William Blathwayt papers, 1657-1770, bulk 1660-1709

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William Blathwayt papers

Summary

Creators:
Blathwayt, William, 1649?-1717
Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence and documents primarily accumulated by English civil servant William Blathwayt (1649-1717) 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 bulk of the papers date from 1660 to 1709 and chiefly relate to the British colonies in North America and the West Indies.
Extent:
11.7 Linear Feet (9 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Language:
The records are in English and French.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William Blathwayt papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains correspondence and documents primarily accumulated by English civil servant William Blathwayt (1649-1717) 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 bulk of the papers date from 1660 to 1709 and chiefly relate to the British colonies in North America and the West Indies.

Papers having to do with the British West Indies primarily concern relations with the Crown (including administration, taxation, and defenses) and local conditions (including orders of governor, council, and assembly; management of blacks; piracy; and trade and shipping). Geographically, the documents concern: Antigua (7 pieces), Bahamas (4), Barbados (48), Bermudas (5), Jamaica (35), Montserrat (1), Nevis (4), St. Christopher's (2), and Tobago (1).

Papers having to do with North America pertain to relations with the Crown (including the administration of governments, charter and proprietary; taxation; and defense) and local conditions (including orders of governor, council, and assembly; political corruption; trade, shipping, etc.; Indian affairs; French encroachments; and piracy). Geographically, the documents concern: Canada (14), Newfoundland (4), Rhode Island (3), Massachusetts (43), New Hampshire (19), Connecticut (1), New York (77), Pennsylvania (4), Maryland (26), Virginia (51), Carolinas (2), Florida (3).

Within the collection there are also 27 unofficial letters, dating from 1664 to 1668, addressed to Richard Nicolls, the first English governor of the colony of New York, from Sir William Berkeley, Charles Calvert and Philip Calvert, Thomas Ludwell, Nathaniel Utie, and Jerome White. The correspondence deals with trade and shipping, runaway slaves, and tobacco.

Correspondents represented by five or more pieces in the collection are: Sir William Beeston (5), Sir William Berkeley (14), William Blathwayt (32), Philip Calvert (7), George Clarke (8), Edward D'Oyley (6), Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury (7), William Lowndes (9), John Nanfan (16), Samuel Penhallow (6), John Povey (8), and Edward Randolph (10).

Within the collection, originals predominate slightly. Copies are all contemporary, and most of them are attested and bear Blathwayt's endorsement.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach in July 1924.
Custodial history:

With the exception of twenty-seven letters addressed to Richard Nicolls, first English governor of the colony of New York, and a few odd pieces written after 1717, the collection appears to have been a natural accumulation of Blathwayt's office records. Presumably these were transferred from London to Dyrham Park in 1712. After Blathwayt's death they were carried to King's Weston by his son-in-law, Edward Southwell. Here they remained until purchased by Sir Thomas Phillipps of Cheltenham, and were known as Phillipps MSS. no. 8550. A portion of the Phillipps Library was offered for sale in 1908, including these papers, and they changed hands at least once more, through the agency of Sotheby's.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William Blathwayt papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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