What happened after separating from Bellamy

Something interesting about the Whydah I found while surfing around Wkipedia:

Abenaki Indians called it Matinicus, meaning "far-out island." The French used it as an early fishing station.

In early May 1717, several pirates from their snow (a type of two masted vessel), the Anne, raided several vessels that were off the shore of Matinicus at the time. The Anne had originally been captured off the Virginia Capes in April by the pirate Samuel Bellamy in the Whydah, which wrecked in a storm on the night of April 26, 1717, off of Cape Cod. The Anne made it through the storm with another captured vessel, the Fisher (which was soon abandoned and the pirates aboard her transferred to the Anne). The pirates arrived at Monhegan Island, Maine, on April 29 and waited for the Whydah, for the pirates had not seen or heard about the Whydah wrecking in the storm of the night of April 26. The pirates eventually realized the Whydah was lost, and proceeded to attack vessels in the area. Several of the pirates set out in a launch from the Anne and proceeded to Matinicus:

"...where they took a sloop belonging to Colonel [Stephen] Minot, one shallop belonging to Capt. [John] Lane and three Schooners. They brought the Sloop and Shallop and (as we are informed) the sails and compasses of the 3 schooners to Menhagen [Monhegan], whereupon they manned the last mentioned Sloop with ten hands..."

The pirates soon departed the area on May 9, 1717, on the 25-ton sloop formerly belonging to Colonel Minot, with a pirate crew of 19.[6]

"Deposition of Ralph Merry and Samuel Roberts" Boston. May 11, May 16, 1717. in Jameson, John Franklin. "Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents." New York: Macmillan Company, 1923, pp. 301-302; "John Newman to Governor Shute" Gloucester. May 12, 1717. Massachusetts Archives 51:290

Some words of Cotton Mather concerning the execution of the pirates of the Whydah

"Diary of Cotton Mather"  MHS Collections, Series Seven Vol.8 (herinafter Cited as MD) p.481.

October 17, 1717: G.D. Tho' Satan by frequent Assaults upon me, designs and labours to discourage my unceasing Projections to serve the Kingdom of God; for I am satisfied, I should not suffer what I do from him, and his Instruments, if my continual contrivances to do Good were not such as they are: Yett, I will in this way make myself much more vile; and be stedfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; beleeving a good Issue of all.

            What I now think of, is; how to render the conditon of the poor Pyrates, who are coming on their Trial, serviceable unto the Interests of piety in the World.

MD:481

October 21, 1717: G.D. I would entertain the Flock, with a discourse agreeable to the Said Occasion given, in a Number of Wicked Pirates, who are speedily to be destroyed among us. A Discourse on the Folly of getting Riches, and not by Right.

MD:491.

November 26, 1717: I had sometimes made a Prayer, that the Condition of the late Pirates, might be so ordered, as to furnish me with some special Opportunities to do Service for the Kingdome of GOD. After the Execution of the Criminals, I had some thoughts of writing down the conference I had with them in the way from the Prison to the Gallows: adding the strange story of their capture, and the Sermon I preached unto my Flock on their occasion. But my thoughts were so feeble and flitting that I laid them aside. However, I resumed them; and remaining still entirely at a loss what to do, I betook myself unto the Lott. I wrote one Bitt of Paper, "Proceed," on another, "Forbear," and after a solemn Invocation of the glorious Lord, I drew the Lott, which fell to be "Proceed." I sett myself to the Work, and in a few Hours I made a Strange Dispatch of it. The Bookseller for whom I intended the Work, declined it; which caused me to wonder at my Direction to Proceed. But some other Booksellers, from whom I least expected it, without any offer of Mine to them, accepted it, and print no less than twelve hundred of them; and the Cause of Piety, is likely to be more than a little served.

The Flying Dutchman

OK, it's not about the Whydah, but it is an interesting article about the legend of the Flying Dutchman, and I thought you might enjoy reading it.  

Follow the link to the article:



https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4427

 Enjoy!


Dunning, B. "The Legend of the Flying Dutchman." Skeptoid Podcast. Skeptoid Media, 12 Aug 2014. Web. 29 Nov 2015. <http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4427>

John King - The Boy Pirate

My latest article is now published! You may read it here:

http://www.cindyvallar.com/JohnKing.html

More about the pirates who held him captive from Captain Snelgrave

The French ship just now mentioned, fell into their hands about a fortnight after I was taken by them, in this manner. It was not bound to Sierraleon, but having not had an Observation for several days, because the Sun was near their Zenith, they made land unexpectedly; and not knowing certainly whereabouts they were, but seeing several Ships in the River at an Anchor, they came boldly towards them.

I was then on board Captain Cocklyn’s old Ship; for they had not quite fitted mine for their use, not having at that time any Guns mounted; so I saw the great fear and confusion that was amongst them. My Mate, who had entered with them, said, “He believed, by the Ship’s coming in so boldly, it was the Launceston Man of War of forty Guns, whom we had left in Holland. For he had heard me say, she was to follow us to the Coast of Guinea.”

Happy would it have been for us and many more, if it had been so. For had that, or even a smaller Ship of twenty Guns, with the King’s Commission, come in at that time, or any other, whilst I was in their hands, I am persuaded they would have easily destroyed them. For the new-entered-men had little Courage; and the far greater part both of old and new Pirates, were so much in drink, that there could have been no Order or Conduct amongst them in an Engagement. So that it would have been very easy to have subdued them, and prevented that terrible Destruction, which happened to above one hundred Sail of Ships, that fell afterwards into their Hands, in their going down the Coast of Guinea: Together with those Damages that happened a good while after in the East Indies, by some of this Gang; and the great Ravage made by Roberts (who rose out of Davis’s Ashes) the second time, on the Coast of Guinea, till he was happily destroyed by Sir Chaloner Ogle in the Swallow Man of War. 

But the reason why no timely care was taken to prevent so great a Destruction, is not proper for me to mention in this place. 

As I had no business to be on board the Pirate Ship in time of Action, I asked Captain Cocklyn’s leave to go on board their Tender, which he readily granted. Just as I was going, several of my People who had entered with him, said, “They would go along with me, for they had never seen a Gun fired in anger.” Cocklyn hearing that, told them, “That now they should learn to smell Gunpowder,” and caned them heartily.

So I went on board Captain Elliot, where I soon saw the French Ship taken. For coming so unexpectedly into the Pirate’s hands, they made no Resistance; And because the Captain did not strike on their first firing, they put a Rope about his Neck, and hoisted him up and down several times to the Main-yard-arm, till he was almost dead. 

Captain La Buse coming at that instant, luckily saved his Life: And highly resenting this their cruel usage to his Countryman, he protested, “he would remain no longer in Partnership with such barbarous Villains.” So, to pacify him, they left the Frenchman with the Ship in his care; and after the Cargoe was destroyed, they cut the Ship’s Masts by the board, and run her on Shore, for she was very old, and fit for their purpose. 


Snelgrave, William. A new Account of Some Parts of Guinea... A relation of the author's being taken by pirates, London: printed for James, John, and Paul Knapton, 1734. Reproduction by British Library, pgs 259 - 262