The best books about pirates (fact and fiction)

The best books about pirates (fact and fiction)
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Saturday, November 30, 2013

John Brown - The Pirate with the Ordinary Name





Part One


 

By Laura Nelson

 

When you read the transcripts of their interrogations before their trial for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts on October 18, 1717, it is amazing how much John Brown had to say in his deposition before trial than any of the other pirates did.1 There is no explanation of why his deposition is so much longer than the others. Unfortunately the questions he and the others were asked are not recorded. But he definitely comes across as a talkative pirate.


Special note: The John Brown who sailed on the Whydah Galley and was hanged for piracy should not be confused with the John Brown whose brigantine was captured by the London-born pirate William Moody in 1718 while she was at anchor in the Bay of Caroline.3

Continuing with John’s narrative, “Labous kept the Examinate on board his Sloop about 4 months, the English Sloop under Hornygolds command keeping company with them all that time.'

“Off Cape Corante they took two Spanish Briganteens without any resistance laden with Cocoa from Maraca. The Spaniards not coming up to the Pirates demand about ransom were put a-shore and their Briganteens burn'd. They sailed next to the Isle of Pines, where meeting with 3 or 4 English Sloops empty, they made use of them in cleaning their own, and gave them back.'

“From thence they Sailed to Hispaniola in the latter end of May, where they tarryed about 3 months. The Examinate then left Labous and went on board the Sloop Commanded formerly by Hornygold, at that time by one Bellamy, who upon a difference arising amongst the English Pirates because Hornygold refused to take and plunder English Vessels, was chosen by a great Majority their Captain & Hornygold departed with 26 hands in a prize Sloop, Bellamy having then on Board about 90 Men, most of them English.”4

Bellamy and Labous sailed to the Virgin Islands, and took several small Fishing Boats and off St. Croix a French Ship laden with Flower and Fish from Canada, and having taken out some of the Flower gave back the Ship.' being brought back was severely whipped

According to Simon Van Vorst in his testimony before the same trial, “They cleaned at St. Croix, where 3 of their Men Ran away, and one of them being brought back was severely whipped.”5

“Plying to the Windward the Morning they made Saba they spy'd 2 Ships, which they chased and came up with, one was Commanded by Capt. Richards, the other by Capt. Tosor both bound to the Bay. Having plundered the Ships and taken out some Young Men they dismissed the rest & likewise Tosor's Ship, and made a Man of War of Richards's, which they put under the Command of Bellamy, and appointed Paul Williams Captain of their Sloop.”

The ship that they made a Man of War of would have been the Sultana, according to research by Barry Clifford and Ken Kinkor.6

Simon Van Vorst says of this time that “he saw many of Williams's, Tosor's, and Richards's Men Cry & express their Grief upon their being compelled to go with Bellamy.”7

John goes on to say that, “Next Day they took a Bristol Ship, Commanded by James Williams from Ireland laden with Provisions, and having taken out what Provisions they wanted and 2 or 3 of the Crew, let her go. They parted with their French consort at the Island of Blanco and stood away with their Ship and Sloop to the Windward passage, where in the latter end of February last they met with Capt. Lawrence Prince in a Ship of 300 Ton called the Whido with 18 guns mounted, and 50 Men bound from Jamaica to London laden with Sugar, Indigo, Jesuits Bark and some Silver and Gold, and having given chase 3 Days took him without any other resistance then his firing two chase Guns at their Sloop, & came to an Anchor at Long Island. Bellamy's crew and Williams's consisted of 120 Men.'
 
 

“They gave the Ship taken from Capt. Richards to Capt. Prince, and loaded her with as much of the best and finest goods as She could carry, and gave Capt. Prince above Twenty Pounds in Silver and Gold to bear his charges. They took 8 or 10 Men belonging to Capt. Prince, the Boatswain and two more were forced, the rest being volunteers.'

“Off Pettiguavis they took an English Ship hired by the French laden with Sugar and Indigo, and having taken out what they had occasion for, and some of the Men, dismist[sic] her.'

