Área de identidad
Código de referencia
Título
Fecha(s)
- 1823 (Creación)
Nivel de descripción
Volumen y soporte
3 items handwritten
Área de contexto
Nombre del productor
Historia biográfica
Sir George Thomas Staunton was born near Salisbury, the son of the diplomat, George Leonard Staunton. Aged 12, George Thomas accompanied his father on the Macartney Embassy to China, and his Chinese language ability was sufficient for conversation. In 1798 was appointed a writer in the British East India Company's factory at Canton (Guangzhou), and subsequently its chief. He continued to study Chinese and in 1805 he translated a work of Dr George Pearson into Chinese, followed, five years later, by an English translation of a significant part of the Chinese legal code.
In 1816 Staunton was second commissioner on a special mission to Beijing with Lord Amherst and Sir Henry Ellis. The embassy was unsuccessful and shortly after it departed back to Britain Staunton decided to leave China permanently. In England he bought the Leigh estate in 1820 and constructed a new home. Staunton was a founder member of the Royal Asiatic Society and donated many items to its Collections.
Nombre del productor
Historia biográfica
James Brogden was the Whig MP for Launceston (Cornwall) from 1796 - 1832. He was the oldest son of John Brogden, a merchant, of Leadenhall Street, London and James probably worked in partnership with his father, John, who was a Russia merchant and director of the London Assurance Company and in business from 1757 to 1793. By 1806 Brogden was being described as a "respectable Russia merchant." He was judged to know the "country and the climate" of Russia well and had spent a year in Russia in 1787/8. He also undertook a North European tour in 1791.
Brogden was elected, in 1796, to represent Launceston in Cornwall, in Parliament, supported by the Duke of Northumberland. He frequently spoke on commercial matters (including on the mining industry in which he had a stake in Carmarthenshire) and not always to the Duke's approval. He voted for parliamentary reform in the 1790s and was considered friendly to the abolition of slavery. On good terms with the Duke again by 1812, Brogden gained a seat on the Treasury Board but gave up the seat in 1813 when he became Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee where he remained for 13 years until he felt obliged to resign, claiming innocence, over his involvement in a mining company scandal. Brogden left parliament in 1832 and died ten years later.
Institución archivística
Historia archivística
The document belonged to James Brogden, probably collected when he was trading in Russia.
Origen del ingreso o transferencia
James Brogden gave the document to George Staunton who presented it to the Society in 1823.
Área de contenido y estructura
Alcance y contenido
'Instructions of the Chinese Government to the Merchants trading with the Russians'. The document was communicated to Sir George Staunton by James Brogden Esq., M.P. who received it from Russia. Staunton then presented it to the Royal Asiatic Society and it was read at the General Meeting on 20 December 1823. it is listed in the Society's Catalogue of English Manuscripts as IV. No.2 and according to the description on p.64 of the catalogue, the document is:
"Secret Instructions of the Great Empire of China to the Company of Traders of the interior Provinces trading to Kiachta (Kyakhta) with the Russians confirmed by the Emperor on the 5th day of the 3rd moon of the 57th year of his reign...
"This paper (which was given to Sir George Staunton by Mr Brogden, who received it from Russia) contains twenty four regulations for the government of the trade carried on at Kiachta (Kyakhta) between the Russians and Chinese.
"The first rule recommends harmony among the merchants to prevent the foreigners getting the advantage.
"The second directs that each merchant shall communicate the information he received to the head of the company, that general instructions may be issued for the guidance of the whole body.
"The third to eleventh principally contain hints for keeping down the prices of the Russian traders, and enabling the Chinese to sell at higher rates in proportion.
The twelfth to the sixteenth relate to the conduct of the Chinese Merchants in their intercourse with the Russians, and the remainder detail the punishments (generally severe) to be inflicted on those who are guilty of infraction of the preceding ordinances."
With the actual document is a cover sheet with the title and details of its presentation; also a label identifying the document as IV No.2 in the Catalogue of English Manuscripts.
Valorización, destrucción y programación
Acumulaciones
Sistema de arreglo
Área de condiciones de acceso y uso
Condiciones de acceso
Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.
Condiciones
Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.
Idioma del material
- inglés
Escritura del material
Notas sobre las lenguas y escrituras
Características físicas y requisitos técnicos
Instrumentos de descripción
Área de materiales relacionados
Existencia y localización de originales
Existencia y localización de copias
Unidades de descripción relacionadas
Staunton donated many items to the Society. Not all remain within the Collection but details of some can be found within our Library catalogue: https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.
Minutes for the Meeting at which the Paper was presented will be found within the Minutes of General Meetings.
Área de notas
Identificador/es alternativo(os)
Puntos de acceso
Puntos de acceso por materia
Puntos de acceso por lugar
Puntos de acceso por autoridad
- Staunton Sir George Thomas 1781-1859 (Materia)
- Brogden James 1765-1842 M.P. (Materia)
Tipo de puntos de acceso
Área de control de la descripción
Identificador de la descripción
Identificador de la institución
Reglas y/o convenciones usadas
Estado de elaboración
Nivel de detalle
Fechas de creación revisión eliminación
Idioma(s)
Escritura(s)
Fuentes
Nota del archivista
This document was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.