The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
in the yard till it was good for no use of shipping; but afterward
I was employed to build two small pinnaces of 70 tons a piece or
thereabouts, which I performed accordingly at Chatham, my son Richard
being my principal foreman. They were called, the one the Henrietta,
the other Maria, after the Queen's name.
Also, the Commissioners of the Navy growing to be called in question
for their actions, in the latter end of this year,[508] there was
a great commission of Lords and divers other experienced captains
granted under the Broad Seal[509] for inquiry of their actions,
amongst which number I was chosen one: much doing was about it, but
in the end it trenched so far upon some great personages, that it was
let fall and nothing to any purpose done in it, but divers of the
Commissioners came to Chatham, and surveyed the state of the ships
and other things; and so in the end of January following returned all
to London.
The 14th of February, being Wednesday and St. Valentine's Day, my
dear wife Ann departed this life in the morning, and was buried the
Friday after in Chatham Church in the evening, leaving behind her
a disconsolate husband and sad family. Not long after, I being at
London, my only sister then living, Mary Cooper, departed this life
the fifth of March for very grief of the loss of my dear wife.
This summer, my son John was made captain of a merchant ship, and
served under Sir Sackvill Trevor's command at the taking of the
French prize called the St. Esprit.[510]
In July, I was contracted to my second wife Mistress Susan Yardley,
the widow of Mr. Robert Yardley, whose daughter my son John had
formerly married. The 16th of the same month we were married at St.
Margaret's Church, by Mr. Franklyn; Mr. George Wilson[511] gave her
in the church.
The 20th of February, 1627,[512] the Commissioners of the Navy
were summoned before the Lords, and their commission called in
and dissolved, and the government of the Navy conferred upon the
Principal Officers then being, to be carried as in former times.
The 26th of February, attending the Officers of the Navy at Sir
Sackville Crowe's[513] house by Charing Cross, Sir[514] John
Pennington came thither to acquaint them with a warrant from the
Lord Duke, directed to him and myself, for present bargaining with
the yard-keepers[515] of the river for the building of 10 small
vessels[516] for the enterprise of Rochelle, of some 120 tons
a-piece, with one deck and quarter only, to row as well as sail.
The 28th day of the same month we concluded our bargains with the
several yardkeepers and drew covenants between us, and delivered
them imprests[517] accordingly. In this business I was employed till
the latter end of July, that the ships set sail to Portsmouth. My
son John was placed Captain in the sixth Whelp, built by my kinsman
Peter Pett; having liberty from the Lord Duke to make choice for him
amongst them all, I chose that pinnace before the rest, supposing she
would have proved best, which fell out afterward clean contrary.
The 21st of this month of July, as I was going in London to attend
the meeting of the Officers of the Navy, I was arrested at the
suit of one Freeman, upon 3 executions for timber delivered to the
building of Sir Walter Ralegh's ship and the two pinnaces built at
Ratcliff[518] for the expedition of Algier, and was forcibly carried
to prison to the Counter[519] in the Poultry, where I was lodged
all night. The next morning, the King and the Lord Duke being made
acquainted by Sir John Pennington with the business, the Lords of
the Council were twice assembled about my clearing, and the care
recommended to the Lord Treasurer Weston, who employed his secretary,
Mr. John Gibbons, to see me freed, which was done by a habeas corpus
to remove me to the Fleet,[520] where I was carried and there put in
bond for my appearance the first day of Michaelmas term; so for that
time discharged, Mr. Gibbons defraying the whole charge. A little
before this his Majesty gave me a blank for making a baronet, which
was signed by his hand.
I received warrant from the Lord Duke to go to Portsmouth, there to
attend the setting out of the Fleet; which accordingly I did, taking
my journey from Lambeth the first of August, accompanied with my son
Richard, William Dalton, and some other shipwrights. When I came to
Portsmouth, by means of some friends I procured a convenient lodging
in a private house, where I lay all the time of my being there, in
which I saw many passages and the great disaster happening unto the
Lord Duke. After the mutiny upon the Green on Friday in the evening,
about the execution of a poor seaman that was hanged upon a gibbet
on the beach, and the next day, being Saturday and the 23rd day,
about 10 of the clock, the Duke was murdered in Captain Mason's[521]
house by a private[522] discontented lieutenant called Felton, being
stabbed with a knife to the heart as he was talking with Sir Thomas
(_left blank in MS._)[523] at the parlour door.
The 4th of September, my son John took leave of me in the evening and
went on board his ship; whom I never saw after, being unfortunately
cast away in the return from Rochelle; both ship and men perishing
in the sea, as it was supposed foundered in the storm, which was a
grievous affliction to myself, my wife [and] his own wife, left great
with child at his going to sea.
The 6th September, the service concluded and all the Fleet sent away,
I left Portsmouth accompanied with son Richard and returned for
Chatham, coming thither on Monday the 8th day, finding my wife and
family in good health, praising God for our comfortable meeting.
After divers passages and journeys from Chatham to London and
Hampton Court, to my great expense, and could conclude nothing for
clearing my arrest, I was forced, for saving harmless my sureties in
the Fleet,[524] to deliver myself a prisoner the first day of the
term, going thither in the evening, taking possession of the chamber
provided for me with a heavy heart, my son Richard accompanying me.
