MRP: C10/55/132 f. 1

C10/55/132 f. 1

Editorial history

15/11/11, CSG: Images made of manuscript
20/11/11, CSG: Started transcription

---

---

---

Suggested links

See C10/55/132 f. 2

---

---

Transcription

//14:th March 1657//

//Too the right hon:ble Lords Com:rs of the greate Seale of England//

//Humbly complayning sheweth unto yo:r Lo:pps yo:r Orato:rs Martin Noell of London Esq:r, Geo: ??Underwood Esquire, Symon Delboe, Jn:o Taylor Merchants of y:e said Citty of London That whereas yo:r Orato:rs did heretofore (that is to say) about the Moneth of December in the yeare of our Lord One thousand//

//six hundred ffifty and five ioyntly adventure severall parcells of Goods Comodities and Merchandizes being in the whole of the value of att least ffifteene hundred pounds sterling to certaine places in the East Indies in a certaine shippe called the Mayflower (of which Captaine William//

//White the Elder was then Comander) and the said Goods Merchandizes and Comodities did Comitt to the care & management of one Henry Watkins as ffactor for yo:r Orato:rs to begotiate Barter and Merchandize with the said Goods Comodities & Merchandizes upon yo:r Orato:rs behalfe//

//upon & for yo:r Orato:rs Accounte & benefitt ffor which they likewise allowed sallary or provision to the said Henry Watkins as theire servant or ffactor And yo:r Orato:rs further show that the said Henry Watkins did on yo:r Orato:rs behalfe traffique with and Barter & Exchange//

//by way of Merchandizeinge the said Goods Comodities and Merchandizes (soe as aforesaid intrusted with him by yo:r said Orato:rs) in the said Indies for goods Comodities & Merchandizes of the Native growth & Manifacture of the said Indies or such other goods Mony Comodities//

//and Merchandizes as the said Indies did afford And did thereby very much improve yo:r Orato:rs stocke which they soe as aforesaid adventured with the said Henry Watkins in the said Shippe called the Mayflower soe that yo:r Orato:rs said Stocke was by the said Merchandizeinge//

//encreased and improved att length in value to above Three Thousand pounds sterling & which said stocke of yo:r Orato:rs of Three Thousand pounds Sterling and upwards (consisting as aforesaid of goods & Comodities of the Native growth & manifactures of the said Indies and such//

//other goods money and Comodities as the said Indies did afford The said goods Money and Comodities were att severall tymes & places in the yeares of our Lord One thousand six hundred ffifty six and One thousand six hundred ffifty and seaven by the said Henry//

//Watkins Shipt and Laden aboard the said Shippe called the Mayflower (of which the said William White the Eld:r or William White the young:r was then Captaine & Comander) and to them the said William White the eld:r and William White the young:r or one of//

//them Comitted and delivered and by them or one of them received for yo:r Orato:rs use And the said Henry Watkins did take one or more Bills of Ladeing or other acknowledem:ts from the said William White the Eld:r and William White the young:r or one of//

//them of the severall Receipts of the said goods Mony wares and Merchandizes as the proper Goods Money Comodities & Merchandizes of yo:r Orato:rs which they the said William White the Eld:r & William White the young:r or one of them did likewise//

//undertake to deliver unto the said Herny Watkins for yo:r Orato:rs use att some other ports or places in the East Indies or to the said Henry Watkins for yo:r Orato:rs use or to yo:r Orato:rs themselves or one or some of them in London as was XXXXX fitt they XXXX//

//the same of right belonging to yo:r Orato:rs as being the proceeds & returns of their said ??Adventure and the said Henry Watkins havinge noe Interest or propperty in his owne right in the said Goods Money Comodities & merchandizes or any of them nor having any thinge//

//to doe with the same save only as servant or ffacto:r to yo:r said Orato:rs & hee Tradeing & assigneing only with yo:r Orato:rs stocke to yo:r Orato:rs use as aforesaid to whome alsoe all the benefitt of the said Henry Watkins his tradeing Merchandiyinge traffiquinge//

