William Bolt’s complaints about the East India Company and his attack on a Governor of Bengal, 1770s.

£460.00

Bolts, William. Merchant, and Alderman . or Judge of the Hon, the Mayor’s Court of Calcutta: Considerations on India Affairs; particularly respecting the Present State of Bengal and its Dependencies. With a Map of those Countries, chiefly from Actual Surveys.  Printed for J. Almon in Piccadilly, F. Elmsley in The Strand, and Richardson and Urquhart under The Royal Exchange. 1772 1st edition 4to.

Folding map, xxxi, 228pp, 165pp [Appendix].

Together with a second volume

1st title page: Considerations on India affairs. Part II. Vol. III.  2nd title page: Bolt, William: Appendix to Considerations on India Affairs, Part II. Containing A Complete Vindication of the Author, from the Malicious and Groundless Charges of Mr. Verelst: with A just Exposure of the Fatal Ignorance and Injustice of the late Courts of East India Directors in London, and of the Oppressions and Iniquities of their late Governing Servants in Bengal. The whole supported by so copious a Collection of Indisputable Authorities, as will effectually demonstrate what immense Injuries have been suffered therefrom by the Compant, the subjected Provinces in India, and this Kingdom. Printed for J. Douglas, Pall Mall, G. Robson, New Bond Street; J. Almon, Piccadilly; Jefferies and Fader, Charring Cross; F. Elmsley, in the Strand; W. Owen, Fleet Street; T. Evans, Paternoster Row; Brotherton and Sewell, in Cornhill; and Richardson and Urquhart, under the Royal Exchange. 1775 1st edition 4to.

[iv], 623pp.    Both volumes lack the boards  but the text blocks are trimmed to the same size and retain the worn and damaged spine leather, lacking title labels, candidates for fairly straight forward re-binding. The contents are very good for their age, there is one pin hole and a small inner edge tear without loss to the map.

The two volumes seem not often to be found together, understandable because of the three year gap between their publication dates. William Bolt was born Dutch but initially served in the British East India Company before becoming an independent merchant. He was censured by the East India Company for private trading using the Company’s name and recalled to England. The second volume is really a separate response to the criticism he received from Henry Verelst, Governor of Bengal.   Vol 1 has a useful 7 page Glossary of Hindustan words as used in Bengal befure the contents.         oct25/2

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