Taken from the Southampton Book of Examinations and Depositions Vol.IV 1639 to 1644. Edited by R.C Anderson in 1936. These volumes are an excellent source of information. In this example the Mastrer of the Pearle of Southampton is explaining how he lost his ship and cargo to Algerian pirates. In some ways similar to a modern Master making a ‘note of protest’ to protect his interests.
February 20th 1641/42
The voluntary1 and severall deposicions of Thomas Bazill2 Mr of the good ship called the Pearle3 of Southampton and John Knight one of the companie of the said ship.
Who jointly and severally depose and say that on the fourth day of October 1640 they sett saile from Plymouth to proceed to the Canarie Islands and on the seventeenth day of november they made the Maderies and Podies art4 the wind being East and by South then they steered away to the Westwards of the Maderies of feare of theire enimies with little wind halfe a day and afterwards the wind did increase and began to blow verie hard at East and by South and in bearing to fetch the Islands they bore theire topmasts by the board And that night being past the next day they saw the grand Canaries which was five league off or thereabouts there being very little wind insomuch that they could not goe one way nor other by reason of the calme Soe being thicke weather it cleared up aboute eight of the clocke in the morning of the next day being the nineteenth of the same month and they saw three ships about three leagues from them and being calme they perceived what these deponents were and put forth theire boats full of men with brasse bases and muskets and rowed to them and came within haile of them and asked whence they were who answered of England then theire Enimies said amaine5 for Algeire6 and shot at them but they kept them off with theire guns murderers and muskets (as well as they could) from eight of the clock in the morning till fowre in the afternoon in which space they showed to these deponents the flag of truce twice but they would not yeild Afterward the wind began to increase more and more insomuch that theire Enemies came upon them with theire ships, that they were constrained to lett flie all theire force at once and gave them some spoile soe that thereby they had a little time to throw theire boat over board and then got into it and rowed for the shore being then two leagues of or thereabouts and quite calme; The Enemies seeing that forsooke the ship of these deponents and followed them shooting all the way but it pleased god that they recovered the shoare yet notwithstanding they pursued soe close after them on the shore that they tooke and carried away the Masters mate And being on the shore these deponents saw a man fishing who perceiving the Enimie ran away and they followed the fisherman and soe got cleer or els they had been taken all, Then beinge got up upon the mountain and seeing themselves free of theire Enimies they stayed there a while to see what they would doe and in a short time the three boates made aboard the ship of these deponents and towed her to theire owne ships and the next morning these deponents saw the three ships and theire owne at theire starne and soe continued three or fowre days in theire sight by reason of the calme.
Signed Nicholas Pescod Maior
Thomas Baessell
Jeane Chevalier7
Certified under the lesser seale the same day
I the word ‘voluntary’ has been substituted for ‘joint’
2 Thomas Bazill was master’s mate in the Unity of Southampton in 1638 and was wrecked in her at Lulworth (above, Vol. III, p.70)
3 Probably the same as the 30 ton bark Pearle mentioned in 1636 (above, Vol.III. p.38)
4 Evidently one of the ‘Islas Desertas’ to the SE of Madeira
5 Surrender. From the French ‘amener’, to haul down (a flag).
6 Algiers
7 The clerk translated this and noted the name as ‘John Knight’ at the top of the document.