Edward Cranford
| Edward Cranford | |
|---|---|
| Person | Edward Cranford |
| Title | |
| First name | Edward |
| Middle name(s) | |
| Last name | Cranford |
| Suffix | |
| Spouse of | |
| Widow of | |
| Occupation | Coal heaver |
| Secondary shorebased occupation | Porter |
| Mariner occupation | |
| Associated with ship(s) | |
| Training | Not apprentice |
| Is apprentice of | |
| Was apprentice of | |
| Had apprentice(s) | |
| Citizen | Unknown |
| Literacy | Marke |
| Has opening text | Edward Cranford |
| Has signoff text | Wiggly line |
| Signoff image | (Invalid transcription image) |
| Language skills | English language |
| Has interpreter | |
| Birth street | |
| Birth parish | |
| Birth town | |
| Birth county | |
| Birth province | |
| Birth country | |
| Res street | |
| Res parish | Stepney |
| Res town | |
| Res county | Middlesex |
| Res province | |
| Res country | England |
| Birth year | 1611 |
| Marriage year | |
| Death year | |
| Probate date | |
| First deposition age | 44 |
| Primary sources | |
| Act book start page(s) | |
| Personal answer start page(s) | |
| Allegation start page(s) | |
| Interrogatories page(s) | |
| Deposition start page(s) | HCA 13/70 f.554r Annotate |
| Chancery start page(s) | |
| Letter start page(s) | |
| Miscellaneous start page(s) | |
| Act book date(s) | |
| Personal answer date(s) | |
| Allegation date(s) | |
| Interrogatories date(s) | |
| Deposition date(s) | Dec 15 1655 |
| How complete is this biography? | |
| Has infobox completed | Yes |
| Has synthesis completed | No |
| Has HCA evidence completed | No |
| Has source comment completed | No |
| Ship classification | |
| Type of ship | Shore based trade |
| Silver Ship litigation in 1650s | |
| Role in Silver Ship litigation | None |
Biographical synthesis
Edward Cranford (b. ca. 1611; d. ?). "Coalheaver or Porter".[1]
Resided in 1655 in the parish of Stepney.
Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
December 1655
Forty-four year old Edward Cranford deposed on December 15th 1655 in the High Court of Admiralty.[2] He was examined on a libel in the case of "John Bayly and company owners of the shipp the Imployment against the shipp the James and Martin (whereof Phillipp Stafford is Master and against the sayd Stafford and Company coming in for their interest, and whomsoever else et cetera".[3]
Edward Cranford stated that the coal ship the Imployment was moored near the middle of the River Thames near Execution Dock. She had lain there safely, as observed by Edward Cranford, for at least four or five tides before the accident happened which was now the subject of dispute. Cranford himself lived near Execution Dock and was one of sixteen men hired by the master of the Imployment to unlade her coals. The day before the acccident Cranford helped to unload forty or fifty chaldron of coals. The price agreed by Crandord, his fellow porter Richard Wincles, and the other fourteen coal heavers for unloading the coals was twelve shillings per man for the full ship's lading of coals.
The next day, John Bayley, the master of the Imployment met Cranford and his fellow coal heavers on their way to work and "told them his sayd shipp was about suncke and desired them for Gods sake to make all the hast on board they could and to fall to worke to lighten her and told them hee would goe to Billingsgate and hyre men to come aboard and pumpe and bayle her thereby to keepe her above water." Rushing to the ship the coal heavers " found her soe deepe in water in the hold that they thought fitt not to fall to worke till the sayd Bayly returned on board".[4]
When John Bayley arrived with "a great company hee brought with him to helpe to pumpe and bayle water" Cranford and the rest of the coal heavers told Bayley that "the shipp had receaved soe much water and the coales were soe wett that they must stand naked in the water to worke and be faine to worke night and day and therefore they would not undertake to unlade her sayd ladeing at the rate formerly agreed upon." Bayley then agreed new rates with them - they demanded thirty shillings a man, and Bayley agreed twenty-six shillings a man. Conditions were grim with the heavers standing naked in the water and heaving the coal out of the port holes. Despite his promise, Bayley only paid them twenty-three shillings a man, arguing that he had sustained great losses, which they agreed to accept.[5]
Bayley paid the large number of men he brought from Billingsgate to pump and bail water at the rate of "halfe a crowne a man every tyde for severall tydes togeather, who seemed not to be contented with such pay though the sayd Bayly alsoe allowed them stronge waters beside to encourage them to worke."[6]
