William Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst - Letter Mentioning Clive of India's Grandson

William Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst - Letter Mentioning Clive of India's Grandson

William Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst

ALS

July 7, 1834

Grosvenor Street [London, England]

File

uquest Kat the sue / s lank, I Rafees

in this b fan C. Brogal Remillable

Ale he blast Henry

Chire I sackly, Rank in the Hem

ふり

Sinclass.

> al /834

Amherst, Former Governor-General of India, ALS Mentioning Clive of India's Grandson, Re: "5 lacks of Rupees standing in my name in the 6 per

C. Bengal Remittable Loan"

Amherst, Former Governor-General of India, ALS Mentioning Clive of India's Grandson, Re: "5 lacks of Rupees standing in my name in the 6 per C. Bengal Remittable Loan"

A 1p autograph letter signed by William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst (1773-1857), the grand-nephew of Jeffrey Amherst and the former Governor-General of India, as

"Amherst" near center right. Written at Amherst's residence in Grosvenor Street in London, England on July 7, 1834. Expected paper folds, and a minor professional repair verso along a fold line at the right edge. A pencil inscription by a former collector found at lower right, and old mounting tabs verso. Isolated stains and edge darkening, else near fine. 7.5" × 9.125."

William Amherst, 1st Earl of Amherst was the grand-nephew of Jeffrey Amherst, Ist Baron Amherst (1717-1797), a military commander made notorious on the North American continent during the French & Indian Wars. William succeeded to his grand-uncle's honorary title by special dispensation in 1797, and afterwards he was styled as "Amherst." William began his professional career in foreign service. He served as a rather inept Governor-General of India between 1825-1828, after which he returned to England.

In this letter, Amherst directs his accountants to transfer a Bengal Remittable Loan of 500,000 rupees to two acquaintances. (A "lack" or "lakh" is a unit in the Indian numbering system representing 100,000.)

Amherst wrote in full:

"To [cross out] J.C. Melville Esqr.

I request that the sum of 5 lacks of Rupees standing in my name in the 6 per C. [ent]

Bengal Remittable Loan may be transferred into the names of the Honble. Robert Henry Clive of Oakly Park in the County of Salop and Henry Percy Esqr. of Rose Castle in the County of Cumberland second son of Hugh Lord Bishop of Carlisle.

I am to.

Amherst

Grov. Street

7 July 1834."

Amherst's two lucky recipients were:

Robert Henry Clive (1789-1854), the paternal grandson of first British governor of the Bengal Presidency "Clive of India" aka Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive (1725-1774). The younger Robert was currently a member of the British Parliament. ("Salop, " the county where the Clive's familial estate Oakly Park was located, is better known as Shropshire.) Henry Percy (1813-1870), the second son of the Bishop of Carlisle, Hugh Percy (1784-1856). Henry followed in his father's ministerial footsteps, eventually serving as an Anglican minister at Greystoke in Cumbria.

A Bengal Remittable Loan was an investment in the Bengal government, i.e. the British Raj. Its 6% annual interest was paid out in two installments per year; investors currently residing in India could accept the payments in cash, while investors living in Europe could draw in cash or bills subject to a set currency conversion rate of "2 shillings and one penny the Calcutta Sicca Rupee" (an East Indian coin).