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The Irish admiralty: its organisation and development, c. 1570-1640

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

John C. Appleby  and
Mary O'Dowd
John C. Appleby
Affiliation:
Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast
Mary O'Dowd
Affiliation:
Department of Modern History, Queen's University of Belfast
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Extract

There were two main concerns of Tudor and Stuart governments in relation to the sea surrounding the coast of Ireland. First, and most important, there was the need to defend it from hostile ships belonging to England's enemies. This involved the security of England as much as Ireland and, throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, was usually controlled by the admiralty establishment in London. The setting out and supervision of ships to defend the Irish and English coasts was rarely delegated to an Irish authority. The second concern was the administration of the law maritime in Ireland. The law maritime included within its jurisdiction all crimes committed at sea or on the coast such as the seizure and robbing of ships by pirates and other sea-rovers, as well as cases involving death aboard ship, seamen's wages, salvage, wreck, damage by collision at sea, and other disputes involving the sea or the men who earned their living from it. In the medieval period such matters were often dealt with in the courts of chancery and exchequer, but in the later middle ages a separate admiralty court emerged in England where the civil maritime law was practised. The existence of the court, however, remained shadowy until it was enlarged and established on a permanent basis in the 1530s. At the same time, procedure in the court was simplified by the passing of an act which allowed for the prosecution of crimes at sea by special commissions according to common law.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 24 , Issue 95 , May 1985 , pp. 299 - 326
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1985

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References

1 On the early history of the high court of admiralty, see Roscoc, I S., A history of the English prize court (London, 1924)Google Scholar; Marsden, R. G. (ed.), Select pleas in the court of admiralty (2 vols, Selden Society, vi, xi, 1892–7)Google Scholar; Marsden, R. G., ‘Early prize jurisdiction and prize law in England’ in E.H.R., xxiv (1909), pp 675–97CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2 Lib. mun. pub. Mb., ii, pt II, pp 221–2.

3 Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Henry VIII-Eliz., p. 24.

4 Fitzgerald's appointment is recorded in the Act Book of the high court of admiralty, 1 Dec. 1567 (P.R.O., High Court of Admiralty (hereafter H.C.A.) 3/13, f.13; see also privy council to lord justice of Ireland, 6 Dec. 1579 (Acts of the privy council of England (hereafter A.P C) 1578–80, p. 328). There is no known record of Ormond's appointment but in 1587 he is referred to as admiral of Ireland (see below, nn 5–7).

5 Lord Deputy and council to privy council, 30 Apr. 1587 (P.R.O., S.P 63/129/41).

6 See, e.g., Sir Richard Bingham to Henry Sheathe (sic), 23 Apr. 1587 (ibid., no. 21).

7 George Comerford to Sir Richard Bingham, 7 Oct. 1588 (ibid., S.P 63/137/10, vii); Lord Deputy Fitzwilliam to Lord Burghley, 26 Oct. 1588 (ibid., no. 38); same to same and enclosures, 10 Nov 1588 (ibid., S.P 63/138/14, i–ii).

8 See below, pp 307–8.

9 Longfield, A. K., Anglo-Irish trade in the sixteenth century (London, 1929), pp 43, 136, 157–8, 179Google Scholar: Maxwell, Constantia (ed.), Irish history from contemporary sources (1509–1610) (London, 1923), pp 377–9Google Scholar.

l0 See, e.g., Mayor and council of Waterford to Lord Deputy Bellingham, 21 July 1548. 9, 10 Aug. 1548, 10 Dec. 1548 (P.R.O., S.P 61/1/32, 58, 59. 149); Mayor and council of Cork to same, 10 Jan. 1549 (ibid., S.P. 61/2/8); Sir William Fitzwilliam to Sir William Cecil, 4 Mar. 1564 (ibid., S.P 63/10/26); A.P.C., 1571–5, p. 110; A.P.C., 1577–8. pp 70–71; A.RC. 1591–2. p. 202.

11 Sovereign and council of Kinsale to Lord Deputy Bellingham, 15 July 1548 (P.R.O., S.P 61/1/29); Mayor and council of Youghal to same, 8 July 1548 (ibid., no. 27); Mayor and council of Cork to same, 16 July 1548, 18 Nov. 1548 (nos 31, 127).

