48 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



to carry on the War of the Spanish Succession, and among 

 others the two East India Companies were applied to by the 

 Lord High Treasurer, the Earl of Grodolphin, for a loan to 

 the public of £1,200,000. This seems to have had the effect 

 of somewhat expediting the complete amalgamation of the two 

 Companies. An Act (6th Anne, c. 17) was passed, by which 

 they were empowered to raise the amount required, which was 

 to be taken as an addition to the Capital Stock of the English 

 Company ; provision was made for the latter's acquiring so 

 much of the stock of the General Society as still remained in 

 the hands of persons who had not become members of the 

 English Company, and which now amounted to no more than 

 .£7,200 ; all matters in difference between the two Companies, 

 and the settling the terms of and perfecting the proposed 

 union, were referred to the judgment, award and final deter- 

 mination of Lord Grodolphin ; and it was enacted that after 

 the making of such award and the surrender of the Charters 

 of the London Company in pursuance of the Indenture 

 Tripartite, then the persons who at the time of such surrender 

 should in pursuance of the same Indenture be the managers 

 for the united trade should be the Directors of the English 

 Company (which should then be called the United Company 

 of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies) until 

 such time as new Directors should be chosen for the same in 

 pursuance of the Charter of 5th September 1698. 



Lord Godolphin's award was made on the 29th September 

 1708, and in pursuance thereof the following deeds were 

 executed and Charters granted. The foreign debts due to the 

 London Company were assigned to the Queen by an Inden- 

 ture dated 27th October 1708, and transferred' to the English 

 Company by Letters Patent dated the 22nd April 1709 ; the 

 home debts were assigned to Her Majesty by an Indenture 

 dated 21st March 1709, and granted by Letters Patent dated 

 the 15th August 1710 to Sir Jonathan Andrews and others 



