A General History of the Pyrates Part 19

_Tho. Castel._ I was a Prisoner, Sir, with the Pyrates when their Boat was ordered upon that Service, and found, upon a Resolution of going, Word was pa.s.sed through the Company, Who would go? And I saw all that did, did it voluntarily; no Compulsion, but rather pressing who should be foremost.

The Prisoners yielded to what had been sworn about the Attack and Robbery, but denied the latter Evidence, saying, _Roberts_ hector'd, and upbraided them of Cowardice on this very Occasion; and told some, they were very ready to step on Board of a Prize when within Command of the Ship, but now there seem'd to be a Tryal of their Valour, backward and fearful.

_President._ So that _Roberts_ forc'd ye upon this Attack.

_Prisoners. Roberts_ commanded us into the Boat, and the Quarter-Master to rob the Ship; neither of whose Commands we dared to have refused.

_President._ And granting it so, those are still your own Acts, since done by Orders from Officers of your own Election. Why would Men, honestly disposed, give their Votes for such a Captain and such a Quarter-Master as were every Day commanding them on distastful Services?

Here succeeded a Silence among the Prisoners, but at length _Fernon_ very honestly own'd, that he did not give his Vote to _Magnes_, but to _David Sympson_ (the old Quarter-Master,) _for in Truth_, says he, _I took_ Magnes _for too honest a Man, and unfit for the Business._

The Evidence was plain and home, and the Court, without any Hesitation, brought them in _Guilty._

W_ILLIAM Church, Phil. Haak, James White, Nich. Brattle, Hugh Riddle, William Thomas, Tho. Roberts, Jo. Richards, Jo. Cane, R. Wood, R. Scot, Wm.

Davison, Sam. Morwell, Edward Evans, Wm. Guineys_, and 18 _French_ Men.

The four first of these Prisoners, it was evident to the Court, served as Musick on Board the Pyrate, were forced lately from the several Merchant Ships they belonged to; and that they had, during this Confinement, an uneasy Life of it, having sometimes their Fiddles, and often their Heads broke, only for excusing themselves, or saying they were tired, when any Fellow took it in his Head to demand a Tune.

The other _English_ had been a very few Days on Board the Pyrate, only from _Whydah_ to Cape _Lopez_, and no Capture or Robbery done by them in that Time. And the _French_ Men were brought with a Design to reconduct their own Ship (or the _Little Ranger_ in Exchange) to _Whydah_ Road again, and were used like Prisoners; neither quarter'd nor suffered to carry Arms. So that the Court immediately acquiesced in, _Acquitting them._

T_HO. Sutton, David Sympson, Christopher Moody, Phil. Bill, R. Hardy, Hen. Dennis, David Rice, Wm. Williams, R. Harris, Geo. Smith, Ed. Watts, Jo. Mitch.e.l.l_ and _James Barrow._

The Evidence against these Prisoners, were _Geret de Haen_, Master of the _Flushingham_, taken nigh _Axim_, the Beginning of _January_ last.

_Benj. Kreft_ Master, and _James Groet_ Mate of the _Gertruycht_, taken nigh _Gabone_ in _December_ last, and Mr. _Castel, Wingfield_ and others, that had been Prisoners with the Pyrates.

The former deposed, that all these Prisoners (excepting _Hardy_) were on Board at the Robbery and Plunder of their Ships, behaving in a vile outragious Manner, putting them in bodily Fears, sometimes for the Ship, and sometimes for themselves; and in particular, _Kreft_ charged it on _Sutton_, that he had ordered all their Gunner's Stores out; on which that Prisoner presently interrupted, and said, he was perjured, _That he had not taken half._ A Reply, I believe, not designed as any sawcy Way of jesting, but to give their Behaviour an Appearance of more Humanity than the _Dutch_ would allow.