12 Privy council to Perrot, 31 Mar 1573 (ibid., S.P 63/39/55); declaration of mayor and council of Cork, 18 Apr. 1573 (ibid., S.P 63/40/17); Perrot to Lord Burghley and enclosures, 30 Apr. 1573 (ibid., no. 19, i–vi); Perrot to privy council, 11 May 1573 (ibid., no. 32); petition of John Besse, factor to John Moreau of Paris, n.d. (ibid., no. 33); Answer of Sir John Perrot…, n.d. (ibid., no. 34); Perrot to Burghley, 11 May 1573 (ibid., no. 35); Perrot to privy council, 28 May 1573 (ibid., no. 73); memorial of instructions for Edward Tremayne, June 1573 (ibid., S.P 63/41/13); Lord Deputy Fitzwilliam to privy council and enclosures, 13 June 1573 (ibid., no. 28, i–viii); information in court of admiralty against Perrot, 15 June 1573 (ibid., no. 34); Lord Deputy Fitzwilliam to privy council, 27 Apr 1574 (ibid.,.S.P 63/45/87).

13 Ibid; Perrot to Sir Thomas Smith, 9 Oct. 1573 (ibid., S.P 63/42/40); Drury to privy council, 14 Feb. 1578 (ibid., S.P 63/60/9); same to Sir Francis Walsingham, 16 Feb. 1578 (ibid., no. 11); Sir Henry Sidney to privy council, 20 Feb. 1578 (ibid., no. 14); Drury to Burghley, 24 Mar. 1578 (ibid., no. 26).

14 The exact origins of the court are unknown, although Forth was first referred to as judge of it in 1579 (A.P.C., 1578–80, p. 318). The court was closely associated with the chancery court and may have been established by Lord Chancellor Gerrard as part of his general reform of the chancery. On Forth, see Brian P Levack, The civil lawyers in England, 1603–1641: a political study (Oxford, 1973), p. 231.

15 Note by Forth of his services, 18 Mar. 1585 (P.R.O., S.P. 63/115/30); Forth to Lord Deputy Perrot, 15 Apr. 1587 (ibid., S.P 63/129/41, i); chancery pleading, n.d. (P.R.O.I., salved chancery pleadings, bundle J, no. 57).

16 Sir Adam Loftus to Sir Francis Annesley, 22 Nov. 1628 (P.R.O., S.P. 63/247/152).

l7 Forth to Lord Admiral Howard, 25 Feb. 1587 (ibid., S.P 63/128/56); same to Sir Julius Caesar, 25 Feb. 1587 (B.L., Lansd. MS 145, f.418; ‘Doubts to be resolved touching the admiralty’, n.d. (P.R.O., S.P. 63/128/57); notes concerning the admiralty, n.d. (ibid., no. 58).

18 E.g., Instructions from privy council to Sir William Winter, [17] Mar. 1580 (Cal. Carew MSS, 1575–88, pp 233–5); Lord Deputy Grey to Walsingham, 8 Feb. 1582 (P.R.O., S.P 63/89/22); Col. Zouche to Walsingham, 15 Feb. 1582 (ibid., no. 33); Perrot to Caesar, 11 July 1587 (B.L., Lansd. MS 143).

l9 Lord deputy and council to privy council, 30 Apr. 1587 (P.R.O., S.P 63/129/41); Bingham to Henry Sheathe, 23 Apr. 1587 (ibid., no. 21).

20 Forth to Lord Deputy Perrot, 15 Apr. 1587 (P.R.O., S.P 63/129/41, i). Many of these grants emanated from the later middle ages and were often part of a wider range of privileges granted to towns for their loyalty to the crown (Longfield, Anglo-Irish trade, pp 28, 29. 30–32, 34; Edwin Welch (ed.), The admiralty court book of Southampton, 1566–1585 (Southampton Record Series, xiii, 1968), pp xiv, xi–xii).

2l O'Sullivan, Old Galway, p. 106; James Hardiman, History of the town… of Galway (Dublin, 1820), appendix iii.

22 Gilbert, J. T (ed.), Calendar of the ancient records of Dublin in the possession of the municipal corporation (hereafter Cal. anc.rec. Dublin) (4 vols, Dublin, 1889–95), i, 36–7, ii, 206–7Google Scholar.

