apparel; and after twenty months spent in the Levant Seas, coasts of
Barbary and Spain, with many hazards both of loss of life and time,
without taking any purchase[187] of any value, we, extreme poorly,
returned for Ireland into the river of Cork; and there taking leave
both of ship and voyage, I travelled to Dublin[188] to visit my uncle
Captain Thornton and my brother Noah, being then master with him in
the Popinjay of the Queen's Majesty's; and presently after bent my
course for England, taking passage at the town of Waterford.
With some difficulty I got to London, some three days before
Christmas in anno 1594, having neither money nor apparel, and took
up my lodging at my brother Peter's house in Wapping, before spoken
of, who, although I was returned very poor, yet vouchsafed me kind
entertainment. The next day I presented myself to my brother Joseph,
who very coyly receiving me, out of his bounty lent me 40_s._ to
apparel myself, which I bestowed as frugally as I could in Birchin
Lane in London, contenting myself as well as I could with mean
attire, till such time as it should please God to provide better for
me.
At that time it so fell out that there were certain of her Majesty's
ships appointed to be made ready for the voyage of Sir Francis Drake
and Sir John Hawkyns, amongst which the Defiance[189] was to be
brought into Woolwich Dock to be sheathed; which work being commended
to my brother Joseph's charge, he was contented to admit me amongst
many others to be one, where I was contented to take any pains to
get something to apparel myself, which by God's blessing I performed
before Easter next after, and that in very good fashion, always
endeavouring to keep company with men of good rank far better than
myself.
In the latter end of this year 1594 about the beginning of Lent, I
lost my dear brother Noah, who was drowned in Cork river with eight
more of his company, and lieth buried in Cork church in Ireland.
About Bartholomew tide in anno 1595, the Triumph of her Majesty's
was had into Woolwich Dock to be new builded by Mr. Mathew Baker,
under whom I was entertained there as an ordinary workman and had
allowed me a boy, which was John Wood, being the first servant that
I ever kept; but presently after Mr. Baker was appointed to leave
that business, and had order to go in hand with the building of a
great new ship at Deptford, called afterward the Repulse,[190] and
was admiral of my Lord's of Essex squadron in the Cadiz journey. The
Triumph[191] was then appointed to my brother Joseph's charge, with
whom I a while continued, but, finding him altogether unwilling to
prefer[192] me in his work as next under him, with some passage of
discontent betwixt us, I left him, and had ready entertainment by
Mr. Baker in his new business at Deptford, yet no otherwise than an
ordinary workman; with whom I continued from the beginning of the
foresaid ship, till she was wholly finished, launched, and set sail
of her voyage from Woolwich, which was about the latter end of April
1596.
All that winter, in the evenings, commonly I spent my time to good
purposes, as in cyphering, drawing, and practising to attain the
knowledge of my profession, and I then found Mr. Baker sometime
forward to give me instructions, from whose help I must acknowledge I
received my greatest lights. At this time also the Lord Admiral[193]
lay most of the winter at his house[194] at Deptford, by reason
whereof I got some acquaintance amongst his men, and was much
importuned to have attended his Lordship in that journey,[195] which
no doubt might have proved very much both profitable and beneficial
unto me, besides it would have brought me in acquaintance and favour
with my Lord Admiral, but some other reasons restrained me from all
these likelihoods and kept me at home, to my no small hindrance as it
fell out.
After I was discharged from the Repulse, my brother Joseph
entertained me at Woolwich upon the Triumph, upon which ship I
wrought till her launching and the discharge of the men from her, and
afterwards was employed at my brother's, at Limehouse, upon a small
model for the Lord Treasurer[196] his house called Theobalds,[197]
and the next winter I spent in Essex, at Paglesham[198] in Rochford
Hundred, as overseer for my brother Peter in certain woods he had
bought there.
About this time, was I very desirous, by the instigation of some
special friends of mine, to have been a follower of the Lord of
Essex, and was three several times brought purposely to have been
presented unto his lordship, but was every time delayed by reason of
his great state[199] affairs, the Lord of heaven having other ways in
his secret wisdom determined to dispose of me.
In the latter end of March succeeding, or beginning of April 1597,
by the means of one Mr. Gilbert Wood, one of the Lord Admiral's
Chamber, an especial good friend of mine, I was presented to the Lord
High Admiral of England, at his Manor at Chelsea, where his lordship
was pleased not only to accept me as his servant, but also openly
shewed such extraordinary respect of me as I had much cause to give
God thanks, who no doubt had stirred his honourable heart to regard
me, but a simple and mean fellow, even far beyond my expectation or
desert, and this was the very first beginning of my rising.
