The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
went down in her to Gillingham, coming to an anchor at St. Mary
Creek's mouth. His Lordship lay at Mr. Legatt's.
On Easter day, being the 4th of April, the Lord Admiral with his
retinue received the holy sacrament in the parish church at Chatham.
Doctor Pay that was chaplain to the Lord William Howard, Baron of
Effingham and Vice Admiral in the Anne Royal, preached and delivered
the sacrament.
On Easter Tuesday in the afternoon the Lord Admiral with all his
retinue removed from Chatham, and came on board their several charges
at St. Mary Creek at Gillingham, and lay on board in his own cabin
this night. So soon as prayers were done this evening and the tables
covered, the Lord Admiral, out of his noble favour to me, called me
unto him and there gave me special charge to take my place at his
own table all the voyage; and would not commonly have grace said
before his Lordship had seen me set down, except I had been upon some
earnest business, giving charge also to all his officers to let me
have any thing of his own provisions which I should send for at any
time. I lay in a settle bed on one side of the master's cabin.
Wednesday being the 7th day, at quarter flood, being about eleven
of the clock, we set sail from Gillingham, the wind at south-west,
a pretty fresh gale: the ship wrought exceedingly well and was so
yare[410] of conduct, as a foot of the helm did steer her: we came to
an anchor at Queenborough a great while before high water, where we
rode all that night.
The next day, being Thursday, the wind south-west and a very fair
gale, the Admiral had given order we should weigh betimes to get
out, and accordingly the Anne Royal, being Vice Admiral, in whom
Hugh Meritt served Master, was fitted and prepared for the purpose,
having one anchor on board by the time the ship was went up upon the
flood, and was ready with his other anchor on peak,[411] supposing
we had been so provident to have our ship in the like readiness; but
our master, willing to do his countryman a courtesy, that lay by our
side in a hoy with forty tons of beer of our provision to take in,
neglected the time so long, being not accustomed to command such
great ships, that it was more than half flood before we could get our
anchor on board; by reason whereof, the tide running very strong and
the wind hartening[412] in, it was almost high water before we were
fitted to set sail and our other anchor got up. The wind then having
power on our weather quarter, and the tide upon the lee bow, kept our
ship from flatting;[413] and in the setting of our sails, many seamen
being with us that were prime commanders and captains, attending the
Lord Admiral as his retinue, had every one their voice in commanding
and countermanding one another, that they bred a mere[414] confusion
and put the master clean besides almost his senses; so that in fine
the ship was put on ground at the top of high water, upon the tongue
of the spit of the sand going into Queenborough, where, do what we
could with all our wits and endeavours, she sat all the tide of
ebb and almost ebbed dry; which unfortunate accident gave not only
great discouragement to the Lord Admiral, to have such a chance
befall him, but also gave great advantage to the enemies of the
ship, of whom the Lord Northampton was chief, to persuade the Lady
Elizabeth not to venture her person in such a vessel that had so ill
a beginning, but rather to embark herself in some other and to return
her[415] home.
When we saw we were so fast as there was not hope of getting the ship
off that tide, I desired liberty to sound the place where she sat,
which the Lord Admiral easily gave his consent to do. I then calling
into the boat with me some of the captains that were masters and
mariners, amongst which I chose Captain Robert Bradshaw and Captain
Geare for two principal, with others, and John Reynolds, then Master
Gunner of the ship, taking lead lines with us, we sounded both on
head, stern, and sides; and finding soft ground and little difference
in depth, we were satisfied that the ship could take no hurt if she
had strength sufficient to bear herself with so massy a weight as
she had in her of ordnance, victuals, and other things in hold, and
her masts and sails above head, with so much company, both of the
mariners belonging to the ship and the Lord Admiral's retinue, being
not so few in all as 800 persons; but God be thanked, the ship took
no harm at all; and we, having sounded the depth of the same furrow
she made in running on shore, we caused an anchor to be laid right
a-stern as her dock[416] directed us, and so with little difficulty
she was heaved afloat into the channel in the morning tide, to the
great satisfaction and content of[417] the Lord Admiral and general
joy of the whole company, for which we gave God thanks.
The next days, being Friday and Saturday, we lay still to
prytly[418] the ship and take in such provisions as were wanting.
The 11th day, being Sunday, we weighed and set sail, and anchored for
that night at The Spits[419]; next day we weighed and anchored short
of the Long Sand head[420]; next day we weighed and anchored middle
of the Channel[421]; next day anchored short of the North Foreland.
The 15th day, being Thursday, we came to an anchor in Margate Road.
The next day the Lord Admiral went on shore to Margate, where he lay
3 days at the house of Mr. Roger Morice, one of the 4 Masters of His
Majesty's Navy, and then returned on board.
The 21st day, being Wednesday, [the] Lady Elizabeth's Grace [and]
the Palsgrave, with all their train, came to Margate; there were
embarked in barges and the ships' boats, and were received on board
the Admiral, where they lay all the night.
The 22nd day, the wind being got easterly and likely to be foul
weather, her Highness, with the Palsgrave and most part of her train,
were again carried on shore to Margate and there landed.
