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Petitio Prescilla Lockyer<br />
pres … Petitio Prescilla Lockyer<br />
presentat. 28th Septem<br />
1650./
To the right worshipfull the Judges of the high Court of the Admiraltie:./<br />
The humble petition of Priscilla Lockier and Sara Spurgeon wifes of Hugh Lockier and<br />
George Spurgeon two of the Marriners of the Shipp the ''Virginia Merchant'' (whereof John<br />
Lockier was Captaine or Commander./<br />
Sheweth
That the petitioners husbands were hired by the said Captaine Lockier at severall monethly wages to serve in the said shipp for a voyage<br />
to be made from this port of London to Virginia and from thense hither backe againe, which service they performed from<br />
the 6th of September 1649 untill March last being 6 monethes lacking 4 dayes, but by reason the sayd Shipp was become<br />
unserviceable at Virginia your petitioners husbands could not come home in her but are left behind to shift for themselves<br />
the said Captaine Lockier and some others coming home as passengers in another Shippe And your petitioners seeing their husbands come<br />
not home as they expected demanded their wages of the Captaine for the time they served him, but he denyed to pay the<br />
same, for which your petitioners have sued the said Captaine Lockier in the Court And whereas all Masters of Shipps that goe to<br />
Virginia use to carry 3 monethes victualls at the least out with them; The sayd Captaine Lockier had not layd in above 6 weekes<br />
victualls in his said shipp when she sett saile from Gravesend outward bound; which Mr George Putt cheife Mate and pilot of<br />
the said Shippe taking notice of, asked the said Captaine why he had soe slenderly victualled the shipp telling him, it would not<br />
serve halfe way; he replyed that he would take in more victualls at the Downes which he did not at all performe<br />
notwithstanding there were 35 seaman and above 130 passengers neere upon 200 persons in all in the said Shippe, whereof 62<br />
passengers and 4 Seamen by reason of the want of provisions were starved to death before the shipp came to Virginia.
That within a fortnight next after the said Ship set saile from Gravesend both Seamen and passingers were put to their allowance<br />
videlicet the Seamen to two, and the passingers each man to one biskett a day, afterwards to halfe a biskett a day and at length to halfe a<br />
pint of parched pease a day betweene 2 men, they having neither beere nor water in the shippe to drincke but what they were<br />
Constrayned to drinke of strongwaters of their owne which they Carried with them for adventures: and the famine came<br />
soe violently upon them that divers in the said Shippe would willingly have given 10: s for one of the Shipps ratts (which some<br />
of the Seamen catched) to have eaten, their being but one small fish of the value of 6: d allowed for a meale to 15 or 20 men:/<br />
That the said Captaine Lockier sett 23 persons ashore upon an unknowne Island to gett freshwater promising to<br />
fetch them on board againe: but after they were soe sett on shoare the sayd Captaine Lockier presently carried the Shippe<br />
away to Virginia and most in humanely and barbarously left all the said 23 persons in that unknowne place to be starved there<br />
noe manner of food to be found soe that they were forced to live a whole 3 weekes with water and the leaves of trees: And at the<br />
length the rage and violence of their famine soe much increasing and being not able to eate those leaves and longer they cast<br />
lotts which of them should be shott the next day to serve for food for the rest; which was miraculously prevented by the<br />
suddaine and unexpected fall of a great tree that night which killed 2 men and a woman of their Company: which the rest of the Company<br />
left alive were forced to eate and live upon untill such time as they were by Gods providence XXXXXXXX releived by the very<br />
heathen and by them in Canoes transported over the river to the other side and soe travelled to Virginia by land where<br />
divers of them dyed as soone as they came thense, and some dyed on that Island by famine./
That the petitioners have spent all they have even their very {XXXX} from under them in prosecution of this suite to gett<br />
their wages and are like to be utterly ruined and undone they having each of them a great Charge of Children to<br />
bring up and maintaine all which premisses your petitioners are able to prove by the oathes of sufficient witnesses
Your petitioners therefore most humbly pray that your worships would be pleased to take<br />
their sad conditions into their your pious and serious Considerations, and to order<br />
the sayd Captaine Lockier to pay your petitioners their whole wages due to their husbands<br />
forthwith or els to give your petitioners leave to give in an allegation in Court to the effect<br />
of the premisses above weitten: the same being altogether omitted in the allegation<br />
given in on your petitioners behalfe; and to produce and examine witnesses thereupon, that<br />
soe the iustice of your petitioners Cause and the great wrong they have received may appeare;
And your petitioners as in humble duty<br />
bound shall ever pray etcetera
The marke of P L Prescillia Lockier<br />
The marke of S Sara Sparges./<br />
The marke of S Sara Sparges./ +
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