Volume 1

The English factories in India 1618-1669 / [Sir William Foster].

  • William Foster
Date:
1906-1927
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The English factories in India 1618-1669 / [Sir William Foster]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    commencement of English trade in the East the various factories enjoyed a large measure of independence (though a certain primacy was always conceded to Bantam), and the title of Agent was used by the head of each of the more important centres. As the Com- pany’s operations widened, however, and the need of systematic supervision was felt, a change was determined upon. The details were left to the discretion of Captain Keeling, but the Company suggested that four groups should be formed, with centres at Surat, Bantam, Patani, and some place on the Coromandel Coast, the heads of these to be called Agents, Directors, Consuls, or any other title that might be deemed appropriate. The instructions were never carried out. Keeling contented himself with establishing Surat as the head factory for the Mogul’s dominions (February, i6i6) and left all the remaining settlements under the chief at Bantam ; while no special title was decided upon in either case. Before long, however, the desire to place their Agent on a level with the Dutch President led the factors at the latter place to give him colloquially the same designation, and Bartholomew Churchman told the Company in i6%i that his refusal to address George Ball (Agent in 1617-18) by the higher title had been warmly resented by the latter. In 1618, when dispatching Jourdain to take command at Bantam, the Company at home adopted the practice, though without making any definite pronouncement on the subject, and henceforward the English chief at Bantam was always referred to as the President. At the same time a letter was dispatched to Surat, giving instructions as to ‘the course . . . con[sidered] necessary for the goverment of . . . business [in] India ’ (p. 58). Whether this authorized Kerridge to assume the title of President is unknown, for the letter is not extant; but in any case there would be a tendency to use this designation at Surat, if only to mark its independence of Bantam ; and on Roe’s departure, leaving the chief authority in the hands of Kerridge and his council, the term would naturally come into use. The first instance of its employment in the present volume is by Methwold under date of December 7, 1619 (p. 153).^ ^ It may be noted that Roe had already in August, i6i8, referred to the English ‘ President ’ at Surat (p. 39); but in this case he seems to be using the term in a general sense, and not as a title. Similarly there is a vague reference made on p. 60 to ‘ Thomas Kerridge his precedensy \