Difference between revisions of "Luke Luce"

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Biographical synthesis

Luke Luce (alt. Lucie; Lucy) (b. Aug. 1612; d. Oct. 1663). Merchant.

Of Flemish origins, with links to the Dutch Church of London. Luke Luce was the son of John Luce (alt. Joannes Luce) and of Anna Corselis. The wedding of "Joannes Luce v. Andwerpen met Anna Corselis v. Londen" is recorded at the Dutch Church of Austin Friars, London, on November 14th 1609.^[1] John Luce appears in the Camden Society's List of Strangers in Broad Street in 1618, identified as a merchaunt straunger, born in Antwerp.^[2]

An elder brother, Joannes Luce, was baptised in the Dutch Church in Austin Friars, London, on December 30th 1610. Lucas Luce himself was baptised on August 2nd 1612 in the Dutch Church in Austin Friars. Further siblings baptised in the same church (in calendar order) were Anna Luce (Sep. 18 1614), Jacobus Luce (Jan. 19 1617), Joannes Luce (Aug. 11 1618), Samuel Luce (Mar. 8 1621), Elisabeth Luce (Jun. 18 1624) and Jacob Luce (Dec. 9, 1627).^[3]

The Corsellis family of London merchants appears to have been close to both that of Luke Luce and of William Boeve (who married Luke Luce's sister Ann). William Boeve left the guardianship of his children to Nicholas Corsellis, Luke Lucie Jacob Lucie and James Williamson, who were also appointed overseers of his will (proved in 1661).^[4]

Luke Lucy's cashier in 1654 and 1655 was thirty-four year old Abraham Gaultier.

Luke Lucy's bookkeeper in 1654 and 1655 was thirty-four year old Cornelius van Bommel, and was resident in the parish of Saint Catherine Coleman.^[5] Cornelius van Bommell deposed twice in the High Court of Admiralty - once on February 22nd 1654 in support of Luke lucy in the cause "The claime of the duke of Courland for the Temperance of Libaun in Curland John Jacobson Bleau master, and of the said duke and Luke Lucie for the goods" and the second time on March 16th 1655 in support of Luke Lucy in "The Clayme of Lucas Lucy for goods taken out of the John Baptist by Edward Payne commander of the vessell called the Saint Ives Scout".^[6]

He had a brother, Jacob Luce (alt. Lucie).

Resident in parish of Saint Catherine Coleman in 1651. Luke Lucie's cashier identifies the exact street, as of February 1654, as ffanchurchstreete in London.^[7]

"Mr Lucas Lucy was buried October 23 (1663) under the Great Stone near the Communion Table" in the parish church of Saint Catherine Coleman.^[8]

The will of Luke Luce, merchant, of Saint Katharine Coleman, London, was proved on October 24th 1663.^[9]

In his will Luke Luce names his mother as Anne Lucie, and desires to be interred near her grave in the parish church of Saint Catherine Coleman. He names a sister, Ann Boeve, who was married to William Boeve, a London merchant, then deceased. He names another sister, Elizabeth Blackman, first married to a doctor of physic, Ahasuerus (alt. Assuerus) Regimorter, and subsequently to Jeremy Blackman Esquire (Captain Jeremy Blackman), both husbands being deceased. He makes bequests to the Dutch Church in London.

Lille born London merchant Charles Marescoe mentions a Mr. Boeve in one of his High Court of Admiralty depositions. Secondary sources identify this as Jacques Boeve, who is described as a Middelburg merchant. It remains to be seen whether Jacques Boeve is related to William Boeve, the London merchant and brother-in-law of Luke Luce.

Luke Lucie's network of factoprs

Bayon

Dantzicke

Deal(e) - Andrew King

Dover - Vincent de la Barr (possibly partner rather than factor or correspondent; part-owner of one quarter of the Mary Pink in which Luke Luce had three quarters)^[10]

Hamburg - Walter Sepps

Ireland - Colonel Mayo

Libaun (Duchy of Curland) - Peter Batten

Penryn (Cornwall - Andrew Jennings^[11]

Portsmouth - Hugh Salisbury^{[12] [13]}.

