Violence
Violence
Editorial history
17/11/12: CSG, created page
Purpose of page
The MarineLives project is seeking to link and enhance HCA 13/71, not just to transcribe it.
Rough language is frequently used in conversations reported by HCA 13/71 witnesses. Occasionally these verbal confrontations include threats and acts of physical violence between masters and other members of their crew, and between crew members. Proximate causes range from disputes over the use of a compass, criticism by officers of a master's navigational decisions, and simple anger.
All associates, facilitators, advisors and PhD Forum members are encouraged to contribute to this page from their knowledge of the material, and from their broader knowledge and interest in the topic.
- What threats and acts of personal violence can we identify?
- What can we learn about the role of violence and threats of violence?
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Contents
Suggested links
Fear of beating by privateers
Peter de Bart was one of three London merchants who shipped themselves on a Dutch ship registered in Rotterdam, which was travelling from fflushing in Zealand to Roane in France. Catching sight of an Ostend man of war just past Calais the master of their ship warned them that "notwithstanding the league made between the King of Spaine and the Lords of the United Provinces", it was common for men of warr belonging to the King of Spain or his subjects to board Dutch ships. Passengers and crew scrambled to hide their valuables, and feared violence.
- "40. The sayd Master hidd his money in his stockings, and this
41. deponent alsoe hidd what money hee had ˹the most of it being Gold˺ in Cranyes or chinkes in
42. the Cabbin and kept only one dollar or two about him, that soe if they
43. did search him hee might escape beateing by them, if being (as the
44. sayd dutch shipps company sayd) a usuall thinge with them when they
45. found noe money about a man to beate and abuse him..."
- HCA 13/71 f.562r Case: Goodwin and Company against the goods taken in the shipp of Saint John (whereof derricke Rim was Master) and against Symon and Lewis Rodrigies da Sousa and others comming in for their interest; Deposition: 1. Peter de Bart of London Merchant aged twenty five yeares; Date: 14/01/1656 (1657)[1]
Hanging
XXXX
27. ... And hee
28. further sayeth that ˹some dayes˺ after the sayd May had soe desired this deponents
29. assistance as is before declared, the sayd May being standing by the
30. Bitts of the sayd shipp accompanied with this deponent and this
31. precontest Daniell harman and the sayd Swinburne the Boateswaine,
32. the sayd May entered into discourse concerning wages, and sayd
33. the sayd Master had denyed him his wages, and sayd that if they
34. this deponent and the sayd harman and Swinburne would bee
35. ruled by him
36. hee knew there was money sufficient ˹and more˺ in the Stearne sheates to pay
37. them their him and them their wages and that when the sayd shipp should
38. arrive at Meslapatam they would pay them selves their due out of
39. it whereto the sayd Boatswaine
40. replyed that it was better to lett it rest and doe nothing therein till
41. they came at Meslepotam whether the shipp was to goe, and then hee the sayd
42. Boatswaine could pick a boates crue to carrie the Marchants and Master
43. on shoare, and then they might and would pay them selves out of that
44. money and soe goe on shoare and leave the sayd shipp or words to that effect,
45. whereto the sayd Daniell harman speaking to the sayd May ˹in behalfe of himselfe and this deponent˺ sayd"
- HCA 13/71 f.310r Case: XX: Deposition: XX: Date: XXX. Transcribed by Janet Few[2]
- "...they could not have to doe therein, for if they
1. should doe soe they must either resolve to forsake their Countrie
2. (meaning England) or also goe home thither and bee there hanged or
3. hee spake words to the very like effect And further hee cannot
4. depose./
5. Robt Harwell [SIGNATURE, RH SIDE]"
- HCA 13/71 f.310v Case: XX: Deposition: XX: Date: XXX. Transcribed by Janet Few[3]
Master striking a crew member
Captain Braining's ship, the Fortune, was wrecked on rocks on the way to Grand Malaga. William Andersonn , a gunner on the ship, from Stockdon in the Bishoprick of Durham, alleged that Braining's vicious temper led to a savage attack on the boatswayn on the day of the wreck. This attack, according to Andersonn, incapactitated the boatswayn, and contributed to the loss of the ship.
"16. To the 8th article of the sayd allegation he saith that the morning of the day (whereupon
17. the sayd shipp was lost as aforesayd) the sayd Braining the Master without
18. any provocation given him fell in furious manner upon the Boatswayn
19. of the sayd shipp and with a stick or Cudgell knockt him on the
20. head and wounded him very sore, to the endangereing of his life
21. so as he became unable to give any assistance when the shipp was
22. ˹in˺danger. for lack of whose helpe and the losse of the sayd shipp
23. was in some sort occasioned, which he knoweth to be true being then
24. and there present and seeing the depth and danger of the sayd wound
25. given as aforesayd to the sayd Boatswayn. And otherwise hee cánnot
26. depose."
- HCA 13/71 f.132r Case: Examined upon an allegation on the behalfe of the sayd Tilley Vanden=Posl and Company; Deposition: 2. William Andersonn of Stockdon within the Bishoprick of Durham late Gunner of the sayd shipp the Fortune aged ninetyene yeares; Date: 02/04/1656[4]
Threat of violence on board ship
The Master of the Vine had fallen out with his Mate, in a strange case of compass envy. The mate possessed an Azimuth compass in his cabin which the Master coveted, it being better than his own. Moreover, the Mater, James Barker, considered his Mate incapable of using the compass properly. A row ensued when the mate refused the Master use of the compass. Pnishment was threatened by the Master, but the crew gathered handspikes.
- "34. That the sayd James Barker the Master of the sayd shipp the ˹Vine˺
35. being bound upon a voyage with his sayd shipp the Vine to the East Indies
36. while the sayd shipp was in her outward bound voyage thither there
37. happened some differences betwixt the sayd Master and ˹John˺
38. his Mate and saith the sayd mate being discontented did speake to this
39. deponent (hee being ˹being by his turne˺ to goe upon the deck to keepe watch) and desyred him
40. that hee would take part with him the sayd May and goe upon the
41. forecastle of the sayd shipp to take part with him in case the sayd
42. Master should endeavour to inflict any punishment upon him the
43. sayd May touching the differences which had happened betweene them
44. or hee the sayd May spake words to the like effect to this deponent upon or
45. about the sixth of June 1655 whereto the sayd M this deponent answered
46. and sayd to the sayd May that hee would take his part in a Civill XXXX
47. And saith hee this deponent there upon went upon the forecastle
48. where this deponent found divers others of the sayd shipps
49. Company, and some hand spikes lying by them on the forecastle"
