Indian Antiquary Vol 44

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 18

14
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1915.
"resolved by next shipps for the Fort, God willing, and I shall want money to adjust with some creditors, which they made a great crime my last Voyage; therefore pray use yonr utmost endeavours speedily to send mee what you ow mee..."57 Smith's intentions to proceed to Fort St. George were frustrated, and in consequence he made common cause with Joseph Hall, who temporarily usurped Walter Clavell's position at Balasor, where both factors contrived to make themselves exceedingly obnoxious to their fellows.68 Finding himself baulked in his hopes of recovering the Chiefship of Dacca, Smith sent a written statement of his grievances to the Council at Fort St. George, in January, 1676, as follows:"I was in hopes to have waited upon your worship In Councell with Mr. Clavell and Mar sball, but Mr. Clavell was not pleased to admit or beare of any such thing, by which you may judge how things have been carryed. Mr. Robert Elwes hath been dead about a moneth, yet it was not knowne here till within 3 dayes. I suppose it was kept so private that the Ships might not carry home the newse this yeare from any but themselves, A:1d now Mr. Marshall pretends to the Place, which suppose is the reason of the Present Voyage to the Fort, but I hope, Since am detained, you will be pleased to see that I have my right and which you were formerly pleased to order me. And now Mr Clavell will be prea sent I humbly intreate that you will end that dispute, that so afterwards you may heare no more of it. Their designe in removing Mr. Marshall from Cassambuzar, where he hath had four yeares experience, and me from Decca, where I have had no less, certainly cannot be Immagined for the Companys Interest, But rather in removing Mr. Marshall to Decus there is way made for Brother Littleton59 to be 2d of Cassambuzar, which I heare is the present resolve; and Mr. Clavell in this yeares List to the Company of their Servants hath sett his Brother Littleton and Mr. Harvey before mee, and whether or noe this is the encoridgment and order the Company Intend amongst their Servants 1 humbly appeal to your Worship and address my selfe to you for Justice as well in this as other matters. I humbly take leave and Subscribe &c. John Smith."00
This letter was no sooner despatched than Smith decided to follow it in person, and ar cordingly, in defiance of Clavell's orders, sailed to Fort St. George. There he appears to have met with but little support. The quarrels among the Company's servants in the Bay' were referred to Major Williału Puckle, sent out by the Court to inspect their factories in Madras and Bengal, and with him Smith returned to Balasor in March of 1676.61 Puckle at once began his attempt to pacify the grumblers by a general redistribution of offices, in which arrangement Smith was relegated to Patna as second, was admitted to a seat in the Council, and ranked as "9th in the Bay." If Packle thought he had thus gucceeded in " reconciling animosities" he was quickly disa bused, for Smith immediately brought a "charge containing 27 articles" against Walter Clavell. The document is not extant, but it was evidently a lengthy one, as it occupied "one booke intire" in the list of Puckle's papers.03 This "charge " was examined at Høglt in June, 1676. No details are forthcoming and no verdict was given at the time, but the evidence was apparently in favour of Clavell, who, in his turn, promised to produce "& paper apart" of Smith's “Miscarriadges."
57 0. O. No. 4091.
58 Factory Records, Port St. George, Vol. 28. 52 Edward Littleton was brother-in-law to Walter Clavell's second wife, Martha Woodruff. * Factory Records, Fort St. George, Vol. 28, a Factory Records, Fort St. George, Vol. 18. & Factory Records, Fort St. George, Vol. 28.
Ibid.