Roscow (France) - Mr Delaport (alt. Peter Dela Port)

San Sebastians - Walter Adams

Saint Valerie en Somme (Picardy) - Peter Fouquet the younger^[14]

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

1649

A one page set of undated interrogatories was to be administred to witnesses on behalf of Mr Luke Luce of London merchant "concerning a losse in the shippe Samuel of London (Master: Henry Eyson)". The Samuel was bound from Barbados to London in September 1649. Luke Lucce was a part-owner of the Samuel. The questions were designed to clarify his share of ownership and the lading on the ship.^[15]

April 1651

Luke Lucy (sic) gave personal answers in the High Court of Admiralty dated April 24th 1651. ("The personall Answers of Luke Lucy David Davidson and Phillip Allen and Abraham Child made to the pretensed positions and Articles of a certaine Allegation given and admitted against them on the behalfe of William Stephenson").^[16]

May 1651

Luke Luce deposed on May 5th 1651 in the High Court of Admiralty.^[17] He was examined on an allegation in the case of XXXX.^[18]

In his evidence, Luke Luce made clear that he had extensive knowledge of French trade, stating that he had "received very many letters of advise from ffrance by land and the bills of lading in blanck covers by the shipp wherein the goods came from ffrance to London" and that "hee hath formerly lived in ffrance and written hence many letters of advice numerous goods there laden for Holland and Hamburgue and filled up many bills of lading.^[19]

February 1654

Abraham Gaultier deposed for the first time in the High Court of Admiralty on February 21st 1654. He gave his age as thirty-three and described himself as a merchant of London. He was examined in the case of "The claime of the Duke of Courland for the Temperance of Libanno in Curland John Jacobson Bleau master, and of the said duke and Luke Lucie for the goods".^[20]

Cornelius van Bommell deposed on February 22nd 1654 in the High Court of Admiralty. He gave his age as thirty-four and stated that he was "a native of Salt Bommell in Gelderland". Van Bommell had served Luke Lucie for eleven years (so from ca. 1644).

As Luke Lucie's bookkeeper, Cornelius van Bommell was "seeing and entring or writing the most of his dispatches in traffique". Van Bommell had reviewed the relevant letters from Batten, Lucie's factor in Libaun in the Ducy of Curland, and from Lucie's factors in Dantzicke.^[21] Batten had been Lucie's Libaun factor for several years and had laden several ships at Libaun with linseed and other goods with Roscow in France as their destination. Van Bommell believed Batten to be resident in Libaun and a subject of the Duke of Courland, and had lived there and elsewhere in the East Country for the last 17 or 18 years. On account of the wars with Holland, Mr Lucie had instructed Batten to fill out the bills of lading in Batten's not Lucie's name.Luke Lucie's brother Jacob Lucie was to come in for a twelfth part of the goods. Van Bommell too came in for a twelfth part of the goods, and a Mr John Cole, and English merchant "now in the west country") for a quarter part. The entire lading was to be sold at Roscow by Mr Delaport, who was Luke Lucie's factor there.

May 1654

John Wilkinson, an Ipswich mariner and late master of the ship the Johanah, deposed on May 7th 1654 in the High Court of Admiralty.^[22]

John Wilkinson stated that Colonel Mayo in Ireland was employed by Mr Owens and Mr Lucas Lucie to ship soldiers from Ireland to Saint Sebastians in Spain on his ship. John Wilkinson went from London to Passage in Ireland with his ship and was told by Mr Lucie to apply himself to Colonel Mayo and to receive the soldiers aboard on the order of Colonel Mayo. From Saint Sebastians Wilkinson was to go to Bilbao. At Saint Sebastians Wilkinson was told by officers of the King of Spain that the ship had been put into the service of the King of Spain to carry the soldiers into the river of Bordeaux in France. When Wilkinson refused to do so, he was imprisoned.^[23] The ship arrived in Saint Sebastians on Christmas day (new stile) in 1652. Whilst under the control of the Spanish at Saint Sebastians the ship was driven into unsafe water and "beaten to peeces by the stresse of weather".^[24]

