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Relation Trade Name Mandarin Chinese Relative Cudgin Ye Cudgin 葉 Relative Leunqua Ye Longguan 葉隆官 ? Tacqua Amoy Chang Maorong 長茂榮 Father Consentia Giqua Ye Yiguan 葉義官 Son Tiauqua Ye Chaoguan 葉朝官 ? Yanqua Ye Renguan 葉仁官 CUDGIN Cudgin1 is the earliest of the Ye merchants about whom we have information. His Chinese name is unknown, but we know he was a member of the Ye family. The name of his business was the Duanhe Hang 端和行 . Nothing is known of his early years in trade, but he was probably involved in the junk trade in Fujian. When he appears in the foreign records in the early 1720s, he was already well established and connected to inland merchants and markets. He traded in a wide range of products, with good credit and reputation. In all likelihood, he was involved in trade much earlier.2 In 1721–22 the English East India Company (EIC) contracted with Cudgin and Tan Suqua (Chapter 5). The two men had been trading with the Ostend General India Company (GIC) for the past two years, and the English officers hoped to entice them to trade with the EIC. The Ostend Company’s records for this period have not survived, but later GIC records list Cudgin as one of their merchants (Appendixes 11A and 11G).3 Cudgin’s trade with the GIC was very substantial by 1724, which suggests he may have been trading with them for some time. He supplied the Ostenders with 135,000 taels worth of merchandise in 1724, 79,000 taels of goods in 1725, and over one million taels worth of cargo in 1726. The figures represent 29 percent (1724) to 87 percent (1726) of the GIC’s total exports. These were huge amounts in this era and help to explain how Cudgin became immensely wealthy by 1726 (Appendix 11G). C H A P T E R E L E V E N  YE 葉 MERCHANTS AND TACQUA AMOY 長茂榮 1720–1804 Paul_11_ch11.indd 181 Paul_11_ch11.indd 181 11年9月8日 下午2:24 11年9月8日 下午2:24 182 Merchants of Canton and Macao Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the problems that arose in 1726, when the Foyen (in this case, the viceroy) demanded a 10 percent duty on imported silver. Cudgin and other Hong merchants attended the meeting with Chinese officials and foreigners about this new imposition. On 22 August, Cudgin delivered the viceroy’s answer to the Ostenders, whose ships were waiting downriver. The Foyen insisted on 10 percent duties on all silver landed, and he proclaimed that Cudgin would be held responsible for the total amount. After discussing the matter with Chinese merchants at length, the GIC officers managed to work out a tentative agreement, and GIC supercargo Robert Hewer ordered the ships upriver. Cudgin and Suqua had convinced Hewer that they could work things out with the viceroy. Hewer expressed much satisfaction in contracting with Cudgin because he thought the merchant to be the only man who could exercise enough influence with the viceroy to make a difference.4 Despite the heavy extractions, 1726 was probably a good year for Cudgin. He supplied the majority of the cargos for the three GIC ships (Appendix 11G). The fact that he took the next year off to go to Beijing and then retired thereafter, is clear indication of his wealth. As Appendixes 11A, 11G and 11H reveal, Cudgin traded with other foreigners as well, supplying porcelain to the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and was undoubtedly involved with the private ships from India. Although the appendixes do not give this information, Cudgin almost certainly was involved in the Chinese junk trade just like other prominent merchants. Trading in such large volumes required enormous outlays of capital. Thus, it is not surprising to see Cudgin relying on foreign capital. The statement below by Robert Hewer is revealing: 1726, Sep 27: Cudgin came to our Factory and desired us to advance him 5000 Tales, because he said he wanted it to pay for Tea, and the Weavers for the Silks, we told him we had already advanced him more then [sic] was Customary, he told us, unless we would let him have this money he should not be able otherways, to deliver us our goods in good time: having sent all the money we had already advanced him, up the Country to buy Tea; knowing him to be a good Man, we resolved to grant it him, and signd an order to Mr. Erreboot to pay him 5000 Tales.5 By the end...

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