Richard Craddock's Career with the East India Company - Man Family
Richard Craddock's Career with the East India Company - Man Family
Richard Craddock's Career with the East India Company - Man Family
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44<br />
Sir George Oxenden<br />
LONDON<br />
After Craddock’s arrival in London <strong>the</strong> source of<br />
information we have on him is mostly The Court Minutes of<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>India</strong> <strong>Company</strong> (CMEIC) also edited by Sir William<br />
Foster. These are much more limited in content and <strong>with</strong>out<br />
<strong>the</strong> detail provided by <strong>the</strong> earlier letters quoted in<br />
English Factories in <strong>India</strong> (EFI) it is not possible to<br />
follow events so easily.<br />
It took Craddock almost a year to reach London arriving<br />
<strong>the</strong>re on 20 December 1664. He had spent much of <strong>the</strong> time at<br />
Isphan where his old colleague William Rolt had died in <strong>the</strong><br />
summer. His journey back to England had included stopping<br />
off at Aleppo and picking up a letter from <strong>the</strong> Consul <strong>the</strong>re<br />
dated 26 September. At <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>India</strong> House in Leadenhall<br />
Street on 22 December a consultation was held at which<br />
Craddock was admitted to <strong>the</strong> Council (where he took rank<br />
after Goodier.) (EFI 61-64, p.321)<br />
It is not surprising that <strong>the</strong> Court Minutes indicate no<br />
activity from Craddock during 1665 as <strong>the</strong> Companies<br />
attentions were diverted by <strong>the</strong> Great fire that swept<br />
through London …<br />
The first mention of Craddock in London occurs on 6<br />
February 1666 and is as follows:<br />
<strong>Richard</strong> Craddock to be permitted to have cloths and edibles<br />
which he brought back in <strong>the</strong> London from Surat, but nothing<br />
else until fur<strong>the</strong>r order. (CMEIC p. 294)<br />
This would suggest that Craddock is being given permission<br />
to trade some of <strong>the</strong> products that he had brought <strong>with</strong> him<br />
after his return to England.<br />
A week later on 14 February 1666 Craddock appears to have<br />
run into some trouble as <strong>the</strong> following entry implies: