Deposition - Jean Morange

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Deposition – Jean Morange (QAR anti-French) - early 1718

Deposition – Jean Morange - 1718

Secrétariat d'État à la Marine - Correspondance à l'arrivée en provenance de la Martinique 1717-1727 : Feuquières (François de Pas de Mazencourt, marquis de), gouverneur général des îles du Vent ? Mémoires, états et documents divers ? Course, flibuste et piraterie

Déposition du sieur Jean Morange, armateur du bateau la Volante, de Saint-Pierre, au sujet de la prise de ce bâtiment par les forbans et des mauvais traitements subis par l'équipage du fait des Espagnols de Porto-Rico ([1718])

Deposition of Sieur Jean Morange, owner of the ship La Volante, of Saint-Pierre, concerning the capture of this vessel by the pirates and the ill-treatment suffered by the crew on account of the Spaniards in Puerto Rico (1718) [BCBNOTE: Also concerns the pirate offensive intended for Petit Goave during Christmas 1717]

**** Before 21 Mar 1718 *****

Code de communication : zone générique = MI, zone cote = 211MIOM/32

Cote de reference: FR ANOM COL C8A 24 F° 125

Référence Internet: ark:/61561/zn401kekiv

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Extrait d'une lettre de Feuquières (21 mars 1718)

Content Overview

Fermentation provoked in the minds by the announcement of the arrival of a squadron commanded by M. de Champmeslin, while the amnesty is expected; it is necessary to reinforce the garrison of the island; motion of M. de Larnage concerning a gratuity granted to the lieutenants of the King of Marie Galante; the case of Sieur Morange, whose ship was taken by the pirates (see FR ANOM COL C8 A 24, folio 125); recommendation in favor of M. de Martel. 15 p.

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fueilles 233-235;

Deposition

Sieur Jean Morange, a resident of the village of St. Pierre [NW Martinique] and a boat of the sloop La Volante Comanded by Jean B[aptis]te Deshayes, en route to the coast of Puerto Rico their sloop was attacked by a ship and a sloop of pirates; it was La Concorde [QAR]. After having been hunted for three hours, and two wounds of cannon under the black flag, his sloop was obliged to carry anchor in the roadstead of Boukachiqui, from which the pirate sloop approached and had moored on the side; the French crew tried to sail, so the pirates took this sloop, which they cut off, and the French sloop was robbed of eighteen mules and a few merchandise to trade for a few other mules at this point. The Spaniards of Boukachiqui kept the French for three days by the sea and take them to the land in Puerto Rico where they have remained two months and eight days without being able to leave. During the time the French Sieur Des Rochert, the Governor of the Spanish Army of Barleviente [Don Joseph Rocher de la pena rere Admirall of their Barlevento squadron; who captured Virginia’s Harry Beverley], armed himself to take the crab island [not Bequia, but the one on SE Puerto Rico] occupied by the English, arrived at Puerto Rico, and obliged the pilot and the crew of La Volonte to embark with him. He [Rochert] promised to give them [crew of La Volonte] a vessel to take them to St. Thomas, besides the bad treatment of the French crew. He had taken no account of what he had promised, for after the expedition of the crab island which was very bloody having had 34 to 35 people massacred [English traders killed by Rochert’s men?] they retained fourteen men of the Volonte intending to take them to the Vera Cruz, port of their residence, and yet for 18 men, 13 English and 5 francois he gave only a stinking bottle of water with 15 # of bread and as much salt meat to carry them to Le Croix which forced them to return to the isle of crab where there were still some Englishmen and some negroes. From which, two English sloops having arrived there transported them to St. Thomas.

Two Spanish Corsairs who had arrived in Puerto Rico prior to the expedition to the Crab Island, reported that the pirates, numbering 25 vessels, were at Cape Tibron [Tiburon - western tip of St. Domingue or Haiti], and that they had been burning the French district of Lautibonette* [l’Artibonite—at mouth of Artibonite River north of Petit Goave] at St Domingue.

The master of the vessel of Monsr. De La Touche called Laserre coming from St. Alozie [St. Lucia] there met another English vessel whose Captain told him that a fortnightly pirate ship of 40 guns [QAR] accompanied by two sloops [Revenge and Roy Guillaume] also pirates took a Boucan de Tasia, which if he had been a Frenchman, they had blown it up, it was the same pirates who had taken the Concorde before, and had since added forty guns they had taken from an Englishman [Christopher Taylor from Bequia?].

* Artibonite (Haitian Creole: Latibonit) is one of the ten departments of Haiti. The Artibonite River is a 320 km long river in Haiti. It is the longest as well as the most important river in Haiti and the longest on the island of Hispaniola.

The village of Desarmeaux is also located in the commune.

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Locations targeted by the pirate fleet—Christmas 1717