Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 2

JACOB VAN COUWENHOVEN.

dit ist [X] merck ADRIAEN DIRCKSEN COEN.

van HENDRIC ARENTSEN WILLEM DE KEY.

dit ist merck [P over +] van HENDRIC JACOBSZ P. VAER.

[circle with horizontal line, +, top right corner bracket]

dit ist merck van JACOB STOFFELSEN.

In kennisse van my C. V. TIENH. Secret.

_Translation._

Appeared before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven,[2] authorized secretary for the Chartered West India Company in New Netherland, the Honorable Willem Kieft, Director General of New Netherland,[3] being in that capacity partner in the frigate _La Garce_ on account of the aforesaid Company, who together with all the persons named hereafter acknowledged that he was taking a share of one just eighth part in the said frigate, Jan Damen likewise a just eighth part, Jacob Wolphersen the sum of 1500 gulden, Marten Crigier a just sixteenth part, Jacob Stoffelsen 1100 gulden, Hendrick Jacobsen Pater Vaer an eighth part, Hendrick Arentsen the sum of 1300 gulden, Captain Willem Albertsen Blauvelt[4] a just eighth part, Christiaen Pitersen Rams 1400 gulden, William de Key a just sixteenth part, Adriaen Dircksen a just thirty-second part, which aforesaid sums and parts the aforesaid persons, as owners in common, each on his own account, have invested and ventured, for profit or loss, and this [declaration] is made and signed in order to serve them in the future and to know exactly what each owner may have a right to demand for his profit on the monies invested. In witness and token of the truth this is signed by the aforesaid owners, December 4, 1646, in New Netherland.

[Footnote 2: Book-keeper under Director van Twiller (from 1633), provincial secretary under Kieft, _schout fiscaal_ under Stuyvesant till 1656.]

[Footnote 3: Director-general 1637-1646. Of the other partners, Jan Jansen Damen, Jacob Wolfertsz van Couwenhoven, and Martin Cregier were among the leading citizens of New Amsterdam. The total venture seems to have been about 14,000 gulden, say $5600 (worth much more then).]

[Footnote 4: Two Blauvelts or Blawfelts, Albertus and Wyllem, apparently father and son, appear in the records of the Providence Island Company (doc.u.ment 1, note 1). The former discovered the inlet on the Mosquito Sh.o.r.e, excellent for buccaneers, which is still called by his name, Blewfields Bay, in Nicaragua. After the Spanish conquest of Providence in 1641, Wyllem Blawfelt took to privateering, and, as will be seen, pursued it too long.]

CHRISTIAEN PIETERSZ. JAN JANSZ DAMEN.

WYLLEM BLAWFELT. MARTIN CREGIER.

JACOB VAN COUWENHOVEN.

this is the [X] mark ADRIAEN DIRCKSEN COEN.

of HENDRIC ARENTSEN. WILLEM DE KEY.

this is the [P over +] mark of HENDRIC JACOBSZ P. VAER.

[circle with horizontal line, +, top right corner bracket]

this is the mark of JACOB STOFFELSEN.

Acknowledged before me, C. V. TIENH. Secret.

_4. Articles of Copartnership between Augustin Herrman and Wyllem Blawfelt. December 4 (N.S.), 1646._[1]

[Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Dutch Ma.n.u.scripts, vol. II., p.

153.]

Wy ondergeschreven bekennen geaccordeert ende verdragen te wesen inde fregat de _la Garce_ op Winst ende verlies te hirrideeren, de somma van seventien hondert drie ende t'seventich gulden waer van Sr Augustyn een rechte seste [subst.i.tuted for _sestiende_, erased] part Hirrideert onder den naem van Willem Aelbertsen Blauvelt, die bekent de voornoemde Somma uyt handen van Augustyn Heerman ontfangen te hebben ende belooft, soo G.o.dt de heere hem Capitain Willem Albertsen een ofte meer prysen t'sy groot ofte cleen verleent van dese reyse, aende voornoemde Sr. Augustyn off syn Ordre uyt te keeren een gerechte seste [clerk wrote first _sestiende_] part vande veroverde Goederen uyt syn een achtste part. Ende soo t gebeurde, dat G.o.dt verhoede, dat de barcque verlooren wiert, sal den voornoemden Sr. Augustyn niets op Capitain Blauvelt te pretenderen hebben. Aldus gedaen ende getekent de 4e desember a'o 1646. In nieu Amst.

