The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
even allowing for the lavish decoration, the cost of building was
much greater proportionately than that of any of those ships. The
exuberance of the decoration may be seen from the entries in the
Declared Accounts, printed in the Appendix,[141] which are of
additional interest from the information they give as to constructive
details. It will be observed that these agree with such details as
can be made out in the Hampton Court and Hinchinbrook pictures.[142]
[Sidenote: The Commission of 1618.]
The Commission of Inquiry of 1618 found the management of the Navy
in much the same state as it was in 1608, with the same abuses still
unremedied. But although in its Report it did not pillory Pett as
the earlier Commission had done, it seems, by the reforms which
it instituted, to have made him very uncomfortable. The actual
shipbuilding was concentrated at Deptford, and Phineas was employed
at Chatham in the work of improving and enlarging that yard. Wm.
Burrell, who had been one of Pett's chief supporters in the Prince
Royal Inquiry, was made one of the Commissioners, and although he
remained the chief shipbuilder of the East India Company,[143] the
whole of the new construction, which amounted to two ships yearly for
the next five years, was placed in his hands, all the ships being
built under contracts made between Burrell and the Commissioners.
Naturally this arrangement, however efficient it might be from the
national point of view, did not coincide with Pett's interests, and
in his usual hyperbolical style he describes Burrell and Norreys (the
Surveyor) as his 'greatest enemies,' and attributes the necessary
reforms of the Commissioners to a plot to 'ruin' himself.
[Sidenote: The Algiers Expedition.]
The story of the Expedition to Algiers, which was as much a
diplomatic move in support of the Elector Palatine as an attempt
to suppress the Algerine pirates, has been amply dealt with by
historians,[144] but there remains something to be said about Pett's
connection with it, and his financial troubles that arose from it.
It will be noted that he does not utter a word as to what happened
between the time of his joining Mansell's fleet at Malaga in the
Mercury on the 8th February and his return to the Downs on the 19th
September. This silence was, no doubt, intentional, and arose from
his unwillingness to put on record anything that might give offence
to his friend Mansell or to higher authorities.
Part of the fleet was fitted out at the expense of the London
merchants, who entered into a contract with Phineas for the
construction of two pinnaces, of 120 and 80 tons respectively,
subsequently named the Mercury and the Spy. It was the habit of the
Master Shipwrights to exceed their instructions in building ships for
the Navy; partly, perhaps, from a desire to do greater things than
they were asked to do, and to outrival their colleagues, but largely
because the greater the ship the greater the profit to themselves.
When Pett attempted to play this trick upon the merchants (increasing
one pinnace from 120 tons to 300, and the other from 80 tons to 200),
'upon some hopes of thanks and reward,' he got bitten badly, for the
merchants, disdaining the precedents of the royal dockyards, insisted
upon holding to their contract, and left Pett to make the best of a
bad bargain. His appeal to the Council for redress was referred to
the Committee of Merchants, who in their reply[145] of 2nd December
1622 pointed out that their 'chief desires and endeavours have been
and ever shall be to do right unto all and (as fast as money can be
gotten in) to give satisfaction where any just demands can be made
unto us.' They added that 'at our last meeting Captain Pett sent his
brother and son unto us, with whom we have conferred and have agreed
that Captain Pett shall bring in his accompt, and if it appear that
he hath not received as much or more than any way can be due unto
him, either for making the two pinnaces or his entertainment, we will
make present payment of the remainder, as we have formerly offered
before your Lordships.'
The matter drifted on until 1624, and two further remonstrances, from
the Admiralty, brought forth a reply from the merchants that they were
sorry to observe your Lordships' displeasure contained against us
upon the suggestions of those whom nothing but their own demands
can satisfy.... Your Lordships may please to be advertised that
we contracted with him to build two pinnaces for twelve hundred
and seventy pounds, and have paid to his workmen and lent to
himself divers great sums of money over and above our contract
and his wages,[146] by reason whereof we conceive he is more
indebted to us than his wages demanded amounts unto, in a great
sum of money, and also we lent him two hundred pounds upon his
own bond yet unsatisfied. Notwithstanding, as formerly we have
certified your Lordships, and sundry times offered to Capt. Pett,
that we were ready to accompt with him that satisfaction might be
given if ought were due to either party, and we are still ready
to perform the same, yet because he rejects this motion and that
we are desirous your Lordships may be fully satisfied of our
honest intentions and proceedings and may be no further troubled
herein, we are therefore emboldened to become suitors to your
Lordships that the Commissioners of the Navy, or whom else your
Lordships shall please to appoint, may have the examination of
the account depending, and if upon their report anything be found
due we will take present order for payment thereof.
[Sidenote: Elizabeth Pett.]
