MRP: Shipping terminology
Shipping terminology
Editorial history
31/05/12, CSG: Created page
Purpose of this page
This page is intended to list terminology relating to the physical construction, equipping and provisioning of ships, the manning of ships, and navigational terminology
Contents
Suggested links
See Commodities
See Geography
See Style Sheet One
See Synthesis
See Transcription
To do
Questions
(1) How many foremast men on ships of 100 and of 200 tons?
Notes
A
Able Seamen ("all the marine:rs schedule were able Seamen, and were all Able (for ought this depo:t knoweth to the Contrary) to performe their severall places which they were put into in y:e sd ship y:e sd voyage" (HCA 13/73))
Adventurer ("Owners & Adventuers in the sayd shipp" (HCA 13/73))
Anchor ("did keepe her there at anchor about an hower after such his comming on board" (HCA 13/73))
Ancient ("a white Ancient in her poope" (HCA 13/73))
Antient
Apparell
B
Ballast ("it would have been very dangeros for y:e said Grove to have delivered out the said salt without first receiving stones of other heavy things on board her, to ballast her, and keepe her stiffe, for that thereby shee might be over set, And further saith that the said Wood at other times sent Boates soe fast that the said Grove and the marine:rs on board her had not time to fetch stones to stiffen the said Ship; And saith the said Wood did as aforesaid Imploy most of the said Ships
Company on shore; soe that the said Grove had not men sufficient to fetch stones to ballast & stiffen y:e said Ship" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Bilging ("the time of her bilging" (HCA 13/73); "shee was by Extraordinary great winds, forced upon y:e sands. upon y:e Coast of ffrance, and there bilged, and shee and her Lading lost" (HCA 13/73); "fter y:e said Ship y:e Warewell had layne moored in y:e place aforesaid for the space of One ffloud and two Ebbs. shee happened to be bilged upon an Anchor w;ch lay within the said ships birthe w:ch had not then any boy fastned to it" (HCA 13/73))
Bill of Bottomry (HCA 13/73)
Boate
Boatswaine ("hee this deponent went Boat swaine of the shipp Pease the voyage in question" (HCA 13/73))
Bow (["the Abigaile] in a willfull or careless manner came up to y:e said Ship y:e Agreem:t and glanced by her, and onely touched her Bow and quarter" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Boy (= Buoy)
Broker ("one John Roles, a Portugueze (sic) Broker, whom this Depo:t Imployed in procuring of goods to lade onboard y:e sd ship upon freight" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Buoy
Burthen
C
Cables ("at y:e time interrate all the said ships provisions, Tackling, and Cables were betweene Decks" (HCA 13/73 Part Two)
Calmes
Carpenter
Carpenters mate
Caske ("did stave and cast over board most of their caskes with fresh water" (HCA 13/73))
Charterparty ("for more certaynety therein referreth him selfe to the Charterparty made between them thereabout (HCA 13/73))
Charter partie
Charter party
Cheife mate ("The premisses hee deposeth being Cheife Mate of the said Shipp and helping to take in & lade the said salt, & tooke notice of the premisses" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Comander
Commander
Common man ("hee was as aforesaid a Common man of y:e Agreem:t y:e voyage in question" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Company ("Master and Company")
Contrary windes ("by meanes of Contrary windes, and Calmes, and Hurricanoes (w:ch were very frequent then there insoemuch that neither the said Grove nor this depo:t nor y:e other mates on board her could gaine the Latitude ) The said ship did misse the Island of the Barbadoes"(HCA 13/73))
Cooper
Country boate ("there being a Country boate lyeing by the shipps side" (HCA 13/73))
D
Deadfreight ("the occasion of the said ship Peace her Coming home dead ffreighted" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Deck ("upon his Coming aboard hee told the said Ketcher in the Presence of the Deck of the said Ship, that the Spaniards on shore would not upon any meanes let them have Prattick for their said Ship there" (HCA 13/73 Part One); "y:e sd Oyles not Laden over the merchants Goods, but saith that a Little oyle did Leake out of the Caskes and runne upon y:e Deck, and fall threwe in to y:e hold of the said Ship, but did bit dammage above one hundred pound weight of the said ffish. of this depo:ts Certaine Knowledge, w:ch said ffish soe ?damnifyed was (to p:rvent damage. which might have happen y:e other fish was not thereby damnifyed) throwne overboard into the sea" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
E
