Some Notes on Shipbuilding and Shipping in Colonial VirginiaEvans, Cerinda W.
History
Some Notes on Shipbuilding and Shipping in Colonial Virginia
Evans, Cerinda W.
Ferries -- Virginia; Shipbuilding -- Virginia; Shipping -- Virginia; Ships; Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Mr. Proctor had to pay Mr. Perry fifty pounds of tobacco for splitting
Perry's shallop. Later, a shallop, which Edmund Barker sold to Mr.
Rastall's men, was ordered returned to Mr. Perry, and Edmund Barker to
be paid fifty pounds of tobacco for mending the shallop. To settle a
charge against Thomas Westone by several men, he was ordered to appear
before the Governor with his pinnace. At a later meeting, Thomas
Ramshee swore that Westone was owner of the ship _Sparrow_ and "did
set her out of his own charge, from London to Virginia." This was an
early seagoing vessel of a colonist, but whether built in Virginia, or
purchased, is not stated.
Nicholas Weasell received the most severe penalty, in cases concerning
boats, when he was ordered to serve Henry Geny the rest of the year
from February, for taking away Geny's boat without leave, "whereupon
it was bilged and spoiled."
Captain Claiborne purchased a shallop with appurtenances from Captain
John Wilcox who had been "at the plantation called Accomack" since
1621. He paid Wilcox 400 pounds of tobacco for the shallop, and sold
it to Thomas Harwood. Captain Wilcox failed to make delivery, and the
court ordered the attorney of Captain Wilcox to make satisfaction to
Thomas Harwood.
The court was called upon to settle a controversy between Captain
William Tucker and Mr. Roland Graine about a boat. A Mrs. Hurte was
named as the owner of another ship in the colony, the _Truelove_,
formerly owned by John Cross, deceased in England. A much discussed
case was that of William Bentley, on trial for the killing of Thomas
Godby, which resulted when Mr. Conge's boat ran ashore at Merry Point,
near William Parker's house. While there, Bentley, who had arrived in
the boat, got into a quarrel and fight with Godby, and was accused of
killing him.
These Court records show that most of the cases concerned vessels
built in the colony: boats, pinnaces, and shallops. The ships
mentioned were evidently of English make. The shallop was the most
popular boat for use in the colony. It was a small boat from sixteen
to twenty feet in length, fitted with one or two masts and oars, and
suitable for exploring the creeks and rivers, collecting corn from the
Indians, and transporting tobacco to waiting ships.
SHIPBUILDING ON THE EASTERN SHORE
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