[Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Albany: Historical MSS., vol. XLI., p. 60. The commissions of admiralty judges had originally been issued on warrant from the Lord High Admiral. Since 1673, however, except for two brief periods, the latter's duties have always been performed by the "Lords Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral" (Admiralty Board, or Lords of the Admiralty). On April 29, 1697, the board consisted of the two distinguished admirals Sir Edward Russell (created earl of Oxford eight days later) and Sir George Rooke, Sir John Houblon, governor of the Bank of England, Col. James Kendall, ex-governor of Barbados, and four others. The warrant is not addressed to any governor by name; Bellomont was not commissioned (as governor of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire) till June 18, 1697.] By the Comiss'rs for Executing the Office of Lord high Admirall of Engl'd. Irel'd. etc. Whereas, in pursuance of His Ma'tis pleasure signified to Us by the Rt. hon'ble Mr. Secretary Trumbull, Wee have appointed Mr. William Smith to be Judge, Mr. John Tudor Register, Mr. Jarvis Marshall, Marshall, and Mr. James Graham, Advocate of the Vice Admiralty of New-Yorke, and Connuticutt, and East-Jersey:[2] You are therefore hereby Empower'd and directed, to give unto them Commissions for their said Employm'ts respectively; And in case of the death, or inabillity, by sickness, or otherwise, of any of the said persons, You are to appoint others in their roome: and Transmitt to Us the Names of such persons as You do so appoint; Dated at the Admiralty Office this 29th of April 1697. [Footnote 2: William Smith was already chief-justice of the supreme court of the province, and a member of the council. Jarvis Marshall had been messenger of the council. James Graham was speaker of the assembly, attorney-general, and recorder of the city of New York.] To his Ma'tis Governour of RUSSELL. New-Yorke and Connuticutt, G. ROOKE. and East-Jersey/ for the time JNO. HOUBLON. being. KENDALL. By Command of their Lord'ps WM. BRIDGEMAN. * * * * * _70. Proclamation of Lieut.-Gov. Stoughton. June 4, 1698._[1] [Footnote 1: Mass. Archives, vol. 62, p. 253. William Stoughton, lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts 1691-1701, acted as governor from the departure of Governor Phips for England in 1694 to the arrival of Governor Bellomont in the province, May 26, 1699. Bellomont in June, 1698, was in New York. In the period to which most of our documents belong there was always an outburst of piracy after the conclusion of a war, because multitudes of privateers found their occupation gone when peace was proclaimed, and some of them were sure to turn to the allied trade of piracy. The peace of Ryswyk, between France and Great Britain, Spain, and Holland, Sept. 20, 1697, had had this effect at the time of Stoughton's proclamation.]