A Wynter's Tale

 William. Wynter was born at Brecknock, in the Forest of Dean - on the Welsh border. He was the son of John Wynter (ob.1546 - a merchant and sea captain of Bristol and treasurer of the navy, who was friendly with Sir Thomas Cromwell) and Alice, daughter of William Tirrey of Cork.

John Wynter was Captain of the ‘Elizabeth’ an 80 ton ship , was one of the five ships with which set out with Drake on his circumnavigation. John was nephew of Sir William Wynter of the board of Admiralty.

Wynter returned to England making landfall at Ilfracombe in North Devon whilst John Hawkins returned to Padstow in 1565, their crude instruments of navigation making an Atlantic crossing difficult to know whether they were north or south of Lands End.

Sir John Wynter (1600 - 1673), was secretary to Queen Henrietta Marie, Knighted (1624). After the Restoration of the English Monarchy in 1660 he obtained the monopoly for his experiments in the production of coke and was a successful colliery manager in the Forest of Dean.

Having been created Admiral, Wynter supported charges of dishonesty against Hawkins, the treasurer of the navy, and wrote critically of him to Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley. Wynter died on 20 February 1589 aged 68.

John Wynter (c.1577), Admiral to Francis Drake on the voyage of circumnavigation of the world, captain of the ship “Aid” when the West Indies was raided, was known to be a pirates so was Christopher Wynter (c.1716) who was in New Providence, Bahamas when Woodes Rogers became governor and accepted the king's pardon with many other pirates.

November 22, 1642: Indenture "Between Trelawny of Plymouth, Merchant, and John Wynter, of Newe England, marryner, of the one partie and Edmond Andrewes of Yalmpton, in Devon, Blacksmith."  (Signed by Thomas Pomeroy and Morgan Southborough.)  

Also : Thomas Pomeroy signed an indenture the same day with Benjamin Stephens of Landrack; Husbandman.  To sail on the Margery of London, or any other ship. Also a John Buridg:  For 3 years labour, at command and directions of Robert Trelawny and John.John Winter died in 1645.

Edward Gorges of Wraxall (1630-1708), MP Somerset (1688) = Grace, d. of William Wynter of Clapton-in-Gordano > Samuel Gorges of Wraxall, Nailsea and Bourton (1657-1693), student IT (1677) educated Trinity College, Oxford > Elizabeth Gorges (1686-1741) heiress of father and grandfather = Colonel John Codrington, MP for Bath > Jane Codrington, heiresss = Sir RIchard Warwick Bampfylde, 4th baronet (1742) who sold manors of Wraxall, Nailsea, Tikenham, Wraxall Court and others in 1792. The male line devolved on Ferdinando Gorges of Ashley (1663-1738) whose two sons Richard and Ferdinando died young when it devolved on Richard Gorges MP (b.c. 1708) of Kilbrew and Ballygawley, Co.Tyrone, Ireland.

The Bargain was in two parts; the first between Queen Elizabeth and Hawkins under which he would provide mooring and reserve cables, hawsers, cordage, old cables for conversion and other items at his expense and a lump sum of £1,200 per annum for expenditure. The Surveyor, Comptroller and Clerk were to supervise and an yearly inspection would be made by a committee of four, two named by Navy Boards officials and two by Hawkins. 

The other agreement was between the Queen, Peter Pett and Matthew Baker, the master shipwrights to repair five of the largest repair ships every three years or more to stop leaks and to examine them every years and another five smaller ships every two years.

All ships were to be ransacked, caulked and repaired once a year. The shipwrights had to provide spars and masts at their own expense while the ships were in harbour (except the lower masts) and yards for medium and large ships would be supplied free by the Queen. They had to provide wages, food and lodging for workers, carpenters' stores for ships at sea and everything necessary for repairing boats, cocks and skiffs out of their own pockets and would get £1,000 for expenses and the use of storehouses. Wages of shipkeepers, clerks, watchmen and the gunners at Upnor Castle, repair and maintenance of stores and wharves would be met under the old system. Dry-docking and heavy repairs would be seen to by the Navy Board.

1580: In the 1580s many of the Principal Officers of the Navy and the Navy Board were also Brethren of Trinity House of Deptford Strand - William Borough, Sir John Hawkins, the Treasurer, Sir William Winter, the Surveyor and William Holstock the Comptroller (until his death in 1589), were are all members of the Corporation. William Borough became Clerk of the Acts in 1580 and was appointed Comptroller on the death of William Holstock. 

