The 18th day of April, I was elected and sworn Master of the Corporation of Shipwrights at our common hall and meeting place at Redriff.
The 13th day of May, I bought the rest of the land at the Brook, of John Griffin and Robert Griffin, brothers, and a lease of their sister, belonging to the College of Rochester.
The 22nd of May, I removed my wife and some of my family from Chatham to Woolwich.
In July Sir Henry Mainwaring caused me to build a small pinnace of 40 tons for the Lord Zouch, being then Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, which pinnace was launched the 2nd of August and presently rigged and fitted, all at my charge; and the 6th day we set sail with her from Woolwich accompanied with Sir Walter Ralegh and his sons, Sir Henry Mainwaring, Mr. Christopher Hamon,[436] cousin William Hawkridge,[437] myself, son, and divers others. The first tide we anchored [at] Gravesend; next night at the North Foreland; next tide in the Downs, where we landed and rode to Dover Castle in the Lord Warden's coach, sent purposely for us, leaving the pinnace to be brought in to Dover Pier with the pilot and mariners. We stayed at Dover till the 16th of August and then took leave of the Lord Warden, and came to Woolwich the 17th day at night.
Towards the whole of the hull of the pinnace and all her rigging and furniture I received only 100l. from the Lord Zouch, the rest Sir Henry Mainwaring cunningly received in my behalf, without my knowledge, which I could never get from him but by piece-meal, so that by the bargain I was loser 100l. at least.
The 3rd day [of] December following, died my brother Cooper at Chatham. The 16th of December I launched the great ship of Sir Walter Ralegh's called the Destiny, and had much ado to get her into the water, but I delivered her to him on float in good order and fashion; by which business I lost 700l. and could never get any recompense at all for it, Sir Walter Ralegh going to sea and leaving me unsatisfied.
This year of 1617 proved a very fatal and troublesome year unto me. The 14th day of March I removed my wife and family from Woolwich to my house at Chatham, she being so big with child that I was forced to carry her by coach, and that very leisurely for that she was with child with two twins. The 20th of this month my wife's own father died at his house at Highwood Hill.
The 15th day of April my wife was safely delivered of two daughters at 12 of the clock at night: they were both baptized in Chatham Church the 22nd day in the afternoon, being Tuesday; the eldest named Mary; the other Martha.
About the midst of May, I was sent for by the Lord Treasurer, then Earl of Suffolk, and Sir Fulke Greville, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, and by them employed in a most troublesome business into the New Forest in Hampshire, where one Sir Giles Mompesson[438] had made a vast waste in the spoil of his Majesty's timber, to redress which I was employed thither to make choice, out of the number of trees he had felled, of all such timber as was useful for shipping; in which business I spent a great deal of time, and brought myself into a great deal of trouble.
The 6th of November my daughter Mary, the eldest of the twins, departed this life at Chatham, and was buried 2 days after at Chatham.