COMMITTEE OF THE NAVY - ENSURING A CAPTAIN LOYAL TO THE PARLIAMENT ERLE Sir Walter, (1586-1665, M.P. for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis), Samuel VASSALL, (1586-1667, Merchant, M.P. for London), Sir William WHELER, (circa 1601-1666, 1st Baronet, M.P for Westbury), Benjamin VALENTINE, (died in or before 1653, M.P. for St. Germans), and Giles GREEN, (d. 1656, M.P. for Corfe Castle)

Document Signed by all the above members of the Committee for the Navy, addressed to the Commissioners of the Navy, with transcription, saying that the House of Commons, learning that "the Crescent frigatt one of the revolted ships is lately taken & brought into Plymouth", has "referred it unto this Committee by their order of the 28th: present to fitt out the said frigatt to sea to be a guard by the Westerne Coasts", accordingly the Committee order the Commissioners to "take Care write away [sic] for the fitting of the said Frigatt with a proporcion of Victualls & all of the provisions for five months and ... to certifie ... the names of two or three Active faithfull Commanders to be presented unto the house that one of them may be Chosen to take Command", 1 side 12¼" x 7½", short title on conjugate leaf, no place, 28th November

The Commissioners of the Navy were set up by Parliament in 1642 to keep the Navy operational, after King Charles I had "put restraints" on it. Crescent(150 tons, 14 guns) was bought for the Navy that year. In June 1648 she was one of 11 ships carried off by Sir William Batten to join the royalists in Holland, but was almost immediately retaken.
Sir Walter Erle,a strong puritan, was closely associated with the Rev. John White of Dorchester. From 1624-1627 he served as governor of White's Dorchester Company, an early venture at colonizing New England. In 1627 Earle led the resistance in the county to 'ship money', was imprisoned for a year, and won a landmark victory against the Crown for imprisoning without showing cause. He was active in the first civil war as Governor of Dorchester, though he failed in his 1643 attempt to wrest Corfe Castle from 'Brave Dame Mary' Bankes, and had to flee by sea.
Samuel Vassall (1586-1667), a great shipowner and exporter of cloth, had been one of the original members of the Massachusetts Bay Company, which took over the Dorchester Cpmpany and became synonymous with the colony of Massachusetts. For refusing to pay 'ship money' and other impositions, he claimed to have been imprisoned 16 times.
Sir William Wheler was knighted by both Charles I and Cromwell, and was later Parliamentary Paymaster. He welcomed the return of Charles II, who made him Baronet of the City of Westminster. He owned and developed the northern half of Spitalfields, which was later known as the 'New Town'.
Benjamin Valentine,on the 2nd March 1629, with Denzil Holles, held down the Speaker in his chair, so that Sir John Eliot could read his resolutions against Charles I. As a result, Valentine was imprisoned for ten years from 1630.
Giles Green of Allington in Dorset was a prominent citizen of Weymouth, and another founder of the Dorchester Company.

Item Date:  1648

Stock No:  54094      £1275

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