MRP: Synthesis

Synthesis

Editorial history

26/04/12, CSG: Created page

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Suggested links

Style Sheet One
Transcription

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Current topics for synthesis

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Adventures, money, cloathes and instruments

- "the arlate Captaine Hosier and his Company had at the tyme of the seizure of the Lady ffrigott& her ladeing by the sayd Gen?uoa man of warr the Sta Cruse goods which were her & their adventures and money cloathes and Instruments aboard her to the value in this deponents Judgement of eight hundred pounds of lawfull English money All which were seized and taken from the sayd Hosier & his Company & they utterly deprXed of them by the Captaine & Company of the sayd Gennoa man of warr who plundered them of them and having soe done kept the Company of the Lady ffrigott prisoners for a teyme the most of them being cheyned, and after wards sett them on shoare in the Island of Cephalonia to shXXX for themselves without allowing them money or provisions"

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Amsterdam to the Spanish West Indies

English merchants sending ship from Amsterdam to Spanish West Indies

- "M:r John Page one of the Merchants concerned in this busines, having with his associates a designe in hand to send a shipp from Amsterdam for the West Indies to trade for their account upon the coasts of the Spaniards, and understanding that this deponent understood both the Spanish and dutch tongues (besides English) and could speake them, and alsoe understood the busines of traffique and XXXXX as a marchant treated and agred with this deponent to goe the said voyage for five pounds per moneth wages and XXXX for XXX goods for his owne account, wherein hee this deponent was to give assistajce to John Lo?pes his ?precontest who was alsoe then XXX and being XX hired this deponent was XX XXX XXXXX in a dutch shipp called the ?Mackerell bound for Amsterdam and concerned with him in the said shipp XXXXX, perpetuanas, ?hatts, and many other particulars of goods w:ch were here ?provided by the said M:r Page and XXXX ffernandez, M:r ?Robles, M:r Jenkin and M:r ?Painter Merchants of this citie, to be at Amsterdam put aboard such a shipp as could be provided for that XXXX and voyage."

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Appraisal

Appraisal of the estate of a deceased person

- "there was also a warrant granted from the said Governor to M:r Humfrey Kent and M:r Richard SXXXswicke, to appreize the said goods accordinge to theire trew value, uppon theire oathes who (being sworne before the said Governor or some Justice of the Peace att the Barbados to the effect a forsaid) did apprize all the said goods uppon the XXXoathes att five thousand nine hundred seaventy and eight pounds of Tobacco and more as hee beleeveth"

- "hee this rendent did deliver a pticular of Inventary of the said goods as they were apprised by the said Appraisors under theire hands to the said M:rs West or M:r William ffisher then Proctor for her in the Prerogative Court with a testification of theire being sworne uppon the said appraisem:t w:ch they the said M:rs West and her Proctor did ever since detaine from him"

Appraisal of a ship for a prize court

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Bills of lading

Colourable bills of lading

- "[In context of trade in Brazil wood between Lisbone and Newhaven by the Portuguese Brazil Company] sometimes there are Colourable bills of Lading made & signed for goods, and noe reall bills, but in such Cases, the M:r of the ship hath Instrctions where and to whom to Deliver the goods mentioned in y:e Colourable bills./:"

Tenor of bills of lading

- "after the reception thereof [138 bags of Spanish wooll sent to Antwerp] this dep:t signed three bills of lading of one teno:r and caused the same to be entred into his books. the receipt of the same, and to whome they were consigned as aforesaid"

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Brokers

Common broker

- "John Roles is of this Depo:ts knowledge a Comon Broker, betwixt Merchts and M:r of ships and other Trade:?s and hath noe pticular relaccon to the said Brazil Companz that this Depo:t knoweth of/:"

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Characteristics of a good ship

Strong and tight

- "att such tyme as the sayd shipp Free trade now seized at Lisbone as aforesd she was a strong and tight shipp and had bene but one voyage before att sea from the tyme of her sd building"

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Coasting trade

- "they nor either of them was even with him at Hamburrough neither hath the said Scrother (as they and every of them beleiveth) beene more than once att Hambrough these 7 yeares but doth trade and coast upp and downefrom place to place (as he conceiveth) most advantagious for his benefiitt"

