Question

Who commanded the ‘Hector’, the first British trading ship to land at Surat?
A) Paul Canning
B) William Hawkins
C) Thomas Roe
D) James Lancaster

Answer 1

Hint: Hector was a ship that was noteworthy for being a part of the first substantial migration of Scottish people to Nova Scotia, which took place in 1773. In Pictou, Nova Scotia, a copy of the original ship can be found at the Hector Heritage Quay, a heritage centre run by local volunteers.

Complete answer:
On August 24, 1608, William Hawkins, a representative of the English East India Company, was the commander of Hector, the first company ship to anchor at Surat, India. In 1609, Hawkins travelled to Agra to seek Emperor Jahangir's permission to build a factory.

He has been linked to the same-named man who led the East India Company's ship, Hector, on a voyage to Surat with William Keeling in 1607, and was tasked with "his Majesty's letters and presents to the princes and governors of Cambay, on account of his experience and language."

After arriving in Surat, William Hawkyns went to Agra and the court of the Great Mughal Jahangir, where he reached in April 1609 and stayed for over three years. According to his account in his Journal, the emperor enjoyed his conversation and detained him, assigning him handsome maintenance, estimated at upwards of £3,000 per year, his serious occupation being to combat Portuguese intrigues and seek formal permission for the establishment of an English factory in Surat.

William Hawkins commanded the ‘Hector’, the first British trading ship to land at Surat. Thus the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: Hawkyns was unquestionably a man of outstanding talent, and he served English business well by obtaining formal recognition at Surat. However, his resemblance to Sir John Hawkyns' nephew is unsatisfactory. It is not founded on any evidence, and what evidence there is appears to point in the opposite direction.