Saturday 3 December 1664
Up, and at the office all the morning, and at noon to Mr. Cutler’s, and there dined with Sir W. Rider and him, and thence Sir W. Rider and I by coach to White Hall to a Committee of the Fishery; there only to hear Sir Edward Ford’s proposal about farthings, wherein, O God! to see almost every body interested for him; only my Lord Annesly, who is a grave, serious man. My Lord Barkeley was there, but is the most hot, fiery man in discourse, without any cause, that ever I saw, even to breach of civility to my Lord Anglesey, in his discourse opposing to my Lord’s. At last, though without much satisfaction to me, it was voted that it should be requested of the King, and that Sir Edward Ford’s proposal is the best yet made. Thence by coach home. The Duke of Yorke being expected to-night with great joy from Portsmouth, after his having been abroad at sea three or four days with the fleete; and the Dutch are all drawn into their harbours. But it seems like a victory: and a matter of some reputation to us it is, and blemish to them; but in no degree like what it is esteemed at, the weather requiring them to do so. Home and at my office late, and then to supper and to bed.
9 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
On behalf of Dirk Van de putte, communications (held today in the [not D'Oyly] Carte Calendar) -- navy matters are heating up.
Captain Robert Clarke to Sandwich
Written from: the Straits of Gibraltar
Date: [3? December] 1664
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 273
Document type: Holograph [with seal of arms]
Sends advices of various naval incidents in the Straits and Mediterranean. reports that by order of Admiral Lawson, the writer and Captain Parker were sent to Algiers, with proposals for an exchange of prisoners. In the bay they were informed of the death of the English Consul (soon after Lord Sandwich's departure from Algiers) and of the battle between the French and the Turks. To the proffered exchange, he adds, the Moors would not agree, but said: "what men we had of theirs we might sell, and redeem our English".
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An Order by James, Duke of York, Lord High Admiral, for the seizure and detention of all Dutch ships, that shall be met with, whether they be ships of war or merchant vessels
Written from: on board the Royal Charles
Date: 3 December 1664
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 257
Document type: Original; signed & countersigned
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Instructions by James, Duke of York, Lord High Admiral, to Edward, Earl of Sandwich, Vice-Admiral of England
Written from: on board the Royal Charles
Date: 3 December 1664
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 259
Document type: Original; signed & countersigned
The Vice-Admiral is informed of the disposal of various squadrons, and of ships of observation, as they are left on the Duke's departure from Portsmouth. He is instructed to issue, from time to time, such further orders as the exigency of events may require. The Ships formerly prepared for the Voyage to Guinea are not to be hazarded at sea, save on some great emergency.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
Terry Foreman • Link
farthings
6 November 1663
"I took my Lord aside, who do give me the best advice he can, and telling me how there are some projectors, by name Sir Edward Ford, who would have the making of farthings, and out of that give so much to the King for the maintenance of the Fishery; but my Lord do not like that, but would have it go as they offered the last year" http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
See the posts on farthings and tokens by Glyn and Louise H
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… beginning thus
"A farthing was a quarter of a penny, and throughout the 1660s there was a severe shortage of small coinage - it not being profitable for the various mints to produce them. This was so much the case that many taverns manufactured their own tokens that could be spent at their establishments. Pepys would have handled these tokens every day, but it was one of those trivial things that he never mentioned in the Diary."
13 September 1664
"many good things discoursed of concerning making of farthings, which was proposed as a way of raising money for this business, and then that of lotterys"
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
cgs • Link
"...proposal about farthings, .."
story :
A farthing (meaning fourth part) was a British coin worth one quarter of a penny. Such coins were first minted in England in the 13th century, and continued to be used until 31 December 1960, when they ceased to be legal tender.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit…
Douay-Rheims Bible
Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing.
Pedro • Link
Farthings and Guineas.
The poor man's farthing is worth more
Than all the gold in Afric's Store.
(Blake)
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"In the bay they were informed of the death of the English Consul (soon after Lord Sandwich's departure from Algiers) and of the battle between the French and the Turks."
Apparently things had deteriorated since:
Monday 13 June 1664
✹ Pedro on 29 Jun 2007 • Link • Flag
On this day in the Med...
Both Admiral Sir John Lawson and De Ruyter had previously agreed peace treaties with the Algerians, who De Ruyter described as rouges and scoundrels. These treaties had been broken and both were sent out to deal with the situation.
On 13 June 1664 De Ruyter met Lawson's squadron before Cartagena and a disagreeable incident took place. De Ruyter saluted in the normal way, but Lawson did not reply. When De Ruyter lodged a polite protest, Lawson replied that he had been absolutely forbidden to acknowledge the Dutch salute. The Admiral immediately wrote to the States General ... Notwithstanding these difficulties, he discussed Med matters with Lawson, who had just been to Algiers to deal with the case of the English Consul.
The English consul at Algiers had been imprisoned in the bagno, scandalously treated, and compelled while in chains to drag a cart loaded with stones, for the amusement of the Algiers mob. After the arrival of a new English squadron under Admiral Sir John Lawson the consul's treatment improved but he was still kept under supervision in his own house. -- (Info from The Life of Admiral De Ruyter by Renier)
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Did Sandwich go to Algeria in 1664? And does anyone know who the dead British diplomat was?
San Diego Sarah • Link
'To the proffered exchange, he adds, the Moors would not agree, but said: "what men we had of theirs we might sell, and redeem our English".'
The problem with the Barbary Coast was that they had no legitimate way to earn money. Therefore piracy and slavery were what they did.
What did European countries do with captured Barbary Pirates? Ship them off to Jamaica?
Terry Foreman • Link
" only my Lord Annesly, who is a grave, serious man."
The gravity of Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, combined with his speechifying, made him in fact a formidable bore: see Clarendon's opinion (and the King's) in Lister, iii. 494. Burnet (i. 174) refers to his 'faculty of speaking indefatigably upon every subject'. (L&M note)
San Diego Sarah • Link
"What did European countries do with captured Barbary Pirates?"
From LAWSON LIES STILL IN THE THAMES by Gill Blanchard, Amberley Publishing 2017, ISBN 978 1 4456 6123 page 159:
In late 1659 and early 1660 Lawson is in the Med.: "... [Admiral] John [Lawson] was on patrol hunting for Barbary corsairs while the rest of his fleet continued bombarding Algiers when he captured two enemy ships and freed another from Genoa laden with oil, which the Barbary pirates had taken. One of the vessels was commanded by a renegade; a European who had joined the pirates and converted to Islam. John and his crew made slaves of the 125 captives they took, but released over 30 Christians from different countries who were being held. Slaves taken by John and his fleet were sold to the Spanish while they executed those renegade Christians who had given up their religion and become Muslims." -- Lawson, , "A Declaration; Narrative; Two letters, 1659"; Monthly Intelligencer, Dec. 1659-1660; Publick Intelligencer 26 Dec. 1659-2 Jan. 1660.
San Diego Sarah • Link
OOOOpppps. " -- Lawson, , "A Declaration; Narrative; Two letters, 1659"; Monthly Intelligencer, Dec. 1659-1660; Publick Intelligencer 26 Dec. 1659-2 Jan. 1660." -- came from the wrong chapter! Sorry about that.
The right reference is:
Butler, Lawrence "Whitby in North Africa" published in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal (Yorkshire 2004), Vol. 76, pp. 171-175; Chomley, "Tangier" pp.4, 9, 16; Rugge, Vol. 2, fos. 3-8, 13-15.
Which clears up how Lawson couldn't have been in the Med and lying still in the Thames at the same time. However, I haven't figured out when this took place. Guess 1661-1662. I'll let you know if I get a better date.