23 Forth to Sir Julius Caesar, 25 Feb. 1587 (B.L., Lansd. MS 145, f. 418).

24 Ibid.

25 Patent dated 23 July 1612 (P.R.O., S.P 63/232/24).

26 Manwaring, G.E. (ed.), The life and works of Sir Henry Mainwaring (2 vols, Navy Records Society, liv, lvi, London, 1920, 1921), ii, 15–16 Google Scholar.

27 Senior, Clive, ‘An investigation of the activities and importance of English pirates, 1603–40’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Bristol, 1974), pp 287–90Google Scholar.

28 Sir Richard Moryson to Lord Salisbury, 22 Aug. 1609 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1608–10, pp 277–8); Remembrances concerning the public given to Mr Treasurer, 29 Jan. 1609 (ibid., pp 368–72); Roger Myddleton to Salisbury, 23 Aug. 1611 (Cal. S.P. Ire., 1611–14, p. 99); Manwaring, Life of Mainwaring, pp 15–16, 17, 40, 46–8; Oppenheim, Michael (ed.), The naval tracts of Sir William Monson (5 vols, Navy Records Society, xxii, xxiii, xliii, xlv, xlvii, 1902–14), iii, 56–9, 376–9, v, 293–4Google Scholar; Cal. S.P Venetian, 1607–10, pp 166, 181, 189, 194–5, 393; Cal. S.P. Venetian, 1610–13, p. 2; Senior, ‘Investigation of English pirates’, p. 289. See also other references in Cal. S.P Ire., 1608–10, 1611–14.

29 Cal. S.P. Venetian. 1610–13, p. 2.

30 Chichester's negotiations with pirates are documented in Cal. S.P Ire., 1608–10, Cal. S.P. Ire., 1611–14 and ‘Letter-book of Sir Arthur Chichester, 1612–1614’, ed. R. Dudley Edwards in Anal. Hib., no. 8 (1938), pp 3–177.

31 11, 12 & 13 Jas I, c. 2.

32 A.P.C.. 1628–9, p. 24.

33 Robert Smith to Nicholas, 18 Sept. 1634 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/162).

34 Cluchester to the lord admiral, 4 Aug. 1613 (‘Letter-book of Sir Arthur Chichester’, pp 119–22).

35 There is some uncertainty as to whether Parsons replaced Loftus as judge or simply acted as his deputy; see Sir Edward Villiers to Secretary Nicholas, 28 Mar. 1626 (P.R.O., S.P. 63/242/271); Lord Chancellor Loftus to Sir Francis Annesley, 22 Nov 1628 (ibid., S.P 63/247/1227); same to Secretary Nicholas, 29 Jan. 1629 (ibid., S.P 63/248/152); and Cal. S.P Ire., 1625–32, pp 108, 271

36 Hughes, Patentee officers; Secretary Coke to Lord Deputy Wentworth, 10 July 1633 (The earl of Strafforde's letters and despatches, ed. William Knowler (2 vols, London, 1739), i, 92–3).

37 Marsden, R. G., ‘The vice-admirals of the coast’ in E.H.R., xxii (1907), pp 468–77, xxiii (1908), pp 736–57CrossRefGoogle Scholar

38 Ibid.

39 Marsden provides an incomplete list (ibid). See also Chichester to the lord admiral, 25 Sept. 1612 (‘Letter-book of Sir Arthur Chichester’, pp 46–8); Lord Grandison to Secretary Nicholas, 15 Feb. 1627 (Cat. S.P Ire., 1625–32, p. 207); Lord Deputy Falkland to the president of Munster, 8 Mar. 1626 (ibid., p. 103); warrant from commissioners of admiralty to Sir Henry Marten, 11 Jan. 1634, authorising appointment of Wentworth (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/820, no. 22); warrant authorising appointment of Sir Robert Loftus, 28 Sept. 1635 (ibid., no. 26). These warrants were renewed following the appointment of Northumberland as lord high admiral during 1638 (ibid., nos 34, 40, 43, 49. 52).

40 Lord Deputy Falkland to Sir Richard Boyle, 4 Sept. 1624 ( The Lismorepapers, ed. Grosart, A. B. (2nd ser., 5 vols, London, 1887–8), iii, 126–7Google Scholar.

