 2 Quart Decanters £0 7s 8d 1 Pint Do £0 3s 1d 2 Doz Wine Glass £0 15s 3d 4 Wine and Water Do £0 3s 6d £3 8s 9d Pewter 1 Basen £0 1s 9d Broad Cloth viz 2¾ Yds Scarlet £2 18s 4d 3¼ Yds French Grey £3 3s 3d ¼ Yds Blue £0 4s 11d £6 5s 6d Books viz 2 Common Prayer Books £0 6s 1d 3 Spelling Do £0 3s 10d £0 9s 11d Shirts viz 13 Shirts £32 15s 0d 4¾ yds Brown Holland £0 8s 11d 3 Ps Irish Linen £5 3s 6d £38 7s 5d Carried over £1041 12s 10d | The account of goods sold to the Company's servants between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £988 4s 9d. Total brought forward, £988 4s 9d China: 18 quarter-pint cups and saucers, £0 7s 9d 12 blue and white sneakers, £0 4s 6d 2 sets of dishes and plates, £2 1s 2d 12 blue and white soup plates, £0 5s 11d 4 bowls, £0 4s 10d 2 sauce boats, £0 0s 11d 2 enamelled sneakers, £0 0s 10d 3 mugs, £0 5s 0d 1 soup dish, £0 7s 9d 9 teapots, £0 11s 3d 1 blue and white chamber pot, £0 1s 10d Total for china, £4 11s 9d Glassware: 1 pane of window glass measuring 10 by 12 inches, £0 0s 11d 4 panes of window glass measuring 11 by 19 inches, £0 6s 8d 1 pane of window glass measuring 11 by 17¾ inches, £0 1s 6d 88 panes of window glass measuring 6 by 8 inches, £1 7s 6d 1 pane of window glass measuring 8 by 10 inches, £0 0s 8d 2 quart decanters, £0 7s 8d 1 pint decanter, £0 3s 1d 2 dozen wine glasses, £0 15s 3d 4 glasses for wine and water, £0 3s 6d Total for glassware, £3 8s 9d 1 pewter basin, £0 1s 9d Broadcloth: 2¾ yards of scarlet broadcloth, £2 18s 4d 3¼ yards of French grey broadcloth, £3 3s 3d ¼ yard of blue broadcloth, £0 4s 11d Total for broadcloth, £6 6s 6d Books: 2 Books of Common Prayer, £0 6s 1d 3 spelling books, £0 3s 10d Total for books, £0 9s 11d Shirts and linen: 131 shirts, £32 15s 0d 4¾ yards of brown holland, £0 5s 11d 3 pieces of Irish linen, £5 3s 6d Total for shirts and linen, £38 7s 5d Total carried forward, £1,041 12s 10d Interpretations The sale of 131 ready-made shirts at 5s 0d each was the largest single clothing purchase in either quarter's accounts. Shirts in such quantity were probably bought by officers and heads of households to clothe their servants and slaves, or by the soldiers themselves once the winter set in. The 88 small panes of window glass point to houses still glazed with small leaded or wooden-barred lights rather than the larger sashes then fashionable in England, while the spelling books alongside prayer books show settler families continuing to teach their children at home. |
390 | 383 | 1763 Hosiers Ware viz Brought over £1041 12s 10d 2 Pr Women Stockings £0 6s 1d 24 Pr Thread do £3 11s 0d 3 Pr Mens Wove do £0 12s 0d 2 Pr Mens Knit do £0 6s 1d 4 Prs Boys do £0 8s 8d 10 Pr Mens Eng. Cotton do £3 19s 2d £9 3s 0d Cuttlery Ware viz 6 Stag Horn Knives & Forks £0 5s 7d 7 Horn Combs £0 1s 2d 6 Ivory do £0 6s 3d 4 Pen Knives £0 1s 6d 3 Butchers do £0 1s 3d 17 Pr Leather Garders £0 6s 1½d 1 Choping Knife £0 1s 3½d £1 3s 5d Haberdashery viz 3[7/8] Silk £0 18s 6d 14 Sk. Mohair £0 5s 10d 1 Doz Silv. Breast Buttons £0 9s 0d 2 Gross Wt Waistcoat do £0 6s 1d 2½ Gross Shirt do £0 6s 1d 7 Gross Ho[rn] Moulds £0 2s 11d ¾[lb] Whale Bone £0 5s 0d 6 Cockades £0 2s 10d 4 Pr Hol. Tape £0 2s 9d ½ [...] Coat Buttons £0 0s 4½d 4½ doz Moh. Br. do £0 1s 8½d ½ Gross Worsted Lace £1 14s 1½d 2½ doz Gilt Coat Buttons £0 6s ½d 3 Doz Plated Coat do £0 5s 6d 4 Dozn do Br do £0 3s 8d £5 10s 5d Carried over £1057 9s 8d | The 1763 stock account continued with a running total brought forward from the previous page and added three further groups of goods. Total brought forward, £1,041 12s 10d Hosiery: 2 pairs of women's stockings, £0 6s 1d 24 pairs of thread stockings, £3 11s 0d 3 pairs of men's woven stockings, £0 12s 0d 2 pairs of men's knitted stockings, £0 6s 1d 4 pairs of boys' stockings, £0 8s 8d 10 pairs of men's English cotton stockings, £3 19s 2d Hosiery total, £9 3s 0d Cutlery: 6 stag-horn-handled knives and forks, £0 5s 7d 7 horn combs, £0 1s 2d 6 ivory combs, £0 6s 3d 4 shoemakers' knives, £0 1s 6d 3 butchers' knives, £0 1s 3d 17 pairs of leather garters, £0 6s 4½d 1 chopping knife, £0 1s 3½d Cutlery total, £1 3s 5d Haberdashery: 37 ounces of silk thread, £0 18s 6d 14 ounces of mohair thread, £0 5s 10d 1 dozen silver breast buttons, £0 9s 0d 2 gross of white waistcoat buttons, £0 6s 1d 2½ gross of shirt buttons, £0 6s 1d 7 gross of horn button moulds, £0 2s 11d ¾ pound of whalebone, £0 5s 0d 6 cockades, £0 2s 10d 4 pieces of Holland tape, £0 2s 9d ½ (no unit given) of mohair coat buttons, £0 0s 4½d 4½ dozen mohair breast buttons, £0 1s 3½d ½ gross of worsted braid, £1 14s 1½d 2½ dozen gilt coat buttons, £0 6s 0½d 3 dozen plated coat buttons, £0 5s 6d 4 dozen plated breast buttons, £0 3s 8d Haberdashery total, £5 10s 5d Total carried forward, £1,057 9s 8d The three groups together added £15 16s 10d to the running total before it passed to the next page. Interpretations Horn button moulds were small discs of horn or bone that tailors covered with silk, mohair or cloth to make buttons matching a garment. Their presence alongside quantities of silk and mohair thread shows that clothes were made and finished on the island rather than arriving ready-made. Mohair, the yarn spun from angora goat hair, was valued for its sheen and strength and was the usual material for covering buttons and working buttonholes on coats. Plated buttons were almost certainly Sheffield plate, a thin skin of silver fused onto copper. The process was discovered in the 1740s, and buttons were among its first commercial products, so plated coat buttons in a St Helena stock of 1763 show the island receiving a fairly new English manufacture within about 20 years of its invention. Gilt buttons, by contrast, were brass washed with gold, and the silver breast buttons were the costliest single line in the button stock. The men's cotton stockings were specifically marked as English. By 1763 the Nottingham and Derby framework-knitting trade was producing cotton hose, and the label separated them from the Indian cotton goods that reached the island in quantity through the Company's eastern shipping. At nearly 8s a pair they were far dearer than the woven or knitted stockings listed above them. Whalebone was baleen from the mouths of whales, cut into flexible strips for stiffening women's stays and bodices. Cockades were rosettes of ribbon worn on the hat, chiefly as a mark of military service, which points to a demand from the garrison. Worsted braid, a tape woven from long-staple wool, trimmed livery and uniforms. Holland tape was a narrow linen binding named after the Dutch linen it was first made from, and shoemakers' knives were the short curved blades used to cut leather. |
391 | 384 | 18th July Hooks & Lines viz Brought over £1057 9s 8d 25 No 1 450 2 350 3 25 5 25 12 25 13 225 14 50 15 25 16 Hooks £1 6s 11d 127 No 2 54 3 13 4 Lines £3 3s 10d 3 Hambro Lines £0 4s 6d 2 Log do £0 2s 3d 1 Knot. Sash Line £0 1s 3d £4 18s 9d Braziers Ware 1 Tea Kettle of 3 Quarts £0 13s 6d Camblet viz 12 Yards Blue £2 15s 6d 3¾ Yds Scarlet £1 0s 1d 6 Yards Brown £1 0s 3d £4 15s 10d Iron Ware viz 5 Pr Barrack Hinges £0 9s 2d 4 Pr Small H. do £0 7s 4d 2 Barrack Cupd Locks £0 3s 1d 1 Loping Ax £0 3s 1d 4 Helves £0 2s 9d 1 Rasp £0 2s 5d 3 Hand Hatchets £0 5s 3d 1 Blank Key £0 0s 8d 1 Chest Lock £0 5s 0d £1 18s 9d Carried over £1079 16s 6d | The stock account dated 18 July 1763 carried on from the previous running total and recorded fishing tackle, a copper kettle, woollen cloth and ironwork. Total brought forward, £1,057 9s 8d Fish hooks and lines: 25 hooks of size 1 450 hooks of size 2 350 hooks of size 3 25 hooks of size 5 25 hooks of size 12 25 hooks of size 13 225 hooks of size 14 50 hooks of size 15 25 hooks of size 16 Hooks of all the sizes above, £1 6s 11d 127 lines of size 2 54 lines of size 3 13 lines of size 4 Lines of all the sizes above, £3 3s 10d 3 Hamburg lines, £0 4s 6d 2 log lines, £0 2s 3d 1 hank of sash cord, £0 1s 3d Fish hooks and lines total, £4 18s 9d Copper and brass goods: 1 tea kettle holding 3 quarts, £0 13s 6d Camlet cloth: 12 yards of blue camlet, £2 15s 6d 3¾ yards of scarlet camlet, £1 0s 1d 6 yards of brown camlet, £1 0s 3d Camlet total, £4 15s 10d Ironwork: 5 pairs of barrack hinges, £0 9s 2d 4 pairs of small H-hinges, £0 7s 4d 2 barrack cupboard locks, £0 3s 1d 1 lopping axe, £0 3s 1d 4 tool handles, £0 2s 9d 1 rasp, £0 2s 5d 3 hand hatchets, £0 5s 3d 1 uncut key blank, £0 0s 8d 1 chest lock, £0 5s 0d Ironwork total, £1 18s 9d Total carried forward, £1,079 16s 6d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The fish hooks were graded by numbered sizes, and the lines were sorted the same way. The sheer quantity, well over 1,000 hooks, reflected how much the island depended on fishing. Fish caught from boats around the coast were a regular part of the rations of the garrison and of the Company's slaves, easing pressure on the scarce supply of island-raised beef and on salted provisions shipped from England. Hamburg line, written in the account in its older form "Hambro", was a light three-strand line of tarred hemp, used at sea for small lashings and also as a strong fishing line. Log line was the knotted cord paid out astern with the log-chip to measure a ship's speed, which suggests the store also supplied the island's boats or ships calling at the road. Sash cord ran over the pulleys of sash windows, and the "knot" in which it was counted was a hank or bundle of line. Camlet was a hard-wearing woven cloth made from wool, sometimes mixed with goat hair or silk, used for cloaks, coats and uniforms. The scarlet cost about 5s 4d a yard against roughly 4s 7d for the blue and 3s 6d for the brown, since red dye made from cochineal was the most expensive colour to produce. Its heading as a separate group, alongside the cockades and worsted braid on the preceding page, points to the clothing of the garrison as a steady demand on the store. Brazier's ware was the trade term for goods of worked copper and brass, the brazier being the craftsman who made them. Barrack hinges and barrack cupboard locks were plain, heavy fittings of the kind used in soldiers' quarters, while H-hinges took their name from their shape when opened flat. Helves were the wooden handles for axes and hatchets, and a lopping axe was a light axe for cutting branches from trees. |
392 | 385 | 1763 Long Cloth viz Brought over £1079 16s 6d 3 Ps No 7 £4 10s 3d 2 Ps 2 £7 12s 6d 2 Ps 3 £5 17s 2d ½ Ps 4 £0 18s 9d £18 18s 8d Shoes viz 222 Pr Mens Ordinary £49 0s 6d 9 Pr Mens fine £2 14s 9d 21 Pr Mens Pumps £5 13s 6d 1 Pr Channel do £0 6s 7d 2 Pr Womens Calimanco Shoes £0 8s 6d 2 Prs do Spanish do £0 8s 6d 2 Prs do Calf do £0 5s 10d 6 Prs Boys do £1 0s 6d 1 Pr Girls do £0 2s 3d £60 2s 11d Tin Ware viz 1 Driping Pan £0 3s 11½d 1 Globe Lamp £0 10s 7½d 2 Qt Sauce Pans £0 0s 11d £0 15s 6d Turners Ware viz 2 Paint Brushes £0 1s 4d 11 Shoe Brushes £0 6s 10½d 1 Platter £0 1s 7½d 1 Mop £0 1s 7½d 4 Punch Ladles £0 2s 7d 3 Labourers Baskets £0 2s 6d 7 Hair Brooms £0 17s 6d 6 Scrubing Brushes £0 1s 0d 1 Hair Sive £0 2s 3d 2 Flaskets £0 5s 8d 1 Cloth Brush £0 1s 6d 1 Wood Ladle £0 0s 4½d 1 Birch Broom £0 0s 5d £2 19s 3d Carried over £1152 12s 10d | The 1763 stock account resumed from the running total brought forward and listed Indian cotton cloth, footwear, tinware and wooden and brush goods. Total brought forward, £1,079 16s 6d Long cloth: 3 pieces of long cloth, quality 7, £4 10s 3d 2 pieces of long cloth, quality 2, £7 12s 6d 2 pieces of long cloth, quality 3, £5 17s 2d ½ piece of long cloth, quality 4, £0 18s 9d Long cloth total, £18 18s 8d Shoes: 222 pairs of men's ordinary shoes, £49 0s 6d 9 pairs of men's fine shoes, £2 14s 9d 21 pairs of men's pumps, £5 15s 6d 1 pair of men's channelled pumps, £0 6s 7d 2 pairs of women's calimanco shoes, £0 8s 6d 2 pairs of women's Spanish leather shoes, £0 8s 6d 2 pairs of women's calfskin shoes, £0 5s 10d 6 pairs of boys' shoes, £1 0s 6d 1 pair of girls' shoes, £0 2s 3d Shoes total, £60 2s 11d Tinware: 1 dripping pan, £0 3s 11½d 1 globe lamp, £0 10s 7½d 2 saucepans of 2 quarts, £0 0s 11d Tinware total, £0 15s 6d Wooden and brush goods: 2 paint brushes, £0 1s 4d 11 shoe brushes, £0 6s 10½d 1 wooden platter, £0 1s 7½d 1 mop, £0 1s 7½d 4 punch ladles, £0 2s 7d 3 labourers' baskets, £0 2s 6d 7 hair brooms, £0 17s 6d 6 scrubbing brushes, £0 1s 0d 1 hair sieve, £0 2s 3d 2 laundry baskets, £0 5s 8d 1 clothes brush, £0 1s 6d 1 wooden ladle, £0 0s 4½d 1 birch broom, £0 0s 5d Wooden and brush goods total, £2 5s 3d Total carried forward, £1,152 12s 10d The account then moved the new running total on to the following page. Interpretations Long cloth was a plain, unbleached cotton calico woven on the Coromandel coast of India and shipped home by the East India Company in long standard pieces. Its numbers marked grades of fineness rather than colours, and the prices show this clearly. A piece of quality 2 was valued at about £3 16s, while quality 7 came to roughly £1 10s a piece. On St Helena the cloth served for shirts, sheets and the clothing of slaves, and it reached the island directly from homeward-bound Indiamen rather than by way of England. Footwear was the largest single group on the page, and the 222 pairs of men's ordinary shoes alone accounted for nearly £50, at about 4s 5d a pair. A stock of that size points to the supply of the garrison and the Company's labourers, who wore out shoes quickly on the island's steep, rocky paths and could not easily replace them locally. Pumps were light, low shoes with thin soles, and a channelled pump had its sole stitching sunk into a groove cut in the leather to protect it from wear. Calimanco was a glossy worsted cloth, often striped or patterned, used for the uppers of fashionable women's shoes. Spanish shoes were made of cordovan, the fine goatskin leather originally associated with Córdoba. Turner's ware was the trade heading for goods shaped on the lathe or made from wood, bristle and hair. It covered platters and ladles alongside brooms, brushes and sieves. A hair sieve had a mesh of woven horsehair and was used in the kitchen for sifting flour or straining liquids. Flaskets were long, shallow baskets with handles, used chiefly for carrying laundry. A globe lamp was a tin oil lamp fitted with a glass globe to shield the flame from draughts. |
393 | 386 | 18th July Brought over £1152 12s 10d Deals viz 3 Double deals £0 10s 0d 4 Single do £0 8s 8d £0 18s 8d Serge 1¼ Yds French Grey £0 9s 0d £1154 0s 6d Sold to the Planters at 25 ⅌ Cent Shalloon 7 Yds Coloured £0 15s 9d Desotees 3 Ps £1 16s 9d Shirts 9½ Yds Brown Holland £1 2s 11d Buckram 2 Yards £0 2s 2d Broad Cloth 2¼ Yards Black £2 11s 4d Long Cloth 1 Ps No 3 £3 6s 7d Shoes viz 4 Prs Mens Ordinary Shoes £1 0s 2½d 4 Prs Womens Calf do £0 13s 0d 3 Prs Girls do £0 7s 10½d 2 Pr Boys do £0 7s 8d 1 Pr Mens fine do £0 6s 10d 1 Pr Mens Pump do £0 6s 3d £3 2s 6d Hats viz 3 Mens £3 6s 0d 4 Boys £1 10s 4d £4 16s 4d Hosiers Ware 2 Prs Boys Stockings £0 5s 2d Long Ells 6 Yds Blue £0 13s 0d Sold at 40 ⅌ Cent Sugar and Candy viz [...] Sugar £11 14s 2d 7[lb] Candy £2 6s 3d Flour 44[5] £14 0s 11d £0 5s 11d Carried over £37 15s 5d | The account for 18 July 1763 brought the stock total forward, closed it with a few final items and then began a record of goods sold to the island's planters. Total brought forward, £1,152 12s 10d Deal planks: 3 double deals, £0 10s 0d 4 single deals, £0 8s 8d Deal planks total, £0 18s 8d 1¼ yards of French grey serge, £0 9s 0d Stock total, £1,154 0s 6d A separate list followed of goods sold to the planters at an advance of 25 per cent. 7 yards of coloured shalloon, £0 15s 9d 3 pieces of desooty cloth, £1 16s 9d 9½ yards of brown holland for shirts, £1 2s 11d 2 yards of buckram, £0 2s 2d 2¼ yards of black broadcloth, £2 11s 4d 1 piece of long cloth, quality 3, £3 6s 7d Shoes: 4 pairs of men's ordinary shoes, £1 0s 2½d 4 pairs of women's calfskin shoes, £0 18s 0d 3 pairs of girls' shoes, £0 7s 10½d 2 pairs of boys' shoes, £0 7s 8d 1 pair of men's fine shoes, £0 6s 10d 1 pair of men's pumps, £0 6s 3d Shoes total, £3 2s 6d Hats: 3 men's hats, £3 6s 0d 4 boys' hats, £1 10s 4d Hats total, £4 16s 4d 2 pairs of boys' stockings, £0 5s 2d 6 yards of blue long ells, £0 13s 0d Sugar was sold at the higher advance of 40 per cent. 3 hundredweight of sugar, £11 14s 2d 70 pounds of sugar candy, £2 6s 0d Sugar and sugar candy total, £14 0s 2d 445 pounds of flour, £5 7s 11d Total of sales carried forward, £37 15s 5d The sales total then passed to the next page. Interpretations The page showed the Company's warehouse acting as the island's shop. Goods shipped out for the Company's own use could be released to planters, but only at a fixed advance on their cost, so the settlers paid a set margin above what the Company had spent. Cloth, shoes, hats and hosiery carried an advance of 25 per cent, while sugar and flour carried 40 per cent. The difference perhaps reflected the loss of weight in stored sugar and flour through damp, vermin and handling, which the Company recovered in the price. With private trade on the island tightly limited, this fixed-margin system gave the Company a steady return and gave planters access to goods they could not easily obtain elsewhere. Desooty was a coarse, strong cotton cloth woven in Bengal, one of the many Indian textiles the Company carried home and landed at St Helena on the way. Shalloon was a light twilled worsted, named after Châlons in France, used mainly for lining coats. Brown holland was an unbleached linen, first made in the Netherlands, cut here for shirts. Buckram was a coarse linen stiffened with glue or size and used to give shape to collars, cuffs and hat brims. Broadcloth was a fine, dense woollen cloth, the best grade of English wool manufacture, woven wide and heavily fulled. At over £1 2s a yard, the black broadcloth was among the dearest materials on the page. Long ells, by contrast, were a cheap coarse worsted serge, much used for workmen's and servants' clothing. French grey was the name of a pale greyish shade rather than a sign of French manufacture. Deals were sawn planks of softwood, usually Baltic pine or fir, of standard length. Double deals were cut to roughly twice the thickness of single deals. On an island with very little native timber fit for building, imported deals were essential for doors, floors and repairs. Sugar candy was sugar crystallised slowly into large clear lumps from a strong syrup, used as a sweet, in cooking and as a remedy for coughs. |
394 | 387 | 1763 Brought over £37 15s 3d Tea viz 4 lb Bohea £2 6s 0d 49 Congou £4 18s 0d 51 Singlo £5 2s 0d £12 6s 0d Cordage [...]lb £1 11s 7d Rice and Paddy viz 164 Rice £1 3s 11d 50 Paddy £0 2s 7d £1 6s 6d Haberdashery viz 3 Sk. Silk £0 2s 3d 9 Sk. Mohair £0 1s 3d ½ Gross W. Waistcoat Buttons £0 1s 11d £0 5s 5d Paint viz 1 Verdigrease £0 5s 8d 2½ Indico £0 6s 3d 6 Whiting £0 0s 6d 1 Sky Blue £0 2s 7d £0 15s 0d Nails viz 1¾ M 2 2 3 5 4 4 6 5 10 Nails £0 14s [1½]d 14 Scupper £0 0s 9½d ½ Clasp Brads £0 0s 6½d ½ Tacks £0 0s 10½d £1 5s 8d Thread 1 Coloured £0 4s 3d Braziers Ware viz 1 Pr Candlesticks £0 10s 6d 1 Tea Kettle of 3 Quarts £0 17s 2d £1 7s 8d Carried over £57 3s 0d | The 1763 record of goods sold to the planters continued from a running total of £37 15s 3d brought forward. Total brought forward, £37 15s 3d Tea: 40 pounds of bohea tea, £2 6s 0d 49 pounds of congou tea, £4 18s 0d 51 pounds of singlo tea, £5 2s 0d Tea total, £12 6s 0d ½ hundredweight of rope and cordage, £1 11s 7d Rice and paddy: 164 pounds of rice, £1 3s 11d 50 pounds of paddy, £0 2s 7d Rice and paddy total, £1 6s 6d Haberdashery: 3 ounces of silk thread, £0 2s 3d 9 ounces of mohair thread, £0 1s 3d ½ gross of white waistcoat buttons, £0 1s 11d Haberdashery total, £0 5s 5d Paint: 1 pound of verdigris, £0 3s 8d 2½ pounds of indigo, £0 6s 3d 6 pounds of whiting, £0 0s 6d 1 pound of sky-blue pigment, £0 2s 7d Paint total, £0 13s 0d Nails: 1¾ pounds of twopenny nails 2 pounds of threepenny nails 5 pounds of fourpenny nails 4 pounds of sixpenny nails 6 pounds of tenpenny nails Nails of all the sizes above, £0 14s 1½d 14 scupper nails, £0 0s 9½d ½ thousand clasp brads, £0 0s 6½d ½ thousand tacks, £0 0s 10½d Nails total, £0 15s 8d 1 pound of coloured thread, £0 4s 3d Copper and brass goods: 1 pair of candlesticks, £0 10s 6d 1 tea kettle holding 3 quarts, £0 17s 2d Copper and brass goods total, £1 7s 8d Total of sales carried forward, £57 3s [...]d The sales total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The prices on this page showed the fixed advance on cost at work. A 3-quart tea kettle valued in the warehouse stock on 18 July 1763 at 13s 6d sold here to a planter for 17s 2d, about a quarter above its book value. The white waistcoat buttons followed the same pattern, rising from a stock value of about 1s 6d for half a gross to 1s 11d on sale. The warehouse valuation was therefore the base on which the Company's margin was calculated. Bohea, congou and singlo were grades of China tea, carried by the Company's ships returning from Canton. Bohea was the cheapest black tea, named after the Wuyi hills of Fujian, and sold here at a little over 1s a pound. Congou was a better black tea, its name deriving from the Chinese for labour or skill in its preparation. Singlo was a green tea from the Songluo hills of Anhui. Both congou and singlo fetched 2s a pound, almost double the price of bohea. Paddy was rice still in its husk, as distinct from cleaned rice. Rice was a staple ration for the Company's slaves on St Helena and was shipped in from India and Madagascar, since the island could not grow grain in reliable quantity. Unhusked paddy kept longer in store and could also be sown or fed to poultry. The paints were sold as dry pigments for mixing with oil. Verdigris was a green copper acetate, made by exposing copper to vinegar or grape waste, and was the usual green for doors, shutters and ironwork. Indigo was the deep blue plant dye of India, used for both paint and cloth. Whiting was finely ground chalk, the cheap white base for distemper and putty. Nails were graded in pennies, a system that originally reflected the price per hundred and by this date simply denoted length, a tenpenny nail being about 3 inches long. Scupper nails were short nails with broad flat heads, used to fix leather or lead flaps over the drains in a ship's side. Clasp brads had small heads that clasped into the wood and sat flush with the surface, suitable for floors and fine joinery. |
395 | 388 | 18th July Brought over £57 3s 0d Oil viz 8¾ Gs Linseed £2 8s 1d 1 G. Train £0 5s 6d £2 13s 7d Hooks and Lines viz 100 No 2 50 3 25 14 25 15 25 16 Hooks £0 6s 6d 12 No 2 Lines £0 4s 8d 4 Hambro do £0 8s 0d 1 Log do £0 1s 6d £1 0s 8d Pease 4 Bushels £1 18s 4d Twine 56 Skains £2 9s 0d Deals 2 Single £0 5s 7d Bunting 6 Yds White £0 4s 7d Glass Ware viz 4 Sqs 8 by 10 £0 3s 5d 2 Tumblers £0 1s 8d 2 Pt Salts £0 16s 11d Iron 63 lb £1 2s 0d Tar 1 Barrel 1½ Gall. £0 18s 4d Iron Ware viz £1 12s 4d 1 Ironrim'd Board Lock £0 7s 0d ½ Doz. Wood Screws £0 0s 4d 1 Shod Shovel £0 2s 9d 1 Scythe Stone £0 0s 6d 1 Hand Hatchet £0 2s 3d 1 Wire Rat Trap £0 7s 10d 1 Claw Hammer £0 2s 1½d 1 Large Frying Pan £0 4s 11d 1 Chest Lock £0 4s 7½d £1 12s 4d Carried over £70 19s 9d | The record of goods sold to the planters on 18 July 1763 continued from a running total of £57 3s 0d brought forward. Total brought forward, £57 3s 0d Oil: 8¾ gallons of linseed oil, £2 8s 1d 1 gallon of train oil, £0 5s 6d Oil total, £2 13s 7d Fish hooks and lines: 100 hooks of size 2 50 hooks of size 3 25 hooks of size 14 25 hooks of size 15 25 hooks of size 16 Hooks of all the sizes above, £0 6s 6d 12 lines of size 2, £0 4s 8d 4 Hamburg lines, £0 8s 0d 1 log line, £0 1s 6d Fish hooks and lines total, £1 0s 8d 4 bushels of dried peas, £1 18s 4d 6 skeins of twine, £2 9s 0d 2 single deals, £0 5s 7d 6 yards of white bunting, £0 4s 7d Glassware: 4 panes of window glass measuring 8 by 10 inches, £0 3s 5d 2 tumblers, £0 1s 8d 2 pairs of salt cellars, £0 16s 11d Glassware total, £1 2s 0d 63 pounds of iron, £0 18s 4d 1 barrel and 1½ gallons of tar, £1 12s 4d Ironwork: 1 iron-cased rim lock, £0 7s 0d ½ dozen wood screws, £0 0s 4d 1 iron-edged shovel, £0 2s 9d 1 scythe whetstone, £0 0s 6d 1 hand hatchet, £0 2s 3d 1 wire rat trap, £0 7s 10d 1 claw hammer, £0 2s 1½d 1 large frying pan, £0 4s 11d 1 chest lock, £0 4s 7½d Ironwork total, £1 12s 4d Total of sales carried forward, £70 19s 9d The sales total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations Linseed oil was pressed from flax seed and served as the binding medium for the dry pigments sold on the previous page, such as verdigris, indigo and whiting. Train oil was rendered from whale blubber or fish and was the ordinary fuel for lamps. Its low price, at 5s 6d a gallon against about 5s 6d for the far better linseed, reflected its use for light rather than finish. The sale prices again tracked the warehouse valuations recorded earlier the same day plus the fixed advance. Three hand hatchets had stood in stock at 5s 3d, or 1s 9d each, and one sold here for 2s 3d. Single deals, valued in stock at 2s 2d each, sold in a pair for 5s 7d, and Hamburg lines, valued at 1s 6d each, fetched 2s apiece. The Company's margin on the planters' purchases was therefore consistent across very different goods. Dried peas were a standard ship's and garrison provision, easily stored and cooked into pease pottage. Their sale by the bushel to planters suggests that the island's own vegetable crops were not always enough to feed households and slaves through the year. Bunting was a thin, loosely woven worsted used for flags and signal pennants, and white bunting could also serve for ensigns or sun awnings. Window glass was shipped in small panes, here 8 by 10 inches, because larger sheets could not be blown and flattened economically and broke easily at sea. The salt cellars sold in pairs were probably of cut or moulded glass for the table, which explains a price far above that of the tumblers. Tar, distilled from pine wood, was used to protect rope, timber and boats against rot and weather. A rim lock was fitted to the face of a door rather than set into its edge, and an iron-cased one protected the mechanism inside a metal box. An iron-edged shovel had a wooden blade shod with a strip of iron along its cutting edge, which saved scarce metal while giving a hard working edge. A scythe stone was the whetstone carried in the field to keep a scythe blade sharp, pointing to hay or grain being cut on the planters' land. |
