Sir Robert Cann Bt (1624-85)
Robert Cann was a leading Bristol merchant and staunch royalist. He was twice Mayor of Bristol and a Member of Parliament. He owned property in Jamaica, Barbados and North America, a manor house in Compton Greenfield, and a town house on the river at 8 Broad Quay, Bristol.
1651 Appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire
1652 Buys rebel prisoners to ship to the West Indies
1652 An abominable trade
It was the practice of the Bristol Merchants to purchase political prisoners for transportation to North America and the West Indies where they would be sold into slavery. The first shipment was in August 1648, when 500 Scottish Royalists were shipped to the plantations. In 1651, many defeated Scotch from the Battle of Worcester, those who had not perished through sickness from waiting to be shipped, were sent to the colonies.
In July 1652, the Council of State ordered the Governor of Waterford to deliver to Robert Cann, Robert Yate and Robert Speed, as many Irish rebel prisoners for shipment as they might choose for shipment to the West Indies.
1658 Master of the Merchant Venturers
1662-63 Mayor of Bristol
1662 Knighted in April by Charles II for services to the Royalist
cause. Accepts a baronetcy from Charles II in September.
1662-65 Gone to his head!
Robert Cann was the first member of the Corporation to receive a knighthood. Roger North, Sir Robert's relative by marriage, described Sir Robert with his customary spitefulness as ''a somewhat arrogant and pompous personage, fond of parading his riches, and prone to speak his mind with little regard for the feelings of others'. Soon after receiving his knighthood, Sir Robert claimed precedence over the Bristol Aldermen, on account of his title, despite being a Common Councillor. As you can imagine, this did not go down too well, and a bitter debate started that lasted until 1665. Sir Robert's persistence took him before the Herald's College, the Common Council, Privy Council and King (twice), and on each occasion, his claim to precedence was deemed illegal.
1663 Campaigns for a law to be introduced against the practice
of kidnapping white children to work on plantations
in the West Indies
1663 A royal visit
In August (1663), it was announced that the King and Queen were to visit Bath for the purpose of drinking the waters. The ultra-royal Corporation of Bristol immediately resolved to send a deputation to Bath to greet the visitors and invite them to Bristol. As the civic treasury was empty, loans were solicited from members of the corporation. Sir Robert Cann, the Mayor, headed the list with a loan of £180, and his son, William Cann, followed with £100. The total raised for the reception and banquet was £1600.
On 24 August, the Majesties were presented with a gift of wine and sugar and they agreed to visit Bristol. On 5 September, the King, Queen, Duke and Duchess of York, the Duke of Monmouth, Prince Rupert and courtiers were received at Lawford's Gate by Sir Robert Cann and members of the council. After a formal ceremony, royal procession, and banquet, and a gift to the Queen, the King dubbed four knights including Robert's son, William Cann. The royal entourage then left to a 150-gun salute. To the disappointment of the council, the visit had lasted just four hours.
1666 Work begins on enlarging the existing property on the site of
Stoke House (see Tithings 1656-98)
1669 Stoke House completed (see Tithings 1656-98)
1671 The rateable value of the Cann property is £109 22s 08d.
Stoke House is now the most highly rated property in
Westbury Parish
1675 Mayor of Bristol
1678-80 Bristol's Member of Parliament
1680 Expelled from the House of Commons (see box below)
1681 The Marquis of Worcester, Lord-Lieutenant is lodged at Sir Robert's
mansion.
1685 Charged with corruption under Judge Jeffries. Dies and is buried in
Compton Greenfield.
1685 A run-in with Judge Jeffreys
In 1685, Chief Justice Jeffreys, dubbed the 'hanging judge', was employed by Charles II to punish the remnants of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth who, in the West Country, had claimed to be king. The Judge went from town to town, sentencing rebels to death or slavery, and when he arrived in Bristol, he discovered the corrupt scheme of offering petty criminals the option of becoming slaves...
'They can discharge a felon or a traitor, provided they will go to Mr Alderman's plantation at the West Indies. Come, come, I find you stink for want of rubbing.'
The Aldermen and merchants were in league with each other. A petty thief would be told that he or she would be likely to hang if the case went to trial, and advised to 'pray for transportation'. Each slave would then fetch between £10-15 (about £500-750 today).
Judge Jeffreys fined the Mayor of Bristol, and also indicted some others including Robert Cann. Although Sir Robert had not shared in the spoils, he was accused of conniving in the corruption. Sir Robert Cann then faced trial at the Court of the King's Bench in London, but the charge was withdrawn through the intervention of his influential son-in-law, Sir Dudley North.
Sir Robert Cann Bt. died in 1685, shortly after returning to Bristol, and is buried at All Saint's Church in Compton Greenfield.
Bibliography
J. Latimer, The Annals of Bristol in the Sixteenth Century (1900; Bath: Kingsmead Reprints, 1970)
H.J.Wilkins, Transcription of the 'Poor Book' of The Tithings of Westbury-on-Trym, Stoke Bishop and Shirehamptron from AD. 1656-1698 (Bristol: Arrowsmith, 1910)