Thomas Ellis
| Thomas Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Person | Thomas Ellis |
| Title | |
| First name | Thomas |
| Middle name(s) | |
| Last name | Ellis |
| Suffix | |
| Spouse of | |
| Widow of | |
| Occupation | |
| Secondary shorebased occupation | |
| Mariner occupation | Cooper, Steward |
| Associated with ship(s) | |
| Training | Not apprentice |
| Is apprentice of | |
| Was apprentice of | |
| Had apprentice(s) | |
| Citizen | Unknown |
| Literacy | Signature |
| Has opening text | Thomas Ellis |
| Has signoff text | Thomas Ellis |
| Signoff image | (Invalid transcription image) |
| Language skills | English language |
| Has interpreter | |
| Birth street | |
| Birth parish | |
| Birth town | |
| Birth county | |
| Birth province | |
| Birth country | |
| Res street | |
| Res parish | Saint Catherines near the Tower |
| Res town | London |
| Res county | |
| Res province | |
| Res country | England |
| Birth year | 1611 |
| Marriage year | |
| Death year | |
| Probate date | |
| First deposition age | 44 |
| Primary sources | |
| Act book start page(s) | |
| Personal answer start page(s) | |
| Allegation start page(s) | |
| Interrogatories page(s) | |
| Deposition start page(s) | HCA 13/70 f.495r Annotate |
| Chancery start page(s) | |
| Letter start page(s) | |
| Miscellaneous start page(s) | |
| Act book date(s) | |
| Personal answer date(s) | |
| Allegation date(s) | |
| Interrogatories date(s) | |
| Deposition date(s) | Apr 25 1655 |
| How complete is this biography? | |
| Has infobox completed | Yes |
| Has synthesis completed | No |
| Has HCA evidence completed | No |
| Has source comment completed | No |
| Ship classification | |
| Type of ship | Merchant ship |
| Silver Ship litigation in 1650s | |
| Role in Silver Ship litigation | None |
Biographical synthesis
Thomas Ellis (b. ca.1611; d.?). Cooper and steward on the ship the Pilgrim in 1655.
Resident in the parish of Saint Catherines near the Tower in 1655.
Thomas Ellis is a relatively common C17th name amongst tradesmen and merchants. No will has been identified for a Thomas Ellis, cooper.
Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
Forty-four year old Thomas Ellis deposed on April 25th 1655 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on a libel on behalf of John Bland and Company in the case of John Bland and Company owners of the shipp the Pilgrim whereof James Watkin was master and alsoe Samuell Bathurst Richard Baker and George Clarke owners of the goods in the sayd shipp against the shipp the Exeter Merchant whereof Thomas Woodfin was Master and against the sayd Thomas Woodfin and Company comming in for their interest et cetera".[1]
Ellis stated that as steward and cooper of the ship the Pilgrim in Spring 1655 he saw parcels of wines and oils laden on the ship for the accounts of Samuel Bathurst, Richard Baker and George Clarke. Bathurst had one hundred and fifty butts of oil, Baker had twenty butts of wine and Clarke had fifty butts of oil.[2]
In May 1655 the Pilgrim lay at anchor at Dicks shore, when the ship the Exeter Merchant ran foul of her and caused much damage. Many of the casks of wine and oil became leaky from the heavy blow struck the Pilgrim. Ellis recalled the crew of the Pilgrim pumping the bilges to clear the ship of water, and that they also "pumped up great store of oyles and wynes". Ellis valued the lost oil at £20 per butt and the lost Spanish wine at £9 per butt.[3]
