TeesbyPostillion

Saturday, July 5, 2014

A Story of Taylor, Cocklyn, and Levasseur


From Snelgrave:

...Amongst my Adventure of Goods, I had in a Box three second-hand embroidered Coats. One day the three Pirate Captains, coming on board the Prize together, enquired for them, saying, "They under­stood by my Book such clothes were in my Ship". I told them "They were in a Box under the bed place in the Stateroom". So they ordered them to be taken out, and immediately put them on. But the longest Coat falling to Cocklyn's Share, who was a very Short Man, it almost reached as low as his Ancles. This very much displeased him, and he would fain have changed with Le Boose, or Davis: But they refused, telling him "As they were going on Shore amongst the Negroe-Ladies, who did not know the white Men's fash­ions, it was no matter. Moreover, as his Coat was Scarlet em­broidered with Silver, they believed he would have the preference of them, (whose coats were not so showy) in the opinion of their Mistresses". This making him easy, they all went on Shore to­gether.




            It is a Rule amongst the Pirates, not to allow Women to be on board their Ships, when in the Harbour. And if they should take a Prize at Sea that has any Women on board, no one dares, on pain of death to force them against their Inclinations. This being a good political Rule to prevent disturbances amongst them, it is strictly observed. So now being in a Harbour, they went on Shore to the Negroe-women, who were very fond of their Company, for the sake of the great Presents they gave them. Nay, some white Men that lived there did not scruple to lend their black Wives to the Pirates, purely on account of the great Rewards they gave.


            The Pirate Captains having taken these Cloaths without leave from the Quartermaster, it gave great Offence to all the Crew, who alledg'd "If they suffered such things, the Captains would for the future assume a Power, to take whatever they liked for themselves". So, upon their returning on board next Morning, the Coats were taken from them, and put into the common Chest 3.1], to be sold at the Mast. And it having been reported "That I had a hand in advising the Captains to put on these Coats" it gained me the ill-will in particular of One [Palgrave] Williams who was Quarter-master of Le Boose's Ship. He seeing me in the Tender's Boat, going on board a French Ship lately taken, where he then was, he swore "That if I came there, he would cut me to pieces, for the advice I had given the Captains” But Captain Elliot, who was then in the Boat whispered to me, saying, "Don't be afraid of him, for it is his usual way of talking. But be sure to call him Captain, as soon as you get on Board". It seems this Villain had been Com­mander of a Pirate Sloop [the Marianne]; who, with a Brigantine [=The Sultana], two years be­fore, took Captain Laurence Prince in the Whidaw Galley near Jamaica; and being now Quarter-master, which he did not like, he loved to have the Title of Captain given him. So when I came into the French Ship, I addressed myself to him, saying, "Captain Williams, pray hear me upon the Point you are so offended at." Upon that he gave me a slight Blow on the Shoulder with the flat of his Cutlace, swearing at the same time, "he had not the heart to hurt me"; when I had told him how the affair had really happe­n'd which he had been so angry about, he gave me a Keg of Wine, and was my Friend ever after.



Snelgrave, William, A New Account of Some Parts of Guinea, III. A relation of the author's being taken by pirates, Eighteenth Century Collection Online Print Edition. London: printed for James, John, and Paul Knapton, 1734,  pp.255-259.

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