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APPENDIX M.

Notes respecting Sir WILLIAM PENN, addressed to his Son.

"HONOURED SIR,

March, 1711-12.

"Pursuant to your command for my giving your honour an account of what I remember of your late honoured father, Sir William Penn, is this:

"That he commanded the ship of war, called the Fairfax, at Cadiz, in the year 1650, about Christmas; where, at Punchal, he refitted, tallowed, and victualled his fleet, consisting of eight ships of war, viz. the Fairfax, in which he carried the then Long Parliament's flag, (which was, the St. George's cross next the staff, and the Irish yellow harp in a blue field next the flying part; and, off Cape Spartell, hoisted his flag on a staff at the main-top-gallant mast-head); the Centurion, Captain (afterwards Sir) John Lawson; the Phoenix, Captain (afterwards Sir) Joseph Jordan; the Foresight, Captain (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Howett; the Nonsuch, Captain Mildmay; the Adventure, Captain Andrew Ball; the Assurance (to which ship I belonged), Captain Benjamin Blake; the Star (a Dunkirk-built prize, of 24 guns), Captain Robert Sanders.

"The fleet departed from Cadiz about the middle of January, 1650-51, and sailed thence to Malaga, and thence to Alicant; and, after three or four days at each place, went to the island of Formentera, where they wooded and watered, and thence sailing to Majorck, off the Cabereras, took a ship of 400 tons and 26 guns, laden with sugar from Lisbon to Marsilia. Which said prize was sent into Iveca harbour, where she remained, until the fleet returned, under the command of Grimsditch,1 lieutenant of the Fairfax; and Robert Blake, nephew to the general, was then made lieutenant to your father. Note: in those days, no ship of war under a thirdrate was allowed a lieutenant; and no ship of war above a thirdrate (not even in the ship the general was in) had more than one lieutenant.

See above, vol. i. p. 371.

2 See vol. i. p. 427.

"After which, the fleet sailed to Majorck, where we stayed a few days; and sailing thence to Caglary, in the gulf of Lyons, took the St. Luke of Marsilia, of 200 tons and 18 guns, of which Lieutenant William Adams (who had been lieutenant to General Blake at Lyme and Taunton) was made captain. At Caglary staying a few days, we sailed to Drepanum, the west point of the Isle of Sicilia, between which and the Barbary coast we cruised all that summer, and met a rich ship of Marsilia of 250 tons, 20 guns and 10 petereras, going from the Levant, home. We took her in a calm, by the Nonsuch, Adventure, and Assurance, being fitted with oar-ports between the guns, between decks, with ship-oars, assisted with their own and other ships' boats, the Nonsuch and Adventure being in her wake, and the Assurance right to leeward; and, by furling our sails, and rowing and towing thwart her fore-foot, took her. After which, when there was a gale of wind, the said prize was found to outsail every ship in the fleet, by a main-top-sail.

"After which, the admiral, with six ships of his fleet, sailed to Messina, and sent the Nonsuch and Assurance to Palermo-Mole, to wash and tallow, which we did without Pratick; and sailing thence towards Messina, met the admiral off the Isle of Stombolo, on his way to Livorne. Off the Isle of Elba, overtook the Spanish admiral, with about twelve ships of war, going from Naples to Cadiz, and, after a friendly salute, sailed to Livorne, where all the fleet re-victualled, and sailed thence to Iveca, Formentera, Alicant, Malaga, and Gibraltar, where we arrived about Michaelmas, 1651; and where we stayed, cruising at least three months, by dividing the fleet into two parts: viz. three ships in each division, the admiral and one riding in Old Gibraltar Road, ready to second any division who sailed out in an evening; so as to be in the middle of the Straits, or further towards the coast of Barbary, to look out for ships going into the Straits. And, if any were seen in the morning, the squadron to leeward (who stood not to the coast of Spain before mid-day), or those in Gibraltar bay, made to them; so as few ships went into the Straits but they were spoken with, if friends, or taken, if enemies. In returning from cruising, we have frequently been drove by the current as high up as Fungerole, between which and Gibraltar-hill, along the shore, the eddy-current sets westward; but, by short tacks, especially getting about Gibraltarhill, south point, came to the rendezvous every third day at furthest. At Old Gibraltar, we got wood and water; hogs, oil, and Sherry

wine, from the mountains by the town; and beef from Tetuan ; and bread from Cadiz: besides, we took a Dutch ship, laden with corn, bound from to Tangiers.

"In January, 1651-2, all the fleet sailed for Cadiz, and victualled thence for England; and arrived at Spithead before the great eclipse, called Black Monday. And, after we had taken in some victuals, sailed to the Downs, where we arrived the latter end of April, 1652. Where was great removing; so that your late honoured father was removed into the ship Triumph, as viceadmiral (I suppose) to General Blake; but your late honoured father (having for some time been cruising off the Western Islands before he came to Cadiz) got leave to go to London, and so was not in the fight with the Dutch in May, 1652, although Robert Blake acted as captain of the Triumph in that fight; in which was no other flags but the general, in the Old James, and Major Nehemiah Bourn, as rear-admiral, in the St. Andrew.

