I have delayed replying to this in the hope that some one else would.
The only enterprise that I can definitely connect with John Becx is the
Saugus ironworks in America in which there were many investors.
The book on that ironworks says that he was interested in ironworks in the
Forest of Dean (Gloucestershire, England). However I have found little
evidence of that. It is possible that he rented an ironworks that had been
sequestrated from a Royalist after the Civil War, or bought one sold as a
result of a Royalist failing to compound. Such property reverted to the
original owner on the Restoration of Charles II, unless the buyer had also
bought out the claim of the deprived royalist owner. However Becx remains
elusive even in that context. It is possible that he rented the Lydney
works, but my only evidence for that is negative, in that I do not know who
did occupy that ironworks at that time.
I have certainly not found any of his papers and there are hardly any
references to him in litigation records of the courts of Chancery and
Exchequer, which are often a good source at this period.
Peter King
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Claughton <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 26 January 2002 09:22
Subject: John Becx & Co.
> Perhaps list members can help with the following query. Please copy
replies
> to the enquirer.
>
> Peter
>
> >Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 15:25:46 -0500
> >To: [log in to unmask] (Peter Claughton)
> >From: scott bruce <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: John Becx & Co.
>
> >
> >Peter:
> >
> >What do you know of John Beex/Becx (John Becx) & Co.), the 17th
> >century Anglo-Dutch capitalist who underwrote many iron making
> >operations on both sides of the Atlantic? The locations of this mines
> >and iron works in the UK, for example. Know whether any of his
> >correspondence survives?
> >
> >--scott
> >
> ______________________________________________
>
> Peter Claughton, Blaenpant Morfil, Rosebush, Clynderwen,
> Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
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>
> University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological
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