Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 6

R B D. F W.

_20. Deposition of Daniel Sprague. July (?), 1664._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 229.]

I, Danell Sprage,

when I wa.s.se Cleer and my wages paid me I Could get noe imployment nor pa.s.sage, not in three weeks time that I lay there, to goe to the windward Ilands. then I thought good to goe as to Camma.n.u.s,[2] to se if I Could get pa.s.sage their, and I saild with one Captaine Hermon towards the Camma.n.u.s, and as wee Came to An iland Called Camman-bricke,[3] their lay Captaine John Dugla.s.se at Anker. he sent his boate abord of us to heer what newse from Jemecoe, and we Asked of them wether they weare bound. the quarter Maistor Answered and said, wee be bound to the windword Ilands. I Asked of them weither I Could have pa.s.sage with them or noe, and hee saide, "I,[4] and wellcome".

then I went Abord with my Chest and Clothes and I staid aboard all the night and Could not speake with the Captaine, but the nixt Mornin as soon as it wa.s.se day I spoke with the Captaine. I desired of the Captaine wether he wa.s.se bound and he told me he wa.s.se looking out for A shipe that Came from Amsterdam in holland to Jemecoe, Called the _blew dove_, and said, "if I Could meet with her she is A good prise for me. I have beene ten or tewlve dayes aseeking after her and Cannot light of her, but if I Can light of her she is Aprise for me. I have the king of Portugalls Commishon". I, danell Sprage, [said] unto Captaine John dugla.s.se, "without your Commishon be very firme and that you be sure you Can Make a prise of her I desire you not to Come neer her, for I know what the ship is and Came out of holland in her". he Answered and said if I would goe a longe with him he would beare me out in all damages that shuld follow or insue upon me Conserning takeing of the prise. then the shipe which I Came from Jemecoe in wa.s.se gon from the Iland over to the Camma.n.u.s and their wa.s.se noe other shipe left but only Captaine John Dugla.s.se. I said unto Captaine John Dugla.s.se, "shuld I goe with you, and you shuld Come up with this shipe and take her, and the Company seeing of me they will say that I have been at the Camma.n.u.s and have fetched A shipe one purpose to Make a prise of them". Captaine Dugla.s.s Answered and said that "I and my Company Can testifie to the Contrarie and as far as my Commishon and my life doth goe I will beare you out Against all them that shall qushton you as Conserning the takeing of this shipe: I am Captaine and I have taken her with my Commishon and I will Answer it".

[Footnote 2: The Cayman islands, NW. of Jamaica.]

[Footnote 3: Cayman Brac.]

[Footnote 4: Ay.]

thes be the men that Can testifie that they weare ten or twelve dayes out in the pursuite after thes ship be fore I Came to them: and have heer unto set their hands.

the Marke of WILLIAM GIBENS.

[W]

JOHN HILL. These be the two witnesses wich [*] the Marke of CLINE the Can Justifie that I did desire the Dutchman. Capt. that, without his Comemishon THOMAS HUCKENS is Marke. where[5] sure, not to medle [dot in circle] : with the ship.

SOLEMON BEGENSOUS, quarter Maistor. The Marke of DANELL HARRESS.

[+] the Marke of HALLIGERT [four connected lines]

YOUNSON.

THOMAS BERKENHEAD. ABRAHAM WILLKESON.

[Footnote 5: Were; "unless his commission were sure."]

_21. Deposition of William Browne. July 25, 1664._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 223.]

