Difference between revisions of "MRP: HCA 15/6"

Revision as of 16:46, May 15, 2012

HCA 15/6 1654-1657

HCA 15 High Court of Admiralty: Instance and Prize Courts: Early Instance and Prize Papers 1586-1778

Editorial history

01/05/12, CSG: Created page
15/05/12, CSG: Ordered volume at TNA to inspect

Suggested links

See Admiralty court cases

To do

Physical description

HCA 15/6 2 boxes

BOX ONE

Cardboard box, ca. 12 in x 8 in x 3 in
Contains folded paper documents, without ties or other bundling techniques, though the documents are in loose bundles
On inspection it appears that the papers are in jumbled date order and that the "bundles" are illusory

Types of document sampled (not all transcribed below)

• Bills of lading
• Bond (for appearance at the High Court of Admiralty)
• Charterparty (Dated November 7th 1654; First party were John Paige and Richard Ely of Plymouth merchants partowners of the Golden Cocke of Plymouth, or the burthen of eighty five tonnes; Richrad Chappell Master; ship lying in the River of Thames; Other party to the charterparty were Thomas Canham, John Paige and Maurice Thompson of London Merchants; to go tos uch places within and without the Straeights from the Port of London, starting at Gravesend; mentions the house of Thomas Canham , scituate in Lombardstreete London; signed Thomas Canham, Maurice Thomson (sic) John Paieg (their original signatures, but seals removed)
• Petition (against nuisance)
• Petition complaining of loss to Spaniards, requesting letters of marque, with annotation granting such letters
• Petition (regarding mariners' wages which had been ordered by the HCA to be paid)
• Petition (for payment of mariners' wages, which master had refused to pay following the suprisal of their ship on return from Argier, off Scicily)
• Ship's inventory

Sample transcriptions

I sampled several of the bundles to determine the type of records contained in this box. They appear to be papers which are mentioned in other volumes as annexed.

Case: Keate ag XXXwick: Item: Bills of lading (printed): Date: July 4th 1654

Four bills of lading
Each bill of lading a standard printed paper form, with blanks filled out in handwritten black ink and signed
List Shippers (names and where located, e.g. "X, merchants, of Aleppo"; Master; Shio; Goods (specified items; quantities); Destination; Freighting terms; Primage & average; Marking in margin and numbers in margin; Dated; Signed

Item: Petition of ?ThomaXXX Sageman to the Judges of the Admiraltie: Date: March 24:th 1657

Item: Inventory of the ship the Gilbert now in the River of Thames: Date: November 11:th 1657

One sheet of paper, folded in half and folded again
Main writing on front side; blank in middle; label on back
Unsigned

//A perfect Inventory of what things belong to
the Shippe Gilbert now in the River
of Thames.

IMPRIMIS Masted fore and afte the small mast excepted, the
Shrowds and all the standing Rigging are abord the Ship, One
best bower Anchor One small bower Anchor. One sheete Anchor
One ?kedge Anchor One Warpe Anchor one shete cable one
best bower cable and an old XXXX for a small bower
Cable, two ?halsers one Missen and one Missen top Sayle one
main top gallant Sayle two mayn sayles two foresailes two
maintopsailes two fore topsailes One foretopgallant Saile
One Sprizz Saile one Spritsaile topSaile, running rigging
sufficient to bring the Ship to London; blocks of all Sorts
Sufficient for a ships voyage twenty sixe peices of Ordnance w:th
their Carriages Tenne barrells of powder part of a barrell
neere about a barrell of powder which was drawne out of the?s
Gunnes, ffoure hundred thirty nine ?round shott sixty baggs filled
[IN LH MARGIN: by y:e Gunnes ?report] with ffoXXs nailes and ?burre shott, forty nine Cases a barrell
with match in it, One ?bouch barrell ?Seaven formers twenty one
Musketts three Carbines One blunderbus fourteene halfe pikes
Sixe quarter pikes thirteene Swords Eleaven Javelins six ?lanthornes
One Poupe lanthorne, a parceill of muskett shott in a small Caske
Twenty five ?Collors of ?Bandilerees twenty seaven rope syXXXXyes twelve
BritXXXXX one Iron rod two ladles ffifteene handspikes Seaventeene
Crowes of iron two leather ?busketts twelve ?taglehookes twenty sixe
Ayrons Seaven brasse ladles fowerteene staffe sXXXges Seaven
Wormes Sixe ?horses fforty sixe Gunners takles, the Carpenters
?Stose contayning cetaine ?Bolls Spikes Chains plates and other old &
new Iron the quantity I knowe not In the Cooke house One kettle
One Iron pott two furnaces a frying pan and a dripping pan a spitt
some woodden platters, Xapps & Spoones. two XXX tubbs, certaine
butts & hogshead some aboard and some M.r Messinger one of the
Owners hath att his house: In the great cabbin one great drawing
table fower leather Chaires one Cubbord. In the round house a drawing
table some old wastX lXXXhes & pendant One XXXX lead & line, one
Bell ffive Compasses One watch glasse ffower halfe hower glasses
two Minute glasses a long boate with sixe Oares ?Pumpe boxes
pimpe brakes with some planks and other lumber about the shippe
three ?Can ?bo?xes.//

