The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
especially about London, by reason whereof many removed from thence
into divers places in the country where they had any friends or means
of succour.
In the middle of July my brother Joseph, with his wife and children,
removed from his house at Limehouse to Ipswich.
To transport them thither by sea I procured a small pinnace of his
Majesty's to be prepared ready, called the Primrose, and manning
her with my good friends and neighbours as Boatswain Vale,[230]
David Duck, Mr. Rock, Robert Perin, Jarvis Mins, and divers others,
together with myself, we embarked at Chatham the 14th of July, 1603,
and in Tilbury Hope took in our passengers; and the 16th day in the
afternoon landed them safely at Ipswich, where of their friends
we received very great entertainment, staying there about 4 days;
and the 21st day we arrived again at Chatham, thanks be to God, in
health, about 4 of the clock in the afternoon.
The sickness beginning to be very hot at Chatham, upon the
persuasions of some of my friends I removed my wife and children
from thence to my wife's father's in Middlesex, shipping them away
in the same vessel I had to Ipswich, and landing at Dagenham[231] in
Essex, had horses there met us, and so journeyed to Highwood Hill.
This voyage was taken from Chatham the 16th of August; we came to
Highwood Hill the 19th day, where my wife and children remained
till the 3rd of October following, which day we took our journey to
Dagenham, where the next day we were stayed by a great rain, but the
4th day we came over the ferry at Greenhithe[232] and safely home,
thanks be given to God, at 4 of the clock that afternoon.
This summer I began to new-build the Answer, being hauled up and
blocked at the end of the storehouse at Chatham.
The 10th of November my landlord Mr. Barker, with some of his family,
sojourned with me at Chatham, where they remained till the 28th day
of the same month, and then returned to their own house at Boley Hill.
During this time I divers times solicited my brother to be joined
patentee with him, but his remissness caused me to overslip
opportunity so long that one Mr. Stevens[233] of Limehouse, this
year, by means of some great friends about my Lord Admiral, got a
general reversion of all the Master Shipwrights' places, cutting
me off from all hopes of any timely preferment, to my great
discouragement considering what pains I took at Chatham to further
his Majesty's service.
When I was most dejected with the conceit of this injury, as I
took it, it pleased God of His great mercy to me, even then when I
least expected any such thing, to raise me up a means of some hope
of preferment after this manner; for about the 15th of January,
being at Ratcliff with my wife, to christen her sister Simonson's
daughter Martha, there was, unknown unto me, a letter sent post to
Chatham from my honourable Lord Admiral, commanding me with all
possible speed to build a little vessel for the young prince Henry
to disport himself in above London Bridge, and to acquaint his Grace
with shipping and the manner of that element, setting me down the
proportions and the manner of her garnishing, which was to be like
the work of the Ark Royal, battlement wise. This little ship was in
length by the keel 25 foot, and 12 foot in breadth, garnished with
painting and carving both within board and without very curiously,
according to his Lordship's directions. I laid her keel the 19th day
of January, wrought upon her as well day as all night by torch and
candle lights under a great awning made with sails for that purpose.
The 6th day of March after, I launched the ship, being upon a
Tuesday, with a noise[234] of trumpets, drums, and such like
ceremonies at such time used.
I set sail with her on the Friday after, being the 9th day, from
Chatham. Between the Nore head and the east end of Tilbury we had
a very great storm, so that it was Sunday before we could get
Gravesend; and on Monday morning, being the 12th day, we anchored
at Blackwall. Mr. George Wilson, then boatswain of the Lion, was
master with me, and myself captain, and I was manned with almost all
boatswains of the Navy and other choice men.
On Wednesday, being the 14th day of March, by my Lord Admiral's
commandment we weighed from Limehouse, and anchored right against
the Tower before the King's lodgings, his Majesty then lying there
before his riding through London. There the young Prince, accompanied
with the Lord Admiral and divers of the Lords, came and took great
pleasure in beholding of the ship, being furnished at all points
with ensigns and pendants. The 16th day, being Friday, we unrigged
and shot the bridge, and the 17th day we rigged again and received
both ordnance and powder from the Tower.
On Sunday in the afternoon, being the 18th day, fitted with a noise
of trumpets and drums and fife, we weighed and turned up with the
wind at south-west as high as Lambeth, with multitudes of boats and
people attending upon us. As we passed by Whitehall, I saluted the
Court with a volley of small shot and our great ordnance, and upon
the ebb, turning down again, we did the like, and then taking in our
sails we came to an anchor right against the Privy Stairs.
On Monday the 19th day his Majesty went by barge to the Parliament.
We shot our great and small ordnance of round,[235] both at his
taking barge and landing.
All Tuesday and Wednesday we rode still, without doing anything but
giving entertainment to gentlemen of the King's and Prince's servants
that hourly came aboard of us.
On Thursday morning, being the 22nd day, I received a commandment
from the Lord Admiral to prepare the ship and all things fitting
to receive the young prince aboard of us in the afternoon; who
accordingly presently[236] after dinner came aboard us in his barge
accompanied with the Lord High Admiral, Earl of Worcester, and divers
other noblemen. We presently weighed and fell down as far as Paul's
Wharf,[237] under both our topsails and foresail, and there came to
an anchor; and then his Grace,[238] according to the manner in such
cases used, with a great bowl of wine christened the ship and called
her by the name of the Disdain.
