David Herriot 24 Oct 1718 p1

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David Herriot deposition, 24 Oct 1718, part 1

Depositions – David Herriot, 24 Oct 1718

The Information of David Herriot md Ignatius Pell Mariners, given to Richard Allen and Thomas Hepworth

Esquires, Two of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for Berkly County, in the Province of South

Carolina, against Major Stede Bonnet, Commander of the Sloop Revenge, alias Royal James, and against

Robert Tucker Quarter-Master, Edward Robinson Gunner, Thomas Carman, John-William Smith, Neal

Paterson, John Lopez, William Hewet, John Levit, Job Beely alias Bayley, William Scot, Thomas Nichols,

John Ridge, Thomas Garrat a Molatto, John alias Bayley, Zachariah Long, Matthew King, James Robbins,

Rowland Sharp, Samuel Booth, William Livers alias Evis, John Brierly, William Wallis, Daniel Perry,

Henry Virgin, George Ross, George Dunkin, Alexander Annand, William Eddy alias Nedy, William Morrison,

John Thomas, James Mullet alias Millet, Thomas Price, Robert Boyd, Jonathan Clarke, and James Wilson,

all Mariners, belonging to the said Sloop Revenge, alias the Royal James, under the Command of the

said Major Stede Bonnet, the Twenty fourth Day of October, in the Fifth Year of the Reign of our

Sovereign Lord George, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the

Faith, &c. Annoq; Domini 1718.

The said David Herriot and Ignatius Pell being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God,

depose and say as follow: And First, this Deponent, the said David Herriot, says, That about the

Twenty second Day of March last he sailed out from Jamaica as Master in a Sloop called the Adventure,

of the Burden of Eighty Tons, or thereabouts, whereof Matthew Taylor, of the County of Devon, Mariner;

John Devine of Leyden, in the Province of Holland, Merchant; and James Robberts of Bristol Mariner,

are Owners; and was bound for the Bay of Honduras, chartered by one Major Daniel Axdell to one William

Stewart, of Honduras aforesaid. Says, That about the 4th or 5th of April last this Deponent came into

the Bay of Turneff, about ten Leagues from the Bay of Honduras, and there saw a Ship and two Sloops,

which this Deponent first apprehended to be Capt. Wyar, who came out of Jamaica with four other Sloops

about a Week before this Deponent, and designed to come to an Anchor there. But soon after he

perceiving the said Ship did not belong to the said Wyar, this Deponent took them for Spaniards, and

then tacked about, and then the Ship fired a Gun at this Deponent's Sloop; and the said Sloop Revenge,

then commanded by one Richards, a Pirate, slipped her Cable, and came up to this Deponent with a Black

Flag hoisted, and ordered this Deponent to hoist out his Boat, and come on board them, which he did;

and then the said Sloop Revenge sent five of their Hands in this Deponent's Boat back again to this

Deponent's Sloop, and brought this Deponent's Sloop to an Anchor under the Ship's Stern.

Says, That the Ship which this Deponent imagined to belong to Mr. Wyar, was a Ship of forty Guns

mounted, named the Queen Anne's Revenge, commanded by one Edward Thatch, a Pirate. And says, He then

was inform'd by the Pirate Crew, that the said Major Stede Bonnet was on board the said Thatch, but

out of Command, being some time before turn'd out ot his Command by the said Thatch and the Pirate

Crew, as he was inform'd.

And this Deponent further says, That at the time he was taken, as aforesaid there was another Sloop in

their Company, which the said Pirates called their Prize; but know not her Name, nor the Master's. And

deposes, That at the time he was taken there were on board the Sloop the Royal James, then called the

Revenge, or the said Ship the Queen Anne's Revenge, the following Perfons, viz. Edward Robinson

Gunner, Neal Paterfon, John Lopez, Job Beely alias Bayly, Willam Scot, Thomas Nichols, Zachariah Long,

Matthew King, William Livers alias Evis, Daniel Perry, Henry Virgin, William Eddy alias Nedy, James

Mullet alias Millet, Thomas Price, and James Wilson ; but by reason of their frequent shifting from

the said Ship the Oueen Anne's Revenge to the said Sloop Revenge, now the Royal James, cannot say

properly to which of them they belonged. That about the Eighth or Ninth Day of April aforesaid, the

said Thatch and Richards weighed Anchor from the Key of Turneff, and came to Anchor in the Evening of

the same Day at Water-Key, about a League or two from the Bay of Honduras; and the next Morning

weighed Anchor, and went into Honduras-Bay, where there lay four Sloops, and a Ship named the

Protestant Ceasar, Capt. Wyar Commander, from Jamaica last, but belonging to Boston, as 'twas then

reported. Says, That he knows not the Sloops Names; but three of them were commanded by Jonathan

Bernard of Jamaica, Master of one of them, and Owner of three of the faid four Sloops. Says, That one

of the said Sloops came to descry what they were, and took said Thatch and Richards for Spaniards; but

said Thatch fired a Gun, and hoisted his Black Flag. Whereupon Capt. Wyar and all his Men took to

their Boat, and Went ashore ; and then Thatch sent one [William] Howard, his Quarter-Matter, and eight

of his Crew, onboard of Wyar's Ship; but knows not what they took out of her. And says, That said

Richards was employed in securing the other four Sloops.