396 | 389 | 1763 Brought over £70 19s 9d Candles 2 lb £0 1s 0d Sope 22 £0 5s 7d Books 1 Spelling £0 1s 1d Turners Ware viz 2 Hair Brooms £0 7s 0d 2 Scrubing Brushes £0 7s 0d 3 Shoe do £0 2s 6d £0 16s 6d Cutlery viz 1 Iv. Comb £0 1s 5d 4 Butchers Knives £0 2s 2d £0 3s 7d Leather 4 lb Sole £0 0s 8d Pepper 2 lb £0 1s 6d Canvas 1½ Yds Osenbrigs £0 1s 10d China Ware viz 2 Bowls £0 3s 2d 3 Enamd Guglets and Basons £2 2s 0d 24 Quart Pint Cups and Saucers £0 13s 4d 2 Blue and White Beakf. Dishes £0 6s 0d 2 Deep Sallad Dishes £0 14s 10d 1 Set Dishes and Plates £1 6s 4d £5 5s 8d Tin Ware 1 Pudding Pan £0 2s 0d Salt 1¾ Bushels £0 7s 9d £79 13s 7d Sold to the Honorable Companys Ships at 40 ⅌ Cent viz Hooks and Lines 100 No 12 100 16 Hooks £0 0s 9d £0 1s 2d 2 doz No 3 Lines £0 11s 3d £0 13s 2d Carried over £0 13s 2d | The record of sales for 1763 continued from a running total of £70 19s 9d brought forward. Total brought forward, £70 19s 9d 2 pounds of candles, £0 5s 7d 22 pounds of soap, £0 11s 1d 1 spelling book, £0 1s 8d Wooden and brush goods: 2 hair brooms, £0 7s 0d 2 scrubbing brushes, £0 7s 0d 3 shoe brushes, £0 2s 6d Wooden and brush goods total, £0 16s 6d Cutlery: 1 ivory comb, £0 1s 5d 4 butchers' knives, £0 2s 2d Cutlery total, £0 3s 7d 4 pounds of sole leather, £0 6s 8d 2 pounds of pepper, £0 1s 6d 1½ yards of osnaburg canvas, £0 1s 10d Porcelain: 2 bowls, £0 3s 2d 3 enamelled water jars with basins, £2 2s 0d 2 quart and pint cups with saucers, £0 13s 4d 2 blue and white breakfast dishes, £0 6s 0d 2 deep salad dishes, £0 14s 10d 1 set of dishes and plates, £1 6s 4d Porcelain total, £5 5s 8d 1 tin pudding pan, £0 2s 0d 1½ bushels of salt, £0 7s 9d Total of sales to the planters, £79 13s 7d A new list then opened for goods sold to the Company's own ships at an advance of 40 per cent. Fish hooks and lines: 100 hooks of size 12, £0 0s 9d 100 hooks of size 16, £0 1s 2d 2 dozen lines of size 3, £0 11s 3d Fish hooks and lines total, £0 13s 2d Total of sales to the ships carried forward, £0 13s 2d The ships' total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The Company charged its own ships for stores drawn from the island warehouse, and at the full advance of 40 per cent. Supplies taken aboard were set against each ship's account rather than handed over freely, so the cost fell on the voyage that used them. The St Helena warehouse thereby covered its own expenses of storage and handling, and the island's books showed a return on every item it released, whether to settlers or to the Company's commanders. The hair brooms showed the 40 per cent rate at work in the planters' sales. Seven had been valued in stock on 18 July 1763 at £0 17s 6d, or 2s 6d each, and two sold here for 7s 0d, or 3s 6d apiece. Guglets were water jars with narrow necks, known in India as goglets. When made of porous unglazed earthenware they kept drinking water cool by evaporation, and finer glazed or enamelled versions were sold with a matching basin for washing. The enamelled set on this page, at £2 2s 0d, was the most expensive single item among the porcelain and was probably Chinese export ware brought by the Company's China ships. Blue and white and enamelled porcelain reached St Helena directly from Canton, making such tableware available to planters on the island at a time when it was still costly in England. Osnaburg was a coarse, unbleached linen or hemp cloth named after Osnabrück in north-west Germany. It was cheap and hard-wearing and was used widely for sacks, work clothes and the clothing of slaves. Sole leather was thick, heavily tanned hide used for the soles of shoes, and its sale by the pound suggests planters repaired footwear at home or through a local cobbler. |
397 | 390 | 18th July Brought over £0 13s 2d Nails viz 17½ Coopers Rivets £0 12s 5d 2 lb 2 2 3 7 6 10 10 10 20 Nails £1 2s 3d £1 14s 8d Turners Ware viz 4 Paint Brushes £0 3s 4d 1 Scrubing Brush £0 3s 9d 2 Mops £0 4s 1d £0 11s 2d Canvas viz 1 Ps Osenbrigs £8 9s 0d 6 Ps Engh Canvas £20 5s 0d £28 14s 0d Twine 32 Skains £5 15s 6d Paint viz 1 lb Copperas £0 1s 5d 30 White Lead dry £0 14s 4d 34 Bots Blacking £1 7s 9d 30 lb Red Lead dry £0 10s 0d 6 Yell. Oaker dry £0 1s 9d £2 15s 3d Cutlery 24 Butchers Knives £0 13s 0d Tin Ware 2 Pudding Pans £0 4s 1d Pitch and Tar viz 2 Barls Pitch £5 0s 2d 1 Barl Tar £1 5s 0d 100 lb Rosin £1 11s 3d £7 16s 5d Glass Ware viz 2 Half Hour Glasses £0 1s 6d 2 Half Minute do £0 3s 0d £0 4s 6d Carried over £49 1s 9d | The record of goods sold to the Company's ships on 18 July 1763 continued from a running total of £0 13s 2d brought forward. Total brought forward, £0 13s 2d Nails: 17½ pounds of coopers' rivets, £0 12s 5d 2 pounds of twopenny nails 2 pounds of threepenny nails 7 pounds of sixpenny nails 10 pounds of tenpenny nails 10 pounds of twentypenny nails Nails of all the sizes above, £1 2s 3d Nails total, £1 14s 8d Wooden and brush goods: 4 paint brushes, £0 3s 4d 1 scrubbing brush, £0 3s 9d 2 mops, £0 4s 1d Wooden and brush goods total, £0 11s 2d Canvas: 1 piece of osnaburg, £8 9s 0d 6 pieces of English canvas, £20 5s 0d Canvas total, £28 14s 0d 2 skeins of twine, £5 15s 6d Paint: 1 pound of copperas, £0 1s 5d 30 pounds of dry white lead, £0 14s 4d 34 bars of blacking, £1 7s 9d 30 pounds of dry red lead, £0 10s 0d 6 pounds of dry yellow ochre, £0 1s 9d Paint total, £2 15s 3d 24 butchers' knives, £0 13s 0d 2 tin pudding pans, £0 4s 1d Pitch and tar: 2 barrels of pitch, £5 0s 2d 1 barrel of tar, £1 5s 0d 100 pounds of rosin, £1 11s 3d Pitch and tar total, £7 16s 5d Glassware: 2 half-hour sand glasses, £0 1s 6d 2 half-minute sand glasses, £0 3s 0d Glassware total, £0 4s 6d Total of sales to the ships carried forward, £49 1s 4d The ships' total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The purchases made by the Company's ships differed sharply from those of the planters. Where settlers bought tea, porcelain, shoes and small household goods, the ships took canvas, pitch, tar, rosin, paint and twine, the materials for repairing sails, rigging and hulls after the long passage to or from the East. Canvas alone accounted for well over half of the ships' total, which points to sails damaged by weather and in need of patching or replacement before the next leg of the voyage. English canvas was a heavy sailcloth of hemp or flax, and at about £3 7s 6d a piece it was the principal material for making and mending sails. Osnaburg, the coarse German linen sold by the yard to planters earlier the same day, appeared here by the whole piece for the ships, where it served for sail linings, bags and hammocks. Pitch, tar and rosin were the products of pine timber, used together to seal a ship against water. Tar preserved rope and rigging. Pitch, a thicker substance made by boiling tar down, was poured hot into the seams of the hull after they had been caulked with oakum. Rosin, the hardened resin left after turpentine had been distilled from pine gum, was mixed into the pitch to make it tougher and less prone to cracking. The sand glasses were instruments of navigation and shipboard routine. A half-hour glass was turned throughout the day to mark time, each turn signalled by a stroke of the ship's bell, so eight turns made up a four-hour watch. A half-minute glass was used with the log line to measure a ship's speed, counting the knots paid out while the sand ran through. Copperas was green vitriol, or iron sulphate, used to darken paint and wood preservatives and as a black dye. Red lead was an orange-red lead oxide applied as a rust-resistant primer on ironwork and timber. White lead, the basis of most light-coloured paints, and yellow ochre, a natural earth pigment, completed the painter's stock. Coopers' rivets fastened the iron hoops of casks, which ships needed in quantity to hold water and provisions. |
398 | 391 | 1763 Brought over £49 1s 9d Oil 4 Galls Linseed £1 1s 6d Iron Ware viz 1 Iron Pot of 4 Galls £0 4s 0d 1 Wire Rat Trap £0 7s 10d £0 11s 10d Anchors 1 large Anchor Stock £9 12s 6d £60 7s 7d Charges General Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 April to the 30th June 1763 viz Cordage viz 213 lb for a Crane Rope and Slings at the Crane Thatching the Church and Wood House Scaffolding and Tying the Arbor in the Garden £3 11s 8d 15 lb White Rope for a Crane Rope £2 11s 4d £6 3s 0d Arrack 101½ Galls for Drams to Sundrys, Transport of Gun Carrs to Rupert's, washing the Storehouse, up and Launch the Long Boat Unlading the Storeship & haul up the Flagstaff £17 6s 9d Candles viz 108 lb Castle £10 11s 6d 155 Council £15 3s 5½d 2 lb Secy Office £0 3s 11d 4 lb Doctors Shop £0 7s 10d 2½ Expended upon Alarms £0 4s 10½d £26 11s 7d Nails viz 3 lb 3 For forms for the Secy Repair of Scaly 14 4 Tobacco Fort Garden Coffins for French 18 6 Prisoners Lt Govr House & Shed for 19 10 Provisions in the Stores, Ceiling of 4 20 the Market House, & Roof of the 13 40 Church 10 Spike £0 2s 3d £0 3s 2d £0 10s 2d £0 8s 9d £0 1s 6d £0 3s 7d £0 3s 1d Nails Carried over £1 17s 6d Carried over £50 1s 4d | The record of goods sold to the Company's ships in 1763 continued from a running total of £49 1s 9d brought forward. Total brought forward, £49 1s 9d 4 gallons of linseed oil, £1 1s 6d Ironwork: 1 iron pot holding 4 gallons, £0 4s 0d 1 wire rat trap, £0 7s 10d Ironwork total, £0 11s 10d 1 large anchor stock, £9 12s 6d Total of sales to the ships, £60 7s 7d A new account followed, charging to the Company's general expenses the stores issued for public use between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. Cordage came first. A quantity of 213 pounds went on a crane rope and slings for the crane, on thatching the church and the woodhouse, on scaffolding and on tying up the arbours in the garden. A further 154 pounds of untarred rope made another crane rope. 213 pounds of cordage for the crane, thatching, scaffolding and the garden arbours, £3 11s 8d 154 pounds of untarred rope for a crane rope, £2 11s 4d Cordage total, £6 3s 0d Arrack to the amount of 101½ gallons was served out as drams to the men on several heavy tasks. These covered work at Sandy Bay, moving gun carriages to Rupert's, hauling up and launching the longboat, unloading the storeship and raising the flagstaff. 101½ gallons of arrack issued as drams, £17 6s 9d Candles: 108 pounds of candles for the Castle, £10 11s 6d 155 pounds of candles for the Council, £15 3s 5½d 2 pounds of candles for the Secretary's office, £0 3s 11d 4 pounds of candles for the doctor's shop, £0 7s 10d 2½ pounds of candles used during alarms, £0 4s 10½d Candles total, £26 11s 7d Nails were drawn for a wide range of building and repair work. They went on benches for the jury, repairs to the sentry boxes, the fort and the gardens, coffins for French prisoners, the Lieutenant Governor's house, a provisions shed at the stores, the ceiling of the market house and the roof of the church. 3 pounds of threepenny nails, £0 2s 3d 14 pounds of fourpenny nails, £0 3s 2d 18 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 10s 2d 19 pounds of tenpenny nails, £0 8s 9d 4 pounds of twentypenny nails, £0 1s 6d 13 pounds of fortypenny nails, £0 3s 7d 10 pounds of spikes, £0 3s 1d Nails total carried forward, £1 17s 6d General charges carried forward, £50 1s 4d Both totals then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The heading for general charges marked a shift from sale to internal accounting. Stores used on public works were not sold to anyone, but the storekeeper still had to account for every pound of rope and every nail leaving the warehouse. Entering them as a debit against the Company's general expenses for the quarter from 1 April 1763 to 30 June 1763 balanced the stock books and showed the Directors in London exactly where their goods had gone. Arrack was a strong spirit distilled in India and the East Indies from palm sap, rice or sugar cane, and it reached St Helena on the Company's homeward ships. Issuing it as drams was the standard way of rewarding soldiers and slaves for exceptionally hard labour. The tasks listed, dragging gun carriages uphill to Rupert's, launching the longboat and emptying a storeship, were among the heaviest the island demanded. Over 100 gallons in a single quarter shows how much the Company relied on spirits to get such work done. Candles were the largest single charge and followed the offices of government. The Castle, the Governor's residence and seat of administration, and the Council together burned over 260 pounds in three months. The small allowance for alarms reflected the island's defensive routine. When a ship was sighted or a signal fired after dark, the garrison turned out to its posts, and lights had to be found for the night watch. Coffins made for French prisoners pointed to men held on the island as captives of the recent war with France, some of whom died there. That the Company supplied their coffins from its own stores shows it bore the cost of their keep and burial as a charge on the island's public account. An anchor stock was the heavy wooden crossbar fixed at the top of the anchor shank, which turned the anchor so that one fluke dug into the seabed. At £9 12s 6d, a large one needed a substantial piece of seasoned timber that the island itself could not easily supply. Fortypenny nails, the largest size listed, were about 5 inches long and suited heavy roofing timbers, while spikes were longer still. |
399 | 392 | 18th July Brought over £50 1s 4d Nails brought over £1 17s 6d 3 Coopers Rivets for the Coopers use £0 0s 11d ½ Glazg Brads for Packets £0 0s 7d 1 Sack Scrupl. the Water Engine £0 1s 3d £2 0s 3d Iron Ware viz 20 Helves for the Armourer, Butcher, Masons, Bakers & Workmen £0 12s 6d 35 Files for the Armourer and Armoury £1 16s 8d 108 do new for the Carpenters £1 13s 0d 1½ Coarse Emery for the Armourer 1 Flour do and Armoury £0 1s 5½d 1 Anvil Block for the Armourer £1 3s 8d 26 Iron Plate for Peals for the Castle and Bake House £0 9s 9d 12 Saw Files for the Carpenters £0 8s 0d 4 Rasps for the Armr Shop £0 8s 8d 2 Hammer Helves for the Armourer £0 0s 10d 2 Stock Locks for Sandy Bay Guard House and Bake House £0 5s 5d 8 Pickaxes Work Men & 7 Ditching Shovels Fort Garden £1 9s 4d £1 11s 9½d 1 Spade for the Fort Garden £0 4s 0d 2 Blank Keys for the Armourer £0 1s 2d ¼ White Spelter ¼ Yellow do Armoury £0 0s 6d £0 0s 6d 1 Pr Callipers for the Gunner £0 4s 5d 1 Whimble Brace 1 Scythe Stone for the Armourer £0 4s 11d £0 0s 4d 1 Bricklayers Trowel for the Masons £0 1s 7d 1 Lathing hammer for do £0 1s 1½d 1 Large Standing Vice 2 Sledge Hammers for the Armourer 2 do Helves Shop £6 13s 5d £0 11s 10d £0 1s 2d Iron Ware carried over £18 0s 3½d Carried over £52 1s 7d | The general charges on the Company's account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £50 1s 4d brought forward. The nails account resumed from £1 17s 6d and added a few smaller items. General charges brought forward, £50 1s 4d Nails brought forward, £1 17s 6d 3 pounds of coopers' rivets for the coopers, £0 0s 11d ¼ thousand glazing brads for packets, £0 0s 7d 1 jackscrew for the water engine, £0 1s 3d Nails total, £2 0s 3d Ironwork issued to the island's tradesmen and public buildings followed. 20 tool handles for the armourer, butcher, masons, bakers and workmen, £0 12s 6d 55 files for the armourer and the armoury, £1 16s 8d 108 new files for the carpenters, £1 13s 0d 1½ pounds of coarse emery and 1 pound of emery flour for the armourer and the armoury, £0 1s 5½d 1 anvil block for the armourer, £1 3s 8d 26 pounds of iron plate for bread peels for the Castle and the bakehouse, £0 9s 9d 12 saw files for the carpenters, £0 8s 0d 4 rasps for the armourer's shop, £0 8s 8d 2 hammer handles for the armourer, £0 0s 10d 2 stock locks for the Sandy Bay guardhouse and the bakehouse, £0 5s 5d 8 pickaxes for the workmen and the fort garden, £1 9s 4d 7 ditching shovels for the workmen and the fort garden, £1 11s 9½d 1 spade for the fort garden, £0 4s 0d 2 key blanks for the armourer, £0 1s 2d ¼ pound of white spelter for the armoury, £0 0s 6d ¼ pound of yellow spelter for the armoury, £0 0s 6d 1 pair of callipers for the gunner, £0 4s 5d 1 wimble brace for the armourer, £0 4s 11d 1 scythe whetstone for the armourer, £0 0s 4d 1 bricklayer's trowel for the masons, £0 1s 7d 1 lathing hammer for the masons, £0 1s 1½d 1 large standing vice for the armourer's shop, £6 13s 5d 2 sledgehammers for the armourer's shop, £0 11s 10d 2 sledgehammer handles for the armourer's shop, £0 1s 2d Ironwork total carried forward, £18 0s 3½d General charges carried forward, £52 1s 7d Both totals then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The allocation of tools showed how the island's public works were organised. Each issue was tied to a named trade or building, among them the armourer, masons, carpenters, bakers, the gunner, the fort garden and the Sandy Bay guardhouse. This let the storekeeper account for items the Company still owned but had placed in use. Tools were not simply handed out but charged to a department, which gave the Council a way of tracing loss or waste back to the person responsible. The armourer received by far the heaviest share of the ironwork. He maintained the garrison's muskets, bayonets and gun fittings, and his files, emery, rasps, anvil block and above all the large standing vice, at £6 13s 5d the dearest single item on the page, were the equipment of a working smithy. Coarse emery and emery flour were grades of a hard natural abrasive, ground from corundum rock, used to scour rust from barrels and polish metal. A standing vice was a heavy bench vice with a long leg reaching to the floor, built to take the pounding of hammer work. Spelter was the trade name for zinc. White spelter was used as a solder in its own right, while yellow spelter was a brass alloy melted as a hard solder for joining iron and brass parts, both suited to the armourer's repairs. Peels were the flat, long-handled shovels bakers used to slide loaves in and out of the oven, and the iron plate was cut to make their blades for the Castle kitchen and the garrison bakehouse. A wimble brace was a cranked hand tool for boring holes with interchangeable bits. The gunner's callipers measured the bore of cannon and the diameter of shot, so that each gun was supplied with balls of the right size. A stock lock was a simple lock set in a wooden case, the usual fitting for outbuildings such as a guardhouse. A lathing hammer had a small hatchet blade on one side for cutting and fixing the wooden laths that carried plaster. The water engine was a hand-worked pump, perhaps a fire engine, and the jackscrew was a screw jack for raising or adjusting it. |
400 | 393 | 1763 Brought over £52 1s 7d Iron Ware brought over £18 6s 3½d 2 Hand Hammers 2 do Helves 3 Smiths Rubbers 2 Drill Strings for the Armourers Shop 1 Drill Bow ½ lb Binding Wire 1 Screw Box £0 5s 6d £0 0s 10d £0 8s 4½d £0 1s 2d £0 2s 3d £0 0s 9d £0 7s 2d 3 Wire Rat Traps for the Castle and Garden in the Country £0 16s 6d 6 Adzes 6 Joyners Rub-Stones 8 Doz Gimblets Sorted 2 Doz Spike Gimblets 2 Compass Saws 2 Pannel do 2 Steel Back locks wth 24 Bitts in for the Carpentrs 1 doz Firmer Chisels 1 doz Heading do 12 Prs Steel Compasses 12 Half Round Rasps 12 Claw Hammers 1 Set Caulkg Irons £0 14s 10d £0 17s ½d £0 13s 10d £0 9s 10d £0 4s 10d £0 15s 4d £2 8s 2d £0 4s 11d £0 6s 7d £0 6s 1d £0 7s 8d £0 17s 6½d £0 3s 10d £28 19s 4d Iron and Steel viz 18 lb Iron 2 lb Steel for repr the Crane £0 3s 9d £0 0s 9d £0 4s 6d Oil viz 5 ⅝ Linseed to paint a Turret Weather Board, Canvas of a Room, Belfry of the Guard Room, Church Steeple, Stocks and for the Armourer £1 0s 7d Oil carried over £1 0s 7d Carried over £81 5s 5d Margin Notes: [...] [...] | The general charges on the Company's account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £52 1s 7d brought forward. The ironwork account resumed from £18 0s 3½d with further tools for the armourer and a large issue to the carpenters. General charges brought forward, £52 1s 7d Ironwork brought forward, £18 0s 3½d 2 hand hammers for the armourer's shop, £0 3s 6d 2 hand hammer handles for the armourer's shop, £0 0s 10d 3 smith's rough files for the armourer's shop, £0 8s 4½d 2 drill strings for the armourer's shop, £0 1s 2d 1 drill bow for the armourer's shop, £0 2s 3d ½ pound of binding wire for the armourer's shop, £0 0s 9d 1 screw box for the armourer's shop, £0 7s 2d 3 wire rat traps for the Castle and the country garden, £0 16s 6d 6 adzes for the carpenters, £0 14s 10d 6 joiners' whetstones for the carpenters, £0 1s 7½d 8 dozen assorted gimlets for the carpenters, £0 13s 10d 2 dozen spike gimlets for the carpenters, £0 9s 10d 2 compass saws for the carpenters, £0 4s 10d 2 tenon saws for the carpenters, £0 15s 4d 2 steel braces with 24 bits for the carpenters, £2 8s 2d 1 dozen firmer chisels for the carpenters, £0 4s 11d 1 dozen heading chisels for the carpenters, £0 6s 7d 12 pairs of steel compasses for the carpenters, £0 6s 1d 12 half-round rasps for the carpenters, £0 7s 8d 12 claw hammers for the carpenters, £0 17s 6½d 1 set of caulking irons for the carpenters, £0 3s 10d Ironwork total, £28 19s 4d Iron and steel: 18 pounds of iron for repairing the crane, £0 3s 9d 2 pounds of steel for repairing the crane, £0 0s 9d Iron and steel total, £0 4s 6d Linseed oil, amounting to 3¾ gallons, went on painting a turret, weatherboarding, the canvas ceiling of a room, the belfry of the guardroom, the church steeple and the stocks, with some also issued to the armourer. 3¾ gallons of linseed oil for painting and for the armourer, £1 0s 7d Oil total carried forward, £1 0s 7d General charges carried forward, £81 5s 5d Both totals then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The carpenters' issue was large enough to suggest a general re-equipment of the Company's workshop rather than the replacement of a few worn tools. Twelve claw hammers, a dozen each of two kinds of chisel and eight dozen gimlets would have outfitted a sizeable body of workmen. Taken with the nails drawn earlier in the quarter for the church roof, the market house ceiling, the provisions shed and the Lieutenant Governor's house, the record points to a busy season of building and repair on the island in the autumn months from April to June 1763. Several of the armourer's tools belonged to the older hand technologies of metalworking. A bow drill turned its bit by a cord wrapped round the spindle and drawn back and forth with a bow, and the drill strings were replacement cords. A screw box was a hardwood block with a cutting blade set inside a threaded hole, used to cut threads on wooden screws. Smith's rubbers were heavy, coarse files used for rough shaping of iron before finer finishing. Among the carpenters' tools, firmer chisels were the ordinary strong bench chisels for general work, and heading chisels were probably a cooper's or joiner's pattern for shaping the ends of timbers or cask heads. A compass saw had a narrow tapering blade for cutting curves and openings. Gimlets were small twisted hand borers for starting screw and nail holes, and spike gimlets were a longer, heavier kind. Caulking irons were blunt chisels used with a mallet to drive oakum into the seams of boats before they were sealed with pitch. The stocks were the public wooden frame in which minor offenders were held by the ankles as a punishment and a spectacle. Their being painted at the Company's cost alongside the church steeple shows them treated as a standing piece of public equipment, maintained like any other part of the town's fabric. The canvas of a room refers to a ceiling or wall lining of stretched canvas, painted to seal and brighten it, a cheaper alternative to plaster on an island short of lime and skilled labour. |
