CHAPTER XVII

THE BLACK FLAG

'There was the Jolly Roger-the black flag of piracy--flying from her peak!'-STEVENSON: Treasure Island.

ALL the Houblons were concerned in commerce with the Peninsula. But while Sir John's name as its chairman was chiefly connected with the company of Portugal merchants (of whom seven bore the name of Houblon), Sir James, his brother, stood in the same position with regard to the other company which traded with Spain. Most of the brothers, and many of the other merchants who belonged to the one company, belonged also to the other.

But while for years the Merchant Adventurers had patiently suffered loss from the dangers of the seas, but little aided by government-which too often ignored their claims, or were not in a position to afford them protection, the position of the great commercial class had greatly changed when, in the last decade of the seventeenth century, it was possible for the merchants trading to the Peninsula to approach the Board of Trade with a memorial demanding convoys for the protection of the fleets they yearly dispatched to the coasts of Portugal.1 For the increased power and importance of the merchant princes of London since the Revolution was not confined to municipal affairs, nor yet to financial questions. They had now imposed upon the State the necessity of

1 See Little Directory, 1677. Introduction to reprint, 1863.

admitting representatives into their councils with regard
to much of the legislation of the country, and especially
in all that appertained to commercial and colonial affairs,
as also of the royal navy. And this not only during the
rule of the Whig Junto, but even when the Tories held
the reins of power. Side by side, therefore, with the
names of officers of State representing the great landed
interest, appear those of the City men whom the boroughs
returned to Parliament, or the City of London nominated
to support and advance their views. Thus on the new
Board of Trade and Plantations they were powerfully
represented, as well as on the new Commission of the
Admiralty that, in consequence of the well-founded
complaints of the merchants, had replaced the one which,
under the Tories Killigrew and Delaval, had suffered
such loss of prestige through the destruction of the
Smyrna fleet.1
As we have seen, Sir John Houblon
was elected a City representative on both boards on
their reconstruction.

That the views and interests of the merchants engaged the close attention of the Board of Trade, is shown by their exhaustive minutes on all sorts of questions affecting them, though it would appear that complaints were frequent as to the said boards not having access to the Cabinet.

The memorial to which we have alluded is interesting as illustrative of the character of English trade, as also of the great dangers attending it from pirates and privateers. A thousand men were employed on the fleet of fifty-six merchantmen, which were ready in the autumn of 1692 to set sail for Portugal. And for their protec- 1692 tion three men-of-war were deemed sufficient convoy by their owners, in spite of the crowd of 'Sallee pirates' and French privateers which they expected to find hovering about their skirts, ready to 'snap up' any vessel

1 Campbell's Lives of the Admirals (apud Mahan), p. 192.

1692

lagging behind the rest. We give the text of the petition for the granting of the convoy, signed by Sir John Houblon, the chairman of the company.

'The Portugal Merchants do humbly lay before your Lordships what they conceive may be most necessary for the carrying on and securing the Portugal Trade for the approaching season.

That the Trade of O'Porto and the neighbouring ports of Viana Aveiro and Figuera, will require thirty to fourty sail of small ships, the manning whereof will take up 500 to 600 men.

'That the trade of Lisbon will require 15 to 16 sail at 20 to 25 men, one ship wth the other, wch will be 320 to

400 men.

'That there may be appointed three Fourth Rates1 for their convoy, to be ready to sail with the said ships from the Downes, on or before the 15th September next. Two wherof may see the ships into Lisbon, and the other to see the Port ships safe over the Bar of O'Porto, and into the other smaller Ports. That during the said ships unloading and reloading in their several Ports, the said three Men of War may be ordered to cruise to and again on the coast of Portugal between the North and South capes; and that in the moneth of January following, two of the said Men of War may call off of the Bar of O'Porto, and the other Frigate to go to Lisbon in order to convoy the said ships back to England, some of them to the Ports of the West, and the rest to London. And the reason why two Men of War is desired outwards for Lisbon, and but one to come back, and but one is desired to O'Porto and two to come back from thence is, Because the estate in woollen goods carried

1 Men-of-war.

out to Lisbon is double the value of what is brought home from thence. And the estate from O'Porto at return, is twice the value of that which is brought from Lisbon.

'And it is humbly offered that there is a necessity of this fleet going out as neer as can be by the time specified, because the said ships will carry out very large quantities of woollen manufactures and Lead; a great part of which are bought by the Portuguese to supply their West India Trade, which West India Fleet of their's usually sail from Portugal in December and January. And if our goods proper for those places be not early in Portugal (as it happened the last year) they must lye unsold for a whole year longer, which will be a manifest prejudice and a very great loss to the Merchants.

'That it is very necessary the said three frigates, while the ships are reloading, do cruise upon the coast of Portugal between the two Capes as aforesaid, because there is not only 14 to 16 Sail of Sally Men of War at sea (most of which are now upon the coast of Portugal), but also several Privateers of the French, who are both merchant-men and have commissions, who carry very great quantities of goods for Lisbon, part of which goods are afterwards transported to Cadiz; and the ships that carry them, after having unloaden their goods outwards, cruise as Privateers off of the coast of Portugal, when they at that time of the year (as they have done) intercept and take several English and Irish ships with fish, etc., which are forced to trade to and again to Portugal without Convoy.

All which we humbly submit to your Lordships.
(Signed) JNO HOUBLON, Chairman'

(and thirty-three others).

The document is undated, but in the endorsement

1694

there is a memorandum that it was read 9th August 1692.1

Another Board of Trade document shows this fleet and goods to have been quickly followed by another, destined for Spanish ports. It is a report addressed to the Lords of the Privy Council by the merchants, in obedience to their command for information as to the safe arrival of their ships at Bilbao and St. Sebastian. While reporting this, they make the usual request for convoys to ensure their safe return home. They have advice,' they say, 'of their ships arrival safe. . .. about the 10th of the last month, and that they would be fully laden and ready to returne home by the middle of this month of July. That the said ships will be very richly loaden with Spanish wooll and [considerable monies],2 and other rich comodityes. Wherefore they humbly pray yo' Lopps would be pleased to order a speedy convoy to fetch home the said ships, suitable to the richness of the fleete and the Danger they will run.' The document is signed by Sir James Houblon, chairman of the Spanish merchants, and thirteen others.s

That the question of convoys for merchant fleets was considered in good time in the following year, is proved by a report of the Lords of the Admiralty, dated the 24th of October 1694, which shows that a committee-probably appointed after the disaster to the Smyrna fleet-had sat and considered the matter. Sir John Houblon's signature, with that of two other Admiralty Lords, is at the foot of 1695 this report. The same affair was considered in 1695 by the Admiralty, when we again find his signature appended to the report. But nevertheless, almost at that very time, the Lords were considering the expedi

5

1 Board of Trade, Trade Papers, vol. iv., 1692-1693.

2 Words nearly obliterated.

3 Board of Trade, Trade Papers, vol. iv., 26 July 1693.

4 Ibid., vol. v.

6 Ibid., vol. xix.