[ON BACK OF THE FOLDED PAPER]

//In:ry of the Gilbert
provisions brought
in by ?Croford ii
Nov: 1657//

Item: Bond XXXX: Date: March 2nd 1656 (57)

One sheet of paper, folded and folded a second time
Unfolded ca. 12 in x 6 in
Written on front side; labelled on back side; blank in centre

Front side of paper

//Know All men of These Presents That XXX George
Walters of The Middle Temple London Esq:r. And Thomas
Walker of Camberwell In the Countie of Surreÿ Esq:r
Are held & firmly bound unto his highnesse The Lord
Protecto:r of The Common Wealth of England Scotland
& Ireland & The dominions Thereunto belonging In y:t
Summe of Sixe Thousand Pounds of Lawfull mony of
England, To w:ch payment well & Truely To be made
& done w:ch ?bindes & Either of us o:r heires Execto:rs. &
Administrato:rs. firmly by Theise presents sealed w:th A
Seale & XXXXX the
Second day of march In y:e year of o.r Lord 1656

The Condition of This Obligacon is such That If the
Above bounden George Walters shall be and Appeare before
The Lord Protector of The Commonwealth of England x:r
the Judges of the high Court of Admyralty of England
At the Commons hall wthin y:e Doctors Commons Scituate in
The parish of Sainct Benedict neare Pauls Wharfe London
The Tenth day After the date hereof if it be Court day
or Else The next Court followinge At The usuall houres
for hearinge of Causes, To Answer unto Thomas Skinner
in A Cause Civill & Marine, And shall not departe from
-thence, without Leave, And Licence of the Court That
Then this obligacon to be void & of non Effect
Otherwayes to stand in full force power & vertue-

Signed Sealed & delivered
in y:e presence of

GEORGE CUR?Ixx [BOTTOM LH SIDE: His signature & red wax seal]
BXXY XXXXXX [BOTTOM LH SIDE: His signature & red wax seal]

GEORGE WALTERS [BOTTOM RH SIDE: His signature & red wax seal]

THO: WALKER [BOTTOM RH SIDE: His signature & red wax seal]

back side of paper

//?OX:° Walters to
Skinner//

Item: Petition of divers watermen plyeing at S:t Katherines Staires and other the Inhabitants there bordering upon the River of Thames: Date: XXXX

One sheet of high quality paper, folded once, then again
Unfolded ca. 12 in x 8in
Written on one side; labelled on back

Front of the petition

//To the Right Hon:ble the Judges of the High Courte of Adm:lie

The humble Remonstrance of diveres watermen plyeing at S:t Katherines' staires and other the Inhabitants there
bordering uppon the River of Thames whose names are hereunto subscribed

SHEWETH.

That whereas divers ?Billeneeres for the space pf 12: yeares and upwards have made it theire usuall practice to lay theire hoyes and
vessells betweene the said Staires and S:t Katherines' Docke. the same is a very great annoyance and prejudice not onely to the water
men there plying who formerly had a faire and sandey ground very commodious for theire Imployment But now by reason of
the Continuall rideing Stayeing and abideing of those vessells sometimes Thirty togeather betweene the said staires and dock
neere the Shoreside the ground is there suncke and filled w:th mudd soyle and slime in divers places thereof about kneedeepe. But alsoe to
the Inhabitants there whohaveing wharffes abd parte of theire habitations bordering uppon the River of Thames are often times destroyed
and pulled downe thereby without any satisfaction given, but onely reproachfull speeches. And that the said ?Billenders keeping ffire in
theire said vessells night and day if any mischance by ffire should happen in theire vessells rideing soe neere the shoare (as God forbidd)
the same may tend to the utter ruineing of the said Premisses. And likewise that it is theire constant custome especially on the Lords dayes
either to pforme bodily worke or to follow vaine sports and exercizes both to the greate dishonnour of God the scandall of true Religion
the evill example of others and a very greate discreditt and disquittment to the saud precincte