401 | 394 | 18th July Brought over £81 5s 5d Oil brought over £1 0s 7d 14 Galls ⅛ Train for the Kitchen Armourers Shop Overseers in the Wood and Armory £2 17s 0d 2 Bottles Florence for clean. Small arms £0 5s 2d £4 2s 9d Turners Ware viz 1 Plasterers Brush 6 Paint do for Paintg and Washing £0 1s 1½d £0 3s 6d 8 Wood Bowls for the Hospital and 14 Platters Castle £0 11s 8d £1 0s 5d 4 Shoe Brushes Armr Shop £0 2s 3d 17 Birch Brooms Sweepg Platforms £0 6s 4½d 6 Mops for the Castle £0 7s 3d 6 Labourers Baskets, Masons £0 4s 6d 1 Brass Wire Sieve for the Bakers £0 10s 0d £3 7s 1d Deals viz 22 Single Deals for the Lieut Governrs 12 Doubl do House, Coffins for a Kings Soldier and French prisoners, Table for the Market Centry, Boxes Roof for the Church, Rocket sticks and Armourers Shop £2 3s 1d £1 16s 0d 2½ Balks to repr one of the Companys Houses and Church £0 19s 2d 1 Cuffer to repr the Roof of the Church £0 4s 1d £5 2s 4d Canvas viz 9 Yds Osenbrigs for Packets £0 5s 1d 4½ Yards Engh Canvas for a Cot for the Officers at the Guard Room £0 5s 4d £0 10s 5d Thread 1 lb Coloured for the Secretary's Office £0 3s 3d Carried over £94 11s 3d | The general charges on the Company's account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £81 5s 5d brought forward. The oil account resumed from £1 0s 7d. General charges brought forward, £81 5s 5d Oil brought forward, £1 0s 7d 14½ gallons of train oil for the kitchen, the armourer's shop, the overseers in the wood and the armoury, £2 17s 0d 2 bottles of Florence oil for cleaning small arms, £0 5s 2d Oil total, £4 2s 9d Wooden and brush goods: 1 plasterer's brush for painting and limewashing, £0 1s 1½d 6 paint brushes for painting and limewashing, £0 3s 6d 8 wooden bowls for the hospital and the Castle, £0 11s 8d 14 wooden platters for the hospital and the Castle, £1 0s 3d 4 shoe brushes for the armourer's shop, £0 2s 3d 17 birch brooms for sweeping the gun platforms, £0 6s 4½d 6 mops for the Castle, £0 7s 3d 6 labourers' baskets for the masons, £0 4s 6d 1 brass wire sieve for the bakers, £0 10s 0d Wooden and brush goods total, £3 7s 1d Deal planks went on the Lieutenant Governor's house, coffins for a Black man, a soldier and French prisoners, a table for the market sentry, boxes, roofing for the church, rocket sticks and the armourer's shop. Squared timbers repaired one of the Company's houses and the church, and a rafter mended the church roof. 22 single deals, £2 3s 1d 12 double deals, £1 16s 0d 2½ squared timbers for repairing a Company house and the church, £0 19s 2d 1 rafter for repairing the church roof, £0 4s 1d Timber total, £5 2s 4d Canvas: 9 yards of osnaburg for packets, £0 5s 1d 4½ yards of English canvas for a hanging bed for the officers at the guardroom, £0 5s 4d Canvas total, £0 10s 5d 1 pound of coloured thread for the Secretary's office, £0 3s 3d General charges carried forward, £94 11s 3d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations Florence oil was fine olive oil from Tuscany, shipped in distinctive round flasks wrapped in straw. Its use for cleaning small arms, instead of the far cheaper train oil issued on the same page, reflected its purity. Whale and fish oil left a gummy, corrosive residue, whereas olive oil kept musket locks and barrels free of rust without clogging them. The cheaper train oil went to lamps in the kitchen, the workshops and the overseers' quarters, where only light was wanted. The overseers in the wood were the Company's men supervising work in the island's forested land, most probably the cutting of timber and firewood by slaves and labourers. Their allowance of lamp oil shows they lived or kept watch there rather than returning to town each night. The coffins entered on this page, following those listed among the nails earlier in the quarter, show the Company meeting the burial costs of people with no other provider. A Black man, a soldier and French prisoners were all buried at public expense. The prisoners, with no family or estate on the island, fell wholly on the Company's charge, as did any soldier who died in service. The Black man was probably one of the Company's own slaves, whose burial, like his keep, was a cost the Company bore as his owner. Rocket sticks were the long wooden tails fixed to signal rockets to keep them on a straight course in flight. Rockets were part of the island's alarm system, fired from the heights to warn of approaching ships at night and to call the garrison to arms. Birch brooms for the platforms served the same defences, since the timber gun platforms of the batteries had to be kept clear of grit and loose powder. Balks were large timbers squared from the log, used for beams and heavy framing. A cot was a hanging bed of canvas stretched on a wooden frame and slung like a hammock, the usual bedding for officers at sea, here adopted for the guardroom. |
402 | 395 | 1763 Brought over £94 11s 3d Pitch viz 12 lb Pitch for the Castle and a Trough for the Armourers Shop £0 1s 6d 7 Rozin Castle £0 1s 2d £0 2s 8d Iron Pots 1 of 4 Galls for the Hospital £0 4s 3d Blankets 4 for do £1 0s 0d Tin Ware viz 2 Lamps for the Armrs Shop £0 1s 11½d 2 lb Solder for the Castle £0 1s 9½d 2 Rivetd Horn Lanthorns do £0 9s 9d £0 13s 6d Sope 60 lb Starch 15¾ lb Castle for Linen £1 18s 9d £0 5s 3d Lines 12 No 4 for the Stone Masons £0 4s 6d Leather 7½ lb Sole for the Engines £0 7s 6d Paint viz 4 Indico 10 lb Smalts for Linen £0 6s 11d £0 13s 6½d 55 W. Lead Mixed To Paint the Stocks 1 Bot. Black Whiping Post Adjutants 10 lb Whiting House Turret, Weather ½ lb Umber Board, Canvas Coverg 1 Copperas of a Room, Porch 4 Ven Red mixed Centry Boxes Belfry &c £1 2s 11d £0 0s 3½d £0 1s 4d £0 0s 1½d £0 1s 0d £0 0s 5½d £2 6s 9d Glass Ware viz 19 Sqs 8 by 10 for the Hospl and Adjut. House £0 11s 6d 4 do 10 by 12 for the Adjutants House £0 3s 4d 11 do 6 by 8 Officers Gd Room Secy Office £0 2s 11d 1 do 11 by 19 for the Castle £0 1s 6d 4 do 11 by 13½ for the Lt Govr House £0 5s 4d 6 Tumblers for the Castle £0 3s 6d £1 8s 1d China Ware viz 4 Tea pots for the Castle £0 4s 0d 4 Bowls for do £0 4s 4d £0 8s 4d Carried over £103 13s 10d | The general charges on the Company's account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £94 11s 3d brought forward. General charges brought forward, £94 11s 3d Pitch and rosin: 12 pounds of pitch for the Castle and a trough for the armourer's shop, £0 1s 6d 7 pounds of rosin for the Castle, £0 1s 2d Pitch and rosin total, £0 2s 8d 1 iron pot holding 4 gallons for the hospital, £0 4s 3d 4 blankets for the hospital, £1 0s 0d Tinware: 2 lamps for the armourer's shop, £0 1s 11½d 2 pounds of solder for the Castle, £0 1s 9½d 2 horn lanterns for rockets at the Castle, £0 9s 9d Tinware total, £0 13s 6d 60 pounds of soap, £1 18s 9d 13¼ pounds of starch for the Castle linen, £0 5s 3d 12 lines of size 4 for the stonemasons, £0 4s 6d ½ hide of sole leather for the engines, £0 7s 6d Paint was issued for the stocks, the whipping post, the Adjutant's house, a turret, weatherboarding, the canvas lining of a room, a porch, the sentry boxes and the belfry, with indigo and smalt set aside for the linen. 4 pounds of indigo for the linen, £0 6s 11d 10 pounds of smalt for the linen, £0 13s 6½d 55 pounds of white lead ready mixed, £1 2s 11d 1 bar of blacking, £0 0s 3½d 10 pounds of whiting, £0 1s 4d ½ pound of umber, £0 0s 1½d 1 pound of copperas, £0 1s 0d 4 pounds of Venetian red ready mixed, £0 0s 5½d Paint total, £2 6s 9d Glassware: 19 panes measuring 8 by 10 inches for the hospital and the Adjutant's house, £0 11s 6d 4 panes measuring 10 by 12 inches for the Adjutant's house, £0 3s 4d 11 panes measuring 6 by 8 inches for the officers' guardroom and the Secretary's office, £0 2s 11d 1 pane measuring 11 by 19 inches for the Castle, £0 1s 6d 4 panes measuring 11 by 13¾ inches for the Lieutenant Governor's house, £0 5s 4d 6 tumblers for the Castle, £0 3s 6d Glassware total, £1 8s 1d Porcelain: 4 teapots for the Castle, £0 4s 0d 4 bowls for the Castle, £0 4s 4d Porcelain total, £0 8s 4d General charges carried forward, £103 18s 10d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The stocks and the whipping post were painted together as ordinary items of public property, maintained at the Company's expense alongside the church belfry and the officers' houses. The whipping post was the principal instrument of corporal punishment on the island, used on soldiers under military discipline and on slaves, whose punishment by flogging was a routine part of the Company's control of its labour force. Its upkeep appearing as a line in the quarterly stores account shows how thoroughly such punishment was built into the island's administration. Smalt was a deep blue pigment made by fusing cobalt ore with sand and potash into glass and grinding it to powder. Like indigo, it was used in laundering to counter the yellow tinge of washed linen, a small quantity in the rinse water making cloth look whiter. Its issue together with starch shows the Castle's table and bed linen being kept to a standard suited to the seat of government. Horn lanterns had panes of thin, translucent horn in place of glass, which made them far less likely to break and much safer near gunpowder. Their allocation for rockets meant they lit the men firing signal rockets from the Castle, where an open flame near the powder would have been dangerous. Venetian red was an earth pigment of iron oxide giving a warm brownish red, and umber was a brown earth that darkened other colours. Both were mixed with linseed oil, and like the white lead they were issued ready mixed. The sole leather for the engines was probably cut to make the valves and washers of the island's hand pumps, where tough leather sealed the chambers and held water. The window panes varied from 6 by 8 inches for the guardroom and Secretary's office to 11 by 19 inches for the Castle. Their sizes followed rank and function, with the largest and most costly glass reserved for the Castle and the Lieutenant Governor's house. |
403 | 396 | 18th July Brought over £103 10s 10d Twine viz 2 Sk. Twine for the Castle and Storehouse £0 1s ½d ½ lb Cotton Wick for the Hospital £0 0s 7½d £0 1s 8d Braziers Ware viz 1 Tea Kettle of 6 Qts for the Castle £0 18s 0d 1 do of 3 do for do £0 12s 3½d 1½ Copper Plate for Ears for the Wooden Horse £0 2s 3d 1 Brass Cock for the Castle £0 6s ½d 1 Hand Bell for a Public Cryer £0 13s 6d £2 12s 1d Cutlery 1 Butchers Knife for the Armourer £0 0s 4d Corks 14 Gross for the Castle £1 12s 1d £107 17s 0d Diet Expences Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Flour 1222 lb £7 12s 9d Tea viz 4 lb Congo £0 5s 0d 2 Singlo £0 2s 6d £0 7s 6d Beef and Pork viz 19 Ps Eng Pork £2 3s 6½d 2 Ps Ir do £0 3s 4½d 2 Ps Eng Beef £0 6s 3d 1 Ps Ir do £0 2s 2d £2 15s 4d Salt 3 Bushels £0 9s 3d Arrack 48 Gallons £8 4s 0d Pease ½ Bushel £0 3s 5d Rice 200 lb £0 15s 6d Coffee 10 lb £0 8s 4d Carried over £20 16s 1d | The general charges on the Company's account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £103 10s 10d brought forward and closed with a final group of stores. General charges brought forward, £103 10s 10d Twine and wick: 2 pounds of twine for the Castle and the storehouse, £0 1s 1½d ¼ pound of cotton wick for the hospital, £0 0s 7½d Twine and wick total, £0 1s 8d Copper and brass goods: 1 tea kettle holding 6 quarts for the Castle, £0 18s 0d 1 tea kettle holding 3 quarts for the Castle, £0 12s 3½d 1½ pounds of copper plate for ears on the wooden horse, £0 2s 3d 1 brass tap for the Castle, £0 6s 0½d 1 handbell for the public crier, £0 13s 6d Copper and brass goods total, £2 12s 1d 1 butcher's knife for the armourer, £0 0s 4d 14 gross of corks for the Castle, £1 12s 1d General charges total, £107 17s 0d A new account then opened for the cost of provisions issued to the public table between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. 1,222 pounds of flour, £7 12s 9d Tea: 4 pounds of congou tea, £0 5s 0d 2 pounds of singlo tea, £0 2s 6d Tea total, £0 7s 6d Beef and pork: 19 pieces of English salt pork, £2 3s 6½d 2 pieces of Irish salt pork, £0 3s 4½d 2 pieces of English salt beef, £0 6s 3d 1 piece of Irish salt beef, £0 2s 2d Beef and pork total, £2 15s 4d 3 bushels of salt, £0 9s 3d 48 gallons of arrack, £8 4s 0d ½ bushel of dried peas, £0 3s 5d 200 pounds of rice, £0 15s 6d 10 pounds of coffee, £0 8s 4d Provisions total carried forward, £20 16s 1d The provisions total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The wooden horse was a military punishment, a narrow ridge of planks set on legs like a trestle, on which an offending soldier was made to sit astride, often with weights tied to his feet. It was built in the rough shape of a horse, and the copper plate issued here was cut into ears for its head. The detail shows the device was not a makeshift frame but a deliberately fashioned object meant to hold its victim up to ridicule. Kept and repaired from the Company's stores, it stood with the stocks and the whipping post as part of the island's ordinary equipment of discipline. The handbell for the public crier points to the way orders and notices were made known across the settlement. The crier walked the streets ringing his bell and reading aloud proclamations, sales and regulations issued by the Council. On an island where many inhabitants could not read, and where there was no printed notice, he was the channel through which the Company's authority reached the population. Diet expenses were the costs of the public table, the meals provided at the Company's charge for the Governor, members of the Council and officers entitled to dine at the Castle. Entering the provisions as a separate account kept the cost of feeding the island's government apart from its building and maintenance charges, so that the Directors could see what their officials' table cost each quarter. The salt meat came from two sources. English and Irish beef and pork were both packed in brine and shipped out in casks, but the Irish, largely from Cork, was usually the cheaper product and supplied much of the provisioning of ships and garrisons. The larger quantity of English pork on the Castle table suggests a preference for the better-regarded meat where the cost fell on the Company's own officials. The 48 gallons of arrack, well above any other single item except the flour, shows how large a part spirits played in the table's expenses. The 14 gross of corks, over 2,000 in all, were for bottling. Wine, beer and arrack arrived in casks and were drawn off into bottles for serving and storage, which reduced waste once a cask had been opened. |
404 | 397 | 1763 Brought over £20 16s 1d Sugar and Candy viz 10 lb Sugar £0 2s 11d 338 lb Candy £7 7s 10d £7 10s 9d Oil 10 Bottles Florence £1 4s 9d £29 11s 7d Garrison Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Tea 96 lb Bohea £4 0s 0d Oil viz 17½ Gs Linseed for the several Guards 70 Gs Train £11 14s 5d Pork 44 Ps Irish £3 14s 3d Rice 43 lb for the Recruits £0 3s 6d Flour 216 lb Baked £1 7s 0d Turners Ware viz 54 Platters for the several Guards 39 Bowls £3 18s 9d £4 6s 0d 1 Wood Ladle £0 0s 4d £8 5s 1d Soldiers Cloaths 14 Centry Coats £10 1s 6d Tin Ware 38 Lamps £1 17s 2d Paint viz 19 lb Yell. Oaker dry to clean their 33 Whiting Accoutrements £0 3s 7d £0 0s 8d £0 4s 3d Blankets 252 £63 0s 0d Iron Ware viz 7 Hand Hatchets £0 11s 10d 2 Large Fryg Pans £0 6s 8d 2 Loping Axes £0 5s 6d Iron Ware carried over £1 4s 0d Carried over £104 7s 2d | The provisions account for the public table in the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £20 16s 1d brought forward and closed with sugar and oil. Provisions brought forward, £20 16s 1d Sugar and sugar candy: 10 pounds of sugar, £0 2s 11d 338 pounds of sugar candy, £7 7s 10d Sugar and sugar candy total, £7 10s 9d 10 bottles of Florence oil, £1 4s 9d Provisions total, £29 11s 7d A further account then charged to the garrison the stores issued to it between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. Oil and wooden tableware went to the several guards, while pork, rice and baked flour went to feed the recruits. The ochre and whiting were for cleaning the soldiers' equipment. 96 pounds of bohea tea, £4 0s 0d Oil for the guards: 17½ gallons of linseed oil 70 gallons of train oil Oil for the guards total, £11 14s 5d 44 pieces of Irish salt pork for the recruits, £3 14s 3d 43 pounds of rice for the recruits, £0 3s 6d 216 pounds of flour baked for the recruits, £1 7s 0d Wooden goods for the guards: 54 wooden platters, £3 18s 9d 39 wooden bowls, £4 6s 0d 1 wooden ladle, £0 0s 4d Wooden goods total, £8 5s 1d 14 sentry coats, £10 1s 6d 38 tin lamps, £1 17s 2d Paint for cleaning equipment: 19 pounds of dry yellow ochre, £0 3s 7d 33 pounds of whiting, £0 0s 8d Paint total, £0 4s 3d 252 blankets, £63 0s 0d Ironwork: 7 hand hatchets, £0 11s 10d 2 large frying pans, £0 6s 8d 2 lopping axes, £0 5s 6d Ironwork total carried forward, £1 4s 0d Garrison charges carried forward, £104 7s 2d Both totals then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The 252 blankets, at 5s each and £63 in all, were by far the largest single charge on the page and made up well over half the garrison's total. Their issue in the quarter from April to June fell in the southern autumn, as the island moved towards its cooler, wetter winter months. The timing suggests a general supply to the soldiers ahead of the season when the high ground, where many of the guard posts stood, turned cold and damp at night. Sentry coats were heavy, loose watch coats kept at a guard post and passed from one sentry to the next, rather than belonging to any single soldier. At over 14s each they were substantial garments, meant to protect men standing exposed for hours in wind and rain. The linseed and train oil, the tin lamps and the wooden platters and bowls all went to the same guards, which shows each post was supplied as a small self-contained household where men ate, kept watch through the night and slept. The yellow ochre and whiting were used to clean and colour the soldiers' leather equipment. Whiting, a fine chalk, was rubbed into belts and cross-straps to keep them white for parade, while yellow ochre restored the buff colour of other leatherwork. Their issue at the Company's cost reflects the standards of appearance expected of the garrison even on a remote station. The recruits received their own separate issue of Irish pork, rice and baked bread. Newly arrived men were probably fed directly from the stores before being placed on the regular ration and pay of the companies, and charging their food separately kept that cost distinct from the established garrison's. The public table's 338 pounds of sugar candy, costing over £7, stood in sharp contrast to only 10 pounds of ordinary sugar. Sugar candy was the refined crystallised form, and its use in such quantity for the Castle table marks a level of consumption well above that of the ordinary households on the island. |
405 | 398 | 18th July Brought over £104 7s 2d Iron Ware brought over £1 4s 0d 2 Helves £0 1s 3d 12 Irn Fry. Pans £1 8s 0d 1 Stock Lock for the Barracks £0 2s 8d £2 15s 11d Lines viz 1 lb Whip Cord for Whips 12 No 2 Lines £0 2s 10d £0 3s 4d £0 6s 2d Nails ½ lb 2 for rep. Drums £0 0s 3d Paint 7½ Ven Red mixed to Mark Blankets £0 3s 5d Iron Pots viz 1 of 2 Galls £0 2s 6d 11 of 4 do £2 6s 9d 1 of 1 do £0 2s 2d 8 of 6 do £1 19s 4d 2 of 13½ do £1 4s 0d £5 14s 9d £113 7s 8d Blacks Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Beef and Pork viz 1 Ps Eng. Beef £0 3s 1d 9 Ps Irish do £0 19s 10d 948 Ps do Pork £79 19s 9d 1 Ps Eng. do £0 2s 3d £81 4s 11d Rice 8017 lb £31 0s 5d Arrack 1½ Galls £0 5s 1d Sugar 110 £1 14s 8d Flour 24 lb £0 3s 0d Carried over £114 8s 1d | The garrison's charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £104 7s 2d brought forward. The ironwork account resumed from £1 4s 0d. Garrison charges brought forward, £104 7s 2d Ironwork brought forward, £1 4s 0d 2 tool handles, £0 1s 3d 12 iron frying pans, £1 8s 0d 1 stock lock for the barracks, £0 2s 8d Ironwork total, £2 15s 11d Cord and lines for whips: 1 pound of whipcord, £0 2s 10d 12 lines of size 2, £0 3s 4d Cord and lines total, £0 6s 2d ½ pound of twopenny nails for repairing the drums, £0 0s 3d 7½ pounds of Venetian red ready mixed for marking blankets, £0 3s 5d Iron pots: 1 pot holding 2 gallons, £0 2s 6d 11 pots holding 4 gallons each, £2 6s 9d 1 pot holding 1 gallon, £0 2s 2d 8 pots holding 6 gallons each, £1 19s 4d 2 pots holding 13½ gallons each, £1 4s 0d Iron pots total, £5 14s 9d Garrison charges total, £113 7s 8d A new account then opened, charging to the Company's slaves the stores issued for their keep between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. Beef and pork: 1 piece of English salt beef, £0 3s 1d 9 pieces of Irish salt beef, £0 19s 10d 948 pieces of Irish salt pork, £79 19s 9d 1 piece of English salt pork, £0 2s 3d Beef and pork total, £81 4s 11d 5,017 pounds of rice, £31 0s 5d 1½ gallons of arrack, £0 5s 1d 1 hundredweight of sugar, £1 14s 8d 24 pounds of flour, £0 3s 0d Slaves' charges carried forward, £114 8s 1d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The account headed "Blacks" recorded the cost of feeding the Company's own slaves, who carried out much of the heavy labour on the island's fortifications, plantations and public works. Their rations were built almost entirely on rice and Irish salt pork, bought in bulk and issued at the lowest cost available. Over 5,000 pounds of rice and 948 pieces of pork in a single quarter show the scale of the Company's slaveholding, and the size of the charge made them one of the heaviest recurring costs on the island's books. The contrast with the public table is sharp. On the preceding page the Castle drew mostly English pork, the better-regarded product, while the slaves received almost none of it and were fed on the cheaper Irish meat. The public table also took 48 gallons of arrack in the same quarter, whereas the slaves were allowed only 1½ gallons. Diet on the island followed status closely, and the stores accounts laid out those gradations item by item. The whipcord and lines issued to the garrison for whips were probably the material for making the cat-o'-nine-tails, the knotted cord scourge used to flog soldiers under military discipline. Taken with the wooden horse, the stocks and the whipping post recorded earlier in the quarter, the entry shows the tools of punishment being supplied and renewed from the Company's stores as routinely as lamps and cooking pots. Marking the blankets with Venetian red paint stamped them as Company property. With 252 blankets issued to the garrison in a single quarter, the mark made it harder for soldiers to sell or barter them and allowed the storekeeper to recover any found in private hands. The iron pots in several sizes, from 1 gallon to 13½ gallons, equipped the messes of the companies, with the largest pots serving for boiling salt meat and rice for many men at once. |
