| |
This Lineage Last Reviewed
and Updated November 2022
Capt. Thomas Sherley mariner
of Ratcliff, Stepney Middlesex
Royal African Company (the Guinea Company) - a royal monopoly
on trade in gold, silver and slaves in West Africa.
Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 10 - 1693 - June 23 - Prefixing:
(a) Order of the Privy Council, dated Whitehall, June 15 inst.,
for leave to the Royal Africa Company to send for Guinea six
ships as follows with 200 seamen for carrying ammunition and
necessaries for their forts and factories which require frequent
supplies and also merchandises whereof the most part will be
English manufactures for purchasing negroes to furnish their
Majesties' Plantations in the West Indies; it being six months
since they had licence to send any ships into those parts, viz.:
[list of ships]
Ship: East India Merchant, 430 tons, 40 men, Thomas
Shirley master.
"Tales of Masonic Fire" - Vol 111, 1998 Ars Quatuor
Coronatorum Transactions
Bef 1694 - Here is another example of the 17th century
custom of toasting associated with gun-fire. In February 1694
Captain Thomas Phillips, in his account of the voyage of the
ship Hannibal, referred to a similar practice thus:
"In this garden [of Cape Coast Castle on the West
Coast of Africa] Captain Shurley and I entertain'd the agents,
factors, and other officers of the castle at dinner before our
departure... where we enjoy'd ourselves plentifully, having each
of us six of our quarter-deck guns brought ashore, with powder,
&c., and our gunners to ply them; which they did to purpose,
_ and made them roar merrily, firing eleven at every health."
Two months later Phillips and some other officers dined
with the native chief who occupied Christiansborg Castle, having
captured it from the Danes. When they were ascended, the Chief
drank to them in a glass of brandy and all the guns in the fort
were discharged. After dinner he "drank the king of England's,
the African company's, and our own healths frequently, with vollies
of cannon."
Bef 1693 - ...Intriguingly, the practice was adopted by
at least one European slave-trader. The Englishman Thomas Shurley
(who died trading off the West African coast in 1693) is said
to have 'used to make his negroes aboard take the fatish, that
they would not swim ashore or run away, and then he would let
them out of irons', using for this purpose 'a cup of English
beer, with a little aloes to imbitter it'. His fellow-slaver
Thomas Phillips, who reports Shurley's practice, while acknowledging
that this 'operated upon their faith as much as if it had been
made by the best fatishes in Guiney', nevertheless observed sardonically
that 'for my part I put more dependence upon my shackles than
any fatish I could give them'.
Lineage:
1. Unknown Sherley
married ________
children:
2(i). Captain Thomas Sherley of Ratcliffe Stepney Middlesex,
he was a ship captain of the East India Merchant working
for the Royal Africa Company. He was involved in the slave trade
in the 1690s; His PCC will was probated in 1696; His estate inventory
showed ownership shares in several ships as well as silver and
debts owed to him.
1696 Prerogative Court of Canterbury Will
of Thomas Shirley, Mariner of Stepney,
Middlesex 06 February 1696 PROB 11/430
Thomas Shirley of Ratcliff in the parish of
Stepney als Stebunheath Middlesex, mariner appoint beloved wife
Christian Shirley of same place to be lawful Attorney Deputy...to
collect any and all sums of money...and if God takes me out of
this present...shall be held as my last Will and Testament and
I bequeath after all just debts to Christian Shirley all my goods,
chattells, adventure's sums and sums of money of my estate and
appoint as sole executrix. Dated 20 December 1690. In presence
of James White, Edm'd Walker, Benj Shirley, Thomas Quilton [There
was a "sentence" attached to this Will contesting the
probate by brother Andrew Shirley.It is written in Latin] PCC
11/430 [Quire 25] also PCC 11/433 [Quire 170]
1696 Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Sentence of Thomas Shirley of Stepney, Middlesex 06 February 1696 PROB
11/433
Prob 18/23/102 - Imprimis - that
in or about the month of December in the year of our Lord god
1690? Thomas Shirley the testator in this court deceased being
then bound out to pts beyond the seas and having an intent to
invoke his will in writing before his departure from home did
give instructions for yee making of the same and according to
said instructions his said will was red[ ] into writing where
by he did give and bequeath unto ye said Christian his wife the
pty proponent in this court all his goods debts chattel wages
indentures sume and sumes of money and all other his disposable
estate of what kind nature and...Will did nominate the said Christian
Shirley the only executrix. In the presence of Thomas Quester,
James White and Benjamin Shirley....Imprimis that the said Thomas
Shirley the testator departed this life upon the coast of Guinea
on or about the twelfth day of May last 1695....Proved her husband's
will...John Watson who had married the said Christian did prcure
a warrant from a Justice of the Peace of ye county of Middlesex
against Mary Shirley sister of the said Thomas Shirley the testator
who had lived with him for some years and likewise against Andrew
Shirley his brother, and of the pleas in this court who was then
lately called to Gosne from Bristol and Elizabeth Price Brv't?
