Bourke, Edward (fl. 1700-1730) to William Cadogan
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01450.446.07 Author/Creator: Bourke, Edward (fl. 1700-1730) Place Written: Cambray, France Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 15 November 1716 Pagination: 3 p. : address ; 22.6 cm x 17.3 cm. Order a Copy
Written to John Williams, a pseudonym Cadogan used in his correspondence with Bourke. Bourke mentions previous correspondence to and from Cadogan, which discussed Bourke's discovery of a Jacobite plot. Bourke relates that his brother Ulick Bourke was instructed to deliver a letter from Lord Abingdon (Montagu Venables-Bertie, 2nd Earl of Abingdon) to Monsieur Sheldon (possibly Dominick Sheldon). In the letter, Abingdon begs Sheldon "to send him with the rest of the pretenders friends some arms and officers into England and that they will engage to detrone the usurper as they call him and that he himself engages to be in a very little time to be intirely master of oxfordshire and that the rest of the pretenders friends will rise in northumberland, cumberland, westmorland, Cornwal, and Lancashire, the rest he will nott name untill his next letter to him wich will pass by my hands... " Bourke demands a pension in return for the information he provides, and promises to alert Cadogan of further intelligence related to the Jacobite plot.
General Dominique Sheldon served as commander of Roi d’Angleterre, a regiment raised by Stuart in 1791; he fought in the Jacobite and French armies from 1689-1721. Edward and Ulick Bourke were sons of John Bourke, Earl of Clanricarde. Cadogan was known for his suppression of Jacobite uprising.
Cambray y.e 15 november 1716
Sr
I had the honnour of yours wich I in a manner despaired of being you were so long before you answered mine the letter I assured you that I would letter you know of I send it to mister Sheldon but I belive it is equal to you soe you once know y.e subject mister Ulick Burke son to my Lord Clanricard who is my bro: was charged with it though I dare sware he does not know what it contains the letter is from my Lord Abingdon to Mist.r Sheldon who begs of him to send him with the rest of the pretenders friends some arms and officers into England and that they will engage to detrone the usurper as they call him and that he himself engages to be in a very little time [2] to be intirely master of oxfordshire and that the rest of the pretenders friends will rise in northumber land, cumberland, westmor land, [struck: an] Cornwal, and Lancashire, the rest he will nott name untill his next letter to him wich will pass [struck: thorou the] by my hands to him and as soone as I recive the [struck: im] letters [inserted: I will let you know if] upon condition you will settle a pention upon mee and will remitt mee at present 15. hundred livres [inserted: french] wich makes about a thousand florins your money, you will nott miss of finding people enough that has correspondance here if you have a mind to send if mee wich summe as soone as I recive I will lett you knowe matters of greater importance then any you know from mee as yett for I will let you know the officers and what army [3] are to goe with their names and the names of the seaports they are to embarque in I hope you will honnour mee with an answer and [struck: a letter] of advice of the said summe without wich and a pention I will doe nothing and I hope you will believe [inserted: mee] to be s.r
your humble and obedt
servant Edward Burke
pray address a Monsieur Monsieur Edward Burke officier de Regiment Irelandois de Berwick en Garrison
a Cambray
en
flandres
[address]
To Mister
John Williams
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