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.
page 207
page 208
page 209
page 210
Letter ID: 065
[page 207, page 1/4]
A lre to Mr. Tho: Wilford President of
the Spainishe Company of merchants
in London. from Valiodalid./
28o. Octobris./
Sir. 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]
208
concerning mine owne ymploymt., haueinge
brought wth. me one very hable and sufficient
for that purpoſe. But findinge that
his Mates. 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 wth. 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 Cort. 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 yor lre to me yow promiſed it; I looked for
a more kinde acceptance of myne
owne Industries for yow, because it was
more then I owed yow; 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 yow. what I haue don for yow.
and what I haue endeauored appeares in
such papers as in September laſt I addreſsed
to the lordes of Councell, & yor self by lres from
Owseley haue alſo had vnderſtandinge of them./
[CATCHWORDS:] In yor late
[page 209, page 3/4]
In yor late lre to him yow. wrote that you
m'veile I would take vpon me, to bestowe the
Office Consulshipp the nameinge and
appointinge whereof were granted by
his Matie. to yow. of the Company./
If yow could name any one, to whom I
had made Grant of any such office,
wthout exception of yor allowance when
yow should be made a Company, yow might
build yor 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 yor fauor it is not soe
much to be wondred at, as that yow.
haveinge so longe a time passed, obteined
his Maties. grant, haue not till now very lately
made it knowen vnto me or any other here,
to my knowledge, that yor. Company was established,
neither sent hither any writeinges, conducinge to
the obteyneinge of the K: here the Confirmacon of
yor Priviledges, nor giuen any Order to any
yor Traders of factors. to hould Correspondency
wth. me for any adu'tizmtes. as I knowe by some
of the lordes. of Councell yow. 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 yow.
came hither, to protect yow. in regard yow are -
subiectes to the K: I serue, & mine owne -
deſire is, to doe any seruice wthin my power
to yow all, in regard yow. 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]
210
But I must ^ as well in regarde of my place
as of yor. owne good, desire yow. will hereafter,
shew more Care of what concernes yow,
then hitherto I haue bin made acquainted
wth; & soe wth. my very harty Comendacons
to yor self & the rest of the Company I
leaue yow.
yor very lovinge freind
Ch. C: ./