MRP: HCA13/126
HCA13/126
Abstract
On December 18th, 1651 the lighter the Mayflower was involved in a collision with a larger ship, the Mary. The lighter had been moored on the Thames half a mile from Gravesend. The lighter was near the lower Chalk wharf, on the Kentish side of the river. It had been engaged in bringing up ordinance and iron from a sunken ship which had been wrecked in the river. Seven or eight men were working on the lighter, with an additional watchman on shore. But at the time of the collision the men were all on shore to have some food. Nevertheless, the oncoming ship was spotted and warning cries were uttered, which either through carelessness or wilfulness were ignored, and a collision took place. The lighter broke free of its moorings and drifted at least three miles from its previous position.
Transcription
[No page no.]
//The 10:th day of July 1652//
//Repeated before//
//D:r ?Clerk one of//
//the Judgesxr//
//The personall answers of//
//Thomas May made to the p:rmised//
//posicons of an allegation given//
//against him on the behalfe of//
//?Savery as followeth//
//To the first and second positions he answereth//
//and beleiveth that hee this respondent had upon//
//the day aclate (beinge the eighteenth day of//
//December 1651) his lighter called the//
//Mayflower fast moored in the river of//
//Thames neere lower Chalke wharfe about//
//halfe a mile from Gravesend over a certayne//
//racke that was there suncke in the said River//
//for y:e weighing up of Ordinance and Iron//
//out of the said Shippe or Rack which said//
//lighter did (as hee beleiveth) lye neere two//
//stones throwe from y:e Kentish side and soe//
//farr from the Essex side that neere twenty//
//Shipps on breast might in faire and good//
//weather (as he beleeveth) have passed by//
//without doinge or receivinge and damage//
//and upon y:e Kentish side about foure Shipps//
//might have passed on breast betweene y:e//
//shoare and the said lighter the river beinge//
//in that place (as he beleiveth) neere a mile//
//in breadth and the bancks of y:e river in and//
//about that place are soe absolutely steepe that//
//there is noe shelvinge nor wast ground as hee//
//hath observed and beleeveth and this respondent//
[New manuscript page]
//did generally imploy seaven or eight men to//
//worke on board the said lighter for the weighing//
//of the said Ordnance and Iron and one//
//man constantly to bee and lye on board her//
//or soe neere on shoare that hee might bee//
//within sight of the said lighter and looke to//
//the same, and this respondent beleiveth the//
//said lighter did ride in such a place over the//
//said Racke where Shipps did and might//
//usually passe unlesse they were of very great//
//burthen and the water lowe and they in//
//regard of the said Sunck vessell or racke//
//they could not passe without very great//
//danger as he beleiveth and he beleiveth that//
//at the tyme of the said Shippe y:e Mary//
//runne against the said lighter there was not//
//any person on board, but those employed by this//
//respondent were gone on shoare to a house very//
//neere the place where the said lighter did lye//
//where they had their dyet and, a good distance//
//before the said Shippe came neere to the said//
//lighter some of the said persons employed upon y:e//
//same did see the said Shippe and call to the//
//company thereof as he beleiveth wishinge//
//them to take heed of the said lighter as hee//
//beleeveth, yet notwithstandinge the company//
//of the same out of carlesnesse or wilfulnesse//
//as he beleiveth did ranne against the said//
//lighter & broake her from her Mooringes//
//though there was roome for twenty Shipps//
//as aforesaid to have gon on the one side//
//& foure on the other all on breast//
//without doinge or receivinge any damage//
//as he beleeveth and did carry her away at//
//least two or three miles as hee beleiveth by//
//w:ch this repdent was very much damnified as//
//he beleiveth and otherwise he doth not beleeive the//
//said posicon to bee true in any parte//
[New manuscript page]
Abstract
Transcription
[LH manuscript page, no pagination]
2 Sep 1653
Repeated before
M:r Cork
The personal Answeres of
James Burton Thomas
Bludworth and Simon Spencer
made for the ?pduced articles of
an Allegacon given against
them on the behalfe of
Gribble and
Greenefeild as followeth
To the first second third and
fourth articles they and each of them
doth answere and depose by vertue of
his oath that in or about the moneths
of January or ffebruary last and
severall tymes before they the said
[New RH manuscript page, no pagination]
James Burton, Thomas Bludworth and
Richard Spencer did give order & direccon
for Anthony Monvoysa their factor Resident
at Abervile to buy for them and their
ioynz Accompt certain quantityes of
pruins spiritts and other commodityes as
accordinge to the bill of prizis by them
sent to him, and he did afterwards before
the seizure of the vesselle w:th the goods
in question give advise to them the said
partyes that he had bought for them
and their Accompt the severall and
respective goods nowe claymed
and that he had payd for the same
with effects of theirs remayninge
in his handes, and he had then of
theirs a farr greater some than
the value of the said goods, and they
have really paid and allowed for
the same and out of such their effects
and noe other person whatsoever
but they the said James Burton
Thomas Bludworth and Richard
Spencer have any interest in the
same otherwise savinge ?that they
and each of them beleeveth that
the vesselle and Company were
french belonginge to ffrenchmen
subiects of the ffrench Kinge &
did come from Roane bound to
Abervile there to deliver them to
ffrenchmen whoe were the factors
of them the said James Burton
Thomas Bludworth and Richard
Spencer for their use and Accompt
to be shipped in a vessell there for
this port of London XXXX their
said ffactors could procure the
same vesselle to bringe them to this
port of London they ?nor either
of them doth believe the said articles
or either of them to be true in any
part
[New LH manuscript page, no pagination]
