Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 33

[Footnote 17: On Sh.e.l.ley, see doc. no. 73, note 6. Jeremiah Ba.s.se was deputy-governor of East and West New Jersey from 1697 to 1699. In a letter of June 9 to Secretary Popple, _N.J. Archives_, first ser., II.

286-287, he describes his activity in manning a sloop and in person capturing four of Sh.e.l.ley's men at Cape May, and committing them to Burlington jail. "In their Chestes are about seaven thousand eight hundred Rix dollars and Venetians, about thirty pound of melted silver, a parcell of Arabian and Christian Gold, some necklases of Amber and Corrall, sundry peaces of India silkes."]

[Footnote 18: If the word is Governor, it should be Secretary.]

[Footnote 19: Francis Brinley, one of the chief Newport merchants; he had been a member of Andros's council.]

[Footnote 20: Robert Gardiner of Newport.]

[Footnote 21: Jahleel Brenton, for many years, beginning in 1691, collector and surveyor of the customs for New England (and thus Gardiner's superior officer) had gone to England as agent of Rhode Island in her boundary dispute with Connecticut. Thomas Weaver, who had been appointed collector for New York, was in London as agent for that province.]

We have advice that Burk an Irishman and Pyrat that committed severall robberies on th[e] [coast] of Newfoundland, is drowned with all his ship's Company, except 7 or 8 persons somewh[ere to the] southward. It is said he perished in the hurrican that was in those Seas about the end of [July and] beginning of August last. It is good news, he was very strong if we may believe report, [and is s]aid to have had a good ship with a 140 men, and 24 guns.

[Bra]dish and Wetherley have a slight extraordinary in attempting to escape, they [made] two attempts since they were last committed, once they broke the floor of the prison and thought to escape that way, but that failing them, within a night or two they filed off their fetters, upon which I ordered them to be manicled, and chained to one another.

I believe this new Goaler I have got is honest, otherwise I should be very uneasy for fear these Pyrats should escape....[22]

[Footnote 22: The rest of the letter has nothing to do with Kidd or other pirates.]

I conclude with all respect

My Lords

Your Lordships most humble and obedient Servant

BELLOMONT.

_86. Information of Henry Bolton. February 4, 1701._[1]

[Footnote 1: From the ma.n.u.scripts of the Duke of Portland at Welbeck Abbey, a copy having been kindly furnished by the Rev. Richard W.

Goulding, librarian to the duke. The date Feb. 4, 1700, means Feb. 4, 1701, new style. Bolton's previous history and his relations with Kidd are sufficiently shown by this and preceding doc.u.ments. In 1700 he had been shipped to England from Jamaica, and he was now, or at any rate on Dec. 22, 1700, in Newgate prison under charges of piracy. _Cal. St.

P. Col._, 1700, p. 760.]

Information of Henry Bolton.

4th of February 1700

Being required by the Right hono'ble the Commission'rs for Executing the office of High Admiral of England, Ireland etc. to informe their Lord'ps of the place of my nativity, manner of Living for some time in the West Indies, and particularly of my meeting and Transactions with Capt. Kidd, I presume to make the following Answer, being the best and fullest I can make at present having neither my Books or papers in this Kingdome.

That I was born in Worcestershire about the yeare 1672 and in the year 1697 was Deputed by the Commissioners of his Maj'ties Customes for the Leeward Islands to be Collector for the Island of Antigua.

That in the year 1698 following I quitted that Imployment[2] and followed Merchandizing about the said Leeward Islands.

[Footnote 2: He was removed, and at the time of his removal he owed the crown about 500. _Ibid._, p. 603.]

That in February 1698/9 I sailed from Antigua in the Sloop _St.

Antonie_, Samuel Wood Master, on a Trading Voyage amongst the Dutch and Spaniards. The Markett at Curacoa (a Dutch Island) not answering my Ends I went to Rio De la Hacha,[3] and there sold my Cargoe, and Loaded my Sloope with Stock Fish [and] Wood on Freight for Curacoa aforesaid, which I there Landed and departed for the Island of Porto Rico with intention to Trade with the Inhabitants of that Island, having a Cargo on Board for that purpose.

[Footnote 3: On the Spanish Main, or north coast of South America, about 300 miles west of Curacao.]

That in that Voyage in the Moneth of Aprill 1699 being becalmed to the N.N.E. of the Island Mona the Men belonging to the Sloop discovered a Sail E. and B.S.[4] from Mona which the Pilote of the Sloope supposed to be a Guarda Costa, a small vessell fitted out by the Spanish Governors to clear the Coast of Foreign Traders. A few houres after Wee discovered a Cannoa, which drawing near the Sloope, Wee hailed the said Cannoa. They answered from Whitehall. Wee demanded who Commanded their Shipp. They Replyed Capt. Kidd. Then he that stired[5] the Cannoa was desired to come on Board. After he came he told me his name was John Ware, and that he was Master of Capt. Kidd's Ship, requesting that I would goe on Board in the Cannoa to see Capt. Kidd which accordingly I did. When I came there Captain Kidd askt me to sell him my Sloope in regard his Ship was disabled and could not well proceed the voyage he intended for New Yorke, and finding me unwilling he then askt if I could not procure him a Vessell. I answered possibly I might at Curacao, upon which he desired me to use my Endeavors there to get him a Sloope, and procure him some Buyers or Chapmen[6] for his Calicos and Muslings, And that he would consider me for my paynes.

[Footnote 4: East and by south, _i.e._, midway between east and eastsoutheast.]

[Footnote 5: Steered.]

[Footnote 6: _I.e._, Some customers or some selling agents.]

