1

RICHARD HADDOCK TO HIS WIFE.

2
6    These I send by Capt. Poole, who w^th the Garland frig^tt in
7comp^a, hath leave to goe his former intended voaidge for Barbados.
8Pray advize my bro^r Bradenham of itt. They will be good convoy
9for Mr. Naufan's ship w^th masts, &c., w^ch lyes at Gravesend, to goe
10thorough the Channell w^th them.

page 15

11    This day I gote two protections from the Duke, one for Mr.
12Naufan's ship at Lancaster for 50 men, y^e other for y^e ship w^th stores
13for 20 men, w^ch is speciall protections, y^t the men will not be
14molested. Tell my Bro^r Bradenham I have given them to Mr. Sam.
15Hawkes, who is comeing w^th them.
16    I am sory to heare poore Sam Lane was prest into y^e French
17Victory, and since caryed into Holland. I pitty the losse of the men
18in her, but y^e Capt. will have his reward for looseing her soe basely.
19The Dutch fleet lye now neare the Gallaper in expectation of us;
20we are very neere, ready to waite on them. 2 or 3 days must not
21breake square w^th us; but they are deceaved to think we intend to
22fight them amongst the sands. I supose our martch wilbe over for
23y^e coast of Holland into sea roome and deepe watter. We are, notwithstanding
24Capt. Poole and his consarts leaveing us, 90 men of
25warr, 26 fire ships, many small vessells. I supose the Dutch
26daylie add to ther strength as well as wee. God Allmighty be our
27defence.
28    My deare, I am sory that my first letter from Southold, w^ch went
29by land, advized the of our 2 days stay, whereas we have bine heere
304 days, and shall stay 3 or 4 longer. Then we shall have wattered
31our whole fleet for one month, and victualld compleat for 2 months,
32and mand I beleive thoroughout y^e fleet, not 500 wanting. I
33rather think, in a day or two longer, we may have 1000 supernumeraryes.
34A very worthy brave fleet, I think, as ever were
35together. God give us couragious hearts, and then I beleive they
36may be ventured.
37    I hope all my loveing relations at Rederif and Wapping are in
38health, to whome present my love and saluts. I expect to heare
39from the by the yacht w^ch I sent my last letter by, Captain Burstow,
40Comander. I blesse God I am now in good health, though 5 or 6
41days since, and when we were going to fight the Dutch, I had such
42a paine in my right arme that could not use it but very litle; but
43now, thanke God, am very well. My deare Betty, I have only to

page 16

44add my saluts to thyselfe w^th my daughter; doe remaine thyne till
45death us part,
47
53
57

page 21

58

RICHARD HADDOCK TO HIS WIFE

59
62    I wrote the two dayes since of God's goodnes to mee in o^r late
63bataile. I gave the acc^t of Capt. Trevanions suposed to be killed,
64but he is well; and allso Capt. Courtney, w^ch was reported to be
65killed, is alive and well. Capt. Worden is since dead of his wounds.
66We are now shifting ships, goeing on bord the London; the reason
67I gave in my last. S^r Jn^o Harman goes from the London into the
68Sovraigne, and Capt. Hayward out y^e Sovraigne into this ship. It
69is no smal trouble to me to part from this brave ship; her only fault
70is she is tender sided, in all respects otherwayes the best ship in the
71world.
72    My deare, I am very well; My bro^r Joseph and unckle Richard
73likewise. The Prince in good health, and our fleet prepareing for
74another incounter, if the Dutch comes out. My deare, I am thyne
75till death,
77

80

SIR RICHARD HADDOCK TO HIS SON RICHARD.

81
84    I have yo^rs of yesterday's date, form the Downes, w^ch brings us
85the joyfull tydeings of yo^r safe arrivall there. Yo^r long passage
86from Newfoundland put us in great feare of your wellfare, and perticularly
87your mo^r hath bine for a month or 5 weekes crying for
88you and yo^r brother Nic^s safety; but blessed be God you are both
89come well home. Your bro^r now with us came up from the
90Downes by leave from his Cap^t, and hath behaved himself with so
91much bravery and couradge that he hath gained the good report
92of the Duke of Ormond, his Capt^t, &c., both in the action at Rotta
93and St. Mary Port, and Vigo, and was the first man that borded
94one of the gallions at Vigo, w^ch is come home. I do not find by
95yo^r letter that you were w^th your Comodore at the takeing and
96destroying the French shipps to the southwards of Trepassa, and
97consequently you will not come in for your share of that capture.
98The news papers tells us yo^r prize is got into Plym^o, and for your
99boate w^th 5 men you say you left behind at Plym^o we never heard
100anything of it, w^ch gives you trouble; and because you write not
101of my Coz W^m's wellfare, I am conscernd for feare he might be in
102that boate. To morrow morning I intend to go to y^e Adm^ty and
103endeavor you may come into the River, if his R. Highness orders
104your cleaneing.
105    God Allmighty hath blest y^e forces of her Maj^ty and her Allies,

