Richard Cadman Etches - British Spy

Startet af Dragoman, 23 Feb 2021 - 17:47

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Dragoman

I am researching for a book I am writing about a distant ancestor of mine called Richard Cadman Etches. He was born in Warwickshire, England in November 1753. He moved to live in London in 1777 where he became a successful merchant importing wines and spirits from the Continent. Later, during the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, I have learned that he became a British spy and to help him enter and leave France without impunity, in 1789 he adopted Danish nationality. Presumably this would have been achieved during a visit to Copenhagen.

I would love to discover more information about this, especially to see old records if any exist. If anybody can help me in this quest I would be extremely grateful. Many thanks,

Dragoman

Mikkel Eide Eriksen

Hi

Interesting story!

Citizenship was a lot vaguer in terms then than now. As far as I know, the first explicit law was "Indfødsretsforordningen" of January 15, 1776 that required persons to be naturalized in order to obtain public office. It was intended to limit the number of German officials in Danish employ, as a reaction to the rise and fall of Struensee.

I have not found Richard Cadman Etches in any of the below:

Register to naturalization patents (Alfabetisk register over naturalisationspatenterne):
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=17287410#213135,40407691 — C
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=17287410#213135,40407695 — E

Applications for naturalization (Div. ansøgninger om naturalisation (uden kgl. ekspedition)):
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=19986950#274496,52576974 — C
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=19986950#274496,52577083 — E

Royal decisions regarding naturalization (Kgl. resolutioner og ordrer ang. naturalisation):
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=19985269#274471,52564997

Department of Foreign Matters (Departementet for de Udenlandske Anliggender):
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=19851977#259840,48489824

Danish Chancery registry of royal letters (Danske Kancellis brevbøger):
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/billedviser?bsid=269586#269586,51159787 — closed letters (tegnelser)
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/billedviser?bsid=274035#274035,52729582 — open letters (registre)

Perhaps it was not a regular citizenship/naturalization, but rather a letter of marque or passage?

There may be something in the War Chancery (Krigskollegiet), but it is huge, even when you only look at 1789:
https://www.sa.dk/daisy/arkivskaber_liste?c=&a=Krigskancelli&b=&d=1789&e=1789

Regards,
Mikkel
Interesse: alt Gilleleje plus Lindberg/Humble (SE/DK) Svane (Mors) Behringer (Alsace/DK/NO) Bortvig/Fleischer (Lolland)

Hjælper gerne med Sverige: https://forum.slaegt.dk/index.php/topic,153986

Dragoman

Thank you so much for investigatimg, Mikkel! I wasn't too hopeful that I'd find an answer and as Richard was a spy it is very likely that he would be happy with some form of letter rather than some an official recognition. Best wishes.