William Talmage

From MarineLives
Jump to: navigation, search



William Talmage
Person William Talmage
Title
First name William
Middle name(s)
Last name Talmage
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation Ship carpenter
Associated with ship(s)
Training Not apprentice
Is apprentice of
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen Unknown
Literacy Signature
Has opening text William Talmage
Has signoff text William Talmage
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 Limehouse
Res parish Stepney
Res town
Res county Middlesex
Res province
Res country England
Birth year 1633
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 13/72 f.255v 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 16 1658
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
Silver Ship litigation in 1650s
Role in Silver Ship litigation None


Biographical synthesis

William Talmage (b. ca. 1633; d. ?). Ship carpenter on the ship the Oporto Merchant.

Resident in 1658 in Limehouse in the parish of Stepney in Middlesex.

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

Twenty-five year old William Talmage deposed on Masrch 16th 1658 in the High Court of Admiralty.[1] He was examined on an allegation on behalf of Joseph Careswell in the case of "Joseph Careswell and Company Owners of the Oporto Merchant against Alexander Bence".[2]

William Talmage stated that he went ship's carpenter on the Oporto Merchant on a voyage from London to Lisbon and back. As carpenter, he helped to stow diverse chests of sugar and diverse pipes and hogsheads of oil at Lisbon for transport back to London. But he had no knowledge of any freight or average to be paid on the goods.

Again, as carpenter, he attested to the strength and stauchness of the ship, having helped to dennage the ship and to stow the goods that were laden. He stated that the ship was well supplied with ballast and bavins laid upon the ballast. He added in answer to an interrogatory that "the shipp was dennaged with ballast and bavins to the quantitie of seaven or eight inches above the keeleson". Most of the sugar was stowed "abaft the mayne mast and some of it upon the dennage and other some of it upon the oyles".[3]

However, the ship experienced very stormy and tempestuous weather en route to London, and was at great risk of her masts being carried over board. Indeed she split her mizen mast. He was convinced that without the storm the cargo wopuld have been brought home "well conditioned".[4]

Talmage assisted at the unlading of the goods in London, but claimed (whether believable or not) that he "tooke noe notice (it not belonging to his office in the sayd shipp) to whome it belonged or to whome it was delivere, or in what condition the ladeing was at the delivery thereof". He had received all his wages "for him selfe and servant" except eleven pounds "sixe pounds whereof the sayd Joseph Careswell the master of the sayd shipp doth deteyne in his hands till hee receaves his freight, and see what dammage will bee recovered against him by his freighters".[5]

Describing the impact of the storm, Talmage stated that "before the storme it was necessary and usuall to pumpe the shipp three howers in a day or thereabouts and after the storme shee stood neede to be pumped five howers in a day or thereabouts and was pumped soe long at least every day till shee came into the River of Thames".[6]

Comment on sources

  1. HCA 13/72 f.255v
  2. HCA 13/72 f.253r
  3. HCA 13/72 f.256r
  4. HCA 13/72 f.255v
  5. HCA 13/72 f.255v
  6. HCA 13/72 f.256v