ABSTRACT
When King Charles II married Catherine of Braganza in 1661 his marriage contract included a dowry that brought the colonies of Tangier and Bombay into the possession of the Crown. Whilst the latter was granted to the East India Company for further development of its pre-existing trading base on the Indian sub-continent, Tangier was an entirely new enterprise. In reality it is difficult to know what else they could have done when little or no thought had been given to basic household equipment, logistics and supply. Tangier suffered from all the petty bickering and snobbery common to most colonial situations and small communities. This was particularly marked after 1668 when the colony's internal administration was changed from military government into a municipality with a Civic Corporation and a separate Grand Jury. The garrison was supposed to maintain a reserve store of six months' provisions in order that delays caused by stormy weather would not result in shortages.