William Browne, age 17 or 18 yeares, Saith that he was to goe pa.s.senger for England with mr. Robert Cook, master of the Shipe Called the _blow dove_ of london. the sd. wm. Browne heard the master Say that the Said Ship did belonge to Sr. wm. Davidson in Amsterdam[2] and I know that James wattson who came owt of holand befoire the Ship, did frawght the Sd. Ship with Some goods marked with WD. and I doe not know certanly whether there was ane S. in the midle or not, and that the Said James wattson was going with the Sd Shipe first for England and then for Amsterdam, and that the Sd. wm. Browne did See a Jewe Marke Qwicksilver and wax, which was Shiped Aboard of the Sd. Shipe, which Jewe kept a Shope publickly in Jamaica and did dispose of Some of the goods q'ch [which] came from holdand in the Said Shipe, and I doe know that there was ane English man Aboard which was a pasenger which had Some goods A board, as Cocco, 2 Tunne marked with ane O burned with the Barrell of A mwscket.[3] the Sd Shipe coming out of port Royall with 10 men or there About, with Some pa.s.sengers, went in Company with Captaine Hatchwell to blewefilds bay,[4] a bowte 20 Leagwes distance from Pt. Royall, and tooke in some watter and Some Ballace, and being at ane Ankore the Captane of a little Barke with his Company boarded them and gave them a voly of Shoat, being in nwmber about 27 men, and being Some what darke the master was Shote in the Arme and the men of the _blow dove_ were put in the howll of the Shipe: and then the Asaylants Cut the Cables, and Caryed away both vesh.e.l.ls and them, untill they came to poynt n.i.g.g.e.reell,[5] where they met with ane English barke coming from Caymanws and bownd for Porte Royall in Jamaica, where they putte the Said mr. of the _blowe dove_ Aboard According to his desire and furnished them with Some victwales and a Caise of Spirits: and after they were gone owt of Sight they lasht there barke aboard of the prise and took most of there things owt of her and Let her goe Adrifte.

[Footnote 2: See doc.u.ment 27.]

[Footnote 3: Musket.]

[Footnote 4: This Blewfields Bay is at the SW. side of Jamaica.]

[Footnote 5: Cape Negril.]

There was Aboarde the Shipe when shee was taken from Ro't Cooke bowt 48 hogsheads of Sugar, Some Cocco, Ebbony, Granadilla, Brasilita,[6]

Oakem, Stockfish, match, Qwick Silver 29 or 30 Chists, 2 gold Crownes with diveres other Jewelles, 1 Barill of knives, Some Swords, 1 Barill with Sheathes and Corvall, 60 Jares of oyle, 9 Caises with Spirits, 7 or 8 packes of whyte waxe, Lignavita, Gwmme about 5 or 7 pak.

[Footnote 6: Braziletto, a wood resembling brazil-wood.]

Taken upon oath this 25th of July 1664 befor me THOMAS SAVAGE, Commiss'r.

Acknowledged in Court 5th August 1664.

EDW. RAWSON, secret.

_22. Deposition of Robert Lord. July 26, 1664._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 224.]

The deposition of Robert Lord aged 42 yeares July 26, 1664.

Saith

That being at Jamaica about the moneth of January last past, there came in the pincke _blew dove_ which was seized at sea betweene Hispaniola and Jamaica by John Morrice Captn. of the _Virgin Queene_ (an english man of war), who putt two or three of his men aboad to bring her into Jamaica harbor, hee with his man of war bearing her Company neere to the harbour; when the sd _blew dove_ had bin three or foure daies at Jamaica there was a Court of Admiralty appointed for the triall of the sd _Blew-dove_, it being expected by the sd Captn.

Morrice and Company that the sd Ship would have been a prize to them, and their great Argument was that they were sailing towards Cuba before they had seized them, and that they were laden with ammunition and goods sutable to the spanish trade: but uppon triall in the Court, their billes of Lading appeared that they were bound to Jamaica, their c.o.c.ketts and dispatches being cleere from the Kings Custome-house at Dover; this deponent speaking in Court to Sr Charles Littelton (then sitting Judge of the Court)[2] that hee knew the Master Robert Cooke, and that hee lived in Ratliffe[3] neere to him, which also testifies Captn: Isack Bowles Comander of the _Blackmore_ (one of the Royall Companies Ships),[4] the Governor (Sr Charles Littelton) did thereupon declare them to be a free ship, and to have their liberty of trade as any other Ship whatsoever that was then in the Harbour; And further saith that the aforesd Captn. John Morrice told this deponent that hee had hoped to have had a good prize of the _blew-dove_, but hee gott nothing of them but an English Ensigne, and a hogshead of strong beare, and that the sd _Blew-dove_ came in with English colours, and did on all occasions weare them.

