Maritime incompetence
Maritime incompetence
Editorial history
08/11/12: CSG, created page
Purpose of page
The MarineLives project is seeking to link and enhance HCA 13/71, not just to transcribe it.
Marine incompetence is alleged and described in a number of HCA 13/71 cases and depositions.
All associates, facilitators, advisors and PhD Forum members are encouraged to contribute to this page from their knowledge of the material, and from their broader knowledge and interest in the topic.
- What types and examples of marine incompetence are described?
- To what extent is personal agency assumed versus an acceptance of act of God or the nature of the seas?
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Contents
Suggested links
Collision of ships in the River Thames
The ffreeman collided with the Mary
Xapley and others against the ffreeman and against Phillips, delaval and others
Depositions:
1. Richard Cawcot of Aldborough in Suffolk Mariner aged 50 yeeres (The marke of "Richard Cawcott" at end of deposition)
2. Samuel Browne of Aldborough in Suffolk Mariner aged about 50 yeares (The marke of "Samuel Browne" at end of deposition)
3. Edward Knights of Aldborough in the County of Suffolk Shippwright, aged about 28 yeeres (Signature of "Edward Knights" at end of deposition)
4. William ffiske of Aldborough in the County of Suffolk Mariner, aged about 32 yeares (Signature of "William fiske" at end of deposition)
5. William Lease of Aldborough in Suffolk Mariner aged about 40ty yeares (Signature of William XXXX" at end of deposition)
Collision of ships under sail
Collision of the Mary and the Saint Jacob on route to Newcastle
- "14. And saith that as the sayd shipp Mary and Saint Jacob and the other
15. English shipps in Company were in their course towards Newcastle
16. upon a place called the well the sayd Kennett and Company of his
17. shipp the Saint Jacob did being under sayle through the neglligence or
18. aXXllfullnes of the sayd Kennett and Company, violently runne her
19. the stemme of the Saint Jacob against the Bowe of the Mary and
20. by the force thereof carried all the masts yards and rigging
21. of the Mary cleere over board by which meanes the same were
22. all lost and perished are the sayd Michaell Cooper and this deponent
23. and others the Company ˹of˺ the Mary seeing them selves in a perilous
24. condition by reason of the Saint Jacobs soe running violently against the
25. Mary, did all of them as soone as possible they could gett on
26. board the Saint Jacob to save their lives,..."
- HCA 13/71 f.428v Case: Beniamin Gifford and Michaell Cooper Owners of the shipp the Mary (whereof the sayd Michaell Cooper was Master) against a certayne shipp called the St Jacob (whereof George Kennett was Master) and againest the sayd George Kennett and Company Owners of the sayd shipp the St Jacob comming in for their interest ("Examined upon an allegation given in on the behalfe of Beniamin Gifford and Company"): Deposition: Thomas Sommerland of harwich in the County of Essex Mariner Masters Mate of the Shipp the Mary aged thirty five yeares; Date: 28/11/12[2]
Overloading of ship
John Moye, a twenty year old mariner from the parish of Saint Katherine by the Tower of London, gave evidence about the humiliating sinking of the Julian whilst taking on its lading from a lighter in the river Thames. Moye argued that the cause was the overloading of the ship by the lightermen.
- "was by waves thereof over flowed by the XXXX tyde slidd and all her ladeing sunke in the thames soe that nothing of he appears a bove water but her mast and a little of her sterne and the company of her was forced to forsake the sayd shipp…"
- HCA 13/71 f.258r Case: Tether against Bergan ?ge; Deposition: 3. John Moye of the parish of Saint Katherine neere the Tower London Mariner aged 20; Date: 18/06/1656[3] CHECK DETAILS
Pilot error
Striking a rock off the Bermudas
- "the sayd shipp being so disabled was carryed to the Bermudaes and there fitted with such things as were necessary, and being provided of a Pilot departed from there and about the tyme arlate (having her Pilot on board) the winds proving scanty struck upon a Rock whereby she tooke a leake, and the pumpe was afterwards very carefully plyed to prevent dammage as much as might be; And he further saith that afterwards the sayd shipp having her sayd lading still on board and being not farr from the Coast of England about three dayes before Christmas last mett with a very violent storme, which for the tyme it continued was of such force as that it rent and carryed away the greater part of the sayles that were then out videlicet the mainsaile foresayle and mizzen, and ˹the sayd shipp˺ was for the tyme in great danger of perishing."
- HCA 13/71 f.122v Case: ?; Deposition: 2. Robert Lunn of Redriffe in the County of Surrey Mariner late Gunner of the sayd shiipp Susan and Ann, aged forty three yeares; Date: 18/03/1655[4]
Running aground coastal mudflats and sands
Certayne sands off of Colchester
- "5. and the Hare, Ketch and hoy lead the way and the Hope followed them. And in
6. the afternoone of that day the sayd hare pinke ketch and hoy being still
7. on head of the Hope came upon certayne sands off of Colchester, And
8. the sayd vessells came allso upon the sayd sands and fastned there, And her master
9. and Company of this deponents sight and knowledge used their utmost endeavor
10. to gett her off. but could not. And otherwise he cannot depose.
11. To the 15th and 16th articles he saith that the sayd Hare pinke soone after she came
12. upon the sayd Sands brake in peices and was lost, and her Company having but
13. a small boat and having about thirty two men on board endeavoured to gett the
14. boat of the Hope, which the Master and Company of her would not part with
15. and so they endeavoured all that was possible to gett their shipp off, and plyed the
16. pumpe, and went not to shoare till being past hope and being in feare
17. to loose their boat by the Company of the Hare, they the sayd Master and
18. Company of the Hope together with four of the Hares Company that XXX had
19. gotten into their boat did in the same boat gett to shoare, And otherwise
20. he cannot depose saving that the sayd shipp Hope had taken in much water
21. upon the sayd sands before her Master and Company went ashoare as aforesayd"
- HCA 13/71 f.116v Case: Hans Rauce of Quinsborough and Company Owners of the shipp the Hope of Quinsborough against Beniamin and John Harrison and William Harrington; Deposition: Jan Pieterson of Lubeck Mariner and Carpenter of the sayd shipp the Hope aged thirty yeares (The marke of "Jan XP MARK Peterson" at end of deposition); Date: 11/03/1655[5]
Neere to the Wooll pack
- "Departed from the Hope (to the best of his remembrance) upon a Sunday morning next after the fore mentioned Saturday, and sayling by the Redstand XXXX and the fflatts that morning, and att that tyme there blew a very strong wind from the Northwest and By west, but the sayd shipp came not to the narrow nor did edge in as is pretended by this interrogatorie, but came neere to the Wooll pack which is out of the narrow, and there struck and lost her rudder"
- HCA 13/71 f.106r Case: Wilkinson con Warren; Deposition: XXXX; Date: 02/03/1655 (1656)[6]
The Goodwin Sands in the Downes
- "That coming from Rotchell bound for this Port of London, and upon the Goodwin Sands in the Downes the shipp called the John of Yarmouth whereof this deponent John Paine was Master, did on there or about the 5th day of May last come aground upon the sayd sands and there continued the span of three howers, and giveing notice by fyring severall gunns, theire came from shore 16. boates with about a hundred men in them, where by of the sayd boates and men did bring the sayd shipp off the sayd sands ˹into˺ the downes where shee there ridd in safety for which services done by the sayd Gate's and men, this deponent John Payne did pay (as it was before agreed upon) the summe of 40 li. And tenn shillings for the use of severall Hawsers which hee had from the said boates, which Without which helpe the sayd shipp and Lading must needs have perished"
