Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 30

[Footnote 10: William Maze or Mace was one of the pirates specifically named, along with Tew and Wake, in Kidd's commissions.]

[Footnote 11: For the benefit of treasure-hunters, one might wish one could be precise. But while the master of the _Antonio_ says at Sta.

Catalina (_Commons Journal_, XIII. 27) and other sailors (_ibid._, 24) say in the Rio Romana, which would mean much the same, Henry Bolton (doc. no. 86) says in the Rio Higuey, which is 30 miles farther east, and Capt. Nicholas Evertse, a worthy New York skipper, says (_C.J._, XIII. 24) that on June 29 he saw the _Quedah Merchant_, on fire and burnt down almost to the water's edge, in a salt lagoon on "the Island St. Helena, nigh Hispaniola," meaning, apparently, Sta. Catalina.]

_78. Pet.i.tion of Sarah Kidd. July 16 (?), 1699._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 62, no. 316. On May 16, 1691, Kidd received license to marry at New York Sarah Oort, widow of John Oort, merchant of New York. She was a daughter of Samuel Bradley. Kidd was her third husband. In 1703 she married a fourth. She died in New Jersey in 1744, leaving five children, one of whom was apparently a daughter of Kidd. Frederic de Peyster, in his _Bellomont_, p. 29, says that she "is said to have been a lovely and accomplished woman."

Lovely she may have been, and evidently she was attractive, since she had four husbands, but she could not write her own name. To this doc.u.ment and to nos. 80 and 81 she affixes her mark, S.K., rudely printed; facsimile in _Memorial History of Boston_, II. 179.--Since this book was prepared, this pet.i.tion has been printed in the _Proceedings_ of the American Antiquarian Society, x.x.xI. 50-51.]

To his Excellency the Earle of Bellomont, Captn. Gen. and Govr. in Chief of his Maj'tys provinces of the Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, New Yorke, etca. in America, and of the Territorys thereon depending, and Vice Admiral of the same,

The pet.i.tion of Sarah Kidd the wife of Captn. Wm. Kidd,

Humbly Sheweth

That on the sixth day of July Inst. some of the Magistrates and officers of this place came into your Pet'rs lodgings at the house of Duncan Campbell and did there Seize and take out of a Trunck a Silver Tankard, a Silver Mugg, Silver Porringer, spoons, forcks and other pieces of Plate, and two hundred and sixty pieces of Eight, your Pet'rs sole and proper Plate and mony, brought with her from New Yorke, whereof she has had the possession for several years last past, as she can truely make oath; out of which sd Trunck was also took Twenty five English Crowns which belonged to your Pet'rs Maid.[2]

[Footnote 2: The maid was most likely Elizabeth Morris, whose indenture of apprenticeship to Capt. William Kidd, Aug. 19, 1695, is printed in N.Y. Hist. Soc., _Coll._, 1885, pp. 571-572. She had then just come out from England in Kidd's old barkentine the _Antigua_, which Governor Codrington of the Leeward Islands had given him in 1690 to reward his services and replace the ship then stolen from him (see doc. no. 71, note 1, and _Portland MSS._, VIII. 78) and which had apparently been his ship ever since. She was indentured to him as a maidservant for four years, from July 14, 1695, to July 14, 1699. The council ordered Sarah Kidd's plate to be returned to her.]

The premisses and most deplorable Condition of your Pet'r considered, She humbly intreats your hon'rs Justice That Returne be made of the said Plate and mony.

SARAH S K KIDD.

_In Council July 18, 1699._

Advised that Mrs. Kidd makeing oath that she brought the Plate and money above mentioned from New York with her, It was restored unto her. As also that Capn. Kidd and Companys wearing Apparel under Seizure be returned to them.

_79. Narrative of John Gardiner. July [17], 1699._[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 5:860, no. 64 XXI; _Commons Journal_, XIII. 30-31. John Gardiner (1661-1738), grandson of Lion Gardiner, was the third manorial proprietor of Gardiner's Island, an island lying three miles northward from Long Island, toward its eastern extremity and near the entrance to the Sound. The narrative was sent to the Board of Trade by Bellomont as an enclosure in no.