406 | 399 | 1763 Brought over £114 8s 1d Oil viz ¼ Linseed £0 0s 11½d ¼ Train £0 0s 11½d £0 1s 11d Tea 47 lb Bohea £1 19s 2d Hooks and Lines viz 625 No 2 325 3 25 12 Hooks £1 5s 0d 12½ doz 3 12½ doz 2 Lines £4 11s 11d £5 16s 11d Shoes viz 33 Pr Mens Ordinary Shoes £6 12s 0d 2 Prs Womens Calf do £0 5s 2d £6 17s 2d Hosiers Ware viz 2 Pr Womens Stockings £0 5s 6d 4 Mens Wove do £0 14s 4d £0 19s 10d Turners Ware 1 Wood Bowl £0 1s 5d Taylors Cloths viz 110 Mens Jackets and Breeches £92 18s 6d 26 Boys do and do £17 14s 10d 135 Dutch Caps £10 10s 11d 220 Mens Shirts &c £42 3s 4d 50 Boys do £7 5s 10d £170 13s 5d Thread viz 8 lb White Brown £2 13s 2d 13 lb Coloured £2 2s 3d £4 15s 5d Chelloes 40 Ps £17 10s 10d Kersey 6 Ps £13 12s 4d Long Cloth 8½ Ps No 7 £11 12s 4d Carried over £348 8s 10d | The charges for the Company's slaves in the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £114 8s 1d brought forward. Slaves' charges brought forward, £114 8s 1d Oil: ¼ gallon of linseed oil, £0 0s 11½d ¼ gallon of train oil, £0 0s 11½d Oil total, £0 1s 11d 47 pounds of bohea tea, £1 19s 2d Fish hooks and lines: 625 hooks of size 2 325 hooks of size 3 25 hooks of size 12 Hooks of all the sizes above, £1 5s 0d 12½ dozen lines of size 3 12½ dozen lines of size 2 Lines of both sizes above, £4 11s 11d Fish hooks and lines total, £5 16s 11d Shoes: 33 pairs of men's ordinary shoes, £6 12s 0d 2 pairs of women's calfskin shoes, £0 5s 2d Shoes total, £6 17s 2d Hosiery: 2 pairs of women's stockings, £0 5s 6d 4 pairs of men's woven stockings, £0 14s 4d Hosiery total, £0 19s 10d 1 wooden bowl, £0 1s 5d Ready-made clothing: 110 men's jackets and breeches, £92 18s 6d 26 boys' jackets and breeches, £17 14s 10d 135 Dutch caps, £10 10s 11d 220 men's shirts, £42 3s 4d 50 boys' shirts, £7 5s 10d Ready-made clothing total, £170 13s 5d Thread: 8 pounds of white and brown thread, £2 13s 2d 13 pounds of coloured thread, £2 2s 3d Thread total, £4 15s 5d 40 pieces of chelloes, £17 10s 10d 6 pieces of kersey, £13 12s 4d 8½ pieces of long cloth, quality 7, £11 12s 4d Slaves' charges carried forward, £348 8s 10d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations Clothing was the largest part of the slaves' charges and far outweighed the cost of their food on the preceding page. The Company issued ready-made garments, known in the trade as slops, cut to standard sizes and shipped out in bulk. Jackets and breeches, shirts and caps for 110 men and 26 boys, with 50 boys' shirts besides, give a rough measure of the size of the Company's slave workforce and show that boys were set to work alongside adult men. The cloth and thread issued with the clothing allowed women and others to make and mend garments on the island. Chelloes were a cheap checked or striped cotton cloth woven in western India, much used for clothing labourers and slaves throughout the Company's trade. Kersey was a coarse, heavily fulled woollen twill from England, warm and hard-wearing and suited to the island's cool winters and damp upland ground. Dutch caps were knitted woollen caps of a plain round pattern, cheap and serviceable for outdoor work. The fish hooks and lines issued in large numbers, nearly 1,000 hooks and 25 dozen lines, show that the Company's slaves were expected to fish. Fish caught along the coast supplemented the rice and salt pork ration, and equipping slaves to catch it reduced the quantity of provisions the Company had to ship from England and India. The practice shifted part of the burden of feeding the workforce onto the slaves' own labour. Only 33 pairs of men's shoes and two pairs of women's were issued against clothing for well over 100 people. Most of the Company's slaves probably went barefoot, with shoes reserved for those whose work demanded them, such as men handling stone or timber on rough ground. The small issue of tea and stockings points in the same direction, suggesting a few slaves in favoured or domestic positions received goods well beyond the common ration. |
407 | 400 | 18th July Brought over £348 8s 10d Canvas 72 Yds Osenbrigs £3 1s 6d Haberdashery 7 Ps Tape £0 4s 4d Blankets 37 £9 5s 0d Twine 1 lb £0 0s 6d Iron Pots viz 1 large Iron Kettle for the Malabar Garden £2 5s 0d 1 Pot of 6 Gallons £0 4s 11d 1 do of 2 Galls £0 2s 6d 1 do of 4 Galls £0 4s 3d £2 16s 8d £363 16s 10d Mallay Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Rice 162 lb £0 12s 6d Beef 13 Ps Irish £1 6s 8d Sugar and Candy viz 30 lb Sugar £0 8s 9d 3 Candy £0 1s 4d £0 10s 1d Arrack 4 Gallons £0 13s 8d Long Cloth ½ Ps No 6 £0 14s 0d Shoes viz 1 Pr Mens ordinary Shoes £0 4s 0d 1 Pr Mens fine do £0 5s 6d £0 9s 6d Flour 6 lb £0 0s 9d Iron Ware 1 Irn Fry. Pan £0 2s 4d Sope 8 lb £0 5s 2d Oil viz ¼ Gs Linseed £0 0s 11½d ¾ Gs Train £0 2s 10½d £0 3s 10d Tea 3 lb Bohea £0 2s 6d Carried over £5 1s 0d | The charges for the Company's slaves in the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £348 8s 10d brought forward and closed with a last group of stores. Slaves' charges brought forward, £348 8s 10d 72 yards of osnaburg canvas, £3 1s 6d 7 pieces of tape, £0 4s 4d 37 blankets, £9 5s 0d 1 pound of twine, £0 0s 6d Iron pots: 1 large iron kettle for the Maldivia garden, £2 5s 0d 1 iron pot holding 6 gallons, £0 4s 11d 1 iron pot holding 2 gallons, £0 2s 6d 1 iron pot holding 4 gallons, £0 4s 3d Iron pots total, £2 16s 8d Slaves' charges total, £363 16s 10d A separate account then charged to the Malays the stores issued to them between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. 162 pounds of rice, £0 12s 6d 13 pieces of Irish salt beef, £1 6s 8d Sugar and sugar candy: 30 pounds of sugar, £0 8s 9d 3 pounds of sugar candy, £0 1s 4d Sugar and sugar candy total, £0 10s 1d 4 gallons of arrack, £0 13s 8d ½ piece of long cloth, quality 6, £0 14s 0d Shoes: 1 pair of men's ordinary shoes, £0 4s 0d 1 pair of men's fine shoes, £0 5s 6d Shoes total, £0 9s 6d 6 pounds of flour, £0 0s 9d 1 iron frying pan, £0 2s 4d 8 pounds of soap, £0 5s 2d Oil: ¼ gallon of linseed oil, £0 0s 11½d ¾ gallon of train oil, £0 2s 10½d Oil total, £0 3s 10d 3 pounds of bohea tea, £0 2s 6d Malays' charges carried forward, £5 1s 0d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The Malays were kept on a separate account from the rest of the Company's slaves, and their rations differed in a telling way. Where the main body of slaves received 948 pieces of Irish pork in the same quarter, the Malays drew only Irish beef and no pork at all. Most people from the Malay world were Muslim, and the substitution shows the Company accommodating the dietary law that forbade pork. The storekeeper's accounts thus record a small religious concession within a system of forced labour. The Malays' allowance was also richer in kind than that of the general slave population. They received sugar, tea, soap, fine as well as ordinary shoes, and a larger proportion of arrack for their numbers. The small quantities involved, only 162 pounds of rice in three months, point to a handful of people, perhaps skilled craftsmen or domestic servants valued above ordinary field labour. Their separate treatment suggests the Company regarded them as a distinct and more privileged group. The Maldivia garden was one of the Company's gardens on the island, where fruit and vegetables were grown for the Castle and the garrison. The large iron kettle issued for it, at £2 5s 0d, was perhaps for boiling water or preparing food for the slaves who worked there. Its charge against the slaves' account indicates the garden was worked chiefly by the Company's slaves. |
408 | 401 | 1763 Brought over £5 1s 0d Blankets 1 £0 5s 0d Hooks and Lines viz 50 No 2 50 3 50 16 Hooks £0 2s 10d 6 2 Lines £0 1s 8d £0 4s 6d Lead 6 lb Shot £0 1s 1d Thread 1 lb White Brown £0 6s 8d Starch 1 lb £0 0s 4d China Ware viz 6 Meat Plates £0 3s 0d 2 do Dishes £0 4s 0d 2 Bowls £0 2s 2d 6 Sneakers Blue and White £0 2s 0d 1 Tea Pot £0 1s 0d £0 12s 2d Tin Ware viz 1 Lamp £0 0s 11½d 1 Quart Sauce Pan £0 0s 5½d £0 1s 5d Paint 1 lb Indico £0 1s 9d Braziers Ware 1 Tea Kettle of 3 Quarts £0 12s 3d £7 6s 2d Plantations Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 April to the 30th June 1763 viz Cutlery viz 6 Butchers Knives Plantations £0 2s 3d 1 Prung. do for the Garden £0 0s 10d 2 Steels for the Butcher £0 3s 10d £0 6s 11d Carried over £0 6s 11d | The Malays' charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £5 1s 0d brought forward and closed with a final group of household goods. Malays' charges brought forward, £5 1s 0d 1 blanket, £0 5s 0d Fish hooks and lines: 50 hooks of size 2 50 hooks of size 3 50 hooks of size 16 Hooks of all the sizes above, £0 2s 10d 6 lines of size 2, £0 1s 8d Fish hooks and lines total, £0 4s 6d 6 pounds of lead shot, £0 0s 11d 1 pound of white and brown thread, £0 6s 8d 1 pound of starch, £0 0s 4d Porcelain: 6 dinner plates, £0 3s 0d 2 serving dishes, £0 4s 0d 2 bowls, £0 2s 2d 6 blue and white saucers, £0 2s 0d 1 teapot, £0 1s 0d Porcelain total, £0 12s 2d Tinware: 1 lamp, £0 0s 11½d 1 saucepan holding 1 quart, £0 0s 5½d Tinware total, £0 1s 5d 1 pound of indigo, £0 1s 9d 1 tea kettle holding 3 quarts, £0 12s 3d Malays' charges total, £7 6s 2d A new account then opened, charging to the Company's plantations the stores issued to them between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. Cutlery: 6 butchers' knives for the plantations, £0 2s 3d 1 pruning knife for the garden, £0 0s 10d 2 sharpening steels for the butcher, £0 3s 10d Cutlery total, £0 6s 11d Plantations' charges carried forward, £0 6s 11d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The goods issued to the Malays in this closing group reinforce the impression that they lived as a settled household rather than in barrack conditions. Porcelain plates, dishes, saucers and a teapot, together with a copper tea kettle, tea and sugar recorded on the preceding page, furnished a domestic table far beyond anything supplied to the main body of the Company's slaves. Starch and indigo for laundering linen point the same way, showing clothes kept to a standard of appearance usually expected of servants in a household. The lead shot is notable. It suggests that at least one of the Malays was trusted with a firearm, perhaps to shoot birds or wild goats for the table or to guard crops against them. Arming a slave was a significant mark of confidence on an island where the Company's control depended heavily on its monopoly of weapons. The plantations account covered the Company's own farms, where cattle were raised and vegetables grown to supply the garrison and the ships. A sharpening steel was a rod of hardened, finely ridged steel used to keep a butcher's knife edge true between grindings. The issue of butchers' knives and steels to the plantations shows the Company slaughtering its own cattle there, and a pruning knife for the garden points to the tending of fruit trees and vines. |
409 | 402 | 18 July Brought over £0 6s 11d Rice and Paddy viz 120 lb Rice Poultry and Horses 3838 Paddy £0 9s 3d £6 8s 6d £6 17s 9d Oil viz ½ G. Linseed for the Overseer in the long Wd 1¼ Train and Rubing Cattle £0 1s 11d £0 4s 9d £0 6s 8d Nails viz 1 4d to Repr the Wood House and 2 6 Repg Gates £0 0s 7d £0 1s 1d £0 1s 8d Twine 2 Skains for the Gardeners Use £0 1s 0d Iron Ware viz 2 Ditchg Shovels for the Plantations £0 9s 1d 2 Shod do do £0 3s 10d 9 Helves do £0 5s 7½d 6 Hand Hatchets for the Pasture & Plant. £0 10s 1½d 20 Scythe Stones for the Gardener £0 6s 8d 6 Spades 2 Garden Rakes for do 1 Scythes £1 4s 0d £0 5s 2d £1 2s 4d 1 Small Fry. Pan for the Gt Wood £0 2s 4d 4 Garden Hoes for the Garden £0 5s 4d £4 14s 6d Cordage 25 lb for the Carts and Cattle £0 8s 4d Turners Ware viz 6 Birch Brooms for the Stable £0 2s 3d 1 Platter 1 Wood Bowl for the Great Wood £0 1s 5½d £0 1s 5½d £0 5s 2d Iron Pots 1 of 6 Galls for the Great Wood £0 4s 11d Grindstones 1 Large for the Garden £0 5s 3d Tar 7¼ Galls for Carts and Cattle £0 5s 5d £13 17s 7d | The plantations' charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £0 6s 11d brought forward. Plantations' charges brought forward, £0 6s 11d Rice and paddy for the poultry and horses: 120 pounds of rice, £0 9s 3d 3,838 pounds of paddy, £6 8s 6d Rice and paddy total, £6 17s 9d Oil: ½ gallon of linseed oil for the overseer at Longwood, £0 1s 11d 1¼ gallons of train oil for the overseer and for rubbing the cattle, £0 4s 9d Oil total, £0 6s 8d Nails for repairing the woodhouse and the gates: 1 pound of fourpenny nails, £0 0s 7d 2 pounds of sixpenny nails, £0 0s 11d Nails total, £0 1s 6d 2 skeins of twine for the gardener, £0 1s 0d Ironwork: 2 ditching shovels for the plantations, £0 9s 1d 2 iron-edged shovels for the plantations, £0 3s 10d 9 tool handles for the plantations, £0 5s 7½d 6 hand hatchets for the pasture and plantation, £0 10s 1½d 20 scythe whetstones for the gardener, £0 6s 8d 6 spades for the gardener, £1 4s 0d 2 garden rakes for the gardener, £0 5s 2d 4 scythes for the gardener, £1 2s 4d 1 small frying pan for the Great Wood, £0 2s 4d 4 garden hoes for the garden, £0 5s 4d Ironwork total, £4 14s 6d 25 pounds of cordage for the carts and cattle, £0 8s 4d Wooden and brush goods: 6 birch brooms for the stable, £0 2s 3d 1 wooden platter for the Great Wood, £0 1s 5½d 1 wooden bowl for the Great Wood, £0 1s 5½d Wooden and brush goods total, £0 5s 2d 1 iron pot holding 6 gallons for the Great Wood, £0 4s 11d 1 large grindstone for the garden, £0 5s 3d 7¼ gallons of tar for the carts and cattle, £0 5s 5d Plantations' charges total, £13 17s 7d Interpretations The paddy fed to the poultry and horses was by far the largest charge on the plantations account, at over £6 of a total under £14. Unhusked rice was cheaper than cleaned rice, costing well under half a penny a pound against nearly a penny, and it made a practical feed for livestock on an island where grain crops were unreliable. The Company's horses and poultry thus ate imported Asian rice, shipped thousands of miles, because St Helena could not grow enough fodder of its own. Train oil and tar were both used on the cattle. Rubbing oil into the hide soothed sores and kept off flies and ticks, while tar was smeared on wounds and cracked hooves to seal them against infection. Tar also served as grease for the axles of the carts, which explains the pairing of carts and cattle in the same entry. The cordage for carts and cattle would have furnished halters, tethers and harness. Longwood and the Great Wood were upland areas of the island, where the Company kept pasture and remnants of the native forest. The overseer at Longwood supervised the cattle and the slaves who worked there, and his allowance of lamp oil shows he lived on the spot. The frying pan, iron pot, platter and bowl issued for the Great Wood point to a small outstation where workers cooked and ate while cutting wood. The 20 scythe whetstones against only four scythes show how often a blade needed sharpening in use. The scythes themselves, issued between April and June, suggest hay or grass was being cut and stored ahead of the southern winter, when pasture growth slowed on the island's high ground. |
410 | 403 | 1763 Fortifications Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Lines viz 1 Hambro for a Flag 6 No 3 £0 1s 4d £0 1s 11d £0 3s 3d Turners Ware viz 17 Birch Brooms to sweep the Parade £0 6s 4d 3 Pt Brushes to paint Gun Carriages £0 1s 9d £0 8s 1d Paint viz 90 lb White Lead Mixed 18 Whiting 34 B. Blacking To Paint Gun Carriages ¼ Copperas 1 Umber £1 17s 6d £0 0s 9d £0 18s 5d £0 0s 9d £0 0s 3d £2 17s 8d Oil 8¾ Gs Linseed for do £1 13s 6d Thread 1 lb Coloured £0 3s 3d Iron Ware 1 Ditch. Shovel for the Gunners use £0 4s 6d £5 10s 3d Boats Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Lead 18¼ Sheet £0 3s 6d Nails viz 2 lb 2 3 4 7 6 20 10 6 20 Deck £0 18s 1d Carried over £1 1s 7d | The fortifications were charged with the stores issued to them between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. Lines went to rig a flag, brooms swept the parade ground, and paint, oil and brushes were used on the gun carriages. A ditching shovel was issued for the gunners. Lines for a flag: 1 Hamburg line, £0 1s 4d 6 lines of size 3, £0 1s 11d Lines total, £0 3s 3d Wooden and brush goods: 17 birch brooms for sweeping the parade, £0 6s 4d 3 bristle brushes for painting the gun carriages, £0 1s 9d Wooden and brush goods total, £0 8s 1d Paint for the gun carriages: 90 pounds of white lead ready mixed, £1 17s 6d 18 pounds of whiting, £0 0s 9d 34 bars of blacking, £0 18s 5d ½ pound of copperas, £0 0s 9d 1 pound of umber, £0 0s 3d Paint total, £2 17s 8d 8¾ gallons of linseed oil for the gun carriages, £1 13s 6d 1 pound of coloured thread, £0 3s 3d 1 ditching shovel for the gunners, £0 4s 6d Fortifications' charges total, £5 10s 3d A further account then charged to the boats the stores issued to them over the same quarter. 18¼ pounds of sheet lead, £0 3s 6d Nails: 2 pounds of twopenny nails 3 pounds of fourpenny nails 7 pounds of sixpenny nails 20 pounds of tenpenny nails 6 pounds of twentypenny deck nails Nails of all the sizes above, £0 18s 1d Boats' charges carried forward, £1 1s 7d The boats' total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The paint for the gun carriages combined large quantities of white lead with blacking, copperas and umber. Mixed together in linseed oil, these produced a dull grey, the lead colour that was the standard finish for British gun carriages. The coating protected the timber of the carriages from rot and the ironwork from rust, both serious threats on an island exposed to salt spray and frequent damp. With nearly 9 gallons of oil and 90 pounds of white lead, the work amounted to a general repainting of the batteries rather than a few touches. The lines for a flag were halyards, the ropes used to hoist colours on a flagstaff. Earlier in the quarter arrack had been issued to the men who hauled up the flagstaff, so the new lines were probably rigged to that same staff. Flags on the heights and at the Castle signalled the approach of ships and conveyed orders across the island, making their rigging part of the defensive system. Sheet lead was used on the boats to cover and seal joints, patch leaks and protect the hull where it took wear. Deck nails were long nails with flat heads designed to fix deck planking firmly to the beams below, and the twentypenny size, about 4 inches long, suited the heavier timbers of the Company's longboats and landing craft. |
411 | 404 | 18th July Brought over £1 1s 7d Cordage 63 lb £1 1s 0d Turners Ware viz 6 Birch Brooms £0 2s 3d 3 Paint Brushes £0 1s 9d £0 4s 0d Pitch and Tar viz 22 Galls Tar £0 16s 6d 32 lb Rozin £0 5s 4d ½ Barl Pitch £0 17s 10d 6 lb Turpentine £0 1s 0d £2 0s 8d Oil 6⅞ Gs Train £1 4s 5d Paint viz 14 lb Ven Red mixed £0 6s 5d 16 White Lead mixed £0 6s 8d 8 lb Red do £0 1s 8d 2 Yellow Oaker dry £0 0s 4d 4 Whiting £0 0s 2d ½ Copperas £0 0s 6d £0 15s 9d Leather 4½ lb Soles £0 4s 6d Oars 2 £0 7s 8d Blocks 1 Double of 6 Inches £0 1s 7d Deals 1 Elm Board £0 6s 9d £7 7s 11d Hospital Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1 April to the 30th June 1763 viz Sugar 378 lb £5 10s 3d Flour 378 £2 7s 3d Tea 6 lb Bohea £0 5s 0d Oil viz 3 Gals Linseed £0 11s 6d 9 Gals Train £1 14s 6d £2 6s 0d Carried over £10 8s 6d | The boats' charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £1 1s 7d brought forward. Boats' charges brought forward, £1 1s 7d 63 pounds of cordage, £1 1s 0d Wooden and brush goods: 6 birch brooms, £0 2s 3d 3 paint brushes, £0 1s 9d Wooden and brush goods total, £0 4s 0d Pitch and tar: 22 gallons of tar, £0 16s 6d 32 pounds of rosin, £0 5s 4d ½ barrel of pitch, £0 17s 10d 6 pounds of turpentine, £0 1s 0d Pitch and tar total, £2 0s 8d 6⅝ gallons of train oil, £1 4s 5d Paint: 14 pounds of Venetian red ready mixed, £0 6s 5d 16 pounds of white lead ready mixed, £0 6s 8d 8 pounds of red lead ready mixed, £0 1s 8d 2 pounds of dry yellow ochre, £0 0s 4d 4 pounds of whiting, £0 0s 2d ½ pound of copperas, £0 0s 6d Paint total, £0 15s 9d 4 pounds of leather for half-soles, £0 4s 6d 2 oars, £0 7s 8d 1 double pulley block of 6 inches, £0 1s 7d 1 elm board, £0 6s 9d Boats' charges total, £7 7s 11d The hospital was then charged with the stores issued to it between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. 378 pounds of sugar, £5 10s 3d 378 pounds of flour, £2 7s 3d 6 pounds of bohea tea, £0 5s 0d Oil: 3 gallons of linseed oil, £0 11s 6d 9 gallons of train oil, £1 14s 6d Oil total, £2 6s 0d Hospital charges carried forward, £10 8s 6d The hospital total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The boats' account amounted to a full refit of the Company's small craft. Tar, pitch, rosin and turpentine sealed and preserved the hulls. Venetian red, red lead and white lead painted them, and new oars, a pulley block and cordage renewed their gear. Turpentine, distilled from pine resin, thinned the pitch and paint so they worked more easily into seams and timber. On an island without a harbour, where every landing from the ships in the road depended on boats working through the surf, keeping them seaworthy was essential to the whole supply of St Helena. The elm board was chosen for its behaviour in water. Elm rots slowly when kept constantly wet, which made it the favoured timber for keels, bottom planking and other parts of a boat below the waterline. A double block of 6 inches was a pulley with two sheaves side by side, used in the tackle for hoisting sails or lifting heavy loads from the boats. The hospital drew exactly the same weight of sugar as of flour, 378 pounds of each, and the sugar cost more than twice as much. Sugar was valued in eighteenth-century medicine as a nourishing food for the sick and as the base for syrups and remedies. Its large allowance suggests the hospital's patients received sweetened drinks, gruels and puddings as part of their treatment. The train oil lit the wards, while the linseed oil was perhaps used for poultices and ointments as well as paint. |
412 | 405 | 1763 Brought over £10 8s 6d Salt 1¼ Bushels £0 3s 10d Rice 500 £1 18s 11d Tin Ware viz 2 Quart Sauce Pans £0 0s 10d 2 Lamps £0 1s 11d £0 2s 9d £12 14s 0d Mercury Snow Dr for the following Stores Issued from the 1st April to the 30th June 1763 viz Canvas viz 23 Bolts English £48 17s 6d 2 Ps Brown Duck £4 3s 2d £53 0s 8d Braziers Ware viz 1 Copper Screw Pump £1 9s 2d 1 Binnacle Lamp £0 7s 8d £1 16s 10d Pewter 1 Gallon Measure £0 9s 11d Rice and Paddy 9 1 C. 6 lb Rice £4 0s 8d 7 Paddy £1 6s 3d £5 6s 11d Iron Ware viz 1 Screw Plate and Tap £0 2s 9d 1 Coopers Adze 1 Large Howel 1 Coopers Hammer 1 Crow Stock Iron 1 Drawing Knife 1 Lock Bore 2 Vices 6 Sailmakers Palms 1 Dowling Stock 1 Winged Harpoon 2 Dowling Bits £1 7s 4d 17 lb Plate Iron £0 5s 8d £1 15s 9d Carried over £62 10s 1d | The hospital's charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £10 8s 6d brought forward and closed with a few final items. Hospital charges brought forward, £10 8s 6d 1¼ bushels of salt, £0 3s 10d 500 pounds of rice, £1 18s 11d Tinware: 2 saucepans holding 1 quart each, £0 0s 10d 2 lamps, £0 1s 11d Tinware total, £0 2s 9d Hospital charges total, £12 14s 0d The Company's snow Mercury was then charged with the stores issued to it between 1 April 1763 and 30 June 1763. Canvas: 23 bolts of English canvas, £48 17s 6d 2 pieces of brown duck, £4 3s 2d Canvas total, £53 0s 8d Copper and brass goods: 1 copper screw pump, £1 9s 2d 1 binnacle lamp, £0 7s 8d Copper and brass goods total, £1 16s 10d 1 pewter gallon measure, £0 9s 11d Rice and paddy: 9 hundredweight of rice, £4 0s 8d 7 hundredweight of paddy, £1 6s 3d Rice and paddy total, £5 6s 11d Ironwork: 1 screw plate and tap, £0 2s 9d 1 cooper's adze 1 large cooper's howel 1 cooper's hammer 1 croze stock iron 1 drawknife 1 tap borer 2 vices 6 sailmaker's palms 1 dowelling stock 1 winged harpoon 2 dowelling bits Tools of all the kinds above, £1 7s 4d 17 pounds of iron plate, £0 5s 8d Ironwork total, £1 15s 9d Charges carried forward, £62 10s 1d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations A snow was a two-masted square-rigged vessel, with a small additional mast just behind the mainmast carrying a fore-and-aft sail. The Mercury belonged to the Company's establishment at St Helena and was charged to the island's own accounts rather than to a passing Indiaman. The 23 bolts of English canvas, costing nearly £49, amount to a complete new suit of sails or close to it, pointing to a vessel being fitted out for a substantial voyage. The stores show the Mercury being prepared for a long passage with its own cooper aboard. The adze, howel, croze, drawknife, tap borer and dowelling tools were the full kit for making and repairing casks, in which water, provisions and trade goods were carried at sea. A howel was a curved plane for smoothing the inside of a cask near its ends. A croze cut the groove into which the cask head fitted, and a tap borer opened the hole for a tap. The rice and paddy, over 16 hundredweight together, were provisions for the crew and for anyone else carried on the voyage. A binnacle lamp lit the compass housing on deck so the helmsman could steer by night. A sailmaker's palm was a leather strap worn across the hand with a hard metal disc set in it, used to force a needle through heavy canvas. Brown duck was a strong unbleached cloth of linen or cotton, lighter than sailcloth, used for smaller sails and awnings. The screw plate and tap cut threads on metal bolts and in the holes that received them. The winged harpoon, its head fitted with barbs that opened once inside the prey, suggests the crew expected to take large fish, turtles or whales on passage to supplement their rations. |
