Addenda, Queen Elizabeth - Volume 25: March 1578

Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, Addenda, 1566-79. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1871.

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'Addenda, Queen Elizabeth - Volume 25: March 1578', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, Addenda, 1566-79, (London, 1871) pp. 534-538. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/domestic/edw-eliz/addenda/1566-79/pp534-538 [accessed 27 March 2024]

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March 1578

March 5. Certificate by the Commissioners for piracy of pirates' goods landed and victuals supplied to pirates in Hampshire; also of the value in lands and goods of 17 offenders bound over to appear before Council; with note that the fines already assessed amount to 75l. [Dom. Eliz., Vol. CXXXV., pp. 109–117.] Annexing,
I. Later certificate to similar purport, dated 24 March 1579. [Ibid., pp. 117–119.]
March 16. 78. Henry Killigrew to William Davison. I communicated the contents of your letters to Mr. Travers, who expects your answer to his own letter which I sent the last post. Bernardino de Mendoza has arrived, but will do no good here, and I would he were at home again. I received the enclosed from Mr. Randall, to be sent to you; the news are very strange, but God help us. The Countess of Lenox is dead. The 120 Scotch that were of Basore's regiment are apparelled and set forth again towards the Prince, by the churches here. Commend me to Mons. Villiers. [¾ page.]
March 20? 79. Henry Killigrew to William Davison. I looked for an answer from you to Mr. Travers' letters; pray send it, as the merchants' letters refer all the matters to you, and he has gone into the country to take leave of his mother and friends. You must be earnest with him, and enlarge the good that may follow of his travail there; if you write yourself, he will come; it must be under your name, or no passport will be got for him. The charges of his journey must likewise be considered; I have promised him money to serve his turn thither. If any of your men were here by the 15th or 20th of this next, it would serve for his better coming; or if the merchants have any shipping against that time it will be well.
The enclosed are from Mr. Randall who is revoked home by Her Majesty, now that there is most need of his abode there. The Lord Chancellor [of Scotland] has been shot through the head with a pistol, and you know he was the best nobleman in that realm. The Earl of Crawford is a prisoner in Stirling castle; he began on the 4th the fray in Stirling against the Chancellor, who was slain in Edinburgh by those of the castle coming to take in victuals, yet Randall thinks the country will remain quiet and in good amity with us. Now it is too late, Her Majesty takes the Regent's part more than before, but what practice lies hidden we shall discover in time; I pray God it be not to our cost, for France, Spain, and Portugal are with the Pope, and will contrive some exploit against this realm this summer.
France is still arming, both by sea and land, and the galleys are come from Marseilles to Bruges. The Duke of Guise rules all. The Duke of Anjou's absence from Court is all dissimulation; he has a man here secretly to treat with Her Majesty, but all is deceit.
I fear you will not be answered hence by the Marquis to your desire, and as your necessity requires; Her Majesty has some that mar more in a day than all her good councillors and servants can persuade in a week. Pray content yourselves with money and such like helps under hand, duobis malis minus, &c.; I might be answered need hath no law; the Lord above, who ruleth all, have mercy on His poor church, for the potentates of the earth are bent against it. I enclose the names of the mourners for Lady Margaret Lenox, whose obsequies will take place at Westminster on Thursday in Easter week. [3 pages.]
March 25.
York.
80. Examination of Robert Scarborough, before Sir Thos. Boynton and John Gibson, D.C.L.:—
1. Never was master of any ship of Rochester, and never set any forth for spoil upon the seas. Subsequently confesses that he was master of a boat whereof Thos. Thompson was captain, and many times sailed northward, and laid lines for fish, and coming to shore for sale of fish, met with divers pirates, upon whom Thompson bestowed such money as he had. Met with a fly-boat in the Humber, and bought two pieces of broad cloth, 50 pieces of pewter, and some coverings for beds. Bought of Phippson, about Coquet island, three lasts of soap, 30 or 40 pieces of pewter, and seven yards of canvas, worth 1s. a yard.
2. Never robbed any Scottish ship, but Thompson sold certain goods at Burlington to Consett, the Lord Admiral's deputy, who also bought out of other ships, whereof Nicholas White and John Gullet were captains and pirates, and victualled them at divers times. The goods delivered forth out of his own ship were 14 or 15 firkins of soap.
Denies that he and Thompson were ever together at spoil upon the sea; but Thompson told him, when they went to sea 12 months since, that he meant to take 40l. or 50l. to bestow upon such pirates as he commonly met once a week, either with Gullet, White, Launce, Phippson, Clarke, or Hodges, who was in a bark of Andrewes of Rochester, which he knew was set forth to spoil upon the sea, and all the rest he knew were common pirates. Saw Gullet and White last Easter rob three boys of Colchester going to Newcastle; the fourth would have been robbed, but examinate saved it, whereat both White and Gullet were angry.
White, Gullet, and Launce were commonly victualled about Burlington, Filey, and Whitby, by Consett and Eldrington, servants to the Lord Admiral; the pirates told examinate that they might have victuals whether they had money or not; and having the Admiral's men for their friends, when they had got anything upon the sea, they could come on land at any place, and no man dared say anything to them; so they let the men have what they listed for very little money, and they continued banqueting on land with them for three or four days together.
