Richard Retorick
| Richard Retorick | |
|---|---|
| Person | Richard Retorick |
| Title | |
| First name | Richard |
| Middle name(s) | |
| Last name | Retorick |
| Suffix | |
| Spouse of | |
| Widow of | |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Secondary shorebased occupation | |
| Mariner occupation | |
| Associated with ship(s) | |
| Training | Apprentice |
| Is apprentice of | |
| Was apprentice of | |
| Had apprentice(s) | |
| Citizen | Unknown |
| Literacy | Signature |
| Has opening text | Richard Retorick |
| Has signoff text | Richard Retorick |
| 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 | Saint Botolph Billingsgate |
| Res town | London |
| Res county | |
| Res province | |
| Res country | England |
| Birth year | 1638 |
| Marriage year | |
| Death year | |
| Probate date | |
| First deposition age | 18 |
| Primary sources | |
| Act book start page(s) | |
| Personal answer start page(s) | |
| Allegation start page(s) | |
| Interrogatories page(s) | |
| Deposition start page(s) | HCA 13/71 f.200r 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) | May 3 1656 |
| 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 | N/A |
| Silver Ship litigation in 1650s | |
| Role in Silver Ship litigation | None |
Biographical synthesis
Richard Retorick (b.ca.1638;d.?). Servant to merchant Mr George Chambers, a dealer in oranges and Lemons at Billingsgate.
Evidence from High Court of Admiralty
Eighteen year old Richard Retorick deposed on May 3rd 1656 in the High Court of Admiralty.[1] He was examined upon interrogatories on behalf of George Robinson et al in "A busines of Ensurance promoted on the behalfe of George Robinson George Chambers and James Gover of London merchants concerning lost goods of theirs aboard the shipp Affrey of London"[2]
The case concerned the shipment of oranges and lemons in the ship the Affrey (Master: Robert Blackleech) from Porto in Portugal to London in March 1656. Richard Retorick had gone on the voyage on behalf of his master "to negotiate for him his merchandizeing affayres", and was therefore aware of the facts of the matter. The ship was laden with oranges and lemons by Richard Pearse and Thomas Pate, factors to George Chambers, George Robinson and James Gover, at Porto. The ship experienced foul weather and was driven into Kings Road in the Saint Georges Channel. Leaving that port she was then surprised by a Dunkirker on April 6th 1656. The crew were taken prisoner and they and the ship brought into Dunkirk. As a result the four hundred chests of oranges and lemons and other goods were lost.[3]
Richard Retorick's master George Chambers is mentioned in an earlier case in the High Court of Admiralty, which is also to do with the transport of oranges and lemons from Portugal to Billingsgate, in the year 1650. Richard Hopkins, a salter "useing to trade and traffique in the buying and selling of oranges and lemmons", reported that the ship the Phenix, lying in the Billingsgate dock, had 157,000 oranges and lemmons on it brought from Vigo for George Chamber's account. Hopkins bought the oranges at the rate of 19 s per 1000 and the lemons at the rate of 35 s per 1000.[4] Hopkins claimed that if the oranges and lemons had been brought to Billingsgate 20 days earlier than April 14th 1650, the oranges would have sold for 30 s per 1000 and the lemmons for 40 s per 1000. George Chambers' then twenty-one year old servant, Thomas Wood, stated the oranges and lemons were gathered off the trees at Vigo at the end of February 1650; however the ship did not set sail for London until April 13th (new stile). Of the 280,000 oranges laden at Vigo, there were but 157,000 or thereabouts "good and well conditioned att the time of the unladeing of the same", and of the lemons there were left only about 14,600 or thereabouts. Woods commented that perished or rotten fruit amongst the good "doth much hurt the same".[5]
Depositions in business of ensurance of George Robinson et al.
- Robert Blackleech of Rederiff wall in the county of Surrey mariner aged fifty yeares, May 3rd 1656[6]
- Richard Retorick of Billingsgate London servant to Mr George Chambers of the same place Merchant aged eighteene yeares, May 3rd 1656[7]
- James Gover of Tower streete London merchant aged 56 yeares, May 3rd 1656[8]
Depositions the behalfe of Robert Blackleecth of London mariner touching a losse in the Affrey of London assurance
- Humphrey Burton of the Parish of Saint Catherine neere the Tower of London mariner aged 58 yeeres, May 3rd 1653[9]
- Ambrose Ellet of Wapping sailor, aged 24 yeares, May 3rd 1653[10]
Comment on sources
Speculatively linked to George Chambers, merchant
PROB 11/324/324 Will of George Chambers 28 June 1667