413 | 406 | 18th July Brought over £62 10s 1d Oars 6 Pinnace Oars £2 14s 6d Nails viz 10 lb Coopers Rivets £0 4s 7d ½ Tacks £0 0s 8d £0 5s 3d Pitch and Tar viz 2 Barrels Pitch £3 11s 6d 3 do Tar £3 6s 9d 1 do Composition £2 8s 6d 203 lb Rozin £1 13s 10d 95 Brimstone £1 4s 6d 64 Turpentine £0 10s 8d £12 15s 9d Coals 2 Chaldrons £4 12s 0d Oil viz 28 Galls Sweet Oil £6 11s 10d 16 do Linseed £3 1s 4d 16 do Train £3 1s 4d £12 19s 6d Blocks viz 2 Double of 4 Inches 2 do of 5 do £0 6s 4d 1 do of 6 do £0 2s 0d 2 do of 7 do £0 4s 0d 2 Single of 4 do 2 do of 5 do 8 do of 6 do £0 12s 4d £1 4s 8d Tin Ware viz 1 Glass Lanthorn £0 6s 3d 50 Lanthorn Leaves £0 10s 2d 1 Pint Funnel £0 0s 3d 1 Pint Measure £0 0s 6d £1 7s 2d Carried over £97 18s 11d | The Mercury's charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £62 10s 1d brought forward. Charges brought forward, £62 10s 1d 6 pinnace oars, £2 14s 6d Nails: 10 pounds of coopers' rivets, £0 4s 7d ½ thousand tacks, £0 0s 8d Nails total, £0 5s 3d Pitch and tar: 2 barrels of pitch, £3 11s 6d 3 barrels of tar, £3 6s 9d 1 barrel of hull composition, £2 8s 6d 203 pounds of rosin, £1 13s 10d 95 pounds of brimstone, £1 4s 6d 64 pounds of turpentine, £0 10s 8d Pitch and tar total, £12 15s 9d 2 chaldrons of coal, £4 12s 0d Oil: 28 gallons of sweet oil, £6 16s 10d 16 gallons of linseed oil, £3 1s 4d 16 gallons of train oil, £3 1s 4d Oil total, £12 19s 6d Pulley blocks: 2 double blocks of 4 inches 2 double blocks of 5 inches Double blocks of 4 and 5 inches, £0 6s 4d 1 double block of 6 inches, £0 2s 0d 2 double blocks of 7 inches, £0 4s 0d 2 single blocks of 4 inches 2 single blocks of 5 inches 8 single blocks of 6 inches Single blocks of all the sizes above, £0 12s 4d Pulley blocks total, £1 4s 8d Tinware: 1 glass lantern, £0 6s 3d 50 horn panes for lanterns, £0 10s 2d 1 funnel holding a pint, £0 0s 3d 1 pint measure, £0 0s 6d Tinware total, £0 17s 2d Charges carried forward, £97 18s 11d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations Brimstone, rosin, tar and the barrel of composition were the materials for protecting a ship's bottom. Mixtures of this kind, known as paying stuff, were boiled up and brushed hot over the hull below the waterline. Sulphur in particular was added to deter the shipworm, a boring mollusc that riddled unprotected timber in warm southern waters. The quantities issued, including 95 pounds of brimstone and over 200 pounds of rosin, show the Mercury being careened and given a full new coating rather than a light repair. Sweet oil was olive oil, and at 28 gallons it was the costliest oil in the issue, far more than linseed or train oil. On board ship it served for cooking, for cleaning and preserving firearms and ironwork, and as a dressing in the surgeon's chest. Its quantity suggests provisioning for a crew over a voyage of some length rather than a short run between the island and the road. A chaldron was a measure of coal by volume, varying by port but usually well over a ton in weight. Coal was scarce and expensive on St Helena, which had to import every pound of it. Its issue to the Mercury was probably for the galley stove or for a forge to heat pitch and work iron during the refit. Lantern leaves were thin translucent panes of horn, cut to fit the frames of ship's lanterns. They did not shatter with the motion of the vessel as glass could, which made them the safer choice below decks. The single glass lantern was perhaps for the binnacle or the stern, where clearer light was worth the risk of breakage. |
414 | 407 | 1763 Brought over £97 18s 11d Beef and Pork viz 4 Barls Eng. Beef £51 16s 8d 4 Hhds do Pork £37 13s 10d 2 Tierces Irish Beef £8 16s 0d 2 do do Pork £9 5s 0d £107 11s 6d Glass Ware viz 2 Quarter Minute Glasses £0 0s 11d 4 Half Minute do £0 1s 10d £0 2s 9d Twine 12 lb Marline £0 5s 0d Lines viz 2 Deep Sea Lines £0 10s 0d 2 Hambro do £0 2s 8d 4 Log do £0 4s 0d 12 No 4 do £0 4s 6d £1 1s 2d Salt 6 Bushels £0 18s 6d Turners Ware viz 4 Mops £0 3s 10d 25 Birch Brooms £0 9s 4d 2 Scrubing Brushes £0 4s 6d 12 Paint do £0 7s 0d £1 6s 8d Paint viz 56 lb Blacking £4 2s 6d 56 Red Lead £0 11s 8d 56 White Lead dry £0 17s 6d 28 Yell. Oaker dry £0 6s 0d 28 Ven Red dry £0 5s 3d £6 2s 11d Surgeons Instruments 1 Case £13 3s 11d Screws 6 lb £0 4s 11d Red Bays 10 Yards £1 2s 5d Carried over £229 18s 8d | The Mercury's charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £97 18s 11d brought forward. Charges brought forward, £97 18s 11d Beef and pork: 4 barrels of English salt beef, £51 16s 8d 4 hogsheads of English salt pork, £37 13s 10d 2 tierces of Irish salt beef, £8 16s 0d 2 tierces of Irish salt pork, £9 5s 0d Beef and pork total, £107 11s 6d Glassware: 2 quarter-minute sand glasses, £0 0s 11d 4 half-minute sand glasses, £0 1s 10d Glassware total, £0 2s 9d 12 pounds of marline, £0 5s 0d Lines: 2 deep-sea sounding lines, £0 10s 0d 2 Hamburg lines, £0 2s 8d 4 log lines, £0 4s 0d 12 lines of size 4, £0 4s 6d Lines total, £1 1s 2d 6 bushels of salt, £0 18s 6d Wooden and brush goods: 4 mops, £0 3s 10d 25 birch brooms, £0 9s 4d 2 scrubbing brushes, £0 4s 6d 12 paint brushes, £0 7s 0d Wooden and brush goods total, £1 6s 8d Paint: 56 pounds of blacking, £4 2s 6d 56 pounds of red lead, £0 11s 8d 56 pounds of dry white lead, £0 17s 6d 28 pounds of dry yellow ochre, £0 6s 0d 28 pounds of dry Venetian red, £0 5s 3d Paint total, £6 2s 11d 1 case of surgeon's instruments, £13 3s 11d 6 pounds of screws, £0 4s 11d 10 yards of red baize, £1 2s 5d Charges carried forward, £229 18s 8d The running total then passed to the next page of the account. Interpretations The case of surgeon's instruments, at over £13, was among the costliest single items issued to the Mercury. Such a case held saws, knives, probes, forceps and trepanning tools for amputations and wound treatment. Its supply shows the vessel carried or expected to carry a surgeon, which was required on a ship making a long voyage with a sizeable crew. It also confirms that the Mercury was being fitted out for a serious passage rather than local work around the island. The salt provisions, over £107 in value, were packed in casks of three sizes. A hogshead held about 63 gallons, a barrel about 36 and a tierce about 42, each packed with brine and meat and sealed for months at sea. English beef and pork made up the bulk, with smaller quantities of cheaper Irish meat. The 6 bushels of salt were probably for curing fish or meat taken during the voyage. A deep-sea line was a long sounding line, often over 100 fathoms, weighted with lead and used to measure depth and bring up samples of the seabed when approaching land. Quarter-minute glasses timed the log line when a ship was moving fast, since a half-minute count would run out too much line. Marline was a light two-stranded tarred cord used for binding the ends of ropes and seizing them together. Baize was a coarse woollen cloth with a raised nap. Red baize was used at sea for lining, for covering hatches and for making flags and signal pennants, where a bright, durable colour was needed. |
415 | 408 | 18th July Brought over £229 18s 8d Cordage viz 10 2 1 a Shroud £19 12s 4d 72 2 11 in two Cables of 12 Ins Ca £135 10s 4d 16 2 27 Cordage £31 5s 0d £186 7s 8d St Helena 30th June 1763 £416 6s 4d Errors Excepted ⅌ Jno Powell Storekeepr List of the Honorable Companys Officers and Servants upon the Island St Helena with their several Salarys diet Money &c for the Quarter Commencing the 1st April and ending the 30th June 1763 viz Charles Hutchinson Esqr Governr Salary £125 0s 0d Do Allowance for Servants as Usual £31 14s 9d £156 14s 9d John Skottowe Esqr Lieut. Governor Salary £62 10s 0d Do diet Money £25 0s 0d £87 10s 0d Matthew Pouling of Council Salary £15 0s 0d Do Accomptant £17 10s 0d Do diet Money £15 0s 0d £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick of Councils Salary £7 10s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £10 0s 0d William Lee Chaplain Salary £25 0s 0d Do diet Money £15 0s 0d £40 0s 0d Carried over £341 14s 9d | The Mercury's charges for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £229 18s 8d brought forward and closed with a large issue of rope. Charges brought forward, £229 18s 8d Cordage: 10 hundredweight 2 quarters 1 pound of shroud rope, £19 12s 4d 72 hundredweight 2 quarters 11 pounds in two cables of 12 inches round, £135 10s 4d 16 hundredweight 2 quarters 27 pounds of cordage, £31 5s 0d Cordage total, £186 7s 8d Total charged to the Mercury, £416 6s 4d J. Powell, the storekeeper, signed the account at St Helena on 30 June 1763, noting that any errors in it remained open to correction. A list followed of the Company's officers and servants on the island, with the salaries, diet money and other allowances due to each for the quarter from 1 April 1763 to 30 June 1763. Charles Hutchinson, Governor, salary, £125 0s 0d Charles Hutchinson, allowance for servants as customary, £31 14s 9d Charles Hutchinson, total, £156 14s 9d John Skottowe, Lieutenant Governor, salary, £62 10s 0d John Skottowe, diet money, £25 0s 0d John Skottowe, total, £87 10s 0d Matthew P[...]ling, member of Council, salary, £15 0s 0d Matthew P[...]ling, as accountant, £17 10s 0d Matthew P[...]ling, diet money, £15 0s 0d Matthew P[...]ling, total, £47 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, member of Council, salary, £7 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, house rent, £2 10s 0d Thomas Kirkpatrick, total, £10 0s 0d William Lee, chaplain, salary, £25 0s 0d William Lee, diet money, £15 0s 0d William Lee, total, £40 0s 0d Salaries carried forward, £341 14s 9d The salaries total then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The two cables for the Mercury, weighing over 3½ tons between them and costing more than £135, were anchor cables of 12 inches in circumference, thick hemp ropes made to hold a vessel at anchor in open water. Together with the shroud rope for the standing rigging, they brought the snow's charges to £416, by far the largest of the quarter's accounts and several times the cost of the whole garrison's issue. The figures show the Mercury being almost entirely re-rigged and re-provisioned, a costly undertaking for a vessel attached to so small a settlement. The salary list set out the island's hierarchy in hard figures. Governor Hutchinson received £125 a quarter, or £500 a year, with a further allowance to maintain his household servants. The Lieutenant Governor was paid half as much and the ordinary councillors far less, with Thomas Kirkpatrick's salary only £7 10s 0d a quarter. The gap shows how heavily the Company's rewards were concentrated at the top of its establishment. Several officers drew pay for more than one role. Matthew P[...]ling was paid as a councillor and separately as the island's accountant, and his accountant's fee exceeded his councillor's salary. Holding offices in combination was the usual way the Company staffed a small station, using a handful of trusted men for many functions and topping up modest salaries with extra fees. It also concentrated administrative control in very few hands. Diet money was a cash payment in place of a place at the public table, or in addition to it. The Lieutenant Governor, a councillor and the chaplain all drew it, while the Governor, who presided at the Castle table, did not. The allowance let officers who lived apart from the Castle feed their own households at the Company's expense. |
416 | 409 | 1763 Brought over £341 14s 9d Matthew Bazett Secretary Salary £17 10s 0d Do Diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d James Powell Storekeeper Salary £17 10s 0d Do diet Money £15 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £35 0s 0d William Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant Storekeeper £5 0s 0d £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham Factors Salary £7 10s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £20 0s 0d Richard Law Writers Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d Do Assistant to the Governor £10 0s 0d £27 10s 0d David Mock Writer Salary £5 0s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £17 10s 0d Britannicus Wright Writer Salary £5 0s 0d Do diet Money £10 0s 0d £15 0s 0d Robert Barclay Surgeon Salary £9 15s 0d Do Diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £22 5s 0d John Pritchard Surgeons Mates Salary £6 5s 0d Do diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £18 15s 0d Richard Beale Judge Advocate Salary £10 0s 0d Do Schoolmaster £3 8s 3d £13 8s 3d Samuel Alexander Overseers £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett £7 10s 0d £15 0s 0d John Bland Master Masons Salary £17 10s 0d Do diet Money £10 0s 0d Do House Rent £1 10s 0d £29 0s 0d Carried over £615 3s 0d | The list of salaries and allowances for the Company's officers and servants for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £341 14s 9d brought forward. Salaries brought forward, £341 14s 9d Matthew Bazett, Secretary, salary, £17 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, diet money, £15 0s 0d Matthew Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, total, £35 0s 0d James Powell, storekeeper, salary, £17 10s 0d James Powell, diet money, £15 0s 0d James Powell, house rent, £2 10s 0d James Powell, total, £35 0s 0d William Wrangham, factor, salary, £7 10s 0d William Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d William Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d William Wrangham, as assistant storekeeper, £5 0s 0d William Wrangham, total, £25 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, factor, salary, £7 10s 0d Francis Wrangham, diet money, £10 0s 0d Francis Wrangham, house rent, £2 10s 0d Francis Wrangham, total, £20 0s 0d Richard Law, writer, salary, £5 0s 0d Richard Law, diet money, £10 0s 0d Richard Law, house rent, £2 10s 0d Richard Law, as assistant to Governor Hutchinson, £10 0s 0d Richard Law, total, £27 10s 0d David M[...], writer, salary, £5 0s 0d David M[...], diet money, £10 0s 0d David M[...], house rent, £2 10s 0d David M[...], total, £17 10s 0d Britannicus Wright, writer, salary, £5 0s 0d Britannicus Wright, diet money, £10 0s 0d Britannicus Wright, total, £15 0s 0d Robert Barclay, surgeon, salary, £9 15s 0d Robert Barclay, diet money, £10 0s 0d Robert Barclay, house rent, £2 10s 0d Robert Barclay, total, £22 5s 0d John Pritchard, surgeon's mate, salary, £6 5s 0d John Pritchard, diet money, £10 0s 0d John Pritchard, house rent, £2 10s 0d John Pritchard, total, £18 15s 0d Richard Beale, judge advocate, salary, £10 0s 0d Richard Beale, as schoolmaster, £3 8s 3d Richard Beale, total, £13 8s 3d Samuel Alexander, overseer, £7 10s 0d Matthew Bazett, overseer, £7 10s 0d Overseers' total, £15 0s 0d John Bland, master mason, salary, £17 10s 0d John Bland, diet money, £10 0s 0d John Bland, house rent, £1 10s 0d John Bland, total, £29 0s 0d Salaries carried forward, £615 3s 0d The salaries total then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The titles of writer and factor were the lower grades of the Company's civil service, through which its servants rose in order of seniority to junior merchant and senior merchant. A writer began as a clerk copying letters and keeping books, and a factor handled goods and accounts. On St Helena these grades carried very small salaries, only £5 a quarter for a writer. For the junior men, diet money and house rent together were worth far more than the salary itself, so their real income depended on allowances rather than pay. The practice of holding offices in combination ran through the whole list. William Wrangham was paid as a factor and again as assistant storekeeper, Richard Law as a writer and as assistant to the Governor, and Richard Beale as judge advocate and as schoolmaster. The judge advocate conducted the prosecution and advised on law in the island's courts martial, which gave the post a central place in military discipline. His combining it with teaching the island's children shows how thinly the Company spread its educated servants on so small a station. The master mason's pay placed him on a level with the Secretary and the storekeeper in salary, well above the factors and writers. His standing reflected the value of his skill on an island where fortifications, the Castle, the church and public buildings were constantly being built and repaired. The records of nails, lime and timber drawn in the same quarter for work on the church, market house and Lieutenant Governor's house give a sense of how much depended on his direction. |
417 | 410 | 18 July Brought over £615 3s 0d Thomas Townsend Stone Mason Salary £19 10s 0d John Roberson Carpenters Salary £12 10s 0d Do House Rent £0 15s 0d £13 5s 0d Phillip Mahoney Clerk of the Peace £10 0s 0d Joseph Chamberlain Carpenters Mate £7 10s 0d David Belford Gardener £10 0s 0d James Torbett Cooper £8 15s 0d William Mosie Steward £7 10s 0d Michael Frost Clock and Instrument Cleaner £1 5s 0d Zedekiah Saunderson Groom £2 0s 0d George Streight Armorer £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice Master at Arms £6 5s 0d John Criswell Patron of the Long Boat £7 10s 0d John Price Marshal and Goaler £7 10s 0d William Smith Clerk £5 0s 0d £82 5s 0d First Company Thomas Kirkpatrick Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Samuel Desfountain Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob Adjutant Salary £22 16s 3d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £29 13s 1½d Serjeants Robert Cager £7 12s 1d John Sale £7 12s 1d John Steward £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahoney £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Carried over £891 0s 8d | The list of salaries for the Company's officers and servants for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £615 3s 0d brought forward. The remaining civil staff came first, followed by the officers and sergeants of the First Company of the garrison. Salaries brought forward, £615 3s 0d Thomas Townsend, stonemason, salary, £19 10s 0d John Robinson, carpenter, salary, £12 10s 0d John Robinson, house rent, £0 15s 0d John Robinson, total, £13 5s 0d Phillip Mahoney, clerk of the peace, £10 0s 0d Joseph Chamberlain, carpenter's mate, £7 10s 0d David Belford, gardener, £10 0s 0d James Forbett, cooper, £8 15s 0d William Mosie, steward, £7 10s 0d Michael Frost, cleaner of clocks and instruments, £1 5s 0d Zedekiah Saunderson, groom, £2 0s 0d George Streight, armourer, £9 0s 0d Solomon St Maurice, master at arms, £6 5s 0d John Crisswell, coxswain of the longboat, £7 10s 0d John Price, marshal and gaoler, £7 10s 0d William Smith, clerk, £5 0s 0d Total for the staff from Phillip Mahoney to William Smith, £82 5s 0d First Company: Thomas Kirkpatrick, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Solomon St Maurice, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Solomon St Maurice, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Solomon St Maurice, house rent, £2 10s 0d Solomon St Maurice, total, £27 11s 10½d Samuel Desfountain, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Samuel Desfountain, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Samuel Desfountain, house rent, £2 10s 0d Samuel Desfountain, total, £27 11s 10½d Solomon Jacob, adjutant, salary, £22 16s 3d Solomon Jacob, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Solomon Jacob, total, £29 13s 1½d Sergeants: Robert Cager, £7 12s 1d John Tull, £7 12s 1d John Steward, £7 12s 1d Phillip Mahoney, £7 12s 1d Sergeants' total, £30 8s 4d Salaries carried forward, £891 0s 8½d The salaries total then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The same men appeared in both civil and military posts. Thomas Kirkpatrick, listed earlier as a councillor at only £7 10s 0d a quarter, drew £45 12s 6d as captain of the First Company, so his command rather than his seat on the Council supplied most of his income. Solomon St Maurice was paid both as master at arms and as a lieutenant, and Phillip Mahoney as clerk of the peace and as a sergeant. On St Helena the garrison and the civil government were staffed from one small pool of men, and a single person might sit in judgement, keep the court's records and command soldiers. The clerk of the peace kept the records of the island's courts and drew up indictments and orders, while the marshal and gaoler held prisoners and carried out the court's sentences. Both posts sat at the centre of the island's system of law enforcement. Their holders were paid at the level of skilled craftsmen rather than of senior officials, reflecting their position as working functionaries rather than men of rank. The patron of the longboat was the man in charge of the Company's principal boat and its crew. The title, borrowed from Portuguese and Mediterranean usage, was common in the Company's eastern stations for a boat's coxswain. His charge was vital on an island without a harbour, where every landing of stores and passengers from the ships in the road passed through his hands. The master at arms was responsible for the arms, drill and discipline of the soldiers, and the adjutant assisted the commanding officer with orders, returns and the day-to-day running of the garrison. |
418 | 411 | 1763 Brought over £891 0s 8½d Corporals Johathan Lake £5 6s 5½d Salvanus Rolfe £5 6s 5½d Thomas Payne £5 6s 5½d William Bannister £5 6s 5½d £21 5s 10d Drummers Henry Howell £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels John Hoa Welch Cadet £7 12s 1d John Alles £3 16s ½d John Ashenstall £3 16s ½d Hans Ulrick Algaver £3 16s ½d John Ahnan £3 16s ½d John Allen Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d John William Blank £3 10s ½d Thomas Borwick £3 16s ½d James Buckley Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d William Blackman £3 16s ½d John Brown £3 16s ½d William Baker Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Edward Cocker £3 16s ½d Edward Cosam Discharged 18 April £0 15s 0d Isaac Day £3 16s ½d Henry Dudley £3 16s ½d John Davis £3 16s ½d John Dove £3 16s ½d Anthony Day £3 16s ½d David Davis Entertained 2 April £3 15s 0d Samuel Eeles £3 16s ½d Jacob Essey Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d Adam Evans Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Centinels Carried over £76 7s 0½d Carried over £922 19s 5½d | The list of salaries and pay for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £891 0s 8½d brought forward. The corporals, drummers and sentinels of the First Company followed, with notes of the men who enlisted or were discharged during the quarter. Salaries brought forward, £891 0s 8½d Corporals: Jonathan Lake, £5 6s 5½d Silvanus Rolfe, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Payne, £5 6s 5½d William Bannister, £5 6s 5½d Corporals' total, £21 5s 10d Drummers: Henry Howell, £5 6s 5½d Richard Platfoot, £5 6s 5½d Drummers' total, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: John Hove Welch, cadet, £7 12s 1d John Ulles, £3 16s 0½d John Ashinstall, £3 16s 0½d Hans Ulrich Algaver, £3 16s 0½d John Aiman, £3 16s 0½d John Allen, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d John William Blank, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Borwick, £3 16s 0½d James Buckley, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d William Blackman, £3 16s 0½d John Brown, £3 16s 0½d William Baker, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Edward Cocker, £3 16s 0½d Edward Cotam, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d Isaac Day, £3 16s 0½d Henry Dudley, £3 16s 0½d John Davis, £3 16s 0½d John Dove, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Day, £3 16s 0½d David Davis, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Samuel Eales, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Essey, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d Adam Evans, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Sentinels' total carried forward, £76 7s 8½d Salaries carried forward, £922 19s 5½d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations A sentinel's pay of £3 16s 0½d for the full quarter worked out at roughly 10d a day, and men who joined or left during the quarter were paid strictly by the day. Those discharged on 18 April 1763 received 15s for their 18 days of service, while those enlisted on 16 May 1763 received £1 18s 4d for the remaining 46 days. The Company thus paid its soldiers for time actually served, with no allowance for a broken quarter, and the storekeeper's calculation exposed the daily rate beneath the quarterly figure. The three men enlisted together on 16 May 1763 were probably the recruits whose separate issue of Irish pork, rice and baked flour appears in the garrison's account for the same quarter. New soldiers for St Helena usually arrived on the Company's ships, and a group taken into pay on one day points to a single arrival. The three discharges on 18 April 1763 may likewise mark men leaving the island together on a departing ship. A cadet was a young man serving in the ranks while waiting for a commission as an officer, usually a gentleman's son placed with the garrison to learn the profession. John Hove Welch was paid double a sentinel's rate, which marked his higher standing while he stood guard alongside the ordinary soldiers. Hans Ulrich Algaver's name points to a Swiss or German origin. The Company recruited heavily from continental Europe for its garrisons, since it was often hard to find enough men in Britain willing to serve at such distances. His presence shows the St Helena garrison drawing on the same mixed pool of recruits as the Company's forces in India. |
