SHUTTLEWORTH, GEORGE [SSNE 1438]

Surname

SHUTTLEWORTH, SCHÜTTELWORTZ

First name

GEORGE, JÖRGEN

Nationality

ENGLISH

Social status

GENTRY

Text source

George Shuttleworth formed part of the elite of British iron dealers based in Stockholm during the 1660s. Shuttleworth was also known to purchase iron. He and a Mr Watson in Stockholm perhaps [SSNE 7537] commissioned three Edinburgh merchants to make an offer to Glasgow council for the iron and tar imported in Glasgow by the late Robert Boyd younger, a Stockholm merchant, and then lying at the merchants’ hospital. In December 1662, the council refused the commissioners’ offer and decided instead to sell the goods to local burgesses and guild brothers. However, Boyd’s relatives and colleagues mounted a legal challenge, which was still not resolved by early 1663. Shuttleworth apparently acted as Charge D' Affaires in Sweden from 1666-1670 on behalf of the Stuart kingdoms when there was no accredited ambassador present. He is known to have buried an unnamed English merchant in Maria Kyrka in Stockholm on 25 June 1667. In 1671 the Swedish admiralty signed a contract with Shuttleworth to provide tackling, sailcloth and flagcloth. The contract was worth 163,754 dlr 16 ore silver coin. In 1674 it was discovered that Shuttleworth's supplies barely serviced 20 vessels and he had not completed the terms of the contract.

 

Sources: 

The National Archives, SP/95/6-7; Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow council minutes, 1659-1667, C1/1/14, 19 and 24 July 1662, 20 December 1662, 7 February 1663; Stockholms Stadsarkivet, Maria Församling, Register över döda, 1656-1680, p.540; His business correspondence and association with John Couper [SSNE 7760] are detailed here: Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069553_00206#?c=&m=&s=&cv=205&xywh=2678%2C1590%2C3979%2C2295

 

L. Bittner and L. Gross, Reportorium der diplomatischen vertreter aller lander, vol. 1, 1648-1715 (Oldenburg and Berlin, 1936), p.199; G. M. Bell, A Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives 1509-1688 (London, 1990); E. Wendt, Amiralitetskollegiets historia part 1 (Stockholm, 1950), p.229, 246; L. Müller, The Merchant Houses of Stockholm, c.1640-1800, (Uppsala, 1998), p.87. 

 

With thanks to Thomas Brochard to the reference from Glasgow City Archive.

Service record

SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM

Arrived 1664-01-01

Capacity IRON EXPORTER, purpose MERCANTILE, TRADE, COMMERCE

STUART KINGDOMS, SWEDEN

Arrived 1666-05-01

Departed 1670-10-31

Capacity CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, purpose DIPLOMACY

 

Arrived 1671-01-01

Departed 1674-12-31

Capacity NAVAL SUPPLIER, purpose MERCANTILE, NAVAL