The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

[ Previous ][ Next ]

Edward Bartar ( - fl. 1696-1700)

Alias Thomas Edward Bartar [Alias]

Slaving agent in West Africa, employed by the Royal African Company. Bartar was of Anglo-African descent, "probably born to an English slave-trading father and an African mother" (Murphy, 14). In 1690, the Company sent him to England for an education, and it was probably during this time when he became acquainted with Petiver, for whom he collected specimens in Africa, and Samuel Doody and Leonard Plukenet. He returned to the Gold Coast in 1693. In their correspondence, Petiver attempted to persuade Bartar to use slaves to gather specimens (Ibid.). While in England, Bartar married, but apparently left his wife behind when he returned to Africa (Bosman, 52). A contemporary account describes him as a "Mulatto... who hath a greater Power on the Coast, than all the three English Agents together (Bosman 51). He was thus viewed as a local with special knowledge of the region, able to "raise a large number of Armed Men; some whereof [were] his own slaves" (ibid.) Other biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edward_Barter Sender of objects(s)
 Relevant locations: Lived at or near Cape Coast Castle, Cape Coast
 Relationships: Edward Bartar was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Samuel Doody (28 May 1656-1706)
Edward Bartar was a friend of James Petiver (c. 1665-Apr 1718)
Edward Bartar was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Leonard Plukenet (1642-1706)
Edward Bartar was a employed by Royal African Company (1660-)

