posted by
elanya at 11:51pm on 02/02/2005
And I had to transcribe this anyway :) So, you can read this, and tell me what you think about it. Its like an exercise in Internal criticism! Yay historical research methods!
Boston News Letter November 14-21, 1720
St Christophers, Sept [30?]. On the [2?]7h Instant about Eleven a Clock in the forenoon; came boldly in here into Blackstar Road, two Pirates, a Ship of 34 Guns , and a large Sloop of 6 Guns, having on board about 140 men, and carried out the Ship Mary, whereof Capt. Henry Fowle from Boston was Commander, and set two other Ships on Fire, one whereof was quite burnt down, and the other was saved by some Men that went off the shoar and quenched the Fire: Capt. Fowle seeing his Ship out in the [Ocean?], fearing she was irrecoverably lost, put on a bold resolution that he and his old Boatswain would venture their Lives on board the Pirates to see if possible he could save and recover his Ship and Cargo again; which accordingly he did, and when he came on board, the Pirates treated him very civily, far beyond his expectation, and promised him both Ship and Cargo, upon condition of him sending a Note on shoar for some fresh Stock, to be on board the next Morning, but not coming so soon as expected, the Pirates seat Capt. Fowle on shoar to forward it off himself, and when he came on shoar the Lieutenant General would not suffer him to go off again to the Pirates: which he thought very hard to be hindered from going off to save his owners interest in the Ship and Cargo whe he was willing to run the Risque of his Life ; but Providence ordered it otherwise, the Pirates having got all things ready in the Cabin to set her on Fire, the major part of the bemoaning Fowles case, said they were sure he was an honest Fellow that never abused any Sailors, had he been a Rogue, he would never have come on board to them; one of them know Capt. Fowle, and swore to the Company that he was an honest fellow, which hindered her from being burnt; It Capt. Fowle could have had Liberty to have gone off the Pirates would not have taken the value of six pence from his Ship, but finding he was stopt from coming on board again, the Pirates stood up into Saltp[oud?] Bay, and left the Ship laying too under her Topsails, and Capt. Fowle then got Liberty for himself and four of his Men to go off and save her, but before he could get on board, she was fast on shoar, and as it happened there was no rocks, and she was got off without any Damage to her Bottom. When the Pirates left her, they plundered her of all her Provisions, Water, most of her Blocks, cut and destroyed a great deal of her running Rigging, everything of small Stores, all his Books and Instruments, stove all the Chests in Pieces, left him and his Men only with what they had on their Backs, however Capt. Fowle’s going off as he did, sav’d his Ship and Cargo. Cap. Fowle had 220 Tearses of Sugar on Board, when the Ennemy cut her out, 4 or 5 Tearses they hove overboard, he hopes in a Fortnights time to be ready to sail for London.
When the Pirates left the Ship they wrote the following Lines,
For our words sake we let you go
But as for Creol we are their Foes.
Boston News Letter November 14-21, 1720
St Christophers, Sept [30?]. On the [2?]7h Instant about Eleven a Clock in the forenoon; came boldly in here into Blackstar Road, two Pirates, a Ship of 34 Guns , and a large Sloop of 6 Guns, having on board about 140 men, and carried out the Ship Mary, whereof Capt. Henry Fowle from Boston was Commander, and set two other Ships on Fire, one whereof was quite burnt down, and the other was saved by some Men that went off the shoar and quenched the Fire: Capt. Fowle seeing his Ship out in the [Ocean?], fearing she was irrecoverably lost, put on a bold resolution that he and his old Boatswain would venture their Lives on board the Pirates to see if possible he could save and recover his Ship and Cargo again; which accordingly he did, and when he came on board, the Pirates treated him very civily, far beyond his expectation, and promised him both Ship and Cargo, upon condition of him sending a Note on shoar for some fresh Stock, to be on board the next Morning, but not coming so soon as expected, the Pirates seat Capt. Fowle on shoar to forward it off himself, and when he came on shoar the Lieutenant General would not suffer him to go off again to the Pirates: which he thought very hard to be hindered from going off to save his owners interest in the Ship and Cargo whe he was willing to run the Risque of his Life ; but Providence ordered it otherwise, the Pirates having got all things ready in the Cabin to set her on Fire, the major part of the bemoaning Fowles case, said they were sure he was an honest Fellow that never abused any Sailors, had he been a Rogue, he would never have come on board to them; one of them know Capt. Fowle, and swore to the Company that he was an honest fellow, which hindered her from being burnt; It Capt. Fowle could have had Liberty to have gone off the Pirates would not have taken the value of six pence from his Ship, but finding he was stopt from coming on board again, the Pirates stood up into Saltp[oud?] Bay, and left the Ship laying too under her Topsails, and Capt. Fowle then got Liberty for himself and four of his Men to go off and save her, but before he could get on board, she was fast on shoar, and as it happened there was no rocks, and she was got off without any Damage to her Bottom. When the Pirates left her, they plundered her of all her Provisions, Water, most of her Blocks, cut and destroyed a great deal of her running Rigging, everything of small Stores, all his Books and Instruments, stove all the Chests in Pieces, left him and his Men only with what they had on their Backs, however Capt. Fowle’s going off as he did, sav’d his Ship and Cargo. Cap. Fowle had 220 Tearses of Sugar on Board, when the Ennemy cut her out, 4 or 5 Tearses they hove overboard, he hopes in a Fortnights time to be ready to sail for London.
When the Pirates left the Ship they wrote the following Lines,
For our words sake we let you go
But as for Creol we are their Foes.
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Were these on microtext, or was this film?
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But really, it's a pretty complete transcription. I just wish the date was clear - dates are important ;)
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I am curious about who the pirate was. It could have been, maybe bart Roberts. it sounds like him, anyway. But I'd have to check out some other stuff to know if he was in the area around the right time, and I'd still be guessing.
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There was one article from the 1850s that tells me all about some really interesting document, and I have no way to trace it :(
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He hung the Governor of Martinique from his yard arm!
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