| Description | 1. Undated bill in Chancery (copy) by Thomas Pitt, former Governor of Fort St George, of Old Sarum to the Right Honourable Thomas, Lord Parker, Lord High Chancellor. Nine foolscap pages stating that on his return from India in 1709 Henry Davenport and Robert Raworth were appointed his attorneys to settle his affairs in India, parts or shares in ships, cargoes etc remitting part annually in diamonds and giving powers to raise moneys for ventures. Considerable details of his affairs and accusations of dishonesty on the part of Henry Davenport. Asking that Henry Davenport be issued a writ to appear before the court (chancery) to render proper accounts.
2. Undated account for Thomas Pitt for £392.12.10.
3. Current account 16 Nov 1712 for Thomas Pitt for the years 1707 and 1708. Balanced at 19,451 pagodas and signed by Henry Davenport.
4. Receipt 31 March 1715 at Pall Mall. Received of Henry Davenport £600 repayable on demand. Signed Thomas Pitt.
5. Letter 13 Dec 1710 from Thomas Pitt to Henry Davenport. Copy of instructions from Thomas Pitt to Henry Davenport on the management of his affairs with additional letter dated Jan 12 1711. Gossip and strong views on the current governor, a bankrupt creditor, local rulers and a bond of 2000 pagodas taken by Madam Lacy. Friendly advice.
6. Account 15 Nov 1717 London for trade of Tonnapau Conicopty for 1708 and 1710 balanced at 7,775 pagodas and signed by Henry Davenport.
7. Account Sep 1714 for private trades of ship Marlborough by Henry Davenport, John Cooke, Mrs Elizabeth Frenchfield, Right Reverend John, Bishop of Bangalore, Thomas Pitt and others.
8. Letter 14 Jan 1716 to Henry Davenport from his attorneys at Fort St George. Detail on poor state of local trade, choice of bills of exchange or nothing from the French Company for a debt at Pondicherry, problems caused by a recent 'glut of money' from France and England to buy diamonds and their consequent 'dearness and badness' resulting in a decision to send Henry Davenport no more of them.
9. Undated bill in chancery (copy) to Lord Parker, Lord High Chancellor from Charles Boone (merchant) and his son Daniel, Henry Davenport and his children Sharington, Mary Elizabeth and Mary Lewise. 15 foolscap pages about the considerable estate of Daniel Chardin (deceased 1700), left to his wife Mary Magdalen during her life (now deceased) and thereafter to his daughters Jane (now deceased), wife of Charles Boone and Mary Lewise (now deceased) wife of Henry Davenport. Some 30,000 of South Sea stock having been transferred to Peter Delachs and Peter Lepostre, the executors of Mary Magdalen Chardin, for the benefit of the grandchildren (all minors) they had transferred the stock to themselves and refused to give accounts of interest and dividends or yield up the stock without an order of court - the stock now standing at so high a price. Request that the court order disposal of the stock and purchase of lands, tenements or hereditaments, government stock or other good security for the benefit of the children.
10. 1714 account to Henry Davenport from Osmund Beauvoir, balanced at £4,363.4.9 for trade in diamonds and musk, plus interest.
11. Undated letter of rough draft of Henry Davenport response to Governor Pitt's bill in chancery.
12. Account (copy) dated 18 Jan 1718 for sundry goods received and disposed of at Henry Davenport warehouse by Conicoply Daveroy.
13. Letter 12 Oct 1712 from Mr Benyon at Fort St George; a detailed account of the defence and defences of Fort St David (near Cuddalore) and the repulse of the 'Averillas' with the aid of a Demi-Culverin and two 'great Gunns' with remarks on the steps and expenditure needed to improve the defences. Followed by a detailed account of the negotiations for peace which he conducted with local rulers over a period of three months in Pondicherry, as a semi-prisoner in a 'Punch-House' run by an English pirate. Against the opposition of Governor Raworth bought off the rulers for 12,000 pagodas in exchange for the land, free trade and peace. Concludes with remarks on the death of 'Shaulum', the Great Mogul, and a description of the resulting wars among his sons, Bengal now being the 'seat of the Warr' and laments the shortage of company servants, so many having been swept away by death (21 pages).
14. Letter 14 Feb 1711 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Congratulations on safe return from China and asks for the annual rent of his house at Fort St George in diamonds plus payment from the estate of Mr Lacy. Hopes that his affairs are being properly managed, and makes adverse comment on the quality of the 'great stone' bought previously.
15. Letter 24 Feb 1711 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Sentiments on the war in Flanders and hopes for peace. Sends a pipe of Madeira and sundries to Henry Davenport, on repayment, and advises not to return to London with less than £100,000 because people are 'three times as extravagant' as when he (Pitt) left in 1697.
16. Letter 18 May 1711 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Acknowledges receipt of account from Raworth, fulminates against rogues in India who forge letters from Government and blacken his name, asks Henry Davenport to 'crush 'em for ever'. Observes of Henry Davenport's brother that 'I am confident you may depend upon the Estate, for hele' never marry'.
17. Letter 4 Dec 1711 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Gossip, purchase of lottery tickets and request for payment of arrears of rent in diamonds.
18. Letter 4 Dec 1711 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Duplicate of previous letter plus report of financial failure of public men and request for 2000 pagodas, with interest, paid to Mr Lacy for whom Henry Davenport and Mr Chardin want security.
