1782 - 1783 ARCHIVE OF HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT ENTRIES PROVIDED THE ROYAL COURT OF BELGIUM REGARDING MARITIME TRADE WITH THE AMERICAS AND MOST NOTABLY THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

On offer is a remarkable historical archive of twenty folded folio sheets bearing 23 entries on ten of the pages as presented before the court at Ghent, Belgium between April 1782 - February 1783 and pertaining to Flemish trade in the latter part of the 18th century much of it relating to trade and shipments for the new Republic. The timing of the manuscripts is particularly notable as the documents shed light on-cross Atlantic maritime trade during a very volatile period of Europe and America for two primary reasons: 1) The manuscripts are written during the last phase of the War of American Independence and refer many times throughout: "colonies americaines maintenant en guerre contre le Roi de la grande bretagne" and 2) They are written during the period of the 4th Anglo-Dutch war, which effectively brought Dutch maritime dominance to an end. Three [3] of the entries are written in French, the other 20 are in Dutch. Each is signed De Menck. There are references to ships departing from Oostend and Amsterdam for England, Cuba, Cadiz, Surinam, and Paramaribo destined to carry or carrying such goods as meat, butter, wheat, paint, cotton, ginger, and coffee. Measures 34 x 22cm. Watermark to leaves. VG+