[A1641/8/124]¹

[Supplication of James Brown and James Hill for reparation of their losses]

Supplication of James Brown and James Hill to his majesty and estates 1641²

To his sacred majesty and honourable estates of parliament presently convened, humbly supplicates we, your majesty's humble servants, James Brown, skipper of Kirkcaldy and sometime master of the good ship called the James of Kirkcaldy, and James Hill, skipper of Queensferry and sometime master of the good ship called the James of Queensferry, that where in the time of the late troubles the said ship called the James of Kirkcaldy pertaining to me, the said James Brown, was in the month of May 1641 taken in his homeward voyage from Spain to Scotland by the king's majesty's ships, with his whole cargo of salt with some gold and silver therein, and carried by the captain to the Holy Island, where the common people spoiled her of her cargo and the captain carried her six guns to the walls of Berwick and as yet kept and detained from me; the price of the which ship and goods is as follows: in the first the ship, itself being of the burden of 70 tons of dead weight, with their apparelling and ammunition, estimated to 20,000 merks Scots. Item, there was in the said ship the time of the taking thereof 1,100 bolls of Spanish salt, each boll estimated to £9 Scots, is in the whole £9,900. Item, more within the said ship the time of the taking thereof 155 double pistols of gold, each pistol £8 15s, is in all £1,356 5s. Item, more of Portuguese testans³, 570, each testan estimated to 16s Scots, is in the whole £436. Item, more 18 French crowns, a Portuguese ducat, 13 pope's pistols, all estimated to £265. Item, of other commodities in the said ship such as green ginger, pieces of linen cloth, a silver goblet, commodities for the master and companies' bodies, with 12 muskets, powder, ball and haes picks, all estimated to 2,000 merks, so that the whole losses sustained by me at that time is esteemed to £26,637 18s 4d. And this in addition to the loss of my time and calling since which has tended to the ruin of me, my wife and children. And since the pacification, I having gone to London by the advice of my owners and by assurance of your majesty's royal favour of restitution, and there demanded of Captain Snadlye, taker of my said ship, for restitution of the same ship and commodities which was then therein, the ship and whole commodities being all spoiled, wrecked and gone, I only received from him the number of 100 pistols, 18 crowns and 40 testans extending to [...], so there rests to me (this being allowed) the sum of [...]. As likewise I, the said James Hill, master of the good ship called the James of Queensferry, having my said ship of the burden of 150 tons being adorned with six guns and two sling pieces lying in the month of [...] 1641 years in the river of Chester in England, she was there arrested and stayed by his majesty's order, where she became altogether wrecked through long lying there, being three days sunk under water and her three anchors and cables lost and sunk there by reason of sinking sands. And I, understanding that his majesty was graciously well pleased to give order for restoring of the whole Scots ships stayed and apprehended to the owners thereof, with the whole losses and damage sustained thereby, I then repaired to the Scots commissioners at London for getting reparation and restitution of my said ship, which the time of her arresting with her apparelling was estimated to £1,000 sterling, they then ordained me to repair to Chester, there to sell the said ship and to understand what might be got for her as she was; which I then did and which, in respect she was wrecked as said is, was sold for £200 sterling, which became short of the price of the said ship that she was valued to before her arresting by the sum of £800 sterling, wherein I am damnified and lost; and that in addition to the losses of my time and calling tending to the ruin of myself, my wife and children. Therefore we most humbly beseech your sacred majesty and estates of parliament for the favour of God to pity our poor distressed estates, being headsmen and having our families now ruined through our losses, that it would please your majesty and estates to give order for payment to us and each one of us of our several losses and damages above-written and to have consideration of the great losses and damage we have sustained since the wanting of our ships and goods through the want of our calling and employment for maintenance of us and our poor families. And your majesty's gracious answer humbly we beseech.

12 November 1641

Read in audience of the nobility.