MRP: C10/89/61 f. 1

C10/89/61 f. 1

Editorial history

08/10/11, CSG: Created page

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Abstract & context

Edward Gibbon, a gentleman of London, brought a suit against Martha Hendra, widow of Thomas Hendra deceased, the former captain of the Eagle, and a number of co-defendants (C10/86/36 f. 1). The co-defendants named were Thomas Heatley, John Sandys, John Buckworth, Sir William Ryder, Sir Richard fford, Nathaniel Herne, Thomas ffoxe and Sir William Ryder's son-in-law, Richard Middleton. A number of the co-defendants were co-owners and/or freighters of the Eagle.

The suit related to a voyage of the Eagle which commenced in mid-1666. This may well have been the ship's first voyage since it was released from naval service at the end of 1665. The voyage was on the triangular route of London to the West African Coast with a mixed cargo, on to Barbados with a cargo of slaves, and returning from Barbados to London having purchased the island's products. Gibbon alleges that he had failed to receive his due returns from an investment of £150 in cargo purchased by the ship's captain, Thomas Hendra, for sale in Guinea, and also from a further £35 supplied to Thomas Hendra for the purchase of a tun of brandy wine for sale or barter in Guinea.

C10/89/61 f. 1 significantly expands our knowledge of the alleged facts set out in the original bill of complaint (C10/86/36 f. 1) brought in Hillary term ?1669 by Edward Gibbon. In particular it provides details of the trade in enslaved negroes between Guinea and the island of Barbados. Gibbon states that Thomas Hendra, at the instruction of the co-owners and freighters of his ship, bought four hundred negroes in Guinea at a price of £4 per head, his intention being "to carry the said Negroes to the Island of Barbadoes and there to sell the best profitt."

Thomas Hendra died on the voyage onwards from the Guinea coast to the island of Barbados, and was replaced by Nicholas Pepperrell as master of the Eagle. Gibbon claims that it was agreed between the owners and freighters of the ship and Thomas Hendra, or alternatively by the "custome of Merchants tradeing to Ginney" that "Each twentyth Negroe or one in every one and twenty or the value or price of such Negroes did belong to the said Thomas Hendra or was agreed to bee paid to him as Captaine of Commander of the said ship." He asserts that Pepperrell transferred to the confederated defendants "severall Goods cattells Chattells wares and Merchandizes of the growth of the Island of Barbadoes which were the proceeds of the said Negroes or some considerable some of money for which the said Negroes or some part of them were sould." This transfer included the rightful proceeds to the deceased Thomas Hendra from his twentieth share in the Negroes.

Gibbon identifies three factors or "supra cargoes" on the Eagle - Thomas Hendra himself, Nicholas Pepperell, and "one Betts." He further identifies Thomas Heatley, one of the part owners of the Eagle, as the treasurer for the fraighters and owners of the ship

C10/89/61 f. 1 expands the list of alleged confederates conspiring to defraud Gibbon. Gibbon suggests that the co-owners and freighters of the Eagle "S:r Richard fford S:r William Ryder John Buckworth John Sandys Thomas Heatley Thomas ffoxe" combined with "one William Newbold Gent Augustine Newbold and Rebekah Cole widdowe Mother of the said Martha Hendra Jeremiah Sambrooke John Cole and Nicholas Pepperell."

The Eagle was already under sail in 1660, when it appears in primary records under charter by the English East India Company for a return voyage from London to Surat. Departing from London in early 1660, it left Surat in 16XX, and reached London again in mid 1662. It is reported by a secondary source to have been a sizeable ship, which, when chartered by the English Navy in 1665, carried 220 men and 44 guns.. Thomas Hendra is reported by the same secondary source to have been its captain during naval action in 1665..

Nicholas Pepperell, Hendra's fellow factor, who took over the mastership of the Eagle after Hendra's death on the passage between Guinea and Barbadoes, is likely to have been an Essex mariner from the parish of Bobbingworth, who died circa 1678, leaving a son of the same name and occupation. The Pepperell connection with the West African trade appears to have extended to Nicholas Pepperell Junior, who was also a mariner. A series of letters are reprinted in a recent secondary source on West Africa from a Nicholas Pepperell, who was commanding the Alligator Sloop. On September 25th, 1687, he wrote from Agga (Letter 894.); on October 2nd and November 22nd, 1687, he wrote from Amersa (Letters 895. & 896.); and on December 31st, 1687 (Letter 897.), he wrote from Cabo Corsa Castle requesting that he be made Comander of the ship, the Frances, which was now bound for England.