1580-1581: After many months patrolling the west of Ireland to prevent a Spanish landing, Wm Winter was again appointed on committees on the subsidy (25.1.1581), wrecks (30.1.1581), Aldgate (9.2.1581), the Love family (4.3.1581), merchant adventurers (27.8.1581), Dover harbour (4.8.1581) and Norfolk returns (9.11.1586) in his last year in Parliament.

1580: Dies George Winter, who took up navy contracting pre-Armada; he had got a fortune of 10,000 pounds when he earlier dissolved partnership with his brother. 

The families of Hawkins, Drake, Raleigh & Wynter intermarried.

Sir Francis Drake was kinsman of Hawkins and cousin of Robert Barrett, burnt at the stake in Seville. Drake's first wife, Mary Newman, died in January 1582 and was buried at Budeaux near Plymouth and in 1585 he married as his 2nd wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir George Sydenham whose second husband was Sir William Courtenay. Sir Francis Drake lived at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire and Sir Walter Raleigh at Purton manor near Severn Bridge which crosses the river above Sharpness dock just past Lydney, Gloucestershire. Arthur, Charles & Henry Champernowne (d. 1570) of Modbury were Walter Raleigh's cousins.

1585: Edward Winter (Wynter)... Drake's fleet, which assembled at Plymouth in July/August 1585, included two ships belonging to the Queen and other armed merchantmen. His flagship is Elizabeth Bonaventure, a Navy vessel. Martin Frobisher in "Primrose" came up the Thames from Woolwich to join him. 

Amongst those who sailed with Drake to Cartagena on the east of Gulf of Darien were Thomas Fenner, the Queen's cousin Francis Knollys, Sir William Winter's eldest son Edward Winter and Thomas Drake in his kinsman ship. Also sailing was the later Sir Richard Hawkins (1560-1622).

Edward Winter joined the landing party after bartering his ship for Captain Cecil's company of foot. He marched with troops commanded by Christopher Carleill but became separated from his company although he fought at Carleill's side. He was captured by the Spaniards and exchanged for Pedro Flores de Valdes who had been captured with his ship the Nuestra Señora del Rosario by Francis Drake and taken to Tor Bay. Valdes was later given a farewell banquet by the Lord Mayor of London after his ransom of £3,000 was paid. 

The fleet of 25 ships, with 2,300 mariners and soldiers, sailed out of Plymouth on 14.9.1585, taking course towards Spain where they took met a fleet of 9 or 10 French ships, laden with salt. They took one (which they paid for on their return), which is renamed Drake. 

Carleill, in the "Tiger", captured a Spanish ship from San Sebastian (manned by French mariners from St. Jean de Luz), laden with dried fish from Newfoundland which was distributed amongst the English fleet. A day or two afterwards they anchored at the Island of Bayona, south west of Vigo in Galicia, which they intended attacking. They were met by an English merchant John Sampson who mediated between the Spanish and the English. The Spanish governor assured Drake that there was no war between England and Spain and sent him fresh supplies. After a 3-day storm, Carliell nevertheless captured some ships off Vigo, one containing church treasures and anchored in another port above Vigo where they met the governor of Galicia. 

They sailed to the Canaries and landed in Hierro where they were met by the inhabitants led by a youth who had been in England but the island was too poor to loot. On the 13.11.1585 they reached Cape Blanco where they caught fresh fish and met a French fleet. They left the same day for the Cape Verde Islands, reaching Santiago on 16.11.1585 and anchored between Playa and Santiago, landing 1,000 men under Carliell. They looted the city of Santiago for 14 days but found no treasure, only fresh food supplies. The inhabitants had murdered William Hawkins's men during a former voyage 4 or 5 years earlier. In revenge for the brutal murder of one of Drake's men, they set fire to Santiago before setting off for the West Indies. 

Within a few days more than 200-300 of their men had died of disease. They reached the island of Dominica where the natives welcomed them and left for St. Kitts where they spent Christmas. They then decided to leave for Santo Domingo in the island of Hispaniola where they landed on New Year's Day 1586 and which they subsequently attacked. They went on to Cartagena de las Indias in Colombia which they also attacked, captured and where they stayed for 6 weeks whilst the sickness continued. They burned both Santo Domingo and Cartagena (for the second time). They left on the 31st of March and reached Cape St. Anthony in Cuba on 27.4.1586 but left for Matanças as no water was available. They went back to Cape St. Anthony which they left on 13.5.1586, sailing to Cape Florida where they landed on 28.5.1586 and captured Fort St. John. They sailed upriver to St. Augustine and after passing St. Helena, they went ashore and met some Englishmen who had been sent there by Sir Walter Raleigh. These men were offered a passage back to England which they accepted and the fleet sailed back home on the 18.6.1586, reaching Portsmouth on 28.7.1586. The brought back treasure worth £60,000, having lost 750 men, two thirds from sickness. 

