Calendar of State Papers Charles II

Calendar of State Papers Charles II is in Calendars.

Books, Calendars, Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1662

Calendar of State Papers Charles II March 1662

Calendar of State Papers Charles II March 1662 143

Mar 1662. 143. Request of Johannes Sibertus Kuffeler and Jacob Drebble, for a trial of their father Cornelius Drebble's secret of sinking or destroying ships in a moment, and if it succeed, for a reward of £10,000. The secret was left them by will, to preserve for the English Crown before any other State. [Adm. Paper.]

Pepy's Diary. 14 Mar 1662. Home to dinner. In the afternoon came the German Dr. Kuffler1, to discourse with us about his engine to blow up ships. We doubted not the matter of fact, it being tried in Cromwell's time, but the safety of carrying them in ships; but he do tell us, that when he comes to tell the King (age 31) his secret (for none but the Kings (age 31), successively, and their heirs must know it), it will appear to be of no danger at all. We concluded nothing; but shall discourse with the Duke of York (age 28) to-morrow about it.

Note 1. This is the secret of Cornelius van Drebbel (1572-1634), which is referred to again by Pepys on November 11th, 1663. Johannes Siberius Kuffler was originally a dyer at Leyden, who married Drebbel's daughter. In the "Calendar of State Papers, Domestic", 1661-62 (p. 327), is the following entry: "Request of Johannes Siberius Kuffler and Jacob Drebble for a trial of their father Cornelius Drebble's secret of sinking or destroying ships in a moment; and if it succeed, for a reward of £10,000. The secret was left them by will, to preserve for the English crown before any other state". Cornelius van Drebbel settled in London, where he died. James I took some interest in him, and is said to have interfered when he was in prison in Austria and in danger of execution.

Calendar of State Papers Charles II 01 Jul 1662

01 Jul 1662. 6. Woolwich, Kent [Map]. 6. William Hughes to the Same [Navy Commissioners]. Mr. Dering's cable is unfit for Woolwich. service. [Adm. Paper.]

Calendar of State Papers Charles II 18 Aug 1662

18 Aug 1662. 59. -- to [Lord Conway]. Welcomes him to Dublin. Hopes he has received the tender of his brother Dering's service. The Doctors are both at Tunbridge, and are going to Italy. The writer's cousin, Hugh Cholmley (age 30), has fought a duel with Edward Montague (age 27), without harm, and Henry Jermyn (age 26) and Giles Rawlins against one of the Howards (age 31) and Lord Dillon's son; it was fought in St. James's Fields, Pall Mall, at 11am. Rawlins is slain, Jermyn (age 26) wounded, and the other two fled. The King intends to proclaim Tangiers a free port for five years. The London ministers who will not conform have parted from their congregations with great temper. Damaged.

Calendar of State Papers Charles II 05 Sep 1662

05 Sep 1662. 22. Tender by E. Dering of tar, plank, &c, for the King's service. [Adm. Paper.]

Books, Calendars, Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1667

Calendar of State Papers Charles II Jul 1667

Calendar of State Papers Charles II Jul 15 Jul 1667

15 Jul 1667. 127. Thomas Pointer to Sam. Pepys. Arrival of ships. The Swallow is leaky, and the company being unwilling to go to sea in her present condition, Mr. Blaydes will go aboard to stop the leak if possible. The garrison is to receive the gunners' stores of the Little Victory, Hopes they will order the victualler's agent to receive her provisions, for disposal to the Hampshire. Capt. Hogg has brought in a great prize, laden with Canary wine; also Capt. Reeves of the Panther, and the Fanfan, whose commander is slain, have come in with their prizes. [Adm. Paper.]

