MRP: C20/803/34 f. 1

C20/803/34 f. 1

Editorial history

02/11/11, CSG: Created page

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Abstract & context

C20/803/34 f. 1 is a list of eight interrogatories to be posed by country commissioners in Plymouth on behalf of William Love, the executor of John Younge deceased, in his suit against the Searle family. The interrogatories seek to establish whether deponents had been present in Tunis and/or Tripoli on the Barbary Coast in 1649, 1650, and 1651, and whether they had knowledge of others resident in these places at that time. They seek further to establish what the deponents know about the capitivity of Jacob Searle in Tripoli during this period, and about the payment of a ransom for his release, at the possible instigation of ffairefax (alias ffarefax) & Company of Livorno.

The following depositions were taken:

John Mayne, a mariner of the parish of St. John's, Cornwall, aged forty eight C20/803/34 f. 2

John Mayne may have been a merchant of Exeter, whose will was proved in the PRC in 1680. John Mayne identifies John Browne in his answer to the third interrogatory as the (English) consul to Tunnis. From Mayne's answer to the fourth interrogatory it emerges that a ship, the Salavador, in which John Mayne was travelling and owned by "M:r John ffairfax and Company", visitited Tripoli in 1649. John Fairfax is mentioned in modern secondary sources in partnership with Thomas Barnsley, located in Livorno (alias Leghorn), the two men serving as correspondents for a number of English merchants. The commercial papers of the London merchant George Warner contain a substantial two way correspondence between Warner and Fairfax and Barnesley in Livorno, as well as between Warner and his other correspondents in Genoa, Hamburg and Amsterdam. Mayne's answere to the sixth interrogatory states that "John ffarfax and company" paid a ransom of approximately six hundred dollars in 1649 to have Jacob Searle freed from captivity in Tripoli. The ransom was paid by Jacob Searle, the nephew of the captive Jacob Searle, and was paid by the nephew via John ffarfax and Company

Thomas Moore, XXXX C20/803/34 f. 3

Thomas ffamby, XXXX C20/803/34 f. 4

John Hooper, a shipwright of Plymouth, Evon, aged seventy three

George Mathew, a mariner of Stonehouse, Devon, aged forty nine

Peter Schlaggell, a merchant of Plymouth, Devon, aged sixty

In a separate set of interrogatories supporting the cause of the defendants Thomas Murthwaite is identified as the second surviving executor of John Younge alongside William Love, both of whom are complainants. The digital images of these defendants' interrogatories and depositions are hard to read and the manuscripts need to be reimaged. The deposotions include those of John Mayne, of the parish of St. Johns, Cornwall, mariner aged forty eight; XXXX; Peter Schagell, of the towne of Plymouth, Devon, merchant, aged sixty; Thomas Reeve, deacon and clarke of the parish of St Andrewes, Plymouth, Devon, aged seventy; XXXX.

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Suggested links

See C20/803/34 f. 2
See C20/803/34 f. 3
See C20/803/34 f. 4
See C20/803/34 f. 5
See C20/803/34 f. 6
See C20/803/34 f. 7

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Transcription

//INTEROGATORIES to be XXXXXX to witnesses to be pduced & troffe Examined on the//
//pte and behalfe of W:m Love Esq:r surviving Ex:r of John Younge deced Comp:lts against Jacob Searle//
//Esq:r of Jacob Searle the father deced and Grace Searle the Relict & Admin:tr of Jacob Searle//
//nephew deced//

//1. IMPRIMIS doe you know the ptyes Comp:ts & def:ts or either and which of them & did you know the said John//

//Younge Jacob Searle the father and Jacob Searle his nephew or either & which of them & when did you//

//first know them or either FOLD IN DOCUMENT OBSCURES REST OF THIS LINE//

//upon your oath//

//2. ITEM whether or not have you at any time and when beene at Tunis in the Kingdome of ?Turkey XX//

//Barbary in ptes beyond the seas if you in what yeare or yeares & about what REST OF LINE OBSCURED//

//you at Tunis aforesaid & by what shipp did you goe thither & who was with you when you REST OF LINE OBSCURED//

//declare upon your oath what you know touching all and every the matters of this XXXXX//

//3. ITEM did you knowe one Tho: Browne when hee resided at Tunis aforesaid in the yeares 1649 XXXXXXXXXXXX//

//and 1651 how & by what meanes did you come to know the said Tho: Browne at the time when he//

//resided at Tunis aforesaid did you see him at Tunis aforesaid in any and which of the yeares aforesaid//

//or at any other & what time & where in Barbary in pts beyond the seas of you XXXXXX what manner of//

//pson the said Tho: Browne as at the time even when you soe saw ?him and whether or noe was the said Tho://

//Browne when you soe know him and saw him at Tunis aforesaid a shorte or a tall man or what size was//

//hee of when you soe know and saw him And whether whether or noe did the said Tho: Browne at the time when you//

//saw him woare a shorte or a long beard Declare upon your oath what you know of your owne knowledge//

//touching all & every the matters of this Interry//

//4. ITEM have you at any time & hereafter & when beene at Tripoli in Barbary on pty beyond the seas//IS THERE A TYPO IN THIS LINE BY ME?

