Hendrik Quintor

            In his deposition on May 6, 1717, before his trial for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts, in October, 1716, Hendrik Quintor declared that he was born in Amsterdam, Aged 25 years, a Mariner.

That he was taken in a Spanish Briganteen by Labous Commander of the Sloop Postillion, and Bellamy Commander of the Sloop Mary Anne and being bound to La Vera Cruz, the Pirates told him he should go to the Coast of Crocus, but afterwards they compelled him to stay, and during the time he was with them they took 3 French Ships and then clean’d at the Main Land of Hispaniola.

After that they took 3 English Ships, viz. Richard’s, Tosor’s and Williams’s, and went to St. Croix, where a French Pirate was blown up. That this Examinate and the other six, who were sent on board the Pink were Forced Men.

On the way to the gallows after their trial in Boston, in November, 1716, Hendrik had this conversation with the Reverend Cotton Mather, who accompanied the men to the scaffold:

CM: Quinter. Thou art come into a Dark Time.

HQ: ‘Tis a Dark Time with me.

CM: But will you receive it, if I bring you Light on this Darkness!

HQ: God be merciful to me!

CM: One who had been a Great Sinner, had this Experiment: I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. May not this be your Experience too?

HQ: I wish it may!

CM: When you have Sinned, you have swallowed a Deadly Payson. With a Vomit of Repentance, and Confession, you must cast up this Deadly Poison. If your Soul go away with it, you are Banished from GOD, and fixed in Eternal Miseries.

HQ: What shall I do?

CM: Do you Confess, That you are a very Great Sinner?

HQ: Yes, I confess, I have committed all manner of Sins.

CM: But are you sensible, That you have an Heart full of Sin; An Heart that is desperately wicked? All the Sin in your Life, came out of your Heart. Are you Troubled, that you have such an Heart?

HQ: Heartily Troubled.

CM: Do you Look up to GOD for a New Heart?

HQ: With all my Heart.

CM: Do you own that GOD is Righteous in all the Evil that is come upon you?

HQ: Yes, I do.

CM: But now, Your Confession must be made, with a Faith Leaning on the Great Sacrifice. On every Stroke in your Confession of your Sin, you must add: Lord Pardon my Sin, for the sake of the Blood of SAVIOUR.

HQ: I desire to do so.

CM: But, we are taught, He that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy. You wil have no Opportunity now, for the Experiment of a Reformed Life; You cannot now Live to see whether you don’t Return unto Folly. But however, your Heart must be so set against all Sin, that your Choice must be, Rather to Dy than to Sin.

Tho’ Man cannot show you Mercy; your Life is forfeited, beyond the Reach of Mercy from the Government; yet upon a True Repentance, you will find Mercy with GOD. This Repentance is also His Gift. Oh! Keep looking up unto Him; Lord, Give me a Repenting Heart! O my SAVIOUR, Thou givest Repentance and Remission of Sins!

Man, Thy Immortal SOUL is presently to Return unto GOD. A SOUL doing so, can look for nothing but His Fiery Indignation, and a dreadful Banishment from Him; Except it be a SOUL with another Biass upon it, than what men have in their Depraved Nature. A SOUL to which a CHRIST is Precious; to which a CHRIST is the Prince of Life, the Living Spring of all that it Good: A SOUL groaning under all its Evil Inclinations; as the most heavy Burdens; A SOUL desirous above all things to Serve and please the Glorious GOD.

My Friend, May thy SOUL now be found so disposed!

 Sources:

1717    Instruc­tions to the Liv­ing, From the Condi­tion of the Dead [etc.] John Allen for Nicho­las Boone. Boston



1718    "The Tri­als of Eight Persons Indicted for Piracy [etc.­]"  Barth­olo­mew Green for John Edwards.  Boston.  Early American Imprint Series  Microfilm #2003. Clif­ford K. Shipt­on, edi­tor.  American Antiquari­an Soci­ety. Worcester, MA.