Easy saile ("the Agreem:t was sailing with and Easy saile leaving her Topsailes Lowered, and her spritsaile Crosse her nose, to keepe her Lead, and y:e Company of y:e said ffleete" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Ebb ("the space of One ffloude and two ebbs" (HCA 13/73))
F
ffloud ("the space of One ffloude and two ebbs" (HCA 13/73))
Floore timbers
ffloore tymber heads
Footewailing
Founding ("y:e said Grove did refuse to take more Salt on board y:e said Ship, And if the said Grove had taken more Salt on board it ?would have have very much endangered the founding and sinking of the said Ship, & y:e losse of her lading, and men on board her" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Fore topp saile
Foremast
Foremast man ("goeing a foremast man of the sayd ship the voyage in question" (HCA 13/73); "before the goeing forth of the sayd shipp the arlate Humfrey ffosse was hyred to goe Boatswaine & the arlate John Tucker Quartermaster & the arlate Charles Howgate a fore mast man of the sayd shipp Scipio the voyage in question" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Fore?peeke ("y:e said Grove did Lade on board y:e said Ship at Newfound Land about six hogsheads of Traine Oyle, w:ch was there stowed in the Lazaretto or y:e fore?peeke of the said Ship, and there Continued untill it was unladen at Nevis" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Foresaile ("y:e said ship running before the sea, under her foresaile" (HCA 13/73); "this depo:t and Company were forced to haul the said foresaile of the said ship, and lye under a mizen" (HCA 13/73))
Foretopsaile ("the sayd Grove having caused the fore topp sayle to be lowered" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Furniture ("the arlate shipp the Lady ffrigott & her tackle apparell & furniture" (HCA 13/73))
ffreighter
G
Gunn deck ("all her Cables and Provisions were upon the Gunne deck of the said Ship" (HCA 13/73 Part two))
Great Gunns (" y:e Thomas had noe Great Gunns on board her at y:e time of he sd seizure" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Gunnroome (" the said Ship shortly before she came to Milford Haven coming neere to a Little Illands (the name whereof hee knoweth not) came there to an Anchor, and there an English boate came of board her, and then all the Spaniards retired into the Gunnroome; saving John Lopez, and the said Betts XXX only appeared M:r of the said ship" (HCA 13/73 Part two))
Gunner
Gunners mate ("William Best of Corde in the County of Dorset Mariner Gunners Mate of the Shipp Peace aged twenty two yeares or thereabouts" (HCA 13/73 Part Two)
H
Head ("hee doth not nowe remember whether y:e said ship was Laden above her Lading markes, nor how many feete shee drewe at her head or Sterne" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Helme (" Put the Helme hard a Starboard" (HCA 13/73))
Hold ("shipped under water w:ch came into y:e hold of y:e sd ship" (HCA 13/73); "in a short time foure foote and a halfe of water in her hold, w:ch caused y:e said XXX to lye dead in y:e sea" (HCA 13/73))
Hoyle ("did not heare the said Grove Threaten the said Wood to hoyle him upp with the Tackling, or doe any Mischeife to him: neither did hee heare the said Grove threatened to sinke y:e boate wherein the said Wood came to the said Ships side" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Hull
Hurricanoes ("he said Ship in her passing from Newfound:d towards the Barbadoes did meet with many Hurricanoes Gal?wes , and Contrary winds"(HCA 13/73))
I
Instruments ("Swords & gunnes and other warlike Instruments" (HCA 13/73))
K
Ketch ("there arrived severall Ketches at Nevis & S:t Christophers laden with ffish and other ?provisions"(HCA 13/73 Part Two))
L
Laden ("on y:e said Ship passage from ffrance with her sd Lading of salt to Newfoundland hee this depo:t did heare the said Wood say and declare that the said Ship was Laden Deep Enough" /HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Lading ("ships lading"; "ladeing of salt" (HCA 13/73))
Lading markes("hee doth not nowe remember whether y:e said ship was Laden above her Lading markes, nor how many feete shee drewe at her head or Sterne" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Ladeing
Larboard
Lazaretto ("y:e said Grove did Lade on board y:e said Ship at Newfound Land about six hogsheads of Traine Oyle, w:ch was there stowed in the Lazaretto or y:e fore?peeke of the said Ship, and there Continued untill it was unladen at Nevis" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Lea ("keeping her helme a Lea, upon on Tack, and hard a weather on her other Tack" (HCA 13/73))
Leewards ("made fast on y:e sd Shipp to Leewards" (HCA 13/73 Part Two)
Lighter ("three Lighters of Coles" (HCA 13/73))
Long boate ("the shipps longe boate" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