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Commercial failure

Composition with creditors

- "y:e arlate ffrancis Pardini is (as this Depo:t hath heard) failed) ?in Estate, and y:e arlate John Thacker (as this Depo:t hath also heard) is Employed to make y:e said Pardinies Composicon with his Credito:es"

Failure of a merchant at Genoa or Legorne

- "at Genoa this rendent tooke in some pte of her lading & was to goe to Legorne to take in y:e remainder, & at his arrivall at Legorne the merchant who freaighted this rendents ship failed so that this rendents designe was overthrown" [Answer given June 1659]

False bills of sale to manipulate ownership of goods following a merchant's failure

- "hee doth beleive the said de Silvera not knowing the said ffrancis Pardini was failed did send the bill of lading unto him as he beleiveth but hee doth not beleive the said John Tha?cker did really buy the said wood of the said M:r Pardini or pay him any thing for the same, neither doth hee beleive that the said M:r Pardini or any other merchant that is failed hath a legall power to make any sale of any goods that come to him during the time they absent and are not able to pay their debts, but hee doth beleive the said M:r Thacker being imployed by y:e said M:r Pardini as his sollicitor to make his composicon with his creditors hee & the said M:r Pardini did contrive together to gett the said goods into their hands if possibly they could and in order thereunto he beleiveth the said M:r Pardini did colourably, and fraudulently signe the bill of sale or schedule alleadged and deliver the same for his XXX as hee beleeveth...

To the sixth hee answeareth that hee doth beleive that the said M:r Pardini did in further ?prosequucon of the said fraudulent contrivance betweene him and the said M:r Thacker his sollicitor endorse the bill of ladeing as is alleadged but hee being soe failed & absented hee doth beleive the same is utterly voyd and of noe effect." [Answer given June 1659, referring to events in 1649]

Failure of bankruptcy of a merchant not known for some time

- "4 Itmm interr. Whether before the shippe Stockholme came from Stockholme, and before the Iron in controversie was Laden aboard, was itt nott commonly and generally reported that the said Godfrey Deleau was bankrupt or failed in his estate and in what moneth did the said wittnesse first heare that the said Deleau was failed. Et fiat ut supra."

Failure of a merchant leading to forced sale of a ship to pay mariners' wages

- "after the the foresaid breakeinge of the said Merchants freighters, the said Cravens not haveing monies to paye the marriners theire wages for the said voyage the said Marriners arrested the said shipp for the same & by course of Lawe att Marcelles the said Shipp was condemned and sould for the payment of the said Marriners wages & other debts then due, uppon her the said Owners not takeing order to pay the said wages, and other debts then due uppon her in tyme" (HCA 15/6 Box Two)

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Commercial activities of the King of Spain

- "in the moneth of January 1653. new style, and for about 14. yeares before this depon:t hath well knowne the arlate John de Windt, who is a Merchant and Burgher of Cadiz, and is married there, and saith That by the credible relation of the said John de Windt and others at Cadiz this depon:t: hath understood y:t the arlate Domingo Centurione at the time of the Lading of the said woolls was a Spaniard liveing at Madrid, and Councello:r to his Catholique Ma:tie and his Principall ffacto:r or Agent for the sending of goods wares and merchandizes from Spaine into ffland:rs for the supply of his said Ma:ties occasions there, And saith both the psons arlate were and are commonly accompted Subiects to the said King of Spaine."

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Commissions

Tenor of a commission

- " they did with the said shippe the Elsabeth goe forth and seize in and take uppon the high Seas as Prize the severall vessells w:th their Ladeinges as is arlate neare about the tyme arlate and brought or sent the same to some portes of this Common Wealth to be proceeded against accordinge to the Tenor of this Rendents Commission"

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Contempt of court

Contempt of the High Court of Admiralty

- "hee answereth and beleeveth that hee hath not committed any contempt against this Court or the authoritie thereof, and thereofore ought not to be punished with havinge XXXXX the same."

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Crew numbers

- "[The 'XXXX"", a ship of XXX tonns] hee saith there were twenty men and a boy belonging to the
said shipp when shee XX XXXXX Milford

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Disguising the identity of a ship

Colourable bills of lading

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Use of non-English masters and commanders

- "the sd ship haveing unladen her outward goods did receive in other good to y:e value of neare thirty three hundred pounds and was in her returne about July last 1656. mett with by a Dunkirk or ?Dutch Vessell upon a Spanish Comission, and the Comp:ie neglecting to defend their sd Ship & goods (as they ought to have done) or to make any opposition or resistance, or so much as to conceale her from belonging to the English when as there as a dutch M:r & passes & other things necessary to have coloured her ?she was wholly lost from the Owners, to their very great damage"

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Doctors Commons

The Hall

- "Repeated before D:r Godolphin & Coll Cocke In the Hall x:r. November the 22:th 1658."