The Bristol Shipping Industry in the Sixteenth Century -  Phd dissertation by Evan Thomas Jones

Notes which mention Wynter  SHIPPING records 

Smyth freighted wine on the Mary Conception in 1546 he recorded the wine lost to prise as a sale. This was because the shipowner, Thomas Harris, paid for the wine. Similarly, when Smyth freighted wine on the Hart in 1549, he credited its owner, George Wynter, for the freight of 33.5 tuns, but then debited him for the cost of a butt (half-a-tun) of wine taken to prize:

Smyth’s Ledger, fos. 67, 189, 255.

A combined venture was made by the Bristol shipowner, John Wynter, in 1537. For one voyage to La Rochelle Wynter placed 50 soldiers on board his ship in the hope of their being able to capture any of the Bretton pirates that were troubling the Bristol trade:

L&P, XII, ii, no. 208.

sources D. Starkey, British Privateering and Enterprise in the Eighteenth Century, (Exeter, 1990), pp. 51-52;

            Andrews, Elizabethan Privateering, p. 135.

In order to prepare the city’s ships for naval service, the Bristol merchant, John Wynter, was called to London and, on 23 February, he was provided with £1000 ‘to fit out ships at Bristol to be sent to sea for the defence of the King’s subjects’

In less than a month, Wynter had four Bristol ships stationed in the Irish Sea between Dublin and Holyhead. Not only did their presence force the French to delay their expedition but, as the Lord Deputy of Ireland reported, the presence of the Bristol ships led both to a reduction in activity by French and Scotch privateers on the coast of Ireland, and made the Irish rebel, Odonnell, reconsider his position, for his security depended on his island strongholds.

An entry in the King’s Augmentations Accounts records a payment on 19 March of £152 ‘for pay ofships serving in the west parts for one month’. This would have been more than enough to cover the basic pay of the 530 men that are recorded on 10 May to be serving upon the Irish Sea in four ships.

Since the latter payment was made to John Wynter, it is clear that he was left in charge of the finances of the Bristol fleet: L&P, XVIII, ii, no. 231 pp. 129-

The ships intended for the western expedition were gathered at Bristol, under the direct supervision of John Wynter, and in early August the fleet left with 400 English soldiers to occupy Dumbarton. A letter written by the Lords of Scotland claimed that it consisted of 18 ships.

.....the King decided to pay for the ordnance himself as, after the period of royal service, Wynter, acting as the treasurer of Marine Causes, did ‘bestow and dispose of the saide ordenance to his Majestes use.

The clearest example of a Bristol man receiving favours for his naval services to the Crown is the merchant John Wynter. He is interesting because he took a pro-active approach to Crown service, actively seeking royal attention and patronage through the provision of ‘naval’ services. Wynter first came to the King’s notice when he went to court in 1534 to deliver a communication from the customs officer of Bristol.

Although his message was directed to Thomas Cromwell, Wynter gained an audience with the King and was able to use the occasion to promote his own ideas and interests, for one of Henry’s chief courtiers later wrote to Cromwell that this unknown:

‘had grete and long conference with his Grace aswell of the occurrents upon the costes of Biscaye and Ireland as also of the good redyness of x shipps which now be at Bristowe and of the grete desire he had to serve his Grace in this his busynes in Ireland

Whitecross Manor, in Lydney, was built in the 1570s for Admiral Sir William Wyntour, and stood in what is now the Dean Academy's playing fields.

It was burned down and demolished in 1645 during the English Civil War. It seems that Time had wrought a similar fate for his other properties

John Wynter's Will, 9 November 1545

Houses at Deptford & Limehouse, both on the Thames at London; Whitecross at Lydney in the Forest of Dean and another in Bristol.

2 ships. The first an armed ship,  called the Matthew and another ship, either a brigg called the George or a ship called George Brigg.

His friends in Very High places at the Court of Henry VIII many of them Privy Councellors.

