Sidracke Willas
| Sidracke Willas | |
|---|---|
| Person | Sidracke Willas |
| Title | |
| First name | Sidracke |
| Middle name(s) | |
| Last name | Willas |
| Suffix | |
| Spouse of | |
| Widow of | |
| Occupation | Mariner |
| Secondary shorebased occupation | |
| Mariner occupation | Second mate |
| Associated with ship(s) | |
| Training | Not apprentice |
| Is apprentice of | |
| Was apprentice of | |
| Had apprentice(s) | |
| Citizen | Unknown |
| Literacy | Signature |
| Has opening text | Sidrach Wills |
| Has signoff text | Sidracke Willas |
| 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 | Ratcliff |
| Res parish | Stepney |
| Res town | |
| Res county | Middlesex |
| Res province | |
| Res country | England |
| Birth year | 1628 |
| Marriage year | |
| Death year | |
| Probate date | |
| First deposition age | 28 |
| Primary sources | |
| Act book start page(s) | |
| Personal answer start page(s) | |
| Allegation start page(s) | |
| Interrogatories page(s) | |
| Deposition start page(s) | HCA 13/71 f.106r 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) | Mar 3 1656 |
| 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
Sidracke Willas (alt. Sidrach Wills) (b. ca. 1628; d. ?). Mariner.
"Late second mate of the sayd shipp the Exchange"[1]
Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
Twenty-eight year old Sidracke Willas deposed on March 3rd 1656 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on a libel in the case of "Wilkinson con Warren".[2]
Sidracke Willas stated that he had been on the ship the Exchange (Master: XXX) on a voyage from London to Virginia. The ship carried both goods and passengers. James Earing or Warren was "taken and admitted to be pilot of the sayd shipp to sayle and conduct her out of this river of thames into the Downes". The ship was a ship of 200 tons burthen and had twenty-four men on board, together with two boys ("a competent number to sayle such a shipp upon such a voyage as was then intended ").[3]
Willas stated that "having followed the imployment of the sea in generall shipps for thirteen years and upwards" that he knew the law and custom of the seas regarding pilots. Specifically "when a pilott be admitted and taketh upon him the ćare of conducting a shipp from one place to another the company and mariners of the sayd shipp are and ought to follow the direction and Orders of such pilot, and obey him in what he commandeth touching the sayling of such shipp, though the Captaine, master or other cheife commander of such shipp be on board and five noe Command to the same effect".
In Willas' account the ship set sail under the pilot's command and "came neere to a place where the Buoyes bye being not farr from the Gore or Reculvers". Near the buoyss the ship "had not above three fathom water and as she then sayled was in danger of running upon the sands which the sayd Waring though he were continually told of what depth the water was did not seeme to take notice of". Willas, together with "others of his mates likewise did discovering the buoyes cryed out and acquainted the sayd Waring therewith, whereupon the sayd Waring did give order to sett upp the maine sayle, and within halfe a quarter of an houre hee after the sayd shipp ram upon the the sands and striking violently severall [?shokes] upon the same broke her rudder, and bećame otherwise so such and dammified that she became unable to proceed upon her sayd voyage".[4]
Willas, in answer to interrogatories, stated that "James Warren hath had the repute of a sufficient Pilot to conduct a shipp out of this River into the downes and accordingly hath pilotted severall shipps as that Rendent hath heard".[5]