82.]

The Narrative of John Gardner of Gardners-Island, alias Isle of Wight, relating to Captain William Kidd.

That about twenty dayes agoe, Mr. Emot of New Yorke came to the Narrators House, and desired a boat to go for New Yorke, telling the Narrator he came from my Lord at Boston. Whereupon the Narrator furnished the said Emot with a boat, and he went for New Yorke, and that Evening the Narrator saw a Sloop with Six Guns rideing at an Anchor off Gardners Island. and two days afterwards in the Evening the Narrator went aboard said Sloop to enquire what she was, and so soon as he came on board Captain Kidd (then unknown to the Narrator) asked him how himselfe and Family did, telling him that he the said Kidd was going to my Lord at Boston, and desired the Narrator to carry three Negroes, two boys and a girle, ash.o.r.e, to keep till he the said Kidd or his Order should call for them, which the Narrator accordingly did.

That about two hours after the Narrator had got the said Negroes ash.o.r.e, Captain Kidd sent his boat ash.o.r.e with two bailes of Goods and a Negro Boy, and the morning after, said Kidd desired the Narrator to come immediately on board and bring Six Sheep with him for his the said Kidds Voyage for Boston, which the Narrator did, when Kidd asked him to spare a barrel of Cyder, which the Narrator with great importunity consented to, and sent two of his men for it, who brought the Cyder on board said Sloop, but whilst the men were gone for the Cyder, Captain Kidd offered the Narrator several Pieces of d.a.m.nified[2] Muslin and Bengalls as a Present to his Wife, which the said Kidd put in a bagg, and gave the Narrator, and about a Quarter of an Hour afterwards the said Kidd tooke up two or three pieces of d.a.m.nified Muslin and gave the Narrator for his proper Use. And the Narrators men then coming on board with the said Barrel of Cyder as aforesaid, the said Kidd gave them four pieces of Arabian Gold for their trouble and also for bringing him Wood. Then the said Kidd, ready to saile, told this Narrator he would pay him for the Cyder, to which the Narrator answered That he was already satisfied for it by the Present made to his Wife. And this Narrator observed that some of Kidds men gave to the Narrators men some inconsiderable things of small value, which this Narrator believes were Muslins for Neckcloths.

And then the Narrator took leave of the said Kidd and went ash.o.r.e, and at parting the said Kidd fired four Guns and stood for Block-Island.

[Footnote 2: Damaged. Bengals were striped goods, partly silk. Kidd gave Mrs. Gardiner more than this. A pitcher and fragments of a piece of cloth of gold are still in the hands of different descendants of two of John Gardiner's wives. See article by John R. Totten in _N.Y.

Biog. Rec._, L. 17-25. The story is told in Thompson's Long Island, p.

203, from a letter of a descendant writing more than a hundred years ago. "He [Kidd] wanted Mrs. Gardiner to roast him a pig; she being afraid to refuse him, roasted it very nice, and he was much pleased with it. He then made her a present of this cloth."]

About three Dayes afterwards the said Kidd sent the Master of the Sloop and one Clarke in his boat for the Narrator, who went on board with them, And the said Kidd desired this Narrator to take on sh.o.r.e with him and keep for him, the said Kidd, and Order, a Chest, and a box of gold and a bundle of Quilts and Four Bayles of Goods, which box of gold the said Kidd told the Narrator was intended for my Lord; and the Narrator complied with the said Kidds request and took on sh.o.r.e the said Chest, box of gold, Quilts, and bayles of Goods.

And the Narrator further saith That two of Kidds Crew, who went by the Names of Cooke and Parrat,[3] delivered to him, the Narrator, two baggs of Silver, which they told the Narrator weighed thirty pound weight, for which he gave receipt. And That another of Kidd's men delivered to the Narrator a small bundle of gold, and gold dust of about a pound weight, to keep for him, and did also present the Narrator with a Sash and a pair of worsted Stockins. And just before the Sloop sayled Captain Kidd presented the Narrator with a bagg of Sugar, and then tooke leave and sayled for Boston.