That thereupon I departed from Capt. Kidd and went for Curacao where I applyed my selfe to Mr John Stonehouse and Mr Walter Gribble[7]

(Acquaintance of Captain Kidd) who promised to send A Sloope to him. I also Endeavored to procure him some Buyers for the Muslings and Callicos.

[Footnote 7: See doc. no. 76, note 21.]

That after doing my Errand and business at Curacao I ordered the Master of the Sloope to shape his Course for the West End of Porto Rico, But the Wind proving Northerly Wee fell in with the East end of Savona and plyed to Winward for Mona in order to meet Captain Kidd, which I there did according to Appointm't and with him a Dutch Sloope, Jean Vander Bist Master, and a French Turtler, the Master's name I have forgot; Captain Kidd waited at Mona for the Curacao vessells But the Wind being about No. and from thence to NNE they could not possibly Fetch Mona, So Captain Kidd's patience being tyred gott his ship under Saile and intended to Weather point Esperdo,[8] the Eastermost part of Hispaniola, but the Deficiencies of his Ship being so great he bore away for the West end of Savona, and there Anch.o.r.ed.

a Day or two afterwards came into Our Company the Brigandin _Mary Gold_, George Lorriston Master, and the _Elenora_, John Duncan Master.

Then Cap't Kidd weighed Anchor with the sloop _Spey_, John Vander Bist Master, and Brigandine _Mary Gold_, sailed for the River Higuey in the Island Hispaniola where Arriving he moored his ship across the River to the Stumps of Trees or Rocks on sh.o.a.r.

[Footnote 8: Punta Espada.]

That there Capt. Kidd disposed of wine, part of his Cargoe, to severall that came on Board to him And that at the same time I sold him the Sloope _St. Antonio_.

That Capt. Kidd tooke severall Goods out of his ship, and put them on Board the Sloope I sould him and left his owne ship in the River Higuey and desired me to doe him all the service I could in selling and disposeing of the Goods left on Board of the said ship for Account of the Owners of the _Adventure Galley_.

That Captain Kidd told me that my Lord Bellomont and my Lord of Orford[9] and himselfe were some of the _Adventure Galleys_ owners and to the best of my Remembrance Sir John Somers.

[Footnote 9: The Sir Edward Russell of doc. no. 71, note 1. He had been created earl of Orford in 1697.]

That Capt. Kidd shewed me a Commission under the Great Seale signed at the Topp William Rex and another Commission signed by the Lords of the Admiralty, the purport of neither of which I can remember, onely Capt.

Kidd sayd his Commissions impowred him to take pirates and the subjects of the French King.

That Capt. Kidd at his going to New Yorke promised to return himselfe or send some other persons in two Moneths time to bring Necessaryes for refitting his said ship the _Adventure Prize_ and also a Condemnation for the said ship and Goods and to indempnifye all persons that should purchase any of the said Goods, alledging that the said ship was a lawfull prize being taken with a French pa.s.se which Captain Kidd shewed me, and actually in the time of War with France.[10]

[Footnote 10: See doc. no. 76, note 9.]

That after the Departure of Capt. Kidd the Seamen shiped by him in the said ship did plunder and convert to their owne uses the best and most choicest of the goods of the said ships Cargoe, which did not come to my Knowledge till they had been near Five Weeks on board the said ship, and indeed it was out of my power to prevent them had I discovered it sooner being only myselfe and Negro Boy, And they were Eighteen in numbers.

That the said Seamen belonging to the said ship as afores'd when they found I was not ignorant of their villanies openly declared they would not stay longer on board the said ship, but being terrified with the thoughts of Capt Kidds returning, they Joyned all (saving the Boatswaine) and came on the Quarter Deck and said I might remain in the ship and be d.a.m.ned for they would stay no longer. The Man that thus affronted me I shoved on the main Deck[11] and ordered the rest to go on the Main Deck likewise and told them they had engaged themselves to Capt. Kidd to stay on board the ship as long as I should be there, And that I was resolved to stay till the two Months in which Capt. Kidd promised to return were expired unless some Extraordinary Accident intervened: I also charged them with stealing out of the Ships Hould severall Bales of Goods And that if they went from the Ship before Capt. Kidd's Arrivall I was oblidged as his Friend and in my owne Justification to write to all Governm'ts in those parts to have them secured; this calmed them for two or three dayes.

[Footnote 11: _I.e._, shoved down from the quarter-deck onto the main deck.]

That the said Seamen did again Joyne and draw up a Paper directed to me setting forth their Resolution of leaving the Ship and signed with their names within a Circle commonly called a Round Robin, so gott on board A Sloope and went for the Island Curacao leaving the Ship to me and three more.

That after the departure of the said Seamen I stayd about a Week in the ship and would have stayed longer had not a Friend of myne sent a Sloope Express from Curacao to informe me the Spaniards of the Citty of St. Domingo[12] were arming out a Brigandine to come and take us, which induced me to leave the said ship _Adventure Prize_ in the said River Higuey and went to the Island Curacao in order to protest ag't the Seamen as aforesaid and to get what satisfaction the Law would allow, For at that time they had most of them three or Four hundred pounds a Man. But the said Seamen had gained their Ends so farr in the Governm't that the Governor would not admitt me to stay in Curacao tho' at the same time John Ware Master of Capt. Kidd's ship and the said seamen were there openly protected; I do not charge this on the Govern'r[13] (who is since dead) For I should be very sorry to disturbe the Ashes of so good a Gentleman as I believe he was, but on some of his Councill that did not desire I should face them.

[Footnote 12: Not a hundred miles away.]

[Footnote 13: Bastiaen (Sebastian) Bernage.]

That I have not received of the produce of the Goods Capt. Kidd left upwards of three hundred and Eighty peices of Eight, all the rest is in Debts outstanding which is much less than my Charges.[14]