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Deposition of John Kenney at Antigua—30 Nov 1716

Deposition – John Kenney—30 Nov 1716

"The Deposition of John Kenney, commander of the Sloop Anne, & Josiah Carver Mate of the said Sloop taken before his Excellency Walter Hamilton Esqr. Captain General & Governor in Chief in & overall His Majesty's Leeward Charibbean Islands in America & C." Antigua.  December 10, 1716. ADM l/3815.

 

The Deponents being sworn & examined on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, depose & say, that on the 9th Day of Novr. last, they saw a Sloop [Marianne?] at sea, between the [Spanish] Main and the Rooucas's, [the Islas Los Roques north of Caracas, Venezuela] about five or six in the morning, which gave them chase by hoisting her Square Sail, and rowing after them; that the said Sloop gain'd upon them to that Degree that they were oblig'd to heave overboard nine live Goats, as also what they had salted of the same in Barrels, & what was boyl'd [boiled] for the Sloop's use, (fearing if she was a Spanish vessel that they would seize her for the same) that the said sloop continued chasing them till about eleven or twelve of the Clock the same day & then came so near that the Deponents gave them three Cheers in English in hope to discover by their Voice what country they were of, to which they made no Answer, but continued to give them chase, which made the Deponents fear they should be taken, but the Breeze springing up, they got clear, so can't say where they belong'd or by who navigated.

The Deponent Kenney further saith that he was at Martinique about ye latter end of the last month, where met with a Man with whom he was well acquainted at Curacoa, but does not know his Name, that the said man came as a Passenger in a French Sloop & wonder'd how this Deponent did escape the Pirates, And withall told him that two of the said Pirates chas'd their french Sloop into the Harbour of St. Thomas, whereupon the Captain & the said Passenger immediately inform'd the Governor thereof, who sent out one Captain Johnson in a two Mast Boat with sevl. men to discover what they were; that the Boat making sail towards ye place where the said Pirates lay, she spied a ship coming down the South Side of St. Cruix, whereupon two of the Sloops weigh'd Anchor, made sail & came up with the Said Ship, upon which she struck Sail; that the two Sloops & ship made sail & came to Anchor at the west end of St. Cruix, where were about eight Vessels including the Ship and Sloops beforementioned.

 

[While these have been previously identified as activities by Bellamy's flotilla, new evidence implicates Jean Martel]