In the beginning of this year, 1597, my dear and loving mother
deceased at Weston in Suffolk, not far from Bury, and lieth buried
in the parish church there. A little after midsummer in the same
year, I was employed by my brother Joseph Pett, in his yard at
Limehouse, upon the repairing of a great Flemish ship of whom was
master Mr. John King of Limehouse, where I first came acquainted
with him, and in his company and Mr. Nicolas Simonson of Limehouse,
I was first brought acquainted at Highwood Hill[200] where I first
fell in love with my now wife, which was about St. James' tide.[201]
About Bartholomew tide[202] next following, the Elizabeth Jonas
was brought into her Majesty's Dock at Woolwich, and there was the
first preferment my brother Joseph holp me with, making me principal
overseer of that business under him. During all the time of this
work, we both lodged and dieted at old Mr. Lydiard's[203] in the yard.
During the continuance of this work I did not neglect my wooing,
having taken such a liking of the maiden that I determined resolutely
(by God's help) either to match with her or never to marry any; the
which I with much difficulty (praised be God) at length achieved, all
my own kindred being much against my matching with her, by reason of
some controversies grown twixt Mr. Nicolas Simonson and them.
Toward the end of February in this present year, I took the lease
of a new house (of Mr. William Borough,[204] then Comptroller of
her Majesty's Navy) at Limehouse by the through head,[205] which to
some charge I fitted for my dwelling, although I remained not in it
little more than two years, paying 11_l._ yearly rent, and 20_l._
income.[206]
I was married to my now wife Ann, the daughter of Richard Nicholls
of Highwood Hill in the parish of Hendon in Middlesex, a man of good
report and honest stock, the 15th day of May 1598 at Stepney Church
upon a Monday in the forenoon. I kept my wedding at my own charge in
my new dwelling house at Limehouse, accompanied with my brothers and
sisters, my wife's parents, and divers of her friends and kindred.
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.
From midsummer, all the ensuing year, till Christmas I lay still and
idle without any manner employment or comings in but what my servants
got with working now and then abroad, which was very little and
hardly able to buy me food.
About Christmas my honourable lord and master the Lord High Admiral
commended me to an employment in Suffolk and Norfolk for the
finishing of a purveyance of timber and plank formerly undertaken by
one Child of Sole,[208] who dealt in Norfolk and, dying, left the
business in much disorder.
And one Robert Ungle[209] who dealt in Suffolk and, for divers
abuses by him there committed, fled the country and left all the
service in great disorder and spoil; for the rectifying of which
abuses, saving of her Majesty's provisions, and discharging of the
countries,[210] it pleased my Lord to make choice of me to undertake
the same, and to take order to send in all the said provisions
of timber and plank; which accordingly I did, using all care and
diligence in the performance of the same, both to the content of her
Majesty's service, my Lord Admiral and the Officers of the Navy, and
the satisfaction of all countries where I had to do. Notwithstanding
through the malicious envy of old Mathew Baker, Bright, Adye, and
others[211] all my doings and accounts were throughly sifted, but
thanks be to God nothing could be proved against me, so that I had
all my bills passed quietly; but by reason Mr. Fulke Greville,[212]
being then Treasurer of the Navy, did not greatly affect[213]
me, by cause of some particular spleens between him and Mr. John
Trevor,[214] then newly made Surveyor, who was my especial and
worshipful friend, he laid a rub[215] in my way, cutting me off
wrongfully of twenty pounds in my accounts after all my bills were
passed and signed by the hands of the Principal Officers, according
to the custom of the Navy.
All this year of 1599, I spent wholly in this service, in which time
these occurrences happened.
After the decease of my dear and loving mother there were left under
the keeping of my father-in-law,[216] Thomas Nunn, then Minister of
Weston in Suffolk, three sisters, vide: Abigail Pett, Elizabeth and
Mary, the youngest, and one brother named Peter Pett, who was put
out to a gentleman's house in Suffolk to teach his children, the
daughters remaining all at home with him, he being then lately again
married.
He used himself to them as a stern and cruel father-in-law, not
contented that he had brought a general ruin upon my mother's whole
family by cosening us of all that was left us, but proceeded further,
even to blood, for upon a slight occasion about making clean his
cloak, being wet and dirty with riding a journey the day before, he
furiously fell upon my eldest sister Abigail, beating her so cruelly
with a pair of tongs and a great firebrand that she died within three
days upon that beating and was privately by his means buried; but God
that would not let murder pass unrevenged, stirred up the hearts of
his own parishioners and neighbours, who, complaining to the Justice,
caused the body to be taken up, and so by the coroner's inquest that
passed upon her and miraculous tokens of the dead corpse, as fresh
bleeding, sensible opening of one of her eyes, and other things, he
was found guilty of her death and so committed and bound over to
answer the matter at next General Assizes to be held at Bury, which
was in the Lent after, being in this year 1599, and in the time of my
employment in Suffolk and Norfolk.