Chambers

- "15:° Novemb 1658. Repeated before dror Godolphon one of the Judges x:r In his Chamber x:X"

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Fish

Pickled herring

- "To the second Interrie This deponent saith and deposeth that the sayd ship the Hart had att the tyme of the sayd seizure, one hundred and four score Tonnes of pickled herrings on board her. And saith the sayd shipp and all her sayd lading did att the sayd tyme of seizure belong to severall merchants Inhabitants of Skadam subiects of the sayd States of the united Provinces"

Salmon

- "y:e sayd shipp came from and began this her outwards voyage from Stockholme with her p:rsent lading of goods being Iron pitch tarr Copper shott andSalmon...all to be unladen att this port of London whither she was bound and where she now is the foresayd Salmon excepted which is to be transported to Burdeaux and there unladen and delivered to Jan Van Pullen a facto:r for y:e sayd Swedish merchants there resideing."

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English High Court of Admiralty: procedures

Adjugement of a prize

- "To the .13 he saith that in case the says shipp the Morning Starr shall be adiudged prize he this rendent expecteth benefit thereby according to the office he bore in the Advantage frigot. and according to an Act or Ordinance of parliament made in that behalfe, and not otherwise."

Advocates and Sollicitors of the Admiralty

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Appeal

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- ?Commissioners of appeal in the privy council (existed in 1801, but did this commission exist in mid-C17th?)

Appraisement and sale

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Condemnation

QUESTION: In any case in which a ship is condemned, establish how it is condemned by the court (e.g. condemned as a "droit of Admiralty")

Costs and damages

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Court jurisdiction

- "he answereth & beleeveth that he is a subiect of this Comon Wealth but not subiect to the Juxon of this Court by reason of this Suite"

Court of the Cinque Ports

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Expenses

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Foreign claimants

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Issuing of a warrant

- "he answereth & beleiveth that y:e sd Edward Peascott Michaell Peascott & Edward Randall have without iust cause arrested him by warr:t out of this Co:rt to answere them in their p?dsed cause of complaint"

Judgement of prize

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Judges

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Legal terms

- "[Practice in 1801] In term-time, the courts at Doctors' Commons with the by-week (only unobserved in the short interval of Easter term) make sessions of five weeks; there are five courts in a week, in which many cases of great length and importance, testimentary, matrimonial, and ecclesiastica, are heard."

Lord High Admiral

- Lord High Admiral is styled the Lieutenant of the Admiralty Board, viewed 21/05/12

Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty

- Grant of power to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty is from the sovereign (p. 12)
- Officers of the Admiralty are accountable to the Commissioners of the Admiralty for collecting and receiving (p. 12)
- The Board of Admiralty is executive, and as trustees of the sovereign, and as an inferior board of revenue in the case of droits, is "always subject to be superseded by the superior authority" (pp. 12-13)

Neutral claimants

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Prize Act

QUESTION: When wsa the first prize act passed in parliament and how did it substantively impact process and decisions of the High Court of Admiralty?

- The cruizers act of Queene Anne, 1703
--Gave the sole property, once forfeiture proven, to the captos, not to the Lord High Admiral (p. 17)
- "By the American act the prize offices were suppressed"

QUESTION: Can a prize of war be distinguished from a prize of forfeiture?

