Commodities

Commodities

Editorial history

08/08/12: CSG, Created page
08/08/12: CSG, Copied content from bron.wikispot.org Commodities page

Purpose of this page

This page provides a dictionary of commodities taken from mid-C17th High Court of Admiralty documents.

MarineLives project members are encouraged to add to the terms listed and to add short illustrative snippets from sample transcriptions available at Admiralty Court Cases. The appropriate HCA reference, together with folio number, if available, should be noted in brackets after the snippet.

For digital images of common mid-C17th words for commities transported in ships try Images: Commodities

Beaver hatt ("the aclate Robert Page was owner and lawfull proprietor and in possession of a certaine Negro and of a beaver hatt, and died possessed thereof on or about the 23:th day of June last on Nevis one of the Caribbe Islands" (HCA 13/64 f.19r))
Brandy wine ("Out of the Shipp Unities lading for 91 Caske of Brandy wine" (HCA 23/19 no f., but verso))
Butter ("three hundred firkins of butter" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Brazil Wood ("200 Quintalls of Brazil Wood" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Brazil Woode

C

Cacoa nuts ("six sacks of cacoa nuts" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Callicos ("having aboard her a quantitie of marchandizes consisting in XX cottons and callicos XX XXX XXX factor XXX account taken aboard her on the coast of Cormandel was carrying XX XXX for Bantam for w:ch place the said goods were XXXX and were provided XXXXX to be ther XXXXXX" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Canarie wynes ("hee this dept in or about the moneths of December and January in the yeare 1655 according to the English style having received here at London severall pcells of Canarie wynes transported from y:e Iland of Teneriffe to this XX for this depon:ts accompt, did here dispose of and sell the same at XXX the Price of Thirty eight pounds sterling p pipe" (HCA 13/71 f.??))
Canary wines ("Clayme of Thomas Cowling for Canary Wines taken in the S:t Laurence Peter (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Cande ("the Interrogate Thomas Rummings & Anthony Beale had each of them considerable quantities of white pepper, greene ginger white sugar Casialignmum Tamerin and ?Cande but the certayne quantitie hee cannot declare" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Candy
Caracca hydes ("the sd 54 Caracca hydes and y:e said Chest of Tortoise shells" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
?Carra nuts ("six sacks of Carra ?Nuts" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Casalignum
Casialignum ("the Interrogate Thomas Rummings & Anthony Beale had each of them considerable quantities of white pepper, greene ginger white sugar Casialignmum Tamerin and ?Cande but the certayne quantitie hee cannot declare" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Cazarra hydes ("y:e foresd ffour & ffifty Cazarra hydes" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Coales ("whether hee doth not well know that the Shipp the Swanne of which the said Absolon was master commeing from Newcastle upon or about the seaventeenth of may last 1660 about 10 or 11 of the clock in the morneing sett saile from or neare Newcastle with her ladeing of coales" (HCA 23/19, no f.); "whither the said Robert Oyle did not cause a great quantity of the said Coales to bee kept aboard the said Shippe, and did hee not cause some of them to bee hidden under the said Shipps ballast, and others of them in barrells and Tubbs, and whither the Coals soe kept aboard the said shippe as aforesaid were not carried away in the said shippe at her departure from Tangier, and were they not burned in the said Shippes Cook-Roome dureing her voyage into the Straights and from thence home to this port of London, and how long did the said Robert Oyle use the said M:r Blands Coales, and what were coales then worth at Tangier aforesaid, and how many Chaldren of the said Coales did hee burne at Tangier, and how many Chaldren did hee carry away in the said Shipp from thence, and why did hee carry away the said Coales, was it not bee cause hee wanted wood or other fowell (sic) for the said Shipps use" (HCA 23/19, no f.))
Cobbwebb lawnes ("A parcell of Cobbwebb lawnes lately seized in the said shippe the young Tobias" (HCA 3/47, f. 1v, Tues., 3rd June 1656); "about fifty foure pieces of Cobbwebb lawnes laken out of the said shipp" (HCA 3/47, f. 1v, Tues., 3rd June 1656)
Coles ("to that end did pumpe her , and heave out about three Lighters of Coles" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Coniak wines ("they had reced advice from him that hee had accordingly laded the sayd shipp with two hundred twenty one tonnes of Coniack wines for the Accompt of them & the sayd Thomas Skinner" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Corne ("whither the Corne that was throwne overboard or that was layd up upon the shoare at Tangier was measured before it was throwne overboard or cast upon the shoare" (HCA 23/19 no f.))
Copper ("a Quintall of Copper" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Cotton woolls ("Ciprus cotton woolls are usually and ordinarily putt in very great baggs, which cannot be stowed without very great paines and difficulty, more especially when a shipp draweth nere to her full lading, having already receaved the most considerable quantity of her cargo" (HCA 13/71 f.?19r))
Cotton yarn ("at Scanderoone there were there laden aboard her [the Anne] about One hundred Baggs of Galls, about one hundred Bales of Cotton Yarne, and other goods" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Cottons ("having aboard her a quantitie of marchandizes consisting in XX cottons and callicos XX XXX XXX factor XXX account taken aboard her on the coast of Cormandel was carrying XX XXX for Bantam for w:ch place the said goods were XXXX and were provided XXXXX to be ther XXXXXX" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Cowyres (HCA 13/71 f.628v)
Currans (= Currants)
Currants ("surprised her and her ladeing of Currans and other goods and dispoiled her and her ladeing of Currants and other goods" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Cutcheneale ("The clayme of Christopher Boone of London Merchant for severall parcells of silver and ?Cutcheneale heretofore specially claymed by Adrian Goldsmith of Antwerpe having bin seized in the Shipps the Sampson Salvador S:t George and Morning Star and since legally transferred to him the sayd Christopher Boone" (HCA 13/71 f.372v))

