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Sunday, June 14, 2015

A letter regarding New Providence



           

            I was formerly directed by H. E. Genll. Nicholson to render to your Lordships an accot. of the state and condition of ye Bohamia  Islands wch. has a long time bin without governmts., The want of wch. has laid those Islands open to be a recepticall and shelter of pirates and loose fellows and gives ye inhabitants as well as ye trading vessuals from other parts ye liberty and opportunity of inriching themselves by sideing and dealing with, entertaining and releiveing such villians who from time to time resort there to sell and dispose of their piraticall goods, and perfusely spend wtt they take from ye English French and mostly Spaniards, and as I am an inhabitant of New Providence have bin an eye witness to those ellegiall and unwarrantable practises committed both by ye pirates and inhabitants and others tradeing there, and have used ye uttmost of my endeavours to put by and prevent them, as alsoe by my goeing to the Havana hath bin a means of preventing ye design of ye provoked Spaniards comeing to cut those Islands off for the piracies yett. has since ye peace bin commited even by some of the inhabitants of those Islands... 

            The pirates daly increase to Providence and haveing began to mount ye guns in ye Fort for there defence and seeking ye opportu­nity to kill mee because I was against their illegall and unwar­rantable practices and by no means would consent to their mounting of guns in ye Fort upon such accots.  I was thereupon forced with my wife and family to acquitt ye Island to my great expence and damage  and ye latter part of June last [1716] arrived safe to this Province where I remaine upon [my own] expence in hopes that H.M. will be graciously pleased to take those Islands under his care and protection...that ye Islands may become a flourish­ing plantation...

            His Honr. the Governr. of this Province has lately granted commissions against ye pirates thatt resorts att Providence by virtue of wch. commissions ye grand Pirate Capt. Benja. Hornigold man of warr sloop of tenn guns is taken and destroyed, though he has escapted himself. This step in some measure has disabled him from doeing such damages upon ye heigh seas as he would have done if he had continued his command in the said sloop wch. did accomidate 135 men, when he last sayled out of Providenc­e , and by some commission granted as aforesaid great quanties of piraticall goods traded for att Providence was reprized & brought into this Port, and most justly condemnd. wch. has bin a great service to H.M. and ye said Governour by his granting such commissons, I hope will put a stop to ye Island of Providence falling wholly under ye command, and into the hands and possession of pirates as 'twas like to doe when I left ye place and seemingly ye pirates were increasing and groweing so strong under ye resolution of fortifieing and strength­ining the place and haveing got to so great a head that consequent­ly will putt ye Crown to some expence and charge to reduce and subdue them, if speedy measures, be not taken from hence and other Governmts. to putt a stop to their designs and if let alone will be of ill consequence.

Letter  “to the Council of Trade and Plantations" South Carolina. August 1716. Colonial Office Papers 5, 1265 no.52.


Laura's note: Always keep in mind when reading things from this era that they were written before dictionaries and standardized spelling s were created.




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