Phineas Pett

“ In a desperate estate she rides in every storm: in peril she must ride, when all the rest of her companions (his Majesty's ships) enjoys peace, rides quiet and safe in port: for example, we have the Prince in her voyage to Spain for his Majesty in foul weather, when all the fleet harboured in the Port of Plymouth, the Prince she only might not, for she could not, she too big, her draught too much, the wild sea must be her port; in the Sound of Plymouth must she ride, her anchors and cables her safety. ”

“ The active life of the Corporation was one long struggle to enforce its powers and secure its rights, not only against private individuals or rival bodies, but even against the Officers of the Crown, who might well have been expected to respect the provisions of its charter. For the resistance to the Corporation did not come from 'poor men' alone. ”

“ The 25th of July, the Lord's Grace of Canterbury lay at Rochester, and went on board the Prince, riding at her moorings, where he was entertained with a banquet of sweetmeats by Sir Robert Mansell, myself attending there.
The 29th of August, I removed from Woolwich to Chatham with my wife and family, and the next day after my wife sickened of a surfeit, eating too many grapes, which had like to have cost her her life. ”

“ It is not until the later years of Henry VIII's reign that steps appear to have been taken to establish in the royal service a permanent body of men skilled in the art of shipbuilding. From the earliest times of which records exist it had been the practice to send out agents to the various ports to impress the shipwrights, caulkers, sawyers, and other workmen required for the construction and repair of ships of the Royal Navy. This system was no doubt satisfactory while the [xviii] merchant ship and the royal ship presented no essential points of difference ”

“ It is not necessary to accept the explanation of Phineas that these incidents were the results of conspiracies directed against him. To oppose him was a deadly sin; thus, Burrell, who was 'a worthy gentleman and good friend' when he stood on Pett's side in the Prince Royal inquiry, became Pett's 'greatest enemy,' engaged in the 'malicious practice' of 'tending to overthrow me and root my name out of the earth' because he was appointed one of the Commissioners of Inquiry in 1618. ”

“ That she cannot harbour is her great draught in water, and less in draught she will not be, but could she be made to draw less water, yet anchors and cables must hold proportion, and being made, they will not be manageable, the strength of man cannot wield nor work them, but could they do it, yet the ship little bettered in point of safety, for we are doubtful whether cables and anchors [215] can hold a ship of this bulk in a great storm, for we have more in our seas to add stress to cables and anchors than the wind and foaming sea. ”

“ To shew his weakness in art and the imperfection of the mould, Pett himself, after workmen had seen her, hauled down his futtocks [132] 2 foot as soon as the lords were gone, and cut off some of the heads of them, whereby they have made her more imperfect than she was and put all things out of order that she can hardly be ever amended.
All these being Shipwrights (saving Capt. Waymouth) have taken their oath, and answered before us, both upon their conscience to God, their duty to the King and their love to their country that this declaration is true. ”

“ 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. ”

“ On Friday morning, being the 3rd of October, we set sail out of Scilly, and on Sunday following, being the 5th day, we came into St. Helen's and anchored on Nomans Land, [494] and shipped the Prince and his train into our long boat and other ships' boats, who were safely landed at Portsmouth about 11 of the clock; we taking our farewell with discharge of all our great ordnance, seconded by all the Fleet, with general thanksgiving to God for our safe arrival, to the joy and comfort of all true hearted subjects. ”

“ December following, died my brother Cooper at Chatham. The 16th of December I launched the great ship of Sir Walter Ralegh's called the Destiny, and had much ado to get her into the water, but I delivered her to him on float in good order and fashion; by which business I lost 700l. and could never get any recompense at all for it, Sir Walter Ralegh going to sea and leaving me unsatisfied. ”

“ Every mean owner in the Thames will assuredly tie the carpenter to allow a great scarph and to have his timber come whole within a foot of his kelson.
Some of the timbers abaft and afore are left so deep by the kelson that the footwales [130] and outside not being well trenailed together will be a great weakness to the ship, and the rather for that the rung, [131] being cut out of right and old grown timber, cannot be brought to a lesser scantling, they will break in sunder at the cross grain. ”

“ All the year 1622 I did nothing but follow the Court with petitions, to my infinite charge and trouble, and all to little purpose, for I could never prevail against my adversaries, who detained all my entertainment for the Algiers voyage, both for myself, son, and servants ”