Proctors of the Admiralty

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Records of the Court

- "for the ?admidication or release thereof this Rendent referreth himself to the Records of this Court"

Registry of the Court

- "the said shippe the Elsabeth did w:thin the time arlate goe forth upon a man of warre voyage and had a Commission from this Court to all or most of the effects articulate And this Rendent went out Captaine and Commander of her and for more certaintie referreth himselfe to the said Commission remaynninge on the Registrie of this Court"

- "otherwise for his parte hee doth not beleeve hee is bound by lawe by lawe (sic) to answear saveinge hee referreth himselfe to the Registry of this Courte"

- The Register-Office was reported in 1801 to be "in great confusion"

Sentences of the Court

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Waiters of the Prize Office

- "To the 11:th he saith he was not aboard the interrte shipp the Golden Starr till after said tyme as the ?Wayters for the Prize office came upon her in the behalfe of the State, and by authority of the Com:rs for the Prize Office; And he saith that after the sd Waiters were so aboard he saw the master of the Waterhound named BLANK IN MANUSCRIPT Grant take out of the Golden Starr a bag of moneyes of about six hundred peices of 8/8, and saw the Captaine of y:e Water hound Giles Shelley take out of y:e Golden Starr a quantity of moneyes in a Bagg, but how much in certaine he knoweth not, and saw likewise Capt MiXX Commander of the Advantage frigott take out of the sayd Golden Starr, in one or two baggs four hundred and three and twenty peices of eight and 1/2. And beleiveth that severall other parcells of moneyes were taken out of the sayd prize shipp he cannot specify, but beleiveth that all or most of the Company of the Advantage frigot, and of the Water hound that were aboard the Golden Starr att the tyme of seizure and afterwards before she came into the River of Thames had and tooke some small quantityes of the sayd moneyes, the values whereof he knoweth not. And saith that some of the Company of y:e sayd Advantage and Waterhound but who in pticular he knoweth not tooke out of the Golden Starr some small Jarrs of oyle and some other things the particulars or values whereof he cannot sett forth."

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French High Court of Admiralty: procedures

Restoration of funds

- "he hath heard & doth beleeve that y:e said ship & all the goods were sold & the money or pt of it deposited in the Court, and afterwards the sd money so deposited was decreed to be delivered or restored as he beleeveth...what costs & charges, & port charges were necessarily expended about the same is not possible for him to knowe, but hee is willing to allow his pporcon of what shall be legally proved but he doth beleeve his Agent did disburse five or six pounds or thereabouts towards the recovery of y:e sd ship & goods or proceed, & the sd M:r did take up from this rendents factor the summe of thirty pounds or thereabouts upon p:etence of fraight whereas there was none, due as he beleeveth w:ch he still detaineth in his hands"

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Fraudulent sale of a ship

- " after the said Harris and Powicke had used and imployed the arlate Shippe y:e Little George by y:e space of twenty monethes & uppwards as they beleeve and had utterly spoyled her for want of furnishinges and fittinge her with such things as they ought to have fitted her with and had sould or otherwise disposed of the said Shippe and her furniture or parte thereof, and on purpose to deceave these respondents of their shippe and freight as they beleeve they tould these responedents the said shipp was leakye and that they had lost her at Cales"

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Genoese men of war

Genoese men of war seized an English ship

- "the Gunner & an other of her Company duXXXX ?boy who well speake good English told this deponent & others of the Lady ffrigotts Company that the Captainne of the Sta Cruse the better to enable him to seize the Lady ffrigott and her ladeing had a little before the sizure taken some Mariners & souldiers out of the foresayd two other Genoa men of warr And hee saith most of the Company of the Sta Cruse were Italians, and as they confessed belonged to Genoa...

To the 7:th arle hee saith that after the seizure of the Lady ffrigott & her ladeing severall of the Company of the Sta Cruse did confesse that they were sett out from Genoa upon a warlike designe a:t the Turk?s & had bin a great while abroad and Could get noe prizes & therefore they had taken a Spanish Commission which was only to last a certayne tyme, which tyme )as they sayd & acknowledged was expired two monethes before they seized the Lady ffrigott and her ladeing, but sayd alsoe that they were resolved ?although it were expired yet they would take any English shipps they ?would (OR, ?could) meete with This hee knoweth for that hee being Boatswaine of the Lady ffrigott & seized in her heard severall of the Sta Cruse her company speake the sayd words./"

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Insults made at sea

- "the Captaine of the sayd Golden Starr in stead of showing submission to the authority of this Commonwealth being upon the Coasts of Englands as was demanded of him and is usuall did in a contemptuous manner returne skurrilous and base language and in an unbecoming and skornefull and reproach full way turned downe his breeches, and held upp his bare ?bumme or breech to the sayd Captaine Mill and Company, and waved his Cuttle axe bidding the sayd Captaine Mill Come to Leeward, all which this deponent saw and observed."