41 See, e.g. Wentworth's warrant noted above, n. 39.

42 Lord Deputy Falkland to Secretary Nicholas, 29 Apr. 1627 (Cat. S.P Ire., 1625–32, p. 227); same to same, 17 Aug. 1626(P.R.O., S.P 63/243/421); same to same, 17 Feb. 1627 (ibid., S.P 63/244/580); Falkland to Buckingham, 31 Mar. 1625 (ibid., S.P. 63/241/6); examination of William Hull (P.R.O., H.C.A. 13/42, ff 153v–55); examination of Lawrence Davidge, 19 Jan. 1613(ibid., H.C.A., 13/98, ff21v–22). Fora William Hull accused of piracy in the Mediterranean, see ibid., H.C.A. 1/5/11,150. See also below, pp 322–3.

43 Chief Baron Winch to Sir Arthur Chichester, 2 Apr. 1608 (P.R.O., S.P 63/223/60); Sir Lawrence Parsons to Sir Richard Boyle, 29 Sept., 1620 (Lismorepapers, 2nd ser., ii, 260–61); Sir Edward Villiers to Nicholas, 8 Feb. 1626 (P.R.O., S.P 63/242/226); same to same, 27 Apr. 1626 (ibid., no. 296); Henry de Lauen to Nicholas, 20 Jan. 1634 (ibid., .S.P 63/254/93). See also nn 35, 66, 67

44 Parsons to Boyle, 29 Sept. 1620 (Lismorepapers, 2nd ser., ii, 260–61).

45 Falkland to the Admiralty, 14 June 1633 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/42); Lord Deputy Wentworth to Secretary Nicholas, 20 Jan. 1637 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1633–47, pp 144–5).

46 Lord Deputy Chichester to lord admiral, 4 Aug. 1613 (‘Letter-book of Sir Arthur Chichester’, pp 119–22).

47 Woodward, Donald (ed.), ‘Sir Thomas Button, the Phoenix and the defence of the Irish coast, 1614–1622’ in Marinefs Mirror, lix (1973), pp 343–4Google Scholar.

48 Petition of William Ranking to Buckingham, 1625 (P.R.O., S.P 14/182/82, i).

49 Articles between the king and city of London, 28 Jan. 1610 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1608–10, pp 359–62); Moody, Londonderry plantation, pp 79, 265. See also Lowry, T. K., (ed.), The Hamilton manuscripts (Belfast, 1867), pp 30–31 Google Scholar, for an example of a landlord holding an admiralty court. The authors are grateful to Dr Raymond Gillespie for this reference.

50 Cal. anc. rec. Dublin, iii, 68–9; Loftus to lords of the admiralty, 18 Aug. 1634 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/146); Lord Deputy Wentworth to same, 20 Dec. 1634 (ibid., no. 187). A similar decision by the king's bench in 1607 seems to have been ignored by the corporation (R.I.A., Haliday papers, MS 12 E 3, vol. ii, f. 450).

51 See letters cited above, n. 50; petition of Robert Smith, c. July 1633 (Cal S.P. Ire., 1633–47, p. 15); privy council to Loftus, 7 Aug. 1633 (ibid., p. 16); Irish committee of privy council to same, 21 Dec. 1633 (ibid., p. 36); Smith to Nicholas, 3 Sept. 1634 (ibid., p. 76); Smith to Nicholas, 18 Sept. 1634 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/162).

52 Smith to Nicholas, 15 Dec. 1635 (P.R.O., S.P 63/255/71); Dorothy O. Shilton and Richard Holworthy (eds), High court of admiralty examinations, 1637–1638 (Anglo-American Records Foundation, ii, London and New York, 1932), pp 37, 45.

53 Smith to Nicholas, 15 Dec. 1635 (P.R.O., S.P 63/255/71).

54 Henry de Lauen to Falkland, 16 Sept. 1632 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered). See also Richard Caulfield (ed.), The council book of the corporation of the city of Cork, from 1609 to 1643, and from 1690 to 1800 (Guildford, 1876), pp 131, 231–2, 274, 324; Richard Caulfield (ed.), The council book of the corporation of Youghal, from 1610 to 1659, from 1666 to 1687. and from 1690 to 1800 (Guildford, 1878), p. xxxi. Gal way was continuing to claim an admiralty jurisdiction as late as the early eighteenth century (admiralty commissioners to earl of Ormond, 20 July 1706, P.R.O., P C. 1/2/53, 1–7).