And this Deponent further deposes, That two or three Days after the said Thatch and Richards set fire

to Capt. Wyar's Ship, because she belonged to Boston, alledging the People of Boston had hanged some

of the Pirates, and so burnt her. Says, The said Thatch burnt one of the four Sloops, because she

belonged to Capt. James of Jamaica; which James, as 'twas alledged, had said he would not employ those

Sailors in his Service that had accepted of the King's Proclamation ; and the other three Sloops,

belonging to Bernard, they let go. From thence the said Richards and Thatch with this Deponent's

Sloop, mann'd by some of the said Pirates, went to Turckcill, and from thence to the Grand Camania,

being an Island belonging to the Spaniards, lying about sixty Leagues to the Westward of Jamaica,

where they took a small Turtler. From thence they sailed towards the Havana, and from thence towards

the Bahama Wrecks. From the Bahama Wrecks they came and lay off the Bar of Charles-Town in South

Carolina, to wit, about the Month of May last, for the space of five or six Days; where the said

Thatch and Richards took a Ship commanded by one Robert Clark, bound from Charles-Town aforesaid to

London. Says, He has heard by the Pirates there were both Goods and Money taken out of the said

Clark's Ship, but knows not the Particulars, this Deponent being then on board his own Sloop.

Says, That said Thatch and Richards, whilst they lay off the Bar of Charles-Town, took another Vessel

coming out from Charles-Town, whose Name or Master cannot remember; and that they, the said Thatch and

Richards, took two Pinks coming into Charles-Town from England; and heard them say they likewise took

a Brigantine with Negroes, but knows not the Names of the two Pinks or Brigantine, or the Names of the

Commanders, and knows not what they took out of them; and after detaining them some few Days, they let

them go again. That said Thatch and Richards set fail from the Bar of Charles-Town with this Deponent's Sloop

for North Carolina; and this Deponent asked why they detained this Deponent's Sloop?

They answer'd, They hoped to meet with the Laver de Cruse Fleet some time or other; and that they kept

her for a Fireship.

Says, That about six Days after they left the Bar of Charles-Town, they arrived at Topsail-Inlet in

North Carolina, having then under their Command the said Ship Queen Anne's Revenge, the Sloop

commanded by Richards, this Deponent's Sloop, commanded by one Capt. Hands, one of the said Pirate

Crew, and a small empty Sloop which they found near the Havana. And this Deponent in the Voyage from

South Carolina to North lost Company, but heard they took one Mason; and heard Thatch afterwards blame

Richards for not burning said Mason's Vessel, because she belonged to Boston. That the next Morning

after they had all got safe into Topsail-Inlet, except Thatch, the said Thatch's Ship Queen Anne's

Revenge run a-ground off of the Bar of Topsail-Inlet, and the said Thatch sent his Quarter-Master to

command this Deponent's Sloop to come to his Assistance; but she run a-ground likewise about Gun-shot

from the said Thatch, before his said Sloop could come to their Assistance, and both the said Thatch's

Ship and this Deponent's Sloop were wreck'd; and the said Thatch and all the other Sloop's Companies

went on board the Revenge, afterwards called the Royal James, and on board the other Sloop they found

empty off the Havana.

Says, 'Twas generally believed the said Thatch run his Vessel a-ground on purpose to break up the

Companies, and to secure what Moneys and Effects he had got for himself and such other of them as he

had most Value for. That after the said Ship and this Deponent's Sloop were so cast away, this

Deponent requested the said Thatch to let him have a Boat, and a few Hands, to go to some inhabited

Place in North Carolina, or to Virginia, there being very few and poor Inhabitants in Top sail-Inlet,

where they were; and desired the said Thatch to make this Deponent some Satisfaction for his said

Sloop: Both which said Thatch promised to do. But instead thereof, ordered this Deponent, with about

sixteen more, to be put on shore on a small Sandy Hill or Bank, a League distant from the Main; on

which Place there was no Inhabitant, nor Provisions. Where this Deponent and the rest remained two

Nights and one Day, and expected to perish; for that said Thatch took away their Boat.

That said Thatch having taken what number of Men he thought fit along with him, he set fail from

Topsail-Inlet in the small Spanish Sloop, about eight Guns mounted, forty White Men, and Sixty

Negroes, and left the Revenge belonging to Bonnet there, who sent for this Deponent and Company from

the said Sandy Bank. And then said Major Stede Bonnet reassumed the Command of his Vessel. And said

Bonnet informed this Deponent, that his Intentions was to go to St. Thomas's, and there take a

Commission against the Spaniards, hearing there was a War between the Emperor and Spain; and that he

would give this Deponent his Passage thither, but could not pay him any Wages: Which this Deponent

gladly accepted of.

Continued in Part 2

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