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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[Audier, 1908.
If you read over your Indenture with the Company, you will finde you are oblidged to serve in such places and in such Imployment as shall be appoiuted by your superiours and are not left to your owne choyce as you inferr, which wee thinke sufficient answere to you and Remaine Your Reall Freinds, W. JERSEY; JOAN NICLAES.
Metchlepałam the 13th August 1666." 52
After this passage of arms with Jearney, we hear no more of Salisbury for some time. The next mention of him, which is far from flattering, is in 1668, when he was still at Peddapalle. It occurs in : "Letter from an unknowne person " to the Company dated in Fort St. George, 4 April, 1668:
"Truly your Factory at Pettipolee is rather a Charge then a benefitt to you (being managed by a very debauch't Idle fellow one Salusbury) not furnishing from thence a piece of Cloth towards your returnes this yeare .. I give you a Carracter of your Metchlepatam Servants ... they are all greate abuzers of the Company in words and deedes especially Salisbury at Pettipolee, that miscreant." 63
From the above extract it seems clear that Salisbury was acting at Peddapallee as an Accredited servant of the Company. In 1669 he desired to be transferred to the Bay of Bengal. The Fort Generall" to Masulipatam of the 30th June, 1669, contains the following paragraph on this head :
"Mr Bridges algo advised that Mr Ambrose Salisbury desired he might goe into the Bay for some fitting employment which might present, and Mr Salisbury also haveing acquainted the Agent and others of us of that his desire, if he doe continue in that mindo and still desire it, we give onr consent that he also may goe for the Bay, so as that before his departure be given a trew and faithfull account of all that bath beene under his management and a true delivery of whatsoever shall be found remaining or due from him to the Honble. Company; and, in case be leave his place, we appoint Mr Robert Fleetwood to succeede him as Chief in Petepolee, as a person who by his long experience is the fittest for that employment, and doe appoint Mr John Hopkins who hath long served the Company faithfully to be his second to assist him in Petepolee."
How long Salisbury bad been acting as “Chief" at Peddapalle, is uncertain, bnt it is probable that, on the release of Agent Foxcroft in August, 1669, he was reinstated in the Company's service.
The death of John Niclaes, shortly after Salisbury's request to go to "the Bay," created * Vacancy on the Coast," and the Chief at Pettipolee" was appointed " Second" at Masulipatam.
- Fort Generall to Metchlepatam, 20th July 1669.
To Mr. William Jearsey. We have taken into consideration the Vacancy of a second in Metchlepatam by the death of Mr John Nicklaes, and do find it to be Mr Ambrose Salisbury his right of succession, since we have no intention of sending any from bence to fill up that vacancy, and therefore have appointed the said Mr Ambrose Salisbury to succede and be second in Metchlepatam, haveing given up account of all under his charge at Petepolee, as you will perceive by
* Factory Reoorde, Miscellansone, Vol. 3.
* Factory Recortlo, Maculipatam, Vol. 3. + Factory Recorde, Fort St. George, Vol. 16.