19. Letter dated 1712 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Fair copy of letter dated 14 Feb 1711 then complaints of mismanagement of affairs in Gombroone. Sent for Henry Davenports 'great stone' from Holland to sell 'before interest eats it up', comments on the diamond market and advice on what to send. Hopes that Henry Davenport had taken him a share in a recent prosperous voyage for the 'Gentlemen of Madras'.
20. Letter 25 Oct 1712 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Gossip and sale of the 'great stone' for £3,440, it not being of the first water.
21. Letter 26 Mar 1713 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Shipping of wines and recriminations over the management of his affairs. Advice that no great profit was to be expected from diamonds, the price declining and the peace unlikely to help since the son of the King of Prussia intends to sell off all his fathers diamonds. Reported marrying off one daughter to General Stanhope and 'hope that I shall dispose of my other in a little time'.
22. Undated account for (part) various items including cash 4,000 pagodas, diamonds, lottery tickets. Madame Charony's diamond bought for £2,250, sold for £3,440.
23. Undated account for Henry Davenport with Governor Pitt. Balanced at 5,777 pagodas.
24. Account 5 Sep 1709 for rupees with Messrs Cookes, total 20,161 pagodas.
25. Undated account for Henry Davenport. Various trade income and expenditure balanced at £4,379.8.9.
26. Letter 15 Jan 1719 to Henry Davenport from John Maubert. Result of examination of Tonapa, imprisoned for debt. Involved description, allegations and counter-allegations of who paid who for what.
27. Letter 15 Dec/15 Jan 1718 to Henry Davenport from John Maubert. 12 pages, including copies of earlier letters with a promise to look into the affairs of Tonapa, details of commercial transactions and disposal of the estates of various deceased in India.
28. Letter 27 Dec 1712 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Various transactions and a request for a memorandum to explain a number of accusations of mismanagement and Tonapas debt.
29. Letter (copy) 25 Oct 1712 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London. Details of goods currently in Holland, gossip and asking why Henry Davenport has 'ruined' Tonapa with a request to reinstate him if possible. Reports that a black spot was discovered in the great stone when cut.
30. Letter 17 May 1712 (marked received 30 Jun 1713) to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt in London asking him to find employment for Captain Goddin and advising him of money to be spent on a new lottery.
31. Letter 23 Jan 1710 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt at the Cape of Good Hope sending his regards to all his friends in India and promising to promote interest for Henry Davenport.
32. Letter 2 Feb 1710 to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt at the Cape. Copy of previous letter and a promise to put Henry Davenport in such a post as to 'have the whip hand of them all'.
33. Letter dated 20 Sept 1710 to Raworth and Henry Davenport at Madras from Governor Pitt at Amsterdam. Amusing account of very long and eventful voyage from the Cape complicated by 'warr' between Sweden, Muscovy and Denmark. Remarks on Pitt's son Thomas, a Captain of Dragoons in Spain and hopes for peace.
34. Letter 13 Dec 1710 to Henry Davenport and Raworth from Governor Pitt in London. Financial affairs and diamond sale.
35. Letter 14 Dec 1716 to Henry Davenport from his brother Davenport. Commiserations on Henry Davenport's illness on returning to a Northern clime and an account of a visit to Governor Pitt and details of an attempt to settle the dispute without going into Chancery.
36. Letter 26 Oct 1716 to Henry Davenport from Govenor Pitt requesting copies of receipts for transactions.
37. Letter 6 Nov 1716 Rough draft of a response from Henry Davenport to charges brought by Governor Pitt.
38. No date: account (1715). Henry Davenport's current account balanced at £1346.4.9, including "cash received of my Lord Bishop of Sarum £200".
39. Bill of exchange 20 Nov 1710, no. 2 of 3 for £364.10 given at Canton for Thomas Pitt and Richard Beauvoir payable on arrival of ship Loyall Cooke in the Thames for like value received of Henry Davenport and Osmond Beauvoir.
40. Obligation 20 Nov 1710 by Captain John Clarke of ship Loyall Cooke riding in the River of Canton for 600 tale value in silver of Henry Davenport and Osmond Beauvoir, supercargoes of ship Hallifax, for three bills of exchange for £364.10.
41. No date: account (1712). Henry Davenport balanced at £182.5 by Mr Pitt for lottery tickets, Madeira, wine etc.
42. Invoice 14 Mar 1712 for wine laden by Thomas Pitt for Henry Davenport on board the Frederick for Henry Davenport and Raworth, including a pipe of Canary and a chest of 'Old Sarum beere'.
43. Account 17 Jan 1712 Copy No 4 for wine and beer as above.
44. Undated list of letters to be carried with wine and beers as above.
45. Certificate 27 Sept 1718 of Luis de Medeierer at Fort St George. In Spanish, copies No 3 and 4.
46. Receipt 24 Oct 1709 for Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt for 1,000 Pagodas for one bulse of diamonds.
47. Letter 29 Nov 1716 (marked received 3 Dec 1716) to Henry Davenport from Governor Pitt asking for satisfactory accounts, Raworth appearing to have paid Tonapa "very great sums". Threatens to present his bill in chancery if not satisfied "my injuries being too great to be winked at".
48. Undated account for Thomas Pitt Esquire from 1707 to1709. Balanced at 19,451 pagodas with 2,498 pagodas due to him.
49. Translation of bonds, 1709, no date and 1720 of two bonds made by Tanapa in the Malabar language in 1709 (originals inserted) for 5,000 and 917 pagodas, annotated as a true translation in 1720, and receipt dated 6 May 1720 for copies. |