page 44

106both by land and sea, in a wonderfull manner; for w^ch we lately
107had a publick day of thanksgiveing in this citty. The Queene,
108House of Lords and Comons, w^th the Bishops, Judges, &c. came
109to S^t Paul's Church, where, after sermon, Te Deum was sung.
110    Since your leaveing England, two of our bord are dead, viz^t.
111Mr. Sotherne and my good freind Com^r Willshaw, who dyed y^e
11223^d Sept^r last. My Coz Anna Babb, that was in one of our almes
113houses at Stepny, is likewise dead, and my poore Cozⁿ Lockwood's
114son in law, Cozⁿ Hodges, dyed lately at Gosport, since his arrivall
115from Cadix and Vigo, who waited a tender on y^e Duke of Ormond's
116shipp. We are all in good health, praised be God, and do kindly
117salut you. I am your most afection^t father,
119
128
132
133

134

SIR RICHARD HADDOCK TO HIS SON RICHARD.

135
138    Your letter of the 17^th Nov^r past, giveing me acc^t of the unhapy
139disaster of your ship being run ashore by a Dutch pilot and of your
140happy getting off againe, I rec^d 3 or 4 ds. after its date; but, hopeing

page 45

141you might have gote away before an answer could arrive you, I
142forbore answering it to you to Helvoet Sluce. I have just now rec^d
143yours of the 7^th instant, Tuesday, and, to our great joy, the acc^t of
144God Almighty's wonderfull preservation of you in the late most
145dreadfull storm, w^ch no man liveing can remember the like. I perseave
146you have had an acc^t of the most sad and lamentable efects of
147it heere in England, not only in the losse of our shipping , but
148about 1500 men in the Queen's shipps. I shall not eneumerate y^e
149perticulars of the losse, only that Capt. Emes, w^th his wife and son
150and all y^e men in y^e Restauration, lost on y^e Goodwin, and poore
151Tom Blake drowned at Bristoll in y^e Canterbury store ship cast
152away. The Dorcetshire we have acc^t of her being on y^e back of
153Yarm^o Sands, cruseing, I supose for want of anchors and cables, and
154hope y^e Association is cruseing in the sea on the like occasion. My
155deare son Nic^o hapend to be sick on bord her, as S^r S. Fairebone
156wrote me from the Downes. I sent Tom Apleby imediatly to
157Deale to bring him up; but the ship sailed y^e morning before he
158gote downe. I hope he will come well home to us. Pray God the
159Russell may be got of y^e sands and into Helvoet Sluce.
160    Wee haue 7 or 8 vessells w^th anchors and cables in Harw^ch or
161Oasely bay, ready to put to sea when we heare where S^r Stafford is.
162S^r Cloud. Shovell I hope now safe at the Nore; his mainemast cut
163downe after he had drove 3 leag^s from y^e Longs, very neare the
164Galloper. Y^e S^t Geo. and R. Oake, now at Blackstakes, rode out
165y^e storme w^thout damage; and the Cambridge I beleive the same.
166The 4 ships that broke from their ground takle was the Association,
167Russell, Revenge, and Dorcetshire. The Revenge was in Solebay
168some tyme since, and furnish w^th anchors and cables from y^e Nottingham
169and another man of warr y^t went out Yarm^o roads to looke
170for our shipps. Capt. Kerr in y^e Revenge gave acc^t that he saw

page 46

171y^e Association, Monday last was sevenight; so that we are in hope
172she is very well. I shall not inlarge, only to give you our kind
173saluts. Pray God send you w^th y^e King of Spaine well out that
174place and over to us. My harty and humble service to S^r Geo:
175Rooke.