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Oct. 8. Chatham. |
Edward Gregory to the Navy Commissioners. Enclosing the
list of the shipwrights appointed by the Commissioners and master
shipwright to take charge of the boats. This being on Sunday,
9 June, when I was at sea with Sir E. Spragg in the Henrietta
yacht, I am unable positively to assert the exactness thereof,
which, being commanded by Lord Brouncker, I collected as I
could. [Ibid. No. 583.] Enclosed, |
The said lists giving the names of the chiefs of nine boats and of
the men in each, with two other chiefs, Robert Avery and
Thomas Hamly. With note that Avery being discharged before
Gregory was commanded to collect this list, the latter cannot
give the names of his crew, but on Tuesday, 11 June, between
9 and 10 p.m. Avery was on board the Monmouth and his boat
lay by her side with some of her company, whom Gregory forced
into the ship and towed her up to the dock, there committing
her to the master of the Jemmy. [Ibid. No. 583 i.] |
Oct. 10. Navy Office. |
Examinations of the officers of the ships at Chatham, who had
charge of the boats when the Dutch fleet came up there, in answer
to the following questions. 1. The names of the crew of your boat.
2. At what time you took charge of her. 3. What arms you had
and when you received them. 4. At what time you surrendered
your boat and to whom. 5. Where and how you were employed
and what you did each hour on 11, 12 and 13 June last and by
whose order. 6. Whether your crew gave their constant attendance or not. If they did not, who they were and whether they
were commanded off or voluntarily absented themselves. 7. The
time your boat or any boat was employed in carrying off goods
from the yard or town, whose they were and by whose order.
With the answer of John Atewell, late boatswain of the Royal
Charles. [Ibid. No. 584.] |
Oct. 10. |
Copies of the above questions with the answers of the boatswains of the Royal James, Royal Katherine, Loyal London, Great
Victory, Triumph, Old James, St. George, the acting boatswain
of the Rainbow and the boatswains of the Henry, Unicorn,
Vanguard, Gelder de Ruyter and Helverston (sic). [Ibid. Nos.
585–597.] |
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Another copy of the above questions. [Ibid. No. 598.] |
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List of the above ships adding the Royal Oak, Santa Maria and
Marmaduke. [Ibid. No. 599.] |
Oct. 10. |
Examinations of eleven shipwrights mentioned in Gregory's
list of the 8th as in charge of the boats on the same questions as
those put to the boatswains (of which there is another copy).
[Ibid. Nos. 600–610.] |
Oct. 11. The Nightingale at the Buoy of the Nore. |
Capt. John Earle to the Navy Commissioners. We are
arrived here. We came from the Humber by Capt. Ludman's
orders 23 Sept. to Yarmouth for some beer, for we could not
be supplied at Hull. At Yarmouth we got three tuns, but, being
such bad weather, could get no sooner up. We broke our best
bower cable in the storm, but got our anchor again. We have
laid by two cables and have but three to trust to. Our upper work
and decks are very leaky and some axe work is to be done about
her ports and upper work, which was broken in laying aboard
the Dutch man-of-war, the Zelandia. (About the condition of
the masts and rigging.) We have a week's provisions aboard,
only beer, butter and cheese wanting, for our men have had to
drink water these six days. [Ibid. No. 611.] |
[Oct. 14.] The Harp in King Road, near Bristol. |
Capt. Robert Hoopper to the Navy Commissioners. To-day
the victualler here received orders from Dennis Gauden to
provide for thirty men 42 days a proportion of victuals for the
Harp. We found him unwilling to deliver the same, whereon
our purser provided some more victuals, the wind being now
easterly, till we come to Milford, where we hear there is a victualling port. By your letter of 17 Sept. I received orders as
soon as the ship was paid to keep but thirty men, which I shall
observe. In the interim I keep fifty till further order. [Postmark,
14 Oct. Ibid. No. 612.] |
Oct. 19. Harwich. |
Commissioner John Taylor to the Navy Commissioners. In
answer to yours of the 15th touching the Van Tromp I conceive
with you it cannot be profitable to run the charge of fitting her
for sail into the river for sale, for I know you are likely to have
chapmen enough here at as good rates as at London. Capt.
