| Transcription
|
The 27th of September 1655 [CENTRE HEADING … The 27th of September 1655 [CENTRE HEADING]<br />
Examined upon the sayd libell
'''4 US'''
'''George Watts''' of Butterwick in the County of Lincolnshire<br />
Mariner aged 21 yeares or thereabouts a witnesse sworne<br />
and examined saith and deposeth as followeth videlicit.
To the first article he saith that the arlate George Huntington in and during the<br />
moneth of September arlate and before was and is Master of the arlate ship the ''William''<br />
this hee knoweth being one of the sayde shipps company and saith hee was and is<br />
commonly accompted part Owner of her during the sayd tyme and further hee cannot depose./
To the second third 4th and 5th articles of the sayd libell hee saith hee this deponent<br />
being one of the Company thereof and on board well knoweth that the shipp ''William''<br />
arlate was upon Tuesday the eighteenth of this instant September safely moored at<br />
Tower Wharfe outermost of two other shipps videlicit a Shipp called the ''Sarah'' an other<br />
vessel whose name he knoweth not soe that they lay all three a brest one of an other and<br />
saith it is not usuall for shipps to lye there more than three a brest which notwithstand<br />
ing hee saith the arlate Nicholas Constant and his Company did in the night tyme<br />
next after the eighteenth day come with his ship the ''Waterhound'' arlate and<br />
laye her alsoe a brest on the outside of the ''William'' aforesaid soe that then there<br />
were fower shipps there lying abrest which the Company of the William perceiving<br />
ffrancis ?Thaerat? And William Smith hee of her Company did as the custome in such<br />
cases is put out their fenders to preserve the ''William'' as much as might be from any<br />
damage which might happen to her by the meanes of the ''Waterhounde'', (the ''William''<br />
being then a floate and empty and but a small vessell of about forty tonnes and<br />
the ''waterhound'' being a larger vessell of about threescore tonnes or better and<br />
(as afterwards appeared) then laden with Coins And he alsoe saith the sayd<br />
Master of the ''Waterhound'' and her Company did in the night tyme next after the<br />
sayd Tuesday the 18th of that instant September and without any notice given to the Master and Company of the William<br />
aforesayd left his sayde Shipp the ''Waterhound'' inward towards the ''William'',<br />
soe that the williams Company could not use any meanes to keepe her<br />
above of the ''Waterhounde'', by which meanes as the tyde fell away the ''Water''<br />
''hound'' leaned in forcibly upon the william, and forced her soe upon the vessell<br />
that laye on the inside of her that the ''William'' hunge above water betweene<br />
the waterhound and the sayd inside vessell, by meanes whereof the sides of<br />
the ''William'' were sore bruised and crushed and the scare of her binde started and<br />
driven in about half an inche, and three of her mayne tymbers broken, and her<br />
seeleings broken up, and five of her butt heads started and indeede soe<br />
crushed and bruised thereby that had not her mayne beame and knees bin very<br />
stronge she had bin crushed (as the deponent beleeveth) both sides together.<br />
And further saving his subsequent deposition hee cannot depose./
To the 6th hee saith that the next morning after the sayd damage done in the manner<br />
aforesaid the arlate George Huntington perceiving and seeing what damage<br />
was done to his ship the ''william'' aforesaid by the meanes aforesayd<br />
did in the presence and hearing of this deponent and his contest ffrancis ?ThXXX and Thomas<br />
Reedman of ?XX the arlate Nicholas Constant which hee had lufted his shipp<br />
waterhounde and leaned her upon the ''william'' and told him hee had<br />
done her much dammage and hurt thereby, or to that effect to which the sayd<br />
Constant replyed in presence and hearing of this deponent and the sayd wittnesses that hee<br />
came thither purposely with intente to lay his shipp the ''waterhound'' there and<br />
to give her a luft inwards, and alsoe sayd hee cared not though hee had sunke the<br />
''william'', and that hee would not give him two pence satisfaction if he had sunke her<br />
orfaction if he had sunke her<br />
or +
|