His Grace then withdrawing himself with the lords into the great
cabin, there my honourable lord, and till then master,[239] with his
own hands presented me to his Grace, using many favourable words
(beyond my deserts) in my commendations, with this addition, that I
was a servant worthy the acceptance of the greatest prince of the
world. From his hands it pleased his Grace very thankfully to receive
me as his servant, with many promises of his princely favour to me.
The next day, being Friday and the 23rd of March, it pleased my Lord
Admiral to entreat my worthy friend Sir John[240] Trevor to accompany
me to the Lord Thomas Howard, then Lord Chamberlain, from whom
receiving a ticket, I was sent to St. James', the Prince's house,
where by Mr. Alexander and Mr. Abington, then gentlemen ushers, I was
sworn his Grace's servant, and by them presented to the Prince before
he went to dinner, with as much favour and respect as I could desire.
During this time of my attendance at the Court as his Grace's Captain
of his ship, it pleased my honourable Lord Admiral to give order
to Sir Thomas Windebank,[241] one of the Clerks of the Signet, to
draw me a bill for the reversion of Mr. Baker's or my brother Joseph
Pett's place, which first should happen to be void, notwithstanding
the letters patent formerly granted to Mr. Stevens; which accordingly
was with all expedition performed, and the 11th of April following
was presented to his Majesty and signed, and shortly after passed the
great seal; for the whole charge whereof I gave Sir Thomas Windebank
17_l._ About the same time Sir Robert Mansell had his patent passed
for the Treasurer of his Majesty's Navy.
The 3rd of May, after my return to Chatham from my attendance at
Court, I began to set up a small ship at Gillingham in David Duck's
yard at my own charges; and the 17th day of the same month also
was launched the Answer, whom I had new built, who by carelessness
ran off before her time without any great hurt, thanks be to God
therefor. About the midst of June following, the preparation was
begun for the entertainment of his Majesty aboard the ships at
Chatham, where I took both extraordinary care and pains, which my
envious enemies Mr. Baker and Mr. Bright sought by all means to
disgrace, even at the instant time when his Majesty was to come on
board the Elizabeth; but the Lord diverted all their malice by the
countenance of my old master the Lord Admiral who, approving my
honest endeavours and finding the success answerable in all respects
to his Lordship's expectation, dismissed them with sharp rebukes and
encouraged me with no small commendation. This happened the 4th of
July, 1604.
The 12th of November after, I launched the new ship at Gillingham,
which was begun in May preceding, and called _her[242] name_ the
Resistance.
_And in the beginning_ of December following _I carried her up to_
Limehouse, and _there hauled her on shore at the_ south _side of my
brother Joseph's wharf, where she lay till I had sold away part of
her_.
_The 21st of January following I sold one-third part of her to Sir
Robert Mansell and another third to Sir John Trevor, and the other
third I reserved to myself._
I rigged her and prepared her with all her furniture to attend the
Lord High Admiral of England in his journey into Spain when he went
Ambassador, and made ready the Bear and the rest of his Majesty's
ships at Chatham that went that voyage, myself being commanded by
his Lordship to wait upon him in his own ship, the Bear, which
accordingly I performed.
The 24th of March I took my leave of the most noble Prince my master
at Greenwich, being Sunday in the afternoon; and the 28th day of the
same month following I took leave of my wife and children at Chatham
and attended the Lord Ambassador on board the Bear in his own barge,
the whole fleet then riding at Queenborough, from whence we set sail
the last day, being Sunday and Easter day.
The 4th day of April _we[243] came to an anchor_ in _Dover Road, and
the 10th day after we lost the sight of the Lizard. The next day,
being the 11th, the Lord Ambassador sent me aboard my own ship, the
Resistance, with one Captain Morgan, with certain directions, to the
Groyne.[244] But by the overbearing of Captain Morgan, his Lordship
altering his determination came into the Groyne two days before us,
where we also arrived the 16th day, being Tuesday._
The 20th of April, being Saturday, I set sail with the Resistance out
of the Groyne, with instructions to go for Lisbon, where I arrived
the 24th after, and there stayed to despatch my affairs till the 9th
day of May following; from whence I set sail for St. Lucar,[245] and
arrived there the 11th day in the afternoon, being Saturday; from
whence I went by passage boat, leaving my ship at Bonanza,[246] to
Seville;[247] from whence, after three days stay there, I returned to
my ship the 17th day of the same month.
From St. Lucar I set sail the 2nd day of June, and plying it up for
Cape St. Mary's[248] with a contrary wind, I put room[249] the 5th
day for Cales[250] road, from whence, putting to sea again the 8th
day, I arrived back again at the Groyne the 19th day, according as
my instructions directed me. Where going ashore to the Governor and
understanding the fleet to be all gone to St. Anderas[251] and that
the Lord Ambassador was already (as he said) embarked for England, I
put to sea again presently, directing my course for England. The 23rd
day I made the Start, and the 26th day of June, being Wednesday, I
landed at Rye in the forenoon; from whence I came post to my house at