L.c.2120: Newsletter received by Gilbert Newdigate, Arbury, 1692 December 8

L.c.2120

London December 8^th 1692

Sir The Merchants upon the Exchange have received Letters of the 21 of September from their ffactory at Aleppo that ye plague has been very severe in those parts that all the Christian Merchants were obliged to retire farr into the Countrey but were returned and by Computacion found that it had Swept away above 30000 Souls Tuesday night Mr Whitson the Exchange Broker pursuant to his Maiesties order attended the Lords of the Treasury and gave their Lordshipps great Satisfacion in certain proposalls he Laid before them for the raising of Money as also shewing a way that very few Merchant Shipps should be taken by the Enemy for the future that his Maiestie should become their Ensurer at 5^li per Centum both Inward and Outward and take all the said Shipps under his particular Convoy they Sayling all together in ffleets and that his Maiestie should Reimburse any Losse out of the Customs whereby Seamens Wages would be brought down to a regulated price and his Maiestie haue them upon all Occasions which point was Very well approved of Sir George St Georges a Regiment which was ordered for Ireland Is Countermanded not being of that kingdoms establishment

{Serjeant at Arms who attended the Lord Cheif Baron Atkins is sworn in the place of Serjeant Topham = The first letters say that the Lord Livetenant is coming for England having constituted the Lord Merson Sir Charles Porter and Collonel Smith Lords Justices in his Absence and I am told that his Excellency will be made Generall of one English Foot in the Room of Count Solms = this day the Lords were upon the Advice and Carryed a Question that whereas one Collonel Gore a dutch man commands at the head of our Train his Maiestie would be pleased to Employ an English man = this day the house of Commons caused to be read a 2d time}

And yesterday . Mayls from that kingdom gaue an account that most of the Barbadoes Shipps which were thought to be Lost are put in there - And the East India Company has the gladd Tidings that their ship Mary from India Captain Barker Commander which they had given for Lost was put into Baltamore in Ireland Yesterday the Grand Committee of the House of Commons went through the Regulacion of the East India Company and Resolved that there should be no Alien of the Committee - That [...] Iobbing should be Laid aside - That 508^li stock should have a vote and [higher] summ no more, and that the Governor that should be Chosen should haue 5000^li stock in the Company, , and 1000^li every Committee man and that the Company should be obliged to Carry yearly to India 100000^li worth of goods of the English Manufactury Yesterday a Duell was fought between the Lords Mohun and Cannada and tis said they are both wounded in the ffray = Yesterday our Merchants had Advice that the Dromedary a ship of 700 Tunns richly Laden from Barbadoes was Last week cast away on the Coast of Scottland she sayling round that way to avoid the ffrench Edinburgh 2d December

{and near the Exchequer Office ffought the Latter being killed the other made his escape - This day the Dorchester men had their ffeast at Merchant Taylors hall the Bishop of Rochester preached before them at Bow Church in Cheapside = Captain Whitney the highway man is in Chelmsford Goad and tis said he offers 320000^li for his pardon = The Duke of Ormond Lyes dangerously Ill = Iust now I am assured that mr Grigg}

the Cannell haue discharged those persons in Custody for not taking the oaths - an order is come from London to prosecute the Earl of Seaforth and Viscount Killseith for acting against the Government and another order is come in favour of the Episcopall Clergy who pray for their Maiesties and to prosecute those that refuse Plymouth 4^th Instant a ship ~ Laden with Gricery ware from London for this port was cast away in the Late Storm but all the men Saved - the Ship providence of London is arrived here from Barbadoes and the men say that Iseland is still sickley Weymouth 5^th the William and Mary and Sussex Gally privatiers are arrived into Portland Road from plymouth - - on the 3d they gaue Chace to a ffrench priv[...] of 12 gunns notwithstanding they ha[...] brought one of her Masts by the Boar[...] by the ffavour of the night she gott away Deal 6^th this morning 4 ships from Malaga came into the Downs with 1 from Barbadoes Serieant Topham of the house of Commons died on Tuesday Last It is said Sir William Bishop will succeed him The same night Captain Tyore Commander of the Ossory a 2d Rate man of warr departed this Life much Lamented by the Seamen.

{on Tuesday 2 dutch officers of Foot Quarreled and ffought a Duell and the Livetenant killed the Ensign on the spot - And the same day the Lord Banbury ffought and Killed Captain Lawson upon some words concerning his Lordships Misse Misse and his Lordship was Seized and Committed to New-gate = Last night mr Young and mr Graham both [...] Quarrelled At the [Dorn] Tavern In ffleet street and at 9 a clock came in to the Temple}

and committed Captain St Loes Bill for raising 20000 seamen as also mr ..... Vincents Bill for registring of seamen referred to the said Committee = a Bill was also read the 1st time against Exportacion of Coyn afterwards the House Resolved into a grand Committee upon the Advice and their Arguments were Chiefly how to hinder our Money going into fforreign Countreys and It was debated that they Advise the king that all the souldiers may be Cloathed here and that dry fforrage namely Oats and hay might be sent them from home they came to no Resolues but desired Leave to sitt again on the same next Munday

For Mr Gilbert Newdigate at Arbury near Coventry Coventry Bagg. 4

8 December. 92