D

Deales ("whither hee was on board XXX said shippe the S:t Johns Head when the Deales and XXX were sent aboard the said Shippe to make bulke XXXX the Corne that was laden aboard the said Shippe, and XXX whither there were not 240 single deales, and foure and XXX twenty sparres" (HCA 23/19, no f.))
Drugs ("hee hath ?two of his owne shipp ?chests w:ch are full of druggs for his owne account" (HCA 13/73 Part One))

F

ffish (" at the first arrivall of the said Ship Pearce at Nevis y:e said Wood had a pound of Sugar for a pound of ffish" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
ffranjinsense ("two chests of ffranjinsense"(HCA 13/73 Part Two))

G

Galls ("the sayd two Chests of ?Galls as by the Invoice of them delivered unto him appeareth were worth one hundred and two pounds tenn shillings sterling or thereabouts in England but what profitt they would have yeilded at Bantam or else where in the East Indies in bartering or selling hee knoweth not" (HCA 13/73 Part One); "soe soone as y:e said ship [the Anne] Delivered her said salt at Scanderrone, y:e said William Malymy:e M:r and Company of the said ship. did take aboard her, a Lading of Cottons, galls and other peeces to be Transported in her to this port of London" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Gaulls
Gueldings ("the said shippe the Edward and John for the accompt of maior Chamberlayne & others mentioned in the allegacion given on the behalfe of the said Tolly the number of twenty sixe horses & gueldings & 2 mares" (HCA 24/112))
Green ginger ("the Interrogate Thomas Rummings & Anthony Beale had each of them considerable quantities of white pepper, greene ginger white sugar Casialignmum Tamerin and ?Cande but the certayne quantitie hee cannot declare" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Gunpowder ("severall Barrells of Gunpowder" (HCA 23/19))

H

Herring
Hides ("This deponent saith That coming in August 1653 last past as a passenger from Cadiz in Spaine to S:t Malloe ffrance in a certaine shipp named y:e S:t Vincent hee well well remembreth that some dayes before the says shipps depture from Cadiz he saw one Raphael da Luna who was the servant of the acclate Manual Lowij Carnero carry on board y:e sayd shipp a good pcell of Indian hides, which hee sayd were his masters, and he consigned the same to William Claviel att S:t Mallo who does busines as a facto:r for y:e sayd Carnero" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Horses ("the said shippe the Edward and John for the accompt of maior Chamberlayne & others mentioned in the allegacion given on the behalfe of the said Tolly the number of twenty sixe horses & gueldings & 2 mares" (HCA 24/112)

I

Indico (= Indigo) ("a little before y:e arrivall of the said ship Peace at Nevis, the Tobacco plants Indico and Sugar Canes were there at at the other Leeward Islands, spoyled and rooted upp by reason of Hurricanoes" (HCA 13/73 Part Two); "they had allsoe receaved seaverall other letters from theire Agents and Correspondents there wherein the manner of the said takeing away of the said tenne barrells of Indico belonging to y;e said producent was menconned and expressed" (HCA 13/64 f.?r))
Indicoes ("Hurricanoes and Stormes had spoyled most of the Sugar Canes, Tobaccoe, and Indicoes in those places, and had rooted many of them up" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Iron kettles ("who by name bought the 413 Iron Potts, 300 bundles of Rod Iron, and 170 Iron Kettles laden on board the shipp the S:t Andrew arrested by Authority of this High Court of Ad:lty" (HCA 23/19 no f.))
Iron potts
Rod iron