Viscount Lisle ,High Admiral of England,  this may have been John Dudley

Admiral Sir Thomas Clere,  a successful poet at the court of Henry VIII

Sir Nicholas Poynz Knt of Acton Court ,Groom of the Bedchamber & High Sheriff of Gloucestershire; MP for that county &  Knight of the Shire;

Sir William Harbard Knt Chief Secretary to Henry VIII & member of the Privy Chamber;

Sir Anthony Deanny knt confidant of Henry VIII & member of the Privy chamber;

Sir Anthony Browne knt English courtier, Master of the Horse and a Knight of the Shire ;

Sir Thomas Hennage knt gentleman of the privy chamber and a friend of Henry VIII,

and his best friend Sir William Woodhouse knt Vice Admiral and MP for Great Yarmouth.

Source: Transcribed by Evan Jones (2004) Manuscript: PRO PROB 11/31 section 3 fo. 24

In the name of god amen the twentie and ix day of novembre in the yere of our Lorde god a thowsande

five hunred fortie and fyve I John Wynter of Detforde in the countie of Kent esquier being at this present holle of mynd and of full remembraunce makyth my testament and last wyll as followyth First and before all thinges I commit my soale to almyghtie god And my body to be buried where hit shall please myne executors And I will for my mertuarie accordinge ~ to the Lawes of the Realme And to my funerall at my buriall I resort hit to the discrecion of myne executors so that they ~ bury me withoute pompe or pride of the of the worlde

Item I give unto Ales my wiff one hundredth and fyftie pounds in full recompence and satysfaction of all suche porcions as she shulde have of my goodes by any means

Item I gyve to George Winter my thirde son one hundreth pounds in full Recompence and satysfacion of all his childes parte which after my dethe he may have by any Lawe/

Item I gyve to Rauf, my fourth sone one hundredth poundes in full recompence and satysfacion of all his childes parte which after my dethe he may have by any Lawe

Item, I give to William wynter my youngest sonne one hundrethe pounds in recompense and satysfaction of all his childes parte which after my dethe he may have by any Lawe

For asmuche as my eldest daughter Anne Wynter is afore avaunced to a mariage to my great costes I do ~ bequeth unto her nothinge

Item I gyve to Ales my second daughter thre score poundes in full recompance and satysfaction of all her childes parte which after my deth she may have by any Lawe/

Item I give to Anne my thirde daughter the younger thre ~ score poundes in full recompence and satisfaction of all her childes part which she may have after my deth by anye Lawe

Item I gyve to my daughter Elsabeth threscore pounds / in full recompence and satysfaction of all her childes parte whiche she may have after my deth by any Lawe/

Item I gyve to my daughter Mary the youngest threscore poundes in full recompence and satysfaction of all her childes parte / which she may have after my deth by any Lawe

Item, I will that yf anny of my thre sonnes as George, Rauf and William the younger sonne do die before they be of the full age of twentie and one yeres that then all the hole porcion of them so diing shall be equally devided by my supirvisours and executors to the rest of them thre over lyvinge when they shall come to the age of twentie and one yeres/ And yf all they that die byfore thei come to the age of twentie and one yeres that then I will myne executors shall enyoye the same porciones/

Item I will that my ~ ceve any parte of the childes porcion ~ apoynted to them by this my last will out of the handes of myne executors/ till they come to the age of twentie and one yeres

Item I will that Ales / Anne the younger Elizabeth and Mary Wynter my daughters shall all receave no part of this my bequest gyven them by this my will oute of the hands of myne executors till they come to the age of ~ xvi yeres

Item I will that yf any my iii daughters as Ales, Anne the younger Elizabeth or Mary my daughter do die before they be of the Full age of xvi years that then all the hole porcion of them so dyinge shall be ~ equally devided bye my supervisours and executors to the rest of them that over lyvynge when they shall come to the age of xvi yers / If all the foure die before they come to the age of xvi yeres that then I will ~ myne executors shall enjoye the same porcions /

Item I will that myne executors shall yerely within the compas of every yere duringe the nonage of all my said children shall make a trewe acompte and deliver the same by writinge ~ endented assigned with theire handes and seales to my supervisors of the yearly gayne of the said porcions

