Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 21

Governor Phips had a commission as vice-admiral (text in _Publications_ of the Colonial Society of Ma.s.sachusetts, II. 206-215, 372-380), but no judge of admiralty had yet been appointed, nor any special commission to try pirates.]

_57. Deposition of Thomas Larimore. October 28, 1695._[1]

[Footnote 1: Among the ma.n.u.scripts of the Ma.s.sachusetts Historical Society. Captain Larimore in 1704 played an equivocal part in the case of Quelch and his pirate crew (see no. 104, _post_), a.s.sisting their attempts to escape, but his testimony as to prize-money is to be valued, as that of an experienced shipmaster and privateer. In 1677 he had a.s.sisted the authorities of Virginia against the rebel Bacon by conveying troops in his ship. _Journals of the House of Burgesses_, II. 70, 79, 86. In 1702 he was sent by Governor Dudley to Jamaica with a company of volunteers, the first Ma.s.sachusetts force to serve overseas. _Publications of the Colonial Society of Ma.s.sachusetts_, XVIII. 84-93.]

The Deposition of Thomas Larimore, aged Thirty two Yeares or thereabouts. This Deponent testifyeth and saith that whenever any person is fitted out to go in a Private man of Warr there is not wont to be any Writing drawne betwixt the person fitting and the person fitted out, and Yet the person fitted out always allows to the person fitting him out One full Quarter part of a whole share of whatsoever is gained on the Voyage.

Boston Octobr THOMAS LARIMORE.

28th, 1695. Sworne in Court 30th Octobr. 1695 Attest JONA. ELATSON Cler.

A true Copy of that on file Examd. AD'TON DAVENPORT, Cler.[2]

[Footnote 2: Addington Davenport, clerk of the Superior Court from 1695 to 1698, and one of its judges from 1715 to 1736.]

CASE OF HENRY EVERY.

_58. Pet.i.tion of the East India Company. July, 1696._[1]

[Footnote 1: London, Privy Council, Unbound Papers, 1:46. This pet.i.tion is addressed, not to the king in Council, but to the lords justices who were exercising his functions during the absence of William III. in Holland, whither he had gone on account of his war with Louis XIV. The paper is endorsed as read July 16, 1696. A proclamation was immediately issued, July 18, declaring Henry Every and his crew pirates, ordering colonial governors to seize them, and offering a reward of 500, which the East India Company agreed to pay, for their apprehension; _Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial_, II.

299-302. Several of the crew were apprehended, tried, and hanged in November; their trial is reported in Hargrave's _State Trials_, V.

1-18. Others found a refuge in the colonies, despite the proclamation, Governor Markham of Pennsylvania in particular being loudly accused of connivance; _Calendar of State Papers, Colonial_, 1696-1697, pp.

613-615. Every (or Avery) was one of the most famous of the pirates.

His history is told in Captain Charles Johnson's _General History of the Pyrates_ (second ed., London, 1724), pp. 45-63. Two popular ballads respecting him are in Professor Firth's _Naval Songs and Ballads_, pp. 131-134. We print first the doc.u.ments which first brought knowledge of his misdeeds, but the whole story in a consecutive order is better found in the examination of John Dann, doc.u.ment no. 63, _post_. The case is only partly American, but ramifies, as will be seen, over much of the globe.]

To their Excellencyes The Lords Justices of England in Council,

The humble Pet.i.tion of the Governour and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies

Most humbly sheweth

That the said Governour and Company have lately received certain Intelligence That Henry Every, Commander of a Ship called the _Fancy_, of 46 Guns, is turned Pirate and now in the Seas of India or Persia, who with divers other Englishmen and Forreigners to the number of about 130 (the names of some of which are hereunto annexed) run away with the sa[id Ship], then called the _Charles_, from the Port of Corona[2] in Spain and that the said Pirate ha[vin]g ... at the Island of Johanna[3] had left there the following Declaration: vizt.:

[Footnote 2: Coruna.]

[Footnote 3: The chief of the Comoro Islands, in the Mozambique Channel, northwest of Madagascar. The doc.u.ment which follows is also printed, from a ma.n.u.script in the India Office, in the Hakluyt Society's _Diary of William Hedges_, II. cx.x.xviii-cx.x.xix, where are other extracts concerning Every.]