L

Lawnes ("A parcell of Cobbwebb lawnes lately seized in the said shippe the young Tobias" (HCA 3/47, f. 1v, Tues., 3rd June 1656); "about fifty foure pieces of Cobbwebb lawnes laken out of the said shipp" (HCA 3/47, f. 1v, Tues., 3rd June 1656))
Lead ("was freighted and againe laden there with lead and sugar by M:r Richard fford merchant of this citie and companie" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Lemmons (= lemon) ("A matter of unladeing and receaving of a parcell of 46 chests of lemmons Laden in the Anne and Joyce" (HCA 3/47 f. 480r (orig), f. 477r. (new); "Satterday 24th October 1657"); "the aclate Manuel Lewis Carrero was and is a Spanish borne and a subiect of y:e King of Spaine and lives in Cadiz and there keepes a house and family and is a merchant trading in lemon and other merchandizes which he deposeth, himselfe living in Cadiz and having good acquaintance with the sayd Carrero" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Linnen ("saith that the said cargo of linnens were laden by mons:r Le Mot Arman, and consigned to this port to the said M:r fford" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Linnen cloath ("these hides of this deponents knowledge who went a passenger in y:e S:t Vincent came safe to y:e sayd Claviels hands, and hee as this deponent is well assured did here sell y:e same and convert the proceed thereof in to Linnen Cloath for accompt of y:e sayd Carnero" (HCA 13/69 no f.))
Linseed oile ("Henry de Bruyne agt six pipes of Linseed oile laden by Henry de Bruyne at Amsterdam merchant in the shipp the Angell whereof Jervais Mitchell is M:r and consigned to Bedord Whiting as belonginge to himselfe..." (HCA 13/47 f. 200r (orig. no, new no. is 201r), "the First Session of Hillary Tearme being Wednesday the one and twentieth day of January 1656"))
Logwood ("hee was in y:e said yard (out of w:ch y:e said Logwood was taken & sent on board y:e said ship) whilest, some of the sd wood was weighing, and sawe most of it sent, and brought aboard y:e said ship, y:e said yard being neere y:e waterside & neere unto y:e place: where his ship lay" (HCA 13/73 Part Two); "whither hee doth not know beleeve or hath heard that the said fower tonnes and ten sticks of Logwood were sold by the said Jeremiah Sweetman or some other of the said English that arrived in the said Shippe unto some of the Inhabitants of Barnstaple Biddeford or ?Northam before the same were arrested by authority of this Court" (HCA 23/19 no f.))

M

Mahalaga currans ("one hundred and sixty Tonnes of Mahalaga and Petrao Currans viz:t one hundred & thiry of M(OR, N)athaligo & thirty Tonnes of Petrao Currans" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Mahaligo currans ("one hundred and sixty tonne of Mahaligo Currans" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Marble stones ("The claime of ?Chowne Wakeford & others for salvage of small marble stones saved out of the greene Dragon at or neere Brighthelmstone Smith" (HCA 3/47 f. 6v, Wed. 7th June 1656)).
Mares ("the said shippe the Edward and John for the accompt of maior Chamberlayne & others mentioned in the allegacion given on the behalfe of the said Tolly the number of twenty sixe horses & gueldings & 2 mares" (HCA 24/112))
Mathaligo currans ("one hundred and fifty tonnes of Mathaligo Currans seized on board the Lady ffrigott (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Mault ("19 Hogsheads of ?Mault" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Medicaments
Muscavadas ("in the yeare 1647 and particularly in and about the moneth of November in the said yeare Barbadas sugar Muscavadas (w:ch is the ordinary sort) was here worth 14:li per hundred and consequently two hogsgeads were worth 28:li sterlinge at the common and usuall price, w:ch hee knoweth because hee this deponent hath longe dealt as a marchant in that commoditie, and at that time sold at that rate, and saith that two hogsheads of Barbadas sugars doe ordinarils containe nine hundred weight of sugar" (HCA 13/64 f.24v))
Muscavadoe sugar (" of this Depo:ts knowledge Nevis Mascovado Sugar is better than Barbadoes Muscavadoe Sugar" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))

N

Nevis sugar ("hee being an Inhaitant of Nevis knoweth that
Nevis Sugar is Better than Barbados sugar" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))

