John Weddell
Encyclopedia
John Weddell was an English
sea captain who served for both the Muscovy Company
and the East India Company
.
From May to August 1617 he was master or master’s mate of the Muscovy Company’s ship Dragon, which was vice-admiral of the whaling
fleet sent to Spitsbergen
. In July the Dragon sailed into Hornsund
, where it seized the cargo of the Vlissingen ship de Arcke Noë ("Noah's Ark"), under Jan Verelle, before driving it away ballasted with stones. In the depositions given of the voyage in January of the following year he was described as "John Weddell, alias Duke, of Lymehorst, mariner".
In October 1617 Weddell was named as being one of the master’s mates of the East India Company’s ship Dragon, but in December he was promoted to commander or master of the Lion. He left in the spring of 1618 and returned to England in September 1620. In April 1621 he was captain of the Jonas and given command of three other East India Company ships. As joint-admiral of an English fleet of five ships and four pinnace
s, he participated in the Anglo-Persian attack on Kishm and siege of Ormuz
early in 1622. In giving a detailed account of the voyage and plunder to the high court of admiralty in December 1623, he was described as "of Ratcliffe
, in Middlesex
, gent., aged 40 or thereabouts".
Given command of the Royal James, Weddell again sailed as commander of the East India Company’s fleet to India
in March 1624. Soon after reaching Surat
in September, he was sent to Gombroon (Bandar-Abbas) to combine with a Dutch
squadron to fight the Portuguese
. In a hard-fought three-day battle they were able to defeat the Portuguese fleet, which fled to Goa
. After his return to England in 1626 he came under the Company's scrutiny for irregular or illegal private trading. The suit against him was later "privately arranged".
In 1627 and 1628 he commanded the king's ship Rainbow. By December of the latter year he had returned to the service of the East India Company, being given command of the Charles. Despite again being censured for private trading on his return to England in April 1631, he was given command of the same vessel in 1632. From the carelessness of the master of the Swallow, the Charles was burnt at Surat in January 1633. Weddell lost his entire estate aboard the vessel, while the master of the Swallow returned to England in irons. The court refused to give him another commission and ship, instead ordering him to return in the Jonas.
Early in 1636 Weddell was given command of six ships sent by the interloper Sir William Courten
, who had received a patent from the king in December 1635 to trade in the East Indies. After failing to establish trade in Canton
owing to Portuguese intrigues, he went back to India, where he succeeded in establishing a trade at Rajapur. He apparently returned to England in 1640; two years later he again sailed to India as an interloper. There he died.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sea captain who served for both the Muscovy Company
Muscovy Company
The Muscovy Company , was a trading company chartered in 1555. It was the first major chartered joint stock company, the precursor of the type of business that would soon flourish in England, and became closely associated with such famous names as Henry Hudson and William Baffin...
and the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
Career
History of whaling
The history of whaling is very extensive, stretching back for millennia. This article discusses the history of whaling up to the commencement of the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986....
fleet sent to Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
. In July the Dragon sailed into Hornsund
Hornsund
Hornsund is a fjord on the western side of the southernmost tip of Spitsbergen island.The fjord's mouth faces west to the Greenland Sea, and is 12 km wide. The length is 30 kilometres, the mean depth is 90 metres, and the maximal depth is 260 metres...
, where it seized the cargo of the Vlissingen ship de Arcke Noë ("Noah's Ark"), under Jan Verelle, before driving it away ballasted with stones. In the depositions given of the voyage in January of the following year he was described as "John Weddell, alias Duke, of Lymehorst, mariner".
In October 1617 Weddell was named as being one of the master’s mates of the East India Company’s ship Dragon, but in December he was promoted to commander or master of the Lion. He left in the spring of 1618 and returned to England in September 1620. In April 1621 he was captain of the Jonas and given command of three other East India Company ships. As joint-admiral of an English fleet of five ships and four pinnace
Pinnace (ship's boat)
As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...
s, he participated in the Anglo-Persian attack on Kishm and siege of Ormuz
Capture of Ormuz (1622)
In the 1622 Capture of Ormuz, a Anglo-Persian force combined to take over the Portuguese garrison at Hormuz Island, thus opening up Persian trade with England...
early in 1622. In giving a detailed account of the voyage and plunder to the high court of admiralty in December 1623, he was described as "of Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe
-Places:United Kingdom:* Ratcliffe or Ratcliff, Tower Hamlets, London* Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire* Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Leicestershire* Ratcliffe Culey, Leicestershire* Ratcliffe College, LeicestershireUnited States* Ratcliff, Arkansas-People:...
, in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, gent., aged 40 or thereabouts".
Given command of the Royal James, Weddell again sailed as commander of the East India Company’s fleet to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in March 1624. Soon after reaching Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
in September, he was sent to Gombroon (Bandar-Abbas) to combine with a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
squadron to fight the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In a hard-fought three-day battle they were able to defeat the Portuguese fleet, which fled to Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. After his return to England in 1626 he came under the Company's scrutiny for irregular or illegal private trading. The suit against him was later "privately arranged".
In 1627 and 1628 he commanded the king's ship Rainbow. By December of the latter year he had returned to the service of the East India Company, being given command of the Charles. Despite again being censured for private trading on his return to England in April 1631, he was given command of the same vessel in 1632. From the carelessness of the master of the Swallow, the Charles was burnt at Surat in January 1633. Weddell lost his entire estate aboard the vessel, while the master of the Swallow returned to England in irons. The court refused to give him another commission and ship, instead ordering him to return in the Jonas.
Early in 1636 Weddell was given command of six ships sent by the interloper Sir William Courten
William Courten
Sir William Courten was a wealthy 17th century merchant, operating from London. He financed the colonisation of Barbados, but lost his investment and interest in the islands to the Earl of Carlisle.-Birth and upbringing:...
, who had received a patent from the king in December 1635 to trade in the East Indies. After failing to establish trade in Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
owing to Portuguese intrigues, he went back to India, where he succeeded in establishing a trade at Rajapur. He apparently returned to England in 1640; two years later he again sailed to India as an interloper. There he died.