The third factor may have been Thomas Betts, who had been hired in March 1660 as a factor by the English East India Company on a London to Guinea voyage of the Castle Frigate in the early 1660s.

Several Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills have been identified as possible matches to co-owners of the Eagle, including that of Thomas Heatley, an ironmonger, who was the treasurer of the freighters and owners; John Sandys, a merchant and ironmonger of London; and Thomas Fox, a merchant of Camberwell.

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Suggested links

See C10/89/61 f. 2
See C10/89/61 f. 3

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Transcription

//Humbly complaineing sheweth unto yo:r good Lordshipp yo:r Lo:rpps dayly Orator Edward Gibbon of the Citty of London Gent That whereas yo:r Orato:r did in or aboute Hillary Terme which was in the Twentyeth yeare of his Maj:ties Raigne that now is//

//Exhibitt his bill into this hon:ble Co:rt against Martha Hendra widdow & Thomas Heatley John Sandys John Buckworth S:r William Ryder S:r Richard fford Nathaniel Herne Thomas ffoxe Richard Middleton and others thereby amongst other things//

//in the said Bill conteyned setting forth that one Thomas Hendra husband of the said Martha Hendra was Captaine of the shipp called the Eagle bound for Ginney And p:rtended to yo:r Orato:r as the truth was that hee had on board the said Shipp//

//a certaine cargoe of Goods to the value of Nine hundred and Ninety pounds the particulars of which cargoe are in the said bill expressed And that yo:r Orato:r did pay to the said Thomas Hendra one hundred and ffifty pounds and by agreem:t with//

//the said Thomas Hendra upon returne of the said ship yo:r Orato:r was to have an account of the said cargoe of Goods according to the proportonn by him paid and was to receive his share of the profitts of the said Adventure And that yo:r Orato:r did//

//alsoe pay to the said Thomas Hendra the summe of Thirty and ffive pounds for one Tunne of Brandy Wynes which the said Thomas Hendra bought for yo:r Orato:r and was to sell on the proper account of yo:r Orato:r which said Goods were bartered//

//sould and disposed of at Ginney for greate advantage for which yo:r Orato:r ought to have an account and satisfaccon But the said Thomas Hendra dying beyond the seas the said Martha Hendra Administratrix of the said Thomas Hendra together//

//with the rest of the said defts in the said bill named had gott into their or some of their hands custody or possession all the Notes and papers of account of the sale and disposicon of the said cargoe of Goods and Brandy Wynes and of such //

//part thereof as remained unsold and not bartered And alsoe a great quantyty of Gould Elephants Teeth & other Goods & Commodityes which were the proceeds of the said cargoe of Goods and Brandy Wynes and had made severall//

//Attachm:ts of the goods in their owne hands on purpose to defeate yo:r Orato:r of his share and interest in the said Goods and every of them And particularly that the said S.r William Ryder S.r Richard fford John Buckworth John Sandys Thomas//

//ffoxe and Thomas Heatley had affirmed an accon of debt upon demand of Two Thousand pounds against the said Martha Hendra Administratrix of the said Thomas Hendra in one of the sheriffs courts of the Citty of London And according to the custome//

//of the said Citty had Attached the summe of One Thousand pounds in moneyes numbred and other goods and chattells in the hands of the said Heatley being one of the plts in the said accon Whereas the said Martha Hendra was not indebted to//

//the parties aforesaid or any of them in any summe or summes of money for which any accon of debt will lye and if at all indebted yet not soe much as is demanded and that the said Martha Hendra had gotten into her possession Twoe Thousand//

//pounds part of the proceeds of the said Adventurers & permitts the other defts to proceede in the said Attachm:ts & will not put in bayle whereby the said money and Goods will bee condemned And yo:r Orato:r thereby shewes that the said defts being//

//some of them owners and ffraighters of the said ship did onely put on board the said ship Twenty Barrells of Gunpowder to bee sould And the said Thomas Hendra had on board the said ship Tenne barrells of Gunpowder on his owne account being//

