"intelligence office", 1764 & 1768

[Karl Hagen]

The sailors were likely deserters. A sailor who deserted a ship had an R (for
run) put next to his name in the ship's muster book.

Joel S. Berson wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      "intelligence office", 1764 &  1768
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "intelligence office", 1764 and 1768, interdates OED  1692--1856.
>
> The two earliest I found from Early American Newspapers:
> -----
> New-York Mercury, published as The New-York Mercury; Date:
> 01-09-1764; Issue: 637; Page: [2], col. 1.  Article datelined London,
> October 27.  I note also the "take their R's off", which I'm sure
> someone here can explain; perhaps a branding (or sewn letter?)
> standing for "rogue"?
>
> "Yesterday about noon a publican in Shore-ditch, and one Mr.
> Phillips, who keeps an intelligence office in Finch-lane, were
> brought before Alderman Dickenson at Guildhall, by a large body of
> sailors, who charged Mr. P. with having taken divers sums of money
> from sailors at the publican's house, under pretence of getting the
> government to take their R's off, which the sailors believed was only
> a deceit".
> -----
> Boston Gazette, published as The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal;
> Date: 07-25-1768; Issue: 695; Page: [3],  col. 2.  A useful
> (earliest?) description of what someone opening an intelligence
> office does.  (The OED may need to expand its definition!)  Note the
> various types of workers wanted or offered.
>
> "There is now opened ... an Intelligence Office.---If any Merchants,
> Masters of Vessels or others, have got any Sort of Merchandize Goods,
> Vessels, Lands, Houses, Negroes or Servants, to sell cheap for Cash,
> or any Vessels to Charter, Houses, Lands, Shops, Rooms or Lodgings to
> Let, by entering them in this Office, Paying Two Shillings lawful,
> may soon be inform'd of Purchasers, Charters, or Hireers [sic]; and
> those that wants to Purchase, Charter or Hire any of the above, shall
> be inform'd gratis where, if any, be enter'd in the Office.---If any
> Person has got any Money to lend, or wants to borrow Money, if they
> apply to this Office and pay Two Shillings, both Wants may soon be
> supply'd, and the Obligations drawn between them at said Office, and
> the Secret kept.---If any Masters want Journeymen, or Journeymen
> Masters; if Men or Women wants Places of Service, by a[ttend]ing to
> this Office and paying Two Shillings, the Parties may soon be
> supply'd---The Intelligencer assures the Public, that he created this
> Office to serve them as well as himself, and with no Design to
> Prejudice any other Profession, and therefore hopes that in this
> Undertaking he has given Offence to none; but if his Designs should
> prove serviceable, it will give great Satisfaction to him, who begs
> to subscribe himself the Publick's
>       Most humble Servant, D. Leigh
> N.B. Choice good and fine Bottle Beer brewed in this Province, to be
> sold at the above Office, by the Dozen Bottles, for Three Pounds ten
> Shillings Old Tenor per Dozen---If the Bottles are returned or
> exchanged, the Beer to be Forty Shillings Old Tenor per Dozen."
> -----
> "Intelligencer" -- new sense?
>
> I doubt if no one was offended by the competition from this new
> undertaking -- particularly the publisher of the Gazette, who likely
> was offering some of the same services himself!
>
> We have here an early example of eco-friendly recycling, with bottle
> deposits.  (The deposit is about 40%! -- 30 p. on a 70 p. bottle.)
>
> Finally, "Old Tenor" held on long past the ode to his demise.
>
> Joel
>
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