Description:

George Macartney
London, England & Chennai, India, ca. 1784-1795
Earl George Macartney, (3) ALS re: Cornwallis, Tipu Sultan & Treaty of Mangalore
Archive

A collection of three autographed letters signed "Macartney" from British diplomat George Macartney, one of which features ciphered text. 4pp total, each measuring 7.25" x 9", dated from 1784 to 1795. Within, the Earl offers his opinion on Mysorean leader Tipu Sultan, describes being made a Viscount by George III, and references a letter of merit from Charles Cornwallis. Exhibits varying degrees of light toning, dampstaining, and letter folds throughout, with areas of minor edge wear to some. Very good to near fine overall- interesting content!

Excerpts include, in chronological order:

- Fort St. George, Madras, March 1, 1784.
"Tippo's [Tipu Sultan] answer to the Memorial of the Commissioners is merely recriminatory- His charges are ill-founded and ours are true, but as he may probably think his honor concerned to support what he has once asserted as much as ours is to maintain what we have said in answer. I know not how the business can proceed unless some mutual agreement be made… you have made specific demands preparatory to the final conclusion of any Treaty & informed Tippoo [sic] of the Terms on which peace may be made…
If Tipoo wishes peace he can have no objection to that plan- I find it would be ^unwise^ in us to ^give him^ any opening for ^acting^ as ^he^ has done in the case of ^Mangalore^- The account of his withstanding… are so contrary to all faith, policy & common sense that perhaps if ^peace^ were ^really^ made we should even then have ^little less^ to ^apprehend^ from ^him^ than during an ^open war^-… ^Bengal^ has begun again to plague us with letters of ^reproach^- but in such a manner as to give us every advantage we can wish."

- To Sir Isaac Heard (1730-1822), London, June 30, 1792.
"I called at the college of arms yesterday, & was sorry to hear that your health required a trip to the seaside. I hope you will receive from it all the benefit you wish- I propose going over to Ireland for a few days & returning in a fortnight, but which time I hope my little [illegible] will be done at the college- I kissed the King's hand on Wednesday last on being created a Viscount, which you will direct to be inserted in the proper place-".

-Possibly to Major General Robert Ross (1766-1814), London, June 22, 1795.
"In consequence of your permission to trouble you on the subject of Mr. Maxwell, I beg leave... upon you with this letter, which he will have the honor of delivering to you himself- The enclosed is a copy of my letter to the Marquess Cornwallis, relative to him which states in a few words his merits & my wishes & the perusal of which will render it unnecessary for me to add anything more…."

George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney (1737-1806) was a British diplomat, politician, and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Grenada, Madras and the Cape Colony between 1776 and 1798. He is often remembered for his observation following Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War and subsequent territorial expansion at the Treaty of Paris. While serving in Madras, Macartney notably negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore which brought an end to the Second Anglo-Mysore War in 1784. He later became the first British envoy to China in the early 1790s, but ultimately failed to broker an agreement for open trade between the two nations.

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: 7.25" x 9"
  • Medium: Archive

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 world-wide 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 that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, 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.

November 19, 2025 10:00 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