Upon his committing, my two other poor sisters were put by the
justices to the keeping of the town of Weston, till the assizes[217]
were past, at whose hands I received them at Bury in a miserable
fashion, not having clothes nor any necessaries fit for them; the
charge of their board I was glad to defray to the constable, and
all the charge of the assizes, where both they and my young brother
were bound to give in evidence against our father-in-law, to whom
we shewed more mercy than he did to us, whom our spoil would not
content, but he thirsted also our blood. In his arraignment Sir John
Popham, then Lord Chief Justice of England and Chief Judge of that
circuit, shewed such true justice (notwithstanding great means was
made for him, not only by his friends, but by the clergy of that
country), that all his cruelty and wicked proceedings was laid open
and he, convict of manslaughter by the jury, was committed to prison
to sue for the benefit of the Queen's pardon,[218] from whence being
shortly freed, he, by God's just revenging hand, lived but a short
time after.
From the assizes at Bury I sent my brother and my two sisters home to
my wife at Limehouse, being no small charge to me, being but newly
married and having little means but my hands to bring in anything,
yet I refused not to do the duty of a brother to them to the utmost
of my power; the eldest of my sisters, called Elizabeth, by means of
friends I placed in London with a gentlewoman of good fashion, where
she continued not long, but came home sick and died at my house as
we doubted of the plague. My youngest sister sickened also shortly
after, but it proved the small pox.
In all these extremities I had little help from my brothers, who
were bound in conscience to have had some care of them, the small
portions they had being in the hands of my eldest brother Joseph, yet
no relief came from him towards their maintenance or bringing up; but
being but half brothers and sisters they thought them less bound to
do them good and therefore left all the burden upon me, worst able of
all to bear it.
My youngest sister Mary, recovering her sickness, continued with me
in my house contenting herself with such breeding as I could give
her; from whence she never removed till she was married from me.
My young brother Peter, about the end of November, I placed with a
worshipful gentleman, Doctor Hone,[219] in the Arches,[220] as one of
his clerks, where he might have lived well if he would have stayed
with him.
In December this year, 1599, I began a small model, which being
perfected and very exquisitely set out and rigged, I presented it to
my good friend Mr. John Trevor, who very kindly accepted the same of
me.
In the beginning of this year, I, having no employment, determined
with myself to have bought some part of a castle carvel[221] and to
have gone in her myself; whereby I hoped (by God's blessing) to have
gotten an honest and convenient maintenance, and to that end I began
to follow one John Goodwin of London, professor of the mathematics,
with whom I spent three days in a week in practice, and so was
purposed to have continued the whole year till the spring following;
but God, who in his secret counsel had otherwise decreed of me,
altered all my determinations, for upon the 25th day of June I was
sent for to the Court, lying then at Greenwich, by my honourable lord
and master the Lord High Admiral who, after some speeches expressing
both his love and honourable care of me, his lordship concluded to
send me down to Chatham, where I was to succeed in the place of one
John Holding, a shipwright that was keeper of the plank yard timber
and other provisions (upon some displeasure turned out of all), the
means whereof being but small, as 18_d._ per diem and 6_l._ per annum
fee for myself, and allowance for one servant at 16_d._ per diem.
I was very unwilling to undertake so mean a place, by the which I was
neither sure of competent maintenance nor of any reputation, but that
I was encouraged by the persuasions of my ever honourable lord, who
comforted me with promises of better preferment to the utmost of his
power; whereupon I being contented to accept his lordship's offer,
I was, the 27th of the same month of June, placed at Chatham by Sir
Henry Palmer, then Comptroller, Mr. John Trevor, Surveyor, and Mr.
Peter Buck, Clerk of the Ships.
At this time there was grown very high terms of unkindness between my
brother Joseph and me about my poor sisters and brother, because he
did not only deny to be any ways contributory to their maintenance
but also made the neighbours believe that they were brought up at his
charge in my house, because he would not be troubled with them, when
God knoweth he never disbursed halfpenny to their bringing up, nor
cared what became of them.
