Description:

Amherst, Former Governor-General of India, ALS Mentioning Clive of India's Grandson, Re: "5 lacks of Rupees standing in my name in the 6 per C. Bengal Remittable Loan"

A 1p autograph letter signed by William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst (1773-1857), the grand-nephew of Jeffrey Amherst and the former Governor-General of India, as "Amherst" near center right. Written at Amherst's residence in Grosvenor Street in London, England on July 7, 1834. Expected paper folds, and a minor professional repair verso along a fold line at the right edge. A pencil inscription by a former collector found at lower right, and old mounting tabs verso. Isolated stains and edge darkening, else near fine. 7.5" x 9.125."

William Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst was the grand-nephew of Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst (1717-1797), a military commander made notorious on the North American continent during the French & Indian Wars. William succeeded to his grand-uncle's honorary title by special dispensation in 1797, and afterwards he was styled as "Amherst." William began his professional career in foreign service. He served as a rather inept Governor-General of India between 1825-1828, after which he returned to England.

In this letter, Amherst directs his accountants to transfer a Bengal Remittable Loan of 500,000 rupees to two acquaintances. (A "lack" or "lakh" is a unit in the Indian numbering system representing 100,000.)

Amherst wrote in full:

"To [cross out] J.C. Melville Esqr.

I request that the sum of 5 lacks of Rupees standing in my name in the 6 per C.[ent] Bengal Remittable Loan may be transferred into the names of the Honble. Robert Henry Clive of Oakly Park in the County of Salop and Henry Percy Esqr. of Rose Castle in the County of Cumberland second son of Hugh Lord Bishop of Carlisle.

I am tc.

Amherst

Grov. Street
7 July 1834."

Amherst's two lucky recipients were:

1. Robert Henry Clive (1789-1854), the paternal grandson of first British governor of the Bengal Presidency "Clive of India" aka Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive (1725-1774). The younger Robert was currently a member of the British Parliament. ("Salop," the county where the Clive's familial estate Oakly Park was located, is better known as Shropshire.)

2. Henry Percy (1813-1870), the second son of the Bishop of Carlisle, Hugh Percy (1784-1856). Henry followed in his father's ministerial footsteps, eventually serving as an Anglican minister at Greystoke in Cumbria.

A Bengal Remittable Loan was an investment in the Bengal government, i.e. the British Raj. Its 6% annual interest was paid out in two installments per year; investors currently residing in India could accept the payments in cash, while investors living in Europe could draw in cash or bills subject to a set currency conversion rate of "2 shillings and one penny the Calcutta Sicca Rupee" (an East Indian coin).

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 10, 2021 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000