//parcell of the said cargoe of Goods where to yo:r Orato:r is intituled But by some mistake the said Thomas Hendra gave a bill of ladeing for Thirty barrells of Gunpowder or at least for Tenne barrells of Gunpowder more than did belonge to them//

//the said defts or any of them And that the said defts did refuse to give unto yo:r Orato:r any account of the said Goods or proceeds thereof or what they were sould for And thereupon and upon such other matters as are in the said Bill more at//

//large expressed yo:r Orato:r sought to have the Answer of the said defts & the releife of this hon:ble Co:rt To which Bill the said S:r William Ryder John Buckworth John Sandys and Thomas Heatley haveing beene duely served with processe ?have//

//appeared & answered thereby amongst other things alleadgeing that they did not knowe that the said Thomas Hendra had any such cargoe of Goods or that yo:r Orato:r had any share in any Stocke with the said Thomas Hendra And further alleadge//

//the saide Thomas Hendra had forfeited his bond of ffive hundred pounds penalty whereby hee stood bound to the said defts or some of them not to take on board the said shipp any Goods or merchandizes whatsoever other than what should bee//

//laden by the said def:ts and others the Adventurers without the leave and permission of the said def:ts & other the Adventurers under their hands and seales first had and obteyned And that one Pepperell in the said Answ:r named by the consent of//

//the said Martha Hendra delivered to the said Def:ts Buckworth Sandys and Heatley one bagg of Gold sand wherein was said to bee Nineteene Markes and Two Ounces of Gold for the use of themselves and other the Adventurers untill such time as the//

//said accounts should bee setled and ??evened touching the def:ts Stocke and the managem:t thereof by the said Hendra and that the def:ts are ready to returne the overplus thereof to whome of right it shall belonge And doe confesse the said ??Amounte//

//of one thousand pounds in moneyes numbred to have beene by them made And doe alleadge that the said Thomas Hendra was instructed for the said Adventurers and owners before he went the said voyage to provide seaventy Two barrells of//

//Gunpowder whereof fforty & two barrells were for the said ships XXXXX in the said voyage and the residue thereof being thirty barrells was part of the said Defts cargoe as they beleeve appeares by bill of ladeing under the hands of the said//

//Thomas Hendra Pepperell and one Betts in the said Answer named or some or one of them for the same whoe were ffacto:rs or supra cargoe for the said def:ts and the said other Adventurers in the said voyage And the said def:ts S:r William Ryder//

//John Buckworth and John Sandys say That they being interested in the said cargoe did and as they beleeve soe did the other Adventurers accordingly pay and allowe on account their shares and parts for the said Thirty Barrells of Gunpowder according//

//to their severall proporconns therein to the said def:t Thomas Heatley whoe by the order of the Adventurers was to account with the said Thomas Hendra among other things as they belleve for the said Thirty Barrells of Gunpowder And the def:t//

//Thomas Heatley sayth That the said Hendra had as much money paid him for powder which hee bought or provided the account of the the Adventurers (hee being instructed by them to provide the powder aforesaid) as hee demanded of the said//

//Heatlley whoe was trusted by all the other Adventurers to make up the said account with the said Thomas Hendra which was done accordingly before his goeing the said voyage And the said S:r Richard fford standing upon his priviledge hee//

//being a member of the hon:ble house of Commons in Parliam:t hath appeared but hath not as yet answered the said Bill And the said Martha Hendra being duely served with processe to appeare and answer the said Bill hath not appeared or//

//answered the said bill but stands in contempt of this hon:ble Co:rt And yo.r Orato:r for want of the said Martha Hendras appeareing and answereing hath presented the said Martha with processe of contempt to a serjeant at Armes And the//

//serjeant at Armes attending this hon:ble Court hath made his returne that the said Martha Hendra is not to bee found whereupon by speciall Order of this Co:rt his Maj:ties Commission of Sequestracon under the greate seale of England is//

//at yo:r Orato:rs ??prosecucon duely issued out directed to certaine Commissioners therein named commanding and authorizing them or any two or more of them to sequester and secure all the Goods Cattells and Chattells any way belonginge to the said//

//Martha Hendra And by vertue of the said Commission of Sequestration all the Goods Cattells and Chattells any way due and belonging to the said Martha Hendra ought to bee sequestred & secured for the satisfacton of yo:r Orato:rs just demands And//

