Diaries and Consultations of Messrs John Geekie, John Horne, and William Cockell, Agents of the East India Company at Gombroon [Bandar-e ʻAbbās] in the Persian Gulf, commencing 20 November 1728 and ending 31 July 1737. [‎2r] (10/788)

Content

The volume consists of nine entries in the form of diaries, covering the period between November 1728 and July 1737. The diaries contain records of the Gombroon [Bandar-e ʻAbbās] Factory An East India Company trading post. , a trading post where a number of merchants, or factors resided. The Gombroon Factory An East India Company trading post. , along with those at Carmenia [Kerman], and Spahaun [Isfahan, also written as Spahune] were subordinate to the East India Company at Bombay (the Bombay Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. ). While a chief agent and a council of factors ran the Gombroon Factory An East India Company trading post. , only a broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. seems to have been placed at the factories in Isfahan and Kerman.

The Gombroon Factory An East India Company trading post. 's Chief Agents between 1728 and 1737 were John Geekie, John Horne, and William Cockell respectively. When an Agent was absent, one of the Factory An East India Company trading post. 's members took over until his return. Gombroon Factory An East India Company trading post. 's members at the time included, but were not limited to, William Cordeaux, Edward Clift, William May, Nathaniel Whitewell, Walter Ray, James Smith, Thomas Waters, and James Verelst.

The diaries in the volume record the day-to-day consultations taking place at the Factory An East India Company trading post. . The consultations cover the daily activities, administrative decisions made, letters received and sent, visits to and from the Factory An East India Company trading post. , ships arriving and importing goods, as well as list of cargo loaded on to the ships. Copies of the consultations, letter-books, books of accounts and other annual papers were to be prepared and made ready to be dispatched by sail to the Company’s administrative headquarters in the Bombay Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. .

Among the main details and issues recorded in the volume are the following:

• The trading activities of the Dutch and the French in the region
• The Persian-Afghan dispute
• The Persian-Turk [Ottoman] dispute
• The Persian-Arab dispute
• Records of local disputes taking place in Oman
• The arrival of the wool caphila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. [caravans] from Carmenia
• The appointments of new agents and members at the Gombroon Factory An East India Company trading post.
• The rebellion of an Arab Shaikh called Ahmett Madannah [Shaikh Ahmad Madani, also written as Ahmud and Ahmatt] and that of the Jubarrah [the Jubarah Arabs]
• The Factory An East India Company trading post. obtaining rogoms [ raqams Royal grants confirming specific trading privileges from the Shah of Persia. or ruqums Royal grants confirming specific trading privileges from the Shah of Persia. , also written in the diary as rogomms: royal grants confirming specific trading privileges] from the Shah of Persia. The rogoms were originally granted to the Factory An East India Company trading post. during the reign of Shah Abass [‘Abbas] the Great.

The volume includes records of certain commodities including Kerman wool, sugar candy, rice, rose water, grain, sugar, copper, cardamom, pepper, turmeric, coffee and ginger. Also present are accounts of salaries, payments, and prices of commodities provided in Persian currencies including Tomands [ Toman 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. ], Mamoodies [Mahmudis], and Shahees [Shahis].

In addition, the volume includes the names and trade activities of a number of ships including but not limited to: the Britannia , the Queen Carolina , the Prince George , the Robert Galley , the Kissing Peggy and the Northumberland . It also includes records of Dutch ships such as the Jacob and the Castor and Pollux , and French ships such as the Union and the Four Sisters .

The volume also includes the names of places where certain events took place, as well as the names of ports where ships were sailing to and from. They include but are not limited to: Gombroon, Spahaun/Spahune, Shyrash [Shiraz], Bunder Bouchier [Bushire], Bassidore [Basidu], Ormuz [Hormuz, also written as Ormuse], and Busarah [Basra, also written as Bussorah].

Most of the diaries in the volume include abstracts of the standard account disbursements for each month. These cover the following: house expenses, garrison charges, the Afseen garden, hospital charges, medicines, marine charges, merchandised charges, house furniture, extraordinary charges, stable charges and servants’ wages.

Extent and format

1 volume (390 folios)

Arrangement

The volume is divided into nine items in the form of diaries. All diaries cover a one-year period with the exception of the first two diaries dated November 1728 to January 1729, and January 1729 to July 1729 respectively. The diaries thereafter commence on 1 August of each year and end on 31 July of the following year, with a gap of one year from August 1730 to July 1731. It would appear that the diary for that year was either lost, misplaced or removed from the volume at some point. The last diary in the volume is dated 1 August 1736-31 July 1737.

A number of flyleaves have been placed in between some of the diaries, announcing the end of one and the beginning of another. Another way to recognize the beginning of a new diary is the difference in the paper sizes in each diary. In addition, the fourth and fifth diaries include tables of contents. The diaries were all put together and bound in the present volume. All papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.

Physical characteristics

The foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 390; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence between ff 125-390, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers.

Written in

English in Latin script

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