M
Main mast
Main saile
Management ("the said Luke Wood being a part ffreighte:r of the said ship was, and went Supra Cargoe of the said Ship y:e said Voyage and had and tooke upon him the Care Charge and managem:t of the whole Lading of the said Ship in reference to himselfe, and y:e rest of the owne:rs of the Lading of the said Ship" (HCA 13/73 part two))
Mariner ("at all the times that the said Ship was receiving and taking in her lading of ffish at Newfound Land y:e said Luke Wood had all the mariners of the said Ship (but three or foure.) on shore" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Marriner
Master ("Master and Commander"; "the arlate Thomas Grove then and alsoe during all the tyme arlate in the yeares 1657 and 1658 was Master and Commander of the sayd shipp PeaXe and had the charge and government of her as Master during the voyage in question" (HCA 13/73); "the Master and Mariners of the sayd shipp" (HCA 13/73); "Master & Commander of the arlate Shipp the Scipio, & had the care and charge of her as Master & Commander Committed to him (as hee beleeveth) by her Owners" (HCA 13/73))
Masters Mate ("the arlate Luke Woods and the arlate William Tizard (who was Masters Mate of the Peace) called early in the morning for the Mariners of the sayd shipp to goe a shoare with their boates to assiste in carrying aboard & ladeing the sayd shipp with the sayd ffish" (HCA 13/73))
Materiall
Midships ("y:e Abigail would undoubtedly runne directly upon y:e Midships of the Agreem:t and by that meanes sinke her and her Lading Imediately" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Midshipps
Missen saile ("y:e said ships ?Missen saile was blowne away, and lost, and by Meanes of looseing y:e Misen, y:e said ship lay broad XXX to the sea" (HCA 13/73))
Mizen ("a mizen"; "the Company of the said Ship were for?ced to hand their foresaile and lye under a mizen" (HCA 13/73 Part Two)
Mizen saile (" y:e mizen saile (w:ch is not set Downe in y:e sd Schedule) was worth at the time of the sd blowing away about foure pounds"(HCA 13/73))
Mizzen mast
N
Navell timbers
Necessaries ("her provisions & other necessaries" (HCA 13/73))
O
Owner ("Owners & Adventuers in the sayd shipp" (HCA 13/73))
P
Part owner ("the said Luke Wood being a part ffreighte:r of the said ship (the Peace) was, and went Supra Cargoe of the said Ship y:e said Voyage" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Pinnace (" three pinnaces in y:e Company of the said ship Turtle Dove, which were alsoe in the service of the Dutch East India Company" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Poope ("a white Ancient in her poope" (HCA 13/73))
Prize
Provisions ("her provisions & other necessaries" (HCA 13/73))
Pylott ("this deponent goeing Pylott of the ffrancis & John (HCA 13/73))
Q
Quarter (["the Abigaile] in a willfull or careless manner came up to y:e said Ship y:e Agreem:t and glanced by her, and onely touched her Bow and quarter" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Quartermaster
R
Receiving ("at all the times that the said Ship was receiving and taking in her lading of ffish at Newfound Land y:e said Luke Wood had all the mariners of the said Ship (but three or foure.) on shore" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Rigging
Ring (" the ring of the said Ancho:r" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Road
Roade ("Petrao Roade" (HCA 13/73))
Ropes ("Cut downe y:e maine mast. by the board. and cut away. y:e Ropes and Tackling thereto belonging" (HCA 13/73))
Rowling ("by y:e said ships Rowlings it bilged a hole in y:e XXXX of the said ship" (HCA 13/73))
Rudder ("great Damage done to the Rudder Sterne post & Sterne of the said ship" (HCA 13/73))
S
Saile
Sayle ("the sayd Grove commanded the sayd shipp to be brought to sayle" (HCA 13/73))
?Scuturage ("the provision and ?scuturage of the same doth amount to about 375:li sterl." (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Seaman ("he hath well knowne y:e said Thomas Grove for above 24 yeeres last, and hath gone to sea with him, and thereby knoweth that hee is a very Able Seaman and mariner, and hath belonged to the sea, as a mariner and master, for theise twenty yeeres last, and hath bin M:r of the said Ship Peace for theise three yeeres last, And saith that for an Able, skillfull, and Experienced Seaman hee the said Thomas Groves was and is Commonly Accounted, reputed, and taken" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Shallopp
Sheath anchor ("her ?sheath Anchor was well and sufficiently fastened to the side of the said ship" (HCA 13/73))
Sheats anchor
Ship of warre