//the said Commissioners for Sequestration did all of them meete to execute the said Commission did demand of the said John Buckworth John Sandys and Thomas Heatley the said bagg of Gold sand conteyning aboute thireteene Markes//

//& two Ounces of Gould to bee delivered to them in specie But the said M:r Sandys M.r Heatley and M:r Buckworth did all of them refuse to deliver the said bagge of Gold Sand to the said XXXXXXXXXXX or any of them but declared that the said Bagg//

//of Gould Sand and was carried by them or some of them or by their or some of their Order to the Tower of London and remained in a Chest in a certaine Roome there of which Roome one M:r Hoare Comptroller of the Mint had the Key And ?since//

//yo:r Orato:r discovered in what place the said bagg of Gold remained And alsoe since the said demand made by the said Commission:ers for sequestration They the said John Buckworth John Sandys and Thomas Heatley have cunningly & privately //

//caused the said bagg of XX Gold Sand to bee removed out of the Tower of London on purpose to avoid the executon of the said commission of sequestrationn and to defeate yo:r Orato:r of the said bagg of Gold sand being the proper goods of the said Martha//

//Hendra as Administratrix of the said Thomas Hendra to her belonging and part of the proceeds of the said Adventure whereto yo:r Orato:r is intituled as aforesaid And they the said John Sandys John Buckworth and Thomas Heatley or some of them//

//have the said Bagg of Gold Sand in their or some of their hands custody or possession or have disposed thereof to some person or persons unknowne to yo:r Orato:r on purpose to defeate yo:r Orato:r as aforesaid and to ??delude the executon of the said//

//Comission And since the said demand made the said Buckworth Sandys and Heatley have by consent of the said Martha Hendra caused the said Gould to bee rXyued and have broken up the seales of the said bagg wherein the Gould was but refuse//

//to discover to yo:r Orato:r in what manner the said Bagg was marked and sealed or what Note or Notes were at any time upon the said bagg since it came into their custody And the said commission:rs did likewise demand of the said Thomas Heatley the//

//said summe of One thousand pounds in money numbred which the said Thomas Heatley by the Attachm:t aforesaid had ??cousened to bee in his hands & to be the proper moneyes of the said Martha Hendra as administratrix of the said Thomas//

//Hendra But the said Thomas Heatley refuses to deliver the said one thousand pounds or any part thereof to the said commission:rs or any of them And yo:r Orato:r further sheweth that the said Martha Hendra being unlawfully combined p:rtended XXXX//

//together and to and with the said S:r Richard fford S:r William Ryder John Buckworth John Sandys Thomas Heatley Thomas ffoxe and to and with one William Newbold Gent Augustine Newbold and Rebekah Cole widdowe Mother of the said Martha//

//Hendra Jeremiah Sambrooke John Cole and Nicholas Pepperell to defraude and defeate yo:r Orato:r of his just demands and knoweing that yo:r Orato:r is a stranger to and not fully acquainted with the proceedings that were had betweene//

//the said ffraighters and owners of the said shipp and the said Thomas Hendra touching the goods bought for them by the said Hendra or touching the ffraight wages provicon or commission money & moneyes due to the said Thomas Hendra as Master of the said//

//ship for Negroes by him bought at Ginney and after his decease sould at the Island of Barbadoes beyond the seas and for that yo:r Orato:r by the said former bill was not able to charge the Def:ts in the said Bill named as was requisite in regard yo:r Oratp:r was//

SEE DIGITAL IMAGE P1080370 FOR LH SIDE OF TEXT BELOW:

//not privy to the contract made betweene the said Thomas Hendra and the ffraighters and owners of the said shipp They the said S:r William Ryder John Buckworth John Sandys and Thomas Heatley have given evasive answers to the said fformer Bill but ought//

//in Equity to discover what was justly due and oweing to the said Thomas Hendra or to the said Martha Hendra his Administratrix after his decease Nor will they discover in particular what they or any of them demand for any Goods sould and disposed of by//

//the said Thomas Hendra the proceeds whereof was not brought to their account And yo:r Orato:r hath lately discovered and it is well knowne to them the said Confederates That they the said Confederates or some of them had imployed the said Thomas Hendra//

//Nicholas Pepperell and one Betts as ffacto:rs or supra cargoes of them the said Confederates or some of them or at least was to have some considerable allowance from the said Adventurers
for the sale and disposicon of a great quantity of goods sent by them the said Confederates or some of them to bee sould disposed of and bartered at Ginney//