AUGUSTIN HERRMAN.

WYLLEM BLAWFELT.

In kennise van my CORNELIS VAN TIENHOVEN, Secret's.

_Translation._

We the undersigned acknowledge that we have consented and agreed to invest in the frigate _La Garce_, for profit or loss, the sum of 1773 gulden, of which the Sieur Augustyn[2] ventures the sixth [subst.i.tuted for _sixteenth_, erased] part in the name of Willem Aelbertsen Blauvelt, who acknowledges that he has received the aforesaid sum from the hands of Augustyn Heerman and promises, if G.o.d the Lord grants to him, Captain Willem Albertsen, on this voyage one or more prizes, whether great or small, to turn over to the aforesaid Sieur Augustyn or his order a sixth [the clerk wrote first _sixteenth_] part of the captured goods out of his own eighth part. And if it shall happen, which G.o.d forbid, that the bark should be lost, the aforesaid Sieur Augustyn shall have nothing to claim from Captain Blauvelt. Done and signed December 4, 1646, in New Amsterdam.

[Footnote 2: Augustin Herrman was a Bohemian of Prague, who had served in Wallenstein's army, had come out to New Netherland in 1633 as agent of a mercantile house of Amsterdam, and had become an influential merchant. A man of varied accomplishments, he made for Lord Baltimore a fine map of Maryland, and received as his reward the grant of Bohemia Manor.]

AUGUSTIN HERRMAN.

WYLLEM BLAWFELT.

Acknowledged before me, CORNELIS VAN TIENHOVEN, Secretary.

_5. Affidavit: the Capture of the Tabasco. July 25 (N.S.), 1649._[1]

[Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Dutch Ma.n.u.scripts, vol. III., p.

44.]

Wy ondergeschreven (alle t'samen gevaren hebbende met d'fregat de _la garce_ daer Capetain op is Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt, gecruyst hebbende inde West Indisch) attesteeren, getuigen ende verclaren in plaets ende belofte van Solemneelen Eede, des noots synde, hoe dat waer ende waerachtich is, dat wy verovert hebben inde reviere van Tabasko een bercke genaemt _Tabasko_ vande Spanjaerde, welcke spanjaerden ons niet vermaende van eenige vreede noch treves die tusschen den Coninck van Spanje ende haere H. Mo. gemaeckt soude syn geweest, noch dat wy van geene vreede geweeten noch gehoort hebben.

Alle t'welcke wy ondergeschreven verclaren alsoo waer ende waerachtich te weesen, presenteerende t'selve, des noots synde, altoos met Eede te verifieeren. Ady desen 25en July a'o 1649. N. Amst.

dit ist [X] marck van HENDRICK ARENTSZ, Luytenant.

KEMPO SYBADA.

RAIPH CLARCK.

dit merc _eese_ is gestelt by ANTONY DE MOEDES, Spaenjaert.

_Translation._

We the undersigned, having all voyaged together in the frigate _La Garce_, of which Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt is captain, having cruised in the West Indies, testify, witness, and declare, in place and under promise of solemn oath if need be, that it is true and certain, that we captured from the Spaniard, in the river of Tabasko,[2] the bark named _Tabasko_, which Spaniard did not notify us of any peace or truce concluded between the King of Spain and their High Mightinesses, nor had we known or heard of any peace.[3] All which we the undersigned declare to be true and certain, offering also if need be to verify it under oath. This 25th of July, 1649, in New Amsterdam.

[Footnote 2: A river of southern Mexico, flowing into the Gulf of Campeche; in all but its lower portion it is now called the Grijalva.]