55 Smith to Nicholas, 26 Sept. 1635 (P.R.O., S.P 63/255/52).

56 Sir Henry Marten to the lords of the admiralty, 8 July 1637 (ibid., S.P 63/256/40); Charles I to Lord Deputy Wentworth, 7 Aug. 1637 (Cal. S.P, Ire., 1633–47, p. 166); Smith to Nicholas, 1 May 1638 (ibid., p. 188); Council book of the corporation of Cork, p. 191; Cal. anc. rec. Dublin, iii, 349. See also proceedings against individual landlords recorded in R.I.A.,Haliday papers, MS 12 E 3, vol. ii, f. 426. See also Henry deLauen to Falkland, 16 Sept. 1632 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered); Sir George St George to admiralty commissioners, 17 Sept. 1632 (ibid.); Cal. S.P Dom., 1637. pp 359, 374–5; Cal. S.P. Dom., 1639, pp 75–6.

57 Petition of Alan Cooke to lords of the admiralty, 7 Mar 1636 (P.R.O., S.P 63/255/100); same to same, 22 Jan. 1638 (ibid., S.P 63/256/71). For examples of appeal documents from the vice-admiral court of Leinster and from the Irish court of admiralty, 1639, see T.C.D., MS 735, ff 55–6.

58 Cal anc. rec. Dublin, i, 39–40.

59 Sir George St George to admiralty commissioners, 17 Sept. 1632 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered); Falkland to same, 14 June 1633 (ibid., S.P 63/254/42). For Buckingham's general interest in Ireland, see Roger Lockyer, Buckingham: the life and political career of George Villiers, first duke of Buckingham, 1592–1628(London, 1981), pp 38–9, 115–16, 215–16.

60 Wentworth to admiralty commissioners, 14 Mar. 1634 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/108); same to same, 22 Dec. 1634 (ibid., no. 187); admiralty commissioners to Wentworth (draft), 31 Jan. 1635 (ibid., S.P 63/255/9); Kearney, Strafford in Ire., pp 69 ff.

61 See, e.g., Sir George St George to admiralty commissioners, 25 Feb. 1636 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered).

62 Forth to Sir Julius Caesar, 14 July 1591 (B.L., Add. MS 12503, f. 398).

63 Chichester to the lord admiral, 19 Dec. 1614 (‘Letter-book of Sir Arthur Chichester’, pp 175–6).

64 See, e.g., privy council to Chichester, 31 May 1613 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1611–14, pp 356–7).

65 Loftus to Sir Francis Annesley, 22 Nov. 1628 (P.R.O., S.P 63/247/1227); ‘Sir Edward Villiers queries concerning the admiralty n.d. (ibid., S.P 63/235/57); draft of instructions for Wentworth, 9 Sept. 1635 (ibid., S.P. 63/241/120). This document is misdated in Cal. S.P. Ire., 1625–32, pp 37–8.

66 Henry Gosnold to Wentworth, 23 Jan. 1634 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/95, ii).

67 Henry de Lauen to Nicholas, 20 Jan. 1634 (ibid., no. 93); Wentworth to admiralty commissioners and enclosures, 2 Feb. 1634 (ibid., no. 95, i, ii).

68 Falkland to Nicholas, 17 Aug. 1626 (P.R.O., S.P 63/243/421); petition of Robert Fallon, c. 17 Aug. 1626 (ibid., no. 422).

69 Falkland to Nicholas, 7 Oct. 1626 (ibid., no. 458); Robert Travers and Sir Lawrence Parsons, apostles for the appeal upon the Berehaven business, 27 Oct. 1626 (ibid., no. 475); extracts from the court held at St Finbar's Cathedral (ibid., no. 476); Travers to Falkland, 3 Nov. 1626 (ibid., no. 484); Clarke to Falkland, c. 8 Dec. 1626 (ibid., no. 504); Falkland to Nicholas, 28 Dec. 1626 (ibid., no. 514); same to same, 6 Jan. 1627 (ibid., S.P 63/244/538).