//for which the said Thomas Hendra was to receive from the said Confederates or some of them Two pounds Tenne shillings in the hundred or some other great summe of money for his commission or provision money in the sale and dispositon of the said//

/cargoe of Goods belonging to the said confederates or some of them Or at least was to have some considerable allowance from the said Adventurers out of some profitt ariseing by the sale and dispositon of the said goods for his commission or provision//

//money the certenty whereof yo:r Orato:r cannot set forth And alsoe the said confederates & other the ffraighters and owners of the said ship were at the time of the death of the said Thomas Hendra indebted to him the said Thomas Hendra in some//

//great summe of money for his wages as Master of the said ship and for fraight due and oweing to him the said Thomas Hendra in regard hee the said Thomas Hendra was one of the partowners of the said ship But the said Confederates doe refuse to//

//discover to yo:r Orato:r how much by the ?Month or what proporcon of money they or any of them were to pay the said Thomas Hendra for his wages & fraight and for his commission or provision money of the goods by him and the other ??persons//

//commissioned as aforesaid sould and disposedd of at Ginney And yo:r Orato.r further sheweth that the said Thomas Hendra by the direccon and appointm:t of the said Confederates or some of them did buy at Ginney upon the account of the said confederates//

//or some of them foure hundred or some other greater number of Negroes for which the said Thomas Hendra paid the summe of ffoure pounds or some other small summe of money by the head and by the direccon of the said confederates or//

//some of them was to carry the said Negroes to the Island of Barbadoes and there to sell the best profitt for the advantage of the said confederates or some of them And by agreem:t made betweene the said Thomas Hendra and the said//

//confederates or some of them and the rest of the ffraighters and owners of the said shipp or by the custome of Merchants tradeing to Ginney Each twentyth Negroe or one in every one and twenty or the value or price of such Negroes did belong//

//to the said Thomas Hendra or was agreed to bee paid to him as Captaine of Commander of the said ship And after the sale and dispositon of the said Goods belonging to the said Confederates and alsoe of the Goods belonging to him the//

//said Thomas Hendra & yo:r Orato:r jointly and alsoe after the buying of the said Negroes but before the said shipps arrivall at Barbadoes the said Thomas Hendra dyed and the said Negreos were all of them sould & disposed of at Barbadoes//

//or some other part by the said Nicholas Pepperell whoe succeeded the said Thomas Hendra in the command of the said ship and the said Nicholas Pepperell hath given to the said confederates or some of them an account of the sale and disposition//

//of the said Negroes and hath delivered to the said confederates or some of them severall Goods cattells Chattells wares and Merchandizes of the growth of the Island of Barbadoes which were the proceeds of the said Negroes or some considerable//

//some of money for which the said Negroes or some part of them were sould And the said Nicholas Pepperell or some other of the said Confederates have have received such goods cattells chattells & ready money as did belonge to the said Thomas Hendra//

//in his life time as his due for the said Negroes And the said Martha Hendra after the decease of the said Thomas Hendra ought to have an account and satisfaccon of such share and part thereof as did belonge to him the said Thomas Hendra//

//And by vertue of the said Commission of Sequestration which issued out for the benefit of yo:r Orato:r he yo:r said Orato:r is intituled to have such account as ought to bee given to the said Martha Hendra And by the meanes aforesaid or some of them//

//or by some other wayes or meanes the said Confederates or some of them are indebted to the said Martha Hendra Administratrix of the said Thomas the summe of Two thousand pounds or some other greate summe of money And//

//the said Confederates or some of them have attached the summe of one thousand pounds parcell of the moneyes by them oweing to the said Martha Hendra Administratrix of the said Thomas Hendra in the hands of the said Thomas Heatley hee//

//being ?treasurer to the said Confederates of some of them for the goods by them adventured in the said ship and being imployed by them to make up the acoounts touching their whole adventures XX ??alsoe to pay all such summe of money And//

//money as were due and oweing to the said Martha Hendra upon all and every the occasonns aforesaid And the said Thomas Heatley did very well knowe that at the time of the said XXXXXXXXXXXXX hee had the summ of One thousand pounds in money//

//numbred or some other great summe of money or the value thereof in his hands being the proper moneyes of the said Martha Hendra which became due to the said Thomas Hendra XXXXXXX proviconn and commission money fraight wages and for the//

