John Fullerton Papers Concerning the Events at Jeddah, 1727

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: jfb-B1844-jfb-B1845

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

John Fullerton was the purser aboard the British ship Prince George, which was engaged in trade between Jeddah in Saudia Arabia and Bengal in India. On 6 June 1727, six Englishmen from the ship were attacked in a riot. Fullerton was the only survivor. The documents in this collection include a commonplace book recording notes and observations of the Indian Ocean trade, including prices and information on goods, that includes a journal recording the riot and subsequent negotiations with the local authorities; a copy of a journal titled "A brief account of the massacre of the English at Judda;" and hand-copied newspaper articles reporting the event. There also is a document entitled "A short memorial of affairs of the ship Prince George at Judda, ca. 1728" relating Fullerton's difficulties in carrying on trade at Jeddah, to which is appended a copy of a letter sent from Jeddah to two supercargoes of the ship Walpole at Mocha.

Dates

1717-1728

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the James Ford Bell Library reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

The British East India Company was a British joint-stock company chartered by the crown in 1600 for trade in the Indian Ocean region, later expanded to Qing China. The Company established trading depots throughout the region, leading to British control and colonization of large parts of India and Southeast Asia. It also established trading posts and some colonies in the Persian Gulf region.

The first "factory" (trading post and residence) established in India was Surat (1616), a western Gujarati town that was perhaps the most important commercial port in Mughal India and a critical connection for trade with the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. The Company established an important trade route between Surat and Mocha, a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen, and Jeddah, a Saudia Arabian port city also on the Red Sea. Throughout the 17th century, the British expanded their presence in India and increased trade across the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea.

Extent

1 box (Box is a clam shell portfolio, cardboard covered in cloth with a red leather spine on which is stamped the date 1727 and the text: Fullerton * Occurrences at Judda.) : Materials are all manuscript, written in what appears to be two different hands. Brown ink on paper. ; Folio, approx. 38 cm.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

On June 6, 1727, six Englishmen were attacked in a riot in Jeddah, while their ship "Prince George" was docked in the port. This collection includes an eyewitness account by the only survivor, along with related materials.