Extracts
of the Log of the Barque SPIRIT OF THE NORTH 1857 - assault on an apprentice
Source: TNA: PRO:
BT 98/5796 (Official number 11,943)
Official
Log Book No.5 - 28 January 1858 - 30 March 1859
Friday 10 a.m.
October 8 1858
At Foo Chow Foo
At 6h 15m A.M.
Henry Heywood apprentice came aft and complained of the bad treatment he had
received from Wm Affleck the Chief Mate, his statement as follows, Yesterday
after I had done scrubbing the covers of some cushions that the Captain had
ordered me, the mate Mr Affleck made me hang them up to an earing
across from the port side of the Main rigging to the starboard, with four parts
of ?lionic? which I did, but
one of them having blown down, I went up they being then very nearly dry, took
them down and laid them on the Starboard side of the Poop to finish drying,
About a quarter of an hour after this the mate came up out of the Cabin, and
seeing the Cushions lying on the deck he called me and asked me shy I did not hand them up as he told me, I told him I but
that one of them having blown down I went up and took the rest down, he at the
same time struck me across the face with one of the covers, he them told me to
hang them up again, and I was going to do it when he called me a damned son of
a bitch, I then told him I was no more a son of a bitch than he was, when he
caught me by the shirt and struck me in the face and back with his fist, I then
struck him in self defence, and he rolled down on the deck drunk, he then went
below and remained in his berth till 9 o’clock at night when he came up and
again called me a son of a bitch and a son of a whore, it being the fourth time
he has been drunk, each time calling me names of which I am not deserving, I
William Billings Master of the “Spirit of the Age” called the Chief Mate aft to
read this log to him, he refused to hear it, on deck.
These three
witnesses heard the Chief Mate refuse to hear the Log read to him on Deck
|
|
Wm Billing
Master |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Witness |
Henry Swinney |
2nd
Mate |
|
Witness |
Henry Cull |
Apprentice |
|
Witness |
H. Heywood |
Apprentice |
Friday
10 h 30 m A.M.
Henry Heywood
apprentice went on board her Majesty’s Ship “Samson” to state his complaint, he
was told to go to the British Consul
Saturday
8h 30m A.M.
October 9 1858
Foo Chow Foo
Henry Heywood
apprentice asked leave to go to the Consul, I granted him leave, he came on board the Ship in the evening
Sunday
8 A.M.
October 10 1858
Foo Chow Foo
Henry Heywood
brought me a letter on Her Majesty’s Service, which I found to contain a
Summons for Wm Affleck and Henry Heywood to appear at the British Consulate at
2 P.M. on Tuesday the 12th of October, and to send the log Book at
the same time
Tuesday noon
October 12 1858
Foo Chow Foo
At 11 A.M. this
day Wm Affleck and Henry Heywood left this Ship to proceed to the British
Consulate
Wednesday
8 h 30 m A.M.
October 13 1858
Foo Chow Foo
At the time
appointed Wm Affleck and Henry Heywood appeared at the British Consulate, The
Consul asked Henry Heywood if he wished to force the charge, he answered that
he did not, so the case ended
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