Christopher Downs

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Christopher Downs
Person Christopher Downs
Title
First name Christopher
Middle name(s)
Last name Downs
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation Mariner
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation Boatswain, Purser
Associated with ship(s) Guifte of Topsham (Master: William Mayer)
Training Not apprentice
Is apprentice of
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen Unknown
Literacy Signature
Has opening text Christopher Downs
Has signoff text Christopher Downes
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 Stepney
Res town
Res county Middlesex
Res province
Res country England
Birth year 1618
Marriage year
Death year
Probate date
First deposition age 36
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.400v 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) July 12th 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 Merchant ship
Silver Ship litigation in 1650s
Role in Silver Ship litigation None


Biographical synthesis

Christopher Downs (alt. Downes) (b. ca. 1618; d. ?).

"Went Boatswaine of the arlate shipp the Guifte of Topsham and the arlate William Mayer Master of her during the voyage in question".[1]

Resident in 1654 in the parish of Stepney.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Thirty-four year old Christopher Downs deposed on July 12th 1654 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on an allegation dated July 11th 1654 on behalf of William Mayer in the cause of "Pitt and others against Mayer".[2]

Christopher Downs stated that he went boatswain of the ship the Guife of Topsham on the voyage in question. Moreover, he served as purser, requiring him to use his writing skills. He stated that he "this deponent being purser did enter all the sayd ladeing in his booke as belonging to them the sayd Pitt and Marshall and the same was all marked with their markes as belonging to them."[3]

The Guife sailed from Topsham to the Barbados to load sugar and tobaccoes to be transported to Bilbao. Downs makes reference to the concern of him and his fellow crew memberrs that the ship needed a Spanish licence to impport such goods to Spain. "well knowing that such goods were in Spaine Contrabanda goods if brought thither without speciall licence first obteyned from the King of Spaine or his officers and would be there seized and hazard the losse of them and what other private adventure of the same quality any of the sayd shipps company should have on board her at her arrivall at Bilbao, did in behalfe of himselfe and the rest of the sayd shipps company signifie unto the arlate Thomas Pitt then on shipp board that hee this deponent and the rest of the sayd company for the reason aforesayd were unwilling to proceede on the sayd voyage and lade sugar and tobaccoe at the Barbadoes and deliver the same at Bilboa unlesse a speciall license were procured soe to doe".[4]

Comment on sources

  1. HCA 13/70 f.400v
  2. HCA 13/70 f.400v
  3. HCA 13/70 f.400v
  4. HCA 13/70 f.400v