Extract From National Archives HCA 15/34 (High Court of Admiralty) file concerning a dispute over wages. The ship was sailing from London to West Africa to the Island of St Christophers [St Kitts] was ship wrecked in Montserrat.
There is a detailed account dated 28th August 1717 of this voyage at The Slave Rebellion website. A later letter (9th October 1717) from the same original source (HCA 24/132) source is cited in the book “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750” by Marcus Rediker.
There are possible Channery cases that relate to William COLEMAN, these include 1727 C 11/244/39 and 1727 C 11/2621/14 and 1728 C 11/1207/2 and 1728 C 11/72/33 and 1729 C 11/2736/37 and 1729 C 11/1699/33 and 1745 C 11/871/43 C 11/164/27 and 1746 C 11/458/13 1748 C 11/347/19 . An appeal is reported in “Reports of cases heard in the House of Lords: on appeals and writs of error; and decided during the session[s] 1819[-21], Volume 3” at available Google books.
There is a possible Marraige Bond between a William COLEMAN (born circa 1679) and Anne BEALE (of the parish of Elyn born circa 1792) dated 14 May 1714 at Fink, St Bennet London, for marriage at St Martins in the Fields. (Source: Ancestry.co.uk). The records of Brentford Congregational Church record property transactions involving William COLEMAN Merchant of London and Sarah BEALE (widow) 1717-1723.
Drewry OTTLEY according to the book “More Monumental Inscriptions:Tombstones of the British West Indies” by Lena Boyd Brown and Vere L. Oliver; was first settled in St Christophers in 1707 and became Treasurer in 1714 and was buried in St Martins-in-the-Fields, with will proved in 1760 (PROB 11/860/436). The National Library of Wales holds “Ottley Family (Additional) Papers, 1747-1948” .
17th February 1718
Which day appeared personally William COLEMAN of London Merchant and Drewry OTTLEY of the Island of St Christopher in America, Merchant and by virtue of their corporal oaths deposed as followeth to wit. The said William COLEMAN deposed that he the Deponent was owner of the ship the Anne Galley, Benjamin Clarke deceased late Master at the time he proceeded from the Port of London on her late intended voyage for the coast of Guinea and the Island of St Christopher and back to London which was in the month of December One thousand Seven Hundred and sixteen. And the deponent is well assured that the schedule hereunto annexed No 1 is the Original port lodge Bill by which her said Master and the rest of her crew who were hired for the said voyage (except her Surgeon) were paid their river pay at Gravesend which was on the tenth and Eleventh days of the same month and verily believes that all the mariners therein mentioned except William WOOTON were ? at the several monthly wages there charged and proceeded with from Gravesend on the said intended voyage and served in her touring the respective times mentions in the other schedule hereunto annexed No ? and that they were to be paid for such their service in her the several sums therein mentioned in all amounting to this deponent’s computation to the sum of three hundred and six pounds thirteen shillings and eight pence West India money in case the said ship had safely arrived with and delivered her cargo of Negros and other goods taken in on the coast of Guinea at the Island of St Christopher’s. And he further deposed that according to the account of sales which the Depoent in or about December 1717 received from his ? Drewry OTTLEY and his brother Thomas OTTEY then resident at the said Island the net proceed of the Negros which were saved out of the said ship at Mount SORAH? Amounting to four hundred and seventy pounds twelve shillings and nine pence that country money which he believes to be true and the deponent is informed by
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Drewry OTTLEY that the hundred and twenty bars of iron and all the mast yarns and rigging and other materials and things which were saved and out of the said ship upon the said Island were of value of about seventy pounds of the same money and not more and the charges and expenses in and about saving the said negroes iron masts yards rigging and other materials and things amounts to upwards of forty pounds of that country money and he verily believes that at the time aforesaid the said country money was one third part less in value than sterling and he saith that the said Messrs Drewry and Thomas OTTLEY about six months since remitted to him the deponent from the said Island of Christopher’s by Bill of Exchange part of the produce of the aforesaid Negros and Iron according to that rate. And the said Drewry OTTLEY deposed that there were saved out of the said ship the Ann Galley at the time of her being lost upon the said Island of Montserrat and delivered to him the Deponent and his said brother sixteen Negros (? Being an old man and an old woman) together with the aforesaid iron masts yards rigging and other materials and things aforementioned and no other goods according to the best of the deponents knowledge and belief and that the expenses and charges of saving the same amounted to upwards of forty pounds of that country money and that the clear produce of fourteen of the said Negros sold by the deponent and his said brother upon the Island of St Christopher amounted to the sum of four hundred and seventy pounds twelve shillings and nine pence of the same money and not more and that one other of the said Negros being an old woman there died before she was disposed of and the other of them being an old man of little or no value there remains undisposed of and the deponent verily believes that the said iron masts yards rigging and other materials and things which were saved from and out of the said ship as aforesaid were then of the value of about
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Seventy pounds of the same money and not more and that most part thereof now remains there undisposed of for want of a market for the same and he is well assured that at the time aforesaid the said country money was one third part loss in value than sterling and he the deponent and his said brother about six months since remitted from thence to his said ? William COLEMAN by Bill of Exchange part of the produce of the aforesaid Negros according to that rate.
Wm COLEMAN
Drewry OTTLEY
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December 10 and 11 1716
An account of ? pay paid the men at Gravesend for the Ann Gally bound for Guinea and St Christopher
Name [Details dates and pay not transcribed]
Benjamin CLARKE Command
Nicholas KEDGELL Mate
Thomas BURTON Second Mate
Roger BALL Boatswain
Geo PUCKFORD Carpenter
John DOBBINS Sailor
Frd GOODHEART Ditto
Nicholas POPLESTONE Ditto
Richard PAGE Ditto
John READIE Cook
James SMART sailor
Devrick HANSON ditto
Robert REYNOLDS sailor boy
Henry PENNY sailor
James GRIFFETH
Francis DEBALL
Thomas VERNUM
John HORNBY
Crimpidge to Mr JONES for the 3 first men
James SMART lent him in part
To Mary HARRW Crimpidge of 5 men at London
To ? GOODHEART lent him part
To Wm WOOLLEN having £1 12 …?
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The Ann Galley Benjamin CLARK late Master
An account Seamens Wages from 11 December 1716 to 19th August 1717 when she was lost at Montserrat
Benjamin CLARK Master from 11 December to 11 June 1717 6 months @ £6 £36 0 0
Nico KIDGELL mate from 11 December to 11 June 6 months @ £4 £24 0 0
Ditto Master from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ £6 £13 ? ?
Thomas BURTON 2nd Mate from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 40 £16 10 ?
Roger BALL Boatswain from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 35 £15 9 4
George PUCKFORD Carpenter from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 35 £26 17 4
John DOBBINS Sailor from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Francis GOODHART ditto from 11 June to 19 August 2 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Nico POPLESTON ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Richard PAGE ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 22 £9 1 6
John READY Cook from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 33 £13 16 6
James SEWARD Sailor from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Der: HANSON ditto from 11 June to 8 June 5 months 28 days @ 35 £10 7 8
? BENOLD Ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Henry PENNY Ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
James GRIFFETH Ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Thomas VERNUM ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
Francis DEBALL ditto from 11 June to 19 August 8 months 8 days @ 30 £12 8 0
The Doctor from 11 June to 10 June 6 months @ £4 £24 0 0
Total £306 13 8
Wm COLEMAN
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