Nicholas Downton

Nicholas Downton (1561-6 August 1615), was a commander in the service of the English East India Company (EIC).

Downton was born in the village of Bushley in Worcestshire in early 1561, the son of John and Katherine Downton. On the orders of the Earl of Cumberland he took part in the Action of Faial in 1594 as commander of the Samson, which resulted in the destruction of the Portuguese carrack Las Cinco Chagas. Although severely wounded during the action, by 1605 he had recovered and made a trading voyage in the Pilgrim to Cumaná and other Caribbean ports. Records held at the India Office indicate that Downton and the Earl of Cumberland were the principal shareholders in the venture, and since tobacco was the return cargo, it may be inferred that the Pilgrim returned home via Virginia.

Early in 1610 he was appointed to command the EIC's ship Peppercorn, and sailed under Sir Henry Middleton in the Trade's Increase on the Company's sixth voyage to the Far East accompanied by the Darling. After touching at the Cape Verde Islands and in Saldanha Bay (now Table Bay), they arrived at Aden on 7 November. They were received with apparent friendliness, and after inquiring into the prospects of trade, Middleton, leaving the Peppercorn at Aden, went on to Mocha, where he anchored on 15 November. After friendly intercourse for some days, on the 28th he was treacherously attacked, taken prisoner, and heavily ironed. The Turks then attempted to seize the ships, but were beaten off with great loss. Nearly at the same time a number of the Peppercorn's men were seized at Aden; and Downton, coming round to Mocha to confer with his general, found himself for the time being in command of the expedition. He remained in the Red Sea, carrying on an occasional correspondence with Middleton, who, on 11 May 1611, succeeded in escaping to the ships. For the next eighteen months they continued, for the most part in the Red Sea or Arabian Sea, visiting the several ports, and seeking to establish a trade; as to which Downton relates that having bought a quantity of pepper at Tecoa on the west coast of Sumatra, on examining it they "found much deceit; in some bags were small bags of paddy, in some rice, and in some great stones; also rotten and wet pepper put into new dry sacks." Towards the end of 1612 Middleton went on to Bantam in the Peppercorn, leaving Downton to follow in the Trade's Increase. In doing so the ship struck on an unseen rock, and when got off was found to be leaking badly. Downton returned to Tecoa and had her refitted as well as possible; but on joining Middleton it was decided that the ship could not go home till she had been careened. It was accordingly determined that Downton should take the Peppercorn to England, and he sailed on the homeward voyage on 4 February 1612 (OS) 1613 (N.S.). The voyage was one of difficulty and distress. Within three days after leaving Java Head half the ship's company were down with sickness. "He that escapes without disease," Downton wrote, "from that stinking stew of the Chinese part of Bantam must be of strong constitution of body." The passage was tedious. Many of his men died, most were smitten with scurvy, he himself was dangerously ill; and the ship, in a very helpless state, unable by foul winds to reach Milford Haven, anchored at Waterford on 13 September 1613, and a month later arrived in the Downs.

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