James Spilman (Merchant)

1719 BenSpilman Will Transcript pg 1

This picture was taken in 1719 in Gt Yarmouth Norfolk and sourced from 1719 Benjamin Spilman Will from 16 microfilm mf 325 Norfolk Record Office.

• Individual Picture Notes

• Death Notes
  • Recommendation for James Spilman to be a FRS
    
    James Spilman Esqr
    A Gentleman who has been Twenty two years abroad in Russia and other Northern Country's is a Very Curious Person and a promoter of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, well Vers'd in ye Natural History of those parts & being desirous of becoming a member of this Society is recommended by us 
    Proposers James Theobald; Robt Paul; Tho Pellet; Jams West 
    PersonKey Spilman; James (c 1680 - 21 November 1763) 
    

• General Notes
  • left Judith of Newcastle by his father
    James Spilman. F.R.S. (1680-1763) the 2nd son of the merchant Benjamin Spilman of Great Yarmouth, by his 1st wife Susan Robins, his uncle Samuel Spilman merchant of Great Yarmouth, shipped the Russia Company's presents to the Tsar.
    
    James Spilman, F.R.S. (1680-1763), and Anglo-Russian Commerce.
    
    On 25 October 1714 the President of the Royal Society addressed the following letter to Peter the Great's chief lieutenant:
    
    Isaac Newton greets the most powerful and honourable Mr Alexander Menshikov, Prince of the Roman and Russian Empire, Lord of Oranienburg, Chief Councillor of his Caesarian Majesty, Master of the Horse, Ruler of the Conquered Provinces, Knight of the Order of the Elephant, of the White and Black Eagle, etc.
    Whereas it has long been known to the Royal Society that your Emperor his Caesarian Majesty, has furthered very great advances in the arts and sciences in his Kingdom, and that he has been particularly aided by your administration not only in military and civil affairs, but also in the dissemination of literature and science, we were all filled with the greatest joy when the English merchants informed us that Your Excellency , out of his high courtesy, singular regard for the sciences, and lover of our nation, designs to join the body of our Society. At that time we had concluded our meetings until the summer and autumn seasons should be past, as is our custom. But hearing of this we at once assembled, so that by our votes we might elect Your Excellency, which we unanimously did. And now, as soon as it is possible to renew our postponed meetings, we have confirmed the election by a diploma under our common Seal. The Society, however, has instructed its Secretary that when he has sent the Diploma off to you, he should advise you of the election. Farewell.
    
    It then goes on to explains the letter
    Menshikov was elected a Fellow of the Society on 29 July 1714, as the result of a letter written on 25 June by two English merchants at St. Petersburg, James Spilman and Henry Hodgkin, his trading partner, to Samuel Shepherd, an influential London merchant, intimating that the Prince sought election.
    This paper endeavours to explain how a Russia Company merchant, who was not himself elected a Fellow of the Royal Society until 1734, came to engineer the election to the Society of Russia's second most powerful figure - despite the fact that Menshikov could neither read nor write. At the same time it will illustrate the close links between science and commerce in the first two decades of the eighteenth century and the significance of James Spilman, son of Benjamin Spilman merchant, associations with Robert Erkine, F.R.S., Peter the Great's chief physician.