Apparently Pett never received the balance of the money, but his
troubles did not end there. He was indebted to his brother Peter
for materials for these ships to the value of 325_l._ While his
brother lived Phineas does not seem to have troubled about repayment,
although, according to Elizabeth Pett, his sister-in-law, Peter had
been 'often arrested on this account,' and Phineas himself had, as
he tells us, been arrested and imprisoned in 1628 at the suit of
'one Freeman,' by whom the timber seems to have been originally
supplied.[147]
After Peter's death,[148] his widow endeavoured to recover the debt
from Phineas, but could not enforce judgment on account of the
latter's position as the King's servant. She therefore petitioned
the Admiralty in January 1633 for 'leave to have the benefit of law
against him.' Pett was ordered to satisfy her or show cause why
the law should not take its course. Pett explained his loss on the
transaction, and asserted that, 'notwithstanding this great loss
and main other[149] befallen me, yet according to my poor abilities
I have endeavoured to make satisfaction for the debt due to my
brother,' and he promised to pay it off in instalments. Elizabeth,
who had herself been 'taken in execution' for the debt, pressed for
a larger amount down, because she was 'almost utterly undone through
want of the said sum so long time, being the greater part of her
maintenance.'
In May Phineas wrote to Nicholas protesting that he could not help
defaulting in his payments because his son fell dangerously sick, and
he could not get his arrears due from the Exchequer, and asserting
his intention to settle the matter 'before the end of this term.' In
June Nicholas told him that the course of justice could not be stayed
any longer, and Pett again promised that the instalment due should
be paid. In October, Pett was still in default, and he was ordered
by the Admiralty to give immediate satisfaction or show cause within
a week why proceedings should not be taken. He managed still to hold
out, and on Sunday the 8th of December he was arrested as he was
going to St. Dunstan's Church 'to hear a brother of his preach.' The
officers let him go when they heard that he was the King's servant,
and subsequently excused their action on the ground that Mrs. Pett's
daughter had assured them that Phineas 'lay skulking in obscure
places and then ... lay at a chandler's shop in Tower Street, being
... an old sea captain and ready to go to sea presently.' Upon this
Pett petitioned the Admiralty, complaining that he had offered part
of the debt, which was 'utterly rejected, and her implacable spirit
will receive no other satisfaction but present payment of the whole
debt,' and he asked the Lords to summon Mrs. Pett and her abettors
before them for daring to arrest him without leave, 'so that he can
go about his business without fear of arrest and that she may be
enforced to accept her debt at such reasonable times as he is able
to pay.' The remainder of the story is not to be found in the State
Papers, but Pett tells us[150] that the matter was fought out at
law, to his 'great charge,' so that presumably he was ultimately
compelled to pay the money.
[Sidenote: The Destiny]
A little before the time when Elizabeth first began to press him for
the payment of the debt due to her late husband, Phineas was being
pursued by an anchor-smith named Tayte, who asked the Admiralty
for permission to proceed against him for a debt of 250_l._ due on
account of ironwork supplied for the construction of the Destiny,
which Pett built for Sir Walter Ralegh in 1617. Phineas does
not mention this in the manuscript, but as it gave rise to the
interesting letter to Nicholas and petition to the Admiralty printed
in the Appendix[151] it seems worthy of passing reference. On the
return of Ralegh from his disastrous expedition, the Destiny was
confiscated by the Crown, her name being changed to Convertive.
Pett was therefore unable to recover against the ship the 700_l._
which was due to him, and presumably had no power to recover it from
Ralegh's estate; possibly, however, this was another case in which he
had exceeded the contract and had no legal remedy against the owner
for the difference.
[Sidenote: The Voyage to Spain.]
In relating the voyage to Spain with the squadron sent to bring home
Prince Charles after his foolish adventure with Buckingham at the
Spanish Court, Pett has not been so reticent as he was in the case
of the voyage to Algiers, and he has given a fuller account of the
incidents of the return voyage than will be found elsewhere. The
circumstances in which he went mark the peculiarly favoured position
which he held in relation to the King and the Lord High Admiral. The
letter written to Buckingham printed in the Appendix[152] further
illustrates this special relationship. His complaint therein that
the cook-room of the Prince had been moved against his consent is
evidently directed against the Commissioners, who, in their report of
1618, had urged that cook-rooms should be placed in the forecastle
because, when placed amidships, the smoke made 'the okam spew out,'
and they took up valuable space required for storage, and by bad
distribution of weights made the ship 'apt to sway in the back.'
It does not seem unreasonable that the Navy Commissioners should
have objected[153] to the absence of one of the principal master
shipwrights from his duties for such a purpose as the voyage in
question, although Phineas, with his usual animus against those who
differed from him, accuses them of plots and malicious practices.
[Sidenote: Brown Paper Stuff.]
The scandal in regard to the sale of old cordage as 'brown paper
stuff' was judicially investigated before the Judge of the Admiralty,
and the report of the proceedings is preserved among the State
Papers.[154] From this report it appears that Palmer, Pett, and
others had sold this material (much of which, so it was alleged,
might have been used for oakum, gun wads, or twice-laid rope) without
the consent of the other Principal Officers. Some of the money
received for it had been applied to legitimate purposes, but it is