//in what yeare or yeares & in what moneth of the yeare or yeares were you there & how & by what shipp//

//came you there were you there in the yeares 1649: 1650: 1651 or in either and which of ?these yeares declare//

//the truth upon your oath what you know of your owne knowledge & touching all and every the matters of//

//this Interry//

//5. ITEM did you ever see the said Tho: Browne at or neere and how neere Tripoli aforesaid when and in ?which//

//yeares and about what time of the yeare did you see him there or at any other & what place was hee at or neere & how neere Tripoli aforesaid//

//in the yeare 1649 or in the yeare 1650 & about what time of the yeare or at any other and what time and when//

//who was p:rsent with the said Tho: Browne or you when you soe saw him at or neere Tripoli aforesaid//

//declare upon your oath what you know of your owne knowledge touching all & every the matters of this Interry//

//6. ITEM did you knowe Jacob Searle that was taken captive in Triploli in the yeare one thousand six hundred//

//forty nine and were you at Tripoli when the said Jacob Searle remayned there a captive & doe you//

//of your owne knowledge know what summe or summes of money was or were agreed to be paid for the//

//Ransome of the said Jacob Searle the captive, how much did the said summe amount unto in the whole//

//was that the full and intire (sic) summe that was agreed to be paid for the said Searles ransome, how doe you//

//know the same were you privy thereunto or p:rsent when such Agreem:t was made for the said Jacob//

//Searle the Captives Ransome, if you, with whome & by whome and when was the said agreem:t made or how//

//else doe you come to know what the summe was that was agreed to be paid for the ransome of the said Jacob//

//Searle the Captive, declare upon your oath what you know touching all and every the matters of this Interry//

7. ITEM did you know one W:m Ward that did reside at Tripoli in the yeares 1649 & 1650 and whether//

//or noe was the said Jacob Searle the captive Redeemed by the said Ward at Tripoli, in what yeare//

//and about what time of the yeare was the said Captive redeemed by the said Ward out of his//

//captivity, and how doe you know the same, were you privy to such his ?redempston by the said M:r Ward//

//or how else came you to know the same, and was the summe of money which was agreed to be paid for the//

//said Searles ?Redemspton paid at Tripoli, to whome & by whome & when and where was the same paid//

//8. ITEM did you know one ffairefax and ?Comp:a resideing at Livorno in 1649 or at any other//

//and what time, by what meanes did you soe know him or his ptner and doe you know that the ?said//

//M:r ??Guard did pay the money which was paid for the said Captives Redemspton by order of the//

//said ffairefax and Comp:a how doe you know the same, were you privy unto such theire order given or//

//sent by the said ffarefax (sic) and Comp:a to the said ?Guard for paym:t of the said Captives ransome money//

//and did you know the time when the said ffairefax (sic) and Comp:a did soe give or send such order to the//

// said Ward or how else came you to the knowledge thereof declare upon your oath what you knowe of//

//your Owne Knowledge touching all and every the matters of this Interry//

//William XXX [Signature, bottom RH corner]//
//XXXX XXXX [Signature, bottom RH corner]//
//XXXX XXXX [Signature, bottom RH corner]//
//Sam WeXX [Signature, bottom RH corner]//

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Notes

A John Hooper, shipwright, is mentioned in a document dated October 1633 in J.G. Commin, Devon & Cornwall notes & queries, vol. 22 (XXXX, 1946), p. 91.

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Possible primary sources

PROB 11/237 Alchin 202-253 Will of Jacob Searle, Merchant of Plymouth, Devon 14 June 1654
PROB 11/353 Hale 1-43 Will of Thomas Murthwait, Haberdasher of Saint Andrew Undershaft, City of London 03 April 1677
PROB 11/363 Bath 60-123 Will of John Mayne, Merchant of Exeter, Devon 29 June 1680
PROB 11/412 Fane 195-241 Will of John Mathew, Mariner of East Stonehouse, Devon 06 December 1692

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