(China Trade) Gillespie, Charles V. [Manuscript Account and Letter Copy Book 1830-32]

folio, 149 pp., plus blanks, original ½ leather and marbled boards, some water and insect damage to rear board and gutter margins of later leaves, affecting some text, else in very good, clean, legible condition.

An important China Trade letter copy book kept by Gillespie, agent for one of the most important and profitable firms dealing in the China Trade and which later branched out into supplying goods for the California Gold Rush.  It was said that “there is [not] a country store however insignificant, in the whole of the United States, that has not seen a large or small package of tea, marked “Ship Panama,” and N. L. & G. G. upon it. Millions of millions of packages must have been imported from the first to the last.” – Barrett, Merchants of Old New York. Charles V. Gillespie is also noted for later in 1848, bringing the first Chinese servants to California and the United States, two men and a woman named Marie Seise. He settled in San Francisco and achieved some prominence there.

The present volume contains copies of letters, accounts, lists of cargo, both imported and exported compiled by Charles V. Gillespie, acting as an agent for N. L. & G. Griswold of New York City. Gillespie’s letters narrate his voyage out on the ship Panama, his efforts to both dispose of his goods and the acquisition of export articles. His letters provide a picture of the Canton Trade at this time. He describes articles in demand, those that aren’t, prices current, rules and regulations, comparison of monetary values, weights and measures and other details, including a “Statement of American Trade with Canton in 1828 & 1829.” Gillespie narrates in one letter the controversy surrounding the presence of American women on shore in apparent contradiction of the law:

“I forward a copy of the chop issued last Sunday in consequence of Mrs. Low & neice residing here in procuring it I promised it should not be published in the U. S. the circumstances of the case are as follows. The Government a few days after the sailing of the Alert withdrew their soldiers from around the English Factory and upon the assurance of the Co-Hong that the ladies might reside here and the company shouldn’t be molested for the Parsee affair The English sent their forces to Whampoa. After peace was declared Low proceeded to Macao for his wife & niece from whence they arrived on the 7^th inst. On their arrival and daily until last Sunday the Hong merchants were at the Factory soliciting Mr. Low to take his wife back to Macao Which he will not do until the English ladies go down. The fact is they are willing to allow John Bull his ladies because his sailors and guns frightened them they think the Americans dare not do so but we are determined to oppose them so far as it does not affect our constituent’s property materially… They state in the chop that it is disobeying the laws of the country which is not the case it has been ascertained that there is no such law and further if there was why do they allow the English to remain in preference to the Americans. This disturbance is caused by a few of the leading men of the province who fear that foreigners may generate here so as to endanger the government all the outside men (Chinese) are on our side they are much dissatisfied with their government it will be rather mortifying to give up to them particularly as it will please John Bull…”

The volume provides a detailed look at the conditions of the American trade with China at this time.   $ 6500.00

 References:

Bancroft, Hubert Howe, History of California, v. VII, p. 336

Barrett, Walter, The Old Merchants of New York City, second series, chapter 16

Haskins, C. W., The Argonauts of California. By a Pioneer, 1890, pp. 360-371.