Pepy's Diary. 17 Jul 1667. So to Mr. Burges to as little. There to the Hall and talked with Mrs. Michell, who begins to tire me about doing something for her elder son, which I am willing to do, but know not what. Thence to White Hall again, and thence away, and took up my wife at Unthanke's, and left her at the 'Change [Map], and so I to Bennet's to take up a bill for the last silk I had for my vest and coat, which I owe them for, and so to the Excise Office, and there did a little business, and so to Temple Bar and staid at my bookseller's till my wife calls me, and so home, where I am saluted with the news of Hogg's bringing a rich Canary prize to Hull:1 and Sir W. Batten (age 66) do offer me £1000 down for my particular share, beside Sir Richard Ford's (age 53) part, which do tempt me; but yet I would not take it, but will stand and fall with the company. He and two more, the Panther and Fanfan, did enter into consortship; and so they have all brought in each a prize, though ours worth as much as both theirs, and more. However, it will be well worth having, God be thanked for it! This news makes us all very glad. I at Sir W. Batten's (age 66) did hear the particulars of it; and there for joy he did give the company that were there a bottle or two of his own last year's wine, growing at Walthamstow [Map], than which the whole company said they never drank better foreign wine in their lives.

Note 1. Thomas Pointer to Samuel Pepys (Hull, July 15th): "Capt. Hogg has brought in a great prize laden with Canary wine; also Capt. Reeves of the 'Panther,' and the 'Fanfan,' whose commander is slain, have come in with their prizes" (Calendar of State Papers, 1667, p. 298).

Calendar of State Papers Charles II Oct 1667

Oct 1667 101. Sir William Coventry (age 39) to Pepys (age 34). Besides the 30,£000 received by Lord Anglesey from the East India Company on the seamen's wages, the Treasury Comrs. are sure of 20,£000 more from them on another assignment before January, which is intended for wages, so are desirous that he should pay in the river as well as at Chatham, Kent [Map], as fast as he can, to cut off the growing charge, beginning first with those ships where the least money will cut off the most charge. No day, except Sunday, should be neglected in this work, and the certificates be returned to the Treasury chamber of what money is weekly paid. [Adm. Paper.].

Oct 1667. 102. Proposals by Sir Thomas Strickland (age 45) to the Navy Comrs., to build three third-rate frigates in Foudray Pill, to be completed by 1 Aug. 1671, upon a similar contract to that of Mr. Baylie, of Bristol. [Adm. Paper.] Enclosing,.

102. i. Edward Tyldesley to Sam. Pepys (age 34). Robt. Withers (age 49) and the writer have viewed Foudray Pill, where they proposed to build ships for the King's service. Sends a draft sketch thereof, leaving the rest of the business to be transacted by his partners, Sir Thomas Strickland (age 45) and Mr. Withers (age 49). Has such timber as all England cannot show. Lodge in the Forest of Meirscough, 01 Oct 1667.

102. ii. Sketch of Walney Island, the pill, bar, &c., in coloured chalks.

Books, Calendars, Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1668

Books, Calendars, Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1668 1669

Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1668 1669 Undated Papers

Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1668 1669 Undated Papers 1

Answer of Thomas Yeabsley and John Lanyon to the information of Rich. Mitchell and Isaac Burton, vindicating themselves from any design to defraud the King, in reference to the freighting of the ship Tiger. [lbid. No. 171.]

Pepy's Diary. 30 Nov 1668. Up betimes, and with W. Hewer (age 26), who is my guard, to White Hall, to a Committee of Tangier, where the business of Mr. Lanyon1 took up all the morning; and where, poor man! he did manage his business with so much folly, and ill fortune to boot, that the Board, before his coming in, inclining, of their own accord, to lay his cause aside, and leave it to the law, but he pressed that we would hear it, and it ended to the making him appear a very knave, as well as it did to me a fool also, which I was sorry for.

Note 1. John Lanyon, agent of the Navy Commissioners at Plymouth, Devon [Map]. The cause of complaint appears to have been connected with his contract for Tangier. In 1668 a charge was made against Lanyon and Thomas Yeabsley that they had defrauded the King (age 38) in the freighting of the ship "Tiger" ("Calendar of State Papers", 1668-69, p. 138).

