Samuel Browne
| Samuel Browne | |
|---|---|
| Person | Samuel Browne |
| Title | |
| First name | Samuel |
| Middle name(s) | |
| Last name | Browne |
| Suffix | |
| Spouse of | |
| Widow of | |
| Occupation | Mariner |
| Secondary shorebased occupation | |
| Mariner occupation | Boatswain, One of the Company |
| Associated with ship(s) | Mary of Aldburgh (Master: Robert Yaxley) |
| Training | Not apprentice |
| Is apprentice of | |
| Was apprentice of | |
| Had apprentice(s) | |
| Citizen | Unknown |
| Literacy | Marke |
| Has opening text | Samuel Browne |
| Has signoff text | + |
| 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 | |
| Res town | Aldeburgh |
| Res county | Suffolk |
| Res province | |
| Res country | England |
| Birth year | 1604 |
| Marriage year | |
| Death year | |
| Probate date | |
| First deposition age | 50 |
| 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.29r 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) | Nov 24 1654 |
| How complete is this biography? | |
| Has infobox completed | Yes |
| Has synthesis completed | No |
| Has HCA evidence completed | No |
| Has source comment completed | No |
| Ship classification | |
| Type of ship | Coal ship |
| Silver Ship litigation in 1650s | |
| Role in Silver Ship litigation | None |
Biographical synthesis
Samuel Browne (b. ca. 1604; d.?). Mariner.
Boatswain of the coal ship the Mary of Aldburgh in Suffolk (Master: Robert Yaxley).
Resident in 1654 Aldeburgh in Suffolk and for twenty six years prior to that (so since ca. 1628)
"Hee hath well knowne the shipp Mary arlate for theise 12. yeares last past...The premisses hee knoweth having resided at Alborough aforesaid for about 26. yeares last past, and hath sailed in and served aboard the said shipp the whole sommer last past".[1]
Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
Fifty year old Samuel Browne deposed on May 24th 1654 in the High Court of Admiralty.[2] He was examined on an allegation on behalf of Robert Yaxley, George Blowers and Company in the case of "Robert Yaxley George Blowers, Arthur Blowers and Companie owners of the shipp the Mary of Alborough against the shipp the freeman, John Whitty master and her tackle and ffurniture and against Thomas Delabarr and other".[3]
Samuell Browne stated that "the Mary arlate upon or about the 26th. day of October last past 1654. coming upon a voyage from Newcastle with her lading of coales designed for London, and being sayleing in Gallions reach in the River of Thames neere Woolwich towards the port with the benefit onely of the tide, the master and company of the said shipp Mary perceiving the shipp the Freeman arlate (John Whitty master) then comeing downe the said river, and approaching neere unto the Mary, the wind then being at West-South-West with a fair gale, the master of the said Mary and company boare up as much as possible they could to the South shoare of the River, expressely to prevent that the said shipp the freeman might not fall fowle upon them".[4]
Despite the crew of the Mary calling out, Samuel Browne clained that "Whitty and companie violently rann aboard the Mary with the said shipp the Freeman, and made such a strong impression, that they broake the said shipp Mary her maine mast, maine toppe, maine yard, foreyard, her maine shrowdes, two of her maine stay in two places, and broke one side of the said shipp the Mary downe to the water, rent the foresayle and maine topsayle, much endammaged the mainesayle and spoyled all the small rigging".[5]
Calling the collision a "violent irruption", Samuel Browne described "sewerall of the said Freemans companie which came aboard the Mary, and there according to their owne fancie hacked and cutt in pieces the said shipp and rigging". John Whitty, the captain of the Freeman, picturesquely "standing on the fore castle of the Freeman and calling the Maries companie colierly doggs and rogues, telling them hee cared not if hee had sunke their shipp".[6]
