TNA SP 9/213 pp. 207-210

TNA SP 9/213, Letter-book of Sir Charles Cornwallis's, 1605–1607

pp. 207–210, Letter from Sir Charles Cornwallis to Thomas Wilford, 28 October 1605

View the index of SP 9/213 here.

This letter is printed in The Spanish Company [London Record Society 9], ed. by Pauline Croft, London, London Record Society, 1973. It is available online at the British History Online website.

Editorial comments:

This page is a simple transcription of the letter on pp. 207–210 of TNA SP 9/213, a letter-book of

Sir Charles Cornwallis. It is provided as-is, although corrections and improvements are welcome.

The transcription and images are by Samuli Kaislaniemi, 2009, and both are made available under

a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 3.0 License .

The transcription is diplomatic; spellings and punctuation are retained but partially normalised in the following manner:

- Abbreviations are mostly retained, except for brevigraphs, which are expanded and marked in italics.

- Punctuation and abbreviation marks are normalised.

- Line changes are retained, but the layout is normalised.

Editorial insertions and comments are marked in bold.

Note on images:

All images are taken at TNA by Samuli Kaislaniemi. The thumbnails link to images on Picasa.

Letter ID: 065

[page 207, page 1/4]

A lre to M^r. Tho: Wilford President of

the Spainishe Company of merchants

in London. from Valiodalid./

28^o. Octobris./

S^ir. my purpoſe in stayeinge Owsley here,

grew neuer out of any deſire I had to serue

myself of him, for any buſines, [CATCHWORDS:] concerninge myne

[page 208, page 2/4]

concerning mine owne ymploym^t., haueinge

brought w^th. me one very hable and sufficient

for that purpoſe. But findinge that

his Ma^tes. subiectes, that both had, & should haue

trade hither, had & were likly to finde here

at the first setlinge of the Intercourse many

Difficulties & Queſtions, & Owsley well experi=

enced in the Countrey, & not ignorant of

the Course of Traffique, I was willinge for my

better enhablinge to doe them seruice in

such buſineſes as should occurre, to procure his

stay here, & to chardge my self w^th. him,

and a man to attend him; only to follow

their occaſions./

I haue accordingly imployed him: in

many of those gen'all Negociations that

haue touched the Traffique here, I haue

at myne owne Chardge sent him diu's

times to the Co^rt. when it hath bin many

Miles distante from this Towne, & there

continued him for diu's daies, whereby I

obteined what was deſired, in sundry

thinges very beneficiall & an Answere

to the reste./

I expected a more liberall performance

towardes him for his Trauailes, because

in yo^r lre to me yo^w promiſed it; I looked for

a more kinde acceptance of myne

owne Industries for yo^w, because it was

more then I owed yo^w; for in so longe

a time as I haue bin here, till now very

lately neither was I required, nor

instructed, nor soe much as saluted

by any of yo^w. what I haue don for yo^w.

and what I haue endeauored appeares in

such papers as in September laſt I addreſsed

to the lordes of Councell, & yo^r self by lres from

Owseley haue alſo had vnderſtandinge of them./

[CATCHWORDS:] In yo^r late

[page 209, page 3/4]

In yo^r late lre to him yo^w. wrote that you

m'veile I would take vpon me, to bestowe the

Office Consulshipp the nameinge and

appointinge whereof were granted by

his Ma^tie. to yo^w. of the Company./

If yo^w could name any one, to whom I

had made Grant of any such office,

w^thout exception of yo^r allowance when

yo^w should be made a Company, yo^w might

build yo^r m'rveile vpon some foundacon,

if in meane time I gaue allowance

to one in Lisbone, who had excercized

the Place, before, and was recomended

vnto me vnder the handes, of at least

20. of the best Traders, then residinge

in that Citty by yo^r fauo^r it is not soe

much to be wondred at, as that yo^w.

haveinge so longe a time passed, obteined

his Ma^ties. grant, haue not till now very lately

made it knowen vnto me or any other here,

to my knowledge, that yo^r. Company was established,

neither sent hither any writeinges, conducinge to

the obteyneinge of the K: here the Confirmacon of

yo^r Priviledges, nor giuen any Order to any

yo^r Traders of facto^rs. to hould Correspondency

w^th. me for any adu'tizm^tes. as I knowe by some

of the lordes. of Councell yo^w. were diricted ) neither

yet taken or sent any Order hither, for

makeinge of Consulls or any officers, that

might here sett order or giue Direccons to the

Traders./

My Chardge & my duty it is when of yo^w.

came hither, to protect yo^w. in regard yo^w are -

subiectes to the K: I serue, & mine owne -

deſire is, to doe any seruice w^thin my power

to yo^w all, in regard yo^w. are my Countreymen

& men of worth, who vnderſtand what

apperteineth to wiſe & Ciuill Courſes./

[CATCHWORDS:] But I must as well in

[page 210, page 4/4]

But I must ^ ^{as well} in regarde of my place

as of yo^r. owne good, desire yo^w. will hereafter,

shew more Care of what concernes yo^w,

then hitherto I haue bin made acquainted

w^th; & soe w^th. my very harty Comendacons

to yo^r self & the rest of the Company I

leaue yo^w.

yo^r very lovinge freind

Ch. C: ./