Surat: Consultations (with copies of Commissions): 26 Feb 1620 - 24 Mar 1622, 20 July 1622; 30 Dec 1622 to 9 Jan 1624; 16 March 1625 to 20 Feb 1626; 14 April 1628 (Commission only); 10 Oct to 18 Dec 1628, 29 Dec 1631 to 10 April 1632, 3 Dec 1632 to 25 Sept 1633, 12 Nov 1633 to 8 Dec 1634, 23 Dec 1634 to 2 Oct 1635; 20 Nov 1635 to 3 Sept 1636, Mr Methwold's Journal 22 Jan 1636 - 1 Mar 1637 : Consultations; Diary 1620/02/26-1620/03/01.

Published: Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Digital, 2018.
Physical Description: 1 online resource
Additional Creators: Adam Matthew Digital (Firm)

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Summary

Description: IOR/G/36: Factory Records: Surat, 1622-1804. Consultations (with gaps), 1622-1708; consultations of the English Company's factory, 1700-1704; diaries and consultations, 1718-1804; judicial diaries, 1796-1799; Copies of letters despatched, 1631-1708; copies of letters received, 1623-1708; miscellaneous, 1759-1800. 125 volumes.Origin: The first contact with Surat was made in 1607, when Captain Hawkins of the third voyage landed and obtained permission to sell his goods. He proceeded to Agra to negotiate with the Great Mogul for trading concessions. Meanwhile, Captain Shareigh found his way overland to Surat in 1609 and Henry Middleton, commander of the sixth voyage, visited the place in 1611. Middleton obtained permission from the Great Mogul to establish a factory in 1613. Surat was an extremely busy centre of commerce, with traders coming from northern and south-western India and from the Persian Gulf. Silk and cotton cloth were the main articles purchased. In the early years, Company ships used to dispose of a part of their cargo in Surat and take on supplies of indigo for the home market and silks and cotton to trade at Bantam in exchange for spices. Surat quickly became the base for Company trade in the west of India and places westwards. Owing partly to regular attacks on the city by the Marathas and partly to the growing importance of Bombay, in the latter part of the seventeenth century the importance of Surat to the Company declined. In 1687 Bombay replaced Surat as the centre for the Company's western operations. The governor and council nevertheless continued to send separate consultations to London. In the mid-eighteenth century trade revived, partly because of the sudden development of an export trade in raw cotton with China. The Company was by that time in unofficial control of Surat and in 1800 the city and surrounding district officially came under British administration.Related Resources: Bombay Factory Records (IOR/G/3); Miscellaneous Factory Records (IOR/G/40/4, 5, 10, 11, 19, 20).

Other Subject(s)

Note

IOR/G: East India Company Factory Records (1608-1858). A 'factory' was a trading post where a number of merchants, or factors, resided. When company ships arrived at the factories, ships' merchants were thus enabled to exchange goods for trading immediately instead of having to wait to make deals with local merchants. Factories were run by a chief factor and a council of factors. The 'Factory Records' is an artificially-created sub-fonds; the records of individual Company factories consist mainly of consultations (records of administrative decisions and of correspondence), diaries (records of daily activities), letters received, copies of letters sent and collections of papers on particular subjects.
AMDigital Reference: IOR/G/36/1.

Original Version

Reproduction of: Surat: Consultations (with copies of Commissions): 26 Feb 1620 - 24 Mar 1622, 20 July 1622; 30 Dec 1622 to 9 Jan 1624; 16 March 1625 to 20 Feb 1626; 14 April 1628 (Commission only); 10 Oct to 18 Dec 1628, 29 Dec 1631 to 10 April 1632, 3 Dec 1632 to 25 Sept 1633, 12 Nov 1633 to 8 Dec 1634, 23 Dec 1634 to 2 Oct 1635; 20 Nov 1635 to 3 Sept 1636, Mr Methwold's Journal 22 Jan 1636 - 1 Mar 1637 26 Feb 1620 - 1 Mar 1637.

Location of Originals

The British Library

Copyright Note

The British Library Board

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