SEE DIGITAL IMAGE P1080373 FOR LH SIDE OF DOCUMENT:

//said Negroes and other things relateing to the said voyage and thereupon then gave directonns to one Richard Bedman one of the Serjeants at Mace to one of the sherrifs of London to attach in the hands of him the said Thomas Heatley the summe of//

//One thousand pounds in moneyes numbred and other Goods and Chattells And the said Heatley did pay him the said ??Deadman (Or, ??Beadman) for his paines XXXXXXXXXXX which said one thousand pounds or other moneyes remained in the hands of//

//the said Thomas Heatley as Treasurer to the ffraighters and owners of the said shipp or some of them And although it may be true that XXXX Thomas Hendra had given to the said Confederates or some of them some bond of the penalty of//

//ffive hundred poundes or some such other penalty with Condicon as in the Answer of the said S:r William Ryder John Buckworth John Sandys and Thomas Heatley is sett forth yet the said Confederates doe refuse to discover to yo:r Orato:r to//

//which of them the said Confederates or what other person or persons the said bond was given on the true date XXXXXXXXXXX condicon of the said bond And the said Confederates doe very well knowe as the truth that they ought not in Equity//

//to have the penalty of the said bond ffor that the said Thomas Hendra being Master and one of the partowners of the said shipp was by the consent and agreem:t of all partyes concerned to have??gone a share in some Adventure together with the//

//rest of the Adventurers and owners of the said shipp or some of them But the said Thomas Hendra giveing notice to the said Confederates or some of them that hee had bought the said cargoe of goods in yo:r Orato:rs former bill sett forth//

//They or some of them the said Confederates judged and declared that the said cargoe of goods was bought to deere and therefore would not receive the same cargoe into their account on ??Paper the said Thomas Hendra to bee any share or//

//XXXX [illegible signature in bottom LH corner margin of document]

See [[MRP: C10/89/61 f. 1 continues on the recto sides of See [|C10/89/61 f. 2"]] and See C10/89/61 f. 3

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Notes

The Eagle

A ship named the Eagle was being built in late 1644. The English East India Company agreed to send out no men, but to bring back seventy five, on the said ship.

Probably a later eponymous ship was chartered by the English East Company in 1660 for the London to Surat run:

- "The Barbadoes Merchant sailed in December, 1659, for Guinea and the Coromandel Coast, and was soon followed by the Blackmore (or Blackamoor) bound for Guinea and Surat. In March, 1660, the Smyrna Merchant, East India Merchant, and Concord started for Madras; while in April three ships — the Eagle, Richard and Martha, and American — departed for Surat, and the Castle Frigate for Guinea and Bantam (in Java)"
- "At the end of May [1662] came in the Barbadoes Merchant, the American, and the African; while the Eagle, the Constantinople Merchant, the Coast Frigate, and the Loyal Merchant followed soon after. Of these seven the first and sixth had come from Madras, the second, fourth, and fifth from Surat, and the other two from Bantam."

According to a secondary source, the Eagle was chartered by the English Navy between March and December 1665, with Thomas Hendra as its captain. The same source states that its crew was 220 men and that it carried 44 guns, although this source has no information on its owners:

-"Eagle Hired at Portsmouth in March 1665, engaged at Lowestoft, and assigned to the main fleet during the Norway expedition and the actions of 3 and 9 September 1665. She was paid off in October and released in December 1665. The Eagle was also hired during the First Dutch War but is not recorded as having been in action."

Nicholas Pepperell senior & junior, mariners

There appear to have been two Nicholas Pepperell mariners, senior and junior, "of Bobbingworth [Essex;]." Both men were living in 1678. Bobbingworth was a parish just to the north of Chipping Ongar, and circa fifteen miles west of Chelmsford. A Nicholas Pepperell Junior, mariner, is recorded as "of Stepney" at the time of his marriage in XXXX, his father being deceased:

- "Essex Record Office: Estate and Family Records: Deeds of various parishes: D/DYq/7:
13 July 1678: Conveyance (Lease and Release, Lease missing): (i)Wm. Bower of London, gent., Nicholas Pepperell, senior and Jun., mariners of Bobbingworth; (ii) George Meggott of London, gentleman (s. and h. of Robert M. of Theydon Garnon, gent.);(iii) Peter Foster and Jeremiah Wright, Yeomen, of Bobbingworth.)
- "1679: March 26 Nicholas Pepperell, Jr, of Stepney, Middx., Mariner, Widr, abt 30, & Hannah Bindon, of St Bride's, London, Spr, abt 19 ; with consent of her mother, her father dead ; at St Mary Magdalen, Old Fish Street, London."

