MRP: HCA13/126

HCA13/126

[No page no.]

//The 10:th day of July 1652//
/7Repeated before//
//D:r ?Clerk one of//
//the Judgesxr//

//The personall answers of//
//Thomas May made to the p:rmised//
//posicons of an allegation given//
//against him on the behalfe of//
//?Savery as followeth//

//To the first and second positions he answereth//
//and beleiveth that hee this respondent had upon//
//the day aclate (beinge the eighteenth day of//
//December 1651) his lighter called the//
//Mayflower fast moored in the river of//
//Thames neere lower Chalke wharfe about//
//halfe a mile from Gravesend over a certayne//
//racke that was there suncke in the said River//
//for y:e weighing up of Ordinance and Iron//
//out of the said Shippe or Rack which said//
//lighter did (as hee beleiveth) lye neere two//
//stones throwe from y:e Kentish side and soe//
//farr from the Essex side that neere twenty//
//Shipps on breast might in faire and good//
//weather (as he beleeveth) have passed by//
//without doinge or receivinge and damage//
//and upon y:e Kentish side about foure Shipps//
//might have passed on breast betweene y:e//
//shoare and the said lighter the river beinge//
//in that place (as he beleiveth) neere a mile//
//in breadth and the bancks of y:e river in and//
//about that place are soe absolutely steepe that//
//there is noe shelvinge nor wast ground as hee//
//hath observed and beleeveth and this respondent//

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//did generally imploy seaven or eight men to//
//worke on board the said lighter for the weighing//
//of the said Ordnance and Iron and one//
//man constantly to bee and lye on board her//
//or soe neere on shoare that hee might bee//
//within sight of the said lighter and looke to//
//the same, and this respondent beleiveth the//
//said lighter did ride in such a place over the//
//said Racke where Shipps did and might//
//usually passe unlesse they were of very great//
//burthen and the water lowe and they in//
//regard of the said Sunck vessell or racke//
//they could not passe without very great//
//danger as he beleiveth and he beleiveth that//
//at the tyme of the said Shippe y:e Mary//
//runne against the said lighter there was not//
//any person on board, but those employed by this//
//respondent were gone on shoare to a house very//
//neere the place where the said lighter did lye//
//where they had their dyet and, a good distance//
//before the said Shippe came neere to the said//
//lighter some of the said persons employed upon y:e//
//same did see the said Shippe and call to the//
//company thereof as he beleiveth wishinge//
//them to take heed of the said lighter as hee//
//beleeveth, yet notwithstandinge the company//
//of the same out of carlesnesse or wilfulnesse//
//as he beleiveth did ranne against the said//
//lighter & broake her from her Mooringes//
//though there was roome for twenty Shipps//
//as aforesaid to have gon on the one side//
//& foure on the other all on breast//
//without doinge or receivinge any damage//
//as he beleeveth and did carry her away at//
//least two or three miles as hee beleiveth by//
//w:ch this repdent was very much damnified as//
//he beleiveth and otherwise he doth not beleeive the//
//said posicon to bee true in any parte//

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