"General Blake was in the Prince Royal1 in the KentishKnock fight; and your late honoured father (I believe) was his vice-admiral, in the Old James; and Major Bourn was rear-admiral, in the St. Andrew; in whose division was the Assurance, in which ship I was in that fight.

"In December 1652, General Blake met the Dutch fleet going to Rochelle, off Dover, where he lost the Garland (an old third-rate ship of 44 guns), and the Anthony Bonadventure (a hired ship of 36 guns): a casual shot shooting away the general's fore-top-mast (as he was going to begin the fight), prevented his engaging the Dutch.

"After that skirmish, General Blake and all his fleet came into the river of Medway, to refit; and made that dispatch, so as to reach Dover Road the first week of February, 1652-3, at which time, in an hour one morning, the nine flags were displayed; and every ship, by their pendants, and keeping to their respective flags, was delightful to behold.

"Your late honoured father commanded the Speaker, as admiral of the blue, in the fight off Portland, in February 1652-3, the wind N.W.; and being a-head of Generals Blake and Deane in the Triumph (well manned by your father to their hand), began the

1 Then the Resolution. See vol. i. p. 492, note 3.

2 "There cannot be a braver sight, than a ship in her bravery."SMITH'S Sea-Grammar, 1627, p. 54.

fight with the wind on the starboard bow. And when your honoured father saw the Dutch bent all their force to destroy the generals, your father, with his division (in which was the Assurance, Robert Saunders, commander), tacked and stood through the Dutch fleet, with the wind on the larboard side, as Sir John Lawson (then viceadmiral of the red), in the Fairfax, did with his larboard tack aboard, being about a mile on the starboard quarter, and as much astern of the general, when the fight began. General Monk, in the Vanguard, then admiral of the white, and all his division, being at least four miles to leeward of the generals when the fight began; so as the main stress of that fight lay upon the red and blue divisions.

"Your late honoured father was admiral of the white in June fight, 1653, (when General Deane was killed,) I believe in the Old James; the generals, Deane and Monk, being both in the Prince Royal. And, the latter end of that day's fight, General Blake came into the fleet in the Essex (a new-built third-rate). He was slightly wounded in the neck at Portland fight, and was not in the fleet, after that, before.

"I was not in the fight in August (July) 1653, when Van Tromp was killed; but believe your late honoured father was in that fight, as admiral of the white.

"Your late honoured father was appointed general of the fleet by Oliver Cromwell, in 1655, to take St. Domingo; at which time he dwelt upon Great Tower-hill, on the east side, within a court adjoining to London-wall. And he frequently came upon the hill next his dwelling, to be applied to by persons under the degree of commanders. One day of which, I was presented to your late honoured father by my late master, Mr. John Carter, who was purser of the Assurance when your late honoured father commanded her; and was so, all the time your late honoured father was admiral in the Straits; and acted as purser-general all that voyage. For his well-performing of which, your late honoured father chose him to go purser-general of the fleet to Hispaniola. But he, being unwilling to go that voyage, presented me to your late honoured father, to go purser-general in his stead, offering to give bond in my behalf; but your father, upon viewing me, turned about to my late master, and said, I was too young. Upon which my said late master went that voyage as purser-general; and, coming home in

a second-rate ship that was burnt by a bason of burnt brandy,1 amongst many others, was drowned for want of boats.

"After the Restoration, your late honoured father was made a commissioner of the navy, and appointed to pass the victualler's, Sir Dennis Gauden, and the pursers' accounts. William Burrows, a swarthy, black-haired, pock-broken-visage man, was his chief clerk.2

"I remember your honour very well, when you newly came out of France, and wore pantaloon breeches ;3 at which time your late honoured father dwelt in the Navy-office, in that apartment the Lord Viscount Brouncker dwelt in afterwards, which was on the north part of the Navy-office garden.

"I well remember your late kinsman, Sir Richard Rooth, who was a volunteer with your late honoured father in the Fairfax ; with whom, and Sir William Poole, and Captain John Whately, related to, and preferred by, your late honoured father, I continued in perfect friendship to the day of each of their deaths.

"Your late honoured father's interest was always very great, so as the captains of his fleet in the Straits had great and speedy preferment; and so had all men he ever took notice of, before the Restoration. And afterwards, he had the same respect from his royal highness and Sir William Coventry. Your late honoured father preferred no man (illegible); his favourites kept their places, being founded upon merit, and not preferred for money.

"Your late honoured father was fair-haired; of a comely round visage; a mild-spoken man; no scoffer, nor flatterer; easy of access, so as no person went from him discontented.

1 See above, pp. 126, 7, 8.

"P. GIBSON."

2 See above, p. 133. He was probably the same as the William Burroughs, appointed to the command of the Martin, of 12 guns, in the fleet sent to receive the king at Scheveling. See list of the fleet, p. 221.

3" 26th August, 1664.- Mr. Penn, Sir W. Penn's son," says Pepys, "is come back from France, and come to visit my wife. A most modish person ર grown; she says, a fine gentleman."

4 Knighted, according to Charnock, the 9th of March, 1675. For a summary account of the professional careers of Sir Richard Rooth and Sir William Poole, see Charnock's Biograph. Navalis, vol. i. pp. 26–29.

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