Richard Craddock's Career with the East India Company - Man Family

30
1660
In 1660 Craddock was sent a quantity of gold to pay for a
variety of goods that he was to purchase at Ahmadabad but
Surat was dissatisfied with the amount of goods Craddock
had sent down to them. Frustrated, the President and
Council at Surat wrote to Craddock on November 21 1660
expressing dissatisfaction on that and other points:
Here, before we sent it [the gold] towards you, we might
have had 1/8 rupee more on each tola; and therefore cannot
but wonder at the price you write unto us, both of that and
what remains unsold, being we know that gold will sell for
more in Ahmadabad than in Surat, and silver also…. And make
no doubt, when diligence is used, it may afford a better
price than mentioned. You are earnest for moneys, and we as
much want. Whose fault is it but the Company’s, that will
send out £10,000 to lade a ship of 500 tons Yet we cannot
but admire that Mr. Craddock cannot come down before all
the debt be paid, Mr. Oldfield remaining. We are not a
clearing the factory; though we shall do it, if we receive
another such letter; for we know Mr. Craddock loves
Ahmadabad, but the company’s business without disputes
requires him elsewhere, and require him down, either with
goods or without. (EFI 55-60, pp 333-334).
Apparently Craddock persisted in his refusal to quit his
post until the Company’s liabilities were discharged, for a
letter of 24 December 1660, written in a much milder tone,
promises a remittance as soon as funds are available, and
urges that the goods be sent down, ‘though Mr. Craddock
remain there’. (EFI 55-60, p. 334)
1661
At the beginning of 1661 the Company held a meeting of its
London Committee in which it was decided to once more
drastically reduce the numbers of factories and factors
that were deployed in India. In a letter dated March 27
1661 the committee writes:
We having received many great discouragements by loss
during this stock, and seriously considering with ourselves
the vast charge that we are at, by continuing many
unnecessary factories in your parts, to the enriching of
factors and other our servants and to the impoverishing of
our stock and disheartening of the adventurers (the Stock