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French Admiral; that she forced him out of his three…decked

wooden castle; and chasing the Royal Sun; before her; forced her

to fly for shelter among the rocks; where she became a prey to

lesser vessels; and was reduced to ashes。  At last; in the reign

of William III。; the Sovereign became leaky and defective with

age; she was laid up at Chatham; and being set on fire by

negligence or accident; she burnt to the water's edge。



To return to the history of Phineas Pett。  As years approached;

he retired from office; and 〃his loving son;〃 as he always

affectionately designates Peter; succeeded him as principal

shipwright; Charles I。 conferring upon him the honour of

knighthood。  Phineas lived for ten years after the Sovereign of

the Seas was launched。  In the burial register of the parish of

Chatham it is recorded; 〃Phineas Pett; Esqe。 and Capt。; was

buried 21st August; l647。〃'33'



Sir Peter Pett was almost as distinguished as his father。  He was

the builder of the first frigate; The Constant Warwick。  Sir

William Symonds says of this vessel: 〃She was an incomparable

sailer; remarkable for her sharpness and the fineness of her

lines; and many were built like her。〃  Pett 〃introduced convex

lines on the immersed part of the hull; with the studding and

sprit sails; and; in short; he appears to have fully deserved his

character of being the best ship architect of his time。〃'34' Sir

Peter Pett's monument in Deptford Old Church fully records his

services to England's naval power。



The Petts are said to have been connected with shipbuilding in

the Thames for not less than 200 years。  Fuller; in his 'Worthies

of England;' says of them〃I am credibly informed that that

mystery of shipwrights for some descents hath been preserved

faithfully in families; of whom the Petts about Chatham are of

singular regard。  Good success have they with their skill; and

carefully keep so precious a pearl; lest otherwise amongst many

friends some foes attain unto it。〃



The late Peter Bolt; member for Greenwich; took pride in being

descended from the Petts; but so far as we know; the name itself

has died out。  In 1801; when Charnock's 'History of Marine

Architecture' was published; Mr。 Pett; of Tovil; near Maidstone;

was the sole representative of the family。





Footnotes for Chapter I。



'1' This was not the first voyage of a steamer between England

and America。  The Savannah made the passage from New York to

Liverpool as early as 1819; but steam was only used occasionally

during the voyage; In 1825; the Enterprise; with engines by

Maudslay; made the voyage from Falmouth to Calcutta in 113 days;

and in 1828; the Curacoa made the voyage between Holland and the

Dutch West Indies。  But in all these cases; steam was used as an

auxiliary; and not as the one essential means of propulsion; as

in the case of the Sirius and the Great Western; which were steam

voyages only。



'2' 〃In 1862 the steam tonnage of the country was 537;000 tons;

in 1872; it was 1;537;000 tons; and in 1882; it had reached

3;835;000 tons。〃Mr。 Chamberlain's speech; House of Commons;

19th May; 1884。



'3' The last visit of the plague was in 1665。



'4' Roll of Edward the Third's Fleet。  Cotton's Library; British

Museum。



'5' Charnock's History Of Marine Architecture; ii。 89。



'6' State Papers。  Henry VIII。  Nos。 3496; 3616; 4633。  The

principal kinds of ordnance at that time were these:The

〃Apostles;〃 so called from the head of an Apostle which they

bore; 〃Curtows;〃 or 〃Courtaulx〃; 〃Culverins〃 and 〃Serpents〃;

〃Minions;〃 and 〃Potguns〃; 〃Nurembergers;〃 and 〃Bombards〃 or

mortars。



'7' The sum of all costs of the Harry Grace de Dieu and three

small galleys; was 7708L。 5s。 3d。  (S。P。O。 No。 5228; Henry VIII。)



'8' Charnock; ii。 47 (note)。



'9' Macpherson; Annals of Commerce; ii。 126。



'10' The Huguenots: their Settlements; Churches; and Industries;

in England and Ireland; ch。 iv。



'11' Macpherson; Annals of Commerce; ii。 156。



'12' Ibid。 ii。 85。



'13' Picton's Selections from the Municipal Archives and Records

of Liverpool; p。 90。  About a hundred years later; in 1757; the

gross customs receipts of Liverpool had increased to 198;946L。;

whilst those of Bristol were as much as 351;211L。  In 1883; the

amount of tonnage of Liverpool; inwards and outwards; was

8;527;531 tons; and the total dock revenue for the year was

1;273;752L。!