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Insurance

Discharge of an insurance made on a single voyage following completion

- "this rendent haveing notice and intelligence that the said shipp was bound from Marcelles to Scanderoone & soe to Marcelles againe did att the imptantie and desire of M:r Gilbert Moorewood, and some other of her Owners and the said Cravens mother cause an Assurance for the said voyage onlie and noe longer to be made uppon the said shipp to the value of ?700:li and not above as he beleeveth the Premio whereof this rendent beleeveth the said Cravens mother paid w:ch voyage being ended and the said shipp comeinge safe to Marcelles againe the same was discharged, and voyded" (HCA 13/125)

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London docks

Billingsgate

- "about the time arlate the shipp the Hopewell came and arrived at Billingsgate docke arlate" (HCA 13/125)

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Neutral carriers

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Packers and packing of goods

Packer for a Canary wine importer

- "The premisses hee deposeth being y:e sd producents packer, and hathe as hee beleeveth packed goods at severall times for y:e sd producent to the vallue of above twenty Thousand pounds"

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Payment of ransom

Ransom paid to Tripoly

- "this rendent & his sd ship & ladeing were taken by three Tripoly men of warr, & carried to Tripoly & XXX XXXX ship & lading all lost, & this rendent & his Company made prisoners as he beleeveth, where this rendent continued by the space of Three moneths & ?od dayes, & then was ransomed w:ch cost him ?800. dollars as he beleeves, & this rendent beleeveth that all the rest of the sd Comp:ie who are liveing except Edward ?Paull are there yet in captivity"

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Perception of risk

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Port charges

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Port Time Sources

- Unlading & Relading time in Lisbon port, 165X

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Profitability of voyages

Profits could vary significantly between consecutive voyages made by the same ship

- "he answeareth and beleeveth that the voyage from hence to Newfoundland and soe to Mallaga and hence to London the said shipp cleered in the whole shipp 105:li & not above as he beleeveth, and in the next voyage from hence to Mallaga, & home againe 107:li & not above as he beleeveth 14:li whereof more than his share & Randall Crewe receaved of under M:r Roydeon and for the voyage in the service of of the State the said shipp iXXXX XXX had beene XXX ?did cleere betwixt eight and nine hundred poundes about 500:li whereof is still unpaid and the remainder beinge about 400:li and Daniel Bright one of the Owners of the said shipp receaved & paid to everie Owner as he beleeveth theire XXXXX XX shares thereof And for the last voyage from hence to Barcellona and then to Marselles and soe to Barbary and Marcelles againe this rendent beleeveth there was losse uppon the said voyage about 440. or 450:li by reason the said shipp was imbargoed att Marcelles by the space of sixe monthes the Plague beinge then aboard her" (HCA 13/125 Box Two)

Knock on effects of a merchant's failure on the profitability if a voyage through failure to pay freight

- "after such tyme as the arlate Craven came into the said shipp the Jeremie he did make onlie one voyage w:ch was from Marcelles to Scanderoone and soe to Marcelles againe, and that att his returne thither before his fraight was paid as this rendent beleeveth his Merchant broke soe that he lost all his freight as he beleeveth" (HCA 13/125 Box Two)

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Purchase of naval stores

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Pursers

- "the said ship the Saphire (XXXX hee only depose) had Laden and put a bord her a Cargazoone of goods the pticulars whereof & to whom consigned are specified in this depon:ts Pursers booke of fraight
delivered to the said General Blake or to such as he appointed to receave the same to ?w:ch for more certainty herein hee refereth himselfe"

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Refusal to take an oath

Refusal to take an oath in the High Court of Admiralty

- "in obedience to his said warrants, and that they XXXXX unto him as hee beleiveth, their said Comission and declared unto him their power given XXXXX and the effect of the said Commission, and that hee was called as a witnesse to be examined thereupon, and that they sitting as com:es did admXXXX this rendent to take his oath as a Witnes to depose the trutht upon such matters as ?any ?could be expressed, and this respondent desiing to know of them what it was hee should bee examined upon, they or XXX of them answered that hee should know that, when hee had taken his oath, and that this respondent againe insisted and prayed them that hee might know before his swearing, what hee should be examined upon, and withall told and XXXX unto them, that hee was readie and would sweare that hee never tooke nor XXX XXX nor bought in XX any of the goods taken or that were out of the said shipp to his knowledge, but they still refusing to acquaint or tell him what matters hee should be examined upon, hee refused to take his oath, and would not be examined by or before them upon oath unlesse hee might know the matter concerning w:ch hee should bee examined before his taking his oath"

