The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
any wise notwithstanding. Although express mention &c. In witness
whereof &c. Witness our self at Westminster the sixth day of May.
per breve de privato sigillo.
V.
New Building the Prince Royal at Woolwich
[=Pipe Office Declared Account No. 2249=]
[_N.B.--Spelling and numerals modernised_]
Mathew Baker, one of his Majesty's Master Shipwrights, for his pains
and charges in many journeys between Deptford and Woolwich during
the time of the new building of his Majesty's ship the Prince Royal,
by special command from the Lord Treasurer and the Lord Admiral of
England
10_l._
Robert Beake and Paul Isackson, painters, for painting and gilding
his Highness' ship the Prince Royal with fine gold and divers colours
wrought and laid in oil, finding at their own charge all manner of
stuff and workmanship: viz. the beakhead three times primed and
stopped; his Majesty's arms and badges, with divers beasts, and the
Prince's arms all gilded with fine gold and wrought in oil colours
62_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._
For both the sides, and all the carved work on both the sides, as
well on the backside as foreside, three times primed and stopped;
with his Majesty's whole arms and badges on the two upper strakes;
the Prince's arms and badges on the third strake; the great mask head
on the fourth strake; all the foresaid arms, with very much other
work, and the lower strake all gilded and wrought in oil colours
190_l._
For the galleries, three on each side, priming three times; the lower
galleries with his Majesty's beasts and badges; the third with the
like and very much other work; all gilded and wrought in oil colours
100_l._
For the upright in the stern with his Majesty's whole arms and
badges; on the first, second and third galleries on the stern, with
his Majesty's arms and beasts, and the Prince's also; on the lower
counter two great mask heads three times primed and stopped, all
gilded and laid in oil colours
140_l._
For all the bulkheads, the first in the poop, the second afore the
Master's cabin, the third afore the Prince's cabin, the fourth and
fifth in the waist with the bellhouse, the sixth and seventh afore
the forecastle, thereon some of his Majesty's badges and much other
work, three times primed and stopped, gilded and wrought in oil
colours
45_l._ 10_s._
For all the timbers within the board, and all the plansers[615] afore
and abaft, double primed and stopped and laid in oil colours
10_l._
For the galleries within board, primed and stopped and laid in oil
colours
6_l._
For the Prince's lodging cabin, very curiously wrought and gilded
with divers histories, and very much other work in oil colours
164_l._
For the state cabin, gilded and very curiously wrought with divers
histories, and much other works, wrought in oil colours and varnished
90_l._
For the room abaft the stateroom, wrought overhead and on each side
with sundry figures in oil colours
15_l._
For the Master's cabin wrought and varnished, with his mate's cabins,
primed and laid in oil colours
110_s._
And for all the works under the half deck, double primed and stopped,
with very much works, and up the stairs to the half deck, all laid in
oil colours
40_l._
In all
868_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._
Sebastian Vicars, for carved works by him wrought and performed
aboard his Highness' ship the Prince, lately new built at Woolwich.
That is to say, in the beakhead for carving the George, 20_l._; the
trailboard, 10_l._; the sideboard, 16_l._; of two boards for the half
rail between the planchers, 9_l._; of 14 brackets for both, 13_l._
6_s._ 8_d._; of two lions for the half rail, 50_s._; of a serpent
for the tacks, 13_s._ 4_d._; of two great mask heads for the two
hawsers, and of two fish heads for steadying the main knee, 30_s._;
for carving the sides without board, viz: of 104 brackets along the
sides without board, 12_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._; of 47 compartments in the
lower strake, 110_s._; of 14 great lion heads for the round ports,
10_l._; of 12 Prince's badges in the middle strake, 12_l._; for
carving 9 compartments in the same strake, 110_s._; of the King's
badges on the sides without board, 22_l._; of one pair of the King's
arms and another of the King's and Queen's together, 15_l._; of four
terms[616] on either side the arms, 75_s._; of four ports, two in
the bow and two in the quarter abaft, with four taffrails, 110_s._;
of 4 scuttles of windows, 4_l._; of 8 trophies in the upper strake,
110_s._; of 14 brackets in the narrow strake and 12 compartments,
55_s._; and of four hansing pieces in the waist, 53_s._ 4_d._; for
carving the two sides in the lower gallery, 20_l._; of 26 brackets,
6_l._; of 12 supporters under the galleries, 6_l._; and of the frieze
round about, 8_l._; for carving of 6 panels with stories on the
middle of the gallery, 18_l._; of 16 arches, 60_s._; of ten great
terms, 10_l._; of 14 little terms, 6_l._ 10_s._; of two great badges
of the Prince's, 8_l._; of four of the Prince's letters, 25_s._; of
ten Dragons for supporters, 100_s._; of two great arches within the
galleries, 13_s._ 4_d._; and of four hansing pieces, 40_s._; for
the carving the two sides on the upper gallery, 15_l._; of the ten
brackets, 40_s._; of eight beasts, 70_s._; of ten taffrails, 25_s._
8_d._; for carving of four great terms in the stern, 6_l._; of three
great arches, 60_s._; of two great lions' heads, 33_s._ 4_d._; of the
rudder head and tiller, 20_s._; of the planks cross the stern, 6_l._
13_s._ 4_d._; of the frieze, 4_l._; of seven brackets, 33_s._ 4_d._;
of two dragons, 40_s._; of seven pendants, 68_s._; of eight terms,
7_l._ 10_s._; of six arches, 25_s._; of the Prince's badges, 4_l._;
of two letters on either side of the badge, 16_s._; of two pieces
of Victory and Fame, 7_l._; of the plank cross the stern in the
