Joseph Carswell Junior

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Joseph Carswell Junior
Person Joseph Carswell Junior
Title
First name Joseph
Middle name(s)
Last name Carswell
Suffix Junior
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation Mariner
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation Purser
Associated with ship(s)
Training Not apprentice
Is apprentice of
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen Unknown
Literacy Signature
Has opening text Joseph Carswall Junior
Has signoff text Joseph Carswell Junor
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 Limehouse
Res parish Stepney
Res town
Res county Middlesex
Res province
Res country England
Birth year 1637
Marriage year
Death year
Probate date
First deposition age 18
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.170r 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) Jan 8 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

Joseph Carswell Junior (alt. Carswall) (b. ca. 1637; d. ?). Mariner.

Purser on the ship the Porto Port Merchant of London.

Resident in 1655 in Limehouse in parish of Stepney.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Eighteen year old Joseph Carswell Junior deposed on January 8th 1655 in the High Court of Admiralty.[1] He was examined on an allegation in the case of "Captaine John Arthur against Pitt".[2]

The case concerned conditions in the river of Porto Port and whether the water was deep enough for a ship named the John to sail over the bar.

Joseph Carswell stated that he was on bord the Porto Port Merchant at Porto Port bound for Barbados, and observed the river condisions there. Specifically, he noted that "the said shipp John after such her lading descended from Porto Port to the barr of that place, being designed to passe over the same and to proceed upon her Voyage, but saith shee did there abide about a moneth after before shee could with security passe the said barr, shee being a french built shipp and heavy and drawing of the observation of this deponent and sewerall others, and according to his best judgement at least thirteen foot water". Even when the water was deep enough and the John had hoisted her anchors, she was forced to wait due to adverse winds blowing in full from the sea.[3]

Carswell claimed to have good knowledge of Porto Port, saying that "hee this deponent hath been 4 sewerall voyages at Porto Port aforesaid, and thereby well knoweth, That there is a very dangerous barr neere unto that place, which no forraigne shipps doe or are permitted usually to saile over without the Conduct of certaine pilots residing in Porto Port and commonly knowne by the name of the kings pilots, being thereunto authorized by order of the king of Portugall and are there generally observed to bee the persons who doe and ought to determine of the convenience of wind and water for the conducting of shipps of all sorts of burthens over the said barr".[4]

Comment on sources

  1. HCA 13/70 f.170r
  2. HCA 13/70 f.167v
  3. HCA 13/70 f.170r
  4. HCA 13/70 f.170r