70 Marsden, R. G. (ed.), Law and custom of the sea (2 vols, Navy Records Society, xlix, 1, 1915–16), i, ppxx–xvi, 243–5Google Scholar.

71 P.R.O., H.C.A. 13/24, ff. 96v–97.

72 Nottingham to Sir George Carew and others, 15 Aug. 1601 (Cal. Carew MSS, 1601–3, pp 128–9).

73 Marsden, , Law & custom, i, 410–16Google Scholar.

74 Falkland to Nicholas, 7 Oct. 1626 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1625–32, p. 161).

75 Hull to Falkland, 24 Oct. 1626 (P.R.O., S.P. 63/243/501a). Emphasis added.

76 Abstract of Nicholas's letter to Falkland, 18 Dec. 1626 (Cal. S.P. Ire., 1625–32, pp 181–2).See also ibid., pp 183, 208–9.

77 Falkland to Nicholas, 21 Apr. 1627 (ibid., 63/244/645). See also Jobson to same, 20 Mar. 1627 (Cal. S.P. Ire., 1625–32, p. 219); same to Buckingham, 23 Apr. 1627 (ibid., p. 226); same to Nicholas, 1 May 1627 (ibid., p. 231); Falkland to same, 5 July 1627 (ibid., pp 249–50); same to same, 13 Aug. 1627 (ibid., p. 262).

78 Edward Bagshawe to E. Porter, 15 Apr. 1630 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1628–32, p. 531).

79 Same to same, 3 May 1630 (ibid., p. 535); Robert Smith to Nicholas, 26 May 1630 (ibid., pp 541–2); Loftus to Nicholas, 2 June 1630 (ibid., p. 543); Smith to same, 2 June 1630 (ibid., pp 543–4); Bagshawe to same, 2 July 1630 (ibid., p. 553); Loftus to same, 22 July 1630 (ibid., pp 559–60).

80 Wentworth to admiralty commissioners, 31 Nov. 1633 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/79).

81 Petition of Forth, n.d. (ibid., 63/115/30).

82 See above, pp 315–16. Caesar evidently worked for a number of years as judge of the high court of admiralty without pay ( Roscoe, E. S., Studies in the history of the admiralty and prize courts (London, 1932), p. 23 Google Scholar).

83 A.P.C.. 1578–80. p. 318; Levack, B. P, The civil lawyers in England, 1603–1641 (Oxford, 1973), p. 231 Google Scholar.

84 Loftus to Sir Francis Annesley, 22 Nov. 1628 (P.R.O., S.P 63/247/152).

85 List of enquiries to be made about admiralty officials (? Apr 1627 (ibid., 63/268/67)).

86 Crump, Helen J., Colonial admiralty jurisdiction in the seventeenth century (London, 1931), pp 18–19, 149–50Google Scholar; instructions for vice-admirals, 4 Feb. 1632 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered). Some accounts which were presented were also questioned by the admiralty commissioners. See, e.g., admiralty commissioners to Wentworth, 31 Jan. 1635 (Cal. S.P. Ire., 1632–47, p. 94); Sir George St George to admiralty commissioners, 30 Sept. 1635 (ibid., p. 111).

87 Falkland to Nicholas, 14 Mar 1626 (P.R.O., S.P 63/242/264).

88 Sir Richard Plumleigh to admiralty commissioners, 30 Aug. 1634 (Cal. S.P. Ire., 1633–47, p. 73). The following year Wentworth reported that the pirates were banished, and trade was reviving (ibid., p. 110). Hugh O'Grady, Cf.. Strafford and Ireland (2 vols, Dublin, 1923), i, 341–4Google Scholar.

89 Account of Chichester 16 Apr. 1632 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered Crump, Colonial admiralty jurisdiction, p. 18.

90 Loftus to Nicholas, 22 Nov. 1628 (P.R.O., S.P 63/247/151).

91 Ibid.

92 Loftus to admiralty commissioners, 29 Mar. 1632 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/15 unnumbered).

93 Ibid.; Loftus to admiralty commissioners, 18 Aug. 1634 (P.R.O.,S.P 63/254/146 Later in the same year Wentworth claimed that the vice-admiralty of Leinster was no worth even 20 nobles per annum (Wentworth to admiralty commissioners, 20 De 1634 (ibid., no. 187)).

