Identity

Identity

Editorial history

19/06/13: CSG created page

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Purpose of this page

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Adding footnotes

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• FOOTNOTE TEMPLATE:

- HCA 13/71 f.XXXX Case: XXXX; Deposition: XXXX; Date: XXXX. Transcribed by XXXX

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Suggested links

PhD Forum

Themes

Worth more than hee oweth

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Language and identity

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Birthplace and identity

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Religion and identity

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Concept of 'Nation'

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Concept of 'Ethnicity': did it exist?

Armenians

Hojar Sefer was described in a series of HCA depositions made in 1651 as a merchant of Spahan (sometimes spelled as Spaham or Spaheim). He described himself in one of his depositions as "a Persian borne in the Dominion of the kinge of Persia and there dwelleth", but it is clear that he regarded himself as Armenian as well as Persian.

Certainly, hee recognised his fellow merchants, the producents of the case, with whom he had been travelling, as "Armenians". He stated, for example, that "the said producents were and are Armenians and Inhabitants of Smirna, and subiects of the Grand Seignor or Turkish Emperour..".

The Admiralty Court also recognised the status of the producents as Armenians, titlng the HCA claim as "The claime of Cogia Jacomo and Cogia Kaniar Armenian Marchants for their goods in the shipp the Saint Martin whereof Michael Audric was Captaine". Interestingly, their status as Armenians is used by the Court to define them, rather than the more usual reference in such case titles to individuals being of a certain town and country.

Jews

It is interesting to compare this Court's descriptive treatment of Armenians with its descriptive treatment of Jews resident in the United Netherlands and elsewhere. ADD TEXT

Moslems

Germany or Germania

• SEE: Nicholas Sterley, 28, merchant "Of the hansatowne of Lubeck"

Italy

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Micro-locations

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Regional and provincial identity

One might presume that deposition summaries, giving name, age and location of a deponent, would reflect the self-description of witnesses when they identify themselves to the proctors and court clerks. However, witnesses who give multiple depositions at different dates are not always consistently described. So it is possible that at least some of the variation in geographical descriptions reflects the scribe, rather than the deponent. Alternatively, the individual deponent may have had a flexible sense of geographical identity.

For example, the twenty-five year old merchant, Thomas Tasse, gave separate statements on ten occasions, as recorded in HCA 13/65 - dated 25th October 1651, 19th November 1651, 3rd December 1651, 12th December 1651, 13th December 1651, 15th December 1651, 24th December 1651, and 29th June 1652, with a further two statements of uncertain date. Seven out of ten statements describe Tasse as "of the cittie (or citty) of Antwerp(e). One states simply "Of Antwerp", and two place Antwerp in a provincial context, with one stating "Of Antwerpe in fflanders" and the other "Of Antwerp in Brabant".

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Merchant identity as a special case?

The distance and frequency of the travel of a number of the merchants revealed in HCA depositions in the 1650s never ceases to surprise the modern reader.

For example, a twenty-eight year old bachelor and merchant of the free city of Aken (Aachen, or Aix-la-chapelle), who was born in Aken, but left at the age of fifteen for France, where he dwelled for four years, before embarking on further travels.

The Admiralty Court described him in the deposition summary as "Antonio van Ganspoule of Aken".

This is how he described his life and travels, in response to an interrogatory regarding his and others goods on the XXXX, which had been seized by the Parliaments ships off XXX en route from ffarnambuco in Brazila to Rotterdam:

"XXXX"

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Net indebtedness as a source of status?

"'Worth more than hee oweth'"

• "Hee cometh requested by Mr Southwood to testifie the truth of his knowledge in this cause for which hee neither hath receaved or Expecteth to receave any consideration save only for his losse of tyme but who must pay him for that hee hee yet knoweth not And saith hee is worth more than hee oweth And liveth in kingstreete in Stepney parishe where hee hath lived by the space of about three yeares and before that dwelt neere the Hermitage and in the parishe of Saint Catherine and getteth his liveing by unladeing of shipps which deliver theire ladeing in the River of Thames and saith hee is a howse=keeper and payeth all manner of dutyes and Taxes which are usually levied either for Church Poore, or the Army according as hee is assessed"

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Significance of being a househoulder?

In the hotly disputed case of XXX, househoulder status is cited for all the many witnesses, as rival proctors and solicitors sought to establish the stable abode of their deponents and to attack that of those deposing for the opposite camp.

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Political affiliation and identity?

Political views are rarely expressed, recognised, or commented on, in Admiralty Court depositions. One exception is in the evidence in the case of Jacob Withers, who had visited the island of Antego as the Chirugion of the shipp the Proprietor in 1647. He had stayed on, purchasing and planting a sizeable estate. Seeking to retrieve goods of his which had been seized as he returned to England in late 1651, Withers needed to demonstrate his loyalty to the Parliament. John Stanworth, a thirty seven year old planter "late of the Iland of Antigo" observed of Withers' four years on the island that "during this entire time declared himself well affected to the Commonwealth".[[P1180132])]]

"About foure yeares since the arlate Jacob Withers did come as Chirurgion of the shipp the Proprietor from London and arrived in the Oland of Antigo where hee hath inhabited and remained untill the 4th day of October 1651 last past" and during this entire time declared himself well affected to the Commonwealth"