The document dates from the early 19th century, a time when the Company was at the peak of its power. Although £40 was a relatively small sum, compared with some that the Company would have been dealing with, it is not of insignificant value and the bill’s existence could be seen as a demonstration of the confidence individuals had in the Company. It also speaks of the bureaucratic system that maintained an international organisation.

Of the people named on the manuscript, it seems likely that the signatories: W.M. Doveton and Robert Leech, were, in 1815, acting as Paymaster and Accountant on the Island respectively.

The bill is addressed to "The Honourable, The Court of Directors, for affairs of the United East India Company, London" and made out to Mrs May Smith, although it is not clear what the payment relates to.

Administrative / biographical background
This bill of exchange originated in St Helena, a small island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, made famous for being the place of Napoleon’s final exile and death. St Helena played an important role in the history of the East India Company, providing a safe and permanent supply station for ships travelling to and from the East Indies. The document, giving this location so clearly, demonstrates the vast scale of the East India Company and moves the Company’s story out of the Indian Ocean.