“Then they stood away for the Capes of Virginia, being 130 Men in company, and having lost sight of their Sloop the Day before they made the Land, they cruised ten Days according to agreement between Bellamy and Williams, on which time they seized 3 Ships and one Snow, two of them from Scotland, one from Bristol, and the fourth a Scotch Ship from Barbadoes with a little Rum and Sugar on Board, so leaky that the Men refused to proceed farther. The Pirates sunk her.'

“Having lost the Sloop they kept the Snow, which was taken from one Montgomery, being about 100 Ton and manned her with 18 hands, which with her own Crew made up the number of 18 Men; the other 2 Ships were discharged being first plundered. They made the best of their way for Cape Cod intending to clean their S hip at Green Island (having one Lambeth & an Indian born at Cape Cod for Pilots) and on Friday the 26th of April last to the Eastward of Cape Cod took a Pink laden with Wine from Madeira, last from Boston, bound to New York. They sent seven Men on Board called out on the Watch Bill,8 of whom the Examinate was one.”

John then spoke briefly about the pirates in general, saying that “there were about 50 Men forced, over whom the Pirates kept a watchful eye, and no Man was suffered to write a word, but what was Nailed up to the Mast. The names of the forced Men were put in the Watch Bill and fared as others, they might have had what Money they wanted from the Quarter Master, who kept a Book for that purpose, but this Examinate took only Cloaths[sic].'

“It was the common report in their Ship, that they had about 20000 Pounds in Gold and Silver.” According to fellow pirate Peter Cornelius Hoof, in his testimony before trial, “The Money taken in the Whido, which was reported to Amount to 20000 30000 Pounds, was counted over in the Cabin, and put up in bags, Fifty Pounds to every Man's share, there being 180 Men on Board.”9

John concluded his narrative by commenting that “Peter Hoof was once whip'd[sic] for attempting to Run-away, and the he and every one of the other Prisoners were forced to Join the Pirates.”

During the trial on October 2nd, 1717, Thomas FitzGyrald, late Mate of the Pink Mary Anne of Dublin, Ireland, testified that “on Friday 26th Day of the said month (April), between the Hours of Four & Six of the Clock in the morning, they discovered two Sail a-Stern, viz. A large Ship and a Snow between Nantucket Shoals & St. Georges Banks, which came up with the Pink in the Morning, with the Kings Ensign and Pendant flying; the large Ship was found to be the Whido, whereof Samuel Bellamy a Pirate was Commander, Who ordered the Pink to strike her Colors, and then hoisted out their Boat, and sent the Seven Prisoners now at the Bar, on board the said Pink, all Armed with Musquets, Pistols, and Cutlashes.”10

Captain Crumpstey was ordered to go on board the Whydah along with 5 of his hands and show Bellamy his papers. The seven pirates (the original group included Thomas South, who was acquitted at trial,) remained on board the Mary Anne. After a while several more members of the crew of the Whydah came on board looking for wine, but had to be content with only a small quantity and some of the clothes of the Mary Anne's crewmembers.

 

The pirates took command of the Mary Anne, and after receiving orders from Bellamy proceeded to follow the Whydah, steering North-West by North. They continued on until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. At that point all of the ships laid too because the weather was turning thick and foggy. They came under the Whydah's stern and told Bellamy that they had discovered land. Bellamy ordered them to steer North. As night came on the ships put out lights on their sterns.

Bellamy ordered the Mary Anne to “make more haste: Whereupon John Brown Swore, That he would carry Sail till she carryed her Masts away.”11

This entire time the pirates drank generous amounts of wine and took turns manning the helm. One of the witnesses, James Dunavan, who was a crewman aboard the Mary Anne, testified that atone point during the evening John threatened “to shoot the ship's cook because he failed to steer the correct course.”

“A few drinks later, Brown became even more surly, declaring that he would shoot him like a dog to make sure that he would not live to tell his story.”