February 1655

Abraham Gaultier, describing himself as cashier of Luke Lucy (sic), deposed again on February 19th 1655 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on an allegation in the case of "The clayme of Luke Lucy merchant of London for goods taken out of the ship the Peter of which Peter de la Solle was master by Edward Payne commander of the vessell the Saint Ives Scout. Gaultier stated that in early 1653 Luke Lucy had been the owner of three bales of perpetuanas and two bales of minnekin bayes. Customs duties were paid in London by Luke Lucy and the goods were entered in the Customs House to be transported overseas in the ship the Charitie of Hamburg. Allegedly the Charitie having already departed from Portsmouth, the goods were actually laden on the Saint Peter by Lucy's Portsmouth correspondent Hugh Salisbury, for transportation to San Sebastian in Spain.^[25]

May 1655

Patrick Bett, late master of the Mary Pinke, deposed on May 28th 1655. He was examined on interrogatories on behalf of Luke Luce in "A businesse of ensurance on the behalfe of Luke Lucy merchant concerning a losse in the shipp the Mary Pinke".^[26]

July 1656

Abraham Gaultier deposed for a third time in the High Court of Admiralty on July 11th 1656.^[27] Giving his age as thirty-five, and describing himself as a merchant of London, he was examined in the case of "The claime of Luke Luce of London merchant for the Saint John Baptist of which Broeder Backson is master and goods".^[28]

August 1657

John de Vos, a fifty-two year old mariner, of the parish of Saint Bottolph Aldgate, gave a statement in the High Court of Admiralty dated August 3rd 1657. It was "Touching the sale of the Golden ffox to Mr Peter Vandeput and Mr Luke Luce".^[29]

April 1659

Abraham Gualtier (sic) deposed in the High Court of Admiralty for a fourth time on April 30th 1659, together with Cornelius Van Bommel. They identified themselves as London merchants. They stated that the ship the ffortune of London (Master: Claes Vandevelden) belonged to Mr Luke Lucy of London merchant, and that he bought her in London in 1653 and has ever since employed her in his service. In November 1658 Luke Lucy had let the ship to freight to Mr Arnold Sartillon, a London merchant, for a voyage from London to Mallaga and back to London. To keep the ship safe from seizure by the Spanish, Luke Luce employed Vande Velde as master, since he was a citizen of Bergen in Norway. Both Gaultier and Van Bommel stated they were servants of Luke Luce when he bought the ship and continued to serve him in 1659.^[30]

Comment on sources

1656

PROB 11/259/491 Will of Jeremy Blackman of Saint Andrew Undershaft 25 November 1656^[31]

"April 3rd 1656. COUNCIL. Day's Proceedings

(Item) 6. The petition of John Dethick, Lord Mayor of London, Maj. Thos. Chamberlain, and Luke Lucy of London, merchants — for [stay of] the sale of the St. George, condemned in the Exchequer Court unknown to the petitioners, on prosecution of John Aldersea, as having traded in the English plantations, though they had a warrant in that behalf from the late Council of State, — referred to Desborow, Jones, Sydenham, Wolsley, Mulgrave, Lambert, and Lisle, to learn the fact and report."^[32]

1661

PROB 11/305/93 Will of William Boeve of Saint Dunstan in the East 10 July 1661^[33]

- See also:

PROB 11/146/452 Will of Andrew Boeve of London 13 September 1625

PROB 11/146/455 Will of Louis Boeve 13 September 1625

PROB 11/161/3 Will of Mary Boeve, Widow of Saint Martin Orgar, City of London 02 January 1632

1663

"BURIALS. SAINT KATHERINE COLEMAN

...Mr Lucas Lucy was buried October 23 under the Great Stone near the Communion Table"^[34]

