Uploaded image; transcribed on 21/09/2015
The 17th day of December 1653:- [CENTRE HEADING] [?Chelston] against the shipp the ''great Christopher''} and against John ffalzbergh and others. Smith Suckley} Examined upon the sayd Allegation '''2.us''' '''John Pruyse''' of Riga in Liefland [?Merchant] aged 40. yeares or thereabouts a Wittnes sworne and examined/ To the first article hee saith hee cannot depose otherwise then by the relation of the arlate Joachim Wise, saving that the arlate Adrian a ffrenchman who came a Passenger in the shipp the ''great Christopher'' from Riga, told and acquainted this deponent upon the exchange London about the middle of the moneth of October last past, that hee had beene very much solicited by severall of the Company pf the English private man of warr who had seized the said shipp the ''Christopher'', to declare on their behalfe, that the said shipp at the time of her seizure was bound for Holland or ffrance:/ To the second hee saith that the arlate Cornelius alias [?neels] Peterson one of the parties examined in the prepatorie on the behalf of the said Chelston and Companie was and is of this deponents certaine knowledge of him at Riga in [?Luifland] and since a very poore indigigent and extremely necessitous person, whom this deponent knew very lately goe as a beggar and loose person at Riga, after which he was taken on for a Souldjer by the souldjery there, and being altogether iinfitt for service by reason of his sloathfull condition and miserable accoutrement, the Master of the said shipp the ''great Christopher'' by name Michael Cruyger of this deponents knowledge bought him of one Captaine Jacob Wingaerden for 9 rix dollars and brought him aboard his said shipp some daies before she sett sayle from Riga, and the said Neels Peterson shortly after absenting himselfe from the shipp the said Michael Cruyger sent to seeke him out, and bring him aboard againe, as hee accordingly was and being in such a poore condition that hee was full of vermin, the said Cruyger gave him some sleight cloathes to Cover him in which necessitous and verminous condition the said Peterson was at the time of the said shipps seizure, and as this deponent hath credibly heard, he hath since the time of his examination in this Court, been supplied with [?XXX] and cloathes, which this deponent verily beleeveth (in regard hee the said Peterson had no friends in theise parts being merely a stranger and having received no monie for his service in the said shipp) the said Peterson had ontained by the [?XXX] meanes of deposing in thos Cause contrary to the trueth, and so much hee verily beleeveth (in reagard of the loose life and conversation of the said Peterson well knowne to this deponent and many others) that hee might easily bee and really was induced to doe, either by Lieutenant Mowat or some others concerned in the presentation of this Cause against the right Owners of the said shipp and goods And otherwise cannot depose./ To the Interrogatories./ [CENTRE HEADING] To the 1.st hee saith hee well knoweth the interrate Lieutenant by name [?XXXX] Mowat, as the said Lieutenant himsellfe declared to this deponent after the seizure of the said shipp the ''great Christopher''./ (To the
[[File:IMG_117_07_0056.jpg|thumbnail|800px|none|link=Special:TranscriptionInterface/IMG_117_07_0056.jpg|[[:HCA 13/68|HCA 13/68]] f.249v: Right click on image for full size image in separate window
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[[Parent volume::HCA 13/68]] [[Folio::250]] [[Side::Recto]]
HCA 13/68 f.249v Annotate# QUERYf6ef92efe7329d98bf82ca50f4a1521c