The pirates also said that when they came upon the coast of Lincolnshire, they were commonly victualled about Ingham mills, by Thorny, another servant of the Lord Admiral's, who bought a boat of White; and there they had what they listed by help of such as were towards the Lord Admiral, and in one night spent 30l. in banqueting. For the 40l. or 50l., which Thompson disbursed, he had of Clarke and Phippson goods worth 100l., viz., six bolts of Holland cloth, 20 pieces of broad cloth, 200 pieces of pewter, 200 or 300 yards of canvas, and three lasts of soap. [2¾ pages, copy certified by the Earl of Huntingdon.]
March 27. Certificate by the Commissioners for piracy of goods bought from pirates, &c. in Monmouthshire, with valuations, made 24 Nov. 1578, of the lands and goods of offenders, and note that the fines assessed amount to 16l. 10s. [Dom. Eliz., Vol. CXXXV., pp. 379–381.]
March ? 81. Instructions to be observed by Martin Frobisher in his in tended voyage of discovery to Meta Incognita.
To take charge of the ships Aid, Gabriel, Michael, Judith, Thomas Allin, Anne Frances, Hopewell, Moon, Frances of Fowey, Thomas, &c.
To appoint 90 mariners, 130 pioneers, and 50 soldiers to go with you, of whom 40 mariners, shipwrights, and carpenters, 30 soldiers, and 30 pioneers are to remain and inhabit Meta Incognita, under the government of Edw. Fenton, your lieutenant-general, with the Gabriel, Michael, and Judith, sufficient victuals for 18 months, and munition and armour for their defence.
To have regard that there be no spoil of the provisions taken in the ships.
To dismiss, before departure or on the way, any that are mutinous.
To depart before 12 May, and make way north or west to Meta Incognita and the Countess of Warwick's island and sound in the Strait, which we name Frobisher's Strait, having been discovered by yourself two years since. So to order your course that the ships do not lose each other, and if any wilfulness or negligence appear in any person in charge, to punish such offender sharply, to the example of others.
On arriving at the Countess of Warwick's island and sound, to harbour your vessels, and repair to the mines and minerals where you wrought last year, and set the men to work to gather the ore, seeing they are well placed from danger and malice of the people, and any other extremity.
If you find richer mines than those whence you had your last year's lading, you shall remove and work them if convenient.
To search for and consider of an apt place where you may best plant and fortify the 100 men you leave to inhabit there, against the people and all other extremities.
To leave with Capt. Fenton the 100 persons, with orders to keep a journal of proceedings, noting what part of the year is most free from ice, and with him the Gabriel, Michael, and Judith, with provisions, &c.
To instruct all the people, in any conference with the natives, to behave so as to secure their friendship.
After you have safely harboured your ships, set your miners to work, &c.; if time permit, you are to repair with the two barks to the place where you lost your men the first year, to search for mines, and to discover 50 or 100 leagues further westward, as the opening of the strait by water will lead, that you may be certain you are entered the South Sea, called Mer de Sud, and in your passage to learn all you can; but not to tarry long, that you may be able to return in due time.
To consider what place is most convenient to fortify for defence of the mines, and possessing of the country, and to bring home perfect notes and maps thereof, to be kept in secret and so delivered to us.
Not to suffer any vessel laden with ore to set sail until the day fixed in the charter party, except you see good cause, but keep all together till your arrival in the Thames.
In case the General governor shall die, the names of four gentlemen who are to succeed him are written on papers enclosed in balls of wax, and put in two boxes, locked with three several keys, to be kept by you, Capt. Fenton, and Chris. Hawley, and the boxes kept in different ships.
For better execution of weighty causes on land, you are to consult your Lieutenant-General, Capt. York, Rich. Philpott, Geo. Beast, and Hen. Carew, but the decision is to rest with you. In matters touching ships, Christopher Hawley, Charles Jackeman, Jas. Beare, and Andrew Dier masters of the ships, are to be assistants.
We chiefly desire to know the temperature of these north-west parts, therefore you shall write an account of how any further discovery of the lands or seas lying within 200 leagues of the place fortified for our people may be achieved.
No person is to make an assay of metal or ore in Meta Incognita but those to whom the office is assigned, except yourself, your lieutenant-general, and substitutes; nor is any person to take up or keep for his private use any ore, precious stone, &c. found in that land, but deliver the same to you or your lieutenant, on pain of forfeiting treble the value out of his wages, and other punishment.
To keep a record of all ore and minerals found, as also specimens thereof in boxes, and the localities of discovery; also of all assays made, and a duplicate to be brought home in another ship. The boxes to be delivered to the treasurer of the company of Merchant Adventurers for north-west affairs, on your return.
The mariners of the ships employed in this voyage, as well as our own, are to give three or four days' labour towards intrenching and fortifying the place where the lieutenant-general with his charge shall remain.
To bring back 800 tons or more if possible of the said ore, and return into the Thames.
All captains and shipmasters are to deliver you notes, under their own hands, of the number of tons they receive into their ships, which notes are to be registered in one book, whereof three copies are to be made, and put into three several ships, to be delivered to the treasurer of the company on their return.
A minister or two are to accompany the expedition, to perform divine service.
The munitions, implements, &c. are to be equally distributed amongst the ships, in case of a miscarriage of some of them.
Either in going or returning, you shall endeavour to discover the new land, supposed to be Fryzeland, and learn what you can about it.
You shall have power to punish treason, mutiny, or any other disorder among the persons employed.
The same order is taken for the succession to the lieutenant general of the 100 men as for that to the general.
A duplicate of this commission to be given to the lieutenant general. [10¾ pages. Draft, damaged, much corrected; some of the corrections are by Lord Burghley.]