//by some Agreem:t with the said Henry Watkins was and of right ought to come & XXXXXX But now soe it is may it please yo:r honno:rs that the said Henry Watkins being shortly after (that is to say) aboute the Moneth of [specific month is omitted in the manuscript, leaving a space] in the yeare of our Lord One//

//Thousand six hundred fifty [specific year is omitted in the manuscript, leaving a space] and before the returne of the said Shippe into England untimely drowned They the said Captaine William White the elder & William White the younger or one of them in whose possession the said Goods Money Comodities & Merchandizes (soe as aforesaid shipt for yo:r Orato:rs//

//use aboard the said Mayflower) were att the tyme of the death of the said Henry Watkins takeing advantage of the said Watkins his untymely and sudden death and possessinge themselves or one of them of the Letters or Advice & Invoices directed to yo:r said Orato:rs//

//of some other of their ffacto:rs concerneing the said Goods Money Comodities & Merchandizes (without which they knew yo:r Orato:rs had no meanes to come to the knowledge of the pticulers of the said goods Money & Merchandizes did not only delay neglect & att length//

//refuse to deliver unto yo:r Orato:rs or to any others for their use the said goods Comodities & Merchandizes or any of them either in the East Indies or in London as they ought as aforesaid to have done But did alsoe on their or one of their own accompts traffique & trade//

//with & to their or one of their owne use Convert all or the great part of the said goods money Merchandizes and Comodites And did likewise possesse themeselves or one of them

//disposall of the said Henry Watkins and did remayne on the shore in the East Indies at the tyme of his death and thereof did make very greate advantage by way of Merchandiz

//Money Comodities & Merchandizes or any of them or the value or proceeds of them or of any pte of them And yo:r Orato:rs further show unto yo:r Lo:pps that afterwards

//The said William White the eld:r dyed of whose goods Chattells & debts Margarett White relict of the said William White the eld:r hath lately taken

//satisfie yo:r Orato:rs & to pay all other the iust debts of the said William White the Eld:r with a very greate overplus After whose death the said William White the young:r

//XX did take the care & charge of the said Shippe and all the goods Merchandizes and Comodities therein being and by ??couler thereof the said Captaine William White the young:r

//possesse themselves or one of them of the said Goods Money Comodities & Merchandizes of the effects and proceeds and goods Comodities & merchandizes

//Mayflower yo:r Orato:rs use and of the said other goods

//answ:rable & accompted to yo:r Orato:rs for the same

//effects or proceeds

//said goods money Comodities

//the eld:r and William White the young:r or one of them

//money Comodities& Merchandizes sometimes ysuinge out & p:rtendinge that yo:r Orato:rs did not ebture or send any Merchandizes to the said Indies ??in the said Shipp called

//Watkins did never trade merchandize or traffique in the said Indies on yo:r Orato.rs behalfe

//Orato:rs

//White the young:r

//that the Books of Accompts of the said William White

//said Mayflower

//see

//White or one of them or by some other

//??tend

//Orato:rs

//the end therefore that

//as ffactors

//by such reason

//Shipt on board

//& in what

//or to his hands

//pfect Accompt

//hands custody

//comeing to yo:r Orato.rs

//to bee directed

//then & there

//Fra: Pemberton [Signature, bottom RH corner]//

---

Notes

Henry Watkins, factor on the Mayflower

"Henry Watkins is entertained to go as factor in the Mayflower, to be allowed 60/. for the voyage and do what business shall be assigned to him, and if on his return it shall be found that he is deserving of more, he shall be gratified accordingly; he is directed to seal a bond of 500/. for his fidelity and Martin Nowell is accepted as his security."