“ Therefore three tier of ordnance must not be, neither can the art or wit of man build a ship well conditioned and fit for service with three tier of ordnance.
But if it be force that his Majesty desireth, then shall he do well to forbear the building of this ship, and with the same cost or charge to build two ships of 5 or 600 ton a piece, either ship to have 40 pieces of good ordnance, and these two ships will be of more force and for better service and will beat the great ship back and side. ”

“ It may be presumed that those of our earlier kings who possessed a navy royal, and did not rely entirely on the support of the Cinque Ports and of the merchant shipping, would include among their servants some skilled man to perform the functions of a master shipwright, and if not to design, at any rate to look to the upkeep of the king's ships and to watch the construction in private yards of those intended for the royal service. ”

“ Then his Lordship began to deliver sundry particular bitter accusations against Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, and the rest, all savouring more of malice than of truth, as was apparent by every man's answer when they were called to speak for themselves. ”

“ As regards the material, Baker stated that the [lxviii] timber was very badly chosen. It appears that old and unsuitable trees were selected on account of the profit to be made by their larger 'tops,' which seem to have been one of the many perquisites of the officers. In preparing the timber there was, so Baker said,
so much waste as the charge will be well near half so much more as it needed to be to the King; besides the ship will be of many years less continuance serviceable than otherwise she would have been if the timber and plank had been well chosen, and framed in the wood. ”

“ In 1635, when Peter Pett was Master, the difficulties of collecting the dues of the shipwrights and the 'tonnage and poundage' granted for the support of the Corporation and its poor, became more acute than ever. After much argument and reference to Sir Henry Marten, the Master, Wardens and Assistants were told, in 1638, 'to cause their charters to be published and put in execution,' while the 'Vice-Admirals, Mayors and other Officers' were charged to assist them. ”

“ Captain George Waymouth before mentioned, being one of the most violent and bitterest adversaries that came against me, happened to have drawn in a knight of Hampshire to be so credulously confident of his special art in building of ships, that he trusted him to have the oversight and direction of building a small ship for him, which was expected to have been so rare a [71] sailer, and every way so well conditioned, as she should run beyond the moon ”

“ The other, which is more eminent, and more properly furring, is to rip off the first planks and to put other timbers upon the first, and so to put on the planks upon these timbers. The occasion of it is to make a ship bear a better sail, for when a ship is too narrow, and the bearing either not laid out enough, or too low, then they must make her broader, and lay her bearing higher. ”

“ The 9th of September, being Sunday, about six of the clock in the evening, divers London maids, coming to see the ship, brought in their company [79] a little boy of 12 years old, the only child of his mother, a widow woman dwelling in Tower Street, who, carelessly going up and down upon the main orlop, [356] fell down into the hold of the ship and was thereby so broken and bruised that he died before midnight, being the first mischance that did happen in the whole time of the ship's building. ”

“ In March, 1635, the 11th day, his Majesty came to Woolwich to see the launching of the new ship built there by my son Peter, the which ship I caused to have her masts set in the dock and to be completely rigged and ten pieces of ordnance placed in her, with her sails at the yard. The ship being launched betimes, she was, by his Majesty's command, called the Leopard by Sir Robert Mansell. After the ship was clear out of the dock, his Majesty came on board and there stayed almost one hour. ”

“ So soon as the multitudes were gone and things quiet, we went presently in hand to make way with the sides of the dock gates, and having great store of scavelmen [362] and other labourers, we made all things ready before any flood came; which performed, every man applied himself to get victuals and to take rest. The Lord Admiral sat up all [83] the night in a chair in his chamber, till the tide was come about the ship; and Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, and Sir Henry Palmer made shift in my lodgings to rest themselves. ”

“ The 13th day, being Saturday, the Prince came on board his own ship and lodged in his own cabin.
The 14th day, being Sunday, the Prince feasted all the Spaniards that accompanied him to the waterside, the Cardinal Zapata and his brother, who was a grandee, being the chief, with Gondomar [490] and divers others of the King of Spain's servants; whom he feasted with no other provisions than such as we brought out of England with us: stalled oxen, fatted sheep, venison and all kind of fowls and other varieties in abundance, wanting no ordnance to welcome them withal, loudly speaking every health ”