Afterward, being advised by my worthy friend, Captain Pennington,
who never forsook me in all my troubles, but furnished my wants
continually, way was made to acquaint his Majesty with my case; who
very graciously gave order to the Lord Treasurer to see me freed from
prison, where I continued, notwithstanding, six or seven days before
I could be released and an agreement concluded with Freeman for his
debt by the Lord Treasurer; which done, I presented myself to his
Majesty who used me very graciously.
In this interim I received certain intelligence of the great loss
of my son John, his ship, and all his company, who foundered in the
sea about the Seames,[525] in a great storm about the beginning of
November; not one man saved to bring the doleful news; no ship near
them to deliver the certainty, but a small pink belonging to the
Fleet, that was within ken of her, and saw her shoot 9 pieces of
ordnance, hoping of succour. This affliction was the greater for
that his dear wife was, much about the time of her husband's loss,
delivered of a son at my house at Chatham, having a mournful time of
lying in, which son was baptized at Chatham Church on Sunday the 23rd
day, afternoon, called Phineas. The witnesses:--my wife, godmother;
myself and good friend, Mr. George Wilson, being godfathers.
Towards the end of December, I was appointed by the Officers of the
Navy to take charge of docking the Vanguard at Woolwich, which I
presently took order in, to have the dock fitted and prepared for
that purpose.
I docked the Vanguard and caused a dam to be made without the gates;
then took down the gates and wharves within the dam, and made all
new, both floor, wharves and gates; which was finished in a short
time. About this time, riding from Woolwich to Greenwich, sent for
by Captain Pennington, mid way betwixt both, the horse gave me a
dangerous fall, close by a ditch side full of water; by which I
received a great hurt upon my right leg and thigh, which was sore
bruised by the fall, in so much as I had much ado to get back again,
and was not recovered of the hurt in six weeks time, but was forced
to use crutches.
About the beginning of June, by Captain Pennington's procurement
I passed the baronet given me formerly by the King, for which the
Captain received for me 200 pounds, which he sent me to Woolwich in
gold.
About this time I gave over my house at Chatham and surrendered the
lease thereof to Mr. Isackson,[526] the painter, who renewed it for
longer time with Sir Robert Jackson, then Lord of the Manor.
Towards the end of September, I was employed by the Lord Treasurer
Weston as a Commissioner for his Majesty to the forests of Shotover
and Stowood, near Oxford, which forests were granted from his Majesty
by letters patent to the Earl of Lindsey;[527] wherein I discharged
my duty so effectually as gained me a good opinion both from his
Majesty and the Lord Treasurer; from which employment I returned
to Woolwich the 8th day of November, having finished a tedious and
troublesome business.
The 27th day of November, it pleased God to take from me my dear
beloved son Richard, who died with me at Woolwich and was buried in
the church chancel next day after; being a great affliction unto me,
by reason he was my eldest son then living, being a very hopeful
young man, and for his years an excellent artist, being trained by me
to that purpose for making of ships.
A little after Christmas, I was employed as a Commissioner with Mr.
Treswell,[528] Surveyor of his Majesty's Woods, to view certain parks
of his Majesty: as Ditton Park, Sunning Park and Folly John[529]
Park, lying near about Windsor; which we despatched in four or five
days, and returned back to Westminster, and delivered in the account
and certificate of the business to the Lord Treasurer.
Towards the middle of February, there was a resolution by his Majesty
and the Lords of the Admiralty to make an addition of assistants
to the Principal Officers of his Majesty's Navy, for the better
managing of that great business by experienced men; to which purpose
Mr. William Burrell was nominated as one and myself by his Majesty's
own appointment was chosen for the other, not without some strong
opposition which could not prevail; so that there was a letter under
his Majesty's signet directed to the Officers, and ourselves to sit
with the Officers, and to authorise us to proceed together in all
businesses concerning his Majesty's Service, which was twice read in
public court at their meeting in Mincing Lane, the 8th day of March
1629, and then we took place first with them; where it was concluded
to begin first with a general survey of the whole Navy at Chatham,
and all stores within and without doors, and to put out by the great,
as we should hold fitting, the repair of all apparent defects in the
ships, which was recommended wholly to the care of Mr. Burrell and
myself; which was effectually performed by us, and the works of the
ships put to Mr. Goddard,[530] one of the Master Shipwrights, to be
done by contract; which business we fully concluded by the end of
March, 1630.
After we had settled all business at Chatham, Deptford and
Woolwich, Mr. Burrell and myself took our journey, the 6th of May,
to Portsmouth, where we arrived the 8th day after; taking up our
lodgings at [the] Dock with the Clerk of the Stores,[531] where Mr.
Burrell lay, and myself at the Clerk of the Check,[532] both Mr.
Brookes and brothers; here we stayed upon despatch of all business
concerning the defects of the ships, surveys, and other material
business; which having all ordered, settled, and graved the ships, we
returned thence and came to London the 4th day of June following.