419 | 412 | 18th July Brought over £922 19s 5½d Centinels brought over £76 7s 0½d James Foxs Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d John Fenein £3 16s ½d Cornelius Fisk £3 16s ½d William French Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Jonathan Godby £3 16s ½d James Hall £3 16s ½d William Hawkes £3 16s ½d Alexander Hall Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d William Hebert Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d William Henderson do £3 15s 0d James Hodge Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d William Johnson £3 16s ½d George Kebbet £3 16s ½d William Kellufar Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d Richard Knight £3 16s ½d William Luke £3 16s ½d Charles Lewis £3 16s ½d Richard Laurence Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Duncan Mc Claren £3 16s ½d William Mumford £3 16s ½d Thomas Marshal Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Thomas Moor Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Martin Newman £3 16s ½d John Pickering £3 16s ½d Charles Purfoy Discharged 11th April £0 9s 2d William Paxton £3 16s ½d Thomas Price £3 16s ½d Michael Reed £3 16s ½d Thomas Roberts £3 16s ½d Anthony Read £3 16s ½d William Ardsuck £3 16s ½d William Robinson £3 16s ½d Athony Reynolds £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £183 9s 9½d Carried over £922 19s 5½d | The list of pay for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £922 19s 5½d brought forward. The roll of sentinels in the First Company resumed from £76 7s 8½d. Salaries brought forward, £922 19s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £76 7s 8½d James Foss, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d John Finein, £3 16s 0½d Cornelius Fish, £3 16s 0½d William French, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Jonathan Godby, £3 16s 0½d James Hall, £3 16s 0½d William Hawkes, £3 16s 0½d Alexander Hall, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d William Hebert, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d William Henderson, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d James Hodge, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d William Johnson, £3 16s 0½d George Kebbet, £3 16s 0½d William Kellifar, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d Richard Knight, £3 16s 0½d William Luke, £3 16s 0½d Charles Lewis, £3 16s 0½d Richard Lawrence, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Duncan McClaren, £3 16s 0½d William Mumford, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Marshal, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Thomas Moor, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Martin Newman, £3 16s 0½d John Pickering, £3 16s 0½d Charles Purefoy, discharged 11 April 1763, £0 9s 2d William Paxton, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Price, £3 16s 0½d Michael Reed, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Roberts, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Read, £3 16s 0½d William R[...], £3 16s 0½d William Robinson, £3 16s 0½d Anthony Reynolds, £3 16s 0½d Sentinels' total carried forward, £183 9s 9½d Salaries carried forward, £922 19s 5½d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The broken payments on this page confirm that a sentinel's pay rested on a fixed rate of exactly 10d a day. Charles Purefoy, discharged on 11 April 1763, received 9s 2d for 11 days. Men enlisted on 2 April 1763 received £3 15s 0d for 90 days, and those enlisted on 16 May 1763 received £1 18s 4d for 46 days. The full quarter's figure of £3 16s 0½d was precisely one quarter of a year of 365 days at 10d, giving an annual wage of £15 4s 2d. The odd halfpenny in every full payment was the product of dividing the year evenly into four, rather than paying for the actual 91 days in the quarter. The enlistments fell on two dates, 2 April 1763 and 16 May 1763, each bringing several men into pay together. They point to two separate drafts of recruits landed from ships calling at the island during the quarter. With discharges on 11 April and 18 April 1763, the company's strength was being topped up and thinned in step with the arrival and departure of shipping, which was the only means of moving men to or from St Helena. |
420 | 413 | 1763 Brought over £922 19s 5½d Centinels brought over £183 9s 9½d Thomas Ransom Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d George Reeve Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d William Snaby £3 16s ½d John Springthorpe £3 16s ½d Henry Sawyer £3 16s ½d John Skware Entertained 18th April £3 1s 8d Edward Toovy £3 16s ½d John Taylor £3 16s ½d Richard Tollington Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Luke Vernon Entertaind 22d of April £2 18s 4d John Whittingdale £3 16s ½d Richard Wheeler £3 16s ½d Benjamin Wise £3 16s ½d William Watkins £3 16s ½d Thomas Windall £3 16s ½d Thomas Warne Entertained 2 April £3 15s 0d George Young £3 16s ½d Richard Youcas £3 16s ½d William Yates £3 16s ½d John May £3 16s ½d £255 17s 8½d Second Company Henry Bazett Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Michael Frost Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Serjeants John Bazett £7 12s 1d William Beale £7 12s 1d Serjeants Carried over £15 4s 2d Carried over £1279 13s 5d | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £922 19s 5½d brought forward. The roll of sentinels in the First Company resumed from £183 9s 9½d and closed, after which the officers and sergeants of the Second Company began. Salaries brought forward, £922 19s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £183 9s 9½d Thomas Ransom, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d George Reeve, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d William Swaby, £3 16s 0½d John Springthorpe, £3 16s 0½d Henry Sawyer, £3 16s 0½d John Steward, enlisted 18 April 1763, £3 1s 8d Edward Tovey, £3 16s 0½d John Taylor, £3 16s 0½d Richard Tollington, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Luke Vernon, enlisted 22 April 1763, £2 18s 4d John Whittingdale, £3 16s 0½d Richard Wheeler, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Wise, £3 16s 0½d William Watkins, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Windall, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Warne, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d George Young, £3 16s 0½d Richard Youcas, £3 16s 0½d William Yates, £3 16s 0½d John May, £3 16s 0½d First Company sentinels' total, £255 17s 8½d Second Company: Henry Bazett, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Michael Frost, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Michael Frost, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Michael Frost, house rent, £2 10s 0d Michael Frost, total, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Leech, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Leech, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Leech, house rent, £2 10s 0d Thomas Leech, total, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants: John Bazett, £7 12s 1d William Bealy, £7 12s 1d Sergeants' total carried forward, £15 4s 2d Salaries carried forward, £1,279 13s 5d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The Bazett family held a striking share of the island's posts. Matthew Bazett was Secretary and an overseer, Henry Bazett commanded the Second Company as captain, and John Bazett served in it as a sergeant. On a small station where the Company's appointments were made locally, family connection was a clear route into office, and one household could reach into the civil administration, the command of troops and the ranks below. Michael Frost, listed earlier as the cleaner of clocks and instruments at £1 5s 0d a quarter, drew over £27 as a lieutenant in the Second Company. The pairing of a technical craft with a commission shows the same economy of personnel as elsewhere in the list, where officers took on whatever specialised tasks their skills allowed. Two enlistments on this page fell outside the main drafts of 2 April and 16 May 1763. John Steward joined on 18 April 1763, the day on which several men of the First Company were discharged, and Luke Vernon on 22 April 1763. Their pay was again calculated at exactly 10d a day for the days remaining in the quarter. These single enlistments suggest that men were also taken into the garrison individually, perhaps from among sailors or passengers left behind by ships, rather than only in organised drafts from England. |
421 | 414 | 18th April Brought over £1279 15s 3d Serjeants brought over £15 4s 2d John Burnham £7 12s 1d William Conquest £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals William Bell £5 6s 5½d Thomas Woffington £5 6s 5½d William Harris discharged 18th April £1 1s 0d John Forbs £5 6s 5½d £17 0s 4½d Drummers John Caffyn £5 6s 5½d Lewis King £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Samuel Alstone £3 16s ½d Joseph Banks £3 16s ½d William Beckett £3 16s ½d William Birch £3 16s ½d William Brooks £3 16s ½d Peter Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Brown £3 16s ½d Robert Brown £3 16s ½d Thomas Bott £3 16s ½d Nicholas Bushel £3 16s ½d Daniel Bay £3 16s ½d John Carr Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Edward Cousens £3 16s ½d John Cofell £3 16s ½d Samuel Card Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d William Clay £3 16s ½d Thomas Cleverly Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Robert Dickens £3 16s ½d John Dickerson Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Michael Downing Entert from the Artill. Compy 16th May £1 18s 4d Thomas Eashwood £3 16s ½d Peter Egleston £3 16s ½d William Finch £3 16s ½d William Isaac Ford Ent from the Artill. Compy 16 May £1 18s 4d Willm Fullwood £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £89 4s 9½d Carried over £1337 15s 1d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £1,279 13s 5d brought forward. The Second Company's sergeants resumed from £15 4s 2d, followed by its corporals, drummers and sentinels. Salaries brought forward, £1,279 13s 5d Sergeants brought forward, £15 4s 2d John Burnham, £7 12s 1d William Conquest, £7 12s 1d Sergeants' total, £30 8s 4d Corporals: William Bell, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Woffington, £5 6s 5½d William Harris, discharged 18 April 1763, £1 1s 0d John Forbes, £5 6s 5½d Corporals' total, £17 0s 4½d Drummers: John Caffyn, £5 6s 5½d Lewis King, £5 6s 5½d Drummers' total, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: Samuel Alstone, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Banks, £3 16s 0½d William Beckett, £3 16s 0½d William Birch, £3 16s 0½d William Brooks, £3 16s 0½d Peter Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Brown, £3 16s 0½d Robert Brown, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Bott, £3 16s 0½d Nicholas Bushel, £3 16s 0½d Daniel Bay, £3 16s 0½d John Cass, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Edward Cousins, £3 16s 0½d John Coffle, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Card, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d William Clay, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Cleberly, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Robert Dickens, £3 16s 0½d John Dickerson, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Michael Downing, transferred from the Artillery Company 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Thomas Eastwood, £3 16s 0½d Peter Eglestone, £3 16s 0½d William Finch, £3 16s 0½d William Isaac Ford, transferred from the Artillery Company 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d William Fullwood, £3 16s 0½d Sentinels' total carried forward, £89 4s 9½d Salaries carried forward, £1,337 15s 0½d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations Michael Downing and William Isaac Ford moved into the Second Company from the Artillery Company on 16 May 1763 and were paid as sentinels only from that date. The garrison was therefore organised as separate infantry and artillery units, each with its own pay roll, and a man's wages followed him from one to the other day by day. Their transfer on the same date as the arrival of the new recruits suggests the companies were rebalanced when fresh men landed, perhaps with the newcomers placed in the artillery and trained soldiers shifted to the infantry. The corporal discharged on 18 April 1763 received £1 1s 0d for 18 days, which gives a corporal's daily rate of 14d against a sentinel's 10d. Drummers were paid at the same rate as corporals. The difference of 4d a day was the whole of the reward for promotion to the lowest rank of command, while a sergeant, at £7 12s 1d a quarter, earned 20d a day, double a private soldier's pay. |
422 | 415 | 1763 Brought over £1337 15s 1½d Centinels brought over £89 4s 9½d Ridham Fry £3 16s ½d George French Discharged 16th May £1 18s 4d George Freeman £3 16s ½d Thomas Greenslade £3 16s ½d John Goodwell £3 16s ½d William Greenough Entertained 16 May £1 18s 4d John Hawoung £3 16s ½d William Hattiss Senr £3 16s ½d Thomas Harding £3 16s ½d Abraham Hilking £3 16s ½d Willm Hayes from the 1st April to the 18th Incl made Corporal £0 15s 0d Do made Corporal April 19th Inclusive £4 5s 2d John Hawksworth £3 16s ½d William Harris Entertained the 2d April £3 15s 0d Samuel Hiles £3 16s ½d William Hockley £3 16s ½d Arnold Hermson £3 16s ½d John Holloway £3 16s ½d John Halbrook £3 16s ½d James Hudson £3 16s ½d James Harley £3 16s ½d Clements Hylands Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Samuel Instone £3 16s ½d Richard Jones £3 16s ½d William Johnson Entertained 2d April £3 10s 0d Jeremiah Jordan Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Samuel Kettson £3 16s ½d Evan Knowles £3 16s ½d Edmond Leech Entertained 16 May £1 18s 4d Michael Meels discharged 20th June £3 7s 6d Thomas Mudge £3 16s ½d Samuel Perry £3 16s ½d William Pinchin £3 16s ½d Roger Phillips £3 16s ½d Abraham Renne £3 16s ½d Robert Saunders Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d James Sherlock Discharged 10th April £0 15s 0d William Steadman £3 16s ½d John Christian Stufe £3 16s ½d Thomas Stowers £3 16s ½d John Steedes £3 16s ½d Benjamin Stinger Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Luke Vernon from April 1 by 21 Incl Transfd to the 1 Company £0 17s 6d William Taylor £3 16s ½d John Tucket £3 16s ½d Avery Truman £3 16s ½d Thomas Wansell £3 16s ½d George Watts £2 16s ½d Richard Wilkinson £3 16s ½d £256 10s 1d Third Company Richard Beale Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Carried over £1667 9s 6d | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £1,337 15s 0½d brought forward. The Second Company's sentinels resumed from £89 4s 9½d and closed, after which the officers of the Third Company began. Salaries brought forward, £1,337 15s 0½d Sentinels brought forward, £89 4s 9½d William Fry, £3 16s 0½d George French, discharged 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d George Freeman, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greenslade, £3 16s 0½d John Goodwill, £3 16s 0½d William Greenough, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d John Harwood, £3 16s 0½d William Harris the elder, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Harding, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Hitberg, £3 16s 0½d William Hayes, as sentinel from 1 April 1763 to 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d William Hayes, as corporal from 19 April 1763, £4 5s 2d John Hawksworth, £3 16s 0½d William Harris, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Samuel Hiles, £3 16s 0½d William Hockley, £3 16s 0½d Arnold Hemson, £3 16s 0½d John Holloway, £3 16s 0½d John Holbrook, £3 16s 0½d James Hudson, £3 16s 0½d James Hurley, £3 16s 0½d Clements Hylands, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Samuel Johnstone, £3 16s 0½d Richard Jones, £3 16s 0½d William Johnson, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Jeremiah Jordan, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Samuel Kellson, £3 16s 0½d Evan Knowles, £3 16s 0½d Edmund Leech, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Michael Meels, discharged 20 June 1763, £3 7s 6d Thomas Mudge, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Perry, £3 16s 0½d William Pinchin, £3 16s 0½d Roger Phillips, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Rennie, £3 16s 0½d Robert Saunders, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d James Sherlock, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d William Steadman, £3 16s 0½d John Christian Stufe, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Stevens, £3 16s 0½d John Stoles, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Stinger, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Luke Vernon, from 1 April 1763 to 21 April 1763, then moved to the First Company, £0 17s 6d William Taylor, £3 16s 0½d John Tucker, £3 16s 0½d Avery Trueman, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Wansell, £3 16s 0½d George Watts, £3 16s 0½d Richard Williams, £3 16s 0½d Second Company sentinels' total, £256 10s 1d Third Company: Richard Beale, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Thomas Bazett, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Bazett, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Bazett, house rent, £2 10s 0d Thomas Bazett, total, £27 11s 10½d Salaries carried forward, £1,667 9s 6d The salaries total then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations William Hayes's entry shows promotion taking effect in pay to the day. He was paid as a sentinel at 10d a day until 18 April 1763 and as a corporal at 14d a day from 19 April 1763, filling the place left by the corporal William Harris, discharged on 18 April 1763. The two rolls together show a vacancy in the ranks being filled from within the company overnight, with the promoted man's wages recalculated at the higher rate from the very next day. Luke Vernon's two entries trace a single soldier between units. He was paid in the Second Company from 1 April 1763 to 21 April 1763 and appears on the First Company's roll as taken into pay there from 22 April 1763. The storekeeper split his quarter's pay exactly at the transfer, so that each company's roll carried only the days he actually served in it. The same care ran through the whole list and allowed each company's cost to be stated separately to the Directors. Richard Beale, already paid as judge advocate and schoolmaster, also held command of the Third Company as captain, and his captaincy was worth more than his two civil posts put together. His lieutenant, Thomas Bazett, added a further member of the Bazett family to the island's establishment. |
423 | 416 | 18th July Brought over £1667 17s 6d John Bridgwaters Leuitenant Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Serjeants Roger Wehvan £7 12s 1d George Bazett £7 12s 1d John Robinson £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson £7 12s 1d £30 8s 4d Corporals John Limmon £5 6s 5½d William Hill £5 6s 5½d Fisher Gambell £5 6s 5½d William Robinson £5 6s 5½d £21 5s 10d Drummers John Swaits £5 6s 5½d George Gallard £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Richard Ashford £3 16s ½d Thomas Abby Entertained the 2d April £3 15s 0d Thomas Adams do £3 15s 0d James Anderson do £3 15s 0d Henry Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Bull £3 16s ½d Mark Balls £3 16s ½d Benjamin Bennett £3 10s ½d Frederick William Beard £3 10s ½d John Blinkorn £3 16s ½d James Bellamy Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d James Brown do £1 18s 4d John Cripps £3 16s ½d John Corr £3 16s ½d Joseph Chamberlain £3 16s ½d William Clifton £3 16s ½d Baron Dolese £3 16s ½d William Dicks £3 16s ½d Charles Edgels £3 16s ½d Samuel Eagle £3 16s ½d William Foster £3 16s ½d Thomas Greyslock Discharged 4th April £0 3s 4d Alexander Gray £3 16s ½d Thomas Hinds discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d Felix Hyder £3 16s ½d John Hilliard £3 16s ½d John Herring Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Robert Inshurst £3 16s ½d Thomas Jones £3 16s ½d Joseph Johnson Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Alexander Kitchen Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d James Kemp £3 16s ½d James Lee £3 16s ½d Edward Law £3 16s ½d Richard Linney £3 16s ½d William Levingston Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d Lewis Lompffed £3 16s ½d John Long £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £123 19s 9½d Carried over £1757 16s 5½d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £1,667 17s 6d brought forward. The Third Company's second lieutenant came first, followed by its sergeants, corporals, drummers and sentinels. Salaries brought forward, £1,667 17s 6d John Bridgwater, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d John Bridgwater, diet money, £6 16s 10½d John Bridgwater, house rent, £2 10s 0d John Bridgwater, total, £27 11s 10½d Sergeants: Roger Wolvan, £7 12s 1d George Bazett, £7 12s 1d John Robinson, £7 12s 1d Richard Johnson, £7 12s 1d Sergeants' total, £30 8s 4d Corporals: John Lemmon, £5 6s 5½d William Hill, £5 6s 5½d Fisher Gambell, £5 6s 5½d William Robinson, £5 6s 5½d Corporals' total, £21 5s 10d Drummers: John Twaits, £5 6s 5½d George Gallard, £5 6s 5½d Drummers' total, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: Richard Ashford, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Abby, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Thomas Adams, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d James Anderson, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Henry Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Bull, £3 16s 0½d Mark Balls, £3 16s 0½d Benjamin Bennett, £3 16s 0½d Frederick William Beard, £3 16s 0½d John Blinkhorn, £3 16s 0½d James Bellamy, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d James Brown, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d John Cripps, £3 16s 0½d John Cox, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Chamberlain, £3 16s 0½d William Clifton, £3 16s 0½d Baron Dolfe, £3 16s 0½d William Dicks, £3 16s 0½d Charles Edgels, £3 16s 0½d Samuel Eagle, £3 16s 0½d William Foster, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Greystock, discharged 4 April 1763, £0 3s 4d Alexander Gray, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hinds, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d Felix Hyder, £3 16s 0½d John Hilliard, £3 16s 0½d John Herring, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Robert Inkhurst, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Jones, £3 16s 0½d Josiah Johnson, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Alexander Kitchen, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d James Kemp, £3 16s 0½d James Lee, £3 16s 0½d Edward Law, £3 16s 0½d Richard Linney, £3 16s 0½d William Livingston, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d Lewis Lampford, £3 16s 0½d John Long, £3 16s 0½d Sentinels' total carried forward, £123 19s 9½d Salaries carried forward, £1,757 16s 5½d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The discharges on 18 April 1763 now covered men from all three companies, among them Thomas Hinds, Alexander Kitchen and William Livingston here, alongside the corporal William Harris and several sentinels on the earlier rolls. A release of this size on one day across the whole garrison points to a single decision, most probably men whose terms had expired being sent home together on a ship leaving the road. The steady stream of recruits on 2 April and 16 May 1763 replaced them, keeping the garrison near its established strength. Several names on the Third Company's roll matched men paid elsewhere in the list for civilian work. Joseph Chamberlain was the carpenter's mate, and John Robinson, a sergeant here, shared his name with the island's carpenter. Where these were the same men, soldiers were drawing a second wage as tradesmen, which gave the Company skilled labour from within the garrison at little extra cost. George Bazett, another sergeant, added yet another member of that family to the island's pay roll. |