Item I will that myne executors shalbe bounde in reconysaunce by fore the Lord Chif Justice of the Common Place and the ~ mayre of the staple as well to pay all my saide childrens porcions as also the gaynes gotten by occupieinge the same porcions when my saide childerne shall come to age lymited in this my Last will will written one after another, provy- ded alwayes that yf anye my saide children shall have any lacke of livinge duringe there mynoryties that then myn Executors shall deliver to my said children so havynge nede of the gayne growinge of the porcion which shalbe ~ thought mete and convenyent to be delivered by the discracion of my supervisours

For the whiche delivery my supervisours shall gyve a byll in the name of my said childrene beinge with in age to my myne executors / in discharge for so muche to thentent myne executors maye not forfete there reconisaunce/ Item I will that every of my saide children nd receve there porcions / one after another a there quittaunce to myne executors

Item I gyve and bequeth to my ii systers Johan Mychell and Anne Preusse Either of them foure poundes /

Item ~ I geve to Thomas Starnall of Nasse fortie shillinges/

Item I geve to Arter Winter my eldest sonne to th entent he ~ maye the better serve the Kynges Majestie in his warres my shipp called the Mathew with all her fornyture and armaments

Item I give to William winter the elder my seconde sonne all that my thirde parte of a shipe called the George brigge with all thinges belonginge to my thirde part of the said shipe/

Item I geve to ales my wife all my hole householde stuff and emplements that I have at Detford/ and Lymhouse with all my quicke catill there my place only excepted

Item I give to Arter/ my sonne after the deth of ales my wyfe all my goodes and ~ Chatalls movable and ummovable, at my houses in Lydney and Bristowe

excepte the fourth parte of all the saide goodes and Chatall at my said houses of Lydney and Brystowe which in lycke casse

I geve to my seconde sonne William Wynter after the decease of my wyffe aforesaid

Item I wyll yf my said wyffe do refuce to fynde (Fund) my sonne Arter and his wyff when they shall chaunce or be desirous to lye at either of my said houses or that she do spoyle or wast any of the same goodes houses or landes that then Immediate after suche waste or spoyle provid and founde that then and Imediat my said sonne Arter shall enter of all the said goodes this gyfte not with standing / provyded always that the said arter shall beare his own charges and his wiffse during there abidinges with my said wife

(There seems to be no love lost between eldest son Arthur and wife Alice which suggests she was not his mother and resented the favour her husband showed him)

Item I geve to the Vyscount Lysle High Admirall of Englande for the good love I bear his Lordshipp ~ and for a remembraunce ten pounds

Item I gyve to Sir William Harbard Knyght a ring of xls.

Item I geve to Sir Anthony Deanny knyght a ringe of the value of xls./

Item I geve to Sir Anthony Browne knyght a lycke Ringe/

Item I gyve to Sir Thomas Hennage knyght a lyke ring

Item I geve to Robarte Ellyet, my beste cott of blacke damaske and my best black cloke ~ garded with velvet/

Item I give to Sir Nicholas Poynt knyght a lyke ring as I do to Sir Anthony Brown

Item I ~ geve to Joyce my mayd servante, iij £ towards her marage /

Item I give to Elizabethe my mayd servant in the ~ Forreste thirtene shillings fourepence

Item I geve to my man servant in the Forreste six shillings viijd .

Item I geve to Sir Thomas Clere vis admyrall a lycke ringe as abovesaid

Item I geve to Richard howlet a ring of the price of twentie ~ shillings

Item I give to Thomas Morlaye a lyke ringe

Item I geve to my sonne in law William Bracke a ring of the price of ~fortie shillinges

Item I geve to doctor Owen a ringe of lyke price/ Item I geve to Johan hache fortie shillings

Item I constitue ordane and make my welbeloved frendes Sir William Woodhouse knyght Master John Bellowe and Robart Legge esquires supervisours of this my testament and Laste will/

And I give every one of them for their paynes taken for me in this behalf six poundes thirtien shillinges foure pence a pece/ the reste of my goodes not given nor bequethed my debtes paide I geve to ~ arter wynter my eldeste sonne and william winter my seconde sonne (whome I make my holle executours for to dispose my goodes as they shall think most mete for my discharge agaynste god)

In witness that this is my laste will and ~ testamente to this will I have sette my hande and seale the day and yeare above writen/

By John Wynter ~

witnesseth that this is the laste will of the said John Wynter it was read assigned and sealed the day and yeare above said in the presence of thes witnesses following:

By me richard davey

By me Thomas Payntell

By me edwarde deane

by me Willm woodhouse

nycholas poyntz

Probate granted: 9 February 1546