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Week Three Team Exercise

Editorial history

Created 15/06/14 by CSG

Purpose of page

This page sets our a team exercise which Team Three will we working on in Week Three of the MarineLives 2014 Summer Programme

Suggested links

Virginia tobacco trade in the 1650s

Goals

• To develop our research skills to explore places and material goods, using Virginia and Tobacco as a case example

Search hints

General search hints

Search the three major wikis (in terms of numbers of transcribed and searchable pages)

AnnotateHCA1371 Front_Page
AnnotateHCA1372 Front_Page
AnnotateHCA1373 Front_Page

You may also wish to search

AnnotateHCA1364 Front_Page

Researching Virginia in the Admiralty Court Records

Think about geographical search terms and their spelling variants, e.g.

• Aramack/Achamack
• James River
• Jamestowne/Jamestown/James Towne/James Town
• Nausemum
• Potomack
• Rapahannuck/Rapahannocke
• Rappahannack River
• River of Nansemum/River of Nausemum
• Virginia
• Yorke River/York River

Researching Tobacco in the Admiralty Court Records

Think about orthographical variation of the basic search term for tobacco

• Tobacco
• Tobaccoe
• Tobaccoes
• Virginia Leafe Tobaccoe
• Tobaccoe Plants
• Other variants?
• Tobacconist

Questions to explore

What were the ports of origin of ships visiting Virginia, and what routes did they take?

• Direct voyages from London and Bristol to Virginia?
• Indirect voyages from London (and elsewhere) via Guinea Coast and Angolan Coast of Africa?

Can you identify trading links between Virginia and Barbados, between Virginia and New England, and Virginia and the Bermudas?

• What goods were traded between these places?

When did the London and Bristol ships arrive each year at Virginia? How long did they stay? When did they depart with tobacco for London?

Can you identify ships and merchants from Amsterdam trading with Virginia?

What was the cost of passage for a passenger from London to Virginia, and how did it compare with the cost of passage for a passage for a passenger from Bristol to Virginia?

Can you identify the names of correspondents or agents of London merchants in Virginia?

• Were these correspondents or agents family members? If not, how were they related to the London merchants?

Can you find evidence of private trade in tobacco by officers and ordinary seamen on board ships travelling from Virginia to Europe?

Did tobacco come just from Virginia?

• Antego? Bermudas? Barbados? Brazil? Nevis/Mevis? Spanish West Indies?

How long did it take to load tobacco into a ship in Virginia?

How did merchants and planters in Virginia contract with ship owners and ship masters to freight tobacco to Europe?

How was tobacco transported and stored?

• Hogsheads? barrells? rolls? parcells? Manaco's?

What was the carrying capacity of ships from Virginia to England?

• Hogsheads per ship?
• Hogsheads per tunn of ship's burthen?

What was the role of the cooper in the transportation and storage of tobacco?

- Can you find witness statements by coopers describing what they did with tobacco?

What was the price or value of tobacco in Virginia vs. London?

• Price in sterling?
• Price in sugar equivalent?
• Price in non-sterling currencies?

Did tobacco price changes vary seasonally and/or between years?

How was tobacco distributed and sold once it arrived in London?

• Role of grocers? Role of tobacconists?

Can you find evidence of tobacco sale and use in English ports and towns outside London?

What evidence is there of transhipment of Virginia tobacco via London (and other English ports) to other ports in Europe?

• Spain?
• Canary Islands?
• Mediterranean Ports?
• Other geographical regions?

What goods were traded from Europe to Virginia?

Research hints

Q1: What were the ports of origin of ships visiting Virginia, and what routes did they take?

• Direct voyages from London and Bristol to Virginia?
• Indirect voyages from London (and elsewhere) via Guinea Coast and Angolan Coast of Africa?

• Case: Involving the ship the King of Poland, shipping tobacco from the Bermudas and Virginia to London in 1655 HCA 13/72 f.249r
• Case: Involving the ship the Anne of London which travelled from London to Guinea Coast, collecting negro slaves and elephants teeth at Guinea, and delivering the slaves in Virginia, before returning to London with tobacco and elephants teeth HCA 13/71 f.198v

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Q2: Can you identify trading links between Virginia and Barbados, between Virginia and New England, and Virginia and the Bermudas?

• What goods were traded between these places?

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Q3: When did the London and Bristol ships arrive each year at Virginia? How long did they stay? When did they depart with tobacco for London?

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Q4: Can you identify ships and merchants from Amsterdam trading with Virginia?

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Q5: What was the cost of passage for a passenger from London to Virginia, and how did it compare with the cost of passage for a passage for a passenger from Bristol to Virginia?

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Q6: Can you identify the names of correspondents or agents of London merchants in Virginia?

• Were these correspondents or agents family members? If not, how were they related to the London merchants?