[Footnote 3: The deposition of William n.o.bel, surgeon of the _La Garce_ (_N.Y. Col. Docs._, I. 398), shows that the _Tabasco_, "laden with grains of paradise", was captured on April 22, 1649, and that another prize was taken on July 5, and confirms the narrative given in the next doc.u.ment. Yet peace had been concluded January 30 (N.S.), 1648. Roger Williams writes to John Winthrop, jr., October 25, 1649, referring no doubt to the prize mentioned in the next doc.u.ment, "Blufield is come to Newport and is carrying the ship (his prize) to Munnadoes [Manhattan], having promised the Governor to answer it to the Spaniard if demaunded, because she is taken against the Treves"

(truce, peace); _Ma.s.s. Hist. Soc. Coll._, fourth ser., VI. 272, 274.]

This is the [X] mark of HENDRICK ARENTSZ, Lieutenant.

KEMPO SYBADA.[4]

RAIPH CLARCK.

This mark _eese_ is made by ANTONY DE MOEDES, Spaniard.

[Footnote 4: The pilot of the privateer. The _Records of the Quarterly Courts of Ess.e.x County, Ma.s.sachusetts_, I. 314-319, show Captain Kempo Sybada as dwelling in the next ensuing years at New London and on Block Island, and as suffering in his turn from the depredations of privateers. He died in London in 1659.]

_6. Affidavit of Antonio Leon and Fyck Herry. September 27 (N.S.), 1649._[1]

[Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Dutch Ma.n.u.scripts, vol. III., p.

65.]

_Copie_

Compareerde voor my Jacob Hendricksz Kip Clercq by den E. Hr. Dr.

Generael ende E. Raaden van Nieu neederlant geadmiteert, Antony Leon geboortich inde Mayorke out 26 Jaaren Spanjaert ende Fyck Herry geboortich van Ierlant in Castilhaven out ontrent 21 Jaaren, pa.s.sagiers overgecomen uyt Capetain Flip drest syn Barcque inde barcque van Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt, attesteeren, getuygen ende verclaren, in plaets ende presentatie van Eeden ten versoecke vande Gemeene Reders van d'Fregat de _La Garce_, daer Capetain op was Willem Blaeuvelt voornoemt: hoe dat waer ende waerachtich is, dat sy attestanten weesende op des selfs Capetain Blaeuvelts barcque, gesien hebben ende hun noch wel bekent is, als dat op den achtienden July 1649 in de Bocht van Compechie alwaer quaem des avonts een Schip, welcke sy dochten dat het de barcque ofte prys van Blaeuvelt was, waer over Blaeuvelt datelyck seyl maeckte, ende draeyde hem op de Laey, om dat sy haer best soude kennen: welcken blaeuvelt de prinse vlagge van booven ende achteren liet wayen: Hy haer niet verwachtende maer syn best doende om van haer te koomen: des s'nachts ongeveer ten Elf uyren syn sy by hem gekoomen, doen riep blaeuvelts Cartiermeester genaemt Gerrit Hendricksz: Flip, Flip, Maet Flip, welcken geen ant[woor]t en kreegh, roepende, Stryckt voor de Prins van Orangie: Antwoorde, Stryckt voor de Coningh van Spanjen: ende schoot met schut datelyk vier schooten; het vyfde stuck weigerde ende het seste gingh af op Blaeuvelt: sonder dat by Blaeuvelt Its claer gemaeckt hadde: Welcken Blaeuvelt resolveerde om by de Wint te steecken om naer syn volck te geraecken: alle t'welcke wy attestanten voornoemt verclaren alsoo waer ende waerachtich te weesen, presenteerende t'selve, des versocht synde, met Eede te verstercken. Ady desen 27 September 1649, opt Eylant d'Manhatans In Nieu Neederlant. Was onderteckent by dusdanich merck [sideways H] daer by geschreven: Dit is het merck van Fyck Herry, selfs gestelt: dusdanich teycken [dash, sideways S] daer by geschreven dit is het merck van Antony Leon Spanjaert selfs gestelt.

Nevens Albert Cornelisz ende t'merck van Nicolaes Stilwil, byde als getuygen vande waerheyt des bovenstaenden onderteckenden Mercken: onderstont In Kennisse van my, Jacob Kip geadmiteerde Clercq.

Naer Collatie is deese met syne princ.i.p.ale gedateert ende geteckent als boven accordeerende bevonden by myn Jacob Kip Clercq ten overstaen van Francooys Noyret: ende ---- getuygen, hier toe versocht desen ---- Sept 1649 Int fort Amst. In N. Neederlandt.