STEWART, JASPER [SSNE 7176]
Text source
Jasper Stewart was a skipper employed by the company of Andrew Russell [SSNE 143] and Patrick Thomson [SSNE 6475] and working on board the ship of James Jaffray [SSNE 7175], 'St Maria'. In November 1693 Jaffray's name appeared on a charterparty between Patrick Thomson and Jaffray on the one hand and the Aberdeen merchants John Johnston, James Gordon senior and Robert Gordon on the other. Jaffray was to sail to Norway and then to Campvere in the Netherlands. He was then to go for Rochelle and then home again. He had arrived in Christiansand in Norway by 10 January 1694, but told Russell that it was "insaine" to wait in Christiansand until the convoy was to leave in March. He hoped that Russell could grant him £50 so that he could insure the ship against loss. On general news he noted that 8-10 Dutch men of war were roving off the coast of Norway while the English blockaded Le Havre. On 1/11 February 1694 he complained to Russell of having no pass to proceed. He told Russel that he was awaiting word from Gothenburg where he had written several times, but without reply. The reason for waiting for news from Gothenburg was that Jaffray's ship, 'The Maria of Stockholm' was Swedish registered and he therefore needed Swedish passes. He had heard from the London based merchant, Stephen Ernanlt that even with convoy ther was danger. Jaffray wished to make a run for Holland or England but was constrained by his charterparty to go to Zeeland, but wanted Russell's advice on how to proceed. He also pointed out that while his cargo of butter, tallow and stockings had a bill of loading from Scotland, the deals he had on board were without. He needed these to continue his voyage, but they were not forthcoming. By 16 March 1694, a Dutch language notarial document had been drawn up between Jaffray and the Aberdeen merchants which revised the original charterparty, but still directing the skipper to John Hamilton, Scottish factor in Campvere. This confirmed a Dutch language pass from the Swedish Privy Council for the ship, dated Stockholm, 13 January 1694. These documents note Jasper Stewart, as the skipper and Jaffray as the owner of the vessel. Stewart was also noted in them as being a burgess of Stockholm - "Ende dat Jesper Stewart van't voorseide Schip Burger ende inwoonnder is der Stadt Stockholm"National Archives of Scotland, Russell Papers, RH15/106/772 (1693-94). Passim; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), p.217.
Service record
- SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM
- Arrived 1694-01-13
- Capacity BURGESS SKIPPER, purpose CIVIC, TRADE, COMERCE