O

Oranges ("Thomas Taylo:r and Loys Taylo:r his wife were, Comonly accounted and reputed the true and Lawfull owners and Proprietors of Eight & twenty Ceder Chests, w:ch contained & were filled (as this depo:t verily beleeveth) with Tobaccoe; and alsoe sixty six Rolls of Tobaccoe, and of foure more Rolls of Tobaccoe, and of a quantity of Oranges" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Oyle ("the said ship the Lixon ffrigot was Laden at Ligorne with Oyle Rice Silke Stockings, and Rope, and some other Comodityes" (HCA 13/73 Part One); "each pipe of Oyle" (HCA 13/73 Part Two); ("One Tunn butt of oyle lately found in the Sea by the Company of the shipp the Maidenhead and brought to this port of London" (HCA 3/47 f. 7v, 7th June 1656))

P

Pease ("whither there were not sixty two sacks full of pease Laden aboard the Shippe, and whither the said pease were not dry and well Condiconed when they were Laden aboard the said Shippe?" (HCA 23/19, no f.))
Pepper ("the said Thomas Newman, and one ffrancis Griffith y:e then purser of the said ship (who is since deceased) did goe on shore, in the sd port of Indra Ponza, to buy pepper and did buy a great quantity of pepper there, w:ch was all to have bin transported in the said ship to Leghorne,for the Acco:t of Sr John Dethick and Company aforesaid" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
White pepper ("the said Godfrey Jonas had ?two parcells of white pepper aboard her worth eleaven pounds sterling" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Perfume ("the said shipp in or about ffebruary last was a twelvemoneth departed from XXX XXXX aforesaid for S:ta Domingo, and arrived from VXXX CXXXXX XX two hundred thirtie two chests of sugar and tenn chests of perfume, and six sacks of Carra Nuts, and eight peeces of XXXXX, w:ch were to be carried to and delivered at Sta Domingo" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Petrao currans ("one hundred and sixty Tonnes of Mahalaga and Petrao Currans viz:t one hundred & thiry of M(OR, N)athaligo & thirty Tonnes of Petrao Currans" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Pilchards

R

Rice ("the said ship the Lixon ffrigot was Laden at Ligorne with Oyle Rice Silke Stockings, and Rope, and some other Comodityes" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Roape
Rope ("thirty Quoyles of Rope two Great Trunks, severall Quarter Caskes with XXX and Oyle, and barrells of Pitch and Tarre, and some other Things which were for y:e said Woods owne Private Trade & account" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))

S

Salmon ("he beleeveth that every last of y:e sd salmon conteined 12: barrels and was worth 20:li sterl p last & not above and y:t every Last of herrings cont 12 barrells of herrings worth 10:li ster p last" (HCA 13/129 no f., Personal answers of Peter Cornelius Youngboare: Allegation: ?Maurice Trent: Date: 17th March 1658)
Salt ("two Boates Lading of Salt" (HCA 13/73 Part Two); "ffrench salt" (HCA 23/19 no f., but verso); "Out of the prize shipp Turke 165 2/5 of Spanish salt" (HCA 23/19 no f., but verso)
Sassa perilla ("and thence returned to Truxille, and there tooke in Sassa perilla and ?ligden" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Scarlett cloath (HCA 13/71 f.628v)
Serges ("the producente Tomas Papillon and Lawrence Martell (both well knowne to this deponent) wrote and gave commission to M:r Nicholas XXX of Exon to buy them 5 bales of serges, of 10 peeces of serges in each Bale, and to lade them aboard the shipp the Diamond of Topsham bound for S:t Malo, and to marke them F.C. and consigne them to Marc ?John at S:t Maloe for accompt of the said producents Tomas Papillon and Lawrence Martell XX XXXX of ffrancis Calendrini, w:ch hee knoweth because this deponent keepeth the accompte of the said M:r Papillon wrote the said letter to the said partner by their order" (HCA 13/64 f.21r))
Silk ("divers other goods or bales of silke, and other merchandizes and moneys for Account of the saiyd Riccard & Company" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Silk Stockings ("the said ship the Lixon ffrigot was Laden at Ligorne with Oyle Rice Silke Stockings, and Rope, and some other Comodityes" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Silver ("hee is well assured and verily beleeveth that the said two barrs of silver were really and truely pvided and laded for y:e prop and sole account of y:e sad producent and upon his adventure" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Sparres (= sparrs; spars) ("whither hee was on board XXX said shippe the S:t Johns Head when the Deales and XXX were sent aboard the said Shippe to make bulke XXXX the Corne that was laden aboard the said Shippe, and XXX whither there were not 240 single deales, and foure and XXX twenty sparres" (HCA 23/19, no f.))
Strong water ("Nineteene of XXX of Strong water" (HCA 13/73 Part Two); "the sd ship did carry out Iron, Strong Water, Wine, & other commodities to the value of about three thousand pounds, & sailed therew:th as they beleive to Ginney, and there as they beleeve & have heard tooke in 100: and some odd negroes for pt of the sd ladeing and therewith & the other goods went away for the West Indies where they were lost & cast away without makeing of any port of discharge" (HCA 13/129, Personal answers of Robert Oxwick, William Weilday and John Jefferyes: Allegation: John White & others: Date: 4th Feb. 1658, no f.))
Stuffs ("the said M:r ffernandez bought or caused to be bought a Considerable Quantity of Goods in this City, namely Stuffs of severall sorts, and Silke Stockings, and other goods" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Sugar (=sugars)
Sugar canes ("a little before y:e arrivall of the said ship Peace at Nevis, the Tobacco plants Indico and Sugar Canes were there at at the other Leeward Islands, spoyled and rooted upp by reason of Hurricanoes" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
White sugar ("the Interrogate Thomas Rummings & Anthony Beale had each of them considerable quantities of white pepper, greene ginger white sugar Casialignmum Tamerin and ?Cande but the certayne quantitie hee cannot declare" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Sweet oyles ("I pray be pleased to give Orders unto this Bearer Anthony Guy Wine-Cooper to receive Twelve Butts of Sweet Oyles bought by John Day for my Accompt which is all at p:rsent from yo:r humble serv:t Martin Noell" (HCA 23/19 no f, but recto))