[Footnote 3: Neither of these sailors was of the original crew. Hugh Parrott, of Plymouth, England, joined Kidd at Johanna, and was tried and condemned with him. His examination at Boston is in _Commons Journal_, XIII. 29.]

And the Narrator further saith, he knew nothing of Kidds being proclaimed a Pyrate, and if he had, he durst not have acted otherwise than he has done, having no force to oppose them, and for that he hath formerly been threatned to be killed by Privateers, if he should carry unkindly to them.

JOHN GARDINER.

The within named Narrator further saith That whilst Captain Kidd lay with his Sloop at Gardners Island, there was a New Yorke Sloop, whereof one Coster is Master, and his Mate was a little black man, unknown to the Narrator by name,[4] who, as it was said, had been formerly Captain Kidds Quarter Master, and another Sloop belonging to New-Yorke, Jacob Fenick[5] Master, both which lay near to Kidds Sloop three dayes together, and whilst the Narrator was on board with Captain Kidd, there was several Bayles of Goods and other things put out of the said Kidds Sloop and put on board the other two Sloops aforesaid, and the said two Sloops sayled up the Sound. After which Kidd sailed with his Sloop for Block Island, and being absent by the s.p.a.ce of three dayes returned to Gardners-Island again in company of another Sloop belonging to New-Yorke, Cornelius Quick Master, on board of which was one Thomas Clarke of Setauket, commonly called Whisking Clarke, and one Harrison of Jamaica, Father to a boy that was with Captain Kidd, and Captain Kidds Wife was then on board his own Sloop.[6] And Quick remained with his Sloop there from noon to the evening of the same day, and tooke on board two Chests that came out of the said Kidd's Sloop, under the observance of this Narrator, and he believes several Goods more, and then sailed up the Sound. Kidd remained there with his Sloop until next morning, and then set saile intending, as he said, for Boston. Further the Narrator saith That the next day after Quick sayled with his Sloop from Gardners Island, he saw him turning out of a Bay called Oyster-pan Bay,[7] although the wind was all the time fair to carry him up the Sound; the Narrator supposes he went in thither to land some Goods.

JOHN GARDINER.

[Footnote 4: Carsten Luersen and Hendrick van der Heul.]

[Footnote 5: Jacob Phoenix.]

[Footnote 6: Capt. Thomas Clarke, coroner of New York, was soon after arrested in Connecticut at the instance of Bellomont, who charged him with having privately deposited 10,000 worth of Kidd's treasure with a man at Stamford. Clarke promised rest.i.tution. _N.Y. Col. Docs._, IV.

595, 793; _Calendar of Council Minutes_, pp. 143, 144, 164.]

[Footnote 7: Not Oyster Bay, but Oyster-pond Bay, near Orient.]

Boston, July 1699.

The Narrator, John Gardiner, made Oath before his Excellency and Council unto the truth of his Narrative contained in this Sheet of Paper.

ISA. ADDINGTON, Secretary.

_80. Sarah Kidd to Thomas Payne. July 18, 1699._[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 5:861, no. 4 XVIII. Captain Thomas Paine of Jamestown, R.I. (Conanicut Island), had come to Rhode Island in 1683, as a privateer with dubious papers. In 1690 he had defeated a body of Frenchmen at Block Island. He may have been an accomplice of pirates, as Bellomont charges in doc. no. 85 (in which this is an enclosure); he was certainly one of the founders of Trinity Church, Newport.]

From BOSTON Prison, July the 18 day 1699.

_Captain Payen:_

After my humble service to your selfe and all our good Friends this cometh by a trusty Friend of mine how[2] can declare to you of my great griefe and misery here in prison by how I would desire you to send me Twenty four ounces of Gold and as for all the rest you have in your custody shall desire you for to keep in your custody for it is all we have to support us in time of want; but I pray you to deliver to the bearer hereof the above mentioned sum, hows[3] name is Andrew Knott.[4] And in so doing you will oblige him how is your

SARAH S K KEEDE

the bare hereof can informe you more at large.

[Footnote 2: Who.]

[Footnote 3: Whose.]

[Footnote 4: See doc. no. 85.]

_81. Pet.i.tion of Sarah Kidd. July 25, 1699._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 62, no. 317.]