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Q7: Can you find evidence of private trade in tobacco by officers and ordinary seamen on board ships travelling from Virginia to Europe?

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Q8: Did tobacco come just from Virginia?

• Antego? Bermudas? Barbados? Brazil? Nevis/Mevis? Spanish West Indies?

• Shipment of tobacco from the Bermudas to London

- Tobacco was loaded onto the ship the Summers Islands Merchant at the Bermudas by Loys Taylor, wife of Thomas Taylor, to be shipped to England: "the arlate Thomas Taylor and Loijs Taylor his wife were, Commonly accounted and reputed the true and Lawfull owners and Proprietors of Eight and twenty Cedar Chests, which contained and were filled (as this deponent verily beleeveth) with Tobaccoe; and alsoe sixty six Rolls of Tobaccoe, and of foure more Rolls of Tobaccoe, and of a quantity of Oranges, All which said goods hee saith were Laden aboard the arlate Ship the Summer Islands Merchant John Jenkins Master at the Bermudas by the said Loys Taylor, (who was then there) to be thence Transported into England here to be delivered to the said Thomas or Loys Taylor: or their Assignes" HCA 13/73 f.34r

Q9: How long did it take to load tobacco into a ship in Virginia?

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Q10: How did merchants and planters in Virginia contract with ship owners and ship masters to freight tobacco to Europe?

• According to the books of account of the supra cargo on the ship the Alexander, which was contracted to carry tobacco from Virginia to England, freight per tonne of tobacco varied between £8 per tonne and £10 per tonne in 1654 HCA 13/71 f.402r

• John Jefferey's Virginia correspondents switched transportation of Virginia tobacco from the ship the Alexander to the ship the Providence, when (allegedly) forty shillings per tonne more than agreed was requested for freight of tobacco on the Alexander HCA 13/71 f.236r

Q11: How was tobacco transported and stored?

• Hogsheads? barrells? rolls? parcells? Manaco's?

• Case: Involving the ship the King of Poland

- "the King of Poland lay in the Moneth of June 1655 at the Bermudas and then and there tooke in divers hogsheads chests butts and barrells of Tobaccoes to a good quantitie which she was to carrie thense to Virginia, and there take in other tobaccoes and returne with both the sayd tobaccoes videlicet that laden at Bermudas and that laden at Virginia to London and there unlade and deliver them both" HCA 13/71 f.254r

• Case: Involving the ship the King of Poland

- Carpenter of the King of Poland reported that she was an old ship, but neverthless tight, staunch, and sufficient. The ship took in above four feet of water in her hold before she got to Plymouth in England, due to heavy storms HCA 13/71 f.256v

• After arriving in London, tobacco was stored in warehouses and cellars

- Tobacconist Johannes Basford of Saint Stephens Colemanstreet inspected 24 or 25 hogsheads of Virginia Tobacco "lying in a Celler in Saint mary at hill", and found them largely to be in good condition HCA 13/73 f.534r

Q12: What was the carrying capacity of ships from Virginia to England?

• Hogsheads per ship?
• Hogsheads per tunn of ship's burthen?

- Case: Warner against Howe and Watson
--[William Watson was master of the ship the Alexander in 1653 and 1654, and contracted with Armiger Warner "and lett him the sayd shipp to ffreight for a voyage to bee made from ffalmouth in England to Corke in Ireland and thense to Yorke River or Rapahannack in Virgina thense to London and to lade in Virginia and bring thense to London three hundred tonnes of Tobaccoe accompting fower Virginia hogsheads to every tonne"HCA 13/71 f.401v
-- Supposedly an Achamack merchant in Virginia had surplus contracted freight opn the ship the Anne Cleeve and ws prepared to sell the freight capacity on at £7 per tonnne, twenty shillings per tonne below the going rate in May 1654 HCA 13/71 f.390r

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Q13: What was the role of the cooper in the transportation and storage of tobacco?

• Can you find witness statements by coopers describing what they did with tobacco?

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Q14: What was the price or value of tobacco in Virginia vs. London?

• Price in sterling?
• Price in sugar equivalent?
• Price in non-sterling currencies?

• Price of Virginia Tobacco in London:

- Tobacconist Johannes Basford of Saint Stephens Colemanstreet stated that he "being a Tobacconist and well skilled in Tobaccoe was Imployed by the said Harris and Beomant to veiwe about foure or five Twenty hogsheads of Virginia Tobaccoe belonging unto them lying in a Celler in Saint mary at hill and saith that, at the time of his veiwing thereof, the said Tobaccoes were all, (saving about 3 Hogsheads) dry and well Conditioned and very Good Sound Tobaccoe, which said three Hogsheads or thereabouts hee saith were not altogether soe good as the other, but were reasonable good, and were not above 10: s per hogshead worse then the other. And saith that all the said Tobaccoes one with another were then here well worth and the like commonly sold for 5. d and 5. d [?06] per pound, and this deponent here about the same time bought some Virgina Tobaccoe (which was noe better then the said Tobaccoe that hee soe veiwed) and paid 5. d [?06] per pound for the same" HCA 13/73 f.534r

Q15: Did tobacco price changes vary seasonally and/or between years?

