Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 283

JANUARY, 1931) THE SCATTERGOODS AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
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Rupees Madrass 1300 which is 400 Pagos. Reckoning the pagoda at 48., this makes a Madras rupce worth nearly half a crown in 1712.
The Heriot. The Heriot or Harriot was also a country trading vessel commanded by Captain John Jones. She sailed for Bengal on 28 May 1711 and arrived at Fort St. George from Vizagapatam on 25 November 1712 (Fort St. George Diary 1711-12). Scattergood was interested in her cargo at this time and also in a previous voyage she made to Persia in 1710-11.
The Howland. The reports concerning this ship were erroneous, as she was at Malacca in the autumn of 1712 (see note on p. 77).
New month, i.e., September 1712.
The St. Andrew. This was another country trading vessel, commanded by Captain Thomas Greenhaugh (a "seafaring man, not constant inhabitant" of Fort St. George). She arrived at Madras from Bombay on 23rd September 1711 and sailed for Bengal on 5 October, whence she returned to Madras on 11 April 1712, shortly after Scattergood's arrival from China (Fort St. George Diary, 1711-12).
My poor boy. This was Seattergood's second son who, like his brother, died in infancy.
While preparing for his voyage to Surat, Soattergood still found time to execute commissions for business friends. By John Curgenven, a brother of Peter Curgenven who had been his companion from Isfahan to Gombroon in 1708, he sent to Captain Bartholomew Stibs in Bengal a consignment of the highly reputed stockings from the Dutch settlement at Pulicat, and on the Mairmaid (Mermaid?) a country ship he sent guns purchased for Mr. John Brown. The account for the latter shows that Soattergood received a portion of their cost through Captain Alexander Hamilton, yet another notable figure of those days with whom he came in contact.
Apart from his own investments and commissions undertaken for correspondents in India, Scattergood was employed as a go-between by acquaintances in England to dispose of goods for them in India. The following letter written by him at this period is an amusing instance of the kind.
[18. Copy.] Mr. Hobdy, Sir
Yours of Jany, last I received the 25 of July and was glad to hear of your good health. By Mr. Thomas Pain I received your four perriwiggs, t[w]o long and two short, but they are too dark for this place, for the Gentlemen hear all desier to wear light wiggs, and those long. By comparing those wigs of yours to others that was sent, I judge you sett them down at a littel to heigh price. We have no demands for perriwigs at present. These ships have brought out a great many, and sold them at outcry for great deale less price then they cost in England, so I designe to keep your wiggs for a better markett. Ill sell them as dear as I can and send your retur[n]s by the next shipping, for I doe not want any for my own ware, haveing a lettel before yours arrived bought some at a very low prioe.
I remain, Your most humble servant Madrass the 16th September 1712.
[NOTES ON DOCUMENT No. 18.] Mr. Hobdy (Hobday). This individual appears to have died before he received the produce of his wigs, as a receipt for the amount, dated March 1717, is signed by Mary Hobday.
Thomas Pain (Payne). He was a cousin of the Trenchfields and had been sent to India by his father, Thomas Payne, and placed under the protection of Scattergood as a relative by marriage (his mother's second husband was Richard Trenchfield), who shipped him as midshipman in the Duke of Cambridge in 1714. He died in Bombay in 1717.
Four periwiggs. These, with Thomas Pain, probably came out in the Arabella, which arrived nt Fort St. George from England on 8 July 1712 (Fort St. George Diary).
These ships. The ships arriving at Madras from England in 1712 were the Company's ships Kent and Marit vrough and the Arabella, a separate stock ship.