Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 3

FRANSSOYS NOIRET, getuyge.

_Translation._

_Copy_

Appeared before me Jacob Hendricksz Kip,[2] authorized clerk to the Honorable Director General and Honorable Council of New Netherland, Antony Leon, native of Majorca, 26 years old, Spaniard, and Fyck Herry, native of Castlehaven in Ireland, about 21 years old, pa.s.sengers, who came from Captain Flip Drest's bark into the bark of Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt, who testify, witness, and declare, in lieu and on offer of oaths, at the request of the joint owners of the frigate _La Garce_, of which the above-named Willem Blaeuvelt was captain, that it is true and certain that they, the deponents, being in the said Captain Blaeuvelt's bark, saw, and they recollect very well, that upon July 18, 1649, in the bay of Campechie,[3] there came in the evening a ship which they thought to be the bark or prize of Blaeuvelt, whereupon Blaeuvelt immediately made sail, and turned to the leeward in order that they might the better make her out. The said Blaeuvelt ran up the Prince's flag above and at the stern, not waiting for her, but doing his best to get away from her. About eleven o'clock at night she came up to him, when Blaeuvelt's quartermaster, named Gerrit Hendricksz, called: "Flip, Flip, mate Flip", but received no answer and then cried out, "Strike for the Prince of Orange!"[4] [The Spaniard] answered, "Strike for the King of Spain!" and immediately fired with cannon four shots. The fifth piece failed to go off. The sixth shot struck Blaeuvelt's ship, without his having made any preparations [to fire]; said Blaeuvelt resolved to sail close to the wind in order to get to his people. All which we deponents aforesaid declare to be true and certain, offering on demand to confirm the same by oath. This 27th of September, 1649, on the Island of Manhattan in New Netherland. Signed with a mark of the following shape, [sideways H], against which is written, "This is the mark of Fyck Herry, made by himself"; a mark of this sort [dash, sideways S] against which is written, "This is the mark of Antony Leon, the Spaniard, made by himself"; then, "Albert Cornelisz", and the mark of Nicolaes Stilwil,[5] both as witnesses of the genuineness of the above marks; and beneath, "Acknowledged before me, Jacob Kip, authorized clerk".

[Footnote 2: From whom Kip's Bay (East River, about Thirty-sixth Street) is named.]

[Footnote 3: Between Mexico and Yucatan.]

[Footnote 4: _I.e._, strike ensign and topsail.]

[Footnote 5: Albert Cornelisz was a magistrate of Brooklyn; Nicholas Stilwell, of Gravesend.]

After comparison with its original, dated and signed as above, this is found to agree, by me, Jacob Kip, clerk, in the presence of Francooys Noyret and [_blank_] requested as witnesses hereto, this [_blank_] September, 1649, in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland.

FRANSSOYS NOIRET, witness.[6]

[Footnote 6: It was judicially decided later that the _Tabasco_ was not a good prize. A ray of light is cast on Blauvelt's latter end by an item in an enumeration of English buccaneers in 1663 found among the Rawlinson ma.n.u.scripts in the Bodleian Library, "Captain Blewfield, belonging to Cape Gratia de Dios [Gracia a Dios, Nicaragua], living among the Indians, a barque, 50 men, 3 guns." Haring, _Buccaneers_, p.

273.]

THE _HOLY GHOST_.

_7. Declaration of the Ma.s.sachusetts Council, July 20, 1653._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.sachusetts Archives, vol. 60, p. 175. The doc.u.ment is a declaration of the Court of a.s.sistants acting in its executive capacity, as a council.]

Att A Counsell held at Boston 20th July 1653.

Captaine Robert Harding[2] presenting unto us a certificate in the Dutch language with the seale of Amsterdam affixed to it that the ship called in the certificate the _holy ghost_ togather with the skipper thereof did belong unto the united provinces (Although at the first arrivall of the s'd ship diverse rumors were spread which did render them suspitious to have unjustly surprised the s'd ship) whereupon the Counsell thought it there duty to enquire into the matter, yet having now examined the s'd Captaine and Considerd the Certificate afores'd together with a charter partie found in the s'd ship, Wee doe declare that wee have nothing wherewith to charge the sd Capt. or the company but have discharged the said Captaine and the rest of the company heere, together with their clothes, And therfore doe signify unto them that they have free liberty to enter our harbours where they shall have protection from all injuries and liberties of free trade with any of our inhabitants as any other ships whatsoever have had amongst us.

[Footnote 2: Capt. Robert Harding, now of Ratcliff, London, was well known in Boston, being, apparently, the same who came out with Winthrop, went to Rhode Island, was an a.s.sistant there, and then returned to England.]

20 July 1653. A True Coppie of the paper was signed by written to the Capt and Company JNO. ENDECOT, Gov. of the dutch prise--20th of RIC. BELLINGHAM, Dept. Gov. the 5th mo. 1653.[3]

INCREASE NOWELL. EDWARD RAWSON, Secret'y.

SYMON BRADSTREET.

SAMUELL SYMONDS.

ROBT. BRIDGES.

JNO. GLOVER.

DANIELL GOOKIN.

DANIEL DENISON, Maj'r Gen'll.

[Footnote 3: The fifth month, in the reckoning usual among the English at this time, was July, March being the first. The civil year began on March 25.]

