Sam Bellamy, From Penniless to the Richest Pirate of All - Part One

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Sam Bellamy

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.

A folklore tale of Sam Bellamy continued

          Bellamy and his men were taken aboard the Mary Anne. “What will it be?” Captain Ben asked the marooned treasure hunters. “Sail with us, share and share alike or – stay on the island and rot.”

          “Cut their throats,” Louie Lebous suggested pleasantly.

          “Faith! Happy we’d be to join your band,” Bellamy said. “Ye have men, guns and proper vessels. ‘Tis a prosperous trade.”

          “Good! It’s agreed! Share and share alike!” said Captain Ben, “There is room for you here aboard the Mary Anne.”

          Later in the day the two pirate ships spread their sails and scudded over the silver-tipped waves toward the Spanish islands where rich booty might be won by brave lads. Bellamy and Williams stood by the rail, idly watching a school of porpoises. The sun was high and most of the freebooters were napping in shaded portions of the deck.

          “Glad I would be to sail this ship myself. With you in command of the Postillion, we could win a fine fortune. Staunch, large ships these are – fast sailers for a trade needing swift vessels to chase the fat, rich merchantmen. We must win friends among the crew. Perhaps we may someday become their leader.”

          “Not the Postillion! Lebous is a hard man,” Williams commented.

          “Aye! He knows not the way of proper seafarers. Methinks he’d cut a blind man’s throat to steal the pennies o’ his begging.”

          Seaboots sounded on the deck behind the pair.

          “This sun has been known to addle the brains of ambitious men, Mr. Bellamy,” said Hornigold, “It would be better to mingle with the other members of the brotherhood.”

          Unexpectedly the Mary Anne and the Postillion captured a large Indiaman bound for Holland with a rich cargo of logwood. It was an English ship with an English crew. For two days the pirates sailed alongside their prize while Hornigold and Lebous angrily argued over the disposition of her. Later it became known to the pirate crews that Captain Ben would not allow an English ship to be plundered. The officers of the Indiaman were freed and returned to their ship. Sardonically they saluted the pirates with a ten-gun salute and sailed away toward Jamaica. There were any disgruntled sailors aboard the Mary Anne and the Postillion who cursed heartily to see a fortune slip from their grasp because of Hornigold’s foolish principles.

          Black Sam Bellamy fostered the discontent. He said aloud that if the brotherhood ever elected him as their commander, “dammed if he would at any time let mollycoddling sentiment stand in the way of securing riches for his crew.” A bright gold English sovereign bought the pleasures of liquor and women just as quickly as a Spanish ducat.

          From that day on, the crew of the Mary Anne began to speak openly of an election. Lebous backed Bellamy. Finally, late in May, Sam challenged Captain Ben’s leadership. On the Isle of Pines, the crew held their election for captain. Sam won by a ninety to twenty-six margin.

          In a small snow (a square-rigged, briglike ship), Hornigold sailed away with the few crewmen who were willing to follow him.*

          Luck smiled on Bellamy. Ship after ship surrendered to the flaming guns of the two pirate vessels. Captured sailors were given the choice of joining the brotherhood or walking the plank.* Most of them joined.

          Near the Isle of Saba the Mary Anne and her consort captured the Sultana, a fast new ship laden with fine liquors, salted beef and milled wheat. Bellamy double-crossed his partner by placing the Mary Anne in charge of his friend Paul Williams and taking over the command of the prize. Louis Lebous, finding his ship outgunned by the combined armament of the Mary Anne and the Sultana, sullenly withdrew and sailed away.

                                                -- To be continued--

 

*Laura’s note: These men included one named Edward Teach, later to be known as Blackbeard.

*Laura’s note: This is a folklore tale, after all.