The Journal of Negro History
Chapter 179 : [21] The earl of Clarendon declares in his History of Charles II that, upon the return

[21] The earl of Clarendon declares in his History of Charles II that, upon the return of the s.h.i.+ps from the first expedition, the company "compounded" with Sir Nicholas Crispe for his "propriety" in the fort at Kormentine. This is untrue, since it has just been shown that it was not until the middle of 1662 that he agreed to transfer his property to the Royal Adventurers and that it was afterward that Crispe endeavored to get the king's approval to grant him compensation. Clarendon may have remembered that the king was favorable to the proposition and therefore a.s.sumed that such a contract had been made. Hyde, Edward, First Earl of Clarendon. _The History of the Reign of King Charles the Second, from the Restoration to the end of the year 1667_ (edited by J. Shebbeare), p. 197.

[22] This charge was put forward in a pamphlet, probably published in 1709, called _Sir John Crispe's Case in Relation to the Forts in Africa_. In this pamphlet the a.s.sertion is made that the Privy Council had a full hearing of the matter on July 29, 1662, and ordered the Royal Adventurers to pay Crispe 20,000 by an export duty of 2-1/2 per cent on goods sent to Africa. An examination of the Privy Council Register shows no order of that kind on that date or at any subsequent time.

[23] A.C.R., 75, August, 15, 1664.

[24] In January, 1663, the Royal Adventurers made an agreement with several members of Crispe's company providing for the transfer to England of their merchandise and personal effects which were still on the coast of Africa. Whether this second contract contained anything about compensation for the forts it is impossible to say, since this agreement also has not been preserved. Admiralty High Court, Examinations 134. Answers of Edward M. Mitch.e.l.l and Ellis Leighton, May 10, 20, 1664.

[25] That Sir Nicholas Crispe felt the losses he had incurred in Guinea appears from his will of 1666, in which he directed the following inscription to be erected to his memory: "first discovered and settled the Trade of Gold in Africa and built there the Castle of Cormentine," and thus "lost out of purse" more than 100,000. Crisp, Frederick A., _Family of Crispe_, I, 32.

[26] A. C. R., 309, June 25, September 4, 1663. Upon the latter date it appears that only 1300 of his subscription was paid.

[27] Clarendon, _History of the Reign of Charles II_, p. 198.

[28] _The Several Declarations of the Company of Royal Adventurers of England trading into Africa_, January 12, 1662 (O. S.).

[29] _Ibid._

[30] A. C. R., 309, June 25, August 25, 1663.

[31] _Ibid._, 309, August 25, 1663.

[32] _Ibid._, 309, the balance of the company's books on September 4, 1663.

[33] These figures are arrived at by a careful examination of the various sums paid to Thomas Holder, the treasurer. As it is not always possible to be sure that the payments were made for stock, too much dependence cannot be put in the figures, especially when the sum arrived at by adding the items which appear to be owing the company for stock in the balance of September 4, 1663, amount to 52,000. This is of course several thousand pounds more than the sum arrived at by the former computation, but here again it is not possible to estimate exactly the money owing the company for stock and for other things.

[34] This number is arrived at by a careful perusal of the first book kept by the company, number 309. Sometime in 1664 the company submitted a pet.i.tion to the king in which it speaks of having sent over forty s.h.i.+ps to the coast during the previous year and of supplying them with cargoes amounting to more than 160,000. C.O.

(Colonial Office) 1: 17, f. 255, pet.i.tion of the Royal Adventurers to (the king, 1664).

[35] C. S. P., Col. (Calendar of State Papers, Colonial, America and West Indies), 1661-1668, p. 175, warrant to officers of the king's mint, December 24, 1663. Another evidence of special favor was a grant made by the king in 1664 giving the Royal Company the sole privilege of holding lotteries in the king's dominions for three years. The company does not seem to have used it. C. S. P., Dom. (Calendar of State Papers, Domestic), 1666-1667, pp. 531, 532, Blanquefort and Hamilton to the king, February 25, 1667.

