Description:

East India Company
Copenhagen, Denmark, June 7, 1698
British Diplomat in Copenhagen Writes to Lord of Trade about Timber from Norway, East India Company, 1698
ALS
[EAST INDIA COMPANY.] Hugh Greg, Autograph Letter Signed, to William Blathwayt, June 7, 1698, Copenhagen, Denmark. 4 pp., 7.375" x 9". General toning; reinforcement on verso to bottom half; edge tears affecting a few words.

In this letter, British factor Hugh Greg informs Lord of Trade and Member of Parliament William Blathwayt about his attempts to obtain a shipment of timber. Greg's efforts to obtain a bill of credit in Copenhagen were complicated by the arrival of a ship from the East Indies. Everyone who could lend money was instead using their resources to buy "East-India Goods."

Complete Transcript
Copenhagen Jun 7, 1698.
Sir
Having but little time when I had the honour to write to you by the last Post, I cou'd give you but a very short acct of ye business of your Timber; wch now I shall beg leave to do more at large.
The Master having but little time to stay at Dram [Drammen, Norway], I was oblig'd to write to a Merchant before hand to propose for his Coming, & thought it best to employ Mr. Thomas Hooper for that purpose, as being an English Merchant that I suppos'd wou'd be obliging upon this occasion, & being a man of good reputation besides. But the Master writes me, that He wou'd have put Timber upon him that was none of ye best, wch refusing to take in, yet He co'd not [evite?] taking it at a dear rate; but what He took, was the best in its kind that cou'd be had; & I wish it may prove so as He says.
Clapwood in small pieces was not to be found at Gottenburgh, so that what He brought from thence being pretty Cargo, He was firm to take some firewood with him from Dram to help to fill up ye [vacuities?].
I was inform'd here, that ye Norway Merchants, when they furnish Money there to any body that has Credit to draw Bills upon Copenhagen, Hamburgh or Holland, and always accustomed to take 5 or 6 ? cent profit above the true value of ye Money they furnish, & therefore I countermanded ye Orders I had formerly given to draw upon Hamburgh or Amsterdam, & sent a Letter of Credit to take up Money in Dram itself, wch I obtain'd upon condition of paying here only one ? cent, & that is ye least yt any body ever takes for remitting Money from hence to Norway. Mr Hooper had writ me that such a Lading as you desir'd wou'd amount to about 600 rixdollars [Dutch rijksdaalder or imperial dollar], wch Money I accordingly pay'd in presently to Him that furnish'd me with ye said Letter of Credit, & afterwards drew a Bill for ye value of that Sum upon Mr Ponlley in Amsterdam, amounting to 552 rixdollars currant Money of Holland; there being at present 8 ? cent profit in remitting of Money hither from Holland by Bills drawn here. 'Twou'd have been much alike to you if I shou'd have drawn upon Hamburgh, but because of the East India Ship newly arriv'd here, it was difficult to find any body that wou'd buy a Bill, every one that had Money here being willing to keep it, in order to make a purchase of East-India Goods, & therefore I did not draw upon Mr Stratford.
I shall inquire of Mr Muller if the Prices in Mr Hoopers acct be very excessive; & if so, I shall write to Him about it, & give you notice of what He answers.
I am ever with all dutyfull respect
Sir
your most humble and most obedient servant
H. Greg

Mr Blathwait

Hugh Greg (d. 1701) was a merchant-diplomat. In 1680, he began working with Anglo-Irish scientist and theologian Robert Boyle (1627-1691) as an assistant. Greg was appointed as a British factor in Denmark-Norway in 1692 and conducted both official and private business. From December 1700 until his death in December 1701, Greg was the official "King's Resident" in Copenhagen.

William Blathwayt (1649-1717) was born in London to a barrister and his wife. He was admitted to the bar at Middle Temple in 1665 and entered the diplomatic service in 1668 as a clerk at the English embassy at the Hague. In 1672, he began a year as a clerk at the embassy in Copenhagen and Stockholm. He returned to London and served as assistant secretary of trade and plantations from 1675 to 1679. In 1680, he became the first surveyor and auditor-general of royal revenues in America. The following year, he became under-secretary of state (north), and in 1683, he purchased the office of Secretary of War, a position he held until 1689. He established the War Office as a department of the government, though strategic policy was managed by the Northern and Southern Departments. In 1685, he was returned as Member of Parliament for Newtown. In 1686, he became a Clerk of the Privy Council in Ordinary and became secretary of the Privy Council's committee on trade and foreign plantations. In this position, he promoted trade in America and established the charter of the Crown colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1691. In 1693, he was returned as a Whig Member of Parliament for Bath, a position he held until 1710. From 1696 to 1707, he was a Lord of Trade. He retired to Dyrham in 1710.

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.

  • Dimensions: 7.375" x 9"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, 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. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

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. 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.

August 7, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
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