Back in December Festival Des Pirates did a giveaway. The winner got a signed copy of The Whydah Pirates Speak. Today I was sent a photo of the winner and friends posing with the prize:
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Deposition of Thomas Fitzgerald & Alexander Mackonochie
The Deposition of Thomas Fitz Gerald, Marriner, aged about 19 years, and late Mate of the Pink Mary Anne, belonging to Dublin (whereof Andrew Crumsty was lately Commander) and Alexander MacKonothy late Cook of the said Pink, aged 55 years.
These Depon'ts Testify and say That on the 24th day of April last past, they sailed from Nantasket harbour bound for New York, and on the 26th day of the said month, being friday, in the morning about nine of the clock, they discovered a large Ship, and her Prize, which was a Snow, astern, and the large Ship came up with the said Pink Mary Ann, between nine & ten, and ordered us to strike Our Colours, which accordingly we did,
and then they shot ahead of us, and braced too, and hoisted out her boat and sent seven Men on board, Armed with their Musquets, Pistols and Cutlashes (which Men are now in Boston Gaol) and they commanded the said Capt. Crumpsty to take his Papers, and go aboard the said Ship with five of his hands and accordingly the said Crumpsty with 5 of his Men rowed aboard the Said Pyrates Ship and the Seven Men tarryed aboard the Pink, and soon after the Pyrates sent their boat on board the said Pink with 4 hands to get some of the Wine which they were Informed was on board the Pink,
and accordingly they hoisted the pinks boat off of the hatches & opened the hatches and then went into the hold, but the Cable being Quoiled in the hatchway, they found it difficult to come to the Wines in the hold, and so returned to their Own Ship without any wine, Except five bottles of green wine which they Found in the Pinks Cabbin and carryed away, with some of the cloaths which belonged to the Pink's Company, and presently after the Pyrates had hoisted their boat on board the great Ship, they gave orders to the Pyrates on board the Pink to steer North-North West after them, which course they followed till about four a clock in the afternoon, and then the large Ship whereof Capt. Samuel Bellaime was Commander, and the Snow and the pink lay to, it being very thick foggy Weather,
And about half an hour after four a Clock a sloop came up with Capt. Bellaimes Ship and he hoisted out his boat and sent several men on board the Sloop and soon afterwards, vizt, about five a Clock, the Commander of the Snow bore away, and came under the stern of Capt. Bellaimes Ship and told him that they saw the Land; And thereupon Capt. Bellaime Ordered the Pyrates On board the Pink to steer away North which they did, and as soon as it began to be dark the sd. Capt. Bellaime's Ship put out a light astern and also the Snow and the Sloop and the pink had their lights out; and about ten a clock the weather grew thick and it lightned and rained hard and was so dark, that the pink's Company could not see the shore till they were among the breakers, when the Depon't FitzGerald was at the helm, and had lost sight of the Great Ship, Snow and Sloop; and being among the breakers we thought it most proper and necessary to wear the Pink, and before we could trim the head sails we run ashoar opposite to Slutsbush at the back of Stage harbour to the Southward of Cape Codd between 10 & 11 a clock at night,
and the 7 Pyrates together with the Depon't and a young man named James Donovan tarryed on board the Said Pink till break of day and then found the Shoar side of the Pink dry and so all of them went on Shoar upon the Island called Pouchy beach, and there tarryed till about ten a clock when two Men came over in a Canno Namely John Cole and William Smith, who Carryed the seven Pyrates over to the Mainland, and then Cole came again to the Deponts & Inquired who they (meaning the pyrates) were, & the Depont,
MacKconothy Answered they were pyrates & had taken the sd. pink, and soon after the sd John Cole Informed Mr. Justice Doane of Barnstable thereof by virtue of whose Warrant that the sd. seven pyrates were Apprehended; and the Deponts Journeyed with them to Boston where they are now in Custody of the Keeper of His Majties Goal as is aforesaid. And Further the Deponts say not; but that the sd. Pink is Bilged on Shoar so that it is impossible to get her off.
"Deposition of Thomas Fitzgerald & Alexander Mackonochie" Boston. May 6, 1717. Jameson:#109 (pp.296-297). Original in Suffolk County Files, Massachusetts Archives 11945.