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29/11/12: CSG, created page
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Dutch merchants in London and elsewhere
Flemish merchants
French merchants
Jewish merchants
Portuguese merchants in London
Spanish merchants in London
Swedish and Norwegian merchants
Dutch language
Dutch dispatches to disguise an English ship from the Canaries
XXXX
- "in case the sayd shipp Little Mary
42. had as was expected come to the Canaries there was license obteyned for her
43. to have sold her goods and laden wynes on board her and Dutch
44. dispatches were prepared in readines for her to that purpose which this
45. deponent there saw and read within the tyme aforesayd which were so
46. had and obteyned in regard of an Embargo upon English shipps and
47. goods. and by vertue of the sayd License and Dutch dispatches the sayd vessell
48. Little Mary (had she come thither) might have bene laden with safety
49. the sayd Embargo notwithstanding as severall other English shipps
50. were by the like meanes of the certayne knowledge and sight of this
51. deponent."
- HCA 13/71 f.208r Case: XXXX ("Examined upon the sayd Libell"); Deposition: 5. Richard Owen of London merchant aged twenty five yeares; Date: 13/05/1656. Transcribed by Philip Hnatkovich[1]
English language
French language
Spanish language
Spanish speaking Dutch skipper employed by Dutch ship owner to take ship for Spanish merchant in London to the Canaries
XXXX
- "6. To the second, third and fourth árticles of the said allegation hee saith and deposeth
7. that in or about the beginning of ffebruary last past hee this deponent
8. being at Middleborowe and there spoken to by the said ffopp wessell
9. (who lately before was come from the Canarie Islands to London with
10. the said shipp in the imployment of the said Mr Antonio ffernandez Carravashell
11. and was to retourne thither againe in the said servise as hee told this deponent.)
12. and by ˹the said forp˺ hXX this deponent was asked if hee would goe with ˹him˺ to London and
13. thense to the Canaries in the said shipp and servise, to which this deponent
14. condiscended, and came over with him hither to this citie in the said
15. moneth and went with him to the said Mr ffernandez his house, who
16. was very glad of this deponents comming, and soe much the rather because
17. this deponent spake Spanish, whereby hee might further his matters at
18. the Canaries, and acknowledged that hee had freighted the said shipp of
19. the said ffopp wessell for the said voyage to the Canaries to carry goods
20. thither hense, and being back such goods thense as his factor should there
21. lade, and saith hee this exáminate hath seene a schedule in writing which
22. was said to be the Charter partie made for the said voyage, but being
23. (this is his remembrance) in English, this deponent could not read it nor
24. knoweth the contents thereof."
- HCA 13/71 f.439r Case: De haze and others against Mr ffernandez and Mr Kilvert; Deposition: 2. John Rumbout of Middleborowe Skipper aged 46 yeeres; Date: 03/12/1656. Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet[2]
Interpretation
Use of an interpreter between English merchants and Norwegian customers in port of Bergen, Norway
John Nevin, a twenty three year old merchant from Londonderry in Ireland had been in the Norwegian town of Berghen (Bergen) and was called by Mr Cutberd as a witness to events in that town. Characterising an individual named Yonge, he described hom as "well skilled in the money currant in that Countrie", meaning Norway, and noted that Yonge was sometimes employed by merchants "to interprett betweene them and their Customers."
- "7. To the first hee cometh to testifie his knowledge in this cause by the
8. request of the sayd Cutberd who well knew that this deponent was
9. present at ˹Berghen˺ thereby able to testife such proceedings in this busines as hee
10. sawe there alsoe And to the rest of the Interrogatorie saving his foregoeing
11. deposition hee cannot answere otherwise than negatively./
12. To the 2 hee saith that the sayd hee never knew or heard that the sayd Yonge
13. was ever imployed as a broaker in buying and selling of goods, but was
14. and is sometymes (by reason hee is well skilled in the money currant in that
15. Countrie) imployed by Merchants to receive their moneys, and is sometymes
16. imployed by them to interprett betweene them and their Customers. but whether
17. hee was imployed by the sayd Turley to those or any other purposes hee
18. knoweth not And further to this Interrogatorie hee cannot answere/"
- HCA 13/71 f.445r Case: XXXX against Turley and Parrett (B) Xettle and others against the Minories Busse and haydon ("Examined upon the allegation given in by Budd the 11th of June 1656"); Deposition: 2. John Nevin of London derry in Ireland Merchant, aged 23 yeares (Signature of "John Nevine" at end of deposition); Date: 10/01/1656(57). Transcribed by David Pashley[3]
Roger Kilvert, London merchant, aged 68, interpreted for five Spanish men in Admiralty Court
XXXX
- "13. To the 16th article hee saith that the said Captaine Jacket finding
14. himselfe prisoner, and to be carried away per forse, prXXXXXd
15. an Authantique testimony from the Secretary of the cargo, of the
16. whole processe XX XXXX against him, the said shipp and goods
17. at New Barcellona, XX this deponent hath seen and
18. exáctly exámined with the foresaid Simon Lopez, Roderigo da
19. Padilla, don diego da XXXves, Alforez Siphouter and Alonse
20. Perez, who testified upon their severall oathes in the yeere 1651,
21. before a Jury of ˹in˺ the Admiraltie Court in Southwarke (this
22. deponent being their interpreter) where they
23. were two severall dayes examined) and did all unanimously declare
24. that they were ey witnesses in Barcellona at the XXXXX
25. passages mentioned in the testimony of the said XXXXX, and did
26. testifie the particulars"
- HCA 13/71 f.370r Case: A busines of examination of witnesses for perpetuall remembrance on the behalfe of Samuel Vassall and others touching the shipp Mayflower whereof William Jackes was Captaine, seized by the officers and subiects of the king of Spaine; Deposition: Roger Kilvert of London Merchant aged 68 yeeres; Date: 13/08/1656. Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet.[4]
Literacy
Deponents were often asked in the Admiralty Court to state whether they could read and write
- "3. To the 18th hee saith that hee can write and reade, and learned the same
4. when hee was a youth.
5. To the 19th hee saith hee can reade written hand well, and understandingly."
- HCA 13/71 f.15r Case: Goodwin and Company against the goods and the St John, Derrick Ryan Master and against da Souza and others ("Examined upon an allegation given in behalfe of the said Goodwin 24 Octob: 1655"); Deposition: 1. William Rubois of dover Mariner late purser of the Galliote the Black dogg, aged 43 yeares (Signature of "William Robijs" at end of deposition) ; Date: 04/03/1655(56). Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet.[5]
Deponents occasionally were asked whether they recognised the handwriting and in particular the signatures of named individuals on bills of lading and other documents
- "40. To the last and papers shewed him hee saith hee knoweth not the
41. hand writing, or subscription of any of them, or by whom they were written
42. or subscribed, but touching their contents, hee referreth himselfe to the
43. said paper themselves
44. Robert Hunter SIGNATURE, RH SIDE"
- HCA 13/71 f.303r Case: Richard Webb and Company Imployers of the Satisfaction (Thomas Chellingworth Captaine against the Irish Merchant alias the Dolphin; Deposition: 3. Robert Hunter of London Mariner, aged 24 yeares (Signature of "Robert Hunter" at end of deposition); Date: 19/07/1656("same day"). Transcribed by Colin Greenstreet.[6]
Oral skills