Now upon this occasion of my placing at Chatham, we were reconciled
and ever after lived together as loving brethren. It also happened
that Sir Fulke Greville, then Treasurer, continuing his spleen
against me for Mr. Trevor's sake, opposed me all he could, which
after turned me to much trouble.
About the time of my coming to Chatham, Mr. Barker, the lord of
the Manor, was removed to a house he had bought at Boley Hill[222]
by Rochester, by reason whereof his Manor House wherein he formerly
dwelt at Chatham was void, the which house by means of my brother
Joseph's encouragement I ventured upon and took a lease for
twenty-one years, paying 25_l._ income, the which lease was sealed
unto me the 17th day of October, 1600.
The 16th day of June in this year my youngest brother Peter, having,
against all the consent of his friends and without their knowledge,
forsaken his worshipful master Doctor Hone's service and betaken
himself to disordered courses, sickened at London at the sign of the
Dolphin in Water Lane, and the 21st day after deceased of the small
pox before I knew he was sick, whose charge both of his sickness
and funeral I was at, and saw him seemly interred, accompanied with
a good company of my friends, in Barking churchyard[223] in Tower
Street, the 23rd of the same month of June 1600.
The 24th October, having bestowed all my poor stock upon the lease of
my house and the furnishing of the same in some convenient manner,
I shipped the same in [an] hoy of Rainham[224] and so removed to
Chatham, myself going down in the hoy; where I missed a great danger,
for at the west end of the Nore about 3 of the clock in the morning,
25th day, we were like to be surprised by a picking Dunkirk[225] full
of men who, being at our passing by (although it was very dark) at an
anchor, suddenly weighed and gave us chase, and had boarded us had
not God prevented him by our bearing up, the wind being at east; and
running ourselves on shore within the Swatch,[226] the next day we
got safe as high as Gillingham.
My dwelling house at Limehouse I passed away with a great deal of
loss, both of income, rent and wainscotting to the value of 50_l._,
putting it over at 10_l._ per annum, when I was bound by lease to pay
11_l._ Yet was I glad to be rid of it upon any condition.
Presently after Christyde[227] my wife, being great with child, fell
sick at Chatham and grew so weak that I was forced, about the 10th of
March following, to remove her, not without great hazard, to London,
and from there to her father's house at Highwood Hill in Middlesex,
where the 23rd day of March after, thanks be given to God, she was
delivered of her first born son, John Pett; from whence she returned
to Chatham in safety some two months after.
Much about this time I was made an assistant to the Master
Shipwrights at Chatham, in the room of Thomas Bodman. In this year
the first business I undertook was the repairing of the Lion's Whelp
hauled up at the storehouse end at Chatham.
In the year 1602 I also new built the Moon, hauled up in the same
place, enlarging her both in length and breadth, and this year also,
I, with Mr. Pickasee, undertook the victualling of the shipwrights
and caulkers at Chatham, which we continued only two months, to our
great loss; which we could never get recompensed by reason Mr. Fulke
Greville continued my heavy enemy, and was content to receive and
countenance informations against me, because he could not win me to
such conditions as he laboured me in, both against my good friend
Sir John Trevor (who then lay very dangerously sick at Plymouth)
and against many others serving with me at Chatham. The principal
informer and stirrer in this business against me was one George
Collins, sometimes carpenter of the Foresight, a very stubborn and
malicious fellow, who by Mr. Greville's countenance was suffered to
sue me at the common law upon an action of trespass for striking him
with a little rod upon the shoulder in the Queen's yard at Chatham,
upon a cause of mutiny in the time of victualling; and so little
relief had I against him, notwithstanding my Lord Admiral's favour,
that I was forced to compound with him and gave him 20 nobles[228]
ready money for satisfaction. Thus it pleased God to exercise me with
continual trouble and hindrances in the beginning of my service.
In November this present year, 1602, Mr. Greville, having undertaken
the preparation of a Fleet with her Majesty, to be ready fitted to
sea by a set time, was contented (upon my promise to him to procure
the said Fleet to be fitted in six weeks) to receive me to his
favour, which promise I accordingly (by God's gracious assistance)
fully accomplished; by which means I had gained his love, favour and
good opinion, had there not happened a sudden alteration by the death
of her Majesty which presently followed.
The 18th day of March 1603,[229] my wife was delivered of her second
son, Henry, at my house at Chatham.
The 24th day of the same month, her Majesty of sacred memory deceased
at Richmond.
The same day his Majesty, whom God grant long to reign, was
proclaimed at Westminster, London, and other places, and the next
day, being Friday and market day, at Rochester.
This year happened the great plague throughout England, but
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.