424 | 417 | 1763 Brought over £1757 16s 5½d Centinels brought over £123 19s 9½d John Langridge £3 16s ½d Edward Sanbourn £3 16s ½d Abraham Mayor £3 16s ½d Charles Mountague £3 16s ½d Richard Moyce £3 16s ½d Thomas Morris £3 16s ½d John Maurice £3 16s ½d William Mason Senr discharged 6th May £1 10s 0d William Mason Junr £3 16s ½d Thomas Mathews Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Peter Nelson Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Darby O'Brien Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d John Passwater £3 16s ½d Thomas Petty £3 16s ½d Joseph Phillips Discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d Do Entertained 25 April £2 15s 10d James Proctor £3 16s ½d Thomas Pearce £3 16s ½d Henry Pinchen £3 16s ½d William Roberts Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Robert Stack £3 16s ½d Adam Scott £3 16s ½d John Henry Scarenhurst £3 16s ½d David Scott £3 16s ½d John Smith Senr £3 16s ½d John Smith Junr £3 16s ½d Francis Soane Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Thomas Simkins do £3 15s 0d John Thompson £3 16s ½d Joseph Uffin £3 16s ½d John Vaughn £3 16s ½d John Wilcox £3 16s ½d John Walden £3 16s ½d Thomas Wade Entertained 2 April £3 15s 0d Edward Witch do £3 15s 0d William Yates do £3 16s ½d James York £3 16s ½d £252 6s 8d Fourth Company John Howard Captain Salary £45 12s 6d Henry Delaune Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do diet Money £6 16s 10½d Do House Rent £2 10s 0d £27 11s 10½d Thomas Lambert Lieut Salary £18 5s 0d Do Diet Money £6 16s 10½d £25 1s 10½d Serjeants John Flemming £7 12s 1d Thomas Jarris £7 12s 1d Henry Harper discharged 4 April £0 6s 8d George Hillesheim £7 12s 1d £23 2s 11d Corporals Richard Wright from Apl 1 to the 4th Incl Made Serjt £0 4s 3d Do Serjeant from April the 5th Inclusive £7 5s 0d Alexander Trowbridge £5 6s 5½d Corporals Carried over £12 16s 1½d Carried over £2131 12s 3d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £1,757 16s 5½d brought forward. The Third Company's sentinels resumed from £123 19s 9½d and closed, after which the Fourth Company's officers, sergeants and corporals began. Salaries brought forward, £1,757 16s 5½d Sentinels brought forward, £123 19s 9½d John Langridge, £3 16s 0½d Edward Sambourn, £3 16s 0½d Abraham Mayo, £3 16s 0½d Charles Mountague, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moyce, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Morris, £3 16s 0½d John Maurice, £3 16s 0½d William Mason the elder, discharged 6 May 1763, £1 10s 0d William Mason the younger, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Mathews, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Peter Nelson, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Darby O'Brien, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d John Passwater, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Petty, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Phillips, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d Joseph Phillips, enlisted again 25 April 1763, £2 15s 10d James Proctor, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Pearce, £3 16s 0½d Henry Pinchen, £3 16s 0½d William Roberts, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Robert Stock, £3 16s 0½d Adam Scott, £3 16s 0½d John Henry Scarenhurst, £3 16s 0½d David Seale, £3 16s 0½d John Smith the elder, £3 16s 0½d John Smith the younger, £3 16s 0½d Francis Soane, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Thomas Simkins, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d John Thompson, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Ufton, £3 16s 0½d John Vaughan, £3 16s 0½d John Wilson, £3 16s 0½d John Madden, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Wade, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Edward Witch, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d William Yates, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d James York, £3 16s 0½d Third Company sentinels' total, £252 6s 8d Fourth Company: John Howard, captain, salary, £45 12s 6d Henry Delaune, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Henry Delaune, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Henry Delaune, house rent, £2 10s 0d Henry Delaune, total, £27 11s 10½d Thomas Lambert, lieutenant, salary, £18 5s 0d Thomas Lambert, diet money, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Lambert, total, £25 1s 10½d Sergeants: John Flemming, £7 12s 1d Thomas Tims, £7 12s 1d Henry Harper, discharged 4 April 1763, £0 6s 8d George Hillesheim, £7 12s 1d Sergeants' total, £23 2s 11d Corporals: Richard Wright, as corporal from 1 April 1763 to 4 April 1763, then made sergeant, £0 4s 8d Richard Wright, as sergeant from 5 April 1763, £7 5s 0d Alexander Trowbridge, £5 6s 5½d Corporals' total carried forward, £12 16s 1½d Salaries carried forward, £2,131 12s 3½d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations Joseph Phillips was discharged on 18 April 1763 along with the other men released across the garrison that day, then enlisted again on 25 April 1763. He was paid nothing for the week between. The pattern suggests that a discharge marked the end of a soldier's term of engagement rather than his permanent departure, and that a man could take a fresh engagement on new terms after a short break. For the Company, re-enlisting a trained soldier already on the island was far cheaper than shipping a recruit from England. Richard Wright's promotion filled the place of the sergeant Henry Harper, discharged on 4 April 1763, with no gap at all. Wright was paid as a corporal at 14d a day to 4 April 1763 and as a sergeant at 20d a day from 5 April 1763. Taken with William Hayes's rise from sentinel to corporal in the Second Company, the rolls show vacancies in the ranks being filled by promotion from within, each step raising the man's daily pay by a fixed amount. |
425 | 418 | 18th July Brought over £2131 12s 3½d Corporals brought over £12 16s 1½d Christian Holmucle £5 6s 5½d Thomas Hilliard £5 6s 5½d £23 9s ½d Drummers George Wills £5 6s 5½d Robert Davis £5 6s 5½d £10 12s 11d Centinels Daniel Ammen £3 16s ½d John Allen £3 16s ½d George Bennet £3 16s ½d John Blackwell £3 16s ½d Joseph Blackwell £3 16s ½d Michael Brown £3 16s ½d Jacob Barnard £3 16s ½d John Brooke Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d Thomas Bailey Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d James Cartwright £3 16s ½d George Cappling £3 16s ½d William Cockshay £3 16s ½d Duncan Cameron £3 16s ½d Jonathan Chandler £3 16s ½d Henry Coster £3 16s ½d John Cunningham £3 16s ½d James Cutchee £3 16s ½d John Carey Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d Henry Davis £3 16s ½d John Custrie £3 16s ½d George Finn £3 16s ½d George Green £3 16s ½d Richard Goulding £3 16s ½d John Gilmore £3 16s ½d Christian Greenawald £3 16s ½d Joseph Gilder £3 16s ½d Edward German £3 16s ½d Joseph Goss £3 16s ½d Thomas Hailes £3 16s ½d Henry Hatenburg £3 16s ½d James Hendree £3 16s ½d John Howrston £3 16s ½d Stephen John £3 16s ½d Henry Jenkins £3 16s ½d Christian Johnson £3 16s ½d William Lambourn £3 16s ½d William Larouche £3 16s ½d Thomas Lee Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d John Marsh £3 16s ½d Richard Moreton £3 16s ½d Simon Mason £3 16s ½d Murdock Mc Cloed £3 16s ½d John Baptist Mitchland £3 16s ½d John Mc Allister £3 16s ½d William Mitchel £3 16s ½d John Mc Donald Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d John Nairn Entertained 16th May £1 18s 4d John Oswald £3 16s ½d Thomas Paxton £3 16s ½d Centinels Carried over £176 13s 9½d Carried over £2165 14s 3d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £2,131 12s 3½d brought forward. The Fourth Company's corporals resumed from £12 16s 1½d, followed by its drummers and sentinels. Salaries brought forward, £2,131 12s 3½d Corporals brought forward, £12 16s 1½d Christian Hohmuele, £5 6s 5½d Thomas Hilliard, £5 6s 5½d Corporals' total, £23 9s 0½d Drummers: George Wills, £5 6s 5½d Robert Davis, £5 6s 5½d Drummers' total, £10 12s 11d Sentinels: Daniel Armen, £3 16s 0½d John Allen, £3 16s 0½d George Bennet, £3 16s 0½d John Blackwell, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Blackwell, £3 16s 0½d Michael Brown, £3 16s 0½d Jacob Barnard, £3 16s 0½d John Brooke, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Thomas Bailey, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d James Cartwright, £3 16s 0½d George Coppling, £3 16s 0½d William Cockshay, £3 16s 0½d Duncan Cameron, £3 16s 0½d Jonathan Chandler, £3 16s 0½d Henry Coster, £3 16s 0½d John Cunningham, £3 16s 0½d James Cutcher, £3 16s 0½d John Carey, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d Henry Davis, £3 16s 0½d John [...], £3 16s 0½d George Finn, £3 16s 0½d George Green, £3 16s 0½d Richard Goulding, £3 16s 0½d John Gilmore, £3 16s 0½d Christian Greenawald, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Gilster, £3 16s 0½d Edward German, £3 16s 0½d Joseph Good, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Hailes, £3 16s 0½d Henry Hatenburg, £3 16s 0½d James Hendree, £3 16s 0½d John Houston, £3 16s 0½d Stephen John, £3 16s 0½d Henry Jenkins, £3 16s 0½d Christian Johnson, £3 16s 0½d William Lambourn, £3 16s 0½d William Larouche, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Lee, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d John Marsh, £3 16s 0½d Richard Moreton, £3 16s 0½d Simon Mason, £3 16s 0½d Murdoch McCleod, £3 16s 0½d John Baptist Mitchland, £3 16s 0½d John McAllister, £3 16s 0½d William Mitchel, £3 16s 0½d John McDonald, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d John Nairn, enlisted 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d John Oswald, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Paston, £3 16s 0½d Sentinels' total carried forward, £176 13s 9½d Salaries carried forward, £2,165 14s 3d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The Fourth Company's roll carried a noticeably mixed body of men. Names such as Christian Hohmuele, Christian Greenawald, Henry Hatenburg and John Baptist Mitchland point to German or Swiss recruits, and William Larouche perhaps to a French or Huguenot background. Alongside them stood a strong Scottish element in Duncan Cameron, Murdoch McCleod, John McAllister, John McDonald and John Nairn. The Company filled its distant garrisons wherever it could find willing men, and St Helena's soldiers were drawn from across northern Europe as well as from England. Unlike the other three companies, the Fourth recorded no discharges at all during the quarter on this part of its roll, only enlistments on 2 April and 16 May 1763. The release of men on 18 April 1763 therefore fell unevenly across the garrison, which suggests it depended on the terms each man had signed rather than on any general reduction of strength. |
426 | 419 | 1763 Brought over £2165 14s 3d Centinels brought over £176 13s 9½d Francis Powell from April 1st to the 4th made Corporal £0 3s 4d Do Corporal from April the 5 Inclusive £5 1s 6d Littleton Pigott discharged 18th April £0 15s 0d John Pipkin Entd from the Artill. Comp 16th May £1 18s 4d James Richardson £3 16s ½d Patrick Riley £3 16s ½d Thomas Rutherford £3 16s ½d John Scotcher £3 16s ½d John Shaw £3 16s ½d William Seatman £3 16s ½d James Shed £3 16s ½d John Swindall £3 16s ½d John Steens £3 16s ½d John Smith £3 16s ½d Zedekiah Saunderson £3 16s ½d Roderick Shaffer £3 16s ½d Thomas Tuffnell £3 16s ½d John Thompson £3 16s ½d Thomas Taylor £3 16s ½d Jeremiah Whorsell £3 16s ½d William Wells £3 16s ½d William Weide Entertained 2d April £3 15s 0d £256 15s 8d Artillery Company Thomas Kell Master Gunner from Apl 1st to May 15th made Capt £11 5s 0d Do Diet Money £3 7s 6d Do Captain from May 16th Inclusive £23 0s 0d £37 12s 6d Gunners Mates Nathan Sample Chief Mate £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch £9 2s 6d Adam Wilson £9 2s 6d James Long £9 2s 6d John Jacks £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor £9 2s 6d John Shirley £9 2s 6d Richard Waterhouse £9 2s 6d £75 5s 7½d Quarter Gunners Andrew Norton £6 16s 10½d Thomas Jones £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham £6 16s 10½d Daniel Gingle £6 16s 10½d John Hendrick Walters discharged 18th April £1 7s 0d William Fletcher £6 16s 10½d George Nixon £6 16s 10½d Josiah Ratcliff discharged 30th May £4 10s 0d £46 18s 3d Matrosses William Benson £4 11s 3d Benjamin Burton £4 11s 3d William Brown £4 11s 3d Isaac Buck £4 11s 3d Richard Broom £4 11s 3d John Adam Brazier discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d John Bowet Entertained 19th April £0 15s 0d John Cope £4 11s 3d John Cox from ye 1 April to the 30th May made Qur Gunr £0 0s 6d Do from the 31 May Incl. Quarter Gunner £2 6s 6d Matrosses Carried over £31 8s 0d Carried over £2582 6s 3½d | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £2,165 14s 3d brought forward. The Fourth Company's sentinels resumed from £176 13s 9½d and closed, after which the officers and men of the Artillery Company followed. Salaries brought forward, £2,165 14s 3d Sentinels brought forward, £176 13s 9½d Francis Pocelle, as sentinel from 1 April 1763 to 4 April 1763, then made corporal, £0 3s 4d Francis Pocelle, as corporal from 5 April 1763, £5 1s 6d Littleton Pigott, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 15s 0d John Popham, transferred from the Artillery Company 16 May 1763, £1 18s 4d James Richardson, £3 16s 0½d Patrick Riley, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Rutherford, £3 16s 0½d John Scotcher, £3 16s 0½d John Shaw, £3 16s 0½d William Seetman, £3 16s 0½d James Shed, £3 16s 0½d John Swindall, £3 16s 0½d John Stevens, £3 16s 0½d John Smith, £3 16s 0½d Zedekiah Saunderson, £3 16s 0½d Roderick Shaffer, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Tuffrell, £3 16s 0½d John Thompson, £3 16s 0½d Thomas Taylor, £3 16s 0½d Jeremiah Whorrell, £3 16s 0½d William Wells, £3 16s 0½d William Wade, enlisted 2 April 1763, £3 15s 0d Fourth Company sentinels' total, £256 15s 8d Artillery Company: Thomas Kell, as master gunner from 1 April 1763 to 15 May 1763, then made captain, £11 5s 0d Thomas Kell, diet money for the same period, £3 7s 6d Thomas Kell, as captain from 16 May 1763, £23 0s 0d Thomas Kell, total, £37 12s 6d Gunner's mates: Nathan Sample, chief mate, £11 8s 1½d John Whitchurch, £9 2s 6d Adam Watson, £9 2s 6d James Long, £9 2s 6d John Jacks, £9 2s 6d Thomas Taylor, £9 2s 6d John Stukley, £9 2s 6d Richard Waterhouse, £9 2s 6d Gunner's mates' total, £75 5s 7½d Quarter gunners: Andrew Norton, £6 16s 10½d Thomas Jones, £6 16s 10½d Robert Cunningham, £6 16s 10½d Daniel Single, £6 16s 10½d John Hendrick Walters, discharged 18 April 1763, £1 7s 0d William Fletcher, £6 16s 10½d George Nixon, £6 16s 10½d Josiah Ratcliff, discharged 30 May 1763, £4 10s 0d Quarter gunners' total, £46 18s 3d Matrosses: William Benson, £4 11s 3d Benjamin Burton, £4 11s 3d William Brown, £4 11s 3d Isaac Buck, £4 11s 3d Richard Boon, £4 11s 3d John Adam Brazier, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d John Bowes, enlisted 19 April 1763, £3 13s 0d John Cope, £4 11s 3d John Cox, as matross from 1 April 1763 to 30 May 1763, then made quarter gunner, £3 0s 0d John Cox, as quarter gunner from 31 May 1763, £2 5s 0d Matrosses' total carried forward, £37 3s 6d Salaries carried forward, £2,582 6s 3½d Both totals then passed to the next page of the list. Interpretations The Artillery Company was paid on a separate and higher scale than the infantry, reflecting the skill needed to handle the island's guns. A matross, the artillery's private soldier who hauled, loaded and sponged the guns under a gunner's direction, earned 12d a day against a sentinel's 10d. A quarter gunner, in charge of a small number of guns, earned 18d a day, and a gunner's mate 2s. On an island whose defence rested chiefly on its batteries commanding the landing places, the Company paid a clear premium for trained gunners. Thomas Kell's promotion from master gunner to captain on 16 May 1763 doubled his daily pay from 5s to 10s. His elevation to the command of a company marked the artillery's standing as a unit on an equal footing with the four infantry companies, and it came on the same day as the transfers of men between the artillery and the infantry recorded on the earlier rolls. The changes together suggest a reorganisation of the artillery around that date. Promotions again filled vacancies with no gap. John Cox rose from matross to quarter gunner on 31 May 1763, the day after the quarter gunner Josiah Ratcliff was discharged. Francis Pocelle was made corporal on 5 April 1763, at the same moment as Richard Wright moved up to sergeant, filling the step left below him. Zedekiah Saunderson, paid as a sentinel here, was also the Company's groom at £2 0s 0d a quarter. His case confirms that soldiers took on civilian work for a second wage, supplying the island with labour from within the garrison. |
427 | 420 | 18th July Brought over £2582 6s 3½d Matrosses brought over £31 8s 0d John Criswell £4 11s 3d Thomas Colhart £4 11s 3d Thomas Clark £4 11s 3d Edmond Conner Entertained 2 April £4 10s 0d William Mc Cullough Entertained 16th May £2 6s 0d Andrew Crichton do £2 6s 0d John Dowie £4 11s 3d Edward Durand £4 11s 3d Christian Dyatt Discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d Michael Downing from ye 1 April to the 15th May Transd to the 2 Compy £2 5s 0d John Fredrick Emmerling discharged 18 April £0 18s 0d Daniel Finn £4 11s 3d Thomas Mc Kerling Entertained 16th May £2 6s 0d Joseph Fellows do £2 6s 0d Willm Isaac Ford from 1 April to the 15 May Transd to the 2 Compy £2 5s 0d John Grainger £4 11s 3d Robert Gillson Entertained 2d April £4 10s 0d Willm Hodge from 1 Apr to 18 made Qur Gunner £0 18s 0d Do Quarter Gunner from the 19 April Inclv £5 9s 6d Nicholas Houghton £4 11s 3d Laurence Hall Entertained 19th April £3 13s 0d James Hill Entertaind 16th May £2 6s 0d Thomas Haycock discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d Edward Jenkins £4 11s 3d William Johnson Entertained 6th May £2 16s 0d John Jack Entertained 16th May £2 6s 0d Richard Kempton £4 11s 3d Bryan Lynch £4 11s 3d William Lester discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d Peter Mitchel do £0 18s 0d Daniel Maloney £4 11s 3d John Marlor Entertained 16th May £2 6s 0d Barnard Millcord do £2 6s 0d Evan Nowland £4 11s 3d Thomas Nimble £4 11s 3d John Pipkin from 1 Apl to 15 May Transd to the 1 Company £2 5s 0d John Black £4 11s 3d William Phillips £4 11s 3d William Poulten £4 11s 3d John Robinson William Rescord Discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d Christopher Reynolds £4 11s 3d John Slaughter £4 11s 3d John Starr £4 11s 3d George Straight £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith £4 11s 3d Jeffry Smith £4 11s 3d Andrew Mc Swan Entertained 16th May £2 6s 0d William Vickson do £2 6s 0d John Vinnen do £2 6s 0d Frederick Simmerman discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d John Turner £4 11s 3d John Thomason £4 11s 3d Richard Fink discharged 29 April £1 2s 0d Thomas Watts £4 11s 3d John Ware £4 11s 3d John Webley £4 11s 3d Eustace White Entertained 16th May £2 6s 0d Thomas Wyatt discharged 18th April £0 18s 0d John Michel Wageling do £0 18s 0d Nathaniel Young £4 11s 3d £239 10s 0d £2821 16s 3½d Margin Notes: [...] | The pay list for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 continued from a running total of £2,582 6s 3½d brought forward. The Artillery Company's matrosses resumed from £37 3s 6d and closed, bringing the whole list to its final total. Salaries brought forward, £2,582 6s 3½d Matrosses brought forward, £37 3s 6d John Crisswell, £4 11s 3d Thomas Collhat, £4 11s 3d Thomas Clark, £4 11s 3d Edmund Conner, enlisted 2 April 1763, £4 10s 0d William McCullough, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Andrew Crichton, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d John Dowie, £4 11s 3d Edward Durand, £4 11s 3d Christian Dyall, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d Michael Downing, from 1 April 1763 to 15 May 1763, then moved to the Second Company, £2 5s 0d John Frederick Emmerling, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d Daniel Finn, £4 11s 3d Thomas McAreling, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Joseph Fellows, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d William Isaac Ford, from 1 April 1763 to 15 May 1763, then moved to the Second Company, £2 5s 0d John Grainger, £4 11s 3d Robert Gillson, enlisted 2 April 1763, £4 10s 0d William Hodge, as matross from 1 April 1763 to 18 April 1763, then made quarter gunner, £0 18s 0d William Hodge, as quarter gunner from 19 April 1763, £5 9s 6d Nicholas Houghton, £4 11s 3d Laurence Hall, enlisted 19 April 1763, £3 13s 0d James Hill, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Thomas Haycock, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d Edward Jenkins, £4 11s 3d William Johnson, enlisted 6 May 1763, £2 16s 0d John Jack, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Richard Kempton, £4 11s 3d Bryan Lynch, £4 11s 3d William Lester, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d Peter Mitchel, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d Daniel Maloney, £4 11s 3d John Martin, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Barnard Millard, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Evan Nowland, £4 11s 3d Thomas Nimble, £4 11s 3d John Popham, from 1 April 1763 to 15 May 1763, then moved to the Fourth Company, £2 5s 0d John Black, £4 11s 3d William Phillips, £4 11s 3d William Poulton, £4 11s 3d William Pascoe, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d John Robinson, £4 11s 3d Christopher Reynolds, £4 11s 3d John Slaughter, £4 11s 3d John Shaw, £4 11s 3d George Streight, £4 11s 3d Samuel Smith, £4 11s 3d Jeffry Smith, £4 11s 3d Andrew McSwan, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d William Vickson, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d John Vinner, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Frederick Timmerman, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d John Turner, £4 11s 3d John Thomason, £4 11s 3d Richard Tink, discharged 29 April 1763, £1 9s 0d Thomas Watts, £4 11s 3d John Ware, £4 11s 3d John Wilby, £4 11s 3d Eustace White, enlisted 16 May 1763, £2 6s 0d Thomas Wyatt, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d John Michel Wagelein, discharged 18 April 1763, £0 18s 0d Nathaniel Young, £4 11s 3d Matrosses' total, £239 10s 0d Total of salaries and pay for the quarter, £2,821 16s 3½d Interpretations The quarter's pay list closed at £2,821 16s 3½d, a rate of over £11,000 a year for the island's officers, servants and soldiers. Well over three-quarters of it went to the garrison. The figure far exceeded the cost of the stores issued in the same quarter, which shows that the chief expense of holding St Helena was not goods but men, and above all the soldiers kept to guard it. The artillery drew in the largest share of the new men who landed on 16 May 1763, taking 13 recruits on that day alone. On the same day it passed three trained matrosses, Michael Downing, William Isaac Ford and John Popham, to the infantry companies, and its master gunner was raised to captain. The simultaneous changes point to a deliberate rebuilding of the artillery once fresh recruits arrived, with raw men placed where they could be trained under experienced gunners and seasoned soldiers released to strengthen the foot companies. Several matrosses shared names with men paid elsewhere for civilian duties. John Crisswell was the coxswain of the longboat, George Streight the armourer and John Robinson the carpenter. If these were the same individuals, as seems probable in so small a community, the artillery supplied a pool of skilled men whose trades the Company used while still counting them as soldiers. The artillery's higher pay would have made it the natural home for such craftsmen. The discharges of 18 April 1763 reached deep into the artillery as well, taking eight matrosses and a quarter gunner. Names such as Emmerling, Timmerman and Wagelein among them suggest that a number of the German recruits enlisted together finished their terms together and left the island on the same ship. |
