Deposition of Fflewelling and Rowe

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Deposition of Fflewelling and Rowe—11 Sep 1717

Deposition of Flewelling and Rowe—11 Sep 1717

SP 35/9/168 - Deposition of Fflewelling and Rowe 11 Sep 1717

Bristol ff

I Nicholas Hiches Esq.r Mayor of the City of Bristol do hereby certify that upon this prexent 11.th Day of Sep.r in the Year of Our Lord God 1717 W.m Fflewelling Chirurgeon and Nicholas Rowe Mariner both of the same City came personally before me and Severally made voluntarily oath on the holy Evangelist of God, that they the said Deponents on or about the 9th day of Nov.r last past did sail in the Ship the Charles Galley of Bristol, Charles Porter Commander, from the Port of the said City thence bound to Kinsale in Ireland, the said Wm Flewelling as Surgeon of, and the said N. Rowe as Mariner on board the said Ship, and the said Deponents deposed that there was then loaden on board the said Ship at Kinsale aforesaid a Cargo of Beef, Pork and other Provisions, and from thence the said Ship, with her sd. Cargo sailed to the Islands of Barbados & Jamaica, & there landed the said Cargo of Provisions, that besides the said Provisions, there was loaded on board said Ship sundry dry Goods & merchandises at Bristol which remained on board said Ship at her Departure from the said Islands of Barbadoes & Jamaica, & that on or about the 19 day of Jan.ry then following (and now last past) no freight offering as the said Islands for Bristol, the said Commander resolved to take in a Cargo of Rum and Sugar, and with that Cargo & with the dry Goods taken in at Bristol as aforesaid to proceed from Jamaica to Carolina, there to take on board a Cargo for England, and that accordingly the said C. Porter with the said Ship Charles did on the 23 day of Jan.ry last past sail from the said Island of Jamaica in prosecution of the said Voyyage from Jamaica to Carolina as aforesaid near the Island of Pines they met with a Pyrate Sloop commanded as the said Deponents were informed by Benjamin Hornigold which Sloop gave chase to the said Ship Charles Galley to the Leward for the space of 48 hours or thereabouts & was got so far to the Westward in the Bay [Gulf] of Mexico that it would take up a long time to turn up to the Windward, and therefore fearing they might want water, they designed to touch at the Island of Trest [Triste on Terminos Lagoon in Campeche Bay], there to fill Water that in making towards the said Island of Trest [Triste] on the 2.d day of Feb.ry following, they espied several Ships under British Colours, towards which Ships they made Sail, that thereupon they proved to be a Spanish Man of War, called the St. John Baptista, Cap.t Dn John Albertus Commander, and Several British Ships with them, that as soon as the said Deponents were come within the reach of the Guns of the said Spanish Man of War, she fired a Shot at the Deponents said Ship, and soon after that a Broad Side, and commanded the Deponents to come on board the said Man of War, which accordingly they did. Whereupon the said Deponents were kept Prisoners till they arrived at La Vera Cruz where they were set at liberty to go whether they pleased; that the said Captain D.n John Albertus took possession of the said Ship Charles Gally to which the said Deponents belonged, which then had on board her the several dry Goods & Merchandizes taken on board at Bristol and Islands of Barbados & Jamaica as aforesaid, and carried the same together with the said Ship Charles to La Vera Cruz, when they were taken out and discharged, and, as the said Deponent believe, confiscated and converted to the use of the Spaniards, together with the said Ship Charles; and the said Deponents further severally deposed, that they could hear of no other reason for the Spaniatds taking their said Ship as aforesaid more than on pretence that the said Ship was bound to Campetia [Campeche] there to cut Wood, which pretence, the said Deponents deposed, was and is utterly false and untrue for that the said Ship Charles Gally was bound and designed only on the Voyage beforementioned and not elsewhere. All which I certify upon request under my hand and Seal of office of Mayoralty of the said City of Bristol The day first above-mentioned

Romsers

N. Hiches Mayor

Nich.o Rowe

Will.m Fflewelling

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