[36] In the third subscription the king's share was 5,200; in the fourth, 2,000. A. C. R., 309, June 25, August 25, 1663. The king's subscription with that of the queen for 400 seem never to have been paid, although a warrant was issued to the Lord High Treasurer, June 27, 1663, to pay the amount from the customs receipts.

[37] Upon this date, book number 309 was balanced and the items carried to another volume, which has been lost. In March, 1664, the resolutions of the general court and the court of a.s.sistants begin in number 75 of the company's books. While it is fortunate that these resolutions for the remaining history of this company have been preserved, they do not furnish adequate information regarding the company's financial condition at various times.

[38] C. O. 1: 17, f. 255, pet.i.tion of the Royal Adventurers to (the king, March, 1664).

[39] A. C. R., 75: 7, 8, orders of the general court, May 10, 20, 1664.

[40] C. S. P., Dom., 1664-1665, p. 7, Robert Lye to Williamson, September 13, 1664.

[41] A. C. R., 75: 21, 22.

[42] The total of the stock is shown by adding the five subscriptions:

October, 1660, to September, 1662, first subscription 17,400 October, 1662, to January, 1663, second subscription 20,800 June, 1663, to August, 1663, third subscription 34,600 August, 1663, fourth subscription 29,200 September, 1664, fifth subscription 18,200 Total 120,200

[43] S. P., Dom. (State Papers, Domestic), Charles II, 110, f. 18; C.

O. 1: 19, ff. 7, 8.

[44] The financial status of the company at this time was as follows:

a.s.sets: s d s.h.i.+ps and factories in Africa 125,962.6.2 Debts owing to the company in the colonies 49,895.0.0 Goods, ammunition, etc., at Portsmouth 48,000.0.0 Total 223,857.6.2 Stock of the company: Amount subscribed 120,200.0.0 Amount paid (about) 103,000.0.0 Amount unpaid (about) 17,200.0.0 Debts, owing on bonds, etc. (about) 100,000.0.0 Losses: From DeRuyter at Cape Verde 50,000.0.0 Antic.i.p.ated from DeRuyter at other places 125,912.6.2 Total 175,912.6.2

[45] A. C. R., 75: 37, John Berkley and others to ----, November 4, 1665.

[46] S. P., Dom., _Charles II_, 186: 1.

[47] A. C. R., 75: 37, Berkley and others to ----, November 4, 1665.

[48] On April 6, 1666, the king, in response to a pet.i.tion from the Royal Adventurers, granted to the company a s.h.i.+p called the "Golden Lyon" which had been captured from the Dutch by Sir Robert Holmes in 1664. C. S. P., Col., 1661-1668, p. 370, the king to duke of York, March 28, 1666.

[49] A. C. R., 75: 40.

[50] _Ibid._, 75: 52.

[51] _Ibid._, 75: 57. A part of the debts had been incurred on the common seal of the company and part on the personal security of the committee of seven.

[52] A. C. R., 75: 56, 58. An attempt was made to induce the king to pay his subscription. On the other hand, the company owed the king a considerable sum for the s.h.i.+ps which it had used from time to time. S.

P., Dom., _Charles II_, 199: 14.

[53] A. C. R., 75: 58.

[54] _Ibid._, 75: 59.

[55] _Ibid._, 75: 70.

[56] _Ibid._, 75: 77.

[57] _Ibid._, 75: 85, 88.

[58] The duke of Buckingham, however, paid his arrears, which led the duke of York to remark, "I will give the Devil his due, as they say the Duke of Buckingham hath paid in his money to the Company." Pepys, _Diary_, VIII, 142.

[59] A. C. R., 75: 61.

[60] _Ibid._, 75: 62, 63.

[61] It seems certain, however, that these men who were interested in the Gambia trade made some other arrangements at that time by means of which a certain amount of goods was sent to that place. A. C. R., 75: 82, 83.

[62] A. C. R., 75: 83.

[63] _Ibid._, 75: 82.

[64] As opposed to those who were from the king's court.

[65] A. C. R., 75:90, 91.

[66] O. S. P., Dom., 1668-1669, p. 459, August 25, 1669.