The Pepperell connection with the West African trade appears to have extended to Nicholas Pepperell Junior, who was also a mariner. A series of letters are reprinted in a recent secondary source on West Africa from a Nicholas Pepperell, who was commanding the Alligator Sloop. On September 25th, 1687, he wrote from Agga (Letter 894.); on October 2nd and November 22nd, 1687, he wrote from Amersa (Letters 895. & 896.); and on December 31st, 1687 (Letter 897.), he wrote from Cabo Corsa Castle requesting that he be made Comander of the ship, the Francesm which was now bound for England.

John Betts, factor

The third factor or super cargo mentioned in C10/89/61 f. 1 as "one Betts" may have been John Betts, who was employed in 1660/1661 by the English East India Company as a factor with five other men on the Castle Frigate:

- "March 7, 1660 John Orme, James Gosnell, Laurence Lanyan, John Merry, John Saxby, and John Betts are entertained as factors for Guinea, to go in the Castle Frigate at once"

John Sandys

Reference to John Sandys in East India Company records, March 20, 1667:

- "Thomas Murthwaite and John Sandys desire, on behalf of themselves and the rest of the owners of the African, some money to enable them to pay off their mariners ; they also ask that the calicoes may be opened, so that the damage may be"
- Note that Thomas Murthwaite is a plaintiff, together with William Love, the two of them being surviving executors, in a suit on behalf of the deceased John Younge against the Searle family of Plymouth. See C20/803/34 f. 7

Slave prices in Barbados, West Indies, and Virginia

Quotation below from Phillips (XXXX, XXXX: 256)

"In the British West Indies it is apparent from occasional documents that the trend was similar. A memorial from Barbados in 1689, for example, recited that in earlier years the planters had been supplied with Africans at £7 sterling per head, of which forty shillings covered the Guinea cost and £5 paid the freightage; but now since the establishment of the Royal Africa Company, "we buy negroes at the price of an engrossed commodity, the common rate of a good negro on shipboard being twenty pound. And we are forced to scramble for them in so shameful a manner that one of the great burdens of our lives is the going to buy negroes. But we must have them; we cannot be without them." The overthrow of the monopoly, however, brought no relief. In 1766 the price of new negroes in the West Indies ranged at about £26; and in 1788-1790 from £41 to £49. At this time the value of a prime field hand, reared in the islands, was reported to be twice as great as that of an imported African.

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Possible primary sources

PROB 11/266 Ruthen 260-310 Will of John Sandys, Merchant of London 14 August 1657
PROB 11/334 Penn 129-184 Will of John Sandys, Merchant and Ironmonger of London 12 November 1670
- John Sandys, citizen, merchant and ironmonger: His will was proved by his wife, Ann Sandys. He left a legacy of 100 to the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.
PROB 11/339 Eure 55-107 Will of Thomas Fox, Merchant of Camberwell, Surrey 31 July 1672
- There are several other possible candidate wills for Thomas Foy, part owner of the Eagle
PROB 11/376 Hare 48-97 Will of William Newbold, Gentleman of Saint Margaret Moses, City of London 17 June 1684
PROB 11/420 Box 91-13 Will of Thomas Heatley, Ironmonger of London 21 June 1694
PROB 11/481 Gee 45-85 Will of Sir Jeremy Sambrooke of London 28 April 1705 pp. 1-17
PROB 11/498 Poley 270-312 Will of Martha Hendra, Widow of Saint Giles without Cripplegate, City of London 31 December 1707

Sir John Buckworth will
Sir William Ryder will

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Possible secondary sources

Curtin, Phillip D., The Atlantic slave trade: a census (Madison, WI, 1969)
Evans Jr., Robert, The economics of American negro slavery (Princeton, N.J., 1962)
Law, Robin, The slave coast of West Africa 1550-1750: the impact of the Atlantic slave trade on an African society (Oxford, 1981)

Nicholl, John, Some account of the worshipful Company of ironmongers (London, 1851)