Correspondence concerning treatises by John Macdonald on telegraphic communication

Correspondence mostly between John Macdonald, the East India Company, and the Admiralty concerning the development and publication of 'A treatise explanatory of a new system of naval, military and political telegraphic communication of general application, in which a comprehensive numerical dictionary, [...] is applied'. (London: T. Egerton, 1817.)

Letters of John Macdonald

Letter, 10 May 1810, of John Macdonald to 'Mrs Call Macdonald' describing his activities in trying to publish his work on a new telegraphic system. Folios 1-2.

Letter, 12 May 1817, of John Macdonald to 'Mrs Colm Macdonald' in which he describes his activities in London, family matters, and his attempts to gain recognition for his new telegraphic system. Folio 3.

Part only of a letter, [25 April 1821], of John Macdonald, to an unidentified correspondent commenting generally on an apparent problem with the Court of Directors of the East India Company, and on someone in India, perhaps the son of a family friend. Folio 4.

Letter copies

Letter copy, 3 October 1814, of John Macdonald, Exeter, to the Court of Directors of the East India Company listing all the approbations he had received for his telegraph system; with, on the verso, another letter copy to James Cobb. Folio 5.

Letter copy, 5 November 1818, of John Macdonald, Exeter, to Robert Jenkinson, Lord Liverpool, detailing his entire telegraph project from its inception, together with comments on progress made. Folios 6-9.

Precis, circa 1817, by John Macdonald, Exeter, of all of the developments concerning his telegraph system, beginning in 1806, when he first contacted the Admiralty, to about 1814. In addition to particular events, Macdonald has copied all letters of praise for the system. The document concludes, ‘Had the testimonials stated in this paper been before the Court, it is probable that the Chairman (evidently misled or biased by someone) would not have carried his point. At some future more favourable period, the subject may be brought forward with more success’. Folios 10-11.

Memo, undated, of John Macdonald in which he summarises quotes from Charles Rowarth, printer, and Samuel Neele, engraver, for the printing and engraving of his telegraphic dictionary and an accompanying explanatory work. The original quotes are included. Folios 12-16.

Letters of correspondents of the East India Company

Astell, William

Letter, 2 June 1814, of William Astell, Upper Gower Street, London, to John Macdonald commenting on the Committee of Shipping of the East India Company, and advising Macdonald that the Admiralty would be the better sponsor for his telegraphic system. Macdonald has added a draft reply. Folios 17-18.

Letter, 19 November 1824, of William Astell, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that Captain Swiner had reported separately and that the Court had prohibited any further progress on the telegraph. Folios 19-20.

Black, Kingsbury, Parbury and Allen

Letter, 5 November 1817, of Black, Kingsbury, Parbury and Allen, booksellers to the East India Company, London, to John Macdonald concerning an order from the Honourable East India Company for a 'number of [Macdonald's] signals'. Folios 21-22.

Blunt, J P

Letter, 16 October 1815, of J P Blunt, Bengal, to John Macdonald praising his telegraphic system and commenting on the possibility of establishing telegraphs in Bengal and the East Indies. Folios 23-25.

Letter, 8 March 1820, of J P Blunt, Bengal, to John Macdonald concerning a report on the latter’s telegraphic system. Folio 26-27.

Bosanquet, Jacob

Letter, 17 August 1814, of Jacob Bosanquet, East India House, London, to John Macdonald explaining that he was not then a director of the East India company and was uncertain of what he might be able to do to support Macdonald. Folio 28.

Cobb, James

Letter, 5 August 1814, of James Cobb, India House, London, to John Macdonald on behalf of the Court of Directors of the East India Company declining any interest in printing Macdonald's telegraphic dictionary. Folios 29-30.

Letter, 10 August 1814, of James Cobb, India House, London, to John Macdonald confirming that the Court of Directors of the East India Company would not change its position on not agreeing to publish Macdonald's Telegraphic Dictionary, despite the additional reasons Macdonald had submitted. Folios 31-32.

Letter, 20 0ctober 1814, of James Cobb, India House, London, to John Macdonald acknowledging the receipt of his papers and confirming that they had been placed before the Court of Directors of the East India Company. Folios 33-34.

Letter, 9 April 1816, of James Cobb, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that the Court of Directors of the East India Company had decided to subscribe £400 towards printing the 'General Telegraphic System'. Folios 35-36.

Letter, 10 May 1817, of James Cobb, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that he had received a letter from Capt Byers concerning an artillery invention. Envelope included. Folios 37-39.

Letter, 10 May 1817, of James Cobb, India House, London, to John Macdonald advising him that a warrant for £400 had been made available to pay for fifty copies of Macdonald's 'General system of telegraphic communication'. Folios 40-41.

Cotton, Joseph

Letter, 14 July 1814, of Joseph Cotton, Trinity House, London, to John Macdonald rebutting insinuations. Folios 42-43.