NOW, SOE IT MAY PLEASE yo:r hon:rs this Custome of theirs was not so formerly permitted but since habitaion of
one ?Jenkin Ellis cordwainer within the same precincte who regarding more his private gaines and profitts then the
Advancement of the publique good hath pmitted them to have free Ingress ?tgress and regress unto and from aboard theire said vessells
in by and through the wharffe ?entrie and shopp of the said Jenkin Ellis who for the same Libertie XXXXX in his owne purse
for ?each such vessell there lyeing at the least 2:s p weeke-

Y:e petitioners therefore most humbly pray that yo:r Hon:rs will be graciously pleased to take the
premisses into Consideration and therein to actt and doe for a speedie Reformation thereof
as in yo:r hon:rs greate wisdome shall seeme meete.-

And they shall remayne

28 signatures

DANIELL ROSSWELL [His signature]
NICHOLAS COX [His signature]
HUMPHREY HUCHINS [His mark]
PETER CROUTE [His mark]
FFRANCIS HUNTER [His mark]
ROBART EACH [His mark]
WILLIAM HOLLOWAY [His mark]
JOHN ?HINCH. [His signature]
WILLIAM WAYNEWRITE [His mark]
GEORDG COOTE [His mark]
THOMAS BAKER [His signature]
NICHOLAS FFLUD [His mark]
FFRAUNCIS CHA?NNELL [His mark]
PETER HIGHWOOD [His mark]
THO: HICKS [His mark]
JOHN EDEN [His mark]
?SHEAUN BUTCHER [His signature]
WILLIAM RAI?SES [His signature]
STEPHEN YOUNG [His signature]

JAMES XXX XXXXX [His signature]
DANIEL GATES [His signature]
GILES [His mark]
HUMPHERRI HITCHINS JUNIOR [His signature]
WILLIAM xNTLE [His signature]
PETER LANGLEY [His signature]

BEN: SALxxWEx [His signature]
JOHN MINGS [His signature]
HENRY BENN [His signature]

On back of the petition

//Petition of the
Inhabitants of
S:t Katherines
ag:t Jenkins Ellis

(At right angles in another part of the back of the petition)

S:t Katherines petition

M:° ag:t Ellis
to answ: such
th: as sh: bee as
ag:t him at ?pro
motion of Roswell
and Nich Cox

?renosat ret ?Mercury//

Item: The Accompts of the Shipp Undertaker to the 24:th of ffebruary 1656: Date: Exhibited by M:r Smith June 2nd 1657

Paper book of accounts in reasonable condition
Kept and signed by Richard Parke, master of the shipp the Undertaker
The book of accounts was exhibited by M:r Smith on the behalfe of Richard Parke

Structure of the book of accounts:

• Front page
• Inside front page (verso) (blank)
• Facing page (recto): Folio One: Moneyes disbursed by Richard Parke at Yarmouth & the Straights on behalf of the Undertaker's owners, November 1655
• Next page (verso): Folio Two: Moneyes disbursed at ?Longhorne, febbruary 24th 1655
• Facing page (recto): Folio Three: Moneyes disbursed at Genova, Aprill 1656
• Next page (verso): Folio Four: Moneyes disbursed at Newhaven, August 22:th 1656
• Facing page (recto); Folio Five: Moneyes disbursed at Deale, September 6:th 1656; + Moneyes disbursed at Memblick, November 1656
• Next page (verso): Folio Six: Moneyes disbursed at Memblick
• Facing page (recto): Folio Seven: Moneyes disbursed at Newcastle, December 1656 + Moneyes disbursed at Starborrow, January 1656
• Next page (verso): Folio 8: Moneyes disbursed at Deale, ffebruary 1656
• Facing page (recto): Blank
• Next page (verso + recto): Folio Ten: "Ann Accompt Currant of the Shuipp Undertaker whereof the Owner is Debitor (with Creditor on recto)
• Next page (verso): "An Accompt of moneyes due from M:r James Lebas to Richard Parke being disbursed by Richard Parke upon the Barbadoes voiage of the said James Lebas
• Remaining pages: Blank

Notes