Jasper Mauduit
Encyclopedia
Jasper Mauduit was an agent in London of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
, and a successor of William Bollan, who served as agent from 1746 to 1762. Jasper Mauduit’s agency was terminated in 1765. He was the brother of Israel Mauduit
.
had been in effect since 1691, when the New England colonies
of Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth
were joined with the province
of Maine
and Nova Scotia
, forming the Massachusetts Bay Colony
.
particularly for the purpose of protecting the charter. Often, these agents were prominent persons from the colonies that were sent to England
to be representatives at court. Once their mission was accomplished, however, their agencies came to an end. As colonial management developed in the 18th century, agencies became a permanent representation, rather than a temporary special embassy.
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...
, and a successor of William Bollan, who served as agent from 1746 to 1762. Jasper Mauduit’s agency was terminated in 1765. He was the brother of Israel Mauduit
Israel Mauduit
Israel Mauduit was a British merchant, writer and colonial agent. His surname is sometimes spelled as Maudit.Mauduit was born in 1708, the son of a dissenting religious minister Isaac Mauduit. His brother was Jasper Mauduit who was also a colonial agent.Mauduit is best remembered for his popular...
.
Historical Context
Jasper Mauduit was an agent during the time of the reign of George III. At the time, the Province of Massachusetts was governed by the Charter of William and Mary. This charterCharter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
had been in effect since 1691, when the New England colonies
New England Colonies
The New England Colonies of British America included the colonies of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Connecticut Colony, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and Province of New Hampshire. They were part of the Thirteen Colonies including the Middle Colonies and the Southern Colonies. These...
of Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
were joined with the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, forming the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
.
Colonial Agencies in England
While colonial agencies existed in the seventeenth century, they were temporary and mostly concerned with affairs of great importance, when affairs in the colony seemed to call for a greater level of communication with the British government. An agent was needed in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
particularly for the purpose of protecting the charter. Often, these agents were prominent persons from the colonies that were sent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to be representatives at court. Once their mission was accomplished, however, their agencies came to an end. As colonial management developed in the 18th century, agencies became a permanent representation, rather than a temporary special embassy.
Literature
- Bollan, William, Jasper Mauduit, and Charles G. Washburn. 1918. Jasper Mauduit, agent in London for the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, 1762-1765. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society.