A general history of the pyrates : $b from their first rise and settlement in the island of Providence, to the present timeJohnson, Charles, active 1724-1731
History
A general history of the pyrates : $b from their first rise and settlement in the island of Providence, to the present time
Johnson, Charles, active 1724-1731
Pirates -- Early works to 1800
The Mother fell ill, sent to her Son to reconcile him to his Wife, but he
would not hearken to it; therefore she made a Will, leaving all she had in
the Hands of certain Trustees, for the Use of the Wife and two Children
lately born, and died a few Days after.
This was an ugly Turn upon him, his greatest Dependence being upon his
Mother; however, his Wife was kinder to him than he deserved, for she made
him a yearly Allowance out of what was left, tho' they continued to live
separate: It lasted near five Years; at this Time having a great Affection
for the Girl he had by his Maid, he had a Mind to take it Home, to live
with him; but as all the Town knew it to be a Girl, the better to disguise
the Matter from them, as well as from his Wife, he had it put into
Breeches, as a Boy, pretending it was a Relation's Child he was to breed up
to be his Clerk.
The Wife heard he had a little Boy at Home he was very fond of, but as she
did not know any Relation of his that had such a Child, she employ'd a
Friend to enquire further into it; this Person by talking with the Child,
found it to be a Girl, discovered that the Servant-Maid was its Mother, and
that the Husband still kept up his Correspondence with her.
Upon this Intelligence, the Wife being unwilling that her Children's Money
should go towards the Maintenance of Bastards, stopped the Allowance: The
Husband enraged, in a kind of Revenge, takes the Maid home, and lives with
her publickly, to the great Scandal of his Neighbours; but he soon found
the bad Effect of it, for by Degrees lost his Practice, so that he saw
plainly he could not live there, therefore he thought of removing, and
turning what Effects he had into ready Money; he goes to _Cork_, and there
with his Maid and Daughter embarques for _Carolina_.
At first he followed the Practice of the Law in that Province, but
afterwards fell into Merchandize, which proved more successful to him, for
he gained by it sufficient to purchase a considerable Plantation: His Maid,
who passed for his Wife, happened to dye, after which his Daughter, our
_Anne Bonny_, now grown up, kept his House.
She was of a fierce and couragious Temper, wherefore, when she lay under
Condemnation, several Stories were reported of her, much to her
Disadvantage, as that she had kill'd an _English_ Servant-Maid once in her
Passion with a Case-Knife, while she look'd after her Father's House; but
upon further Enquiry, I found this Story to be groundless: It was certain
she was so robust, that once, when a young Fellow would have lain with her,
against her Will, she beat him so, that he lay ill of it a considerable
Time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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