"The administrator of the late Henry Watkins, who was entertained to voyage in the Mayflower, for which he was to be paid 60/., requests payment of that sum ; he is told to apply two or three weeks hence, by which time the said ship may be cleared."

---

Captain William White, commander of the Mayflower

"Have been applied to by the owners of and adventurers in the Jonathan (because of the disaster which has happened to that ship) to allow their factors and stock to be transported to the Coast in White's ship, the Mayflower, but have decided that it is not in their power to accede to this request ; therefore order him not to admit either factors or any part of the said stock into his ship without express permission."

"A letter is read, advising the arrival of the Mayflower at Plymouth from the Coast"

"To permit the Mayflower, under Wm. White, with 50 men and boys, to pass on a trading voyage to the Straits free of impress." WHAT YEAR AND YOYAGE DOES THIS CALENDAR ENTRY REFER TO?

"Wm. White, London. [Navy Com rs .], Asked 140l. a month for the hire of the Mayflower, and being accused of disaffection, came down to 130l., but only 110l ... (Letters and Papers relating to the Navy, &c. - March 1653 ..., Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Interregnum, 1652-3 (1878)

---

Charter party of the Mayflower

"The dispute concerning the charterparty of the Mayflower is referred to arbitration, Richard Foard and Thomas Kendall to act for the owners, and Captain Matthew Crowther and James Astry for the Company, and it is agreed that a bond of 4,000/. penalty shall be sealed and the award made by the ist of December next."

"Acknowledge the receipt of his letter of the 6th instant, containing an account of the arrest of the Dutch ship Sprew, and thank him for his care in the matter. The Dutch Ambassador has acquainted the Lord Protector and his Council with the detention of the said vessel and procured an order for her release. Their action was perfectly legal, but if not sufficient to attain their ends they must rest satisfied and await success. Desire him to search the Customhouse, as he did in the case of the Endymion, and ascertain what goods have been entered (and what landed without being entered) from the Mayflower, the names of those to whom they belong, and of those who have entered them."

"Finding by the award regarding the Mayflower that considerable damage has accrued to the Company by reason of dead freight, the Court orders the amount to be charged to the accounts of the factors who occasioned this. The award is to be paid. Tare of sugar returned in the Mayflower to be settled."

---

Possible primary sources

PROB 11/318 Hyde 108-162 Will of Sir Martin Noell of London 06 October 1665
PROB 11/325 Carr 117-176 Will of William White, Mariner of Rotherhithe, Surrey 17 December 1667
PROB 11/352 Bence 109-158 Will of Simon Delboe, Merchant of London 04 November 1676
PROB 11/358 Reeve 106-156 Will of George Underwood of Kensington, Middlesex 16 December 1678
PROB 11/363 Bath 60-123 Will of William White, Mariner of Saint Paul Shadwell, Middlesex 07 June 1680
PROB 11/421 Box 136-186 Will of John Taylor, Merchant of City of London 12 March 1694
PROB 11/440 Pyne 178-218 Will of William White, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 07 September 1697

---

Possible secondary sources

Coldham, Peter Wilson, English adventurers and emigrants, 1609-1660: abstracts of examinations in the High Court of Admiralty with reference to Colonial America (Baltimore, 1984)
- Wilson states in his preface that he has worked largely from the Examination Books, and has omitted merchants' accounts and balance sheets. Equity examination Books are unfit for 1610-20, 1625-29, and 1645-47
- HCA 13/39-73: Examinations in equity causes; each volume covers a two year span; personal details of the deponents are in latin, but most text is in English. Entries are day by day, so details of one case may be stretched over a number of days and months
- HCA 13/226ff.: Depositions taken outside London
- HCA 24: Libels
- HCA 13/100ff: Answers to bills of complaint
- HCA 1/1-27: Indictments and proceedings
- HCA 23: Interrogatories
-

Shilton, Dorothy O. and Richard Holworthy, High Court of Admiralty Examinations 1637-1638 (XXXX, 1932)