|
Professional Research & Maritime Historian, Author, & Conservator |
|
Webpage designed by Baylus C. Brooks—Copyright 2015-2017 Baylus C. Brooks All Rights Reserved |
|
Baylus’ Blog: |
|
List of Dr. Samuel Page of Vessels Commissioned by Gov. Lord Hamilton—ca. May 1716 |
|
Statements – List of Dr. Samuel Page—ca. May 1716 |
|
"List of [10] Vessels Commissioned by Governor Lord A. Hamilton Delivered by Mr. Page, Deputy Secretary of Jamaica, to the Secretary of State" [n.d.]. CSPCS 30:#131iv. (also CO 152/11 no.16ii).
Vessel Capt. Com. Men Tuns Security's Names Name Name Date Guns
Eagle John N 21 80 12 35 John Beswick & Wm.Hayman Sloop Wills 1715
Barsheba Henry N 21 80 8 40 John Cavalier & Wm.Hayman Jennings 1715
Tiger Jno. N 24 80 12 90 [Lewis Galdy & Danl. Axtell] Snow Barnet 1715
Mary David D 06 60 6 50 [Lewis Galdy & Danl. Axtell] Sloop Johnson 1715
Bennet Francis D 12 80 14 40 Wm.Hayman & Jno Wright Farnando 1715
Henry Henry D 12 80 12 40 Chris. Feake & David Sloop Thornton 1715 De Costa Alvera
Edward Matthew D 12 50 12 35 Wm. Hayman & Saml. Shaw & Sarah Musson 1715
Diligence Fra. D 12 30 14 90 Chris.Feake & Jno.Lewis Gally Morgan 1715
Francis Charles D 14 60 8 20 Charles Chaplin & Wm.Puckle & Sarah Chapman 1715
Mary James D 20 50 8 20 Chas. Richard Milen & Sloop Budd 1715 Richard Basnet
[totals] 650 106 [men] [tons] [All Commissions were for six months] N.B. The above Vessels carried more than 800 men, fitted out in Warlike manner doubly provided with Granados Bombs & etc. The Tyger and Mary sloop returned innoxious [innocent]. The Eagle and Barsheba were the Vessels complained of [by] Capt. Don Juan del Valle for robbing the Spaniards on the Florida Shore of above one hundred and twenty thousand peices of Eight besides plundering and stripping them, took their arms and powder from them and gave them to the Wild Indians and returned with their Booty to Jamaica and there divided the same. The Eagle is sailed out again under the same commission with about 100 men, as is the Barsheba, [which sailed?] with ninety seven men from blewfield [Bluefields, Jamaica] the 9th March in company with five other sloops for the wrecks well fitted with warlike stores. The Bennet sloop Francis Fernando, Commander, brought into Carlisle Bay [Jamaica] a Sloop he had taken from the Spaniards out of which he took seventy five thousand peices of Eight and Merchandize as the Master of the said Spanish Sloop affirm'd, to the Value with the mony to one hundred and forty thousand peices of Eight belonging to the ffrench late Assientist. The Sloop was soon after sent up to Port Royal with a letter from Fernando to the Govr. importing that the Sloop sent in was formerly the Kingston commanded by Henry Thornton and taken by the Spaniards off Cartagena which he [=Fernando] desired might be condemn'd, for until then he and his Company would keep out at Sea with the Booty they had taken out of the said Sloop. Accordingly (as I have been informed) the said Sloop with her Cargo was condemned the 7th of March 1716.
———————————————————————————
Discussion on these privateers in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1930.
131. iii. Copy of bond in £1500 given by owners of the Tyger commissioned against pirates as above, to observe above Instructions etc. Nov. 24, 1715. Signed, Jonathan Barnet, Lewis Galdy, Daniel Axtell. Same endorsement. 1¼ pp.
