Description:

Shirley William 1694 - 1771 Bahamian Governor William Shirley writes of espionage by a "certain Spaniard named Don Gregorio Joseph Franco... he took all Opportunities of giving the French & Spaniards Information of the State of Defence of the said Bahama Islands ..." Manuscript Document Signed "W Shirley" as Governor of the Bahamas, 2 pages, 9" x 14.25", front and verso. New Providence, Bahama Islands, August 27, 1762. Also signed by the author of this document "Thomas Bunch" as Justice of the Peace (later a member of His Majesty's Council), attesting to Shirley's statement. Mid-horizontal folds. Light toning at upper and lower edges. Fine condition.

In part, "Then appeared before me... William Shirley Esq. Captain, General, & Governor in Chief of the said Islands and Vice Admiral of the same... having received Information in the Month of August 1761. That a Certain Spaniard named Don Gregorio Joseph Franco, who had been then evident in New Providence aforesaid about four months, and by his Behaviour rais'd a Suspicion among divers of the Inhabitants of New Providence, That he took all Opportunities of giving the French & Spaniards Information of the State of Defence of the said Bahama Islands, & other Parts of His Majesty's Service within them, to the great Danger & Prejudice thereof. And had one or two Days before, delivered in a Clandestine Manner, to George Crowninshield, late Master of the Ship Ranger, which had been about thirteen Months ago, Condemn'd in the Court of Vice Admiralty here as lawful Prize to Benjamin Clifford, Commander of the private Vessel of War, General Shirley, Job. Esston, Commander of the private Vessel of War, Diana, And, Nicholas Garner, Commander of the private Vessel of War Rover. On Account of Illicit Trade with the French of Hispaniola; some Letters or Packets having a Superscription in a foreign Language, & Intended to be delivered to the then Minister of Spain at Great Britain..."

The complete letter, in easily read script, can be read in the images above. Further information regarding Don Gregorio Joseph Franco are in The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

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

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% 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