Abraham Skelton

Biographical synthesis
Abraham Skelton (b. ca. 1520; d. ?). Waterman.

Resided in 1656 in Greenwich in the county of Kent.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
Thirty-six year old year old Abraham Skelton deposed on August 21st 1656 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on an allegation on behalf of Captaine Totty in the cause of "Huggery, Turpin and Company against Captaine John Totty".

Abraham Skelton reported that "after the comming of the shipp the Edward and John to an anchor in the River of Thames neere Greenwich (which was in June last) Captaine Totty her commander about the 27th of the same moneth came ashore at Greenwich, and hired and sent this deponent and five other watermen (whereof his precontest Beniamin Lee was one and his contest Safy Wandal) aboard her to worke". Skelton and his fellow watermen "going aboard found a lighter with goods in her lying to the shipps side, and the men aboard (as seemed to this deponent) were in a disturbanse and demanded of this deponent and the said other five watermenn wherefore they came". On hearing that the watermen had been hired by Captaine Totty, "the marriners aboard replied and said that the goods were damnified, and that they would have them surveyed before they should be unladen, and that if this deponent and the said other watermen (who were sent aboard) offered to lay hands to worke or hayle out any goods, they would knock them on the heads".

Skelton was paid at the rate of "five shillings for his two dayes worke".