Unfortunately the Mary Anne proved leaky, “so all hands were forced to Pump hard, and therefore they Damn'd the Vessel and wished they had never seen her.”12

The weather continued to deteriorate. Around 10 o'clock that night the lightning and rain was so heavy that they were unable to see the shore until they were among the breakers. Before they could trim the head-sail the Mary Anne ran ashore. This was between 10 and 11 o'clock. They landed to the south of Cape Cod. According to Alexander Mackconachy, a crewman on the Mary Anne, it was at this point “That Thomas Baker cut down the Fore-mast & Mizen-mast of the pink when she run on shoar.”13

At this point, one of the pirates, not named, cried out: “For God's sake let us go down into the Hould & Die together.”14 The entire company spent the night in the hold.

Thomas FitzGyrald went on to say that “in their distress, the prisoners ask'd the Deponent to Read to them the Common-Prayer Book, which he did about an Hour.”15

In the morning they discovered that the shore side of the Mary Anne was dry, and so they walked out onto an island. They hung around there until about 10 o'clock, eating sweetmeats and some other goodies they had found in one of the crewmen's chests and drank more wine.

It was at about this time that two men, John Cole and William Smith arrived at the island in a canoe and rowed the men over to the mainland. Thomas FitzGyrald says that it was fellow crewmember Alexander Mackconachy who exposed the pirates for who they were. They eventually were caught while stopping over in a tavern in Eastham.

Mr. FitzGyrald also related that “while they were on the Island, Brown and others would have him call himself Captain of the Pink, and give out that the Pirates on Board were his Men.”16 He also related that the pirates were very eager to be on their way to Rhode Island, which at that time was a known pirate haunt.

During his testimony at the trial, John Brett, Mariner, said that while he was held prisoner for 18 days on the Isle of Pines, in June of 1716, “John Brown was as active on Board the Pirate Sloop as the rest of the Company.”17

Another witness, Moses Norman, said that “he knows Thomas [sic] Brown, and saw him in company with the Pirates belonging to Capt. Bellamy & Monsieur Labous when the Deponent was taken with Capt. Brett in the Month of June, 1716. That he was carryed to the Isle of Pines, and kept Prisoner Seventeen or Eighteen days, during all which time the said Thomas Brown was very active on board of Capt. Labous.”18

Later on that afternoon the pirates were allowed to speak in their own defense. In what apparently is a typo by the printer of the transcripts, it says that “Thomas Brown pretended himself also to be a forced Man, but produced no Evidence to make it appear to the Court.”19

After giving their defense, the pirates were sent out of the room while the court voted on their guilt or innocence. When they returned, John “pleaded the benefit of Clergy, which was denyed him, being contrary to law.”20

Then the court pronounced them guilty of the crimes of piracy, robbery, and felon, and, sentenced them to death by hanging. They were scheduled to be hanged on November 15th, at Charlestown Ferry “within flux and reflux of the sea.”21

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Clifford, Barry, and Kenneth J Kinkor with Sharon Simpson, Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from slave ship to pirate ship, National Geographic, Washington, D.C.

Clifford, Barry, with Paul Perry, Expedition Whydah: The Story of the World's First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her. Cliff Street Books, 1999.

Cordingly, David, Under the Black Flag, The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, Random House Trade Paperback Edition, New York, 2006.

“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007.

 

ENDNOTES

 

1Executed along with John were: John Shuan, Hendrick Quintor, Thomas Baker, Peter Cornelius Hoof, and Simon Van Vorst.

2“ The Trials of Eight Persons Indited[sic] for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 317

3Cordingly, David, Under the Black Flag, the Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, Random House Trade Paperback Edition, New York, 2006, p 167

4Clifford, Barry, and Kenneth J Kinkor with Sharon Simpson, Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from slave ship to pirate ship, National Geographic, Washington, D.C. At this time, Hornigold's crew included a man named Edward Teach, who would soon become the legendary Blackbeard.

5“ The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 319

6Clifford, Barry, and Kenneth J Kinkor with Sharon Simpson, Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from slave ship to pirate ship, National Geographic, Washington, D.C., p 58

7“ The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 319

8Duty roster

9“ The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 319

10“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 303

11“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 303

12“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 304

13“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 305

14“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 304

15“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 304

16“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 304

17“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 305

18“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 305

19“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 306

20“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 308

21“The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy” in British Piracy in the Golden Age, edited by Joel H. Baer (2:289-319.) Pickering and Chatto, 2007, p 308


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