Scattergood Papers 4 Index Volume with Additional Material

Scattergood Papers 4 – Index Volume with additional material

Some very useful notes on JS and other people mentioned in the papers.

Probably most useful to start with this [provides great context for my notes on the papers]:

pp. 258-281:

Life of John Scattergood of the Papers, 1681-1723.My comments in square brackets].

Born in India 1681.Sent to England for his education. Returned to india in 1697 and joined his mother and stepfather, Richard Trenchfield, in Madtas, arriving there in July 1698. Started his service under Captain William How in the Elizabeth, a country ship bound to Calcutta. Went from Calcutta to Persia with How, returning in 1699 to Madras. No record of him over the next few years. Later found as part of the Goodhope’s crew, at Persia 1705, sailed to Calcutta and then presumably back to Madras. Started working with Ralph Sheldon of Calcutta.

Married at Madras in August 1706 to Arabella, widow of Frances Forbes and daughter of John Burniston, both of whom had served the Co. in Bombay. Had a daughter [Elizabeth] in 1707, and a son in 1709 who died in infancy. Second daughter Carolina born September 1710.

Supercargo of the Londonin July 1707 to Persia.Returned to Madras in June ’08. By this time acquired a position as a merchant of standing in Madras. Hired the ship Kent for a voyage to China in 1708; she was captained by Edward Harrison who was destined later to succeed to the governorship of Fort St George. In 1711 he was in the position to make an offer to hire the Co.’s ship Susannah on his own account for a voyage to China and buy up as much of the Company’s silver at Madras as they could afford to spare. Offer for the Susannah not taken up, but the offer for the silver was accepted.

Papers give a full account of Scattergood’s busy life from this point on. First voyage to China as supercargo, 1711 in the Elizabeth (alias the Bussorah Merchant), a country vessel commanded by John Cockroft. Returned to Madras early in 1712.Prepared for a fresh voyage as sole supercargo in the St. Andrew, a country ship from Surat, back to that port and Bombay. Vessel sailed in October 1712, arrived Bombay January 1713 [Bombay at this time was under Presidency of William Aislabie]. JS offered to hire the Company’s ship Somers for a voyage to Persia and back to Surat. Offer was accepted – JS made a ‘handsome profit’ from this adventure.

Back in Madras, he now had a third daughter Arabella, born in December 1712.

Later went as supercargo in the Amity (working with William Phipps), bound to China. Stock of the ship was 10,000 Rs. Contributed by various free merchants, Company servants. Chief investor was Edward Harrison. Ship returned to Bombay by spring 1714, disposed of most of China cargo there.

Second voyage in the Amity was arranged while in Bombay at this point. Scattergood and George Whyche as supercargoes this time. ‘In this venture the leading merchants of Bombay were also interested and an additional vessel, the Company’s ship Duke of Cambridge, was hired for China, to trade at Amoy, while the Amity was to proceed as before to Canton’. At Amoy, the Duke of Cambridge encountered many obstacles by Chinese officials, and Scattergood said he was unsatisfied with result of his sales at Canton. Nevertheless, shareholders made substantial profits. At end of 1714, the two ships sailed back to Bombay. Having settled affairs with the freighters of the Amity and Duke of Cambridge, Scattergood returned to Fort St George in June 1715.

Here, he arranged to take his wife and two daughters (Carolina and Arabella) to England on the ship Kent. Eldest daughter Elizabeth had already been sent home and placed in the care of her grandmother, Elizabeth Trenchfield, and a fourth daughter was born during JS’s absence in the Amity. Kent sailed from FsG in September 1715 and reached England following April. A fifth daughter, Maria, was born to JS on the voyage. Settled his wife and family in Devonshire Street, near Queen’s Square, near where his mother was living. Became a member of the ‘Pillow’ [Pilau] Club, to which he sent presents of arack and Patna rice. Club for Anglo-Indians.During this period, a sixth daughter Katherine was born in May 1717, and later in the year Scattergood took a house in Lincoln for his wife, near that of his two paternal aunts.

