Diary of his Voyage to India, January to July 1675, with some other memoranda, 1675 [manuscript].
1675
Items
Details
Title
Diary of his Voyage to India, January to July 1675, with some other memoranda, 1675 [manuscript].
Created/published
[England?], 1675.
Description
1 volume ; 22 x 10 cm
Associated name
Master, Streynsham, 1640-1724, author.
Note
This is a PRELIMINARY RECORD. It may contain incorrect information. The "FAST ACC" number is a temporary call number. Please email catalog@folger.edu for assistance.
Genre/form
Manuscripts (documents)
Item Details
Call number
FAST ACC 270951 (quarto)
Folger-specific note
Ordered from Maggs, D 9064, 2017-02-13, email quote. Purchase made possible by The B. F. Saul Rare Book Acquisitions Fund. From dealer's description: MASTER (Sir Streynsham). [Diary of his Voyage to India, January to July 1675, with some other memoranda (most of the latter deliberately torn-out)] London. Booke of Remembrances. Relating to ye Hon:ble East India Comp:as Affaires in India. Begun September 10: 1675. Closed July 7th: 1676. Streynsham Master. Manuscript on paper. Ruled in red. Watermark of a posthorn on a crowned shield (fragments only). Ledger 8vo format. [Binding: 220 x 90 mm]. Original wallet binding of vellum with a triangular flap fastedning on the front cover witha brass clasp and catch, ciovers panelled in gilt with a small fleuron at the corners; back cover lettered in ink "A Booke of Notes of the Hon. Company's Affairs 1675/67.", spine lettered "1675/76." Comb-marbled endleaves forming a pocket inside the front and back covers. 1675/6. Streynsham Master (1640-1724) first went to India in the service of the East India Company 1656 aged 15. He returned in 1672, wealthy enough to purchase an estate near Dover and to marry in 1674. His wife, however, died within a few months of their marriage and he re-entered the Company's service as prospective Governor of Fort St. George, Madras and Agent for the Coast of Coromandel and Bay of Bengal in succession to Sir William Langhorne who was to return to England in January 1677. He left England in January 1676 and arrived at Fort St. George on 7 July. Dealer's description continued: He then toured the Company's factories in the region before returning to Fort St George and taking up his position as Governor and Agent. "In common with many other company employees at this time, Master engaged in considerable private trading. In particular, he dealt in diamonds, and built up a considerable fortune thereby. In 1679 he again visited Masulipatam, and on 1 August of that year embarked for a tour to Bengal. The extravagant nature of these tours was one reason, or perhaps excuse, for the court's subsequent condemnation of him. Indeed, there is evidence of a largely unwarranted conspiratorial opposition to Master within East India House, an opposition which even gained the support of the king at one time. As a consequence, Master was formally dismissed his post on 3 July 1681 and the agency transferred to William Gyfford. Master was permitted to remain at Madras one year longer in order to settle his affairs before returning to England a wealthy man. However, he was never able to recover the substantial sums of money which were left owing to him at Madras. In September 1682 the company filed a suit in chancery against him, and it was not until October 1691 that the case was settled out of court to Master's advantage." (ODNB ). A manuscript of his Diary, from 24 December 1675 to January 1677, is in the India Office archive in the British Library (IOR/40/14). It covers his voyage to India and his tour of the factories in Masulipatam and the Bay of Bengal before he took up his office. It is a folio of 374 pages - the Diary 314pp + 60pp of transcribed documents and letters. It is a contemporary fair copy signed by the scribe Richard Browne, a writer at Fort St. George. It was published by Sir Richard Carnac Temple in 1911. The present The present Diary appears to be the original from which the fair copy was prepared. Almost all the entries in the published version are found here (exceptions are a few records of the death of men not present here) but almost always the wording is different and, generally, briefer here though the details are the same. In addition the entries before 24 December 1675 and a small number of entries during the voyage itself are not in the published version. Large sections of the present manuscript have been deliberately torn out. This may have occurred because of the legal proceedings initiated by the Company against Master after his return to England or, less likely, as part of the copying process. It would appear that the missing leaves contained transcripts of letters and memoranda (see the note on p. 32 referring to a letter left at Johanna "ye Copy of wch is ent.rd in fo: 123" but which is one of the torn-out leaves. ....
Folger accession
270951