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Refusal to pay mariners' wages

Refusal of Duke of Venice to give satisfaction for forced use of ship to service the Venetian fleet

- " there this rendent was offered a fraight to Smirna & soe to Venice againe w:ch this rendent accepted of, but dureing such tyme as he was at Venice intreating about the same the Duke of Venice or his Officers forced this rendent & his sd ship into their Service contrary to this rendents good will & likeing to carry bread from thence to ?candy for the ffleete w:ch this rendents ship accordingly did & arrived & delivered the same there in or about y:e beginning of december 1655. as he believeth for w:ch this rendent never received any satisffaction at all and doth declare that so soone as hee shall receive satisffaction for the same he shalbe ready & willing to pay his sd Marrin:es what shalbe due unto them for y:e same"

Failure of mariners to defend their ship from seizure

- "he [Elias Beake, London merchant] hath bin required to pay wages to the sd Salter & others, & y:t he doth justly refuse as he humbly conceiveth, for the sd pties, or some of them coming to him to demand their wayges he asked them why they did not defend their sd ship & goods & make shott at y:e vessell y:t tooke them y:t so they might have beaten them of & saved the vessell & goods for the Own:es that they might have had incouragem:t to have paid them for their good service, to w:ch answear was made that whoe should have kept them if they had been wounded, or lost a Limb or to that effect, so that of marrin:es should refuse to use their gunnes in this manner the Own:es had as good throw them into y:e Sea as carry them in their Ships & if they may give up their vessells & goods & returne home & receive their wages as usuall"

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Risk

Risque

- "for his the said John Scrother the producents accompt and risque"

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Role of consuls

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Sheriff's Court of London

Sueing in the Sheriff's Court

- "hee this Rendent hath sued and doth still sue and impleade the said George Cobden in the Sheriffs Court of London for the said sugars in an action of ?Trover; and alsoe beleeveth that y:e six tonnes of sugar soe as aforesaid by him laded or reputed to be laden aboard the said shipp the James in Carlisle bay, and the goods or sugars by him sued for in the sid Sheriffs Court, were and are the same goods or sugars, and not diverse"

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Shipping charges

- "it being very notorious & well knowne to the sd M:r Wayn Wright & all other mrchants that use the East countrey trade that every Last of wheate payeth one dollar the charges at Stettin & Stralsound & the charges for Smacks & boates to bring y:e sd corne on board, & petty pilotage & other dutyes, all w:ch heethis rendent did really pay"

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Ship prices

- "a stXXX shipp of the burthen of 200 tunnes and upwards: and was worth with her tackle and furniture having bene newly fitted and equipped the summe of one thousand pounds ?sterl in the Judgm:t of this deponent"

- "she was a strong and tight shipp and had bene but one voyage before att sea from the tyme of her first building and was of the burthen of .200 tonnes or thereabouts and had in her sixteene ?persons, and the tackele apparell and furniture of and belonging unto her were likewise good and new And the freight of the says hipp so provided with gunns and tackle was well worth the summe of 250:li sterl p moneth And soe much was and is usually given p moneth for a shipp of her burthen and goodnes"

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Spanish crew on English ships

Voyage from London to Amsterdam to Trinidad and the Spanish West Indies and back to London

- "hee saith there were twenty men and a boy belonging to the said shipp when shee XX XXXXX Milford, whereof seaven were Spaniards the said John Lopez being one of the said Spaniards, and saith three of the said Spaniards are in London, and the rest were left abroad"

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Stopping, searching, & seizing ships

- "the shipps arlate were stayed at y:e Isle of Wight by the Governour or his deputye at Yarmouth castle in the said Island upon information given by some of their owne Company as hee beleeveth that they were bound for Spayne"

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Terra Firma

North American continent as "Terra Firma"

- "?departed in or about November 1657 to ComXXXX a coast on the terra firma"

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Timber yards

Timber yard in ?Lisbon

- "hee was in y:e said yard (out of w:ch y:e said Logwood was taken & sent on board y:e said ship) whilest, some of the sd wood was weighing, and sawe most of it sent, and brought aboard y:e said ship, y:e said yard being neere y:e waterside & neere unto y:e place: where his ship lay"

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Trade with the Canary Islands

English merchants trading under Dutch names

- "English merchants doe, (and have done since y:e warre betwixt England and Spaine) trade at y:e Canaryes under fained and fictitious Dutch names the better to Colo:r their goods, and p:eserved them from Spanish Capture."