From Mr. _Castel, Wingfield_ and others, they were proved to be distinguished Men, Men who were consulted as Chiefs in all Enterprizes; belonged most of them to the House of Lords, (as they call'd it,) and could carry an Authority over others. The former said, particularly of _Hardy_, (Quarter-Master of the _Ranger_,) that when the _Diligence_ Sloop was taken, (whereto he belonged,) none was busier in the Plunder, and was the very Man who scuttled and sunk that Vessel.

From some of the Prisoners acquitted, it was farther demanded, whether the Acceptance or Refusal of any Office was not in their own Option? And it was declared, that every Officer was chose by a Majority of Votes, and might refuse, if he pleased, since others gladly embraced what brought with it an additional Share of Prize. _Guilty_

The Court on the 31st of _March_, remanded the following six before them, for Sentence, _viz. Dav. Sympson, Wm. Magnes, R. Hardy, Thomas Sutton, Christopher Moody_, and _Valen. Ashplant._

To whom the President spoke to the following Purpose; _The Crime of Pyracy, of which all of ye have been justly convicted, is of all other Robberies the most aggravating and inhumane, in that being removed from the Fears of Surprize, in remote and distant Parts, ye do in Wantonness of Power often add Cruelty to Theft._

_Pyrates unmoved at Distress or Poverty, not only spoil and rob, but do it from Men needy, and who are purchasing their Livlihoods thro' Hazards and Difficulties, which ought rather to move Compa.s.sion; and what is still worse, do often, by Perswasion or Force, engage the inconsiderate Part of them, to their own and Families Ruin, removing them from their Wives and Children, and by that, from the Means that should support them from Misery and Want._

_To a trading Nation, nothing can be so Destructive as Pyracy, or call for more exemplary Punishment; besides, the national Reflection it infers: It cuts off the Returns of Industry, and those plentiful Importations that alone can make an Island flourishing; and it is your Aggravation, that ye have been the Chiefs and Rulers in these licentious and lawless Practices._

_However, contrary to the Measures ye have dealt, ye have been heard with Patience, and tho' little has, or possibly could, have been said in Excuse or Extenuation of your Crimes, yet Charity makes us hope that a true and sincere Repentance_ (_which we heartily recommend_) _may ent.i.tle ye to Mercy and Forgiveness, after the Sentence of the Law has taken Place, which now remains upon me to p.r.o.nounce._

Y_OU_ Dav. Simpson, William Magnes, R. Hardy, Tho. Sutton, Christopher Moody, _and_ Val. Ashplant.

_Ye, and each of you, are adjudged and sentenced, to be carried back to the Place from whence ye came, from thence to the Place of Execution, without the Gates of this Castle, and there within the Flood-Marks, to be hanged by the Neck till ye are dead._

_After this, ye, and each of you shall be taken down, and your Bodies hanged in Chains._

Warrant for Execution.

P_URSUANT to the Sentence given on_ Sat.u.r.day, _by the Court of Admiralty, at_ Cape-Corso-Castle, _against_ Dav. Simpson, Wm. Magnes, R.

Hardy, Tho. Sutton, Christopher Moody, _and_ Valentine Ashplant.

_You are hereby directed to carry the aforesaid Malefactors to the Place of Execution, without the Gates of this Castle, to Morrow Morning at Nine of the Clock, and there within the Flood-Marks, cause them to be hanged by the Neck till they are dead, for which, this shall be your Warrant. Given under my Hand, this_ 2_d Day of_ April 1722.

_To_ Joseph Gordyn, _Provost-Marshal._

Mungo Heardman.

_The Bodies remove in Chains, to the Gibbets already erected on the adjacent Hillocks._

M. H.

_William Phillips._

IT appeared by the Evidence of Captain _Jo. Trahern_, and _George Fenn_, Mate of the King _Solomon_, that this Prisoner was Boatswain of the same Ship, when she was attacked and taken off Cape _Appollonia_, the 6th of _January_ last, by the Pyrate's Boat.