PROB 11/312 Will of Luke Luce, Merchant of Saint Katherine Coleman, City of London 24 October 1663^[35]

1686

1. ↑ The History of Antigua (XXXX, XXXX), p.204
2. ↑ The History of Antigua (XXXX, XXXX), p.204
3. ↑ The History of Antigua (XXXX, XXXX), p.204
4. ↑ PROB 11/305/93 Will of William Boeve of Saint Dunstan in the East 10 July 1661
5. ↑ HCA 13/70 f.287v
6. ↑ HCA 13/68 f.499r Annotate]]; HCA 13/70 f.287v
7. ↑ HCA 13/68 f.498r
8. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives, St Katherine Coleman, Composite register: baptisms and burials 1559 - 1666, marriages 1563 - 1666, P69/KAT1/A/001/MS017832
9. ↑ PROB 11/312 Will of Luke Luce, Merchant of Saint Katherine Coleman, City of London 24 October 1663
10. ↑ HCA 13/70 f.334r
11. ↑ Cornelius van Bommell, in his deposition in the High Court of Admiralty dated XX, makes reference to Luke Luce having several correspondents in the West of England, HCA 13/70 f.288r
12. ↑ References to Hugh Salisbury in secondary literature: "1663. July 24. Warrant from Treasurer Southampton to Thomas Greene, one of the messengers of the Chamber attending the Lord Treasurer, to repair to Portsmouth and to require Hugh Salisbury or any other to deliver to Daniel Skinner, merchant, the ship "Hepe," her furniture and 164 pipes of canary wines in accordance with the writ of the Exchequer Court of the 16th inst.: the said vessel having been seized by said Salisbury: and to further cause said Salisbury to appear before the Lord Treasurer in five days to answer his contempt herein. Early Entry Book, IV. p. 214
13. ↑ William A. Shaw (ed.), 'Entry Book: July 1663', Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 1: 1660-1667 (1904), pp. 533-539; 'A Busines of Examination of witnesses in a matter of ensurance on the behalfe of Hugh Salisbury of Portsmouth merchant and others touching a losse in the Christopher of Portsmouth Daniel Bradley master, April 1656, HCA 13/71 f.147r
14. ↑ HCA 13/70 f.334r
15. ↑ HCA 23/17, Item no. 86: IMG_111_10_1870
16. ↑ HCA 13/124 f.78v
17. ↑ HCA 13/64 f.unfol.
18. ↑ HCA 13/64 f.unfol.
19. ↑ HCA 13/64 f.unfol.
20. ↑ HCA 13/68 f.498r
21. ↑ HCA 13/68 f.499r
22. ↑ HCA 13/69: IMG_100_05_1090; The deponent John Wilkinson may be related to two younger Ipswich foremastmen George Wilkinson and Randall Wilkinson
23. ↑ HCA 13/69: IMG_100_05_1091
24. ↑ HCA 13/69: IMG_100_05_1092
25. ↑ HCA 13/70 f.63v
26. ↑ HCA 13/70 f.334r
27. ↑ HCA 13/71 f.300r
28. ↑ HCA 13/71 f.298v
29. ↑ HCA 13/72 f.85r
30. ↑ HCA 13/73 f.705r
31. ↑ PROB 11/259/491 Will of Jeremy Blackman of Saint Andrew Undershaft 25 November 1656
32. ↑ CSPD, 1655-56 (London, 1882), pp.251-252
33. ↑ PROB 11/305/93 Will of William Boeve of Saint Dunstan in the East 10 July 1661
34. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives, St Katherine Coleman, Composite register: baptisms and burials 1559 - 1666, marriages 1563 - 1666, P69/KAT1/A/001/MS017832
35. ↑ PROB 11/312 Will of Luke Luce, Merchant of Saint Katherine Coleman, City of London 24 October 1663
36. ↑ PROB 11/390/418 Will of Jacob Lucie of Saint Katherine Coleman, City of London 12 December 1688