T

Tamerin ("the Interrogate Thomas Rummings & Anthony Beale had each of them considerable quantities of white pepper, greene ginger white sugar Casialignmum Tamerin and ?Cande but the certayne quantitie hee cannot declare" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Tobacco plants ("a little before y:e arrivall of the said ship Peace at Nevis, the Tobacco plants Indico and Sugar Canes were there at at the other Leeward Islands, spoyled and rooted upp by reason of Hurricanoes" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Tobaccos
Tortoise shells ("y:e said Chest of Tortoise Shells" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Tortoyse shells ("one Chest of Tortoyse shells marked [MARK IN THE LH MARGIN] the second marke in the margent, w:ch were soe laden on board y:e sd ship the Morning Starr upon and for y:e Sole & propper Account of the said Alfonso Gomez Dias, Merch:t of Amsterdam" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Trane Oyle ("the arlate Thomas Grove did at Newfound Land lade some trane Oyle aboard the shipp Pease (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Traine Oil ("y:e said Grove did Lade on board y:e said Ship at Newfound Land about six hogsheads of Traine Oyle, w:ch was there stowed inn the Lazaretto or y:e fore?peeke of the said Ship, and there Continued untill it was unladen at Nevis" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))

V

Virginia tobaccoes ("a parcell of Virginia Tobaccoes" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))

W

Wax ("the rest of the said goods w:ch shee had on board, were by direction & advise of the said Pickford or Ward carried in the said Ship, to the Coast of Barbary and there sold, and Bartered the same for wax, and other Comodityes to y:e best Advantage to the said ffreighters" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
West India goods ("wines and West India goods, to be returned in the sd shipp to this port for the said account of M:r ffernandez" (HCA 13/73 f.549v))
Wheat (= wheate) ("what was done with the wheat that was so kept aboard did not the said Robert Oyle after hee went from Tanger aforesaid feed geese, Turkeyes, henns, and hoggs therewith dureing the said Shippes voyage from Tangier aforesaid to Alicant and Xouire and to Zephalania and in his homeward voyage" (HCA 23/19, no f.); "it being very notorious & well knowne to the sd M:r Wayn Wright & all other mrchants that use the East countrey trade that every Last of wheate payeth one dollar the charges at Stettin & Stralsound & the charges for Smacks & boates to bring y:e sd corne on board, & petty pilotage & other dutyes, all w:ch hee this rendent did really pay" (HCA 13/129 no f.))
Wine (how many hampers of wine laden aboard the said Shipp S:t Johns Head als the Roman XX for the accompt of the said M:r Blan" (HCA 23/19 no. f.); "How longe after the
arrivall of the said Shipp the S:t Joseph in the Port of Oratava were the thirteen pypes of
wine laden aboard the said Shipp the Joseph by the ffor of the said Humphrey Dewell" (HCA 23/19 no. f.))
Wooll (= wools) (John Dobson Master of the shipp the William of Dartmouth upon the ladings of the seaven and twentie baggs of wool menconned in the premisse of this cause on board the said shipp the William of Dartmouth then lyeing in the porte or roade of Bilboa to be carryed in the said shipp from thence to London" (HCA 24/112))

Z

Zante currants ("Mathalago currants were XXXXX worth twenty XX per hundred more than Zante currants" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))

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