What is the meaning of "cedactions"?
Moderator: MOD_nyhetsgrupper
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Louise Staley
Re: What is the meaning of "cedactions"?
John Brandon wrote:
http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC05203528&id=6giBbC5tEUIC&pg=RA6-PA378&lpg=RA6-PA378&dq=cedactions
dunno, but you have covered this ground before.
From: MRGIFFORD@email.msn.com (John Brandon)
Subject: Re: Some items from the NEHGR concerning Mr. John Gifford of Lynn, Mass.
Date: 6 Aug 2002 17:59:19 -0700
References: <ef86e923.0207251536.66db6b5@posting.google.com
_New England Historical and Genealogical Register_ 38:378-79:
"To the Right Honorble the Comittee for foreign affaires. The
humble peticon of Lyonell Copley, Thomas Foley, Thos Pury, Nicholas
Bond, John Pocock, William Haydock, John Becx, Wm Greenhill, George
Shirpuls, Wm Beck, on behalf of themselves and other marchants
adventurers Trading in the Iron works in New England.
Sheweth---That yor pet[itione]rs and others in partnership with
them were invited by the Inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay in New
England to erect and stock sundry Iron works there, which (about ten
years since being accomplished by yr pet[itione]rs) cost them 15.000L
whereupon yor pet[itione]rs Sent over an Agent and ffactor to manage
ye same namely John Gifford for their Agent and William Aubery for
their ffactor. That their ffactor's contracting supposed debts there
to the value of 1500L in yo[u]r pet[itione]rs names, but against their
order, the credditors upon non-payment seized on and have swalloed up
yr pet[itione]rs Estates there, which in Lands, Buildings, Stock, and
Servants, amounted to the value of 15.000L and in a years time upon
pretence of Interest &t have inflamed their pretended debt to 3600L
albeit some of those Credditors were debtors to yo[u]r pet[itione]rs
Stock about 1300L. That by oppression of power and might they
imprisoned there yo[u]r pet[itioner]s agent for cedactions of 40.000L,
detaine him in prison three years and a half denying him liberty upon
sufficient Bayle or to admitt of his legall and just defence of your
petitioners right or to accept of able security of double the value of
their pretended debt but rigorously proceed in their court called a
speciall court erected only for Strangers not Inhabitants. That your
petitioners to their further charge and trouble about 21 months since
dispatcht their agent from hence thither to treat and implore the
Comon justice of the country for their reparacion which there were soe
far from obtaining that theire Estates are still with held even by
some of the Judges themselves who declared in open court there that
although your petitioners should recover their Estates by Law, yet
they should not have the Same, nor would they permitt your petitioners
agent to sue for severall hundreds of pounds, which were there really
due unto your petitioners, soe your petitioners are without remedy or
hope of reliefe without the power and Justice of this honourable
Committee.
That Capt. Laverett the agent of the Country of new England is
heere [in England]. Therefore it is the humble request of your
Petitioners that your Honours will bee pleased to grant a Sumons
against Henry Webb, Thomas Savage, Edward Hutchinson, Anthony Stodder,
Edward Tyng, William Payne, Richard Bellingham, Symon Bradstreet,
Thomas Wiggins and upon their non-appearance in a convenient tyme
after proofe of they being served with your order of Summons, wee may
have Letters of mart to recover our Estates against the said Country
of the Massachusetts Bay from whom wee have received our wrong, if
they pretend themselves a free state and not submitt to your order of
summons, and that your honours will received the testimony of the said
John Gifford our agent whilst it may bee taken heere [in England],
least your petitioners bee deprived thereof by absence or death when
occasion to use the same.
And your petitioners shall ever pray &c. &c."
I've noticed a more exact source for this document. An abstract is
given in W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., _Calendar of State Papers, Colonial
Series, America and West Indies, 1661-1668_ (London: H.M.S.O., 1880),
p. 17:
"[? 1661.] 50. Petition of Lyonell Copley, Thomas Foley, Thos. Pury,
Nicholas Bond, John Pocock, Wm. Heycock, John Beex, Wm. Greenhill,
Geo. Sherpuls, and Wm. Beck on behalf of themselves and other
merchants adventurers in the iron-works in New England to the Council
for Foreign Plantations. Above 10 years since they erected sundry
iron-works there at a cost of 15,000l., and left John Gifford and Wm.
Avery [sic; recte Awbrey] to manage same. For supposed debts the
petitioners estates were seized and their agents imprisoned. About
three years since the petitioners dispatched an agent to implore the
common justice of the country, which they were so far from obtaining
that their estates are still witheld even by some of the Judges
themselves so that petitioners are without hope of remedy. Pray for
relief. 1p. [_Col. Papers, Vol. XV., No. 31, p. 2_]."
It's perhaps not the best abstract, since, among other errors (21
months is less than two years, let alone three), it does not
mentionGifford's "cedactions of 40.000L," for which he was imprisoned
three and a half years. _(Has anybody encountered the word_
_"cedaction"? I don't find it in the _OED_. Could it be a compound_
_word, "cede-actions"?)_
Hartley, in his book _Ironworks on the Saugus_, may have been unaware
of the fuller version of the document available in the _New England
Historical and Genealogical Register_, since on p. 160 he cites _Cal.
State Papers, Colonial, 1661-68_, p. 17 for the fact that the
Undertakers claimed a L15,000 value for the New England ironworks. He
does not mention Gifford's "cedactions" of L40,000 at this point (or
elsewhere).
Perhaps a closer study of the version given in _NEHGR_ would make
*some* sense of the financial chaos that Hartley's book portrays. In
my posting from March 12, 2001, I note, "References to Gifford's
lawsuits in England, published in volumes 66 and 69 of _The National
Genealogical Society Quarterly_, show that the American immigrant
owned a house in the parish of St. Katherine-by-the-Tower, London.
(Gifford was suing the Undertakers for the Ironworks for L40,000, an
enormous sum in those days.)" Perhaps some kind soul with access to
_The National Genealogical Society Quarterly_ could double-check me.
Did I remember L4,000 as L40,000??
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John Brandon
Re: What is the meaning of "cedactions"?
dunno, but you have covered this ground before.
Stale-ly joining your compatriots, Louise?