[MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENT, SIGNED BY THE EARL OF WARWICKE AND FOUR OTHERS, ADDRESSED TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE ROYAL NAVY].

Rich, Robert, Earl of Warwick:

Published by [England]. August 20, 1646.

About this Item

[1]p. Folio. Old fold lines. Some light soiling and wear. Very good. Manuscript document signed by Robert Rich, the second Earl of Warwick, who was commander of the British Navy and a promoter of the American colonies. In this memorandum, addressed to the Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy, the Committee of Lords and Commons for the Admiralty and Cinque Ports recommends that one John Coxe be made gunner on the ship the John. It is signed by Robert Rich ("Warwicke"), Dudley North, John Rolle, John Trevor, and Alexander Berne. Robert Rich (1587-1658) was an important English political figure in the 17th century. Involved in Parliament, he also held command of the Royal Navy and was involved in several colonial American ventures. After failing to persuade the original Puritan "pilgrims" to settle in Guiana, Rich, as a member of the Council for New England, secured for John Peirce the patent on which the Plymouth colony existed for the first eight years. He likewise signed the second patent for William Bradford in 1630 and was instrumental in the patent for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was also involved in privateering and several settlement schemes along the Central American coast and in the West Indies. His signature is rare.

Seller Inventory # 46207

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENT, SIGNED BY THE EARL OF WARWICKE AND FOUR OTHERS, ADDRESSED TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE ROYAL NAVY].
• Publisher: [England]. August 20, 1646.