upper gallery, 7_l._; of six brackets, 25_s._; of six beasts, 66_s._
8_d._; and of five taffrails, 15_s._; for carving the King's arms
ten foot wide in the upright, 22_l._; and of two pyramids with two
boys sitting on the top showing for Peace or War, 6_l._; for carving
four terms for the doors in the forecastle, 35_s._; of a frieze
round about, 35_s._; of four terms and four cartowes,[617] 55_s._;
and of two hansing pieces, 40_s._; for carving of six terms and
six cantlappers[618] and two arches for the doors in the forecastle
within board, 6_l._; of three orpins,[619] 73_s._ 4_d._; of six
brackets, 15_s._; of four badges of the King's, 60_s._; and of the
bellhouse and knights' heads, 56_s._ 8_d._, for carved work in the
bulkhead abaft, viz. of six terms and six cantlappers, 6_l._; of four
cantlappers and six arches to give light under the half deck, 35_s._;
of seven brackets and six compartments in the narrow frieze, 35_s._;
for carving twelve arches on both the sides of the half deck and of
28 brackets, 7_l._; for carving of six terms for three doors and six
cantlappers with three arches on the quarter deck, 9_l._; of two
terms and two cantlappers, 30_s._; and of two hansing pieces and the
knights' heads, 30_s._; and for carving two orpins and two brackets
on the roundhouse, 20_s._; and of two hansing pieces, 20_s._ In all
441_l._ 4_d._
FOOTNOTES:
[615] Elsewhere spelt 'Planchers' and 'Plansters,' now usually spelt
'Planeshears.' The planks covering the tops of the timbers and
forming a shelf below the gunwale.
[616] Terminal pieces.
[617] Cartouches; modillions or corbels.
[618] _I.e._ cantilevers, or projecting brackets.
[619] Harpins or ribbands.
VI
Petition to the Admiralty
[=S.P. Dom., Chas. I, cxciv. 47=]
NOBLE SIR,--I have nothing to tender you for many favours received
from you but the return of my thanks, and particularly for this
last courtesy about the petition delivered against me which I have,
herein enclosed, returned together with my answer, desiring you to be
pleased it may be both presented and read to the Lords Commissioners,
whose order herein I shall with all humble submission assent unto,
not doubting of your careful favour herein, which I shall study to
requite with my best acknowledgments, beseeching you to be pleased
so far to mediate for me that the plaintiff may not have power from
their lordships to bring disgrace upon me, whereby his Majesty's
service may suffer as well as myself, by giving leave to have me
intercepted when I am to attend the ordinary meeting of the principal
officers of his Majesty's Navy, within the city, where they wait for
advantage. So leaving myself to your care I take leave and rest
At your service,
PHINEAS PETT.
_Chatham, 22nd June, 1631._
I pray, sir, be pleased to return me word by this bearer when his
Majesty is to go to Portsmouth.
(_Endorsed_) To my honoured friend Edward Nicholas, Esquire,
Secretary to the right honourable Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty of England these
Westminster.
47 I.
To the right honourable the lords and other Commissioners of the
Admiralty of England.
The humble answer of Phineas Pett, his Majesty's servant, to the
petition of Lewes Tayte, smith.
I do acknowledge I become debtor[620] to this petitioner for
ironwork delivered to the building of a new ship called the Destiny,
built by me for Sir Walter Ralegh, from whom I could never receive
satisfaction for the said work by 700_l._, which I was forced to
venture with him in his voyage, wherein he failing, and at his return
the ship seized into his Majesty's hands, I suffered the loss of the
whole debt.
I was contented to give this petitioner my bond for payment of his
debt, notwithstanding my great loss, some part whereof was orderly
paid, and the rest I should have easily satisfied had not a greater
loss presently befallen me, through the occasion of building two
small ships for the expedition of Algiers, wherein I sustained (by
the overworks, and charge of the journey wherein I served as Captain
in one of those ships) the loss of above 900_l._, towards which I
could never hitherto recover one penny satisfaction.
By these two great losses suddenly befalling me, almost together, I
was utterly disabled either to satisfy the debts arising from these
businesses, or to raise means to maintain myself and poor family.
Notwithstanding I have out of the little remnants of my poor fortunes
paid above 500_l._ of these debts within the space of 6 years, which
I never so much as drank for, and I do yearly still contribute the
better half of my small means towards the satisfying the rest as
carefully as I can.
I have often entreated this petitioner's patience, as knowing
his abilities better able to forbear than others, interested as
himself in the same business, he having also made more gain by his
commodities than any other. Always tendering satisfaction to him as
I could take of other debts, to the utmost my fortunes would extend
unto, and am very ready and willing yearly to pay unto him such a sum
as your lordships in your honourable considerations of the premises,
and my present fortunes, shall order me to do. Humbly submitting
myself to your Lordships' favourable construction.
PHINEAS PETT.
FOOTNOTE:
[620] MS. 'detter.'
VII
[=Stowe MS. 743 f. 50=]
RIGHT HONOURABLE,--My most humble services presented.
Lest I should be the last in expressing my duty and humblest service,
being so infinitely obliged to your most noble favours, I rather
choose to incur the censure of presumption, than the just imputation
of ingratitude, being hopeful for the first to procure your
honourable pardon, for the last it is beyond the plea of all excuse.
Please your lordship to understand that since your posting from
Tiballs, receiving direction for making ready the Prince, I brought
her into dry dock at Chatham, there thoroughly searched her, and