94 Account of St George,? 1629(P.R.O., H.C.A. 30/158, unnumbered); account of St George from 28 Aug. 1628 to 13 Apr 1638 (ibid.); Cal S.P Ire., 1633–47. p. 111.

95 A list of vice-admiralty accounts brought in since the death of Buckingham on 23 Aug. 1628, 8 Mar. 1637 (P.R.O., H.CA. 30/158, unnumbered); account of admiralty perquisites accruing to the vice-admiral of Munster in 1636 and 1637 (ibid.); Cal S.P. Ire., 1633–47, pp 111, 112.

96 Account of vice-admiralty of Munster from death of Buckingham to 16 Nov. 1630 (P.R.O., H.CA 30/158, unnumbered).

97 Wentworth to admiralty commissioners (?), abstract of, 2 Oct. 1635 (P.R.O., S.P 63/255/55); Loftus to same, 18 Aug. 1634 (ibid., S.P. 63/254/146).

98 Loftus to Marten, 26 Apr. 1636 (P.R.O., H.CA. 30/158, unnumbered).

99 Examination of Lawrence Davidge, 19 Jan. 1613(P.R.O., H.C.A. 13/98, ff 21v–22); examination of Henry Skipwith (ibid., ff 31–2, 37–40); examination of Paul de Cuper, 9 Nov 1608 (ibid., H.C.A. 13/40, f. 17); examination of Thomas Barrill, 28 Aug. 1612 (ibid., H.C.A. 13/42, ff 79v–80); examination of William Weston (ibid., H.C.A. 13/42, ff. 199–201). In 1607 the Spanish ambassador in London complained about the depredations of English pirates, operating under the protection of the ‘viceroy’ of Ireland ( Quinn, D. B., ‘The voyage of Triall, 1606–1607: an abortive Virginia venture’ in American Neptune, xxxi (1971), p. 103 Google Scholar; Cal. S.P Ire., 1608–10, pp 353–4, 397–8).

100 List of inquiries to be made of admiralty officials in Ireland, n.d. but probably Apr. 1627 (P.R.O., S.P 63/268/67).

101 Villiers to Nicholas, 27 Apr. 1626 (ibid., S.P 63/242/296).

102 List of wrongs done by Campaine, ? 1625 (ibid., S.P 16/522/126); Nicholas to Falkland, 18 Dec. 1626 (Cal. S.P Ire., 1625–32, pp 181–2); see also Cal. S.P Dom. 1625–6, p. 382).

103 Falkland to Boyle, 4 Sept. 1624 (Lismore papers, 2nd ser., iii, 126–7); Hull to Boyle, ? Oct. 1618 (ibid., ii, 146–7). For Hull's fisheries in Leamcon, see A. E. J. Went, ‘Sir William Hull's losses in 1641: transcript of a manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin’ in Cork Hist. Soc. Jn., lii (1947), pp 55–68. The authors are grateful to Professor Nicholas Canny for first drawing their attention to this MS. For Boyle's marriage connexions with Loftus and other members of the Irish establishment, see Nicholas Canny, The upstart earl (Cambridge, 1982), pp 52–4.

l04 List of inquiries to be made of admiralty officials in Ireland, Apr. 1627? (P.R.O., S.P. 63/268/67).

105 ‘Letter-book of Sir Arthur Chichester’ p. 69; examination of Thomas Digby, 20 Aug. 1613 (P.R.O., H.C.A. 13/42, ff 208v–l1). The lord deputy was also implicated in the purchase of goods from Campaine (Council book of the corporation of Cork, p. xxiii).

106 See cases in the salved chancery pleadings in P.R.O.I.

107 Loftus to admiralty commissioners, 18 Aug. 1634 (P.R.O., S.P 63/254/146).

108 Gilbert, J. T (ed.), History of the Irish confederation and the war in Ireland, 1641–1649 (7 vols, Dublin, 1882–91), vii, 139Google Scholar.

109 Dunlop, Commonwealth, ii, 581–2; Yale, D.E.C., ‘A historical note on the jurisdiction of the admiralty in Ireland’ in Irish Jurist, new series, iii (1968), pp 146–61Google Scholar.

An earlier version of this paper was read at the early modern history seminar at Trinity College, Dublin. We are grateful to Dr Ciaran Brady and other members of the seminar for their comments and criticisms.