________________
JULY, 1905.]
SOME ANGLO-INDIAN WORTHIES.
178
to have been made it the late troubles, likewise resolved to be of dangerous consequence, and not to be Soffered, it neither being safe nor rationall, that any private person should be in possession of a gate, which renders all our watuhing and warding insignificant Besides the opportunity of private trade which our Honourable Employers are so stricktly bent against."
At Masulipatam the factors were still attempting to clear up Jearsey's accounts, but in Sept. 1675 they gave it up as hopeless "one paire of his last three paire of Books" being missing. Meanwhile, the subject of all this correspondence was continuing his trading ventures, and was Apparently unmoved by the various representations against him.
By December 1676 the Directors had had enough of delays and excuses. They wrote that they had found the Masulipatam books (possibly the memorialls, dyaries and loose papers" mentioned by Smithson) that by them Mr Jerzey appears to be a very great Debtor," and that he had "ontstayed the time he first desired." They added, “Wee wonder at the Slight answer you give us as to Mr Jarzey referring us to Metchlepatam from whome you know wee have had no satisfactory Accompt of any proceedings." They concluded by giving positive orders for a speedy and thorough examination of the business," that if any thing be due to him, wee may doe him right."
It was in 1676 that Jersey's nephew " John Jearsey who serves him and has paid his fine to the Honble. Company" was robbed of his intended wife by Samuel White, a notorious character of the time. White had come out with “Mistress Povey " in the Loyal Subject, commanded by Capt. Goodlad. He carried off the lady and married her while the ship lay in Masulipatam Road. In December 1676 the jilted lover returned to Fort St. George on a "new ship" of about 100 tops, built for his uncle at Madapollam. In the same year Thomas Bowrey was employed on one of Jearsey's ships at Junk-Ceylon and speaks of him as " an Eminent English Merchant att Fort St. Georges!" Bowrey also relates how Jearsey's two servants escaped the general massacre in Junk-Ceylon in the following year.
In March 1677 Jearsey was at variance with the factors at Fort St. George with regard to the Recovery of which he was part owner. The ship was likely to be seized by the "Mores Creditors of the late Mr Robert Fleetwood, and finding Mr William Jearsey changing and flying back from his consent to joyn in the saving of Mr Fleetwood's half of said ship for the Honble. Company" it was resolved to take possession of the Recovery in the Company's name.
The Directors at last began to realize that it was a hopeless task to attempt to bring Jearsey to account, and their protests grew weaker as time went on. In January 1677 they once more desired that Jearsey's affairs might be settled as “wee doe not like to have things so long depending between us and others." They no longer insisted on the return of the offending servant, and in Dec. of the same year merely desired that his Account might be stated at Fort St. George and sent to England for the Court's decision. "In the mean time if he demean himself peaceably and no way obstract our affaires he may remaine in the Country till our further Orders."
In Dec. 1678, there is the laconic note at Fort St. George, "Touching Mr Jearsey's accounts no Papers to be found." This year is noteworthy for the occurrence of the first trial by jury in the Court of Judicature at Fort St. George. On the 25th March, John Tivill sued William Jearsey for a debt of 10,000 pagodas and was awarded 1174 pagodas damages. On the 2nd of April Jearsey counterclaimed for a debt from Tivill, and obtained 607 pagodas damages. On the 8th May he sued Mrs. Proby, widow of Charles Proby, for a debt of 10,000 pagodas and obtained 300 pagodas damages. The widow, in her turn, counterclaimed for a debt of 300 pagodas and was awarded 100 pagodas damages, so that Jearsey's litigation in 1678 cost him about 360 pagodas.
In 1676, and again in 1678, 1680, and 1681, the entry, "William Jearsey marryed to a Dutch woman," occurs in a "List of freemen living at Fort St. George, Madraspatnam." He was still a man of substance and the owner of many ships, among them the Supply and the Recovery for the latter of which he got a pass in Oct. 1678. In a list of contributors to the fand "For the