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Travel Time Sources

Inverness to Rochell

- "he answereth & beleeveth That the weather ?serving a ship doth usually & may saile from Innvrnes to Rochell in ?20 dayes or thereabouts"

Gravesend to coast of Greeneland and back to Gravesend

- "the sd ship sett sayle from Gravesend upon or about the fourteenth of Aprill 1656. & not before as they beleeve at w:ch time & not before the sd monethly pay was to begin in case the sd pties had behaved themselves as they ought to have done, & these rendents further beleeve that y:e ship the Greyhound came back againe into the River of Thames & was here discharged upon or about the fowrteenth day of September 1656 as they beleeve"

Lisbon to Brazil (exact Brazilian destination unspecified)

- "y:e sd ship the Scipio did enter upon & begin her voiage for Brazeel to wit in y:e lading of her goods for that place the 3:d of September 1649. and that y:e sd ship did dept from Lisborne upon y:e sd voiage the 5:th day of November arlate 1649 & ?arrived at Brazeele the 6:th day of March 1649 [i.e. 1650] & there discharged her lading about y:e end of Aprill 1650 & that upon the 20:th of June 1650. y:e sd ship did set saile in company of the portugall fleete for Lisborne againe, and was afterwards put back with the rest of y:e fleete by the command of y:e Admrall for Brazeel where they arrived againe about the first or second of July 1650."

London to the Canary Islands

- "the sd Ship did go with some small commodities to ?Loratuna in the Canary ?Islands & did safely arrive there & unlade her goods as hee believeth but y:e time of her arrivall & lading he knoweth not, but believeth a ship may goe from home to y:e Canaries with goods & unlade the same within the space of sixe weekes"

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Trust

Trust reposed in an executor or administrator

- "this rendent did desire them the said M:r fford, and M:r Mayne to Joyne with him to administer uppon and dispose the said goods,accordinge to the trust reposed in them by the said M:r West decead, but they the said M:r fford ad M:r Mayne did both of them refuse, and then this rendent being unwillinge the said goods should bee lost and miscarye, did in ?order to that trust w:ch was reposed in him repaire to the Governor of the Barbados and there acquainted him with this whole matter, who thereuppon did issue out an order or warrant in the nature of an administration, to this rendent the said M:r fford and M:r Mayne, that they might thereby ?receave the said goods out of the said shipand make disposition thereof"

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Use of arbitration

Dispute of freight charges deducted from proceeds returned to Master and Owner

- "To the Eighteenth & Nyneteenth he answereth that he hath bin demanded to pay fraight, but doth beleeve there is none due to y:e sd pties, but for their ppoorcon of the monyes pceeding of the sd ship and goods he is & hath alwaies bin ready & willing to allow unto them their pporcon, if they would agree what the same should be or leave the same to any indiffrent psons to state the same betweene them"

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Value of cargo vs value of ship

XXX to XXX ratio

- "hee saith the Postillion at her seizure was of the burthen of two hundred tonne or therabouts and had nyne peeces of ordnance and the sayd shipp and her tackle apparrell & furniture were then well worth (in this deponents Judgement and estimate) two thousand six hundred pounds sterling or therabouts And saith the sayd shipp had aboard he at the tyme of the seizure, (for Accompt of the sayd Delboe Middleton Temmes Britton Taylor and Syon seaventeene hundred forty six parcell and thirty one ?Catees of pepper, and peeces of Eight three thousand three hundred and some odd peeces which pepper would in this deponents Judgment, if it had come safe to England have there yeild Thirteene Thousand pounds sterling besides freight due alsoe to the sayd Delboe Middleton Temms Britton Taylor and Syon as Owners of the sayd shipp which as hee beleeveth would have amounted to two thousand eight hundred pounds more of like money And hee saith that hee this deponent had for his owne Accompt aboard the sayd shipp at her seizure sixe hundred peeces of Eight, and pepper & Cloaves soe much as would have in England have yeilded seaventeene hundred pounds sterling, besides his wages for the sayd voyage which hee beleeveth did amount to ?three hundred pounds more of like money & his cloats amounting to about twenty pounds more of like money all which hee lost by the seizure aforesayd And hee saith the sayd shipps company at the tyme of the sayd seizure had aboard her for their Accompt pepper & ?Caude & other goods to the value of ?three hundred pounds sterling in this deponents Judgment and estimate, besides their cloathes and wages which as hee beleeveth was worth a thousand pounds more of like money all which they were samnified by the sayd seizure And hee saith that beside the p:rmisses there were about the sayd shipp at her seizure fower hundred Jarrs of Greene Ginger for Accompt of the English East India Company which were alsoe lost by the seizure aforesayd and would in this deponents Judgment have yeilded if they had come safe to England one thousand one hundred and twenty pounds sterling..."