131. iv. List of (10) vessels commissioned by Governor Lord A. Hamilton, delivered by Mr. Page, Deputy Secretary of Jamaica, to the Secretary of State. Note. The above vessels carried more than 800 men, fitted out in warlike manner, doubly provided with granadoes, bombs etc. The Tyger and Mary sloop "returned innoxious." The Eagle and Barsheba were the vessels complained of by Capt. Don Juan del Valle for robbing the Spaniards on the Florida shore, of above 120,000 pieces of eight, besides plundering and stripping them, took their arms and powder from them, and gave them to the wild Indians and returned with their booty to Jamaica, and there divided the same. The Eagle is sailed out again under the same commission with about 100 men, as is the Barsheba, in company with 5 other sloops for the wrecks, well fitted with warlike stores. The Bennet sloop Francis Fernando, Commander, brought into Carlisle Bay a sloop he had taken from the Spaniards out of which he took 75,000 pieces of eight, and merchandize, as the master of the Spanish sloop affirmed, to the value with the money to 140,000 pieces of eight belonging to the French late Assientist; the sloope was soon after sent up to Port Royal with a letter from Fernando to the Govr., importing that the sloop sent in, was formerly the Kingston commanded by Henry Thornton, and taken by the Spaniards off Cartagena, wch. he desired might be condemned, for untill then he and his company would keep out at the sea with the booty they had taken out of the said sloop, accordingly (as I have been informed) the sloop with her cargo was condemned 7th March, 1715. Endorsed as preceding. 1p.
131. v. Remarks on preceding. (1) The vessels would have been of no use for suppressing pirates if not fitted out for that service. (2) The Eagle and Barsheba were not the vessells first complain'd of by Don Juan Delvallée; it was the Tyger snow, whose owners being Mr. Page's particular friends, he putts down "return'd innoxious," tho' that vessell was the first that committed hostilities and which occasion'd the journey of Don Juan to Jamaica, the securities and owners of the said vessell as well as of the Mary sloop were Lewis Galdy and Daniel Axtell, two Assembly men. It is not deny'd that the Eagle and Barsheba committed hostilities on the Spaniards at the wrecks but not to the fourth part of the value, nor in the manner describ'd by Doctor Page, of which Don Juan had the first notice after he had been some time in Jamaica which occasion'd his second Memoriall that his Lordship laid before the Councill and they came to resolutions on it (Minutes of Council, 9th Feb. 1715/16) and on 26th Aprill following two Proclamations issued, one for recalling the commission'd vessells, the other prohibiting fishing on the wrecks. (iii) The occasion of the Eagle's going out a second time was at the request of severall merchants particularly Henry Sharpe who had but a few days before the Eagle went out been taken with a considerable cargoe by a pirate, in sight of Jamaica. The Eagle was ordered in pursuit of the pyrate and she retook Mr. Sharpe's vessell and run the pyrate ashoar on the south side of Cuba, return'd to Jamaica in 14 days, and never went out afterwards with the said Commission, so that it is humbly conceived this was a peice of service done to the Island. (iv) The Barsheba got privately away from the Island contrary to the express commands of Lord A. Hamilton. (Minutes of Council, 16th Aug., 1716.) (v) The sloop which Dr. Page mentions to have been taken and sent into Port Royall Harbour by Capt. Farnando was actually a vessell which belong'd to Mr. Knight a merchant at Kingston, and had been taken some time before with a cargo, value £12,000 by a Spaniard and carry'd unto Porto Bell, where she had never been condemn'd, so that Farnando meeting her at sea without a register sent her to Jamaica, and perhaps had been in the right had he not first taken out all the money and the most valuable goods into his own vessel, which however did not amount to one half of the same Dr. Page mentions. Mr Bendish one of the owners of Fernando and who was the active man in solliciting the condemnation together with the captors obtain'd in the Court of Admiralty of Jamaica, a sentence against the vessel and her cargo which Dr. Page swears in his affidavit Leonard Barton told him was given on 7th March, 1715/16, whereas Barton swears he never spoke to Dr. Page about it, nor indeed is it probable, for the vessel was not condemn'd till the 16th of March, and then Dr Page had been 9 days at sea etc. His Lordship in publick Council declared his disapprobation of the said condemnation and appointed a Court of Delicates to have reversed it in order to do justice to the Spaniards, but the day before the said Court was to have mett, his Lordship was superceded by Mr. Haywood, who has done nothing in that affair since. N.B. The Diligence galley one of those commission'd by his Lordship had a patent from the King to fish upon wrecks, etc. Same endorsement. 2 pp. [C.O. 137, 12. Nos. 78, 78 i.–v.; and (without enclosures) 138, 15. pp. 465–467.]
|