Approached the EIC to obtain permission to freight the Bonita as a free merchant to India and China, in June 1717. Shareholders in the undertaking included Robert Nightingale, and several London merchants of standing. Co-supercargo was Thomas Harris and Captain was John Harry. Bonita was ready to sail by the end of the year.

Freighters and supercargoes were anxious to avoid a final strict examination of the cargo as they hoped to exceed the quantity of silver permitted to be carried out – Scattergood and Harris arranged to have the ship brought to Portsmouth (rather than the Downs) and meet the ship there. Made a hurried journey to Portsmouth in January 1718. Suspicions of the customs officers were aroused though and before their arrival a portion of the silver intended for the Bonita was seized from John Mellish (who had been consigned care of the silver at Portsmouth). No proof existed that the silver was intended for the Bonita but Scattergood and Harris thought it advisable to escape any trouble and swiftly left to allow Mellish to face the music. A long trial resulted – Mellish denied the silver was for the Bonita and petitioned for its recovery. Silver eventually given to the proprietor. No names were mentioned but Sir Gregory Page, an EIC director, was accused of conniving at sending silver out of England at a time when the nation’s interest “requir’d to have it kept at home”. Took some time for this affair to blow over – Scattergood and Harris received some very sharp letters.

Reached Madras June 1718. During brief stay in Madras, JS sorted out cargo for the Bonita to China. Sailed as quickly as 14 July 1718. [This seems, to me, to be a feature of JS’s trade. He never hung around anywhere very long and seemed to get cargoes together and ships fitted out extremely quickly]. Set off back to Madras spring 1719. Quickly started preparing for Bonita’s second voyage to China.Involved in many other voyages at this time two as an investor. This time, JS went beforehand to China (via Malacca) in the Ann, and the Charlotte, leaving Harris to follow in the Bonita. ‘At Canton he found ships belonging to the Ostend Company and, as in his previous voyage, he renewed relations with their captains and shipped goods for Europe to be disposed of at Ostend or conveyed to his agents in England.’ [Must have been at Canton by the Summer/early autumn 1719].

The Charlotte left in November 1719 to Surat, Peter Curgenven, JS’s friend was supercargo. Complained that she had got a really good cargo and that Curgenven would soon be able to live ‘gay and grand with his pretty wife’ in England, while he needed a couple more successful voyages. But, Charlotte was met with the pirate Angria’s fleet in the western Indian Ocean,Curgenven was captured and served for some years in Angria’s vessels.

By the end of March 1720, the Bonita and her supercargoes were once again at Madras. JS again started quickly preparing for third voyage to China, after selling cargo from China. Continued to have other interests in ships bound to Malabar Coast, Coromandel Coast, Bengal, Persia and the Malay archipelago. Bonita sailed once more to China via Malacca in June 1720; at Malacca instructions were left with Joao de Mattos and the ‘Captain Chinaman’, Js’s Armenian {it doesn’t sound Armenian to me, Portuguese?} and Chinese agents, before they proceeded. At Canton by August, met again Ostend ships.JS and Harris returned to Madras February 1721, again stopping at Malacca.

As before, Scattergood only stayed long enough to dispose of the Bonita’s cargo and obtain a fresh lading for her fourth, and Scattergood’s seventh, voyage to China. This time he was sole supercargo. Thomas Harris had decided to return to England. JS back in Canton by August ’21 engaged with firms of Chinese merchants he had learned to trust, and at the same time dispatching goods to England on his own account and in those of the Ostend Co.

Bonita went to Bombay, was there by February 1722, where he met with his old friend William Phipps, who was then governor of Bombay. Wanted to get to Surat to dispose of cargo but could not due to being chased by pirates, forced to turn back to Bombay. Eventually reached an agreement with Phipps to buy all China stock, leaving JS free to return to Madras (and call at Calicut on the way to take on some pepper). Planned a fresh trading adventure while at Bombay though: in association with Captain Thomas Hill, hired the ship King George (a Company ship) for 20,000 Rs to make his eighth and final voyage to China, in company with the Bonita. In this enterprise, all the leading merchants of Bombay were concerned, sixteen of them subscribing amounts varying from 1000 to 30,000 Rs.