Books, Calendars, Calendar of State Papers Charles II 1670

Calendar of State Papers Charles II 30 Sep 1670

30 Sep 1670. [Unknown] to the Navy Commissioners. We have noticed a paper on the Treasury Office door in Broad Street, that all seamen who were discharged before Dec. 1665 are to bring in their tickets this day, and that only they, their wives, brothers, or sisters, are to attend to receive the money, otherwise the tickets will be detained and the persons punished. Such limitations have often been published to small purpose, and it is well known that, notwithstanding such provisoes, much water goes beside the mill. The paper so affixed on the doors will serve only to adopt your clerks and others to be wives, brethren, and sisters of the persons to whom such tickets belong as shall be brought in, and from 5s. to 8s. in the pound will still be paid as formerly on such tickets, as you and the authors of such restrictions know.

What is it to you, or what prejudice is it to the nation, if you pay to such as present them, provided they give security that the seamen who did the service shall never demand the money for them? You may be sure they did not part with their tickets without some consideration, and if it was only 10s. in the pound, they who pleasured them ran a great adventure as to their own interest, and showed more charity than those who cry out against them and make laws to afflict them, to which end the inquisition [Committee of Accounts] at Brooke House was erected, and the money spent by those Commissioners would have paid many a poor man's ticket. We know several that have at small rates supplied the seamen in their necessities, and some who have accommodated their friends, in whose hands they left their concerns while again at sea, without 1s. profit, and who are yet unpaid, because they will not allow 5s. or 6s. in the pound on the amount by them disbursed for little or no profit.

We have heard many seamen wish they had allowed 10s., or a noble in the pound at first, to have had ready money. You may notice that for years your clerks could not honestly have lived at the rate they do upon their salaries.

We hear that many great ships have to be provided by the spring, but where are your men? or if they were all before you, what encouragement have they to go, or to show themselves valiant, when they have but small hopes of receiving their pay on their return now, when they were so shamefully neglected at the first engagement, when above two millions were ordered for the service? And what encouragement have their friends to supply them again, who have suffered so deeply for pleasuring them before? As we see and know more than you do, we advise you to pay all the arrears, whoever brings the tickets, provided they be known persons, or give security that the owners of the tickets shall not demand it again. Noted as picked up in the Navy Office by Capt. Shales, and delivered by him to Lord B[rouncker] (age 50), then in the office, 4 Oct. [14 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. IT. 285, No. 154.]

26 Oct 1670. Chatham, Kent [Map]. William Rand and Ph. Pett to Sir Jer. Smith and Sam. Pepys (age 37). We send a copy of Sir William Batten's account, but that wherein Commissioner Pett and Capt. Taylor made that extravagant allowance to themselves is in Mr. Shales' hands, who also had copies of the documents enclosed, they being letters of more than ordinary importance. We hope Commissioner Cox will be at the Council, and Capt. Brooke and Mr. Mynors waiting upon him, which will make a sufficient number to appear on the chest's behalf. We cannot send the letters which passed between the Board and our supervisors, they being committed to a chest with 5 locks, whose keys are distributed amongst so many persons that they cannot be readily collected; but we conceive there will be no need of them, the case being so evident by the accounts. [S.P. Dom., Car. IT. 286, No. 64.]

01 Dec 1670. Certificate by Capt. Silas Taylor (age 46), that Christopher Goodale, master of the Good Hope flyboat, who was employed by William Wood to transport masts from Harwich to Portsmouth, had some twice-laid rope and 3-inch plank out of the stores at Harwich, which he has not redelivered, according to promise. With note that the Board remitted him the rope, Justice Wood having urged that a greater quantity of his own was expended about the masts. ([Jbid. No. 175.]

01 Dec 1670. Navy Office. Certificate by Joseph Smith, that Capt. John Shales, purser of the Princess, has no account standing out for provisions, moneys, or stores committed to his charge. [Jbid. No. 177.]