On this day in 1705, George Dungey certified that he had been the second mate an gunner on the Mary Galley between 16 October 1704 and 8 May 1705. When they arrived at Bencolon, he learned that the Sarum was in need of a chief mate. With the permission of his captain, Joseph Tolson, he joined the other ship.
The purpose of the certificate was to confirm that Dungey had left the Mary Galley through no fault of Tolson but purely to obtain a promotion. It demonstrates how closely owners of ships at the time monitored what happened on their voyages. Clearly Toslon believed that he needed proof that he had not mistreated his crew in any way.