Bonita sailed from Bombay April 1722, King George followed ten days later. Both ships called at FsG and left for China in June. Scattergood gave instructions to his attorney’s at the time in Madras, Messrs Torriano and Morse. Bonita arrived China in August. Scattergood already had ‘impaired constitution’, for some time had desired to go back to England. Here was where one of the crew of the King George accidentally shot and killed a Chinese boy in a paddy field and caused various complications between the merchants and the Chinese authorities. Eventually, both ships were cleared to proceed from Canton river in November 1722.

Scattergood had already sorted his passage home [not sure who he left in charge of the Bonita] in the ship Lyell, arrived in Portsmouth in Spring 1723. Scattergood was already very sick and died in 12 June.

JS character seems to have been that on an affectionate husband and father, anxious to leave family well provided for. Favourite daughter clearly his daughter Elizabeth (her letters in Vol 2: pp. 263, 426, Vol. 3: pp. 125, 179, 180) but was also attached to mother, sisters, step-brothers and other near relatives. He was not above evading customs by inducing captains of homeward bound ships to convey presents to his friends and relatives without passing them through the Company’s warehouses. Evidently he died a wealthy man.

Notes on prominent people mentioned in the papers

p. 396:

The Aislabies were family of considerable importance in the north of England. Scattergood connected to them by a double tie – firstly his marriage to Arabella Forbes, whose sister had married William Aislabie, governor of Bombay 1708-1715. And secondly the marriage of Scattergood’s daughter Elizabeth to Captain William Aislabie, the governor’s son.

p. 405:

Thomas Harris, Scattergood’s co-supercargo in the Bonita, was considerable older than JS and had already been in Madras for six years when Scattergood arrived. Clearly went back to England at some stage, and ended up working with Scattergood in organising the Bonita’s voyages.

p. 410:

Robert Nightingale, a correspondent of Scattergood, was part owner in the Bonita. He was a Company Director in 1717, became deputy chairman in 1718 and chairman in 1719.

Wills

John Scattergood’s father’s will of 1681 is on p. 437.

Gives one ‘moyety’ of his estate to wife Elizabeth [JS’s mother, later to be remarried to Trenchfield], second to his only son (who he wishes to be baptised John – this is the JS of the papers). £30 to his mother, or father if she is deceased, or divided between brothers and sisters if they are both deceased.Asks for a tomb to be built for him, costing not more than 60 rupees.

John Scattergood’s will, written in 1719 in Canton,pp. 440-43:

Leaving £50 each to his mother Elizabeth Trenchfield, his sisters Elizabeth Fenwicke and Anne Trenchfield.And £100 to each of his executors, ElihuTrenchfield, John Trenchfield and Edward Fenwicke (his half/step brothers).Asks for £150 annually to be paid to his wife Arabella.Asks for £300 pounds to such poor persons as deemed appropriate by his executors. £40 yearly to his uncle Roger Scattergood, £10 annually to his servant ‘Hercules (a dwarff)’, £25 annually to his two aunts, Elizabeth and Katherine. Leaves a bond of £500 to his eldest daughter Elizabeth to be paid to her when she comes of age at 15 or 16. To Caroline his second daughter he leaves ‘all the money that Mr.ElihuTrenchfield employed for her or that goes under her name’. Leaves the rest of his estate to his six daughters Elizabeth, Caroline, Arabella, Frances, Maria and Katherine to be divided equally among them.

Litigation following JS’s death

pp. 180-81:

JS’s wife and daughters became dissatisfied with handling of his estate and bought legal action in May 1724. JS had left his estate in the hands of his half brothersElihuTrenchfield, John Trenchfield (who both died) and Edward Fenwicke (who refused to act). Case is in Chancery, Reynardson 2395, Scattergood v. Raworth. Estate quoted as worth about £20,000. Bill and answer are copied out in detail here, pp. 180-197.