 Linked print sources: as Mentioned or referenced by - James Petiver's 'Kind Friends' and 'Curious Persons' in the Atlantic World: Commerce, Colonialism, and Collecting.
as Mentions or references - A New and Accurate Description of the Coast of Guinea: Divided Into the Gold, the Slave, and the Ivory Coasts.
 References in Documents:
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) ☞ 34. Arachydna trifoliata Guineensis. an A. Phaselodes Americana P. B. pr.? Legumen trifolium sub terra fructum edens Raii H. Pl. 919? Mandobi Pis. B. 256. Mandubi d'Angola Marcgr. 43. The Trefoil ground=Bean. This my kind Friend, Mr. Edward Bartar, sent me from Cape-Coast.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) * 44. Colutea Scorpoides Guineensis Ornithopodii foliis. Mr. Bartar's Scorpion Sena. Found by him about Cape-Coast in Guinny.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) Mal. 46. Convolvulus Indicus minor, folio anguloso fl. ex albo flavescente Com. not. Sendera clandi H. Mal. v. 11. Tab. 65. p. 133. East-Indies Bindweed with angular Leaves. I am obliged to Mr. Edw. Bartar for this rare Plant, who gathered it about Cape-Coast in Guinny. Is also grows in East-Indies.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) * 169. Corruda Guineensis foliis aduncis. Mr. Edward Bartar sent me this from Cape-Coast, under the Name of Malice=Weed.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 433. Methonicæ folio, Planta Guineensis floribus racemiferis, an H. Mal. Vol. 7. Tab. 53. p. 99? This very odd Plant Mr. Edw. Bartar lately sent me from Cape-Coast in Guinea.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 2. Mr. EDWARD BARTER, at Cape Coast in Guinea. From this Person I lately received 3 or 4 Quires of Plants, with some Medicinal Roots, &c.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 578. Amourettes Guineensis major, paniculâ speciosiore. Mr. Edward Bartar gathered this about Cape-Coast in Guinea.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 727. Pectunculus albus Guineensis major, costis elatis striatis. Concha exotica margine in mucronem emissa Col. Purp. cap. 17. p. 27. fig. opt. List. H. C. L. 3. Fig. opt. 164. Concha valvis fistulosis, or the Fistular Oyster. Mus. Reg Soc. 144. Mr. Edward Bartar hath some time since sent me this from Cape Coast. My hearty friend Capt. Will. Bond hath also observed it in those parts.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 759. Chamæsyce Guineensis lignosa, Peplios folio. Mr. Edward Bartar gathered this about Cape Coast.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 836. Pectunculus Guineensis ex uno latere altè incisus. an P. orbicularis ex altero latere prælongis latisque dentibus conspicuis Centuria IX,. & X. 87 conspicuis, List. H. C. l. 3. Tab. 330. Fig. 167? This is deeply indented on one side with a reddish blush, otherwise it resembles the last. Mr. Edw. Bartar sent me this from Cape-Coast in Guinea.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 881. Bartarius seu Arbor Guineensis floribus Periclymeni comosis. This beautiful Tree Mr. Edw. Bartar sent me from Cape-Coast.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 4. Papilio GUINEENSIS nigrescens, lituris albis aspersis. Mr. Edward Bartar formerly sent me this from Cape Coast in Guinea. The Ground of its Wings are black above and rusty below.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 2. Scorpio JAVANICUS major pilosus, è nigro cærulescente splendens, NOBIS. Scorp. Zeylanicus niger maximus Mus. Sibbald. Sc. 116. Indicus niger, magnitudine Cancrum fluviatile æquans Mus. Leyd. 144. id. min. 56. Ghonissa Zeylon: an S. è Barbaria Moff. 205. Fig. 204. & append. p. 330. ad cap. 10. id. A. 1049. an Sc. de Tunisi Mus. Cospian. The accurate Swammerdam in his Curious History of Insects edit. Lat. p. 147. Tab. 6. gives a Figure of one somewhat like this, but bigger, and seems particularly to differ in having but three joynts in the Tail, and ours five or six as the lesser have. Bontius in his Hist. Natur. & Medic. lib. 5. cap. 4. p. 56. seems to mention this, where he says Scorpiones quoque copiosos & grandes fert hæc India (i. e. Java) vidi enim qui partem quartam uinæ implerent, coloris è nigro cyanei & splendescente, which Shining and Colour this has. Mr. Charlton, that late most Curious Preserver of all Natural and Artificial Rarities, was pleased to give me this amongst other Curiosities, since which Mr. Bulkley hath sent me them from Fort St. George, and Mr. Ed. Bartar from the Coast of Guinea.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 12. An elegant hairy Catterpillar, sent me some Years since from Guinea by Mr. Edward Bartar, Cat. 408.
Selections from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (1665-1669) 19. Attrummaphoe, Boyl'd and drank, causeth the great sort of Pox to Skin and dry. Mr. J. S. The Juice of this Weed being snuft up the Nose, is good to make one sneeze. Mr. Edward Bartar. Of the Decoction of this Plant, is made a Drink good against the Phrensy. Hort. Malab. Colutea languinosa Floribus parvis siliquis pilosis deorsum tendentibus Mus. Petiver. 45. Orientalis plerumque heptaphyllos hirsuta, floribus spicatis saturate purpureis, siliquis plurimis quadratis valde pilosis summo succulorum dependentibus. Alm. Botan. p. 113. It was called by Dr. Herman (that late incomparable Botanist) Astragalus Indicus spicatus si liquis copiosis deorsum spectantibus non falcatis seu Polylobos. And by the Inhabitants of Ceylon Pilæghas, as Joannes Comelinus asserts, in his Commentaries on the Hortus Malabaricus, in the Ninth Volume of which noble Herbal there is an Icon of this Plant, under the Name of Katu (which signifies Sylvestris or wild) Tagera, Tab. 30. p. 55. Whose Description of it I shall briefly transcribe and intersperse my own Observations concerning it. It grows in sandy Places, about Two or Three Foot high; the Roots fibrose and whitish; its Stalks woody, redish, and very hairy; the Leaves grow by Pairs, with one at the Extremity having Three or Five (I have Samples of it with Seven or more) covered on both sides with a soft woolliness (which are not exprest in the Figure, the like Omission I find in many others in this Work, whose Leaves, &c. are delineated smooth, although the Description and things themselves declare them otherwise) they have an astringent Tast, and are somewhat biting. It hath many small deep Purple Papilionaceous Flowers growing in a Spike to the top (of a Leafless Stalk;) its Calyx is composed of Six very narrow Hairy Leaves, the Pods are also very hairy, roundish, but not thicker than (682) a Packthread ¼ of an Inch long hanging downwards on short (or rather no) Footstalks; the Seeds are small, lye length ways in the Pod, and are separated by a (thin) Partition.
Selections from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (1665-1669) 31. Metacoe, Pounded, and so applied, is good for a Cut. Mr. J. S. With these Leaves the Blacks also make Match for their Muskets, as my kind Friend, Mr. Edward Bartar informs me.