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East India Company: list of goods ordered

1734

East India Company: list of goods ordered

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    This is a page from a collection of documents from the British Library’s India Office, listing the various teas and silk textiles that were ordered in 1734 at Canton for the ships Wyndham and Compton. Many of these commodities had obscure names: types of tea included Bing, Congoe and Queen and silk products included taffatyns, gorgoroons and goosees. By the early 18th century, the East India Company was trading regularly with the Chinese from Canton, buying mainly tea, silk textiles and inexpensive porcelain, in exchange for silver. Over the next 100 years tea became a very popular drink in England, and there was a fear that too much silver was leaving the country to pay for it. To stop this happening, the company became involved in a triangular trade by smuggling the drug opium from India into China. They were paid in silver for opium and used this to buy tea. This was a dangerous exercise as opium was banned in China.

     

    Shelfmark: BL OIOC: G/12/36,f.14

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    East India Company: list of goods ordered

    Canton Anno 1734

     

    July 25 List of ships Wyndham and Compton’s Investment Anno 1733

     

    Tootinague

    Tea Bohea

    Pekoi

    Singloe Fine

    Bing

    Queen

    Poitovan

    Conglioc

    Aylson

    China ware 586 Chests (no enamlell’d)

    Sagoe

    Silks

     

    12332 Taffatys

    2118 Handkerchiefs

    184 Shagreens

    390  Gorgoroons

    700 Sattin

    1200 Goovees

    1800 Poiveres/ one colour

    610 D/ two Colours

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