Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 12

THE _ST. ANTHONY_.

_38. Examination of John Tooly. June 17, 1673._[1]

[Footnote 1: Suffolk Court Files, no. 1257, paper 17.]

It was my Chance to be in Lesbon and wanting a woage[2] I shiped my slefe [selfe] A board of a portungal buelt ship, Mr. Orchard Commander, but some five dayes After it plesed the Almyty G.o.d to take him out of the woarld, and when that wee was Agoing to bury him I heard the men that was in the boate to helpe Rowe him over the water, for the portugeses would not suffer us to bury him in Lesbone, say that thay would have A Ship Are Longe, but I did not know how, not then, and some one day thay went into the house[3] for thay Could open the Locke of the haches when thay plesed and drawed wine of the Marchantes and soe sate doune to geather to drinke, and I being near, thay not deming of it, I heard them say that thay would asay[4] it all at once, and Liquise[5] that thay would Rune away with the ship, soe I disclosed it to the Master and the Marchant for our Marchant had gone, another master, which was Capt. haddockes second mate, which was then Comander of the Engles[6] ship Lying in Lesbone Rever, John Terry by Name, soe thay tooke three of them and put them in presone at Lesbone.

it was the boatswane and two men more, but by Resone that one willam forrest which was Aboard that Gave the suprecargo Mr. John Pane fare words, the suprecargo would not sufer him to be put in to preson, but that hee should Goe the woage, and because thay Could note Geete another Carpenter thay would not put the Carpenter in to preson, but that hee should goe the woage Lyquise, soe the Master John Terry shipd two men more in there Romes which ware English men, Edmun Cooke and John Smith, and Afterwards hee shiped 2 Duchmen whose names I know not, and wee ware bound for newfoundland for a sacke,[7] but when wee had been about A weake at sea these two men, namly Willam forrest and John peket the Carpenter, perswaded the other two Engles men, Edmun Cooke and John Smith, and one other Engles which was a board and the two Duch men, to surprise the Master, the suprecargo and Mate, a portungall boy and I, and soe to Rune away with the ship. And waching thare Oppertunity when the Master and the Marchant was a slepe in the Roundhouse, the Mate A Riting in the Cabing, and I was at helme, the Carpenter came into the sterege and cauled the [said?] Edmun Cooke and John Smith out of thare Cabing whare thay ware aslepe, and soe thay went forward togeather into the forcasell and immeadly thay Came Aft agane, the two Duchmen and willam forrest, the Carpenter and Edmun Cooke, John Smith and the other Engles man. soe the two Duchmen and the Englesman that is not named came into the sterege. the other fower wente up upon the Quarterdecke and surprised the Master and the Marchant where thay ware a slepe in the Round house, and the other three sayed to me that if I did offer to stere I was a dead man. soe the Mate hering that in the Cabin where he was a riting salied out of the Cabing in to the sterege. soe thay tooke hould of him and throed him upon his back and soe held him and would not suffer him to ster.

soe I rune doune the scutell which was in the sterege and hede my slefe amounge the sayles betweene deckes, for I heard the Master and the Marchant Cry out most petifully. soe I thought to my slife when thare pasene[8] was over that I mite perswaed them to save my Life.

soe thay bound the Master and the Marchant and Carryed them forward upon the forcastell. but presenly after thay Loused them agane and put them in to the Greate Cabing all togeather, and would suffer but one to Come upon the deck at a time. the Master and the Marchant profered them that if thay would thay would take a drame of the botell and set doune and drink frinds and that all things should be forgoting, but thay would not Exsept of there profer. soe I went upon the deck and desyred them that thay would be plesed to Lend us a sayle, for thay tould us that thay would hoyst out the boate and Give us some provisones and tourne us to shift for our slevs. soe wee desyred to beare up the helme for to put us As neare the Land as thay Could. soe [_torn_] some 2 howers. soe thay Gave into the boate All neceesaryes, as provisons, wood, water and Lequers, with a sayle and mast and ores, A grapnall and grapnall rope, sayle nedles, twine and pame[9] for to men[d] the sayle. Soe Will Forrest, walking upon the Quater deck with a backe swoard[10] in his hand, Commanded the boat to be hoysted out and all those forenamed nesessarys to be got in to her, with a Compas, Quadrant and a plat,[11] and soe Comanded the Master, the Marchant and the Mate and the portuges boy in to the boate. John Tooley and Allexander[12] ---- would have gone into the boate with them, but thay would not suffer us to goe [_torn_] Master saed [or] asked them [_torn_] that thay would keepe us but thay would not harking unto them and would not Let us goe.

[Footnote 2: Voyage.]