Ten to one ratio

- "To the fifteenth he answereth & beleeveth that the said ship & her tackle & furniture & other materialls when they were seized were worth about the summe of One hundred pounds, and not above as he beleeveth, and the sd goods in the said ship were worth as he beleeveth the summe of about one thousand pounds & not under as he beleeveth, but y;e sd ship by lyeing there and being pillaged was much spoyled & damnifyed & worth little as he beleeveth...[Following the sale of the ship & goods, snd subsequent decree to return the proceeds] 16. To the Sixteenth he answereth & beleeveth that y:e monyes which came to his hands as y:e pceed of y:e sd ship & goods did amount to about Two hundred Nynety five pounds as is alleaged & not lesse as he beleeveth, & he hath not since delivered y:e same, but alwayes offered & was & is willing to give them their due ppocon as he beleeveth"

Two point six to one ratio

- "the Lady ffrigott and her tackle and furniture, & freight, and stock & provisions on board her at her seizure aforesayd by the sayd Gennoa (sic) man of warr called the Sta Cruse was in his this deponents Judgment well worth five thousand pounds of lawfull English money and soe much hee beleeveth the says Swift Parker & Harris & other her Owners were dammaged by her being surprized & taken as aforesayd...

the hundred & sixty Tonne of Currants aforesayd on board the Lady ffrigott belonging to the foresayd Alderman Riccard & Company were at their surprizall worth in this deponents Judgement and estimate ?thirteene thousand pounds of lawfull English money and would as hee verily beleeveth have yeilded the sayd Riccard & Company soe much of they had not bin surprized in manner as aforesayd"

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Wages

Pay rates in sample ships

- The Content (London to Gambo (Africa) to Barbados (then lost at sea); wage schedule for twelve persons (1658/59)

Seamens' wages to travel from Lisbon to Brazil and back

- "some consideraccon extraordinary above what they were in the first place hired for"

Customary exchange rates for mariners

- "thereupon y:e sd M:r did pay them off freely Eight moneths pay in dollars at foure shills six pence per dollar, which is y.e usuall rate that English marrin:rs receive their wages at in dollars"

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Possible topics for synthesis

• Attitudes and behaviour towards negroes by sailors and ship masters

• Brazeele trade

• Corruption and kickbacks (prevalence; function)

• Fish

- "he answereth & beleeveth that Salmon & herings were no vendible commodity at Rochell in y:e moneths arlate" (HCA 13/19)
- Relative price of fish
- Whaling described as "fishing"
- Oysters
- Lobsters

• Geographical language

- Areas
- Linked to commodities (Rhenish wine; French wine)
- Non-port towns
- Ports
- Seas

• Greenland fishing

• Insults made between ships during conflict at sea

• Port to port routes

• Ship age

- "an old shipp being about the Age of thirteen or fourteen yeers old" (the Mayflower, ca. ?1659)

• Ship prices

- Create table of price of ships per ton (by age and burthen)

- Prices outside England, e.g. Surat (the Mayflower, 280 tonnes, 13 or 14 years old, badly damaged, valued with tackle and provisions at 910:li sterling by Capt. Robert ffisher, commander of the Smirna Merchant (£3.25 per ton)

• Timber merchants

• Time

- Between ports
- lading in port
- Unlading in port

• Wages

- Levels by job function
- Variances within and between job functions, & over time, & according to perceived risk and supply/demand

• Workings of Vice Admiralty courts outside London

- Regional courts

-- Example: Leith, Scotland
-- Example: Court of West England

- Process

- Registry