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Q16: How was tobacco distributed and sold once it arrived in London?

• Role of grocers? Role of tobacconists?

• The case of XXX involves the testimony of a number of London based individuals who were involved in tobacco trade in London, and who appear to have understood the retail trade in tobacco. These deponents included the tobacconist John Basford of Saint Stephens Colemanstreet, London, and Thomas Griffin, a distiller, of Saint Dunstands in the East. Griffin refers in his testimony to the planned export in 1657 of Virginia tobacco to Spain in the ship the ffortune, the same tobacco having been imported to London by Mr Harris and Mr Beaomont HCA 13/73 f.534v

Q17: Can you find evidence of tobacco sale and use in English ports and towns outside London?

• Case: Tytus Complayne against John Brandlin John Blomfeild and Alexander Scott

- Titus Complayne of Ipswich bought four hogsheads of tobacco from the London grocer, Thomas Coclough, for a total price of £55-04s-7d in October 1653 and arranged to have them shipped from Dice Key, London, on the ship the Primrose of Ipswich HCA 13/71 f.199r

Q18: What evidence is there of transhipment of Virginia tobacco via London (and other English ports) to other ports in Europe?

• Spain?
• Canary Islands?
• Mediterranean Ports?
• Other geographical regions?

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Q18: What goods were traded from Europe to Virginia?

• Cargoes of goods shipped from London to Guinea Coast:

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• Cargoes of goods shipped from London direct to Virginia:

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Interesting cases

To find cases by case name (with their associated depositions) in HCA 13/72 try browsing:

HCA 13/72 Cases and depositions

Equivalent pages for HCA 13/71 and HCA 13/73 have not yet been populated with data

HCA 13/71

• A Busines of Examination of wittnesses on the behalfe of Thomas Allen Anthony Peniston and Company Owners of the shipp the King of Poland whereof ffrederick Johnson is Master) against John Wright Jasper White Perient Trott Thomas Tomlinson John Butts Richard Chandler and George Watermann
• Ewer against Watts
• Naphthalia White John Thomas and others marines of the shipp the delight of Plymouth against John Griddon master of the sayd shipp
• On the behalfe of Moses Goodier and Timothy Alsop touching the hester of Plimouth
• On the behalfe of Samuel harwar touching a losse in the Anne of London
• Swanley and Company against certaine hogsheads of Tobaccoe brought from Virginia and against George Johnson for his interest in 34 hogsheads
• Titus Complayne against John Brandlin John Blomfeilde and Alexander Scott
• Warner against Howe and Watson

HCA 13/72

• John Jeffreyes and Robert Lewellin against Jacob Moulson
• Warren against Watson and How

HCA 13/73

• Claime of the said van hulten and others in the Mary
• Harris and Beomont against the Fortune and against Carlton
• Thomas Taylor and Loijs his wife against the Shipp the Summer Islands Merchant and against John Jenkins Master of the said Ship

Interesting individuals

London Merchants

John Jefferis/Jefferies, London merchant, dealing in tobacco with Virginia
- Grocer
- b. 1614, d. ca. XXX
- J.R.Woodhead Profile of JEFFREYS, John (B)
- Deposition by John Jefferies of London merchant HCA 13/71 f.235v
-- Deponent "hath for divers yeares last past used the trade of a Merchant to Virginia"

Perient Trott
- Grocer
- Traded in tobacco with Virginia
- Brother of Nicholas Trott, merchant of Yorke Towne, Virginia
- Case: Involving the ship the King of Poland, shipping tobacco from the Bermudas and Virginia to London in 1655 HCA 13/72 f.249r

Virginia Merchants

David Sellick, merchant of Aramack, Virginia
- Merchant
- b.1614. d. before 1654
- Profile of David Sellick

Nicholas Trott, merchant of Yorke Towne, Virginia

Planters

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Politicians

William Clayborne/Claybourne the Secretary of State in Virginia [HCA 13/71 f.230v]

Interesting ships

Alexander of London (1654)
Anne of London
Anne Claere of London/Anne Cleeve of London
Beare of Bristol
Honour of London (1659)
James
Golden Lyon
John and Katherine
King of Poland
Peter and Jane of London
Providence of London
Sea horse
Summer Islands Merchant
Thomas and Anne (1659)
William of London (1654 & 1655)

Synthesis: Virginia

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Synthesis: Tobacco

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