_8. Declaration of Governor Endicott. August (?), 1653._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 174.]

To all whom these presents may concerne, greeting etc.

Know yee that the ship called the _holy gost_ of Amsterdam of the burthen about 160 tune beeing taken as a prize and carried away out of the Roade of the Iland of Barbados by some seamen and some planters and Inhabitants of the said Iland, the said Ship and company in their sayling Faling upon the coasts of new England were mett with at sea about 50 leagues from our harbor of Boston in great extremity, wanting provision, by a ship bound from London to our Ports whoe supplied them for there present need and pilatted them into one of our harbors called Natasket[2] where there is not a fort to bring a ship under Command. the Councell hearing of such a ship lying there sent to the Capt and company of the said ship and invited them to come into our harbor at Boston, they being afrade so to doe by reason (as the Councell was enformed) they were told that if they came into the harbor the Capt and Company should bee imprisoned and the ship seased.

afterwards the Capt coming a sh.o.r.e, as alsoe some of the company, the Capt was arrested and some of the company were imprisoned, who were examined apt [apart] what ship it was they had taken and whence shee was, whither of Holland or of Spayne,[3] or wheather they had used any cruelty to any of the Company they tooke, either by wounding, killing or setting any of them ash.o.r.e upon any Iland or other place to the endangering of there lives. they all agreed in one relation that no such thing was done by them or any man hurt, And there beeing not any person heere to enforme against the[m] and they making it appeare by a dutch certificate under the seale of Amsterdam and by other dutch writings w'ch are extant with us found in the seisd ship, that shee was a dutch ship of Amsterdam sett out by diverse Marchants of that citty, the councell released the said Capt and the rest w'ch had beene inprisoned, And sent to the rest of the ships company that they might freely come into our harbor, where they should have trafficke and protection from all Injuries and liberty of trade with any of our inhabitants as any other ships whatsoever, the ship afterwards came into Salem harbor,[4] And the Governor gave order to have the whole Cargo of goods to be brought ash.o.r.e, that theire might bee a true Invoyce taken thereof, that the state of England[5] might have the tenth. And the rather because it was reported to be a vessell of great treasury And the account thereof might be expected from the goverment, being brought in to this Jurisdiction, And to the end there might be the better satisfaction given to such as might inquier after it. In Wittnesse of the premisses I have hereunto sett my hand and caused the seale of the Colony to be afixed.

[Footnote 2: Nantasket.]

[Footnote 3: England and the Dutch were now at war (1653-1654), and the ship if Dutch might be good prize, but there was no war with Spain.]

[Footnote 4: There are several entries regarding it in the _Records of the Ess.e.x Quarterly Courts_, I., but under the name of the _Happy Entrance_.]

[Footnote 5: The Commonwealth government.]

This is A true Coppie Compared with the originall

per EDWARD RAWSON, Secret'y.

[The words "Jno. Endecott Gov'n'r and the seale of the Colony" appear in the margin.]

_9. Deposition of Matthew Hill. October (?), 1653._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 172a.]

Mathew Hill aged 30 yeares and upwards deposeth and sayth

That upon the seaventh day of May 1653 last past aboute two of the clock in the afternoone of the same day The Prize-men and company that take the Spanish Ship out of Carlile Roade in Barbados,[2] there being at that tyme when shee was taken eight men of the shipps owne company on board when they tooke her (as the Gunner thereof informed this depon't) and that two of them leaped over board, w'ch were taken up by other shipps, and that they tooke thother six men with them, and were expected to have beene sent on sh.o.r.e back againe, but they c.u.me not nor were ever heard of (by any meanes that this depon't could understand of) in foure months tyme whilst this depon't resided in Barbados after the ship was so taken, nor is yet that this depn't heares of. And this depon't further sayth That the Spanyord reported that there was a chest of gold dust six foote long and another chest of Jewells and Pearles, but named not how bigg it was, and seaven hogsheads of peeces of eight,[3] besides all other traffick that was in the said Shipp, And sayth that the Pylate of the said shipp affirmed that if there were Thirty men of them their share would come to one thousand pounds a peece, And also sayth That the Gunner of the said Ship being an Englishman (and this depn'ts country man) informed this depon't That his owne share in the said Shipp was worth eight hundred pounds sterl.

[Footnote 2: Carlisle Road or Bay is the roadstead of Bridgetown, Barbados.]

[Footnote 3: Spanish dollars, pieces of eight reals.]

MATHEW HILL.

_10. Deposition of Francis Blackman and John Dukley. October (?), 1653._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 173.]

Mr. Francis Blackman, aged 60 yeares or there about, and mr. John Dukley aged 4[_illegible_] yeares or there abouts, doe joyntly and severally depose and say That in the month of May last past There was a Spanish Ship, as it was affirmed to be, taken at Barbados by a company of men that were some of them there resident and some of them inhabitants there, wherein there was eight men of the shipps company when it was taken, and two of them leapt over board and were taken up by other shipps but six of them were taken away with them in the said shipp. And there was a flying report that they were come on sh.o.a.re againe the same day, but the constant report was that they were not, neither was any of them seene by these depon'ts after they were carryed away whilst these depon'ts remayned in Barbados, w'ch was foure months after.

FRANCIS BLACKMAN.

JOHN ID DUKLEY.