Ships affayres (" for the better mannagement of the sayd shipps affayers" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Shipps crewe ("this depo:t (when hee was on shore with y:e said Luke Wood) did see & hear many of the Inhabitants, of Newfoundland laugh & mock at this depo:t & the said Luke Wood and y:e rest of the shipps Crewe y:t were on shore; for being soe many of them on shore to make up and send ffish on board the said Ship; and leaveing their ship with soe few men on board her" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Shipwright
Shipps boate
Sinking ("y:e said Grove did refuse to take more Salt on board y:e said Ship, And if the said Grove had taken more Salt on board it ?would have have very much endangered the founding and sinking of the said Ship, & y:e losse of her lading, and men on board her" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Skiffe
Spritsaile ("her spritsaile was XXX away, by y:e violence of the said Storme" (HCA 13/73); "the Agreem:t was sailing with and Easy saile leaving her Topsailes Lowered, and her spritsaile Crosse her nose, to keepe her Lead, and y:e Company of y:e said ffleete" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Starboard (" Put the Helme hard a Starboard" (HCA 13/73))
Stern (" the said ships stern gave way" (HCA 13/73); "y:e stern poast Rudder and sterne of the said Shipp" (HCA 13/73))
Sterne ("Sterne part")
Steward
Stiffening (" the said Grove did refuse to let the said Salt goe out of the said Ship at that p:rsent time; telling the said Wood. that if y:e same was Delivered out of the said Ship, shee would want stiffening, but desired the said Wood to stay a little space untill hee Gott stones to stiffen and ballast y:e sd ship to keepe her streight & right" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Stones ("the said Grove had not men sufficient to fetch Stones, to stiffen y:e said Ship, and saith further that Salt may bee and is sooner unladen, and put into Boates and sent on shore, than boates cann goe to shore and gather stones, and returne aboard againe" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Stoped (=stopped) ("stoped her Leakes" (HCA 13/73))
Stowe ("all the mariners of the said Ship (but three or foure.) on shore: and saith that those w:ch were kept on board by y:e said Grove at the severall times of the sending fish on board at Newfound-land were kept to looke to the said Ship and to receive and stowe y:e said ffish on board y:e said Ship, and to Deliver out the Salt from on board the said Ship" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Strong ("the said ship was strong strong and Tight, and was well fitted with all manner of necessaryes and materialls for y:e said voyage" (HCA 13/73))
Supracargo ("hee was by the sayd Brewer & Crispe intrusted to goe supracargo upon the sayd shipp & voyage ?as well for the management of their sayd five eighth parts as for him selfe and the manageing of the sayd three eighth parts of the sayd shipp ?soe ?lett to him the sayd Wood by the sayd Grove" (HCA 13/73))
Swift saile ("the M:r and Company of the Abigaile did in a wilfull or Carles manner come on after y:e Agreem:t with a swift saile, and before y:e winde" (HCA 13/73 part One))
T
Tack ("keeping her helme a Lea, upon on Tack, and hard a weather on her other Tack" (HCA 13/73))
Tackle ("all and singular the Tackle Apparrell funiture and things belonging
to the said ship y:e Oporto Merchant" (HCA 13/73))
Tackling ("Cut downe y:e maine mast. by the board. and cut away. y:e Ropes and Tackling thereto belonging" (HCA 13/73))
Tiller ("ships Tiller")
Topsaile ("the Agreem:t was sailing with and Easy saile leaving her Topsailes Lowered, and her spritsaile Crosse her nose, to keepe her Lead, and y:e Company of y:e said ffleete" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Top sayle
Tradeing voyage (" hee was hyred only to goe upon a tradeing voyage back to London and not to XXXX ports or places as the sayd Ewens ffactors got imployment" (HCA 13/73 part One))
W
Watch ("the p:rmisses hee deposeth of ?sight & certayne knowledge being an eye & eare wittness thereof & one of the watch the tyme aforesayd"(HCA 13/73 Part Two))
Winde ("then stood to the winde of her" (HCA 13/73))
Winde bounde ("the shipp being bound upon a fishing designe & the season somewhat spent allready by the shipps lying soe long winde bound as she had done" (HCA 13/73))
Windward ("asked them howe farr the said ship, was to windward of the Barbadoes" (HCA 13/73); "at y:e said time when y:e Abigail glanced by y:e Agreem:t & touched her bowe & quarter as aforesaid y:e Abigaile was to windeward" (HCA 13/73 Part One))
Y
Yard ("y:e sd violent Storme Still Continuing. it blewe away the said Ships Mizen Saile from y:e yard" (HCA 13/73 Part Two))
