Richard Belchamber
| Richard Belchamber | |
|---|---|
| Person | Richard Belchamber |
| Title | |
| First name | Richard |
| Middle name(s) | |
| Last name | Belchamber |
| Suffix | |
| Spouse of | |
| Widow of | |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Secondary shorebased occupation | |
| Mariner occupation | |
| Associated with ship(s) | |
| Training | Not apprentice |
| Is apprentice of | |
| Was apprentice of | |
| Had apprentice(s) | |
| Citizen | Unknown |
| Literacy | Signature |
| Has opening text | |
| Has signoff text | Ric Belchamber |
| Signoff image | (Invalid transcription image) |
| Language skills | English language |
| Has interpreter | |
| Birth street | |
| Birth parish | |
| Birth town | |
| Birth county | |
| Birth province | |
| Birth country | |
| Res street | |
| Res parish | Saint Thomas the Apostle |
| Res town | London |
| Res county | |
| Res province | |
| Res country | England |
| Birth year | 1623 |
| Marriage year | |
| Death year | |
| Probate date | |
| First deposition age | 32 |
| Primary sources | |
| Act book start page(s) | |
| Personal answer start page(s) | |
| Allegation start page(s) | |
| Interrogatories page(s) | |
| Deposition start page(s) | HCA 13/70 f.253r Annotate |
| Chancery start page(s) | |
| Letter start page(s) | |
| Miscellaneous start page(s) | |
| Act book date(s) | |
| Personal answer date(s) | |
| Allegation date(s) | |
| Interrogatories date(s) | |
| Deposition date(s) | Feb 1 1655 |
| How complete is this biography? | |
| Has infobox completed | Yes |
| Has synthesis completed | Yes |
| Has HCA evidence completed | Yes |
| Has source comment completed | Yes |
| Ship classification | |
| Type of ship | N/A |
| Silver Ship litigation in 1650s | |
| Role in Silver Ship litigation | None |
Biographical synthesis
Richard Belchamber (b.ca.1623; d.?). Merchant.
Resident in parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle in February 1655, but states in his High Court of Admiralty deposition that month that he is about to move to Southampton "to dwell".[1]
According to his Court deposition, Belchamber was the deputy of the Commissioners for Dutch Prize goods at Portsmouth.[2]
His mother, Mary Belchamber, died in November 1654 and was buried in parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle.[3]
Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
Richard Belchamber, a thirty-two year old merchant of Saint Thomas the Apostle, deposed in the High Court of Admiralty on February 1st 1655. He was examined on two allegations given in by the Admiralty Court proctor Mr Budd in the case of "The Lord Protector against Wainewright and Jefferies aforesaid."[4]
The case concerned tobaccoes which had been delivered by Belchamber, acting for the London based Commissioners for Dutch Prize goods, to the merchants Wainewright and Jefferies. Wainewright and Jefferies appear to have refused to pay for the goods, which they had received.
The facts of the case as described by Belchamber, were that the goods were delivered from the Commissioners warehouses at Portsmouth to the receipients and received by a Mr Burton in Portsmouth, who had been appointed so to do by the merchants. Belchamber states that customs were paid prior to delivery of the goods and that the goods were undamaged.The Sub Collector for Customs at Portsmouth, Mr Mathew Cock, had acknowledged that the customs were satisfied on the tobaccoes. The goods were received aboard a ship named the Mayflower, but the ship was "leakie and insufficient".[5]
One of the two defendants, John Jefferies, alt. John Jeffreys, was himself a deponent in a separate High Court of Admiralty case on June 5th 1656,[6]
List of depositions in case of The Lord Protector against Wainewright and Jefferies
Allegations on behalf of the Lord Protector
- Mathew Lock, gentleman, late of Portsmouth, January 10th 1655[7]
- Richard Belchamber, merchant, parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle, London, February 1st 1655[8]
Allegation on behalf of Wainewright and Jefferies
- John Whittle, girdler of London, parish of Magdalens Milkstreet, May 21st 1655[9]
Related case in High Court of Admiralty: The Lord Protector against Joseph Drew
- ffrancis Harfeild, grocer, parish of Saint Mary Magdalens Old Fish Street, February 11th 1657[10]
Comment on sources
Parish register of Saint Thomas the Apostle
"Burials. 1654. Nov. 25 Mary Belchamber, widow, mother of Mr Belchamber, decd 24"[11]
Possibly related material
PROB 11/376/123 Will of Mary Belchamber, Widow of London 12 May 1684
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.253r
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.253r
- ↑ Joseph Lemuel Chester (ed.), The Parish Registers of Saint Thomas the Apostle, London, containing the marriages, baptisms, and burals from 1558 to 1754 (London, 1881), p.130, viewed 01/08/2016
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.253r
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.253v; HCA 13/70 f.254r
- ↑ HCA 13/71 f.235r
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.52r
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.253r
- ↑ HCA 13/70 f.331r
- ↑ HCA 13/71 f.519v
- ↑ Joseph Lemuel Chester (ed.), The Parish Registers of Saint Thomas the Apostle, London, containing the marriages, baptisms, and burals from 1558 to 1754 (London, 1881), p.130, viewed 01/08/2016