The 25th day, being Sunday, they were all again embarked in the
barges and boats and received on board the ships; presently we set
sail and that night anchored without the Foreland.
The 26th day the wind shortened[422] upon us, so that we were
constrained to anchor in the midst of the Channel in 25 fathom, being
a windy, rainy, foul night.
The 27th day, being Tuesday, was a very wet forenoon, but about 11
of the clock whilst her Highness was at the sermon, it cleared up
and the wind veered southerly, so that we weighed, both having fair
weather and a fair wind; standing our course, quarter winds, a little
before we made the land we lost a man through his own wilfulness.
This evening we anchored under Blankenberghe[423] Sconce,[424] being
very fair weather.
The 28th day we weighed about noon, and anchored thwart of
Sluis,[425] where came on board us with his yachts,[426] the Prince
of Orange, Grave[427] Maurice, with a great train of gallantry and
followers, who all lay this night on board the Admiral.
The 29th day we weighed upon the flood and turned up to Flushing.
Some mile short of the town, her Highness, with the Palatine and most
part of her train, were embarked in the barges and boats, being very
fair weather, and was saluted with all the ordnance of the whole
fleet, and landed at Flushing, where they were received with all
royalty and saluted with all the ordnance of the town and castles
and guarded with the soldiers and garrison of the town; our ships
anchored a little above the Rammekens.[428] This afternoon I went on
shore to attend the Lord Admiral and lay in Flushing, our charges
being defrayed by the town. The 30th day, being Friday, the Count
Palatine took leave of her Highness and went post to the Palatinate.
This afternoon I, with others of the Lord Admiral's retinue, took
coach to Middelburg and were lodged and billeted for our diet at the
English house with him.
This forenoon, being May Day, divers of our retinue took a coach and
rode to Camphire[429] to see the Island; this afternoon her Highness
and her train were received into Middelburg with all royalty.
The second day, being Sunday, the Burghers feasted her Highness at
the Town House; this evening the Lord Admiral brought me to take
leave of her Highness and to kiss her hand; the next day her Highness
took leave of the Lord Admiral and his train, having attended her
to the place where she was embarked; which done, the Lord Admiral
returned from Middelburg in his barge on board the Prince, where he
found such a multitude of people, men, women, and children, that came
from all places in Holland to see the ship, that we could scarce have
room to go up and down till very night, which confluence of people
lasted from the time we anchored at Flushing till we weighed thence.
Fourth day; [the] Lord Admiral gave order we should weigh from
Flushing to avoid the trouble of people, which accordingly was done,
and we fell down to Cassant Point,[430] where we anchored all that
day and next night.
The 6th day, in the morning, we weighed with the wind at
east-north-east, a fresh gale and very fair weather, and this evening
we anchored under the Gunfleet.[431]
The 7th day, the wind continuing easterly, we weighed and set sail,
and by 12 of the clock we came to anchor at Gillingham, from whence
I attended the Lord Admiral in his barge to Chatham, where he lay
that night at Mr. Legatt's house. I found my wife and family all in
health, and gave God thanks for his preservation of us in our journey
and safe return home to our mutual comforts.
Sir Robert Mansell lay at my house. On Saturday morning, being the
8th day, the Lord Admiral went from Chatham, on whom I attended to
Gravesend, and there taking leave returned back to my house [at]
Chatham.
At Whitsuntide Sir Robert Mansell was committed to the
Marshalsea,[432] upon some displeasure[433] his Majesty took against
him by the instigation of the Lord Northampton, where he was detained
prisoner, till the 13th June following [he] was released at Greenwich.
In the latter end of July I received commandment to take the charge
of new building the Defiance, being then in dry dock at Woolwich. Old
Mr. Baker having the charge of new building the Merhonor at the same
time in the same dock with her, upon which business I was entered the
second August.
About the middle of August, old Mr. Baker sickened and, perceiving
his sickness was to death, was desirous to recommend the finishing of
the Merhonor to me, and to that end importuned me to ride to Windsor
to the Lord Admiral to signify his earnest suit to his Lordship in
that behalf; which was willingly condescended unto, and I had his
Lordship's warrant at the same time for it; he deceasing the last of
this month, and his funeral was solemnized at Deptford, the second of
September, where myself was present.
About the midst of September, my good, faithful friend, Mr. Sebastian
Vicars, the carver, departed this life; and the 27th day of this
month my second son Henry departed this life at Chatham; and at the
very instant my noble, worthy friend, Sir Thomas Button, then Captain
Button, alighted at my house, newly being returned from the dangerous
voyage of the North-west Passage, where he had wintered.
The 16th of October, I escaped a great danger by the fall of my horse
within one mile of Dartford, being riding to Chatham.
The 28th of October, I was taken very sick, going by water from
Woolwich to Westminster to accompany the ordinary shipwrights and
other of Chatham to move the Lord Admiral about their pay, being
much behindhand. I was forced this night to lie at the King's Head
in Fish Street, whither I came from Westminster on foot, to have
prevented my sickness. The whole company having appointed to dine
there, most part of them waked with me all that night. The next