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THOS SMYTH Esq?

CHIEF CUSTOMER OF LONDON TO QUEEN ELIZABETH.

AND FOUNDER OF THE COPPER TRADE IN THE SWANSEA DISTRICT,

A.D. 1684.

FROM THE ORIGINAL IN POSSESSION OF HIS DESCENDANT,

THE RIGHT HON. THE LATE VISCOUNT STRANGFORD, P.S.A.

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I thanke yow for yo'r good int'taynm't and the monyes yow delyveryd me trustynge that yow shall well conceyve that neyther of them is loste thoo it lye a wateign for a time.

Att my retorne from London to my homlye howse, w'ch was the laste of Nove'b, I mett Mr. Weston's lett'rs from Bewlaye the 17 of the same November, but for that I colde nott speke w'th that messenger nor convenyentlye retorne him answer, I have as yow heer see aft'r the steyll of my rude retheryk wryttyn to hym, w'ch I sende yow unsealyd herew❜th becawse yow joyn together in suche maner of actyons that yow maye be p'vye to my delynge w'th him as the case dothe requyre, wherby he may the bett'r resolve hemsellfe what farther to doo in the matt'r, and soo sende me suche hys resolutyons as he shall thynke beste in convenye't tyme.

Carew, in this very year 1583, was compiling his "Survey of Cornwall," and he thus speaks of Mr. W. Carnsewe, "A gentleman of good qualitie, discretion, and learning,

*In May 1582, Mr. Carnsewe wrote to Sir Edw. Stradling, then High Sheriff of Glamorgan, and a person of great influence, on behalf of one Richard Vyvyan, of Trenouitthe, Cornwall, who had been at Neath repairing his ship, but had been diversly molested, etc., etc. He also expresses a hope to see Sir Edward at St. Donatt's. It is quite

reasonable to suppose that this had some connection with the new Copper works at Neath.-G. G. F., vide Stradling correspondence, p. 271.

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and well experienced in those mynerall causes," p. 17. "He was Quarter-Master to the then Ld. Lt.-General of Cornwall, Sir Walter Raleigh, Knight,” p. 83.

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"Aside from Bodmyn, toward the North Sea, sundry gentlemen have there planted their seats, as in St. Kew, Master Carnsewe at Bo-Kelly," etc. "Carnsewe, rightly Carndeaw, purporteth in Cornish, a black rock; and such a one the heire owneth, which gave name to his auncient possessed maunsion, as the maunsion of his ancestors. His house, BoKelly, may be derived from Both in Cornish, a Goate and Kelly which is lost; and the Goate he giveth for his armes. This gent's father married the d. of Fitz of Devon, and left behind him three sons, Richard, Mathew and William, with two daughters," etc.-G. G. F.

In Vivian and Drake's edition of the "Visitation of Cornwall of 1620," published in 8vo., 1874, there is given at p. 35, a pedigree of Carnsewe, through four generations, beginning with Wm. Carnsewe of St. Kew, in Co. Cornwall, who m. Jane, d. of Edw. Stradling, of St. Donat's, in Wales. They had two sons, Wm. and Geo., both of St. Kew, from the latter of whom descended Francis Carnsewe, who was baptized the 10 Nov., 1572, and who was living at Thilly, in Cornwall, in 1620. The Carnsewe's bore Sable, a goat passant Or. p. 303.

Yo'r man my frynde Ulryke, folowyd not myn advyse in all poyntys, w'ch I gave hym beffore I rood towardys London, and therffor he is nott in suche a forwardnys in that worke as I thowghte to have founde hym at my retorne, but he knowythe howe to manage his busynys well ynoghe for all that.

* Memo. Should another Edition come out, I think it would be better on the whole, that the letters and other information to Secretary Walshingham, dated in 1580-1581, should precede the Carnsewe correspondence. But, for the more easy understanding of the subject at large, it is perhaps better as it is.-G. G. F.

Mr. Weston's p'vydence in bryngynge hys* Dutche myners hether to aplye such busynys in this countrye ys more to be comendyd then his ignorance of o'r countrymen's actyvytyes in suche matters, who owte of all p'adventure be as skylfull in mynyge, as harde and dylygent laborers and as good chepe workmen in that kynde of travell as are to be founde in Europe; wherof to make yow good p'ffe lett the same Mr. Weston's † Germans have some myn assignyd only to them, and lett yo'r Ulryke take suche as he is nowe acquayntyd w'th of owr countrymen, and the sam that wreoght in that worke at Treworthye laste when it was by Burchardys frowardniss gyvyn ov'r, w'che was abowte 23 yerys paste (1560), and let it be consyderyd w'che of them for on hole somers space shall put yow to moste chargys, and gayne yow moste, and soo of them that doo lesse yow shall make yo'r estymacyon by p'ffe.

Yo'r Ulryke, as hys dutye ys, wyll advertyse yow what is to be donne in these matters that nott wythstandynge yow shall nott be displeasyd w'the me for shewynge yow that it weere good for yow to ord'r yo'r matters soo, as att the begynny'ge of M'che nexte suche mynys as yow wyll have to be wroghte weere sett upon w'the men well orderyd under ther captaynys and guyders that thaye myghte soo contynew untyll the ende of Octob'r or Novemb'r at farthyste, and that ther wagys maye be dulye p'd them att ev'ye monthys ende and such other necessaryes as roopys, iron, talowe, tymb'r, etc' p'vydyd in dewe tyme that theye lacke it nott att need, wherby ther works shall be henderyd, as by Ulrykys experyence it hathe latlye too well byn p'vyd; soo shall yow by the exspencis of one 1000 merks have good intelligence of the valewe both of owr mynys & men: then maye yow make p'vysyen for erectynge yo'r Meltynge howsys and woodys for cole & fewell as the thynge shall requere to have the same in a redynys a fore hande.

* † Dutch is here used synonymously with Germans.

Hither, i.e., Cornwall.

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Mr. Smythe, yow muste not over charge yo'r Ulryke, he is subjecte to infyrmytes and disseasys, and verye carfful & dylygent in hys busynys; by ov'r charginge hym yow maye make hym synke under hys burden. I love the man's vertewe, w'che makythe me wryt thys myche unto yow of hym. I shall nev'r recov'r that w'che I have loste by suche ov'r chargynge, therffore I shewe yow that easye labor maye longe indure.

And thus with my humble & hartye reco'me'dacyons I doo co'mende bothe yow & yo'rs to the Grace of Allmyghtye Godd. Bokellye in Cornub', this 15 Januarye A'o 1583, an' computatur, by yo'r

WILLM. CARNSEWE. [Endorsed.]-To my good frend Mr. Cornce.*

II.

MR. THOS. SMYTH TO MR. CARNSEWE.

22 NOVEMBER, 1583.

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I am very glad that I have spoken w'th you And also † for the twoe sheets of paper † you delivered me, w'ch for yo'r good advise therein I wilbe readie to pleasure you any way may or canne. I find that yo'r opinion carrieth knowledge and skill, w'th experience of the things you write of. I doe determine to followe the same for myn owne parte and will deale w'th my Company, to satisfye them accordingly. There is but myselfe and one more in the cittie and therefore I cannot resolve the entringe into those causes. I doe disburse all the money laid out in the meane while. These causes

*It is clear that the letter was written to Mr. Smythe; it was probably sent to Mr. Cornce afterwards for perusal. Indeed, he is personally indicated in the last paragraph but one.

† Mr. Carnsewe on the previous page says, he had ridden to London; but though I made diligent search for the "twoe sheets of paper" in the Record Office, I could not find them.-G. G. F.

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