Deane is not here, but I spoke with him about it and he fully
concurs with me. The Francis we are fitting for one of the
winter guard. |
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I pray that present justice be done about the things following. You know I have been entrusted with the issues of
some moneys for the King's affairs here and I can challenge
all to charge me with gaining 5s. by all my actings about it,
but have incurred hitherto rather loss and charge. Myself,
the clerk of the checque and my own clerk have made up an
exact account about the ¾ pay and transmitted it three times,
viz., to Sir John Mennes, Thomas Wilson and Mr. Hayter at last
to be showed to the office, whereby 125l. appears due to several
to perfect that account. There is a great clamour about it and
some of the clerks write to me as if I were debtor for what is
unpaid of it. Sir John, if he have viewed the account, can well
understand it. I wrote to Mr. Wilson earnestly about it, who
has not dealt justly or civilly in leaving it as it is and not answering
me. None else can do it but he and one half hour may well
settle that. This is done to his hand. If he can find 1s. or
more error in it, it shall be allowed. He promised, when I sent
it up, he would pass it and take up my bills of imprest. If
anything causes this to stick, I pray that I may send the clerk
of the checque and my own clerk to Chatham or London about it.
Secondly I sent up my vouchers for the 1,100l. long since and
cannot get my bills of imprest in. I think these two things have
cost me near forty letters. I therefore again pray your commands
to be issued for a just end herein, not fearing that the least
reflection can fall on me about it. It is further requested that,
in case the above account admit of no objections, howbeit there
is no money for present satisfaction, you will give way that those
men specified in that account now sent to Mr. Hayter may have
tickets made them and a bill made out to me for the rest of that
balance of 125l. which I am in disburse and part engaged for. |
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The Ordnance officers send a great challenge for use of lighters
and our materials and plead custom at Portsmouth and Chatham
and desire other things, but, if you lend them anything, it is fit
they should be enjoined to return them as good as when they
received them. I offer them the use of the crane. [Nearly
2 pages. Ibid. No. 613.] |
Oct. 21. |
[Lord Ashley] to Viscount Fanshawe, Remembrancer of the
Exchequer. Desiring him to deliver the bonds of Thomas
Tomkins, receiver of the hearth money for the East Riding of
Yorkshire, and his securities remaining in his hands to the said
Tomkins, 100l. having been paid by him into the receipt of the
Exchequer by a tally of that day. [S.P. Supplementary 135,
No. 13.] |
Oct. 21. |
Receipt by William, Lord Widdrington, to Thomas Bland,
receiver general for Yorkshire, for 500l. for part of his allowance
as Governor of Berwick for the year ending Michaelmas, 1667.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 441, No. 28.] |
Oct. 26. Harwich. |
Commissioner John Taylor to the Navy Commissioners.
Acknowledging their letter of the 24th. [S.P. Supplementary
136, No. 614.] |
[Oct. 29 ?] |
Joseph Williamson to [the Speaker]. Lord Arlington, having
received an order of this House of the 15th (mistake for 25th)
instant (see Commons' Journals, Vol. IX, p. 8), has sent me to
attend you with such of his letters and papers as concern that
business, as well those relating to the preparations and coming
out of the Dutch as of the French fleet in 1666. |
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Of the first sort you will find a series of advices he received
from several hands each post for the two or three months preceding the coming out of the Dutch fleet in May, by which, though
this country was not in his particular province, he had a distinct
account of the state of the Dutch preparations in their several
ports, the numbers of their ships with their men and guns and
the several steps by which this equipage was all along advanced
and at last wholly prepared and much of this from eye-witnesses
employed on the place. |
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The originals are here and on most of them the times of their
receipt endorsed and with them for the ease of the House
transcripts in English of such of them as relate to this matter.
The sum you will find all along from February downwards to
have been constant and unvaried as to this point; that the
Dutch would certainly come out and that before us, if they could
compass it, that indeed they met with one main difficulty, the
getting of seamen, but that even for that an expedient was
resolved on, which was to take the men out of some few of the
less considerable ships and out of them make up the complements
of the rest and with all the strength they could thus make immediately to put to sea. (See Commons' Journals, Vol. IX, p. 10.)
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 441, No. 29.] |
Oct. 29. Harwich. |
Commissioner John Taylor to the Navy Commissioners. In
answer to theirs of the 26th touching the remains of stores there,
giving particulars of anchors shipped.—As to the sails and other
stores we cannot give you a full account till next post. |
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We have spent time to effect your orders about appraising
the ships but, the weather and other difficulties hindering, you
cannot receive our answer till Thursday's post. |
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I enclose the dimensions of all the small sails for the new
ship, the Resolution. We have cloth enough here to make them.
Till your resolves be known, I shall not give order therein. We
find studding sails and stay sails belonging to these great ships.
Query to leave them with the ships ? |
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If the ships are to be sold, it is thought fit to put on board
what is to be sold with them. We are about to get into the
storehouse on shore all the stores left in the Van Tromp.
[S.P. Supplementary 136, No. 615.] Enclosed, |
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The dimensions of the said sails. [Ibid. No. 615 i.] |