Letters from William Digges Latouche to the Secret Committee [‎3r] (5/12)

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Three letters from William Digges Latouche, Resident at Bussora [Basra], to the Secret Committee Pre-1784, the Committee responsible for protecting East India Company shipping. Post-1784, its main role was to transmit communications between the Board of Control and the Company's Indian governments on matters requiring secrecy. of the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. for Affairs of the United Company of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies [East India Company].

The first letter, dated 23 April 1783, covers subjects including:

• Latouche’s meetings with M Cotinal, a French messenger travelling to India, and attempts to delay his journey
• The movement of ships and British travellers and the transit of mail via Bussora
• The arrival in Bussora of a consignment of woollens
• The restitution of goods taken from English ships by the Shaik [Shaikh] of Grain [Kuwait], and the Shaik’s request for a loan.

Another copy of the same letter is catalogued as IOR/L/PS/9/76/26.

The second letter, dated 24 April 1783, forwards news received from Mrs Marianna Abbott in Aleppo, including:

• Reports concerning preliminary articles of peace between Great Britain and Spain and France [American War of Independence, 1775-1783], which Latouche is arranging to transmit to India
• The death of John Abbott, Consul at Aleppo, and his widow Mrs Marianna Abbott’s assumption of his duties in transmitting correspondence.

Another copy of the same letter is catalogued as IOR/L/PS/9/76/27.

The third letter, dated 13 May 1783, covers subjects including:

• Arrangements for conveying news of the preliminary articles of peace to India
• The movements of French travellers towards India, including the messenger M Cotinal discussed in the letter of 23 April
• The transit of mail to India, including reports of the assembly at Nice of a large French force believed to be heading for India (see IOR/L/PS/9/76/25)
• The movements of British travellers.

Another copy of the same letter can be found in IOR/L/PS/9/76/29.

Extent and format

1 item (6 folios)

Written in

English in Latin script

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