June 29, 2010

I have been reading about Walter Chiles and trying to differentiate between Walter I and Walter II. In some blogs I have read that Walter I came over first and then other blogs I have read that Walter II came over first.
In my previous blog I mentioned the high admiralty court records in which Walter Chiles (I or II) gave testimony. The High Court of Admiralty (HCA) can trace its history back to Edward III (1327-1377) when it acquired jurisdiction over cases involving piracy on the high seas. Until about 1625, cases of piracy were it’s main job, but when the Duke of Richmond was patented as Lord High Admiral of England, it assimilated from Chancery almost all civil and criminal cases affecting ships and merchandise at sea, on navigable waterways and over the seas. Records of these cases survive from the time of Henry VIII (1509-1547). I have found a reference to a book called High Court of Admiralty Examination 1637-1638 by Dorothy O. Shilton and Richard Holworthy.
This book will hopefully have the reference I have quoted in my blog. Volume 53 page 301. In the many blogs and family historys that I have been reviewing, one blog wrote that Walter Chiles was testifying about the Captain drinking all the liquor on board. So as soon as I can find this book or the High Admiralty record maybe I can verify this record.