[Footnote 2: Lord Windsor was governor of Jamaica in January, 1664, Sir Charles Lyttelton deputy governor.]

[Footnote 3: Ratcliff, London.]

[Footnote 4: Bowles was one of the captains, and the _Blackamoor_ one of the ships, of the "Company of the Royal Adventurers of England trading into Africa", the predecessor of the Royal African Company.]

Taken upon oath, 27: 5: 64. Before me ELIA. LUSHER.

_23. Deposition of John Hunter. July 26, 1664._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.s. Archives, vol. 60, p. 225.]

John Hunter Aged a bout 40 years deposeth and sayth

That this deponant was shipped by Captaine Robert Cooke, Commander of the _blew dove_ of London so Caled, to sayle as a sayler in the said shipp from Jameco to Dover and so for Amsterdam: the time this deponant was shipped was about the begining of Aprill Last past in Jameco.

This Shipp _blew dove_, as I was informed by the people in Jameco, was brought in by a Captaine of a privat man of war uppon susspition that shee was to trade with the Spaniard as a hollander, haveing Jewes Goods on bord as thay Alleged, but was there Clered by the Governer, sir Charles Littelton, and had fower moneths trade there afterwards.

this was the Common report of the people there. farther this deponant testifieth uppon his owne knowlidg, being about two moneths a seaman uppon the said Shipp before shee was taken, and when wee Came out of Jameco wee had a let pas[2] from the Governer to saile to dover and there to pay the Kings Customs and from thenc wee were to sayle unto Amsterdam and to deliver our goods unto Sir william Davis[3] or his order, as the bills of Lading maketh manifest, which this deponant did see in the hands of Captaine Dugles Now a prisner, who desired this deponant to Reade the bill of Lading unto him at sea as wee were Coming in to these parts, allso a nother bill of Lading for sum smale quant.i.tie of wax and quicksilver which belonged unto a Jue, as I did aprehend. also I red a nother bill of Lading for severall goods belonging unto an Englishman Living in Jameco, who was going pa.s.senger for dover in the said shipp, but was turned a sh.o.r.e in blewfilds bay as the rest were by the said Duglas and his Company. farther this deponant testifieth that Captaine Duglas was at Jameco and did here that this shipp was there Clered and did then tell this deponant that hee would take this shipp, which this deponant towld him hee Could not Legally doe for shee beelonged unto Sir william davis in Amsterdam, his maisties Resident there. this deponant did acquaint Captaine Cooke what the said duglas said. farther this depont testifieth that when we were in blewfilds bay this duglas Came Rowing upp with two oars about eight of the Clock at night. Wee haild them and Asked whenc thay were and thayer Answer was, from the Barbados. wee Asked who was there to friend. thay Answered peter prier,[4] who said thay had lost Camanos and were going to seeke for it Againe, but presently thay Clapt thayer helme a starbord and shered Abord us giving a volly of smale shott, in which thay shot our master through the Arme, and so Came on bord and beate us doune in to the howld without Asking of us what wee weare and so Cut our Cable and presently put forth to sea. farther this deponant testifieth that two of the sailers being Englishmen Leaft the said Captaine Cooke at Jameco, uppon which the said Cooke was forced to shipp this deponant and a nother. and farther this deponant sayth not.

[Footnote 2: Let-pa.s.s, a permit; see doc. no. 130.]

[Footnote 3: Davidson; see doc. no. 27.]

[Footnote 4: Probably a pun on "pry", to fob off intrusive questioning.]

Taken upon Oath the 26th of 5th mo 1664 before mee ANTHONY STODDARD, Comissr.

owned in Court 5th August 1664 EDW. RAWSON.

_24. Deposition of Charles Hadsall. July 27, 1664._[1]