When the Boat drew nigh, (they say,) it was judged from the Number of Men in her, that they were Pyrates, and being hailed, answered, _Defiance_; at which the Commander s.n.a.t.c.hed a Musquet from one of his Men, and fired, asking them at the same Time, whether they would stand by him, to defend the Ship? But the Pyrates returning a Volley, and crying out, they would give no Quarters if any Resistance was made; this Prisoner took upon him to call out for Quarters, without the Master's Consent, and mislead the rest to the laying down their Arms, and giving up the Ship, to half the Number of Men, and in an open Boat. It was further evident he became, after this, a Voluntier amongst them. First, because he was presently very forward and brisk, in robbing the Ship _King Solomon_, of her Provisions and Stores.

Secondly, because he endeavoured to have his Captain ill used; and lastly, because he had confessed to _Fenn_, that he had been obliged to sign their Articles that Night, (a Pistol being laid on the Table, to signify he must do it, or be shot,) when the whole appeared to be an Untruth from other Evidence, who also a.s.serted his being armed in the Action against the _Swallow._

In answer to this, he first observed upon the Unhappiness of being friendless in this Part of the World, which, elsewhere, by witnessing to the Honesty of his former Life, would, he believed, in a great Measure, have invalidated the wrong Evidence had been given of his being a Voluntier with the Pyrates. He owns indeed, he made no Application to his Captain, to intercede for a Discharge, but excuses it with saying, he had a dislike to him, and therefore was sure that such Application would have avail'd him nothing.

The Court observed the Pretences of this, and other of the Pyrates, of a Pistol and their Articles being served up in a Dish together, or of their being misused and forced from an honest Service, was often a Complotment of the Parties, to render them less suspected of those they came from, and was to answer the End of being put in a News-Paper or Affidavit: and the Pyrates were so generous as not to refuse a Compliment to a Brother that cost them nothing, and, at the same Time, secured them the best Hands; the best I call them, because such a Dependance made them act more boldly.

_Guilty._

_Harry Glasby_, Master.

THere appearing several Persons in Court, who had been taken by _Roberts_'s Ship, whereof the Prisoner was Master, their Evidence was accepted as follows.

_Jo. Trahern_, Commander of the _King Solomon_, deposed, the Prisoner, indeed, to act as Master of the Pyrate Ship (while he was under Restraint there) but was observed like no Master, every one obeying at Discretion, of which he had taken Notice, and complained to him, how hard a Condition it was, to be a Chief among Brutes; and that he was weary of his Life, and such other Expressions, (now out of his Memory,) as shew'd in him a great Disinclination to that Course of Living.

_Jo. Wingfield_, a Prisoner with them at _Calabar_, says the same, as to the Quality he acted in, but that he was Civil beyond any of them, and verily believes, that when the Brigantine he served on Board of, as a Factor for the _African_ Company, was voted to be burnt, this Man was the Instrument of preventing it, expressing himself with a great deal of Sorrow, for this and the like malicious Rogueries of the Company he was in; that to him shewed, he had acted with Reluctancy, as one who could not avoid what he did. He adds further, that when one _Hamilton_, a Surgeon, was taken by them, and the Articles about to be imposed on him, he opposed, and prevented it. And that _Hunter_, another Surgeon, among them, was cleared at the Prisoner's Instance and Perswasion; from which last, this Deponent had it a.s.sured to him, that _Glasby_ had once been under Sentence of Death, on Board of them, with two more, for endeavouring an Escape in the _West-Indies_, and that the other two were really shot for it.

_Elizabeth Trengrove_, who was taken a Pa.s.senger in the _African_ Company's Ship _Onslow_, strengthen'd the Evidence of the last Witness; for having heard a good Character of this _Glasby_, she enquired of the Quarter-Master, who was then on Board a robbing, whether or no she could see him? And he told her, _No_; they never ventured him from the Ship, for he had once endeavoured his Escape, and they had ever since continued jealous of him.