to the party proponent. That the said Andrew and Mary and Elizabeth
Price came before the said justice of the Peace...upon their
oath they denied any knowledge, would desist from any further
troubling against them about it...but that the said Andrew Shirley
did before the [ ] give bond to ye said Mr Watson of one hundred
and fifty pounds. Mr John Watson having proceeded in Chancery
against them.
Prob 18/23/131 - 19 July 1695 - Imprimis.
That the said Thomas Shirley ye deceased in this case did express
a great love for his brothers Nicholas, Benjamin and Andrew
and more specially for his sister Mary Shirley, that he would
give ye said Mary Shirley three or four hundred pounds at his
death. Item that the sd Thomas Shirley dec'd in this case was
in the year 1691 Capt Master commander of the ship East India
Merchant and did in the sd year 1691 in her as Capt Master or
commander a voyage to Guinea and Christopher Price who is since
dead went with ye sd Thomas Shirley ye sd voyage in the sd ship
as purser. [Christopher Price wrote the will, and returned to
England many times, mentioning the terms contained inside] Item.
That the sd Thomas Shirley did make sd voyage and make his last
will and testament in writing in presence of credible witnesses,
did nominate Benjamin Shirley his lawful brother one of his exts,
did give bequath a legacy of two or three hundred pounds to his
sister Mary Shirley declared to Capt John Hereford and others
and this was true publick....and sd Thomas Shirley did nominate
his brother Benjamin Shirley since deceased one of his executors
and also give a legacy of two or three hundred pounds to his
sister Mary Shirley
married Christain Magior on 2 July 1687. She married
2) John Watson
1687 July 2 Thomas Shirley and Christain Magior - License
Allegations in the Registry of the Bishop of London
2(ii). Andrew Sherley - named as brother in the 1695
probate sentence of Thomas Sherley
2(iii). Nicholas Sherley - named as brother in the
1695 inventory accounts of Thomas Sherley
1696 Estate Inventory of Thomas Shirley - Item Due upon
Note from Nicholas Shirley Brother to the dec'd 20:00:00
2(iv). Benjamin Sherley - witness to the 1695 will
of Thomas Sherley
1696 PROB 6/73 f.48; 9 Mar 1696/97 - Administration of
estate of Benjamin Shirley of Middlesex and West Indies granted
to Nicholas Shirley brothers and sisters of blood of Benjamin
Shirley of Stepney Middlesex and Island of Jamaica, bachelor,
died at sea
2(v). Mary Sherley - named as sister in the 1695 probate
sentence of Thomas Sherley
(note: this family appears to
fit into the Shirleys of Bagber Dorset
Likely the above family (absent
Nicholas Sherley from list, but there is a Nicholas Randall (typo?)
1667 Feb 18 Will of Ambrose Randall of Bagbere, Sturminster
Newton Castle, Dorset gent. Proved March 24 1667. Ment. his
cousins Andrew Sherley, Thomas Sherley, Mary Sherley, Benjamin
Sherley and Nicholas Randall all his lands in North Cheriton
Somerset. His sister Mary Sherley should have the use of
the estate and her husband Mr. Andrew Sherley . - should not
have anything to do with the estate. The said Andrew Sherley,
the younger, Thomas Sherley, Mary Sherley, Benjamin Sherley and
Nicholas Randall his nephew his executors. Probate by Andrew
Sherley Jun, Thomas, Marie and Benjamin Sherley, and Nicholas
Randall - PROB 11/326 24 March 1668 Will of Ambrose Randall,
Gentleman of Sturminster Newton Castle, Dorset
|
Shirleys of Ratcliff, Stepney