James Inglesh

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James Inglesh
Person James Inglesh
Title
First name James
Middle name(s)
Last name Inglesh
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation Merchant
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation
Associated with ship(s)
Training Apprentice
Is apprentice of Ninian Williamson
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen Unknown
Literacy Signature
Has opening text James English
Has signoff text James Inglesh
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 Stephen Coleman Walbrook
Res town London
Res county
Res province
Res country England
Birth year 1637
Marriage year
Death year
Probate date
First deposition age 21
Primary sources
Act book start page(s)
Personal answer start page(s)
Allegation start page(s)
Interrogatories page(s)
Deposition start page(s) HCA 13/72 f.515r 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) Oct 4 1658
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 N/A
Silver Ship litigation in 1650s
Role in Silver Ship litigation None


Biographical synthesis

James Inglesh (alt. English) (b. ca. 1637; d. ?). Merchant and servant of Scottish born but London resident merchant Ninian Williamson.

Resident in the parish of Saint Stephen in Walbrooke in 1658.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Twenty-one year old James Inglesh deposed on October 4th 1658 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on an allegation in support of "The clayme of Ninian Williamson".[1] There is also a record dated August 3rd 1658 of a petition to the Council of state in London by Ninian Williamson, London merchant, concerning a supposedly Dutch ship captured by Captain Christopher Mings at Barbados.[2]

James Inglesh stated that he had been and was still a servant of Ninian Williamson and was employed in his merchandising affairs.[3] According to James Inglesh, Ninian Williamson was a Scotsman and a native of Edinburgh. Williamson had lived in London for some eight or ten years, and James Inglesh had known him for even longer due to visits made by Williamson to the house of James Inglesh's father in London.[4] At the time of James Inglesh's deposition Ninian Williamson had lived in Barge Yard in Bucklesbury in London for the last five years. For the five years prior to that he had lived in Budge Row in London. A further primary source exists recording Ninian Williamson "Merchant in Bucklesbury in the parish of Stephen Walbrooke" in July 1656 and showing a connection to the London-Barbados trade.[5]

James Inglesh believed that Ninian Williamson had been an apprentice to "one Mr English a merchant living in Candlewick streete London."[6] James English provides the interesting detail that Ninian Williamson paid roughly £3 tax in the six monthly assessment.[7]

Through his employment he read Williamson's letters of correspondence which passed between Williamson and William Davidson, Williamson's agent or correspondent at Amsterdam. Williamson sent a letter to Davidson in Amsterdam, requesting him to buy a ship near Amsterdam named the Lambe for Williamson's account.[8] The ship was of a burthen of 400 tons and carried 18 guns.[9] William Davidson, like Ninian Williamson, was a Scotsman.[10]

Williamson sent an Englishman from London to Amsterdam named Daniel Jeggles to serve as the ship's master. The ship was renamed the Mary of London and was fitted out for a voyage to Barbados. Davidson loaded onboard the ship £3000 of foods ("Seaventy horses, a parcell of lynnen, brandy wine, hatts, and other commodities".[11] He paid for the goods by drawing bills of exchange on Ninian Williamson in Londpon, which James Inglesh testified he paid with Williamson's money, drawn on several persons named in the bills.[12] The ship was purchased in October 1657 and set sail for Barbados in December 1657.[13]

James Inglesh stated that Ninian Williamson had made an oath in the High Court of Admiralty in London that he had bought the ship, to make clear that the Dutch had no interest in the ship. Jeggles took the legal documentation with him to Barbados.[14]

According to Inglesh the usual price of horses in Barbados was 3500 pounds weight of sugar per horse, and that the value of this sugar in England or Holland was 40 shillings per hundredweight. This puts the price of a horse in Barbados at £70 per horse.[15]

Comment on sources

1639

"Boys from Inveresk in Midlothian apprenticed to burgesses of Edinburgh, 1583-1800...Apprentice: Douglas, James; Apprentices's designation:s. to late Robert D., portioner of Innerask; Master: Ninian Williamson, merchant; Date: 6 Feb. 1639."[16]

1656

"DEEDS RELATING TO JAMAICA...BRITIH MUSEUM ADD MS. 34.015...."1656. 24th of July. Shershaw Cary of the City of Bristoll M'chant landed at Dover the 21th p'sent out of the Tenneriff M'ehant of London Capt Peartree Master from the Barbadoes and came to London this day and lodgeth at ye house of Ninian Williamson M'chant in Bucklersbury in the pish of Stephen Walbrooke, and saith that having been at ye Barbadoes 3 yeares he is returned with intent to settle himselfe at Bristoll." (p.39)"[17]

"Disbursements in reference to the government, being from the 1st day of November 1656, to the 1st day of November, 1657...1656. December 19. To mr. Ninian Williamson, merchant, being for the use of sir William Lockhart, his highness's resident in FRance. £250-0-0."[18]

1658

"COUNCIL (Of State). Day's Proceedings (cont.)...Aug. 3rd 1658... 13. The report from the Admiralty Commissioners concerning several Dutch ships and lading seized at Barbadoes by Capt. Mings of the Marston Moor, referred to Dr. Walker, to consider it and the papers annexed, and report by Thursday next.

14. Like order on the petition of Ninian Williamson, merchant of London."[19]

1658-1665

William Maxwell Morison (1803) identifies Ninian Williamson as the brother (in law) of Thomas Fairholm, an Edinburgh merchant. Morison states that Ninian Williamson was based in London and had a great trade in wine with a Bordeaux factor named Peter Pallat. He details a dispute about payment for a shipment of wine from Bordeaux and involving Pallat, Williamson and Fairholm.[20]
  1. HCA 13/72 f.515r
  2. CSPD, 1658-9 (London, 1885), p.107
  3. HCA 13/72 f.515r
  4. HCA 13/72 f.516r
  5. Vere Langford Oliver (ed.), Caribbeana: being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (London, 1914), p.299
  6. HCA 13/72 f.516v
  7. HCA 13/72 f.516v
  8. HCA 13/72 f.515r
  9. HCA 13/72 f.516r
  10. HCA 13/72 f.516r
  11. HCA 13/72 f.515v
  12. HCA 13/72 f.515v
  13. HCA 13/72 f.516r
  14. HCA 13/72 f.515v
  15. HCA 13/72 f.516r
  16. Online resouces: 'Boys from Inveresk in Midlothian apprenticed to burgesses of Edinburgh, 1583-1800', sourced from The register of apprentices of the city of Edinburgh, 1583-1666
  17. Vere Langford Oliver (ed.), Caribbeana: being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (London, 1914), p.299
  18. A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, vol. 6 (London, 1742), p.590
  19. CSPD, 1658-9 (London, 1885), p.107
  20. William Maxwell Morison, The decisions of the Court of Session: from its first institution to the present time: digested under proper heads, in the form of a dictionary, vol.12 12 (XXXX, 1803), pp.9432-9434