To all English Commanders, let this satisfie, That I was riding here at this instant in the Ship _Fancy_ Man of War, formerly the _Charles_ of the Spanish Expedition,[4] who departed from Croniae the 7th of May 1694 Being (and am now) in a Ship of 46 Guns, 150 Men, and bound to Seek our Fortunes. I have never as yet wronged any English or Dutch, nor ever intend whilst I am Commander. Wherefore as I commonly speak with all Ships, I desire whoever comes to the perusall of this to take this Signall, That if you, or any whom you may inform, are desirous to know what wee are at a distance, Then make your Ancient[5] up in a Ball or Bundle and hoist him at the Mizenpeek, the Mizen being furled.

I shall answer with the same and never molest you, for my Men are hungry, Stout, and resolute, and should they exceed my Desire I cannot help myself. As yet an Englishmans Friend

At Johanna February 28th, 1694. HENRY EVERY.

[Footnote 4: The expedition which sailed for Spain in the spring of 1694, to deter the French from attacking Barcelona.]

[Footnote 5: Ensign.]

The Copy of which said Declaration was brought by Some of the said Company's Ships to Bombay and from thence transmitted to England with the annexed Clause of a Letter relating thereunto.[6]

[Footnote 6: Doc.u.ment no. 59, _post_.]

And the said Governour and Company having likewise understood by some fresh Advices from Persia hereunto annexed That the said Pirate had in pursuance of his said Declaration pillaged severall Ships belonging to the Subjects of the Mogull[7] in their pa.s.sage from the Red Sea to Surrat,[8] upon notice whereof the Factoryes of the said Company at Surrat had guards set upon their Houses by the Governour of the place till such time The Mogulls pleasure was known, Whereby the said Governour and Company have reason to fear many great inconveniences may attend them not only from the Reprizalls which may be made upon them at Surrat or other their Factories But also from the Interruption which may be thereby given to their Trade from Port to Port in India, as well as to their Trade to and from thence to England.

[Footnote 7: Aurangzeb, the Mogul emperor of Hindustan.]

[Footnote 8: Surat, 150 miles north of Bombay, and the seat of an important trading factory of the East India Company.]

Wherefore your Peticioners do most humbly beseech your Excellencies to use such effectuall means for the preventing the great Loss and damage which threatens them hereby, as to your Excellencies great wisdom shall be thought fit.

And your Peticioners shall ever pray etca.

Signed by order of the Governour and Company

RO. BLACKBORNE, Secretarie.

_59. Extract, E.I. Co. Letter from Bombay. May 28, 1695._[1]

[Footnote 1: London, Privy Council, Unbound Papers, 1:46, accompanying our no. 58. Bombay was the main post of the East India Company; a council there supervised all its trade along the west coast of Hindustan.]

Extract of a Clause in the Generall Letter from Bombay dated the 28th May, 1695.

By our shipping now arrived who touched at Johanna Wee have News That Strongs ship which was one of them that w[ent] for the Spanish Expedition is runn away with from the Groyn[2] and come into these seas carrying 46 Guns and 130 men, as your Honours will perceive by Copy of the Captains Letter left at Johanna that accompanyes this.

Your Honours Ships going into that Island gave him chase, but hee was too nimble for them by much, having taken down a great deal of his upper work and made her exceeding snugg, which advantage being added to her well sailing before, causes her to sail so hard now that shee fears not who follows her. This Ship will undoubtedly into the Red Seas and Wee fear disappoint us of Our above expected Goods, And it is probable will after shee had ransacked that Gulph proceed to Persia and doe what mischief possible there, which will procure infinite clamours at Suratt and the Government will be for embargoing all that ever Wee have there.

[Footnote 2: Coruna, which the English then frequently called "The Groyne."]

_60. Abstract, E.I. Co. Letters from Bombay. October 12, 1695._[1]

[Footnote 1: London, Privy Council, Unbound Papers, 1:46, accompanying our no. 58.]

By Letters received the 4th of this Inst. from the Generall[2] and Councill for the English Affairs residing att Bombay dated 12th October 1695 the Company are advised as followeth, vizt.

