The Affair of Porto Novo, also called the Porto Novo incident,[1] was a successful Anglo–French attack and destruction of the newly founded Swedish factory at Porto Novo in Southern India on 20 October 1733.[2]
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In 1731, Swedish policy was for the most part led by Count Arvid Horn, who had earlier in his career won distinction in both diplomacy and war, and was then steering a cautious course through European politics. The main concerns of Swedish statesmanship for the time were political security and secondly financial stability in order to maintain the Swedish recovery after the disastrous Swedish defeat in the Great Northern War.[3]
These purposes were seemingly served best by maintaining friendly relations with France and the Dutch Republic and Great Britain. In the 17th century, French support to Sweden had been highly important, and despite both countries having lost much of their prestige and power, France had recovered to such an extent where its friendship to Sweden could be a valuable asset.[3]
On 14 June 1731, after the collapse of the Ostend Company, the SOIC received its charter.[4] The government granted the company permission to trade "with all places east of the Cape of Good Hope" which initiated its first octroi. After its establishment, the company aroused a lot of opposition in Sweden, as despite the long-distance shipping and direct purchases "from the source" aligned with the mercantilist principles, the planned import of foreign manufactured and luxury goods was difficult to reconcile with.[5]
Moreover, the company faced competition from major foreign companies, a sentiment that was further hightened by the suspicion that it was merely a disguised continutation of the Ostend Company.[5]
When the Ulrica Eleonora arrived at Porto Novo in September,[2] the officers onboard immediately began negotiatons with agents from the Mughal Emperor. The Swedes were welcomed, promised the protection of the Nabob, and were allowed to unload a majority of their cargo into the warehouse, hoping to make Porto Novo a centre of their trade in the region.[6]
As the sun set, the Ulrica Eleonora was no longer able to stay anchored, and it was arranged for it to sail towards Bengal to be refitted during the winter instead of going to China and to open up trade with the city.[7] Several members of the crew, Charles Barrington, Thomson, Thomas Combes, and the writer, along with 36 others remained in Porto Novo to guard the warehouse and trade with the goods stored there.[6]
For a month, the people at Porto Novo remained there undisturbed, preparing to collect a return cargo, but they were not free from anxiety. Even before the initial expedition to Porto Novo began, Thomson had written that it would "alarm all Europe" and that if any of the British crew were to be caught they would be treated with "the utmost rigour". He also told of a rumour which confirmed his fears. He wrote that the Governor of Madras, George Morton Pitt:[6]
designs to play the devil with us; but I hope their boastings will not frighten any of our friends or the concerned, for we are not apprehensive of anything they can do to us.
However, the actual events would be far worse than Thomson's prediction.[6]
French map of the Coromandel coast by Monsieur d'Anville from 1753
When news of the Swedish presence reached Governor George Morton Pitt in Madras on the Coromandel coast, he attempted to persuade the Nabob to prevent the Swedes from trading. However, the Nabob refused, and Pitt subsequently decided to act on his own. He wrote to Governor Pierre Le Noir of Pondicherry, seeking help. Le Noir agreed to militarily support the British[8] and strongly dissapproved of the Swedish expedition, writing to Pitt:[9]
We are entirely of opinion that such interlopers must cause a great deal of trouble and loss to our Companies.
After being notified of the Swedish presence, Le Noir forbade the inhabitants of Pondicherry to trade with the Swedes and their British associates, and when seven men from the Ulrica Eleonora deserted to Pondicherry, Le Noir refused to hand them over to Captain Petter von Utfall.[10]
The governors collected a force of some several hundred,[10][11] 600,[12] or 700 men.[8] This force sailed down the coast towards Porto Novo and subsequently landed there. Despite the town being in Mughal territory, in which neither the British nor French had special right to, they attacked the warehouse, seizing the cargo, along with the Ulrica Eleonora's papers and took them to Fort St. David.[10][7]
Several men including Thomson and Combes were captured and taken to Fort St. David. However, Charles Barrington, who the British were more eager to catch, managed to escape with some people, taking refuge in Danish Tranquebar.[13][10][11] In Tranquebar, Barrington sent the first account of the "violence commited at Porto Novo" back home and later made his way back to Sweden. The Swedish sailors who made up the guard in Porto Novo were taken into British service in Madras, with no other means of livelihood available to them. After the attack, only two Swedes remained in Porto Novo, Dr. Munck, and Anthony Bengsten.[10]
After the seizure, the staff from both the French and English companies investigated the confiscated books, letters, and other papers. After reading the documents, they claimed that they found proof of the illegitimacy of the SOIC in the instructions for the ship, therefore, taking control of the factory and seizing the ship would serve as a warning against pursuing illicit trade in the East Indies.[14]
During the attack, the Ulrica Eleonora had stayed in Bengal, where its men and officers were well received. However, Widdrington contrived to leave and was sent back to England. In early 1734, the Ulrica Eleonora, refitted for the home voyage to Sween, sailed back to Porto Novo in order to receive her cargo. However, when she arrived in early March and about to anchor, warning shots were fired from two vessels in the roadstead.[15][10] Governors Le Noir and Pitt had sent these ships, one French and one British, with a hundred men on each, anticipating the Ulrica Eleonora's return. The British troops were commanded by Major Roach, and the British ship, the Prince Augustus, was commanded by Captain Gostlin.[10]
Seeing that an attempted landing would result in a disaster, Captain Petter von Utfall once again put to sea again, sailing southwards. The French and British ships pursued Utfall closely for some 15 hours, managing to keep the Ulrica Eleonora within firing range. Then, they left her to continue her home voyage, lacking most of her cargo, a large portion of her crew, and nearly all of the supercargoes.[16]
After her repulsion from Porto Novo, the Ulrica Eleonora sailed around southern India and up the Malabar Coast towards the town of Cochin, with the intention to collect water. However, the Dutch authorities in the town not only refused to give any water, but also detained a certain Ouchterlony and 13 other men who had gone ashore with him after a short fight with 2 being killed,[17] in order to make the Ulrica Eleonora continue her journey now with a far smaller crew.[18]
To her luck, the Ulrica Elenora, once it came near Mauritius, met with a French vessel "a-fishing for turtle" which was manned by a more friendly crew than any of the British or French who the Swedes encountered in India. After meeting, the Ulrica Eleonora was finally given the water they desperately needed, and her crew bought supplies at a high cost on the island, along with fifteen Lascar's joining the voyage.[19]
In February, the Ulrica Eleonora finally arrived back to Europe, only bringing back 35 members of its original crew. When she came to Sweden, it was seen as a miracle that she came back safely.[20][21]
East India Company 
Petter von Utfall
Pierre Le Noir