_Edward Crisp_, Captain _Trengrove_, and Captain _Sharp_, who had all been taken in their Turns, acknowledge for themselves and others, who had unluckily fallen into those Pyrates Hands, that the good Usage they had met with, was chiefly thro' the Prisoner's Means, who often interposed, for leaving sufficient Stores and Instruments on Board the Ships they had robbed, alledging, they were superfluous and unnecessary there.

_James White_, whose Business was Musick, and was on the p.o.o.p of the Pyrate Ship in Time of Action with the _Swallow_, deposed, that during the Engagement, and Defence she made, he never saw the Prisoner busied about the Guns, or giving Orders, either to the loading or firing of them; but that he wholly attended to the setting, or tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, of the Sails, as _Roberts_ commanded; and that in the Conclusion, he verily believed him to be the Man who prevented the Ship's being blown up, by setting trusty Centinels below, and opposing himself against such hot-headed Fellows as had procured lighted Matches, and were going down for that Purpose.

_Isaac Sun_, Lieutenant of the Man of War, deposed, that when he came to take Possession of the Prize, in the King's Boat, he found the Pyrates in a very distracted and divided Condition; some being for blowing up, and others (who perhaps supposed themselves least culpable) opposing it: That in this Confusion he enquired for the Prisoner, of whom he had before heard a good Character; and thinks he rendered all the Service in his Power, for preventing it; in particular, he understood by all Hands, that he had seized, and taken, from one _James Philips_, a lighted Match, at the Instant he was going down to the Magazine, swearing, that he should send them all to H--l together. He had heard also, that after _Roberts_ was killed, the Prisoner ordered the Colours to be struck; and had since shown, how opposite his Practice and Principles had been, by discovering who were the greatest Rogues among them.

The Prisoner, in his own Defence, says, when he had the Misfortune of falling into the Pyrates Hands, he was chief Mate of the _Samuel_, of _London_, Captain _Cary_; and when he had hid himself, to prevent the Design of carrying him away, they found him, and beat and threw him over-board. Seven Days afterwards, upon his objecting against, and refusing to sign their Articles, he was cut and abus'd again: That tho' after this he ingratiated himself, by a more humble Carriage, it was only to make Life easy; the Shares they had given him, having been from Time to Time returned again to such Prisoners as fell in his Way; till of late, indeed, he had made a small Reservation, and had desired Captain _Loan_ to take two or three Moidores from him, to carry to his Wife. He was once taken, he says, at making his Escape, in the _West-Indies_, and, with two more, sentenced to be shot for it, by a drunken Jury; the latter actually suffered, and he was preserved only by one of the chief Pyrates taking a sudden Liking to him, and bullying the others. A second time he ran away at _Hispaniola_, carrying a Pocket Compa.s.s, for conducting him through the Woods; but that being a most desolate and wild Part of the Island he fell upon, and he ignorant how to direct his Course, was obliged, after two or three Days wandering, to return towards the Ship again, denying with egregious Oaths, the Design he was charg'd with, for Fear they should shoot him. From this Time he hopes it will be some Extenuation of his Fault, that most of the acquitted Prisoners can witness, they entertained Jealousies of him, and _Roberts_ would not admit him into his Secrets; and withal, that Captain _Cary_, (and four other Pa.s.sengers with him) had made Affidavit of his having been forced from his Employ, which tho' he could not produce, yet he humbly hoped the Court would think highly probable from the Circ.u.mstances offered.

On the whole, the Court was of Opinion Artists had the best Pretension to the Plea of Force, from the Necessity Pyrates are sometimes under of engaging such, and that many Parts of his own Defence had been confirmed by the Evidence, who had a.s.serted he acted with Reluctance, and had expressed a Concern and Trouble for the little Hopes remained to him, of extricating himself. That he had used all Prisoners (as they were called) well, at the hazard of ill Usage to himself. That he had not in any military Capacity a.s.sisted their Robberies. That he had twice endeavoured his Escape, with the utmost Danger. _Acquitted him._

Captain _James Skyrm._