Thomas Swinsen

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Thomas Swinsen
Person Thomas Swinsen
Title
First name Thomas
Middle name(s)
Last name Swinsen
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation Cheesemonger
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation
Associated with ship(s)
Training Apprentice
Is apprentice of Thomas Prince
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen Unknown
Literacy Signature
Has opening text
Has signoff text Thomas Swynsen
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 Michael Crooked Lane
Res town London
Res county
Res province
Res country England
Birth year 1635
Marriage year
Death year
Probate date
First deposition age
Primary sources
Act book start page(s)
Personal answer start page(s)
Allegation start page(s)
Interrogatories page(s)
Deposition start page(s) HCA 13/68 f.577r 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) Feb 21 1654
How complete is this biography?
Has infobox completed Yes
Has synthesis completed Yes
Has HCA evidence completed Yes
Has source comment completed Yes
Ship classification
Type of ship
Silver Ship litigation in 1650s
Role in Silver Ship litigation


Biographical synthesis

Thomas Swinsen (alt. Swynsen; Swinson) (b.ca.1635; d.?). Cheesemonger.

Resident in 1654 in the parish of Saint Michael Crooked Lane.[1]

Apprentice of Mr. Prince, identified also as "Thomas Prince", of Saint Michael Crooked Lane. A Thomas Prince, merchant, sent his son, born in Saint Michael Crooked Lane, to the Merchant Taylors' school in 1657.[2] Speculatively, this is also the same man as Thomas Prince (b.ca.1630, West Garforth, Yorkshire; d.aft.1657), Clothworker, but active as cheesemonger and merchant, who was associated with the Levellers.[3]

Thomas Swinsen had a younger brother, John Swinsen, who was aged seventeen when the nineteen year old Thomas Swinsen gave evidence in the High Court of Admiralty. John Swinsen also gave evidence, stating that he was a mariner, resident in Tower Hill, London.[4]

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Thomas Swinsen, a nineteen year old cheesemonger, deposed on February 21st 1654 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on an allegation on the behalf of Prince and Company. The case was "Prince and Company against the shipp the Charity and gods in the same."[5]

Swinsen stated that on January 17th or 18th 1654 he had been in the company of Paul Paulson in the house of a victualler, Mr Bingeon, on Thames Street, London. Swinsen stated that he had heard Paul Paulson, the master of the Charity, say in the victualler's house that his ship was laden with pitch, tar, deals, iron, two masts and some spars. All these goods were laden for Paulson's account, with the exception of twelve of the thirty barrels of tar, which belonged to the ship's company. There was no charter party nor bill or lading recording the goods.[6]

"Thomas Swinson, a servant of Mr Prince" is mentioned in a separate High Court of Admiralty deposition by ffrancis Meare, thirty year old merchant of Saint Michael Crooked Lane.[7] Though this separate deposition was made a year after the first deposition, on February 28th 1655, this Thomas Swinson is clearly the same man as "Thomnas Swinsen", subject of this biography, since Meare's deposition is also given in the case of "Prince against the goods in the Charitie, though in response to a different allegation.[8] It is clear from Meare's evidence that Thomas Swinsen was the apprentice and servant of Mr. Prince, who was presumably a cheesemonger. Meare is resident in the same parish as Thomas Swinsen, cheesemonger, and goes on to state he "knoweth one John Swinson, brother of the said Thomas".[9]

Given the earlier testimony about pitch, tar and other goods laden on the Charity, it may be that Mr. Prince's business, though a cheesemonger, was that of ship chandler. Alternatively, Mr. Prince may have been a part-owner of the ship.

The case of Prince and company against the ship the Charity and goods in the same is a curious one, with a number of related depositions.

The alleged facts are as follows. The ship the Charity (Master: Paul Paulson) took on a lading of pitch, tarr and timber at the port of Gothenburg in Sweden in late 1653. The ship and lading were then seized by a private man of war, captained by Mungo Jackson. William Smyth, quartermaster of the private man of war, states that Captain Jackson attempted to get Paul Paulson to admit that his ship and goods belonged to Holland, but Paulson insisted that they belonged to the President and other subjects of Gotenburg, who were subjects of the Queen of Sweden.[10]


Depositions in the case of Prince and company against the ship the Charity and goods in the same

Examined on an allegation on behalf of Prince and company

  • Thomas Swinsen, cheesemonger, resident in parish of Saint Michael Crooked lane, London, Feb 22 1654[11]
  • John Swinsen, mariner, resident in Tower Hill, London, aged seventeen, Feb 22 1654[12]


Examined on an allegation on behalf of Israel (?Marius) and others

  • Gerhard Menschever, secretary to the resident of Sweden, aged thirty-eight, Jan 23 1655[13]
  • Haquinus Lidenius, citizen and syndicus of the citie of Gottenburgh in Sweden, aged twenty-eight years, Jan 27 1655[14]


Examined on an allegation on behalf of Prince and company

  • Walter Devereux, merchant, resident in Waterford, Ireland, Feb 28th 1655[15]
  • ffrancis Meare, merchant, resident in parish of Saint Michael Crooked Lane, Feb 28th 1655[16]


Examined on an allegation on behalf of Israel Marens and others

  • William Smyth, mariner, resident in Stepney, Middlesex, aged fifty-one years, March 15th 1655[17]


Comment on sources

Possible related material

A "Thomas Prince" (b.ca.1630, West Garforth, Yorkshire; d.aft.1657) was resident in the parish of Saint Martin Orgar. He was a member of the Clothworkers, but was a cheesemonger by trade. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English civil war, and supplied the Parliamentary armies with cheese and butter.[18]

1643

Parliamentary Archives: HL/PO/JO/10/1/154 29 July 1643 -- Order for the payment of £563 2s. 6d. to Thomas Prince for cheese."</ref>HL/PO/JO/10/1/154</ref>

1646

"Merchant Taylors' School Register, 1656-7....Thomas Prince, eld. son of Thomas, merchant, b. in Michael's, Crooked Lane, 18 April, 1646."[19]
  1. HCA 13/68 f.577r
  2. Charles John Robinson, A register of the scholars admitted into Merchant Taylors' School : from A. D. 1562 to 1874, vol.1 (Lewes, 1882), p.235 viewed 31/07/2016
  3. Wikipedia article: Thomas Prince (Leveller), citing Baker, P. R. S. (January 2008) (2004). "Prince, Thomas (fl. 1630–1657)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/66672
  4. HCA 13/68 f.577v
  5. HCA 13/68 f.577r
  6. HCA 13/68 f.577r
  7. HCA 13/70 f.246v
  8. HCA 13/70 f.246r
  9. HCA 13/70 f.246v
  10. HCA 13/70 f.198r
  11. HCA 13/68 f.577v
  12. HCA 13/68 f.577v
  13. HCA 13/70 f.57v
  14. HCA 13/70 f.58v
  15. HCA 13/70 f.246r
  16. HCA 13/70 f.246v
  17. HCA 13/70 f.198r
  18. Wikipedia article: Thomas Prince (Leveller), citing Baker, P. R. S. (January 2008) (2004). "Prince, Thomas (fl. 1630–1657)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/66672
  19. Charles John Robinson, A register of the scholars admitted into Merchant Taylors' School : from A. D. 1562 to 1874, vol.1 (Lewes, 1882), p.235 viewed 31/07/2016