committee of Council appointed May 10, 1655, in determining the amounts
due the wives and assignees of the officers and soldiers in Jamaica.
Creed was dropped and Sydenham and Fillingham were added in 1656.[39]
But a more important step was soon taken. On July 15,1656, Cromwell
appointed a standing committee of officers and London merchants to
take general cognizance of all matters that concerned "his Highness
in Jamaica and the West Indies." The following were the members: Col.
Edward Salmon, an admiralty commissioner and intimately interested in
the Jamaica expedition; Col. Tobias Bridges, one of Cromwell's major
generals, afterwards serving in Flanders, who was to play an important
part in proclaiming Richard Cromwell Protector; Lieutenant Colonel
Miller, of Col. Barkstead's regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel Mills;
Capt. Limbrey, London merchant and Jamaican planter, who had lived in
Jamaica and made a map of the island, and as commander of merchant
vessels had made many trips across the Atlantic; Capt. Thomas Aldherne,
also a London merchant and sea captain, the chief victualler of the
navy, and an enterprising adventurer in trade; Capt. John Thompson, sea
captain and London merchant; Capt. Stephen Winthrop, sea captain and
London merchant; Richard Sydenham, and Robert Bowes, already mentioned
as commissioners for Jamaica,[40] and lastly Martin Noell, London
merchant, and Thomas Povey, regarding whom a fuller account is given
below. Povey, who was not appointed a member until October, 1657,
apparently became chairman and secretary, while Francis Hodges was
clerical secretary. Except for Tobias Bridges, the military members had
little share in the business of the committee, the most prominent part
being taken by Noell, Bridges, Winthrop, Bowes, Sydenham, and Povey.
As far as the records show, Salmon, Miller, Aldherne, Thompson, and
White never signed a report, while Mills and Limbrey signed but one.
The committee seems to have sat at first in Grocer's Hall, afterward
in Treasury Chambers, where its members discussed and investigated
all questions that came before them with care and thoroughness.
Their instructions authorized them to maintain a correspondence
with the colonies, obtaining such infromation and advice as seemed
essential; to receive all addresses relating thereunto, whether from
persons in America or elsewhere; to consider and consult thereof and
prepare such advices and answers thereupon as should be judge