MRP: HCA 13/126
HCA 13/126 1654-1655
HCA13/126 is a large bound manuscript volume covering the period 1654-1655. The volume contains the detailed answers of deponents in legal cases brought before the High Court of Admiralty.
The following abstracts and related transcriptions have been selected from the large number of depositions in this specific volume. The depositions are recorded by the date on which they were made. However, there is no original or subsequent pagination.
Editorial history
23/11/11, CSG: Created page, together with sample abstracts and transcriptions
Contents
Suggested links
To do
Notes on cases made 29/01/13 at TNA, without imaging cases
- The volume is unfoliated
The answer of Thomas May, July 10th, 1652
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 he
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]
The answers of James Burton, Thomas Bludworth and Simon Spencer, September 2nd 1653
Abstract
This abstract needs to be written
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]
Possible primary sources
TNA
PROB 11/325 Carr 117-176 Will of Richard Spencer of London 26 September 1667
PROB 11/352 Bence 109-158 Will of James Burton, Draper of London 08 October 1675