Letter, 25 July 1814, of Joseph Cotton, to John Macdonald commenting on the actions of the Committee of Shipping concerning Macdonald's telegraphic dictionary. Folios 44-45.

Daniell, John Frederic

Letter, 25 July 1814, of John Frederic Daniell, to John Macdonald expressing his ignorance of the merits of Macdonald's telegraphic system, but his willingness to make requisite enquiries. Folios 46-47.

Ellerton, George

Estimate, 11 July 1810, of George Ellerton, printer, Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, for printing John Macdonald's Telegraphic Dictionary. Folio 48.

Elphinstone, William Fullerton-

Letter, 2 July 1814, of William Fullerton-Elphinstone, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that he did not know why the Committee had adopted the (rivals) tables. Folios 49-50.

Letter, 21 July 1814, of William Fullerton-Elphinstone, India House, London, to John Macdonald defending the Committee of Shipping against the insinuation that it acted in an 'unworthy manner'. Folios 51-52.

Grant, Charles

Letter, 22 December 1812, of Charles Grant, India House, London, to John Macdonald advising him that no report on his telegraphic system was forthcoming from the 'Committee [of Shipping]'. Folios 53-54.

Letter, 16 July 1814, of Charles Grant, India House, London, to John Macdonald reporting a discussion of the Court of Directors over his telegraphic system. Folios 55-56.

Letter, 10 August 1814, of Charles Grant, India House, London, to John Macdonald concerning the perceived impropriety of Macdonald's 'advances to Lynn'. Folios 57-58.

Letter, 2 November 1814, of Charles Grant, India House, London, to John Macdonald in haste and unable to go into 'your other subject'. Folios 59-60.

Letter, 29 March 1816, of Charles Grant, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that he had submitted Macdonald's telegraphic dictionary but that he had found 'a very great reluctance to receive it or enter into the subject any more.’ Folios 61-62.

Hudleston, John

Letter, 2 July 1814, of John Hudleston, London, to John Macdonald, Dawlish, commenting positively on his telegraphic system, and advising him that he will enquire into the position of the Committee of Shipping over the printing of his telegraphic dictionary. Folios 63-64.

Mason, Alexander Way

Memo, February 1818, of Alexander Way Mason, chief clerk, Secretary's Office, East India Company, London, to John Macdonald concerning a quantity of books sent to India. Includes annotations by Macdonald. Folio 65.

Morice, John

Contemporary copy of a letter, 20 June 1812, of John Morice, Clerk to the Committee of Shipping, East India Company, India House, London, to John Macdonald expressing the Committee's thanks for his explanation of his system of telegraphic communication, and advising him that the models and books were ready to be returned. Folios 66-67.

Letter, 14 July 1814, of John Morice, clerk to the Committee of Shipping, India House, London, to John Macdonald acknowledging the receipt of his letter on his Telegraphic Dictionary and advising him that it had been laid before the Committee of Shipping, and had been referred also to the Special Military Committee. Folios 68-69.

Letter, 24 March 1820, of John Morice, clerk to the Committee of Shipping, East India Company, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that the Court had declined to equip all its ships with a copy of the telegraph system. Folios 70-71.

Pattison, John

Letter, 15 June 1818, of James Pattison, India House, London, to John Macdonald stating that it would be inexpedient to send models of the telegraphic system to India. Folios 72-73.

Reid, T

Letter, 30 May 1826, of T Reid, as representative of the Duke of Buckingham, East India Company Board of Directors, London, to John Macdonald confirming the receipt of a letter. Folios 74-75.

Thornton, Robert

Letter, 5 August 1814, of Robert Thornton, Grafton Street, London, to John Macdonald offering to speak to the 'present Chairman in regard to your claim'. Folios 76-77.

Unidentified senders

Letter, circa 1817, to John Macdonald from an unidentified sender, apologising for the failure of the East India Company to recognise his work, commenting that ‘...a bunch of merchants are but sorry judges of the comparative merits of works of ingenuity and science...’. Folio 78.

Letter, 25 May 1820, to John Macdonald from an unidentified sender, India House, London, stating that the Court of Directors are to send copies of Macdonald's book to the three Presidencies in India. Folios 79-80.

Letter, 1 August 1823, of an unidentified sender, India House, London, to John Macdonald commenting that the Court of Directors will forward a letter to Government of Bengal. Folio 81.

'Extract Political Letter from Bombay Dated 16th April 1814’, concerning a 'plan proposed by Mr William Boyce, for establishing a Telegraphic communication between Bombay and Calcutta'. Folios 82-83.

‘Extract Bengal Government Gazette of the 28th August 1817’, Fort William, concerning the Committee for Telegraphic Communication. Folios 84-85.

‘Extract Public letter to Bengal, dated the 3d September 1817’, from the East India Company to Bengal, 'per licensed ship Monarch', concerning John Macdonald and support for the publication of his work on a telegraphic system. Folios 86-87.

Report, 1820, of the Bengal Military Department concerning John Macdonald’s telegraph models. Folios 88-89.