Macartney, George, 1st Earl Macartney | "I shall ... give the best Proofs of my Gratitude in a zealous ... Attention to ... Permanent Welfare of the East India Company."

Macartney, George, 1st Earl Macartney

A collection of 18 letters and documents. 1779-1804. [With:] Germain, George, 1st Viscount Sackville. Autograph letter signed, reporting on the Spanish Declaration of War against Great Britain. Whitehall: 25 June 1779

Autograph letter signed. [London]: 29 September 1780. One leaf (242 x 186 mm) of ruled paper with letter on recto, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, browning at edges, tiny chips to left margin. — Autograph letter signed. [London]: 22 December 1780. One leaf (185 x 185 mm) written recto, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, spots, chip and short closed tear to left margin, laid down on a sheet of paper. — Autograph Bill of Exchange, sent to the Court of Directors for Affairs of the ... United Company of Merchants of England trading in the East Indies ... Fort St. George: 28 May 1782. One leaf (230 x 375 mm) with bill on recto, docketed on verso, signed by Macartney and others; old folds, small separation at foot of central vertical fold, light browning, adhesive residue to verso. — Autograph Bill of Exchange, sent to the Court of Directors for Affairs of the ... United Company of Merchants of England trading in the East Indies ... Fort St. George: 7 July 1782. One leaf (230 x 375 mm) with bill on recto, docketed on verso, signed by Macartney and others; old folds, almost entirely separated along central vertical fold, a printed account of Macartney's life on a later piece of paper (46 x 44 mm) laid down on both the recto and verso, light browning, adhesive residue to verso. — Autograph letter to Staunton. Fort St. George: 27 November 1783. Folio (225 x 185 mm). 3 pp. on 2 leaves, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, browning to verso of 2nd leaf. — Autograph letter to Staunton. Fort St. George: 1 March 1784. 2 pp. on 1 leaf (225 x 185 mm) written verso and recto, ink and pencil, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, a little smudging. — Military appointment to Robert Barclay Gentleman. Fort St. George: 4 April 1784. Engraved broadside document (230 x 380 mm), accomplished in a clerical hand, signed by Macartney and others, remnants of seal; old folds, browning, early perforated stamp to lower right affecting only one signature, short closed tear to head. — Autograph letter to Lord Sydney [...]. Fort St. George: 28 July 1784. Folio (224 x 184). 4 pp. on 2 leaves, signed ("Macartney") on the final page, executed in a close cursive hand; adhesive residue to left margin where previously bound, short closed tear to foot. — Autograph letter to Sir Isaac Heard. London: 30 June 1792. Folio (225 x 186 mm). 1 page, signed ("Macartney"), with integral address leaf, wax seal preserved; old folds, section of the 2nd leaf cleanly detached from the opening of the letter, soiling and browning to the of address leaf. — Autograph letter to Major General Ross. London: 22 June 1795. Folio (225 x 182 mm). 1 page, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, a bit faded, soiling to verso. — George Earl of Macartney. Knight of the Order of the White Eagle and of the Bath. Cornhill: J. Sewell, 25 June 1796. Engraved portrait (175 x 135 mm) by Joseph Singleton after Ozias Humphry, coat of arms at foot; browning, short closed tear at foot not affecting print. — Autograph letter to Sir Isaac Heard. Np: 10 June 1799. Folio (162 x 157 mm). 1 page, signed ("Macartney"), with integral address leaf; old folds, loss to address leaf from the opening of the letter. — Autograph letter to Sir Isaac Heard. Np: 11 June 1799. Folio (225 x 188 mm). 1 page, signed ("Macartney"), with integral address leaf; abrasion and loss to verso of address leaf from removal of wax seal, old folds, browning. — Autograph letter signed. Petersham: 4 October 1800. One leaf (164 x 184 mm) with letter on recto, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, stray spots. — Autograph letter to Major General Ross. Lissanoure, Ballymoney: 25 July 1801. Folio (225 x 186 mm). 1 page, signed ("Macartney"), with integral address leaf, wax seal preserved, contemporary postal stamps; old folds, address leaf with open tear, creasing, and some soiling to verso. — Autograph letter to Major General Ross. London: 8 November 1802. Folio (225 x 188 mm). 1 page, signed ("Macartney"), with integral address leaf, wax seal mostly preserved, contemporary postal stamps; old folds, address leaf with open tear, creasing, and some soiling to verso. — Autograph letter signed. Chiswick: 22 September 1804. One leaf (222 x 185 mm) written recto, signed ("Macartney"); old folds, chip to left margin, lightly browned. — Germain, George. Autograph letter to Lord Macartney. Whitehall: 25 June 1779. Folio (312 x 200 mm). 4 pp. in black ink on 5 leaves, signed ("Geo: Germain"), "Duplicate" in upper margin, stab-sewn with red thread; old folds, small abrasion to the first leaf, light browning.

An extensive archive of Macartney's letters and documents, many of which were sent from Fort St. George, in what is now Chennai. Included are letters of introduction and recommendation, an indenture for a military appointment, bills of exchange for the sale of pagodas, a request for lottery tickets, correspondence regarding estates in England, and personal letters.

Of particular interest is a three-page letter, sent from Fort St. George and dated 27 November 1783, to who is presumably Sir George Staunton (Macartney's lifelong friend, addressed here simply as Staunton), parts of which are written in a numeric code, most of which has in turn been translated in pencil above the numerals, regarding the conduct of a colleague and how they ought to dispense with the issue, among other plans. Also of note is a one-page letter to an unspecified recipient, dated 22 December 1780, just following his appointment to Madras: "I think it incumbent on one to assure you that I shall endeavor to give the best Proofs of my Gratitude in a zealous and unwearied Attention to the several Duties of my Station and to the Permanent Welfare of the East India Company."

The letter from George Germain, sent to Macartney while he was still in the West Indies, expresses concern regarding the "possible mischiefs which might be apprehended upon the supposition of the Clandestine Trade between British and French colonies," and informs Macartney of "the Hostile Manifesto of the King of Spain which must be considered in effect as a Declaration of War."