George Bascum

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George Bascum
Person George Bascum
Title
First name George
Middle name(s)
Last name Bascum
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation Mariner
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation Foremastman, One of the Company
Associated with ship(s) John of Cowes (Master: John Titley)
Training Not apprentice
Is apprentice of
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen Unknown
Literacy Marke
Has opening text George Bascum
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 Poole
Res county Dorset
Res province
Res country England
Birth year 1626
Marriage year
Death year
Probate date
First deposition age 29
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.48r 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) Jan 8 1655
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

George Bascum (alt. Baskum) (b. ca. 1626; d. ?).

"One of the company" of the ship the John of Cowes, and "Being one of her foremast men in the said trading voyage" (in 1654).[1]

Resident in 1655 in Poole in the county of Dorset.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Twenty-nine year old George Bascum deposed on January 8th 1655 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on interogatories "On the behalfe of Percivall Gilbert of Cowes merchant touching a losse in the John of Cowes (John Titley master).[2]

The case concerned the loss of the ship the John of Cowes at Barbados on a voyage from Cowes to Barbados. The ship departed Cowed on March 15th 1654. arriving at Barbados at the beginning of May 1654 and remaining there until early in July 1654. At Barbados the ship laded sugar belonging to Percivall Gilbert. But while still at Barbados, on July 2nd 1653 "there happened a most violent and tempestuous storme commonly there called a hurricane, soe furious as that the people that had dwelt there many yeares generally affirmed that they had never seene or knowne the like before". As a result "by the extremitie whereof the said shipp the John together with all the sugars (to the quantitie of tenn tonnes of sugar or thereabouts) that were aboard her as alsoe eight puncheons of brandewine and three tonnes of beer, were driven ashore and utterly lost and cast away, the shipp being splitt in peeces".[3]

Although George Bascum signed his deposition with a simple cross as his marke, he could evidently make out or read simple letters used as merchant marks on goods. He testified that he saw the hogsheads of sugar belonging to Percival Gilbert loaded onto the ship, which he helped to stow. He recalled that "the hogsheads and other casks wherein the same were laden, were marked P.G. all which hee knoweth being present and seeing the said goods soe laden, and helping to stowe the same".[4]

Comment on sources

  1. HCA 13/70 f.48r
  2. HCA 13/70 f.48r
  3. HCA 13/70 f.48r
  4. HCA 13/70 f.48v