The H.E.I.C.'s Poplar Fund

Examples of Documents relating to the H.E.I.C.’s Poplar Fund

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/785 - Register of Applications for Pensions 1-1936B for 1809 to 1821 (marked as volume II)

Alphabetically indexed at front, giving page and entry number.

Example (also see below):-

p.40

No. on the List	754
Date of Admission	*
Applicants Names	Daniel Bland
Age	43
Relation
Quality	Armourer
Died or killed
Servitude (in years, months and days)	5 8 8
Hurt Wound or Infirmity	Hurt
Under what article Entitled Not Entitled	3^rd
For what Term granted	One year (from) 11 Jany (1815)
Amount per annm	£5 8s
Remarks

* Entry blank, although the last noted was 3^rd June 1814 further up the page.

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/795 - Petitions for pensions from former officers and seamen, the widows and orphans of former seamen, with accounts of time of service, marriage certificates, medical certificates, certificates of birth or baptism and of burial list of names - numbers 700-800

Paperwork for Number 754 (continued from example above)...

‘To the

Honble Court of Directors

of the United East India Compy

the Humble Petition of Daniel Bland

Aged 43 years

Herewith

That your Petitioner has

served your Honrs Four Voyages the

last as Armourer of the Tottenham and

is at present, incapable of doing his duty

at sea in consequence of a hurt he got

on the left Knee joint on board that

Ship your Petitioner being in great distrefs

must humbly pray your Honrs will

take his case into consideration and grant

him such relief as to your Honrs shall

seem meet and your Petitioner shall as in

Duty Bound

Ever Pray

Ya Y Y

19^th Augst 1814’

‘ To John Monroe Esq

East India House

Sir

I have examined Danl Bland

late Armourer in the Honble Company’s Service

and do certify that he is afflicted with pain

and a partial Contraction of the left Knee

Joint which Complaint render him unfit

for another voyage to India this Year -

I remain with great Respect

Your obt humble Servt

I Procter

120 Leadenhall St

Augt 10 1814’

. ‘THIS is to certify, That Danl Bland ...................................................................................................late a Armourer................. ---- .............in the Service of the United East-India Company, is an Inhabitant of this Parish, is a sober, honest, industrious Man and worthy of the Honourable Company’s Charity; and; to the best of our Knowledge and Belief, has not the means of decent Maintenance without.
Dated in the Parish of Bow			the
19 of Oct 1814
Ch Chambers	---------------		Minister.
?H Youngers		}
		} Churchwardens.
John Gadden		}’

The covering sheet gave his name; age; number of voyages; pension given (£8 8s 5d) and that this had been allowed on the 1^st and 3^rd clauses.

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/786 - Poplar Pensioners. Register of Applications, with particulars Nos. 1937 to 3559, and list of all pensions with particulars (1822 to 1834)

These volumes are neatly alphabetically indexed at the front giving page number where applicable and also number(s). Actual entries give good info.

Example:-

Index - Michod, Mary; p.3; 1981; 1

p.3

No. on the List:	1981
Date of Application:	May 1822
Names of Applicants:	Mrs. Mary Michod
Age:	42
For whose Services Relation: Station last held in the Service: Died or Killed:	Husband 2^nd Mates Widow Died in the house allowed him at Poplar
No. of Voyages:	6
Time Serviced (in Years, months and days):	8 11 12
Hurt, Wound, or Infirmity:	Distress
Under which clause Entitled: Not Entitled:	9 new
For what time granted:	Life, Mar 1822
Annual amount of Pension:	£60
Remarks:	Husband had £60 a Year for his life - on reference to precedent 31 July 1821. Mrs. M alld new Scales to continue in house at Poplar

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/809 - Pensions with certificates and other documents attached for Pensions, Compensation, &c. - 1822

Example (continued):-

No. 1981 Mrs. Mary Michod

There are eleven sheets in this case. These cover hand-written letters and forms and contain a great deal of personal, social and genealogical info. Although badly faded and not the easiest of hands to read in places, the letters are well worth persevering with as they show the perilous and distressing position Mrs. Michod was in.

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/787 - Registers of Applications - 1822-1834

This volume, compiled chronologically is also another way of finding application numbers and gives similar information to that in L/MAR/C/786.

Names	Mrs. Mary Michod.... 1981
Age	42
Stations	Second Mate’s Widow
No. of Voyages	6
Time of Service (in years, months and days)	8 11 12
Cause of Application	Distress
For whom applying	Herself
Relief granted before	Not any herself but her Husband had a Pension of £60 per annm
Clauses applicable to the Petitioner’s case	9^th new
When Married	3 Feb 1800
Date of Husband’s Burial	20 May 1822
No. of Children on Reporting	1 daughter No property
Entered the Service	1790
Ceased to be employed	1805
Remarks

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/788 - List of Pensions on the Poplar Fund on the 4^th April 1821

This single volume is compiled roughly alphabetically and chronologically, making it simple to use.

Examples:-

.Name	Station	Time of Admifsion	Amount Pension
Marshall Hannah	Chief Mate	8^th Apr 1823	44.. --
Mayor Susannah	Caulker	7^th May 1823	.8... --

Source: BL: IOR: L/MAR/C/667 - Miscellaneous information relating to the Poplar Fund within the List of Commanders, Officers and Other Ranks down to Carpenters in the Company’s Service August 1828-34, with age, service, dates of discharge etc.

Registers to applications for Maritime Compensation 1834 to 1836

Alphabetical Index, but unfortunately this does not seem to tally with the subsequent records. There are only snippets of various records, but one ‘series’ of eleven pages has seemingly excellent genealogical information giving details of marriages and children - so it may be worth trawling through these if there are individual officers in this position. There are also eight pages showing the deaths of officers and sometimes admissions to compensation of widows covering 1834 to 1857

Go to examples of various listings relating to H.E.I.C. Officers’ and Petty Officers’ Service

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