Isacke Maior

Isacke Maior

Isacke Maior
Person	Isacke Maior
Title
First name	Isacke
Middle name(s)
Last name	Maior
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation	Shipwright
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation
Associated with ship(s)
Training	Not apprentice
Is apprentice of
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen	Unknown
Literacy	Signature
Has opening text	Isac Mayers
Has signoff text	Isacke Maior
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	Horsey downe
Res parish
Res town	Southwark
Res county	Surrey
Res province
Res country	England
Birth year	1632
Marriage year
Death year
Probate date
First deposition age	21
Primary sources
Act book start page(s)
Personal answer start page(s)
Allegation start page(s)
Interrogatories page(s)
Deposition start page(s)	HCA 13/71 f.15v 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)	Mar 4 1656
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	Shore based trade
Silver Ship litigation in 1650s
Role in Silver Ship litigation	None

Biographical synthesis

Isacke Maior (b. ca. 1632; d. ?1662). Shipwright.

Resident in 1656 in Horsey downe in the county of Surrey.

Son of James or John Maior (alt. Major), a Southwark shipwright. In Isaacke Maior's will he identifies his father as John Mayor, but in his brother John Maior's Admiralty Court deposition of 1650, the father is named as James Maior.

Brother of John Maior and Robert Maior, who were also shipwrights, and who, like Isacke, worked for their father James or John Maior.

The will of Isaac Major or Mayor, shipwright of Saint Olave Southwark, Surrey, was proved on March 1st 1662. In his will Isaac mentions his father, John Mayor, and his brothers John, Robert and Jeremiah Mayor and brother (in-law) John Carraway. He mentions a sister, Johannah Mayor, and a father (in-law) John Carraway and his wife Joane. He writes the will in good health on March 10th 1659 (i.e. modern 1660), and is evidently writing when on the ship the Eagle, bound for the East Indies.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Twenty-one year old Isacke Maior ("Isaccus Mayor") deposed on May 17th 1650 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on a libel in the case of "Mayer against Perkins".

Isacke Maior stated that he was the son of the producent, John Maior, and that he lived in his father's house. He described his own work, and that of fellow ship carpenters Edward Bigland, John Maior and Robert Maior, on a number of lighters belonging to Zacheus Perkins. In particular, Isacke Maior mentioned the lighter the James, which had been built by his father and taken up by Zacheus Perkins on trial. But Perkins failed to pay the moneys due, despite having the lighter in his possession, so "not keepeing his word for the payment of such moneyes as hee should have done for the same not makeing noe payment thereof to this day the producent was faine to arrest the said lighter for her recoverie into his owne hands againe".

Twenty-four year old Isacke Maior deposed on March 4th 1656 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on a libel in the case of "Mayor and the William and ffrance and against Knight.

Isacke Maior stated that the lighter lay in the river Thames and "was and stoode in greate neede of reparation". Her lighter man brought her in November 1654 to the wharf of John Major at Horsey downe to be repaired. John Maior had repaired the same lighter several times before. When John Major "the said producent had begun to search and try her defects, hee found her soe much out of repaire and soe rotten, that hee refused to proceede on in her repaire till hee spake with mr Coltman who recommended the said worke unto him." Mr Coltman thereupon came to John Major's wharf with Mr Dandy the wharfinger of the Customhouse, and after viewing the lighter and its defects, requested the work to go ahead.

Isacke Maior himself was employed by John Major to work on the lighter. "Hee did 23 dayes worke at the said lighter, which at 3 s per diem comes to 3 li 9 s, which is paid him by the producent, who imployed him."

Comment on sources

1662

PROB 11/307/374 Will of Isaac Major or Mayor, Shipwright of Saint Olave Southwark, Surrey 01 March 1662

- Makes will when in good health
- Will dated March 10th 1659 (i.e. modern 1660)
- £40 for the benefit and preferment of the child which Anne my nowe wife is with
- 10 shillings to my brother John Mayor
- 10 shillings to my brother Robert Mayor
- 10 shillings to my brother Jeremiah Mayor
- 20 shillings to my sister Johannah Mayor
- 20 shuillings each to my father John Carraway and mother Joane his wife
- A pair of gloves to each of my uncle and aunt Mayor
- "all which aforesaid legacye I desire and will is shall bee paied in case the shipp Eagle which I am nowe bound in be God grace for the East India Retorne safe into England againe in this her Intended voyadge. Otherwise not att all to be paied"
- Rest and residue gives to his wife Anne, who is made sole executrix
- Desires his brothers John Mayor and John Carraway to bee aydeinge and assisting to his executrix
- Witnessed by Nicholas Wood, Henry Tennett, Phillip Wideson scr./.

- Will proven by Anne Mayor