Deposition of Edmund Chamberlaine

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Deposition of Edmund Chamberlaine—27 May 1719

Depositions – Edmund Chamberlaine—27 May 1719

Then Mr Edmnnd Chamberlaine was Examined and his Depossition was read & sworne to before this Board in the following words

North Carolina ss

The Depossition of Edmund Chamberlaine Gent taken upon his Examination before the Honble the Governor and Council at a Council Board holden in Chowan the 27th day of May 1719 who being sworne on the Holy Evangilist saith

That he this Deponant hath been for some considerable time past vizt ever since the Later end of August last past to this time a liver at the house of Tobias Knight Esqr in Bath County and that perticularly on or about the 14th of September last past and for several days before and Since he never was absent from the sd Tobias Knight house either by night or by day nor was there any passages or Occurances as this Deponant verily believes kept secret or unknowne to him and further saith that this Deponant did never see Capt Edward Thache nor any of his Crew neither was any of them to his knowledge at the sd Tobias Knights House either by night or by day until on or about the 24th day of the sd last September when as this Deponant is informed he came up to the Governor and reported to him that he had brought a wreck into this Goverment and this Depont doth verily believe that if the said Tache or his Crew had come to the sd Tobias Knights at any time either by night or by day before that time and especialy on or about the 14th of September the sd Deponant must and would have seen them, because at the time there was an Alarme of the Heathen [Indians] falling upon us and this Deponant was at that time and upon that accompt very watchfull and apprehensive of every thing that stired about the sd house and the sd Tobias Knight was also at that time in so ill a state of health that this Deponant verily believes he could not possibly have gone out of his house to have had such communication with any person as in the sd pretended Evidence is Suggested without manifest danger and hazard of his life neither doth this deponant believe it was possible for the sd Tobias Knight to have had such Communication with any person either within or without his sd house without his knowledge for that his lodging roome was so near to this deponant that he must have knowne thereof and this deponant further saith that he was at the sd Tobias Knights House on the 14th of September when William Bell came and complained that he was robbed and desired a Hue & Cry from the sd Tobias Knight and did hear the sd Tobias Knight Examine the sd Bell whether he would describe the persons to him that robbed him to which the sd Bell replied he could not but said he did violently suspect one Thomas Undey and one Richd Snelling commonly called Fitery Dick to be Two of them and the others to be negroes or white men disguised like Negroes [contradicts William Bell’s official deposition] Some time afterwards he came again to the sd Tobias Knights and had in suspission one William Smith and others and the deponant further saith that he never did see or know of any presents of any kind to the sd Tobias Knight nor any of his family from the sd Thache nor any of his Crew since his being at the sd Tobias Knights house save only one Gun of about forty shilling value and this Deponant further saith that sometime on or about the 25th of April last he the deponant had discourse with Wm Bell of Corratuck Merchant concerning his being robbed of some money and Goods in Pamlicough on or about the 14th day of September last past by Capt Edward Thache and amongst other things he this Deponant did aske the sd Bell whether he thought the sd Thache was at the sd Tobias Knights house that night he was robbed or whether he thought he knew any thing of it. To which the sd Bell replied that the sd Tobias Knight was a very Civil Gent and his wife a very Civil Gentlewoman and did not think or believe that the sd Thache was there or that he knew any thing of the matter or words to that Effect

EDMUND CHAMBERLAYNE

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Minutes of the North Carolina Governor's Council, including a deposition, a remonstrance, and correspondence concerning Tobias Knight's business with Edward Teach

North Carolina. Council

May 27, 1719

Volume 02, Pages 341-349

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