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Blathwayt (William), Correspondence and documents from the office
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mssHM 32265-HM 32287
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Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Correspondence and documents from the office of William Blathwayt
Creator:
Blathwayt, William, 1649?-1717
Identifier/Call Number: mssHM 32265-HM 32287
Physical Description:
1.4 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1671-1712
Abstract: This group of 34 documents consists of
correspondence, reports, and accounts primarily accumulated by British civil servant William
Blathwayt (1649-1717) between the mid 1670s and 1712 in his capacity as a British government
official in such roles as Surveyor and Auditor General of Plantation Revenues and Secretary
and member of the Lords of Trade. The materials consist chiefly of miscellaneous drafts or
copies of documents related to the British colonies in North America and the West Indies.
Items pertain to taxation, revenue, trade and shipping, and defense, primarily in the
Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Kitts, and Nevis.
Language of Material: The records are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Correspondence and documents from the office of William
Blathwayt, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Sotheby's through the agency of Maggs Bros. on February 10, 1970.
The collection was previously the property of Justin Blathwayt, Esq.
English politician and administrator William Blathwayt (1649-1717) was one of the most
distinguished civil servants of his time. Blathwayt was born in London, England, in 1649.
Beginning in 1665, he attended the Middle Temple and in 1668 entered public life as clerk in
the embassy of Sir William Temple at The Hague (1668-1672). In 1672, Blathwayt toured
Germany and Italy, before returning to England.
Through the influence of his uncles, Thomas and Richard Povey, both of whom were prominent
in colonial affairs, Blathwayt secured a position in the Plantation Office in 1675 as a
minor clerk. Advancement came rapidly, and among the offices administered from that time on,
were: Clerk Extraordinary of the Privy Council (1678); Secretary of the Lords of Trade
(1679-1696); Surveyor and Auditor General of Plantation Revenues (1680-until his death);
Under-Secretary of State to Lord Conway in the Northern department (1681-1683); Secretary at
War (1683-1704); Clerk in Ordinary of the Privy Council (1686-1689); acting Secretary of
State with William III, during his campaigns in the Low Countries in Flanders (1692-1701);
member of Parliament for Bath (1693-1710); and a member of the Board of Trade (1696-1707).
During the reign of Queen Anne, he gradually lost his posts: in 1704 he was dismissed as
Secretary at War, in 1707 lost his Board of Trade position, and three years later, his seat
in Parliament. In 1712, Blathwayt, driven from active public life by ill health, withdrew to
his seat at Dyrham Park, where the last five years of his life were spent in retirement.
Blathwayt married Mary Wynter (1650-1691) of Dyrham Park in December 1686, and the couple
had two surviving sons and a daughter. William Blathwayt died at Dyrham Park on August 16,
1717.
This group of 34 documents consists of correspondence,
reports, and accounts primarily accumulated by British civil servant William Blathwayt
(1649-1717) between the mid 1670s and 1712 in his capacity as a British government official in
such roles as Surveyor and Auditor General of Plantation Revenues and Secretary and member of
the Lords of Trade. The materials consist chiefly of miscellaneous drafts or copies of
documents related to the British colonies in North America and the West Indies. Items pertain
to taxation, revenue, trade and shipping, and defense, primarily in the Bahamas, Jamaica, St.
Kitts, and Nevis. Within the collection, there are six letters from Henry Carpenter, the
collector of customs in the Leeward Islands, and eleven documents concerning Colonel John Strode, Sir Charles Wheler, and
issues related to the four and a half percent tax.
Existence and Location of Copies
This collection has been digitized in its entirety and the digital reproductions are
available in the
Huntington Digital Library.
This collection is arranged in two series:
- General papers (ca. 1676-1712)
- Documents related to Colonel John Strode and Sir Charles Wheler (1671-1686)
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Great Britain -- Colonies -- America -- History -- 17th century --
Sources
West Indies -- History -- 17th century -- Sources
Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain -- 17th century
Government records -- Great Britain -- 17th century
Professional papers -- Great Britain -- 17th century
Blathwayt, William, 1649?-1717 --
Archives