“ In December 1621 the Navy Commissioners expressed their feelings on the subject to Buckingham in a letter, of which the following draft is preserved in the Coke MSS.: [138]
Her weakness is so great that all we can do unto her at this time with above 500l. charge will but make her ride afloat and be able to go to sea upon our own coast rather for show than for service, and that to make her a strong and perfect ship will require at least 6,000l. charge and time till monies and fit provisions may be had. ”

“ Being asked, also by virtue of his oath, whether Phineas Pett be a workman sufficient to be put alone in trust upon a ship of so great charge and burthen, he answereth that he never saw any work of his doing whereby he should so think him sufficient for that work, but rather thinketh the contrary. ”

“ After my settling at Woolwich I began a curious model for the Prince my master, most part whereof I wrought with my own hands; which being most fairly garnished with carving and painting, and placed in a frame arched, covered, and curtained with crimson taffety, was, the 10th day of November, by me presented to the Lord High Admiral at his lodging at Whitehall. His Lordship, well approving of it, after I had supped with his honour that night, gave me commandment to carry the same to Richmond, where the Prince my master then lay ”

“ On Thursday, being the 18th day of September, we set sail out of Santander River, the wind somewhat southerly, from whence we beat it to and fro with contrary winds till the 26th day after, being Friday, at which time a little before noon we had sight of Scilly, which bore north-east of us, about some 8 leagues off.
This day we met 4 Dunkirk men-of-war, very well fitted, chased by Holland men-of-war, whom the Prince caused to come to leeward, and their commanders to come on board ”

“ They commonly fur some two or three strakes under water and as much above, according as the ship requires, more or less. I think in all the world there are not so many ships furred as are in England, and it is a pity that there is no order taken, either for the punishing of those who build such ships, or the utter preventing of it, for it is an infinite loss to the owners, and an utter spoiling and disgrace to all ships that are so handled.'—Mainwaring, Seaman's Dictionary, s.v. ”

“ In the interim many malicious reports were raised to disable the ship, and to bring as much disgrace upon me as malice itself could possibly invent; all proceeding from the Masters of the Trinity House and other rough-hewn seamen, with whom William Cooke, one of the four Masters of his Majesty's Navy, enviously adhering to pleasure Secretary Coke, and Mr. Edisbury, then newly made Surveyor of his Majesty's Navy, all professed enemies to the building of the ship, and more to myself, joined [166] together to cast what aspersions upon both as far as they durst (for fear of the King's displeasure) ”

“ Tuesday, being the 29th August, proved a very wet, rainy day, but the shipwrights of the river, which were warned to help to strike the ship upon the ways, being come together, we set on the business, and by God's blessing the ship was struck by eleven of the clock without harm to any man, which we accounted a great mercy of God. ”

“ 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. ”

“ About midsummer after, was the Elizabeth Jonas launched out of Woolwich Dock, and sudden preparation made to have received her Majesty aboard the ship riding afloat; but upon some unknown reasons her Majesty came not at all, for even at that instant had one Mr. Wiggs [207] procured commission about examination of certain abuses in the Navy, which was pursued with a great deal of malice against divers particular men but with little profit to her Majesty's service. ”

“ 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 [22] 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. ”

“ On Friday after, being the 14th day, I returned on board the ship into Tilbury Hope, and presently after Sir Robert came on board, and having received the supply of our wants, we made ready to set sail again the next day.
Saturday morning, we set sail from Tilbury Hope and anchored thwart the Nore, where we lay all that night; Sunday, the 16th day, we weighed and anchored within Sheerness; and on Monday we got up as high as St. Mary's Creek; [369] and the next day, being Tuesday and the 18th day, we brought the ship safe to her moorings within the chain at Upnor, for which we gave God thanks. ”

“ Within some few days after, I wrote something to this purpose to my very good friends Sir Robert Mansell and Sir John Trevor, being then Treasurer and Surveyor of the Navy, desiring them, for that it was a business highly concerning the honour of our honourable lord the Lord High Admiral and their own particular reputations, they would be pleased to take the pains to make a sudden journey to Woolwich, there truly to inform themselves not only concerning the state of the work but of divers other material business wherewith I was to acquaint them at their coming thither. ”