428 | 421 | Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr 1763 June 30th To Cash received £4625 15s 11d Carried over £4625 15s 11d Per Contra Cr 1763 April 6th By Cash paid Wm Kelafar for acting as Cryer of the Court £0 5s 0d 8 By Cash paid Mr Geo: Cooper Surgeon of the Ship Egmont for his care of thirty Recruits from England to St Helena £7 10s 0d By Cash paid Capt. Rogr Mainwaring for the passage of one Invalid and two French prisoners £45 0s 0d 18 By Cash paid Geo: Young, Thos Hilliard, Richd Linney, Josh Blackwell, John Hawkswood Wm Mumford, Edward Law, Wm Conquest, John Stone, Thos Clark, Abrm Harding, John Gilmore, Geo: Wills, Jonn Lake, Wm Bannister, Wm Swaby, Fisher Gambel, Richd Ashford John Goodsall, Richd Read, John Wittingdale, Danl Tongue, Willm Poulton, Peter Brown Luke Vernon, Henry Howell, Edd Couzens, Thos Perry, Willm Stedman and John Pickering for Relisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years Longer as Soldiers £300 0s 0d By Cash paid Laurence Hall, John Stewart and John Bowyer for enlisting to serve the Honorable Company five Years as Soldiers Commencing this day £15 0s 0d 25th By Cash paid Joseph Phillips for relistg to serve the Honorable Company five Years longer as a Soldier £10 0s 0d By Cash paid Captn Charles Mears for Sundrys viz 2 half Firkins Butter £4 0s 0d 3 Gloucester Cheeses £2 6s 9d 30 lb Currants £1 10s 0d 8 lb Mustard Flour £1 12s 0d ½ Cask Pickles £1 16s 0d £11 4s 9d By Cash paid Martin Richards [...] for 28 days Carpenters Work on the Honorable Company's Long Boat @ 1/6 ⅌ day £2 2s 0d May 12 By Cash paid John Shelley for Lodging &c of Thos Kerrell fourth Mate of the Mercury Snow £1 18s 0d By Cash paid George Hillesheim for Coopers Work done this Quarter £0 11s 3d 15th By Cash paid Capt. Mainwaring for 51 1 19 lb Rice at 8 ⅌ C £20 11s 4d 24th By Cash paid Benjamin Mason for 8 Gallons Sea Cow Oil at 3/6 ⅌ Gallon £1 8s 0d By Cash paid do for 25 Loads of Rushes for the use of the Honorable Company £0 12s 6d By Cash paid Captain Bowland for Sundrys viz 1 Doz: Bottles Goosberries £1 4s 0d 18 lb Currants £1 16s 0d 6 Pots Mince Meat £1 10s 0d £4 10s 0d Carried over £[...] | Thomas Kirkpatrick, the paymaster, set out his cash account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763. On the receiving side he recorded a single sum taken in on 30 June 1763. 30 June 1763, cash received, £4,625 15s 11d Total received carried forward, £4,625 15s 11d On the paying side he entered each disbursement by date. The payments of 18 April 1763 went to 30 serving soldiers who agreed to stay with the Company for a further five years: George Young, Thomas Hilliard, Richard Linney, Joseph Blackwell, John Hawkswood, William Mumford, Edward Law, William Conquest, John Slove, Thomas Clark, Abraham Harding, John Gilmore, George Wills, Jonathan Lake, William Bannister, William Swaby, Fisher Gambel, Richard Ashford, John Goodsall, Richard Read, John Whittingdale, Daniel Tongue, William Poulton, Peter Brown, Luke Vernon, Henry Howell, Edward Couzens, Thomas Perry, William Stedman and John Pickering. Three new men, Laurence Hall, John Steward and John Bowyer, were paid on the same day for enlisting as soldiers for five years from that date. 6 April 1763, William Kellifar, for serving as crier of the court, £0 5s 0d 8 April 1763, George Cooper, surgeon of the ship Egmont, for looking after 30 recruits on the passage from England to St Helena, £7 10s 0d Captain Roger Mainwaring, for the passage of one invalid and two French prisoners, £15 0s 0d 18 April 1763, the 30 soldiers named above, for re-enlisting for five more years, £300 0s 0d 18 April 1763, Laurence Hall, John Steward and John Bowyer, for enlisting for five years, £15 0s 0d 25 April 1763, Joseph Phillips, for re-enlisting for five more years, £10 0s 0d Captain Charles Mears, for provisions: 2 half-firkins of butter, £4 0s 0d 3 Gloucester cheeses, £2 6s 9d 30 pounds of currants, £1 10s 0d 8 pounds of mustard flour, £1 12s 0d ½ cask of pickles, £1 16s 0d Captain Charles Mears, total, £11 4s 9d Martin Richards [...], for 28 days of carpentry on the Company's longboat at 1s 6d a day, £2 2s 0d 12 May 1763, John Stukley, for lodging and keep of Thomas Kerrill, fourth mate of the snow Mercury, £1 18s 0d George Hillesheim, for cooper's work done in the quarter, £0 11s 3d 15 May 1763, Captain Mainwaring, for 51 hundredweight 1 quarter 19 pounds of rice at 8s a hundredweight, £20 11s 4d 24 May 1763, Benjamin Mason, for 8 gallons of sea cow oil at 3s 6d a gallon, £1 8s 0d Benjamin Mason, for 25 loads of rushes for the Company's use, £0 12s 6d Captain Bowland, for provisions: 1 dozen bottles of gooseberries, £1 4s 0d 1 dozen bottles of currants, £1 16s 0d 6 pots of mincemeat, £1 10s 0d Captain Bowland, total, £4 10s 0d Total paid carried forward, £390 12s 10d Interpretations The re-enlistment payments explain the wave of discharges recorded across the garrison on 18 April 1763. A cohort of soldiers reached the end of their five-year engagements on that day. The 30 men named here accepted a bounty of £10 each to serve five more years and stayed on the rolls at full pay without a break, while those who declined were discharged and paid only to that date. Joseph Phillips, discharged on 18 April 1763, changed his mind within a week and collected the same £10 on 25 April 1763, which is why he reappears on the roll from that day. What looked in the pay list like a mass departure was in fact the routine renewal of the garrison's terms of service. New recruits received half as much. Laurence Hall, John Steward and John Bowyer were each paid £5 for enlisting, and their start dates on the rolls, 18 and 19 April 1763, match these payments. The 30 recruits cared for on the Egmont by its surgeon were the men taken into pay on 2 April 1763, whose landing marked the first of the quarter's drafts. William Kellifar, paid 5s for acting as crier of the court on 6 April 1763, was one of the soldiers discharged on 18 April 1763. Minor court offices, like trades such as carpentry and coopering, were filled from the ranks for a small fee. George Hillesheim, a sergeant in the Fourth Company, was likewise paid here for cooper's work. Sea cow oil was rendered from the blubber of seals or sea lions that hauled out on remote southern shores, and it served as a cheaper local alternative to imported train oil for lamps. The rushes were cut for thatching and for strewing floors. The purchases from ships' captains, of Gloucester cheese, butter, pickles, mincemeat and bottled fruit, show the paymaster buying English delicacies from passing commanders for the public table, goods the Company's own stores did not supply. Speculations The Company paid its time-expired soldiers £10 each to stay, double the £5 given to a new recruit, and spent £300 on it in a single day. Letting the men go and replacing them with fresh recruits would have looked cheaper on the bounty alone. The same page shows why that course was passed over. Every recruit from England had to be shipped out, with the surgeon of the Egmont paid for keeping them alive on the passage, and would arrive untrained and unseasoned to the island. A soldier already on St Helena carried no passage cost and no risk of dying at sea, and knew the batteries and the ground. Paying the higher bounty bought experience and saved the expense and uncertainty of shipping a replacement. |
429 | 422 | 18th July Thomas Kirkpatrick Paymaster Dr To Cash brought forward £4625 15s 11d £4625 15s 11d | The receiving side of the account kept by Thomas Kirkpatrick, the paymaster, continued on 18 July 1763 with the cash total carried over from the previous page. No further receipts were entered against it. Cash brought forward, £4,625 15s 11d Total received, £4,625 15s 11d |
430 | 423 | 1763 Per Contra Cr Brought over £390 12s [...]d 1763 May 28th By Cash paid Richd Goodwin for 8 Gallons of Sea Cow Oil at 3 [...] ⅌ Gallon £1 5s 8d By Cash paid Captain Harrod for his extra Charges £10 15s 1d June 22d By Cash paid Captain Jamson for [...] 15 ⅌ Cent [...] £22 1s 3d By Cash paid Captain Smith for 28 2 19 Rice at 8 ⅌ C £11 19s 4d By Cash paid Mr John Parkhouse Second Mate Edd Jordan, John Piggot, Edd Cowen, Nat Scarlett, Abm Bennet, Samuel Joice, James Wheeler, Samuel Bowers, John Rogers, H[...] Rolfe Wm Grayham, William Lewis & Martin Richards, Seamen discharged from the Snow Mercury £231 7s 2d 28th By Cash paid Mr Wm Scroggs Chief Mate & Mr Evan Hook second of the Fly Cutter Each £20 0s 0d By Cash paid Solomon Jacobs for the Subsistence of 53 discharg Soldiers 608 days at 6d ⅌ day £15 4s 0d By Cash paid Benj. Mason for 40 Loads of Rushes for the use of the Honble Compy at 6d ⅌ Load £1 0s 0d By Cash paid Willm Isaac Ford for 8 days work in the Long Boat £1 0s 0d By Cash paid do for 4 Days work in the new Cutter £0 10s 0d By Cash paid Richard Kayley for 16 Cabbages and 130 Lemons for the use of the Honble Compys Table £1 10s 5d By Cash paid Edd Durand for 10 Weeks work in the Armourers Shop this Quarter at 1/6 ⅌ Day £4 10s 0d £1 2s 6d By Cash paid John Stevens for 15 days at do £2 8s 0d By Cash paid Willm Mumford for 8 Weeks work in do at 1/[...] ⅌ day £0 15s 0d By Cash paid Wm Harris for 13 days do in do at 1/[...] ⅌ day £0 12s 0d By Cash paid Edd Povey for 8 days do in do at 1/6 ⅌ day £0 12s 0d 30th By Cash paid Geo: Barnard for 150 Apples for the use of the Table By Cash paid John Robinson for his Commons on board the Fly Cutter from 12th Jan to the 25th Mar 1763 at 1/[...] ⅌ Day £5 7s 0d By Cash paid John Langridge for acting as Cryer of the Court £0 5s 0d By Cash paid Robt Barclay for his care in the Hospital of John Robinson left here out of the Ship Godolphin £9 11s 0d By Cash paid do for do of Adams & French Prisoners left out of the Ship Godolphin [...] £1 1s 7d By Cash paid do for do of [...] of St George 43 days at 7d ⅌ Day £1 5s 1d By Cash paid do for do of Louis Pletcher belong to the Fly Cutter 13 days £0 10s 6d By Cash paid do for do of Charles Purfoy's discharg Soldier 43 days at do £1 5s 1d By Cash paid do for do of Samuel [...] belong to the Mercury Snow 21 Days at do £0 12s 3d By Cash paid Robert Brown for Painters Work done this Quarter £2 12s 6d By Cash paid Mark Balls and Michael Reed for Baking 17 Batches of Bread this Quarter for the use of the Garrison at 20 [...] £9 15s 0d By Cash paid Sundry persons for work in the Honorable Companys Long Boat this Quarter £8 19s 0d By Cash paid do for coming Express with Account of Ships to Windward £4 0s 0d By Cash paid do for 254 days work in repairing damage done to the Plantations [...] £12 14s 0d By Cash paid do for unloading the Storeships receiving Goods from on board other Ships and erecting a Place for Storing Provisions the Magazines not being large enough in the Magazines for that purpose 793½ days £39 13s 6d By Cash paid do for 263 days work in repairing Lemon Valley Fort, Mundens Point, Guard Room and Clearing the Water Trenches £13 3s 0d By Cash paid do for 192 days work in digging [...] in the Long Wood & [...] in the Pastures £9 12s 0d By Cash paid do for 48 days work in getting Stone and Mortar at the New Barracks £2 8s 0d By Cash paid do for 70 days work on board the Fly Cutter £3 10s 0d By Cash paid do for 110 days work in [...] and Ruperts paths damaged by heavy Rains 76 days £3 16s 0d By Cash paid do for [...] several of the Compys Houses being damaged by heavy Rains £5 10s 6d By Cash paid do for 110½ days work in repairing [...] By Cash paid do for 70½ days Carptrs Work £3 5s 0d By Cash paid Thos Townsend for work done by his Apprentice this Quarter £1 12s 6d By Cash paid Zedekiah Saunderson his allowance from the Honorable Compy this Quarter £[...] By Cash paid Charles Gyfford for the Rent of a Room for do £[...] By Cash paid Charles [...] his allowance from the Honorable Company this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid Joachim Fossee his allowance for taking care of the Honble Compys Stock in the Long Wood this Quarter £2 10s 0d By Cash paid the Officers and Seamen of the Snow Mercury £393 10s 6d By Cash paid the Officers and Seamen of the Fly Cutter £4 0s 0d By Cash paid [...] Lieut Governor [...] part of the bounty Money being 4 G each [...] £[...] By Cash paid the Honble Compys Officers and Servants their Several Salarys diet money [...] &c for the Quarter commencing 1 April and ending June 30th 1763 £2821 16s 3½d £4625 15s 11d St Helena June 30th 1763 Errors Excepted Signed Thos Kirkpatrick Counted and examined the Honorable Company's Cash for the Month of June last Cash which is [...] | The paying side of the account kept by Thomas Kirkpatrick, the paymaster, continued from a total of £390 12s 10d brought forward and ran to the end of the quarter on 30 June 1763. Total paid brought forward, £390 12s 10d 28 May 1763, Richard Goodwin, for 8 gallons of sea cow oil at 3s 2½d a gallon, £1 5s 8d Captain Hassell, for his additional charges, £10 15s 1d 2 June 1763, Captain Samson, for 30 [...] at an advance of 15 per cent, £22 1s 3d Captain Smith, for 28 hundredweight 2 quarters 10 pounds of rice at 8s a hundredweight, £11 9s 4d John Buckleson, [...], John Pigott, Edward Cowin, Nathaniel Scarland, [...] Bennet, Samuel Joice, James Kheal, [...] Browers, John Rogers, Robert Rosier, William Graysham, William Lewis and Martin Richards, seamen discharged from the snow Mercury, £231 7s 2d 28 June 1763, the chief mate [...] and the second mate Evan Hook of the cutter Fly, [...], £20 0s 0d Solomon Jacob, for the keep of 33 discharged soldiers for 608 days at 6d a day, £15 4s 0d Benjamin Mason, for 40 loads of rushes for the Company at 6d a load, £1 0s 0d William Isaac Ford, for 2 days' work in the longboat, £0 1s 0d William Isaac Ford, for 4 days' work in the [...], £0 0s 10d Richard Kagley, for [...] and 130 lemons for the Company's table, £1 10s 5d Edward Durant, for 10 weeks' work in the armourer's shop in the quarter at 1s 6d a day, £4 10s 0d John Stevens, for 15 days' work in the armourer's shop at 1s 6d a day, £1 2s 6d William Mumford, for 8 weeks' work in the armourer's shop at 1s a day, £2 8s 0d William Harris, for 12 days' work in the armourer's shop at 1s a day, £0 12s 0d Edward Ivory, for 12 days' work in the armourer's shop at 1s a day, £0 12s 0d 30 June 1763, George Barnard, for 150 apples for the table, £[...] John Robinson, for his service aboard the cutter Fly from 12 January 1763 to 23 April 1763 at 1s a day, £5 7s 0d John Langridge, for serving as crier of the court, £0 5s 0d Robert Barclay, for nursing in the hospital John Robinson, left on the island from the ship Godolphin, £0 9s 11d Robert Barclay, for nursing Adam [...], a French prisoner from the ship Godolphin, for 37 days at 7d a day, £1 1s 7d Robert Barclay, for nursing [...] of the St George for 43 days at 7d a day, £1 5s 1d Robert Barclay, for nursing Louis Stocker of the cutter Fly for 18 days at 7d a day, £0 10s 6d Robert Barclay, for nursing Charles Purefoy, a discharged soldier, for 43 days at 7d a day, £1 5s 1d Robert Barclay, for nursing Samuel [...] of the snow Mercury for 21 days at 7d a day, £0 12s 3d Robert Brown, for painting work done in the quarter, £2 12s 6d Mark Balls and Michael Reed, for baking [...] batches of bread for the garrison in the quarter, £9 15s 0d Sundry overseers and others, for work in the Company's [...] in the quarter, £8 19s 0d Sundry men, for running with news of ships sighted to windward, £0 4s 0d Sundry men, for 254 days' work repairing flood damage to the plantation and wells, £12 14s 0d Sundry men, for 793½ days unloading the storeships, receiving goods from other ships and building a store for provisions because the magazines were full, £39 13s 6d Sundry men, for 263 days repairing Lemon Valley fort and the Munden's Point guardroom and clearing the water tanks, £13 3s 0d Sundry men, for 192 days digging [...] at Longwood and in the pastures, £9 12s 0d Sundry men, for 48 days fetching stone and mortar for the new barracks, £2 8s 0d Sundry men, for 10 days' work on the cutter Fly, £0 10s 0d Sundry men, for 76½ days clearing watercourses and repairing paths damaged by heavy rains, £3 16s 6d Sundry men, for [...] days repairing Company houses damaged by heavy rains, £5 10s 6d Sundry men, for [...] days of carpentry, £[...] Thomas Townsend, for work done by his apprentice in the quarter, £1 12s 6d [...], for his allowance from the Company in the quarter, £[...] Charles Gybbon, for the rent of a room for [...], £2 10s 0d Joachim Foster, for his allowance from the Company in the quarter, £2 10s 0d Richard [...], for looking after the Company's livestock at Longwood in the quarter, £3 3s 9d The officers and seamen of the snow Mercury, their wages, £393 10s 6d The officers and seamen of the cutter Fly, their wages, £[...] [...], part of the bounty at £4 each, £[...] The Company's officers and servants, their salaries and allowances for the quarter from 1 April 1763 to 30 June 1763, £2,821 16s 3½d Total paid, £4,625 15s 11d Thomas Kirkpatrick signed the account at St Helena on 30 June 1763, noting that any errors remained open to correction. A note beneath recorded that the Company's cash for June had been counted and examined. Interpretations The labour payments show how the Company met emergencies and heavy work beyond the capacity of its regular staff. Men were hired at a flat rate of 1s a day, and their days were counted and paid in bulk through overseers. The largest item, 793½ days of work, went on unloading storeships and building a temporary store because the magazines were already full. Heavy rains during the quarter caused a second wave of hiring, to repair flood damage to the plantation, wells, paths, watercourses and several Company houses. The accounts thus record the southern autumn of 1763 as a wet season that set back the island's roads and buildings. The discharged soldiers were not simply released. Solomon Jacob, the adjutant, was paid to feed 33 of them for 608 days in total at 6d a day, which means the men released on 18 April 1763 were kept at the Company's charge while they waited for a ship to carry them home. Their subsistence was half a serving sentinel's pay, enough to feed them but a clear incentive to accept the re-enlistment bounty instead. The surgeon Robert Barclay was paid 7d a day for each patient from outside the garrison, among them sailors left behind by the Godolphin, the St George, the Fly and the Mercury, and a French prisoner. The island's hospital served passing shipping as well as its own soldiers, and the Company charged the cost of sick sailors to the public account. Payments for running news of ships to windward show the watch system at work, with messengers carrying word from the lookouts to the Castle as soon as a sail was seen. The Fly was a cutter, a small single-masted vessel with a large fore-and-aft sail, fast and handy and well suited to carrying messages and scouting for ships approaching the island. Together with the snow Mercury, it formed a small local marine attached to St Helena, whose crews' wages and discharges were among the heaviest charges of the quarter. The final payment linked this cash account to the long pay list recorded earlier, since the £2,821 16s 3½d paid to officers and servants matched that list's total exactly. Salaries made up well over half of all the cash the paymaster laid out in the quarter. |
431 | 424 | 1763 June 1st To Balance remaining £7799 0s 10d 2d To Ship Cruttenden received the Balance of her Account £5 10s 0d 26 To Exchange of three Sets of Bills of Exchange drawn upon the Honorable the Court of Directors payable as follows viz One Set to Thos Lall Esqr for £60 0s 0d One Set to Capt Thos Crichton £150 0s 0d One Set to Mrs Sarah Mears £1100 0s 0d £1310 0s 0d 23. To Ship Hardwicke received the Balance of her Account £20 14s 7d To Ship Drake do £14 3s 2d 30th To James Powell received of him for Stores Sold in the Quarter ending this day £1233 14s 1d To Plantation for provision Sold £21 5s 7d To Licences for 10 Public Houses £15 0s 0d To fines received of Thomas Burnham being fined at the Quarterly Sessions held on the 11th of January last £5 0s 0d To Account Current London recd of Capt. William Harrold being over Charged in an Account he Sent to the Honorable Company and by them paid to his Agent in England £11 10s 0d £10435 17s 9d Per Contra Cr 1763 June 30th By Sundrys Accounts Advanced the Paymaster to pay Salarys &c in the Quarter ending this day £3431 19s 6d By Sundrys Accounts Advanced the Paymaster to pay Wages to the Officers and Seamen of the Snow Mercury and Fly Cutter Snow Mercury £780 5s 11d Fly Cutter £413 10s 6d £1193 16s 5d £4625 15s 11d By Balance remaining in the following Species viz 7250 Pagodas 8/ £2900 0s 0d 124 Rupees 2/3 £14 8s 0d 441 French pieces /2 £3 13s 6d 6496 Double Ryals 1/3 £406 0s 0d 778[60] Dollars at 5/ £19465 0s 0d Odd Money £0 0s 4d £5270 6s 10d Cash Notes of no Use amountg to £539 15s 0d £5810 1s 10d £10435 17s 9d Chas Hutchinson John Skottowe [P]ouling Margin Notes: 18th July | The Company's cash account for the quarter ending 30 June 1763 set the money received on the island against the money paid out and the balance left in hand. It was signed by Governor Hutchinson, John Skottowe and Matthew Purling, and dated 18 July 1763. On the receiving side, three sets of bills of exchange were drawn on the Company's Court of Directors in London on 20 June 1763 and sold for cash on the island. The fine came from Thomas Burnham, penalised at the quarterly court held on 11 January 1763. Captain William Harrold returned a sum by which he had overcharged the Company in an account he sent home, which the Directors had already paid to his agent in England. 1 June 1763, balance in hand, £7,799 0s 10d 2 June 1763, balance of the account of the ship Cruttenden, £5 10s 0d 20 June 1763, bills of exchange drawn on the Court of Directors: 1 set to Thomas Hall, £60 0s 0d 1 set to Captain Thomas Crichton, £150 0s 0d 1 set to Mrs Sarah Mears, £1,100 0s 0d Bills of exchange total, £1,310 0s 0d 23 June 1763, balance of the account of the ship Hardwicke, £20 14s 7d 23 June 1763, balance of the account of the ship Drake, £14 3s 2d 30 June 1763, received from James Powell for stores sold in the quarter, £1,233 14s 1d Received from the plantation for provisions sold, £21 5s 7d Licences for 10 public houses, £15 0s 0d Fine paid by Thomas Burnham, £5 0s 0d Refund from Captain William Harrold on the London account, £11 10s 0d Total received, £10,435 17s 9d On the paying side, the sums advanced to the paymaster covered the salaries of the quarter and the wages of the officers and seamen of the island's two vessels. The balance left in hand was then listed coin by coin. 30 June 1763, advanced to the paymaster for salaries and allowances, £3,431 19s 6d Advanced to the paymaster for wages of officers and seamen: Snow Mercury, £780 3s 11d Cutter Fly, £413 12s 6d Wages total, £1,193 16s 5d Total advanced to the paymaster, £4,625 15s 11d Balance in hand in coin: 7,250 pagodas at 8s each, £2,900 0s 0d 124 rupees at 2s 3d each, £14 8s 0d 441 small French coins at 2d each, £3 13s 6d 6,496 double reals at 1s 3d each, £406 0s 0d 7,785 dollars at 5s each, £1,946 5s 0d Loose small change, £0 0s 4d Coin total, £5,270 6s 10d Paper notes no longer in use, £539 15s 0d Total balance in hand, £5,810 1s 10d Total accounted for, £10,435 17s 9d Interpretations The balance in hand shows that St Helena ran on a mixture of foreign coin rather than English money. Pagodas were gold coins of southern India, valued here at 8s each, and they formed the largest part of the reserve. Spanish silver dollars, the pieces of eight that circulated across the world's trade routes, came next at 5s each. Double reals were smaller Spanish silver coins worth a quarter of a dollar, and rupees were the silver currency of Mughal and Company India. The island drew its money from the ships that called there, and the treasury held whatever coin those ships brought in, converted into sterling at fixed rates for the accounts. Bills of exchange were the Company's means of raising cash locally without shipping coin out from England. A person on the island paid in money and received a bill payable by the Directors in London, which carried the value home safely by post. Mrs Sarah Mears's bill for £1,100, far larger than the others, was perhaps a remittance of a captain's trading profits, since Captain Charles Mears had sold provisions to the island earlier in the quarter. For the Governor and Council, selling bills turned private money into public cash on the island and left the debt to be settled in London. The stores sold in the quarter brought in £1,233 14s 1d, the return on the sales to planters and ships recorded on the storekeeper's earlier pages at advances of 25 and 40 per cent. Set against the paymaster's outlay of over £4,600, it shows that sales recovered only about a quarter of what the Company spent on the island each quarter. The rest of the cost of holding St Helena fell on the Company's funds in London. Licensing public houses brought in £15 for 10 houses, or 30s each. The charge gave the Council control over who could sell drink as well as a small revenue, which mattered on an island with a large garrison and heavy consumption of arrack. The paper notes described as no longer in use, worth over £539, were probably notes the island government had issued earlier to stand in for scarce coin and had since withdrawn. They remained in the treasury at face value but could no longer be paid out, which tied up a significant part of the balance. |
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436 | 429 | EAP 1364 St Helena Document Name and Date St. Helena Records 1762 - 1763 Dimensions (height x width x depth) (cm) 48.5 cm x 32.5 cm x 6 cm No. written pages: 424 No. blank pages: 4 Spine and cover GOOD CONDITION SOME BORING INSECT DAMAGE ON COVER Inside pages GOOD CONDITION Additional comments Time taken to photograph (hours) 3 hours | |