[Footnote 2: Sir John Gayer, governor of Bombay, which at this time was the chief seat of the company's operations in India.]

That on the 29th August the Generall and Councill dispatched the Company's ship the _Benjamin_, Burthen 468 Tunns, Captain Brown Commander, in Company of two Dutch ships that wintered here, for Surrat, with almost all the Cargoes of the three ships, except the Lead that the _Mocha_ carryed in her for Persia (which wee had nott time to take out, she arriving so late). On the 7th of September she arrived Surrat Rivers mouth, where the President, according to Orders, fell to unlading her, but by that time they had gott the Guns, 4 or 500 Bales, and some other Goods on sh.o.a.r, on the 11th Ditto, One of Abdull Gofores[3] Ships arriving, their people sent the Governour word, that they were plundered by an English Vessell, severall of their Men killed in fight, and others barbarously used; Upon which there was a great noise in Towne, and the Rabble very much incensed against the English, which caused the Governour to send a Guard to Our Factory to prevent their doing any violence to Our People. the 13th in the Morning, the _Gunsway_, one of the Kings Ships, arrived from Judda and Mocho,[4] the Nocqueda[5] and Merchants, with one voice, proclaiming that they were robbed by four English Ships near Bombay of a very great Sume, and that the Robbers had carryed their plundered Treasure on Sh.o.a.r there, on which there was farr greater noise than before. upon this the Governour[6] sent a very strong Guard to the Factory and clapt all our People in Irons, shut them up in a room, planked up all their windows, kept strict Watches about them, that no one should have pen, ink, or paper to write, stopped all the pa.s.sages, that no Letters might pa.s.s to Us. att this time Captain Brown being att Surat, with some of his Officers and Boats Crew, faired in Common with the rest, and so did some others, that were on sh.o.a.r, to look after their sick att Swally;[7] and their Long boat and Pinnace going on Sh.o.a.r there, for Water and Provisions, They sent one Man to the Choultrey,[8] to inquire what News, (having heard somewhat of the Rumour). this person they seized on, by severall Peons, which caused them immediately to putt their boats off, which they had no sooner done, but sundry small Armes were discharged at them. This Caused the Boats to repair to their Ship, att the Rivers mouth, where the Dutch told them, they durst not supply them with any thing while there. But one of them, being ready to sail for Batavia, said, if they would sail in Company with them, they would supply them with what they wanted, as soon as they were out of sight of the Rivers Mouth, which was done according to promise, and so the _Benjamin_, by the Generall Consent of their Officers, came hither, having left her Captain and thirty nine more of her Company behind. as soon as we had a full relation of these things, we immediately wrote to Court, to one Issa Cooley, an Armenian, whom wee intend to make our Vakeel[9] to represent Our Cause to the King, and to Excuse Our Selves from being concerned in those barbarous Actions. Wee Also wrote to the Governour of Surrat and all the Great Umbraws[10] round Us to the same effect, hearing by all that come from Surrat, that that Citty is in an uproar about Us, and being informed also, that Severall Letters are gone to the Siddy[11] (who is very near Us with an Army) from Court and Surat, wee are making what preparation Wee can for our Own defence, nott knowing what this Extream ferment may produce.

[Footnote 3: Abd-ul-Ghaffar was the richest merchant in Surat. "Abdul Gafour, a Mahometan that I was acquainted with, drove a Trade equal to the English East-india Company, for I have known him to fit out in a Year above twenty Sail of Ships, between 300 and 800 Tuns." Capt.

Alexander Hamilton, _A New Account of the East Indies_, I. 147. The Indian historian Khafi Khan, who was at Surat at the time, gives an account of the transactions which follow, translated in Elliot and Dowson, _History of India as told by its own Historians_, VII.

350-351.]

[Footnote 4: "The royal ship called the _Ganj-i sawai_, than which there was no larger in the port of Surat, used to sail every year for the House of G.o.d [at Mecca, or to Jiddah, its port]. It was now bringing back to Surat fifty-two lacs of rupees in silver and gold, the produce of the sale of Indian goods at Mocha and Jedda." Khafi Khan, _ubi sup._]

[Footnote 5: Urdu _nakhoda_, captain or master of a vessel.]