Chapter 16 - Four Ships and Their Fortunes

Summary

The greater part of this book has been devoted to discussing, separately and in some detail, the various aspects of the internal functioning of the shipping industry and its relations to the world outside. It may help to bring all this into focus if we now look at the realities of the working life of a few ships, the problems which their owners, charterers and masters faced in the course of earning livelihoods from them. The examples are not necessarily typical; they are simply the best documented. Nevertheless, they illustrate a wide range of ordinary maritime and commercial experiences at different periods of time.

Diamond, 1634-1640

Diamond, 250 tons, was quite new in 1634 when her owners decided to dispose of her. She was sold to a new owning group whose leading figure was Thomas Soame, already a prosperous trader to the Mediterranean and presently to be alderman of London, Sheriff of Middlesex, and to attain to a knighthood. He was one of fourteen owners (including five of the former proprietors of the ship) and was evidently the director of its affairs. His own share was one-eighth, and the master, William Peers, owned one-sixteenth. The high price that was paid, £1150, indicates that this was a specially strong and fast vessel suited to the conditions of the Mediterranean trade. There was much work to be done before the ship could be put to sea again; new sails to be made, new rigging to be erected, damaged woodwork to be made good, the carpenters’ and boatswains’ stores to be replenished. The owners laid out no less than £840 on all this. Moreover, the ship was bound for waters where the only defence against Moorish corsairs would be her own guns, manned by an ample crew; nine months’ provisions for a crew of forty meant great quantities of beef and biscuit, beer and cheese, and cost £340. The ship's armament was inadequate for her protection in such a voyage, and new guns with powder and shot were put in, adding £247 to the owners’ outlays. When, therefore, the owners came down to the waterside in November to give the master his final instructions, to hand him £15 towards his out-of-pocket expenses abroad, and to bid him God-speed, they had set out nearly £2600 on the vessel - some £10 for every ton of goods she was capable of carrying.