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
Thomas Bell Esqr., Sheriff of the County of Mayo, in his Letter of the
16th of June 1696 says That on the 7th instant came into Westport[3] a
small Vessell of about 30 tuns, whereof he had no account till the
14th, upon which he immediately went thither, and only found the
Master, whom they call Captain Thomas Hollinsworth, and two men more
on board. That they had no other Loading but Gold and Silver, which
they conveyd away, and sold the Ship to one Thomas Yeeden and Lawrence
Deane of Gallway, Merchants. It was a very considerable Sume they had,
of which Mr. Bell desires the Government may be informd, that he may
have further direction therein; And adds that he found two baggs of
about Forty pound worth of Mony not passable in this Kingdom,[4] in
the hands of the said Mr. Yeeden and Mr. Dean, and took their Bond of
a hundred pound to have the same forthcomeing to answer the
Governments pleasure.
[Footnote 3: A seaport in northwestern Ireland, co. Mayo, about 40
miles north of Galway in a direct line, but a much larger distance
around the coast.]
[Footnote 4: Foreign coin; _e.g._, Indian or Arabian.]
The said Mr. Bell in his Letter of the 20th of June further says, That
since the writing of the above Letter he mett two of the Crew
belonging to the said Vessell, by name, James Trumble and Edward
Foreside, in whose hands he found about 200 l., and seizd on their
persons and goods, but found none of the said Guilt or Bullion in
their Custody, and now hath them with their said goods in his hands,
and hopes to find a great deale more of the said Guilt and Bullion in
the Country, or those that carry it away, the common report being that
the said Ship was worth Twenty Thousand pounds in Gold, Silver and
Bullion; And further adds That he receivd a Warrant from Sir Henry
Bingham, Barronet,[5] and John Bingham, Esquire, requiring him
forthwith to produce the said Trumble and Foreside with their Goods
before them, which he obeyd and will give a further account per next
post.
[Footnote 5: The third baronet, grand-uncle of the first earl of
Lucan.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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