Candler to Admiralty - 19 Jul 1717

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Bartholomew Candler of HMS Winchelsea to Admiralty—19 Jul 1717

Letters – Candler to Admiraly—19 Jul 1717

ADM 1/1597 Letter of Capt. Bartholomew Candler of HMS Winchelsea- 19 Jul 1717

[HMS] Winchelsea off Crooked Island in the Windward Passage July 19th, 1717

Sir

My last Letters to you were by Capt. [William] Owen [d. 1722] of the Solebay [42 guns], giving Their Lordsps an account of my proceedings from my Arrival at Barbad:s untill my arrival at Jamaica where I recd their L[or]ds[hi]ps Orders of ye 4th March past [1717] to Cruize on the Pirates, wch I did as soon as I arrived at the Island, At that time Jamaica was Infested with at least 4 Pirates two to Windward [east], and two to Leeward [west], there was to Windward [east] a Ship called the Widah [Whydah], Commanded by one Bellamy, wch Ship he took going thro' the Windward Passage bound home from Jamaica, and this Bellamy had a Sloop wth him, it's said they had 250 men between them, And to Leeward [west] they were Two Sloops, having about 100 men in each Commanded by one Hornigold, & one Napping, those latter I followed over to the So Caios of Cuba, as Their Lordsps were Inform'd by last Letter by the Solebay. By the good Intelligence they have from Jamaica, they soon heard that we were in quest of them, for they are all gone from hence, for since Aprill there has not been one seen about this Island, we seem to be well Inform'd at Jamaica that Bellamy in the Widah is lost on the Coast of New England, on the Shoals of Cape Codd, Its said the rest are gone to Providence, expecting His Maj:ts Pardon [note the pardon came 5 Sep 1717, two months from the date of this letter, and was not delivered to New Providence until Feb 1718], There is one Labouze [Olivier LeVasseur de la Buse], a French Pirate, in a ship he has lately taken as it's reported at Jamaica, and that he is either over on the Coast or to Leeward, there is also or has been lately, over on the Coast a Pirate Sloop from Barbados Comandd by noe Major Bennett, who has an Estate in that Island and the Sloop [Revenge] is hiw Own, this Advice I had by Letter from thence, that in Aprill last He ran away out of Carlisle Bay in the night he had aboard 126 men 6 Guns & Armes & Ammunition Enough, I suppose Their Lordsps have been acquainted wth that affair by Capt. Hume of the Scarborough, On the 13[o?] of June past [1717] I made an End of Careening tho' wth much trouble and difficulty, here being no manner of Conveniency, tho' the whole Charge is but L74..05p of Jamaica mony, 12 of it was for a Main top mast, for both my Main top masts were Sprung being too Small. On he 18th of June the Governour of Jamaica sends me the Inclosed Lett:r wth a Coppy of a Petition of Masters of Merch:tmen to give them the Governm:t and the Masters that I would convoy them to Windward, but that I could not go to Leeward with them; for that would be putting myself quite out of those Seas, On the 5th Inst:t I sailed from the Caios [Cays or Keys] of Port Roy:ll with 22 Saile of Merchant Ships besides some Brigantines and Sloops, I made such easie Saile that I was 9 Days getting up to the E:t end of Jamaica, wch was but 14 Leag:s and not above 8 Saile kept me Company, I suppos'd they Intended to go to Leeward the most of them for there was but Ten Saile who had Sailing Instructions ?? me, tho' I made the Sign:l for them Three Mornings, and those Eight are ?? me now in a Fair way of getting thro' the Passage, While I was Careening I Order'd the Swift & Tryall Sloopes to Cruize about the Island they were [at?] Bluefields [west Jamaica] when I sailed, I have Order'd them to Clean, & to convoy such Merch:tmen thro' ye Windward passage as should be ready then, provided the Governour desires it And when they have perform'd that Service, ?? are to follow me over to the Main, in Order to do some Service there in Surveying the Coast 'twixt Porto Bello and Carthegena, the Season being better on that side now, then on this, for Aug:t and September are dange[ous?] months here amongst the Islands, but on the Main they never have any Hurricanes, by this I don't doubt but it will appear to Their Lordsps that the Service I was sent on; has been hitherto unavoydably Interrupted, b?? Serving the Island & the Trade, but I do assure Their Lordps That I shall use mu utmost endeavour (when I am off of these Services) to make all the Observations &c [etc] remarks I can possibly do, to correct the Chars of those Seas, wch are now very Erroneous, The Adventure is not yet return'd from Convoying the Fleet of Merch:tmen thro' the Gulph, who sail'd on the 13th May past [1717], I drew Bills on the Navy Board for 500,ll [L500?] for His Majestes Service, for fitting and Cleaning, and the defraying other Incident Chargs of his Maj:es Ship Winchelsea & Swift & tryall Sloops, I had the mony at 25 P[er] Cent: wch is Cheaper than usuall, I have had the Mmisfortune of loos? my Lieut: Mr. Humphrey Owen, who was a very Ingenious man & a good Officer, he Died the 21st of May past [1717], I have removed Mr. Caldecutt the Lieut. of the Tryall Sloop into the Winchelsea, and I have appointed Mr. Mathew Fortescue (a young Gent: who was a Midshipman with me) Lieu:t of the Tryall Sloop I have 108 Men and Provisions for Three Months at whole Allowed.

I am

Sir

Your most Hum:ble Serv:t

Barth: Candler

To the Hon:ll Josiah Burchet Esq:r

Barbados Shipping Records showing David Moore’s finding of Stede Bonnet’s possible departure from Barbados in the sloop Revenge