'14' There were not only Algerine but English pirates scouring

the seas。  Keutzner; the German; who wrote in Elizabeth's reign;

said; 〃The English are good sailors and famous pirates (sunt boni

nautae et insignis pyratae)。〃  Roberts; in his Social History of

the Southern Counties (p。 93); observes; 〃Elizabeth had employed

many English as privateers against the Spaniard。  After the war;

many were loth to lead an inactive life。  They had their

commissions revoked; and were proclaimed pirates。  The public

looked upon them as gallant fellows; the merchants gave them

underhand support; and even the authorities in maritime towns

connived at the sale of their plunder。  In spite of

proclamations; during the first five years after the accession of

James I。; there were continual complaints。  This lawless way of

life even became popular。  Many Englishmen furnished themselves

with good ships and scoured the seas; but little careful whom

they might plunder。〃  It was found very difficult to put down

piracy。  According to Oliver's History of the city of Exeter; not

less than 〃fifteen sail of Turks〃 held the English Channel;

snapping up merchantmen; in the middle of the seventeenth

century!  The harbours in the south…west were infested by Moslem

pirates; who attacked and plundered the ships; and carried their

crews into captivity。  The loss; even to an inland port like

Exeter; in ships; money; and men; was enormous。



'15' Naval Tracts; p。 294。



'16' This poem is now very rare。  It is not in the British

Museum。



'17' There are three copies extant of the autobiography; all of

which are in the British Museum。  In the main; they differ but

slightly from each other。  Not one of them has been published in

extenso。  In December; 1795; and in February; 1796; Dr。 Samuel

Denne communicated to the Society of Antiquaries particulars of

two of these MSS。; and subsequently published copious extracts

from them in their transactions (Archae。 xii。 anno 1796); in a

very irregular and careless manner。  It is probable that Dr。

Denne never saw the original manuscript; but only a garbled copy

of it。  The above narrative has been taken from the original; and

collated with the documents in the State Paper Office。



'18' See; for instance; the Index to the Journals of Records of

the Corporation of the City of London (No。 2; p。 346; 15901694)

under the head of 〃Sir Walter Raleigh。〃  There is a document

dated the 15th November; 1593; in the 35th of Elizabeth; which

runs as follows: 〃Committee appointed on behalf of such of the

City Companies as have ventured in the late Fleet set forward by

Sir Walter Raleigh; Knight; and others; to join with such

honourable personages as the Queen hath appointed; to take a

perfect view of all such goods; prizes; spices; jewels; pearls;

treasures; &c。; lately taken in the Carrack; and to make sale and

division (Jor。 23; p。 156)。  Suit to be made to the Queen and

Privy Council for the buying of the goods; &c。; lately taken at

sea in the Carrack; a committee appointed to take order

accordingly; the benefit or loss arising thereon to be divided

and borne between the Chamber 'of the Corporation of the City'

and the Companies that adventured (157)。  The several Companies

that adventured at sea with Sir Waiter Raleigh to accept so much

of the goods taken in the Carrack to the value of 12;000L。

according to the Queen's offer。  A committee appointed to

acquaint the Lords of the Council with the City's acceptance

thereof (167)。  Committee for sale of the Carrack goods appointed

(174)。  Bonds for sale to be sealed (196)。。。。  Committee to audit

accounts of a former adventure (224 b。)。〃



'19' There were three sisters in all; the eldest of whom

(Abigail) fell a victim to the cruelty of Nunn; who struck her

across the head with the fire…tongs; from the effects of which

she died in three days。  Nunn was tried and convicted of

manslaughter。  He died shortly after。  Mrs。 Nunn; Phineas's

mother; was already dead。



'20' It would seem; from a paper hereafter to be more

particularly referred to; that the government encouraged the

owners of ships and others to clear the seas of these pirates;

agreeing to pay them for their labours。  In 1622; Pett fitted out

an expedition against these pests of navigation; but experienced

some difficulty in getting his expenses repaid。



'21' See grant S。P。O。; 29th May; 1605。



'22' An engraving of this remarkable ship is given in Charnock's

History of Marine Archit

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