Catalogue description Examination of WILLIAM PARKER.

--William Parker, merchant, concierge of the English house at Middleborough, deposeth that Edward White, servant to Sir Francis Vere, brought a packet of letters to Gravesend on Thursday, March 20, and hearing of a ship laden with goods of the said Parker, presently bound over, desired Parker's company in the said ship, which they boarded the same night.

The next night, being Friday, they reached Margett and anchored there, the captain saying that he could not go without a convoy. White then said to Parker that he had a packet from the Council which required haste, and proposed that they should go to the Queen's pinnace, the Spy, riding near by, and see if the authorities could procure them a speedier passage. They left the hoy about six in the evening, and boarded the pinnace, where they found her Captain, Capt. Scott, and told him of the packet, which they believed "concerned the safeguard of a town called Gitterenbergh [Geertrudenbergh]" and ought to be conveyed over with all speed, praying him, in respect of her Majesty's service, and for the sum of twenty nobles to be paid by those "poor men that lay there ready bound over," to escort them over that same night, the wind being very fair. The captain replied that without direction from the Lord Admiral he dared not go, even if it concerned the safety of all the towns on the other side, yet if Captain Rigges of the Acatisse [Achates], who was left by Sir Martin Frobosher as his deputy, would give his consent, he would go the night following, and would talk with Rigges the next morning to know his mind.

Next morning accordingly Capt. Scott came and took Parker with him (but declined to take White also), to speak to Capt. Rigges. Deponent suspects that he would not take White because he meant to make stay to give warning to the captains of some ships at Sandwich to join them, who had promised him 20l. to take them over. Rigges then arranged to meet them on shore, telling them to bring White and the packet, and he would see what might be done, "Rigges having the device in his head to make the packet serve for countenance of the convoy of those ships at Sandwich, preferring the desire of 'warfeigh' of them before the discharge of any service for her Majesty." But doubting that they would not arrive that night, when he looked at the packet he said "this is no direction sufficient to go, if there were six of the Council's hands to it, without my Lord Admiral's, (doubtfully saying) I know not Captain Scott what we were best to do," which Parker believes was mere policy to keep the packet, that they might have the gain of both the fleets. Whilst they were thus reasoning and resolving, the merchant's fleet went away, which when Parker and White espied to be under sail, they offered the captains five pounds to be set aboard or ten pounds to be carried over, on which the captains, greedy of money and not having heard from Sandwich, knew not what to do, "but casting the likeliest way to gain all" Rigges took them in one of their cockboats to the Acatisse, and gave orders for the pinnace also to set sail, saying they would board them under sail, but when he perceived that the ships came not from Sandwich, said the wind was bad, and that he saw the fleet returning, "and thereupon brought them to shore again and left them to do what they listed."

Deponent heard about the Sandwich ships when he and White rode there to look for a passage, the captains forbidding the poor men of Margett to set them aboard of any ship that was going over. They spent four days riding from place to place looking for a passage, until Sir Martin Frobosher came from sea, who, hearing how they were used, appointed them the Charles, which set sail on Easter day and landed them at Mydellborowe the day after. He saith that White neglected not any duty, but used all means possible, sparing neither money nor labour. 3 pp.

Overleaf:-

1. Certificate by William Parker that the above written is true, and that Capt. Rigges and Capt. Skott cannot deny it. Mydellborowe, May 9, 1589.

2. Certificate by Christopher Reynell, deputy to Sir Thomas Sherley, her Majesty's Treasurer at wars for the Low Countries, that, at Sir Francis Vere's request he had talked with William Parker touching the above articles, who did affirm them to be true, except that touching the communication between Capt. Scot's man and Edward White he is not able to say anything. Mydellborowe, May 13, 1589.