Josiah BURCHETT (c. 1666-1746)

Letter Signed (“JBurchett”) to Captain Purvis of the Dursley Galley, Gibraltar, sending orders [not present] for His Majesty’s Consuls in Tunis and Tripoli that they demand “satisfaction for the injury done to His Majesty’s trading subjects”.
1 page folio with integral blank leaf, Admiralty Office, 3 July 1723. 
“You will herewith receive orders from my Lords Comm[issioners] of the Admiralty for proceeding with His Ma[jes]tie Ship under your Command to Tunis & Tripoly, to assist His Ma[jes]tis Consuls there, in puting in execution their Ex[cellen]cys the Lord Justices Instructions, for demanding satisfaction for the injury done to His Ma[jes]tis Trading subjects, and inclosed I send you Two Packets from their Excellencies to the said Consuls, which I am to recommend it to you carefully to deliver to them.
I send this under cover to Col. Hargrave, or the Commanding Officer in the Garrison of Gibraltar, & have desired him to deliver it to you as soon as ever you come into that Port, or to forward it to you, if you shall be any where within his reach, so as that he can depend it will timely & safely come to your hands.”
Despite agreements with both Tunis and Tripoli, attacks by Barbary pirates persisted as can be gathered from this letter. Indeed, there is evidence that the governments of Tunis and Tripoli were less than cooperative in protecting British ships from the pirates. It is uncertain whether or not compensation was ever received for “the injury” done to the traders. It is noted on the integral blank leaf that the letter was received one month later, on the 3rd of August.
The signatory of the letter, Josiah Burchett, is a particularly interesting figure. From his beginnings as a clerk and protégé of Samuel Pepys to a position as secretary to Lord Dartmouth, he eventually rose to the position of Admiralty secretary. His command of administration in that position allowed him to retain his post despite changes of monarch or government. The post of Admiralty secretary had traditionally been a political appointment; after Josiah Burchett it became the job of a civil servant, resulting greater efficiency in administration.

Delivery

Autographs can be delivered worldwide. Delivery costs are calculated at the time of order and items will be sent by the most appropriate means, depending on your location and the value of the item. This will usually be by Royal Mail Special Delivery within the UK and Royal Mail Tracked outside the UK. 

 

The current delivery charges are:

• UK:

  Royal Mail Special Delivery £9.00

• Europe:

  Europe Royal Mail Tracked £15.00
  EU customers should note that, following brexit, local VAT and customs duties may apply to their purchases. 

   USA:

• Royal Mail Tracked £21.00

  Rest of the World:

• Rest of the World Tracked £18.00

   

Export Licensing

Customers should be aware that all letters and documents over 50 years old require an export licence, which may delay delivery by anything from one to three weeks. Signed photographs are not subject to export licence regulations, and can be sent immediately.

There is no charge for the export licence and I will take care of the application, the only inconvenience to you will be the delay.

Authenticity

The authenticity of the letters and documents offered is guaranteed.

Payment

Online sales orders

Payments made via the website are processed by Shopify Inc and can be made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Telephone sales orders

Items may be purchased by phone. Please contact me using the website Contact Form and I will call you within 48 hours to discuss your requirements. Payment for purchases ordered by phone can be paid upon receipt of the invoice and must be paid within 7 days. Phone orders can be paid by cheque (in pounds sterling only) or bank transfer.

Items will be reserved for one week following the order confirmation and will be dispatched either within 7 days after full payment has been received, or after any required export licenses have been granted.

Returns Policy

Should you be in any way dissatisfied with your purchase, items may be returned within six weeks of delivery and a full refund will be made upon receipt of the returned item. The item must be received by Richmond Autographs in the same condition as when dispatched.  For full details, please read our Terms and Conditions.