[Footnote 3: The house or cabin on the after-deck.]

[Footnote 4: a.s.say, attempt.]

[Footnote 5: Likewise.]

[Footnote 6: English.]

[Footnote 7: Plunder.]

[Footnote 8: Pa.s.sion.]

[Footnote 9: A sailmaker's palm, which serves the purpose of a thimble.]

[Footnote 10: A sword with one edge.]

[Footnote 11: Chart.]

[Footnote 12: Wilson. The name can be supplied from the _Records of the Court of a.s.sistants of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay_, I. 12.]

John Tooley gave in this upon examination as a true narrative of the transaction in the Ship _Anthony_ when she was surprised by forest and Pickard, etc., he the sayd Tooley being of the age of Twenty years or thereabouts.

Before us JOHN LEVERETT, Gvr.

EDWARD TYNG.

WILLIAM STOUGHTON.

John Terry, M'r, being present when this was spoken by John Toolly before the Govn'r, Mr. Ting, Mr. Staughton and Major Clarke on 17 June '73, being Asked whether what John Toolly had declared was the truth the said Terry Ansed he acknowledged the same to be the trueth: As Attests

EDWARD RAWSON, Sec'ty.

19 of November 1673.

This examination of John Toollys being Read in the Councill with the Acknouledg'mt of the Master John Terry that it was the Trueth, The Councill ordered his dischardge from further attending: and that the Secretary Give him the signification thereof to the said John Toolly.

As Attests,

EDW. RAWSON.

The Examination of Jno. Tooly marriner of Ship _St. Anthony_:[13]

[Footnote 13: A marginal note reads: "Pres[en]t, Govr., Capt. Gookins, Mr. Russell, Mr. Danforth, Mr. Tynge, Mr. Stoughton, Mr. Clarke", all of whom were at this time members of the Court of a.s.sistants. An endors.e.m.e.nt reads: "Toolly Examination taken 17:9:73," _i.e._, November 17, 1673.]

What is your name?

Jno. tooly, borne nere norwich.

He saith that he was at Helme when the Rising was.

How long was it after you came to sea.

Ansr: about a weeke.

Who rise first or the manner of their Rising?

the Carpenter having a handspike in his hand called to forrest, who with the two Dutchmen came forward with Cooke, etc.[14]

[Footnote 14: John Smith and Edmund Cooke were condemned to death for their share in these acts of piracy, but were pardoned by the General Court, December 10, 1673. _Records of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay_, vol. IV., pt. II., p. 573.]

_39. Examination of William Forrest. October 20, 1673._[1]

[Footnote 1: Suffolk Court Files, no. 1257, paper 15.]

Newport one[2] Road Iland.

[Footnote 2: On.]

The Examinatione of William forist, mariner, taken the 20 day 8 mo.[3]

1673. the foresd forist beinge examined acknowlegeth that he was owne of that mutinous Company that Raised Reblion in the ship Called the _Sainte Anthony_ upon the Coaste of portingall, one hundred and tenn leags from Land, and theire with others did deprive John Tarry, Master, of his power given to him leagelly to Gouvern the aforesd shipe: but denies that he had a hand in forsinge him over borde, or those that went with him, but sd he and them might have continued longer in the aforesd shipe: but owned that he with others did deprive him the sd John Tarry the Gouverment and ordring the aforesd shipe, and beinge asked concerning their further prosedings, owned that he with others brought the aforesd shipe called the _Sainte Anthony_ into pascattoga River in new Ingland, where he the sd forrist was then the Reputed master, whoe undertooke to be owne (to witt the Cheefest) that managed and disposed of most or all the aforesd Ships Cargoe, till by some means of fallinge out amonge themselves was discovered, upon which the sd William forrist mad an Escape for a time, till he was apprehended at new plimoth in new Ingland, whence he acknowlegeth he lately Escaped out of his magisties Gale[4] at new plimouth as aforesd, and forther beinge examined, owned (to wit, william forist) that John Tarry and the suprocargoe ware the persons that had Right to Governe, order and dispose of the abovesd Shipe and Cargoe, which hee the aforesd william forrist and Company unjustly Deprived them of.

taken before us

NICHOLAS EASTON, Gov'r.[5]

WILLIAM CODDINGTON, D'py Gov'r.

[Footnote 3: October.]

[Footnote 4: Jail.]

[Footnote 5: Nicholas Easton, governor of Rhode Island from May, 1672, to May, 1674; William Coddington, deputy governor 1673-1674, and afterwards governor.]

_40. Pet.i.tion of Allwin Child. October 24, 1673._[1]

[Footnote 1: Suffolk Court Files, no. 1257, paper 5.]