Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
History
Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
Pirates; Privateering; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
The Jurors for our Sov'r Lord and Lady the King and Queen aforesaid
Present, That Benjamin Blackleich of Boston aforesaid, mariner, on the
fourth day of February in the year of our Lord 1690/1, at the Isle of
May otherwise called Santo-May, one of the Islands of Cape de verd,
being then and there a Seaman or Marriner, on bord the Ship called
the _Good Hope_, Jeremiah Tay Comander, did Wickedly, Felloniously and
Piratically Rise up in Rebellion against the sd Master Jeremiah Tay,
and with one James Allison A Pirate or Sea Rover, Master of a Sloop,
and his Company, did Conspire, Abett and Joyne, and with the sd James
Allison and his Company did Seize, Surprize, and Piratically take from
the sd Jeremiah Tay The sd Ship _Good Hope_, of Burthen about Three
hundred Tonns, and her Loading, being to the Value of Two Thousand
Pounds, of the Goods and Chattels of Collonol Samuel Shrimpton of
Boston aforesaid, and of the said Ship and Loading the said Master and
Owner did Dispoyle, Disposess and Exclude, against the Peace of Our
Sov'r Lord and Lady the King and Queen, their Crown and Dignity, and
the Laws in Such Case made and Provided.
Egnoramos.[2]
RICH'D CRISP, foreman, with the Rest.
[Footnote 2: For "Ignoramus" (we ignore), the word by which a grand
jury indicated its refusal to prosecute an indictment. We here find
the Superior Court, the highest common-law court of Massachusetts
under the second charter, taking cognizance of a case of piracy.
Governor Phips had a commission as vice-admiral (text in
_Publications_ of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, II. 206-215,
372-380), but no judge of admiralty had yet been appointed, nor any
special commission to try pirates.]
* * * * *
_57. Deposition of Thomas Larimore. October 28, 1695._[1]
[Footnote 1: Among the manuscripts of the Massachusetts Historical
Society. Captain Larimore in 1704 played an equivocal part in the case
of Quelch and his pirate crew (see no. 104, _post_), assisting their
attempts to escape, but his testimony as to prize-money is to be
valued, as that of an experienced shipmaster and privateer. In 1677 he
had assisted the authorities of Virginia against the rebel Bacon by
conveying troops in his ship. _Journals of the House of Burgesses_,
II. 70, 79, 86. In 1702 he was sent by Governor Dudley to Jamaica with
a company of volunteers, the first Massachusetts force to serve
overseas. _Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts_,
XVIII. 84-93.]
The Deposition of Thomas Larimore, aged Thirty two Yeares or
thereabouts. This Deponent testifyeth and saith that whenever any
person is fitted out to go in a Private man of Warr there is not wont
to be any Writing drawne betwixt the person fitting and the person
fitted out, and Yet the person fitted out always allows to the person
fitting him out One full Quarter part of a whole share of whatsoever
is gained on the Voyage.
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