John Weddell facts for kids
John Weddell (1583–1642) was an English sea captain. He worked for two important trading companies: the Muscovy Company and later the East India Company (EIC). He sailed to many distant lands, including the Arctic and India, and was involved in exciting sea battles and trade missions.
Contents
John Weddell's Life at Sea
Early Voyages and Whaling
In 1617, John Weddell worked for the Muscovy Company. This company traded with Russia and also hunted whales. He was a master or master's mate on a ship called the Dragon. This ship was part of a whaling fleet that sailed to Spitsbergen, an island in the Arctic.
During this trip, the Dragon sailed into a place called Hornsund. There, Weddell took control of the cargo from a Dutch ship named de Arcke Noë (which means "Noah's Ark"). After taking the cargo, the Dutch ship was sent away.
Adventures with the East India Company
Later in 1617, Weddell joined the East India Company. This company was very powerful and traded with countries in Asia, especially India. He quickly became the commander of a ship called the Lion. He sailed to India in 1618 and returned to England in 1620.
In 1621, Weddell became captain of the Jonas and was put in charge of three other EIC ships. He helped lead an English fleet in a big attack. They joined forces with the Persians to attack Kishm and then lay siege to Ormuz in 1622. Ormuz was an important port controlled by the Portuguese.
Battles and Challenges
Weddell was given command of another ship, the Royal James, in 1624. He sailed with the EIC fleet to India again. When he arrived in Surat, he was sent to Bandar-Abbas to team up with a Dutch fleet. Together, they fought a tough three-day battle against the Portuguese fleet. They won the battle, and the Portuguese ships had to escape to Goa.
After returning to England in 1626, Weddell faced some problems. The East India Company thought he might have been doing some unauthorized trading on the side. However, the issue was later settled privately.
In 1627 and 1628, he commanded a King's ship called the Rainbow. By 1628, he was back with the East India Company, commanding the ship Charles. He was again criticized for unauthorized trading when he returned to England in 1631. Even so, he was given command of the Charles again in 1632.
Sadly, in January 1633, the Charles caught fire and was destroyed in Surat. This happened because of carelessness from the master of another ship, the Swallow. Weddell lost all his belongings that were on the ship. The East India Company refused to give him another ship or command. Instead, they ordered him to return to England on the Jonas.
Later Years and New Ventures
Weddell brought important news back to England about an agreement called the Goa Convention. This agreement stopped fighting between the English and Portuguese in India. It also allowed the English to use Portuguese trading resources.
Weddell was unhappy with how the East India Company had treated him. So, in 1636, he took command of six ships for a different group. This group was led by Sir William Courten, who had special permission from the King to trade in the East Indies. This was a challenge to the East India Company's power.
Weddell tried to set up trade in Canton (China), but Portuguese traders caused problems. So, he went back to India and successfully started trading in Rajapur. He likely returned to England in 1640. Two years later, he sailed to India again, still trading independently. He died there in 1642.
